Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Day 36 - Wednesday July 13th - Coming Home
Day 35 - Tuesday 12th July - At the Stampede
After a late breakfast at the excellent EasyOver restaurant Martin & I took the Silver Bullet to the GM garage to get a problem engine warning light sorted out. He is having a big problem with GM's warranty as they seem to ignore the conditions of his warranty. We then chilled out for a bit before setting off for The Stampede. The weather at this stage was great. The Stampede is an enormous event that takes place here annually lasting for 10 days. Each day the crowd can exceed 100,000! We visited an enormous tented area called Nashville North which has live country bands and beer. Most of the crowd dress in western/cowboy style and the atmosphere is electric - great fun. We had a burger then slowly made our way down Midway which is full of fairground type stalls.
We stopped at a few to bet on the various spinning wheels and bouncing balls and we were all quite lucky especially Heather who is on a very lucky streak. Martin had booked great seats for us in the giant stand and we settled down to watch the Chuck Wagon racing. Teams of 4 horses attached to a small wagon race around the showground. The start is an outrider throwing a stove into the back of the wagon then they're off! It is an amazing sight and full of colour.
While we were watching a friend of Heather had spotted us and invited us to their V.I.P. table before the entertainment show started. We managed this after no help from security but a bit of persistence on our part, their maxim seems to be if you have to ask you shouldn't be there! Our hosts were Randy & Holly and we had a great time there. Randy arranged for us to get some luxury outside seats under cover for the spectacular show. This was most fortunate as the heavens opened up with a spectacular show of it's own - we would have been soaked. We felt sorry for the poor folk! The show was absolutely fantastic and on an enormous scale.
On our way home we called into the Stampede Casino which was jumping - Heather, as usual, scooped some bucks! It was great fun watching her playing dice as she, like the rest of us, didn't have much of an idea what was going on however appeared to keep on winning! Don't ask about me! We got back to Heather & Martin's at 02.45 absolutely shattered but we had all had a brilliant day out!
We stopped at a few to bet on the various spinning wheels and bouncing balls and we were all quite lucky especially Heather who is on a very lucky streak. Martin had booked great seats for us in the giant stand and we settled down to watch the Chuck Wagon racing. Teams of 4 horses attached to a small wagon race around the showground. The start is an outrider throwing a stove into the back of the wagon then they're off! It is an amazing sight and full of colour.
While we were watching a friend of Heather had spotted us and invited us to their V.I.P. table before the entertainment show started. We managed this after no help from security but a bit of persistence on our part, their maxim seems to be if you have to ask you shouldn't be there! Our hosts were Randy & Holly and we had a great time there. Randy arranged for us to get some luxury outside seats under cover for the spectacular show. This was most fortunate as the heavens opened up with a spectacular show of it's own - we would have been soaked. We felt sorry for the poor folk! The show was absolutely fantastic and on an enormous scale.
On our way home we called into the Stampede Casino which was jumping - Heather, as usual, scooped some bucks! It was great fun watching her playing dice as she, like the rest of us, didn't have much of an idea what was going on however appeared to keep on winning! Don't ask about me! We got back to Heather & Martin's at 02.45 absolutely shattered but we had all had a brilliant day out!
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Day 34 - Monday July 11th - Calgary
Went to visit Eileen B's daughter, Elaine and her 6 month old baby, Kieran. We programmed the sat nav to assist in this journey and after leaving late, because I couldn't find my driving glasses, we drove the 20kM across town and arrived safely at her house xxxx Bowglen Rd. Eileen tried, unsuccessfully, to get access by knocking on the front door, the back door and even the basement windows! No reply! We were by this time a bit concerned, and on getting no response from her neighbours decided to go back to Martin's to phone again - no mobile phone. As we reset the sat nav for the return journey Eileen noticed that we were in Bowness Road and not Bowglen Road which was only 200 yards away. We corrected our error and arrived even later and shame faced. Sheer fluke that the house number was the same in both streets as they are usually of a fairly random nature.
It was great to see Elaine again, last time was 13 years ago. Kieran is a super wee lad and the splitting image of his Dad when he was the same age. Unfortunately we didn't get to meet Guy as he is a fireman and on a training course. Their house is lovely, much better than the first one we were trying to get in!! Guy has done an enormous amount of work building garages, recladding etc.
After a short visit we set of for the Elbow Falls which was about 45 minutes away. A really super looking place with a decent trail for us to walk before it started to rain when we were furthest from the car. On arriving back in Calgary the sun was belting down and it must have been twice as warm as Elbow Falls.
After I had posted this yesterday Michael, Eileen's other son, called round with his girlfriend to take us out for an ice-cream. We went to a shop with so many flavours the mind boggled - there was even liquorice Fern! We took the ice-creams to a park besides the same River Elbow and once they were finished we played a Spanish version of boules. It is just the same rules but is played with larger boules - typical Spanish!! No need to report who the winner was but suffice it to say that Eileen is on a roll just now - we have to get her to the Stampede Casino somehow! When we arrived back at the house Martin & Heather had returned after having driven close to 1000Km that day. Heather was shattered and had gone to bed but Martin bravely stayed up for a while and we had a great chat.
It was great to see Elaine again, last time was 13 years ago. Kieran is a super wee lad and the splitting image of his Dad when he was the same age. Unfortunately we didn't get to meet Guy as he is a fireman and on a training course. Their house is lovely, much better than the first one we were trying to get in!! Guy has done an enormous amount of work building garages, recladding etc.
After a short visit we set of for the Elbow Falls which was about 45 minutes away. A really super looking place with a decent trail for us to walk before it started to rain when we were furthest from the car. On arriving back in Calgary the sun was belting down and it must have been twice as warm as Elbow Falls.
After I had posted this yesterday Michael, Eileen's other son, called round with his girlfriend to take us out for an ice-cream. We went to a shop with so many flavours the mind boggled - there was even liquorice Fern! We took the ice-creams to a park besides the same River Elbow and once they were finished we played a Spanish version of boules. It is just the same rules but is played with larger boules - typical Spanish!! No need to report who the winner was but suffice it to say that Eileen is on a roll just now - we have to get her to the Stampede Casino somehow! When we arrived back at the house Martin & Heather had returned after having driven close to 1000Km that day. Heather was shattered and had gone to bed but Martin bravely stayed up for a while and we had a great chat.
Monday, 11 July 2011
Day 33 - July 10th - Calgary
Eileen caught up on the washing and ironing while I brushed out the debris of Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia and a wee bit of Alberta from the Silver Bullet.
Next on the agenda(?) we walked to downtown Calgary to stretch our cramped legs and have a look around - as it is Sunday nothing much was happening but it was good to walk some distance again in pleasant weather. It was a bit of a struggle walking back uphill to Martin & Heather's and we arrived back fairly knackered. BBQed steak and some salad, an excellent bottle of Oyster Bay then I taught Eileen how to play Cribbage. She must have been cheating as she won the second game! No photos today. Off to Kananaskis tomorrow so hope weather holds up.
Next on the agenda(?) we walked to downtown Calgary to stretch our cramped legs and have a look around - as it is Sunday nothing much was happening but it was good to walk some distance again in pleasant weather. It was a bit of a struggle walking back uphill to Martin & Heather's and we arrived back fairly knackered. BBQed steak and some salad, an excellent bottle of Oyster Bay then I taught Eileen how to play Cribbage. She must have been cheating as she won the second game! No photos today. Off to Kananaskis tomorrow so hope weather holds up.
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Day 32 - 9th July - Jasper to Calgary (the end)!
5369Km - 3336Mls
We've made it! The Silver Bullet purred on 'til the end.
We had a super stay at Becker's Chalets outside Jasper despite the absolutely rubbish weather. To console ourselves we decided to eat at Becker's Restaurant and we certainly wern't disappointed. Eileen had Sockeye salmon and I had half a cow! Walking back to our chalet we saw some Elk on a nearby hillside and within a few minutes one of them had arrived amongst the chalets. Great viewing and so close. A little while later this Elk and her two sisters made their way to the central grassy area and were much admired and not in the least put out by the enthralled campers. Then the Elk settled down for the night and so did we.
In the morning they had all gone at 06.00 (according to Eileen) however they had returned + 1 before we left at 07.30. The morning was really bad with very low cloud and heavy rain. Our first stop of the day was at Athabasca Falls which were a brilliant sight especially as the heavy rain had swollen the river. Eileen says (from all her reading of interpretive plaques!!) that the rivers are milky in colour at this time of year because of "Rock Flour" which is finely ground rock carried by glacial water. Every day's a school day! We motored on until we reached the Columbia Icefields - very cold and windy although the rain had stopped. Had a look at the Athabasca Glacier then a coffee and bun and it was time to resume the journey. Martin had suggested a hike along Parker Ridge but as it was raining hard again and with low cloud we decided to carry on with the journey. On reaching Bow Summit the weather had improved and we walked to the viewing area and were rewarded with magnificent views of Bow Glacier and Lake which has the bluest water in the Rockies.
A little later we saw a Black Bear very close up, he was munching the grass at the side of the road and didn't pay any attention to the very close viewers. Then we turned off the highway into Louise Village making our way to Moraine Lake. We had been there with the children 13 years ago and it still looked great despite the RV traffic jam and parking problems. At Lake Louise Lake, the big difference we noticed was that the number of visitors, mostly oriental, had increased enormously. When we were there last the children had "enjoyed" canoeing - ask them about it! In all the hustle and bustle we witnessed a wedding ceremony taking place on the lake shore in front of the massive Fairmont hotel! The photographer was getting really shirty with the spectators - a most bizarre scene. More interpretive data from herself! "The Louise Creek flows into the Bow River which joins other rivers then flows for 4000 Kms across Canada to the Hudson Bay".
