We are at Denver airport right now. Markus is queuing up, there had been a technical and UA uses a smaller plane now. Hope we'll make it. Meanwhile I post our images and insights of Sept 29th.
We got up very late this morning at about 09.00 – me that is. Got dressed and immediately back on the blog ;) It was miserable outside anyways. Realized that we hadn’t checked our mails for a while and obviously missed to answer some questions of an active blog reader, my sister Gitte. Back in San Francisco we used BART and MUNI for transferring to/within the city. BART is short for Bay Area Rapid Transit, MUNI is a public transit that is operated by the municipality of San Francisco (whereas BART is run by the Greater Bay Area and not the city). RV stands for Recreational Vehicle. On a side note: we will amend the blog step by step to feature maps and more useful information once we are back in Germany.
We walked our way down Robson Street and at Thurlow turned to go down to the seaside. Again lots of construction work going on. The Convention Center is being expanded and will host the media center during the winter games 2010. We continued on to Blood Alley (there used to be a lot of butchers around) as we wanted to check out SALT restaurant, a tapas bar. Delicious food and wine (we had a Sandhill Syrah) in a very basic yet warm ambience. Extremely friendly service. They offer choices of sandwiches, salads and soups apart from the tapas. For 15,- CAD you chose three cheeses or meats or a mixture of them as well as condiments to go with them (e.g. hazelnuts, olives, relish etc..). Or have the staff make the choice for you. A little hint: should you decide to go to SALT you might want to access Blood Alley from Carrall Street (almost next to the boot store). We entered from Abbot St. as I wanted to give myself time to think about buying the boots or not. Yesterdays credit card block could have been a sign, right? Finally, the costs of the broken window and the additional money we had to pay for the 400 or so kilometers convinced me to refrain from the purchase. It started to rain heavily while we were having lunch. We decided to return to the hotel earlier than planned, as we felt quite exhausted from walking around so much the past days. Got some coffee and muffins at Starbucks and here we are ever since trying to update the blog and upload the images. The latter is quite a challenge as the wifi at the room is rather low and I didn’t manage to access with an Ethernet cable. Meanwhile Markus is getting our staff ready for our early morning departure (alarm clock at 4.30, taxi at 5.00 hrs.). Expect us to be very tired but happy upon our return.
Weather forecast for tomorrow is heavy winds and lots of rain. This makes it easier to finish our BC vacation. Although I must admit that I am also looking forward going home and relax. You might smile about the word “relax”. Honestly, we are done. Our heads are full of impressions of spectacular landscapes and friendly folks and I guess we will need some time until settling in again.
Thanks to my mentor ;) Geoff Sturgeon. He was the one recommending I signed up with blogger.com. We hope you enjoyed traveling with us. It has been a different experience writing sort of a diary during vacation. Although I enjoyed it, I am not sure as to whether I’d be doing this again. As Ingo put it, writing a blog can be a real “time vampire”. The more so if the internet connection is slow making the upload of images quite time consuming. And this is why we haven’t uploaded the past days, yet. We hope to do this at Denver or Washington airports.
Sonntag, 30. September 2007
Sept 28 – Vancouver: Hop on and hop-off
We are so lucky with the weather. Despite the forecast of clouds and rain we woke up to blue skies. Today we went on our Vancouver Trolley Tour. The tour follows a scheduled route leading to the most important places and attractions in the city. You can leave the bus at any stop and get back on one of the next buses as many times as you like. Tickets cost 35,- CAD per person, are valid for two days and also include a free Aquabus ride. We experienced three different driverguides (drivers that do provide commentary) and to be honest the information given is rather basic, focus seemed to be on entertainment. Nevertheless, the tour is really good if you want to get an overview of the city (approx. 1.5 – 2 hours if you stay on the bus the entire tour) and to save some energy when you’re tired of walking. Today we walked parts of the seawall and of Stanley Park in general. Vancouver is a great city to explore on foot. Apart from Stanley Park we hopped off at the Maritime Museum in Kitsilano. But since the weather was so nice, we decided to skip museums and walked along Kits beach (as the locals call it) and the neighborhood itself. Had a very late breakfast at the Café Zen, a cozy little café with checked table cloth and French bistro-style stools (but a lot more comfortable) – if you fancy Eggs Benedict you should definitely go there, especially since they feature organic ingredients. The word “organic” is similar to “bio” in Germany. At first we thought that everything here in BC was organic. The supermarkets feature large areas dedicated to organic products. But coming to think about it, Germany is not too different either. Products with “bio” in their description or name are popping up everywhere, too.
After this little fuel-up we strolled through Kitsilano’s shopping area which mostly comprises 4 West St.. Nice little boutiques and shops, a North Face outlet store as well as interesting pubs and restaurants (e.g. one had an open glass kitchen which is nothing unusual, but this one was facing the street; at another one you could see a woman making fresh pasta). At the outlet store we heard on the radio that a Cougar had been spotted on Granville Island that morning. The girl at the store told us that she had heard this two days ago already and was surprised it hadn’t been detected yet. What do you know. At a hanf store we shared our news with the girl behind the counter and Markus thinks she figured us being some stupid tourists – number one: a cougar on Granville Island of all places in the city and number two: not being detected after two days – impossible.
I was still determined to get some cowboy boots and we went back to OK Boots on Carrall Street in Gastown. As promised two weeks again, they had received a new shipment containing small boots. (Thanks to Wendy from Tourism Vancouver for this great suggestion and for your help with our passes.) After trying four pairs I finally decided on some black ones (feeling bad as we just spent 400,- CAD on the truck camper window) - and then my credit card didn’t get through. No idea why. I did use it in other shops afterwards (some souvenirs) and it worked. And I was still determined to go back tomorrow and get these boots. I’ll be back, Baby!
After this little fuel-up we strolled through Kitsilano’s shopping area which mostly comprises 4 West St.. Nice little boutiques and shops, a North Face outlet store as well as interesting pubs and restaurants (e.g. one had an open glass kitchen which is nothing unusual, but this one was facing the street; at another one you could see a woman making fresh pasta). At the outlet store we heard on the radio that a Cougar had been spotted on Granville Island that morning. The girl at the store told us that she had heard this two days ago already and was surprised it hadn’t been detected yet. What do you know. At a hanf store we shared our news with the girl behind the counter and Markus thinks she figured us being some stupid tourists – number one: a cougar on Granville Island of all places in the city and number two: not being detected after two days – impossible.
I was still determined to get some cowboy boots and we went back to OK Boots on Carrall Street in Gastown. As promised two weeks again, they had received a new shipment containing small boots. (Thanks to Wendy from Tourism Vancouver for this great suggestion and for your help with our passes.) After trying four pairs I finally decided on some black ones (feeling bad as we just spent 400,- CAD on the truck camper window) - and then my credit card didn’t get through. No idea why. I did use it in other shops afterwards (some souvenirs) and it worked. And I was still determined to go back tomorrow and get these boots. I’ll be back, Baby!
Samstag, 29. September 2007
Thu, Sept 27 – Vancouver: return of the truck camper
This morning we took a long and very scenic tour of Vancouver on our way to Fraserway where we had to return the car at 11.00 hrs. latest. Drove thru Stanley Park – on December 22nd a severe storm hit the park and caused a lot of damage. Trees that were hundreds of years old - and some might even had been as high as that - fell like little sticks. Clean-up is still underway. The area comprises about 4 square kilometers (a little larger than the English Garden in Munich) and is Vancouver’s green lung and outdoor playground. There are beaches, trails and the seawall. The latter usually circles the park about 9 km but is partly closed due to the fallen trees. Vancouverites use Stanley Park to bike, jogg, walk or bring their kayaks and kites. In general, everyone in the city seems to be very active and on the run. You'll see lots and lots of people carrying their coffees to go, mostly Starbucks or Blenz. This reminds me: Thanks Josie for answering the question on how to manage a coffee to go without burning your mouth. Use a straw! The scenic drive led us thru very nice neighborhoods such as Kitsilano (birthplace of Greenpeace in the 1960ies) and up to Spanish Banks and the University of British Columbia.
After returning the truck camper we took the Fraserway shuttle to The Georgian Court Hotel, a nice boutique hotel opposite BC Place Stadium. www.georgiancourt.com. What a treat to have a large room and bed after having spent 15 days in the camper (apart from the two nights at Clearwater Lake Lodge). Weather was okay (only drizzle for a while) so we took the Aquabus (little water ferry) crossing False Creek to Granville Island (5,- CAD p.p. for the long ride). The station “Plaza of Nations”, although not included on the city map, was just around the corner of BC Place Stadium. It’s a very nice way to see parts of the city from the water. We really liked Granville Island (a small peninsula in southwestern downtown) with its public market. Fruits, meats, spices, flowers, herbs, breads and different flavors from BC and around the world, local pottery and mushrooms. They also have a food court where you can chose from Indian, French, Mexican, Fish and lots of other dishes, take your plates and sit anywhere you like. Granville Island also showcases some artisan shops and boutiques as well as some artisan studios.
On the Aquabus we ran into a group of people who obviously where on a team building mission doing sort of a scavenger hunt (Schnitzeljagd). It turned out that they work for an agency that produces the BC Escapes and the regional guides for Tourism BC. What a small world! They recognized the BC logo on the rucksack. Vancouver boasts so many fabulous restaurants, Sandbar on Granville Island is just one of it. Wonderful and fresh seafood. We only went there to have a beer and enjoy the atmosphere. It is very spacious, three decks which feature pub-stlye area, finer dining and very comfortable leather chairs. The terrace is still in use with gas heaters and cozy blankets. Althoug we were determined to try out as many restaurants as possible, we were getting tired and decided to have in-room dinner. We bought tasty cheese, chorizo, olives and bagles at the market and had a delicious meal.
