TALE OF TWO CITIES

STREET CULTURE IN CALGARY

'FAMILY OF MAN' SCULPTURE IN CALGARY

CALGARY ARCHITECTURE

CALGARY SHOPPING CENTRE

TORONTO'S ROGERS CENTRE AND CN TOWER

DOWNTOWN TORONTO

NATHAN PHILIPS SQUARE

POSH NOSH AT THE CN TOWER

Catching the Brewster bus at 10.00am, I said farewell to Banff. As I travelled east the mountain views retreated to be replaced by rich green woodland and low grassy hills. I was reminded of my home county, Hampshire, UK.

As I headed towards Calgary, where I would be catching a plane for Toronto, my last chance of seeing a bear was evaporating. Since bears generally avoid humans this was perhaps to be expected, especially since I had undertaken all the recommended precautions whilst camping and walking in the US and Canadian National Parks. Whilst an encounter at a safe distance would have made my day, I suspect that if I ever had come within earshot of a bear, they would probably have skedaddled as soon as they heard the clatter of my trekking poles.

At 12.15pm the bus deposited me just outside the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in downtown Calgary. I didn't need to get to the airport until the evening so I had half a day free. I popped into the Hotel and they kindly agreed to look after my luggage while I explored the city.

On the same block as the Hotel is the 626 ft Calgary Tower with its revolving (no, not revolting) restaurant, glass floor and 'unforgettable panoramic views of the City' (their words). I decided not to part with my cash on this one as I would soon be seeing the much higher CN Tower in Toronto.

Calgary has a smart and wealthy look to it, probably due to it being the oil capital of Canada. There were lots of yuppie types in suits walking the streets purposefully with leather folders under their arms, or engaged in earnest conversation in restaurants.

I visited the Fort Calgary Interpretive Centre and learned much about the origins of the city and its development through the years. Calgary had been an important stepping stone to the exploration and development of the Northwest Territories, and this seems to have been achieved without the same level of conflict with the Native Indians that occurred in the USA. Much credit for this was due to the important role played by the North West Mounted Police, later renamed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

I continued my walk along the southern bank of the Bow River (same river as in Lake Louise Village and Banff), detouring onto Prince's Island. There were lots of temporary fences erected as workers repaired the damage caused by June's floods.

My walk continued on until I reached the new Peace Bridge which, being covered, is more like a tunnel. I just hope peace is maintained between the potentially conflicting mix of speeding cyclists and dawdling pedestrians for whom it has been built. I took a look at the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre before returning to the downtown area using the +15 Network.

The +15 Network, otherwise known as the Skyway, is a series of walkways 15 feet above street level that interconnect many of the city's buildings. The intention is to make the movement of pedestrians about the city safer by keeping them separated from cars. It certainly succeeded in getting me lost.

Many of the downtown restaurants are located in a pedestrianised street called, naturally, Stephen Avenue. After eating a Chinese (meal, that is) I returned to the Palliser to collect my luggage and catch the 300 bus to the airport.

My WestJet flight didn't leave until well after midnight. After a three and a half hour flight which involved crossing two time zones, I stepped out of Toronto Airport shortly before 7.00am. Public transport to downtown Toronto was less than obvious, but I managed to catch a bus to a subway station and then ride the subway into the city centre, all without paying - completely inadvertently, yer honour, I just couldn't find anywhere to pay.

I came back up to street level at Dundas Station to be greeted by a scene not unlike Central London - dull, grey and dirty. After a short walk, which would have been even shorter had I known that Osgoode Station was closer to my destination, I found the Canadiana Backpackers Hostel. It was too early to book in but they let me have some breakfast, take a shower and store my luggage.

Toronto is a much bigger place than Calgary with nearly 5 times the population and, being closer to the east coast, has been established rather longer. I had also learned by now that Canadians don't pronounce the second 't' in Toronto so I should be calling the place Toron'o. 

From the Hostel I initially headed towards Lake Ontario, passing the Rogers Centre where the Blue Jays Baseball Team are based and the iconic 1,815 ft CN Tower. In nearby Roundhouse Park, locomotives from the Toronto Railway Museum were on display and Steam Whistle Brewing served me with free beer.

I continued on to Queen's Quay where ferries depart for tours of the various islands just off Toronto, but couldn't see much across the water because of the fog. I struck north along Bay Street passing Union Station before coming to the Financial District. Underneath here is PATH, a network of over 17 miles of underground walkways linking nearly 1,200 shops, restaurants and services. It's Toronto's equivalent to Calgary's Skywalk, but appears to be much more successful commercially.

