Jun
28
2010
Today (Monday) is planning day for our next little tent trip: Off on Wednesday for 2days camping at Radium Hotsprings in Kootenay National Park.
About 200miles from Calgary, it is Canadia’s largest natural hot pool (39C/103F), is below a sheer rock wall and smells of sulphur (guaranteed when I’m in there – Mike !). The campsite is a 1.5mile walk through the woods (wooah!) and has a fire3 pit for warmth, cooking and frightening bears!!
Jun
26
2010
There's a ...... !
After many of weeks of driving around California & Canada, we have finally seen some actual wildlife. Ney, some of the very creatures advertized on yellow roadsigns as being for ”next 10miles” !! So we saw Rocky Mountain Goats (shaggy things with horns!); a Moose casually having a drink; a few local Bambii’s and Gophers (but they’re everywhere!). . .
Tent Trees Water
We took the tent with us and found a campsite right by the water’s edge (again!!). The journey there was fun – we were in JT’s Nissan Pathfinder which has 4WD – just as well – as the roads off the main ones are literally gravel. Big gravel. So: we “off-road-ed!” Trouble was that the campground was made of gravel too so banging tent pegs in called for a lot of self-control! But it was worth it as at the mo ‘cos the evenings are light until almost 11pm so we could sit out with the fire burning and a bottle of vino-local!
Jun
22
2010
Live Long and Prosper !
So yesterday, having the use of JT’s Toyota truck-thing, we decided to take a short trip out, so where to go??
Of course: Vulcan!
After about 1 1/4hrs drive we arrived at Vulcan: a pleasant, if small, town south-west of Calgary. Founded AND named back in 1915 its survival on the map was – unwittingly – thanks to Gene Roddenberry and Leonard Nimoy.
To boldly something or other ....
The visitor centre is basically a Star Trek museum and gift shop with many original props from all franchises of the show. They’ve even got costumes you can dress up in and take photos with cardboards cut-outs of all the main characters . . .Trekkie Heaven or what?!. There is a model of the Starship Enterprise outside to add true quality (Mike thinks its from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier!)
Leonard Nimoy himself was there this April for a convention-type-thing and 5.5 thousand peeps turned up to see him as he was granted the keys of the town (that meant he had to lock-up after the ceremony!!).
The only other recognition for Vulcan is that the photo used in the Encyclopedia Britannica to describe the word Tornado was taken in Vulcan.
So, there you go. A quick trip into space without the aid of artificial stimulants!!
Jun
19
2010
Well then, now we got that dire Algeria game out of the way its time for board shorts and flipflops as the 20C sun is beating down on ole’ Calgary town!
No photos yet but we shall be venturing out and about from next week – hopefully getting as far as Lake Winnepeg to the east and Vancouver & Victoria to the west.
But the main thing whilst we are here is the famous Calgary Stampedes when Calgary shuts down for 2 weeks of cowboy-related frivolity…what a gay old time!!
Jun
16
2010
NOW it feels like being back home! Day Two in Calgary and nothing but clouds and rain. Found a good local bar though which serves very good steak whilst showing the footy!!
Great to see JT (Jane’s bro’) and with 6weeks or so here we should be able to travel about a bit and (hopefully) use the tent some more.
The world famous Calgary Stampedes are the first 2 weeks of July, when this place turns into party-central!! 14days of cowboy hats, yee-haws and “I wish I could quit you” all over the city!!
Thanks to my mum and Philpot for posting comments … MORE requested please!!
Jun
14
2010
We know you have no sympathy for us; don’t blame you!!
San Jose airport is where we are with 3hours til our flight to Calgary to stay with JT for the next few weeks. Fairly cheap ‘local’ flight but SJC has fewer facilities than Southampton Int’l Airport!! A BK, Sports Bar (sorted!) and paper shop should be enough to keep us entertained from half2 til 5pm boarding!!
We had a wicked time with Robin and Tamara – bless ‘em for putting us up – and got to see a lot of really cool places, esp Yosemite & Lake Tahoe and the Morgan Hill bars and pubs! If anybody is heading out this way then Yosemite is not to be missed…more impressive than the Grand Canyon even!
