TravelStream™ news feed for member robandemma on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/robandemma en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:36:05 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1217395560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1217395560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1217395560/tpod.html Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:36:05 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, United States

Leaving the (mainly) blue skies of Waikiki behind we headed on to the largest of Hawaii's four main islands "The Big Island". After picking up a very strange hire car, think 20's gangster or the Ant Hill Mob but bright white with blacked out windows, our first stop was in a very quiet inland area. (It was a good job it was remote as the house had no curtains blinds or even frosted glass in the bathroom) However it was very close to the Volcano National Park our main reason for visiting the island. Hawaii as we learned at an excellent centre was formed by volcanoes erupting under the sea  and gradually getting higher and higher until they broke the surface. The world's tallest mountain  (as opposed to the highest above sea level) is here.  There is a still a lot of volcanic activity and the island is a mix of huge areas of black lava from later flows and lush vegetation which has grown over older lava. There was a major eruption in the 50's and lava has been creeping out on and off ever since and until recently you could watch this close up. However a few months ago things began to liven up and the lava flow increased and found a new outlet ironically outside the national park. We therefore made a 40 mile drive in late afternoon to a hastily prepared new viewing area. It is quite a show. The viewing area is about half a mile from where the lava hits the sea and though it would be good to be closer you can understand the safety concerns as you can feel the volatility of the situation. It is the major show in town so gets very busy. We arrived at about 5.30 in the afternoon and sat down on the hard uncomfortable hard lava.  In daylight "all" you can see is billowing smoke and steam and dark fountains of lava as the 2000+ degrees molten rock hits the sea. Then as darkness falls (at about 7) the lava glows red producing a spectacular display( though not spectacular photos as for once our small camera and our photographic abilities were not enough to do justice to the scene) There is plenty more to see in the area. You can walk on the now solid lava lake created in the 50's, through a lava tube and round and over various other features.Part of the main crater is smoking again and that area glows red at night. A great place to visit but I would not want to live here. We are spending our last couple of days on the coast on the dry side of the island relaxing and doing a bit of shopping and snorkelling before the long trip home. We even sat through an episode of Hawaii -5-0 which is still on the schedules here There are plenty of tropical fish in the sea by the small beach near our hotel and turtles play in the waves and come up on to the beach with no fear of humans.  Berkshire next! And back to reality. We look forward to seeing everyone and will put a few photos on this site when we get back in case you can't face the full set. Thanks for all the messages etc and for taking an interest in our travels....................
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1217385480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1217385480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1217385480/tpod.html Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:26:16 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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Oahu, Hawaii, United States

Despite not being people who enjoy spending too much time lying on a beach we were both looking forward to a short break staying next to the famous Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.Although there is some surfing there as it is on the south of the island it does not get the famous waves we were hoping to see. There are actually several breakwaters providing plenty of family swimming areas though Emma is always nervous when I am in the waves. She was not too impressed when someone 20 yards from me had to be rescued but it turned out he had a medical problem and eventually the allure of the blue waters tempted Emma in too.The Waikiki area is heaving with traffic and people and there are designer shops and tourist shops everywhere. However despite this the beach with its palm trees does have a certain magic especially when viewed from a beachside restaurant as the sun goes down.We took a trip to Pearl Harbour which is quite a lengthy process. Although it is not far you have to wait your turn for a trip out in a boat to the memorial and when we arrived it was 3 hours. Fortunately we were able to do a bus siteseeing tour round town in the waiting period.The harbour looks ordinary but the accompanying film and memorial are quite moving. Over 2000 died most of them on one ship the Arizona which is still in the water in the harbour. The top can be seen from the memorial. Oil leaking to the surface is still visible after over 66 years. Some believe it is topped up but we were assured this was not the case.There are a lot of Japanese tourists here and it was quite amusing that the film was very balanced praising the Japanese bravery and saying it was a matter of honour that they had to attack. Although the American's ultimate victory was mentioned there was not a word about the nuclear attacks which I thought left a gap in the story.We escaped the crowds again for a scenic tour of part of the island including a visit to a beach where one of my cousins got married not too long ago ( I can see why you chose it Cath)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1216757820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1216757820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1216757820/tpod.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:35:33 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States

