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Canada, USA and beyond....

simmosimmo Registered Users Posts: 18 Big grins
edited March 23, 2007 in Journeys
I'd like to quickly recap an ongoing journey that I and my wife have undertaken. We have been keeping track of this on our blog if you would like to read further into our adventures from the start but set aside some time as there are over 100 hundred lengthy posts and counting. Click here to read it from the begining or here to go from now backwards.

We have been travelling for 10 months now and have 2 months remaining. I hope you enjoy the story....

So our trip started May 27, 2006 in Australia where my wife and I married before departing a week later for Canada. We boarded a cruise ship in Vancouver bound for Alaska which was an incredible experience. We must have lowered the average age on board by about 20 years but enjoyed it so much and would do it again in a heartbeat. Highly recommended. Here is one of the many spectaular scenes, 'Traceys Arm near Sawyer Glacier'

164957646_d6fecfd6a9.jpg?v=0

For more details about the Alaska leg of our trip see here

We then spent about 2 weeks traveling around Victoria, Vancouver and Whistler. Here is a shot of Shannon Falls, somewhere between Vancouver and Whistler.

173612017_1538fa948c.jpg?v=0

If you would like to read more see Vancouver or Whistler.

Next we spent around 3 weeks travelling through the Rocky Mountains with a bus company called Moose travel. Mainly aimed at younger people but quite a fun group. Now Australia is mean to be some kind of "Natural Wonderland" but in my opinion the rockies equal if not top anything we have at home. They really are a photographers themepark.

The highlight for me was 'Peyto Lake' about 1 hour north of Banff. (Thats actually me on the right, photo courtesy of my wife)
191311990_a420b56cea.jpg?v=0

So much so that we actually came back here 4 months later to see it in Winter
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For more on the Rocky Mountains see here.

Next stop, Calgary Alberta....Cowtown. We actually stayed here about 4 months. Why, I here you asking?... Because we wanted to see the Stampede and there was no accomodation available so we had to sign a 4 month lease on an apartment. We also needed jobs by this time to recover some funds so we could continue our journey.

Heres a shot of the Chuck Wagon racing at the stampede:
195779741_1bca660c85.jpg?v=0

While in Calgary I actually worked in the Photolab at Vistek, a large Photography store there. Nice place that does great large prints at reasonable prices (even better for staff), they even let me borrow rental equipment that wasn't in use so I could take advantage of equipment too expensive and heavy for your average backpacker.

Local skate park, taken with D200 and 80-200 F2.8:
277955503_16d0eca6bb.jpg?v=0

For more on Calgary see here

We are now in Toronto were we have been for the past 4 months or so, working once again to fund the next leg (east coast and europe). We actually leave on Monday (26 of March).

Highlights from here have been:

Niagara falls
307086907_b0f7ef8ced.jpg?v=0

Dog Sledding in Haliburton (isn't he beautiful)
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And I finaly upgraded my tired Panasonic Fz10 to a D80, this was my first outing (last weekend) to the old Distilery District, east of downtown Toronto
424693303_5535a38472.jpg?v=0

For more from Toronto see here

As you can see, when Australians leave our home shores we tend to do a thorough job as the flights cost so much you have to make it worth while.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures, I'll try and get in here and update this thread as the journey continues but I'm not sure how often I'll have time.
www.PeopleWhoDoSTUFF.com/blog
Canada Blogging - travel journal

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    bsvirginianbsvirginian Registered Users Posts: 241 Major grins
    edited March 22, 2007
    :D I'm certainly envious of your trip and the length of time that you've been able to devote to it. I wish I could do the reverse and spend as much time in Australia and NZ. Thanks for sharing with us. thumb.gif BS
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    dogwooddogwood Registered Users Posts: 2,572 Major grins
    edited March 22, 2007
    Love the Peyto Lake shot (summertime). The Canadian Rockies are amazing-- hope you made it up to Jasper too! That's another fantastic landscape photography spot.

    Portland, Oregon Photographer Pete Springer
    website blog instagram facebook g+

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    SkippySkippy Registered Users Posts: 12,075 Major grins
    edited March 23, 2007
    simmo wrote:
    I'd like to quickly recap an ongoing journey that I and my wife have undertaken. We have been keeping track of this on our blog if you would like to read further into our adventures from the start but set aside some time as there are over 100 hundred lengthy posts and counting. Click here to read it from the begining or here to go from now backwards.
    We have been travelling for 10 months now and have 2 months remaining. I hope you enjoy the story....
    So our trip started May 27, 2006 in Australia where my wife and I married before departing a week later for Canada. We boarded a cruise ship in Vancouver bound for Alaska which was an incredible experience. We must have lowered the average age on board by about 20 years but enjoyed it so much and would do it again in a heartbeat. Highly recommended. Here is one of the many spectaular scenes, 'Traceys Arm near Sawyer Glacier'
    For more details about the Alaska leg of our trip see here
    We then spent about 2 weeks traveling around Victoria, Vancouver and Whistler. Here is a shot of Shannon Falls, somewhere between Vancouver and Whistler.
    If you would like to read more see Vancouver or Whistler.
    Next we spent around 3 weeks travelling through the Rocky Mountains with a bus company called Moose travel. Mainly aimed at younger people but quite a fun group. Now Australia is mean to be some kind of "Natural Wonderland" but in my opinion the rockies equal if not top anything we have at home. They really are a photographers themepark.

