Life is like a 10 speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.
Charles m. Schultz
We left Saskatoon and noted the flats. I had thought Kansas and Nebraska were flat. The horizon just beckons you.
Saskatchewan Coming into Winnipeg Room with bunks down
Illness continued, feeling sore, stiff, with a bit of cough. Felt not right to expose others so just stayed in room. If you are going to be sick being on the Canadian with Angela as a steward is not a bad options. Started feeling better yesterday and today feeling right up near good. Today we even ate meals in dining car on a table with table cloths and such finery. And the windows are bigger.
MorningMore lakes
I, for some incongruous reason thought the trip ended yesterday. I had calculated us being almost 11 hours behind schedule and hence called our hotel to inform them we would be late on arrival. The clerk noted we had no reservation last night but did starting tonite. I checked and correct. Alas the 4 day trip I started on Monday was day 0. Tuesday was a full day 1. And I made the very rookie mistake of thinking once we left Winnipeg we were close. I forgot to look at map of Ontario. It is huge, larger than France and Spain combined
And yet more lakes Near Capreol, Ontario
Thus this morning we awoke riding through wondrous forests with zillions of lakes. Almost none occupied. So pleasant to see remote areas, no cabins, no airplanes, an occasional canoe pulled up but for the most part forest and lakes. No cell coverage. Small towns, I suspect are work towns for railroad maybe 200-300 km (150 miles)apart. Then we turned south and an occasional cabin and recreational boats. Approaching Toronto
I know not all that may be coming. But be it what it will. I’ll go to it laughing.
Herman Melville from “Moby Dick”
Train is good. Like Amtrak the freight trains own the tracks so passengers take a back seat and wait for the freight trains to pass. Left Vancouver 5 minutes late and promptly stopped for an hour to await two freight trains.
Vancouver train stationDining car Our cabin bunks come down on left chairs move aboutWaterfall along he way
But when we were told of the Canadian and how it was much nicer, yes, very true. Not that Amtrak was bad, but mints on bed every night, food is better, cars are cleaner, windows clean, and our room is much roomier, although still quite tiny, but at least one can move around, and the ride seems smoother. I can set something down and mostly expect it to remain. And windows are washed.
As noted earlier in last blog our “tour company” said the walk from hotel to station was too far to walk, and but we risked it, 2.3 km (1 1/2 miles). No problem, dinner in diner of lamb shank, potato’s, and an incredible strawberry cheesecake, except that evening a cough we both had was getting worse, and muscles were quite sore, not as if we overexercised but stiff and sore all over. It worsened and we made decision to stay in room, hopefully not spreading it. Angela our attendant has made life bearable bringing menu and meals from dining car. Yesterday Jeanne had breakfast, poached eggs on toast with melon, and has brown potato’s. I had fried eggs to perfection,sausage, toast melon. All on our lap in our room.
The Canadian Rockies were amazing as expected and I did open door and look out left side windows in hallway at Mt Robson, one of the most spectacular Mountain View’s from a road. we did get off in Jasper and walked around for a bit in soaking up sunshine. The business area remains but the fires devastated the surrounding area, two years ago
Mt Robson Panorama of our 21cars and window washersJasper training station
Currently sitting on a siding awaiting a freight train to pass. Saskatchewan is flat. I think a two story house would be good because then you would be highest thing around
Saskatchewan view train work vehicles getting ready to place new ties down.Somewhere outside Saskatoon
Hence we continue onward I am feeling a bit better but jeanne is worse. Have kept the bunks in place and she is sleeping. Good!
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
Douglas Adams
Arrived in the evening via bus from Seattle as apparently schedules do not allow as many trains to connect from Seattle to Vancouver as one would like. Customs was very easy, with nary a question other than what are we doing here and then she was getting excited about our trip. Caught a cab the few kilometers to hotel, being a Sheraton and rather fancy for us, but it is what the tour provided. 23rd floor and a nice view.
