5 days. ~3000 km (1865 miles). 849 pictures.
Edmonton –> Chilliwack –> Tofino –> Victoria –> Kelowna –> Edmonton.
Yowza.
I really wish that I could write about my travels while I’m actually travelling, because I have no idea how to recap my trip to British Columbia in one or two posts, and I don’t want to bore anyone to tears by dragging it out any more than that. Honestly, though, I’ve been sitting here going through pictures for hours and I don’t even know where to start when it comes to trying to squeeze everything in…
I have a feeling it’s going to be impossible, and the perfectionist “omigosh make sure to recap ALL the things” side of me is having a fit, so I think I’m going to forego trying to write a traditional recap and just share some of my favourite pictures and general thoughts instead. And since Thursdays are usually reserved for Thinking Out Loud around these parts, we’re going to do it all numbered list style. Aaaaaand go…
1. For the first time in all my 28 years of life, I finally got to see the mountains in fall, and they.are.gorgeous. I live about a 3 hour drive away and usually only make it up there in the summer or winter, so being able to see the mountains in all their fall splendour was definitely a treat.
Mount Robson.
Random scenes along the way…
2. Speaking of winter, seeing all the snow covered mountain tops definitely made me crave the coming snowboarding season. Is it bad that fall has only just begun and I’m already craving winter? Try not to hate me for that one. In fact, forget I said anything, and don’t remind me when I’m complaining about the cold in 2 months…
Random scenes from the road… Somewhere in Alberta.
3. There’s a notable difference between the mountains in BC and the ones in Alberta. Albertan mountains tend to be a lot rockier and wild, whereas the mountains in BC tend to be more forested and friendly…
Random scenes from along the road… Somewhere in BC.
4. Back seats and twisty roads do not mix. Someone pass the Gravol please 😳
“Highway” from Nanaimo, BC to Tofino (aka: wtf 😯 )
5. I’m more of a mountains and forests kind of girl, but I’ll admit that the ocean is pretty beautiful too…
Horseshoe Bay, waiting to board the ferry to Nanaimo.
Tofino, BC.
6. Aaaaaaand I think I’m going to stop it there for today, mostly because my eyeballs are threatening to give out and I don’t want to assault you guys with too many pictures at once. Hope you guys are having an awesome Thursday, and be sure to check back tomorrow for a new fall recipe and a pretty sweet giveaway!
. – . – . – .
Mountains or oceans, which do you prefer?
On a road trip, would you rather be the driver or passenger?
And… have I convinced you to come visit my neck of the woods? 😉
gosh so freaking beautiful. I have to say I really miss road trips.
All I have to say are those photos are seriously breathtaking. Wow, just wow. I miss upstate NY for the views like this in the fall…never in the winter LOL.
I definitely love beach scenes but these mountain pictures are GORGEOUS. I want to go for a long drive now just to get these views! Girl, you convinced me to come visit you as soon as you started blogging again. As long as almond butter, oatmeal, nail polish, and gaming is involved I’ll come visit you! You should try submitting these to some sort of calendar website!
Wow, your pictures are beautiful! I would love to visit up there after seeing those. I’m usually more of a beach person, but those mountains sure are stunning.
Well this post made me want to drop everything and move out west! Or at least just visit. I forget sometimes how beautiful our country really is. Thanks for taking me on a mini-virtual vacation 🙂
It’s something I definitely take for granted as well. I’d actually really love to visit the east (I’ve only ever been to Toronto)… Montreal is next on my list of Canadian places to visit.
Those are some amazing pictures! I’d definitely like to visit there some day.
I’m totally an ocean girl, having grown up in New England, but I have an appreciate for the mountains from all the camping we did as kids.
And I need to be the driver. I’m a terrible passenger. Not so much because I get car sick, mostly because I need to be in control.
Mountains. Always, always mountains.
Your pictures make my heart happy. Nothing like road tripping through the mountains!
Our country is sooo beautiful! It makes me so happy to see all of these beautiful pictures. I am SOO the passenger when we go on road trips. I use every excuse in the book to get out of driving duty.
It’s funny because I recognize so many of the places you visited. Obviously, since I happen to live in Victoria;) and I travel up island regularly..but I honestly have never appreciated the beauty of it all.
And it truly is a gorgeous place to live.
All these photos are fabulous, and I think you’re convincing me to make a road trip of my own up island.
It’s funny (and kind of sad!) how we take the things around us for granted. Like, there are SO many beautiful places in Canada, but whenever I think of travelling, I always think of going to see some far off and exotic places… when I haven’t even seen all there is to see around here yet.
BEAUTIFUL. All of it, wow. And you’re a great photographer!
