Vancouver - We arrive back in Vancouver from our eastern coast tour for a couple of days sightseeing around this beautiful city before departing on the Rocky Mountaineer as we continue our journey on the west coast of Canada..
Canada Place Cruise Terminal - our ship for the Inside Passage cruise to Alaska is in dock.
7m Lego-like leaping Killer Whale overlooking Vancouver Harbour near the West Vancouver Convention Center. Also known as "Digital Orca" and "Lego Whale."
Stanley Park rose gardens with the city highrise buildings in the background.
Totem poles in Stanley Park
More totems in Stanley Park.
Lions Gate Bridge, the name refers to the Lions, a pair of mountain peaks north of Vancouver.
Girl in a Wetsuit sits on a rock on the northern side off Stanley Park.
Burrard Bridge spanning the inlet leads to Granville Island.
Granville Island access beneath the Burrard Bridge.
Things to see and do at Granville Island.
An Inuksuk -buitl from stone placed on stone may historically have been used for navigation or as a point of reference by first nations people..
A-maze-ing, a bronze sculpture in Morton Park is a popular drawcard for tourists and locals.
Gastown Steam clock...allegedly the worlds first steam powered clock.
Steam hisses as whistles produce Westminster "chime" and to signal the time every 15 minutes.
Gastown re-purposed industrial buildings.
Vancouver City Library - A modern take on the Colosseum.
After a day's sightseeing in Vancouver we have an early start for a couple of days of luxury train travel and incredible scenery as we head to Lake Louise aboard the Rocky Mountaineer.
All aboard, next stop Kamloops then Lake Louise.
A historic suspension bridge across the Fraser River near Hell's Gate.
Passing through the first of many tunnels hacked through rock.
Hell's Gate Bridge - The towering rock walls of the Fraser River plunge toward each other forcing the turbulent waters through a passage only 35 meters wide.
Hell's Gate Cable Cars crossing the gorge.
Our train passes under the Cisco truss arch bridge at Siska, British Columbiaafter crossing a 3-span truss bridge over the Fraser River.
The train tracks carved into the rugged rockface of the mountains as they track alongside the Fraser River.
Bighorn sheep graze beside the train tracks.
Howdy and a friendly welcome to Kamloops folks.
..........Its just a façade however.
A typical picturesque ranch setting in the Canadian Rockies.
Pastures turned into wetlands by snow melt reflect the cloud forms of a fine summer day..
Craigellachie is most famous for being the site of the "Last Spike" of the Canadian-Pacific Railway,
Graigellachie memorial cairn and parklands.
Snow, our first sighting in the Rocky Mountains as we head east.
The lead locomotives point to a spectacular view of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains ahead.
A panoramic view is afforded without leaving the comfort of your seat.
Snow melt feeds into the river from mountain streams.
A Black Bear with her cub pauses beside the track to watch us pass.
White-rumped Roe Deer graze beside the tracks near Lake Louise.
Sun drenched mountain and a full moon above, a spectacular background to shaded forests.
Sun highlights distant mountains and lengthening shadows greet us as we near our destination.
Our coach trip from the Rocky Mountaineer takes us past Lake Moraine, a glacially fed lake in Banff National Park, as we make our way to Lake Louise village for an overnight stay at the Fairmont Chateau.
Lake Moraine still has remnants of the winter ice floating on its surface. The lake is fed by melt from glaciers in Banff National Park.
Cheryl experiencing the wind-chill factor from winds blowing across Lake Moraine.
Lake Louise, the breathtaking panorama of the forest, sheer mountain rockfaces and snowcapped glaciers reflected in the still, turquoise lake is truly spectacular.
Boulders on the lake bed recede into the depths of Lake Louise amid the reflections.
Capturing a bucket-list memory at Lake Louise.
Cheryl in front of the Fairmont Chateau, Lake Louise is amused by the local birdlife.
Fairmont Chateau dining room's view.........
The view towards mountains from the main street is postcard perfect. Banff township is the second highest in elevation in Alberta, after Lake Louise.
Fairmont Banff Springs Resort, our modest accommodation, is a landmark in the picturesque alpine town of Banff. The building is styled after a Scottish baronial castle.
About to board our chopper for a scenic flight through the Alberta Rockies over Banff National Park.
A spectacular view unfolds before us, below us is town of Banff, within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway.
The stark, bare grey rockface of the Canadian Rocky Mountains rise high above the vegetation line.
Grey rock contrasts the remnant patches of pristine white snow.
A picturesque backdrop for our helicopter charter flight base.