We finally descended from the Rockies and arrived in Calgary at Martin & Heather's super house. We are both very weary but safe and sound.
We've made it! The Silver Bullet purred on 'til the end.
We had a super stay at Becker's Chalets outside Jasper despite the absolutely rubbish weather. To console ourselves we decided to eat at Becker's Restaurant and we certainly wern't disappointed. Eileen had Sockeye salmon and I had half a cow! Walking back to our chalet we saw some Elk on a nearby hillside and within a few minutes one of them had arrived amongst the chalets. Great viewing and so close. A little while later this Elk and her two sisters made their way to the central grassy area and were much admired and not in the least put out by the enthralled campers. Then the Elk settled down for the night and so did we.
In the morning they had all gone at 06.00 (according to Eileen) however they had returned + 1 before we left at 07.30. The morning was really bad with very low cloud and heavy rain. Our first stop of the day was at Athabasca Falls which were a brilliant sight especially as the heavy rain had swollen the river. Eileen says (from all her reading of interpretive plaques!!) that the rivers are milky in colour at this time of year because of "Rock Flour" which is finely ground rock carried by glacial water. Every day's a school day! We motored on until we reached the Columbia Icefields - very cold and windy although the rain had stopped. Had a look at the Athabasca Glacier then a coffee and bun and it was time to resume the journey. Martin had suggested a hike along Parker Ridge but as it was raining hard again and with low cloud we decided to carry on with the journey. On reaching Bow Summit the weather had improved and we walked to the viewing area and were rewarded with magnificent views of Bow Glacier and Lake which has the bluest water in the Rockies.
A little later we saw a Black Bear very close up, he was munching the grass at the side of the road and didn't pay any attention to the very close viewers. Then we turned off the highway into Louise Village making our way to Moraine Lake. We had been there with the children 13 years ago and it still looked great despite the RV traffic jam and parking problems. At Lake Louise Lake, the big difference we noticed was that the number of visitors, mostly oriental, had increased enormously. When we were there last the children had "enjoyed" canoeing - ask them about it! In all the hustle and bustle we witnessed a wedding ceremony taking place on the lake shore in front of the massive Fairmont hotel! The photographer was getting really shirty with the spectators - a most bizarre scene. More interpretive data from herself! "The Louise Creek flows into the Bow River which joins other rivers then flows for 4000 Kms across Canada to the Hudson Bay".
We finally descended from the Rockies and arrived in Calgary at Martin & Heather's super house. We are both very weary but safe and sound.
Saturday, 9 July 2011
Day 31 - 8th July - Becker's Chalets, Jasper
Eileen blogging today!
Well, they say we are in the Rockies but we haven't been able to see them! The weather has been horrid and the clouds have been really low that we've had to imagine how spectacular the views are when it's sunny. We are terribly disappointed as the Rockies were part of our 'must sees' . Matthew said it was like a March day in Glencoe and the temp dropped to 5 degrees!! Now, no laughing!! Just hope the weather improves for a long drive to Calgary tomorrow and hopefully some great mountain views!
We went for a drive in the pouring rain to beautiful Maligne Lake - it is the largest lake in the Rockies, 22km (14miles)long. No point in taking a lake cruise as visibility so poor and boats were all docked! Anyway the coffee shop was excellent; I can vouch for the Danish pastry and the planet-size muffin that M. had!! Saw some lovely picnic spots as well but actual picnic was eaten in the van! (it was good too, but still raining!)
Drove to Punchbowl Falls past Pochohantas but it was the only river not in spate!! Lucky White Heather!! It cleared up late afternoon and we managed a nice walk along the Athabasca River bank here. It is flowing very fast and we saw some rafters whizzing by. We're looking forward to dinner in the restaurant here tonight. These chalets are lovely and beautifully situated overlooking the river.
Well, they say we are in the Rockies but we haven't been able to see them! The weather has been horrid and the clouds have been really low that we've had to imagine how spectacular the views are when it's sunny. We are terribly disappointed as the Rockies were part of our 'must sees' . Matthew said it was like a March day in Glencoe and the temp dropped to 5 degrees!! Now, no laughing!! Just hope the weather improves for a long drive to Calgary tomorrow and hopefully some great mountain views!
We went for a drive in the pouring rain to beautiful Maligne Lake - it is the largest lake in the Rockies, 22km (14miles)long. No point in taking a lake cruise as visibility so poor and boats were all docked! Anyway the coffee shop was excellent; I can vouch for the Danish pastry and the planet-size muffin that M. had!! Saw some lovely picnic spots as well but actual picnic was eaten in the van! (it was good too, but still raining!)
Drove to Punchbowl Falls past Pochohantas but it was the only river not in spate!! Lucky White Heather!! It cleared up late afternoon and we managed a nice walk along the Athabasca River bank here. It is flowing very fast and we saw some rafters whizzing by. We're looking forward to dinner in the restaurant here tonight. These chalets are lovely and beautifully situated overlooking the river.
Friday, 8 July 2011
Day 30 - July 7th - Prince George to Jasper
After our luxurious nights sleep we pointed the Silver Bullet(Brick) East by South East and headed for Jasper. Very low cloud to start changed to slightly lower cloud and some showers. Nothing much to report but we stopped at McBride for lunch. The railway station is the place to go for lunch and it was excellent - Bacon & Bean Soup (!) + Meatloaf salad sandwich - yum. While we were having lunch a goods (freight) train pulled into the siding, it just went on and on. I asked one of the old boys outside the station about the trains, he told me that the train that had just pulled in was 1500 yards! They are planning to extend the siding to accommodate 2500 yard trains.
Later on we stopped at Rearguard Falls which is the highest point in the Fraser River that salmon swim up to spawn - 800Km from the sea. The falls were spectacular as you will see in the photos. It had started to rain there and continued as we crossed into Alberta and a new time zone - just like going to Kirkaldy!
Before you get to Jasper you enter the National Park which you have to pay a toll. Fortunately for us Martin has a yearly subscription for the Silver Bullet. On arriving at Jasper the weather really closed down with torrential rain, thunder & lightening! Eileen had to be pulled from under the bed. We are staying at Becker Chalets and it is very comfortable. Our chalet is half the top floor of a chalet over looking a large grassy area. If we could see more than 100 metres I'm sure that the views would be great.
Don't think that I'll manage to upload photos from here but I'll give it a try.
Phew that was a struggle, took over 1 hour to upload 5 pics.
Later on we stopped at Rearguard Falls which is the highest point in the Fraser River that salmon swim up to spawn - 800Km from the sea. The falls were spectacular as you will see in the photos. It had started to rain there and continued as we crossed into Alberta and a new time zone - just like going to Kirkaldy!
Before you get to Jasper you enter the National Park which you have to pay a toll. Fortunately for us Martin has a yearly subscription for the Silver Bullet. On arriving at Jasper the weather really closed down with torrential rain, thunder & lightening! Eileen had to be pulled from under the bed. We are staying at Becker Chalets and it is very comfortable. Our chalet is half the top floor of a chalet over looking a large grassy area. If we could see more than 100 metres I'm sure that the views would be great.
Don't think that I'll manage to upload photos from here but I'll give it a try.
Phew that was a struggle, took over 1 hour to upload 5 pics.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Day 29th - July 6th - Smithers to Prince George
Woke after a great sleep. We had a super breakfast made by Tina - very continental as Tina is Austrian, delicious! After leaving the guesthouse E & I went for an explore of Smithers. It is a very Dutch/Swiss sort of place, the only thing missing was David Lynch. All very orderly and clean and deserted. Popped into the museum as I had read about a US bomber + atomic weapon that had crashed near here in mysterious circumstances in 1947 or thereabouts. The museum director Fergus (new best friend) gave a us personal talk about the incident. What a superb guy, he left Dublin at 19 and now at 62 seems very settled in Smithers, anyway he is doing a great job and has a new museum in the pipeline. The other interesting(!) thing we found out there is that egg boxes were invented in Smithers (personally sceptical) - every day a school day!
Weather was pretty bad on the drive with torrential rain and difficult driving conditions but all coped extremely well with by one of Europe's finest. Can you tell in these entries where the Jack and ice starts to take effect?
Arrived safely in Prince George. Martin's advice was that it was best to arrive in PG in darkness and he may have a point! The hotel we are in, Sandman Signature, is unbelievably luxurious and only $95 per night. We have decided to eat here as it is still raining, hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow for the journey to Jasper.
Weather was pretty bad on the drive with torrential rain and difficult driving conditions but all coped extremely well with by one of Europe's finest. Can you tell in these entries where the Jack and ice starts to take effect?
Arrived safely in Prince George. Martin's advice was that it was best to arrive in PG in darkness and he may have a point! The hotel we are in, Sandman Signature, is unbelievably luxurious and only $95 per night. We have decided to eat here as it is still raining, hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow for the journey to Jasper.