I continued north past Nathan Philips Square and the Old and New City Halls until I reached Bloor Street. Taking a left I came to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) where they were displaying art relating to David Bowie. Finally, a walk through Queen's Park and Chinatown took me back to the Hostel.

My initial impression that Toronto has some similarities to London stayed with me. It has a mix of modern skyscrapers and old buildings. Whilst walking under the raised Gardiner Expressway road near the lake shore, I noted how badly the reinforced concrete support structure was crumbling. Workmen were out repairing this. Several major new constructions were underway including a second platform at Union Station Subway.

For the evening I had booked supper in the revolving gourmet 360 Restaurant at the CN Tower. It was expensive, but after existing on Subway takeaways for some time I was due a treat. Also, by eating, I didn't have to pay to go on the viewing platform. The nighttime views over Toronto were great.

LAKE LOUISE AND BANFF

TIME TO LEAVE LAKE O'HARA

LAKE LOUISE

DOWNTOWN BANFF

BANFF FROM SANSON PEAK

DIORAMA AT BUFFALO NATIONS MUSEUM

NEED TO HANDLE THIS AGWA BOMB CAREFULLY

The Lake O'Hara bus picked us up from the campground at 9.30am and took us back down to the car park. We loaded up Doug and Mary Margaret's car and they drove me to The Alpine Hostel in Lake Louise Village. This short journey took me out of British Columbia and into Alberta.

It was time to say farewell after 9 days together. I was lucky to have such great hosts to show me around Vancouver and share a camping trip with me in what must surely be one of the most beautiful places in the Rockies.

Back on my own again, I looked around the geology displays in the Lake Louise Visitor Center and booked tomorrow's bus journey to Banff and another from Banff to Calgary in three day's time. By the time I'd wandered round the Village shops and had lunch, it was early afternoon.

Lake Louise itself is about two and a half miles away from the Village so I caught the shuttle bus. The lakeside is dominated by the huge Fairmont Chateau Hotel and was crowded with people who, judging by the attire and languages spoken, must come from all over the world. From the footwear, I would say that many of them were here just to enjoy the views rather than go walking. The view over the Lake was truly magical, but I did find the bustle of people a little irritating after the much less crowded Lake O'Hara.

I didn't have a lot of time left for walking, but managed to climb the steep path up to Fairview Lookout which overlooks the Lake from the south.

Afterwards the shuttle bus took me back to the Village where I bought the ingredients I needed to cook supper at the Hostel. I was sharing a dorm with three Italian ladies who were exploring several National Parks in the Canadian Rockies over 15 days.

Next morning I had 'blog' writing to do and repairs to make to my clothes before the Brewster Bus picked me up and took me to Banff. I was a little early to check into my Hostel in Banff, so I filled in the time by exploring the town.

Banff is a bit of a 'model' town and it reminded me of Jasper in Wyoming (not to be confused with Jasper National Park in Canada). Everything is clean and tidy and new looking. However, it has charm about it and there is plenty to do - walking, cycling, kayaking, river trips, glacier tours, museum visits, etc. I felt that I had made the right decision to leave Lake Louise and come here.

After checking into the Samesun Backpackers Hostel I visited the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies which told me a little about the history of the area.

I then went for a walk, theoretically following the Tunnel Mountain Trail, but in practice creating a brand new route that I shall call 'Steve's Woodland Wander' since somewhere along the way I took a wrong turning and ended up just wandering around for about two hours. My unplanned route did take me to some spectacular viewpoints, so I was quite happy to have made my mistake. I eventually used the sun to guide me back to the town.

The Hostel was offering a Supper Special of 'Pulled Pork Tacos' and a cocktail called an Agwa Bomb, both of which I enjoyed. Agwa is a herbal liqueur made of Bolivian coca leaves (with the cocaine removed). To make an Agwa Bomb pour Red Bull into a (ideally specially shaped) glass, then pour the Agwa on top of it. After two glasses I slept well.

I think I was sharing a dorm with five other chaps, but I am not sure because they were still buried under their blankets when I got up.

After taking advantage of the Hostel's 'free' breakfast, I caught the bus for a 12 minute ride to Upper Hot Springs, the starting point for a hike up Sulphur Mountain. There is pool here where, for a fee, you can bathe in the hot spring water. The name of the mountain derives from the vapours emanating from the water.

The trail was steep and it took me about 75 minutes to get to the upper Gondola terminal - the Gondola being an alternative way up for those who preferred not to walk. A further 5 minutes took me to Sanson Peak at 7,401 ft, where there is a disused observatory and a platform offering excellent views over Banff.

