This morning, we woke up in Radium hot springs and had cheerios, apple juice and a banana for breakfast. As we were about to leave, i was asking jon about my little speaker and where it was. This speaker is not worth much because i got it for free for volunteering for pharmacist’s awareness week but it would be nice not to lose anything on this trip. So we went back to our room and we found in hidden between the bed sheets. Phew!
We then drove from radium to lake louise. Along the way, we saw Sinclair canyon which has iron-rich red-rock walls of the redwall fault. We then went to Numa falls which is where the Vermillion river carved a canyon in the iron-rich rock. Then we went to see paint pots which are iron-rich mineral springs that bubble up and form small pools while staining the earth red.
When we got to lake louise we were just blown away by it beauty. Did you know that lake louise was named in 1884 in honour of princess Louise Caroline alberta, daughter of queen victoria. Near by lake louise is Moraine lake. This lake is surrounded by the Valley of the Ten peaks and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Jon and I wanted to climb up this large mound because we wanted to get to the top and we saw other people doing it. Once we got to the top, we saw stairs leading up there so we actually didn’t have to climb on the rocks. BOO! At lake louise, we had a blt sandwich which was delicious.
From lake louise, we drove down to banff via the bow valley parkway. This parkway is the slower, more scenic route compared to the highway 1. Along the route, we went to outlet creek, mountain castle, and johnston canyon. Funny enough, jon and i were getting tired of getting out of the car, so one of us would run out of the car with the camera, snap pictures then go. We only did that for outlet creek. The mountain castles were quite unique looking and did look like castles. At johnston canyon, we hiked 2.7km to see the canyon/waterfall. It was worth it. The waterfall was spectacular. The hike wasn’t as bad as hoodoo creek. During our hike we saw 3 little chipmunks. They were so cute. We also saw a giant raven. As we were driving to banff, we saw a moose and mountain goats along the side of the road. That was neat.
Once we got in banff, we went to safeway about bought broccoli, bread, bacon, eggs and milk. We then drove to our banff alpine centre, our hostel. It reminds me of AMS’ whistler ski lodge.The kitchen is quite big as well and here, they have a cafe and a pub. Jon and i cooked nissin beef instant noodles with fried eggs, broccoli and bacon. Jon wanted the bacon. It’s not a bad combo.
My bug bite now has blisters. It’s quite gross and annoying! We’ll probably head to safeway to get some stuff for it.
Punch buggy count:
Today: jon 3: lily 1
Running total: jon 24: lily 20
Artists for the day: U2, slash, Alison krauss and Robert plant “raising sand”
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
yoho national park: hoodoos, natural bridge/kicking horse, takakkaw falls
Today we drove into Yoho national park. Yoho is an exclamation of wonder or astonishment as spoken by the cree indians. We began the day by looking at hoodoos. Hoodoos are mushroom shaped towers of rocks that were created by erosion. Jon and i walked 800m into the park to realize that we must climb 1.6km with an altitude of 300m in order to see the hoodoos. The climb was very steep! It may be comparable to the grouse grind but i’m not sure how high that it. Anyways, 1.6km didn’t seem that bad but when you’re climbing 300m upwards, it’s a lot. Jon and i will be so fit after this summer. Hehe. It took us 2 hours round trip. The signage was terrible.
When we first drove in, there was a tiny sign that said hoodoos but the entrance was chained. As we were walking along the path (800m), there were letters ranging from A to F which we thought were campgrounds but wasn’t sure. It was a good experience but we probably wouldn’t have done it if we actually knew how long/ steep it was.
Then we went to see the natural bridge/ kicking horse river. The natural bridge is a rock bridge that was formed from centuries of erosion, wearing out a channel through the solid rock. The kicking horse river flows underneath the natural bridge. What a sight!
We then drove to emerald lake which was a nice view as well. Emerald lake is close to the natural bridge/kicking horse river. Afterwards, we drove to takakkaw falls. Takakkaw means magnificient in cree. It has a drop of 254m and is the highest falls in canada. It started to rain as we got there. The raindrops were cold and large. However, as we walked closer to the falls, it became slightly warmer.
