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  • Amy Phillips

Canada

May 2019 Read more
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  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Train Day 1

    July 10, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Well my day didn’t have the best of starts...the train was delayed for 6 hours! Apparently one of the the train cars had fallen off the tracks so they had to replace the wheels. I guess it’s better that it happened before we were on it!! So we finally set off from Toronto making our way west. I settled into my cabin briefly and then headed to the Skyline car where they were serving champagne and canapés...very fancy! And already I’ve met people and had lots of interesting conversations! Dinner time!! - the service was impeccable! You get a 3 course meal included in all sleeper fares so I’ll be eating like a queen for the next few days! Tonight I had clam chowder, beef and chocolate caramel torte. I finished my day sitting in the dome car where the whole ceiling is glass, and the activity coordinator gave us a talk about the wildlife we might see along the way!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Train Day 2

    July 11, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We woke up to a different time zone, although actually still in Ontario. Apparently it throws the dining car and their service off if we change our clocks when we actually move into the next province during the day. Ontario looks big on a map, but when you travel through the whole province, you really get a sense of how big it actually is and there really are hundreds of thousands of lakes!! I skipped breakfast because I was still so full from dinner last night. I spent some time in the dome car again, and then went for an earlyish brunch - lobster ravioli! Then I tried to have a nap as I didn’t sleep well last night and I was up in time to join in the beer tasting! Later I enjoyed a chat about Winnipeg’s history and a few places we could have visited on our layover there if we weren’t going to be arriving in the middle of the night! Dinner soon followed...I was hungry so only 1 photo tonight 🙈 (Garden vegetable soup, trout and creme brûlée) I was sat at a table with a fun bunch of people so it was a very entertaining dinner. Fingers crossed for a better sleep tonight 🤞🏻!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Train Day 3

    July 12, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    As I went to bed last night there was a huge lightening storm...it was kinda of scary! Nonetheless I managed to get to sleep! I woke up in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the middle of the night (a lot later than scheduled) so decided not to get off the train and just go back to sleep! I woke up and was actually hungry for breakfast so headed to the dining car for the continental breakfast. We were all pleased to hear the announcement that they’d made up some time and now only 2 hours behind schedule, which for this train is quite normal. Basically the freight companies own the tracks so they get priority over any passenger trains which is the reason for the delays along the way. I missed the whole of Manitoba as we passed through it during the night but I woke to the completely different landscape of Saskatchewan! We had a stop in Saskatoon and then carried on for Alberta. This afternoon after brunch was wine tasting! Another fun activity 😊 and today was a good day for wildlife - I saw a pelican, coyote, moose, a few deer and some bison! Another evening and another tasty dinner (butternut squash soup, cod and cheesecake).Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Finally made it to Calgary

    July 13, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    When I went to bed I was expecting to arrive into Jasper maybe 2-3 hours late which would work out perfectly for picking up the hire car. When I woke up, I found out we were running 7 hours late 😳 Oh well...there could definitely be worse places to be stuck than in the middle of the Rockies! So I made the most of it and filled my belly with more delicious food before we finally arrived into Jasper 7.5 hours late! I picked up the hire car - this time I got a cheeky upgrade and bagged myself a Rav-4! I set off on my 4.5 hour drive to Calgary and what a drive it was! The only way to go is through the Icefields Parkway and you can’t help but be blown away by the scenery. I took a quick stop when I saw some big horned sheep and then again at a a beautiful lake and finally made it to the hostel by 9pm. Stampede time tomorrow!!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    Rodeo ready!

    July 14, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    I was looking forward to the Calgary Stampede for a while, and it did not disappoint! I had my plaid shirt and bought myself a cowboy hat so I was ready for the rodeo! The day started with a stampede breakfast - they are held all over the city and are free! There is so much to see and do in the show grounds. I took a wander round, grabbed some food and then took my seat for the rodeo. As it was the last day of the stampede, this was the big day for finals and big prize money! There were a number of events and the top prize was $100,000 for each event! After the rodeo I went to look at the livestock and they even had an alpaca!! I had some more food 🙈 then took my seat for the chuckwagon finals and the final evening show. It really was a fabulous show and has made me more excited for volunteering on the Ranch next month! 🐴Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    Last day in Calgary