I had planned to return via the Gondola rather than descend using the same path I hiked up on. However, once at the top, I discovered that there was an alternative path down and took this instead. This path eventually intersected another path leading to Sundance Canyon, so I took a detour around the Canyon before I continued down to Banff. A further aside was a visit to the Lower Hot Springs at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. These springs are part of the same system as the Upper Hot Springs.

A little further along I came to the Buffalo Nations Museum which had some really good artefacts and displays about the Plains Indians of Canada.

It was past 6.00pm by the time I got back to the Hostel. I had been out for 9 hours and had walked about 14 miles.

The Hostel's Supper Special was Columbian Pork Curry (probably the same pork as used the previous evening). Given my energetic day out it wasn't quite enough for me so I supplemented it with some Wonton veggie rolls. Add two beers and an Agwa Bomb and I was ready for another night of peaceful rest...zzzzz. 

YOHO HO!

TAKAKKAW FALLS

MARY MARGARET AND DOUG ON ICELINE TRAIL, YOHO

ICELINE TRAIL

WITH MARY MARGARET AT ICELINE SUMMIT

AMAZING LAKE O'HARA

LAKE O'HARA FROM ICELINE LEDGES

NICE SURROUNDINGS!

FRIENDLY COLUMBIAN GROUND SQUIRREL

MY HOTEL

Tuesday 20th August and the morning started by loading Doug's car with all our walking gear, camping gear and food.

Our ultimate goal was to walk in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Mary Margaret had identified some great treks around Lake O'Hara, but getting there was a long drive so we would stop and spend the night at other places along the way.

At about 9.00am we set off in a northerly direction along Highway 99, the so called Sea to Sky Highway, and by 11.0am we were in Whistler, a place I'd heard about and wanted to visit. Whistler Village, located between the Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, is a well known ski resort and host to the 2010 Winter Olympics. However, at this time of year snow resides only on the highest peaks so mountain bikes are in much greater evidence than skis. Although Whistler might be referred to as village, with its equipment hire shops, expensive restaurants and activities for children it would be better described as a theme park. 

We later stopped to have lunch on the banks of Cayoosh Creek near Lillooet, but didn't spend too long there as we still had many miles to go. We hadn't booked a place to stay the night but came across ViewPoint campground near Salmon Arm, BC, just as the light was beginning to fade. Mary Margaret had pre-prepared and frozen an excellent chicken and sausage cassoulet which we reheated and enjoyed with her home-made bread before retiring to our tents.

I awoke at 6.00pm after a relatively comfortable night in a tent lent to me by Doug and Mary Margaret's son Matt. The campground had been a good choice with clean washrooms and hot showers. After eating and packing our gear we were on our way at 7.40am.

As we drove further east the views got better and better, with the roadside lined with spruce and cottonwood trees and mountains surrounding us. At last we saw the Rocky Mountains ahead of us as we entered Yoho National Park. Having obtained our permit to enter the park we headed for Takakkaw campground. We pitched out tents within sight of Takakkaw Falls, possibly the most impressive waterfall I had seen to date.

It was 2.00pm by now and we needed to get moving if we were going to get a decent walk in. Mary Margaret had done some research and proposed the Iceline Trail which took us to up to Iceline Summit (7,316 ft). The trail led over rocky moraine and past icy pools, with views of the glaciers to the north and over on the other side of Yoho Valley. On reaching the summit we walked back down via the Little Yoho and Yoho Valley's, passing Laughing Falls before returning to the campsite. It was a great walk of about 12 miles with brilliant views, but we didn't get down until after 9.00pm so we had to cook our food in the dark. I didn't tell them that it was my birthday until after we ate, but my day out in the Rockies was one of the best birthday treats I could imagine.

It was cold by the time we were ready to sleep and even colder when we rose at 6.00am in the morning with frost on our tents. We quickly broke camp, reloaded the car and made our way to Lake O'Hara.

You cannot drive all the way to Lake O'Hara but have park your car seven miles away and travel the remaining distance in a special park bus. Moreover, it is difficult to even stay at Lake O'Hara campground because Yoho Park authorities have limited the number of tents to 33. Thanks to Doug getting our booking in early, we are able to stay for two nights. I felt honoured.

As soon as the bus got us to the campground, we were given a little lecture by a Park Ranger about camp facilities, bear precautions and how to care for the environment, etc. We had breakfast as soon as we had pitched our tents.

Lake O'Hara is at an altitude of 6,627 ft. Our walk for the day was to climb from here up the steep Wiwaxy Gap Alpine Route to obtain the great views from the top at 8,300 ft. Looking down, Lake O'Hara is a beautiful deep blue colour whereas the other surrounding lakes are bright green. There were glaciers to be seen all about us. We continued along the loose scree slopes of Huber Ledges to Lake Oesa where we had lunch. A helicopter involved in a rescue at Abbot Pass landed there briefly.

