Snow

We have had a fair bit of snow recently.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Cascade Falls

I recently got a new HD Video Camera for my birthday! Here is a shot of one of our local waterfalls.


Cascade Falls from Tim Wedler on Vimeo.



I should be back to my theme park review shortly. School is just about done for the semester!

School

As many of you know I am in school and taking 6 classes this semester. I also work part time. This has made it hard for me to spend the time I want on this blog. Exams start December 3 and are finished around the 15th. After this I should have some more regular posting up!

Thanks for your patience!

OBAMA!!!!!

And the world rejoices.

If you live in the USA

GO VOTE!!!!!!!

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom opened in 1998.  The Park is a glorified zoo that has rides mixed in with the animal enclosures.  The enclosures are spacious and many of them seem barrier free aka no fences.  There are natural obstacles that make it impossible for the animals to escape.  Above is a photo of the entrance, the wilderness theme continues throughout the theme park.  When the park first opened guests were not given any maps as the guest were supposed to explore, this did not go over well and you now will receive a park map.

Theme Parks

Next week I will be starting a tour through the many theme parks that I have visited. I will give details of each ride and area of the park as well as some photos and video. The theme parks that I will be covering are Disneyland California, Disney's California Adventure, Sea World California, Universal Studios Hollywood, San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, The Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios Florida, Islands Of Adventure, Disneyland Paris, Thorpe Park, and Galaxyland.

That is quite a list!

Will be back soon.

I am just finishing my midterms, after the last one is done on wednesday I should be back to some more regular updates.

LAX

On one of my layovers at LAX I had a fair bit of time to kill.  What do you do with a couple of hours at an airport.  Well you could go and eat somewhere, sit and watch people or you could stretch your legs and go for a walk!  LAX has some nice outdoor areas that have many colourful flowers! After you are done walking around you can have a nice dinner at the restaurant in the top photo.  This used to be the air traffic control tower!  It is not a cheap place to eat but the views are amazing.

Banff Gondola

When in the mountains getting great views is always a top priority.  If you do not have the energy or time to hike up to the top of a mountain you can always take a gondola ride.  I think they are charging upwards of $26 for a return trip and it is free for a one way ride down! (They do not check your ticket...)  When you get to the top there is the 20 minute skywalk.  It is a paved/boardwalk along the top of the mountain.  The views from the walk are second to none!

Travel Guides

Lonely Planet offers some of the best travel guides around.  Below is a link to an amazing deal that is on for a limited time only. IF you or a friend will be traveling in the next couple of months I suggest you start reading about the locations you are going to visit. The promotion ends November 5.  

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is Banff's luxury accommodation.  The hotel was completed in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway.  The current building was completed in 1920 after a fire destroyed the original.  The hotel was winterized in the 1960's so that it could be open year round.  The hotel also has conference facilities, luxurious spa and a world class golf course.  Rates start at $259CAN/night for a room that sleeps 2.  The hotel is not far from Banff's amazing ski areas Lake Louise and Sunshine Village!

Great News

With the lowered cost of oil may airlines are removing their fuel charges. Canada's two largest airlines Air Canada and both removed this crazy charge from all of their tickets! Most other airlines will be removing this charge.

Bow Falls

Just outside the town of Banff there is the spectacular Bow Falls.  The falls area is a great place to go for a relaxing stroll that is not strenuous.  There are always allot of people here so if you are afraid of being alone this is the place to be.  

Ferry to Vancouver Isalnd

The ferry to Vancouver Island is a nice relaxing ride. The waters are usually fairly calm so it is not terribly bad for those who get sea sick.  The island is not connected by a bridge so the ferry is the only way to see the sights of Victoria and Butchart Gardens by car.

Link Exchange

I was taking a look at my links over on the right and noticed that the list is really short! If you are interested in getting a little more traffic and want to exchange links just write a comment with your information and I will add you to my blog roll.

A Great Weekend!

With some amazing weather here at home I am going to have a great
weekend! Time to take advantage of the last bit of sun before fall
and winter come.

Wildlife in Banff

Above is a video of some mountain goats that we encountered in Banff National Park.  This is a very common sight.  These spectacular animals can navigate through the steepest rock face where it is seemingly impossible to traverse.  The best encounters with animals always happen when you are out hiking.  This lets you see them in their natural surroundings, not licking salt off the pavement...

