19 July: The end of the Golden Gate
In May of this year a company began offering Silicon Valley tours, so we thought we'd spend our last day here doing what they term a half-day tour, which for us meant a 7.30am uber pick-up and arrival back to our tiny little beach bach at 5.00pm. (Did I tell you we were supplied with 2 plates, 1 bowl, 2 forks and one spoon?
There were 9 of us in a mini-van and we scored front seats. Of course we were decades older than the others but our advantage was that we have lived through much of the explosive history.
The Silicon Valley area used to be agricultural specialising in growing prunes. One of the founding fathers was Mr Stanford himself. His precious only son died of typhoid in the 1880s and the Stanfords decided that the best way to memorialize their son was to turn their mansion in the area into a co-educational centre attracting people with innovative minds. The US Defence department already had a technical centre in the area in the early 1900s, and thus was born the mighty Stanford University. More than 10% of the population of the area were ham radio enthusiasts, so there was an estalished culture. Most of my Crimson students aspire to study at Stanford so it was of particular interest to me.
We first had a quick walk to the entry to the Facebook empire housed in the old Sun Microsystems buildings .Mark Zuckerburg has kept the old sign and just put his logo on the other side when he took over in 2003. His mantra is "Fail fast and fail often" He has built his enterprise on a super-dynamic flat structure system and prides itself on 2 billion users world-wide . Visitors are not welcomed on site and no photos are permitted apart from the famous logo at the entrance way.
From there we were driven to the Computer History Museum and allowed 1 1/2 hours to wander around there. Peter entertained anyone who would listen to stories of the historical exhibits he used to use. He was riveted by the displays.
And so we continued to Googleplex which is a whole village of its own sporting vast blocks of extensions in the making. The complex prides itself on providing absolutely every comfort for its employees so they do not have to step outside its boundaries. You may well have seen the facilities on YouTube clips. Mind blowing. A short life but a merry one in there for the employees until they are superceded by the next batch of teenagers.
Thus we come to the end of a remarkable month of experiences and discoveries. I am so glad to have this diary to remind me of how much we have covered. I hope you have enjoyed sharing it with us. See you sometime .
Wednesday 19 July 2017
18 July: San Francisco (cont)
Today had been set aside for the Hiller Aviation Museum. But first a trip to the local post office to post home my summer clothes and footwear. Have no need for either and don't want to run the risk of excess baggage on Thursday.
Dialled up an Uber and off we went way out past the airport. We are totally smitten with uber and see it as the stepping stone to fleets of computerised cars.Taxi drivers will disappear into the history books.
The museum was superb and is running wonderful children's holiday programmes with uni students and retired folk entertaining groups of youngsters. Soooo well organised. There was the very first section on women pilots that I have ever seen. Perhaps 20 women from Amelia Earhart on had attractive panels of their history and achievements displayed with intrresting photos .How revolutionary!!! We know Earhart and Jean Batten and that's your lot. Oh, no, no, no. So many more who have received awards such as the Croix de Guerre. Katherine Stinson and her sisters and brother set up the Stinson aircraft company which they ran very successfully until they sold out to the Piper Company. I was fascinated by all their stories none of which I had come across before. There was also a huge working model railway exhibition of European trains. I ranked this museum top of all the ones I have visited over the years.
We then whistled up another uber to get us back into the CBD to fill in the time before we went on our evening dinner cruise. Hmmmm! What to do? The uber we got asked if we were prepared to go on uber pool which meant he picked up another fare. We had all the time in the world so picked up a Grandma from the domestic terminal and took her to her home. Well, what a gem of a trip that was, and all at no extra cost. It took us to suburbs we have not seen. It turned out to be a free conducted tour through the best districts in San Fran. WOW! The houses were gob-smacking with views to match. Very eventually we got to Golden Gate Park but too late to do the Science Museum. Never mind, we had had this amazing free trip through Nob's Hill, saved $60 by not being allowed into the museum, used our $1 bus ticket ( which we have now learned gives us travel all day) to get back into Union Square for coffee and cake, then caught our F tram to get to Fishman's Wharf for our cruise. We're getting the hang of it all now.
The cruise was excellent taking us under the Bridge where 2 whales were playing. Apparently 10 came in last week but 8 of them have moved on now . The buffet was excellent and the Spanish bubbles just topped it all off nicely thanks
So, there's just one more day to go which we're
spending at Silicon Valley.
Today had been set aside for the Hiller Aviation Museum. But first a trip to the local post office to post home my summer clothes and footwear. Have no need for either and don't want to run the risk of excess baggage on Thursday.
Dialled up an Uber and off we went way out past the airport. We are totally smitten with uber and see it as the stepping stone to fleets of computerised cars.Taxi drivers will disappear into the history books.
The museum was superb and is running wonderful children's holiday programmes with uni students and retired folk entertaining groups of youngsters. Soooo well organised. There was the very first section on women pilots that I have ever seen. Perhaps 20 women from Amelia Earhart on had attractive panels of their history and achievements displayed with intrresting photos .How revolutionary!!! We know Earhart and Jean Batten and that's your lot. Oh, no, no, no. So many more who have received awards such as the Croix de Guerre. Katherine Stinson and her sisters and brother set up the Stinson aircraft company which they ran very successfully until they sold out to the Piper Company. I was fascinated by all their stories none of which I had come across before. There was also a huge working model railway exhibition of European trains. I ranked this museum top of all the ones I have visited over the years.
We then whistled up another uber to get us back into the CBD to fill in the time before we went on our evening dinner cruise. Hmmmm! What to do? The uber we got asked if we were prepared to go on uber pool which meant he picked up another fare. We had all the time in the world so picked up a Grandma from the domestic terminal and took her to her home. Well, what a gem of a trip that was, and all at no extra cost. It took us to suburbs we have not seen. It turned out to be a free conducted tour through the best districts in San Fran. WOW! The houses were gob-smacking with views to match. Very eventually we got to Golden Gate Park but too late to do the Science Museum. Never mind, we had had this amazing free trip through Nob's Hill, saved $60 by not being allowed into the museum, used our $1 bus ticket ( which we have now learned gives us travel all day) to get back into Union Square for coffee and cake, then caught our F tram to get to Fishman's Wharf for our cruise. We're getting the hang of it all now.
The cruise was excellent taking us under the Bridge where 2 whales were playing. Apparently 10 came in last week but 8 of them have moved on now . The buffet was excellent and the Spanish bubbles just topped it all off nicely thanks
So, there's just one more day to go which we're
spending at Silicon Valley.
Monday 17 July 2017
17 July: San Francisco (cont)
Our Uber picked us up at 7.00am and drove us into the CBD by a different route through a magnificent park filled with joggers and cyclists so we were at the nominated hotel for the pick-up for the Muirwoods National Park and Sausalito trip we had booked some months ago. An enormous coach transported us to the Grayline central office where hundreds of tourists were trying to be organised on all the huge coaches driving on numbers of different SF tours. Chaos reigned. This has to be the most inefficient piece of organisation we have witnessed. The only thing that got us all through the tangle was the antics and banter of the one black American who had the job of controlling the traffic so that all of us could cross the major street to be safely loaded on to the correct bus. The worse it all got, the harder he worked to entertain increasingly frustrated tourists.
Our poor coach driver was so apologetic. The amazing thing is I guess this performance happens 24/7.
And off we went in a magnificent huge vehicle that had a computer management system that was way beyond the understanding of the driver who was our age. This year California has seen rain and snow above any recorded for the last 120 years washing out many of the roads in the Park, so the Redwoods tour has not been offered. However now enough of it has been repaired to give us access via a different route so we were able to get in to this glorious collection of coastal Redwoods and Sequoias which rely on the Coastal fog for their survival. The Park is home to foxes, deer and mountain lions but none appeared today. We attempted to photograph stands of these majestic trees but no photos captured the splendour.
