The 20-Minute Stop

Time for a random musing... I haven't done one of these for a while.
It has been interesting to see all the people jumping on and off the busses at the various locations in the Canadian National parks. They rush into a place like Emerald lake in Yoho, bus pulls up, they jump off, buzz around like a mass of bees, take pictures and back to the bus all in about 20 minutes.  The bus must also make them all very hard of hearing because they all talk very loudly and at the same time. The other thing we have become better at is dodging selfie-sticks... you never know what direction they will be coming from. So for 20 minutes the calm and peaceful place turns into an amusement attraction with no concern for the other people there or the rules and posted signs.  

 

We talked with a bus driver at one of the stops. He said that his was a 4-day tour. They start in Vancouver drive thru 5 of the Canadian National Parks, with 20 minute stops all along the way. And then back to Vancouver all in 4 days. We are on day 15 of enjoying these parks and have not yet seen all of the stops they make... 

 

We have found that it is best to sit back, watch, smile and get out of there way and just wait until they get back on the bus and the peace and quiet returns....until the next bus shows up.

Three Canadian Parks Down - Four More To Go!

Glacier National Park

Yoho National Park - Hoodoos

Mount Revelstoke National Park

We have made it through British Columbia and three National Parks so far.. Mount Revelstoke National Park, Glacier National Park, and Yoho National Park. They are each unique and make you feel like you are definitely in the mountains with glaciers, sub-alpine layers and alpine layers of rock.

Hidden lakes break up the scenery and if you are up for a little adventure, there are always hiking trails. Even the trails marked "easy" require shoes with a little grip. The altitude can also be a challenge on the trails as well as the roots, rocks, boulders and one of my favorite descriptions "relentless switchbacks."

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending how you look at it, the only wildlife we have seen so far are a variety of birds and small animals such as squirrels and chipmunks. But now we have entered Alberta and Banff National Park. Next we will head up to Jasper National Park and then slowly make our way south.

Check out the new videos on our You Tube page to see a bear bugler in Glacier National Park, sunrise on Emerald Lake, the Takakkaw Falls, and the spiral tunnels in Yoho National Park.



Whales!

One of the highlights of the San Juan Islands are the orca whales. There are day trips on whale boats and miles of shoreline to watch and hope for a whale sighting. Everyone hopes to be at the right time and the right place to get that perfect shot of these amazing creatures. There is The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor to learn more about these magnificent creatures and events throughout the year such as the Annual Orca Sing. With many possible routes for the whales to travel as they feed on salmon around the islands, you never know what you might see.

Click on the video below to see a short clip of the whales or click on the link below to watch it on You Tube.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6f76YG6E_U
 

Deception Pass

The 2015 trip has begun! This year we will begin with a stay on San Juan Island, Washington and then travel the Rocky Mountain range from Jasper, Canada to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Our journey began narrowly escaping the wrath of Tropical Bill on a flight into Seattle, an overnight stay in Seattle and then a ferry ride from Seattle to San Juan Island’s Friday Harbor. The ferry travels along the coast of Washington and through Deception Pass.

Deception Pass received its name from Captain George Vancouver, the first European to identify the area near Whidbey Island as a passage, which he named Deception Pass. The Captain thought the island was a peninsula. Tidal flow can be extremely rough and low tides create standing waves, huge whirlpools and roiling eddies. With the small islands between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands, the passage appeared to many early explorers to be sides of a small bay or perhaps the mouth of a river.  It was Vancouver's chief navigator Joseph Whidbey who sailed into the pass and followed the water south into the Saratoga Passage, disproving the bay theory. Vancouver named that island Whidbey in honor of his assistant, Joseph Whidbey, who was at his side when Vancouver realized the mistake. The captain named the inlet at which he was anchored Deception Pass to commemorate the error.

 

Next stop…San Juan Island, Washington!

WE'RE BACK!

Welcome back to HaresPhotography Blog.   I know its been a while since we posted, but it is time to start up again.

Please join us for our upcoming exhibit at the Fort worth Museum of Science and History starting December 19,  2015. Exploring America: A Photographic Journey

 

We are about to begin our next adventure and hope you will follow us! We will be posting as we travel to the San Juan Islands, farther north to Banff and Lake Louise in Canada, and then following the Rocky Mountains down to Santa Fe. We plan on photographing 22 National Parks as well as the places in between.

You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter @HaresPhotos, Instagram @HaresPhoto, or the Hares Photography blog located on our website HaresPhotography.com. See you on the road!