It would take a better writer than me to describe the Grand Canyon. We went on a talk about how it was formed and the speaker suggested just say "big pretty" and that is about it. It is impossible to do it justice in words.I was expecting to look over the side of a big canyon and see a river far below and that would be that but there was far more to it than that. It is just too big and there is too much to take in. Emma rates it as the most spectacular thing she has seen on the trips (apart from me walking James Bond like out of the surf of course!?) My choice would still be the Barrier Reef but only just.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1216587780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1216587780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1216587780/tpod.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:17:28 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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Monument Valley, Arizona, United States

With few regrets we made our last descent in the "inclinator" in the giant Pyramid and set off with a fairy tale castle and New York skyline (including rollercoaster) on our left and the Eiffel Tower and Venice on our right. If you have not been to Las Vegas you are probably thinking that Emma's navigation is getting worse.We were heading east to explore the weird and wonderful world of Utah and Arizona's canyon country; a busy schedule with four one night stops and plenty of driving. First was Zion Canyon. Basically Yosemite but red and on a smaller scale. A very picturesque valley but formed from red sandstone rather than granite. An excellent shuttle service (no cars allowed) and the small scale meant we could see most of the valley and complete a couple of low level walks.Then on to Bryce Canyon which was a real surprise.As the (presumably French tourist)  who arrived at the same time as us said "Ooo la la!" It is not a canyon as you would imagine it and  looks like nothing on earth. The amphitheatre which goes on for miles is a mass of orange yellow and red coloured pillars and rock formations (hoodoos) set out in a bizarre often regimented pattern. The views at the top are great but you can actually walk in amongst the hoodoos ." A helluva place to lose a cow" as the original Mr Bryce said. We spent our next night at Page near Lake Powell a massive reservoir created in the desert in the 50's an oasis of blue. There is a massive horseshoe bend in the Colorado river here where the river has cut a deep gorge with more great views. I had never heard of Antelope Canyon but in a chance conversation with an Italian at breakfast(in English) he recommended it so I signed up for a tour. It turned out to be a small cut deep into soft rock only just wide enough to walk through and about a 1/4 mile long. Flooding and other erosion has produced smooth sinuous curves in gold and brown and the sunlight creeps through cracks producing the most amazing patterns.Soon we were back in the car heading to Monument Valley the famous setting for many a Western. It is dramatic but to a certain extent if you have already seen the pictures there is not a lot more to see. A dramatic formation without the surprise factor.One of the things we enjoyed in Australia and New Zealand was spending some time away from the tourist areas in "normal towns". We could not do much of that in US on a tighter timescale. However as the hotels around Bryce Canyon and Monument Valley are busy and expensive we elected to stay out of town in Tropic and Mexican Hat respectively. This meant more driving but it was interesting to go to local restaurants and in both places country and western bands were playing. At the latter we ate at the Swinging Steak an outdoor barbecue where the meat was prepared on a large swinging contraption.  R
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1216589460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1216589460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1216589460/tpod.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:15:47 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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Las Vegas, Arizona, United States

Mad
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1215732360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1215732360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1215732360/tpod.html Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:35:36 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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Death Valley, California, United States

