Did I tell you about the time we took the family to Cathedral Provincial Park in southern B.C. in July? Ya well, IT SNOWED! Not just a few flakes but an accumulation of about six inches which had not been in the forecast. being seasoned campers we had brought extra clothes but we weren’t prepared for winter camping especially with young kids. Even our friends, who are hiking/snowshoe guides thought this wouldn’t do since we had planned for fun no survival. So, no problem, we headed down to Cathedral Lakes Lodge and asked if they had any rooms left and sure enough we were able to get rooms for all of us thank goodness. Below are some photos we took on our first day before the snowstorm hit that night. To get up to the park you can hike in or take these incredibly cool Unimogs made by Mercedes-Benz which we did! Cool experience and highly recommended. Then it’s a short hike to any of the three campgrounds once you’re up there…or a stumble to the lodge if you’re expecting snow…

Mountain goats shedding winter fur

Great fishing!

Before the snowstorm

Goats all around us!

Baaa-aa-aa

And great hiking all around with fabulous views!

In a galaxy far away...Star Wars fans will recognize this scene

I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise and the goosebumps spread over my arms. I was exploring the vast Mayan city of Tikal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and had decided to that the royal palace would be a worthwhile visit. My daughter Halle had decided to come with me while my other daughter and husband had headed off to another corner of the city to explore. We had not been here more than 10 minutes when the dark clouds started darkening the sky and a heavy mist rolled in around us. The mood here had changed considerably and I felt an overwhelming sense that something bad had happened here and we were not welcome. I turned to Halle whose wide eyes told me she felt the same thing.

“Do you want to leave?” I asked her. My voice sounded odd with the mist muffling all sound. Strangely enough no one else had come to visit the palace, we were alone.

“Yes.” she whispered. It took a lot of control to stop from running from the palace grounds but as soon as we were on the main path we hightailed it…

Ruins in the mist

The day had started out beautiful with hot sunny skies. Our guide, Carlos, met us near the small museum and he told us about Tikal’s history. Then he led us on the main path for a short distance but soon veered off into the jungle. We were about to see parts of Tikal that most visitors don’t see. We pushed through some lush greenery and the first thing on Carlos agenda was to teach us how to swing from a vine. So swing we did!

Vine swinging lessons

Then we continued on overgrown pathways where we hardly saw another person until we stepped into openings where Maya ruins seemed to pop out from nowhere while others were cleverly framed in a small opening in the jungle. Carlos had cleverly designed a route for maximum effect.

One of the many temples that seemed to pop out of the jungle at us

Although many of the temples are understandably off limits to visitors to protect them from erosion, some can be climbed and Carlos led us to one with a steep ladder. The girls took no time in climbing it but at the top it was a different story. From high up the small ledge seemed way to narrow for the height, and without rails, the girls decided that crawling on their hands and knees was more comfortable.

Steep ladders lead to the top of this accessible temple

Crawling and giggling

Next we headed into the thick jungle again and this time Carlos brought us to a ruin which was partially cleared of jungle growth. As we climbed higher we left the jungle below us and the blue skies brought hot sun above us. Carlos waited for all of us to reach the top and had us line up. He explained that we needed to follow the small ledge in front of us and here he would follow us. So one by one we walked on the ledge until it turned a corner and there below us was an amazing view, the grand plaza of Tikal! This was where many important ceremonies were held and are still held today by Maya. And immediatly below us was the field where the Maya played their deadly ball game ōllamaliztli, or Ulama.

The view of the grand plaza from the top of a ruin

The grand plaza

What an incredible stunning place! At this point Carlos let us explore this area for a bit while he napped in the middle of the plaza. Above us were quetzal nests hanging like woven sacs, Guatamala’s national bird and also the name of their currency. You could sense that this was a special place in the city. After some photos and exploring we were off again into the jungle. I can’t tell you how many temples we saw that day but only to say that Carlos was well worth the money we paid for a guide.