After an hour we boarded our luxurious coach and commenced the extremely long slow journey to Sausalito which is actually close but with the roadworks and the traffic and an accident with a cyclist we didn't reach our destination until after 1.00pm. Our driver asked us to board the coach again at 1.30. That wasn't what I had in mind at all, so we decided to abandon the tour, spend the rest of the afternoon in this magical town and then
catch the ferry back to Pier 39. So we bid our driver farewell and settled in for lunch at Copita Tequilera y Comida . Much more our style. And then we wandered into all the wonderful shops displaying the wares of the creative artisans who make up the population of 7,700. Some of the inhabitants live on the 450 houseboats which lie in the sheltered anchorage. All in all another day of fascinating discoveries .
Our Uber picked us up at 7.00am and drove us into the CBD by a different route through a magnificent park filled with joggers and cyclists so we were at the nominated hotel for the pick-up for the Muirwoods National Park and Sausalito trip we had booked some months ago. An enormous coach transported us to the Grayline central office where hundreds of tourists were trying to be organised on all the huge coaches driving on numbers of different SF tours. Chaos reigned. This has to be the most inefficient piece of organisation we have witnessed. The only thing that got us all through the tangle was the antics and banter of the one black American who had the job of controlling the traffic so that all of us could cross the major street to be safely loaded on to the correct bus. The worse it all got, the harder he worked to entertain increasingly frustrated tourists.
Our poor coach driver was so apologetic. The amazing thing is I guess this performance happens 24/7.
And off we went in a magnificent huge vehicle that had a computer management system that was way beyond the understanding of the driver who was our age. This year California has seen rain and snow above any recorded for the last 120 years washing out many of the roads in the Park, so the Redwoods tour has not been offered. However now enough of it has been repaired to give us access via a different route so we were able to get in to this glorious collection of coastal Redwoods and Sequoias which rely on the Coastal fog for their survival. The Park is home to foxes, deer and mountain lions but none appeared today. We attempted to photograph stands of these majestic trees but no photos captured the splendour.
After an hour we boarded our luxurious coach and commenced the extremely long slow journey to Sausalito which is actually close but with the roadworks and the traffic and an accident with a cyclist we didn't reach our destination until after 1.00pm. Our driver asked us to board the coach again at 1.30. That wasn't what I had in mind at all, so we decided to abandon the tour, spend the rest of the afternoon in this magical town and then
catch the ferry back to Pier 39. So we bid our driver farewell and settled in for lunch at Copita Tequilera y Comida . Much more our style. And then we wandered into all the wonderful shops displaying the wares of the creative artisans who make up the population of 7,700. Some of the inhabitants live on the 450 houseboats which lie in the sheltered anchorage. All in all another day of fascinating discoveries .
Sunday 16 July 2017
16 July: San Francisco
We woke up to sunshine streaming in the windows for the first time. PERHAPS we could walk the block down to Ocean Beach and discover where we are staying. Each day we have left home in swirling fog and returned at night in similar conditions. PERHAPS we could unpack our summer clothes. Peter did not risk shorts though. So off we went across the Great Highway and , sure enough there was the best Ocean Beach California could boast. There was still some fog at the far end but it was magnificently clear where we are staying. I even risked paddling but I discovered why all the swimmers were clad in wetsuits.
Back to our #7 bus and off to explore Haight Ashbury which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hippie movement this week. It was packed with tourist all in festive mood. We had the essential Ben & Jerry ice cream and joined in the celebrations. All I lacked was the flower in my hair. Oh, and the muslin frock.
The next item on our To Do list was China town. Rather a long walk, but with the help of a few kind people we reached the Dragon Gates. By then the heat was overdone; nearly as hot as Whistler which is the only hot day we've had on the whole trip. So we stopped for iced drinks and then I found a foot massage place for Peter. He emerged a new man. We're averaging 15,000 steps a day which is taking its toll despite the Sketchers.
The last item on my list was Lombard Street , the steepest Street in the world with its 8 hairpin bends. We could find no way at all of getting to it so dialled up Uber which materialised in 90 seconds. $6.50 later we had joined the crowds at the top of Lombard Street. There were queues of cars waiting to drive down and a bevy of cops controlling the throngs of vehicles and tourists. We walked down very slowly clutching the handrails every step.
Somehow we needed to get home so in the light of our experience the other day we decided to have a meal first and then lie in wait for an elusive F trolley. There was one stopped outside our Pier at traffic lights so we jumped on. Somebody was trying to photograph the black American driver, so we got pushed into empty seats. Photo was taken, lights turned green and off we went on the most entertaining ride ever all at no cost. Actually we have noticed that paying seems to be optional in this city. Those who can, do; those who can't just don't . Nobody cares. This F tram was absolutely packed like sardines in a can and nobody paid. What an incredible city this is!!!
We woke up to sunshine streaming in the windows for the first time. PERHAPS we could walk the block down to Ocean Beach and discover where we are staying. Each day we have left home in swirling fog and returned at night in similar conditions. PERHAPS we could unpack our summer clothes. Peter did not risk shorts though. So off we went across the Great Highway and , sure enough there was the best Ocean Beach California could boast. There was still some fog at the far end but it was magnificently clear where we are staying. I even risked paddling but I discovered why all the swimmers were clad in wetsuits.
Back to our #7 bus and off to explore Haight Ashbury which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hippie movement this week. It was packed with tourist all in festive mood. We had the essential Ben & Jerry ice cream and joined in the celebrations. All I lacked was the flower in my hair. Oh, and the muslin frock.
The next item on our To Do list was China town. Rather a long walk, but with the help of a few kind people we reached the Dragon Gates. By then the heat was overdone; nearly as hot as Whistler which is the only hot day we've had on the whole trip. So we stopped for iced drinks and then I found a foot massage place for Peter. He emerged a new man. We're averaging 15,000 steps a day which is taking its toll despite the Sketchers.
The last item on my list was Lombard Street , the steepest Street in the world with its 8 hairpin bends. We could find no way at all of getting to it so dialled up Uber which materialised in 90 seconds. $6.50 later we had joined the crowds at the top of Lombard Street. There were queues of cars waiting to drive down and a bevy of cops controlling the throngs of vehicles and tourists. We walked down very slowly clutching the handrails every step.
Somehow we needed to get home so in the light of our experience the other day we decided to have a meal first and then lie in wait for an elusive F trolley. There was one stopped outside our Pier at traffic lights so we jumped on. Somebody was trying to photograph the black American driver, so we got pushed into empty seats. Photo was taken, lights turned green and off we went on the most entertaining ride ever all at no cost. Actually we have noticed that paying seems to be optional in this city. Those who can, do; those who can't just don't . Nobody cares. This F tram was absolutely packed like sardines in a can and nobody paid. What an incredible city this is!!!
Saturday 15 July 2017
15 July: San Francisco (cont)
Today was bookmarked for Day 1 of our hop-on-hop-off bus trip which we had organised many weeks ago. The trips have to be taken on consecutive days so careful planning was required.Peter decided to join mid-way around Haight Ashbury which he knew was where the Hippie movement began in the 60s. Jimmy Hendrix lived there then. All news to me. So we disembarked from our # 7, crossed the road and scrambled onto the waiting hop-on-hop-off bus getting the last two seats. Gradually we worked our way upstairs and towards the front. We had been warned to wrap up and after getting caught out yesterday, I did just that. The weather was sunny enough but sitting up there in the open seats was pretty cold. So now, with the tape of the tour playing in our ears, we could start to appreciate the city we'd been in for a couple of days. And then the commentary warned us we were approaching the Golden Gate Bridge and the temperature dropped to sub-zero. We caught glimpses of bridge-structure, but needed to concetrate on opening the eyes and breathing!!! However we had crossed the Bridge and then returned. It was such a relief to be able to unwrap by the end of the ride at Fisherman's Wharf. I still kept my down jacket on though.
