Month: July 2010

After 11 days traveling together, sharing the back seat of the Jeep, often sharing a bed at the hotel, Mara and Cameron are still friends:) What a great trip!

Location:Vancouver Airport

Here are Mara and Cameron in front of the 2010 Olympic Torch. We said “Au Revoir” to Aunt Sandy and Uncle Bob after a fantastic visit with them, and we are now on our way to see Bryan and Lisa, and to meet Brooklyn.

This morning, we hiked through the valley behind Aunt Sandy and Uncle Bob’s (they call it their “backyard”) – wow!!! Then we enjoyed our lunch al fresco in their beautiful garden. What a lovely day all around!

Location:Chez Goodalls in North Vancouver

Three years after our last visit and after the big storm that took down thousands of trees, Mara and Cameron reconnect with the trees that have survived for generations. We also visited the awesome Vancouver Aquarium and saw belugas, dolphins, sharks, octopi, sea lions, and the ever adorable sea otters:)

Location:Stanley Park

Before beginning the long drive from Kelowna to Vancouver, we thought it prudent to seek refreshments. We stopped at 2 lovely local wineries, and bought plenty of beverages:) The photos here are from the Mission Hill Estate Winery. Before getting back onto the highway, we also picked up some yummy local fruit. Then we were off to Aunt Sandy and Uncle Bob’s, which will be our home base for the next few days. Hooray!

Location:Kelowna, BC

On our way from Banff to Kelowna, we found Mara Lake and took advantage of the photo opp:)

Location:Mara Lake, BC

We woke up this morning, pulled open the drapes, and wow! Look what we saw! What a spectacular vista!!! We’ll spend some time poking around the town of Banff (it’s changed a bit since our last visit 12 years ago), and we’ll also check out this castle we’re calling home for the day. Then we head for BC.

Location:Banff Springs Hotel

Just before exploring the paths that wind over, under, around and through the stunning Athabasca Falls, Jamie and the kids decided they wanted to see just how cold the glacier-fed Athabasca River was. Needless to say, they didn’t linger on the beach:) The Falls were extraordinary and this snapshot does not do the area justice at all. More photos will be posted-as soon as they get downloaded:)

Location:Athabasca Falls, Alberta

After a long drive from Edmonton, we arrived this evening in Jasper. This is a photo of the stunning view from our front deck at the Jasper Lodge! Driving here, we drove through 2 separate rain storms and then drove into the Rockies as they were still sheathed in clouds and rain. How amazing! The big prairie skies of the past few days are now studded with gorgeous snow-capped mountain peaks. Can’t wait til tomorrow, when we get to do more exploring around the park!

We are driving from the thriving metropolis of Calgary through prairie farmland to Brooks, Alberta. We’re off to dig for dinosaur fossils:) On our way, we’re seeing just how flat the prairies can be (with exception to Saskatchewan-but that’s for another trip). It’s a beautiful sunny day, and the vistas are stunning from the Trans-Canada: flat land that goes on for miles, huge farms surrounded by hundreds of cows. This photo was taken out of a moving car window with my iPhone, so it doesn’t really do the view justice. We’ll post better ones later.

Location:Between Calgary and Brooks