Mountains + Hot Springs = Happy

Here we are, nestled in the natural beauty of Banff, Alberta. After arriving yesterday, we hiked through some woods where we encountered a couple of lunching mule deers, named so because of their muley ears. We also came upon some stunning views of the rockies cloaked in various moods of whispy clouds. A close second to the majesty of the mountains is the splendor of our current abode, the Banff Springs Hotel. It is everything of a Canadian Hogwarts, complete with low hanging chandeliers, plush carpet and furniture, and a roaring waterfall running adjacent to its Southern wall. Of course the cheese, fruit and dessert buffet we enjoyed last night helped to increase our appreciation of this destination.
We leave this afternoon North-Eastern bound to Edmonton to visit my family out there. More to come from the land of cowboy hats, oil barons and delicious steak... --JW

Lake Louise

As much as we tried to find camping grounds last night, we could not and were forced to spend a night at the Lake Louise Inn. Despite a disagreeable exterior mobbed with drunken, noisy teenagers, the private accommodations were pleasant enough. And as these pictures suggest, the surroundings are quite beautiful.

Because we live in the age of digital trickery, it is worth commenting that the blue of the water is indeed more brilliant even in person. This is caused by rock dust, which slowly settles, but absorbs all the light spectrum except for the blue. Now, some of you brain-boxes have probably heard that water is usually blue for reflecting the sky. However, in this instance, it is actually the substance of the water itself. Remarkable, yes?

Tonight we stay, thanks to a generous donor, at the prestigious Banff Springs Hotel. More beauty is sure to follow. --SPH

Presently we stay on the majestic Bowen Island with the old friend and colleague of J's, Mary (here pictured). Last night we dined at Mary's restaurant wherein she waited on us hand and foot. Lucky for her the food was delicious, and as such, we saw fit to remain on good terms.

Sadly, our stay here must be short and we are bound in a few hours for a ferry back to the mainland of the continent. The journey to Banff Hot Springs is before us. --SPH

Up the coast

It is difficult for these pictures to convey the beauty of our journey over the past two days. We traveled from Santa Cruz to Portland, spending a night amongst the mountain redwoods, and caught many a glimpse of the glorious ocean views.

Under the brilliant sun, I drove in near perfect conditions, taking twisting turn after turn at full speed, listening to the unfortunate beginnings of the Brothers Karamazov, Noam Chomsky's descriptions of class warfare, and the always provocative manifesto of the Communist Party.

When it was J's turn to drive, the gods were displeased and tended to pour rain down upon her. Although this seemed a strange and unhappy affair at first, I soon realized that this served the ulterior purpose of cleaning our much maligned and filthy vehicle.

The images seen here include The Avenue of Giants in California and two remarkable spots along the Oregon coast, of which J and I both agree is second in beauty only to that sunset we saw at the grandest of canyons. --SPH

Thank you!

I just want to thank everyone for their well wishes via email for my birthday. As Spencer said, it is difficult to be away from so many of the people I would love to spend my birthday with - the emails made me very happy. Thank you all very much!

Retrospective

Yes, these photos remind us of a simpler time, when life was full of buggy-rides and licorice-whips; when a cup of coffee was only 5 cents and even the poorest soul could ride the trolley-car across town. There was never a need for the modern convenience of contemporary life. Things all moved slow and we were happy. After all, what was the rush? Where were we trying to go? The further we traveled, the more we came to realize that home was where we wanted to be.

In these fleeting glimpses of the past, we recall the good feelings of nostalgia. Taken over 300 years ago and yet in remarkably good condition, the images are those of a man and his automobile, one of the first ever built; the oceanfront walkabout space-glass viewers; and a pair of well-dressed, homeless musicians playing the Jazz in an old, abandoned junk shop. --SPH

Julie's B-Day in Santa Cruz

It is hard, as we all know, to spend a birthday far away from most of the friends and family. Nonetheless, we had a nice coffee and cake, a windy, but pleasant trip along the coast, beers and dinner on the patio, and a game of bowling. All in all, I think J was pleased.

The pictures do not document the very private and personal affairs of the day, but instead serve to display some the splendor that is Santa Cruz, California. The first is a walk through the woods, for which we had the company of a very friendly local dog. The second
is on the boardwalk. The third is further North on the coast. --SPH