Whilst in Canadia we hope to get to see atleast one of the great lakes, depending on distance, aswell as Vancouver, Victoria and ofcourse the whole of the Calgary Stampedes: Party town! If anybody is heading out to the west side of Canada let us know…we could meet up!
Jun
12
2010
Great guy. With cheese!
You guys may have watched a thrill-less One All Draw, but the game we saw in an American bar here was a stunning 3-1 England Win!! Well atleast thats what we hoped for. And should have played for.
We thinks that Capello doesn’t actually know his players ‘cos some of those dudes were well out of position…And I know, I’ve often played footy out of position!
Took the pub by storm!!
Jun
11
2010
Spent 2 nights camping in the end as it was day one of the American summer hols, so the whole goddam place is booked ’til Sept!! Managed to find an RV Park that had one space for two nights, altho we had to (literally) move the tent for day 2. As it was 10 miles outside the entrance gate there was a bit of a queueueue to get in, but we learnt the trick of going in early as poss (ie 8am!) The most amazing place yet we both feel -see Photos page- as it has waterfalls, mountain peaks, wetlands, nature trails, torrential rivers and park rangers, which makes Mike think of Yogi Bear!!
Day One we kind of wandered around, did a couple of short hikes to lower waterfalls and took loads of pix. Day Two was an early one, as we wanted to do a 3-mile hike to Vernal Falls, up about 1000ft elevation. Had a light breaky, packed 2L of water, couple oranges and sarnies and headed off. Walking up the edge of the waterfall was incredible and cold and a bit scary all at the same time. However, when we got to the top, we took the wrong trail path and actually ended up doing a 6.8mile round hike. 2 1/2 hours up, 1 1/2 hours back down (via the easy way!) We think we hiked up 2000ft elevation in total!! we’re blaming the American signage for that!
" Up above the streets and houses, ... "
This pic isnt really clear, but wwe kiked up the left side of the pic through the spray; walking on rocks about 2ft wide whilst passing others on their way down…Toilet roll on stand-by!!
If any of you are planning a trip to Yosemite: DO IT! And book early! We got here early June and some of the campgrounds ere closed because of, wait for it……Snow!!
Jun
10
2010
We know, it sounds like either an X-Files episode or a trendy autobiog by some burnt out has-been. But read on McDuff…..
Driving along the the country lane a few days ago we chanced upon a lone wolf trotting casually by the side of the road, quite obviously with somewhere to go, but with no real hurry. Reminded us both of the end sequence of each episode (Jane used to watch it, honest!!) of The Littlest Hobo . . .”maybe tomorrow I’ll want to settle down, until tomorrow I’ll just keep movin’ on . . .”.
And as for the strange Lepidoptera, we were on our way out of Yosemite National Park driving at a respectable speed, when all of a sudden the road was covered – nay, blanketed – with butterflies. Just sitting there in ones and twos. Not flapping; or mating; or playing Buckaroo. Just sitting there. Now it matters not how skilled a driver you are, but trying to miss 000’s of butterflies and keep the car on the right-wrong side of the road is a test. (Mike got 7/10. Killed that is!!)
Jun
7
2010
Capitola -on- Sea!
A nice chilled out w/e spent visiting a couple of nearby towns with Robin & Tam…Capitola (on Saturday) is on the (west) coast near Santa Cruz and is very piture-skew!! Bits almost resemble the English seaside with colourfully painted little houses right on the beach (like Brighton huts) and people getting sunburnt! Had a good lunch at Paradise Grill where they make some seriously kicking garlic bread the size of Middlesex!
On Sunday went to Campbell, NW of Morgan Hill to see Barney & Rachel (friends of R & T) on the outskirts of San Jose. Good Mexican bar followed by a brewpub called Coops – good wheat beer and decent roast chicken for Sunday lunch (how we miss trad English Sunday lunch tho – eating it not cooking it for other!!) Had a few games of pool & 10pin bowling in the evening, like you do!
Rachel & Barney