HOLLAND AMERICA 150 CRUISE

 ON JUNE 28 my sister ROSEMARY  and i went on ALASKA cruise from vancouver on the HOLLAND AMERICA ship VOLENDAM for a week. we left canada place at 3.45pm bound for JUNEAU and when we left i got to see english bay from a ship view and howe sound too . this cruise was to celebrate HOLLAND AMERICA 150 years in business . wile we were heading north i could see the SAPPHIRE PRINCEES right behind us i saw her behind us all the way until we got to DISCOVERY PASSAGE and it started to get very dark and showery a bit wile we were in DISCOVERY PASSAGE i got to see CAMPBELL RIVER and CAPE MUGE LIGHTHOUSE on QUADRA ISLAND . in DISCOVERY PASSAGE we passed the cruise ships SILVER MUSE and the VIKING ORION on there way to VANCOUVER after that i went to bed . the next morning i see we were in  HECATE STRAIT and to me that was very open water and times it got bit rough but the VOLENDAM handel it very well i could see HADIA GWAII in the distance and the inside passage to in the distance inculding going by GOSSE ISLAND . this was my first time going through HECATE STRAIT north bound the last time was wth my dad going from PRINCE RUPERT to SIKAGATE on the QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPERT in july 1996 . in HECATE STRAIT  there were lot  of humpback whales around and i saw one least 50 yards from us lot of my fellow passangers love seeing the whales it like a emergency when there you got to move fast to see them because they move fast too . wile in HECATE STRAIT  we passed few cruise ships heading south for VANCOUVER  or SEATTLE wich were long way off from us . on the ship i used the pool wich was good and had  all of  of our  meals were in a cafe stile cafeteria  system wich i realy like and lot of the passengers went to this cafe wich was called the LIDO MARKET and i found the food very good.  on june 30 we came into ALASKA and made a stop at TRACY ARM wich is inlet and cruise ship go to but we were not going there we made a short stop to drof off passengers onto a tour boat and they wil take the up TRACY ARM and onto JUNEAU but they were on differnt cruise with us this dit not inculed our cruise and we did not book for that tour so that was sperate from the cruise we were on but we got to see tracy arm from the entrance and worth seeing . after that we keep going on to JUNEAU and JUNEAU was not very far from TRACY ARM and i could see JUNEAU in the distance it was very rainng  there but it always rains in alaska. when we got to JUNEAU we were booked for tour to MENDENHALL GLACIER wich we went on to a tour bus and i have been to JUNEAU and MENDENHALL GLACIER before but this time the glacier is shirking and not much to see from that but on this trip we went to the falls next to the glacier wich was named NUGGET FALLS wich i never been to before wich got very close to the falls and was intresting to see. when the bus arived to pick us up from MENDENHALL GLACIER the tour  person toook us to onther part of JUNEAU named DOUGLAS wich is just on the onther side of town like suburb of JUNEAU there not much to see there so we just made short stop there and back to downtown JUNEAU . wile were in downtown JUNEAU we went to the shops and looked around and our dinner in town before we went back to our ship . we left JUNEAU at 10pm and heaed for SKAGWAY . the next morning july 1 we arived in SKAGWAY and we were booked onto the WHITE PASS train wich to us the the summit of WHITE PASS but before that we walked all over skgaway main street were lot of the  stores are and from what could see this town has not  changed a lot to but the train wich was was here last time i was here  in june 1999 and has not changed much either  . so after we walked around town we boared our train to the white pass summit and i have been on this train twice before so i know what is like and stil amazing to see it was trip that took only less then three hours wich was great and got to see a view of SKAGWAY from the top of the white pass. when we got back to skagway from the white pass summit we went back to our ship and  called it a day . on july 2 we wet to GLACIER BAY wich i have never been  to before and it worth seening we got up very close to the glacier and was great to see GLACIER BAY is a  US NATIONAL PARK and had a park expert on board telling us about glacier bay and its history  from the top of GLACER BAY we went to see onther glacier in the lower part of the bay named john hopkins glacier but we were not as close to this one has the one at the top of glacier bay but overal i realy like seening GLACIER BAY and it worth seening and kept in great shape and very well protected . then from there we heaed south for KETCHIKAN wich we arived the next morning on july 3  wile on our way into KETCHIKAN wich passed lighthouse on GUARD ISLAND and saw some ALASKA STATE ferries in the ship yard wich i knew two of them wich were the KENNICOT and MATANUSKA wich i have been on both of them on my travles in ALASKA in 1998 and 1999 . wile we were in KETCHIKAN we walked to creek street wich is a creek going by some old buildings and is very historic part of KETCHIKAN so every time i go to KETCHIKAN i like to go to creek street wich we did and after that we kept going all over KETCHIKAN wich was  sunny wile we were there wich was great to see  after we went to lot of the shops in town we went back to our ship we left KETCHIKAN at 6pm and heaed for vancouver . the next day july 4 we got to PINE ISLAND and had coast pilot boared us for the return home to vancouver i was happy to see pine island and the lighthouse wich was hit  by a big wave in feb 1969 but stil in operation today after we went by PINE ISLAND  we got to JOHNSTONE STRAIT and was great to see and on to SEYMOUR NARROWS wich i have been through there before but not cruise ship wich was great got too se lot of SEYMOUR NARROWS  and a  great view of CAMPBELL RIVER wich was between 7.30-8pm and was stil sunny at that time then after seening all that i went to bed . the next morning we arived in VANCOUVER at 6.30am and got up had our breakfast on the ship then afterwards got our  things together and got off the VOLENDAM cleared customs and went home  overal i like my time on the VOLENDAM and this was my first cruise to ALASKA and my first cruise on HOLLAND AMERICA wich i realy liked and onboard this ship had lot of history of this ship and the history of THE NETHERLANDS wich this ship and company is from wich they like to show proudly so we had great time on the VOLENDAM and meet lot people  from the USA and the UK and some from CANADA  wich was great to see it was worth doing this cruise since it was HOLLAND AMERICA 150 clebrations in 2023

