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Canada Trip
  • Daniel Mezger
  • Gabrielle Sheehan
Dec 2016 – Jan 2017

Canada Trip

Experiencing a North American winter Read more
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  • Trip start
    December 26, 2016
  • Canada Trip

    Vancouver, BC

    Dec 26–29, 2016 in Canada ⋅ 🌫 2 °C

    Day 1
    -leave Sydney at 9am
    -arrive Vancouver at 11.30am on the same day and it was snowing!
    -met Heidi’s parents Maree and Gary at the arrivals gate
    -went back to Heidi’s and chilled out until Heidi got home from work, then had dinner
    -tried Tim Hortons at Metrotown
    -went to Van Dusen Gardens at night which was lit up with Christmas lights, then the power went out after a couple of hours
    -we caught a bus back but the bus broke down due to the snow and wouldn’t move until the snow was cleared
    -we walked to a train station where Heidi’s dad picked us up and then went home for a much needed sleep!

    Day 2
    -woke up and went to explore the city
    -we walked along the harbour and through the city towards Stanley Park, saw the totem poles and went to the aquarium
    -the aquarium was amazing, we got to touch stingrays and see otters!
    -we then walked back to the train station where we met Heidi and went to Steamworks Brewery for dinner
    -we then went to the Enchant light festival where we walked through a light maze to find all the reindeer
    -we also met Heidi's friend Olga and a couple of her friends

    Day 3
    -we got up a bit earlier today and went to the Vancouver Lookout tower where we got to see a 360 degree view of the city
    -we then went down and walked through Gastown, named after 'Gassy Jack' who owned one of the first bars in Vancouver
    -took a photo in front of the gastown clock
    -walked through Chinatown and went to Smoke's to try poutine --> Canada's traditional 'loaded fries'
    -we then caught a bus and went over the Lions Gate Bridge (green coloured because it was owned by the Irish beer family, Guiness)
    -the bus dropped us at Capilano Suspension Bridge where we walked over the bridge, did a cliff walk and walked through treetops lit up with Christmas lights
    -after we finished, we went back to the main city where we watched ice hockey at Roger Arena (Vancouver vs LA Kings) - Canucks won 2-1!    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Rockies Tour

    December 29, 2016 in Canada ⋅ ❄️ -6 °C

    -got on the Westrek bus at 7am and met our tour group
    -first stop was Hope, a small town famous for chainsaws and Rambo was filmed there
    -drove through the town of Merritt (famous for Cowboys), Cascade Mountains, Kamloops, Colombian Mountains and Revelstoke (named after Lord Revelstoke)
    -drove through avalanche tunnels
    -stayed the night in Mountain View Cabins and had a bonfire
    -met Adam and Annabelle our roomates who live and work in London    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Rockies Tour - Banff

    December 30, 2016 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ -16 °C

    -left the cabins and went on the bus to get lunch supplies in Golden
    -went to Lake Louise - named after Queen Victoria's third daughter
    -skated on Lake Louise - amazing!
    -walked through Johnston ice canyon
    -drove through Banff and went to the gondola, took it all the way to the summit and walked to the weather station on the Sulphur Mountain (approx 2.3km above sea level) for an incredible view!
    -stayed at the YMCA; went to Eddie's burgers for dinner --> tried an Elk burger and had a trashcan cocktail
    -then went out with the tour group to Devil's Gap Bar and Hoodoo Nightclub    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Rockies Tour

    December 31, 2016 in Canada ⋅ ❄️ -9 °C

    -Tim Horton's for breakfast
    -Drove past Lake Minnewaka (means water devil)
    -Went tobogganing on Lake Minnewaka
    -took some photos at Jack Lake
    -went to the famous Banff hot springs, amazing to see snow right next to a 40 degree pool
    -free time in Banff, did some souvenir shopping and had soup from subway
    -stopped at Emerald Lake on the way back to the cabins (mineral deposits at the bottom of the lake make it look green)
    -had dinner at Legendz Diner in Golden
    -back to cabins for an awesome NYE party!!    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Rockies Tour -> Vancouver

    January 1, 2017, Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    -Left cabins and stopped ay Rogers Pass to take a group photo (Major Rogers was the man who found the passage from the west to the east coast through the Rockies)
    -Had lunch at A&W in Revelstoke
    -did snowshoeing in the morning before breakfast
    -arrived back in Vancouver at 7.30pm and had dinner at Heidi's    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Vancouver -> Whistler

    January 2, 2017 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 -8 °C

    -Caught greyhound coach to Whistler
    -passed Shannon Falls and 'the chief' -> 2nd largest piece of granite in the world which is a mountain
    -arrived in Whistler at 11.30am and went to spaghetti factory for lunch
    -went tubing in the afternoon and finished at night time
    -had pizza for dinner before catching up with Adam and Annabelle at their friends for drinks    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Whistler

