Whither Canada

Those of you who check my blog site fairly regularly may have noticed that when I actually update my site the latest postings do not always correlate with where I actually am in America at that particular moment in time.

The reason for this is simple. Whilst I attempt to keep my blog as up to date as possible, ready to publish at the next location we are at with wi-fi access, inevitably we end up staying at several sites in a row that don't actually have working wi-fi, and so by the time I publish my 'latest' blog it is already several days out of date and we have then moved on.

Don't worry I won't go on a rant about Internet access`again, but just to highlight the pressure of attempting to get everything done in a limited time span; the other week when I was booking accomodation for my stay in Boston once the Trek America`part of my trip is over, I rather hurriedly ended up booking myself into an all female hostel, as I hadn't read the webpage properly.

Luckily they were sympathetic and have made alternative arrangements for me.

I hope.

Well I don't mind sharing.

On that note, just to let you know that I have now arranged to spend a few days on my own in Philadelphia, Boston and Vermont once the 64 day trek is complete, before flying back from New York to the UK on the 27th August.

Anywho, back to the here and now-ish...

Klamath near Redwood National Park, California: Friday 20th July- Sunday 22nd July

Our time near Redwood National Park proved a pleasant respite from the generally hectic nature of the trip.

On the Saturday morning we went for a short walk in the Redwood National Park home to the tallest living organism on the planet, the Giant Redwood tree.

With a potential lifespan of 2000 years, and a height of 350 feet, these trees were in many ways the organic embodiment of the 'everything's bigger and better in America' maxim.

The rest of the day was then spent relaxing back at the campsite, and with plenty of space at our disposal we even managed to have a football match with another trek group who were also staying there.

It would be difficult not to overestimate my pivotal role in the game, as after being 2-0 down, my own solo effort at 2-2 put us in the lead for the first time in a match that we then went on to win.

Unfortunately I don't think any scouts from LA Galaxy were watching that day.

Florence, Oregon: Sunday 22nd July- Monday 23rd July

Most of the Sunday was spent travelling further Northwards.

However once in Oregon we stopped to partake in what would turn out to be one of my favourite activities of the tour so far; a dune buggy ride at The Great Sand Dunes Recreational Area.

Here we were driven around at speeds of up to 70mph and at all angles, over the desert sands.

Inevitably our clothes got a bit sandy in the process and we had to wear protective goggles to shield our eyes.

With sand flying from all directions I was also required to give my mouth a rest for the duration of that particular trip.

Seattle, Washington State (Not DC!): Monday 23rd July- Tuesday 24th July

We set off early to Seattle on the Monday morning, where the grey overcast skies that are apparently characteristic of the North West, were not the most welcoming. Seattle was a strange city.

One of the later cities to be established, it felt like a place that was still seeking to find and assert its true identity. Whilst I spent the afternoon at the famous Pike Street Farmers Market and then at the Experience Music Project based near the 'celebarted' Space Needle, I felt that the city did not offer a great deal in the way of attractions.

Well I am a tourist after all!

The monorail ride to the Space Needle lasted all but two minutes, and the Space Needle was so overpriced for a view of a fairly unspectacular city, that I decided to spend my money at the Experience Music Project.

This was an interesting national music exhibition of popular US music, also focusing in particular on two of the Seattle's areas most famous musical exports; Jimi Hendric and courtesy of the grunge scene of the early 1990s, Nirvana.

Again, whilst I enjoyed the exhibit there was nothing truly unique about it that meant that it could not have been based anywhere else in the US.

I didn't necessarily dislike Seattle, but by now I am sure you have gathered that it was probably my least favour it city I have visited so far.

It was therefore a bit irritating that our departure for Canada on the Tuesday was delayed due to problems with the necessary paperwork, and the fact that we were forced to reconvene every couple of hours or so to check the latest developments, meant that we were somewhat restricted with any further plans for that day.

Oh, Canada,
Vancouver and Banff National Park, Tuesday 24th July- Sunday 29th July

After much waiting we eventually left Seattle in the early evening, later than planned, and after further procrastination at the border we set up camp on the outskirts of Vancouver in British Columbia in the dark.

On the Wednesday morning we made a brief visit to the city itself and stopped in Stanley Park to view the replica native Canadian totum poles mainly constructed in the 1980s by White artists to commemorate their national heritage. Please note a healthy tone of British cynicism in that last remark.

We spent so little time in the city, that to be honest I wasn't really able to form a true opinion of Vancouver. This was in fact sympematic of our first couple of days in Canada, as we made our way towards Banff National Park, Alberta making up the time we had lost on the Tuesday.

Banff National Park was in many ways the highlight of our stay in Canada, and we stayed there for three days from the Thursday until the Sunday.

This was incidentally the longest continual stop on the whole of the trip so far.

The town was quaint and picturesque in a tourist- centric manner, located in a scenic park part of the Canadian Rockies surrounded by huge limestone mountains, pine tree forests and emerald blue ponds and rivers.

On the Friday I went for a short hike in the mountains to see the hoodoo rock formations, and then took a gondola, or cable car as we know them back home, up Sulphur Mountain.

On the Saturday we went to the magnificent Lake Louise nearby and then returned to Banff for an afternoon at the hot springs overlooking the Rockies.

Back in the USSA, Glacier National Park, Montana, Sunday 29th July- Monday 30th July

After a surprisingly easy border crossing back into the US on the Sunday we took a brief trip to Glacier National Park in Montana.

Here this spectacular mountain range is still being shaped and formed by the active, if somewhat decreasing, glaciers. I did not partake in the early morning hikes on the Monday, but even those of my party who did were somewhat restricted by the presence of black bears within the vicinity.

On our short visit the previous day on the shuttle bus I did in fact see my third bear of the trip so far. With Yellowstone only a day away that may increase further if I encounter Yogi and Boo Boo as well.