TravelStream™ news feed for member canadianjulie on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/canadianjulie en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:10:45 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1240099200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1240099200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1240099200/tpod.html Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:10:45 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Madison, Wisconsin, United States

I spent most of yesterday riding the bus from the Twin Cities to Madison, and saw countless water towers and cheese billboards along the way. I knew I wanted to come through Wisconsin (yes, mostly for the cheese!), but I wasn't sure about Milwaukee - another large Amercian city to be seen between Minneapolis and Chicago. I opted to visit the capital of Madison instead, partly for its many claims to "fame"; most cyclable city, most pedestrian-friendly, gay-friendly, vegetarian-friendly, environment-friendly, and altogether friendliest place in the country. It's also the birthplace of the satyrical newspaper "The Onion." All the statements I could verify turned out to be true. Every street in the city is framed by large inviting sidewalks, and the size of its core is easily explored on foot. All the people I encountered were also very friendly and helpful - even those walking down the street seemed happy. And quite telling of Madison's mindset, I was greeted at the hostel by a sign that read "this is a free environment - please take off your shoes."

Once I got settled into my dormroom, I went out to buy groceries. On my walk to and from the supermarket, the streets were calm but not empty. It was a warm Spring day and people were having drinks on sidewalk patios, in no apparent hurry to be anywhere else but simply content to be where they were. Others were playing frisbee on the lawn of the State Capitol (which has the largest dome in the USA). Back at the hostel, I made my first real meal in a hostel kitchen that wasn't pasta or previously frozen. The well-stocked pantry allowed me to make chicken fried rice without having to buy all the necessary ingredients (what would I do with a whole bottle of soya sauce?).

Madison seemed so inviting that I was in the mood to explore its nightlife, but I don't enjoy doing that alone. Coincidentally, I met Jenna and Dan who invited me to join them for drinks. Dan studied at the University of Madison and lived in the city for several years so he knew his way around. We headed down State St, the city's main strip, which was filled with students out on the town, probably just having finished their semester. We started with a margarita then went to the lakefront university terrace bar. After a large plastic jug of local beer, we checked out a few more places along University Ave before last call. I'm always hungry after a few drinks, so we stopped at Ian's, a famous and very busy local pizza place, where I tried a slice of their taco pizza (they also have Mac & Cheese and buffalo chicken).

When planning my itinerary, I made sure to be in Madison for the Saturday Dane County Farmers Market which overtakes Capitol Square, but then noticed in my guidebook that it opens in May. Someone must have warned the city that a market-lover was coming, because as it so happens, today was the market's opening day! Probably as a result of this opening, combined with the sunny 25-degree weather, crowds of people gathered around the State Capitol. The market offers everything from Wisconsin cheese and bison meat to organic dog treats and tye-dye everythings. I spent the afternoon walking through the university campus and along the waterfront. The weather changed by early evening, becoming grey, windy and rainy, which was the perfect excuse to stay in and get my laundry done!

The smaller city of Madison was a nice change of pace from Minneapolis, and I can only love a place with a great outdoor market. I'm taking the bus once again tomorrow (I am getting sick of it!), this time heading to Chicago, which will be my last American stop. The forecast calls for rain during my entire visit to the Windy City though, which might restrict what I can explore.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239926400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239926400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239926400/tpod.html Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:43:21 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

I woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed. It's amazing what a big difference a little sleep can make. I don't know if it was the warm weather, the sun shining, or the familiarity of a big city, but I instantly liked Minneapolis. I'm not a fan of the many cat calls, nor of the weird people I met at the hostel so far, but the city had so much more to offer. In this city of lakes, within the land of 10,000 lakes (Minnesota's nickname), I surprisingly didn't make it out to see any of them, although I did see the Mississippi River running through it. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St.Paul apparently make up the most charitable place in the USA. The former is also extremely multiethnic and has unique architecture. Many of the buildings downtown are also connected by a maze of skyways, which I can imagine are wonderful in the winter.