We continued our walk around Yukness Ledges, then back down to Lake O'Hara via the East Opabin Trail and alongside the lake shore back to the campsite. The walk was about 7 miles but seemed longer because of the difficulty.

We agreed to rise at 7.00am next morning, but I had already eaten breakfast by the time Doug and Mary Margaret appeared, their watches having been left on Vancouver time.

We would all walk to Lake McArthur today, but by different routes. I took the All Souls Alpine Route to Lake Shaffer whereas Mary Margaret and Doug took the Alpine Meadow Trail. The All Souls Route was exposed and scree covered and, after reaching the Prospect Viewpoint at 7,152 ft, there was a long slippery slope down to Lake Shaffer. It was 12.30pm when we eventually got back together again at Lake McArthur. We had lunch, carefully watched by a photogenic Columbian Ground Squirel, then walked back down to Lake O'Hara. It rained lightly and the temperature was cooler than the previous day.

We were back in time to enjoy afternoon tea at the very expensive Lake O'Hara Lodge while our gear dried. We also had our supper earlier than usual so that we could attend an 8.30pm talk by one of the Park Rangers on Caribou and threats to their survival.

Tomorrow we will leave Lake O'Hara, but I feel I have been privileged to come to this beautiful, uncrowded and unspoilt place, to experience the challenging walks and enjoy the amazing scenery.

VANCOUVER FROM THE AIR

IS IT A BOAT OR A PLANE?

VANCOUVER FROM THE AIR

PLAYING AT CO-PILOT

DRUMMERS AT SPANISH BANKS

SPOT THE BELLY DANCER

VIEW FROM ST. MARKS SUMMIT

Whilst cycling near Coal Harbour on Friday I had noted the Turbo Otter Seaplanes moored at the pontoons. I had never flown in a seaplane before, so I called in at the nearby offices of Harbour Air to collect a brochure. Next morning I booked a half hour flight which would take me over Vancouver and the surrounding area.

I arrived at the Harbour Air offices in good time. When I boarded the aircraft at 2.30pm, my lone traveller status worked in my favour as I was allocated the co-pilot's seat, which gave me the best views. The take off was really smooth, as was the landing, and I took photographs almost continuously during the flight. The whole experience was great fun.

Afterwards we drove to the house of Doug's niece Marcia and her husband Paul. They live quite close to Doug and Mary Margaret and were having a family barbeque to which I was invited. The food was excellent.

Next day we spent the morning planning the food for our camping trip to the Rocky Mountains which would take place later in the week. In the afternoon we bought the food and then went to look at a few parts of Vancouver that I hadn't yet visited.

First, we had a wander along Commercial Drive, a hip neighbourhood with a mix of ethnic shops and restaurants. Next we stopped to look around the stalls and listen to the music at the Latin Summer Festival held at Trout Lake Park.

Finally we went to Spanish Banks to listen to the beat of drums while the sun slowly set in the west. People brought their own drums with them to join in, and a couple of girls belly danced seductively to the hypnotic rhythm. Naturally I averted my eyes.

Even though I went to bed at a sensible time, Doug still needed to knock on my door to rouse me next morning. We needed to be away by 7.45am to join his walking group for a trek to St. Marks Summit to the north of Vancouver. It was cool and a bit misty, but we still got a good view from the top. We were out for about 6 hours.

The rest of the day was spent preparing for next morning's camping trip departure, which meant washing clothes, making repairs and packing food and gear.

After eating a lovely stir-fry supper, and before it became too dark, Doug took me for a walk around Lake Como which is located just a short distance from the house.

VANCOUVER

COMFORT ON THE AMTRAK

MARY MARGARET AND DOUG AT HOME

AT THE STEAM CLOCK IN DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

ON TWO WHEELS AGAIN

A-MAZ-ING LAUGHTER STATUES NEAR ENGLISH BAY BEACH

FIRST NATION TOTEM POLES IN STANLEY PARK

I wrote a thank you note to Nabin and Anita, grabbed my bags and walked down to the Amtrak pick-up point in the dark.

There were a few other people there. When the train arrived, one couple who had reserved a sleeper were asked to board. The train then started moving again. I hoped that I hadn't made a mistake and everyone else was somehow waiting for a different train. It was a relief when the train stopped again several carriage-lengths down and all the passengers with tickets for regular seats were asked to board.

I was allocated a spacious window seat, and the seat next to me remained unallocated throughout the journey which greatly aided my comfort. It was too dark to see much out of the windows until we got to Klamath Falls in Oregon State. The rail journey would take 15 hours to get me as far as Seattle in Washington State, and there wasn't much else to do but eat, sleep and enjoy the view.