    July 15, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    It was a sunny day in Calgary so I took a walk downtown and took in a few sights. Then I drove to Drumheller, the dinosaur capital of the world! The rock formations here are just fascinating! I first stopped at the visitor centre where the largest dinosaur in the world stands, then went to the hoodoos, and then made my way to the Horseshoe canyon...amazing!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Arriving into Canmore

    July 16, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    I made my way to Canmore in the rain, but the sun soon came out so I took my chance and started on a trail along the Bow River. I didn’t quite finish the trail because I saw a storm coming my way so thought it best to head back and check into my hostel. The 5th picture is the view from my room...couldn’t be better! Treated myself to some ice cream after dinner and a stroll along a boardwalk trail. Looking at the weather forecast for tomorrow I’m not sure how the day with play out but hoping to get a hike or two in!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    Johnston Canyon and Ink Pots Trail

    July 17, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    I managed to get one hike in today - the Johnston Canyon and Ink Pots trail. I’d read it gets busy so I was there for around 9am but the car park was already full and cars were parked all up the sides of the road. I took to the trail and right enough, there were lots of people at both the lower and upper falls, but starting from the upper falls to the ink pots it started to quieten off. Still there were enough people that I was never on the trail on my own. The ink pots are fascinating - they are mineral springs, and they are all different colours because they fill at different rates. And a nice spot for a picnic! 😊 I thought I would do another hike this afternoon but underestimated how long this one was - 11.2km return. So I decided to visit Banff and had a wander downtown. Wow...it was super busy, it took about half an hour to find somewhere to park. It’s a nice place but so overcrowded! Finished my day in the Banff hot springs!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    Upper Grassi Lakes

    July 18, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    The sun was shining this morning so I made my way to a trail I was wanting to do but not before giving it a lot of thought...on the park website there was a bear warning in place for this trail. But I had my bear spray with me that I bought yesterday, and I decided I would just ask a group if I could join them when I got there. So I arrived and was surprised that the car park wasn’t completely full yet. I met someone that also came on her own so we teamed up and hiked together! Turned out the bear was seen on the trail 10 days ago, so my guess would be that it’s long gone... 🤷🏻‍♀️ Anyway, the trail was pretty busy so lots of other people around. There was a choice of an easy or harder way up so we chose the harder option. It was worth it. The views were stunning, and we saw a waterfall too. But once we reached the top, wow!!! The colours of these lakes were just stunning! In the afternoon I went downtown to a market and then decided to go to Vermilion lakes for the sunset. Well, there wasn’t a sun to set but impressive views nonetheless! Packed up and ready to leave Canmore behind tomorrow for a few days in Lake Louise!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Lake Louise

    July 20, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    I arrived in Lake Louise yesterday and I’m staying with a friend I made during my time in Newfoundland, so it’s nice to see her again! The weather still hasn’t been all that great but actually, today wasn’t bad for hiking. I chose the Plain of six glaciers trail which starts at Lake Louise itself. It was the longest (13.6km) and most challenging trail I’ve done so far, but it was a good challenge! And there was a tea house at the end of the trail, so that was a nice treat. The tea house gets supplies flown in twice per season and the rest of their supplies are hiked up by the staff! After my break and some tea and scones, I hiked the rest of the trail to the lookout. We were literally up in the clouds, it was incredible!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    An early start to a beautiful day

    July 21, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today was the only day while I was in Lake Louise that the weather forecast looked good, and I’d heard the only time to go to Moraine Lake is for the sunrise as it is super busy the rest of the day. They weren’t wrong. We arrived at around 5.15am and the parking lot was full by 5.30am!! It was so beautiful! My friend I’m staying with and a couple of her flat mates came along as well which was nice.

    Then I drove to Yoho National Park just past the border of Alberta in British Columbia and arrived at Emerald Lake. It was so pretty but it was so foggy still. So I decided to walk around the lake, and then ended up doing the 10.8km Emerald Lake Basin trail...wasn’t planned! It was a challenge, the ground was very rocky, slippery and muddy! But once at the top, it was worth it (it’s always worth it!) 😊 the fog cleared while I was up there and it turned into thee most gorgeous day! (I even ended up getting a bit sunburnt 🙁 (oops!) I saw a Marmot on my way down - it was huge!! And then took in the beautiful Emerald Lake in all its glory under the sun. And yes, the water is really that colour in the lakes!!