I started my discovery of Minneapolis at the Convention Centre to find a map in its visitor centre and get myself oriented. There was a conference in progress, which brought back many memories of my time with JPdL spent behind a registration desk. I could picture those aweful yellow vests so clearly. From there, it was only a short walk to Nicollet Mall, a pedestrian-friendly street lined with shops and restaurants. On this street, you can also find the infamous sculpture capturing Mary Tyler Moore throwing her hat in the air, as she did in her show's opening sequence.

I then made my way to the Riverfront, and walked along the banks of the Mississippi River, while following the St.Anthony Falls Heritage trail. This trail explains the history of the city and its beginning as a flour milling leader. Minneapolis is actually the birthplace of General Mills, Pillsbury, and the first radio cooking show, Betty Crocker. At one end of the Riverfront stands the Guthrie Theatre and its endless bridge, a trippy architectural structure open to the public. I ended the day by visiting the disappointing midtown market, and area called Lyn-Lake, buying groceries and returning to the hostel.

On my way out this morning, I met Sharon, an art educator from Eugene (Oregon) in town for a conference that starts tomorrow. We grabbed a coffee together and visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art, which happens to be directly across the street from the hostel. This museum is huge and has interesting arrangements, where, for example, Chinese art and artifacts can be found in a recreated temple. Sharon and I walked downtown and split ways for the afternoon - she was meeting an acquaintance and I was heading to St.Paul to visit the cathedral. I couldn't seem to find a map of St.Paul anywhere so I had to guess my way around. As I got off the bus, I could see two large domes. I headed for the one with gold ornaments thinking that it would obviously be the church, but it turned out to be the State Capitol surrounded by lovely green spaces. I then walked over to the second dome, the Cathedral of St.Paul. The church was beautifully-lit with a highdomed ceiling and intricate altar. Especially knowing that the Twin Cities are liberal and very gay-friendly, I was shocked to see some of the literature available in the cathedral: the Church's position on same-sex unions, why contraception is wrong, the Church in the voting booth, etc. I planned to see more of St.Paul, including an interesting area described in my guidebook as Selby-Summit, which is in fact the intersection where the church is located. But after a woman explained to me that two interesting neighbourhoods existed, one two miles away and the other unsafe, I thought it best to hop back on a bus to Minneapolis instead.

I actually toured a new part of the city by taking a bus that went the long way back. It drove through the amazingly-large University of Minnesota campus, which is in fact one of the largest in the country with over 50,000 students.

I was pretty tired by that point, so I roamed the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden until I found a good spot to sit. I waited there until my meeting time with Sharon. We met across the street at the Walker Art Centre, which we were going to visit after 5 p.m. when admission is free. We sat outside chatting for a while, and I turned around to see two people I recognized from the National Gallery of Canada. It turns out they were in town for the same conference Sharon was attending - what a small world. With all the fuss surrounding the Walker Art Centre, we were expecting it to be much more innovative, but it was little more than a typical contemporary art gallery.

I'm off to Wisconsin tomorrow, and I can't wait to visit the dairy state that produces 2.4 billion pounds of cheese every year!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239765060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239765060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239765060/tpod.html Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:17:24 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Fargo, North Dakota, United States

What a day! I warn you now, this is an expression of my need to vent. After a day like today, I feel tired, my patience is worn thin, and being home sounds truly appealing.

Today even started wrong. I knew I had a 12.5-hour bus ride ahead of me scheduled to leave Winnipeg at 7:45 a.m., so I tried to prepare all my things last night to get as much sleep as possible. I never get a very good night sleep before an early morning though, probably from fear of missing my alarm. But I woke up as planned at 6:30 a.m. to give myself enough time to get to the station, collect my luggage tags, and stand in line for the bus. I got to the bus depot at 7:00 a.m. only to be told by the ticket agent that my bus wasn't leaving until 9:15 a.m., and that they'd actually changed the schedule two weeks ago (which happens to be before I purchased my ticket). It would have been nice to get notice of this change ahead of time. Thankfully, my hostel wasn't very far and its staff was nice enough to check me back into my room so that I could lay down for another hour before my actual departure.