TWO RIVERS TOUR

ON MAY 13 i left my home in KERRISADLE and rode my bike long the ARBUTUS GREENWAY all the way to 10th ave and on to maple street and 7th ave all the way to the main street skytrain station. when i go to the main skytrain station i went as far as the broadway commercial street station . when i got there i got on to east 10th ave and onto the central valley greenway and rode all the way to the GILMORE SKYTRAIN STATION. from there i got onto the skytrain and went all the way to the end of the line at LAFARGE LAKE STATION. when i got there i rode long PINETREE WAY and onto LINCOLN AVE that got me over the COQUITLAM RIVER and into PORT COQUITLAM and onto PATRICA AVE wich took me to COAST MERIDIAN RD and onto the overpass and onto BORADWAY ST and the mary hil by pass wich i stoped at a  subway at that intersection and had my lunch there. after my lunch i crossed the mary by pass on broadway st and went all the way to kebet way and onto the PITT RIVER BRIDGE . then i got onto the PITT RIVER BRIDGE wich has great views of the PIT RIVER and when i got off the bridge i got on to the PITT RIVER GREENWAY wich got me onto WOOLRIDGE RD and on to FORD RD and to 176st and back onto FORD RD wich i went by some winers and farmes in that part of PITT MEADOWS . then when i got to the end of FORD RD it got me into  HARRIS RD and went long harris rd and went by PITT MEADOWS CITY HALL and onto AIRPORT WAY. when i got to airport way i went east long that road and got to the GOLDEN EARS BRIDGE . so i rode long the GOLDEN EARS BRIDGE and got views of the FRASER RIVER and BARNSTON ISLAND . after i got off the GOLDEN EARS BRIDGE I got onto 101 ave in LANGLEY  and went west on to 197 st and onto the GOLDEN EARS WAY wich had a  paved bike path long the highway and got me all the GOLDEN EARS CONNECTOR wich i rode long that road all the way to 104ave wich i got to safely. when i got to 104 ave i went west all the way to the SURREY CENTRAL SYTRAIN STATION wich i made pit stop at 169 ave for a drink after that i rode all the way to the SURREY SKYTRAIN STATION . when i got to the SURREY CENTRAL SKYTRAIN STATION i got onto the skytrain and went all the way to METROTOWN and got off there and rode all the way home long east 46 th ave wich got me all the way to west 46th ave and back to my home in KERRISADLE overall  this bike trip covered  PORT COQUITLAM PITT MEADOWS LANGLEY and SURREY too over 6 hours wich i got to see that part of metro vancouver and the view from the GOLDEN EARS BRIDGE wich have never seen from the sidewalk

QUEEN OF CAPILANO

 THE QUEEN OF CAPILANO was built at VANCOUVER SHIPYARDS IN NORTH VANCOUVER B.C. in 1991. the QUEEN OF CAPILANO was the first of two intermeditate class ferries along with her sister QUEEN OF CUMBERLAND wich was the second intermediate class ferry built for BC FERRIES at VANCOUVER SHIPYARDS. in june 1991 the QUEEN OF CAPILANO was put into serive on the EARLS COVE TO SALTERY BAY route to replace the POWELL RIVER QUEEN . then in march 1992 the QUEEN OF CAPILANO was moved from EARLS COVE route to the HORSESHOE BAY BOWEN ISLAND route were she replaced the HOWE SOUND QUEEN and stil runs on that route today . the route from HORSESHOE BAY to BOWEN ISLAND takes 20 min and is located just north of VANCOUVER . the QUEEN OF CAPILANO carried 87 vehicles and 457 passengers when built. but in jan 2015 the QUEEN OF CAPILANO had a mid -life refit were her vehicle capacity was increased to 100 and her passenger capacity increased to 462. so over the years the QUEEN OF CAPILANO has and always be the ferry linking BOWEN ISLAND to the mainland of BRITISH COLUMBIA wich the people of BOWEN ISLAND depend on.