As in Whistler and along Highway 99, there is a lot of construction going on in Vancouver right now due to the Winter Olympics 2010. Just opposite BC Place the East False Creek area is to become Vancouver’s Olympic Village.
After returning the truck camper we took the Fraserway shuttle to The Georgian Court Hotel, a nice boutique hotel opposite BC Place Stadium. www.georgiancourt.com. What a treat to have a large room and bed after having spent 15 days in the camper (apart from the two nights at Clearwater Lake Lodge). Weather was okay (only drizzle for a while) so we took the Aquabus (little water ferry) crossing False Creek to Granville Island (5,- CAD p.p. for the long ride). The station “Plaza of Nations”, although not included on the city map, was just around the corner of BC Place Stadium. It’s a very nice way to see parts of the city from the water. We really liked Granville Island (a small peninsula in southwestern downtown) with its public market. Fruits, meats, spices, flowers, herbs, breads and different flavors from BC and around the world, local pottery and mushrooms. They also have a food court where you can chose from Indian, French, Mexican, Fish and lots of other dishes, take your plates and sit anywhere you like. Granville Island also showcases some artisan shops and boutiques as well as some artisan studios.
On the Aquabus we ran into a group of people who obviously where on a team building mission doing sort of a scavenger hunt (Schnitzeljagd). It turned out that they work for an agency that produces the BC Escapes and the regional guides for Tourism BC. What a small world! They recognized the BC logo on the rucksack. Vancouver boasts so many fabulous restaurants, Sandbar on Granville Island is just one of it. Wonderful and fresh seafood. We only went there to have a beer and enjoy the atmosphere. It is very spacious, three decks which feature pub-stlye area, finer dining and very comfortable leather chairs. The terrace is still in use with gas heaters and cozy blankets. Althoug we were determined to try out as many restaurants as possible, we were getting tired and decided to have in-room dinner. We bought tasty cheese, chorizo, olives and bagles at the market and had a delicious meal.
As in Whistler and along Highway 99, there is a lot of construction going on in Vancouver right now due to the Winter Olympics 2010. Just opposite BC Place the East False Creek area is to become Vancouver’s Olympic Village.
Freitag, 28. September 2007
Wed, Sept 26 – Squamish – Vancouver
In the morning, quick shower (many cob webs on the wooden ceiling) and off to our last full camper day. There is a lot of construction work on Highway 99 as the winter games 2010 approach. The Sea to Sky Highway will be expanded to feature three to four lanes. A massive project as the engineers have to blast off part of the mountain and/or create a road where there is nothing but cliffs. Kudos! Once the work will be finished Hwy 99 should be even more enjoyable to ride, much safer but certainly not less spectacular. By then, federal and provincial governments will have spent about 600 million Canadian Dollars for these improvements.
Our first stop on the road was only a couple of kilometers further south at Porteau Cove Provincial Park RV site. This was our first option to overnight but we read that there would be a lot of noise due to roadside constructions (the campground is basically off the highway and the railway). We cannot tell whether it had been very noisy because roadside construction seemed to have reached another level and it didn’t look like they were still blasting off part of the mountains. A quaint little site overlooking Howe Sound.
Our first destination before entering Vancouver was Cypress Mountain Provincial Park. We wanted to go for a hike and also see how the construction for the Winter Olympics proceeded. The drive up was said to be spectacular for its wonderful views of Vancouver and its surroundings. Unfortunately, we drove into fog but on top of Cypress at the parking lot it cleared. We decided to be easy on us and followed Yew Lake Loop (also wheelchair accessible), a loop of about 2 km that partly leads through old growth forest. We also hiked part of the Baden Powell trail to the first viewpoint but lost the signs and found our own way back to the parking lot. Seeing the construction work, left us with mixed feelings as did Sea to Sky Highway. Another impact on the environment, yet understanding for growth and expansion...
Next stop was Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain. The gondola was built by a Swiss company and can carry up to 100 persons to the top of the mountain within 8 minutes. Very smooth ride, yet no view during the ride up. Again it blew off once we arrived on the mountain. The ticket (27,- CAD p.p.) includes a rather loud Lumberjack show (fills you in all the details of the logging industry and forestry) – don’t think chainsaws, it was loud due to the female presenter and amplifier), the Theatre in the Sky (a movie on nature) and the Grizzly Bear Habitat. The two grizzly bears are orphans (one found in the Bella Coola area in 2001, the other near Kamloops, forgot which year it was, think it was one or two later). Very impressive animals and we are happy to have seen our „wild“ bear long distance. That reminds me of our animal count and numbers in general: this brings up our bear views to 5; we are about 400 km above our mileage limit and took over 2000 pictures so far. We broke two glasses and one window. Fueled up around 450 litres of Diesel (that’s only a guess). While writing this, I have to increase the number of glasses to 3...
Our last sightseeing stop for the day was Capilano Suspension Bridge and Treetop Adventure. The suspension bridge spans the Capilano River for about 140 metres (they say two Boeings 747 could pass the canyon flying wingtip to wingtip), is 70 meters deep and leads to an old growth forest with displays and explanations as well as several suspension bridges set up between the trees. It did not top Whistler and the Ziptrek Tour but if one is on a business trip with no time to go anyplace else, the treetop adventure provides a great overview on what to expect in BC forests.
Final destination today was Capilano RV Park. Took us about 3 hours to get packed and clean out a bit. You definitely hear that you are back in the big city – amplified by the plastic garbage bag covered window.
Our first stop on the road was only a couple of kilometers further south at Porteau Cove Provincial Park RV site. This was our first option to overnight but we read that there would be a lot of noise due to roadside constructions (the campground is basically off the highway and the railway). We cannot tell whether it had been very noisy because roadside construction seemed to have reached another level and it didn’t look like they were still blasting off part of the mountains. A quaint little site overlooking Howe Sound.
Our first destination before entering Vancouver was Cypress Mountain Provincial Park. We wanted to go for a hike and also see how the construction for the Winter Olympics proceeded. The drive up was said to be spectacular for its wonderful views of Vancouver and its surroundings. Unfortunately, we drove into fog but on top of Cypress at the parking lot it cleared. We decided to be easy on us and followed Yew Lake Loop (also wheelchair accessible), a loop of about 2 km that partly leads through old growth forest. We also hiked part of the Baden Powell trail to the first viewpoint but lost the signs and found our own way back to the parking lot. Seeing the construction work, left us with mixed feelings as did Sea to Sky Highway. Another impact on the environment, yet understanding for growth and expansion...
Next stop was Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain. The gondola was built by a Swiss company and can carry up to 100 persons to the top of the mountain within 8 minutes. Very smooth ride, yet no view during the ride up. Again it blew off once we arrived on the mountain. The ticket (27,- CAD p.p.) includes a rather loud Lumberjack show (fills you in all the details of the logging industry and forestry) – don’t think chainsaws, it was loud due to the female presenter and amplifier), the Theatre in the Sky (a movie on nature) and the Grizzly Bear Habitat. The two grizzly bears are orphans (one found in the Bella Coola area in 2001, the other near Kamloops, forgot which year it was, think it was one or two later). Very impressive animals and we are happy to have seen our „wild“ bear long distance. That reminds me of our animal count and numbers in general: this brings up our bear views to 5; we are about 400 km above our mileage limit and took over 2000 pictures so far. We broke two glasses and one window. Fueled up around 450 litres of Diesel (that’s only a guess). While writing this, I have to increase the number of glasses to 3...
Our last sightseeing stop for the day was Capilano Suspension Bridge and Treetop Adventure. The suspension bridge spans the Capilano River for about 140 metres (they say two Boeings 747 could pass the canyon flying wingtip to wingtip), is 70 meters deep and leads to an old growth forest with displays and explanations as well as several suspension bridges set up between the trees. It did not top Whistler and the Ziptrek Tour but if one is on a business trip with no time to go anyplace else, the treetop adventure provides a great overview on what to expect in BC forests.
Final destination today was Capilano RV Park. Took us about 3 hours to get packed and clean out a bit. You definitely hear that you are back in the big city – amplified by the plastic garbage bag covered window.
Sept 25 – Whistler to Squamish
Today is the day! We conquered the trees and heights – despite our little vertigo. But before that we enjoyed a walk to and around Lost Lake. There are several trails to choose from and in winter the area becomes a haven for cross country skiers or snow shoers. Right now, Whistler is constructing a new nordic site in preparation for the 2010 winter olympics. Apart from the Nordic disciplines, Whistler hosts all alpine and sledding events but ski freestyle and snowboarding (these will be hosted at Cypress Mountain near Vancouver). Back to our little walk: it is amazing how many people take advantage of Lost Lake as a recreation area. Although not too many took the nature walking trail as we did, you could tell that people were around.
Back to the Village, just had some time left for a coffee and muffin and off we went on our zip tour with Zip Trek Eco Tours. Exciting! We are thrilled! There you are in a harness, with your helmet and fly from one tree to the other. While on your zip trek deck, the guides talk about the environment, mankind’s impacts on it and what we can do to minimize them. The most thrilling and exciting experience was the second zip line – we litteraly stepped off into nothing but a creek about 30 to 50 metres beneath us for the next 330 metres. This line is also known as the „Hollywood Line“ – your picture is being taken from an opposite deck, so you try your best to look good and not too scared. Unfortunately there are only four lines on the so called „Bear Tour“ – I didn’t think I would ever write „unfortunately“ in this context. On our way to the first zip deck (transport by van, we were a group of 8) we passed the bob sled construction site which will be open to public use after the 2010 games.
Now we had earned ourselves a hearty meal – juicy burger and sandwich at the Amsterdam Pub. And yet again, it was time for us to hit the road, Highway 99 to Squamish. I mentioned the Klahanie campground before. Free wifi was very nice. Apart from that, the campground was a bit chaotic. It had a few sites with spectacular views though, but these are unserviced. The office was closed and we had to self register. Since many sites had been taken already, it was rather time consuming to find a site with power and water as they were hard to tell apart from the unserviced ones.
