Canada 2020 traced a west‑to‑coast arc during pandemic travel: a Calgary warm‑up and first hikes in the Rockies, tea‑house loops and glacier spines around Lake Louise, then south to Revelstoke’s ridgelines and the Okanagan’s vineyard days under drifting wildfire haze. The rhythm shifted on Vancouver Island—giant cedars, gardens in full bloom, and low‑tide bear watching from small boats in Tofino—before a city finish in Vancouver with Stanley Park strolls and a sobering, art‑rich look at BC’s Indigenous heritage at the Museum of Anthropology. Across three weeks: mountain trails, road‑trip stretches, wine flights, and wildlife on the water—wide views, big trees, and easy evenings on balconies.
👉 All the places we’ve visited are in a Google Maps list here
Trip Summary
✈️ Day 1: Travelling → Quebec City to Calgary; first ramen, first scale shock with a giant rental SUV.
📷 Day 2: Dinosaurs! → Street art in Calgary, brunch, and the Royal Tyrrell’s fossil marvels.
🥾 Day 3: Ha Ling Peak → Windy saddle views near Canmore, evening arrival at Lake Louise.
🚘 Day 4: Rainy Day → Moraine Lake detour, Banff laundromat run, smoky vistas on the Icefields Parkway.
🥾 Day 5: ice and snow → 19 km tea‑house loop—Lake Agnes, Plain of Six Glaciers, moraine ridge to Abbot Pass.
🚘 Day 6: Continental Divides → Columbia Icefield and Skywalk, Valley of the Five Lakes, dinner in Jasper.
🚘 Day 7: Welcome to BC → Across the border to Revelstoke, giant cedar boardwalk, quiet town vibes.
🥾 Day 8: Redemption → Summit stroll and alpine traverse on Mount Revelstoke; dinner that finally delivers.
🚘 Day 9: Willy Nelson on repeat → Okanagan arrival, organic winery stop, sparkling focus at Fitzpatrick.
🍷 Day 10: in search of wine → Labour Day tastings—The Hatch, Quails’ Gate, speedy pours at Kalala, cheese chase.
🚘 Day 11: Fire! Fire! → Desert light near Osoyoos; smoke thickens, shipping cases home.
🍷 Day 12: done with drinking → Kelowna farewell, livers tap out; packing down the trunk cellar.
🚘 Day 13: Baby Driver → Ferry to Victoria, ramen, apartment check‑in maze; island of big trees ahead.
📷 Day 14: Fauna and Flora → Jam Cafe line‑side CrossFit celebrity sightings, bloom‑packed Butchart Gardens.
🚘 Day 15: Yellow Haze → Smoke‑filtered forest walks among 700‑year giants; dinner at The Courtney Room.
📷 Day 16: walkabout in Victoria → Harbour loops, Beacon Hill wildlife, Mile Zero; city under beige skies.
🚘 Day 17: it’s raining again → Nanaimo bars, coastal construction crawl, rainy refuge at The Shelter in Tofino.
📷 Day 18: Boats! Boats! Boats! → Gray whales, sea otters and lions; low‑tide bears flipping rocks for seafood.
🚘 Day 19+20: my only friend, the end → Early start, Vancouver logistics, Stanley Park’s tall‑tree circuit.
📷 Day 21: Museum Day → UBC’s Museum of Anthropology—carvings, histories, and difficult truths; balcony sunset wrap.