A whole day on the bus is never really pleasant, especially with all the different people surrounding you: the weird ones (who talk to themselves); the chatty ones (who tell their stories about being teenage mothers/truck drivers or ex-cons); the rude ones (who recline their seats so far back that you get stuck behind them); the smelly ones (especially when they return from a cigarette); and the unhelpful ones (who are unfortunately often the bus drivers).

If that wasn't enough to strain one's patience, my experience at customs was more than frustrating. I thought the Canadian officer was bad on my way to Vancouver, but I hadn't seen anything yet. I was the third person in line from the 12 on our bus, and seem to have unluckily fallen upon the strictest US border officer I've ever met. Not only was he still interrogating me when the last person in line was done, but he made the bus wait for me an additional 10 minutes. He questionned me on everything from how much money I made at my last job to what my father does for a living, and even read my travel journal! There was a point when I actually thought he wouldn't let me through the border. Thankfully he did, but I was in a miserable mood for at least an hour after crossing into the USA.

The rest of tha day was long too, with more annoying bus passengers and another delayed schedule at my layover in Fargo. I was able to witness the flood close-up as we drover through North Dakota. It looked like we were driving through an ocean rather than prairie fields. Many roads were also blocked because they were under water. I ended up arriving in Minneapolis at about 9:30 p.m. Since it was late, dark, and I couldn't be bothered with directions, I decided to take a taxi to my hostel. I got here right on time because the front desk closes at 10 p.m. (another fact I was unaware of).

The hostel is pretty nice - it's in a Victorian house with a large kitchen - but feels as though it was haphazardly put together and lacks many services including laundry (which I was desperately looking forward to). They also don't have a map of the city, which is strange, but I'll figure out directions in the morning.

It's bizarre how absolutely exhausted you can be after a day spent sitting on a bus. All I want to do now is sleep. This quick traveling pace is actually starting to wear me out - it doesn't give me much time to relax because I'm constantly moving onto the next town (which is why I generally prefer not to travel this way). But I knew it would be like this before I started, and I can't complain because I'm seeing so many wonderful things. I am, however, looking forward to slowing down and spending time with close friends in the near future. When I get back to Canada in a little over a week, I'll be stopping in Guelph, Toronto and Ottawa before I go home. The next week should be interesting though - I am excited to discover these last few American cities on my list. But for now, bedtime!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239667200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239667200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239667200/tpod.html Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:08:51 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Before I left Edmonton, I met someone from Winnipeg who told warned me about the current floods in Manitoba. A few other people took the opportunity to also let me know that Winnipeg is the second most dangerous city in Canada (I'm not sure what the first one is, maybe Vancouver or Toronto). So these were the thoughts going through my head during my flight to this next destination. As we approached the ground, I could see the effects of the first warning clearly - Manitoba looked like it had thousands of lakes, which in fact were flooded farmlands. The flooding of the Red River and a number of ice jams have forced many residents out of their homes. I even heard a story about a two-storey ice block that gained momentum and sliced right through a house.

The second warning was reinforced shortly after. A nice man started chatting with me as we waited for the bus, and soon began telling me to keep an eye out for my belongings because there are lots of shootings and muggings in the city. Even people trying to bum a cigarette are apparently quite aggressive. And as I was getting off the bus, the driver warned me that the neighbourhood we were in wasn't very safe so I should be careful. Thankfully, I only had to cross the street to reach my hostel, but what a warm welcome to a strange city! I'd just spent the day traveling and it was raining, so I was planning to stay in the hostel regardless. Staying in a hostel with a kitchen is incredibly convenient but can become frustrating if it doesn't work well. It took me more than an hour to cook a plate of pasta, and the pot I was using then fell apart on me. Trying to eat dinner took me all evening, and when I was done all I wanted to do is go to bed.

