Today was my daughter’s birthday and I was afraid we might not have an Internet connection so that I could use Skype to call her and wish her a Happy Birthday.
There was supposed to be a WiFi connection at the campground we stayed in last night, but no matter what we did we just couldn’t get it to work.
But, as luck would have it, we stopped at a little market (Jim’s Food Market) in Clearwater, BC and were able to get a good enough signal so that we could call. The connection wasn’t great but we could at least hear each other most of the time even though it was a very short call.
Happy Birthday, sweetie! Love you. Hope you had a great day.
Mount Robson
Along the route to Jasper we stopped at Mount Robson. Mount Robson is 12,972 ft tall.
Note to BC Provincial Parks: I understand that Canada uses the metric system, but for most visitors 12,972 ft would seem way more impressive than the same height in meters (3954 m). All I’m suggesting is that you put BOTH measurements on the signs so people who are not familiar with the metric system don’t confuse it with feet or don’t need to do the conversion (which most of us would get wrong anyway).
Jasper National Park
We were a little taken aback at the cost to enter the park and the cost for camping, which I will cover a little later.
I will leave the rant to Geoff, who is much better at such things, but it seems to me that, being Canadian, we shouldn’t have to pay quite so much. We had planned to stay in the park longer, but not at these prices.
A senior’s day pass (good for 24 hours) into the Park was $16.60 for both of us. There is no discount for extra days and if you plan to stay a week or more, you might as well get the annual pass that is about $140, but at least it covers most Federal Parks.
Now, this does’t include the cost of camping. For a tent site with no electricity or water the cost was $27.40/night. Although there were toilets and showers, the toilets were a fair distance away – particularly for someone like me who generally needs to get up at least once a night – and the showers were way over by the entrance to the campground.
For the same amount of money, or even less, we’ve been able to stay at a reasonably nice hotel in the States.
I don’t want to sound negative but we are Canadian and pay Canadian taxes. Shouldn’t there be a different rate for taxpayers?
At the Grand Canyon, if you were a senior and a US resident or citizen, you received a significant discount for park entry fees and camping. And, although the park entry fee was $25.00, it was good for an entire week.
Wildlife Encounter
Okay, time to get more positive.
After popping into the Town of Jasper for a quick look we headed back to our campsite and actually passed three elk along the way, just grazing at the side of highway.
They didn’t seem to mind when we pulled over to video them. I guess they’re used to seeing humans around.
They are actually quite large. At first glance I thought the one I saw might actually be a moose.
So far we have seen more wildlife in the few days we’ve been in British Columbia than we saw during our two-week cruise in Alaska.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 18 ~Day #39
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3900
$48.70
$4955.39
$127.06
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917 + 64
3826 + 30
000
69
9484.40
Location: Chilliwack, BC
Mileage: 128 (Chilliwack to Vancouver and return)
Nautical Miles: 30 (Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver)
Today’s Total Expenses: $48.70
Transportation: $27.70 (Ferry from Nanaimo to Vancouver)
Entertainment: $21.00 (Parking for Stanley Park, ferry to Granville Island)
BC Ferries
British Columbia has an amazing ferry system to service many of their communities.
This morning we were up early to catch the 8:30am ferry from Departure Bay in Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver where my sister would be waiting to pick us up. We had a full day planned visiting Stanley Park, Granville Island and finishing up with a BBQ with my brother-in-law’s family.
The ferry crossing was pleasant and relaxing. I was hoping to see some wildlife along the way – whales in particular – but I would have settled for seals or dolphins, but it was not to be.
We felt the charge for the ferry was pretty reasonable. We only spent $27.70 for both of us and the trip was over 1-1/2 hours long and covered 30 nautical miles.
Stanley Park
My sister was waiting for us as we got off the ferry. She had brought our car, which we had left at their house while we were on the Alaska cruise.
