Trans-Canada VIA Dec'03

Planning for my first Trans-Canada rail trip
Over the last week, I was planning my trans-canada continantal rail journey for my coming vacation. My plan was purchasing a canrail ($465) pass to go from Vancouver, en-route to winnepeg and churchill, then continue on the "Canadian", transfer to the "Ocean" to get to Hanifax, side-track to Gaspe, then to Quebec city, Montreal, Ottawa, and finally Toronto and Niagara Fall via the "Corridor". However, I cannot put that into 12 to 15 (with 3-day extension) calender days. And either upgrading the pass to North American pass ($699) or purchasing extra Corridor pass ($250)is out of my budget. I am going to broke.!

It would be really nice to be at Niagara Fall on Nov 23, 2003 because the DisneyLand team will perform over the lighthen Niagara Fall!! There will be firework too (organised by Niagara-on-the-lake). I want to see the Christmas lightings of the East Canada cities as well.

Nevertheless, my rail plan won't fit in as I start my holiday on Nov 22. So I search for a flying option. Again it will cost $384 if I fly in and out from Toronto (jet2go), and cost $450 if I fly in Toronto and out Montreal.

I am still deciding...
I might opt for my very original plan, touring around the sunshine coast and Vancouver Island during my first two weeks of vacation, and learn skiiing in my third week. Let's see.

Before it starts, the pre-Ann Reflection Age!

Traveling with my first digital camera.

These 50 photos are selected from the total of 1158 photos taken from my recent hop-in hop-off hosteling trip to Canadian Rockies (October 6th to 19th, 2003). Sorry that this album included only those from Calgary. Banff, Lake Louise, Natural Bridge and Kicking Horse River, Emerald Lake, Kelowna and Southhill Pyramid Winery, due to the space limit.

Moose West Run - Canadian Rockies -- Best Selection

My very first blog: Photo Junkies traveled in the Rockies

Waterfalls in Canadian Rockies (Yoho, Glacier, Banff, Jasper )

Email to Dad and Bro at Banff

Tuesday, 21 October 2003

Date:21 Oct 2003
To: Bro
Subject: Re: we are at Bannf again

Hi Dad and Bro,

We are at Reverstroke with the Moose group now. I am not sick. my thoat just a little itcy. our roommates at Banff are bad. they are coughing horribly. i think once every ten people at calgary and banff coughing. our roommates at banff are mad too. they want a lot of sleep and cannot tolerate any noise and you know mom always pack and repack. we are leaving early every morning too @ 8am but they dont want light on...

today we enjoy our trip and Johnston canyon, natual bridge and emerbald lake. we can actually feel the fall flashing on us. and we prefer much emerald lake than lake lousie. it is the real jewel of rocky mtns.

we wonder if you went to whister. and how is your trip? it was raining then.

Ann.
Quoting Alan

> Hi Sis,
> Dad is wondering have you rejoined the Moose Travel tour group
yet?
> and also if your throat still sick?
>
> Alan
>
> ann wrote:
>
> > Hi Dear Dad and Bro,
> > We are at HI Banff again. yesterday we took the local bus to HI banff.
> Because the bus run until 12:00, and we arrived at Banff at 10:00,
we toured the town a
> > little bit towing our luggage in the morning. Today we toured the other
> side of the town. unfortunately for us that it had been raining
for two days. Hopefully it will be better for us when we took the
greyhound bus to lake louise.
> >
> > Ann
>

Email to Dad and Bro at Banff

Mon, 13 Oct 2003 21:43:48 -0700
Topic: Moose West Pass- Oct 2003
Dad & Bro,

We arrived at Banff at 7:30 pm after touring the Atha. Fall, columbia icefield, pyto lake, as well as lake lousie

there is snow in lake lousie and other lake, amazing. the Bannff hostel is a very nice one. the lough room is very comfortable. again this night we share the room with 6 other girls. the rate of internat is the same, but the keyboard is very small and unfamiliar (this explain the typo). we have asked the driver to drive us to the greyhound station on wednesday, so we can save the bus fare. but that mean we would leave early in
am at banff. Jasper is very hot during the day, but cold at night. Mom kept searching and repacking the whole night.

