Post by plane2catch on Aug 2, 2016 2:00:22 GMT
I just returned from my visit to the Canadian Rockies. I feel very fortunate because said that the weather for most of the summer has been cold and wet. I must have been lucky and picked the right week to travel.
This was my first trip with Globus. I didn't like the fact that they didn't provide name tags during the trip. It took a lot longer learning the names of my fellow travelers. And for some strange reason, I missed that little complimentary small gift Trafalgar often gives to repeat customers.
The scenery was breath taking the entire trip. The Canadian Rockies are truly like the American rockies on steroids. I don't know any other way to explain them. The peaks just keep coming kilometer after kilometer.
We had 44 on the bus. All from the US. There were 6 singles on the trip and rest were married couples. The average age was in the late sixties.
Before I left for the trip I learned that the exchange rate was 136 CAD to the US Dollar. I inquired at Chicago's O'Hare airport and they were offering 112 CAD to the dollar. In Toronto at Pearson they were offering 113 CAD to the dollar. I kept shopping and finally exchanged $80 US at the rate of 125CAD to the dollar at the Calgary Downtown Delta Hotel. Many on the trip never bought any Canadian currency and just used their credit cards for the entire trip.
That would have probably saved me some money but I hadn't seen Canadian currency in quite a few years and enjoy looking at it and the feel of the plastic. I find it so strange that you can see through the currency. As it turned out I played a slot machine in Banff and won $ 3.50 CAD so the currency came in handy.
I took the optional river rafting trip in Jasper but was disappointed that Globus didn't offer any trips that were above level 3. Hopefully, I will be able to find some faster more adventurous rapids to ride on a trip to Alaska. Canada had the higher classed rapids but the trips were already booked full from the date and time I was able to go.
We saw 2 Black Bear, 2 Grizzly Bear, 1 Moose, 1 Bald Eagle, an Elk and many goats on the trip.
Wondering how long those Canadian Rockies go in the northerly direction. Someone told me that there were mountain's in Edmonton as well. I hope to travel again to beautiful Canada.