Vancouver

In this Friday's fantasy getaway, "The Canadian" has come to the end of the line and reached its final destination of beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. Since there's much to see and do here, let's get our bearings and begin exploring now. Oh, don't forget your sunglasses. Today and tomorrow's high temperatures will be around 70 degrees with mostly sun-filled blue skies. Who says it rains in Vancouver? ;)

According to the travel guides, to understand this city, you need to stand at the edge of the Inner Harbour (the Canada Place cruise-ship terminal is recommended) and look around you. To the west there is Stanley Park, one of the world's largest urban parks that juts out into Burrard Inlet. To the north, across the inlet, the view is snow-capped mountains. To the east, along the water, is the brick-faced Old Town. Almost everything else you'll see lining the water's edge will be a new glass-and-steel high-rise tower. Why? Well Vancouver is probably one of the "newest" cities you'll ever visit, along with being one of the most cosmopolitan. Nature plays a big role in those descriptions, but so does city planning and the diversity of cultures.

In fact the city's history lies in its topography. Back thousands of years ago, a giant glacier sliced the coast, carving out a deep trench and piling up rock and sand. After the ice retreated, water from the Pacific flowed in and the rock/sand formed a peninsula. Bodered on one side by a deep natural harbor (today's Inner Harbour) and on the other by a river of glacial meltwater (today called the Fraser River), the land was covered with fir and cedar forests that became home to all types of wildlife.

Fast forward approximately 10,000 years later, when a surveyor for the Canadian Pacific Railroad found his way to the peninsula and -- upon seeing the harbor and the river -- decided he had discovered the perfect spot for the railroad's Pacific terminals. That's when the company bought up most of the land around the town, the railway moved in, set up shop, and the city of Vancouver was born. Appropriate that we traveled here by train, isn't it?!

Local residents appreciate what nature has given them and take full advantage of enjoying the outdoors that allows for hiking, in-line skating, mountain biking, downhill and cross-country skiing, kayaking, windsurfing, rock climbing, parasailing, and snowboarding, to name some of the recreational activities. And, in a year and a half, the world's best athletes will come to the international resort town of Whistler for the Winter Olympics, just two hours north of downtown Vancouver.

Without much time for skiing or kayaking on this visit, let's follow the locals' habits by drinking coffee and dining in one of the top restaurant cities in the world. Vancouver, with an incredible variety of cuisines and making an international name for itself with its unique Pacific Northwest cooking, has adopted the new food mantra, "buy locally, eat seasonally." How good does that sound? Certainly good enough for The World Council of Cities to rank Vancouver as second only to Geneva for quality of life and it's also one of the 10 best places to visit/live in, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

Although some "heritage buildings" still remain in Vancouver, today's city started in the 1960s as planners and developers wanted to do away with its pioneer past and replace old brick and wood buildings with concrete and steel high-rises. Still there is the old in Vancouver to be seen in Victoria (50 miles) across the Strait of Georgia on Vancouver Island. It's here -- located in the Inner Harbor and amidst all its preserved heritage buildings -- that you'll discover one of the most charming small cities of about 325,000 residents. Since it's on an island, accessible only by ferry or floatplane, Victoria serves as a perfect antidote for stressed-out mainlanders yet not without its bit of controversy.

Are you anxious to see rather than be told about this unique city? This virtual sightseeing of downtown and greater Vancouver shows you exactly how nature, art, and culture are all a part of 164 Virtual Tours of Vancouver Canada. Either “click” on the interactive map or the menu selections -- directly underneath the map -- and enjoy (among other attractions) a 360 degree of Stanley Park, complete with guidebook information. Surrounded by a famed pedestrian seawall, this giant peninsular park invites hours of exploration. Among the highlights are an amazing collection of totem poles, giant trees, and landscaped areas. [Note: This server's site went "down" when the post link was being tested. Fingers crossed that it's quickly "fixed." However there are more 360 degree tours here for you.]

