I wonder if British Columbia is still smoky?

[MikeO]

31st May 2026

Harry is looking decidedly pouty...

...and has been so ever since I brought my cases downstairs. He knows.

I go through the familiar routine of packing, which is completed (barring some last-minute stuff in the morning) surprisingly quickly - and simply...

I'm test-flying a new carry-on, made by Mous, whose iPhone cases I have used for years. It's nicely designed, incredibly light, and I can fit everything I need into its compact interior, so I don't need to take a backpack...

Pretty soon, I'm packed - everything fits suspiciously easily, and I'm nowhere near my baggage weight limits...

The light grey-coloured gizmo is a type of neck rest that should allow me to sleep on the flight (which would be a novel experience for me

). I'll see if it works.

Last October, I did Future Mike a favour, and booked World Traveller Plus (effectively Economy Plus) - with the overnight trip from Vancouver to London in Economy still in my mind (and most of my vertebrae). My BA captain buddy has been unable to get me upgraded on the last few flights I have taken (UK/Canada), so I bit the financial bullet and booked myself an easier trip.

I take Harry round to his holiday home with my housekeeper, Vikki. He's in for some serious pampering - and also very little peace, as Vikki has four boys under 16...

It occurs to me that Harry had a greater volume of luggage for a fortnight's stay than I did...

Regular readers will be unsurprised to hear that I'm having some work done on the house whilst I'm away.

Nick, my neighbour, will be replacing the kitchen worktops (the new ones are in the garage awaiting his attention); Dale, my painter, is going to give the garden fences a good coat of paint, and my window-cleaning firm are going to pressure wash and re-sand part of the rear yard (specifically “Poo Alley” – the only part of the yard Harry has access to, without my opening the second gate).

I spend the afternoon on last-minute details – emptying bins, draining coffee makers, and rechecking that I haven't forgotten anything. I try to check in online and singularly fail to do so, despite all my Advanced Passenger Information and Canadian eTA being on point. This ends with a 40-minute call to BA's Customer Service number - eventually getting through to an operator, who laboriously fills all the details in again - and then holds on the line whilst I press to test - and am successful

I print out my Boarding Pass and put it in the little zipped cubby in my carry-on...

I noticed, when eventually checking in, that cabin upgrades weren't available - so it looks like another packed flight...

I will have a fairly leisurely start in the morning, as my flight doesn’t depart until 17:20. My mate Adrian is kindly giving me a lift to Heathrow, and he’ll pick me up at 10:30 – and we’ll go straight out to breakfast…

 

[NeilDD]

Have a good one Mike.

 

[Davey B]

Ooh excellent. I love Mr Os trip report. Have a great trip

 

[theoneandonly]

are we there yet ?

 

[Mzokk]

Ooh excellent. I love Mr Os trip report. Have a great trip

Me too. Have a good one

 

[leadfarmer]

Got friends from Vancouver staying with us at the moment and they're not all covered in soot so you should be OK

Have a good trip

 

[Posh Pete]

Have a great trip Mike. You’ll find Canada very good value at the moment. That’s due in no small part to the actions of their noisy neighbour.

Conversely, you’ll find Canucks just a tad more patriotic in their usual quiet way: a few more maple leaf flags flying and, if you ask, fewer holidays taken down south. They will be even more welcoming to tourists than usual though and that’s saying something!

 

[MikeO]

1st June 2026 - cont

Although I've got way more legroom and space generally in this seat, it's not that comfortable. The reclining button on my seat (and that of my neighbour - a very pleasant Canadian lady who hails from Tanzania, Catha) - requires us both to manhandle one another's seat into a reclined or upright position.
The video screen in the headrest of the seat in front is very low set, and has minimal rotation - in fact as soon as the occupant reclines it, it makes the screen unusable to me.
I know I'm 5' 17" tall, but this isn't a shortcoming I've encountered before.
I eventually, with the aid of a member of the cabin crew, found the charging socket for my iPad, and I listen to a couple of podcasts, including an excellent dissection of 2001 - A Space Odyssey - with Stephen Spielberg as a guest reviewer on The Rewatchables.

