Vancouver

The Great Canadian Road Trip (8)

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Back to Vancouver

On our return ferry to Vancouver the sun was shining and it was a beautifully clear day. We were also able to catch an earlier ferry than the one we had booked, which freed up a little time. Once back in Vancouver, we returned the hire car and checked back in to the Paradox Hotel for the last night of our holiday. We decided to book a hop on hop off bus again as we knew we would get to see some of the city in the afternoon and then the following day before we left for the airport.

We stopped at Gastown to see the famous gas-powered clock and then went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for food. This restaurant had the same menu as the one in Whistler, but had slightly different décor, including an old tram car in the centre.

Our next stop was Canada Place where we had a lovely walk out in the evening sunshine before heading back to the hotel.

After a great breakfast at Bellagio’s, we were back on the hop on hop off the following morning and travelled down to Stanley Park. We had a long walk through the park, once again in glorious sunshine. We walked along the sea wall for quite a way, enjoying the scenery and the sunshine, then went to see the totem poles. After spending a few hours in the park, we got the bus back to Bellagio’s for lunch. On this occasion we decided to go full on and had a stack of pancakes and fruit each. After a spot of shopping, it wasn’t long before we were headed off to our hotel, ready for the flight home.

First time in Business Class

As a treat we had booked our return flight with British Airways Business Class. This is the first time we had ever done this, but with an overnight flight and a drive back up from Heathrow to Yorkshire, we decided to give it a try and see if it would be worth the upgrade to get some sleep and hopefully feel more refreshed on landing.

The service was amazing, with champagne on boarding, lovely food served on China plates with proper cutlery, with an attendant asking if you would like to be woken for breakfast. After I had eaten my meal, I watched a film, then managed to settle down and sleep for a good few hours. I did in fact need waking up for breakfast and it wasn’t long before we were due to land. My husband however didn’t particularly enjoy the experience and said he could not get comfortable enough to sleep. He can stay in the cheap seats next time.

And so ended our amazing road trip to Canada. After three weeks, we had experienced so many amazing places, travelled to some beautiful places and made some unforgettable memories. Canada is a gorgeous country, with the friendliest of people. I hope we get the opportunity to go again.

Hints and Tips for a Canada Road Trip

  • Do your research – really look at what you want to see and experience, how much driving you are prepared to do and what kind of accommodation you prefer. We had a real mix of places. Most of our itinerary was booked in advance, but we did do some spur of the moment things too
  • People are so friendly and helpful. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice, directions or for recommendations
  • Choose the timing of your trip carefully – September was a great time to go, as the weather was still great, but a lot of places has quietened down after the summer
  • Be prepared for early mornings ang long days to get the most out of your experience
  • Be bear aware, but not in a bear panic. If you are keeping on main paths and trails you will generally be okay, but you are likely to need bear spray if you go off the beaten track
  • Everything is bigger than you think and further than you think. Be prepared to be in awe of some of the vast spaces
  • Canadian Line Dancing is amazing, but not for the faint hearted
  • Carry lots of snack in the car. We kept ours in large plastic tubs to keep them fresh and to prevent attracting wildlife
  • The coffee is Canadiano, not Americano
  • For some reason the milk tastes different – this could be a UK thing
  • Trains go on for ever which is great to see unless you are waiting at a level crossing
  • First impressions can be deceiving, especially where hotels and accommodation is concerned
  • Be patient if you want to see wildlife – most creatures are shy and only come out when they feel safe, but when they do it is definitely worth it

The Great Canadian Road Trip (6)

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Summerland and Kettle Valley Railway

Our next day saw us travelling towards the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. We were so pleased that we were able to do this as the trains had been moved to another location during the recent wildfires and had only just reopened the week before we arrived.

Our journey took us through Summerland, which had also been badly affected by the fires. However, their Fall Fair was in full swing, so we decided to call in and see what it was all about. Summerland had an amazing community feel to it. The sun was shining and everyone was out enjoying the event. There was a classic car show with hundreds of cars on show, with a great live band playing. There were traditional crafts on display, market stalls and a community centre full of produce which had been judged and given prizes earlier in the day. It was a brilliant way to pass a couple of hours on our way to the railway.

Kettle Valley Railway did not disappoint either. It was a huge steam engine, pulling two enclosed and two open carriages. We had booked in the closed carriage as we were worried it might be cold and rainy, but it actually kept us out of the heat. The train travels for 90 minutes through ten miles of the gorgeous scenery of the Okanagon Valley, made up of many orchards and vineyards. The volunteers on the train were great and gave us a commentary and answered questions. It was quite amusing as they did keep getting left and right mixed up, which meant we were often looking for landmarks on the wrong side of the train.

After the journey we stayed a while in the covered area within the station to have our picnic and watched as they turned the train around and shut everything down at the end of the day.

Sleeping in a train

Our overnight stay was in a place called Agassiz. The accommodation was called Lu Zhu Caboose and was in fact and old railway engine which had been renovated and made into a stunning Air B & B. It was such a great place to stay. It was dark when we arrived, but we managed to switch on the fairy lights and light the fire pit in the garden so that we could sit and enjoy the evening in the most unusual of places.  Although the accommodation was small it had been very well thought out and created a great space to sit and eat as well as a bathroom, downstairs bedroom and another bedroom in the roof space. It was a very comfortable night’s sleep and one of the most unusual places I have ever stayed.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

The following morning saw us travelling back towards Vancouver but stopping off at the Capilano Suspension Bridge. This was not at all what I expected as the park houses a whole host of experiences as well as the bridge.

I really loved the totem poles and we attended for the tour and talk about their history and the stories and traditions behind the carvings.

We then went to the cliff walk which is a cantilevered walkway 90m above the canyon. It takes you along the edge of the cliff, with amazing views over the canyon. Towards the end we joined another talk about bears within the area.

 The bridge itself was our next stop. It is impressive, but scary, 70m above the river and spanning across 137m. It swings and sways as you go across and it is difficult to walk without holding on to the rail.

We the continued on to the tree tops walk, which is a fully boarded walk within the treetops, giving an amazing view of the forest and providing information about the trees plants and animals you may see along the way.

We stopped for lunch within the park and were treated to a couple of singers and guitar player on the porch outside the restaurant. After another little stroll and a stop in the gift shop, we carried along on our journey back to Vancouver.

Back to Vancouver

We arrived at our next hotel – Pinnacle at the pier late afternoon. This was in a completely different area to where we had stayed when we first arrived in Vancouver. We struggled to park the car in the underground hotel, but found the staff a little unhelpful asking us to go to our rooms and come down and park the car later, but we wanted to go out for a walk and didn’t want to end up having the car towed away. Luckily, after a short while a spare space was available.

We walked along the pier area and found a supermarket where we got some lovely food to eat later, as we struggled to find a restaurant that appealed to us. We then stopped in the seating area next to the foot passenger terminal, where a performer was singing and playing a guitar. Back at the hotel, we had our food and a few drinks, sitting chatting and playing cards.