I used to always think of Canada as a frozen, relatively-unpopulated nation north of the U.S. where everyone says “eh?” I was surprised, then, to see that there are parts (well, south-central British Columbia) that are much like California, with wineries, beaches, and lots of sun. The low population (less than California) of a country with more land mass than the U.S. means that much of the land is still unravaged by man. And the country has a history of being far less belligerent than its neighbor to the south.
Lisa and I are off to Canada! We are doing a road trip from California in her Honda Accord hybrid to, most notably, Penticton, Biritish Columbia, where she will be racing in at least part of Ironman Canada; and Yoho National Park, where we will be doing some hiking in the Canadian Rockies. On Day 1, we had a pleasant drive from the SF Bay Area to Tacoma, Washington, where we are staying for the night. Stay tuned for upcoming adventures and pics.
“Squamish: the Recreational Capital of Canada,” proclaimed a sign demarking the start of this area. Indeed, this is a famous place for rock climbing, and the Winter Olympics will even be held here in 2010. In addition to camping here overnight, I did a little bit of hiking and bouldering in Smoke Bluffs Park. Photos are here!
I finally made it into Canada. Getting past the checkpoint was no problem (just showed my CA driver’s license and passport, the latter used instead of a birth certificate), and soon I was among our peaceful neighbors in the north. Having had at least half-a-dozen friends tell me “you must see Vancouver, it is absolutely gorgeous!”, I was eager to see what all the fuss over that city was about… Continue reading »
Carolyn and I did a 5-hour drive from Pittsburgh to the Canadian border in order to be out of the country a little bit (and to grab some Molson beer :)). Oh, and watch the Everest IMAX movie and see the Niagara Falls firsthand. Here are some photos from the falls.
