It was time to say goodbye to Vancouver and our lovely hotel the Fairmont Pacific Rim. We spent most of the morning showering repacking and trying to organize our stuff.
Check in on Royal Caribbean‘s Ovation of the Sea wwas 2:30. It was an ugly, rainy day not one for site seeing. We did spend some time in the cafe at the hotel. They had excellent almond croissants.
Check in was a little difficult due to having to clear customs but all in all it probably took about an hour.
We found the Two70 where a band was playing Caribbean vibes.
Our cabin is nice with a good size balcony but not as big as we had on the Emerald Princess.
We have a set dinner time and the table is for 6 but we were the only ones there. The good part about that is we were able to get to the 7:30 show. It was a comic named Rondell Sheridan. He was very funny.
We went back to our cabin to unpack and we were out on the balcony when we set sail at 9:30.
We are on our way back to Vancouver after a wonderful few days in Banff. Our route this morning has been quite lovely with clear blue skies.
The mountains were gentler with y’all trees and lush green landscaping and little snow. But as we grew closer to Vancouver snow-capped mountains began to appear!
There were also waterfalls flowing from the mountaintops.
Mountains around Vancouver were still covered in snow. I believe one of them might be Whistler, a local ski mountain.
Another little tunnel.
Finally, we arrived in Vancouver. We are staying at the Fairmont Pacific Rim directly across the street from the cruise port. It’s a very nice hotel. We were going to try the hot tub but it looked stormy.
So we went to the gym and then relaxed for a bit—the view from our room.
I had sushi for lunch and dinner. I can never go wrong with that. We hung out in the lobby restaurant and listened to music and people-watched.
So a few pointers about driving the Trans Canada Highway. It’s very scenic. It’s a 10-hour drive. Traffic around Vancouver is heavy but most of the trip traffic was good. Make sure you have enough gas as you get closer to Banff. There is an area of about 50 miles where finding gas could pose a problem.
There are no tolls which is great! Coming from Vancouver Revelstoke is more like 70% of the drive. If you have the time spend two nights there. Stay in Banff at least 3 nights but 5 would be optimal. There is a lot to do!
Our stay at Hidden Ranch was good. The bus practically stopped at our door. But there are many places right in town.
Go to Lake Louise. And maybe visit after June 1st so the snow on the lakeshore is melted, and the colors are brilliant.
I can see why Banff and its surrounding areas are so popular. The breathtaking beauty, the fun activities, and the charm of a place so diverse in population it’s hard not to appreciate the world we live in.
We started our morning at Downtown Sally Cafe & Bakery. I had an almond croissant and coffee and Bruce had what they call a cruffin filled with strawberry and cream.
We sat outside at the cafe and enjoyed the bright sunshine.
Sitting at the bus stop, we can see mountains all around us.
We took the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. The views were fabulous.
At the top, we stopped for a buffet lunch at the Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen.
It’s a buffet lunch. A little expensive at $45 Canadian each but it included coffee, tea, and soft drinks. And it was worth it for the breathtaking views.
The building also held a little theater showing a movie of Banff. There were also exhibits. Can you guess what this is?
After lunch, we walked out on the boardwalk. From the top, I took this panoramic shot of the mountains.
The boardwalk extended from one mountaintop to another. We decided to go halfway. That was good enough.
We could see the town of Banff below!
The very blue lake in the foreground is Lake Minnewanka.
Bruce is taking in the scenery.
Snow everywhere but I wore just my top most of the time. The sun was warm. I was wondering how long the snow stayed on the mountains although the glaciers always maintain snow.
This was where the boardwalk went. Quite a distance but I’m still not up to that high a hike. We were up around 7,500 feet.
We did get to see a mama mountain goat and her kids.
I thought going down would be like a roller coaster but it was very smooth.
Once down we sat around a fire pit waiting for our bus.
This evening we went into the hot tubs at the resort. What a fabulous view.
