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Archive for September, 2009
 Hoodoos  Banff Springs Hotel From Sulphur Mountain It’s been just over 3 weeks since we got back from our trip, and this is the first weekend I’ve had some free time to finish up going through all the photos. I had one week left of holidays near the end of August, and we decided that we wanted to try something different in terms of a vacation. ( Normally, for me, a vacation must include 3 things – hot sun, palm trees, and relaxing. ) We discussed the fact that we live in a beautiful Country, and that maybe it was time to explore more of it, rather than hopping on a plane, and going elsewhere, like we usually do.
So, we took a chance, picked somewhere neither of us at had ever been before – Banff, Alberta – booked a hotel there for a week, and headed out on the road. This was all very out-of-character for me, as I like to pre-plan things well in advance, and prefer to go places I already know I like. I guess this living up here on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast really has mellowed me out a bit …
 Gondola at Sulphur Mountain I have seen the Rocky Mountains from the air many times, ( which is very cool ) but seeing them from the ground is simply astounding. They are utterly magnificent to behold – their sheer size is mind-blowing. It always amazes me on road trips how the terrain changes from place to place – it is one of the things I enjoy the most. I literally take hundreds of pictures while on the highway, to document this transformation of the land.
 Rocky Mountains The night we arrived in Banff, we were tired, so basically just checked into our Hotel, went for Dinner, then headed to bed early. The next morning, we headed up Sulphur Mountain via the Gondola, which afforded us incredible views of the town of Banff, the famous Banff Springs Hotel, and surrounding Lakes and Rivers. We spent several hours climbing as high as we could go, taking many photos at the various stops along the way. I have seen some beautiful things in my life, but the natural beauty visible from atop the mountain truly took my breath away. We felt as though we were on top of the world.
 View From Sulphur Mountain The next day, we started at the Bow River Bridge, hiked along the Bow River, down to the Falls, then up a steep climb to the Banff Springs Hotel. Later in the day, we drove to Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka ( both a beautiful shade of blue/green ) then on the way back, stopped for a hike to see the Hoodoos. We saw our first Caribou there, and on our way back to the hotel, saw a deer close up.
 - Falls at Bow River
The following morning, we took a bus tour with Brewster Tours, as we wanted to see a few places, and not waste time trying to find them. It was a half day tour, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. One of the stops was a hike in to Johnston Canyon, where we saw a gorgeous waterfall. Our next stop is one I will never forget – by far, the highlight of our trip – Moraine Lake. Many of us have seen pictures of this lake, and most think that photoshop was involved, because of the surreal look of it – more precisely, the colour of the water, but I can assure you, it is real. Our tour guide giggled when I finally reached the top of the viewing platform, and all I could say was ” WOW !!! “. I had never seen water that colour before, anywhere, in any country, ever. My husband and I agreed that if we ever go back there, we will take more time, and make sure we rent a kayak, and spend a day on that lake. After that, we headed to Lake Louise, walked through the Chateau Lake Louise Hotel, and took some pictures of the lake itself, as well. That was the first bus tour we’d ever taken, and it was well worth it – we saw everything we’d wanted to, and our guide was wonderful – he kept us all laughing the whole time – just a great guy. Interestingly, his Mom used to live up here on the Sunshine Coast of B.C., and he has a cousin that runs a business here.
 Waterfall at Johnston Canyon After several days of hiking, we decided to have a bit of a quieter day after that. We spent the next day at one of the Museums in Banff, followed by a stroll through Cascade Gardens, which reminded us a little of our favourite place to relax in Vancouver – VanDusen Gardens.
We were very lucky during our week in Banff – the weather was hot and sunny the whole time, the hotel was nice, all our meals delicious, and we saw and did everything we had wanted to, and more. It was a very different kind of vacation for us, since we spent most of it hiking and taking pictures, but we are so glad we went. We would definitely go again.