    On my way back to Lake Louise, I stopped off at Takakkaw Falls - the second tallest waterfall in Canada and it was impressive!    Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    Driving to Jasper

    July 22, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today I set off from Lake Louise to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway and stopped off a few times along the way at various lakes and hikes. The most impressive of them all had to be Peyto Lake - the colour is so stunning! Then I stopped at the Athabasca Glacier - it’s currently receding at 5 metres a year which means it could disappear within a generation. Sad to think about. Then a little further along the road there were 2 mountain goats! Arrived into Jasper and grabbed some dinner then some ice cream - it was a scorcher!! I’m staying with friends of a friend so made it to their place and settled in!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Making new friends

    July 23, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Today I met up with a friend of a friend who showed me around Jasper. We started out in the park with a coffee then headed to Pyramid Lake. It was so nice and peaceful there, and the views up to Pyramid mountain were wonderful. We grabbed lunch and then she took me up the Skytram and we hiked to the summit of Whistlers mountain. It was a short but very steep hike and the wind was so strong! Standing up there amongst the tops of the Rockies was such an incredible feeling! We had a well deserved dinner with some sangria and made it home before the storm started!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Meeting old friends

    July 24, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Today, a friend I worked with in Edinburgh about 5 years ago made the trip from Edmonton to spend the day with me in Jasper. Shame it was so miserable, it rained the whole day! We still had a good catch up and took a drive to Athabasca Falls - where the Athabasca glacier that I saw the other day feeds into. I’m hoping tomorrow is going to be nicer so I can do a couple more hikes on my last day before I head for Vancouver!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Last day in Jasper :( Part 1

    July 25, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    It is my last day in Jasper so I crammed in as much as I could. I started off at Sunwapta falls and did part of the trail there, then I went onto the Valley of the Five Lakes trail. It was a 4.8km trail and not too challenging but I inadvertently joined another trail on my way round and turned it into a 9km trail! Oops 🙈 the lakes were stunning though, and each one was slightly different in colour.Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Last day in Jasper :( Part 2

    July 25, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    So after I had lunch I made my way to Maligne Canyon which was incredible! It’s the deepest Canyon in Jasper National Park! I hiked the 4km trail there, with lots of very steep inclines. I then made my way to Maligne lake. I didn’t take the boat tour but you do get a sense for how big the lake is. Unfortunately because it was so cloudy, you didn’t get to appreciate the beautiful colours of the water here. On my way back, there was a moose eating at the side of the road. Earlier in the day there was a bear jam on the road from Sunwapta falls to Valley of the Five Lakes and I kid you not, people were running across the road to see the black bear!! I looked in my rear view mirror and saw it crossing the road. It looked much bigger than the one I’d seen before.

    Animal count; moose - 3, black bears - 2, elk - lost count, marmot - 1, bighorn sheep - 3, mountain goats - 2, squirrels - too many!    Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Arrived in Vancouver

    July 27, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Unsurprisingly, our train was delayed leaving Jasper - 4 hours this time! This time I was in economy, so no fancy 3 course meals or a nice comfy bed 😕 However there was a chef still preparing meals that you could buy so it wasn’t all that bad! The views leaving the Rockies was incredible! I didn’t sleep much though, so today is going to be along day! I’ve arrived at the hostel where I’m doing a work for stay, and they are putting me to work right away! It’s right next to the beach so I’m hoping to have some down time for the next 10 days 😊Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Victoria, Vancouver Island

    August 2, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    So I decided to book a whale watching tour, but I’d also been thinking about going to Victoria on Vancouver Island. It just so happens that the whale watching tour company offer a tour that leaves Vancouver and finishes in Victoria, perfect! But we saw no whales 😔!! The company has a whale guarantee though so I can book on another tour for free. Hopefully I can fit it in before I leave! Victoria was very nice, reminded me of Ottawa! I wandered around the centre (found a nice chocolate shop! 🍫) and then spent some time in the Butchart Gardens which were so pretty! The day ended with the sunset as we were getting off the ferry.Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Whales round 2

    August 5, 2019, Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    I managed to book another whale watching tour for today, and was a bit sceptical about it from the beginning. But WOW!! It was such an awesome experience. We first saw a group of 3 humpbacks, who were being quite subdued and coming up for air and diving. Then we came across another group of 3 humpbacks who were having lots of fun - breaching and slapping their tails on the water and their dorsal fins too. Such an incredible thing to watch. Even the crew of the boat said that they don’t see that very often! The photos don’t do what I saw justice! I finished my trip with an ice cream served in a cream puff - yummy!!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    Last day in Vancouver (for now)