I hate it when I’m on vacation and I get sick. And it’s usually a given that I get sick when I get home. But this time it started with a bad sore throat, and yesterday, on our drive to Banff, I was pretty much out of it.
We traveled through the national parks and I was able to get some great shots.
Our trip took us through Revelstoke, Glacier, Yoho, and Banff National Parks. We finally made it to Banff at 7pm.
Today we were off on a small tour to Lake Louise and Johnson Canyon.
On our way, our guide pointed out Castle Rock, named for its resemblance to an old castle. The side view made it appear much smaller than it is.
We finally reached Lake Louise which was magnificent.
There was still snow on top so we couldn’t see the brilliant colors that the lake has in summertime. However, we did catch a bit of the color.
The famous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Our driver was a character. He took our picture and then a video.
Our next stop was Johnson Canyon for a little hike to a waterfall.
Of course, there were beautiful mountains everywhere. And a deer!
The water in the river was glacial gray-green.
It was a half-mile hike but it was slippery in spots.
We walked most of the way but did not complete the hike.
And for the grand finale of our tour and by far my favorite part was we saw bears. And not just any bears. A grizzly mama and her cubs. It was strange how she didn’t react to everyone coming as close as we did.
Bravo to William! He came through. I said I wanted to see bears and I saw bears.
He dropped us off in town and we had fish and chips at Brazen and now back to Hidden Ridge to rest up for tomorrow!
It was a rough start to the day since I woke with a sore throat. I can’t seem to catch a break from getting sick on these journeys. I’m always prepared though with antibiotics and prednisone if it seems like it’s going to turn into something worse.
We had an Uber pick us up at the Marriott Pinnacle to take us to the Hertz rental. I think it must have been his first job but with a lot of going around in circles, we made it.
We are renting a KIA SUV. It seems pretty nice. We started on our journey but we were both hungry. Tim Horton is a Canadian fast-food restaurant that used to have restaurants in Maine. We figured we would try them out. I had an egg and sausage on a croissant, and Bruce had a bacon, egg, and cheese on an English muffin. It was pretty good.
The traffic was much heavier than we expected leaving Vancouver. It was going to be a long day.
We drove over the Fraser River on the Port Mann Bridge.
And then we started to see snow-covered mountains.
And a lot of farm land.
We came to an area called Bridal Veil Falls. It was a 15-minute hike and we really didn’t have enough time. So we took a picture from a distance. And it really is hard to see the falls in the middle of the photo.
It is a very scenic drive. We stopped in the town of Hope.
Lots of rivers and lakes along the way. The rivers are fed by the glaciers.
The area around Kamloops looked a little drier and sort of desert-like.
Our day continued on and finally we reached close to our destination of Revelstoke.
We passed the beautiful Three Valley Lake Chateau on Lake Chateau. This is also connected to a ghost town.
We are staying at the Alpenrose Bed & Breakfast. It’s a lovely little place in Revelstoke. We have a view of a snow-covered mountain out our window.
A&W seems to be big here. I have not had a root beer float since I was a kid and thought we could get a bite to eat and a float for dinner. This franchise didn’t have floats so we got a slushy. The hamburger was strange. Boy were we disappointed. I’m not much of a fast food eater but this was to be nostalgic. No more. Salmon and salads are good for me!
Driving back to the B&B I couldn’t miss this shot!
For two well-traveled souls like Bruce and me, it’s a little strange that we’ve never been to Vancouver. The Emerald Princess landed and we were off the ship by 8am.
Our hotel was less than a half-mile from the port, so we planned to walk. But I first needed my morning coffee. We also split a scone.
We are staying at the Marriott Pinnacle. We booked a king but at 10 am they only had two doubles available so we decided that was good enough. We rested, and I actually slept until noon. I didn’t get any sleep last night since my stomach was upset. So I really needed the rest.
We adventure out to experience Vancouver. Our usual thing is to go to a bakery and a church. But first, we needed lunch. I had a salmon bowl and Bruce had a cheeseburger at The Brass Fish. My salmon was delicious.