Then a bus tour about town, part of the overall tour we paid for. As expected nothing great but did provide a quick overview of highlights and history of the town. Stanley Park, Granville, Gastown, chinatown, cruise ship docks were shown and all was good. Had a driver who did impressions of famous people noted along the way, Frank Sinatra, Richard Attenborough, English, Scottish, Irish, and others.
A friends daughter, who is Canadian, has a restaurant here in Vancouver, and Jeanne had made reservations. “Nero Tondo” on Powell street. It has only two servings a night 5:30 and 7:30 and only one choice on menu. We needed a walk and decided to walk the 1 1/2 hour 5 k (3 mile). Jeanne had missed the text from a friend here in Vancouver who said do not walk down Powell Street. All went well in the business tourist area where our hotel is, and through the area of Gastown, also full of tourists, but when we crossed over to the east side it the “homeless” appeared. Was not a problem as we looked on, stepped over and around, pondering how people get to that condition, but they do for a variety of reasons, but it makes one sad they do not have the life we have, or it provides a glimpse of other sides of the spectrum of life we call civilization. Jeanne said if she was alone she would have called a cab, I said if I had known of this area I would not have chosen to walk. But all good with good people watching, although for us a bit depressing. But Vancouver does have a homeless problem, but as everywhere else the powers that be like to hide it.
Dinner itself was awesome, between 10-13 courses all very small but explained in detail, all locally sourced, potatoes, eggs, seafood, vegetables. The food was all prepared in front of us from the salads, to little appetizers, mains, and desert All the plates were prepared then delivered to each table. We left quite satiated, ordering a Lyft cab for the ride home.
Desert Nick the owner
Sunday was a free day on our tour of Canada, and left the hotel in search of a breakfast place as only place at hotel was Starbucks, not our favorite. Seems the more expensive the hotel the less they supply breakfast. But a nice place found, then on to the light rail train station. 30 years ago Jeanne and I were here and remember the monorail about town which had been made for the world expo in the late 80’s. Unfortunately it had been removed, but our tour bus driver yesterday said the expo line was a good choice for just seeing a lot of Vancouver. Jeanne and I often will just ride a mass transit train or bus about town just to see what is out there. Today we rode to King George station, found a bathroom at Starbucks and returned.
Our friend, whom we met some years ago in the ski jumping community lives here in Vancouver with her two boys, one whom is an upcoming ski jumper who is progressing up the ranks. Her daughter just left home for college in Halifax where we end our train ride across Canada. She and the boys met us, drove us to their place, then on to a delightful hike above North Vancouver. Reservations had been made at a wonderful Italian restaurant and after a walk about the waterfront of North Vancouver. A wonderful afternoon. I told Anya our tour bus guide yesterday said he could not recommend any particular Italian restaurant, stating “just walk into one and it will be great”.
Vancouver skylineLoop trail north Vancouver More stairsSunset
Vancouver has been good. I love the diversity. Anchorage is diverse but its diversity is hidden unless you get in the right community. Vancouver is up front, Today on the streets the languages I identified, (correctly or incorrectly who knows) were English, Spanish, Hindi, Ukrainian, Cantonese, and I suspect many others I could not recognize. The town is clean with garbage cans and people that empty those disposal areas, (at least in the tourist, business and residential areas). It is easy to get around and I never felt unsafe despite the above occurrences.
Vancouver real brother-in-law estate is expensive though, at least from a real estate perspective. Apparently average price of a 1600 square foot 3 bedroom 2 bath house is 2.3 million dollars. whew.
And today Monday we depart on the train. The tour instructions said to take a cab from hotel to train station. Looked it up and 2.4 km. Walked it easily past the football stadium where World Cup held.
One note is after Toronto we are on our own, as in no tour, the way we normally travel. But again setting up hotel got taken by Expedia. Have been burned by them many times. A friend in Vermont has decided to come visit us in Montreal, and we invited him to stay with us. I went on website and it turns out it is Expedia. For two nights we were paying $790, Expedia said to add an additional person would cost an additional $800. Nope no way. With some looking I found the phone of actual hotel and called. She was amazed at Expedia and said she hears that often. She increased our booking to 3 people and said it was $760, $30 cheaper, but we will not get money back as originally paid to Expedia. We try to be on lookout for such but difficult sometimes. One thinks I have the proper site but turns out it is a third party.