Day 28 - July 5th - Iskut to Smithers
A 09.00 start after some of Janice's excellent pancakes and words of wisdom from Mitch. A cloudy/sunny sort of day with an OK drive. Soon after we started we spotted a grizzly bear at the side of the road, he ran before photos could be taken. We had decided to go to Stewart/Hydra to see if the salmon were running and therefore getting caught by bears & eagles. So at the Mezien Junction we went off the 37 and onto the 37A for a 90 mile detour. We crossed the border back into the very southern tip of Alaka and onto the roughest road in the world - 6 miles to the observation platforms. Unfortunately no one had told the salmon or the bears or the eagles who all failed to turn up! Bugger! The only bright point was that when we got back to the 37 we saw a mother black bear with three cubs at the roadside and a few miles later another mother with two cubs. These are magical sightings.
Arrived safely at Smithers and staying in the Smithers Guesthouse which is run by friends of Martin's, Tina and Hans. Hans wasn't there as he had gone to pick up his 70 year old Dad who had been cometing in a huge canoe race fto Whitehorse, it lasts a couple of days and the old guy was third! Anyway a wheel fell off their car on the way back so he was held up. Went out for an evening meal and have returned to chat to some Aussies who are travelling North so of course we could regale them with all sorts of advice and knowledge - poor souls! I'm typing this into a document so that I can copy and paste when internet services are resumed.
Day 27 - July 4th - Red Goat Lodge Iskut
A really lazy day mooching about around the great amazing Red Goat Lodge. Janice, the cook, made us the most delicious pancakes for breakfast. Mitch , the boss, gave us his personal view on how to run BC - he is very amusing and quite a character. On his advice we went to the Iskut Airstrip to get a good view of the lakes. Unfortunately it must have been years since he was there as trees complely obscured the views however it was fun walking about the airstrip. The weather was freezing and windy so we spent some time just sitting around reading.
Monday, 4 July 2011
Day 26 - 3rd July - Teslin to Iskut - Red Goat Lodge
At Dawson Peak Resort the lakeside cabin turned out to be a motel type room which was fine but had no cooking facilities not even a coffee maker - almost unbearable! But stiff upper lip and we managed through. Had an evening meal in the "resort" restaurant - homemade chilli with garlic toast and Bumbleberry Pie and ice cream, it was all absolutely delicious, thank God there were no cooking facilies in the room! Bumbleberry pie is a pie mix, we had to ask, of rhubarb, apple and some berries (yum, yum). Have I already posted this - never mind?
We went to bed early because we are very old, we used to go to bed early because we were young so nothing much changes, or does it? The owner had cryptically warned us that a young family were moving in next door but he would sort them out if we let him know if the kids were running around or hollering etc. Anyway they didn't get in until 23.00 and we were asleep only to be woken by crying babies, hollering kids and Mom & Pop having a domestic! This lasted until 00.00. then all was quiet. We were awake before them in the morning but plans of revenge were thwarted when they all awoke shortly after us. Had brekkies at the restaurant which again was brilliant then a quick walk round the area then all aboard and we're off.
Again another good drive with changing scenery, getting more mountainous, you could say Rocky! Visited a Jade Shop which is next to a jade mine which produces 90% of world's jade. We think that the carving is all or mostly done in various Chinese villages, however there were some interesting looking stuff but very expensive. The drive today is 350 miles along the Alaska Highway then turn right after 150 miles for Highway 37 until we reached Red Goat Lodge in Iskut. Our wee cabin is one of three and is very backwoodish but cosy and quaint. We are overlooking Lake Eddonenajon and Mount Loons Peak 2276m, which still has lots of snow on it. It's all very good and should be a good rest as we are here for 2 nights. Janice , the owner, tod us that there is a gold prospecting crew staying and they eat breakfast about 08.00 so we would be best to turn up later which suits us fine. She was telling us that she had a flight in the prospectors helicopter today - a bit different from Spitz and Buck (Call of the Wild)! Outside it is blowing a hooley and is freezing so we only had a very short walk beside Lake Eddonenajon before Eileen rustled up some grub on the one ring tabletop cooker!!! Hopefully the wind will have dropped tomorrow and we can go out in a canoe, Eileen is hoping that the wind gets up to even more ferocious levels!
Having very slow upload speed here so I'm afraid no pics. I'll add them as soon as we get decent speed.
We went to bed early because we are very old, we used to go to bed early because we were young so nothing much changes, or does it? The owner had cryptically warned us that a young family were moving in next door but he would sort them out if we let him know if the kids were running around or hollering etc. Anyway they didn't get in until 23.00 and we were asleep only to be woken by crying babies, hollering kids and Mom & Pop having a domestic! This lasted until 00.00. then all was quiet. We were awake before them in the morning but plans of revenge were thwarted when they all awoke shortly after us. Had brekkies at the restaurant which again was brilliant then a quick walk round the area then all aboard and we're off.
Again another good drive with changing scenery, getting more mountainous, you could say Rocky! Visited a Jade Shop which is next to a jade mine which produces 90% of world's jade. We think that the carving is all or mostly done in various Chinese villages, however there were some interesting looking stuff but very expensive. The drive today is 350 miles along the Alaska Highway then turn right after 150 miles for Highway 37 until we reached Red Goat Lodge in Iskut. Our wee cabin is one of three and is very backwoodish but cosy and quaint. We are overlooking Lake Eddonenajon and Mount Loons Peak 2276m, which still has lots of snow on it. It's all very good and should be a good rest as we are here for 2 nights. Janice , the owner, tod us that there is a gold prospecting crew staying and they eat breakfast about 08.00 so we would be best to turn up later which suits us fine. She was telling us that she had a flight in the prospectors helicopter today - a bit different from Spitz and Buck (Call of the Wild)! Outside it is blowing a hooley and is freezing so we only had a very short walk beside Lake Eddonenajon before Eileen rustled up some grub on the one ring tabletop cooker!!! Hopefully the wind will have dropped tomorrow and we can go out in a canoe, Eileen is hoping that the wind gets up to even more ferocious levels!
Having very slow upload speed here so I'm afraid no pics. I'll add them as soon as we get decent speed.
Sunday, 3 July 2011
Day 25 - July 2nd - Whitehorse to Teslin Lake
A sad day today as Fern & Eileen are going home. We had all had a great nights sleep at the Sundog Retreat which was super accommodation, we were in Cranberry Cottage and it was very clean, comfortable and very well appointed with beautiful views to the mountains. Breakfast was had in glorious sunshine on the deck.
First thing we all drove into Whitehorse and had a look around. It is the capital of the Yukon with a population of about 40,000 which, believe it or not, is 2/3rds the entire population of the whole of Yukon! It was an interesting city, laid out much like Dawson but bigger and more modern - not possible to see from one end to the other. The Yukon River flows down one side of the city - I estimated that it flows at around 6mph which is pretty fast considering that it still has about a million miles to go before it reached the Pacific. About mid-day we drove Fern & Eileen to the airport and said our fond farewells.
We then did some grocery shopping in Whitehorse then turned the "Silver Bullet" towards Teslin Lake and the Dawson Peaks Resort. This was a very good drive with interesting countryside comprising great lake views and a few serious mountains hoving into sight. It was only 120 miles from Whitehorse so was reached in about 3 hours with a couple of stops - remember that the Silver Brick cruises at around the 50-55mph mark otherwise you would need to be a sheik to run it!
We are in a sort of motel type room which had swarms of mosquitoes now hopefully eliminated. Ate in the restaurant after we went back to Teslin to do some laundry. The meal was great and the owner Dave is very welcoming and friendly.
No photos today - as only a couple taken. Heading on tomorrow for Iskut and the Red Goat Resort for a couple of days stay.
First thing we all drove into Whitehorse and had a look around. It is the capital of the Yukon with a population of about 40,000 which, believe it or not, is 2/3rds the entire population of the whole of Yukon! It was an interesting city, laid out much like Dawson but bigger and more modern - not possible to see from one end to the other. The Yukon River flows down one side of the city - I estimated that it flows at around 6mph which is pretty fast considering that it still has about a million miles to go before it reached the Pacific. About mid-day we drove Fern & Eileen to the airport and said our fond farewells.
We then did some grocery shopping in Whitehorse then turned the "Silver Bullet" towards Teslin Lake and the Dawson Peaks Resort. This was a very good drive with interesting countryside comprising great lake views and a few serious mountains hoving into sight. It was only 120 miles from Whitehorse so was reached in about 3 hours with a couple of stops - remember that the Silver Brick cruises at around the 50-55mph mark otherwise you would need to be a sheik to run it!
We are in a sort of motel type room which had swarms of mosquitoes now hopefully eliminated. Ate in the restaurant after we went back to Teslin to do some laundry. The meal was great and the owner Dave is very welcoming and friendly.
No photos today - as only a couple taken. Heading on tomorrow for Iskut and the Red Goat Resort for a couple of days stay.
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Day 24 - Friday 1st July - Dawson City to Whitehorse
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
As it is a public holiday and we had a really, really boring journey today there will be stuff today. I'm just going to drink wine instead.
By the way the place we are staying is called Sundog Retreat and is great. Look it up. (Getting lazy)
As it is a public holiday and we had a really, really boring journey today there will be stuff today. I'm just going to drink wine instead.
By the way the place we are staying is called Sundog Retreat and is great. Look it up. (Getting lazy)
Day 23 - Thursday 30th - Dawson City
No internet connection/time in Dawson City - this is written on the go between Dawson and Whitehorse.