Despite the incessant rain, I left to explore Winnipeg the next morning. The sky was greay and the streets were empty. It hadn't occurred to me that it was Easter Monday until I discovered the museum I wanted to visit was closed. So I roamed the streets, and hopped and off the free bus shuttles that conveniently loop around the city's main points of interest. The architecture in Winnipeg is more than that of Calgary. Many of the stone buildings are nicely detailed and the variety of styles is also greater. I eventually made my way to the area known as The Forks, where the Assiniboine and Red Rivers meet. There was a small market and a few gift shops to browse, but that didn't use up nearly enough time. In certain cities like this one, you desperately try to find anything that will help you kill some time, often resorting to reading in a coffee shop for a few hours. I therefore thought about going to the library to surf the Net for free, but it too was closed. Instead, I went to the only supermarket in the area (located in the basement of The Bay), which also turned out to be the most baren one I've ever seen.

After eliminating all possible ways of spending my day, the rain was still pouring so I headed back to the hostel and watched some longed-for Food TV. I later met my two dormmates, who also seemed at a loss for what to do that evening, so we ventured back out together. We went to a neat local spot where you get decent food and a free movie pass. We couldn't find anything to do for the hour between our meal and the film, so we wandered the streets aimlessly and even visited the Chinese Community Centre. All in all, the rain hindered me from truly getting a taste of Winnipeg, though a part of me doubts I would have had much more to do under different circumstances.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239490800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239490800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239490800/tpod.html Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:09:49 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

I left my Calgary hostel on Thursday morning, and had to walk for about 25 minutes to get to the bus depot, which is far too long when you're carrying your life in a few bags. The bus ride was uneventful, although I could clearly imagine what Saskatchewan is like on the way to Edmonton because the land is flat as far as the eye can see. (I actually got another taste of the Prairies later, while driving through North Dakota and its fields of wheat).

Upon my arrival in Edmonton, I had planned to call Dann and Melissa, who I met on my tour of Southern Ireland in the fall and who invited me to stay at their place. When you arrive in a new city and impose, in a sense, on people you don't know all that well, you never know what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised when I called Dann and he was ready to pick me up at the bus depot, and he had already arranged to take me out for lunch with Melissa. They took me to a local irish pub, O'Byrnes, on Whyte Avenue in the centre of Old Strathcona. I had read about this vibrant neighbourhood and had wanted to visit it. As it turns out, I spent most of my weekend in Edmonton in this very part of the city, without even discovering what downtown has to offer.

Dann's work contract recently ended, so lucky for me, he was able (and willing!) to show me around while Melissa went back to work. We drove out to West Edmonton Mall because, unfortunately perhaps, it's practically Edmonton's only "attraction" I've ever been told about. The second largest shopping mall in the world, it's truly enormous (the Japanese recently took our number one spot by opening something even bigger). Aside from all the regular stores, the Mall has a Chinatown, a Bourbon Street, a sealion show, pirate ships, a waterpark, an IMAX theatre and even an entire amusement park, roller coaster included. But aside from that, it's just a big mall. And seeing as I don't have the budget to shop, we walked around and went to spend money on my favourite thing instead: food! Dann took me to a vietnamese restaurant that makes the tastiest Pho noodle soup.

We went back to his and Melissa's apartment to digest, and we went to meet her once she was off work. We cancelled our plan to go out for drinks because the three of us were pretty tired, and opted instead for a movie night, which turned out to be a relaxing dose of normalcy for me. We woke up Friday morning, and after picking up some breakfast at Tim Hortons, we sat back and enjoyed morning cartoons - something I don't think I've done in years. To continue with the food-themed weekend, Dann and Melissa took me to Da-de-o, the city's best cajun restaurant, where I got to meet two of their friends. The food was amazing indeed - I ate the cajun gumbo and had the best sweet potato fries based on everyone's recommendation.

I know one other person in Edmonton, Ashley, who I also met during my last trip to Europe. We hung out in Bath, England, while she was passing through on a tour of Cornwall. So after I finished my cajun meal, I left my first hosts to meet up with my new one. I had been lucky so far with Melissa and Dann, never having a dull or uncomfortable moment. And it was the same with Ashley! As soon as we saw each other, we were all chatter until we parted the next day. We soon discovered that we both have a love of baking, so much so that we both recently made our first wedding cakes for a family member. I think we could have kept talking about food and travel for weeks on end. It's interesting to develop a friendship with someone you connected with while traveling - I usually find there's a good reason for why you "clicked" with another person as soon as you meet them. Spending time with these new friends was so east, it felt like I was catching up with old ones instead.