I’m an ocean and beach girl, for sure. Though…I visited Portland, Oregon a couple summers ago and gosh the forest/mountain scenery was beautiful. I just love nature, I guess. 🙂
I think your second to last picture is probably my favorite of the bunch… wait… nope. I just can’t pick. They are all so picturesque and breathtaking.
I’m a little excited for Winter too. Your talk of Snowboarding makes me reminiscent of my skiing days oh so long ago 😉 It would be amazing to be able go at least once over my Christmas break but that will probably not happen.
Passenger always. As long as it wasn’t too chilly I would pick mountains. The again, trees, allergies… As long as it wasn’t too hot I would pick oceans. Boy I’m indecisive today.
You have most definitely convinced me to visit you!! 🙂
And I thought I was an ocean girl until I lived in Tucson, AZ for 8 months. Now I’m 50/50!
Wow! So gorgeous. Ever since watching the Amazing Race Canada I have been in awe with our country. Whenever I want to travel I think Europe or Asia or somewhere outside of Canada but really there is so much to see here that I have yet to explore.
ps. How do you take pics while driving?!
I know! I always feel like I should be visiting far off exotic places, but there’s SO mmuch to see here — Canada is seriously beautiful. And no pictures while driving — I took them as a passenger or when we were out of the car. It was a loooooong trip, so even with all the driving I had to do, there was still a lot of passenger time.
Holy gorgeous! I would have said ocean in response to your question, but now you might have me changing my mind. That is some gorgeous scenery! It’s weird that I prefer the ocean considering that I’ll rarely actually go in it (not a swimmer at all) but it just looks so pretty!
And I think I’d rather drive than be the passenger on most road trips. Especially if I’m driving somewhere with Eric, because he basically drives like an old man. (well, by my standards…)
And yes, I am fully convinced that I need to visit you :-p
Wow! You certainly got some breathtaking photos! Just beautiful.
I totally feel ya on the overwhelming feelings of doing recap posts. I love how you decided to do it though!
As much as I do love the mountains, I’ll always be a beach gal at heart. 🙂
Gosh I am literally so stinkin jealous of this trip, it really looks like something I would enjoy immensely. Although I do live near the beach, I crave to drive through the mountains. I guess Im just more of a nature girl than a beach babe 😉
You make me want to move to Canada!! So gorgeous!!
Bring warm clothes 😉
Too. Much. Pretty.
Does. Not. Compute.
Ahhhhhh, looooove. Especially the Tofino photos – lately, my heart has been aching for the ocean. Wow, that sounded really effed up and weird. I really really REALLY need some beach time!
I can’t decide between mountains vs. ocean. I love them both equally!
Wow! Gorgeous pictures! You have me craving a road trip now!
Oh wow- SUCH gorgeous views Amanda…and photography :D! As convenient as flying is, it’d be crazy to give up a road trip with this kind of scenery! By default I prefer to be a passenger because I don’t have a license. However I am pretty sure it would be still be the case even if I had a license- nothing is more relaxing than zoning out on long car journeys with a good stock of music! As for convincing me to come to your side of the woods (or errrr mountains), consider me on the next flight there!
Wow… just wow. These photos took my breath away. You mind if I steal one for my desktop background?? <– is that weird? lol
😆 Nope, and nope <3
GORGEOUS!! That highway looks like it would have made me a teensy bit nautious. :/
I can’t choose between mountains and the ocean. I love them both and especially when they’re together.
Those pictures are beautiful! And they actually look so much like Colorado! I’d rather be the passenger during a road trip to certain places, but the driver to others. Maybe it’s because I’ve grown up with a view of mountains outside my window every day that I much prefer the ocean and beaches, but there’s still something about them especially in the fall that’s really magical. When I was in high school, one of my close friends and her family and my family would all go up to Aspen for the weekend during the fall to hike and eat and play board games. So much fun. Also, it’s supposed to snow here tomorrow. I don’t want any of that just yet!
Ummm…. these belong in a magazine! Fur rlz. Absolutely breathtaking. I’m so jealous! I’ve been stuck in the city all this time with just a couple outings to nice mountainous areas — but I’m definitely an outdoorsy person, so that’s why this is a pretty difficult adjustment for me! 😛
Well, I’ve got a spare room if you ever need a vacation 😉 Although I don’t necessarily recommend coming in the winter…
Mountains or oceans? Hmm that is a hard one. I love both! I enjoy hiking but also love just lying on the sand near the ocean. I can’t pick!
Mountains or oceans, which do you prefer?