Due to the long drive from Yosemite to Death Valley, we had an overnight stop in mammoth Lakes. This was good for two reasons - firstly, it was a lot cooler and gave us respite from high outside temperatures and inside air conditioning and secondly, it meant we stumbled across the tufa formations at nearby Mono Lake. The lake used to be a lot  higher but when it drained away it revealed tufa formations which were the result of calcium in freshwater bubbling up and combining with carbon in the lake to cause dramatic stalagmite like formations.On route to Death Valley we stopped at Lone Pine a small town where they used to film some of the old Westerns, especially the John Wayne films, due to the arid conditions and strange rock shapes.Death Valley. We were nervous but what's in a name?! We had tens of bottles of water, a full tank of petrol and still  felt unprepared. We had heard the warnings about it being a hot, unforgiving environment that could be fatal if you were unwise. We were about to drive in and the car thermometer said the outside temperature was already well over 100 degrees and our mobile phones didn't have a signal.We were getting more and more twitchy as we drove further into the Valley and further away from civilisation. We were nervous about stopping the car or locking it when we got to viewpoints in case we couldn't get back in or herbie wouldn't start. Even though herbie is very clever he does not have a lot of brawn and struggles up the slightest gradient. You can imagine our dismay when we crossed the valley floor and began to climb upwards, when the outside temperature reached 122 degrees and a road sign said turn off your air conditioning to prevent the engine overheating. The slow moving lorry crawling along in front of us as we came round the bend did not raise our spirits either.However Herbie did us proud. We have never been so glad to get to a motel before. We decided to put off the main viewpoints until the evening as the temperature and accompanying hot breeze was just too ridiculous to function in. So what should we do to kill a few hours? We decided to do our laundry. This is noteworthy beacuse human beings can be in the middle of a hostile dangerous enviroment and still have to worry about the cleanliness of their underwear (I wasn't R)and more amazingly have the facilities to clean it. This was the most challenging  load of laundry I have  ever done. Bottles of water and sun protection just to walk 400 yards. You cannot believe tht people choose to live and work in such a place. Once the sun began to set and the temperature plummeted to a refreshing  113 degrees we made a dash for the car. We drove to a  couple of  noteworthy viewpoints. Artist's Pallette where there are different coloured rocks and then onto Zabriskie's Point just as the sun was setting. Here there were wonderful views of the mountains and rocks with many different colours and textures.  Rob went for a swim at night in the outdoor pool but it was still like swimming in a warm bath.Early next morning we drove out of the Valley but not before stopping at one of the best viewpoints - Dante's Peak. We expected it to be swarming with tourists but it wasn't. The temperature was a more bearable 97. The views were absolutely stunning. The most incredible place we have ever been. There was silence and you could just look in both directions along the valley floor which was many different shades of white and brown where the water had evaporated and left large areas of salt patterns. The mountains soaring up from the valley floor were also many shades of brown, cream, pink and red. The whole thing looked loke a chocolate/ caramel / latte pavlova. This was not only the highlight of our Canada / USA trip but one of the highlights of our gap year. We felt like we had been transported to a completely different planet looking at a scene we had never seen before and probably never will anywhere else.We would thoroughly recommend Death Valley but would suggest February!  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1215383280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1215383280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1215383280/tpod.html Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:26:21 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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Yosemite, California, United States

