Mid-West & Chicago

Since Yellowstone to Chicago is a 20hr drive, we decided to take a few detours along the way. First stop: Mt Rushmore.

Mt Rushmore was pretty cool. We wouldn't have taken a massive detour to see it, but since it was on the way, we dropped in. I had no prior knowledge about this monument, except it was in the United States (somewhere), it consisted of 4 Presidents faces and the movie Richie Rich had there own 'Mount Richmore'. Turns out, the faces are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Washington's nose is 21ft long, the height of all faces at 60 ft high and each Presidents eyes are about 11ft wide. There is a bit to do at the monument. There are a number or ranger talks everyday and they can include the construction of the monument, to why the Presidents were chosen to go on the monument and whether they would be elected if they ran for office today.

Badlands National Park was next on the agenda. It's called the wall, as it spans for hundreds of miles through South Dakota. We spent the morning driving through the scenic rim of the Park, which is about 35 miles long. We saw eagles, big horn sheep and some really old fossils. I don't really understand how the formation of Badlands, but the rocks consists of many layers, which allows them to tell the story of there history. If you want to read more about the rocks, head to the NPS site.

Sheep!

Finally, Chicago. I had no idea what to expect from this city. Other than the ridiculously hot and humid weather, I loved it. There was coffee (home of Intelligentsia), culture and it seemed like there was something always happening. We went to an event called Bacon, Beer and Sport and had unlimited Bacon and Beer samples for 3 hours. We went to a free dance performance in Millennium Park, which was incredible. We went on two walking tours, one about the loop and the downtown area, and the other about the architecture in the city. They were both great, and very informative. The city is on Lake Michigan, and fun fact, many years ago they reversed the flow of river to minimise the 'sewer' smell that swept over the city. Now, the town smells like chocolate...due to a nearby factory. We rented bikes and rode along Lake Michigan which was beautiful. We didn't try the deep dish pizza, which is famous in Chicago, but we did try Chicago style hot dogs, which were pretty delicious. Here are a few photos of Chicago.

Second most popular tourist attraction is Chicago, "the bean"...also known as Cloud Gate.

The roof of Macy's in downtown Chicago, the worlds largest Tiffanys glass display.

Chicago

Chicago from our bike ride along Lake Michigan

Paper mache wall art - Spray paint was banned in Chicago, so artists have to think of more creative ways to make art.

Chicago at night. You can spend $18 going up to the Observatory deck of the Hancock building, or spend $18 on a dessert and drink at the cafe. 

Ukee, Tofino & Victoria

Our last week in Vancouver and Western Canada was spent with Cass and Pete who, along with Alyssa, came camping with us on "The Island" as the locals say. We packed up our Dodge Caravan, and headed for Ucluelet, a tiny town about 30 minutes south of Tofnio. It's not an easy place to get too, but it's well worth the trip. It was a 2hr ferry ride from Vancouver, then a 4hr drive. Once you get out of Nanaimo, the city in which you dock, it's a beautiful drive. There are huge lakes where you can camp, and do lots of water sports. The whole drive was hot, and sunny, until we entered out campground.

We had to wheelbarrow our stuff to the campsite! It's not as fun as you think.

Apparently, there is something called a 'Fog Zone', which is where Ucluelet and Tofino lie. Everyone was saying how beautiful Tofino is, but they forgot to mention that even in the middle of Summer, it's freezing! We didn't go anywhere without layers. Cass and Alyssa recognised the area in which we were camping as a 'Twilight look-alike' and it turns out, some of the movie was shot in and around the surrounding Tofino area.

We were only there for 3 nights, but it was beautiful. We saw 4 killer whales from our camp site, which was incredible. We went to the beach which you couldn't actually swim in as it was freezing (unless you were one of the crazy locals), made smores, and just hung out. It was the best way to spend out last remaining days in BC.

Enjoying our first beer!

View from our tent 

Panoramic views

 

Enjoying drinks from our beach front Campsite 

Alyssa taught us how to make Smores!

I'm now stepping a little back in time to April when we headed to Victoria, the Capital of British Columbia with Sam and Daniel. We went there for a night, which is actually quite a long way to travel for such a short time. It took about 4-5 hours to get there by public transport, which involved, a bus, a train, a boat and another bus. It was really fun though. It was a smaller town than I expected, but it had old, beautiful buildings. We went to a few breweries, but because of BC's crazy liquor laws, we weren't able to buy beers from the brewery, but we were able to have 'free samples' and fill our growlers. There wasn't that much to do there, just the main touristy things. We walked around downtown, looked at some old buildings but the highlight of the trip was probably going to the Butchart Gardens which isn't actually in Victoria.