And then there's the reliable Virtual Guidebook which tours Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, including:
Canada Place -- The cruise ship terminal from where you'll get an excellent view of the entire city.
Stanley Park -- A revisit.
Robson Street & the West End -- From English Bay Beach to Robson, you can take in as much of the shopping and cafe scene as you want. It's also fascinating to explore the West End as a living neighborhood -- claimed to be the most densely populated in North America!
Gastown -- Here is where brick buildings and cobblestone streets have the sweet smell of history, helped along by antiques stores and galleries.
Granville -- That has a public market, the Granville Island Brewery and a collection of independent galleries; yet, even in the city's commercial heart, it still doesn't feel commercialized.

And here’s another virtual tour showcasing more of Vancouver's greatest sights.

Finally, a promotional -- but beautifully delightful -- video of:


Vancouver - Officially the best city in the World

Is "best city" an overstated title? Decide for yourself by viewing this selection of Vancouver Videos.

Without question Vancouver, British Columbia is gorgeous as is the country of Canada. Our train ride across its vast and varied landscapes has been amazing, but this really is the end of the line. Since it's a long holiday weekend, though, why not linger in Vancouver? Hmm, sounds good to me...enjoy and stay safe!

Wednesday: And All That Jazz

The Truth of Consumer Consequences

Described as an interactive online game, Consumer Consequences focuses on exploring the question of how sustainable is America's current lifestyle? True, that question is neither new or original, yet the Consumer Consequences game asks it in a novel way. From the first question, "What would the world look like if everyone lived like me?", this game quizzes you on a series of personal lifestyle questions. These questions include categories regarding the home, energy usage, transportation, waste, food and shopping, and the results show you how many "Earths" worth of natural resources it would take to sustain all 6.6 billion humans living just like you.

The results will surprise -- even shock -- you. Perhaps your household is big on recycling and energy efficiency and you'll score well, but then there are the categories on food and transportation consumption.... Yes, improvement may be needed. Overall my final results revealed that it would take 5.2 Earths worth of resources for everyone to live my lifestyle. Ouch!

In addition to the sobering effect of seeing how many Earths would be necessary to sustain everyone who lives like you, the game also provides a visual depiction of what the Earth would look like if everyone did live like you. So play Consumer Consequences -- not only for a reality check -- but as a nudge in thinking of some changes that might allow more daisies than people to cover your Earth.

Friday: Vancouver

Presenting Debutante Jess Riley and Driving Sideways

From the Book's Front Cover:
"A hopeful and hilarious debut."
_JEN LANCASTER, author of Bitter Is the New Black

While growing up in Wisconsin, Debutante Jess Riley's childhood dream was to become an author. It's true that she won her first short story contest in 1992, yet practical Deb Jess decided to pursue the more stable career of dentistry only to then graduate with a double major in English and history. Before, during and along the way, she worked as a waitress, a blue cheese packager, a teaching assistant at a medium-security men’s prison, and ultimately a Grant Writer for a nonprofit educational service agency. And, though feeling honored that projects she's worked on have helped kids stay in school, Jess has found greater thrills in fiction writing as her first novel, Driving Sideways, debuts tomorrow, Tuesday, May 20, 2008.

Interesting, slightly skewed title? Well Deb Jess, the writer (as well as above-mentioned person), enjoys breaking down stereotypes as she wrote in the post, A Writer Walks Into a Bar (Called the Library)…, earlier this year. There's no question this author has a sense of humor and an imaginative curiosity. For example, the backstory to Driving Sideways came from a conversation she had with a co-worker about the possibility of cellular memory -- i.e. when someone receives an organ transplant is there any way that the organ carries some residual energy from the donor.

And from that thought, the story followed. Here's a synopsis:

"Leigh Fielding wants a life. Seriously. Having spent the past five years on dialysis, she has one simple wish: to make it to her thirtieth birthday. Now, thanks to the generosity of the late Larry Resnick and his transplanted kidney, it looks like her wish may come true.

With her newfound vitality (and Larry’s kidney) in tow, Leigh hits the road for an excursion that will carry her from Wisconsin to California, with a few stops in between: Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, the Rockies, Las Vegas–and a memorable visit to thank Larry’s family for the second chance.