    The highlight for me was 'Peyto Lake' about 1 hour north of Banff. (Thats actually me on the right, photo courtesy of my wife)
    So much so that we actually came back here 4 months later to see it in Winter
    For more on the Rocky Mountains see here.
    Next stop, Calgary Alberta....Cowtown. We actually stayed here about 4 months. Why, I here you asking?... Because we wanted to see the Stampede and there was no accomodation available so we had to sign a 4 month lease on an apartment. We also needed jobs by this time to recover some funds so we could continue our journey.
    Heres a shot of the Chuck Wagon racing at the stampede:
    While in Calgary I actually worked in the Photolab at Vistek, a large Photography store there. Nice place that does great large prints at reasonable prices (even better for staff), they even let me borrow rental equipment that wasn't in use so I could take advantage of equipment too expensive and heavy for your average backpacker.
    Local skate park, taken with D200 and 80-200 F2.8:
    For more on Calgary see here
    We are now in Toronto were we have been for the past 4 months or so, working once again to fund the next leg (east coast and europe). We actually leave on Monday (26 of March).
    Highlights from here have been:
    Niagara falls
    Dog Sledding in Haliburton (isn't he beautiful)
    And I finaly upgraded my tired Panasonic Fz10 to a D80, this was my first outing (last weekend) to the old Distilery District, east of downtown Toronto
    For more from Toronto see here
    As you can see, when Australians leave our home shores we tend to do a thorough job as the flights cost so much you have to make it worth while.
    I hope you enjoyed the pictures, I'll try and get in here and update this thread as the journey continues but I'm not sure how often I'll have time.

    What an awesome journey clap.gif
    I am super impressed with the 3rd image, that is just beautiful, your wife takes dang good shots rolleyes1.gif having you in the shot for her makes it all the more special :D what a spectacular view !
    Love the shot of the dog and his two different coloured eyes iloveyou.gif
    Looks like you guys had a wonderful time, and your photos are quite stunning.

    Thanks for sharing......... Skippy
    .
    .
    Skippy (Australia) - Moderator of "HOLY MACRO" and "OTHER COOL SHOTS"

    ALBUM http://ozzieskip.smugmug.com/

    :skippy Everyone has the right to be stupid, but some people just abuse the privilege :dgrin
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    SystemSystem Registered Users Posts: 8,186 moderator
    edited March 23, 2007
    191311990_a420b56cea.jpg?v=0
    Spectacular view! thumb.gif Thanks for sharing.
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    simmosimmo Registered Users Posts: 18 Big grins
    edited March 23, 2007
    Thanks for the comments everyone. I hope you're not too jealous mwink.gif. Yes, we did get up to jasper too but only for two nights. This one is from Mount Edith Cavel, which is one of the surounding mountains of Jasper:

    188918869_753a330104.jpg?v=0

    All of these shots except the skatepark and rusty dodge where taken with 'point and shoot' cameras too. I would have loved an SLR the entire trip but when you are packing for a year, weight is an issue.

    I've even had one of the Peyto Lake photos printed 24x12 and a Canvas made of this one 18x24
    Bridal Veil Falls, B.C.
    183846566_03824e66dc.jpg?v=0

    We literally have thousands more photos from this trip, I'll post a few more up as we continue, especailly of the next stops.

    Monday we leave Toronto, our itinerary goes Ottawa-> Montreal-> Quebec City-> Halifax-> Prince Edward Island-> New York-> London-> Paris-> Barcelona-> Florence-> Rome-> Lucerne-> Munich-> Cologne-> Amsterdam-> Houston-> Vancouver-> Sydney, Australia (home!!!wings.gif ).

    Total trip will have been 11 months and 29 days
    www.PeopleWhoDoSTUFF.com/blog
    Canada Blogging - travel journal
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    simmosimmo Registered Users Posts: 18 Big grins
    edited March 23, 2007
    And just so you know we have been enjoying our selves, here are two more from Alaska (seems so long ago now).

    White Pass Railway, Skagway
    164961313_82e3b8caec.jpg?v=0

    And no holiday photos are complete without a sunset:

    Sunset on Inside Passage, Alaska
    189590582_8d7e3b276f.jpg?v=0
    www.PeopleWhoDoSTUFF.com/blog
    Canada Blogging - travel journal
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