    Jan 3–7, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ❄️ -11 °C

    Day 1
    -First day of skiing
    -met Gab before her lesson then went and did some runs with Annabelle
    -caught up with Adam and Annabelle and their friends, Armen and Jenny, to say goodbye
    -spent the rest of the afternoon on my own doing runs
    -we went to Splitz burgers for dinner then came home for an early night

    Day 2
    -Heidi left us to go back to university
    -I stayed with Gab in the morning and we had an eventful trip down the mountain for lunch, and took a photo of the Olympic rings
    -I then spent the last couple of hours on my own doing runs
    -I met Gab when the lifts closed and we switched hotels
    -We then walked to the north village and saw the Olympic rings and went to Mexican for dinner, yummy tacos and burritos!

    Day 3
    -I went off on my own in the morning and explored Blackcomb mountain including Crystal Ridge and some incredible views on the Blackcomb glacier
    -I met Gab for lunch and then we went over to Whistler mountain where we did some easier runs
    -I then finished the day by getting to the peak for an incredible view and working my way down the mountain
    -We went to the Amsterdam Pub for dinner we had chicken schnitzel and watched the junior ice hockey final where Canada lost to USA

    Day 4
    -I went off on my own in the morning and explored Whistler Mountain
    -I met Gab for lunch at the Olympic rings an we caught the gondola up to have lunch at the top cafe
    -We then did Peak to Peak across to Blackcomb where we spent the afternoon doing a few runs
    -We handed back our gear, had a spa and then met Molly and Max for dinner at the Longhorn Grill    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Whistler -> Vancouver

    January 7, 2017, Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    -Had well-deserved sleep in!
    -We then went ziplining across Blackcomb Mountain -> absolutely amazing!
    -We then we back to the Mexican place for lunch and went across the road to a tea house to have a matcha tea and granola
    -We then chilled out in the hotel lobby until our bus back to Vancouver came
    -We got back to Vancouver at 7.30pm and met Heidi and her dad at the train station. They took us back to theirs and we had pasta for dinner.    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Yellowknife

    Jan 9–12, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ -17 °C

    Day 1
    -Flew from Vancouver to Edmonton and then onto Yellowknife
    -We arrived in Yellowknife around 1pm and met Sean at his guesthouse
    -He then dropped us the visitor centre where we had a look around and planned out the next couple of days
    -We walked across to the heritage museum where we had a look at the First Nations exhibit
    -We then walked to Bullock's Bistro and had the best fish we had ever tasted fresh from the lake
    -we met Lucy and JJ in line and ended up having dinner with them -> they live in Lane Cove
    -we then split a cab back to Seans and chilled out the rest of the night

    Day 2
    -We had a very good sleep in and then walked to the explorer hotel where we got picked up for dog sledding!
    -we did the 'drive your own' sled and Gab and I switched turns standing on the back -> it was -41 degrees with wind chill!
    -we had lunch at A&W, took a photo under the temperature sign and then went back to Sean's for a rest before aurora chasing
    -we went aurora chasing from 10pm-2am and got to see the Northern Lights! Also learnt a lot from Sean about astronomy and the different constellations
    -we parked in the middle of an 'ice road' which diamond miners use to access the diamond mines -> the ice is approximately 1m thick and can get up to 2.5m

    Day 3
    -had another long sleep in
    -we walked from Sean's to the ice caves off Great Slave Lake which where beautiful
    -we then walked across the frozen lake to Old Town
    -we went to the Bush Pilot's Monument, Gallery of the Midnight Sun, Ragged Ass Road and then chilled out at the NWT Brewery for an early dinner
    -we went back to Sean's where we chilled out before we went aurora chasing again
    -the conditions weren't great so the two Korean girls also staying in the guesthouse didn't come but we had a fantastic time -> we saw a little bit of the northern lights and got to stand on a cloud! There was so much blowing snow that there was no horizon!    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Quebec

    Jan 11–15, 2017 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    Day 1
    -Had about 30min of sleep and then got up for our big day of travel across the country
    -The day didn't start great with the power going out and then having to endure -45 degrees whilst walking to the airplane
    -We then had to wait for a broken down plane to return to the terminal before we could take off
    -Our plane propeller then froze for a bit and then couldn't move because the taxi lights wouldn't turn on! But eventually everything came together and we took off
    -we missed our connection but were redirected to a direct flight to Montreal where we made our connection to Quebec
    -caught a taxi from the airport and went straight to our hotel to sleep

    Day 2
    -Had a quieter morning as we were still tired from yesterday and started by walking around Chateau Frontenac and around the fortifications
    -we made our way to the Citadelle which is a military fortress and is still home to the Royal 22nd Regiment
    -we explored the museum which contained every aspect of Canadian military history
    -we then took a tour around the Citadelle and got to see inside various buildings like the old gun powder storage and prison
    -we came back to our hotel for the 'romance package' dinner which we had booked -> it was very delicious, including grand mariner crepes which were very alcoholic!