Every few hours the train would stop long enough for folk to stretch their legs. They called this a smoking/fresh-air stop, which seemed a contradiction in terms.

At one point in the journey I started making some repairs to my shoes which had been given a hard time over the past couple of months. A young lad across the seating aisle had obviously been observing me and suddenly thrust a pair of trainers at me. They looked about my size so I thanked him for his thoughtfulness. I did look at his feet to check that he wasn't giving away something he needed.

Then he said he really needed $1.30 for something, which spoiled things a little. Offering what appears to be a kindness and then asking for or expecting money for it is common in the USA and, in this respect, seems to put the country in the same category as some third world countries. I gave him $2 and later told him that I had fixed my own shoes so he was welcome to take his back, which he did.

As we passed through Oregon and Washington, things became much greener, wetter and cooler than the more southern west-coast states.

We arrived at King Street Station in a rather wet Seattle at 8.00pm. The bus to Vancouver, BC, left at 9.30pm so I had over an hour to spare. I took a walk around the block, which was enough to confirm that Seattle had its fair share of street people, but not really long enough to identify anything that would distinguish Seattle from other US cities. I did come across two Christian Missions, so perhaps they do more for the street people than some other cities do.

The bus journey took another three and a quarter hours, including the Canadian border checks, so I was quite drained when I eventually arrived at Vancouver's Pacific Central Rail Station at 12.45am.The friends I had come to see, Mary Margaret and Doug, were already waiting for me. We had met only once before in 2010 when we were both on the Wainwright Coast-to-Coast Walk in the UK. The invitation to come and see them in Vancouver had stood since then so it was great be here at last. Because of the late hour they quickly whisked me to their lovely log cabin home.

Mary Margaret and Doug are both retired, she from a career in agronomy and he from an executive career with a pipeline company, but with deep interests in urban sociology and architecture.

It was a late start the following day (Thursday) as I caught up on my sleep, but in the afternoon Doug and Mary Margaret drove me to downtown Vancouver to get an appreciation of the central areas. We walked around Chinatown and Gastown, with Doug providing a commentary about the history of the region and the architecture of many of the buildings.

On Friday Doug fixed up a pushbike for me so we could all take a cycle ride around the peninsula comprising Downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park. We put the bikes onto the Skytrain to get to the Downtown area. The streets were busy as there were many other cyclists and pedestrians out enjoying the pleasantly warm weather. Part of the route we followed took us along the Seawall, and we finished up near Coal Harbour enjoying a beer.

It was dark during our cycle ride home and I had no lights. However, Mary Margaret had a functioning front light and Doug a rear, so we just rode in line with me in the middle position.

DUNSMUIR

SEGWAY

MODEL OF AMERICA'S CUP CAT

DUNSMUIR TOWN CENTRE

FOOTPATH?

MOSSBRAE FALLS

MIKE WITH SOPHIE AND GIRLIE

BY CASTLE DOME

MY UNEXPECTED RIDE HOME

I had intended to hire a Harley Davidson motorcycle for a day and ride along Highway One. However, I was running out of time to do this since I would be leaving San Francisco in the evening. When I factored in the busy local traffic and the $2,500 deposit demanded in case I bent the bike, I decided to forego the pleasure. I know at least one person who will be delighted with this decision; isn't that right Mum?

However, I had also seen another two-wheeled vehicle that I wanted to try - a Segway. This rather strange invention has its two wheels on a common axis rather than one in front of the other. Segways look like they should fall over, but are kept upright by a highly sophisticated electronic control system. Motion is controlled largely by shifting body weight.

I got down to Fisherman's Quay by 9.00am for the Segway training course, which took about half an hour. That was after I signed the disclaimer forms which said, basically, that if anything went wrong it was my fault. Then, supervised by Mark, I was let loose on the roads and footpaths. I soon got used to controlling it and really enjoyed the experience, not falling off once (or even twice).

My Segway session ended late morning, so in the afternoon I visited the America's Cup Park. Indoors they had some excellent exhibits that demonstrated the technology used in the yachts. Outdoors they had an astro-turfed area onto which bean bags had been scattered, so I made myself comfortable on one of these and watched documentaries about the racing on a huge screen. I am really impressed at how these boats can lift their hulls completely out of the water at speed, hydroplaning on specially shaped, but rather flimsy looking, daggerboards.

Though I had checked out of the Hostel first thing, they were happy to look after my bags during the day. I collected them early evening and headed down to the Ferry Building to catch the 9.10pm bus to Emeryville, from where I could board the Amtrak 'Coastal Starlight' service to Dunsmuir in northern California.

