Sonora (the queen of the southern mines) is the heart of the southern gold mining towns. Sonora was first established by miners from Sonora, Mexico. This town was important during the mining days and remains so even today. Sonora was established during 1848 and has been the county seat of Tuolumne since 1950. Even though Sonora was established in 1848 people have traveled through and settled here since the late 1820's. During its early mining … [Read more...]
Spokane, WA – Coeur d’ Alene Attractions
Some of these attractions are within Coeur d' Alene while others are within a short drive. All are listed in alphabetical order. Cruises depart from the Coeur d' Alene city pier with varying departure times depending on the day and time of year. Allow at least 2 hours on the water. A Sunday brunch cruise and a Monday sunset cruise are also offered. Floating Wood Marina is the world's longest floating marina measuring 1.2 kilometers; it … [Read more...]
Spokane, WA – Kalispell
Kalispell is located in the Flathead Valley between the West Glacier entrance and Big Flathead Lake. The city has a population of 23,000 and is located on Montana's most dangerous road, the 93 Highway. In fact no sooner had I left Kalispell, I ran into slow traffic. I was caught in a traffic jam for only a minute or two before a firetruck came racing up from behind. After another 10 minutes, I passed the accident just as they were loading the … [Read more...]
Vancouver, Canada
This article highlights parts of Washington state, and western Canadian provinces including Alberta & British Columbia. Details and travel tips about our time in the Canadian Rockies is also covered as this is clearly one of the primary highlights of Western Canada, however, the overall focus of this guide is about Vancouver, British Columbia. Seventeen days is an ideal time to see all the sites and attractions mentioned in this guide. This … [Read more...]
Vancouver, Canada – Western Canada Trip
The total trip described on this page took 17 days including transportation from one's home airport. Suggested visit times and attractions are only listed as options for someone roughly following this itinerary. Any names of hotels or motels I stayed at have been included along with contact information. Day 1 : Stay at a motel near your home airport. This saves the hassle of driving to the airport on that same day that you are flying, unless … [Read more...]
Vancouver, Canada – Vancouver City
Vancouver was founded in 1886; today this very cosmopolitan city anchors the west coast of Canada and attracts visitors from around the world. Those who have never been to Vancouver will be surprised by its size when viewed from a distance. Vancouver can be defined by its surrounding natural beauty but more so by its international population. Vancouver is thriving and continually pursuing the future. This is evident when one sees all the modern … [Read more...]
Vancouver, Canada – Shopping
When visiting, we always enjoy the numerous shopping opportunities in Vancouver. Here are a select few: Chinatown Eaton's is located at 701 Granville Street in the large Pacific Centre. This Centre includes over 200 stores. Gastown - besides being known for its shopping, Gastown is the birthplace of Vancouver in 1867. Gastown was originally called Gassy's, named after saloon owner Gassy Jack Deighton. The town site was nicknamed … [Read more...]
Vancouver, Canada – Galleries Museums
Note: all phone numbers listed in this section are in the 604 area code. In this day and age of quickly accessible information via the Internet, take some extra time to pickup the phone and talk to someone. These are all museums - show some interest in art or culture during your phone call and you might just make a new friend :) Contemporary Art Gallery is located at 555 Hamilton Street. Phone Number 681-2700. Fort Langley National … [Read more...]
Vancouver, Canada – Helpful Conversions
Like most of the countries on the planet, Canada uses kilometers as a measure of distance, kilograms as a measure of weight and Celsius as a measure of temperature. 1 kilometer = 0.6 mile 1 mile = 1.6 kilometers 1 meter = 1.1 yards 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds 0 degrees C = 32 degrees F 10 degrees C = 50 degrees F 20 degrees C = 68 degrees F 30 degrees C = 86 degrees F 20 mph = 30 kph … [Read more...]
Vancouver, Canada – Attractions
Bloedel Conservatory is located on a hill overlooking the entire city of Vancouver. The observatory is surrounded by lush gardens. This is a great spot to bring the family for a picnic lunch. The observatory contains a diverse garden of tropical plants and birds. During the dead of the winter months this can be an enjoyable outing to escape the frigid temperatures. For example, one can come up here and dream they are in Costa Rica or some other … [Read more...]