We threw our stuff in the car and headed for Stanley Park. This is a huge park on a peninsula in downtown Vancouver. It boasts an aquarium, totem poles, many lookout points and more. I’m really not doing it justice with my description, so you should consider a visit here.
We drove through the park to get an idea of where we’d like to stop. We then found a parking spot and the parking pass was good for anywhere in the park which meant we could feel free to stop and explore wherever we wanted.
Our first parking spot was actually just outside the park but our pass covered that, too.
It was lunchtime so we stopped for lunch at a small Arabian restaurant for a Shwarma (I hope I’m spelling that right) plate. It was a plate of spiced chicken, rice, humus, tabouli and a pita bread. We couldn’t finish it all.
Granville Island
After walking the seawall in downtown Vancouver to work off some of our lunch it was off the Granville Island.
Granville Island is a mix of farmers market, boutique stores, entertainment, restaurants and more and is a “must see” when visiting Vancouver.
We were able to leave the car where we had parked it and take a cute little ferry to Granville Island.
While we were there we were able to meet up with our niece (who is expecting within a couple of weeks and simply cute as a button), her husband and their six Afghan hounds – that’s right, I said six and they are all amazingly beautiful.
Back to Stanley Park
After taking the little ferry back to where we had our car parked, we headed back into Stanley Park and made several stops throughout the park including one at the totem poles.
Wildlife Encounter
Finally! An up close and personal wildlife encounter.
Okay, it was only a raccoon with attitude, but it was exciting anyway.
Family BBQ
From there we headed, with the help of Madge (our GPS), to the family BBQ. It was lovely to meet many family members that we have not met before and to see a few that we hadn’t seen in more years than I care to mention.
The conversations were interesting, the food was great and there was most certainly lots of it. Many thanks to my brother-in-law’s family for including us in their get-together.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 17 ~Day #38
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3800
$6.27
$4906.69
$129.12
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
3826
000
69
9385.9
Current Location: Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia (BC)
Today’s Total Expenses: $6.27
Food: $6.27 Costco hot dogs
Vancouver Island is about 300 miles long and 60 miles wide so even though we were driving all day yesterday we have only explored a small section. Vicky’s sister-in-law ‘F’ was a sales rep for grocery products for many years and traveled the island extensively so she knows the area very well. Since Vicky’s brother had to work today, F offered to drive us around to explore some of the communities close to Nanaimo. I think she was trying to sell us on the idea of moving to the island because she made a point of showing us places where we could buy some nice properties.
We drove through Parksville and in Qualicum Beach stopped at an artsy store full of cute carvings, home made jams, jewelry and furniture. You know, the sort of store a man can check out and dismiss in about five minutes and a woman can wander around in for hours.
Since I was outnumbered I found myself a comfortable chair and just dozed a little while waiting for the girls to reappear.
Surprise, ‘F’ actually bought something – a plaque for a friend. Usually the women spend hours browsing – they call it shopping – and then never buy anything.
Cathedral Grove
Our next stop was Cathedral Grove on Hwy ##. This was the highway we took to Tofino yesterday but we didn’t have time to stop.
Cathedral Grove is one of Canada’s oldest pine forests containing trees up to 800 years old. These things are immense, over xxxft high and xxxft in circumference.
A forest fire swept through the area a few hundred years ago so there are not many of the 800 year old giants left but most of the others are over 400 years old and they are pretty big, too.
Little Mountain
On the way back to Nanaimo we took a short detour up to the top of Little Mountain. The road has one of the steepest grades I’ve ever seen. There are some spectacular houses all the way up to the top. I can’t image how they manage in the winter when the area gets some snow.
Goats On The Roof
One of the oddest sights you will ever see is at the Old Country Market in Coombs. This single storey log building has a grass roof and on the roof lives a family of goats.
The property has developed into quite a tourist attraction with various art, trinket and clothing stores taking advantage of the traffic the goats provide.
Canadian Costco
Supper was still several hours away so we stopped at a Costco for their famous Polish Sausage and drink deal. Except this was a Canadian Costco and for some reason they only have hot dogs – oh well it was still good and a good deal.