Everyone had to disembark at the terminal and join the back of the queue so we decided to take a lunch break. Where to go? We were prevented from crossing to the restaurants on the Bay because of some endless Falun Gong parade, so had to walk along the side the bus tipped us on to. Humph. We stopped at something called "The Rain Forest". Well, that was worth our whole trip. It was all planned as two floors of a tropical forest complete with animated beasts and intermittent storms. The only missing link was Jacqueline Caisley .We felt guilty being there without her. Something we have noticed here is that so many of the tourist staff are students from the University of Dublin. There must be some immigration policy to take these fabulous people during the summer vacation on an annual basis. Of course with each one we had to tell our tale. They just loved us knowing their home towns, Galway, Kilkenny, all over. And of course our 5 days residing at Trinity College made for great conversation.
We did not board the hop-on-hop-off bus again until 3.55pm because we were too busy playing in the Forest. The full round trip is 2 1/2 hours . After standing in yet another queue for far too long, we fluked the front seats upstairs this time. Perfect ! Off we went through all the contrasting districts with their own contrasting architectural styles including Tenderloin populated by the homeless. We stayed on the bus to cross the Bridge in the hope that it would be there this time -and it was!!!! What a difference. Still cold but the fog and frigid conditions had cleared. And then, the greatest excitement, a whale spout, then the curving body and then the fluke. Outrageous!!! We saw either another, or the same one in a different place some time later and Peter managed to get a photo of it.
We disembarked at Union Square where crowds were gathering for a concert. Over the road to Macey's for a take-away salad for tea, caught our #7 bus and wandered home to our glass of wine. The perfect end of a perfect day.
Today was bookmarked for Day 1 of our hop-on-hop-off bus trip which we had organised many weeks ago. The trips have to be taken on consecutive days so careful planning was required.Peter decided to join mid-way around Haight Ashbury which he knew was where the Hippie movement began in the 60s. Jimmy Hendrix lived there then. All news to me. So we disembarked from our # 7, crossed the road and scrambled onto the waiting hop-on-hop-off bus getting the last two seats. Gradually we worked our way upstairs and towards the front. We had been warned to wrap up and after getting caught out yesterday, I did just that. The weather was sunny enough but sitting up there in the open seats was pretty cold. So now, with the tape of the tour playing in our ears, we could start to appreciate the city we'd been in for a couple of days. And then the commentary warned us we were approaching the Golden Gate Bridge and the temperature dropped to sub-zero. We caught glimpses of bridge-structure, but needed to concetrate on opening the eyes and breathing!!! However we had crossed the Bridge and then returned. It was such a relief to be able to unwrap by the end of the ride at Fisherman's Wharf. I still kept my down jacket on though.
Everyone had to disembark at the terminal and join the back of the queue so we decided to take a lunch break. Where to go? We were prevented from crossing to the restaurants on the Bay because of some endless Falun Gong parade, so had to walk along the side the bus tipped us on to. Humph. We stopped at something called "The Rain Forest". Well, that was worth our whole trip. It was all planned as two floors of a tropical forest complete with animated beasts and intermittent storms. The only missing link was Jacqueline Caisley .We felt guilty being there without her. Something we have noticed here is that so many of the tourist staff are students from the University of Dublin. There must be some immigration policy to take these fabulous people during the summer vacation on an annual basis. Of course with each one we had to tell our tale. They just loved us knowing their home towns, Galway, Kilkenny, all over. And of course our 5 days residing at Trinity College made for great conversation.
We did not board the hop-on-hop-off bus again until 3.55pm because we were too busy playing in the Forest. The full round trip is 2 1/2 hours . After standing in yet another queue for far too long, we fluked the front seats upstairs this time. Perfect ! Off we went through all the contrasting districts with their own contrasting architectural styles including Tenderloin populated by the homeless. We stayed on the bus to cross the Bridge in the hope that it would be there this time -and it was!!!! What a difference. Still cold but the fog and frigid conditions had cleared. And then, the greatest excitement, a whale spout, then the curving body and then the fluke. Outrageous!!! We saw either another, or the same one in a different place some time later and Peter managed to get a photo of it.
We disembarked at Union Square where crowds were gathering for a concert. Over the road to Macey's for a take-away salad for tea, caught our #7 bus and wandered home to our glass of wine. The perfect end of a perfect day.
14 July: San Francisco (cont)
This morning we mastered the bus and arrived safely at Powell St resolved to ride the cable car rather than watch it trundle past. SO MANY PEOPLE!!! Of course we had no idea what the procedure was but after asking several people, none of whom spoke English, we were directed to a ticket office and paid our $7 each for a one way ticket. So we joined the queue. One and a half hours later we reached the head of the queue . By that time I was best friends with the woman behind us who asked me if I knew how much it was. It's printed on your ticket. I haven't got a ticket. So with minutes to spare we made a frantic dash back to the well-hidden ticket booth in just enough time for us to scramble onto a car. She was from Oakland and asked to take our photos to show the folk back home who these Kiwis were who had saved her from ruin.
And so we experienced the most spectacular 20 minute ride in the world. Well worth the wait.
Our next challenge was to redeem our bookings for the two day hop-on-hop-off bus tour and for Alcatrez . By this time the crowds seemed impenetrable but I snugged in behind Peter and hung on to his bag. His extra height was such a blessing and eventually our goal was achieved. Time for lunch. Crab salad at Pier 39.
Then off to Pier 33 where more crowds were milling around for this boat trip. I had booked our tickets months ago ( thanks Vicki) so we did not have to wait until August 21 when the next ticket was available. The people ahead of us were so angry that they could not get on. They couldn't but we could. The ferries were huge and so sophisticated all for such a short ride - in the swirling fog.
It was great to experience this infamous prison, and to listen to the tour guide through the headphones. I remember it closing in 1963. I must confess that I was surprised at how well the men were cared for. Those who took the opportunities offered lived a humane existence just a mile from the CBD.
So all we had to do on our return to Pier 33 was have a cup coffee, catch a couple of trams and tuck up in our tiny cottage again. It was that which defeated us. My merino garb did not stand me in good stead for the 50 minute wait for the F tram. No truly, it was the F tram to get us to the #7 bus to make the 45min trip to our tiny cottage. The benefits of my down jacket over top of my merino garb diminished to such an extent that Peter dialled an Uber which came in 2 minutes and had us to our front door for $13.00. We've learned that lesson. In no time at all the heaters in each of our two tiny rooms had us toasty again. A day of contrasting experiences!!!!!
This morning we mastered the bus and arrived safely at Powell St resolved to ride the cable car rather than watch it trundle past. SO MANY PEOPLE!!! Of course we had no idea what the procedure was but after asking several people, none of whom spoke English, we were directed to a ticket office and paid our $7 each for a one way ticket. So we joined the queue. One and a half hours later we reached the head of the queue . By that time I was best friends with the woman behind us who asked me if I knew how much it was. It's printed on your ticket. I haven't got a ticket. So with minutes to spare we made a frantic dash back to the well-hidden ticket booth in just enough time for us to scramble onto a car. She was from Oakland and asked to take our photos to show the folk back home who these Kiwis were who had saved her from ruin.
And so we experienced the most spectacular 20 minute ride in the world. Well worth the wait.
Our next challenge was to redeem our bookings for the two day hop-on-hop-off bus tour and for Alcatrez . By this time the crowds seemed impenetrable but I snugged in behind Peter and hung on to his bag. His extra height was such a blessing and eventually our goal was achieved. Time for lunch. Crab salad at Pier 39.
Then off to Pier 33 where more crowds were milling around for this boat trip. I had booked our tickets months ago ( thanks Vicki) so we did not have to wait until August 21 when the next ticket was available. The people ahead of us were so angry that they could not get on. They couldn't but we could. The ferries were huge and so sophisticated all for such a short ride - in the swirling fog.
