A Bucket List Vacation

Okay, we’ve all done it, sitting at the table dreaming of that one, great vacation that will knock several items off of our bucket list. Two years ago my wife Cathy and I were doing just that. We’ve been on several tropical vacations and a few others that we thought would complete our dreams. Then we read about northwest Canada and British Columbia. Combine with the Canadian Rockies and whoop, there it was, the trip that would round out our North American experiences and the planning began.

Before we knew it, time flew by and it was time to go. On June 4, we hired Ron of “Run with Ron” Transportation to take us to RSW. He was on time, personable and the price was right. We boarded a flight headed to Vancouver, Canada, then rented a caravel to Horseshoe Bay. The next morning, we caught a ferry to Vancouver Island and the town of Nanaimo. From there we drove to Campbell River for an overnight stay.

The next morning the adventure began. By seaplane, we flew to Knight’s Inlet Lodge, a facility on pontoons only accessible by plane or boat. We weren’t there for more than an hour when Cathy and I were shuffled to our first boat ride, a six-passenger jon boat for an estuary learning experience. We were away from the dock about 10 minutes and, on the opposite shore, we spotted two grizzly bears! This area of British Columbia has about 30 grizzlies nearby and the well-educated tour guides knew them by name. We came upon a huge male named Chester and he was following around a female named Lillian. They were, um, “dating” at that time and often seen eating sedges along the banks of the inlet. We all sat silently, observing the behavior of these two, with terrific narration by our guide.

We returned to the lodge for lunch, then shuffled again to a boat where we enjoyed two more excursions that day, led by extremely knowledgeable guides. Food at the lodge was great and prepared by their chef who competed on Top Chef Canada.

The second day we took what was supposed to be an eight-hour marine tour. It lasted 10 and a half hours. We saw five humpback whales, four orcas, sea otters, harbor seals, Stellar sea lions (they get up to 2,500 pounds!), eagles, and more! At the second whale sighting, a calf was continually breaching, putting on a great show! The orcas were busy, with three females followed by a large male. The female dorsal fins extended about three feet out of the water, and the male dorsal fin was as big as me, six feet long!

On the way back to the lodge, we experienced one last whale sighting, actually more than a sighting. The whale approached our boat and the guide quickly turned off the outboard motors and raised them above the waterline. Our boat was about 35 feet long and so was the whale. This one decided to hang around with us….for about 20 minutes! It kept resurfacing and circling the boat, rolling over to show its pectoral fins (flippers) and popping its head up to look at us. At one point, I took a photo as it came up to breathe and the blowhole was no more than three feet from my camera!

I learned later the whales in this area migrate to either Hawaii or Mexico. In Mexico, there are no restrictions regarding approaching a whale and they are often petted by people there. Likely, this whale “mugging” our boat, as they call it, was a visitor to Mexico on its migratory pattern.

Over the next two days, we hiked above the clouds to the top of a mountain in the Great Bear Rain Forest and hiked through an island setting to learn about the vegetation, trees, and waterfalls. These lands were home to five First Nation tribes, indigenous people that still live in the region and, to this day, they follow ancient traditions and rituals and remain passionate about their lands, as does the Knight’s Inlet Lodge staff.

Our final morning found us back at the Estuary for a final look around. We saw seven Black-tailed Deer feeding in the high grasses and again several Bald Eagles. Now, in Florida, eaglets are born mainly in December and January. In British Columbia, the eaglets are born to coordinate with the salmon run, which generally occurs in September or October.

I can’t say enough about Knight’s Inlet Lodge. The rooms were clean, the food was great, and our guides, most of whom had degrees in biology or environmental sciences, were personable, full of information and most of all, passionate about their surroundings. They are truly stewards of their environment.

We did meet people from around the globe, sharing meals with Michelle and her mom Amanda from Australia, and Klaus and Merit from Denmark on a regular basis.

On June 9, we caught the seaplane back to Campbell River, Vancouver Island, and drove to Nanaimo that day. On June 10, we took a whale watch tour. Our guide Jordan was fabulous with great rapport and very informative. They actually work with scientists and document their whale sightings, knowing the names of the whales we saw. We were close enough to identify four and saw three more from a distance.