That’s a tough one. We have ALOT of mountains here in Pennsylvania….I love the ocean too, but mountains just edge them out in my mind. 🙂 By the way, your neck of the woods is absolutely gorgeous! Those pictures are absolutely visually stunning!
On a road trip, would you rather be the driver or passenger?
Passenger. Reason: more time to take in the sights without having to worry about potentially crazy other drivers. One caveat: I have to REALLY trust the driver…lol
And… have I convinced you to come visit my neck of the woods?
Yes. You’re pretty persuasive 😉 🙂
Love your pictures! I want you to come to Texas and give me a photography less 😉
Oh this recap made me soooo sad: a few months ago Jay and I planned to go to Nanaimo for our semester abroad, but sadly the University closed their application period for the next summer semester in march (!!!) – that’s 9 months before the semester is even starting. Now I am going to France instead and though I bet it will be an amazing experience, I am still sad that Nanaimo isn’t happening for us.
I usually feel like an outcast for this question but I would always no matter what choose the mountains over the beach/ocean. I hope to someday own a mountain house I love being there that much. Speaking of, we go to the mountains in less than three weeks and I cannot wait. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the beautiful photographs.
We can be outcasts together… for our love of mountains, dislike of PSLs, and lack of interest in pop culture <3 <3
You are so lucky to live near such a beautiful place. Love the pictures, they are beautiful!
Amazing! Your photos make my heart hurt. I miss Alberta/BC soooo much sometimes!!! It is such a beautiful place, and I have so many amazing memories from my 4 years in Calgary. We had a condo in Fernie, and have done the drive out to Vancouver through BC a couple of times- incredible!
It’s funny, as I went from the Atlantic Ocean (east coast) to the mountains (Alberta) to some serious Pacific Ocean (Australia). I think if I had to choose, it would be the ocean. However, there is something to be said about the Rockies. That’s one thing I love about Vancouver, as you kind of get the best of both worlds!!
Oh My! Because of your GORGEOUS photos, I will forget #2 was EVER written 😉
Wow – I am speechless – The Big Guy sure knows how to create breathtaking 3D Art 🙂
Your neck of the woods is GORGEOUS -wait I said that already…I would LURRVE to visit! The twisted mountain roads remind me a lot of my hometown-Sri Lanka.
I love mountains cos I love to hike, but the ocean can be so relaxing…I love road trips which involve OPEN roads and NO traffic – throw in the “T” word and thats it! I become “animal” from the muppets 🙂
Thanks for sharing these gorgeous photos – I don’t think I could be bored of 3-4-5-6…of these recap posts!
The Big Guy is definitely the best artist there is 🙂 And we ran into some hardcore road construction in a few spots, but it was a nice opportunity to get out of the car and explore the surrounding areas… might as well make the most of it, right?
I prefer the mountains, definitely. Never was a huge beach person.
I always want to be the driver, except maybe on those windy roads. I think I’d be too nervous to drive on the side of a mountain like that…..
The pictures are beautiful! I think I would have been a bit car sock with those curvy roads though. I love looking at fall colors, it’s my favorite part about the drive up to cincinnati in the fall.
Oh I was definitely feeling a little queasy… Winding roads are only fun when you’re the driver — it tends to be hellish for pretty much everyone else in the car.
These pictures are incredible. Seriously I don’t know how you always manage to capture the perfect picture whether it is food, people, or scenery. More of a beach/water girl myself but those mountains are absolutely breathtaking. They’re almost worth that many miles in a car 😉
Yes, yes, yes! I wanna visit!!! You take such beautiful photos; it’s no wonder you took so many of them.
I love your photography! I’ve never been to the mountains but I’d probably be a mountain kind of girl too… they are beautiful!
Wow your neck of the woods is GORGEOUS!! seriously, the air looks fresher, the sky looks bluer, everything just looks- majestic. im more of a passenger because i havent driven in a while, but even when i did drive- i wasnt that good. and mountain roads bug. me. out. seriously on the winding roads in colorado to go skiing- i have to close my eyes as my sister drives around them without a care in the world, like a huge cliff isnt a few feet away from us. makes me so nervous. but once you’re there, its worth it, and i cant say that about too many things 🙂
Ooooo Colorado! I think that’d be my first choice of places to live if I was in the States. So.darn.pretty. And don’t worry… I don’t think many people drive off mountains 😛
Those pictures are SO gorgeous! I can totally see why you have wanted to go to the mountains in the fall. They look absolutely stunning! I 100% prefer mountains to oceans, but both are pretty still. I am always the girl who is getting woozy on windy roads, especially when I’m stuck in the back seat. Horrible! But so glad you were able to enjoy the beauty of it all and really take it all in. I’d love to travel up that way sometime 🙂