We’re arrived at radium hot springs. Our motel looks like it came straight from the seventies. We’ll be going to the hot springs tonight to relax our muscles. On the drive here, we saw a black bear. We also saw a momma deer with 2 baby deers on the drive up to takakkaw falls.
Today, we at cherriods, cherries, pepperoni cheese sticks, chips and lots of water and juice. For dinner, i made chicken with udon in chicken broth and tomatoes. I used a whole can of tomatoes which was way too much, even for me. Atleast it’s healthy. On a side note, i woke up to 3 mosquito bites on my arms and leg. It makes me sad. We’ll pack it in early tonight.
Punch buggy update:
today: jon 0: lily 1
Running total: jon 21: lily 19
Artists for the day: bob marley, beegees
Update: we just came back from the hot springs. It was quite nice. Apparently, the hot springs here were actually hot compared to harrison which was only lukewarm, according to jon. the funny thing is that before you enter the changing rooms, you have to remove your footwear. When i saw that, my immediate thought was...athlete's foot!! well, we did as we were told and removed our footwear. however, when jon and i finished, jon's flip flops were gone. someone had taken his old navy flip flops. he was so sad!!! i had to run to the car and get his spare ones. before we left to go on our trip, i told jon to get an extra pair at old navy and he said he didn't need them. oh well, that's life. when we go to calgary, we'll try to find cheap flip flops. he's in no rush. anyways, after he lost his flops, we went to have cookie dough ice cream. it was deeeeelicious. a nice way to end a long day.
tomorrow, we'll be heading to lake louise and banff.
When we first drove in, there was a tiny sign that said hoodoos but the entrance was chained. As we were walking along the path (800m), there were letters ranging from A to F which we thought were campgrounds but wasn’t sure. It was a good experience but we probably wouldn’t have done it if we actually knew how long/ steep it was.
Then we went to see the natural bridge/ kicking horse river. The natural bridge is a rock bridge that was formed from centuries of erosion, wearing out a channel through the solid rock. The kicking horse river flows underneath the natural bridge. What a sight!
We then drove to emerald lake which was a nice view as well. Emerald lake is close to the natural bridge/kicking horse river. Afterwards, we drove to takakkaw falls. Takakkaw means magnificient in cree. It has a drop of 254m and is the highest falls in canada. It started to rain as we got there. The raindrops were cold and large. However, as we walked closer to the falls, it became slightly warmer.
We’re arrived at radium hot springs. Our motel looks like it came straight from the seventies. We’ll be going to the hot springs tonight to relax our muscles. On the drive here, we saw a black bear. We also saw a momma deer with 2 baby deers on the drive up to takakkaw falls.
Today, we at cherriods, cherries, pepperoni cheese sticks, chips and lots of water and juice. For dinner, i made chicken with udon in chicken broth and tomatoes. I used a whole can of tomatoes which was way too much, even for me. Atleast it’s healthy. On a side note, i woke up to 3 mosquito bites on my arms and leg. It makes me sad. We’ll pack it in early tonight.
Punch buggy update:
today: jon 0: lily 1
Running total: jon 21: lily 19
Artists for the day: bob marley, beegees
Update: we just came back from the hot springs. It was quite nice. Apparently, the hot springs here were actually hot compared to harrison which was only lukewarm, according to jon. the funny thing is that before you enter the changing rooms, you have to remove your footwear. When i saw that, my immediate thought was...athlete's foot!! well, we did as we were told and removed our footwear. however, when jon and i finished, jon's flip flops were gone. someone had taken his old navy flip flops. he was so sad!!! i had to run to the car and get his spare ones. before we left to go on our trip, i told jon to get an extra pair at old navy and he said he didn't need them. oh well, that's life. when we go to calgary, we'll try to find cheap flip flops. he's in no rush. anyways, after he lost his flops, we went to have cookie dough ice cream. it was deeeeelicious. a nice way to end a long day.
tomorrow, we'll be heading to lake louise and banff.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Revelstoke, Golden
This morning we had a delicious and free continental breakfast consisting of half a muffin, an apple and a juice box. We also took 4 individually packed peanut butter and jam for later use.
We drove through Vernon which was a quaint little town. It had walmart, safeway, london drugs, superstore and a KMPG branch.
