Tag: #Roadtrip

Glacier National Park, another scary mountain drive!

On By mubeenazamIn October 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Friday 2nd October)

The night before, I was reading about Glacier National Park and from what I read, the drive was going to be spectacular but keeping an eye on the weather was advised as it sometimes changes quite rapidly depending on the conditions.  In addition to this, there were some parts of the drive where avalanche activity was very common, particularly in harsher and wetter conditions.   Nonetheless, I was also aware that passing by huge mountains, there was always a chance that rocks could fall in the drier conditions too, I had already experienced this several time so far, you can simply not underestimate this rugged, magnificent and awe-inspiring landscape.  Although I had really enjoyed my mountain drives so far, I was a little nervous about this one. The weather was due to be fine, my nerves were currently not…

The history of the park is very interesting, especially when you travel through this area, you really do have to admire what has been achieved.   Historically, there are two primary Canadian transportation routes, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), completed in 1885, and the Trans Canada Highway, completed in 1963.   Until 1881, the centre of this park eluded brave explorers.  The valleys of the park are prone to avalanche activity, especially during the heavy winter snows.   As a result, traversing through this area had been challenging to say the least, however, I take my hat off to the extraordinary engineering feats that have taken place here.

The park is astonishingly wonderful, there are parts of the drive which literally took my breath away.  Fascinating high peaks,  glaciers which are large and active, and interesting to note is that it has one of Canada’s largest cave systems.  This was quite a demanding drive at times, there was so much I saw but due to the nature of the landscape, it was too dangerous for me to take too many photos.  One of the highlights which really got my heart beating.  I was leaving a tunnel and there was a road sign stating to slow down as there was a bear on the road, I really wanted to see this but after a couple of kms of driving, I realised it must have come off the road.  I was hope that the photos below give some idea of what the drive was like.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/glacier/visit.aspx

 


  
  


  



  
  
  
  

 

 

Mount Revelstoke National Park, Downtown

On By mubeenazamIn October 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Friday 2nd October)

I got up this morning and had this urge to get as much done as possible.  I knew I would have a lot of driving to do, but I was determined to cover as much distance as possible and see as many places as I could.  From Kelowna towards Banff National Park was well over 4oo kms, but with the stops I had planned, I would be on the road all day.

I started making my way towards Mount Revelstoke National Park.  It is located adjacent to the city of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. This park was founded in 1914 and is relatively small for a national park, it only covers about 100 sq miles.

I was due to stay here, however, as I was doing well for time, I cancelled my accommodation to keep going as I realised that this stop was not needed, I would advise anyone making a similar journey to just keep going if you can, and if the weather conditions allow make the most of your time.  I was thankful for this as it would not have been worth staying here, there was not much happening for me here, the setting was quite nice and again, the changing trees were very nice, but I wanted to make the most of the day, so I stopped for a bite to eat and was on my way again…

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/revelstoke/visit.aspx

 


  
  

Downtown Kelowna

On By mubeenazamIn October 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Thursday 1st October)

After my detour of Hell`s Gate, I thankfully arrived safe and sound in Kelowna just before sunset.  Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada.  It is the largest inland city in British Colombia. I found out that Kelowna derives from an Okanagan language term for “grizzly bear” which I suppose is good to know!

There were some nice sights and sounds of this place, I think I was just to tired to take too much note of it to be honest.  However, I did manage to get around Downtown a little, nice places to eat, some really nice and creative buildings, a nice little beach as the sun was setting, good coffee (I did like the name `Bean Scene`) and I also managed to see a bit of glass blowing, very skilled, there is a short video below too.

http://www.kelowna.ca/cm/site3.aspx


  
  


  
  


  
  


  

British Colombia – Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon

On By mubeenazamIn October 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Thursday 1st October)

Well, I tried to drive from Vancouver to Kelowna without stopping, and then I saw a sign saying `Hell`s Gate`, sounded interesting, so I took a slight detour and visited to see what it was all about.

If I am blatantly honest, I wouldn’t go again, I was happy I made this visit as it was another aspect of the gorgeous British Colombia that I got to see, however, I was looking forward to the Air tram which for me, was a bit of a let down.

