STILL IN SEATTLE

 We have several days in Seattle and we are staying just adjacent to the huge Pike Place Market.  It is a wonder to simply wander through the market area looking at things for sale and people watching.

One entire side was mostly dedicated to fresh flowers.  We learned that many of the flower growers were Vietnamese and they all proudly claimed to grow their own flowers.  At this time of year, many of the most outstanding offerings were plentiful varieties of dahlias. 

We bought fruits after being offered samples.  The sweetness of the peaches and pluots were beyond prior experience.  I wanted to be cooking so we could get a few vegetables to go!

And then there was the fish!  Located right on the water the varieties were abundant from halibut to lobsters to Dungeness crabs.

The ugliness winner was a huge monkfish!

Finally we visited the chewing gum alley where people have stuck thousands of chewed globs of gum on the walls.  Fascinating but yucky!

We still have another day to go!

IN SEATTLE

 Trish and I are now in Seattle and having a wonderful time.

Even though Trish lived and worked here about fifty years ago, she had never been to the Space Needle.  Our hotel is near Pike Street Market and so only a bit over a mile from the Needle, so, we walked up there and spent a good bit of the day in the surrounding area.

The views from the top of the Needle itself are incredible.  While we were at the top, a float plans took off below and came right up past where we were watching.  

I had been to the Chihuly Museum and Garden next door about fifteen years ago, but, has it grown and changed!  We could have stayed there the rest of the day.

Even though we have visited Chiluly displays in numerous places, the museum here goes far beyond all our experiences.   These bowls, for example, are a totally different color in the inside from the outside. How do they do that?

There is a whole new room dedicated to work inspired by Southwestern native art and culture.  The colors and shapes almost remind us of Mesa Verde cliff dwellings and their surroundings. Beautiful.

When, many years ago, Dale Chiluly lost an eye and dislocated his shoulder is an automobile accident, he knew that if he continued to work in glass he would need help.  He now has an orchestra of glass workers over whom he is both composer and conductor.  These massive works come out on the other end of his imagination and artistic work.

At the Olympic display in Salt Lake City, we saw the first version of the glass ceiling with blown pieces above.  The sensation is like being under water with myriads of colorful sea creatures swimming above.

Finally we went outside to the garden where flowers, plants, and glass work together to form wonder.  How can someone imagine this?

We ended the day at the Museum of Pop Culture which, while interesting, did not hold us with the charm if the glass work.  

Afterwards we rode the Monorail back to near our hotel where we later met our friend, Laura Simeon, for dinner.  What a marvelous day!

BANFF TO VANCOUVER

 We were happy to get back on the train for our final two-day trip back to Vancouver.

These were two long but very interesting days on the train. As soon as we left Banff we started seeing more wildlife than we had seen the entire trip.  Here is a mother elk swimming the river with her two calves.

As we continued our route we saw many bald eagles, bears, and big horn sheep.  It was virtually impossible to grab photos as the train was moving and our glass dome very reflective. 

Our route was almost always alongside rivers or lakes. This makes sense as the track elevation is very minor and the water level change matches the tracks. It made for beautiful days of scenery, even in the rain.

After spending the night in Kamloops, we made our way on the train to Vancouver. This was a thirteen hour ride as we had delays when the rail traffic became heavier. This train was 22 coaches long and we could often see it ahead as we were the last car.

By the end of the day we were tired, but, we had had a most wonderful trip!

 Now it is on to Seattle.

ON TO BANFF, ALBERTA

 From our stay at Lake Louise, we traveled on to two days in Banff. We backtracked a bit into Yoho National Park for a bit of sightseeing there.  Our first stop was at a natural bridge where the powerful water had eventually made its own way through the rock itself.

We traveled on to an overlook where you could see the famous Swiss-engineered spiral tunnels.  I remember standing in this same spot in August of 1993 and you could see the tracks and follow the train all the way through the tunnels.  Now the trees have grown until there is only a glimpse.  (This made the model very helpful to look at while you heard the train almost under you.)

We made a stop at Emerald Lake and then on to the charming city of Banff.  We had a full extra rest day here, and we needed it.  We mostly walked around town, ate at a wonderful New Orleans restaurant (with a full gluten- free menu) and rested.  

The day ended with a bagpiper playing on the grounds of our Fairmont Springs hotel.  

A needed restful stop.

Tomorrow we are back on the train toward Vancouver.

LAKE LOUISE, ALBERTA

 We got to stay for a delicious two days at beautiful Lake Louise.  

All along this trip the Rocky Mountaineer people have has us staying at Fairmont Hotels.  This brand must surely be the finest in all of Canada and our stay at Lake Louise certainly measured up.  The lovely front lawn of the hotel bumps right up to the walk around the lake.

Trish and I needed a day of rest after the unending days of travel, so, we simply spent the day enjoying the grounds and food at our hotel.  The flowers here are spectacular.

We have begonias like this at home, but ours are only about a foot high.  These are magnificent.

The hanging baskets were as tall as Trish and still growing.

This bed had everything from Foxglove to Artichokes filling it wonderfully well.

You can see why we stayed here for our day of rest.  It was a very visually nourishing and renewing day.

ICEFIELDS PARKWAY

 I am somewhat slow in describing our travels yesterday as there are no adequate adjectives to cover all that we saw.  

When we were planning this trip, we wondered why we were traveling by bus rather than by train from Jasper to Lake Louise.  Once the trip was underway, we understood totally.  There is no way we could have seen what we saw yesterday without driving down the Icefields Parkway.

The highway goes down what feels like a gigantic valley from Jasper to Lake Louise with imposing mountains rising up on either side the entire way. The mountains range from glaciers and snow to solid rock and often look unreal.

Early on the way we stopped at Athabaska Falls, a giant waterfall, especially in water power, that went down and down so far through the rocks that you could not see the entire waterfall from one viewpoint.  The sound was almost as good as the sight!

Back on the road our longest stop was at the Columbia Ice Field where we got to go up onto the glacier and get out for a visit. The monstrous glacier rovers that took us there were almost beyond human construction but they made a visit possible that we could not have done otherwise.

The glaciers enormous weight and grinding power sands the rocks they contact until they create what is called glacier bloom.  It is powdered rock as fine as flour which is somewhat suspended in the melt water.  This creates lakes that are sometimes brilliant blue depending on the weather clarity and sunshine.

At the end of the afternoon we arrived at Lake Louise.  The day has been simply beautiful with clarity and sunshine enabling a feast of vision.  We are here for two days…a bit of rest amidst indescribable beauty.

JASPER, ALBERTA

 We had a splendid day today in Jasper, located within Jasper National Park in Alberta.  There was wildfire here two years ago and the town is rebuilding after about 30% was destroyed.  The fires are necessary and the firefighting is to protect property, infrastructure and human life.  The forest is much healthier after the fire and so are the animals.  Part of nature. Here is a view of the burned forest after only two years recovery.

The town of Jasper is small but lovely.  We traveled around for the day.  One beautiful spot was Patricia Lake…Trish claimed this one as her own.  (There is also Patricia Avenue in town.) 

We spent the afternoon taking the Skylift to the top of Whistler Mountain.

From the top you could see very close to forever!  

It was a wonderful day, but, after several such full days we are very tired.  Early to bed and in to Lake Louise for a TWO DAY stop and rest!