We encounter some turbulence, and the 'fasten seatbelts' sign is on for an hour or so. We're then served lunch, where I opt for the vegetarian option, as it sounded like it was going to be good - which it was...

After the cabin crew cleared this away, it became apparent that there was some form of medical incident taking place. I think it involved a woman who was severely disabled and wheelchair bound (cerebral palsy, or something similar). The crew make an announcement asking for any doctors or EMTs to make themselves known - and two female medics are quickly on scene. The situation seems to be under control, but - out of curiosity - I call up the moving map display, which shows we are in the North Atlantic passing abeam Nuuk in Greenland. I wonder if we are going to be diverted...

Happily, the situation seems to have stabilised. Oddly, another announcement is made asking if anyone has a blood pressure monitor with them. I do - but it's in my checked bag . I'm pretty surprised that the BA inflight first aid kit doesn't have such a device. They don't take up much room and are inexpensive...

We are given a snack about an hour before top of descent - I opt for a vegetable samosa - which was tasty, but didn't look like a samosa...

We land slightly ahead of schedule, and we are asked to stay in our seats whilst the EMTs deal with evacuating the patient...,

This takes longer than expected, so they allow passengers on the left side of the aircraft to disembark...

It's quite a hike to the arrivals area, but it is well served by moving walkways. Except by this one. This one can just fuck off.

I like Vancouver Airport - it has a pleasant light and airy feel, and some good artwork...

...like these schools of metal fish...

...and these First Nation style totems.

I'm through Immigration very efficiently and my bag is amongst the first on the carousel

I make my way out through the exit into a warm, sunny evening - it's about 18:00 local (God knows what body-clock time)...

I find the Avis desk, and they ask me if I'd like an SUV - I ask if it's a BMW, as that's generally what I've been provided with. But it's a Kia...

...which I decline, so they offer me an Audi A5...

That'll do very nicely...

I load my bags into the capacious boot, have my iPhone connected to the car's system min under a minute, and activate the 'smart' assistant. I just say "Hey, Audi", and it asks what I'd like. I say "Navigate to the Radisson Blue Airport Hotel", and it immediately displays the route on the video screen - and gives me turn by turn instructions audibly, and on the head up display (HUD).

The car is immensely complicated and nerdy, but completely intuitive to use. I've owned Audis and other VAG cars for decades, and love them, but I wonder about the longevity of the intersecting systems in this generation of vehicle. Nice in a rental, to get a view of new tech (it has 250km on the odometer), but owning something like this out of warranty would give me the heebie-jeebies...

I arrive at my hotel within a few minutes, check in to my 10th floor room and wheel my bags to the lift...

Not a fan of the artwork above the bed - probably because I have watched The Last of Us...

It's a lovely room, though - and has two things that are the focus of my attention - a shower and a king-size bed...

I take a shower that was like a religious experience, then sit down and start writing my journal. After a while my attention starts to drift, so I stop where I am, hit send, then go to bed and am asleep before my head hits the pillow...

Good day...

 

[Posh Pete]

including an excellent dissection of 2001 - A Space Odyssey - with Stephen Spielberg as a guest reviewer on The Rewatchables.

Excellent! A favourite movie. I’ll listen to that tomorrow as well as reading The Hail Mary Project en route from Calgary to home!

“Thanks bud!”

 

[MikeO]

2nd June 2026

Predictably, I sleep very well...

I get up and start sorting stuff out at about 05:30 - which feels like mid-afternoon to my body-clock. I'll deal with jet lag as I usually do - get on the road early and stop when tired. In this direction it's gone in a day or so - returning to the UK is quite another matter...

I start by trying (with limited success) to rationalise what goes in each case. I'll always bring them both into the room, for security, but want to designate one as the day-to-day bag, and the other as the reserve. A throwback to travelling by bike, I suppose...

After getting abluted and dressed, I have a very pleasant call home - and then wander down to the lobby in search of coffee...

Yep - this looks like the place. The lovely Kaitlyn...

