Richmond
We started our trip with a visit to the city of Richmond (pop.176, 000), only a ten minute drive from the international airport. Until the late 1980s this was a laid-back community but now is a bustling metropolis with a vibrant Asian atmosphere. To experience this, we visited the 8 block Golden Village area where we were hard-pressed to find any signs in English. Parisa Tong, of Tourism Richmond met us for dinner at the Fisherman's Terrace Restaurant. Over a dinner of suckling pig, barbecued pork, crab, jellyfish and Mango pudding Tong explained, "This is authentic Chinese, something that I would find in Hong Kong or China" Richmond's Chinese population is 80,000."

Steveston
We made a stop at a nearby historic fishing village, Steveston. We walked a long wooded planked boardwalk to Canada's largest commercial fishing harbour. Don't pass this up, the sights and smells of this port are memories you can bank.

On the Road to Kamloops
Once we left the hustle and bustle areas we found ourselves in a cool, crisp other world. Sunshine streamed through our windshield. It was hard to stop gazing up at the pristine natural beauty of the mountains around us. Travelling north we paid $10.00 (Canadian) and took the Coquihalla Highway (worth every penny) which rose and fell rhythmically towards Kamloops. Clouds floated like bits of white cotton above our heads.

Before we entered Kamloops we got lost high in the mountains (we did this often) and stumbled upon a rustic ranch and a real cowboy, Vic Piva. He said, "This is where the sky meets the mountains and silence is comfortable here." We felt a sense of awe and privilege to be able to share this experience.

Kamloops
Kamloops (pop.83, 000) bills itself as The Tournament Capital of the World but if you're a golfer it's the 20 golf courses found atop a picturesque mountain or in the valley below that will have you yelling, Fore Neither of us are golfers so we rose early and headed to their Saturday morning farmers market. It was a good choice.

Kelowna
Kelowna is a familiar name known to Niagara wine-makers. On the edge of beautiful Okanogan Lake are many wineries, two carrying names familiar to us, Inniskillin and Jackson-Triggs. About 4500 acres of premium Vinifera grapes are grown on pastoral landscapes that gently wind their way to the lake.

British Columbia Ferries
We travelled back to the ferry at Vancouver to journey to Victoria. It cost $55.00 (Canadian) return for two and the vehicle. On the 90 minute ride I started a conversation with Bridge Watchman, 51-year-old Brian Campbell who I learned was originally from Niagara. Brian moved here five years ago and now said "I just love it here. I wouldn't trade this for anything."

Victoria
All the stories you have heard about Victoria are true. It's a lovely clean community filled with a mature population (Canada's oldest 65 plus) but it's also filled with a love for life. Physical activity is everywhere. We decided to go whale-watching. Orca Spirit Adventures suited us up and we headed north of Haro Strait towards Pender Island. Skipper Christian didn't disappoint us. We spotted several different pods of resident killer whales.

Vancouver
Vancouver is Canada's 3rd largest city and has a population of 2.1 million. Driving downtown is no walk in the park so we took the Sky train from our Accent Inn in Burnaby. It was a good move. To discover the city we hopped aboard a Big Bus tour. The $34.00 (Canadian) fee allowed us to get on and off as many times as we want in a 24 hour period. Take the tour you won't be disappointed.