Somewhere in between sicamous and revelstoke, we came cross the last spike of the railway tracks. Along the way, we decided to go to the Enchanted Forest. We went down the dungeon and there were 3 doors. I peered my head into the 2nd door and all of a sudden, the lights turned on and this skeletor appears. I screamed and jon’s reaction was to run away. The forest had little creatures from fairy tale books e.g. the little woman who lived in a shoe, 3 little pigs, etc. It was okay. Probably won’t go there again but it was fun while it lasted. There were lots of little houses for tiny people which were cute...kinda like the one jon and kate has for the kids.
After we drove to revelstoke national park to climb the meadows in the parkway. we took a nap in the parking lot before we did the climb. Jon was biten by a mosquito. Sad. Anyways, the climb was steep and snowy but it was worth it because the view was breathtaking.
We ate flavoured canned tuna on crackers, an apple and the some muffin. We’ll probably stop by a mcdonalds later for something more.
Our drive to golden has been a pleasant one. We drove through the roger’s pass and saw lots of beautiful glacier mountains. What a sight! We’re at Golden now. We’re staying at dreamcatcher hostel. This place is quite nice. We have our own bathroom!!!! This hostel used to be a rundown bar but was recently renovated and opened up 2 weeks ago. I can still smell the ikea packaging. Across the street there is a ford dealership with 2 old cameros and a mustang. The mustang, according to jon, was a good deal but it’s the car or this trip (and the floor). Jon chose this trip. Also across the street, there is a sobey’s. It’s similar to an iga. We bought cherries, water, pop and cans of tuna. We’re going to sleep early because we’re losing an hour. It’s 11:03pm in golden but 10:03pm in vancouver.
Good night
Punch buggy update:
yesterday: jon 5: lily 7
today: jon 7: lily 6
Running total: jon 21: lily 18
Artists for the day: bon jovi, beatles, guns n roses, elton john
***don’t forget to become a follower***
We drove through Vernon which was a quaint little town. It had walmart, safeway, london drugs, superstore and a KMPG branch.
Somewhere in between sicamous and revelstoke, we came cross the last spike of the railway tracks. Along the way, we decided to go to the Enchanted Forest. We went down the dungeon and there were 3 doors. I peered my head into the 2nd door and all of a sudden, the lights turned on and this skeletor appears. I screamed and jon’s reaction was to run away. The forest had little creatures from fairy tale books e.g. the little woman who lived in a shoe, 3 little pigs, etc. It was okay. Probably won’t go there again but it was fun while it lasted. There were lots of little houses for tiny people which were cute...kinda like the one jon and kate has for the kids.
After we drove to revelstoke national park to climb the meadows in the parkway. we took a nap in the parking lot before we did the climb. Jon was biten by a mosquito. Sad. Anyways, the climb was steep and snowy but it was worth it because the view was breathtaking.
We ate flavoured canned tuna on crackers, an apple and the some muffin. We’ll probably stop by a mcdonalds later for something more.
Our drive to golden has been a pleasant one. We drove through the roger’s pass and saw lots of beautiful glacier mountains. What a sight! We’re at Golden now. We’re staying at dreamcatcher hostel. This place is quite nice. We have our own bathroom!!!! This hostel used to be a rundown bar but was recently renovated and opened up 2 weeks ago. I can still smell the ikea packaging. Across the street there is a ford dealership with 2 old cameros and a mustang. The mustang, according to jon, was a good deal but it’s the car or this trip (and the floor). Jon chose this trip. Also across the street, there is a sobey’s. It’s similar to an iga. We bought cherries, water, pop and cans of tuna. We’re going to sleep early because we’re losing an hour. It’s 11:03pm in golden but 10:03pm in vancouver.
Good night
Punch buggy update:
yesterday: jon 5: lily 7
today: jon 7: lily 6
Running total: jon 21: lily 18
Artists for the day: bon jovi, beatles, guns n roses, elton john
***don’t forget to become a follower***
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
In Kelowna
Today we had an eventful day. We had to check out at 11am from the hostel. From there we went to safeway to buy 500ml milk, 6 bananas, 4 apples and 6 pizza buns. We also took lots of spoons from their self-serve deli department. Soon after, we used these spoons to have cereal in the safeway parking lot.
