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USA / CANADA In 1995 we made a roundtrip in the northwest of the USA and a small part of Canada. We flew to Seattle. And with a rental car we made a trip and saw Vancouver, Vancouver Island , Calgary, Yellowstone, and along the coast back to Seattle. VANCOUVER - VANCOUVER ISLAND When we arrived in Vancouver we tought about how to see the city fast. From the air sounded like a good option. In the harbour we found a company that made flights with a waterplane. We were lucky and could leave immediately. The pilot was a bit surprised to hear we were only two hours in Canada. But soon after that he told interesting stories about the things we saw under us. Like the transport of wood. Close to Vancouver is an old narrow suspension bridge. Capilano Suspension Bridge is a real tourist attraction, next to the bridge is a park with some totempoles and a souvenirshop. The bridge is very instable and i think, no i know, i have to return. I am just to scared of heights to cross. A ferry is the easy way to get to Vancouver Island. The ferries work with 'first come first served'. It is not very busy when we arrive and we can travel on the first ferry that leaves. The capitol of Vancouver Island is Victoria. A city with a not to miss english accent. And they also have a large china town. In Chemainus people have the same hobby : murals. Many buildings have nice murals. A village worth visiting.          British Columbia From the coast we drive into British Columbia. We visit Banff NP and Jasper NP. These national parks are located in the mountains. The mountaintops are white with snow and there are some large glaciers. In the mountains of British Columbia there are still bears living in the wild. In the summer you have a good chance of meeting them. They love berries so you will find them along the road searching in bushes for berries. But they eat everything they can get. So if you go camping hang your food high in the trees. They say bears are afraid for you if they hear the sound of a bell tied to your clothes while walking. We did not try that.... At the Columbia Icefields you can make a ride with a snowmobile. That is nothing more or less than a bs with special tires. In the middle of the glacier they stop and you can feel the ice under your feeth.          Montana From the coast we drive into British Columbia. We visit Banff NP and Jasper NP. These national parks are located in the mountains. The mountaintops are white with snow and there are some large glaciers. Coming from Canada into Montana you will pass Glacier NP. A beautifull mountainous park with a special species living there, the snowgoat. Another interesting park in Montana is the National Bisonrange. An area where the bisons roam freely on large open plains. Large herdes live there like in the old days. In Gallatin National Forest an earthquake in 1959 caused a mountain to collapse. The earth became 'liquid' by the quake and one side slided down the slope. A mountainstream was blocked by the dirt and Earthquake Lake was formed. Also worth visiting are the Lewis and Clark caverns. A nice park with some good caverns with rockformations. We leave Montana behind us. WYOMING The most famous park in Wyoming is Yellowstone. Everywhere are hot springs and geysers. The warm water comes from deep below the earth and bring limestone up with it. The limestone recrystalises in beautiful terrasses. Because of the many hotsprings there is also in winter enough drinking water for the wildlife. The wildlife is also attracted to the minerals that the geysers bring to the surface. That is the reason much wildlife stays in the park. Somewhat south you will find the Grand Tetons, a high mountainrange. Some pictoresque pictures can be shot here. If you love fossils you have to visit Fossil Butte. At this spot there are extreme large amounts of fossils found. But it is a national park and you can't take anything home. The exhibition is very interesting though          UTAH Utah, a state of salt and mormons. The capital Salt Lake City is also the city where the mormon church has its headquarters. One can vist the temple at Temple Square. Volunteers do guided tours in every language you want. And don't try to escape by stating you only speak dutch, because before you know it there is a dutch speaking guide in front of you. Just outside the city is the large salt lake. A nice park, to relax at the shore, or to have a picnic. A bit further there is a speed record breaking track: the Bonville Saltflats. Ofcourse we have been there and set our own speed record, nothing for the recordbooks though.   Idaho On our tour through Idaho we passed the Craters of the Moon National Park. An area formed by vulcanic eruptions. The last eruption was about 2000 year ago. During a hike through the park you can see all sorts of lava. And if you buy a guidebook for a few dollar it explains all about it..   Oregon In Oregon one has to visit the coast. A rugged coastline with much to see. For instance visit Newport. They have a great aquarium and a 'museum' "Ripleys, believe it or not". They have exhibition of extraordinairy and unbelievable things. And when in Newport make a cruise to see the sunset in the ocean. With some luck you can see a whale, just like we did.. Further up the coast, some rocks and sealions.   WASHINGTON The state Washington is located along the west coast of the USA. Seattle is the most important city. Seattle has a large harbour and airplane maker Boeing is located in Seattle. Next to a beautifull coast, not to forget here are the San Juan islands, there are also many mountains in Washington. And the vulcano Mt. Saint Helens, known for its violent eruption in 1980 is also in Washington.To see a big city it is always handy to go to a high point to get an overview. In Seattle the highest point is a tower, the spaceneedle. A beautifull view from up there. In the city itself you can visit the fishmarket. A touristic attraction, the sellers are tossing the fish around to eachother and to the customers. In the harbour area an old tram is a means of transportion. Or see a moviie about the eruption of Mt St Helens. You can visit the Boeing factory but you have to book well in advance. We chose to make a boattrip along the San Juan islands, where in the summer you often find killerwhales or orcas. We travel with a special orca-cruise. A biologist on board tells us all about the big fish we see. She even knows which orca we see. They can be recognised by their colorpatron and their fin. There are ofcourse other possibilities, for instance rent a canoe at the San Juan islands. But if you are afraid, don't do that. The orca come very close. Spotting a school of orca in tourist season is not that difficult. Spotter planes lead the tourist boats to the fish. And if you see a lot of boats somewhere, the orca must be around there. In a harbour of the navy there are many warships. One is a famous ship that served in the second world war. The japanese surrender was signed aboard this USS Missouri. You can now visit this famous battleship. Our travels    Africa    America    Australia    Asia