Dawson is an amazing small "city". There are only 8 avenues and about 12 side streets. You can see from one end of the city to the other at any of the intersection. All the houses, shops and other building are wooden. Even some that look like brick or stone are wooden with tin fake "stone" facings! Lots of colour has been used and it is a great looking place. We set off for the information centre and were advised there o visit Number 4 Dredge up the Bonanza Creek - who could resist. Thre Dredge is an absolutely briliant, giant, gold mining machine. It has a displacement of 3300 tons and floats in a pond. Ithas a huge digging mechanism of linked buckets and gouges out the washed out and defrosted rocks in front of it. Insidfe the Dredge the gold is separated from thye rocks in a giant rotating drum and the rocks are dumped out of the back of the Dredge. In this way it digs it own way through the countryside. Dredge No. 4 had moved 12 miles in 18 years and dug huge amounts of gold. This visit was one of our many tour highlights.
After some lunch Eileen B. had a sleep as she wasn't feeling well so other one Eileen, Fern and I went back to the info centre to join a Murder Walk around the town. This was conducted by a guy dressed up as aa Mountie giving us various clues and telling us the actual background to the murder which had actually taken place in 1902. It was great fun as we were allowed into some of the oldest reconstructed building and trying to solve the crrime. It turned out it was the 2 Frenchmen!
At the end of the Murder walk we were outside the Govenors House so paid it a visit. It has been painstakingly restored and was very interesting - Google Martha Black + Dawson for a great story. On the way back we went into a saloon with swing doors for a beer. Inside - of course it was like any other pub with sport on the TV and loud music!
We ate at the Triple J then went across the road to Diamond Tooth Gerties to take in the 20.30 show. Gertie sang and there were some can-can dancers. Gertie's is also a casino run by the local community which benefits from all the profits so you don't mind loosing a few bucks, which I did!
Dawson is an amazing small "city". There are only 8 avenues and about 12 side streets. You can see from one end of the city to the other at any of the intersection. All the houses, shops and other building are wooden. Even some that look like brick or stone are wooden with tin fake "stone" facings! Lots of colour has been used and it is a great looking place. We set off for the information centre and were advised there o visit Number 4 Dredge up the Bonanza Creek - who could resist. Thre Dredge is an absolutely briliant, giant, gold mining machine. It has a displacement of 3300 tons and floats in a pond. Ithas a huge digging mechanism of linked buckets and gouges out the washed out and defrosted rocks in front of it. Insidfe the Dredge the gold is separated from thye rocks in a giant rotating drum and the rocks are dumped out of the back of the Dredge. In this way it digs it own way through the countryside. Dredge No. 4 had moved 12 miles in 18 years and dug huge amounts of gold. This visit was one of our many tour highlights.
After some lunch Eileen B. had a sleep as she wasn't feeling well so other one Eileen, Fern and I went back to the info centre to join a Murder Walk around the town. This was conducted by a guy dressed up as aa Mountie giving us various clues and telling us the actual background to the murder which had actually taken place in 1902. It was great fun as we were allowed into some of the oldest reconstructed building and trying to solve the crrime. It turned out it was the 2 Frenchmen!
At the end of the Murder walk we were outside the Govenors House so paid it a visit. It has been painstakingly restored and was very interesting - Google Martha Black + Dawson for a great story. On the way back we went into a saloon with swing doors for a beer. Inside - of course it was like any other pub with sport on the TV and loud music!
We ate at the Triple J then went across the road to Diamond Tooth Gerties to take in the 20.30 show. Gertie sang and there were some can-can dancers. Gertie's is also a casino run by the local community which benefits from all the profits so you don't mind loosing a few bucks, which I did!
Day 22 - Wednesday 29th - Fairbanks to Dawson City
Earlyish start for a longish journey about 380 miles but some very rough terrain. First place we came to was a tiny town called North Pole. The locals had the whole place decorated in a Christmas theme, even the street lights resembled candy sticks. Street names like St Nicholas Way etc. -- very amusing.
This was a mostly boring first part to the drive with very long (8 mile) straights and tree lined so no views just the excitement of the next corner coming up. We crossed the Tanana River and saw the Trans_Alaskan oil pipeline - major excitement. Next stop was Tok, pronounced Toke, this is a crossroads for highways 1 & 4. Picnic lunch, fuel and onwards. A short distance later we changed highway, more excitement, onto highway 5, there are 9 altogether. This took us towards Boundary and the border crossing there. The nornal paved road stopped and we were on dirt track, fortunatley Fern was driving this stint so I could relax. We stopped at Chicken, allegedly called this because the locals couldn't spell Ptarmigan (can I?). Eileen said "Hi" to Bronco at the gas station as he knows her son Martin. The stretch of road, next 40 miles plus, is called "The Top of the World Highway" still dirt track but offering some truly magnificent views in panorama.
This was a mostly boring first part to the drive with very long (8 mile) straights and tree lined so no views just the excitement of the next corner coming up. We crossed the Tanana River and saw the Trans_Alaskan oil pipeline - major excitement. Next stop was Tok, pronounced Toke, this is a crossroads for highways 1 & 4. Picnic lunch, fuel and onwards. A short distance later we changed highway, more excitement, onto highway 5, there are 9 altogether. This took us towards Boundary and the border crossing there. The nornal paved road stopped and we were on dirt track, fortunatley Fern was driving this stint so I could relax. We stopped at Chicken, allegedly called this because the locals couldn't spell Ptarmigan (can I?). Eileen said "Hi" to Bronco at the gas station as he knows her son Martin. The stretch of road, next 40 miles plus, is called "The Top of the World Highway" still dirt track but offering some truly magnificent views in panorama.
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Day 21 - Tuesday 28th - Denali to Fairbanks
We have all the luck. It is raining today and it is a driving day. We load up the mighty "Silver Bullet" and hit the highway in a screech of tyres and a cloud of blue smoke (not really Martin) at around 09.30. We bought some petrol at Denali for $4.89 a gallon which is a very high price here as we were not too sure when next petrol would be available. A few miles later we passed a petrol station and it was $4.34 - I'm still in therapy!
First, and last, stop along the way was the tiny town of Nenana, see the photos to see what fun it was. The locals run a lottery every year as to when the ice is going to melt on the river. This has proved to be a fantastic idea and millions are raised for charity and a $350,000 prize is shared out with correct estimates. They compile a catalogue containing the name of every entrant - it is thicker than a London 'phone directory. In Nenana I think that there is nothing else to do other than wait for the ice to melt and then talk about it for the rest of the year.
After Nenana the mist & fog set in and Fern did a sterling job in his driving stint getting us safely to Fairbanks. We are staying for the night in a really luxurious suite with lots of space and all is well. Once we settled in we had a late lunch then went to visit the University of Alaska Museum of the North. This is housed in a very new building and was a great visit. We all learned lots about Alaska's natural science and history. This is definitely a must see in Fairbanks - possibly the only one.
Once we had been round the museum we took the "Silver Bullet" for an oil and filter change at Jiffy Lube - got to look after your horse. While this was going on the Eileens did some Safeway shopping. Tomorrow we have the longest drive yet from Fairbanks to Dawson City - even Google maps can't say how far it is! We are going via "The Top of the World Highway" so it should be interesting if it is a better day than today.
First, and last, stop along the way was the tiny town of Nenana, see the photos to see what fun it was. The locals run a lottery every year as to when the ice is going to melt on the river. This has proved to be a fantastic idea and millions are raised for charity and a $350,000 prize is shared out with correct estimates. They compile a catalogue containing the name of every entrant - it is thicker than a London 'phone directory. In Nenana I think that there is nothing else to do other than wait for the ice to melt and then talk about it for the rest of the year.
After Nenana the mist & fog set in and Fern did a sterling job in his driving stint getting us safely to Fairbanks. We are staying for the night in a really luxurious suite with lots of space and all is well. Once we settled in we had a late lunch then went to visit the University of Alaska Museum of the North. This is housed in a very new building and was a great visit. We all learned lots about Alaska's natural science and history. This is definitely a must see in Fairbanks - possibly the only one.
Once we had been round the museum we took the "Silver Bullet" for an oil and filter change at Jiffy Lube - got to look after your horse. While this was going on the Eileens did some Safeway shopping. Tomorrow we have the longest drive yet from Fairbanks to Dawson City - even Google maps can't say how far it is! We are going via "The Top of the World Highway" so it should be interesting if it is a better day than today.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Day 20 - Monday 27th - Denali National Park tour
Up at the crack of dawn again - 05.45! Thank God it's not the actual crack of dawn, today the sun set at 12.20a.m. and rose at 03.48a.m.!
We're up early to get to the front of the queue for the tour bus round Denali NP. The best seats are left side rear. We made it with lots of time to spare, but it was a lovely morning so hay ho! Our bus driver for the day was to be Matt who turned out to be a really interesting guy and told us lots about the park and countryside. The bus is an old school type bus but really good for this sort of thing as every seat has an opening window. The first 16 miles were over normal road and the other 50 miles over rough track. The other people on the bus were all very friendly and we left full of anticipation. This was to be rewarded quite soon with our first sighting of the day - a Caribou, reindeer to us Europeans. This caused great excitement and the bus was buzzing. At the first comfort stop I was photographing the river then turned round and saw a Lynx calmly walking across the car park, this was only seen by a few and soon disappeared into the undergrowth, I managed to get a shot but a post got in the way. This was a major achievement as Lynx are quite rare and elusive. Eat your heart out Bellamy!