TSAWWASSEN RIDE

 on aug 19  i rode my bike from my home in KERRISDALE at 12 noon and heaed for the BRIGEPORT CANADA LINE STATION. when i got there i got onto the BIKE BUS for 1pm and went to 52nd st and HWY 17 . when i got to 52nd street at HWY 17 i got off the bus there in front of the TSAWWASSEN MILLS MALL  and acrossed HWY 17 and went south on 52nd street to 12ave wich i had go up a very big hill wich got me to 12 ave. from there i went east long 12 ave along the way i could see BOUNDARY BAY in the distance . when i reach the end of 12 ave at BOUNDARY BAY RD i got onto the BOUNDARY BAY PARK and its pathway for bikes and walkers. as i was on the pathway i saw a viewing spot were you can great great view of BOUNDARY BAY looking towards WHITE ROCK SOUTH SURREY and the border at PEACH ARCH. so after that i went long the path wich is in BOUNDARY BAY PARK wich is a METRO VANCOUVER PARK and took me all the way to CENTENNIAL BEACH wich is in BOUNDARY BAY PARK the beach was crowed and wile i was rideing long the pathway i saw viewing towers to see the birds in the bay . when i got to CENTENIAL BEACH i got onto CENTENNIAL PARKWAY and went all the to 3 ave were i saw acess to the beach next to a gated housing place when i got onto the beach i saw the border and POINT ROBERTS less than mile away and saw the end of BOUNDARY BAY . then after i left the beach near the border i went long 3rd ave and onto BOUNDARY BAY RD wich i never seen this part of TSAWWASSEN in very long time and has changed alot with gated houseing. when i got to the end of BOUNDARY RD it got me back onto 12 ave and all the way to 52nd street but i stoped at 12 ave and 56th st wich is a major street in TSAWWASSEN for a drink and  rest stop. after that i went long 12 ave and got back onto 52nd st and down the hill and onto HWY 17 were i got to the bus stop to catch the bike bus back to BRIDGEPORT STATION wich i did . from there i got to BRIDGEPORT STATION onto the CANADA LINE to LANGARA WEST 49TH  STATION and rode home from there. and got home at 4.10.pm  overal the ride in TSAWWASSEN was great and only took 15 min from HWY 17 to BOUNDARY BAY PARK and beeing hily in some places i got to see part of TSAWWASSEN i never seen and  BOUNDARY BAY in TSAWWASSEN is real gated community i saw lot those places wile i was riding long but i was great to see that part of DELTA and TSAWWASSEN because during storm season that part of the bay gets flooded by the high tides wich i have seen so it not much of place to live all year long but i was nice to see it in the summer 

DELTA BIKE TOUR

 on AUG 13 i left my home at west 46th ave in KERRISDALE on my bike around 10 am  bound for RICHMOND and the BRIDGEPORT CANADA LINE STATION when i got there wich took only half hour i waited for the bike bus. the BIKE BUS is new bus service that TRANSLINK is trying out this summer were it takes bikes only on this bus from BRIDGEPORT STATION to the TSAWWASSEN ferry terminal and operates on fridays weekends and sat hoildays and runs from 8am -8pm ever hour its trial run to see if this service wil be usefull for bikers. so i waited for the 11am bike bus bound for LADNER EXCHANGE. so when i got on i was one of six people with bikes on the bus the rest were bound for the ferry at TSAWWASSEN. so when we got to LADNER EXCHANGE wich only took 15min from BRIDGEPORT STATION i got off with my bike and started to ride towards the fraser river. when i left LADNER EXCHANGE i went long HARVEST DR to LADNER TRUNK RD and from there went on to 57 th street and long 57th street to CRESCENT DR and onto ADMIRAL BLVD wich got me onto the MILLENNIUM TRAIL that goes long DEAS SLOUGH and under hwy 99 at the south end of the MASSEY TUNNEL wich i got to see DEAS SLOGH all the way to my suprize DEAS ISLAND PARK wich is a  METRO VANCOUVER PARK wich i go to lot to photograph ships from there the odd time. so when i got to DEAS PARK i rode long the rode all the way to the end of the road in the park . bikes are not allowed in the trails in DEAS PARK because there were built for walkers and parts of it it not safe for bikers like me wich i have seen so from LADNER EXCHANGE to DEAS PARK only took me less than hour to get there so when i got the end of the road i started to go back and onto the MILLENNIUM TRAIL and heaed for ADMIRAL BLVD and on to 57 TH STREET wich got me back onto LADNER TRUNK RD when i reach LADNER TRUNK RD i went east and on to the MCDONALDS for lunch. after that i went long LANDER TRUNK RD and on to path next to HWY 17 wich took me back to LADNER EXCHANGE and waited for the bike bus back to BRIDGEPORT STATION . the bus came at 1.30pm and i was the only bike on the bus back to BRIDGEPORT STATION . from there i got onto the CANADA LINE and onto OAKRIDGE station were i got off and rode home from there and got home arond 2.25pm so it was intresting to put my bike on the transit bus and ride all over DELTA wich i got to see part of DELTA wich i never seen before and was worth seening DEAS SLOGH wich i have seen from the transit bus wich was great to see