    August 6, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    Today, on my last day here in Vancouver I met up with a friend I made in Nova Scotia on the alpaca farm who arrived in Vancouver yesterday. We spent most of our day relaxing on the beach and catching up which was nice! Then we went downtown and joined her friend for dinner and drinks. I couldn’t help but choose a beer from the Phillips brewery! Hehe!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    Ranch life begins

    August 8, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I arrived into Merritt and it was HOT!! Nearly at 30 degrees and it was only 11.30am! I was picked up from the bus by one of the other volunteers, and then we had some errands to do before heading to the ranch. They only make a trip into town once every 7-10 days so there was a lot to pick up!

    We made it to the ranch and unloaded the truck while meeting all of the other volunteers. There are 8 of us in total - 3 housekeeping, 2 wranglers and 3 maintenance. I had a quick tour of the ranch (it’s a lot bigger than I had thought!) and then it was time for dinner. All of the volunteers take turn in cooking for everyone which is nice!

    The ranch itself is a private cowboy and county club so there are privately owned residential properties on site, as well as the main communal buildings. There’s a saloon, movie theatre, gym, pool and the main lodge. Its very ‘Western’, like right out of a movie!

    As well as the 12 horses, they also have 2 goats and a miniature donkey who love lots of attention! They have given me tomorrow off to settle in, and then I start working on Friday.    Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    What a week!

    August 24, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    I started this week off with my first Western riding lesson which I really enjoyed! They picked the horse Shorty for me to ride - I wonder why?! 🤔 He is probably one of the best trained horses they have here, so good for beginners like me! Hopefully I will manage to fit in another lesson or 2 before I leave.

    On Friday was my first trip into town for the grocery shopping and other odds and ends, as well as to drop one of the other volunteers at the bus station as she was leaving. Well...we got into Merritt and made our first stop, but as we got back in the truck, it wouldn’t start 😳 She made it to the bus while I waited for a tow truck!! The ranch manager ended up having to come in her truck so we could do the rest of the shopping and recycling etc. It was such a long day but we made it back to the ranch...just one truck down. 🙁

    Today we had some guests staying at the ranch who invited us to join them for a BBQ which was lovely - but I had the job of peeling 3 dozen corn!!    Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Rodeo Number 2

    August 31, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Cowboy hats at the ready!! The town of Merritt holds the Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo every year and we were all very lucky to be able to go and enjoy it!

    It was a much smaller event than the Calgary Stampede (of course!) which had its pros and cons. It was smaller so definitely easier to see what was happening, but also not as many competitors and not quite as well organised! They had 2 events for kids - barrel racing for the girls (the youngest competitor was only 6 years old!) and a wild pony race. That was quite funny to watch!

    Once we were back at the ranch, the residents had organised a pot luck dinner and had invited the volunteers to join them. A lovely end to a fun day!    Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    Can I just stay here?!

    September 2, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    I still can’t get over how amazingly beautiful this place is...

    Yesterday I had another riding lesson which was so much fun! Shorty and I are now working well as a team haha! And we were trotting all around the arena and through the slalom! Definitely trail ready...fingers crossed for this Sunday!

    Then some of us decided to go into town to the Fall Fair Dance. We stopped for sushi for dinner (yummy!!) then headed to the dance. There was hardly anyone there and no one on the dance floor..oops! So we headed back to the ranch and played some pool and foosball in the Saloon.

    Today we took one of the boats out onto the lake after dinner. It was fun! We saw lots of jumping fish, Loons and a beautiful sky!

    I have less than 2 weeks here before I head on to my next adventure 🙁    Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
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    First day exploring the Yukon

    September 16, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    I started my day early to pick up my hire car...a nice upgrade again! This time I got a Ford Edge! It’s big, but not as big as the Chevy I’ve been driving on the ranch so should be all good!

    I spent a good few hours wandering around the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. There’s so many animals to see there - mountain goats, muskox, moose, Caribou just to name a few! Then I spent the rest of the day relaxing in the Takhini hot springs...it was just what I needed! Off for an early night before some hiking in the Kluane national park tomorrow!

    Love this territory already...can’t wait to see what the rest of the week brings!    Read more

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