A little further on and Fern shouted out "BEAR", sure enough there was a Grizzly, we watched it eat for quite a while. It is really a great feeling seeing these animals in their natural surroundings. As we drove through an area of steep cliffs we spotted some Dall sheep feeding, these stay up high to feed where you would think there was no nutrition. As the bus climbed out of the tree belt we went up some road with a precipitous drop on our side, here we saw a Golden Eagle soaring the thermals at the same level as the bus. By this time we were all getting a bit blasé and paid scant regard to a Fox which was scurrying away with some food in its mouth.
After our 66 mile drive we were glad to reach our destination, Eielson Centre. There were some magnificent views from here and we had a picnic lunch with a spectacular backdrop of Mount MacKinley (20,320 - USA highest) shrouded in snow and cloud. We had decided to return on the same bus as we liked the driver and also it was very cold at Eielson - softies! The return was also interesting as we saw two more Grizzlies at separate locations then a large Caribou ran down a hill onto the road and we followed for about 1/4 mile until it jumped into some bushes and away.
During this entire journey we were treated to some remarkable scenery and it is very hard to convey the space that this place occupies - it is simply vast even though it is only the third largest NP in the USA. No prize for who can name the largest NP in the comments below.
This was a wonderful day and one which will linger in our memories hopefully longer than the usual two day span.
We're up early to get to the front of the queue for the tour bus round Denali NP. The best seats are left side rear. We made it with lots of time to spare, but it was a lovely morning so hay ho! Our bus driver for the day was to be Matt who turned out to be a really interesting guy and told us lots about the park and countryside. The bus is an old school type bus but really good for this sort of thing as every seat has an opening window. The first 16 miles were over normal road and the other 50 miles over rough track. The other people on the bus were all very friendly and we left full of anticipation. This was to be rewarded quite soon with our first sighting of the day - a Caribou, reindeer to us Europeans. This caused great excitement and the bus was buzzing. At the first comfort stop I was photographing the river then turned round and saw a Lynx calmly walking across the car park, this was only seen by a few and soon disappeared into the undergrowth, I managed to get a shot but a post got in the way. This was a major achievement as Lynx are quite rare and elusive. Eat your heart out Bellamy!
A little further on and Fern shouted out "BEAR", sure enough there was a Grizzly, we watched it eat for quite a while. It is really a great feeling seeing these animals in their natural surroundings. As we drove through an area of steep cliffs we spotted some Dall sheep feeding, these stay up high to feed where you would think there was no nutrition. As the bus climbed out of the tree belt we went up some road with a precipitous drop on our side, here we saw a Golden Eagle soaring the thermals at the same level as the bus. By this time we were all getting a bit blasé and paid scant regard to a Fox which was scurrying away with some food in its mouth.
After our 66 mile drive we were glad to reach our destination, Eielson Centre. There were some magnificent views from here and we had a picnic lunch with a spectacular backdrop of Mount MacKinley (20,320 - USA highest) shrouded in snow and cloud. We had decided to return on the same bus as we liked the driver and also it was very cold at Eielson - softies! The return was also interesting as we saw two more Grizzlies at separate locations then a large Caribou ran down a hill onto the road and we followed for about 1/4 mile until it jumped into some bushes and away.
During this entire journey we were treated to some remarkable scenery and it is very hard to convey the space that this place occupies - it is simply vast even though it is only the third largest NP in the USA. No prize for who can name the largest NP in the comments below.
This was a wonderful day and one which will linger in our memories hopefully longer than the usual two day span.
Overheard some American discussing the merits of a place where you can get dressed up in furs and posed sitting on the back of a Moose. This photograph would obviously make and excellent Christmas card - it was only to be decided how many to order. They can leave one speechless!
http://www.oldsourdoughstudio.com/oss-photos.html
Monday, 27 June 2011
Day 19 - Sunday 26th - Denali National Park
All slept quite well with eye masks used. This was a day for exploring and finding out about Denali National Park. Not all 6 million acres but the bit round the Visitors Centre. After we arrived at the park we went to the excellent Visitors Centre for some basic information and then went on a short hike. Eyes peeled for Moose but all we saw was the wee tiny squirrel and some very fresh bear poop. This caused a fair amount of alarm and generated a lot of loud, out of tune singing, hand clapping and speedy walking back to the safety of the Visitors Centre! Next up was Ranger Dan giving a talk about Lynx and Grey Wolves. It was very interesting although the delivery was a trifle nervy and caused a bit of nodding off in the audience. Looked a various exhibits around the centre followed by video which was brilliant then on to the shuttle bus to the Sled Dog kennels.
We saw 32 Alaskan Huskies who are having a rest over the summer. These wonderful dogs are used to patrol the perimeter of the park in the winter months, which seems to last from September to April! We were able to pat the dogs and listened to Ranger Ellen give a very long explanation and demonstration about the dogs and the sled(sic).
Off now as a very early, 05.30, start for a major drive by bus 66 miles into the heart of the National Park. Watch this space for a full report and hopefully some stunning wildlife pics. Many thanks to Tom who keeps making favourable comments about the pics - feel free to leave comments by clicking on the "Comments" bit below.
We saw 32 Alaskan Huskies who are having a rest over the summer. These wonderful dogs are used to patrol the perimeter of the park in the winter months, which seems to last from September to April! We were able to pat the dogs and listened to Ranger Ellen give a very long explanation and demonstration about the dogs and the sled(sic).
Off now as a very early, 05.30, start for a major drive by bus 66 miles into the heart of the National Park. Watch this space for a full report and hopefully some stunning wildlife pics. Many thanks to Tom who keeps making favourable comments about the pics - feel free to leave comments by clicking on the "Comments" bit below.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Day 18 - Saturday 25th - Seward to Denali
Up at the crack of dawn, really there isn't any dawn here, just lighter shades of pale. We wanted to get on the road as it is a fairly long 8 hour drive. The "Silver Bullet" as I have christened the van , cruises at 55mph, after that petrol consumption goes meteoric. Most of the roads have a 55 limit but some go to a heady 65 - I don't know how the yanks can cope with such enormous speeds!
Eileen got attacked by some ferocious wee insect called "No-see-ums", great name but the wee buggers gave her some nasty facial bites and her right eye nearly closed.
Leaving Seward at 09.00 in light rainfall, our first since leaving home, we had an OK drive to Anchorage. After that it got incredibly tiresome with tree lined roads and no decent views, Fern and I take 90 minute driving spells as it is hard to keep concentration when it is so bl&*$£ boring. We passed through Sarah Pallin's home town of Wasilla which looked like an extremely weird place, we had a picnic there in a filthy public park with locked "washrooms" - must send her some pics when I return.
As we approached Denali, which is Mt. McKinley's other name, the weather improved considerably and reached 19 degrees with bright sunshine, mind you it is 22.30 just now and we still have bright sunshine. Eileen has got her balaclava on back to front to help her sleep - seems to be working. We went for a short walk round our wee cabins and saw some rafting on the Nenana.
Only a few pics today as it was really tedious............
Eileen got attacked by some ferocious wee insect called "No-see-ums", great name but the wee buggers gave her some nasty facial bites and her right eye nearly closed.
Leaving Seward at 09.00 in light rainfall, our first since leaving home, we had an OK drive to Anchorage. After that it got incredibly tiresome with tree lined roads and no decent views, Fern and I take 90 minute driving spells as it is hard to keep concentration when it is so bl&*$£ boring. We passed through Sarah Pallin's home town of Wasilla which looked like an extremely weird place, we had a picnic there in a filthy public park with locked "washrooms" - must send her some pics when I return.
As we approached Denali, which is Mt. McKinley's other name, the weather improved considerably and reached 19 degrees with bright sunshine, mind you it is 22.30 just now and we still have bright sunshine. Eileen has got her balaclava on back to front to help her sleep - seems to be working. We went for a short walk round our wee cabins and saw some rafting on the Nenana.
Only a few pics today as it was really tedious............
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Day 17 - Friday 24th June - Seward
Meant to say that I am having real trouble connecting here and have to sit in Motel lobby to do this.
The day started early and we decided to visit Exit Glacier before the whale cruise at 11.00. % mile drive then 1 mile walk into the glacier through mosquito infested woods - but it was worth it - see photos below..........
The day started early and we decided to visit Exit Glacier before the whale cruise at 11.00. % mile drive then 1 mile walk into the glacier through mosquito infested woods - but it was worth it - see photos below..........
This glacier has retreated about 300 yards since 1998.
Back to the Motel for a coffee, juice and muffin breakfast and then dashed to the cruise boat. This was the start of an absolutely brilliant day. Everything was great - the weather very sunny, the sea very calm and an abundance of marine life. The skipper "Captain Josh" reckoned it was in the top 5 that he was had and he's been a skipper for 12 years! We went far out into the Gulf of Alaska down Resurrection Bay to the Chiswell Islands.
We saw...........
a very large pod of Orca,
a very large Fin Whale which is the 2nd largest whale species, it was doing a belly roll,
some Dall Porpoise which look like mini Orca,
several different sighting of Humpback Whale - including one that was trying to fly
a colony of Stellar Sea Lions
WE also cruised to the Holgate Glacier in Aialik Bay - this was a truely awesome sight as we got quite close and witnessed some bits dropping off - "calving". We also felt the effects of the "katabatic" wind caused when the dense cold air falls off the top of the glacier. This glacier has a 400 - 600 foot face. A very dramatic sight.