Just start by creating your day. Then create your life
Prince
A few years ago Jeanne and I circumnavigated the United States it was a wondrous little adventure, traveling, seeing, visiting and somewhat experiencing something new. There were various writings I did, written on this site from 2 October 2024 to 2024. In a conversations with others along that route many folks highly recommended the Canadian rail across Canada. Many said it was far nicer, hence we have signed on to crossing Canada by rail. As usual when you cross one thing off the list one adds two more. Quit keeping lists.
We started planning and getting reservations in February. It was difficult to find just the Canadian rail website through all the advertising. Again the commercial interests crowd out the independent traveler. When we did finally find just the Canadian railway, it was completely sold out, more than six months ahead of time. Geez, who thinks that far ahead? Obviously to numerous others, but not me. We thought well let’s look at the tours. Numerous options and we picked one which was the trip we had wanted, except they arranged hotels and an occasional tour. Price was much more than if we had done it independently, but space was available, we signed up for this time period, sent in our money and sat back. Easy peazzee!
Two days later a friend emailed pondering a reunion of our Colorado college friends. Her invite went something like
“Would you like to go to an alumni reunion a hundred or so people you hardly know or get together with or a dozen folks you really care about?” Of course, near immediately, 5 or 6 of us were in and soon it was a dozen. The Oregon coast was decided on as many of us have spent memorable times there. Originally Mary had set 11-13 September as a weekend, but Jeanne and I were committed to Canada rail starting the 11 September. Mary checked and realizing we are all retired and weekends mean nothing, she changed to 8-10. Yahoo
And a wondrous 2 days with about 15 of us. Some I had not seen since Colorado College when I left in 1970, others I have kept in contact with on occasional get togethers, others I have kept in contact- all though were close. It was as if we were never apart, what Jeanne calls comma friends- you are close, go off for decades and do your thing and come back together to carry on where you left off, with more life experiences. We had at least established our personalities enough in college we were who we were.
College was a defining time for us. I remember coming from conservative Utah and had read about “hippies” and read they were not good people. Then I met some! They were good thoughtful people, or just like everyone else with a whole variety, and not everyone thought or acted or lived like I had. Open ones mind. Sometimes the things we are taught are not necessarily correct. This is where education comes in, to teach you to think, analyze and ponder. I remember riding the chairlift once with someone I very much admired and they told me they “smoked dope”. I was blown away, I had been taught that was evil and would be the end of my life, but I thought about it and realized marijuana was not going to end the world, although in those days penalties of the straight world were extreme. the world has progressed.
Vacation rental Oregon coast by Manzanita
When in high school and deciding where to go to college, the one story I tell is I knew I should go to one of those back east to some liberal school for a good education. But the east had no skiing which I had heard was icy, and skiing was a part of my life. Of course all skiing for me compared to Utah. Hence I found Colorado College which was east of the Rockies which entered it in the competition. My view was simple east and west, and east was east of the rockies. I had been across country and seen the “east” and it was flat and no skiing. To this day people will tell me St. Louis is west, and I just shake my head. Prejudices!
Forest Trail to the beachRest area hike Picture by Maralyn
It was a delightful time catching up, learning of our adventures and misadventures, retelling stories from over 50 years ago and where we were led, from our decisions. For two days we laughed, told stories explained and heard explanations, ate, walked on the beach, walked in the forest, cooked and had a wondrous time. Amongst us during the intervening decades we had become artists, scientists, nurses, architects, ranchers, firemen, writers, doctors and the spaces in between.
