Category: travel

Washington Park, Portland

Washington Park is the #1 TripAdvisor attraction in Portland.

It includes a zoo, forestry museum, arboretum, children’s museum, rose garden, Japanese garden, amphitheatre, memorials, archery range, tennis courts, soccer field, picnic areas, playgrounds, public art and many acres of wild forest with miles of trails.

I walked from my hostel and then did about 10km of run / walk between some of the attractions.

The trails are excellent. No bikes allowed.

Early April blossoms are the highlight. There were plenty of cameras out.

The Oregon Holocaust Memorial was dedicated in 2004.

It’s very well maintained. Public picnic spaces superb.

Giant Sequoias.

Don’t miss this park if you get to Portland.

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Skiing Mt Washington, Vancouver Island

Though I’ve been spending a lot of time on the Island over the past few years, this was my first time skiing Mt Washington near Comox.

With only a week or so left in the season, some lifts were not running. Most of the Black Diamonds up high not available.

But if you like easy Black Diamond and Blue there are a lot of runs. I really enjoyed it.

Regular ticket price was CAD $95.00 in 2018-19. There’s a 20% discount if you buy online. … OR you can do as I did and ski half day Noon – 3:30pm at a greater discount.

NEXT season I’m going to try to stay on the hill. They have some great deals. Early April 2019, for example, it was $99 / person.

In fact I saw they’d had a $66 / person deal earlier in the season. The regular price is $133 / person.

Closest airport is Comox.

 

I paid CAD $1300+ flying to and from Chile

International flights are the most expensive thing I (sometimes) pay for when I travel.

And if I make a LONG flight, I want to stay a LONG time.

CAD $609.22 / USD $457 Calgary to Santiago

CAD $698 / USD $523.90 Santiago to Calgary

Chilean LATAM was lowest price in 2019.

Just a couple of years ago it was much cheaper via American Airlines.

Santiago, Chile
Gran Torre

Lima is typically the least expensive big city when flying from North America.

farewell Patagonia

Having traveled Patagonia 3 times over the past 4 years, perhaps it’s time to give it a rest.

I’ll have to find somewhere else sunny 😎 to travel during Canadian winter 2020. Africa sounds good. Or perhaps New Zealand.

The attraction of Patagonia for me is wilderness so undeveloped. Similar to northern British Colombia and Alaska.

I do recommend it. But you need some basic tourist Spanish.

On the Dientes de Navarino trek, Patagonia, Chile. Overlooking the Beagle Channel.