Banana Cream Pie
One of my favorite desserts is Banana Cream Pie and it just happens to be one of ‘F’s’ specialities. It was well worth the extra belt notch – thank’s ‘F’.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 16 ~Day #37
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3700
$14.00
$4900.42
$132.44
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
3826
000
69
9385.9
Current Location: Nanaimo, BC
Mileage: 258 (Nanaimo to Tofino and back) Total:
Today’s Total Expenses: $14.00
Food: $14.00
Discovering Vancouver Island
My brother and sister-in-law were both free today so we decided to spend the day by going all the way to the West Coast of Vancouver Island – all the way to Tofino.
It was a beautiful day for the drive and we packed a picnic lunch to take with us.
The 2 hour or so winding drive through forests, lakes and mountains was a treat in itself.
Ucluelet, BC
Our first stop was in the town of Ucluelet, a quaint little town with a few shops and a small aquarium.
Tofino, BC
Our next destination was Tofino where we stopped on a wide beach, perched ourselves on a sun-warmed log and had our lunch.
Geoff and I simply had to dip our toes in the Pacific Ocean as we were all the way on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Where the water was really shallow it was fairly warm but as soon as we were ankle-deep – Yikes! – it was pretty chilly – for us, anyway.
Then we drove into the town of Tofino and wandered around for a while popping into touristy shops and art galleries.
Coulson Flying Tankers
On the way back R & F mentioned that the world’s largest flying tankers (http://www.martinmars.com/) were berthed right here on Vancouver Island, so we made a little detour hoping they would be visible.
Luckily they were there and it was quite a sight. It’s hard to imagine how these huge planes, filled with water, can even get into the air. But, apparently, they are used worldwide.
Ice Cream!
On our way back home we also stopped for some amazing ice cream at Whiskey Creek. If you happen to stop here for a cone, make sure you only ask for a single scoop. Trust me, it’s huge!
We each selected a different flavour – I believe they had about 40 flavours to choose from – and enjoyed our cones while soaking up some sunshine before heading back home.
BBQ and Trivial Pursuit
The perfect day was topped off by a lovely BBQ, some great conversation and a roaring game of Trivial Pursuit.
We played the girls against the guys and it was a very close game. We all did very well but okay, okay – the guys won.
Many thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for a wonderful day.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 15 ~Day #36
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3600
$39.90
$4886.42
$135.73
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
3826
000
69
9385.9
Current Location: Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, BC
Early Start
Our train to Nanaimo left Victoria at 8am this morning so we had to be up and packed much earlier than we had been doing lately.
VIA Rail Station
It was a short $11 cab ride to the train station which turned out to be just a tiny ticket booth on the platform. We had pre-booked our tickets online and they were waiting for us when we arrived.
The train is just two carriages with a built in engine. More like a subway car than a train but very comfortable with lots of leg room. Way more comfortable than any airplane.
Vancouver Island Scenery
We had been told that this was a very scenic trip and we pictured traveling through the mountains and along the coast. But I’m afraid our imagination was a little more vivid than the reality.
It is a pleasant trip but a lot of it is through fairly dense forest and there is not a lot to see. It is certainly the most economical way to do the trip, at $39.90 (CDN) for both of us it is less than the cost of gas.
Vicky’s Brothers House
Vicky’s sister-in-law “F” was at the station to meet us and took us on a short tour of Nanaimo and to where Vicky’s brother “R” works.
Then we went on to their house. Vicky had been there before but I never had. I had a mental picture of what it was like but it was no where near the reality.
They live in a subdivision of custom houses built around a man made lake. Their lot backs on to the lake and F is an avid gardener so the landscaping is spectacular.