I liked San Francisco and could have managed another day there. It is a city with a lot of character and I particularly enjoyed the waterside areas.

It has hard to get much sleep on the train, so I was tired when I arrived at Dunsmuir at 5.00am. I spent about an hour talking to Javis, another keen walker who had alighted at the same time as me and was waiting for his daughter to come and pick him up. Another hour was spent looking around the town centre, hoping a coffee shop might open early. No such luck. There were only a dozen shops or so, and it was obvious that the recession had hit some of them badly.

I thought that 7.00am was a reasonable time to knock on the door of my accommodation at Dunsmuir Inn and Suites. My room would not be ready until midday, but owner Nabin, of Asian Indian descent, let me leave my bag in a store-room. Unburdened, I spent a bit more time exploring the local area, but as soon as the sun had dried the grass on the local playground sufficiently, I lay down on it, using my rucksack as a pillow. The sun was blisteringly hot by now so I put a newspaper over my face. I don't think anyone paid any attention to me and when I eventually awoke, much refreshed, it was time to check in.

I had a mild sore throat, probably caused by the cool, damp environment of San Francisco. I hoped that the warmer, drier Dunsmuir climate would soon fix this.

In the afternoon I walked to Mossbrae Falls. Getting there involved walking along a mile of railway track - the same track my train would be running on when I continued onto Vancouver. There are warnings telling you that you are not allowed to do this and Amtrak could prosecute for trespass. In practice they seem to turn a blind eye, and will probably continue to do so until someone gets killed. Anyway, Mossbrae Falls produced a lovely display for me, with the sun reflecting on the small droplets produced as the water passed through the leaves of the surrounding trees, so it was well worth the risk.

After my hot walk I fancied a cooling beer and, not far from my accommodation, Dunsmuir Brewery Works offered just that. They are a micro-brewery and had a choice of four ales on tap. I chose ESB, their weakest, but at 5.25% still strong by UK standards. I was befriended by Brandon who worked there, and we sorted out a few of the world's problems together. My eloquence improved with the second pint and by the third, unexpectedly placed in front of me without having ordered it, I could have run for senator. Fortunately the delicious beef-burger I did order helped to soak up some of the alcohol. The burger was the only item on my bill when I came to leave, so I gave a good tip.

I had an early night to try and catch up on my sleep and help my sore throat to heal. Thankfully, it was much improved by morning.

I had asked Nabin's wife, Anita, if a lift could be arranged to take me south so I could go walking in Castle Crags State Park. Sure enough, at 9.00am, local tree-man Mike was there waiting with his two Jack Russell terriers, Sophie and Girlie. Mike was quite keen to show me other places of interest in the area, so I decided to go with the flow and let him drive me north for a closer look at Mount Shasta and its companion Shastina, the imposing mountains that overlook Dunsmuir. Sophie and Girlie sat on my lap as we drove so they could see through the windscreen. Shasta is quite climbable, but with an altitude of just over 14,000 ft I would need 3 days to do it.

Driving back south, we stopped just short of Dunsmuir so I could walk down to Hedge Creek Falls. Sophie and Girlie enjoyed the walk too. Mike was quite a character and fun to be with. He was interested that I had studied physics and asked me several questions about quantum mechanics, of all things, which I did my best to answer in a way he would understand. He said I explained things well but he might just have been humouring me.

It was nearly 11.00am when Mike dropped me off at Castle Crags State Park Headquarters. My walking route took me west along Indian Creek Trail and Flume Trail until I joined the famous Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a route which stretches all the way from Mexico to Canada. I followed the PCT east until I reached Bob's Hat Trail and then followed Crags Trail up to Castle Dome. Crags Trail was a hard upward slog in the hot sun and the final part was a rocky scramble. I climbed as high as I could up to the summit of Castle Dome but, since a fall from here would be fatal, I stopped when it became too dangerous. I did manage to get to a nice little ledge just below the summit where I could eat lunch and enjoy the stunning views.

The walk down took as long as the walk up so it was nearly 6.00pm by the time I got down to Soda Creek, which connects with the road back to Dunsmuir, just 3 miles away. I had planned to walk back, but part of the route involved walking alongside part of the interstate highway. I had earlier spoken to a Park Ranger, questioning the legality if doing this, but she had assured me this was OK and even gave me a map with the route highlighted.

