Vancouver is a beautiful city and is considered to be very liveable.
As a tourist you can take the Hop on Hop off bus, travel to the surrounds to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, go to Whistler or Grouse Mountain and of course Victoria and the Butchart Gardens. 
This time you are taking the Hop on Hop off bus. It gives you the opportunity to see lots of the city and save your feet……I hope you are grateful we are opting for this. 
First stop is Stanley Park. A must on both tourist and locals bucket list. See the traditional totems used as clan markers or in ceremonial buildings.
Walk the sea wall, ride a bike or go on the horse drawn carriage , jog or take a hiking trail, have a coffee, or even smell the roses( there is 2500 planted)?
You have lots of options. I walked, and then watched the roller skaters, bike and scooter riders going past……the expressions on their faces were really interesting……. panic, exhilaration,determination, happy, miserable….
Hungry…..off to Granville Markets. Here is food of every variety or if you are a local, buy the family fruit and vegetables. Flaky pastry in a salmon roll will keep us going, cakes later. You could get back on the bus but why not take one of those cute ferries.
Quick let’s get the ferry to Yaletown.
Yaletown was the site of a steam engine workshop. The round house has been converted into space for community activities but the first engine to carry passengers across Canada to Vancouver is displayed here.
A short walk means you can catch the bus to Gastown ( named for the storyteller Gassy Jack) , go to the casino, stadium or to the waterfront, or even back close to your hotel. You seem ready for a rest!
So you have done the tourist thing, today you are going to be like a local. Off to the original train station to get a day pass. Take the sea bus and then on to a 228 bus.You are going to Lynn Canyon park.
This park is on North Vancouver and was saved by the local community as a recreation area. It is beautiful and has hiking trails, an ecology centre , a cafe and. …….…..a suspension bridge. Not as long or grand as the Capilano suspension bridge but accessible to everyone for free.
Best of all, it didn’t bounce when someone jumped.
Ship building used to be the main industry of the North Vancouver Lonsdale area. Now it is limited to a floating dock at one end. Restaurants, apartments and open space now fill the space. It is a vibrant community hub.
Now before we leave Lonsdale, two houses are ready for Halloween.
With Halloween at least 8 weeks away , imagine what they do for Xmas.
Back to the city and we finally got to see inside the Mariner building. This was the first skyscraper in the city. It’s Art Deco style is outstanding Thankfully it will stay part of the city as it has been heritage listed. 
Are you nervous about the cruise tomorrow? It will be an experience. Make sure your bag is packed and be ready to have fun!
Vancouver is the city made up of smaller cities and Vancouver Island is where the government of British Columbia is sited in Victoria, a city at one end of the island. That cleared up the confusion? 
Within the museum there is a section showcasing art and for the children of all ages, a discovery centre. Sinking houses into sand by vibrations was the best! What did you try?
Fairbanks-Talkeetna – Anchorage
. Many of its buildings date back to the early 1900’s. It stays open all year long. Last year there was so much snow, people’s windows were covered. Light was restricted to special light bulbs and the open door. Short hours of light, travelling 1.5 hours to Wasilla ( the next big town) for supplies makes winter life here hard. You can understand why so many people don’t stay. 
No, I only saw a picture as he died in 2017.
I loved the movies in the local museum it gave you an insight in how people used everything. It is in the original school house. 12 students started and the teacher lived in rooms above the classroom.
Autumn has definitely come to the mountains. The journey from Fairbanks to Denali was spectacular. Silver birch are turning yellow, fire weed varies in colour between red, dark maroon and almost black with white feathery seeds,and the tundra goes from orange to red of the dwarf birch,
Tipsy or Drunken forest is the name given to the Spruce forests in Alaska. Because of the permafrost, the tree’s roots can not grow very deep. As the permafrost thaws and refreezes , the roots grow but winds twist the trees in many different directions so they lean over.
Dinner was at a Moldovan restaurant.
Since the town is spread over a vast area( this I am not kidding about), we are catching the local buses. As an added bonus because we are old and ancient, you get to ride free!
Today you get to explore the Museum and at 1.00am you will be sitting in the Chena hot Springs. Yes ,you can have an afternoon nap. The Museum has a wide collection of prehistoric and preserved animals from the Alaska region. 
It also shows different aspects of the indigenous people who made this country their home. I was most surprised by the size of the animals. When you look at them in a book, you think you know how big they are. Sorry if you are like me ,you are mistaken. Alaskan wolves are nearly as tall as me , beavers are the size of a medium dog and grizzlies…..well meet Otto. He is 8feet 4 inches.
Break out the raincoats,it’s pouring. Yes, we are coming back to Vancouver but you can at least stop grumbling, put on your raincoat and let’s go for a walk to the waterfront. The hotel is in one of the streets that run the length of the city, Robson street. Today we will walk to the waterfront ,sus out the COVID testing place and tomorrow we will explore. Like most cities Vancouver is skyscrapers heaven. Some of the original buildings remain but mostly it’s modern buildings.
Even the schools and colleges are in multi-storey buildings. Many of the high rise buildings have shops, community and child care facilities.
Sore feet? We leave for Alaska tomorrow morning and we return to Vancouver in a week ,so you can go have a rest now ready for the plane journey.
Think soaring mountains, wide river valleys, lakes and glaciers. Many of the rivers are brown with silt at present because of heavy rain.
The glaciers are gradually shrinking. The blue of the water is created by the glacier water mixing with the limestone in the rock. This forms ‘rock flower’ but don’t drink the water as it is a natural laxative. Maybe don’t swim either as the water even at the moment is -4 degrees.
Brunch! 
Jasper is a historical area that has been occupied by various people since the glaciers scoured out the valley. The original indigenous settlers had homes along the river.. next came the fur traders and then the Europeans. When the railway was built many people of different cultures arrived. This also opened up the area for more settlers and movement of resources to major cities .When the national park was set up many of the original indigenous residents were asked to move from the river areas.
We just saw moose and bear scat, but I am not complaining. The walk ends back at the town although there’s the option of going further up the hill. Yes I can see the Tim Hortons and yes we will check out the donuts.
Next is a totem for the town. It tells the story of two brothers who leave home to explore.