We left San Francisco and headed for Yosemite National Park. Apart from a few friends saying it was a must see, we really didn't have any pre conceived ideas about what it would be like. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip so far. We arrived late afternoon after a long and hot drive. The coolness of San Francisco was replaced with 90 degree plus heat. Our leaving SF was delayed slightly as we had trouble working out how to start the hire car as it did not have the conventional ignition key. In the end I had to ask for someone to show us how to start it which wasn't good for R's ego. The man from the hire company must have wondered what he had done letting us into the vehicle. We have now named the car Herbie because it is more intelligent than the two of us put together. You should see us trying to work out the windscreen wipers!Anyhow, back to Yosemite. Our accommodation was only 10 minutes from the Park entrance so we congrtulated ourselves on getting out by 9am to avoid the crowds. The road in was quiet, but that was because the crowds were already in the Park valley where the visitor centre and most of the shops / facilities are. Despite the heat and the crowds, we could already begin to appreciate the grandeur of the valley. It's distinction being the huge, almost vertical granite cliffs which dominate the roadsides. There are several waterfalls that can be visited easily from viewpoints along the road or by short walks. At this time of year the waterfalls aren't so impressive but still worth seeing.The Park is very well organised and one of the best features was the free, air conditioned, eco - friendly shuttle bus that go round the main sites. We made use of it to travel to Mirror lake. This is in fact a seasonal pool and was at a low level so we did not get the anticipated views of the famous Half Dome rock in the water but it ws a good spot to paddle and cool down. The other famous granite rock in the park is El Capitain, which is the tallest sheer granite rock in the world and very impressive.On our second day, we headed away from the Valley area and down to the Mariposa Grove. This area is known for its very tall and wide Sequoina trees. If I say they are like the Redwoods you will understand what they look like. they have the same reddy bark. At the Grove you can do a 4 mile trail and take in some of the more impressive trees. They are huge and are also known for their longevity: they can live for two thousands years.  There used to be one tree in the Park that  had such a large diameter that cars could drive through it. It was another very hot day and despite all the tourists, you could still get some tranquility in the Grove. We decided to brave it and head back to the valley to stop at a few more more viewpoints. Some of the best spots were in the meadows which are now filling with the sumer flowers and look great with the backdrop of trees and huge rocks.On our final day in the Park we did one of the best viewpoints, Glacier Point. It did not disappoint. The drive there was scenic enough but at the viewpoint you literally look down on Yosemite valley but the giant Half Dome rock still towers above you. People climb and walk to the top of the half Dome but we couldn't see anyone doing this while we were there. The views were exceptional and also included views of Nevada and Vernal Falls. We decided to head to the falls and walk half way up but it was just too hot for climbing and the path was like Oxford Street on Christmas Eve, just no fun so we found a shady rock by the Merced river and just cooled down for a while. On leaving the Park the next day, to travel to Death Valley, we stopped at another good view point, Olstead point, with views down the valley at an alternative angle and saw several pretty lakes. The highlight of the drive out of the park was Soda Springs which involved a short walk through the meadows along the riverside to a natural spring.  Yosemite caught us unawares because we did not have any idea of how beautiful it would be. Even though it was manic with people and far too hot to do any of the hiking we would have liked, it was still possible to appreciate it and the the sheer size of the granite cliffs and the beauty of the meadows was quite a humbling experience.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1215239460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1215239460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1215239460/tpod.html Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:23:09 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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San Francisco, California, United States

After being underwhelmed by Los Angeles San Francisco has been a welcome surprise. We have really enjoyed it here and rate itas one of the best places we have been to for a city break.We walked over the Golden Gate Bridge. I know it is only a bridge but it is so familiar it is like being on a film set and the views of the city and bay are excellent. Technically it is "international orange" in colour but from any distance it looks red.I persuaded Emma to go to a baseball game so we joined 35,000 others to see the SF Giants play the Chicago Cubs. I sort of understood it. It is basically rounders with lots of statistics but it is quite a show. Unfortunately the home team were 9 nil down when we left with one innings to go so the atmosphere was a little flat. Only about 12 pounds for a three hour game too.On sunday there was a massive Gay Pride march. This is a big thing in this liberal city with apparently a 300,000 turnout. We stumbled on it and it was certainly a spectacle. We also came across a demonstration which included the  memorable banner "Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve"The only thing we prebooked before leaving the UK was a tour of Alcatraz as it gets booked up. Therefore it was inevitable that Emma go down with a bug on the appointed day and so I set off alone. It was a shame beause it is a great trip with views over the bay to the bridge and city and then one of the most interesting audio guides I have heard told by real former prisoners and guards. The prison has been left more or less how it was and is eerie and atmospheric. For the record the birdman never had birds at Alcatraz and the only 3 escapees are thought to have drowned. Al Capone was probably the most fmouse inmate.We stayed at Fisherman's Wharf right on the front by the various piers with plenty of great reastaurants and shops and bizarrely a lot of sea lions who sunbathe daily by one of the piers.The city is built on a series of steep hills which makes walking harder but gives good views  especially from the Coit Tower built at one of the taller points. It also means cable cars are popular ways of getting around, too popular. There were long queues even though people can hang off the sides. We only used them once but this did enable us to see Lombard Street which was so steep they put in a series of flower adorned hair pin bends. I had not heard of it but looks very familiar as it appears in several movies 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1214975340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1214975340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1214975340/tpod.html Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:30:00 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

