tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79437116824069089792024-03-05T05:29:17.116-08:00Destination MikeFollow Mike on his backpacking adventures around the worldMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-60496685548474992222013-10-11T19:09:00.001-07:002013-10-11T19:09:15.476-07:00Helicopter Take-Off in VancouverVancouver might well be the most spectacularly located metropolis and I was recently lucky enough to have a bird's eyeview of the city from inside a HeliJet helicopter.
While the video doesn't come close to showing off the views, it does provide a sneak peak of what you can expect on a helicopter flight above Vancouver.
At this point, I might as well mention a pet peeve Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0Downtown, Vancouver, BC, Canada49.286859783548813 -123.1061162073485849.285565283548813 -123.10863770734858 49.288154283548813 -123.10359470734858tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-27102043944830321282013-10-02T07:22:00.003-07:002013-11-11T15:22:21.553-08:00Two YearsIt's been two years since my move out west.
I'd be lying if I said it has been all peachy
but I can say that
I've been there, and done that...
and that's a pretty good start.
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-4990381673964929192013-08-14T13:07:00.000-07:002013-08-19T20:12:58.293-07:00The Hills are Alive
The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears
My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds that rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like the chime that flies from a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook as it trips and fallsMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-81402521813402819372013-07-12T20:30:00.001-07:002013-07-12T20:30:50.242-07:00Keep an eye on your cameraKeep an eye on your camera... and your lens!
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-3401950854189277592013-03-19T21:57:00.000-07:002013-03-20T22:07:32.448-07:00Check out these HootersFinally got to see some wild owls!
A family of Great Horned Owls to be exact.
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-66482204053933792242013-02-14T04:30:00.000-08:002013-02-14T04:30:03.126-08:00It's the Little ThingsYou might need to zoom in on the card but it's just a little something I came across tied to a park bench last February 14th...
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-10746648473240071272013-02-02T20:00:00.001-08:002013-02-02T20:17:07.215-08:00I Still Love You!A few pics from today's walk...
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-68027835017458111982013-02-02T17:30:00.000-08:002013-02-02T21:35:42.240-08:00RewindMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-2766631842753598172013-01-16T06:30:00.000-08:002013-01-16T06:30:03.884-08:00Montreal - So Close Yet So FarI must admit that I've always taken Montreal for granted.
For most of my life, there it was, less than 2 hours away, just a quick jaunt to joie de vivre, yet never truly appreciated nor enjoyed for any long period of time. Perhaps it was because of its close proximity that I thought I could enjoy it over a day or two at a time, but upon my most recent visit to this historic city, I realized Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0Old Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada45.504579533674232 -73.55502246826176845.493451533674232 -73.575192468261761 45.515707533674231 -73.534852468261775tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-15074171477727653292013-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:002013-02-02T20:17:39.738-08:00Orcas Trapped in Ice
Here's some amazing footage of the dozen killer whales trapped in the ice about 30 kilometres off the coast of Inukjuak, Quebec.
If the reports are true, then there is a happy ending to this story. The killer whales reportedly reached more open waters in Hudson Bay thanks to overnight winds that shifted the ice.
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-66693985921209478522013-01-07T06:56:00.000-08:002013-01-07T08:02:51.485-08:00The Future of Polar Bear Tours?Is The Polar Bear Family & Me shedding light on the future of polar bear tours in the Arctic?
Good bye group buses, hello individual perspex cages!Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-62513322813080153982012-12-15T16:00:00.000-08:002012-12-15T23:38:26.622-08:00It's the Most Wonderful Time of the YearStorm Season is Here!
Yes, the time of year when strong winds and crashing waves make living on the west coast all the more interesting.
With the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority's announcement that the Ogden Point breakwater will soon be wussified with handrails along its entire 700-metre stretch, today's autumn storm provided an excellent opportunity to photograph this Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0290 Dallas Rd, Victoria, BC V8V 1A6, Canada48.414447710608044 -123.3832454681396548.409178210608047 -123.39311596813965 48.419717210608042 -123.37337496813964tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-79078001220023958412012-12-02T08:57:00.003-08:002012-12-02T09:02:12.764-08:00The Most Dangerous Risk of AllMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-717452952797304582012-11-24T23:17:00.001-08:002012-11-24T23:17:48.991-08:00Big Brother is WatchingSecurity cameras are almost everywhere nowadays.
Sometimes, they catch something a little different!
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-71818390045716097802012-10-14T00:17:00.004-07:002012-10-14T00:24:40.805-07:00Should I Travel Alone?Is it better to travel alone or as part of a group?
That's a common question people ask when they first consider travelling.
