Bus Trip

On Saturday 29 Jan a bus trip was schedule to Mission BC to visit the Abbey.  One of our Seniors has sent in her pics.  All enjoyed the trip in spite of the heavy rain.  This cause no walking around the grounds.
For more info please visit this web site.
http://www.westminsterabbey.ca/

Victoria Bus Trip 11 August

Falls, Eagles & Trains

On Tuesday 12 Jan we went on a Bus Trip to Brackendale BC. We left a little after 9am & in the way we stopped for a break at Shannon Falls. Great, as no snow & a number of us were able to walk up to the falls. What a view & noisy rushing water. With all the rain we have been having it sure was heavy flowing. When we left Vancouver it was raining & continued till after we got to Brackendale. After that we had cloudy skies with a bit of sun. Not too many eagles were there but we had a guide, Bruce J Matthews who was a volunteer waiting for us on the dyke with binoculars & was very informative. www.naturesquamish.ca Afterward we went to the village of Squamish for lunch wherever our group wanted with free time. Then our driver took us to the Westcoast Railway Heritage Park. www.wcra.org That sure made up for the lack of eagles. Most of us had not been & were very impressed. Nathan our guide was really super with us & we lucked out with being able to see all, ride the mini train & as well the man who takes care of the miniature outdoor train was there. All these people are volunteers. We then head off back to Vancouver with great memories & great friends.

Bus Trip!!

Seats still available, limited!!!

Tuesday 12 Jan 2010

Brackendale to view the Eagles

Sqaumish to visit West Coast Railway Museum

Burnaby Village Museum

Please be sure to play the video of the carousel!!!

White Rock/Buddhist Temple Bus Trip

Today we went on a local bus trip for an outing. We started out with 16 persons as we had 3 no shows. We went first to the largest Buddhist Monastery in Richmond as you will see on the video I have made. While there, one of the seniors tripped & was not well so she left the group with her hubby.
Afterwards we went to White rock. Once we got there we all broke up into different groups & went for lunch. Most of us walked the 2 1/2klm long promenade following the railway & out onto the 1,500 foot long pier. It was a mild day, overcast but no rain.
Originally we were suppose to go in July but the bus broke down & we rescheduled for this date. In a way it was a good thing as we were having a heat wave that week & the weather was unbearable. Blessing in disguise for us. But today was perfect. The large, white rock figures prominently in narratives of the local Coast Salish native peoples. One legend holds that the Transformers, emissaries of the Sagalie Tyee, the Creator, once passed. Another legend holds that the white rock marks the landing spot of a stone that was hurled across the Strait of Georgia by a young Indian chief.[4] It was said that he and his bride would move from Vancouver Island to wherever the rock landed to make a home together. It was their descendants who became the Semiahmoo first nation. ('Semiahmoo' is the Coast Salish word for 'half-moon', describing the shape of the bay

http://www.greatervancouverhotels.com/richmond/buddhist_temple.htm

Contributor Laurette

Sat 22 Aug Bustrip/Walking group

Sat Aug 22 Walking Group Last Saturday, August 15, before the group set out for the day, I reminded them that I would not be here on the 22ND, and that the regular walk could go ahead without me and they needed to report to the office as we are now officially part of the Vancouver Walking Program and as such come under the city's management and liability.

Five of our group had signed up to take the bus trip to Harrison Hot Springs on the 22ND -Susan, Judi, Linda, my friend Anna, and me Virginia. [Anna is retiring from her job at Kwantlen College in October and plans to continue with our Saturday walking group.

We clambered aboard the Sunshine Coach with 17 other seniors from Britannia, including Barbara, Ed and Bonnie. Our driver was Alan, a Britannia staffer; he took East 1st Avenue off Commercial and followed the main route to Highway One, past Burnaby and New Westminster, over the Port Mann Bridge into North Surrey. The highway passes north of Langley and Fort Langley, then south of Abbotsford. At the town of Chilliwack we took Highway 9 through the peaceful little town of Agassiz under a warm sun with mild breezes and a few clouds. It was a perfect day for an outing. Beyond Agassiz is the road to Harrison Hot Springs.

We arrived at Harrison Lake around 11:45 (a 1.5 hour ride) and were dropped off at the public indoor pool which several people took advantage of. The rest of us went our separate ways, some in pairs, some in small groups, a few on their own, to walk the beach lagoon and check out the little shops and cafes. Susan, Anna, Linda and I ate our bag lunches on a viewing platform which offered a full panorama of beach, lake, island and mountains. After shopping for a jacket for Susan, we strolled around the lagoon where a few visitors were enjoying a swim. We stopped at a motel cafe where we enjoyed coffee and ice cream and met up with Judi who told us about a little market where we could get local cherries, nectarines and cob corn.

We then walked along the western shore of the lake, past restaurants and shops, past the Hot Springs Hotel and tennis courts, into the cool shade of the forest along the beach pathway. About a half kilometer from the hotel, we came upon the original source of the mineral water that supplies five pools in the hotel complex as well as the lagoon.

The hot springs were first discovered in the winter of 1858 by a couple of gold miners on their way back from the Caribou gold fields; the story goes that one of them fell into the lake and got the shock of his life - the water was not cold as he had expected; it was pleasantly warm. So they followed the heated water along the shore until they found the source, a natural mineral hot spring. Apparently, these springs were known to the local First Nations people as "Waum Chuck", a spiritual place of magic and healing. In 1873, Joseph Armstrong investigated and negotiated the purchase of the 40 acres surrounding the springs and, with the aid of a clever engineer, was able to separate the lake water from the naturally hot spring water to create a spa. The raw spring water was recorded at 145 degrees Fahrenheit and had to be blended with the lake water to create a comfortable temperature for the spa. In 1886, the St. Alice Hotel was built at the site and the new spa was a popular tourist destination until it burned down in 1905; it was never rebuilt.

Unfortunately, I did not get any history about the development of the Harrison Hotel and village but the website http://www.harrisonlakebc.com/ is a good source for more information.
We left at 3:00 pm and enjoyed a comfortable nap on the smooth ride back to Britannia Centre. Alan was commended for the ease with which he drove the van and he received gratitude and applause from all passengers.
The next out trip is Tuesday September 1st to White Rock with a stopover at the Buddhist Temple in Richmond. Saturday August 29Th, our regular walks will continue in the Vancouver area. Until then, enjoy the garden and farm harvests that are spilling into the local markets.
Contributor Virginia

Confirmed Bus Trip

White Rock trip postponed from the 29 July is now confirmed for Tuesday, 01 Sep. See you all onboard for a great time.

Bus Trip Reminder

55plus only

BUS TRIP!!! 29 Jul White Rock

& Richmond Buddist Temple

$10.00

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22Aug Harrison Hot springs

$15.00

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Meet at the Al Mattison Lounge

9a-5p

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Pack a lunch or bring some money along

wear comfortable walking shoes

don't forget bring along water

& sun protection/hat

RSVP

LIMITED SEATS