Back to the Village, just had some time left for a coffee and muffin and off we went on our zip tour with Zip Trek Eco Tours. Exciting! We are thrilled! There you are in a harness, with your helmet and fly from one tree to the other. While on your zip trek deck, the guides talk about the environment, mankind’s impacts on it and what we can do to minimize them. The most thrilling and exciting experience was the second zip line – we litteraly stepped off into nothing but a creek about 30 to 50 metres beneath us for the next 330 metres. This line is also known as the „Hollywood Line“ – your picture is being taken from an opposite deck, so you try your best to look good and not too scared. Unfortunately there are only four lines on the so called „Bear Tour“ – I didn’t think I would ever write „unfortunately“ in this context. On our way to the first zip deck (transport by van, we were a group of 8) we passed the bob sled construction site which will be open to public use after the 2010 games.
Now we had earned ourselves a hearty meal – juicy burger and sandwich at the Amsterdam Pub. And yet again, it was time for us to hit the road, Highway 99 to Squamish. I mentioned the Klahanie campground before. Free wifi was very nice. Apart from that, the campground was a bit chaotic. It had a few sites with spectacular views though, but these are unserviced. The office was closed and we had to self register. Since many sites had been taken already, it was rather time consuming to find a site with power and water as they were hard to tell apart from the unserviced ones.
Donnerstag, 27. September 2007
Sept 24 – Lillooet to Whistler
When you least expect it free wifi access is available. While writing this and the Lillooet part we are already at Squamish’s Klahanie camground. Didn’t have much time in Whistler for writing and we would have had to register with yet another operator for 10,- CAD. We were just clearing the RV’s pipelines at Cayoosh Creek RV in Lillooet, guess who waited in line behind us, yes, Esther and Jim – next destination Whistler.
But before arriving at Whistler we – again – had a spectacular drive ahead of us: Duffy Lake Road on Hwy 99. Today we arrived early at our destination for the day, around 13.00 hrs. We checked in and bumped into Esther and Jim on our way out.
The campround is quite different to the ones before. Bigger and in better shape, cabins for rent available plus a store and game room on site. More expensive (50,- CAD per site –– no free wifi or showers). Most of the RV sites/campgrounds we stayed at cost around 27,- CAD, full hook-up. Settled in and walked to Whistler Village (passing Esther and Jim), first stop was Tourism Whistler to say hi and thanks to Vanessa and Darlene. Then off to Whistler Mountain Guest Services – their computers are connected to several on mountain webcams – who helped to make up our minds and postpone our gondola ride.We strolled through the quaint village with its nice shops and cafés. It was amazing to see the amount of young people here. During summer Whistler becomes a mecca for mountain bikers. Definitely enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere (and buys). I was just about to take a photo of Markus and the bear in front of Rocky Mountain Chocolates when Esther and Jim left the shop. The picture you’ll see was the last one for that day as the four of us headed to the Dubh Linn Gate pub just off Blackcomb Mountain gondola. Esther and Jim rented the camper in Calgary and spent some time in the Rockies but left earlier due to colder weather. Same as us, they will spend the last two to three days Vancouver. The city offers a large variety of accommodation. Hotels, B&B, campground, hostels, motels and so on. Don’t take my word on it, but I would say that there are about 14.000 hotel rooms or 97 properties one could choose when in Vancouver. And just guess where they will be staying...your're right, The Georgian Court Hotel.
After two pitchers we split – Markus and I hadn’t had dinner yet and Esther and Jim went for some groceries – only to find us arriving at the same time in two taxis at the campground. Markus and I almost walked back to the RV park. At Blackcomb Way/Nancy Green Drive crossing we decided not to walk any further. There are no lights on the walking trail to the campground and Whistler is located within bear country – and we didn’t take the flashlight with us.
But before arriving at Whistler we – again – had a spectacular drive ahead of us: Duffy Lake Road on Hwy 99. Today we arrived early at our destination for the day, around 13.00 hrs. We checked in and bumped into Esther and Jim on our way out.
The campround is quite different to the ones before. Bigger and in better shape, cabins for rent available plus a store and game room on site. More expensive (50,- CAD per site –– no free wifi or showers). Most of the RV sites/campgrounds we stayed at cost around 27,- CAD, full hook-up. Settled in and walked to Whistler Village (passing Esther and Jim), first stop was Tourism Whistler to say hi and thanks to Vanessa and Darlene. Then off to Whistler Mountain Guest Services – their computers are connected to several on mountain webcams – who helped to make up our minds and postpone our gondola ride.We strolled through the quaint village with its nice shops and cafés. It was amazing to see the amount of young people here. During summer Whistler becomes a mecca for mountain bikers. Definitely enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere (and buys). I was just about to take a photo of Markus and the bear in front of Rocky Mountain Chocolates when Esther and Jim left the shop. The picture you’ll see was the last one for that day as the four of us headed to the Dubh Linn Gate pub just off Blackcomb Mountain gondola. Esther and Jim rented the camper in Calgary and spent some time in the Rockies but left earlier due to colder weather. Same as us, they will spend the last two to three days Vancouver. The city offers a large variety of accommodation. Hotels, B&B, campground, hostels, motels and so on. Don’t take my word on it, but I would say that there are about 14.000 hotel rooms or 97 properties one could choose when in Vancouver. And just guess where they will be staying...your're right, The Georgian Court Hotel.
After two pitchers we split – Markus and I hadn’t had dinner yet and Esther and Jim went for some groceries – only to find us arriving at the same time in two taxis at the campground. Markus and I almost walked back to the RV park. At Blackcomb Way/Nancy Green Drive crossing we decided not to walk any further. There are no lights on the walking trail to the campground and Whistler is located within bear country – and we didn’t take the flashlight with us.
Mittwoch, 26. September 2007
Sun, Sept 23 - Merritt to Lillooet
As we say in Germany: a lot of roads lead to Rome, and there are a certainly a couple of them leading to Lillooet, especially when you plan to include Chasm Provincial Park. We weren’t too sure in terms of road and timing so we asked our host at Claybanks and followed his suggestion to take Hwy 97c via Logan Lake and Cash Creek on to Hwy 97 to Chasm. Great suggestion! Again we saw diverse terrain and Hwy 97 lead thru the largest mining area of Canada (Highland Valley Copper Mine, 17 km west of Logan Lake). What looked like huge cascade shaped mountaineous terrain at first, resulted in the cascades being roads for humangeous machines. A resting area provides a good overview of the mine as well as the wildlife (they even get winter ticks up here).
In Clinton, an old Western town established during the Gold Rush days of the 1860 serving as a roadhouse, Hwy 97 c turns into Hwy 97 which we followed up north for about 30 minutes. GyPSy was d’accord with us to pay Chasm Provincial Park a visit. It is a huge canyon displaying layers of red, brown, yellow and purple produced by lava flows and revealed through erosion over the past 10 million years. Our camera (and the weather conditions) couldn’t quite catch the impressive views. Talking about views: We saw a lot of ground squirrels here in BC, and they love to pose for a photo.
We took the same route back via Clinton and prior to reaching Cache Creek turned right onto Highway 99 direction Lilloet. But immediately after the turnoff we stopped at Historic Hat Creek Ranch (chances were they sold cowboy boots – but they didn’t) which seemed rather abandoned until we ran into a tour guide and 5 other guests. HCR was also established as a roadhouse in the 1860ies and catered to miners, wagon tracks and other travellers up to 1916. They also have a display on the Shuswap First Nations who first settled in this area and keep playing an important role in nowadays community life. And it was at HCR where we ran into Esther and Jim, a Scottish couple on their way to Lillooet. They toured HCR the Scottish way, in a carriage.
Back on Hwy 99 and on to Lillooet the road started to be winding again. We briefly stopped at Marble Canyon RV and picnic area. Although it is right off the highway, this non-serviced area boasts spectacular views of the mountains as well as a quaint lake. So if one doesn’t need power, water and/or a sani-dump, well worth an overnight stay. Soon after we saw parts of the mighty Fraser river winding its way through deep canyons before entering Lillooet. Stayed at Cayoosh Campground which was really nice (but always keep in mind that you are directly off the highway and there is traffic). We went for a stroll down to the creek at the campsite where we saw salmon (dead and alive) and the fishy smell in the air reminded us that we are still in bear country. So we headed for a (psychologically spoken) more secure viewing point before setting in for the night (as were Esther and Jim).
In Clinton, an old Western town established during the Gold Rush days of the 1860 serving as a roadhouse, Hwy 97 c turns into Hwy 97 which we followed up north for about 30 minutes. GyPSy was d’accord with us to pay Chasm Provincial Park a visit. It is a huge canyon displaying layers of red, brown, yellow and purple produced by lava flows and revealed through erosion over the past 10 million years. Our camera (and the weather conditions) couldn’t quite catch the impressive views. Talking about views: We saw a lot of ground squirrels here in BC, and they love to pose for a photo.
We took the same route back via Clinton and prior to reaching Cache Creek turned right onto Highway 99 direction Lilloet. But immediately after the turnoff we stopped at Historic Hat Creek Ranch (chances were they sold cowboy boots – but they didn’t) which seemed rather abandoned until we ran into a tour guide and 5 other guests. HCR was also established as a roadhouse in the 1860ies and catered to miners, wagon tracks and other travellers up to 1916. They also have a display on the Shuswap First Nations who first settled in this area and keep playing an important role in nowadays community life. And it was at HCR where we ran into Esther and Jim, a Scottish couple on their way to Lillooet. They toured HCR the Scottish way, in a carriage.