Hikers in Oregon with a history of ColoradoBumps on a logReunions of Colorado College
Then onward to our trip, several pieces having to fit together as a puzzle, transport varieties, hotels, eating. Hopefully flows evenly. Four os us began our journey back to Portland via rental car returning to the airport. We took our time taking just over 4 hours to do a 1.5 hour drive. Stopped at rest areas, hiked, stopped at a roadside cafe, just enjoying last moments with each other, before returning to our other lives. We dropped off Jacqui and Maralyn at train station for their return to Seattle, returned car to airport, and our friends Sheila and Steve picked us up and out to dinner we went, alongside the Columbia river, continuing the conversations with different friends from years past and into the present. They dropped us at the hotel near train station and we departed the next morning for Vancouver B.C.
roadside restaurant highway 26 outside Portland OregonPortland Union StationPortland departureKing Street Station Seattle Washington
Train to Seattle, transfer to bus, due to better connection, and into Vancouver. Have not been here since miss nineties, a I remember a wonderful city, clean and vibrant, easy to get around. Thus far the same but far bigger. Our tour included a bus tour of Vancouver this morning. Bus tours are never our thing but included and was a nice little drive bout to the highlights, Stanley park, Granville island, Chinatown, gas town. Just a drive about with stops for short walks. Interesting driver narrator did all sorts of impersonations telling the stories and history.
Hotel arrival Vancouver not our usual type of hotel but included in tourSunrise
Granville Island Public market
Granville heavy industry cement plant
And for another viewpoint of the same story check out Jeannes blog
If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.
Charles Darwin
Made it back yesterday afternoon. 2491 miles (4009 Km) 50 hours and 7 minutes drive time. (Thanks to the wonderment of the new car, it recorded that), 6 days total and as noted too fast. We did the final push in 6.5 hours with only one stop to empty bladders. Whew. Before leaving talked with some motorcyclists from Michigan touring the route we just did. They were scheduled to go to Whittier today, and I mentioned I would be there for hiking. Interesting the various convergences.
Incredible country- we went through the rain forests of northwest United States, the rain forests of coastal Canada, into the dryer interior lands with big rivers. The flatlands between the Canadian Rockies and the coastal range. Along the interior side of the Wrangell St. Elias mountains, and home. When we left Haines Junction yesterday after our Canadian Chinese breakfast it felt like we were in our homeland again. Then we got to the Chugach Mountains of Southcentral Alaska. Beautiful day, and the mountains greeted us in good fashion.
Mt. Wickersham
Arrived home and friends came over to welcome us home. The summer ski jumping solstice camp is going along and some of parents from previous years came over and was good to reacquaint.
It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end.
Ursula Le Guin
Departed Hazelton and made it the 45 km to Kitwanga for breakfast at roadside gas station. Only game around and ordered the 2x2x2x2 breakfast- 2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 ham, 2 spam, 2 toast, and hash browns. Then on to the totem park, for a quick tour, then began the 450 miles (724 km)of Cassiar Highway. We have done it several times winter and summer. and always a treat. Not as developed as the Alaska Highway, being more winding and mountainous. We expected a fair amount of traffic due to the Alaska highway being closed, but not bad. Had no issues whatever. And the scenery was great. It is entirely paved now except for tiny sections undergoing construction. As before though the southern end is much better than the northern end which gets a bit rough and narrower.
Kitwanga totem parkGreat rest stops and frequent.180 degrees from previous pictureApproaching Stikine river Bridge.
A tiny room barely enough room to squeak around the bed and a shared bathroom.
We realized we were probably not going to make it the entire Cassiar unless we pushed later than we like. I looked at Jade City, a mining place with, I thought a motel and restaurant. We had the Milepost – the guide to driving the highways, byways and routes to and around Alaska. It listed only a small 4 room motel and no restaurant. The next one was another 75 miles (120km) going south when we reached the Alaska Highway to Watson Lake. Dease lake motels were full and it was only 2 pm, way too early to stop there, so on we went to see what Jade City offered. We arrived at about 7 pm and motel seen, but office closed up. Jeanne knocked and a nice lady came and unbolted some major dead bolts. They negotiated a price involving credit card, cash, Canadian money, and American money. Settled on $120 US with a 10 dollar Canadian change given. Price was $110 so we lost a bit, but it was the last room, so we got a place to stay. We had eaten a fair quality hamburger in Dease Lake, so food was not an issue.