Other than that, the history of this place is fascinating and it really makes you appreciate how people in the past ventured out on unknown territory not knowing where it would take them but what delights it would uncover for future generations.  One of the most interesting facts for me was how high the water was, if you look at the photo of the red bridge, you can see a white sign, this highlights where the water level was, it was in 1948 and the water level was over 70m high!  Below you will see plenty of interesting facts of information about this place and its history.

http://www.hellsgateairtram.com/




  


  


  


  


  

      

    

        

Drive from Vancouver to Kelowna

On By mubeenazamIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Thursday 1st October)

It was so sad and quite difficult to leave Vancouver, it is such a wonderful, diverse, clean, scenic and beautiful city, I had met some of the nicest people I have ever met on my few days here, I would seriously consider living here one day.

Nonetheless, the reality was I had to leave to stick to my itinerary and my next stop was going to be Kelowna, nearly 400 kms away, a good four drive if I did not stop and see anything else along the way.

As you will see from the photos below, very scenic drive, some of the switchbacks were a little terrifying in some areas, the view along the way was spectacular and the weather was…well, absolutely brilliant again.

My favourite part of this particular drive was driving though the famous seven tunnels which had been carved out of the mountains, some were actually quite long, and every tunnel I exited, there was a completely different view to behold from the previous one.  I managed to find a video on Youtube of someone who filmed his drive through the seven tunnels, definitely gives you a very good idea of what the drive was like.

http://travelthecanyon.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Canyon








  

Vancouver, Main Street – ‘East is East’ (part 8)

On By mubeenazamIn September 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Wednesday 30th September)

OK, if you have been keeping up, a little recap since this morning:

The Sky Train, The SeaBus, Downtown Vancouver, Trees Organic and a fantastic yummy breakfast, The Seawall, Granville Island and Public Market, Railspur District, Gastown…phew!

Now I really needed something good to eat, something different, something with a bit of class, somewhere that has had excellent reviews and has a very good reputation…that will be Èast is East` thank you very much.  There is a link below if you would like to see their website and menu, and if you go to the music page you can listen to some of the music on offer, just this makes me want to visit again…soon!

I walked a long way to get here, actually, by the time I had finished all of the above, and by the time I had reached this place (which I had actually read about back in the UK for one of the best places to eat when visiting Vancouver) it was just after 5pm, I did not leave this place until just before 10pm with at least an hour journey back to my accommodation.  From the photos below, you can see that it was daytime when I arrived and not many people which led into the night and where the place became packed.

Why was this you may ask.  Well, the decor was wonderful, the service was more than I could ask for, the food was so good,  I took their signature dish which are very small portions of all their very best stuff on the menu, and when you finish that, you can order as much or as little as you want from the menu (same as before or different dishes) and the price stays the same.

But honestly, the main reason I stayed there was because on this night they has some splendid, mesmerising, soulful and classy entertainment which just made the whole visit exceptional in my view.  I appreciate that not everyone may like this sort of music, but for me, this was very special.

There were three amazingly talented music artists that were playing fusion music together, there was a mix of Persian and Sufi music intertwined with aspects of Chinese music…after the day I had, there was very little battery left in the I Pad so I could not capture more than what I did below (and the sound quality may not give the credit that is due, but gives you an idea) which is a great shame as there were so many incredibly moving pieces that were being innovated as they played along…wow!

http://www.eastiseast.ca/


  
  
  
  
  

Downtown Vancouver: Gastown (part 7)

On By mubeenazamIn September 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Wednesday 30th September)

A short walk from Downtown Vancouver, there is a place that really makes you feel you are in a different era, it is called ‘Gastown’, I really liked this place, it was tremendously cosmopolitan, it has so much character and independence about it and as you walk around, you can feel the historic charm and spirit.

The types of shops in and around this area are like nothing I have seen before, some shops are totally unique in the way they are presented and the things they sell.  Some shops are too expensive to even look at like ‘Versace Home’!  Impeccable boutiques are dotted around, one-of-a-kind galleries and an evident and thriving fashion scene.  The Victorian architecture I really admired, lots of colours and designs to take in.

One place that attracted the most amount of people while I was in a particular area was the ‘The Gastown Steam Clock’, the world`s first ever steam powered clock, amazing to see it work on the hour, if you have time, read what its about (there are videos you can see of this working and there is a link of the refit below earlier this year).

http://www.gastown.org/

http://www.seegastown.com/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/gastown-steam-clock-more-accurate-after-refit-says-creator-1.2919411




  

Vancouver: Granville Island, Railspur District (part 6)

On By mubeenazamIn September 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Wednesday 30th September)

After my visit to the Public Market on Granville Island, I saw a very interesting building with a sign saying “this way to handmade local goods by Artists & Artisans” based in Railspur District on Granville Island, although this was not part of my plan, I was attracted to see what was there.  It is such a cool, creative, happening place to be.