Back on Hwy 99 and on to Lillooet the road started to be winding again. We briefly stopped at Marble Canyon RV and picnic area. Although it is right off the highway, this non-serviced area boasts spectacular views of the mountains as well as a quaint lake. So if one doesn’t need power, water and/or a sani-dump, well worth an overnight stay. Soon after we saw parts of the mighty Fraser river winding its way through deep canyons before entering Lillooet. Stayed at Cayoosh Campground which was really nice (but always keep in mind that you are directly off the highway and there is traffic). We went for a stroll down to the creek at the campsite where we saw salmon (dead and alive) and the fishy smell in the air reminded us that we are still in bear country. So we headed for a (psychologically spoken) more secure viewing point before setting in for the night (as were Esther and Jim).
Dienstag, 25. September 2007
Sat, Sept 22 – Salmon Arm to Merritt
Let’s start with the real camper life for a change. The moment you have found your site for the night and set foot into the camper, the place looks a mess. A good thing if one doesn’t mind. Another good thing is that one has to do the dishes right away or latest next morning if you plan on getting back on the road again - and make sure they are well stowed away (so far, we lost two glasses while travelling). And here’s another duty, not daily but usually every second day: fueling up. We had prices range from slightly under 1.00 CAD up to 1.06 just before Kamloops. Originally we had planned to visit Douglas Lake and their large cattle ranch. But we were also tempted visiting Canada’s Capital of Country Music, Merritt that is (and I was tempted by the idea of getting Cowboy boots). We could have taken a „gray“ (gravel, dirt, paved but loose) road via Douglas Lake to Quilchena and up to Merritt but since we didn't find out details on the road conditions, we’d rather took the safe way back via Highway #1 to Kamloops and Hwy 5A south. Took us some time to find this way - partly due to the female co-pilot and due to the signage. The latter is very different from what we are used to in Germany. There certainly are road signs here in BC but they are different in terms of indicating the turnoffs. Sometimes they are immediately after you’ve read the sign, sometimes they are not. Takes a while to get used to this.
Back on the road, GyPSy reminded us of the BC Wildlife Park which is actually just right off the highway near Kamloops and adjacent to a RV Park with a water slide. We stopped and it was the first time Markus and I went to an animal park together (although seeing some of them are important means of education, I feel depressed seeing the animals behind fences). This park also has an animal shelter and tries to put sick animals back into their natural habitat once they regained their strength. Here, we finally saw bears, moose, cougar and even wolves. But we also saw a bear in the middle of Hwy 5A. Although about 300 metres away you could see it standing on the road. We saw it as we were about to stop to take a picture of the breathtaking scenery. If we hadn’t stopped we would have seen the bear even closer – as did the cars behind us. It must have been a pretty big bear as we were able to see it from thus far. You’ll have to take our word for it as we do not have a picture to proof it. Hwy 5A took us through variing and beautiful landscapes. Lots of lakes, hills, dry land, green ranch land; less populated than the Sushwap/Salmon Arm area.
Downtown Merritt is the size of about one block, Western style; the landmark being the Coldwater Hotel & Pub. Lots of history here. The story goes that notorious robber Bill Miner not only hid „his“ bonds and valuables in room number 29 of the hotel – but was also caught there when he came to get them. We had a very tasty steak dinner in the pub, very very good! The Visitor Info Booth is very neat, it is adjacent to a historic house and landmark of the city and makes you travel in time – backwards, Victorian/pioneer mix. Again, very helpful staff. Merritt hosts Mountainfest each summer, a country music festival that attracts many many visitors. They even have a Walk of Stars starring the Dixie Chicks among others. And murals: We had the honor of taking a picture of Elvis – which has not yet been inaugurated and supposedly the only mural of Elvis in Canada (Graceland approved). Overnight at Claybanks RV Park which has very nice hosts, is in walking distance of downtown. Sani Dump off-site (right across the street).
Back on the road, GyPSy reminded us of the BC Wildlife Park which is actually just right off the highway near Kamloops and adjacent to a RV Park with a water slide. We stopped and it was the first time Markus and I went to an animal park together (although seeing some of them are important means of education, I feel depressed seeing the animals behind fences). This park also has an animal shelter and tries to put sick animals back into their natural habitat once they regained their strength. Here, we finally saw bears, moose, cougar and even wolves. But we also saw a bear in the middle of Hwy 5A. Although about 300 metres away you could see it standing on the road. We saw it as we were about to stop to take a picture of the breathtaking scenery. If we hadn’t stopped we would have seen the bear even closer – as did the cars behind us. It must have been a pretty big bear as we were able to see it from thus far. You’ll have to take our word for it as we do not have a picture to proof it. Hwy 5A took us through variing and beautiful landscapes. Lots of lakes, hills, dry land, green ranch land; less populated than the Sushwap/Salmon Arm area.
Downtown Merritt is the size of about one block, Western style; the landmark being the Coldwater Hotel & Pub. Lots of history here. The story goes that notorious robber Bill Miner not only hid „his“ bonds and valuables in room number 29 of the hotel – but was also caught there when he came to get them. We had a very tasty steak dinner in the pub, very very good! The Visitor Info Booth is very neat, it is adjacent to a historic house and landmark of the city and makes you travel in time – backwards, Victorian/pioneer mix. Again, very helpful staff. Merritt hosts Mountainfest each summer, a country music festival that attracts many many visitors. They even have a Walk of Stars starring the Dixie Chicks among others. And murals: We had the honor of taking a picture of Elvis – which has not yet been inaugurated and supposedly the only mural of Elvis in Canada (Graceland approved). Overnight at Claybanks RV Park which has very nice hosts, is in walking distance of downtown. Sani Dump off-site (right across the street).
Samstag, 22. September 2007
Friday, Sept 21 - Lac la Hache to Salmon Arm
This is just a quick recap of our camper travel day number 10. Left Lac la Hache rather late as we had problems with sani dump - for some reason the tank wouldn't empty (here in Salmon Arm it worked). Then we had to get batteries for the GyPSy guide which has us on the map again since Williams Lake where Highway 20 ended. We passed 108 Mile Ranch and after a while left Highway 97 south and took Highway 5 east (Yellowhead Hwy) to Little Fort. The landscape was completely different. Lots of smaller ranches and rolling hills, the land was a lot more inhabited (nothing compared to Germany, though. BC has about 4 mio inhabitants living in a province which is roughly 3 times the size of Germany). Shortly after Lac des Roches we left the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Region and entered the Thompson Okanagan. In Little Fort we stopped to make a phone call (still no cell activity), have coffee and relax a bit. Did I tell you that ever since last night it rained cats and dogs? At Barriere we stopped again as we wanted to cut short to Adams Lake and Adams River. Due to the weather we thought it'll be wise to ask a local. We saw a visitor info and Ines was very helpful not only with her straight answer not to take this winding gravel road but also on giving us information on the surrounding area. In 2003 there was a very heavy fire in the Kamloops area which also affected Barriere and burnt down one sawmill. Lucky enough the fire sort of surrounded the town and did not go through it. So the black trees you can see on the pictures are not pine beatle or leech affected but simply burnt. We took a detour via Kamloops to get to Adams River. Every year in October the salmon return to spawn in this area with every 4th year being a highlight when millions and millions of them find their way home. The salmon spawn and die which provides lots of food for bears and eagles and also contributes a lot to the fertility of the land. We went on a short loop along the river and thru the woods despite the rain. Felt like an enchanted wood and I was Little Red Ridinghood (Rotkäppchen). By now we had entered the Sushwap Lakes area, a houseboating and fishing haven. We have a pretty good picture of how the big lakes provide a spectacular backdrop when driving on Transcanada Highway # 1 despite the rainy and foggy weather. Arrived at View Point Motel which we chose because it had internet access and looked okay. It is very clean, neat, showers are fine, the only thing we hadn't thought about was Hwy #1 running about 40 metres and the railway about 100. Nevertheless we had a good night sleep and are ready for adventure again! Enjoy your day and back later.
Freitag, 21. September 2007
Thursday, Sept 20 – Bull Canyon to Lac la Hache
The morning was a bit chilly, no rain. Back on Hwy 20 we saw the weather getting worse. Clouds, rain, fog. Pit stop and taking care of the window at Hanceville Lookout Rest Area. Amazing how quickly the weather changed. While Markus worked on the window I tried to catch some of the views - and trucks. Back on the road we saw many trucks, beautiful landscape and ever changing skies. Thanks to Canon we can sit back and not only recall these moments but can also share them with you. Our next and brief stopover was Farwell Canyon. You should only take this road with a pick up and it comes in handy if it has seen a little rain (not too much, the road is winding and steep in some parts). We took the road from Riske Creek as recommended, about 20 k in and 20 k back. The way in took a lot longer as we had to drive real slow, altogether this little detour counted for 2 hrs including picknick and photo stop. It was well worth it. The landscape suddenly changes and one is reminded of the landscapes in the southwestern US.
In Williams Lake we spent a lot of time at the Visitor Information Centre. We tried to get in touch with Fraserway RV to report the damage on the car which we couldn’t do the day before as we didn’t have too much time to stop and get a public phone. In most of the Chilcotin Coast area you won’t be able to use your cell phone. The staff at the centre was very friendly and helpful (thanks Tayler). Plus, any visitor is invited to use one of the two internet terminals or use their wireless connection free of charge. We can recommend any visitor to stop here because it is a real experience. The movie about the area is shown in a lounge like environment with leather sofas and there is a lot of information available. Since we spent so much time there we directly headed to Lac la Hache after a refueling and a stop at „Save on Food“ supermarket. Fir Crest Resort & RV Campground at Lac la Hache is a very nice location. We got ourselves a site right on the waterfront and enjoyed grilled salmon (thanks Gisela!) with rice. Sunset and moonrise at a time! They also have cabins (basic) and the shower house is okay as well. The only thing we noted was that you could hear the cars and trucks from the highway – nothing to complain about, though. Traffic definitely had increased ever since we left Williams Lake.