And of course, the answer is "It depends!"
It usually is safer to travel as a group but safety shouldn't be your only concern.
Travelling is supposed to be fun!
Remember, you are on vacation, after all.
So let's focus on yourself for a few Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-16658694776637735962012-09-27T20:32:00.003-07:002012-09-27T21:31:21.607-07:00Bird's Eyeview of the Saanich PeninsulaI captured the following video while flying back from Vancouver in the Harbour Air sea plane.
The video starts just south of the Victoria International Airport and continues on to the plane's landing in the Victoria Harbour.
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com2Songhees Walkway, Victoria, BC V9A 6T3, Canada48.425555463221066 -123.3750915527343848.383409963221069 -123.45405555273437 48.467700963221063 -123.29612755273438tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-6776507944039149982012-09-27T20:14:00.000-07:002012-10-01T22:27:21.280-07:00Three Days, Three Hikes, and One Heavy BackpackThe last time I was out in these parts, there were small hints that things were about to turn around, and with that, came hope that better days were to come. That was back in 2009 and a lot has changed since then. Things didn't turn out exactly the way I would have liked and recently, reality decided to remind me of this yet again. So like a lone wolf, I took off from Vancouver for a long Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-74358227046399434772012-09-16T17:50:00.000-07:002012-09-16T17:51:00.365-07:00Victoria International Chalk Art FestivalStreet art is an interesting art form. After all, who would possibly want to put in so much effort creating such beautiful pieces of art, just to see them fade away within a day or so, if not sooner. Luckily for onlookers, there are quite a number of phenomenon artists who do this every day and allow us to have a peek as to how they go about creating their masterpieces.
The 2012 edition of theMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com01110 Government St, Victoria, BC V8W 1Y2, Canada48.425356114693521 -123.3677530288696348.422722114693521 -123.37268852886963 48.427990114693522 -123.36281752886963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-39562926805012042342012-08-19T12:14:00.001-07:002012-08-21T17:17:30.369-07:00Sleepy BearLogging is one of those gut-wrenchingly complicated issues for me. On one hand, seeing vast swaths of land gutted of its natural beauty makes me sick but on the other hand, logging is still a necessary evil as we still depend on lumber for so many things in our daily lives. There's a large portion of the BC population that also relies on the forestry industry for jobs so livelihoods are at stake,Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-59020493894444887982012-07-08T20:00:00.000-07:002012-07-15T16:15:46.485-07:00Orca Photo ShootMy photography skills were very much humbled during my latest experience with nature.
When you go on a whale watching trip, you dream of capturing that perfect shot but let's be realistic. The chances of that happening are slim, especially when you aren't familiar with the behaviour of wild whales. So best to leave the photography to the experts and just enjoy the show being performed before Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0707 Eagle Cove Dr, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA48.450154763099732 -123.0496215820312547.776171263099734 -124.31304908203126 49.124138263099731 -121.78619408203124tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-43113472613629238722012-05-29T07:50:00.000-07:002012-06-09T17:36:37.962-07:00Jumbo
I look ugly...
butI am Sweet!
Gotta get this on a t-shirt!Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-61232434284375625812012-05-22T21:00:00.000-07:002012-05-29T07:51:11.845-07:00Just Another DayMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-275821489114398612012-05-13T14:32:00.000-07:002012-11-12T04:47:41.005-08:00Avatar Grove - Home of Canada's Gnarliest TreeAfter a two-year campaign spearheaded by the Ancient Forest Alliance and backed by thousands of petitioners, a small patch of forest affectionately referred to as "Avatar Grove" near Port Renfrew, British Columbia, was declared off-limits to logging through a new Old-Growth Management Area. After hearing and reading much about this forest and its star attraction, Canada's Gnarliest Tree, itMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com1Gordon River Rd, Capital H (Part 2), BC V0S, Canada48.6337937 -124.446601948.2979997 -125.0783159 48.9695877 -123.8148879tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-31362327736708009152012-05-05T22:28:00.000-07:002012-05-05T22:31:35.821-07:00SupermoonHey dude, why's the moon so bright tonight?
Well dude, a supermoon is the coincidence of a full moon with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, and there just happens to be a supermoon tonight.
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0Songhees Walkway, Victoria, BC V9A 6T3, Canada48.427691291233288 -123.3874940872192448.425057291233287 -123.39242958721924 48.430325291233288 -123.38255858721924tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943711682406908979.post-71627988740630274092012-05-05T18:28:00.000-07:002012-05-05T19:21:09.042-07:00Missing E
Despite all the time that has passed, you are still very much missed.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750094218382798017noreply@blogger.com0