Ashley and I went to another restaurant on Whyte Ave. with her boyfriend Matt and his friend Randy, this time to a mexican place called Julio's. We went so that I could try one of their "bulldogs," which is basically a margarita with a Corona turned upside-down in it. I had a pina colada version called "bichon frise" and it was delicious! My kiwi friend Tracey came to meet us at the restaurant, and we all went to Hudson's, a downtown pub, to watch the hockey game. Although, honestly, we mostly chatted! We went back to Ashley's place after the game and traded travel stories for a few more hours.

Saturday morning, Ashley and I met up with Tracey once more, and the three of us strolled through Old Strathcona's farmers' market - a diverse collection of local and ethnic foods and crafts. I even discovered the Saskatoon berry, a fruit I never knew existed, and bought some jam to taste it properly. As I previously warned you, my time in Edmonton revolved around food - what a delight for a foodie like me! So to keep with the theme, we left the market and went straight to Marble Slab ice cream, which is very similar to the American Cold Stone chain: you choose your ice cream, your mixins, and they create your own flavour on a slab of marble.

My former hosts met me there, and I said goodye to Ashley and Tracey. Melissa took me to a wonderfully-hidden hat shop where we spent 30 minutes trying them all on. We then relaxed at her apartment for a few hours before heading out to Sherwood Park for an Easter meal. Dann's family was celebrating the holiday with a turkey dinner and they graciously invited me to join them. The weather was warm, so we sat in the sun until dinner was ready, and I then ate my first traditional holiday meal in a very long time. The Wurster family was friendly and welcoming, and it was heartwarming to spend the holiday with a family, even if it wasn't mine! Dann, Melissa, and I ended the night with a few drinks at their local pub, the Next Act, where we were joined by some of their friends and Tracey.

We had a lazy Sunday morning today, followed by a pancake breakfast at Route 99. I parted ways with Dann and Melissa after they dropped me off at the airport, and am now awaiting my flight to Winnipeg. This will be my trip's only flight, and my very first domestic one. In a few hours, I'll be able to add another province to my list: Manitoba. Check!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239235200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239235200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239235200/tpod.html Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:31:40 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I left Banff Tuesday morning and rode a bus to Calgary. After my arrival at the hostel, I decided to take a stroll around the city because the sun was out. On my way to the waterfront, only a few blocks away from my hostel, I passed the Calgary "Drop-in and Rehab Centre," which I figured accounted for the "sketchy" vibe I was getting. However, after walking through Chinatown and Downtown, I realized my discomfort was still present. I can't quite explain it, I just felt like there were lots of shady characters standing around and it made me feel a little unsafe. Aside from this vibe, Calgary's architecture is somewhat bland - most buildings being square, beige and looking the same - and the people quite nondescript, although I did notice a large indigenous population. On the other hand, I have several friends who lived in the city and loved it, so I can't say that I've given it a fair chance in only two days.

I started today by visiting the city's most popular attraction; the Calgary Zoo. As I stood in line to purchase my ticket, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Tracey - the girl from New Zealand I'd met in Banff. It was actually really nice to see someone I knew, and especially great to have company while visiting such a kid-oriented place. The zoo was very interesting, but with its landscape having been affected by the Canadian winter, I imagine it's even better in the summer. After more than two hours, Tracey and I got hungry and went to Chinatown for some delicious vietnamese food. We then killed a few hours at the library using the cheap internet, and finished the evening by going to the cinema. Tracey has decided to move onto Edmonton earlier than planned and will be arriving there on Friday, so we're going to try to meet up again. This is one of the great things about traveling - you never know who you'll meet or how long you'll get to travel with them.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239062400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239062400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1239062400/tpod.html Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:21:22 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Banff, Alberta, Canada

OH MY GOD!! That's what I've been repeating to myself for the last hour. As I sat at the top of Mt. Sulphur in Banff, there weren't enough words to describe what laid before me. I was surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and the magnificent sight was simply breathtaking. I don't think I could've accurately captured its beauty had I taken a thousand photographs.