This like so many other days, the road and route itself was the destination – an overwhelming, different, varied and very interesting road movie.
In Williams Lake we spent a lot of time at the Visitor Information Centre. We tried to get in touch with Fraserway RV to report the damage on the car which we couldn’t do the day before as we didn’t have too much time to stop and get a public phone. In most of the Chilcotin Coast area you won’t be able to use your cell phone. The staff at the centre was very friendly and helpful (thanks Tayler). Plus, any visitor is invited to use one of the two internet terminals or use their wireless connection free of charge. We can recommend any visitor to stop here because it is a real experience. The movie about the area is shown in a lounge like environment with leather sofas and there is a lot of information available. Since we spent so much time there we directly headed to Lac la Hache after a refueling and a stop at „Save on Food“ supermarket. Fir Crest Resort & RV Campground at Lac la Hache is a very nice location. We got ourselves a site right on the waterfront and enjoyed grilled salmon (thanks Gisela!) with rice. Sunset and moonrise at a time! They also have cabins (basic) and the shower house is okay as well. The only thing we noted was that you could hear the cars and trucks from the highway – nothing to complain about, though. Traffic definitely had increased ever since we left Williams Lake.
This like so many other days, the road and route itself was the destination – an overwhelming, different, varied and very interesting road movie.
Wed, Sept 19 - Kleena Kleene - Bull Canyon Campground
It was time to say good bye. But before that we were invited to a rich breakfast with a great view of Finger Peak and surrounding mountains which had been coverd by snow the past nights. We continued our journey and visited Tatlayoko Lake. At Driftwoods Campground Iris, who immigrated from Germany about 28 years ago, took us with her on her daily power walk together with her two dogs, Ranger and Beamer. They rent one cabin, mostly to anglers. Basic and clean. Iris and her husband also have a couple of RV sites with power. Water only is available at the „Heavenly Shower House“. On our way back to Highway 20, we took Eagle Lake Road. By the way, this one and the road down to Tatlayoko Lake are fine to drive with a Truck Camper as long as you observe speed. Eagle Lake itself is stunning. Its colour and sandy beach reminded us of the Caribbean Sea. Well, we wish we could have enjoyed this little stretch a bit more, but adventure found us. We got locked out of our camper, and the driver’s cabin was looked, too. So here we stood in the middle of nowhere with nothing else but our picknick bag. And somehow we had to get into our camper – remember we are in bear country and wouldn’t have liked the idea to spend the night outdoors. Tried to open the side window of the camper, it broke, we got in. Luckily we bought tape on our first day (female intuition) and are proud owners of a garbage bag window now. After this little adventure we headed back to Highway 20 (some young bulls blocked the road as they were trying to find out who was the strongest) and continued down to Bull Canyon Campground which is really beautiful. Alright, let’s do some animal count: orcas: probably 2 or 3 from the distance; 1 seal (tail only); humpback whales (3 – 2 very very far away; number 3: I saw the fluke quite close, must have been a younger whale); Pacific white-sided dolphins: 2 up close, 3 still close; bald eagle: 1; squirrals: a few; eagle: 1; coyote: 1 crossing Hwy 20; bulls, cows and horses: countless; reindeer: 2; loons: more than a few; spiders: 2 much; bears: not yet; moose: no. Back to Bull Canyon Provincial Park: No hook-ups, though. Some of the sites are directly overlooking the Chilcotin river. We went down to the river’s edge to collect driftwood for our pit fire. Ancient genes were celebrating ;) Its location directly next to the highway doesn’t matter as the stretch of Hwy 20 until Williams Lake is not heavily frequented.
Donnerstag, 20. September 2007
Tuesday, Sept 18th Clearwater Lake Lodge, Kleena Kleene
Update: When we woke up on Tuesday morning it was raining heavily. Around noon Bernward took us on a little tour of the area. Very interesting geology. Sandy ground, pine trees – reminded us of Atlantic coast in France. Drove towards Tatla Lake but since it was pouring down we decided to head back, greeted by sunshine. Took the canoe out on the lake, saw a bald eagle and a beautiful rainbow. Again, Gisela prepared a delicious dinner and we chatted till midnight.
As you are aware we are at the Visitor Info in Williams Lake quickly uploading past blog and images. didn't have time reporting our adventures as of and including Tuesday Sept 18th. In brief: we stayed at CWL, were pampered and had a very good time. Enjoy the images, more text is to come later - we are waiting for a call as we had to report a damage on the car. Stay tuned (how nasty not to tell you what happened, isn't it... ;)
As you are aware we are at the Visitor Info in Williams Lake quickly uploading past blog and images. didn't have time reporting our adventures as of and including Tuesday Sept 18th. In brief: we stayed at CWL, were pampered and had a very good time. Enjoy the images, more text is to come later - we are waiting for a call as we had to report a damage on the car. Stay tuned (how nasty not to tell you what happened, isn't it... ;)
Monday Sept 17th - Bella Coola to Clearwater Lake Lodge
Sept 17th – The Hill is calling.
Update: Today is Friday, Sept 21 and I try to give a little more details on the past days. Leaving Bella Coola we had originally planned to stop at the Atnarko River Campground. We heard it was very nice and good for bear spotting. Unfortunately it was closed for the season (maybe due to heavy bear activity) so we stopped at the Park Ranger’s office, ranger seemed to be roaming free in Tweedsmuir (South) Provincial Park. We briefly thought to take Tote Road -which is just slightly before The Hill starts – down to the river. A wise decision we did not. Bernward and Gisela later on told us that this is really winding gravel road with lots of holes in it – and we are not supposed to drive off-road with our truck camper. Stopped at a resting area and went for a little walk towards Atnarko river. Again, very strange feeling when you know that bears are around. Although bears usually do not attack unless they get really scared, think their cubs are in danger or are mad. Still we, especially I, were busy ringing the bear bells. The Hill was really an experience – I guess you can tell from the few pictures. Since there isn’t too much traffic it was okay, although I was happy we climbed the hill and did not descend. On our way to Kleena Kleene we stopped in Nimpo Lake which has a general store, some fishing lodges and seaplanes. Arrived at Clearwater Lake Lodge in Kleena Kleene in the afternoon. What a beautiful place. Bernward and Gisela have been living here for 14 years now and run a lodge with 5 guest rooms, one chalet, one cabin and a couple of RV sites (no hook up but the shower is pure luxury). We stayed at the chalet which can accommodate 4-6 persons. Gisela prepared a wonderful dinner and the evening past very quickly.
Left the RV park and drove into the center of Bella Coola which consists of a restaurant, co-op and a grocery store. Bought some coffee filters (very important), chatted with a nice couple from Switzerland and a guy who plans on biking the Hill. He actually stayed at our RV park and had an electric fence built around his tent. When I mentioned this he told us that a little after he had got off the ferry he almost ran into a black bear. So we entered real bear country now. The Hill is part of Highway 20 and shows a steep of 18%. On route to our today’s destination Clearwater Lake Lodge in Kleena Kleene (a quick and very warm Thank You Gisela and Bernward for your hospitality and for pampering us. You are wonderful, and so is your property! - more detailed report to follow) we saw some beautiful landscape, ran into Joan and Chris again who spent the night in Hagensborg and stopped at the Atnarko River, the latter famous for the bears. Today is Sept 20th, just a quick update on the day above. I have a new toy ;)
Update: Today is Friday, Sept 21 and I try to give a little more details on the past days. Leaving Bella Coola we had originally planned to stop at the Atnarko River Campground. We heard it was very nice and good for bear spotting. Unfortunately it was closed for the season (maybe due to heavy bear activity) so we stopped at the Park Ranger’s office, ranger seemed to be roaming free in Tweedsmuir (South) Provincial Park. We briefly thought to take Tote Road -which is just slightly before The Hill starts – down to the river. A wise decision we did not. Bernward and Gisela later on told us that this is really winding gravel road with lots of holes in it – and we are not supposed to drive off-road with our truck camper. Stopped at a resting area and went for a little walk towards Atnarko river. Again, very strange feeling when you know that bears are around. Although bears usually do not attack unless they get really scared, think their cubs are in danger or are mad. Still we, especially I, were busy ringing the bear bells. The Hill was really an experience – I guess you can tell from the few pictures. Since there isn’t too much traffic it was okay, although I was happy we climbed the hill and did not descend. On our way to Kleena Kleene we stopped in Nimpo Lake which has a general store, some fishing lodges and seaplanes. Arrived at Clearwater Lake Lodge in Kleena Kleene in the afternoon. What a beautiful place. Bernward and Gisela have been living here for 14 years now and run a lodge with 5 guest rooms, one chalet, one cabin and a couple of RV sites (no hook up but the shower is pure luxury). We stayed at the chalet which can accommodate 4-6 persons. Gisela prepared a wonderful dinner and the evening past very quickly.