It was great to experience this infamous prison, and to listen to the tour guide through the headphones. I remember it closing in 1963. I must confess that I was surprised at how well the men were cared for. Those who took the opportunities offered lived a humane existence just a mile from the CBD.
So all we had to do on our return to Pier 33 was have a cup coffee, catch a couple of trams and tuck up in our tiny cottage again. It was that which defeated us. My merino garb did not stand me in good stead for the 50 minute wait for the F tram. No truly, it was the F tram to get us to the #7 bus to make the 45min trip to our tiny cottage. The benefits of my down jacket over top of my merino garb diminished to such an extent that Peter dialled an Uber which came in 2 minutes and had us to our front door for $13.00. We've learned that lesson. In no time at all the heaters in each of our two tiny rooms had us toasty again. A day of contrasting experiences!!!!!
Thursday 13 July 2017
13 July: San Francisco
We had intentionally left today free to find out where we are, so we donned warm clothes and good shoes and sallied forth to find this #7 bus that takes us to the CBD. One trip around the block and we came back for coats and scarves. Soooo cold!! Three scheduled bus times came and went but a bus did not. The one that did turn up was packed but we look so old people let us sit in the disabled seats. 45 minutes later we arrived at the end of the line for $1. Change to F tram our driver advised. We did that and arrived at Pier 39. How extraordinary !!!!! By then it was1.00pm and breakfast had worn off. And there was Hard Rock Cafe!!!!! Yes please. One Clam Chowder and one Pulled Pork bun washed down with a restorative coffee allowed us to explore the famed centre with all the razzle dazzle, and the seals which have made this particular Pier their home. Flocks of pelicans circled for fish and all styles of boats carried great hordes of tourists to and around Alcatrez Island. I had been warned to book weeks ago so we are able to go through that tomorrow . Others just have to stand and look from afar.
Another fascinating discovery was the Mechanical Museum with its extensive collection of machines that entertained at every fun fair for a dime or a nickle in a bygone era.
By that stage the lure of shopping proved irresistible for one of us. Google maps showed a route along Powell Street to Market Street but of course it did not show the incline . 41 mins it gave to walk it. That's OK. We can do a 41 minute walk. We were fascinated by the frequent trams that passed us by with people hanging off the sides. How strange Why would they do that? it was not until our destination in Market St was in sight that the penny dropped. Of course. These were the famed SF cable cars that people flock to from all over the world to ride. And we had walked the whole route!!!! We'll remedy that another day.
The good news was that we did discover the Nordstrom Rack outlet store that daughter-in-law Vicki had recommended. Peter sank thankfully onto a shoe stool and I discovered bargains!!!
Very easily we found our #7 bus home for another dollar and were very happy to tuck up into our little cottage by the beach in the fog.
We had intentionally left today free to find out where we are, so we donned warm clothes and good shoes and sallied forth to find this #7 bus that takes us to the CBD. One trip around the block and we came back for coats and scarves. Soooo cold!! Three scheduled bus times came and went but a bus did not. The one that did turn up was packed but we look so old people let us sit in the disabled seats. 45 minutes later we arrived at the end of the line for $1. Change to F tram our driver advised. We did that and arrived at Pier 39. How extraordinary !!!!! By then it was1.00pm and breakfast had worn off. And there was Hard Rock Cafe!!!!! Yes please. One Clam Chowder and one Pulled Pork bun washed down with a restorative coffee allowed us to explore the famed centre with all the razzle dazzle, and the seals which have made this particular Pier their home. Flocks of pelicans circled for fish and all styles of boats carried great hordes of tourists to and around Alcatrez Island. I had been warned to book weeks ago so we are able to go through that tomorrow . Others just have to stand and look from afar.
Another fascinating discovery was the Mechanical Museum with its extensive collection of machines that entertained at every fun fair for a dime or a nickle in a bygone era.
By that stage the lure of shopping proved irresistible for one of us. Google maps showed a route along Powell Street to Market Street but of course it did not show the incline . 41 mins it gave to walk it. That's OK. We can do a 41 minute walk. We were fascinated by the frequent trams that passed us by with people hanging off the sides. How strange Why would they do that? it was not until our destination in Market St was in sight that the penny dropped. Of course. These were the famed SF cable cars that people flock to from all over the world to ride. And we had walked the whole route!!!! We'll remedy that another day.
The good news was that we did discover the Nordstrom Rack outlet store that daughter-in-law Vicki had recommended. Peter sank thankfully onto a shoe stool and I discovered bargains!!!
Very easily we found our #7 bus home for another dollar and were very happy to tuck up into our little cottage by the beach in the fog.
Wednesday 12 July 2017
12 July: San Francisco
Our wonderful Uber driver was right there on our Calgary doorstep at 8.10am ready to drive us to the airport. We had met David yesterday and booked him for today as he had taken us under his wing. He despatched us safely at the glittering new state-of-the-art Calgary international airport. All of the formidable check-in process was done electronically completely obviating the need for human involvement . The only person in this vast glass and marble concourse was an extremely friendly assistant who had nothing more pressing to do than confirm the buttons we were pressing. And so we checked in, parted with our bags and cleared customs. Nothing else to do but enjoy crepes and coffee before boarding and enjoying a superb Westjet flight to San Francisco ready for the grilling we had been warned about in order to enter the USA.
Well, actually there was nobody there. We just disembarked, picked up our bags and left. The aggressive, rude customs interrogators must have been out to lunch.
So the next step was to dial up Uber and be driven to our glitzy San Fran pad right on the beach front. We drove and drove and drove and the fog thickened and the temperature dropped. Thank goodness for merino and a down jacket . Eventually the car stopped at the corner of a long row of two-storyed tenement dwellings, broken footpaths littered with inorganic rubbish. We are paying $200 per night for this basement of a 1960s beach bach. Oh, it has a heated bathroom floor. There is no sign of any host - just a key left in a garden pot. Need I tell you we are not impressed? We're a 30 minute bus trip from the CBD once we have discovered where to catch the bus. For now we'll drink the wine and go to bed.
Our wonderful Uber driver was right there on our Calgary doorstep at 8.10am ready to drive us to the airport. We had met David yesterday and booked him for today as he had taken us under his wing. He despatched us safely at the glittering new state-of-the-art Calgary international airport. All of the formidable check-in process was done electronically completely obviating the need for human involvement . The only person in this vast glass and marble concourse was an extremely friendly assistant who had nothing more pressing to do than confirm the buttons we were pressing. And so we checked in, parted with our bags and cleared customs. Nothing else to do but enjoy crepes and coffee before boarding and enjoying a superb Westjet flight to San Francisco ready for the grilling we had been warned about in order to enter the USA.
Well, actually there was nobody there. We just disembarked, picked up our bags and left. The aggressive, rude customs interrogators must have been out to lunch.
So the next step was to dial up Uber and be driven to our glitzy San Fran pad right on the beach front. We drove and drove and drove and the fog thickened and the temperature dropped. Thank goodness for merino and a down jacket . Eventually the car stopped at the corner of a long row of two-storyed tenement dwellings, broken footpaths littered with inorganic rubbish. We are paying $200 per night for this basement of a 1960s beach bach. Oh, it has a heated bathroom floor. There is no sign of any host - just a key left in a garden pot. Need I tell you we are not impressed? We're a 30 minute bus trip from the CBD once we have discovered where to catch the bus. For now we'll drink the wine and go to bed.
Tuesday 11 July 2017
11 July: A cold wet Calgary summer's day.
The temperature had dropped to 11 degrees and the rain was still bucketing down from last night. So we hailed Uber and off we sailed to the Military Museums which pay tribute to the Canadian servicemen from their entry into WWI through to their involvement in the Afghanistan conflict. The displays and dioramas were superb but Peter was disappointed in their collection of aircraft. I was disappointed in the lack of seating and cafe , so by 1.00 it was time to dial up Uber and go to town for some spareribs. I have never had spareribs but was advised that they were the world's best. Peter lacked enthusiasm but off we went in search of same. Nooo, the only saloon bar offering them was in an un-celubrious quarter, so we beat a hasty retreat back to civilisation and enjoyed a pulled pork and a beef "sandwich". Now that was beef the way it ought to be!!!
