Amazing Places in 2022

Another very good year, 2022 was. Only two big trips: about 6 weeks in Florida, and about 4 and a half months out and back to British Columbia. Between those trips, I had a "mild" heart attack under the best possible of circumstances: I was with friends, near home, with no damage to my heart, I was well treated medically, and I had a rapid recovery that did not interfere with the big BC trip. And now, about 6 months out, with a few minor dietary changes and a few good drugs, I'm feeling fine and mostly doing what I want again.

Above, one of my favorite places on Vancouver Island: San Josef Bay in Cape Scott Provincial Park.

Florida

So about those trips: the Florida trip started out with a 3-day stop at the Cumberland Island National Seashore along the far southeastern coast of Georgia. This was the 8th of 10 national seashores that I visited over the years, and like the others, it is a piece of seashore that is well worth protecting and preserving.

Cumberland Island was at one time a private playground and vacation spot for extremely wealthy people, and a rustic and primitive home for the many people (mostly African Americans) who waited on them and attended to the care and maintenance of the island. Over the years, most Islanders, possibly inspired by Andrew Carnegie, one of the islands most famous residents, donated their properties to the government. Practically the entire island is now managed by the National Park Service, and only remnants and ruins of the former inhabitants and their lifestyles remain. What is protected from future development is a beautiful island and its shorelines, some ruins and old buildings, and wild horses, about 150 of them who roam around the island and who remain relatively wild.

More about the Cumberland Island National Seashore here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ASx3XtEMnxCG8AyB6

After the Cumberland Island stop, I headed down to the Tampa area to meet up with paddling friends, Lisa, Lori, and Nan to paddle some of the best spring-fed rivers in that part of Florida. One highlight among many was this juvenile manatee, who followed us around for about 20 minutes, and who just wanted to hug Lisa's kayak!

More about the Tampa area Rivers at:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/71HYdKaHsHkQSKqU8

Then another travel and paddling buddy. Mary Anne joined us as we headed south and east to paddle more beautiful rivers like the Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee in South Florida.

Loxahatchee River:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/665E3Qhdva3t792R9

We also spent a couple of weeks hiking, biking, and mostly paddling our way through the Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, getting views like this on Elliot Key in Biscayne National Park, just south of Miami.

Rivers and Parks in South Florida:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rdiPBC58CER6yRsX9

At the end of the Florida trip, I had the pleasure of joining a couple of good boating buddies, Scott and Andy, for about a week of kayak sailing around Cedar Key, about an hour north of Tampa. Here, we paddle sailed to one of the offshore keys in the Cedar Keys, National Wildlife Refuge. Steady breezes, mild temperatures, and great food (Andy loves to cook, and he's really good at it!) made this a delightful way to wrap up another fabulous spring in Florida.

Cedar Key Paddle Sailing:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/i3HdvUnyMLxKEFPs9

Colorado and Utah

After the Florida trip and recovering from that heart attack, I started heading west to British Columbia. But I took the long way there, by way of Colorado and Utah, where I spent a couple of weeks doing more fun stuff in amazing places.

For starters, I met up with my brother Ken and nephew Nick to do some e-biking on cool trails near Breckenridge, Colorado. They happened to be there at the same time I was passing through.

E-biking in Breckenridge area:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ifeu56H4MNtmTZDWA

I checked up on a couple of my favorite parks near Moab, Utah: Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Among other features, I was happy to see that Balanced Rock was still balanced!

Arches National Park:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iuF1FVtz12VUJJ3n7

And we got this cool preview of a section of the Colorado River that we'd be paddling in a few days, in Canyonlands National Park.

Canyonlands National Park:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AmCGN9TkvmU91gqX8

Then it was time to join about a dozen other people, including my paddling buddy Vern, on a four-day raft trip through the Cataract Canyon, on the Colorado River near Moab. This section of the Colorado River mostly flows through a part of Canyonlands National Park.

This was a section of the Colorado above the Grand Canyon that I've wanted to see and experience for some time now, and it did not disappoint.

Amazing scenery, fun rapids, and great travel companions!

Cataract Canyon:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/m54Nug9kNgVvVacy6

Three days after the Cataract Canyon trip was over, Vern and I joined old friends from Pennsylvania (especially Mark, Kate, Phil, Russ, and Judy) and new friends on another four-day trip to paddle the Gates of Lodore section of the Green River. This section flows through the Dinosaur National Monument in Northwest Colorado. Paddling it was a spectacular way to see and experience the park! One of my favorite features along the way is Split Mountain, where the rock layers are amazingly curved and wonderfully colored!

The Gates of Lodore:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bYfjbHU3QsCWJtUh8

The vistas from the river and from hikes to the canyon tops were all quite fabulous. And the people on the trip were great!