Left the RV park and drove into the center of Bella Coola which consists of a restaurant, co-op and a grocery store. Bought some coffee filters (very important), chatted with a nice couple from Switzerland and a guy who plans on biking the Hill. He actually stayed at our RV park and had an electric fence built around his tent. When I mentioned this he told us that a little after he had got off the ferry he almost ran into a black bear. So we entered real bear country now. The Hill is part of Highway 20 and shows a steep of 18%. On route to our today’s destination Clearwater Lake Lodge in Kleena Kleene (a quick and very warm Thank You Gisela and Bernward for your hospitality and for pampering us. You are wonderful, and so is your property! - more detailed report to follow) we saw some beautiful landscape, ran into Joan and Chris again who spent the night in Hagensborg and stopped at the Atnarko River, the latter famous for the bears. Today is Sept 20th, just a quick update on the day above. I have a new toy ;)
Sunday, Sept 16th - Discovery Coast Passage
Sept 16 – Port Hardy to Bella Coola
The Discovery Coast Passage with BC Ferries
Very early morning. Had to be at the harbour between 6.30 and 7.00 in order not to lose our reservation. The place seemed to be operated by women only. One at the counter, another measuring the vehicle and checking us in. Same in the office. When I mentioned this to a friendly BC Ferries’ employee she said „Well actually now that you mention it, we did have a man working here last year, but we never saw him“. We also found out that the whole Port Hardy terminal would be upgraded with the introduction of a new ferry in 2009. The cars were parked in four lanes and you could see the most interesting vehicles like the yellow Mercedes truck with an African background. Boarded the ferry and took off as scheduled to a 13 hour journey. We got to know a nice couple from Richmond/Vancouver as we always seemed to head to the same direction at the same time (from the car up to the deck, to breakfast, to the same side of the outside deck, same seating area inside...). Joan and Chris are on their way up to Whitehorse in the Yukon where their daughter lives. What a great trip! Humpback whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, seal, spectacular scenery. And again we were lucky with the weather. When we woke up in Port Hardy, it was raining and when we left the port it was still overcast.
Arrived in Bella Coola. Pitch black. No map or any other source of information available where to find some accommodation. So if you decide to travel up there, we suggest that you do a little travelling planning ahead of time unless you are the adventureous type and don’t care to overnight in a parking lot. That reminds me: down in Port Hardy (or up, depending where you are) BC Ferries’ offers their customers to overnight at the parking lot due to the early check-in time. Nevertheless, it might be a bit noisy as the vessel is being checked and prepared for its next day journey.
We chose to overnight at Bella Coola Motel & RV Park as we were really tired and hadn’t made reservations with Gnome’s in Hagensborg. The Bella Coola Motel & RV Park is a grassy area, no hook-up available. Shower and kitchen house okay but if one doesn’t mind to drive at night, Gnome’s RV in Hagensborg would definitely be the better choice. On the other hand we wouldn’t have experienced the beautiful rainbow the next morning on route to Hagensborg.
The Discovery Coast Passage with BC Ferries
Very early morning. Had to be at the harbour between 6.30 and 7.00 in order not to lose our reservation. The place seemed to be operated by women only. One at the counter, another measuring the vehicle and checking us in. Same in the office. When I mentioned this to a friendly BC Ferries’ employee she said „Well actually now that you mention it, we did have a man working here last year, but we never saw him“. We also found out that the whole Port Hardy terminal would be upgraded with the introduction of a new ferry in 2009. The cars were parked in four lanes and you could see the most interesting vehicles like the yellow Mercedes truck with an African background. Boarded the ferry and took off as scheduled to a 13 hour journey. We got to know a nice couple from Richmond/Vancouver as we always seemed to head to the same direction at the same time (from the car up to the deck, to breakfast, to the same side of the outside deck, same seating area inside...). Joan and Chris are on their way up to Whitehorse in the Yukon where their daughter lives. What a great trip! Humpback whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, seal, spectacular scenery. And again we were lucky with the weather. When we woke up in Port Hardy, it was raining and when we left the port it was still overcast.
Arrived in Bella Coola. Pitch black. No map or any other source of information available where to find some accommodation. So if you decide to travel up there, we suggest that you do a little travelling planning ahead of time unless you are the adventureous type and don’t care to overnight in a parking lot. That reminds me: down in Port Hardy (or up, depending where you are) BC Ferries’ offers their customers to overnight at the parking lot due to the early check-in time. Nevertheless, it might be a bit noisy as the vessel is being checked and prepared for its next day journey.
We chose to overnight at Bella Coola Motel & RV Park as we were really tired and hadn’t made reservations with Gnome’s in Hagensborg. The Bella Coola Motel & RV Park is a grassy area, no hook-up available. Shower and kitchen house okay but if one doesn’t mind to drive at night, Gnome’s RV in Hagensborg would definitely be the better choice. On the other hand we wouldn’t have experienced the beautiful rainbow the next morning on route to Hagensborg.
Samstag, Sept 15th, 2007 - Telegraph Cove to Port Hardy
Taking the chance to upload some of our stories. We were out in the wild after Port Hardy. No phone, no internet until Clearwater Lake Lodge but we didn't want to block their terminal as they still have a 56 kb connection! We are currently at Williams Lake, BC Visitor Info Centre. Very nice. Hope I will manage to upload a few images as well.
September 15th, Telegraph Cove to Port Hardy
Or Markus turns 40
Ever since leaving Port Hardy to Bella Coola we are disconnected from civilization, thus no blog. Right now, we have a wonderful lake view from a beautiful chalet at Clearwater Lake Lodge. Yes, a chalet. Took a break from RV’ing. More on that later, back to Sept 15th and Markus 40ieth birthday. We went on a whale watching tour with Stubbs Island from 9-12. Before had to clear our RV from the campsite and leave it in a parking area as check-out was 12.00 hrs and we wouldn’t have made it. Stubbs were the first whale watching company in BC and keep contributing to the protection and study of these large mammals. As you can see, we had a bit of an overcast and it was a little chilly. Nevertheless, we had our eyes pinned to the water, waiting for the moment to come when the whale would blow. And they blew, but the orcas were to far away on a so called „rubbing beach“ in a conservation area. But we were rewarded on our way back as the whales came a little closer to the boat. After three hours (the boat actually should have had to be back at the dock alreay) we had to leave „our“ whales and head back to the dock. After a nice hot shower at the campsite’s washrooms we had a nice hot marzipan chocolate and hit the road again. In Port Hardy, the last town on Northern Vancouver Island, we did some grocery shopping and found a nice little campground, Sunny Sanctuary, with wireless internet access, lots of rabbits roaming free, fire pit and a nice view through some trees into the bird estuary. Very friendly staff who stopped by after a while to see if we found everything we needed and told Markus about recent bear activities right around the RV park. In the end, we didn’t have to share our steaks with a bear. But it feels different if you eat outside knowing that they are around. Gary Larson’s comics came to our minds. We pictured two bears watching us grill our steaks and dining, the comic being subtitled. „Exciting bear watch tours“.
September 15th, Telegraph Cove to Port Hardy
Or Markus turns 40
Ever since leaving Port Hardy to Bella Coola we are disconnected from civilization, thus no blog. Right now, we have a wonderful lake view from a beautiful chalet at Clearwater Lake Lodge. Yes, a chalet. Took a break from RV’ing. More on that later, back to Sept 15th and Markus 40ieth birthday. We went on a whale watching tour with Stubbs Island from 9-12. Before had to clear our RV from the campsite and leave it in a parking area as check-out was 12.00 hrs and we wouldn’t have made it. Stubbs were the first whale watching company in BC and keep contributing to the protection and study of these large mammals. As you can see, we had a bit of an overcast and it was a little chilly. Nevertheless, we had our eyes pinned to the water, waiting for the moment to come when the whale would blow. And they blew, but the orcas were to far away on a so called „rubbing beach“ in a conservation area. But we were rewarded on our way back as the whales came a little closer to the boat. After three hours (the boat actually should have had to be back at the dock alreay) we had to leave „our“ whales and head back to the dock. After a nice hot shower at the campsite’s washrooms we had a nice hot marzipan chocolate and hit the road again. In Port Hardy, the last town on Northern Vancouver Island, we did some grocery shopping and found a nice little campground, Sunny Sanctuary, with wireless internet access, lots of rabbits roaming free, fire pit and a nice view through some trees into the bird estuary. Very friendly staff who stopped by after a while to see if we found everything we needed and told Markus about recent bear activities right around the RV park. In the end, we didn’t have to share our steaks with a bear. But it feels different if you eat outside knowing that they are around. Gary Larson’s comics came to our minds. We pictured two bears watching us grill our steaks and dining, the comic being subtitled. „Exciting bear watch tours“.
Samstag, 15. September 2007
Friday, Sept 14th – Saratoga to Telegraph Cove
While writing this, we are already in Port Hardy and, guess what, it’s raining. But wait and see how it’ll be tomorrow. Won’t check the forecast – spice of surprise ;)
Back to Saratoga: Had coffee on the beach and watched the sun rise. Very relaxed. Stowed everything away and hit the road again. Along the Old Island Highway towards Campbell River. Passed some nice campgrounds and RV parks. First time fueling up. The little toy is very thirsty and has about 5 times the capacity of my car (usually 20-23 litres per stop). Diesel is round about 0.99 CAD per litre. Took off to Strathcona Provincial Park, Hwy. 28, to have a look at Strathcona Park Lodge. Spectacular setting that is. The Lodge is around for almost 50 years and offers outdoor youth camps as well as activities for regular tourists in a spectacular surrounding and awfully nice people. Kayaking, zip trekking, hiking, swimming...just to mention a few. We were recommended to see Lupin Falls. A little waterfall within old growth forest (10 min. drive by car and 10 min. walk from the parking lot off Buttle Lake). Our first time in the „wild“.
Back on Highway 19, destination Telegraph Cove which is famous for whale watching, you can also take bear watching tours into Knight Inlet. On route we followed a suggestion from GyPSy guide and went to Sayward. Arrived in TC and spent a lovely evening in TC with Holger (North America expert of fvw) and his partner Anette sharing a nice dinner over travel talks. It is almost 22.30 hrs. and we need to be at the ferry at 6.30, so I am sure you’ll understand if we say good night at this point (and I’ll promised that the blogs would get shorter).