We stopped at a chocolate cafe for dessert and coffee. Bruce had hot chocolate.
Our next stop was Christ Church Cathedral. This was a little less impressive than the cathedral in Victoria.
It was located between skyscrapers which made it seem even smaller. The cathedral was built in 1895 and received a Heritage designation in 1976.
We decided to head back to our hotel to rest again. I read while sitting looking out at our two-sided views.
We took a walk along the waterfront taking in the beautiful landscape.
This was an interesting sculpture from the 2010 Olympics.
Lots of seaplanes were taking off and coming in. It’s a thriving business taking tourists on tours.
We ate dinner at Mahoney’s Pub. I had a margarita pizza which I shared with Bruce and he had a bowl of tomato soup.
Yesterday was a sea day. We attended an enrichment lecture on whales, played in the casino, met friends for coffee, and went to another great production show. We also went to a candlelight concert featuring Bohemian Strings.
We didn’t get to port in Victoria until 2pm. It was really nice sitting on our balcony as the sun was finally shining.
We had no plans except to find a cathedral and a bakery. But what we found first was Aaron, a driver for Victoria Pedicab Company.
Aaron drove us around the lovely city of Victoria. For $100, we had a guided tour for an hour stopping wherever we wanted to stop. It was a bit chilly but Aaron gave us a warm, fuzzy blanket to keep us warm.
We began our journey along the waterfront.
We headed into the James Bay neighborhood where beautiful older homes were dispersed between newer, more modern homes.
Houses in the historic registry have plaques near the front doors. One house had an otter painted into their front steps.
And this was the house that Aaron said he could afford. A delightful little fairy house.
One tree was adorned with teacups. A resident, Rory Palmer, placed dainty porcelain teacups and a teapot in the plum tree in front of his house to honour his late grandmother.
We rode through the beautiful Beacon Hill Park.
The big bucket is a water spout for kids.
There were several giant Sequoia trees.
And lots of Canadian geese and peacocks. This peacock decided to make some loud noises while we were standing by the tree.
It was a canopy of fir trees!
A 128-foot totem pole was erected in 1956. It was carved from a 133-foot cedar tree by a Kwakiutl chief and is a memorial to the indigenous soldiers who died in World Wars I and II.
After the park, we headed to Christ Church Cathedral.
The Cathedral was built in the early part of the last century.
Next, we drove past the Empress Hotel. It was built between 1904 and 1908 and has undergone additions as well as a major renovation in 2018.
Driving past the hotel to its right is the Legislative Building.
At the right front corner is another totem pole.
Our last stop was a bakery of sorts called the Birdcage which has been around for over 50 years. A charming little place to get takeout coffee, tea, and pastries, as well as other necessities.
It was a fun little tour around the city of Victoria and I highly recommend taking the tour with Victoria Pedicab Company. And better still if you get Aaron who showed us the charm and whimsy of Victoria.
We boarded the Emerald Princess on Sunday and spent Monday at sea watching shows, working out, playing in the casino, listening to enrichment lectures, and eating.
We arrived in San Francisco at 7 am but didn’t need to leave the ship until 10am. We bought tickets to Alcatraz and the ferry through Get Your Guide.
We walked a short 5-minute walk to Pier 33, where the ferries to Alcatraz depart.
It was a short ride to the island and it was a chilly, cloudy morning.
The prison, once a fort, is now a tourist attraction. The US Army began using it in the late 1850s for housing prisoners, but the famous “Rock” building seen today was constructed between 1910 and 1920 to serve as a military prison.
Alcatraz became a Federal Prison from 1934 to 1963.
We had an audio tour so we started out walking up a hill. A short walk up took us to an exhibition on a 1969 native American demonstration, since they believed they were the rightful owners of the land.
A guard tower still watches over the island although it is no longer manned.
The next building we came upon was the Penitentiary Social Hall.
It is basically a ruin. I was able to see inside.