Yet Leigh’s itinerary takes a sudden detour when she picks up a seventeen-year-old hitchhiker, Denise, a runaway with a bunch of stories and a couple of secrets. Add a long-lost mother, a loaded gun, an RV full of swingers, and Hall and Oates’s Greatest Hits to the mix, and 'Driving Sideways' becomes a hilarious and original journey of friendship, hope, and discovery."

On Thursday, May 15, 2008, Lilledeshan Bose wrote Profile: Jess Riley -- She makes publishing a novel look easy, but Driving Sideways proved to be a bumpy ride in MKE magazine. However, despite the mention of a "bumpy ride," the article doesn't mention that Deb Jess almost stalled out on her road to publication. In her May 2, 2008 post, In Case of Emergency, she tells the tale that happens much more often than the general reading public knows, except her experience ended "happily ever after."

Hmm, and did you think that writing a book was the most difficult part of getting published? ;)

As for the writing -- in addition to Jen Lancaster's early praise -- there are also the following:

Booklist Review:

“Leigh Fielding was diagnosed with kidney disease and recently received a transplant. Since then, she’s been trying all kinds of new things and comes to believe that she’s channeling the donor, Larry. She decides to leave her central Wisconsin home for a road trip to meet Larry’s family and see if he’s anything like the new personality she has acquired. Things go awry at the Minnesota border when a teenage girl named Denise steals Leigh’s purse and uses it to blackmail Leigh into giving her a ride to L.A. On the way they visit classic tourist traps and try to stay out of trouble, especially since Denise claims that it’s her crazy ex in the black sedan that seems to be following them. Leigh’s road trip continues, embracing both highs and lows, alternately hilarious, humiliating, and heartbreaking, often within the same sentence. Smart and funny without being forced, sentimental without being maudlin, Riley’s funny, picaresque vision of America will make readers wish they could go along with Leigh on her next trip.”
— Hilary Hatton for Booklist

“'Driving Sideways' is a gorgeous novel . . . hugely entertaining and very touching. Jess Riley’s voice is irreverent and wonderful, and her writing is genius.”
__Marian Keyes, author of Anybody Out There?

And from a writer who knows genius:

“Brilliant . . . Jess Riley proves herself a huge new talent.”
__Kristy Kiernan, author of Catching Genius

Reading Kristy's words may be more than enough to TRUST that Driving Sideways is a summer "must read." Yet if you're interested in more, here's an excerpt of Chapter One.

Undoubtedly -- after reading the entire novel -- you'll want to thank Jess for the entertaining road trip (as well as your savings on gas). To contact her, visit the JUST launched Jess Riley website. Indeed this is a double debut!!! Enjoy. ;)

Wednesday: The Truth of Consumer Consequences

Derailed....by a Broken Connection

While we were enjoying the last leg of our scenic journey from the Western Rockies of Jasper to the final destination of Vancouver, it seems that "The Canadian" inadvertently switched tracks -- derailed by this Internet connection "going down." My sincere apologies, but who knew even fantasy travel could be cancelled due to technical difficulties? ;) Next week/next stop will be beautiful Vancouver...fingers crossed and knock wood.

Still feel the need for adventure? How about watching this brief 3 1/2 TEDtalk video that explores the ability to control your own brain.

Christopher deCharms, neuroscientist and inventor, demonstrates an amazing new way to use rftMRI to show brain activity -- emotion, body movement, pain -- while it's happening. (In other words, you can literally see how you feel.) Currently the applications for real-time fMRIs start with chronic pain control and then range into the realm of science fiction. But, remember, this technology is very real.

Here's more on the fascinating deCharms:

"Neuroscientist Christopher deCharms is helping to develop a new kind of MRI that allows doctor and patient to look inside the brain in real time -- to see visual representations of brain processes as they happen. With his company Omneuron, deCharms has developed technology they call rtfMRI, for "real-time functional MRI" -- which is exactly what it sounds like. You move your arm, your brain lights up. You feel pain, your brain lights up.