Banff town is quite a bit larger than Lake Louise, with its own high school and residential areas scattered along streets named Elk, Bear, Moose and the like. They even have public transit so I didn't have to hike 5kn up to Banff Gondola, I could just hop on a bus instead. The 2,200-foot Gondola ride was amazing, and although I was a bit nervous about being suspended by a cable more than 5,000 feet up in the air (the lower terminal is at 5,194' above sea level), I couldn't wipe the huge smile off my face. Banff is Canada's first protected national park, and I could see why they would want to ensure its conservation. I stayed at the top of the mountain for a few hours, completely awe-struck, then walked to the observation deck to get an even more incredible view of the surrounding peaks. On my gondola ride back down the mountain, I noticed a girl going in the opposite direction was texting on her cellphone. The gondola was pretty expensive ($30) and I couldn't fathom paying for it only to look down at my phone. I can understand how easily people get addicted to them and their constant "companionship," but watching this girl made me happier than ever not to have one. Otherwise, I might be tempted to fill any void moment with a text message instead of appreciating the unequalled beauty around me.

I hopped on another bus (which means I rode all two of the town's transit lines) and checked out the Fairmont Hotel and surrounding Bow Falls, which were of course frozen. On my walk back into town, down a quiet residential street, I was traveling next to a forested area by the water. I was in my own little world when I heard a noise. I turned and looked around to find three large elks slowly roaming and eating among the trees. How amazing! Here I was, the only person to witness such a peaceful widelife moment.

Back in town, I strolled along the cute main street and browsed its overpriced stores and gift shops. I've been truly surprised at how many Quebecers I could hear speaking around me. It seems they've all flocked to the Rockies and are either hanging around for the winter sports or working at all the hostels, restaurants and grocery stores.

I returned to the hostel to cook myself dinner and met a few people, including Laura from Germany and Tracey from New Zealand. We all stayed in for the hostel movie night, after which we went out to get delicious chocolate desserts. An evening well spent in my opinion!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1238972400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1238972400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1238972400/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:58:10 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

I can't believe it - I'm finally here. I've desperately wanted to come to the Canadian Rockies since my 5th grade school project on Alberta. And here I am, some 14 years later.

The bus ride was long, with an unexpected time change, but once again went well. An Aussie from my Kelowna hostel had offered me a ride to the bus station, but it turned out his car battery died, so I paid a hostel staff $5 to drive me instead. The road to Lake Louise was bewitching, with snow-topped mountains as far as the eye could see. Around each corner was an even bigger mountain with endless evergreens, and at one point, the peaks started lining up as a wall to create the Rockies chain they belong to.

The hostel feels like a ski lodge and has the same laid-back atmosphere. Groceries here are unreasonably expensive, so I opted for the restaurant/pub attached to the hostel. The rest of yesterday's evening was spent doing laundry as I had somehow already ran out of clean socks.

The view from my dorm room is amazing - it looks out onto a snowy landscape and high peaks. And I had the room to myself last night, so I took advantage by reading a book in bed and sleeping for ten uninterupted hours. I didn't have to wake up early this morning because I knew it wouldn't take me all day to visit Lake Louise. I ate breakfast at the same restaurant and got ready for my day. To counteract my leaky boots, I layered my socks with plastic bags and another pair of socks. I stuffed my backpacks and stopped at the nearby bakery for something to eat at lunch, only to realize that I'd left my money at the hostel. Once I'd returned to my room and went back to purchase my croissant, I set out on the 5km uphill trek to Lake Louise.

Being surrounded by such majestic mountains made me feel so peaceful. I've spent the last few days alone but I've actually enjoyed the solitude. When I finally made it to the top of Lake Louise Drive, I was taken aback at first because I somehow didn't expect the lake to be frozen (probably because of all the postcards I'd seen where the lake reflects the mountains). But aside from that, I was looking out into a full-scale postcard: mountains on either side of the lake with a glacier in the middle. And because the lake was frozen, I was able to walk across it and loop around. I went in to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for a cup of hot chocolate and then sat by the lake to eat lunch. The sun was warm, the sky was blue, I was happy - it was perfect.