...makes me a huge white Americano in my Nespresso travel mug, then fills my water bottle up with iced water. When I asked her if she'd mind if I used her pic in my journal, I explained my history of travel writing and discover that her boyfriend rides a BMW S1000

I drop the drinks into the car, then bring it around under the canopy, return to my room and - after a last check to ensure I'd not left anything behind, wheel my bags to the lift and - after checking out - and spotting this 1973 Mustang...

I get "Hey, Audi" to set course for Kamloops, where I'm booked into a Travelodge this afternoon.

I'm on the road just before 09:00 - which is daft - I should have waited until after rush hour...

...so I decide to get Hey Audi to find me a café for breakfast (I last ate on the aircraft)...

She gets right on the job, and soon I'm parking outside the AT Café...

Which turns out to be a bright, well patronised little business with a varied menu...

...from which I select...

... The Works Omelette...

...with sourdough toast (and coffee - natch)...

Absolutely delicious...

Whilst I was eating, a police motorcyclist appeared at the traffic lights just up the block, controlling traffic from entering. Several other police bikes came through at high speed, ultimately followed by two SUVs. In a previous life I have done similar things - half a dozen bikes leapfrogging each other to keep a whole series of junctions clear, to allow the principal vehicle - one of the SUVs - to pass through as quickly as possible. The second SUV was likely the firearms team.

I pay my very reasonable ($33 Canadian - including a 20% tip) bill (that's about £17.75), and waddle out to the Audi. Hey Audi immediately guides me out of downtown Richmond, and ultimately towards the Trans-Canadian Highway - Route 1...

It's a beautiful morning - first bridge pic of the trip!

We get another look at it, as Hey Audi steers me along the south bank of the Fraser River...

I'm going to be on motorways/highways for most of today. I select the cruise control, and find (without surprise) that it's adaptive - that is to say that it'll maintain a speed until the car detects it needs to slow (coming across a slower moving vehicle, for instance) I'm a great fan of cruise control, I use it all the time on my cars back in the UK - especially to ensure I stick to temporary speed limits imposed on motorways etc, where your speed can easily start to creep up without you noticing.

The radar aspect of this cruise control is good, easing speed off to match that of a vehicle long before you get into any conflict.

However.

It also provides "lane guidance", which you can deselect by asking Hey Audi twice and then confirming to her that, yes, you want ti disable it. But that only lasts until the cruise control disengages (ie you touch the brake) - then it is back again.

Lane guidance tries to keep you dead centre in your lane, and the steering feels stiff, wooden and unyielding as it does this. I am quite content that I can keep a car in a lane all by myself, and this is a bit of tech I'm not in favour of. I let it do its thing for a bit, but - passing through a lot of roadworks where marked lanes (I'm guessing it uses the plethora of cameras to track where the white lines are to feed guidance to the system) can divert suddenly means I found it was far from relaxing to just let it do its thing.

I eventually reach a happy medium, where I can drive 'passive hands-on', and let it steer, but I'm concerned that manufacturers are catering to the lowest common denominator of driver skill with systems like these, and, like any skill that you don't practice, it will be lost. Perhaps that's the idea.

The Audi is a very nice place to be, with Hey, Audi providing excellent navigation guidance and Apple CarPlay and Audible providing the entertainment - in today's case a book called Box 88, by Charles Cumming, recommended to me by an ex-colleague (Hi Lance ) - it's a spy story which seems to be concentrating on the attack on the Pan-Am 747 that was brought down in Lockerbie. So far it's very engaging, and it's the first of a series of books...

The miles (or kilometres, I suppose) get eaten up easily by the A5, and it's soon time to replen with coffee. I get Hey, Audi to find me a Tim Horton's drive through and get my Nespresso mug refilled - but with decaf this time.

It's a beautiful morning, with what early morning mist there was quickly burning off...

Not for the first time, I admire the bear artwork on the entrance to this tunnel/avalanche shelter...

As is normal, there are lots of sections of the road being worked on. The highways departments have a narrow weather window to get repairs done, before the snow returns and the frost damage restarts.

As the altitude increases the air gets gin-clear...

I pull into a rest area to dispose of all the coffee I have been drinking...

They have bear-resistant bins here...

...the sight of which calls to mind one of my favourite quotes from a US Park Ranger...