Detail at the top of a temple

We saw some monkeys who seemed very cute until he decided to have a pee above us. Luckily he was high up enough that we could see it coming and jump out of the way. And the coatimundi started coming out in full force in the afternoon with the whole dang family and cousins, aunts, uncles, grampa, grandma…

Monkey

Coatimundi

Carlos brought us to one more temple which we were allowed to climb and then told us from here we could explore on our own. He pointed out pathways to take to various other areas of interest that we had not yet seen. We thanked him and felt so lucky to have had him as our guide.  At this point we split up with Rob and Liesl heading off to see another temple and Halle and I heading off to the infamous palace area.

Rob, Liesl and Halle at the top of another spectacular temple

…I have to say Halle and I looked absolutely silly running down the jungle path as though we were being chased by a jaguar. I did um look back a couple of times but of course there was nothing behind us. And who should we bump into on our way out of the jungle but Rob and Liesl!

“What in the world are you doing?” my husband asks looking behind us.

“Nothing!!” Halle and I answer out of breath. “Looks like rain.” I add quickly looking at Halle and we both laugh.

Corner detail of a temple

Anchored at Mitlenatch Island

The Sunshine Coast is one of those areas which offers endless exploration possiblilities.  I first explored this area with my husband by car which was soon followed by sea kayak and canoe trips with friends in Desolation Sound and Powell Lake Canoe Circuit. Before we knew it we had babies and Savary Island cottages became de riguer. Then when the kids finally outgrew their diapers we decided a sailboat would be a good way to explore new areas so we got certified and headed out to explore the many hidden bays and islands north and west of the Sunshine Coast.

Exploring Mitlenatch Island

We rented a bareboat charter from Desolation Sound Yacht Charters out of Comox on Vancouver Island. One of the first places we wanted to visit was Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, a small island famous for its nesting colonies for various seabirds including comorants, gulls, oystercatchers, guillemots and many other species as well as the sea lions that come to bask in the sun in the winter months. Before going to Mitlenatch you have to know that there’s no camping on the island and there are no good overnight anchorages if the wind picks up AND it seems to take forever to get there by sail which means you have to plan for getting to the island, explore the island then head off to a safe anchorage all in one day.

Blue eggshells probably from a cormorant

We were quite impressed with the amount of bird species we saw but I was also amazed with the flower species and the long grasses on the island. The children were able to observe many types of eggshells and feathers, one of the few times we could get them away from the beach to look at something other than crabs.

Standing in the long grass

Once we were done exploring Mitlenatch we headed back tot he boat and headed due north. Our goal was to circumnavigate Cortes and West Redonda Islands, part of the Discovery Islands archipelago, just north of Desolation Sound. There are literally thousands of coves to explore but you really have to be choosy when you only have a week. Our destination was Gorge Harbour where we stayed for the night and had an awesome meal at the restaurant there. We had quite a full day so after supper we headed straight for our bunks for some zzzs.

One of the many coves we explored

The next day, we went west to Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island via Uganda Passage. The spit is a pebbly beach which the kids loved to explore. After a couple of hours stretching our legs and exploring we headed off to our next stop, Carrington Bay on the northwest side of Cortes Island where we would stay for the night.

Pryce Channel north of West Redonda

In the morning we were up bright and early, we were headed north into more remote areas to the Toba Wildernest Resort via Pryce Channel.  Coming around into Pryce Channel the views are breathtaking. We had calm water, steep shouldered mountains coming right down to the water and glacier-capped mountains as a backdrop. We couldn’t have asked for better weather except for the fact that we had to motor. Toba Wilderness Resort is a very small resort in a very remote area all by itself, peace and quiet rules and the staff enjoy views like the one above daily.

Walsh Cove in Waddington Channel was our next stop, this was another great spot for the kids to explore. Tidepools in rocky outcroppings hold many interesting sea creatures like banana slugs, sea cucumbers, anemones, minnows and, yes, crabs, something my kids spend hours with.