Although it had stopped raining, it was still bitterly cold so we were forced back into shops. Ah me!!! In the CBD all shops and businesses are linked by overhead walkways, some three tiers up . This means people can cover the area with never having to go outside.
Tomorrow morning we have an Uber booking with Dave who is taking us to the airport at 8.15am for the last leg of our journey in San Francisco, a 3 hour flight from here.
The temperature had dropped to 11 degrees and the rain was still bucketing down from last night. So we hailed Uber and off we sailed to the Military Museums which pay tribute to the Canadian servicemen from their entry into WWI through to their involvement in the Afghanistan conflict. The displays and dioramas were superb but Peter was disappointed in their collection of aircraft. I was disappointed in the lack of seating and cafe , so by 1.00 it was time to dial up Uber and go to town for some spareribs. I have never had spareribs but was advised that they were the world's best. Peter lacked enthusiasm but off we went in search of same. Nooo, the only saloon bar offering them was in an un-celubrious quarter, so we beat a hasty retreat back to civilisation and enjoyed a pulled pork and a beef "sandwich". Now that was beef the way it ought to be!!!
Although it had stopped raining, it was still bitterly cold so we were forced back into shops. Ah me!!! In the CBD all shops and businesses are linked by overhead walkways, some three tiers up . This means people can cover the area with never having to go outside.
Tomorrow morning we have an Uber booking with Dave who is taking us to the airport at 8.15am for the last leg of our journey in San Francisco, a 3 hour flight from here.
Monday 10 July 2017
10 July: Calgary
It had been raining during the night and we arose to cold and wet. However by the time we had consumed our last Rocky Mountaineer breakfast and were ready to sally forth the rain had stopped. During the day no rain but a distinct chill in the air and lowering clouds building exacerbated by the building smoke haze . It is now 9.00pm and the most extraordinary sound has caused me to look out our airbnb windows. RAIN. TORRENTIAL!!!!! Thunder, lightning , the whole works . Just as I'm standing here watching , the raging torrents are rising. Oh my, am I so glad we are not sitting with all those thousands of people who have travelled all those thousands of miles to the Stampede. Here we are happily tucked into our cute little airbnb safely out of harm's way.
We are also extremely happy that we are not trying to do the Rocky Mountaineer trip now because it isn't a happening thing . The railway had to close yesterday because of the fires so passengers are being bussed. Sounds ok but they're being bussed through the smoke of course . MISERABLE!!!!
Today we checked out of our Fairmont Palliser Hotel right next door to the Calgary Tower and used up our voucher to go up it. Splendid overview of this city of 1.5 mil people which is in recession now caused by the drop in oil prices. It is the oil capital of Alberta and is endlessly flat. Think the Hauraki Plains on steroids. Perfect cattle country. The Stampede started in 1888 with a few cowboys competing against each other for a bit of entertainment . Now it is this huge 10 day international event attracting the best horsemen and professional cowboys. On the whole the locals are a foot taller than Peter. Glorious specimens of masculinity . Yes, of course a few are overweight, but by and large they are to die for as they swagger along in their ornamental attire.
This afternoon we happened upon a private 4 hour Tour of Calgary which was excellent. Just one stop was to see the site of the Winter Olympics of 1988 . Remember the movie 'Cool Runnings'? Well, this is where it was based. The story is based on fact but embellished to achieve blockbuster success.
Still the thunder rolls and the torrents flow. The Stampede has had to stop for the evening as the lightning has fused the floodlights and the tracks are well under water.
It had been raining during the night and we arose to cold and wet. However by the time we had consumed our last Rocky Mountaineer breakfast and were ready to sally forth the rain had stopped. During the day no rain but a distinct chill in the air and lowering clouds building exacerbated by the building smoke haze . It is now 9.00pm and the most extraordinary sound has caused me to look out our airbnb windows. RAIN. TORRENTIAL!!!!! Thunder, lightning , the whole works . Just as I'm standing here watching , the raging torrents are rising. Oh my, am I so glad we are not sitting with all those thousands of people who have travelled all those thousands of miles to the Stampede. Here we are happily tucked into our cute little airbnb safely out of harm's way.
We are also extremely happy that we are not trying to do the Rocky Mountaineer trip now because it isn't a happening thing . The railway had to close yesterday because of the fires so passengers are being bussed. Sounds ok but they're being bussed through the smoke of course . MISERABLE!!!!
Today we checked out of our Fairmont Palliser Hotel right next door to the Calgary Tower and used up our voucher to go up it. Splendid overview of this city of 1.5 mil people which is in recession now caused by the drop in oil prices. It is the oil capital of Alberta and is endlessly flat. Think the Hauraki Plains on steroids. Perfect cattle country. The Stampede started in 1888 with a few cowboys competing against each other for a bit of entertainment . Now it is this huge 10 day international event attracting the best horsemen and professional cowboys. On the whole the locals are a foot taller than Peter. Glorious specimens of masculinity . Yes, of course a few are overweight, but by and large they are to die for as they swagger along in their ornamental attire.
This afternoon we happened upon a private 4 hour Tour of Calgary which was excellent. Just one stop was to see the site of the Winter Olympics of 1988 . Remember the movie 'Cool Runnings'? Well, this is where it was based. The story is based on fact but embellished to achieve blockbuster success.
Still the thunder rolls and the torrents flow. The Stampede has had to stop for the evening as the lightning has fused the floodlights and the tracks are well under water.
Sunday 9 July 2017
9 July: Calgary
Our last night of the Rocky Mountain Tour.
This will necessarily be brief because on TV is the coverage of the Calgary Stampede the arena for which is two blocks down the road. I'd sooner watch that.
The only news really is the fires in British Columbia the smoke from which is drifting right over to us in Calgary. It is miraculous that we have now been right through BC. Some of our three busloads are doing the trip the other way around. The couple with us in the Banff gondola this morning were on the last train to have got through before they closed the railway. They actually drove THROUGH the fire. No, not the smoke, the flames.
The other highlight today was the helicopter flight from the Stoney Nakoda Casino helipad. Peter enjoyed this but I found it underwhelming.
Sorry to short-change you. The Stampede calls.
Our last night of the Rocky Mountain Tour.
This will necessarily be brief because on TV is the coverage of the Calgary Stampede the arena for which is two blocks down the road. I'd sooner watch that.
The only news really is the fires in British Columbia the smoke from which is drifting right over to us in Calgary. It is miraculous that we have now been right through BC. Some of our three busloads are doing the trip the other way around. The couple with us in the Banff gondola this morning were on the last train to have got through before they closed the railway. They actually drove THROUGH the fire. No, not the smoke, the flames.
The other highlight today was the helicopter flight from the Stoney Nakoda Casino helipad. Peter enjoyed this but I found it underwhelming.
Sorry to short-change you. The Stampede calls.
8/9 July: Banff
I wrote up yesterday's chatter from the shopping expedition in Banff, pushed the send button and was greeted with a message that the blog site could not be retrieved. So the reason for no news from yesterday was not that I shopped till I dropped but rather a technology malfunction. Fortunately those of you on fb will have received our photos. Those of you who are just reading the story can have a day off.
Our bags have just been collected for the last leg of our trip taking us into Calgary and the mighty Stampede. We seem to be the only people who do not have tickets for this. Peter would sooner go to the Museum which I rather fancy will not be as crowded. I watched some of the Stampede on the news last night. Yee-ha!! Wild, man!!!Not our thing at all really. A bit like the rugby only it lasts 10 days.
Hopefully I'll be able to keep you updated through our three nights in Calgary and then moving on to San Francisco .