After I hiked back down to the village, I realized I must have walked about 12km today, which accounted for how tired I felt. I unwound at the restaurant with a beer (where an odd number of Quebecers seem to work - they even have a poutine on the menu) and a hearty plate of pasta.

I'm off to Banff early tomorrow morning because I'll only be there for one day. I can't believe how fast it's all going - I'll soon already have gone through two Canadian provinces. Speaking of which, I decided it was more logical to skip Saskatchewan on this trip, and I booked myself a flight from Edmonton to Winnipeg. But it's okay...I'll be back!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1238728380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1238728380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1238728380/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:22:37 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

Fiona escorted me to the bus station on Thursday morning, and I boarded one heading to Kelowna after we said our goodbyes. Although the motion sickness still kicks in if I start reading, I think I'm getting much better at riding buses. This six-hour trip actually went by rather quickly, and I was in the Okanagan Valley before I knew it. I must admit the ever-changing scenery did keep me entertained, ranging from a winter landscape of snow-covered mountains to one of spring greenery, all the while coasting along the Okanagan Lake beautifully-situated among rolling hills. The hostel offered a free pickup from the Greyhound station, which means I didn't have to find it - it found me. I took a trip to the grocery store and spent the rest of the evening relaxing at the hostel.

I woke up this morning expecting the forecasted rain/snow combination, but was pleasantly surprised to see the sun was out among only a few clouds. Lucky for me, the weather stayed like this all day. I had come to Kelowna for one main reason: to visit a winery. Having missed the ones in California's Napa and Sonoma Valleys, I was comforted to know I could visit a local Canadian one instead. Amid the hundreds that are in the Okanagan Valley, I chose Mission hill based on several recommendations. But I soon discovered that getting there would be no easy feat without a car, not that this fact would stop me, especially because I had no other plans while I was here. So I rode the three necessary buses, waiting for the long connections between each, and walked 1.5 km uphill along Mission Hill Road. Two and a half hours later, I was there. Extremely picturesque, the Mission Hille Family estate winery sits atop a hill, looking out onto the Okanagan Lake and the mountains behing it. The architecture was rebuilt in the 1990s to mimic European styles and blends in perfectly with the surrounding landscape. I spent my first half hour there just wandering the grounds, then went inside to inquire about the tours. Their Heritage Tour was starting at 2pm, so I waited until then, sitting outside, enjoying the view, and eating a few snacks.

The tour was nice, though not very in-depth. It started with a video presentation of the owner and chief winemaker. I happened to be the only one on the tour so i got my own private tour guide, who snuck me into one of their event rooms with a huge Chagall tapestry and a David Foster piano signed by over 60 artists. We then walked around the grounds and down into the Bordeaux-style cellar. The tour ended with a tasting of four delicious wines. Having experienced what I'd come for, I made my way back to the hostel, stopping first at a coffee shop to sit and write.

Almost ten travelers seem to have stopped their journey in Kelowna and now live at the hostel. On the one hand, the hostel was intimately comfortable, like I was staying at someone's house. On the other, it felt like I was intruding on a communal family. I didn't meet anyone here on the first night, but got to chatting with a few people this evening and a group of us played card games for a while. I also met a guy from Blainville who was nice at first, but the more he drank, the less he could speak English and the more he attached himself to me (the only other French speaker). I understand the comfort of familiarity when you meet someone from your "hometown," but it soon got a little uncomfortable when her began interupting all my conversations with others to drunkenly slur something in French. It was getting late anyway, so I went to bed to get a good night sleep.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1238259600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1238259600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/canadianjulie/2/1238259600/tpod.html Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:26:25 -0400 A trip through my own backyard (and my neighbour's!)