How could we use the ability to see our brains in action? For a start, to help treat chronic pain with a kind of biofeedback; being able to visualize pain can help patients control it. And longer-term uses boggle the mind. Ours is the first generation, he believes, to be able to train and build our minds as systematically as a weightlifter builds a muscle. What will we do with this?

deCharms is also the author of the book Two Views of Mind, studying Buddhist theories of perception from a neuroscientist's perspective."


Christopher deCharms: Looking inside the brain in real time

Hmm, brains and computers are both wired and right now -- at least for yours truly -- there's no doubt which is more reliable. :)) Happy weekend!

Monday: Presenting Debutante Jess Riley and Driving Sideways

The Golden Trailer

Hollywood and the entertainment industry love to give and receive awards. Indeed Oscar is golden (though at times he appears bronze), yet so are the movie trailers -- the best of which entertain and whet our appetite for Coming Attractions. For the past 9 years an open competition judged by film industry notables has been held to recognize the creative people who make movie trailers, and this year the gala award show took place last Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles.

Golden Trailer Awards honored the Best in 13 categories ranging from Comedy to Thriller, however the best of the Best is still to be determined by you. That's correct, you can watch these Golden Trailers and vote for your favorite at Vote for the Best Movie Trailer of the Year. And, though today is the final day for voting, the trailers will hopefully remain online until the final results are announced Monday, May 26th at 8:00 PM on the USAToday site and MyNetworkTv.

Quite honestly, who knew about a Golden Trailer? Nevertheless the best trailers are considered works of art in their own right, weaving elements of cinema and advertising to help you determine entertainment choices. So, if you missed these movies in the theater, why not watch these trailers for your next selection of a DVD? ;) Enjoy!

Friday: Vancouver

About Audition

Considered to be the most important woman in the history of television journalism, Barbara Walter's has chronicled her life -- personally and professionally -- in Audition, released last Tuesday, May 6, 2008. And, although the author certainly needs no help from this blog in promoting her 624-page memoir, the fact that she claims her story "isn't meant as a morality tale," but rather about "struggle and survival that I think a lot of people, especially women, can relate to," definitely deserves some attention. Besides, Ms. Walter's began her career as a writer, working behind-the-scenes at NBC on TODAY.

Most likely you've heard a few of the juicier details disclosed in the memoir, but for a more balanced critique you might want to read Janet Maslin's Hard Sell, Soft Touch and the Right Question, published on May 5, 2008 in The New York Times. And, from a male's perspective, on May 7, 2008, Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post wrote the review, The Woman's Network.

However the true centerpiece of this post is from the June, 2008 issue of Vanity Fair where you'll find the Excerpt, Ms. Walters Reflects, which focuses on how becoming co-anchor of the ABC Evening News with Harry Reasoner made her a miserable "million dollar baby." Yet, having seized a daisy, this groundbreaking newswoman took her licks, persevered and created her first special that would insure her place not only in television history, but in our culture as well.

Whatever you think of Barbara Walters, Audition is a fascinating account of how this woman's family, life choices and ultimate professional success still left her feeling with the need to prove herself through a lifetime of auditions.

Wednesday: The Golden Trailer

Jasper

Another Friday and our getaway train ride across Canada has a stop at Jasper Townsite, located in a valley carved by the Athabasca River and nestled beneath the Pyramid mountain on the jagged Rampart mountain range. This is the only range removed from the flat grasslands of the Canadian Prairie, and one of the few that passes through the sheer ramparts of the Eastern Rockies. Although Jasper has a year-round population of approximately 1,000 people, this town swells with visitors from around the world during the winter ski season and in the summer for those who come seeking the scenery that has made Jasper famous, including the exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities. In fact it is almost a base came to the park that shares its name.