Water cascades over rocky ledges as it surges through the narrow confines of the gorge through Johnston Canyon.
Water surging down one of many level drops in Johnston Canyon.
A Golden Mantle Ground-squirrel poses on the banks of the gorge.
Vermillion lakes with Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain in the background.
About to enter the Cave and Basin hot springs. The Cave and Basin is just one component of nine sulphurous hot springs on the northeast flank of Sulphur Mountain (the same mountain the Banff Gondola operates on).
Hot water sulphurous bubbles from below.
The Spa Complex of the Cave and Basin hot springs as it is today.
Photo of the Spa Complex of the Cave and Basin hot springs in its heyday circa 1914-18
Enjoying the view from the Summit of Sulphur Mountain.
Just part of the stunning 360deg views from the summit.
The Fairmont Banff Springs is an imposing sight from the summit of Sulphur Mountain.
Big-horned sheep take right-of-way on the road.
The Hoodoos of Surprise Corner on the Bow River, Banff.
A Mule-deer shows us his backside....the end of our time in Banff.
Leaving Banff we travel towards Jasper along the stretch of road known as the Icefields Parkway and stop off to explore the Athabasca Glacier along the way. The Icefields Parkway is dotted with more than 100 ancient glaciers, cascading waterfalls, dramatic rock spires, and emerald lakes set in sweeping valleys of thick pine and larch forests.
We are greeted with exceptional alpine scenery and deep valleys filled with ancient forests as we enter Glacier National Park.
In the distance another of the 100 plus glaciers along the stretch of road from Lake Louise to Jasper known as the Icefields Parkway.
The pale turquoise waters from snow-melt.
Sheer cliffs, cascading water and pine forests......
We wait across from Athabasca Glacier at the Icefield Interpretive Centre before heading onto the ice.
Athabasca Glacier, viewed from the Icefield Centre is one of the six principal 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield. The glacier currently loses depth at a rate of about 5 metres per year
One of a number of huge Snow Coaches that traverse atop the glacial icefields.
Colours of the icefield,
Early-style, 12-passenger snow coach made by Bombardier of Canada.
Water thunders over Athabasca Falls...... although not high the falls are renown for the huge volumes water flowing from snow melt.
Downstream the river 'falls' over a layer of hard quartzite and softer limestone, carving the short gorge and a number of potholes.
Quartzite and Limestone worn by the raging waters form layered vertical cliffs.
Some photos from the final leg of our journey back to Vancouver.
Maligne Canyon - moss covered rocks and conifers line the canyon walls.
Maligne Canyon's swirling, churning water has worn the canyon, only 2m across in some points but plunging to a depth of more than 50m.
There's a bear in there ........this black bear cub by the roadside happily munching on fresh dandelion.
Mt Robson the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. High winds cause clouds to form in the lee of its snow capped peak.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are attracted to this feeder at a our roadside pit-stop at the base of Mt Robson.
The calm waters of the Blue River reflect the conifer lined banks and mountains as we set off in search of wildlife.
A pair of Bald Eagles land in a nearby tree.
A Black Bear about to test the waters of the Blue River.
A log jam on a lake as we near Lillooet.
Lillooet and the obligatory totem pole pose.
From Vancouver we make the short journey across to Vancouver Island for a short visit to Victoria.
Looking over James Bay towards The Empress, in the foreground is the Steamship Terminal building.
Locals enjoying the sunshine in the grounds of Parliament House of British Colombia
Topiary - celebrating the Orca.
The Empress hotel on Government Street overlooks the harbour.
Royal BC Museum.
An aboriginal totem on the harbour foreshore.
The Bay (aca Hudson Bay Trading) Shopping Centre from inside Bastion Square.
Street Art - Bastion Square.
The Inner Harbour and James Bay - in the foreground a marker of interest.... "place of mud".
Water taxi - Inner Harbour and James Bay.
Leaving the Inner Harbour and and clam water of James Bay in search of Orca.
We pass Trial Island lighthouse on our way to seek out the resident pods of Orca.
An Orca or Killer whales surface nearby, are actually the largest of the Dolphin family.
An orca pod glides majestically past us, but unfortunately not in a playful mood.
A must do item when in Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia is to visit Butchart Gardens, a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay.
At the main entrance to Butchart Gardens.
The former Butchart residence.
A tranquil tea-house setting.
The Sunken Garden, formerly a limestone quarry.
The Ross Fountain
Entrance into the Japanese Gardens
Bronze cranes in a pond, Butchart collected ornamental birds from all over the world
The Star Pond
