Adventures in Western Canada
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The Places We Stayed and Visited and the Restaurants Where We Ate
Four ’68 classmates (Dave Dibelius, Rich du Moulin, Dave Gang and Jim Lawrie), their wives (Nancy, Ann, Roberta and Bev) and friends of the du Moulins, Russell and Judy Fager embarked on a 10-day adventure in western Canada. The trip included stays in Victoria, Vancouver, a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer train and a stay near Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in British Columbia. The trip was organized by Dave Dibelius.
Activities included:
• spending a day in the city of Victoria,
• a visit to the Malahat SkyWalk (Home | Malahat Skywalk),
• a visit to Butchart Gardens (The Butchart Gardens – Over 100 Years in Bloom – Victoria, Canada),
• riding the tram up to Grouse Mountain (Grouse Mountain - The Peak of Vancouver), light hiking around the top of the mountain, and enjoying the views of Vancouver,
• rafting on the Bow River (Rocky Mountain Raft Tours | Float Trips | Banff | Alberta) near Banff, AB
• touring the Athabaska Glacier/Columbia Ice Fields (Columbia Icefield Adventure: Athabasca Glacier Tours and Viewing Platform), and
• taking the tram to the top of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
Where we stayed:
• Latch Inn, Sidney, BC (The Latch Inn | Sidney, British Columbia),
• Accommodations arranged as part of our trip on the Rocky Mountaineer:
o Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (Fairmont Hotel Vancouver - Luxury Hotel in Vancouver (Canada)),
o Sandman Inn Kamloops (ok, but wouldn’t have selected this hotel if I’d had a choice), and
o Rimrock Resort Hotel, Banff (great place to stay with magnificent views, The Rimrock Resort Hotel | An Iconic Banff Mountain Resort),
• Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (VRBO).
Restaurants:
• Sea Glass Waterfront Grill, Sidney, BC; walking distance from Latch Inn,
• Beacon Landing Bar & Grill (Beacon Landing Waterfront Seafood Restaurant & Lounge in Sidney near Victoria BC Home), Sidney, BC
• Chop Steakhouse and Bar (Chop Steakhouse & Bar | Happy Hour, Dinner, Late Night | Coal Harbour), Vancouver, BC; great waterfront location; while the food was excellent, don’t order the steak sous vide (you’ll wait a long time because they don’t start the sous vide until you order,
• Cardero’s Restaurant (Cardero's in Coal Harbour | Sequoia Company of Restaurants), Vancouver, BC; another great waterfront location with excellent food,
• Truffle Pigs Bistro, Field, BC (Truffle Pigs Bistro + Lodge 🐷 Field, British Columbia ⛰ Yoho National Park); unique décor; food very good after a long day on the Columbia Ice Fields; recommended by several people at the Ice Fields.
Travel to and from Canada (Jim and Bev Lawrie):
Reno to Seattle by air. Seattle to Victoria by ferry. Calgary to Montreal and Montreal to Boston, Air Canada.
Food was decent on Calgary to Montreal leg. Sat in upgraded economy class (a little extra leg room and endless wine refills [good British Columbia wine]). Montreal arrival was problematic. No gate available and ended up unloading to Dulles-style buses. The Montreal airport is extremely busy and occasional glitches are to be expected.
The next morning we arrived about 2- and one-half hours early to get through customs (done in Montreal, not Boston). To expedite the process, use the CBP MPC app on your smart phone or other mobile device (Mobile Passport Control (MPC) | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov)). Instructions on the website say to submit information “upon arrival at the port of entry….” However, if you haven’t used the app before or if you have a new passport since last use, I suggest doing as much as possible before arriving at the airport. Get the app BEFORE you leave the US! Part of the process involves taking a photo of yourself and the family members you’re traveling with and scanning your passport(s) with your phone. It’s tough to do while moving in a line. Thus, I would do everything up to the final step, and then take the final step in the app at the airport. When you arrive in the customs area the line is likely to be HUGE, but you’ve done your homework and you just tell the first customs agent you encounter (they were positioned at the locations where the line changed direction) that you have the needed QR code. You’re whisked out of line to a MUCH shorter line where you get checked by a US Customs agent and you’re off to the departure gate. You’ll save an hour to an hour and a half in line and a lot of angst.