Unfortunately, California Highway Patrol did not concur with her advice. I hadn't walked more than a few hundred yards along the interstate verge before I heard a loudspeaker voice telling me to come to the car. A Patrol vehicle had pulled onto the shoulder of the highway just behind where I was walking. I did as I was asked and the Officer, whose name I later learned was Jeff, asked me to explain what I was doing. I showed him the map I had been given. After assuring me that my first instincts were correct and that it was illegal to walk on the verge of the interstate, he drove me to Dunsmuir. I got to sit in the caged rear seat of the car where the real crooks go. I found it a bit cramped, so I wondered how much of a struggle it would be to get somebody really big in there.

Before we parted company in Dunsmuir, Jeff kindly took a photo of me in front of his Patrol car.

I was pleased that I had made good use of my short time in Dunsmuir, and had enjoyed the kindness, generosity and chatty, easy-going ways of the locals. In the morning I would continue my journey to Vancouver. As with my arrival, the Amtrak passes through at 5.00am, so it was another early night. I suppose it's called the Coastal Starlight service for good reason.

'FRISCO

STREET SWING IN  'FRISCO

SEA LION COMMUNITY AT PIER 39

CYCLING PALS

AMERICA'S CUP CATAMARANS

A HOME FROM HOME

SAN FRANCISCO CABLE CAR

Most conveniently, the Alexis Resort operates a courtesy shuttle bus to Las Vegas' McCarran Airport. My flight to San Francisco was delayed slightly, but I still managed to get into the City by late afternoon. My accommodation in San Francisco is the USA Hostel in Post Street, not far from Union Square Park, so I am quite central.

I spent the evening seeking out the cheapest places to eat healthily (Subway again), exploring the locality and working out how best to spend my time here. It was quite chilly out - a big, big contrast to my previous evening in Las Vegas, but normal for San Francisco.

The Hostel had organised a cycle ride over the Golden Gate Bridge the following morning, returning by ferry in the afternoon, so I put my name down for that. 

Next morning I was up in good time to enjoy the 'free' Hostel breakfast, prepare a picnic lunch, get some cash from the bank and be ready for the 10.00am cycling tour departure. Six of us, three lads and three lassies, turned up to participate. Our 'cycling leader' was Stevie, a charming young lady who worked at the Hostel. Once again I was the oldest by far, but I'm beginning to get used to this. In any case, we all got along fine.

After collecting our bikes we set off down to the waterfront and followed it round anticlockwise. Each pier we passed had a number, and we counted them up until we reached Pier 39, which is famous because of the large colony of Sea Lions who have taken up permanent residence there.

We continued on past Fisherman's Wharf, the Marina and the Presidio until we reached the Golden Gate Bridge. The fog, which initially obscured the top of the Bridge, had now lifted so I could get some good photographs at last.

In getting to this point we had passed quite a lot of activity concerning the America's Cup. Indeed, Race 3 of the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals was going on while we cycled. The contenders were the Swedish Artemis and the Italian Luna Rosa teams. From the Bridge we could clearly see the 72 ft. racing catamarans turning. The Italians secured the lead from the start and never lost it.

On the far side of the Bridge a long downward slope speedily took us to the pretty town of Sausalito, which reminded me a little of Dartmouth back in the UK. Unfortunately we could not stay there long as we needed to put the bikes on the ferry which would take us back to San Francisco. By way of compensation, though, the ferry did pass close to Alcatraz, the infamous prison island.

As soon as we had docked at the ferry terminal Stevie left us to our own devices. I spent another 3 hours cycling around the City before taking the bike back. I was surprised how bike-friendly a big city like San Francisco is and how considerate the drivers are.

After a shower back at the Hostel, I headed out again to do a little exploration on foot, walking over Nob Hill to the 'Crookedest Street', Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, then on to Coit Tower and finally back to the Hostel through Chinatown, apparently the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.

Next morning I rose at 5.00am and quick marched down to Pier 33, the ticket office and departure point for Alcatraz tours. I had wanted to visit the infamous Alcatraz, but tickets were sold out right through to August 25th. However, I'd heard that they hold back a limited number of tickets to sell on the day, on a first come/first served basis, to folk determined or insomniac enough to get down to the ticket office well before it opens at 7.00am. I obviously wasn't the only one who'd heard this because there was already a queue of people waiting, some looking like they'd been there all night, and more people joined the queue after me. I was chuffed when they sold me a ticket for the 10.30am boat and I think most of us were successful. 

The tour was largely self-guided, but excellent. Alcatraz Island, otherwise known as 'The Rock', is actually quite pretty with interesting gardens and abundant bird-life. The views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito and Angel Island are magnificent. I am told the prison food was good too, so I imagine that offenders must have been queuing up to come here! Only problem was the accommodation which was dark, cramped, basic, cold and generally rather grim. No outdoor views either, unfortunately.

I could see Race 4 of the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals was being fought while I wandered about the island. By the time the ferry got us back to Pier 33 the victor had been declared - the Italian Luna Rosa team again.

