TRAVEL THE WORLD - LAKE LOUISE, CANADA

This 2003 vacation was the first time I had visited the Rocky Mountains in the spring. We had gorgeous weather, sunny with temperatures in the mid-20's Centigrade - unusual for Alberta in May. There was a lot of snow on the mountains, and there was ice on Lake Louise as you can see in the third photo. We enjoyed walking along the lake with Chateau Lake Louise in the background. Being surrounded by snow and ice gave a crispness to the air which, combined with the warmth of the sun, made for a wonderful feeling of well-being.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - TOFINO, B.C., CANADA

These photos were taken at Long Beach at Tofino on Vancouver Island in 2003. We spent four days there during the summer when it normally has so much rain. We were very fortunate in having no rain at all making it possible to go for many long walks on beautiful Long Beach.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - WICKANINNISH BEACH, TOFINO, B.C., CANADA

These photos of Wickaninnish Beach were taken in 2003 while on a long walk near Tofino on Vancouver Island.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PORT ALBERNI, B.C., CANADA

Whenever I go to the West Coast of Canada, I am amazed at the beauty of the forests and size of the trees. 2003 at Cathedral Grove near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island was no exception.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - TOFINO, B.C., CANADA

These photos from 2003 were taken at beautiful Long Beach at Tofino on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - BANFF, CANADA

One of the advantages of growing up in Alberta is the proximity of the Rocky mountains and the town of Banff. This photo was taken in 2003 when Paul and I had a holiday in a rented motor home which we drove through Alberta and British Columbia. Being in Banff was a pleasure as it brought back many memories of previous visits.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - POWELL RIVER, CANADA

Powell River is located on the coast of BC opposite Campbell River on Vancouver Island. The town began when a pulp and paper mill was opened in 1908 and grew until the mill was one of the largest in the world. When we visited in 2003, there was a lot of unemployment in the area, as the mill had been down-sizing its production. The photo is taken from the municipal campground, one of the nicest we had ever seen, located directly on the Pacific Ocean which you can see in the photo.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - TOFINO, B.C., CANADA

Tofino was wonderful. It is located on the west side of Vancouver Island quite a distance from Victoria. Because of its remoteness and the frequent rain, I had never visited the area, though I knew how beautiful it was. We were blessed with gorgeous weather for the three days of our visit in 2003. We walked on the beach, fished, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun.

TRAVEL THE WORLD, EDMONTON, CANADA

In 2004, when I visited Edmonton - always regarded as my home town - I was impressed with Sir Winston Churchill Square. The pool which sits in front of City Hall is surrounded by other attractive private and public buildings such as the art gallery, the Citadel Theatre, the main library and the City Centre Mall. Development of the square as Edmonton's main public space was envisioned in the city plan as early as the 1950's. If you look closely at the left of the photo, you can see that the improvements undertaken to celebrate the 100th birthday of the city are underway. These included a waterfall and an amphitheatre.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - BANFF, CANADA

This photo was taken in May of 2001, the only time I have been in the Rocky mountains in the spring. It's often very cold at high altitudes in May, but that year it was lovely and warm with temperatures in the 20's Celsius. Sunny days with lots of snow on the mountains made for stunningly beautiful scenery. When walking, it was sometimes possible to be quite warm and then suddenly to experience a brief chill as cold air descended from a nearby mountain. How exhilarating!

TRAVEL THE WORLD - EDMONTON, CANADA

This stairway in the lobby of the Edmonton city hall leads up to the Council Chamber. The city hall was opened in 1992. I love the way the windows flood the room with light and emphasize the beauty of the sky. The city enjoys beautiful skies at any time of year even on the coldest days of winter.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - POWELL RIVER, B.C., CANADA

This sunset over the Pacific Ocean was photographed in 2003 at the Wilmingdon Beach Campground in Powell River. This is an excellent campground in a very beautiful location set among the high cedar trees you will find on the West Coast of Canada.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KAMLOOPS, CANADA

During the 2003 trip in our rented motor home in Alberta and British Columbia, there were the worst forest fires they had ever had. While we were camping at Radium, we were worried because the fires seemed to be very close, and we could smell smoke. Next day, when we left, one highway was actually closed. Smoke can be seen in this photo taken near the town of Chase near Kamloops. The town was threatened by a fire described by the Globe and Mail as covering 22 square kilometers on August 18, 2003. More than 140 firefighters and 5 helicopters were fighting that fire which was only one of several that were burning in southern B.C. I remember a radio report that blamed at least one of the fires on the carelessness of people handling matches.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - TOFINO, B.C., CANADA

Long Beach at Tofino on Vancouver Island is a surfer's paradise, although it does have a lot of rain. In 2003, we were so fortunate to be there in good weather! We were not surfers, but thoroughly enjoyed our long walks on the beach.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - CAMPBELL RIVER, CANADA

This photo was taken at Miracle Beach near Campbell River, B.C. in 2003 when my Nikon digital camera was only one year old. I took the photo looking directly into the sun to see if it would turn out, knowing that doing this would not be possible with my old SLR camera.

I spent the day with my niece, Catherine, while Paul golfed with her husband, Kevin. A long hike in the forest with its tall, tall trees was followed by a beautiful walk on Miracle Beach.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - POWELL RIVER, CANADA

Here we are in 2003 crossing on the ferry from Powell River to Vancouver Island. This was the summer of the terrible forest fires that threatened communities in southern B.C. It was also a summer of beautiful weather for travelling. We were very fortunate not to have lots of rain - so common on the West Coast. In the rain, mountain and coastal scenery becomes oppressive, but in the sunshine there is nowhere more beautiful.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - DESOLATION SOUND NEAR POWELL RIVER, CANADA

Here we are in 2003 on Desolation Sound located north of Powell River in British Columbia. We were told that a very large area around here had been mapped by volunteers who had also laid out miles and miles of hiking trails. We were shown a beautifully coloured map, and were very impressed by its detail and the extent of the trail system. You could kayak, canoe, hike, fish and camp in this beautiful, remote area hundreds of miles from the nearest city. We promised to return when we had more than a couple of days to stay.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - QUEBEC CITY, CANADA

Until 1998, we had never visited Quebec City. We had heard about the beauty of the old city, but nevertheless were surprised at its extent and its attractiveness. It was interesting to hear French spoken everywhere and to learn about a part of Canada that enjoys a culture different from our own. The large building in the photo is the Chateau Frontenac, a luxury hotel that sits on the banks of the St. Lawrence river.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - POWELL RIVER, CANADA

In 2003, we rented a fully-equipped motor home and drove from Edmonton to Vancouver, then north on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia and across by ferry to Vancouver Island. The photo was taken at the Wilmingdon Beach camp ground in Powell River, BC. Our campsite overlooked the Pacific Ocean and was set among the very tall cedar trees common on the west coast. This camp ground, owned and operated by the municipality, is one of the very best ones we have ever seen.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ALBERTA, CANADA

We enjoyed warmer than normal weather on this vacation in the Rocky Mountains in May of 2003. Paul had a great game of golf at this wonderful mountain golf course, Mount Lorette, near Kananaskis, Alberta.