Refuge Cove

The following morning we went into Roscoe Bay but saw there were too many people so we headed off to Melanie Cove in Prideaux Haven. As kayakers we had been to this area before, a small collection of islands in Desolation Sound with many sheltered areas to anchor, and we found a corner to anchor and did some island exploring here too. This, like Roscoe Bay, is also a popular area for anchoring so be prepared for neighbours in the summer months.

Coming back to more populated areas reminded me the trip was quickly coming to an end. We left Prideaux in the morning and sailed in to Refuge Cove for some lunch and then headed off to Lund on the Sunshine Coast for the night. Our kayaking trips had always started from Lund so we knew it quite well but nothing prepared us for the new floatplane strip in the middle of the friggin’ harbour! I had to ‘quickly’ get the sailboat out of the way as we saw a floatplane heading directly our way. Not an easy task for a 30-ft boat with a tiny engine!

Anyway we survived and headed off to our favourite spot in Lund, Nancy’s Bakery, a great way to finish off any wilderness trip  in the area. Nancy’s bakes delicious goodies of all sorts and the place is always busy. We all got cinnamon buns and gobbled them up quickly. Looking around you can see that Lund is a happening hub of activity; water taxis taking people to Savary Island, kayakers and canoeists heading off to the Copelands and Desolation Sound, locals heading off to fish, float planes, restaurants…yep back to civilization.

Nancy's Bakery YUMMY!

This was our last day of exploring. The following morning would be spent crossing the Strait of Georgia to get back to Comox and unload the boat and give it a cleaning for the next people who would come to charter the boat. I wondered where their travels would take them and what areas they would explore…

Perhaps contemplating another trip...by kayak!

Sacrifice!

Our guide, Gonzo, drives us deep into the tropical forest. At the end of the road he parks his 4 x 4, grabs his massive flashlight and tells us from here we have to hike.

We, my husband Rob and two daughters 10 and 12, are in Belize and dressed in our worse clothes for a three-hour tour of the famous Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave located in the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve close to San Ignacio. It’s famous for it’s Mayan sacrificial chambers. Rob and I know we are about to see broken pottery and some human remains deep in the cave and that we have to swim to enter the cave but know nothing else and we have kept it a surprise from the children. All they know at this point is that they are hiking into the tropical forest.

Cave entry with deep pool

Once we get to the cave entry Gonzo gives us a small briefing and that’s when the kids find out they are going to have to enter a cave by swimming in and then be in it in their damp clothes for three hours. They look at us with disbelief but seem excited about the adventure. We all make our way to the edge of the pool and swim across into the darkness to a big rock where Gonzo waits for us.

Negotiating the underwater path in a small triangular tunnel

The next hour or so is spent negotiating tight tunnels, boulders, ascents and descents, deep pools and streams. I have to say, I have NO IDEA how the guides can remember the way through this cave. It’s a long way and my sense of direction is gone in the first 50 feet. I also have to tell you that I’m claustrophobic but I have never had so much fun in a tight dark place in my life.

Intriguing cave formations

Eventually we reach our goal, a large gallery filled with pottery and human remains, but to get there we have to climb a steep section up from the river we’ve been following. We  help each other get up and sit on a small ledge at the top to remove our shoes. Everyone must walk with socks on only from here to protect the floor of the gallery.

In the gallery

A skull

Gonzo is an excellent guide and takes much time talking about the history of his people and all the articfacts we see strewn on the floor of the galleries we are visiting. He is also the envy of the other guides with his massive flashlight which has a Calgary connection. A friend of ours in Calgary sells a variety of specialized flashlights and When Gonzo contacted him from Belize for a large flashlight our friend felt that he had to go visit this cave where the flashlight was to be used, which is how we found Gonzo when we decided to go.

Gonzo Gonzales, Mayan guide

Pottery

Throughout we see remains of some children and adults, all seem to have been killed with blunt force to the skull. The ‘highlight’ of the tour is the Crystal Maiden, for which the cave is named, the skeleton of a young woman about 18 years old covered in calcites which sparkle in the little light there is. We all have to take turns to see her as the opening to her little cell is narrow. I feel pity for her to have such a horrible death and try not to think of how claustrophobic this small ‘room’ must have been in the dark.