 Banff Alberta Canada on the main street  Gorgeous Waters Of Moraine Lake
 Heather with Brandon Isaak at the Garden Bay Pub Sept. 6th 2009
 Harpdog Brown and Brandon Isaak Playin' and Singin' The Blues
It’s been almost 20 years now since I spent a Summer up in Watson Lake, Yukon. I went up there with 3 friends ( who had been there before ) that told me it was a great way to spend a Summer, get a couple of jobs, and make a lot of money. They said it was called ” Isolation Pay ” because it was such a long distance away. They were right – it certainly was a lucrative few months for us all. We all took on more than one job – my main one was as a ” Barmaid ” in the lounge of a hotel, and I also did some waitressing for them in the restaurant, and worked for the Yukon Tourism Dept. helping to welcome guests, and make sure they had everything they needed. I have to say it was one of the best Summers of my life.
The people in Watson Lake were some of the most down-to-earth, kind and generous people that I have ever met. Our original intention had been to head to Whitehorse, but looking back, I’m glad one of our vehicles broke down on the way up ( and it would’ve been 2 weeks’ wait for a part ). We decided to settle in Watson Lake, and because it was the car dying that decided this for us, we had no place to stay, or any jobs lined up there. We had nothing to worry about – we had complete strangers open up their homes to us until we could find jobs and a place to rent. We all crashed in their Living Rooms, and they wouldn’t even take any money for groceries. It was truly amazing to see how welcoming these people were.
We all had jobs within a few days, and were offered a large trailer to rent for a really reasonable rate from my new Boss. Things just seemed to fall into place right away. We all settled in at our jobs quickly, started to meet people, and felt comfortable there almost instantly. It was one of the hottest Summers on record there, so we were able to enjoy the nearby lake, often taking out a canoe with a guitar or two after our shifts were done, since it didn’t get dark there.
The house band that was playing at the hotel I worked at consisted of a great group of guys, and they became like family to me. I was introduced to the sons of one of the players, and became good buddies with them. Brandon and Chris Isaak became really good friends of mine that Summer, and I spent much of my free time with them, or hangin’ out with them, and their parents. They sort of ” took me under their wings ” and watched over me like a daughter, always making sure I was safe, and had enough to eat etc. I always enjoyed my time spent with the Isaak family. I will never forget their kindness, making me feel more comfortable in a new town, and having me over for many meals etc.
I met a lot of great people that Summer, and , thanks to Facebook, have recently re-connected with a few of them. ( Brandon and his Mom are two of them. ) A couple of Summers ago, Brandon told me that he and his band, the Twisters, were going to be playing a gig at The Fairview Pub in Vancouver. We lived not too far from there, and I was really happy to have an opportunity to see my buddy again after so many years, so my husband and I went down to see the show. It was awesome to see Brandon again, and the band played some smokin’ Blues !!! There was another friend of his from the Yukon there ( who now lives in the Vancouver area ) so she and I burned up the dancefloor to their sweet tunes. Brandon and I vowed that night not to let so many years slip by again before our next visit. Well, after leaving Vancouver to move up to The Sunshine Coast last Summer, it’s been a lot harder to keep in touch with people, due to distance, limited ferry schedules etc. Brandon and I have kept in better touch over the past couple of years, and I kept bugging him about when he’d be playing up here on The Coast. A couple of weeks ago, he sent me a poster advertising a gig up in Garden Bay, and I was very excited at the possibility of maybe seeing my buddy, and hearing him play again.
This time, Brandon was in a duo with harmonica player Harpdog Brown, and it was their first time working together as only a duo. They had 4 nights at the Garden Bay Pub, and when we walked in to see them last night, the place was packed with people enjoying their Blues. Brandon plays a mean Guitar, Harpdog plays his harmonica, and they both have excellent vocal skills. The crowd was whipped into a frenzy time after time with their rousing renditions of both cover tunes, and original music. People just couldn’t stay in their seats, and had to dance, despite the smaller venue. It was so wonderful to see Brandon again, and we had the chance to chat a little about my music, too. We’re thinking I should practice a couple of Blues tunes, and he’ll let me sit in some time at one of his gigs – that would be fabulous ! He has always been a good friend, and I really appreciate his support ( and words of wisdom ) when it comes to discussing making music. I look forward to the possibility of some day being able to sing a tune or two with my old buddy, Yukon Slim.
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