    Day 3
    -we started earlier today and walked down to Notre Dame and then through the Latin Quarter
    -we then walked through the lower town to Musee de la Civilisation which is a modern museum that had exhibits on nanotechnology, interactive perception, first nations and a very interesting arrangement on 25 uprisings which have affected the world
    -we then walked through Quartier Petit Champlain where we had a croissant before continuing on
    -we then walked up to Plains of Abraham and Battlefields Park (in front of La Citadelle where the battles took place) and walked back into the city
    -we then went to the Erico Chocolate museum which was interesting and even got to try raw cocoa beans
    -we then had raclette for dinner one our way back and then had a spa & champagne back at our hotel

    Day 4
    -we started our day with a surprise 2 hour bus tour of Quebec City (we didn't realise our ticket included it!)
    -we drove past city hall, notre dame, Clarendon Hotel (oldest in Quebec), Tourney Fountain, Cartier Street (named after the famous designer)
    -Samuel Champlain founded Quebec and originated in 1608, there are 5 million tourists per year to Quebec
    -we then changed buses and went to Hotel De Glace (the ice hotel)
    -we took a tour through some of the suites and learned about the construction and deconstruction of the hotel (it can't just be left to melt!)
    -we then had cocktails in ice glasses and then had maple toffee which froze on the ice -> very cool!
    -we got back to the city and took the cable car down to lower town and walked back to our hotel
    -we had dinner at our hotel before going to sleep    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Montreal

    Jan 15–18, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ -8 °C

    Day 1:
    -we woke up early, got subway for breakfast and caught the train from Quebec City to Montreal
    -we checked into our apartment and then went across to the first island (St Helen) where there was a special snow festival taking place for winter
    -we walked around for a bit, got a beavertail and watched an ice carving demonstration
    -we then walked to the biosphere where we had a look at the exhibits in the foyer
    -we then walked across to the second island (Notre Dame) where we had a look inside the Casino de Montreal
    -we then came back, did grocery shopping, made pasta for dinner and went to sleep

    Day 2:
    -we started walking towards the summit lookout tower and came across 'Marie of the World' cathedral
    -we eventually got to the summit by walking through the underground pedestrian city
    -we had a look from the summit and the exhibition explaining all the different aspects of Montreal
    -we then walked past the Olympic building on the way to Notre Dame
    -we explored Notre Dame including the chapel
    -we then walked up Mont Royal to the cross where we had a fantastic view over all of Montreal (including some icy stairs!)
    -we then walked down and had poutine for dinner at La Banquise - very yummy!

    Day 3:
    -we started the day by exploring the Old Port including the clock tower and the 'beach'!
    -took some nice photos in front of the Jacques Cartier bridge and the Molson Brewery
    -we then walked through the Marche' Bonsecours and through city hall, past Jacques Cartier place
    -we then went to the Olympic Village where the 1976 Olympics were held
    -we visited the Biodome which is a museum-type ecosystem where we got to see different animals like lynxes, beavers, racoons and penguins (and a cabybara)
    -we then explored the Jean Talon markets before taking a stroll through Little Italy
    -we then came home for dinner and watched a movie    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Ottawa

    Jan 18–21, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    Day 1:
    -we had a late train so we decided to have a bit of a sleep in
    -we then explored the Lachine Rapids south-west of the main city, however the rapids were frozen over
    -then we stopped in a park and built a snowman!
    -we then explored the museum of Fine Arts which is free to view - they had an exhibit on Napolean, contemporary art, renaissance etc
    -we then had dinner at the train station and caught the train to Ottawa
    -got a taxi to Kathy's, met Kathy and went to sleep

    Day 2:
    -we had breakfast around the corner at Father and Sons - had an awesome $6 big breakfast!
    -we walked to and through ByWard markets where we saw some cool toffee apples
    -we then walked past Ottawa Locks (gates that control the flow of water) and the Notre Dame and Museum of Fine Arts which has this interesting spider statue out the front
    -we then did a tour of the Royal Canadian Mint
    -learnt some interesting things like how coins are made from gold and silver, the story behind the vancouver olympic medals (2010) of which none are alike, and that Australia is Canada's biggest competitor
    -we then went skating on the Rideau Canal! It was very bumpy and not groomed like a risk but fun nonetheless
    -we went back to Kathy's and then all went out to this student bar for some yummy cheap meals