Day 16 -Thursday 23rd June - Anchorage to Seward
This lack of sunset thing is really strange but didn't keep us awake. Up earlyish for the trip to Seward. First we visited Earthquake Park for some views over Anchorage and the mountains but it was not clear enough to see Mt. McKinley. The drive took us along "Turnaround Arm" named by Capt. Cook when he was looking for NW Passage. The scenery here is simply stunning with miles of sea and towering, majestic snow capped mountains and not so many trees as BC. We kept a sharp look-out for wildlife all the way but they must of been on holiday. We stopped at the much recommended Alaska Wildlife Park where wounded/injured animals are cared for. Saw Elk, Muskox, Moose, Caribou, Bison, a one winged Bald Headed Eagle, Black Bears, a Grizzly named Joe and some Kodiak bear cubs wrecking their enclosure. From this wildlife haven we went directly to Boggs & Bedich Visitors Centre besides a fabulous glacial lake. This was an absolutely superb centre and we saw a great video about the surrounding area and Portage Glacier. When video finished the curtains behind the screen opened to reveal the last scene thriugh the window - quite breathtaking!
The rest of the journey was uneventful and we reached Seward about 17.00 finding the Marina Motel without any difficulty. It is much better than the pictures and very clean and comfortable. The view from our window is brilliant. Once settled in we walked to the harbour to book our Whale watching cruise tomorrow - an eye-watering price! Returned to Motel for early evening drinks then headed out to eat. First choice restaurant was full so we headed for the cheapest cafe in the Harbour. It is the only meal that I have ever had that has been interrupted by a Tsunami warning shattering the evening air - a false alarm!
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Day 15 - 22nd Wednesday - Journey to Alaska
Haven't got much time for today's entry. We had a great journey to Anchorage, even the US border stuff was bearable - someone must have had a word! The seaplane flight was epic - very smooth take off and landing, 11 passengers including a lady from Dundee an' aw'. Found out that the luggage is stored in the floats - every day is a school day!
Hotel in Anchorage is fine, we are on the top floor of 15 with a view through the mesh over the window. Had an meal out at Phyllis's Crab Bake - the King Crab legs are absolutely enormous and very, very tasty but I wouldn't like to meet one in the dark!
Heading on for Seward now hence the rush, more later ......................
Hotel in Anchorage is fine, we are on the top floor of 15 with a view through the mesh over the window. Had an meal out at Phyllis's Crab Bake - the King Crab legs are absolutely enormous and very, very tasty but I wouldn't like to meet one in the dark!
Heading on for Seward now hence the rush, more later ......................
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Day 14 - Tuesday 21st - Vancouver Island
Last day on the Island, hence a quiet time for tidying up and packing. It's going be to such a pain living out of suitcases for the next few weeks as it has been great here with our own room with its "walk-in closet" and "Murphy" bed. Eileen and I went out for a walk this afternoon along a development road and back along a little used rail track. I was trying to hum some Johnny Cash numbers to go with the railroad section but it was too difficult as the sleepers are so close together I kept tripping and also Eileen had almost stood on a couple of smallish black striped snakes! I assured her that they were probably harmless and we hurried on forgetting all about "Ride This Train"! Unfortunately I had forgotten to take a camera to capture Eileen's look of disgust at my trailblazing.
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Day 13 - Monday 20th - Vancouver Island
A local sort of day today. Darby, Fern & Eileen's wee dog is not very well and they needed to contact the vet. Fern was also working this morning at Fairwinds Golf Course where he oversees starting and ensure a trouble free first tee for the members. The two Eileens, Darby and myself went for a short walk. Eileen B has been trying to entice me into the woods for days to show me something interesting - or so she says! Look at the photos below and you will see the something interesting. It is a fully developed Maple tree growing out of a Douglas Fir. The Maple joins the fir about 7 feet above ground level - it really is an interesting sight but not quite what I expected!! We also visited some friends of Fern & Eileen - Mac & Ann. They have a super house with about 2 acres of land/woods. Ann & Mac have done a lot of work to their house even re-roofing it! Mac has an old salmon fishing boat stuck in the back which he hopes to make seaworthy one day. Nothing seems to daunt these two.
In the afternoon Eileen and I went to Nanaimo about 20 minutes away - we got lost on the way and ended up on the other side of the town but managed to turn the map upside down and find our way to the harbour. There we watched a seaplane landing - the one that we will take to Vancouver Airport when we go to Alaska on Wednesday. These seaside town harbours are always interesting places as the Islanders use a lot of water transport for commercial and pleasure purposes. When we got back to the house we discovered that Darby had been prescribed some valium and anti-convulsant tablets, the vet had taken more tests to try and identify the problem.
Still mostly overcast with some sunny spells, sitting in the garden as I write this and need to put a jersey on - yes the grey one - I only bought one and I'm getting stick for it. I thought that one would be enough and after all it is cashmere!
In the afternoon Eileen and I went to Nanaimo about 20 minutes away - we got lost on the way and ended up on the other side of the town but managed to turn the map upside down and find our way to the harbour. There we watched a seaplane landing - the one that we will take to Vancouver Airport when we go to Alaska on Wednesday. These seaside town harbours are always interesting places as the Islanders use a lot of water transport for commercial and pleasure purposes. When we got back to the house we discovered that Darby had been prescribed some valium and anti-convulsant tablets, the vet had taken more tests to try and identify the problem.
Still mostly overcast with some sunny spells, sitting in the garden as I write this and need to put a jersey on - yes the grey one - I only bought one and I'm getting stick for it. I thought that one would be enough and after all it is cashmere!
Monday, 20 June 2011
Day 12 - Sunday 19th - Vancouver Island
Eileen and I trotted off to church this morning. St. Columbas Presbyterian - just like being back in Kirky - everyone we spoke to came from Scotland! In the afternoon we went to crop some rhubarb at a friends empty holiday cabin on the shores of North West Bay. Even though it was overcast it was a really interesting setting. There is an eagles nest that has been in use for years and one of the eagles was in residence. The big purple starfish looked really squishy but were quite firm to the touch and tasted just like lobster - only joking! Beside the road a couple of deer were resting and were completely unpreturbed as we passed quite close. All we need is some chipmunks and it would just be like a Disney movie!
In the evening Eileen's mum, Nell, came round for tea. She is a lovely lady who moved with her husband, Gerry, now sadly departed, from Belfast when they were in their 50's. We had a so called Scotch Mince Pie - aka Mince round which we bought at the "Tartan Pie" shop in the woods - it's a long story...................
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Day 11 - Saturday 18th - Vancouver Island
Bears, bears, bears............
Eileen and I set of for our drive to Tofino on the west coast about 100 miles. This would be our first sighting of the real Pacific Ocean, during my time in the MN I had never seen the Pacific. On the way we spotted a parked car with what looked like a large dog on the verge. When we got nearer we saw that it was a black bear. I swung a "U" turn and we stopped just across the road from it. Your fearless photographer, Eileen, jumped out of the car and snapped away, she's very brave but lacks imagination! I just wound down the window and snapped from the safety of the car - big scaredy!
Eileen and I set of for our drive to Tofino on the west coast about 100 miles. This would be our first sighting of the real Pacific Ocean, during my time in the MN I had never seen the Pacific. On the way we spotted a parked car with what looked like a large dog on the verge. When we got nearer we saw that it was a black bear. I swung a "U" turn and we stopped just across the road from it. Your fearless photographer, Eileen, jumped out of the car and snapped away, she's very brave but lacks imagination! I just wound down the window and snapped from the safety of the car - big scaredy!
After the excitement we headed on through the drizzle over the mountains and down to the coast. We first went to Chesterman Beach where we had a picnic lunch sheltered behind a large rock. A brilliant beach and the ocean looked beautiful. You may have gathered by now that the weather wasn't great but around this time it brightened up considerably.
Tofino was an interesting wee town at the end of the highway. It seems to be full of beach bums and surfer dudes - he slips easily into the parlance! On the return journey when looking for a turning to Long Beach we turned into a First Nation reservation, as I was about to do a "U" turn a mum and cub black bear ran across the road I managed to get a shot of them before they disappeared into the undergrowth. We eventually found Long Beach, as the name implies it is very long some 13 km with lots of bums and dudes. You will see in the pictures below that there are lots of washed up tree trunks on the beaches - I'm sure that there is money to be made recycling these!
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Day 10 - Friday 17th
A quieter day today. We visited Englishman Falls Park and had a great walk through the wood. No Yogis and still no sign of the lonesome pine. The falls themselves are very picturesque and interesting as they are on a right angle bend in the river.
In the evening we took Fern & Eileen out for an meal at the Fish Tales restaurant where we all had excellent halibut etc. The restaurant was like stepping back into the 50's/60's - a sort of Harry Ramsdens with chintz. Very tasty food.
In the evening we took Fern & Eileen out for an meal at the Fish Tales restaurant where we all had excellent halibut etc. The restaurant was like stepping back into the 50's/60's - a sort of Harry Ramsdens with chintz. Very tasty food.
Friday, 17 June 2011
Day 9 - 16th June - Vancouver Island
We set off at 09.00 heading for Victoria which is the capital city of British Columbia, Victoria has a population of 400,000 and is about 85 miles from us in Parksville. On the way we visited the town of Chemainus. This town used to be a thriving timer exporting town but when that industry all but died out the townspeople had to diversify and they came up with the idea of making it an arts based town. To establish this it was decided to paint several murals, now it seems that every gable has a mural as you will see in the slideshow below. If you look carefully you will also see some ladies in red hats. These are members of the Red Hat Society and organisation much like the Hells Angels but with no organised crime connection. The seemingly go around the country on trips and have fun - or so they say. Uniform is red hat and gaudy accessories and any old purple clothes, it is quite a daunting sight seeing them en masse!