On June 11, we caught the ferry back to the mainland at Horseshoe Bay and immediately got on the road toward Banff National Park and the Canadian Rocky Mountains. This is a 10-hour drive, so we made several stops to enjoy the scenery, spending the night in Kamloops before arriving in Canmore, our destination just south of Banff, arriving late in the day on June 12.

The next few days were filled with hikes and we put about 24 miles of paths and waterfalls on our shoes over the next six days. The mountains were breathtaking, with snow still on many of the upper regions. Just like Knight’s Inlet Lodge, most of our excursions took place in temps from the mid-30s to mid-50s. On June 13, we walked to the Canmore Engine Bridge, an old railroad path that eventually led us to the Bow River Falls and a beautiful view of Three Sisters Mountains. June 14 found us on the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain for more exquisite views of the Rockies. Absolutely stunning!

We were up and in a van at 2:40 AM the next morning with several other guests headed to watch the sunrise at Lake Moraine. First light was 3:50 AM (days there in June are about 16 and a half hours long) and we were on foot up a mountain path by 5:15. It was the first sunny morning there in several days, and we were blessed with the sun striking the mountains around the lake, reflecting upon the still, blue waters created by the surrounding glacier fields. I don’t believe I have ever seen a lake setting this beautiful!

Shortly after the sun popped up, we were on our way to Lake Louise for another scenic stop. Lake Louise had a path on one side and it was a great walk to take in the beauty here, about 45 minutes round trip, again surrounded by mountains. On the return trip to our Canmore home away from home, our guide Stacey, Australian, gave us an excellent presentation about the area. Stacey was formerly a diver at the Great Barrier Reef, a cave diver, and a rock climbing enthusiast with a biology degree. Such fascinating people we met on our journey!

June 16 found us traveling the Icefields Parkway heading to the Columbia Glacier. An Ice Bus took us down to the ice and we were able to get out and walk on the Athabasca Glacier. This ice field covers about 125 square miles. The wind was whipping between a pair of mountains, funneling onto the glacier at about 40 miles an hour. The glacier actually creates its own weather! From there we enjoyed the Skywalk, with a glass deck, which extends 1,000 feet above the valley floor. We were able to experience views from every height advantage and even saw six mountain goats grazing below!

On June 17, we traveled to Yoho National Park, towards Jasper, for a few hikes and waterfall views. Our first stop was Takakkaw Falls, the second biggest falls in Canada with a drop of melting glacier water of 1,213 feet. It was thunderous, roaring, and spectacular! Next we hiked to Wapta Falls, which is 305 feet wide and drops about 150 feet. Again, lots of power in that water with the spring snow and ice melt traveling through. On the way heading home, we stopped at a natural bridge made of rock formed by the force of the waters eroding the rock over time. Very beautiful.

Our final day exploring was June 18, and it did not disappoint. Hiking to Johnston Canyon and Falls was on our list. Coincidentally, this feature was along the Bow River Valley Parkway. There was a sighting here a few days earlier of “The Boss.” No, not Bruce Springsteen, but a 600-pound male grizzly! We were going to look for him. He is fearless in his habitat and has been hit by trains twice. Rumor has it that the Boss did more damage to the trains than they did to him! He is suspected to be the father of about 70% of the young bears in the area! We did not find him, but we did see three elk and two mule deer.

Johnston Falls was fabulous! Two canyon walls directed the waters through a narrow pass which, you guessed it, caused a tremendous amount of force. It was 36 degrees when we arrived and bundled up. The walk was not very far, but it was very scenic and an amazing, concentrated falls to experience.

On June 19, we were on our way to Calgary Airport to catch a plane back to Fort Myers. Run with Ron was there to pick us up and bring us to our front door. I write this on June 25 and I still smile, still look at some of these experiences as a dream come true. Most importantly, I was able to share all of this with the person I love most, my wife Cathy.

Overall, whales, orcas, grizzly bears, elk, deer, seals, sea lions, eagles, and, yes, hummingbirds that migrate from British Columbia to Mexico. More than that, an area of the world that is rarely visited and the opportunity to enjoy the company of others.

To summarize, if you are planning a vacation, if you think about going somewhere, just GO! Whatever it takes to save the dollars and do it, there is nothing that anyone can tell you, no pictures that can capture an experience for you. YOU NEED TO BE THERE!

Turn dreams into reality and may God bless you on all of life’s journeys!