At the power building, there was an old-time fire truck.
The power building was built in 1939 and provided power to the entire Penitentiary.
In the laundry building, there were presentations on the Native Americans and their occupation of Alcatraz. The prison had been closed for 7 years when the occupation took place and lasted for 19 months. In the beginning, it received worldwide press coverage, donations, and aid. However, as time pressed on it lost its audience and donations. It was still the beginning of the red movement to show how this group of people had been disenfranchised and basically treated poorly.
The building also housed prison statistics and the infamous criminals who served time in Alcatraz including Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly.
As we walked the grounds of Alcatraz, I noted how incongruous the beautiful landscaping was to the starkness of the buildings.
We next climbed another hill to reach the cell block. Our audio guide talked about the prison escape attempt in 1946 that led to the deaths of two prison guards and two escapees. Two other inmates were later executed.
Some of the inmates learned to paint, played music, or got an education. One inmate Elliott Michener was a groundskeeper and gardener while serving time on Alcatraz. He was an inmate who rehabilitated through gardening.
Inmates who were disruptive, often spent much time in solitary confinement.
The favorite place for most inmates was the yard.
Guards and their families often resided on Alcatraz. Below is a photograph of apartments for families.
The canons on Alcatraz were from the 1850s and 60s when Alcatraz was a fort.
There are many birds on Alcatraz and extremely large gulls.
There were some pretty views from Alcatraz.
We finished our walk on the rock and headed back to the ferry.
I could see the Emerald Princess in the distance.
And found another canon!
Before heading back to our ship. It was a fun day in San Francisco.
One last look at San Francisco.
Now we are approaching the Golden Gate Bridge.
And we are off! Tomorrow is another sea day and then Victoria, British Columbia.
We woke very, very early to catch a flight to Los Angeles out of West Palm Beach. We were at the airport by 5 a.m., and going through security was a breeze.
Since I have a Platinum American Express card, it gives me access to many airport lounges around the world. Luckily this small airport had one, it was open and had no lines. It’s between Concourse A and B. Last week, we were on Breeze Airlines out of C, with no lounge. That’s always a bummer.
Our flight was on time. We flew American Airlines. Our tickets were $90 each for basic economy. But with my Citi Advantage card, I get free checked bags. With my Platinum American Express card, I get a $200 credit each year that pays for our seats. I was able to get extra leg room for our first leg.
In Dallas, we had a long layover. The lounge there only allowed two hours so we would have to wait to go. We splurged on the Centurian Lounge. I was free but Bruce was $50. To be honest, it wasn’t worth the money.
Our flight to LA was completely sold out. They offered to give money for giving up your seat. I would have done this but we are getting on a cruise and didn’t want to miss the ship.
We stayed at the Hyatt Airport and for some reason, I had a free room. Now I honestly don’t know why. Our room is nice, large, and comfy.
We arrived by 3 pm so we decided to go to Hollywood. I haven’t been there in 56 years and it has changed a bit.
Our Uber driver took us through a neighborhood of lovely old homes. They weren’t large but I believe this area was where many a young starlet lived.
But the wax museum is still there. I went there in 1970 with 3 friends. My bestie, Madeline, was grabbed by a werewolf and we very nice friends took off. I still don’t think she’s forgiven me.
We also told the cab driver we wanted to go to Grauman’s Chinese Theater for dinner only to be told it wasn’t a Chinese restaurant but a theater. That was embarrassing.
They are currently having a movie festival and we walked into the Roosevelt Hotel where they held the Oscars in 1931. What a beautiful place.
We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I had a Mediterranean salmon salad which was delicious. Bruce had a burger. It was interesting that they didn’t add on taxes other than a sales tax. In South Florida, many restaurants in tourist areas add on extra fees.
After dinner, we checked out the stars’ names on the Walk of Fame and then headed back to our hotel.
A few more images of the town.
It was a long day and we needed to sleep! Tomorrow off to the Emerald Princess.
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