Once we reached Victoria we had a picnic lunch in a park, Eileen was captivated by the peacocks - after we had paid the ransom we went for a very windy walk along the harbour wall to stretch our legs. Fern then drove us round various scenic areas of this handsome city. Finally we parked near the centre and walked through the marina where many yachts had gathered for the Van Island 360 International Yacht Race. This race, as the name suggests, is round Vancouver Island which is about as long as Ireland but a bit narrower. After a delicious ice cream we explored a bit more before returning to Parksville. Another great day of exploring all thanks to Bourassa Tours inc.
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Day 8 - Wednesday 15th - Vancouver Island
What an exciting day for Vancouver and the whole Canuck catchment (Canada). This is the day that they play game 7 of the Stanley Cup in Vancouver against the Boston Bruins. Keen readers of this blog will know that the series is tied 3 games each. I'll let you know the resullt at the end of this page.
To stop ourselves getting too excited Eileen and I drove to Coombes to the "Goats on Roof" area. Unfortunately we turned off at the turning just before the right one. Instead of ethnic native carvings we saw some weird stuff mostly of Chinese & Indian origin and also some carvings that can only be described as wood-porno! I know that everything in Canada is supposed to be bigger, but that is just ridiculous!! Pictures by request only.
After lunch we all set off four 9 holes at Fairwinds. We had decided on 9 as we had to get back for the final at 17.00. A glorious sunny day and the golf was great fun, again scores are not published to protect the innocent. As can be seen from the pics below there are loads of deer on the course, also note the strange trolleys called Rikshaw - they are very easy to pull.
If you click on the slideshow below the picture will open in a larger format in my Picasa webspace.
For those interested the Vancouver Canucks were beaten by the Boston Bruins 4-0. A miserable outcome as the game/series had been really hyped up here. There is rioting on the streets of Vancouver tonight. To stop ourselves getting too excited Eileen and I drove to Coombes to the "Goats on Roof" area. Unfortunately we turned off at the turning just before the right one. Instead of ethnic native carvings we saw some weird stuff mostly of Chinese & Indian origin and also some carvings that can only be described as wood-porno! I know that everything in Canada is supposed to be bigger, but that is just ridiculous!! Pictures by request only.
After lunch we all set off four 9 holes at Fairwinds. We had decided on 9 as we had to get back for the final at 17.00. A glorious sunny day and the golf was great fun, again scores are not published to protect the innocent. As can be seen from the pics below there are loads of deer on the course, also note the strange trolleys called Rikshaw - they are very easy to pull.
If you click on the slideshow below the picture will open in a larger format in my Picasa webspace.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Day 7 - Tuesday 14th - Vancouver Island
Eileen went went shopping with Canadian Eileen's mum, Nell. They went to Qualcum - "pretty little seaside town with nice shops". Fern and I went golfing at Fairwinds Golf Club. We played with a couple of Fern's golfing "buddies", Bill & Ken. Ken was originally from Broughty Ferry and still had a slight Scottish accent. We had a great time, the course is superb with great greens that putt very true and lush green fairways and quite a bit of water. The scores are a secret - 'nough said!
http://www.fairwinds.ca/golfing/index.htm
http://www.fairwinds.ca/golfing/index.htm
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Day 6 - Monday 13th June - Vancouver Island
Today we visited Cathedral Grove at Cameron Lake. This is an amazing area of ancient forest with some giant Cedar and Douglas Firs. It was a geat experience to walk amongst these enormous trees.
Katie, you'll remember being here with Craig.
Strangely still no sign of the lonesome pine here!
In the evening the Eileens went to play golf while Fern & I watched game 6 of the Stanley Cup. Bruins put 4 past Canucks in a disastrous 4 minute spell in the first third - I'm beginning to sound like a real ice hockey fan. The whole Stanley Cup thing is very exciting and the whole of British Columbia is caught up in Cup fervour, it's very infectious and also good fun. Final game on Wednesday. Watch this space.............
Fern & Eileen have a humming bird feeder in the "back yard" and I have spent hours trying to capture the tiny birds in flight. Here is the best shot so far!
Katie, you'll remember being here with Craig.
Strangely still no sign of the lonesome pine here!
In the evening the Eileens went to play golf while Fern & I watched game 6 of the Stanley Cup. Bruins put 4 past Canucks in a disastrous 4 minute spell in the first third - I'm beginning to sound like a real ice hockey fan. The whole Stanley Cup thing is very exciting and the whole of British Columbia is caught up in Cup fervour, it's very infectious and also good fun. Final game on Wednesday. Watch this space.............
Fern & Eileen have a humming bird feeder in the "back yard" and I have spent hours trying to capture the tiny birds in flight. Here is the best shot so far!
Monday, 13 June 2011
Day 5 - Sunday 12th - Vancouver Island
Great sleep although the current Mrs McGown was complaining of excessive snoring - I never heard her. We all set off to visit friends of Fern & Eileen. The friends, Lynn & Gord (Gordon) have a micro cabin or cabinette on Saltspring Island. This journey involved another ferry crossing. There are hundreds of little and not so little islands around the main island. The ferry service is very good and ultra prompt.After a twenty minute crossing from Crofton to Vesuvius we found the tiny cabin thanks to Eileen forgetting the travel instructions but remembering that the satnav had the address.
The tiny cabin is amazing and very cosy. In the picture you can also see the wood fired hot tub!
We went for a walk along the coast in the south part of the island after we had a picnic. It was a great path along a very interesting coast. Forgot to mention the bald eagle we saw when waiting for the ferry.
On the way home I drove Fern's Lexus on the way back just to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road.
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| The cabin-ette |
We went for a walk along the coast in the south part of the island after we had a picnic. It was a great path along a very interesting coast. Forgot to mention the bald eagle we saw when waiting for the ferry.
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| Bald Headed Eagle |
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Day 4 - Saturday 11th
Writing this sitting in a cafe waiting for the ferry. We are now in a place called Horseshoe Bay - it's very picturesque with trees down to the waters edge and lots of yachts on the water. We took a taxi to get here, persuaded by the driver with a bargain price. He was worth every penny, originally from Somalia he had paid for an escape flight to the USA but was dumped in Ontario where he thought he was going to die from the cold - amazing guy with a great story.
The ferry takes about 1.5 hours and hopefully we will be met by Eileen & Fern. Watch this space....
...........later that day.
Eileen was there to meet us at the ferry terminal and we are now in their house in Parksville. Tommorrow we are heading for Saltspring Island to visit a friend of Eillen's (Canadian one).
The ferry takes about 1.5 hours and hopefully we will be met by Eileen & Fern. Watch this space....
...........later that day.
Eileen was there to meet us at the ferry terminal and we are now in their house in Parksville. Tommorrow we are heading for Saltspring Island to visit a friend of Eillen's (Canadian one).
Day 3 - Friday 10th
Bit of confusion with the day and date yesterday - all sorted now.
Usual breakfast at Dennys - French Toast Slam for me and seniors breakfast for Eileen plus great coffee. Bus into town for free, the driver let us on although we didn't have change,you can't us notes on the buses, and rented bikes to cycle round the coastal path of Stanley Park and also the False Creek seawall. The totem pole area in Stanley Park was very interesting. Well,REALLY!!(Eileen here editing this!!) feel I have to elaborate on the cycling bit...it was at least 10 miles and my ischial tuberosities are going to take some time to recover!!
Great fun and only moderately exhausted on return. Then straight onto the Big Red Tour Bus to get to Granville Island. Very interesting place with lots of arty farty shops and no sign of Arkwrights! Late lunch on Granville then back to Earls which is a restaurant adjacent to the motel to watch the 5th game of the Stanley Cup finals (Vancouver Canucks won 1-0). E & I are now big fans althought neither of us can see the puck it all seems very exciting especially helped along with copious amounts of wheat beer and an excellent steak. Retired early to write blog etc. Eileen says we seem to be going to bed about the same time as wee Charlie next door in Allan Park!!
Usual breakfast at Dennys - French Toast Slam for me and seniors breakfast for Eileen plus great coffee. Bus into town for free, the driver let us on although we didn't have change,you can't us notes on the buses, and rented bikes to cycle round the coastal path of Stanley Park and also the False Creek seawall. The totem pole area in Stanley Park was very interesting. Well,REALLY!!(Eileen here editing this!!) feel I have to elaborate on the cycling bit...it was at least 10 miles and my ischial tuberosities are going to take some time to recover!!
Great fun and only moderately exhausted on return. Then straight onto the Big Red Tour Bus to get to Granville Island. Very interesting place with lots of arty farty shops and no sign of Arkwrights! Late lunch on Granville then back to Earls which is a restaurant adjacent to the motel to watch the 5th game of the Stanley Cup finals (Vancouver Canucks won 1-0). E & I are now big fans althought neither of us can see the puck it all seems very exciting especially helped along with copious amounts of wheat beer and an excellent steak. Retired early to write blog etc. Eileen says we seem to be going to bed about the same time as wee Charlie next door in Allan Park!!