After a brief wait for a bear cub who had not listened to his mother about not playing on the road we had a two night stop in Whistler. This was a much more hip and happening place than we were anticipating. I am not sure we fitted in completely with the snowboarders. One of Canada's premier ski resorts and host ot 2010 Winter Olympics there is also plenty to do in the summer once it actually  arrives! Although the weather was good when we were there winter lasted longer than normal and snow meant the upper trails were still closed so we had to settle for some low level walks. It is a popular golf destination with a driving range within a few hundred yards of the town centre which I decided was a little too close for my current erratic efforts. I am not sure the shoppers coming out of the designer shops and cafes would have understood the significance of a shout of fore.      Then it was on to Vancouver which claims (amongst many others)  to be the best city in the world to live in. It certainly has plenty going for it. It is on the sea with moutains behind has plenty of decent shops and restaurants and at the northern end of the central area is the fantastic Stanley Park which is huge and has a walk/cycle/rollerblade route of about 8 miles with the sea on one side all the way and views of the mountains and city skyline.We enjoyed our 4 days here a lot. The sun shone and it is a good place to be.There are perhaps not too many iconic "tourist" attractions. The totem poles are interesting but the steam clock (which is no longer steam powered) is not too exciting and as for the statue of the lady in the wetsuit.... There is the obligatory viewing tower which although not too high has great views and you can go back at night at no extra charge which was well worth doing.A little strain was put on or relationship when Emma won what was meant to be a friendly game of pitch and putt in Stanley Park. I blame the family of racoons that ambled across in front of me as I lined up a crucial putt. I will have stopped sulking by the time we get back.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1214578920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1214578920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robandemma/robandemma/1214578920/tpod.html Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:24:19 -0400 Gone roaming 07-08 (In search of Kiwis and Koalas)AND NOW BEARS

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The Rockys, British Columbia, Canada

