You'll have to excuse me if this blog appears lengthy but I just had the most amazing time visiting BC and Alberta this summer. My husband and I joined a Cosmos coach tour; there were 42 of us and what a great group we had. We made a lot of new friends from the US and UK and saw some spectacular sights that I wanted to share.
The tour was starting in Vancouver but we chose to add two nights pre-tour to visit friends and family in the area. I do recommend you to add at least one night prior to starting a tour just to get settled in and ready to start fresh the following day, plus you can see a lot more of the city. We walked around the downtown core and visited Gastown, one of the oldest areas in Vancouver but it's become very hip filled with restaurants, bars and lots of souvenir shops. We made sure to get the iconic picture of the Gastown Steam Clock as it whistled and let go of the steam on the hour.
Our tour started with brief highlights of the Vancouver area - Canada Place, where there were two cruise ships docked. Stanley Park has the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront path at 28km; it was filled with people walking, jogging, rollerblading, or cycling. There are several monuments and landmarks throughout the park, including the famous totem poles and the "Girl in a Wetsuit", a life-size bronze statue of a woman with flippers on her feet, inspired by the Copenhagen mermaid. For lunch it was time to head over to Granville Island with their produce market, restaurants, bars and artisan shops. Great area to wander around or rent a canoe or paddleboard and explore the area from another angle.
Our 90min ferry to Vancouver Island was lovely. The weather was beautiful so we stood outside and watched for dolphins (unfortunately none) and admired the landscape passing by. The restaurant offers quick snacks & beverages and comfortable seating but most people choose to stay outside appreciating the views. Our first stop after docking in Victoria, the province's capital, was Butchart Gardens. I'd been a few times before but it's always a pleasure to re-visit as the flowers and design change seasonally - even from day to night there's a difference when the lights are turned on. Give yourself a couple of hours to wander through the gardens or enjoy High Tea in the restaurant. You're given a map as you walk in so you can choose which areas you want to see - Italian, Mediterranean, Sunken or Japanese gardens are all equally beautiful.
What a wonderful surprise when we arrived at our hotel, The Royal Scot, as we were piped off the bus by a Scottish piper in full kilt regalia. The Royal Scot is a great place to stay as it's within walking distance to all the downtown highlights as well as grocery stores if you want to pick up some snacks. I have always loved Victoria. It still maintains its British heritage with many pubs offering delicious British food and my husband was happy to have an Irish beer not readily available in many pubs. If you're lucky to hit the right time, most of the pubs offer a Happy Hour with drinks and snacks at reduced prices. Be sure to wear walking shoes because there's a lot to see here. From the beautiful Empress Hotel overlooking the waterfront to the colourful houseboats at Fisherman's Wharf to Chinatown, with the narrowest laneway in Canada, Fan Tan Alley.
We boarded the bus in the morning for our journey to Port Hardy, about 6hours. We stopped in a quaint town called Chemainus, famous for having over 50 murals. It was fun following the yellow-painted footsteps throughout the town to see all the murals. Artisan shops, boutiques and coffee shops make it a nice break on the way. Since we arrived into Port Hardy at dinner, we got together with our fellow travellers for a meal and impromptu sing-a-long at the Kwa'Lilas Hotel with a rich indigenous history.
Early morning rise to board our ferry along the Inside Passage to Prince Rupert. Although the lounge chairs are very comfortable and there is a lot of room to move around, it was recommended to us to book a cabin for the 16hr journey and we would recommend it. Most of the day we were outside enjoying the incredible views (and yes we saw whales!) but as the night started rolling in, we were able to go to the cabin to rest. The onboard restaurant offered a great selection and the staff were friendly and helpful. I cannot describe the beauty of sailing through this Passage. The landscape was stunning - every time we turned in a different direction, it was another stunning sight. We actually kept saying to each other that we couldn't believe we were seeing this. Truly awe-inspiring.
It was midnight when we arrived into Prince Rupert, a very important port as it's Asia's closest port to North America. Known as the "City of Rainbows" because it rains 240 days/year, we didn't see any because it was glorio
usly sunny. Also known as the "Halibut Capital of the World" we had to test it out and completely agree! Cow Bay has some delicious seafood restaurants within walking distance. We visited the North Pacific Cannery to learn about the history of the canning industry in the area and took some great photos of the Skeena River. Wonderful dinner with our new friends sitting along the water watching the boats go by with the sun on our faces - great memories.