Update

I am in the midst of my first week back at school. Once the dust has settled I will have more photos for you.

The Rockies

The Rocky Mountains provide some of the best scenery shots in the world.  You are able to see this spectacular scenery from the highway, no need to get out of your car if your are not the outdoorsy type.  The above photo is taken in spring when there is still a fair amount of snow on the mountains, the ski hills are still open!  If you are thinking of camping the unofficial first weekend it the May long weekend. Victoria day as it is officially called falls on the monday before May 24th.  It can still get fairly cold at night so be sure to bring good sleeping bags.

Wildlife

When driving through Banff or Jasper National Park you will most likely see wildlife.  This is a very exciting experience for many overseas tourists as their home country many not have much roaming wildlife.  Be sure to slow down when driving by wildlife as they can jump out in front of your car in a split second.  You should NEVER get out of your car for two reasons.  The first is that other drivers on the road will be distracted by the wildlife and will not be paying attention to people walking on the road.  The second reason is that these animals are WILD.  Movements and actions are unpredictable, even if the animal is smaller than you they can be much more powerful.  You can still enjoy the animals from inside your car.

The links below have been specially selected to assist you with a trip to Alberta's National Parks.

Edmonton Valley Zoo

The City of Edmonton  has a quaint Zoo that is situated in the river valley.  This picturesque location is home to many animals from around the world.  The zoo originally opened as the Storybook Land Zoo.  Every area was themes to children's stories such as Humtpy Dumpty and Ba ba black sheep.  Over time these areas have been taken don  or not maintained but you are still able to see some of the stories.  The zoo has an expansion plan that once put into place will rival many other medium size zoos.  Since the zoo is not very large it comes will a small admission cost of only $9 for adults and $4.50 for children, prices are reduced in winter.

A fun place to eat!

Just after arriving in the UK we decided to walk around some fun parts of London.   This little cafe is just off of Oxford Street.  They served waffles with fruit toppings!  We were not able to find this cafe again but it serves as one of our first memories in London.

More Tower of London

The three photos above are what you would see if you walked around the Tower of London.  This is a very nice area of London to come and hang out.  There are usually some stalls for buying some tacky London Souvenir as well as some street vendors selling food.  The stone walkway along the river transports you back in time and gets your mind off of the hustle and bustle of London.

Traitor's Gate

Part of the Tower of London, Traitor's Gate is where prisoners were brought in from the Thames River.  On the way in they passed under the heads of recently executed prisoners.  The gate was originally built by Edward I and was intended as a water entrance for the Royal Family.  The Tower of London is not to be missed on a visit to the capital.  This attraction stores the crown jewels and many other interesting artifacts.

Banff Hot Springs

This is the old building for the Banff Hot springs.  It is still open for visitors to go in and see the Cave as well as one of the spring pools that has a one of a kind snail family.  The functional hot springs has been moved down the road f you still would like to go for a dip.  A couple of years ago there was a severe drought and the spring stopped producing water!  They still had the "hot springs" open for visitors with heated city water.

St. Mary's Basilica

This is the taller of the two towers that are at the entrance to this spectacular Basilica.  The tower is an impressive 262 feet tall and was built in the 14th century.  Every hour a trumpet is played from one of the windows.  The music suddenly stops as to remember the trumpet player that was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm during a Mongol invasion.

ABC Stores Hawaii

It seems like every single corner in the tourist areas of Hawaii there is an ABC store.  Each store has some fruit, drinks, and souvenirs.  The water here is cheaper than you can find it in any other store including stores outside the tourist areas.  Other than the water everything else is more expensive!  The one nice feature is that if you save your receipts you are able to get a "Free" gift at the end of your vacation.  Or hostel had a place to keep them so that if you did not spend enough to get something free you can help someone else!

Budapest Baths

This is one of the many baths in Budapest.  The city of Budapest has many natural springs that have been made into resorts.  This one has two large outdoor pools and a handful if indoor pools.  Each of the pools are a different temperature so everyone can find their perfect temperature.  The pool also has many other services including massages!  