The A5 has a full length glass roof. It doesn't open, or anything, but you can electronically set it to opaque or tinted...

Tinted...

Partially opaque.

More needless complication, I feel, but it's a rental, so someone else's problem if it goes wrong... :lol3

I stop at a Tim Horton's for another coffee...

Managing to resist all the goodies on display...

...inside and out...

And get back on the road.

I arrive in Kamloops and decide to pop into a supermarket and get something healthy-ish to eat...

The fresh fruit and vegetable selection is excellent...

I fill the car up - t's done 38.5mpg (that's 32 per US Gal), which I think is quite impressive.

I keep my distance from this guy on the way to the hotel - I've seen Final Destination 2...

I arrive at the Travelodge at around 15:00, and am efficiently checked in to my room. I upload today's pics (there are a lot), on the very fast Wi-Fi, and snack on some of the stuff I bought at the supermarket as I write up the journal.

Where to tomorrow?

Good day...

 

[MikeO]

3rd June 2026

I sleep well - until I wake at 04:30 - bloody jet lag...

I do a whole slew of NYT puzzles, then decide to turn the light off and a lightweight podcast on, and manage to get back intro the land of nod...

It's a fine morning, with a light hazy mist lying in the folds of the valleys...

I get abluted, booted and suited, then wheel my bags down to the Audi. I have a fair distance to go today - about 500 klicks, so I ask Hey Audi to find me somewhere suitable for breakfast. She's straight on the job...

I check online - this place has great write-ups...

You have to pay for parking (of course

) - so I scan this QR code, and it tells me it's not a service available at my location...

I go to their website and, after about 10 minutes faffing about, manage to pay my $4 Can for my one-hour stay...

Anyway, back to Hello Toast...

It's a great little place, with a buzz of activity and an interesting menu...

...from which I decide on...

...the Amigo Burrito - along with a large white Americano for my Nespresso mug...

I look around the café as I wait for my order - it has a really nice vibe to it - the 'Wall of Fame' is just a load of pics of satisfied customers, including this review:

OK - that is a substantial burrito...

It was delicious - but heavy duty, even by my standards...

I plod my way back to the Audi, and get Hey Audi to lay in a course for Hinton, via Jasper National Park...

Pretty soon, Hey Audi and I are out of Kamloops (sorry - someone should really use that name for a breakfast cereal), and heading towards Alberta. It's still a bright day, but the forecast is for the cloud cover to continue to build - and for some rain this evening...

I'm getting seduced by the adaptive cruise control. I only really have to be here to make emergency decisions - the car automatically stays in lane, and slows to keep a safe distance from the car in front. I continue to listen to Box 88 - which is getting more intriguing as it progresses...

The tanker’s rear sign urges you to dial 911 and report impaired drivers. It emphasises this message by displaying a picture and name of a young woman tragically killed by a drunk driver.

I stop occasionally at pull-ins, to enjoy the scenery, which gets more spectacular throughout the day...

...and I cross a few bridges, natch...

Looks like the forecasters have got it wrong - at least so far. The cloud cover remains light and broken...

Hmmm - maybe I spoke too soon...

I stop at the small town of Vavenby to get a refill of coffee. They don't have any milk for coffee, just cream, so I buy a litre of semi-skimmed, top up my coffee and then put it with my small collection of groceries in the shopping bag in the passenger seat foot well...

As I get back into the car, I feel a couple of drops of rain - and run into a smattering as I rejoin the Jasper road (much to Hey Audi's relief)...

Seems the forecaster did get it right after all - though this will prove to be the last precipitation I encounter today...

I've not seen any wildlife so far this trip - certainly don't want to interact with a moose whilst driving.

Not that they often drive...

The snow-capped mountains of Jasper National Park start to appear...

Time for more decaf - and iced water (and to rid myself of the last mugful )...

Do you get the impression that the person charged with keeping the loo here clean has just about had it with some people?

The shop in the service station had some really quite vicious looking knives for sale...

Onward! The tops of some of the mountains are wreathed in cloud...

I enter Mount Robson Park at about 13:30 - there's no entrance fee...

The cloud cover starts to clear...

This pull-in is a beautiful spot. It's about 22°C...

