Back to Vancouver

Sunday, 07/03/2022

We are heading to Hope, the weather has significantly worsened, rain and only 11 degrees in some places. We are driving west on the Okanagan Connector Highway until Merritt, crossing a pass that brings us almost to the clouds. Then, we turn south onto the Coquihalla Highway. Today is Sunday, plenty of cars on the road, and we encounter a traffic jam before a construction site in Merritt, which sets us back 56 minutes, by the way, the first traffic jam in Canada. The detour routes are closed, so we cannot leave the highway. We arrive in Hope shortly before 3:00 PM.

The circle is complete, on 06/16/2022, we turned here in Hope from the Trans-Canada Highway towards Glacier NP.

Some may wonder, who knows Hope and what to do there.

The answer to the first question is anyone who has seen the first Rambo movie with Sylvester Stallone. First Blood was filmed in Hope in 1982. It has become a real cult, especially because the 40th anniversary is coming up in October. There is a hiking route in the city that leads to the filming locations.

As for the second question, here is the gateway to the Fraser Canyon. In 1858, the Fraser River Gold Rush began, with hordes of gold miners traveling up the canyon, first as a mule trail and later, from 1863, as a road for horse-drawn wagons, the Cariboo Wagon Road. In addition, there are 85 wood carvings scattered throughout Hope, including one of Sylvester Stallone.

Monday, 07/04/2022

We start our tour up the Gold Rush Trail to the Fraser Canyon. Just past Hope, we cross the Kettle Valley Railway Bridge, which was once used for trains and cars but now only for cars. The condition below does not give a good feeling when driving on top. The place Yale, announced as a historical attraction, disappoints, so we continue to Hells Gate. The road leads through seven tunnels, ranging from 57 to 610 meters in length. Hells Gate is located on the left side after the seventh tunnel, which is the deepest and narrowest point of the Fraser Canyon, with a depth of 54 meters. A cable car (called Airtram here) leads down from above. There, you can walk across a swinging bridge over the roaring river. Next to it is the visitor center with a restaurant, souvenir shop, and more. Across the river, the Rocky Mountaineer is passing through the tunnel. It travels very slowly so that the passengers can see Hell's Gate. Below the ugly gray concrete block is the fish ladder, hopefully the fish know that too.

After that, our route takes us to a museum village of the Tuckkwiowhum Indians or, as it is correctly called today, First Nations. Shortly after our arrival, an Indian music festival begins. There is a stage set up and booths all around. We stay for a good hour and listen to the music.

Then we return to Hope, we have an 'appointment with the Owl'. We saw a nice restaurant yesterday that was unfortunately closed, so we want to eat there today. The restaurant is called Owl Street Cafe. The food is excellent, a good decision to come here.

Tuesday, 07/05/2022

Today we are heading back to Vancouver. We are not getting started properly and set off quite late. Our first stop is the Hard Rock Casino to buy t-shirts. Unlike the well-known Hard Rock Cafés, this is a huge casino. It's incredible how many people are sitting there at 11:00 AM, gambling their money away.

The second stop is Granville Island, a former industrial area on a peninsula in False Creek. Today, it only houses a concrete plant surrounded by markets, small craft shops, and artist studios. We sit at The Vancouver Fish Company restaurant right by the marina and enjoy fish & chips. Afterward, we stroll through the markets and shops until it's time to go to our accommodation. We are staying on the university campus, just like when we arrived.

Wednesday, 07/06/2022

Our last day in Vancouver starts with a trip to Gastown, the old downtown area. Here, we find a small café and enjoy the hustle and bustle of this very touristy area over cappuccino and cake. We are very happy to be back here. Then, we take a walk around the city and gather many impressions, at the train station, at the cruise terminal, in Chinatown, and in large shopping centers. In the afternoon, we go to the Maritime Museum and walk along the water all the way back to Granville Island. We simply love it there. After a small snack, we take the False Creek Ferry back to the parking lot, but not without taking a farewell photo beforehand. Tomorrow, we will fly to Montreal.