Some of the items on display were incredible, clearly some very talented people here and full credit to them for being part of such a wonderful and inspiring district.  The fact that you can observe people working in the workshops and creating what you see on display for sale is very heart warming as you see how much effort and skill goes into some of these products.  Have you seen rice plants by the way?  The photo of me inside a ladies boutique may cause some concern, but I promise I was there to buy some gifts!  This was a boutique that sold ladies scarfs that were created in a studio just outside, they are unique as you can only buy them from this one store, you cannot even buy them online.

By far, my favourite place in Railspur District was ‘The Hang Out Place’ that specialised in hammocks, the guy working (maybe not the correct word to be honest) looks very comfortable, wouldn’t you agree?

http://granvilleislandworks.com/

http://granvilleisland.com/category/gifts/188

 


  
  
  
  
  

Vancouver: Granville Island (part 5)

On By mubeenazamIn September 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Wednesday 30th September)

After my refreshing Seawall bike ride, I was energised to take on the next part of the day.  I had read that a very nice place to visit if time allowed was a shopping district called ‘Granville Island’.  This was about a 30 minute bus ride from Downtown Vancouver and is located near the Granville Street bridge.

The Public Market is known as the jewel in the island’s crown.  It is an absolutely fantastic place to visit, away from the hustle and bustle of Downtown Vancouver, the buzz here is quite different, much more welcoming, a little more laid back and some of the people were the nicest people I have met. The variety and the assortment of different foods that you can choose from is mind-blowing in this place, even when you have eaten, you will salivate when you walk past the next place…it is actually that good, I hope that the photos below do justice to what I am saying here (be prepared if you have a sweet tooth like me).

Again, the weather was just amazing, so blissful, it was just like being in some Mediterranean country, which just made the whole experience even richer and more enjoyable.  The feel to this place was something quite special, so much so that when I close my eyes, I can actually feel the sun shining down on me, smell the aromatic fragrances from global foods everywhere I went and sense all the pleasure I did when I was physically there.

The variety of breads reminds me that I can never participate in a low carb diet, never mind a carb free diet!  The selection of fruit was great, I particularly liked the unusually shaped grapes.  I wonder if anyone can guess what the man is whisking in the bowl?  The cakes were very inviting, ample variety of vinaigrette’s, I had never seen so many in one place, the assortment of honey looked very sticky and tasty, the Granville Island Tea Company reminded me of the UK and the Eccles Cakes were an interesting take on the ones I had when I was younger.

The final photo is of a man who was so full of energy that he basically oozed positive energy,  he displayed so many skills by playing a selection of instruments while he performed.  I captured one video before I was on my way, I thought he and his assistant did a very good job of it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

http://granvilleisland.com/

 

http://granvilleisland.com/discover-island/visitors-guide

 

 


  






  
  
  

   

Downtown Vancouver, Seawall (part 4)

On By mubeenazamIn September 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Wednesday 30th September)

If you visit Vancouver, a really smart way of seeing a lot of sights in a short amount of time is to hire a bike and cycle around the Seawall.  It’s basically a stone wall that was constructed around the perimeter of the famous Stanley Park to prevent the erosion of the park’s foreshore.  It’s about 9km in length around Stanley Park and I believe is part of a much longer (28km) path, apparently, the worlds longest uninterrupted waterfront path.  The path is divided into two: one for joggers and walkers, and the other for cyclists and skaters.   At your own leisure, you can cycle and see some really wonderful parts of this buzzing city.  You can obviously also walk, jog or rollerblade too if you prefer.

I decided to rent a bike that had the electric feature and a really cool ‘boost’ sort of button when you need that extra speed as you buzz around the Seawall.  I was told that there are some places where you can actually rent a bike for free, however, I did not have the time to explore this option.

I managed to bike around the Seawall and see the following things in 59 minutes, I did my trip quickly because there was so much I wanted to see, the extra rates you pay after the hour are very reasonable and won’t break the bank, I would recommend to take a little more time if you have.

After the breakfast I had at Tree Organic, this was a welcome workout, I saw some very expensive boats, lovely accommodation, amazing colourful ‘changing’ trees, seaplanes, very cool horse carriages, hundreds of geese, more local talent, magnificent bridges, the famous Stanley Park, a woman who looked like a mermaid and a bird impersonating her, log formations on a beach, fantastic views of Downtown Vancouver and a laughing tree!  What else might I see during the rest of my day in Downtown Vancouver?

http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/seawall.aspx

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawall_(Vancouver)