Redwood Forest

The Redwood forest is found in Norther California.  The Redwoods are the worlds tallest trees reaching over 300 feet or 100 meters in the air.  The pleasant drive through the forest takes you past many of the areas interesting and strange attractions including the Log house and the chance for you to drive through a tree!  You should also take advantage of the many walking trails to get close to the giant trees.

Hampstead Heath Park

This is the view from one of he highest points in London.  From this park you can see much of the city centre including the London Eye.  The park has many facilities to keep a person entertained including swimming ponds!

Oregon Coast

The 101 Highways is one of the most spectacular drives in North America.  This shot is taken from one of the many pullouts for drivers to take in the spectacular scenery.  I have had the chance to drive on this highway all the way down to southern California multiple times and I have loved it every time.  It does take a fair bit longer than the I5 but if you have the time it is worth it.  



The icons above have been selected specifically to help any person that may be traveling to where the photo was taken.

Miette Hot Springs

Located at the entrance to Jasper National Park Miette Hot springs is the hottest in all of the national parks.  The water comes out of the mountain at a scorching hot temperature of 53 Degrees Celsius.  The pools are cooled to 40 for your comfort, and just for some more fun they have a pool that is kept at 5-9 degrees Celsius.  The photo above is the old pool building that was abandoned in 1984.  The new building while it is nice does not have the character of the old one.  If you are at Miette be sure to walk the 1KM paved trail to the abandoned pool and see where the water comes out of the mountain!

Paris Catacombs

Below the streets of Paris lies the city's answer to overflowing graveyards.  In the late 1700's the bones of thousands of people where organized neatly for their true final resting place.  There are many kilometers of trails full of these bones.

San Francisco Trolly

The famous trolly of San Francisco!  These are a fair bit of fun to ride up and down the steep hills.  One of the trolly divers told us that they still use wooden breaks, that is why they smell like burning wood!

London City Hall

This is the new city hall building in London.  Its prime location on the riverbank makes this the perfect area to walk around and soak up the feel of modern London.

Mozart's Birthplace

This is the place where one of the greatest composers of classical music was born.  The city of Salzburg is a pleasure to walk.  Once you make it to the old area of town with the castle looming in the background you are transported back to a different time.

Gone Camping

I will be back monday or tuesday ish...

Alaska Highway Mile Zero

This is where the Alaska Highway begins.  The small town of Dawson Creek has a nice main street with some tourist shoppes and some small museums that show the history of the town and the building of the highway.

Pet Shop in Barcelona

Something that we are not used to in North America are street side shoppes.  Barcelona has many of these but it seems like for every one in every three we encountered were pet shoppes that has an abundance of birds.

London at night.

It is not the best shot but I still like it.  When living in London one of or favorite activities was walking the banks of the river at night.  There is always some sort of festival or performance down here.  

Budapest Train Station

This is the main strain station in Budapest.  From this location you can easily get to many eastern European countries.  Budapest is a very modern city that has some spectacular buildings, baths and caves.

Brewster Bus - Columbia Ice Fields

If you have the time when you are in the Columbia Ice Fields area take one of the snow busses onto the glacier.  This is a great way to see just how big the glacier is.

Beaverlodge

What can you say...  Small town in northern Alberta.

Julio's Barrio

This is one of Edmonton's best dining experiences.  The Mexican food and drinks are some of the best in the city.  

Sunset in Saskatchewan

On the 16 just outside of Saskatoon this is on spectacular sunset. Just after this was the thunder storm of a lifetime!

Vacation

I am off traveling for the next couple of weeks so updates may be slim.

Columbia Ice Fields

This has been a favorite place of mine since I have been a child.  Located between the towns of Banff and Jasper on the Ice Fields Parkway.  This glacier is the main water source of the North Saskatchewan River that flows through my home town of Edmonton and on to the Hudson Bay.

Sea Turtles

This is a special spot on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii where the sea turtles come up and sunbathe.

Alcatraz

Alcatraz was first built as a military institution in the 1850's.  Then from 1934-1963 Alcatraz was used as a maximum security prison.  After the prison was shut down the island was used by indian tribes as a protest to changes in government regulations regarding their future.  After the occupation the island has been a a tourist destination.

Coit Tower

This 210 foot monument was constructed in 1933 and is designated a historical landmark.