Canadian Adventure No.1

I was about 5 years old when it arrived so that would have been 1957.

My dad picked it up from the floor where it landed when it came through the letterbox. As he undid it I was spellbound. All these wonderful images unfolded from the magical, concertina type post card. It was from CANADA!!! A friend of my dad had emigrated there and he had sent this wondrous thing to tell us how he was enjoying living there. That was it. I was hooked! I knew that I had to go and see if it really was that beautiful. Living in the east end of London in the 1950s meant it would be many years before the dream came true.

In 1999 my Uncle passed away and left me £8000, a nice, unexpected gift from the man who I still class as my hero, but that is another story. So, it was time to take that trip! After chatting with a work college who had been to Canada the year before, we decided to undertake a fly drive.

The plan was to fly to Vancouver. Spend three nights there followed by 2 nights in Whistler, 1 night in Kamloops, 2 nights in Jasper, 2 nights in Banff and 3 nights in Calgary. We would then fly to Toronto for 3 nights so we could visit Niagara Falls. The flights and car hire were booked and we waited impatiently until the last week of August to start the adventure.

In the meantime, my mother, who was 73, was a bit down as she had looked after my uncle during the last few years of his life. So my wife, Yvonne, and I decided we would take her with us if she wanted to go. She had never flown in her life and was more excited than we were!

August came and we were on our way! Luckily the 12-hour flight from London Gatwick was uneventful and we landed late at night in Vancouver and quickly settled into our hotel. After breakfast the next morning we collected the car and set off exploring. Our three nights in the city were a great way to start our adventure. We came to find out how friendly and helpful the Canadian are. All the normal tourist sites were conquered, Stanley Park, Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain.

Upon leaving Vancouver we drove up highway 99 known as the Sea to Sky Way and as we climbed this entrance to the Canadian Rockies it was easy to see how it got its name. The breath taking views of snow-capped mountains came thick and fast. The 2 nights in Whistler flew past and then it was on to Kamloops. The route from Whistler to Kamloops is stunning. My camera was working overtime!

Kamloops to Jasper was just as good with another roll of film used! The area around Jasper is well worth exploring with stunning lakes and snow-capped peaks surrounding you. After checking into our motel we though we would find somewhere to eat. As we opened the door of our ground floor apartment we were greeted by a car park full of caribou. The wildlife was becoming a regular feature having pasted a Coyote sitting in the middle of the Trans Canada Highway earlier. The drive to Maligne Lake was just the same with a Moose crossing the road in front of us! We also saw salmon jumping up the waterfalls.

We were sad to leave Jasper, as it was such a lovely place. But we need not have worried, as the drive to Banff was just as spectacular. We stopped at the Columbia Icefield and took a trip onto the glacier aboard a snowcoach, whose tyres were as tall as me!

The stay at Banff was wonderful with visits to Lake Louise and Banff National Park. The town of Banff is quite small but very pretty. If fact when we moved onto Calgary for 3 nights we actually drove back into the Banff National Park each day so we could enjoy more of the sights.

During the flight from Calgary to Toronto, which took, 3 hours!, you begin to appreciate how vast Canada is.

Toronto is a great city with plenty to see and do. We could not come all the way to Canada and not visit Niagara Falls!!. It was truly worth the trip. You just cannot describe the spectacle and a trip on the Maid of the Mist is worth every Canadian Dollar!!

Our Canadian adventure was over and I had used 14 rolls of film on that pre-digital trip!! But we knew we would return and we have. About 13 times in all and there is still a lot we want to see.

A stunning country with wonderful people and if you enjoy spectacular scenery it is a must. More photos of our travels at www.carter-creative.com

 Click here to read Canadian Adventure No2