I wrote up yesterday's chatter from the shopping expedition in Banff, pushed the send button and was greeted with a message that the blog site could not be retrieved. So the reason for no news from yesterday was not that I shopped till I dropped but rather a technology malfunction. Fortunately those of you on fb will have received our photos. Those of you who are just reading the story can have a day off.
Our bags have just been collected for the last leg of our trip taking us into Calgary and the mighty Stampede. We seem to be the only people who do not have tickets for this. Peter would sooner go to the Museum which I rather fancy will not be as crowded. I watched some of the Stampede on the news last night. Yee-ha!! Wild, man!!!Not our thing at all really. A bit like the rugby only it lasts 10 days.
Hopefully I'll be able to keep you updated through our three nights in Calgary and then moving on to San Francisco .
Friday 7 July 2017
7 July: Banff
I did manage to lure Peter from his deep slumber to join me at the Lake's edge at 5.30am but the morning lacked the spectacle it offered yesterday. I was so lucky with my experience.
We were not required to meet at the coach until 2.00pm so we enjoyed a leisurely morning to re-pack. We were blessed with a young Australian driver and I was able to secure the front seat for the 3 hour trip to Banff which had reached 30 degrees again. Brewsters Company now manage 60 - 70 of the finest vehicles, many of which are new this year.
Our first stop in the Yoho National Park was to view the spiral tunnels at Kicking Horse Pass to control the runaway trains down the steep gradient. Unfortunately there were no trains running when we were there.
We then drove to the Emerald Lake, the brilliant green colouring of which is caused by the rock flour in the water. Dazzlingly beautiful!!!
And then we drove to Natural Bridge which was like Huka Falls on steroids . I had to hold my hat on because of the wind caused by the turbulence of the water. How astonishing to see so many young Asians climbing over the guard rails and down to the water's edge to take their selfies. Apparently some of them are swept away each year. They have no respect for Mother Nature because it's all about me.
So to the final drive along the highway to Banff. Because of tragedy with the wildlife, the highways are now fenced off and monitored constantly. It is a National Park after all. But then of course animals are restricted in their feeding grounds, so now 60 over bridges and underpasses have been constructed so that animals can roam safely. For the last two years a programme has been in place to train creatures to use these accessways. Much research is being done on what species like to go over and what are more comfortable going under. And then inevitably the wily wolves have quickly learned to sit by these passes and wait for breakfast . Cunning eh!!!!!
We rolled into Banff about 5.30 and were delivered to our respective hotels . Banf has a permanent population of 8,000, but at this summer vacation season it swells to 25,000. We were in the last drop off away up a mountain at an intriguing hotel of 9 stories which have been built into the mountain face. We are on the 9th floor which is at street level and would be absolutely spectacular in the winter.
I certainly do not need to waken before dawn tomorrow .
I did manage to lure Peter from his deep slumber to join me at the Lake's edge at 5.30am but the morning lacked the spectacle it offered yesterday. I was so lucky with my experience.
We were not required to meet at the coach until 2.00pm so we enjoyed a leisurely morning to re-pack. We were blessed with a young Australian driver and I was able to secure the front seat for the 3 hour trip to Banff which had reached 30 degrees again. Brewsters Company now manage 60 - 70 of the finest vehicles, many of which are new this year.
Our first stop in the Yoho National Park was to view the spiral tunnels at Kicking Horse Pass to control the runaway trains down the steep gradient. Unfortunately there were no trains running when we were there.
We then drove to the Emerald Lake, the brilliant green colouring of which is caused by the rock flour in the water. Dazzlingly beautiful!!!
And then we drove to Natural Bridge which was like Huka Falls on steroids . I had to hold my hat on because of the wind caused by the turbulence of the water. How astonishing to see so many young Asians climbing over the guard rails and down to the water's edge to take their selfies. Apparently some of them are swept away each year. They have no respect for Mother Nature because it's all about me.
So to the final drive along the highway to Banff. Because of tragedy with the wildlife, the highways are now fenced off and monitored constantly. It is a National Park after all. But then of course animals are restricted in their feeding grounds, so now 60 over bridges and underpasses have been constructed so that animals can roam safely. For the last two years a programme has been in place to train creatures to use these accessways. Much research is being done on what species like to go over and what are more comfortable going under. And then inevitably the wily wolves have quickly learned to sit by these passes and wait for breakfast . Cunning eh!!!!!
We rolled into Banff about 5.30 and were delivered to our respective hotels . Banf has a permanent population of 8,000, but at this summer vacation season it swells to 25,000. We were in the last drop off away up a mountain at an intriguing hotel of 9 stories which have been built into the mountain face. We are on the 9th floor which is at street level and would be absolutely spectacular in the winter.
I certainly do not need to waken before dawn tomorrow .
Thursday 6 July 2017
6 July: Lake Louise
This morning I woke at 5.30 and popped my head out the window to see what I could see, and there was the greatest sight in the world. Lake Louise at dawn. I dressed quickly and rushed from the room to find my way out of this 550 room Chateau. By the time I succeeded it was 6.00am and already the spell-binding magic had passed. However there was enough of significance to take 35 photos and my first selfie which was a disaster because the camera focussed on me. Delete that!!!! Initially there were a few selfie taking Asians but of course they gradually increased in number. They and the mosquitos drove me back to a slumbering Peter. He won't be sleeping in tomorrow morning , I can tell you. We've flown all this way to discover Paradise. Here it is. Tomorrow Peter will discover it.
We explored this vast complex and then caught the shuttle to the village. Nothing there apart from a stunning visitor's centre so caught the next shuttle back
After a recuperative nap we sallied forth to the Boathouse where I had booked us a tour-guided canoe trip of the Lake for 1 1/2 hours. By this 4.30 time the whole of Asia had arrived from Banff making it virtually impossible to reach the Boathouse. However we adopted some of their tactics and elbowed our way through. The canoe only takes 8 tourists plus the guide so I was pleased I had secured our places.
Our guide was a 55 year old Canadian chap who has made a life-time career of outdoor guiding. He had married an Australian girl all those years ago so his 1 1/2 hour tour was a combination of Canadian charm and Australian humour. Remember Crocodile Dundee? We paddled our way to the end of Lake Louise which was still 5 miles away from the mountain and glacier. He gave us so much history of the place sprinkled with his opinions of the cultural trends of the 20,000 visitors who come here each day. A bit Billy T James and totally non PC. But then we were at the end of the Lake and the 7 of us totally agreed with him. VERY entertaining.
A beautiful meal of Canadian salmon rounded off our day at Lake Louise.
This morning I woke at 5.30 and popped my head out the window to see what I could see, and there was the greatest sight in the world. Lake Louise at dawn. I dressed quickly and rushed from the room to find my way out of this 550 room Chateau. By the time I succeeded it was 6.00am and already the spell-binding magic had passed. However there was enough of significance to take 35 photos and my first selfie which was a disaster because the camera focussed on me. Delete that!!!! Initially there were a few selfie taking Asians but of course they gradually increased in number. They and the mosquitos drove me back to a slumbering Peter. He won't be sleeping in tomorrow morning , I can tell you. We've flown all this way to discover Paradise. Here it is. Tomorrow Peter will discover it.
We explored this vast complex and then caught the shuttle to the village. Nothing there apart from a stunning visitor's centre so caught the next shuttle back
After a recuperative nap we sallied forth to the Boathouse where I had booked us a tour-guided canoe trip of the Lake for 1 1/2 hours. By this 4.30 time the whole of Asia had arrived from Banff making it virtually impossible to reach the Boathouse. However we adopted some of their tactics and elbowed our way through. The canoe only takes 8 tourists plus the guide so I was pleased I had secured our places.