The Information Centre is the best place to learn about the hundreds of activities and attractions found within Jasper National Park which forms the northernmost component of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks system, and is the largest, wildest, and most forbidding of all the surrounding parks. With spectacularly rocky mountains, unusual geological formations, and a history of adventurous conflict, Jasper allows you to ski, hike and climb year-round, thanks to the high altitude glaciers and wide diversity of terrain. Of course warmer weather offers whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and mountain biking; but this trip is to take in the view.

Whenever visiting Jasper, though, it is important to realize that the town’s permanent residents are the elk and bears. And a few simple rules must be noted and followed to ensure that both you and the animals have an enjoyable experience. So, when taking pictures, be sure to use a telephoto lens and keep at least 150 feet away. That rule carries over to never feeding any wildlife. Elk are often seen in town, wandering through backyards and even down the main streets of downtown -- a la Northern Exposure -- sill these animals are not tame and they may attack if provoked. No need to panic if you see one, just keep the suggested distance and avoid disturbing them. ;)

Not surprisingly the first people to settle here were Native Americans, wandering into the valley at the end of the last Ice Age and -- while hunting bighorn sheep, deer, and elk -- they found that the sheltered mountain valleys had a slightly milder climate than the windswept prairies. The Sarcee tribe became well established in the Jasper Valley, and for several thousand years controlled trade between the plains nations and the mountain tribes. However, when the Europeans arrived in North America, a smallpox epidemic swept through these natives, killing almost 50 percent of the population. After initial exploration of the region by the North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company in search of new fur trapping and trading areas, the first trading post in the area was established about 1800 at Rocky Mountain House, southeast of Jasper. Missionaries soon followed, setting up churches throughout the western prairies and eastern Rockies.

As this area grew, Jasper National Park was created in 1886, just after Banff National Park had been recognized as Canada’s first park. Yet, unlike Banff which benefited from the railroad connection in 1883 and had tourists galore, visitors trickled into Jasper National Park once the train stopped reached there two decades later. As a result, Jasper always has had somewhat different attractions than Banff, luring big game hunters, glacier trekkers, and naturalists rather than aristocrats, daredevil climbers, and skiers.

But, during World War II, Patricia Lake -- a small lake in the mountains above Jasper -- became the site for one of the British Navy's top-secret research projects. An "unsinkable" destroyer made of ice was constructed in the winter of 1943. Although the project failed and the ship was scuttled, even today scuba divers brave the icy water in the summer to swim amongst the wreckage of one of the strangest warships in history.

In the 1970's, when the city of Edmonton -- a mere four hour drive from Jasper -- became a major oil center, Jasper began to draw more local tourist traffic as weekend travelers came to ski and hike in the mountains and swim in the Miette Hotsprings. It had finally been discovered

For a bird’s eye view of the town and most of the park, you can take the Jasper Tramway to the top of Whistlers Mountain and upon reaching the summit, you can wander around and gaze out on the spectacular mountain vista. Don't care for heights? Well, how about shopping -- which is supposedly the area where Jasper reigns supreme. Whether you’re looking for an original mountainscape watercolor, elk antler chandelier, or new set of downhill skis, chances are you will find it somewhere in downtown Jasper. And, if you want to get a sense the area’s history and inhabitants before leaving, the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum has an excellent collection of artifacts and displays detailing the history of the valley since the last Ice Age. Get a close look at some of the wild inhabitants of the park by studying stuffed representatives of most of the park’s large mammals. Remember this is the only way to see what a grizzly bear looks like up close.

Although pictures for a tour of downtown Jasper were unavailable, here are photos of in and around Jasper, Canada. Also a Fullscreen Panoramic Tour via Virtual Guidebook to the Canadian Rockies of Alberta includes a selection of vistas on Jasper. And there's the following video/slideshow:


Pyramid Mountain, Jasper Canada (uploaded by creu on webshots.com)

Today Jasper is considered to be an internationally renowned tourist destination, which still retains its rough and ready small-town character. Being less commercial than Banff, it is a treasure that is often overlooked. Yet "The Canadian" travel planners obviously understand its importance in the country's history and have given us a look at the majesty of western Canada.

Oh, hear the train whistle? All back on board...for a wonderful weekend!

Monday: About Audition