The Butchart Gardens were beautiful. It's a year round garden that is open to visitors and has seasonal flowers. When we went, it was tulip season, and I have not ever seen such a wide variety of tulips. They have a Rose Garden, and Japanese Gardens too, which would be beautiful when in season.

Parliament Building in Victoria

Craigdarroch Castle

Tulips, Butchart Gardens

Weeping Heart, Butchart Gardens

Tulips

Butchart Gardens

Pansies, Butchart Gardens

Butchart Gardens

Guide to living in (or visiting) Vancouver

We have had quite a few questions and requests about where to live and what to do in Vancouver, either for a week or for living. So, instead of thinking of all the things, many times, I thought I would just create this blog for all to browse.

1. Get a bike

2. Get a big lock to lock up your bike, otherwise, it will get stolen!

3. Get a rain coat - you will need it (especially in Winter) 

Enough of that. 

What to do if you're making the big move:

• Sign up for the Vancouver Ultimate League (VUL)...it will change your life and you'll (hopefully) make great friends.
• Jump on craigslist and find a job, a unit, a bike and anything and everything you could ever want
• Go to ScotiaBank and tell the bank teller you are new in town, and they will give you a bank account with no fees and free movies!
• Go and get your SIN number, so you can work.
• Follow boredinvancouver.com and it will tell you everything that's going on for the week.

Where to live: (check out this useful map)

• Preferably near a skytrain, buses pretty much suck, trains are awesome and come every 3-6 minutes (at least they do on the Canada line).
• Don't live around Main & East Hastings. 
• As suburbs go, Kitsilano is pretty good. Very close to beach and shops - lacks a train line
• Yaletown - lovely neighbourhood, probably a little more pricey but has easy access to shops within walking distance 
• Mt Pleasent suburb (from Cambie St & Broadway - Clark)  - the name says it all. It's a great area with hipsters and very trendy stores, coffee places, it's safe and you can't really go wrong.
• Commercial Drive Skytrain, VCC skytrain - again, a very trendy hipster area.

If you are looking for a cheaper option, there is nothing wrong with Burnaby. Sure, it may take you a little extra time to get into the city, but it's a great area, with great people. Unless you live near great public transport, you may need a car. 

Craft Beers:

Step 1: Buy a growler. Step 2: Check out this map of Vancouver Breweries. Personal favourites: 33 acres & Parallel 49. If you go to a pub, you should definitely try Fat Tug IPA it's brewed on Vancouver Island and is delicious.

Food & Food Trucks & Coffee

Here is a great list of all the food trucks that are available and open. Personal favourites: Aussie Pie Guy (this is where I worked, it's great and delicious pies that taste like the real deal!), Tacofino have the best fish tacos ever, Disco Cheetah have delicious Korean Fusion tacos, Kaboom Box have a delicious Salmon Sandwich. If you want breakfast/brunch, hit up Yolks (food truck or commissary). Also, Twisted Fork  have a delicious menu and will not disappoint.

• If you want a delicious sandwich, hit up Meat & Bread.
• If you want delicious Poutine, go to Fritz European Fry House.
• If you want a Bagel with Salmon Cream Cheese Spread, go to Sally's Bagels.
• Don't go to starbucks, go to Tim Hortons. 
• For a (much) better coffee, hit up 49th Parallel (be sure to get a donut), Elysian, Matchstick & Revolver.
• If you want a delicious tea, be sure to find a Davids Tea. They are a Canadian company with more than 120 different teas. I also worked for this company while in Vancouver and they do to go teas or loose leaf to you can buy and enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

Hiking in (and around) Vancouver:

There are so many hikes you can do, don't waste one summers day without going outside and hitting up a hike. Do the Grouse Grind for a challenge, go to Deep Cove for a beautiful view. Just go to Vancouver Trails and explore the endless possibilities, or for the top 10 check out this guy's blog. Personal favourites: Grouse grind, the Chief & St Marks Summit

Deep Cove Hike

View from the Chief

Winter

Yes, it's cold, at least it was for my Aussie skin, but it's beautiful. Buy the appropriate winter gear, and you won't have an issue. There is a store in Vancouver called Sports Junkie, and they sell second hand snow gear. It will snow maybe a couple times a year, for a day or two. Nothing compared to the rest of Canada.

