Western Canada Wanderings: Mosaics of Beauty

 

As we continued our way west from the Canadian Rockies, we enjoyed the changing landscapes along the way. Mountain lakes, waterfalls, fertile farmland, and rich vineyards seemed to meld together in perfect harmony. Like these colorful rocks that I admired in this mountainside lake, Canada has so many unique features that come together to form a colorful piece of art.

Around every curve of the road, there were new Canadian mosaics of beauty for us to enjoy.

Artistic town signs welcomed us to another cute Canadian village,

... the Tim Horton sign reassured us that there were plenty of delectable sweets inside,

... roadside pull-offs pieced together the mountains, trees, clouds, and water to form the perfect lunchtime view,

... family-run "farm markets" sold colorful flowers and delicious home-grown sweet corn as good as the sweet corn they grow "back home" in Minnesota,

... a train wreck site in the woods was given new life with the help of local artists,

... a coffee shop served up cappuccinos and the brownies that looked almost too pretty to eat,

... and hiking trails led to Fairy Falls.

We soon realized that we didn't need to be in a national park to enjoy Canada's mosaic of beauty ... we were constantly surrounded by it as we continued our western Canadian wanderings. These wanderings took us to the town of Whistler, a famous ski village and the location of the ski competitions during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. 

We walked around Whistler's Olympic Plaza where restaurants, condos, gondolas, and concert parks attract tourists during both the winter and summer months.

Whistler's Olympic Park is located about a half hour further up the mountain from the village, and we were happy that we went up there to check out the scenery.

Tucked under the shadows of the Olympic ski jumps is a campground where we stayed for the night.

The next morning after climbing up the 200+ steps, I got as close as I'll ever be to experiencing the "thrill of victory"... or in my case it would probably be the "agony of defeat"!

The next day we continued driving on the Sea to Sky Highway down to our next destination ... Vancouver. There we not only discovered a city that fit its nickname, "Raincouver", 

... but we also discovered a city in which the diversity of the people reflected the ultimate in mosaic beauty. Almost 42% of Vancouver's population are foreign-born immigrants. Each brings with them a part of their colorful native culture that was evident in the wide variety of languages, music, art, and food that we experienced. This diversity gives a truly cosmopolitan feel to the city. 

Virtually any type of International cuisine is available in Vancouver. I would have liked to have more time in order to try out some of the Asian restaurants, but this time we stuck to the tried and true Canadian cafes that were filled with a mosaic of sweet treats

... that give Tim Horton a run for his money.

While Canadian food, scenery, and culture are top-notch, one of the most charming aspect of our Canadian wanderings is the mosaic of colorful people that we meet along the way.

And Judy would have to take the gold medal for most "colorful".

As we were driving along the Trans-Canada just outside of Banff, I noticed an individual on the side of the road pushing a small cart filled with their belongings. We were stopped at the next pull-out for lunch when this curious "hiker" came along. While sharing some lunch with her, she told me her story of how she is walking across Canada. She started in Vancouver in May of last year, and her goal is to someday reach Newfoundland. Along the way, she is spreading her dream of building up a society in which people try to get along despite differences in opinions. I came upon this quote by Jimmy Carter that I think best reflects Judy's philosophy ...

"We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic.

Different people, different beliefs,

different yearnings, different hopes,

different dreams"

And Judy would add ...

with the goal of working together to form a beautiful piece of art.

 

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