Friends For Dinner
We finished the day with a wonderful dinner on the patio overlooking the lake. R & F had invited some neighbor friends and there was lots of interesting conversation over several bottles of wine.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 13 ~Day #34
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3400
$130.44
$4752.38
$139.77
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
3012 + 814 = 3826
000
000
9316.9
Current Location: Victoria, BC
I have been backwards and forwards across the US and Canada many times but I never made it to Vancouver Island. I was really looking forward to visiting Victoria as Vicky has always said such good things about it – I was not disappointed.
At Sea
But I’m getting ahead of myself we still had most of the day at sea. I don’t know why Holland America scheduled things the way they did but we were not due to arrive in Victoria until 4pm – and then leave at 10pm.
I suspect it has more to do with corporate profits than anything else but I’ll get into that in more depth when I do a wrap up of our cruising experience later this week.
Docking
We have always been asleep when arriving at the previous ports but this time we were able to be on deck to marvel at the process.
We used to have a 27’ sailboat which I docked many times but I cannot imagine bringing this monster in as gently as our pilot did to the dock in Victoria.
The dock ends in a parking lot and from our vantage point on deck nine forward it appeared that we were going to stop in one of the spots reserved for the tour buses. But after we disembarked it was clear we had a good ten feet to spare. Not bad for a ship this size.
Victoria – First Impressions
This is a beautiful city and it is really too bad most of the passengers will not get a chance to experience it. By the time we got off the ship and into downtown it was almost 5pm and the shops and street vendors were closing.
We spend a very enjoyable couple of hours looking around the harbour and the main downtown area before heading back to the ship to grab a quick supper and our bags.
Disembarking
The cruise actually ends tomorrow back in Seattle but since our personal next stop is at Vicky’s brother in Nanaimo we are leaving the ship here in Victoria.
Going through Canadian Customs was very easy and we were soon in a taxi headed for our hotel. We had pre-booked two nights at the Red Lion Inn through CheapO stay and got a good rate of $60 a night for an efficiency unit including all taxes – that’s Canadian dollars so we will convert it for our expenses chart.
The Liquor Store
Booze is not a big part of our lives but we do enjoy a drink once in a while. We refused to pay the exorbitant prices aboard ship so had been teetotal for two weeks. The Red Lion Inn has a liquor store attached so we grabbed a six pack of hard cider to quench our thirst.
Tomorrow in Victoria
Unlike our fellow passengers we will have the opportunity to spend the whole day exploring Victoria before we catch the train to Nanaimo on Tuesday. If my first impressions are anything to go by this looks like it will be the best port on the voyage.
Today we were at sea the entire day making our run from Juneau to Victoria, British Columbia.
It appears that we are now in open ocean and not in the Inside Passage. We had taken the Inside Passage at the beginning of our cruise.
Beginning very early in the morning we hit some very rough seas. According to the Captain’s Log, which we could see on the TV in our cabin, the waves averaged anywhere from 7.5 ft to 12 ft. At times the ship felt like it was rolling pretty good and often from side to side.
Fortunately, neither Geoff nor I have much difficulty with seasickness, but that certainly wasn’t the same for everyone. We noticed a lot fewer people at breakfast and lunch.
More Laundry
I took advantage of the lull in onboard activity to get in a couple more loads of laundry. Because we are trying to travel as light as possible (although sometimes it seems like we’ve got an awful lot of luggage) I find I need to laundry fairly often.
Special Chef’s Dinner
The dinner planned for this evening was a special Chef’s dinner and I was really looking forward to it. The staff was going to sing, dance make it a very special evening for all. The entire evening would culminate with the serving of Baked Alaska for dessert.
Well, we didn’t make it for the dinner and it wasn’t because either of us was seasick.
Migraine
Unfortunately I am prone to migraine headaches and, for some reason, one decided to strike this afternoon. It was most likely caused by someone wearing WAY TOO MUCH perfume. Why is it that some women seem to BATHE in the stuff? Even if it’s a nice scent, please, please limit the amount that you wear. There are lots of people like me – a strong scent is one of the things that can trigger a serious headache for many of us migraine sufferers.