Dinosaur National Monument:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LhjeWaCzVER31n8SA

British Columbia: Haida Gwaii

After all this wonderful stuff in Colorado and Utah, it was time to head up to British Columbia where I met up with my friend Mary Anne and nine other people to do a "mothership tour" of the Gwaii Hannis National Park. This park is off the west coast of mainland BC and north of Vancouver Island. This tour was a definite highlight of the trip; visiting ancient First Nations villages, seeing incredible wildlife, hiking and paddling along gorgeous shorelines, and being guided along the way by an excellent mothership crew.

Haida Gwaii Overview:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TcQCUKNjbYufuk4z7

We visited four Haida sites like this one at SGang Gwaay (Ninstints), a UNESCO World Heritage site within the Gwaii Hannas National Park of Canada. This is the most well-preserved of the sites; it includes house ruins and about 20 totems.

Each site was protected and interpreted by Haida "watchmen" like Jessica, who explained what was discovered and known about these village sites to us as guests. The watchmen (mostly very capable young women) also shared their own experiences of growing up in a minority culture that experienced recent (in their lifetime) support and interest from travelers as well as from Parks Canada and the Canadian government. Very moving encounters.

Haida Gwaii Cultural Sites:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bwsxkyHSu1xDnKg68

Haida Gwaii: The People:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/D6bb736PtU9d9Sd59

This island archipelago, about 100 mi west of the BC Coast, is often called Canada's Galapagos because of its temperate rainforests and unique animals and plants. It was lush and stunningly beautiful!

Haida Gwaii Scenery:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pfK3xsU4xmHu46cZ7

Haida Gwaii Wildlife:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/45t1WMFKTybzM1LH8

A typical, fog-draped view of mountains and sea among the islands.

Haida Gwaii Overview:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TcQCUKNjbYufuk4z7

Vancouver Island

After that amazing visit to Haida Gwaii, we headed south to Vancouver Island, the next part of our tour of Western British Columbia. Since there is no road that goes around the entire island (the west coast is generally very rugged and full of deep fjords) we spent roughly 3 weeks to head to the north, then the west, and finally the south sides of the island.

Vancouver Island Overview:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xbUxGbqE22rAr5kr8

First, we headed north from Nanaimo to Port Hardy, with stops in Campbell River, Strathcona Provincial Park, Port Alice, Telegraph Cove, and San Josef Bay along the way. Lots of trees and forestry going on up there. This is Lower Myra Falls in Strathcona.

Vancouver Island North:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FiGx7ZS3jvZ7QGDG8

One of the most beautiful places was the hard-to-get-to San Josef Bay in Cape Scott Provincial Park, in the far northwestern corner of the island.

San Josef Bay:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/1mUcFxZgHvXLJt956

The West Coast of Vancouver Island is practically inaccessible unless you have your own boat or seaplane. But one good road leads to the Pacific Rim National Park and Reserve, a park that features big Pacific Ocean beaches and a fabulous temperate rainforest, including this sweet "Red Chair" spot!

Pacific Rim National Park:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/egC7ogJM7cxkXU176

We also hiked, biked, and paddled along the way, with stops in places like the Wild Pacific Trail near Ucluelet (above), the Alberni fjord, the Broken Group, and Tofino.

Vancouver Island West:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xm8MRaDp1o5XDQCJ9

In our week along the south end of the island, we traveled from Nanaimo to Port Renfrew, with stops in Sidney, the Gulf Islands, Victoria, and the beaches along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Here is one of my favorites: The Botanical Beach in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, teeming with inter-tidal life and jaw-dropping coastlines.

Vancouver Island South:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oYsLrMTDqjxUoYei9

And we had some time for kayak sailing among the islands in the Gulf Islands National Park of Canada.

Gulf Islands National Park:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hReZs8LZ7ZPvS7Sn7

Mainland British Columbia

I wanted more of coastal British Columbia, even after all that amazing stuff on "The Island." So I made two more scenic road trips, one up Highway 101, aka The Sunshine Coast Highway; the other along Highway 99, aka the Sea to Sky Highway. Both are on the west coast of mainland BC, north of Vancouver. Both were wonderful, stunning trips!

Coastal BC:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fUD5W3BiquuHJs6dA

The Sunshine Coast Highway goes about 200 km / 120 mi and two ferry rides from North Vancouver to the end of the road, in Lund, BC. Gorgeous coastlines and fjords along the way, like this sweet spot at Smuggler Cove Marine Park.

Sunshine Coast Highway:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/y2AEoWDcgUVgeqAA7

A cultural highlight of this trip was the privilege of attending the dedication of two new totem poles in the First Nations village of Sli'ammon.

Totem Dedication:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FSThhF13NKvzcWBo9

The Sea to Sky Highway follows this massive fjord shoreline up to Whistler and beyond.

Sea to Sky Highway:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cgJtyWRQo3cjSFqn8

It also passes by several stunning waterfalls and provincial parks like this one, Shannon Falls, the third highest waterfall in BC (335 metres / 1,100 ft).