Our guide was a 55 year old Canadian chap who has made a life-time career of outdoor guiding. He had married an Australian girl all those years ago so his 1 1/2 hour tour was a combination of Canadian charm and Australian humour. Remember Crocodile Dundee? We paddled our way to the end of Lake Louise which was still 5 miles away from the mountain and glacier. He gave us so much history of the place sprinkled with his opinions of the cultural trends of the 20,000 visitors who come here each day. A bit Billy T James and totally non PC. But then we were at the end of the Lake and the 7 of us totally agreed with him. VERY entertaining.
A beautiful meal of Canadian salmon rounded off our day at Lake Louise.
Wednesday 5 July 2017
5 July: Lake Louise
Our day started at 5.30 with the Crow family ordering breakfast. Of course the nights are very short this far north. However bags had to be ready for pick-up at 6.30. I love this service . Bags are collected from inside our room each morning and taken to our rooms at the next destination. No complaints.
We discovered that our breakfasts are $75 Candian each morning. Hmm I have some rice bubbles, some fruit and a cup of tea. We were advised to pay for a meal plan when we booked. Jolly good advice. We have paid for nothing at all on the trip about from a wine and a mojito, my new discovery.
During the morning passenger pick-up we watched one of these 4km trains passing by . Unbelievable!!!
For the 150th celebrations, one gift was free entry to all national parks throughout the country for all tourists. Normally it's $10.00pp.
Our journey took us through Jasper and Banff National Parks which National Geographic rates in the top 10 of the world. I can see why. If you want to know why, come and look at the 600 photos we took. Peter will put them on fb tonight when he cuts them down to 60. The rivers are running very high because of the late melt so the water flow was very powerful and all lakes were brimming . The excitement of the morning was 1 female elk.
We entered the Athabasca area with a waterfall drop of 23 meters and mountains of about 11,000 feet. The feature excursion was onto the Athabasca glacier which is shrinking rapidly as are all the others. We transferred from our coach on to the huge snowcats which drove us onto the glacier where we disembarked and wandered around for 20 minutes. At one stage the vehicle climbed a 32 degree incline - very slowly.
At 1.20pm we came across a bear jam and sure enough there was a black bear foraging alongside the high way totally unconcerned with the chaos she was causing. A Black Bear can be brown or cinnamon or red or white. It is smaller than a Grizzly and differently constructed.
By then we had crossed into Banff National Park and later crossed the North Saskatchewan River. The English language is entirely inadequate to describe the majesty of the environment . One mountain rises 1 mile straight up from its base lake. Our coach driver kept stopping so that we could get out to get the perfect picture, and another and another.
And thus we arrived at our Chateau at Lake Louise to discover that due to a motor accident the place had been without power or water since 12.15 in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees. I haven't ascertained the capacity of this place yet but it is completely booked out. There was total chaos because nothing worked. However it is now 9.45pm and we have been fed and our bags have arrived. My bed is here and I'm collapsing into it to let Peter select a handful of hundreds of photos to illustrate this memorable day for you.
Our day started at 5.30 with the Crow family ordering breakfast. Of course the nights are very short this far north. However bags had to be ready for pick-up at 6.30. I love this service . Bags are collected from inside our room each morning and taken to our rooms at the next destination. No complaints.
We discovered that our breakfasts are $75 Candian each morning. Hmm I have some rice bubbles, some fruit and a cup of tea. We were advised to pay for a meal plan when we booked. Jolly good advice. We have paid for nothing at all on the trip about from a wine and a mojito, my new discovery.
During the morning passenger pick-up we watched one of these 4km trains passing by . Unbelievable!!!
For the 150th celebrations, one gift was free entry to all national parks throughout the country for all tourists. Normally it's $10.00pp.
Our journey took us through Jasper and Banff National Parks which National Geographic rates in the top 10 of the world. I can see why. If you want to know why, come and look at the 600 photos we took. Peter will put them on fb tonight when he cuts them down to 60. The rivers are running very high because of the late melt so the water flow was very powerful and all lakes were brimming . The excitement of the morning was 1 female elk.
We entered the Athabasca area with a waterfall drop of 23 meters and mountains of about 11,000 feet. The feature excursion was onto the Athabasca glacier which is shrinking rapidly as are all the others. We transferred from our coach on to the huge snowcats which drove us onto the glacier where we disembarked and wandered around for 20 minutes. At one stage the vehicle climbed a 32 degree incline - very slowly.
At 1.20pm we came across a bear jam and sure enough there was a black bear foraging alongside the high way totally unconcerned with the chaos she was causing. A Black Bear can be brown or cinnamon or red or white. It is smaller than a Grizzly and differently constructed.
By then we had crossed into Banff National Park and later crossed the North Saskatchewan River. The English language is entirely inadequate to describe the majesty of the environment . One mountain rises 1 mile straight up from its base lake. Our coach driver kept stopping so that we could get out to get the perfect picture, and another and another.
And thus we arrived at our Chateau at Lake Louise to discover that due to a motor accident the place had been without power or water since 12.15 in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees. I haven't ascertained the capacity of this place yet but it is completely booked out. There was total chaos because nothing worked. However it is now 9.45pm and we have been fed and our bags have arrived. My bed is here and I'm collapsing into it to let Peter select a handful of hundreds of photos to illustrate this memorable day for you.
Tuesday 4 July 2017
Rocky Mountaineer : Days 3 and 4
At 7.10am we were leaping onto our mighty steed after our night at Quesnel. And slowly we were rolling on our 534 km journey. The countryside changed considerably as we progressed northward to Prince George. We had an unexpected hault as one of our group collapsed and needed hospitalization . It was of particular interest to Peter and me to watch the whole process after what we went through a couple of years back. Oh my, what a difference. That team was trained!!!. And when finally the patient and his wife were taken away in an ambulance, a supervisor went with them to look after the wife 🖒👏❤ All the customer care in the world. The rest of us were all offered iced water and counselling afterwards . We certainly wrote up our praise in the survey as we left the train.
In due course the mighty beast started to move again and we were on our way through the Rocky Mountains, plied with delicious cuisine and treats until we got through to our destination in Jasper at about 8.30pm. There was a great reception to greet us and we were aided to our respective coaches . The Gold Class tourists were driven to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge which was about a 20 minute drive on the shores of the magnificent Jasper Lake.
We discovered a malfunction in our bathroom plumbing so rang the charming enthusiastic reception team as we couldn't use the bathroom until it was fixed. One and a half hours later a charming effusive plumber arrived at our backdoor full of excitement because of the elk that had been standing there. Oh really??? No we hadn't seen it. We didn't even know we had a back door let alone an elk.
This morning I put on all my merino plus my down jacket and crept out on an elk hunt being careful not to disturb the slumbering Peter. I made my way down to this magnificent lake realising I was just the luckiest gal in the world. At 6.30 not another soul was around.All I got was Mama crow tearing her live prey apart and feeding her raucous demanding teenagers. There was not enough to go around and the kids were still fighting, so off she flew, caught some other hapless creature which she proceeded to shred to satisfy the big chicks. Not quite what I'd arisen early to watch , but it was what I got. A mum's got to do what a mum's got to do. It reminded me to return to our Lodge, pick up Peter and go for our breakfast.
Our coach departed at 8.50 and so began our awesome tour of Jasper. The coach driver was superb with his commentary. Just one piece of information is that the Canadian trains are up to 5km in length and use two engines at the front, one in the middle and one at the back. Of course the goal of the morning was to spot a bear. Well we did. A huge black male quite close to the road and not even slightly interested in us . If you want a photo, turn to Google. Peter and I were both too gob-smacked by the bear to even try to photograph him. Later on I saw a coyote but not as close. Apparently there are major bear jams in the area caused by traffic just stopping to look at a bear .Our bus certainly did. Bears reign supreme.
We went to Pyramid Lake, a walk around the Maligne Gorge where we were deafened by the roar of the water, and Medicine Lake which is only full in the Spring thaw. In the Summer and Autumn it drains into its underwater cave system and is buried in snow for the winter. All sooo different from anything we have experienced . Most of the others were returned to our Lodge but we stayed on to be taken back into the township.