• Buy a rain jacket, you'll need it.
• Ski at Grouse Mountain after work, slopes are open til 10pm.
• Snow show at Cypress or Seymour Mountain, it's really fun.
• Go to Whistler if you have a car, or just catch the bus.

Snowshoeing at Cypress

Summer

• Hike
• Go to Vancouver Island and camp in Tofino, or check out the beautiful gardens near Victoria.
• Go explore the Rockies
• Explore the Okanagan
• Hit up Portland and Seattle. It's super close for a weekend trip. Either rent a car, or go on the Amtrak or Greyhound.

What to do in Vancouver (Touristy things)

• Get that bike you bought (or hired) and ride around the sea wall - the whole way, even if it's raining. You'll love it. 
• Stop in at Stanley Park on your ride, go to the Aquarium if that is what you wish (we never did, so I can't say if it's worth it)
• Stop in at Science World on the bike ride too, again, we didn't do it so we can't say if it's good or bad. 
• Beaches: Check out English Bay, Kitsilano Beach & Jericho Beach. If you want to take off your pants then hit up Wreck Beach.
• Granville Island or Lonsdale Quay Market
• If you want to pay $30 go to Capilano Suspension bridge, if you want a free suspension bridge that is just a nice and beautiful with a nice lake, go to Lynn Valley.
• Hit up Gastown, it's got pretty cobblestone roads, and a steam clock.
• At 8.59pm, stop everything, go outside and listen for the 9 o'clock cannon. 
• Go to a Giant's game, it's just as entertaining, and cheaper than the Canucks.

Lynn Valley

Giants game

That's it for now. I may even add some photos at a later time, but in the mean time, watch this.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park was our first stop on our journey East. We packed up the van, said goodbye to our Vancouver friends and started out for our approximate 5,500km trip to Montreal. Yellowstone is an amazing park. It was the first ever National Park in the world and the size of the park is massive (bigger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined). As a result, we spent 4 nights camping in the wilderness at 3 different camp sites throughout the park. Although we hiked and saw lots of things, most of our time in the park consisted of driving.

There are many different 'faces' of Yellowstone. Our first night we stayed at Madison Campground which is super close to the western entrance. It gave us easy accessibility to Mammoth Hot Springs which we explored our first day. I don't really understand how these hot springs work, but basically they are a very large and complex rock system that involves heat, water, limestone and allows hot water to reach the earth's surface. If you're interested in this and my explanation doesn't quite cut it then just check our what Yellowstone has to say about it here.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs

Our next two nights were at Grant Canyon Campsite, which was great. It was halfway between Old Faithful and all the other Geysers and Basins in that area, such as Grand Prismatic Spring the Fishing Bridge/Yellowstone Lake area. We explored these areas pretty well. We saw Old Faithful erupt, and also the Beehive Geyser which in my opinion was better than Old Faithful. The Beehive only erupts once, maybe twice a day but it lasts for 4-5 minutes and I think was stronger and more powerful than the Old Faithful eruption we saw. We also did a hike from the biscuit basin and we saw Old Faithful erupt again, which was pretty cool considering we were quite a few km's away. Again, I have no idea how Geyers work, so if you want to read about it, just click on this.

Biscuit Basin

Grand Prismatic Spring - It was quite the hike to this view! A non-trailed mountain climb!

View of Yellowstone & Old Faithful from the Mystic Falls Hike

Mystic Falls Trail

After that, we packed up our stuff again and headed for the Canyon area via Mt Washburn. It was a beautiful hike that took us to our highest hiked elevation of 10,243 ft. It was an elevation gain of 1,491 ft and was about 10km return. It wasn't as hard as I thought, but I sure did feel it the next day! We then hopped back in our car, and headed for the Canyon area which was beautiful. I didn't actually realise Yellowstone has its own Grand Canyon but it was beautiful. The colours and the waterfalls were just not what I was expecting.

Us on the top of Mt Washburn

Grand Canyon - Upper Falls

View of the Canyon

On our way out of the park we went through Lamar Valley which is where the animals run free. Between Lamar Valley and our trip between Mt Washburn and the Grand Canyon I think we saw all 4000 Bison within the Park. It was crazy just how many there were on and near the roads.

Some of the many Bison

Our last stop was just outside of Yellowstone, and it was on our way to Chicago. It is this little scenic stretch called Beartooth Pass and it's stunning. It was beautiful in the summer, but would be stunning with a little more snow on the mountains. A great way to finish a wonderful trip.

Beartooth Pass

Beartooth Pass

I've never been so high!

Stay tuned: Next stop Chicago via Mt Rushmore & Badlands National Park