Coastal BC:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fUD5W3BiquuHJs6dA

And finally, before leaving the coast, I spent a few days in the vibrant city of Vancouver. I toured the downtown, looked for interesting architecture (I found some), explored Stanley Park (one of the coolest urban parks I've ever visited), and spent time in the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Here's a waterfront shot of the city as viewed from Stanley Park.

Vancouver:

https://photos.app.goo.glthe/hciusHXWT4CTN4n47

I started heading east into mainland BC, with a few great stops in Golden Ears Provincial Park, Hell's Gate along the Fraser River, and the South Central towns of Salmon Arm and Vernon, where my nieces Rachel, Danielle and Danielle's partner Steve live. Pictured is one of my favorite shots of the whole year, Lower Gold Creek Falls in Golden Ears, Provincial Park.

Mainland BC:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mf9qfG2NAJkvZU3RA

Golden Ears:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TYGk8n8T3AXApnKR7

Salmon Arm:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Se1fGqYQ183zhFf5A

Vernon:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FjFaJeiRStc7BxpZ7

Since I already visited three of the seven Canadian national parks in western BC (Gwaii Hannas, Pacific Rim, and Gulf Islands) and since the four other national parks in BC (Revelstoke, Glacier-Canada, Kootenay, and Yoho) are close together and were on the way, I decided to visit each of those parks for a day or two on my way to visit my niece Juliann and her family in Calgary. These are all parks I've spent time in on previous visits to BC. My custom, when I revisit old favorites, is to do something I've done before, like some of the hikes, rides, or paddles that I've done and loved before, and do something new. I was able to do so in each of these wonderful parks. Pictured above is a view of the Kootenay River at Vermilion Crossing in the Kootenay National Park.

Revelstoke National Park:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BVfpHkHhuThrVYGP7

Glacier National Park of Canada:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jenaFee5KdNzRAHT9

Kootenay National Park:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zkLcsBQBExZuYHSu5

Yoho National Park:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2ZDhkTPL686t1i4x6

Alberta

After about 2 months of exploring the many wonders of British Columbia, it was time to start heading back home. The province just east of BC is Alberta, and I spent a little more than two weeks there. Between mountains, lakes, rivers, glaciers, dinosaurs, cities, family and friends, well, there was a lot to see and do!

The big picture of my Alberta route was a clockwise loop from Calgary through Banff to Jasper, then on to Edmonton, then through Alberta's Badlands, and back to Calgary. The loop included visits with Ron and Julie, my brother and sister-in-law in Edmonton, and with my niece Juliann and her family in Calgary. A happy coincidence included my being in the Calgary area when my great nephew Evan and his wife Riley got married; I was able to join them and other relatives from Alberta and Ontario for this joyous occasion.

Alberta overview:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SKn3TC9oHmc2L6w8A

Edmonton:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FcuUYDdo48uemaGA7

Alberta Badlands:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5HiqEWxEBCDimjQi7

Dinosaur Provincial Park, UNESCO:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ncpdHzkeq7Shzm1i8

Calgary:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zDMbhA1zE3rZKLSp6

The Saskatchewan Glacier, along the spectacular Icefield Parkway.

The Icefield Parkway:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ofWSNGfDuuJsKyTK7

Pyramid Lake and Mountain; Jasper National Park.

Jasper:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3r4X1Pvd1NDvf8CS6

When I left the Calgary area, I headed south and west to visit a few more intriguing and beautiful places, including the Kananaskis area (as beautiful as Banff but far less crowded), another UNESCO World Heritage site, the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, and the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

Kananaskis:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/19Pjiqpy1NNo9iea8

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KZWz3B5gYNUBgECW9

Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada and Glacier National Park in Montana make up the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, an international effort to protect wild and beautiful places cooperatively. Pictured above is the Upper Waterton Lake.

Waterton Lakes National Park:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dC9Yn1Rtc1Cuf8Tj6

And on the way back home...

Glacier National Park is one of my favorite parks in the USA, and I can't imagine being near it without stopping by for a few days. This time was no exception. St. Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island.

Glacier National Park:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z6ADJYFG1m4aiFik8

And finally, I've wanted to explore the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior (northeast of Duluth, Minnesota) for some time, in part to plan a possible loop trip around all of Lake Superior someday. Here is the lighthouse at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, one of a half dozen gorgeous spots along the section of shoreline I visited. Definitely will include it on any loop tour of this Great Lake!

North Shore: Lake Superior:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/74Rn12ihGXnf5RdG8

Video Review. Music by Ola Gjeilo:

Navigation:

Intro: https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2020/05/0

2021 https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2021/06/

2020: https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2020/06/

2019: https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2019/12/

2018: https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2018/12/

2017: https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2017/12/

2016: https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2016/12/

2015: https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2015/12/