Tonight are the 4th July celebrations at the Lodge here so I'll go and enjoy those.
At 7.10am we were leaping onto our mighty steed after our night at Quesnel. And slowly we were rolling on our 534 km journey. The countryside changed considerably as we progressed northward to Prince George. We had an unexpected hault as one of our group collapsed and needed hospitalization . It was of particular interest to Peter and me to watch the whole process after what we went through a couple of years back. Oh my, what a difference. That team was trained!!!. And when finally the patient and his wife were taken away in an ambulance, a supervisor went with them to look after the wife 🖒👏❤ All the customer care in the world. The rest of us were all offered iced water and counselling afterwards . We certainly wrote up our praise in the survey as we left the train.
In due course the mighty beast started to move again and we were on our way through the Rocky Mountains, plied with delicious cuisine and treats until we got through to our destination in Jasper at about 8.30pm. There was a great reception to greet us and we were aided to our respective coaches . The Gold Class tourists were driven to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge which was about a 20 minute drive on the shores of the magnificent Jasper Lake.
We discovered a malfunction in our bathroom plumbing so rang the charming enthusiastic reception team as we couldn't use the bathroom until it was fixed. One and a half hours later a charming effusive plumber arrived at our backdoor full of excitement because of the elk that had been standing there. Oh really??? No we hadn't seen it. We didn't even know we had a back door let alone an elk.
This morning I put on all my merino plus my down jacket and crept out on an elk hunt being careful not to disturb the slumbering Peter. I made my way down to this magnificent lake realising I was just the luckiest gal in the world. At 6.30 not another soul was around.All I got was Mama crow tearing her live prey apart and feeding her raucous demanding teenagers. There was not enough to go around and the kids were still fighting, so off she flew, caught some other hapless creature which she proceeded to shred to satisfy the big chicks. Not quite what I'd arisen early to watch , but it was what I got. A mum's got to do what a mum's got to do. It reminded me to return to our Lodge, pick up Peter and go for our breakfast.
Our coach departed at 8.50 and so began our awesome tour of Jasper. The coach driver was superb with his commentary. Just one piece of information is that the Canadian trains are up to 5km in length and use two engines at the front, one in the middle and one at the back. Of course the goal of the morning was to spot a bear. Well we did. A huge black male quite close to the road and not even slightly interested in us . If you want a photo, turn to Google. Peter and I were both too gob-smacked by the bear to even try to photograph him. Later on I saw a coyote but not as close. Apparently there are major bear jams in the area caused by traffic just stopping to look at a bear .Our bus certainly did. Bears reign supreme.
We went to Pyramid Lake, a walk around the Maligne Gorge where we were deafened by the roar of the water, and Medicine Lake which is only full in the Spring thaw. In the Summer and Autumn it drains into its underwater cave system and is buried in snow for the winter. All sooo different from anything we have experienced . Most of the others were returned to our Lodge but we stayed on to be taken back into the township.
Tonight are the 4th July celebrations at the Lodge here so I'll go and enjoy those.
Sunday 2 July 2017
Rocky Mountaineer Trip: Days 1 & 2
How very exciting to be standing right next to this big beast preparing to commence the adventure we have planned for so long. The staff greeted us so very enthusiastically and escorted us to our allotted seats. I had been advised to pay twice the normal price and take the Gold Class which meant we were upstairs in the one bubble car. There were several Silver Class cars and several cargo wagons. A very powerful beast with two engines. The speed limit is 25mph in the summer as the rails heat up. We have basked in total luxury throughout these first two days with constant attention from our delightful team of four stewards.
We left Vancouver at 8.00 with a promise of breakfast on board. However one of the staff I was chatting to the night before suggested we may like to think about a light breakfast before we boarded our coach. We don't need telling twice and had our normal breakfast. Well actually Peter had a cooked breakfast. Just as well. Obviously the wait staff have to prepare the dining area downstairs and then half the Gold Class passengers go down We were at the second sitting which meant we weren't ushered in for our orders to be taken until 10.15 which meant we were not served until 10.45. Hmmmm. We had some grumpy passengers by then.
Our first morning ended at Whistler which was in full celebratory mood by the time we were delivered to our Four Seasons Chateau. It really was one grand festival in perfect midsummer conditions. There were many forms of entertainment but we chose a scenic flight over Whistler in a De Havilland Otter seating 9 people all with window seats. It was a half hour flight but with all the organisation and transportation to and from the Green Lake it took an hour and a half. It was absolutely spectacular because the summer had been so long in coming and there was enough snow for many people to be skiing. Some of the lakes were still frozen over. I am sure that flight will prove to be the highlight of our whole trip.
Although there was so much fun on offer for the 150th birthday celebrations including the Vancouver Philharmonic orchestra giving a free outdoor concert, these two oldies snuck off to bed.
This morning was another 6.45 departure for a 14hour rail trip to Quesnel (Kwinelle). This time
we were at first sitting and enjoyed a breakfast for a king. Then we could settle in and enjoy the trip with fascinating vibrant entertaining commentary and the constant offer of food and drink. We are promised bears and otters tomorrow .All I saw today was horses, deer, and and totally different cattle and sheep - and timber .
We followed the mighty Fraser River all the way up and tonight started to walk across the old wooden Fraser Bridge until fork lighting struck. There were two spectacular rainbows on a sky that looked like a forrest fire but we all scuttled for cover once the thunder and lighning rolled in.
On the bus again at 6.45 tomorrow .
How very exciting to be standing right next to this big beast preparing to commence the adventure we have planned for so long. The staff greeted us so very enthusiastically and escorted us to our allotted seats. I had been advised to pay twice the normal price and take the Gold Class which meant we were upstairs in the one bubble car. There were several Silver Class cars and several cargo wagons. A very powerful beast with two engines. The speed limit is 25mph in the summer as the rails heat up. We have basked in total luxury throughout these first two days with constant attention from our delightful team of four stewards.
We left Vancouver at 8.00 with a promise of breakfast on board. However one of the staff I was chatting to the night before suggested we may like to think about a light breakfast before we boarded our coach. We don't need telling twice and had our normal breakfast. Well actually Peter had a cooked breakfast. Just as well. Obviously the wait staff have to prepare the dining area downstairs and then half the Gold Class passengers go down We were at the second sitting which meant we weren't ushered in for our orders to be taken until 10.15 which meant we were not served until 10.45. Hmmmm. We had some grumpy passengers by then.
Our first morning ended at Whistler which was in full celebratory mood by the time we were delivered to our Four Seasons Chateau. It really was one grand festival in perfect midsummer conditions. There were many forms of entertainment but we chose a scenic flight over Whistler in a De Havilland Otter seating 9 people all with window seats. It was a half hour flight but with all the organisation and transportation to and from the Green Lake it took an hour and a half. It was absolutely spectacular because the summer had been so long in coming and there was enough snow for many people to be skiing. Some of the lakes were still frozen over. I am sure that flight will prove to be the highlight of our whole trip.
Although there was so much fun on offer for the 150th birthday celebrations including the Vancouver Philharmonic orchestra giving a free outdoor concert, these two oldies snuck off to bed.
This morning was another 6.45 departure for a 14hour rail trip to Quesnel (Kwinelle). This time
we were at first sitting and enjoyed a breakfast for a king. Then we could settle in and enjoy the trip with fascinating vibrant entertaining commentary and the constant offer of food and drink. We are promised bears and otters tomorrow .All I saw today was horses, deer, and and totally different cattle and sheep - and timber .
We followed the mighty Fraser River all the way up and tonight started to walk across the old wooden Fraser Bridge until fork lighting struck. There were two spectacular rainbows on a sky that looked like a forrest fire but we all scuttled for cover once the thunder and lighning rolled in.
On the bus again at 6.45 tomorrow .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)