After, we drove to downtown kelowna and scootered and skateboarded along the lake wall. We had to pay 50 cents every hour. I put in a dollar which shoul d give me 2 hours but it only gave me 30 minutes. Darn!
Then after scootering (me) and skateboarding (jon), we drove to an “on the run” to get a large ice capp. MMMMMmm
We drove to the kelowna land and orchard for a tour to see the orchard but they only had tours at 11 and 1. By the time we arrived, it was 2:30pm. BOO. Jon and i did manage to try fuji apple cider, raven apple cider and anjour pear cider. Jon and i agreed that the fuji one was the best. Of course being asian, we just tasted it and left. Haha. As jon was driving to the orchard, he encountered a fierce bird. It was running on the ground like an ostrich towards him at top speed. Jon didn’t hit it but he claims that if he did, it would be the bird’s fault and he/she would be liable for any damages. He also wanted me to be his witness.
Afterwards, we drove 8km to get to myra canyon where there are 18 trestles. In 2003, the okanagan mountain fire destroyed or damaged many trestles but they have been restored. The canyon was quite an amazing view. The myra canyon section of the kettle valley railway was built in between 1912 to 1914 and was part of the “coast to kootenay” railway line that linked BC’S boundary district with the canadian pacific railway’s main line at hope. The last scheduled train was in 1973 and the tracks were removed in 1980. To create the railway in myra canyon, only 2 tunnels and 3 deep rock cuts were required.
Jon is having a breakdown in the car. He heard on the radio that couples should get married between 18months to 3 years of being together. Jon is grieving now.
We have now checked in at the oakanagan seasons resort. It reminds me of a motel but it is a resort and has a swimming, ping pong, foosball table, sauna, hot tube and free continental breakfast.
we finished having breakfast not too long ago. we used our hot plate and heated up canned campbell's clam chowder, and chef boyardee.
we're taking it easy tonight as we have 5 hours of driving to do tomorrow.
good night.
BECOME ONE OF OUR FOLLOWERS!!!
After, we drove to downtown kelowna and scootered and skateboarded along the lake wall. We had to pay 50 cents every hour. I put in a dollar which shoul d give me 2 hours but it only gave me 30 minutes. Darn!
Then after scootering (me) and skateboarding (jon), we drove to an “on the run” to get a large ice capp. MMMMMmm
We drove to the kelowna land and orchard for a tour to see the orchard but they only had tours at 11 and 1. By the time we arrived, it was 2:30pm. BOO. Jon and i did manage to try fuji apple cider, raven apple cider and anjour pear cider. Jon and i agreed that the fuji one was the best. Of course being asian, we just tasted it and left. Haha. As jon was driving to the orchard, he encountered a fierce bird. It was running on the ground like an ostrich towards him at top speed. Jon didn’t hit it but he claims that if he did, it would be the bird’s fault and he/she would be liable for any damages. He also wanted me to be his witness.
Afterwards, we drove 8km to get to myra canyon where there are 18 trestles. In 2003, the okanagan mountain fire destroyed or damaged many trestles but they have been restored. The canyon was quite an amazing view. The myra canyon section of the kettle valley railway was built in between 1912 to 1914 and was part of the “coast to kootenay” railway line that linked BC’S boundary district with the canadian pacific railway’s main line at hope. The last scheduled train was in 1973 and the tracks were removed in 1980. To create the railway in myra canyon, only 2 tunnels and 3 deep rock cuts were required.
Jon is having a breakdown in the car. He heard on the radio that couples should get married between 18months to 3 years of being together. Jon is grieving now.
We have now checked in at the oakanagan seasons resort. It reminds me of a motel but it is a resort and has a swimming, ping pong, foosball table, sauna, hot tube and free continental breakfast.
we finished having breakfast not too long ago. we used our hot plate and heated up canned campbell's clam chowder, and chef boyardee.
we're taking it easy tonight as we have 5 hours of driving to do tomorrow.
good night.
BECOME ONE OF OUR FOLLOWERS!!!
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