I ended up in bed for several hours while taking lots of painkillers in the hopes of getting rid of it.
Being in bed in high seas actually worked pretty well as it felt like I was being rocked to sleep.
The headache finally subsided at about 9pm, but our dinner seating was at 8pm. We decided to head for the dining room anyway.
Great Staff
When we arrived at the Main Dining Room the staff was parading around waving light sticks, singing and carrying the Baked Alaska before delivering it to each table. It looked wonderful.
We joined our usual dinner companions and made our apologies for our late arrival.
Immediately both our Steward and the Maitre D’ inquired if we were okay and what they could do for us. As the kitchen was now closed for dinner they managed to get us each a lovely club sandwich for dinner and we really appreciated it.
We were so sorry to miss the festivities of the evening.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 06 ~Day #27
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$2700
$222.76
$3277.38
$121.38
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
1307 + 717 = 2024
000
000
7244.6
Location: At Sea
Daily Cruse Expense: $222.76
Heading for Anchorage
Today was another “at sea” day meaning that we are simply putting miles behind us in order to get to Anchorage tomorrow.
On this cruise we will have a total of three “at sea” days. The first, of course, was the Inside Passage, our first full day on the Amsterdam. The second is today as we head towards Anchorage and the third will be after we leave Juneau and head for Victoria, British Columbia where we will actually be disembarking. We want to spend more time in Victoria and then take the train up to Nanaimo to visit with my brother and sister-in-law before heading back to my sister’s in Chilliwack to pickup our car and start the eastward bound part of our North America trip.
Motion of the Ocean
For most of our voyage the seas have been fairly calm but have been a couple of days where we’ve had some significant waves. Certainly not what we would consider rough seas but enough to sometimes get the ship rocking a bit from side to side.
Neither Geoff nor I are particularly susceptible to seasickness but other people, including one of our dinner companions, were feeling the effects from time to time.
As you exit the main dining room each evening you are presented with a choice of mints, hard candies and crystallized ginger. Both of us have been indulging in the crystallized ginger and recommending to anyone who is a bit queazy because of the motion of the ship.
Ginger is wonderful for settling the tummy.
Entertainment Onboard
Each evening there is entertainment in the Queen’s Lounge, a large, two-storey theatre at the bow of the ship. There are two performances so they can accommodate all of the passengers onboard.
They have a talented group of singers and dancers that stay with the ship in addition to guest performers.
Classical Music at Sea
Our absolute favorite so far was a pianist – Elliot Finkel. He not only played for us one evening but today, at 3:00pm, he gave us a classical music performance that ended in a standing ovation.
Weight Loss Challenge
Perhaps the title for this part of my post should be – “What was I thinking?”
I guess it kind of goes right along with the obvious senior moment I had when I decided I didn’t really need to pack a warm jacket for our Alaska cruise. Thanks again to my sister for the warm fuzzy jacket that I have used extensively on this trip.
No, I haven’t yet weighed myself since the first time I weighed in, so I have nothing to report.
I did promise myself that I wouldn’t have dessert with lunch, though, and I kept that promise for a full 24 hours!
Whether you’ve cruised or not, everyone knows that it’s pretty much non-stop food on a cruise. Most of it is really quite good, too.
Last night we decided to eat in the Italian restaurant onboard rather than in the Main Dining Room. You need to make reservations for this restaurant, but it is included in your cruise fare.
I had veal and Geoff had cod and it was obviously cooked to order and delicious. We had a lovely table to two right in front of a large window.
I was hoping to sight some whales but no such luck. Maybe tomorrow.
The Land of the Midnight Sun
We’ve all heard this expression and tonight we actually experienced it.
After watching a movie in the small theatre we went to the Lido Deck for a midnight snack and cup of tea. It was midnight and the sun still hadn’t completely set.
We witnessed a section of bright blue sky with rose-colored clouds and the sun attempted to set just past midnight – incredible!