Friday, 10 June 2011
Day 2 - Thursday 9th - Vancouver
After a long but fitfull nights sleep we were up at the skrake(?) of dawn and off to the adjacent Dennys for breakfast. Huge portions, even Eileen's senior portion, but hey who's complaining! Following breakfast we walked a couple of miles to Walmart for heel grippers as the princess was having trouble with trainers. That worked off about 1/10th of breakies. Then we set off for the day walking for miles across the Lions Gate bridge to Stanley Park, then through the park to pick up the "Hop 0n - Hop Off" bus at stop 15. After waiting for over 1 hour it was obvious that it was now the "Eff Off" bus. We sought advice to be told they had changed the route but hadn't told anyone. Once aboard and steam no longer escaping from ears we set off around the city. Very interesting. We are amazed at how pleasant and helpful everyone we meet is. Had an evening meal over looking the river and watched seaplanes land and take off. Arrived back at the Travelodge tired but happy with a great day out exploring Vancouver.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Comments added
Thanks to Laura I realise that I omitted the 'add comments' bit. This has now been rectified and you can comment away by clicking the wee yellow pencil below a post - nothing nasty hopefully!
Day 1 - Travelling
Got up early at 05.30 to get to the airport early and have a relaxed breakfast. Tommy took us at around 06.30 after we had given Andrew a wee cuddle and he had stopped crying. Unfortunately when we got there we couldn't check in our cases until 07.40! Anyway we managed to fit in a couple of Witherspoons breakfast rolls before we boarded a very quiet flight. As this was a BA flight we of course got another breakfast! Never refuse a meal as you never know where the next one will come from - McGown's maxim.
Flight from Heathrow was OK but a bit long at 09.30 hours. Got the Canada Line Skytrain into the town centre then the Seabus over the river to the North Bank. A taxi took us to our hotel which is pretty nasty but cheap. Sitting on bed watching game 4 of the Stanley Cup ice hockey series between Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. So far it's 2 games to 1 for Canucks and everyone around here is going crazy, seemingly Vancouver Canucks haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1932 - a bit like Hibs!
It's now 01.30 UK time 17.30 here so no more today as very tired.
The SeaBus
Flight from Heathrow was OK but a bit long at 09.30 hours. Got the Canada Line Skytrain into the town centre then the Seabus over the river to the North Bank. A taxi took us to our hotel which is pretty nasty but cheap. Sitting on bed watching game 4 of the Stanley Cup ice hockey series between Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. So far it's 2 games to 1 for Canucks and everyone around here is going crazy, seemingly Vancouver Canucks haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1932 - a bit like Hibs!
It's now 01.30 UK time 17.30 here so no more today as very tired.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Our Route
This snapshot from Google Earth will give you some idea of our route.....
If you click on the image above it will link to a larger version.
Our itinerary is.....
Wednesday 8th June - Vancouver
Saturday 11th June - Vancouver Island to stay with Fern & Eileen
Tuesday 21st June - Anchorage
Thursday 23rd June - Seward
Saturday 25th June - Denali National Park
Monday 27th June - Fairbanks
Wednesday 29th June - Dawson
Friday 1st July - Whitehorse
Saturday 2nd - Eileen and I set off in the general direction of Calgary
Eileen and Fern fly back to Vancouver Island from Whitehorse and Eileen and I set off for Calgary. I'll add dates and locations later.
Our itinerary is.....
Wednesday 8th June - Vancouver
Saturday 11th June - Vancouver Island to stay with Fern & Eileen
Tuesday 21st June - Anchorage
Thursday 23rd June - Seward
Saturday 25th June - Denali National Park
Monday 27th June - Fairbanks
Wednesday 29th June - Dawson
Friday 1st July - Whitehorse
Saturday 2nd - Eileen and I set off in the general direction of Calgary
Eileen and Fern fly back to Vancouver Island from Whitehorse and Eileen and I set off for Calgary. I'll add dates and locations later.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
The Canada/ Alaska Adventure
It is just 8 days until we start our holiday. Hopefully this blog will allow our friends to track our progress and see some pictures while we travel around Canada and Alaska. I will try to update regularly where I can find (free) wireless access - might have to visit Starbucks a few times!
If you want to be kept in touch click on the orange RSS button on the right and add to your RSS reader which will notify you when updates to this blog occur. For those that don't use RSS just check the blog now and again. Feel free to add comments.
Matt
If you want to be kept in touch click on the orange RSS button on the right and add to your RSS reader which will notify you when updates to this blog occur. For those that don't use RSS just check the blog now and again. Feel free to add comments.
Matt
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Visit to Valencia
Yesterday we drove to Valencia, leaving about 09.00 and arriving around 10.30. We have chosen to park in the car park below the Aquarium which was fairly easy to find despite some contradictory advice from the satnav, twice around a couple of very large and unmarked roundabouts and we were there. Sought advice from a couple of young ladies as to the whereabouts of the tourist bus stop - waited about 20 minutes and the bus turned up. The fare was E16 each. Followed the "B" route then swapped to the "A" route in town centre. Then got off for lunch back in the centre. Had a good E10 menu, beer, bread, slices of salami type starter then jambon, egg & chips for main followed by ice-cream cake for dessert - great value. Managed to get into the indoor market just before it closed, see below....
At end of tour saw some very impressive building put up for the America's Cup yacht race a couple of years ago. Not too impressed with Valencia, even it's cathedral wasn't up to much!
Drove home the long way on the N332 which was quite an interesting drive through enormous orange groves and rice paddies!
At end of tour saw some very impressive building put up for the America's Cup yacht race a couple of years ago. Not too impressed with Valencia, even it's cathedral wasn't up to much!
Drove home the long way on the N332 which was quite an interesting drive through enormous orange groves and rice paddies!
Monday, 21 February 2011
Granada and Alhambra Palace
We visited Granada, travelling up (430Km) on Wednesday. Grenada is quite high up and the weather was very cold and wet - only 1 degree, pretty miserable! Once we had checked into the hotel we went to explore on foot. Look into the cathedral and the surrounding souk like streets with tiny wee shops selling everything you don't need and some stuff that you might like warm jackets. After that we went to the tourist office and were directed on a steep climb to St Nicholas Mirador which gives a magnificent view over the city. We were glad that we did this as the following day we couldn't see very far. After our climb we headed back to the centre of town and the hotel for a glass of wine and some crisps before setting out once more for an evening meal. We ate in a rubbish restaurant where the food was totally indifferent. The meal was amusing in two respects, 1 - mum trying to make herself sick in the loo to dislodge a piece of bread that had lodged in her throat and 2 - Iain standing up to get a menu from another table not realising that he had tucked the table cloth and his napkin into his trousers. He took two glasses of wine and two glasses of water and some plates with him - it was very funny, even that waitress was amused! We all got absolutely soaked heading back to the hotel, Me especially as I had no umbrella, I did find a piece of cardboard that I used but was soaked on arrival, this is when trouser presses prove their worth and trousers were dried in no time.
The next morning, Thursday, we awoke early as we had booked a 09.00 visit to the Alhambra Palace which was the main reason for our visit ti Granada. After some coffee and croisant we took a taxi through the rain to the Alhambra (see Wikipedia). We had a brilliant walk round this amazing place, the architecture is fabulous and the details in the plasterwork quite breathtaking, plenty of pictures when we return. We were lucky in our early booking as it meant round unimpeded by large parties of disinterested schoolchildren that appeared later. The only blot on the horizon was the cold and wet. We left Granada at about 13.00 to return to Casa Rhodes, driving through snow and sleet and snowploughs on the high mountain roads. The main roads in Spain are really excellent with some tolls but not too many. Riches satnav works well so we didn't get lost.
The next morning, Thursday, we awoke early as we had booked a 09.00 visit to the Alhambra Palace which was the main reason for our visit ti Granada. After some coffee and croisant we took a taxi through the rain to the Alhambra (see Wikipedia). We had a brilliant walk round this amazing place, the architecture is fabulous and the details in the plasterwork quite breathtaking, plenty of pictures when we return. We were lucky in our early booking as it meant round unimpeded by large parties of disinterested schoolchildren that appeared later. The only blot on the horizon was the cold and wet. We left Granada at about 13.00 to return to Casa Rhodes, driving through snow and sleet and snowploughs on the high mountain roads. The main roads in Spain are really excellent with some tolls but not too many. Riches satnav works well so we didn't get lost.
Monday, 14 February 2011
Monday 14th Feb
We went for a drive up the Jalon Valley this morning to view the almond blossoms on the hundreds of trees. Wey saw some amazing "orchards" in brilliant white and pink.
Had a coffee in a great wee cafe in Xalo then visited the donkey sanctuary up in the hills. The baby donkey was the star of the show - a new Nesbit!
Had a coffee in a great wee cafe in Xalo then visited the donkey sanctuary up in the hills. The baby donkey was the star of the show - a new Nesbit!
Sunday, 13 February 2011
In Spain
In Spain at Susan's house with Sheila and Iain. We arrived on Thursday 10th after flying Ryanair from Edinburgh. Our main (20kg) case was 1.4Kg overweight so we had to do some quick shuffling. It is a bit strange because the case was OK when weighed at home.
Weather here has been dry and quite warm considering it is February. Today is especially good with temp. now up to 17. We went for a really good walk through some scrubland. A very steep descent and ascent but on concrete road so no proplems.
Weather here has been dry and quite warm considering it is February. Today is especially good with temp. now up to 17. We went for a really good walk through some scrubland. A very steep descent and ascent but on concrete road so no proplems.
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