Another early morning rise to board our train, The Skeena, approximately 12hrs. We made a couple of stops along the way to get out and take photos and spent some time in the viewing car taking photos, then in the lounge car having fun with our fellow travellers. It really didn't seem that long and the views along the way were beautiful.
Stopping at Mount Robson Provincial Park, which is entirely in BC but borders Jasper National Park in Alberta, we could see why it is truly one of the world's crown jewels. The second oldest park in BC, with Mt Robson standing at 3,954metres, it is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. We crossed over into Jasper National Park; we weren't sure if we were going to be able to stay in Jasper due to the fires and smoke at the time so Cosmos opted to move us to Hinton (1hr away) for one night. When we arrived into Jasper, although everyone was using generators and service was back to manual (no cash registers) our hotel was wonderful. Good walking city with shops, restaurants, bars and easy access to the adventure activities in the area. We chose a river rafting excursion and so glad we did. Our guide was actually originally from Hamilton so he was happy to hear our updates. Great info and humourous stories while rafting; the colour of the water was so vibrant - it was only a Class 2 but enough for me :)
Maligne Lake had always been on my list to see since I'd missed it in my previous visits to Alberta. It has almost a mystical presence. Of course, the mountains in the backdrop, the crystal clear bright blue waters make it a sight to see. Camping, hiking, canoeing. We cruised to Spirit Island, the most photographed spot in Canada and I wasn't disappointed. Absolutely stunning. Everyone kept saying it didn't seem real. First Nations folklore says two lovers from warring tribes used the island to meet so it has a very spiritual meaning to them. We also did a canyon walk and squeezed through crevices and pathways to see incredible waterfalls.
Next up was the Columbia Icefield. Another experience I'd talked a lot about in my previous position but hadn't actually experienced it. We boarded the Ice Explorer, a specially-made vehicle to access the Icefield and then we walked on the glacier! Definitely need a hat and gloves as it can get pretty chilly walking on the ice. Also recommend bringing a reusable water bottle to drink from the natural springs.
Lake Louise. What can I say about this absolutely stunning area. Walking out from the parking lot and the trees to the incredible blue water in front of us took our breath away. It wasn't too crowded in September so it was perfect for taking LOTS of pictures. The iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise overlooks the lake and provides a great spot to get a little higher for pictures. People were canoeing in the lake and wedding couples were having their photos taken (I can only imagine the photos)as we wandered around taking photo after photo. I know I keep saying it, but truly memorable.
We arrived at our last stop, Banff, where we had a brief tour before settling into our hotel. My son has flown out from Toronto to meet us for the weekend so we were able to spend some wonderful time exploring this amazing city. Banff is one of my favourites as well - very easy walking city - one main street, Banff Ave, filled with restaurants, bars and souvenir shops - all with the incredible Cascade Mountain in the forefront. Banff is a bustling city, great year round and not just a ski resort area. We took the gondola up Sulphur Mountain and found Jasper the Bear at the top, along with stunning views of the city. As my son rented a car, I wanted them to visit Emerald Lake while they were here. It's about 1hr from Banff but so worth it. The jade-coloured lake it incredible. Emerald Lake Lodge has 24 cabins, all equipped with fireplaces and you feel like you're completely on your own. There's a restaurant serving local fare and wines, library, games room and hottub. A lot of weddings take place here as well. My son and his girlfriend rented a canoe and the photos I have are breathtaking. To be surrounded by the mountains on either side and floating on the serene waters, I was so happy for them to experience this.
My husband originally wasn't interested in a coach tour - didn't want to be on a schedule and have to wake up early to do everything. At the end, he said he'd do it again. Yes, we did have a couple of early morning pickups; however, we saw so much! I like Cosmos because it gives you time on your own. They give you the highlights of the areas you're in and if you want to see more you can do it independently. No meals were included which is part of the reason it is the more economical division of Globus Tours. Our guide was wonderful - funny, entertaining, knowledgeable and quick to adjust when we were hit with the situation in Jasper.
I am going to plan a group tour for next year to re-visit some of the highlights we saw. If you're interested in joining me, let me know. I'll post the tour, once completed, on this website and in our newsletters. Canada is such an amazing country, yet we leave it to explore others. Don't wait. There's so much to see and do. I loved it and some of the people on our tour had already done this tour before!
Hope you enjoy the photos.
Allana
allanacreativetravel@gmail.com
(416) 737-3538