The wettest city in Canada

Although Canada's wettest city is in BC, it is not Vancouver. It is Prince Rupert, BC. A port city on the northwestern coast of BC, just north of the mouth of the Skeena River. Now I am going to just go with what they say about it being the wettest city but personally have never experienced that. I say that because in the half dozen times or so that I have visited it has never rained. In fact it has been quite sunny. Sometimes cool but always sunny. Granted I was always there in the summer or late spring so perhaps that is why. Though according to my family who lived there for about year, it felt more like 10 years due to all the rain and overcast days. Which is why they moved to sunnier pastures approx 150 km/85 miles east to Terrace, BC. So with my visits to my family and a 5 month spell in the spring & summer of 2007 when I lived in Terrace I made a point of incorporating day trips to Prince Rupert. It's a great little picturesque town on the backdrop of some amazing scenery. Truthfully my favourite part is always the drive along The Yellowhead Hwy (Hwy 16) between the two towns. It's winds along the coast of the Skeena River on one side and Coast Mountains on the other. Although the drive is approximately 90 min it usually takes longer as I insist on stopping to take photos of the breathtaking scenery:

The Yellowhead Hwy enroute to Prince Rupert in August 2008.

We just crossed over this bridge and took a right and found this spot which is boat launch. The Skeena River has some great (salmon) fishing. This spot is not far from Terrace.

Shoe Tree "Hope for Lost Soles"

 just about 2 km outside of Prince Rupert. It is modelled after the first Shoe Tree near Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. And no, I haven't nailed my shoes here...yet.

Once in Prince Rupert, I almost always go to Cow Bay Village. This area, which is right on the water has some great shops, restaurants, art galleries, coffee shops, pubs and the like. Much of it is  built right over the water. You get the sense that you've stepped back into time with the restored heritage buildings and marine and rail themes - a testament to days gone by.

Another area that I enjoy is walking along the rail tracks along the harbour. Mariner's Park is another place that I like to wander around. Then

perhaps do some shopping downtown. There are some great trails around the city and outside too. And it's an accessible city: drive, bus, plane or ferry (from Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands.

   

Port of Prince Rupert

Old Rail Station

"Van-Can-tastic"

"Van-Can-tastic" is a (non)word I heard on the news today that was submitted by a viewer to describe the Winter Olympics that just finished up yesterday. I don't know who came up with it but I think it sums things up very well.

Although I had been looking forward to these days I really didn't know what to expect. Was my everyday life going to be disrupted? Was I going to be able to participate in any way other than watching the TV? Was I going to regret staying in town? Overall, every thing went smoothly and little disruption in my daily routine. I also made a point of visiting as much as I was able to in regards to the pavillions and free activities that were being offered downtown. I even made it downtown to watch the women's and men's gold hockey games! And no regrets for sticking around. I was so fortunate to experience some of history. And for anyone who wonders if the photos of the crowds on the streets were for real - -THEY WERE!! No photoshop tricks there. I have never seen anything like it. And the energy! The energy was, simply put, nothing short of amazing! So much pride. Canadian pride and the pride of all the other nations who were represented. It was magical. Yes, the games did start out shaky, however, our enthusiasm and collective pride brought a vibe that was contagious. YAY!! And 14 gold medals didn't hurt either.

I wish I could show you with my photos what it was like here in Vancouver but unfortunately my camera broke. Luckily, my best friend has taken even better pictures than what I would of had (having a 10x optical zoom compared to 3x makes a difference). Thank you Trina for allowing me to use them.

Large Canadian flag covering the scaffolding of a building undergoing renovations. I think it's a great way to cover a building!


















The Olympic Cauldron - our newest attraction!

Me, Trina & Shannon waiting in line at Russia House (it took over Science World during the games). The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia. We got their early and only had to wait 2.5 hours to get it (believe me, 2.5 hours was a SHORT wait for some things).

Watching the Women's Gold Medal Hockey game at Robson Square. We just scored & the crowd is cheering!

Courtesy of Corina, owner of Moose's Down Under and friend to Trina's family, we got a table at her restaurant (which was packed) on Sunday to watch the Men's Gold Medal Hockey WIN!

The crowd cheering for Team Canada. What a hockey game!

There he is, the boy who scored the golden goal! Way to go Sidney Crosby!! And Luongo (Vancouver Canucks' best ever goalie), Perry, Toews, and all of Team Canada Men's Hockey Team!!