The Crystal Maiden

Eventually the tour of the gallery comes to an end. There are only two other groups in the cave with us. We head back over the ledge to find our shoes and make our way back out slowly throught the twisting tunnels. This has been a most amazing experience and culturally, we come away with a lot of insight in how the Mayans lived and their beliefs.

Getting there: Gonzo can be reached through River Rat Expeditions. Only a handful of guides are certified and licenced for ATM and there’s a checkpoint on the way to the cave where guides have to check in. San Ignacio is a great base to visit ATM from as well as other Maya ruins in the area  and Tikal in Guatamala.

Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit

When it comes to family vacations, everyone in our family agrees that the best vacation EVER was the 10 days we spent canoeing the Bowron Lakes Canoe circuit.

For the kids it’s probably because they didn’t have to hike since most of our weekends are spent hiking in the beautiful Rockies. For me and my husband, it means the boat can carry all our equipment and the kids, not our backs, and that we don’t have to clean a house and can sleep outside for 10 WHOLE DAYS!

Sailing down Isaac Lake

The first thing you need to know if you are planning on doing the circuit is that a reservation is required as B.C. Parks limits the amount of users that put in daily. There are a few spots daily for first-come-first-serve trippers but you are not guaranteed a spot and you may have to wait a few days before you can get on the water if it’s high season.

Portage

We rented our canoe from Becker’s Lodge, which is a beautiful lodge that sits on the edge of Bowron Lake, but there are other canoe rentals in the area. Other items such as waterproof bags, waterproof barrels, camping items and canoe carts can also be rented here.

Becker's Lodge

Something else to keep in mind is that the circuit campgrounds may or may not be full by the time you get to your chosen site. If they’re full you will have to keep canoeing until you reach one that has a spot. We never encountered that problem and we were three families travelling together but, should it happen, make it a habit to travel early and get off the water around midday.

Unna Lake

Another good reason to do this, as we found out on our first day, is that the wind picks up in the afternoon. Excellent if it’s in your favour but can be quite gruelling if not. We reached our campsite much later than anticipated on the first night due to this.

Moonlight at Unna Lake

Because the numbers are limited on the route you tend to become quite familiar with the groups going around at the same time. For us, it was a gaggle of British girls who stayed a the group campsites. We heard them first, singing songs across the lake from us but we met the whole gang the next night at the chute campground which is about the halfway point. From that day on we alternated serenading to each other each night the campsites were close. Our most memorabe night was at Unna Lake with it’s sandy beach, full moon where we sang to the girls from our canoes. It was magical. We learned that after their trip they were going to Calgary, our hometown, so we gave them our addresses and invited them over for BBQ and, sure enough, they showed up for one final serenade! Both groups went home with amazing memories of the trip.

Glaciers

Although this area is notorious for rain, we happened to be there in a drought year which meant 9 days of beautiful sunshine and one day of rain. The trade off was that we had forest fires around us which can be a little disconcerting. At one point we were so close to a fire we could see the individual trees exploding into flame on the hill above us.

Canoeing through marshland

Between the three families in our group we are quite diverse travellers. We have covered many continents, Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, Australia…but whenever we get together we always rate this trip as the best we have all been on.

Divided we sit

I’ve just returned from a whirlwind tour of San Diego and of course Balboa Park was on my travel agenda for its amazing gardens, architecture and botanical garden. Balboa Park also houses many more venues including the San Diego Zoo, Automotive Museum, Air and Space Museum and  Natural History Museum to name just a few, and I really do mean just a few as there are many more museums, theatres with ever changing performances, shops, dining, music, classes and even a gym. If you go parking is free and so is walking on the grounds of Balboa Park but many of the venues have admission fees so it’s best to pick a few for the day so you can enjoy them fully.

El Prado pedestrian walkway

The Botanical Building was unique in that it is made out of wooden lathe and not glass. Although it’s a small building it houses an amazing collection of orchids and some bog plants. Many of the gardens near the buildings were Persian style with a formal layout and water at the center.