We left the UK on 12th June and flew to Calgary. We only had an overnight stop there before picking up the hire car the next morning and heading to the Rockies. 'Picking up the hire car makes it sound as though we were relaxed about this, but we weren't.&nbsp;My confidence was further eroded when, on collecting the car keys, Rob strode purposefully to the&nbsp;passenger<i> side of the car and wondered where the steering wheel was. <i>(Then it was my turn to navigate us out of the airport. We only had to get onto the Highway and stay on it for a couple of hours to Banff. Several loops off and on slip roads one u turn and ending up in a residential area suggested things weren't going well. Rob must have been totally confused <i>( I was still trying to change gear by opening the window R)as he didn't make the slightest&nbsp;objection&nbsp;when I finally suggested that we ask someone for directions.&nbsp;We liked Banff.&nbsp;It was a busy tourist town but had lots of Alpine character and plenty of decent shops and restaurants, plus park areas by the river. We didn't actually stay in Banff, but 15 minutes away in Canmore.We stayed in a small and homely Inn where the breakfasts were very memorable. There were homemade offerings every morning. I was a bit doubtful about the bacon and french toast that also came with cream and fruit on the same plate but it was good. Some mornings it was like having 3 courses for breakfast with homemade fruit crumbles, cookies and muffins as well as sausage and bacon. Rob is still saying how wonderful the lime custard was that he had one morning.&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>(Dessert and lots of it for breakfast forget the scenery this is my kind of country)For the few days we were&nbsp;there we made alternative trips to Lake Louise and Banff. Banff had a gondola which gave us amazing 360 degree views&nbsp;of the mountains, valley and river. We also did a couple of good walks along the riverside. The rivers&nbsp;help make the&nbsp;views so good. Large and rapid with all the snow melt and often petrol colured green, they help create the classic image you have of the Rockies with the snow&nbsp;capped mountains and &nbsp;the forests.Lake Louise is very touristy because of the turquoise coloured water. Unfortunately, there is a large hotel (the Chateau) at&nbsp;one end which looks as though it should be on a Disney set and it does take away from the natural setting. However, the mountain / glacier backdrop is impressive and we got away from the crowds by climbing to Lake Agnes and looking down on Lake Louise - less crowds and&nbsp;colour is much&nbsp;brighter when you look down from that height.&nbsp;One of the highlights of our trip so far&nbsp;was the drive from Banff to our next stop Jasper. The route we took was along the Icefields Parkway. Again wonderful mountain/ river views and several impressive lakes - Bow Lake and Lake Peyto (also turquoise) which&nbsp;were very photogenic. Our lunch stop along the route was at the Columbia Icefield where there is a large visitor centre and where you can take a specially designed bus on to the glacier. This was a short, worthwhile trip as you get onto the glacier and get to appreciate the size and thickness ot the ice area plus get to view the other glaciers descending&nbsp;into the icefield. Jasper was OK.&nbsp;We only had 2 nights here and so only one full day to explore. We drove out to the tourist mecca of Maligne Lake but were both underwhelmed by it and overwhelmed by the mosquitos. We spent the afternoon&nbsp;walking to a good view point at Old Fort Point. Again wonderful mountain views&nbsp;and great views of Athabasca River.One of the things about walking in this part of the world is that you have to be bear aware. We had seen 3 bears but only from the road as they ambled off into the trees. It is difficult not to know when a bear is around because there is usually a huddle of badly parked vehicles stopped haphazardly in the middle of the carriageway with a gaggle of tourists taking photos. When we first came across this we thought there had been a multiple car pile up but no it was just a bear's bum disappearing into the woods. The theory is that when walking you are supposed to make lots of noise so as to deter the bear from approaching or to avoid coming upon them unexpectedly and startling them into a defensive attack. Rob and I aren't particularly vocal people anyway, so the thought of talking loudly for a couple of hours while trying to climb up mountainsides seems to defeat the object of getting away from the crowds and enjoying the countryside. After a few pathetic attempts of singing Teddy Bears' Picnic and Bear Necessities we decided to abandon this strategy. Rob did offer to sing the the only songs he knew all the words to, but this meant having to endure the entire collection of Iron Maiden and Meat Loaf and although this would have been an excellent bear deterrent, I would rather have faced the salivating jaws of a hungry grizzly bear than listen to that<i>.( I wasn't too worried I may not be able to run faster than a bear but I can run faster than Emma)So, with some trepidation, we would often walk and jump ten feet at the slightest leaf rustle or twig snap. We knew that if the bear was hungry we were supposed to fight back if attacked or if he wasn't we had to walk backwards slowly and talk soothingly to it. Yeah right. We hadn't seen much interesting wildlife on our trip so far - a sparrow, magpies, some deer, some longhorn sheep and a coyote from the highway, so at the Old Fort Point we were quite excited to see a grouse like bird walking across our path ferrying her brood of chicks from left to right. We approached slowly, but unbeknown to us there were still some chicks to come and mother bird wasn't happy. Suddenly the cute mother bird transformed before our eyes and turned into Devil Bird<i>.( This time I was worried. Definitely would not have been out of place in a horror film)&nbsp;Her tail feathers fanned up and she puffed our her chest and was hurtling towards us at the speed of light with her razor sharp beak stuck out and aiming for us. I can only say that we reacted like a couple of girls or like Scooby and Shaggy and clung to each other as we ran backwards. Once we were further back, the bird transformed back into placid Mummy bird and took her brood on her way. Fair play to her, she took us on even though she was only 12 inches high (this height will grow on every telling of this story) and protected her young. We realised then that if we did encounter a bear we were going to be pretty stuffed. We were grateful that our cowardice had not been seen by any other walkers. However, this relief was short lived. On finishing our walk and returning to the car park we read on the information boards that they have surveillance cameras on the trails so that they can monitor wildlife movements in the area. No doubt we are now on Utube.We had planned to stay 3 nights in Jasper but&nbsp; ended up only staying 2 and travelling on to Clearwater instead. This worked out really well as Clearwater is the gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park which is quieter but has some great &nbsp;waterfalls.&nbsp;After&nbsp;the morning enjoying the Park we headed on towards&nbsp;Whistler. E &nbsp;
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