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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The four-hour bus ride from Seattle to Vancouver felt much longer with the rain, the traffic, and the long stop at Canadian Customs. I arrived in Vancouver early afternoon on Saturday, and a girl I'd been chatting with on the bus welcomed me home. Thanks, sort of. Indeed it was nice to be back in Canada, even if I'd never been to B.C. before. And it got even nicer when I was greeted by a smiling Fiona at the bus station.

We took a taxi back to her and her boyfriend Jay's apartment, where we spent the afternoon catching up before we headed out to Yaletown for her birthdya bash. A joint event with her friend Candice, the lowkey pub night started with dinner, and ended many drinks later when the lights came on and we were asked to leave!

I know Fiona from the Illustration & Design at Dawson, but she's been living in Vancouver for over four years. It was great to have the opportunity to meet her new friends and get acquainted with her west coast life. Two of these friends, Shawn and Heather, decided that my first visit to B.C. had to include a trip to a nearby mountain, so they invited me to go tobogganing the next day - an offer I couldn't resist! So they came over the following morning, Jay and Fiona cooked us breakfast, and we headed to Mt. Seymour. We were joined by another car, which included another Dawson schoolmate, rose, and one of Fiona's friends, Lien.

What a beautiful day! The sun was shining and the temperature was warm, despite us being in the middle of snow - a concept that took a while for my mind to wrap itself around. We started by tubing, surrounded by mountains and with the Pacific Ocean in the distance, and then started tobogganing on our magic carpets. We tumbled down the hill a few times, and started feeling old the next day when we woke up with sore everythings! We took full advantage of the sunshine, watched eagles soar above our heads, and when we got tired of climbing up the tobogganing hill, Heather, Shawn, Fiona and I hit the ski lodge for a beer and a late lunch. Fiona and I joined Jay back at their place for dinner (he had crazily chosen to do work instead of playing in the snow), and we left him again to go watch a movie. We saw "I Love You, Man" and it was much funnier than we had expected. We laughed the whole way through.

We woke up on Monday morning to a grey and rainy day, which was actually perfect because Fiona needed to get some work done and I had to do more trip-planning. My Croatian boots had started to leak in the snow the day before, so we went to get those fixed and we stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things. I then attempted two recipes for the flavoured pasta I'd picked up in Seattle, and also made fudge for Fiona and Jay - do you think I could pass up an excuse to bake? We had a relaxing movie night in with some wine...it was just what I needed.

On Tuesday morning, Fiona's actual birthday, the sun was out and we knew we couldn't pass it up (despite the severe wind warning for the area). We started the day off right by going out for breakfast and were joined by Rose. After our meal, we walked down shop-lined Robston Street in the centre of the city all the way to Stanley Park. Thanks to Lien and the tourism card she loaned us, we hopped on a horse-drawn carriage tour of the park, bundled up under some blankets and sipping hot chocolate, and then visited the Vancouver Aquarium (and its adorable sea otters). Once the aquarium closed, we went to a delicious place called "Cupcakes" where you can guess what we ate. Afterward, we headed to Granville Island, walked around its public market and finally made our way to "Sandbar," the restaurant Fiona had chosen for her birthday. The two of us enjoyed a martini while we waited for Jay, Rose and Lien to join us. On the waitress' suggestion, I ate the black cod, which melted in my mouth like butter! After all this time on the Pacific Coast, I was finally getting my share of fresh fish. We picked up a few more bottles of wine, and Rose came back to the apartment with us, where we had some good quality girl talk until the wee hours of the morning (Jay had of course gone to bed).

Today was my last day in Vancouver and, of course, it was pouring rain. Fiona and I woke up late and enjoyed a lazy morning before we ran a few errands. I had to pick up my boots (which are somehow still leaking) and send a package home because I've already accumulated too many things to carry! We waited for Heather to get off work and went to the Vancouver Art Gallery to visit its exhibition on Canadian Impressionism. The three of us then headed out to Burnaby to taste the sushi Fiona had been telling me about for days. Was it ever succulent! Tuna sashimi like I'd never eaten before, and so cheap too. Too bad they don't make it like this in Montreal. I then stocked up on groceries for my upcoming bus ride to Kelowna, and we called it and early night.
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