Back to Saratoga: Had coffee on the beach and watched the sun rise. Very relaxed. Stowed everything away and hit the road again. Along the Old Island Highway towards Campbell River. Passed some nice campgrounds and RV parks. First time fueling up. The little toy is very thirsty and has about 5 times the capacity of my car (usually 20-23 litres per stop). Diesel is round about 0.99 CAD per litre. Took off to Strathcona Provincial Park, Hwy. 28, to have a look at Strathcona Park Lodge. Spectacular setting that is. The Lodge is around for almost 50 years and offers outdoor youth camps as well as activities for regular tourists in a spectacular surrounding and awfully nice people. Kayaking, zip trekking, hiking, swimming...just to mention a few. We were recommended to see Lupin Falls. A little waterfall within old growth forest (10 min. drive by car and 10 min. walk from the parking lot off Buttle Lake). Our first time in the „wild“.
Back on Highway 19, destination Telegraph Cove which is famous for whale watching, you can also take bear watching tours into Knight Inlet. On route we followed a suggestion from GyPSy guide and went to Sayward. Arrived in TC and spent a lovely evening in TC with Holger (North America expert of fvw) and his partner Anette sharing a nice dinner over travel talks. It is almost 22.30 hrs. and we need to be at the ferry at 6.30, so I am sure you’ll understand if we say good night at this point (and I’ll promised that the blogs would get shorter).
Thursday, Sept 13th Victoria to Black Creek
Today we woke up to a beautiful morning at Westbay and saw a seal as well as many seaplanes landing and taking off at/from Victoria’s inner harbour. Did drive all the way to Jordan River which is southwest of Victoria – despite raised eyebrows and smiles from the girls (Christine, Fiona, Josie, Maria) and Chris, Josie’s husband, when they heard about our planned itinerary. „Aha, and all in one day...?!“. Anyhow, we had to skip the original plan to take the logging road from Port Renfrew up to Cowichan Lake. The rental form suggested that these are forbidden roads, or simply no goes. Still, the scenery was beautiful and we enjoyed oceanfront breakfast in Jordan River – we are sure it would have been even nicer without the fog. It took us 75 (timed!) minutes to cover 66 km and that wasn’t because of the fog but speed limits and winding roads. By the way, Markus is driving the RAM 3500 „Heavy Duty“ as if he hadn’t done anything else in his life. Were rewarded with spectacular views on our way back along Sooke Road, then up north Malahat Highway (TransCanada#1), highways 19 and 19A to Black Creek. The GyPSy guide is really neat. Although it is a fairly new product and covers only the main touristic parts of BC at this time, it provides interesting commentary along the way. E.g. geology of Vancouver Island, short introductions on towns and suggestions where to stop. The latter was actually very helpful on Malahat Highway as it announced scenic view points ahead of time. GyPSy is easily installed and connects thru the radio band, so it automatically starts commentary once it receives a signal. Rental is 20,- CAD per day.
Stopped to pick up some BC wine along the way and are at „L50 – Lattitude 50“ at the time writing this blog (a I forgot to ask the folks at the RV Resort if they had internet access (Dr. Freud?), so I prepare the script for times when we have access again. By the way, the wine is a bit too sour for my taste buds.
We arrived around 18.00 hrs. at Saratoga Beach Resort. Very nice stretch of beach with panoramic views of the Sunshine Coast and the Coast Mountains in the distance. Campground is fairly small with 30 slots, probably half of them are long-term campers or frequents. We had L50 on the beach while the sun set, talked to a Dutch bird and photography addict who lives in the Fraser Valley and visits Saratoga for 15 consecutive years now. While chatting with this gentlemen, our neighbour of slot 28 introduced himself to us as such (we hadn’t seen him before but obviously had been seen). Turns out that he was Dutch himself and had already heard about the other fella... we took the chance to retire as we hadn’t had dinner yet and I was developping a cold.
Stopped to pick up some BC wine along the way and are at „L50 – Lattitude 50“ at the time writing this blog (a I forgot to ask the folks at the RV Resort if they had internet access (Dr. Freud?), so I prepare the script for times when we have access again. By the way, the wine is a bit too sour for my taste buds.
We arrived around 18.00 hrs. at Saratoga Beach Resort. Very nice stretch of beach with panoramic views of the Sunshine Coast and the Coast Mountains in the distance. Campground is fairly small with 30 slots, probably half of them are long-term campers or frequents. We had L50 on the beach while the sun set, talked to a Dutch bird and photography addict who lives in the Fraser Valley and visits Saratoga for 15 consecutive years now. While chatting with this gentlemen, our neighbour of slot 28 introduced himself to us as such (we hadn’t seen him before but obviously had been seen). Turns out that he was Dutch himself and had already heard about the other fella... we took the chance to retire as we hadn’t had dinner yet and I was developping a cold.
Mittwoch, 12. September 2007
Mittwoch, 12. September - Vancouver - Victoria
VICTORIA CONTINUED
Morning! Yesterday we picked up the Truck at Fraserway which is conveniently located to airport and BC Ferries Tsawwassen terminal. The into to the camper takes a while (minimum one hour incl. paper work), so it'll be good to take this into account when planning your trip. We were on a tight schedule, lost our reserved space as we were late (due to copilot misfunction) but still got onto the 11.00 ferry as there was space left. Breakfast, fog, sunshine, cold winds - we had a nice ride over to Victoria. Half way to Victoria we stopped at Thrifty Foods and Canadian Tires to pick up groceries and other basics to survive the wild. Groceries and food in general is less expensive in Germany - but in my opinion the word "Gammelfleisch" puts it all into perspective. Took the scenic marine drive through nice neighborhoods and along Beacon Hill Park to downtown Victoria and on to Westbay RV Park. Got there about 18.00 hrs. No time to unpack, got a cab into downtown (10 CAD) and discovered really nice neighborhoods and locations such as Chinatown with Fan Tan Alley and Market Square, the latter reminded us a little of Camden Town. Instead of having dinner downtown we took last harbour ferry back to RV Park. The harbour ferries actually are not taxis but offering tours (we paid 10 CAD each for the ride inner harbour to RV park - money well invested npt only because of the nice scenery!). Our captain was Heldor Schäfer, originally from Hamburg which he had left when he was 20, about 35-40 years ago. He lives in Vic for 20 years now, on a boat in Westbay. Funny enough, the four guest onboard were all Germans so he tried to do the commentary in German. Poor Heldor. Those of you who lived abroad for some time may know how quickly one looses words. Now it is time to hit the road, friends. Talk to you later!
To start with: We are exhausted, no, that is not true, I am. Markus got his „little“ toy this morning at Fraserway RV. He loves it. And I have to admit it indeed is a good, strong looking truck, nice colour. But to keep this log in a chronological order, I’ll rejoin you where I last uploaded the weblog, at San Francisco airport on Tuesday Sept. 11, around 8 in the morning. We took off and again a smooth flight and landing with UA in Vancouver. We were greeted by blue skies and sunshine. Took the Airporter to downtown Vancouver which is a great way to get a first impression of the city. The Airporter stops at a large number of hotels and is a good alternative to a taxi until the Skytrain connection will be ready in 2009. Stopped by at the office to say hello to my nice colleagues at Tourism BC. Went to the Lookout for a spectacular 360° degree view of the city and picked up our GyPSy Guide, a navi system which leads you to points of interest. Had a late but excellent lunch at the Irish Heather in Gastown (washrooms there are located what used to be the prison back in the old days). Didn’t complete my cowboy boot mission at OK Boots. Obviously there had been too many Asian female tourists this season and my size 34,5 (very small that is) was gone. Never mind, the shopping experience at OK was just hilarious due to the two elder shop owners. One of them is said to be born in Pakistan, have visited school in Scottland, do business in Kuwait and wants to go to the Octoberfest in October (!). Back to the office late afternoon to meet the girls and off to Gastown for some drinks and dinner. Thanks again for your time and the lovely evening at Social. Overnight at Josie’s and Chris’ in Richmond (CHEERS) who dropped us of at an airport hotel this morning so we could meet Fraserway RV shuttle and begin our RVenture. I think I’ll leave you right here as letters are dancing before my eyes. Promis to get back tomorrow. SORRY FOR THE LACK OF IMAGES, UPLOADING FAILED. Good Night!
Morning! Yesterday we picked up the Truck at Fraserway which is conveniently located to airport and BC Ferries Tsawwassen terminal. The into to the camper takes a while (minimum one hour incl. paper work), so it'll be good to take this into account when planning your trip. We were on a tight schedule, lost our reserved space as we were late (due to copilot misfunction) but still got onto the 11.00 ferry as there was space left. Breakfast, fog, sunshine, cold winds - we had a nice ride over to Victoria. Half way to Victoria we stopped at Thrifty Foods and Canadian Tires to pick up groceries and other basics to survive the wild. Groceries and food in general is less expensive in Germany - but in my opinion the word "Gammelfleisch" puts it all into perspective. Took the scenic marine drive through nice neighborhoods and along Beacon Hill Park to downtown Victoria and on to Westbay RV Park. Got there about 18.00 hrs. No time to unpack, got a cab into downtown (10 CAD) and discovered really nice neighborhoods and locations such as Chinatown with Fan Tan Alley and Market Square, the latter reminded us a little of Camden Town. Instead of having dinner downtown we took last harbour ferry back to RV Park. The harbour ferries actually are not taxis but offering tours (we paid 10 CAD each for the ride inner harbour to RV park - money well invested npt only because of the nice scenery!). Our captain was Heldor Schäfer, originally from Hamburg which he had left when he was 20, about 35-40 years ago. He lives in Vic for 20 years now, on a boat in Westbay. Funny enough, the four guest onboard were all Germans so he tried to do the commentary in German. Poor Heldor. Those of you who lived abroad for some time may know how quickly one looses words. Now it is time to hit the road, friends. Talk to you later!