Picture taken from opposite corner.
“In the morning supposedly they had breakfast, but none to be found. We flunked the coffee making in Keurig coffee machine managing to spill water all over the counter and floor using up precious coffee modules. As another resident said “us old people don’t do well with the fancy coffee machines. How about just a percolator or the drip kind” Fancy coffee machines, but they give powdered creamer with the coffee.
On to Nuggett City at the junction of Cassiar and Alaska Highway for breakfast. One item only 2 over easy eggs, ham, hash browns, and toast, but you can upgrade to bacon if you want. No changes including changing over easy scrambled eggs. They could do the eggs over hard though. Again flexibility is required.
Then Whitehorse which we have always liked. The town has never let us down. Arrived a bit early for stopping but one must at least walk to the Yukon and Miles Canyon, which we did. Realized our friend Sheila, back in Portland Oregon, had said to eat some donut holes from Tim Hortons for her. Tim Hortons is a Canadian chain of restaurants scattered all over Canada. Thus to fulfill our obligation, knowing it was last Tim Hortons for us, on this trip, we went into town and ordered donut holes. Then discussing later plans we realized food later was again going to be shall I say not at a time we wanted. One must be very flexible when driving the highway. Thus we ordered a sandwich and a chicken bowl. Sandwich OK, bowl very good.
.
Miles Canyon Yukon river
The discussion continued about plans. We had hoped to be back to Anchorage by Tuesday night, making it a five day drive. It seems though 500 mile days (800 km) is a bit much for us not leaving anytime for hiking, viewing stopping and just unlaxing at rest areas. Have done the trip in 3.5 days but it was drive, sleep quick, drive, and eat in car. Seems a crime through such beautiful country. From Whitehorse it is 706 miles home (1136 km). Doable but not really fun. Thus maybe stay in Whitehorse. The fires are done and a bit of rain cleared the air, so air quality is good. I have said 8 days is a reasonable quick trip. I did the trip about 10 years ago and told myself I had all the time I wanted. Alas after 4 days I had only gone 350 of the 2400 miles. I picked up the pace and did it in 12.
There is a delightful hot springs outside Whitehorse which we have often stayed at. We found it the first time on a winter drive. It delighted us soaking in the hot pools at -20 degrees (-30C), mallard ducks overwintering in the pool swimming with me.
1990 Takhini Hot Springs ducks
We checked at going to Takhini, but it seems they have gone to a high end spa type. The old bunkhouse hostel has been turned into a high end Air B & B. I guess they don’t want our types any more. 300/night 2 night minimum. We opted for a downtown motel, and walked about Whitehorse. We found ourselves at a delightful restaurant and bar- The Dirty Northern. We ate outside in sunshine and had a couple appetizers and booze. A delightful waitress who could not give recommendations as she was only 18 and drinking age is 19.
Thus here we are in Tok, Alaska after a 385 mile day (611 KM). Not sure what is going on but hotels and restaurants are packed. Locals say it is just tourists but I have never seen crowds like this. Guess I usually camp or just don’t pay attention in the summer. Again for the third time on this trip we got the last room. It is a few miles out of town in a little cabin.
Since departing last thursday we have travelled 2162 miles (3479Km) in 5 days with 44 hours and 6 minutes of driving. Hopefully tomorrow home with about 385 miles (619 Km) left. We started with sunset at 9:05 pm in Portland and tonight the sun sets at 11:48. A bit farther north. and solstice next week. Almost forgot to write the animal count. several deer, hare, squirrels, 1 dead porcupine, 1 moose, a sow grizzly and cub, 3 fox, swans, hawks, and the list goes on.
And getting into the United States was probably the easiest time I or we have ever had. Showed passports waited 30 seconds and he said enjoy our day. ????
jrpatee 