After a very crowded flight to Hawaii and a 6 hour layover, I found the leg space of the Westjet ride to Vancouver somewhat relaxing, even though I arrived at 12:00 AM. My son and his wife had volunteered to pick me up, and for that I was grateful.
My son is a helicopter pilot, and the nature of the business in western Canada means that a Spring job search was in order, and he offered to take me along on a road trip throughout Alberta and parts of British Columbia. I never turn down opportunities to spend time with my children, and I jumped at the chance to ride shotgun, and take some photos to show off Canada to my newly found Australian friends.
On a fine April morning we headed eastward from the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, towards the Coast range, past Hope, British Columbia.
The highways in western Canada, and particularly British Columbia are very expensive to build because of the elevation changes and the influences of the winter weather. These snowsheds on the famous "Highway to Hell" are designed so that the ever present avalanches of snow will go over the road, and not endanger the traffic.
The highway levels out through the interior plateau, near Merritt, B.C.
Between Merritt and the Okanagan Valley, the highway climbs into snow country again. During a bad winter, this Connector can be filled with snow and fog.
The beautiful Okanagan Valley is on the other side of this mountain range.
Kelowna is the mid-point in the Okanagan Lake chain of communities. The Valley hills roll away on each side of the cities...
I had the good fortune of being raised in Vernon, and living on Kalamalka Lake. I think my life-long appreciation of the water is based on the beauty of this "Lake of Many Colours."
When I was a boy, all of these hills were bare of houses, and I was free to roam them with my dog....
My great grandfather established a ranch in this Valley, in the 1800's...
A half a century of development has changed the vista considerably.
Nothing beats the sign of Spring like a full blossomed cherry tree in the Okanagan Valley.
My Armstrong gang members. They have been working on their riding skills while I was away.
Good to see my lovely Sister again. We both enjoyed her grandkids antics on their bikes...
My son and I continued our visits to Helicopter companies. We headed towards Kamloops, B.C.
North of Kamloops, the results of a recent forest fire show the devastation left behind. Canada and Australia share the threats and consequences of bushfires.
started our journey north from Kamloops, following the Thompson River.
We were on the Yellowhead highway, heading for Alberta.
At Jasper, the Elks came out to greet us.
We broke into the flat, rolling prairies of Alberta, heading towards the capital of Edmonton.
Emblematic of Alberta are the pumps bringing the oil to the surface of the Earth.
Although Canada doesn't have road trains as big as the Northern Territories, we do have our share of rig accidents. Fornutely the driver got his tractor and trailer slowed before it rolled and caught fire.
The flatlands of northern Alberta...
My Dad was a RCAF Leading Aircraftsman, and I remember him telling me about working on these Harvards...
The Polar Bear is a stuffed example of our northern predators...
A Wolf...
A nice Elk....
And of course, a motorcycle shop. Here we have a new Suzuki 1000...
Dream away, Dad...
The idea is to be planning your next trip before you finish...it keeps you young, they say...
Heading out of Calgary towards the Rocky Mountains to the west.
Driving towards Banff and the Rogers Pass between Alberta and British Columbia...
We headed down into the Kootneys to check out some more airports and helicopter companies...
Thank you again to all my my new found Australian friends. I enjoyed your country, and I am very grateful of the wonderful hospitality of my down under cousins. I am looking forward to my next travels to Oz. I hope you enjoy the brief picture of Western Canada...
My son is a helicopter pilot, and the nature of the business in western Canada means that a Spring job search was in order, and he offered to take me along on a road trip throughout Alberta and parts of British Columbia. I never turn down opportunities to spend time with my children, and I jumped at the chance to ride shotgun, and take some photos to show off Canada to my newly found Australian friends.
On a fine April morning we headed eastward from the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, towards the Coast range, past Hope, British Columbia.
The highways in western Canada, and particularly British Columbia are very expensive to build because of the elevation changes and the influences of the winter weather. These snowsheds on the famous "Highway to Hell" are designed so that the ever present avalanches of snow will go over the road, and not endanger the traffic.
The highway levels out through the interior plateau, near Merritt, B.C.
The beautiful Okanagan Valley is on the other side of this mountain range.
Okanagan Lake is over 90 km. long, stretching from Penticton to Vernon, B.C.
Towards the north is the isthmus of Oyama, separating Woods and Kalamalka Lakes.
When I was a boy, all of these hills were bare of houses, and I was free to roam them with my dog....
A half a century of development has changed the vista considerably.
Nothing beats the sign of Spring like a full blossomed cherry tree in the Okanagan Valley.
My Armstrong gang members. They have been working on their riding skills while I was away.
Good to see my lovely Sister again. We both enjoyed her grandkids antics on their bikes...
My son and I continued our visits to Helicopter companies. We headed towards Kamloops, B.C.
started our journey north from Kamloops, following the Thompson River.
At Jasper, the Elks came out to greet us.
We broke into the flat, rolling prairies of Alberta, heading towards the capital of Edmonton.
The flatlands of northern Alberta...
My Dad was a RCAF Leading Aircraftsman, and I remember him telling me about working on these Harvards...
The Polar Bear is a stuffed example of our northern predators...
A nice Elk....
Dream away, Dad...
Heading out of Calgary towards the Rocky Mountains to the west.
Driving towards Banff and the Rogers Pass between Alberta and British Columbia...
Thank you again to all my my new found Australian friends. I enjoyed your country, and I am very grateful of the wonderful hospitality of my down under cousins. I am looking forward to my next travels to Oz. I hope you enjoy the brief picture of Western Canada...