To start with: We are exhausted, no, that is not true, I am. Markus got his „little“ toy this morning at Fraserway RV. He loves it. And I have to admit it indeed is a good, strong looking truck, nice colour. But to keep this log in a chronological order, I’ll rejoin you where I last uploaded the weblog, at San Francisco airport on Tuesday Sept. 11, around 8 in the morning. We took off and again a smooth flight and landing with UA in Vancouver. We were greeted by blue skies and sunshine. Took the Airporter to downtown Vancouver which is a great way to get a first impression of the city. The Airporter stops at a large number of hotels and is a good alternative to a taxi until the Skytrain connection will be ready in 2009. Stopped by at the office to say hello to my nice colleagues at Tourism BC. Went to the Lookout for a spectacular 360° degree view of the city and picked up our GyPSy Guide, a navi system which leads you to points of interest. Had a late but excellent lunch at the Irish Heather in Gastown (washrooms there are located what used to be the prison back in the old days). Didn’t complete my cowboy boot mission at OK Boots. Obviously there had been too many Asian female tourists this season and my size 34,5 (very small that is) was gone. Never mind, the shopping experience at OK was just hilarious due to the two elder shop owners. One of them is said to be born in Pakistan, have visited school in Scottland, do business in Kuwait and wants to go to the Octoberfest in October (!). Back to the office late afternoon to meet the girls and off to Gastown for some drinks and dinner. Thanks again for your time and the lovely evening at Social. Overnight at Josie’s and Chris’ in Richmond (CHEERS) who dropped us of at an airport hotel this morning so we could meet Fraserway RV shuttle and begin our RVenture. I think I’ll leave you right here as letters are dancing before my eyes. Promis to get back tomorrow. SORRY FOR THE LACK OF IMAGES, UPLOADING FAILED. Good Night!
Montag, 10. September 2007
Monday September 10th - San Francisco
We are in San Francisco! Today is Monday, Sept 10th. Actually we are done, well done ;) after a beautiful sunny day in „The City“. But where begin?
After a smooth flight on UA 927 we landed in SFO at around 7.30 at night. Great views of the city and the surrounding area! We had planned to leave our large soft suitcase at the airport and travel BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit - S-Bahn) to downtown. A few people and several answers later we finally found the luggage storage at the very end of Level 3 at the Airport Travel Agency. So „BART“ so good. But they only open at 7.00 am and our flight leaves at 8.00 on Tuesday morning.
So we took the Door to Door Shuttle (15,- US,- pp. – to provide some helpful information) to the Handlery Union Square Hotel (the ride raised a question why almost every shuttle, whether it be in the Caribbean or in Berlin has this particular sweet smell to it - to provide some sensefull information). Jeffrey, very friendly and helpful, checked us in and told us anything we needed to know (wireless access, close proximity to Union Square and the cable cars, Macy’s, art galleries...).
This morning we woke up to a grey sky. It already broke up at around 9.00 while we were walking through Chinatown carrying a coffee to go (this is to my North American friends: how do you manage to drink while you walk without a) spilling the coffee all over? b) getting your lips burnt?). We actually followed San Francisco’s Barbary Coast Trail which leads to historic places and buildings of the city – at Washington Square we watched groups of people doing their morning workout and meditation, had fantastic views of the sea in Telegraph Hill and simply enjoyed the difference and variety.
Pier 39 was still uncrowded (apart from the sea lions) and we had no problem boarding the Blue and Gold Fleet’s one hour Bay Adventure Cruise. Just few minutes prior to departure the sky turned cloudy again (panic!) but Golden Gate Bridge was absolutely impressive – and not a single structure was covered with fog. The tour is highly recommendable, commentary enjoyable!
Back at the harbour at noon, we carried on walking to Fisherman’s Wharf and further on to Hyde Street and the cable cars. What an interesting and fun way to explore the city (and save some energies). Talking about saving: We had a CityPass San Francisco which saved us time (no MUNI, Cable Car tickets to buy, Blue and Gold Fleet ticket and many more) and money.
Next stop Lombard Street. Once we had walked down and taken our picture, we (and the rest of us tourists) were friendly greeted by some San Francisco Fire Fighters who drove by clutching the horn and - in a very inviting voice (over the microphone) - let us know that we were a) „Welcome“ and b) in San Francisco“. Up Lombard St. and on to the next cable car down to Powell. Searched for the Visitor Centre to get a map of Mission District. Finally found both.
Walked blocks and blocks before realizing that we wouldn't catch our particular bus on a oneway street. Good thing! Otherwise we wouldn’t have met our friendly and unique cab driver Mr. Seiler (third generation of immigrants from the Stuttgart area and admirer of Angela Merkel) whose last words before driving off were „...and sorry for George Bush“. On our own feet again we walked through Mission District, admired the Murals and again just enjoyed being here. Found a unique spot to rest and eat (Boogaloo’s – name, interior design and menu suggested a complete Latin experience, but we ended up sharing our Quesadillas with The Scorpions – excellent Quesadillas, though, and after a while our heads got the hang of it, too). The next few hours are told quickly. Took the MUNI bus to Mission Dolores (one of the 21 California Missions, this particular one is dedicated to Franz von Assisi). Bus close to Alamo Square, took photo of the Painted Ladies (those Victorian houses often used for movies and TV productions, e.g. Fullhouse (that’s the only one crossing our mind right now, and yes, we are tired). Bus to City Hall, MUNI underground (Municipal Public Transit) to Powell which is very close to The Handlery, just a few blocks to walk or take the cable car up the hill. It is 7.00 / 19.00 hrs. now and expect us to have in-room dinner! Tomorrow is another day – and it starts at 4.30 in the morning.
We hope you enjoyed our 24+ hours in San Francisco – we definitely left parts of our hearts here.
PS: reports might get shorter with the trip ;)
IMAGES online now - thanks to T-Mob hotspot at SFO. Looks like the program doesn't take portrait format - or we haven't found out a way to tell the system to just to it ;)
After a smooth flight on UA 927 we landed in SFO at around 7.30 at night. Great views of the city and the surrounding area! We had planned to leave our large soft suitcase at the airport and travel BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit - S-Bahn) to downtown. A few people and several answers later we finally found the luggage storage at the very end of Level 3 at the Airport Travel Agency. So „BART“ so good. But they only open at 7.00 am and our flight leaves at 8.00 on Tuesday morning.
So we took the Door to Door Shuttle (15,- US,- pp. – to provide some helpful information) to the Handlery Union Square Hotel (the ride raised a question why almost every shuttle, whether it be in the Caribbean or in Berlin has this particular sweet smell to it - to provide some sensefull information). Jeffrey, very friendly and helpful, checked us in and told us anything we needed to know (wireless access, close proximity to Union Square and the cable cars, Macy’s, art galleries...).
This morning we woke up to a grey sky. It already broke up at around 9.00 while we were walking through Chinatown carrying a coffee to go (this is to my North American friends: how do you manage to drink while you walk without a) spilling the coffee all over? b) getting your lips burnt?). We actually followed San Francisco’s Barbary Coast Trail which leads to historic places and buildings of the city – at Washington Square we watched groups of people doing their morning workout and meditation, had fantastic views of the sea in Telegraph Hill and simply enjoyed the difference and variety.
Pier 39 was still uncrowded (apart from the sea lions) and we had no problem boarding the Blue and Gold Fleet’s one hour Bay Adventure Cruise. Just few minutes prior to departure the sky turned cloudy again (panic!) but Golden Gate Bridge was absolutely impressive – and not a single structure was covered with fog. The tour is highly recommendable, commentary enjoyable!
Back at the harbour at noon, we carried on walking to Fisherman’s Wharf and further on to Hyde Street and the cable cars. What an interesting and fun way to explore the city (and save some energies). Talking about saving: We had a CityPass San Francisco which saved us time (no MUNI, Cable Car tickets to buy, Blue and Gold Fleet ticket and many more) and money.
Next stop Lombard Street. Once we had walked down and taken our picture, we (and the rest of us tourists) were friendly greeted by some San Francisco Fire Fighters who drove by clutching the horn and - in a very inviting voice (over the microphone) - let us know that we were a) „Welcome“ and b) in San Francisco“. Up Lombard St. and on to the next cable car down to Powell. Searched for the Visitor Centre to get a map of Mission District. Finally found both.
Walked blocks and blocks before realizing that we wouldn't catch our particular bus on a oneway street. Good thing! Otherwise we wouldn’t have met our friendly and unique cab driver Mr. Seiler (third generation of immigrants from the Stuttgart area and admirer of Angela Merkel) whose last words before driving off were „...and sorry for George Bush“. On our own feet again we walked through Mission District, admired the Murals and again just enjoyed being here. Found a unique spot to rest and eat (Boogaloo’s – name, interior design and menu suggested a complete Latin experience, but we ended up sharing our Quesadillas with The Scorpions – excellent Quesadillas, though, and after a while our heads got the hang of it, too). The next few hours are told quickly. Took the MUNI bus to Mission Dolores (one of the 21 California Missions, this particular one is dedicated to Franz von Assisi). Bus close to Alamo Square, took photo of the Painted Ladies (those Victorian houses often used for movies and TV productions, e.g. Fullhouse (that’s the only one crossing our mind right now, and yes, we are tired). Bus to City Hall, MUNI underground (Municipal Public Transit) to Powell which is very close to The Handlery, just a few blocks to walk or take the cable car up the hill. It is 7.00 / 19.00 hrs. now and expect us to have in-room dinner! Tomorrow is another day – and it starts at 4.30 in the morning.
We hope you enjoyed our 24+ hours in San Francisco – we definitely left parts of our hearts here.
PS: reports might get shorter with the trip ;)
IMAGES online now - thanks to T-Mob hotspot at SFO. Looks like the program doesn't take portrait format - or we haven't found out a way to tell the system to just to it ;)
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