Botanical Building with formal garden and pool

Here’s a small sampling of the plants in the building

orchid

orchid

orchid

orchid

Swirls

Pink and dainty

koi fish

bog plants

bog with lathe pattern from building

Dunlop Point house

“You grew this fig here!” I’m looking at the fresh fig in my hand incredulously. I’m at the farmer’s market on Hornby Island which sits in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia. The farmer behind the produce table urges me to eat it. No need to ask me twice! The taste is unlike any other figs I’ve bought in Calgary groceries and thanks to the farmer, I’ll probably never buy another fig unless it’s fresh off the tree.

Hornby is one of my family’s favourite destinations on Canada’s west coast.  The island is know for it’s laid back unpretentious lifestyle, it’s gorgeous sand beaches, it’s unique parks and it’s delicious produce grown right on the island.

The view south

We are lucky enough to be staying in the Dunlop Point house again which sits on it’s own small point with access down to a rocky beach. The house is a stunning example of west coast architectural style and is truly a beautiful space to be in. The front lawn stretches out before the house and has excellent views in three directions. Behind the main house a smaller cottage in the same style sits attached via a bridge which forms the breezeway for the walkway below. The location whispers relax and we sure do.

Activities on the island include hiking along the beaches, in Helliwell Provincial Park and on Mt. Geoffrey Escarpment Provincial Park where you can also do some amazing mountain biking. Kayaking and canoeing around the island is beautiful at any time of the day and where you’ll see a variety of marine life in the shallows. A large farmer’s market congregates in the forest near the community centre and it has the feel of a medieval gathering with musicians and craftspeople selling their wares alongside the produce stands.

Eagle

The jewel of Hornby Island is Tribune Bay Provincial Park with its sandy beach that drops off at a very gentle angle from the shore making it safe for small children and incredibly warm for it’s northern location.

Exploring for marine life

To get there you can fly in to Comox or take the ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo. Then head south from Comox or north from Nanaimo to Buckley Bay which gets you across to Denman Island where you catch the ferry to Hornby Island.

Moonrise

Interesting rock formations

Tide coming in

Lavender

While I was in Quebec I also visited Domaine Bleu Lavande,  the only Canadian lavender producer with international certification for it’s lavender. Lavender is a borderline perennial in the Eastern Townships zone 5 but the owners preservered through a couple of failed attemps and, after much research, discovered methods to succeed in growing it in this area. Some of these methods involved using the hardiest species of lavender and using a thick layer of straw to insulate the plants in the winter.

As soon as I stepped out of the car in the parking lot the scent of lavender wafted up from the fields, I felt like I was back in southern France, it was wonderful to experience this in my own country.  I visited near the end of July which was near the end of the harvest and bloom time so the beginning of July is the best time to visit. Despite that there were still many visitors at the farm, many coming just to picnic in the fields surrounded by the heady scent of lavender.

The farm now gets around 200,000 visitors in the summer and has been rewarded with agritourism awards in 2008 and 2009. Another huge success at the farm is their store filled with a multitude of lavender products in gorgeous packaging, this was one busy little store! Check out their website at www.bleulavande.ca/home.htm

Lavender fields

The garden

The machinery used to collect the straw covering the lavender in the spring

Soon to bloom

Parc du Domaine Howard, Sherbrooke, Quebec

I’m back from all my travels with photos to post of gardens I visited along the way. The Eastern Townships in Quebec was my first stop where I visited Parc du Domaine Howard in Sherbrooke, beautiful rolling gardens surrounding a pond laden with lily pads and koi fish swimming lazily below and historical stone buildings dotted around the property. After doing a tour of the grounds I popped into the greenhouses to see the collections. I was impressed by how many plants they could squeeze in to three small grreenhouses. I was also impressed by the varied textures of the plants in both the arid display and the tropical one. Click on the photos below to see them in full size.

Note: I just noticed Canadian Gardening ran a mini-article on the Eastern Townships on pg. 90 of their fall/winter issue and mention Domain Howard, be sure to check it out!