I walked to Hyde Street Pier and, after queuing for about an hour, managed to get aboard the famous Hyde Street to Powell Street cable car which took us over Nob Hill. I have never before seen people fighting 'not' to get a seat and travel on the footplate instead. The driver was really funny and made us all laugh. From there I took a Street Car to Ocean Beach on the far west side of San Francisco, where I touched the waters of the Pacific Ocean. I walked back through Golden Gate Park, which had loud music emanating from behind high temporary fences. The Outlands Music and Art Festival was being staged in the Park from 9th-11th August, featuring Paul McCartney and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I think a 'warm up' act was playing while I was passing.

I wanted to get back to the Hostel, but because of all the festival goers the busses were full so they drove straight past the stops. I gave up waiting and just walked the 6 miles back in the end.

ZION

COLORADO RIVER FROM HORSESHOE BEND OVERLOOK

GLEN CANYON DAM

WAHWEAP BEACH

ATOP ANGEL'S LANDING

CHEEKY CHIPMUNKS

KAREN, DONNA AND KATE

IN THE NARROWS

M&M'S CHARACTERS

Leaving Mather Campground, we backtracked a little to visit Lake Powell at the eastern end of the Grand Canyon.

We lunched at the town of Page, Arizona, and then drove to nearby Horseshoe Bend Overlook from where we could view a sharp bend in the Colorado River running through a steep-walled canyon, an example of a 'entrenched meander'. The colour of the water was a beautiful emerald green in contrast to the muddy brown we have got used to seeing.

Next, we drove to Glen Canyon Dam which controls and extracts hydroelectric power from the waters of the Colorado River stored in Lake Powell, the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States, after Lake Mead.

Another short drive took us to Lake Powell beaches at Wahweap where a few of the group donned costumes for a swim. Since we had less than an hour, however, I opted just to sunbathe, read and enjoy the views.

By now it was late afternoon and we needed to get to our campground just outside Zion NP in Utah, about 2 hrs drive away. Not for the first time we ended up eating supper in the dark.

Next morning's plans for Zion NP involved yet another ridiculously early start. Most of us were at the bus stop outside the campground at 5.40am. Forty minutes later we were dropped off at a stop called 'The Grotto'. This is the start point of a walk to the top of a 1,488 ft fin-shaped rock called Angel's Landing. The walk is steep, but of greater concern is the narrowness of the path with its dangerously exposed drops. For this reason, grab chains have been attached to the rock. The good news is that we all made it to the top, to be rewarded with great views along the Zion Canyon with the Virgin River meandering along it. The even better news is that we all got down safely too.

Another bus ride took us to 'Temple of Sinawava' still on the Virgin River, but further upstream. We followed a path alongside the River until we reached 'The Narrows' where the Canyon walls close in to produce a steep-sided gorge. Going further required us to walk in the River itself. I walked until the depth of the water reached my knees, which was probably about a mile upstream, at which point I turned around and went back.

It was still only early afternoon, so I decided to walk back to the campsite, although it was still necessary to use the bus for sections where no path existed. I popped into the Human History Museum and the Zion Park Visitor Center along the Way.

As this was our last evening together there was a bit of feedback-form filling to be done after supper. Next morning we gave the kit a good clean before loading it into the vehicle for our journey to Las Vegas.

It was a hot day, and as we crossed the Utah/Arizona and Arizona/Nevada state borders we were back in the white desert landscape which had become so familiar on the Route 66 trip and near the start of this one.

The drop off point in Las Vegas was the Alexis Resort, where I'd stayed three weeks ago. I would be staying here for a further night but most of my travel companions were heading elsewhere so we said our farewells. What a great adventure the past two and a half weeks had been!

It was still only early afternoon so I walked down to The Strip to see some of the things I'd missed on my previous visit. There was a slight breeze, but the air was so hot it was like having a hairdryer blowing in my face.

My first visit was to 'M&M's World' - four floors of merchandising devoted to the famous sugar-coated chocolate sweet. They had a 3D cinema showing animated films about heroic M&M sweet characters - the plots were really corny of course, but the 3D was amazing.

I bought a reduced price ticket at a discount stall for 'Mob Attraction' at the Tropicana Casino. This was an interactive experience about the rise and fall of the mob in Las Vegas. Real actors playing intimidating mobsters induced me to become involved in their criminal activities. The insight into the world of the mobster was fascinating, but it all turned out rather badly for me in the end, as I might have guessed. Just as well it wasn't real.

By the time I got back to the Alexis it was gone midnight, but Las Vegas was still in full swing. Another City that never sleeps!