It is a long drive - but Hey, Audi and I are getting close to Jasper NP...

It occurs to me that it's Wednesday - I'd normally be at work today. Hi everyone...

I enter Alberta at around 15:00, and shortly afterwards...

I drag my speed down as I approach the entrance to Jasper NP...

Being an aged git has its advantages - when it comes to entrance fees, at least...

The lovely Ranger Aspen charges me just over $21 Can for two days in the parks (Banff National Park is covered by the same pass - and I'll be heading there tomorrow)...

She gives me a visitor guide, and a ticket with tape attached, to stick on the driver's side of the windscreen, allowing me to be in the parks until 16:00 on Friday...

The scenery is stunning - and the chaotic sky with its cumulus and stratus clouds make an excellent backdrop to the peaks...

I'm getting tired now, though - and won't be sorry to get to the hotel, in the town of Hinton. I stayed at the Hinton Lodge last September and remember it as being great value and very well appointed...

At about 17:00, I arrive in Hinton, and put 33.4 litres into the Audi - which works out at a remarkable 44.5 mpg (37mpg US). I wash the dead insects off the screen, decide against getting more coffee, and drive across the road to the Hinton Lodge...

Where I'm swiftly checked in and given the key cards to my very well appointed room on the third floor...

...which boasts a King Size bed (natch)...

...a jacuzzi...

...and even a fireplace (complete with remote control )

I eschew the jacuzzi in favour of a shower, and decide to get to work on the journal - as I'm tired enough to go straight to sleep if I don't keep moving about.

A long drive, but a great day...

 

[MikeO]

4th June 2026

Unsurprisingly, I get to sleep quickly - and - just as predictably, I wake in the early hours. I go through my usual routine of NYT word puzzles, then turn a podcast on and the light off.

I resurface at 07:00, and start getting ready for today's trip.

It has rained overnight, and there is a much cooler feel to the air. I get showered and dressed, then wheel my bags down to the Audi, fill my Nespresso mug up from the freshly filtered coffee at the breakfast buffet counter, and get behind the wheel.

The burrito yesterday was delicious - but very heavy and stodgy, so I've had a couple of pieces of fruit from my stash for breakfast today - I'll stop for lunch later.

I set off, noticing this GS rider and his pillion - loaded to the gills with luggage - ahead of me.

I'm soon heading towards Banff...

It's a fine day - about 14°C, with the promise of warming to 23°C by the time I reach Canmore, my destination for today.

I let Hey, Audi take care of the driving and navigation, while I admire the scenery. The weather, though not perfect, adds a certain moodiness to the landscape, with some of the higher peaks swathed in cloud...

After a while, I turn left onto the Icefields Parkway. This area is recovering from forest fires - either last year or 2024 - new growth is already well established...

The weather is brightening as I head towards Banff, still over 350 klicks distant, and the visibility is great...

Traffic is pretty light, so I set the autopilot to 100kph and carry on listening to Box 88...

The occasional scudding low cumulus appears in the valleys...

I pull in at Sunwapta Falls, to replenish the coffee mug (which has gone down alarmingly quickly) with a refill of decaff - I also get my water bottle filled with iced water...

I shop around and get a couple of knick-knacks from the gift shop, where I'm ably served by the charming Ivey...

They have a poorly stuffed bear (or - probably - an artificial one) discouraging visitors from using the stairs.

This is Ammolite - it's a pretty rare gemstone formed naturally from the shells of ammonites and is apparently only found in Alberta...

Since I'm here, it'd be daft not to take a squint at the falls themselves, wouldn't it? The Lower Falls sound much worse in French, don't they?

They are not so much waterfalls, as rapids, as the river routes through a narrow, steep-sided chasm in the rock...

The roar is deafening...

Back on the road, Box 88 is reaching an interesting climax. I'm really enjoying this audiobook, and think I'll be getting the next one in the series...

Miles from anywhere, I see a young woman backpacker with her thumb out. I pull over, reverse back (much to Hey, Audi's consternation) and meet Mahlan, who is an Australian student visiting Canada as part of a study trip. She asks where I'm headed and when she hears it's Banff she asks if she can join me.

