OMG!! I’ve just returned from the most amazing holiday in Canada with my incredible friend Tracey. What an absolutely beautiful country, from the awe-inspiring scenery to the genuinely kind and helpful people. The big question is, did we see a bear?
The Journey Begins: Vancouver and Whistler
With a pretty good idea of where we wanted to go, we decided to only book our flights and first two night’s stay. This gave us the flexibility to change our plans if need be, so we play it by ear and it pretty much paid off. We mostly travelled on public transport, as I don’t drive and Tracey really isn’t keen but we hired a car for a week in the middle and by the end of it, Tracey said she’d happily do it again.
We visited beautiful British Columbia and awesome Alberta, starting with a nine-hour flight from London Gatwick to Vancouver. My first long haul and I was pleasantly surprised, a whole day of sitting about watching movies and being waited on. Arriving to blue summer skies, we took the three hour bus trip up to the mountains of Whistler.
Staying in a charming Airbnb in Upper Village, we spent two days exploring the peaks of Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains, enjoying the thrill of the gondolas with their mind blowing heights, eating delicious food and walking local trails including the colourful, graffitied Train Wreck Trail. There was so much to do here, loads of trails and the whole place is a mountain bikers paradise during the summer. No bears, but we did discover hoary marmots and whiskey jacks and I would definitely return for another stunning, summer alpine stay.
A Warm Welcome at Shuswap Lake
After a brief stop in the Seaside district of Vancouver, we headed out from Pacific Station on a five-hour bus journey through the changing landscape of the Fraser Valley, past vineyards and prairie land, arriving in darkness at Kamloops. There, we were met by two of the kindest people on earth.
It was my first time meeting my third cousin Mike and his wife Susan, who I’d been put in touch with by my adventure loving aunt Jen. They very kindly picked us up and drove us an hour out of Kamloops to their adorable summer cabin at Eagle Bay on Shuswap Lake. We arrived in pitch darkness, not knowing what to expect except for the sound of water nearby. After a cozy night in the bunkhouse, we were excited to see what awaited us in the morning.
The next day, we woke to the absolute beauty of Shuswap Lake, with birds singing and the water like glass. We felt so fortunate to stay just feet from the water’s edge. The sun shone brightly, and we spent the next three days in the most wonderful company. We were treated to delicious meals, tours of the area, eagle sightings, and even kayaking, but still no bears. However, this part of our Canadian adventure will without doubt remain a highlight for us both.
The Rockies and Beyond
Following a lovely morning at Salmon Arm Bay Nature Reserve, not imagining that our holiday could get any better, we headed further east on our next bus journey. With small waterfalls bursting out along the roadside and fast moving rivers running alongside, the mountains gradually became taller, craggier and incredibly powerful – we had reached the Rockies! Crossing through a time zone and losing an hour, we arrived in Canmore, just south of Banff late that night. Waking up the next morning, we were stunned by the breathtaking scenery right on our doorstep.
Unfortunately, we’d picked Labor Day weekend for our visit, so we had to decamp as there was no room at the inn. Still bearless, we moved further south to the city of Calgary, not originally on our itinerary. The mountains disappeared, but were so pleased we came and spent a lovely couple of days exploring the Bow River valley and even managed dinner by an award winning chef. We hired a car and after Tracey’s first attempt at driving on the ‘wrong side of the road,’ we left Calgary’s flat landscape and headed north again.
Originally planning to visit Lake Louise, we decided it might be too busy and headed to Lake Minnewanka instead – partly because we liked the name. We were not disappointed. The vast blue lake surrounded by mountains was spectacular. After a short hike through the forest, we found ourselves at the rocky shores of a gushing river. We were hoping for bears, of course and although we stumbled across an adorable deer, no bears to be seen. Finally, after enjoying a delicious ice cream and a cuppa, we journeyed through Banff and up the Icefield Parkway, with stunning views of the Rockies on both sides.
A Day to Remember: The Columbia Icefield
We stayed overnight at The Crossing Motel, where we watched a dark storm roll in over the mountains as we enjoyed some delicious nachos and of course a well deserved cider for Tracey. The next day, we arrived at the Columbia Icefield, an unexpected stop that became an amazing experience. Walking on the icefield that feeds into the glacier and drinking fresh, icy glacier water in an otherworldly place, was pretty mind blowing. We followed up with a walk along the Skywalk, a glass-bottomed walkway suspended high above the mountains – not for the faint-hearted!
Continuing along the Icefield Parkway, we passed through Jasper, which had been devastated by forest fires earlier in the year. The charred landscape was heartbreaking, with blackened tree stumps and remnants of what had once been a beautiful forest.
After a brief stop at Mount Robson, we spent the night in Valemount, a lively ski resort in the winter, that was much quieter at this time of year. The following day we started our journey north heading for Prince Rupert, making our first overnight stop at Prince George. We didn’t spend much time here, but did find a nice bar for something to eat next to our hotel and feasted on a tasty charcuterie platter. As the landscape changed again and the mountains began to disappear, we felt a little disappointment on our way to Smithers the next day, but after a long journey, we visited a waterfall upon our arrival, but what about the bears?.
Whales, Wildlife, and the Final Days
By Friday afternoon, we arrived at Prince Rupert, where the mountains had rejoined us for the journey back to the coast. After a restful day, we planned our next steps and dropped off the car. On Sunday morning, we had an early start, catching a ferry for the fifteen hour journey down the Inner Passage to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. Unfortunately, the weather was a constant drizzle, but despite that the ocean was very still. The scenery was still pretty spectacular too and we did manage to see some dolphins and a whale. We arrived at Port Hardy in darkness at midnight for our final Airbnb of the trip.
Waking in Port Hardy, we walked to the bus stop for our next journey to Campbell River. Here, we almost ended up at a homeless hostel, but luckily just managed to avoid that mishap! We spent the afternoon on a four-hour whale-watching boat trip, where we were lucky enough to see orcas, breaching humpbacks, seabirds, and sea lions. Ending the day in our comfortable three star hotel felt like quite the luxury. What do you think, any bears?
Our final days were spent in Victoria, such a beautiful city full of trails to explore. We spent our last day wandering round West Island, catching a cute water taxi and walking through Beacon Hill Park. It was easy to get around on Vancouver Island and very cheap on the bus too. On the morning of our departure, we took the ferry from Schwarz Terminal on a very scenic journey back to the mainland for our flight back to the UK.
A Journey Worth Taking
It was an incredible three-week experience and Tracey was the very best travelling companion. I’m definitely planning to return, hoping to spend more time exploring Vancouver Island next time. There were such beautiful landscapes, wonderful people and so much beautiful wildlife to be seen, including lots of new birds to add to my life list. I’m glad we didn’t plan too much in advance, but we did nearly get caught out once or twice. So, if you’ve never been, definitely add it to your bucket list!
Want to Hear More About Our Adventure?
If you’d like to find out whether we saw any bears sign up for my emails! I’ll be sharing stories about the highlights (and a few lowlights) from the trip, along with hints and tips for getting around, packing advice—including a review of our new Osprey luggage—and some thoughts on the places we stayed. Plus, of course, other art and musings from the Essex coast. Who knows, this special trip may even inspire a new series of paintings. This new life is pretty good so far!
If you’re feeling inspired to embark on your own creative journey, why not join my upcoming FREE creative challenge, The Creative Escape? It’s starting in a couple of weeks, it doesn’t matter whether you’re creative or not and I’d love for you to take part. Let’s explore this creative journey and uncover new adventures and discoveries along the way.