At Jasper, we did tour around the town together with two other ppl. we together tour the lake magnlie and lake pyramind too.

ann

Quoting Alan

> Dad is asking how is the temperature and weather of the Jasper now? Dad is also interested to know whether you and mom live together with the two other ppl from the tour group during stays in Jasper, and do you go around Jasper with them too?
>
> Alan
>
> > Quoting Alan
> >
> > > Dad say that you can use pay phone to make the call (if necessary), and also reminds that when you arrive at calgary you don't have to use area code to make the call to uncle paul or auntie jeanne.
> > >
> > > Alan
> > >

Itinerary of Moose West Pass Oct 2003

Friday, 3 October 2003

Dear Uncle P,

Here is our itinerary that I have told Auntie J on the phone. I think we can cut short our time at Jasper (marked with *). Then we are at Banff on Thanksgiving Sunday and Monday.

Oct 6
Day 1 on tour: Vancouver - Whistler
Cypress Bowl Lookout
Shannon Falls
Stawamus Chief
Squamish
Garibaldi Park
Overnighting in Whistler's Shoestring Lodge($20).

Oct 7
Day 2 on tour: Whistler - Free day to explore

Oct 8
Day 3 on tour: Whistler - Kamloops
Pemberton
Joffre Lakes
Seton Lake
Kamloops Lake
Overnighting in Kamloops Court House Hostel ($16)

Oct 9
Day 4 on tour: Kamloops - Valemount
Clearwater
Wells Gray Park
Spahats Falls
Blue River
Valemount
Overnighting at the Valemount Hostel ($20)

Oct 10
Day 5 on tour: Valemount - Jasper
Morning free to explore
Mt Robson
Jasper
Overnighting at Jasper hostel(s) ($15)

* Oct 11-12 we hop off the Moose bus (We can choose not to hop off)

Oct 13 we hop back in the Moose bus (If we don't hop off on Oct11, we will be at Banff on Oct 11th evening)
Day 6: Jasper - Banff
Athabasca Falls
Columbia Icefields
Peyto Lake
Lake Louise
Moraine Lake
Overnighting at Banff HI($20)

Oct 14 (This will be Oct 12th if we don't hop off at Jasper)
Day 7: Banff - Free day to explore

Oct 15-21 We hop off the Moose bus, when we take the Greyhound bus to Calgary. We plan to be back at Banff on Oct 20th. or 21th.

Oct 22 We hop back in the Moose bus
Day 8: Banff - Revelstoke
Banff National Park
Takkakaw Falls
Yoho National Park
Emerald Lake
Glacier National Park
Rogers Pass
Revelstoke

Oct 23
Day 9: Revelstoke - Kelowna
Sicamous
Kalmalca Lake
Kelowna
Houseboating on Lake Okanagan
Mountain biking on the abandoned Kettle Valley Railway bed
Relaxing on the beach
Enjoy Kelowna's Keg Party and great nightlife!

Oct 24
Day 10: Kelowna - Vancouver
Penticton's Skaha Beach for relaxing or beach volleyball
Keremeos fruit orchards - check out the fruit stands for fresh peaches, cherries, apricots and more!
Manning Park - look out for bears!
Hope Slide - a massive rock slide
Hope - see the home of John Rambo in First Blood!
Sky Diving in Abbotsford!
Dropping off at hostels in Vancouver

Ann
P.S. Here is the information of the tour company
Moose Network
http://www.moosenetwork.com

Phone: (604) 777-9905 Fax: (604) 777-9906
Toll-free in North America: 1-888-244-6673

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Ann&Lisa coming from Banff
Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2003 13:00:56 -0700
From: Ann Chou
To: Uncle P

Dear Uncle P,

Thank you ahead offering us to stay at your home for our time in Calgary. We are really glad to have this "second" chance as we stayed too short in Calgary last time. Following up our conservation this morning, our primitive plan is leaving Banff to Calgary by Greyhound in the afternoon of Oct 15.
We also would like to know your plan: if you are going to take us to Lake Louise for a day then bring us back to Banff. Then we can hop back to our tour (Moose West Pass) on Wednesday Oct 22nd.

Keep in touch in email!

Cheers,
Ann.

Very very first....

Every day, wherever I go, I am with my little digital camera, so that I wont miss any moment.