We load her bags into the car and set back off. She becomes my camerawoman, taking pics out of the window for me. She's great company, and we chat about all sorts of stuff as we drive on. She's studying business, and wants to work in events management. I say that I think you need to be a bit of a control freak to be successful in that area, and she says she thinks she'll be able to adopt that mantle...

As ever, I stop regularly to take pictures - it's a beautiful route...

She tells me why the river water is the sort of duck-egg-blue colour - a phenomenon I first noticed in BC way back in 2004. Apparently it is a mixture of minerals dissolved from the rock and "rock flour" - a name for fine powdered rock produced by the erosion of rocks by glaciers. This mixture isn't dense enough to sink, nor buoyant enough to float, but sits an inch or so below the surface, giving the water its strange colour.

Every day is a school day - thanks, Mahlan

Mahlan is awed by Hey, Audi, (as I am ) - we come across a traffic stoppage and the car brakes to a stop a safe distance behind the vehicle in front and stops the engine. When the vehicle in front moves off, the engine starts, and we move off again - all without input from me...

The only snag I've discovered with it is that bit has a tendency to try to steer you into a turn-left lane, rather than sticking in the straight ahead one. As long as you're aware of this wrinkle, it seems to work faultlessly.

Mahlan earns her ride as chief photographer by capturing some great shots of Bow Lake - which is just thawing, its surface a patchwork of ice and gin-clear water...

OK - those are waterfalls...

The forces that carved these glacial valleys out boggle the mind...

After a final snap as my photographer-in-chief, we enter Lake Louise (not literally) where Mahlan has a room in a hostel tonight - we exchange email addresses so that I can send her a link to this journal (hi Mahlan

), then we part ways.

What a bright and pleasant young woman.

I'm not far from my destination now, but it's just far enough to finish off Box 88 - which I thoroughly enjoyed...

Hey, Audi doesn't seem to object to me speeding past a Park Ranger...

Every few miles (kilometres) these wildlife bridges cross the road, giving local fauna the chance to move about without being mashed by trucks...

Just before the Canmore exit I notice this car, with its hazard lights on and a Canadian flag displayed, crawling along the hard shoulder...

...clearly providing cover for this chap, walking with a Canadian flag annotated with some form of symbology...

EDIT - a reverse Google Image search reveals the chap to be holding the Canadian Indigenous Flag. I would imagine it is some form of protest...

Pretty soon, I arrive at The Georgetown Inn - a British style pub and hotel in downtown Canmore. It's just after 14:00 when I get there, and I can't check in until 16:00...

No problem - the bar and restaurant are open, so I ask the charming Petra...

...who hails from the Czech Republic - and is impressed to hear I drive a Škoda back in the UK - if I can set up my laptop in the bar and get something to eat.

She brings me today's Special - broccoli soup and a ham, mushroom and Swiss cheese melt on sourdough...

...with lemonade, natch.

Delicious.

I upload all my pics and start on the journal. In no time, it seems, it's 16:15, and I check into my room...

Wow! Now that is a bed...

This place is great...

The lift is out of order, but I drag my bags upstairs (first floor - or second floor if you are North American

), and set everything up and finish my day's writing.

It has been a great day.

It's quite tempting having a bar downstairs...

 

[MikeO]

4th June 2026 (continued)\

The draw of the bar was irresistible...

The corridor my room is in is decorated with film posters - specifically films that have been shot nearby...

...and of TV series, too...

Still, this isn't getting me a beer, is it?

I start with a Fernie Brewing Company Project 9 lager - which was very pleasant.

After half an hour or so, Petra suggested I try another lager...

The Big Rock Brightside - also very nice. Petra then put a menu on the bar (you'd swear she'd done this before

)

Oh no - my Achilles heel...

Nachos!

They arrive swiftly...

...and are superb...

Petra suggests I try a different beer - Grizzly Paw Raspberry Ale. Not my usual choice, but very pleasant. I manage to force down the nachos, pay my bill and retire to my room. I'm away heading to Cranbrook in the morning. It's just as well - having a pub and restaurant in your hotel is great business, but will finish me off...