    Day 3:
    -we went to the same place for breakfast and went to the Supreme Court to make a tour booking for the afternoon
    -we then went on a tour of parliament - learnt about previous prime ministers, got to explore the library and saw the foyers of the Senate and House of Commons
    -we then went up to the viewing deck of the Peace Tower where we got to lookout onto Ottawa and also back to Quebec
    -we then looked inside the memorial tomb, which contains the names of all Canadians who have lost their lives in the field of battle
    -we then walked across the Alexandria bridge back into Quebec and walked through the town of Gatineau
    -we came back to Ottawa and went on a tour of the Supreme Court (the highest court in Canada) - got to sit inside the court where the justices and chief justice would reside
    -we then met Kathy back at hers and went to this awesome boardgame place for dinner, then went back to Kathy's to play N64!    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    London, Ontario

    Jan 21–23, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Day 1:
    -we woke up early in Ottawa and caught a 6.40am train to Toronto
    -had a 1hour stop over in Toronto Union Station before boarding a train heading for London, Ontario
    -we got to London just after 2pm where Scott and Shannon met us!
    -Scott drove us in his 'truck' (ute) on a tour of London, showing us the universities, downtown and all the 'dodgy' parts
    -we then got to Shannon's where we met her parents Tim and Eleanor
    -we chilled out for a bit and then had nice home cooked dinner - ham and potato bake
    -we then went downstairs and had 'heaps' of fun playing Cards Against Humanity and Times Up (similar to Taboo but with a few different rules) - lots of laughs!
    -we were also introduced to the concept of milk in a bag

    Day 2:
    -we had hawaian pancakes for breakfast - blueberry pancakes with an egg in the middle
    -we then took off in Scott's ute for Niagara Falls (of course with a Tim Horton's stop on the way for some timbits - donut holes)
    -we got there about 12.30pm but the fog was quite heavy and we couldn't see much
    -we got adventure passes and caught the bus to the butterfly conservatorium which was really cool - lots of butterflies flying around in a greenhouse type building!
    -we then went to the Imax theatre and watched a movie about the history of the falls and the spiritual teachings about them
    -we then did the 'journey behind the falls' which is where we got to walk in tunnels behind the falls and lookout at various points - very cool!
    -we came out from behind the falls and the fog had cleared!! So we quickly took some photos, and because it was darker the night lights had just turned on as well
    -we drove to the town of St Catherines and went to Kelsey's for dinner where I had a burger with two patties, sloppy joe, bacon and mac & cheese!    Read more

  • Canada Trip

    Toronto

    Jan 23–27, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    Day 1:
    -we caught a train from London to Toronto
    -we caught the subway to our airbnb in Greektown - very cool as all the street names were spelt in Greek and lots of Greek shops etc
    -we then went to the CN Tower where we went up to the viewing platform at 346m - very cool and got to look through a glass floor
    -we then walked across to Air Canada Centre where we watched Toronto Maple Leafs v Calgary Flames
    -Leafs won 4-0, we got free beanies and saw some awesome goals and one guy almost got a hat trick!
    -also today we were introduced to the TTC which is Toronto's transit system which uses tokens for rides

    Day 2:
    -we started the day by visiting Casa Loma - North America's only fully furnished castle
    -it was built by a wealthy man for his family but was then turned into a tourist attraction
    -we got to explore all the rooms including the suites, conservatory, underground tunnels and the garage which had an antique car collection - very cool!
    -we then visited the Royal Ontario Museum which had a wide range of exhibits and galleries from Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and a very interesting exhibit on the first peoples
    -we then walked through Queens Park on the way to city hall where we saw an awesome sunset
    -we stopped into the building where suits is filmed on the way to Air Canada Centre where we watched the Toronto Raptors vs San Antonio Spurs - raptors lost by 2!

    Day 3:
    -Zoo day - we went to Toronto Zoo which was awesome!
    -it was very quiet so there were no lines for anything which meant we were able to see everything
    -started off by seeing the panda cubs which were very cute and then got to see the otter feeding and polar bear feeding!
    -we then went to the Canada section where we got to see moose and bison as well as a 'ghost cat' (like a leopard)
    -we then went through the African, Asian, Indo Malaya and Australasia sections where we got to see all different types of animals including tree kangaroos, orangutans, rhinos and camels
    -we came back for a quiet dinner, bought our extra suitcase and watched James Lafferty in 'Waffle Street'

    Day 4:
    -The last day of our trip!
    -we started off by going to St Lawrence Markets where we tried ice wine and bought the rest of our souvenirs
    -we then walked past the Hockey Hall of Fame on our way to the Steamwhistle Brewery where we took a guided tour
    -the tour included a beer and we learnt how they brew, bottle and distribute their only beer they make - a pilsner
    -the bottles are recycled and can be used up to 45 times!
    -we then took a walk through Kensington Market and Little Italy on our way to celebrate Australia Day!
    -we went to a bar called Hemingways where we drank James Boags, had snags and sun a few Aussie songs!
    -we met Dale, originally from Townsville but living in Toronto, and his partner James and swapped some good stories about different cultures!    Read more

  • Trip end
    January 26, 2017
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