Posts Tagged ‘canada’

Friday photos: A visit to Whistler, BC Canada – Site of the 2010 Winter Olympics and land of the Whistle Pig

// June 29th, 2012 // 4 Comments » // Places Whistler, BC

[Whistler, British Columbia, Canada] — For a town named for a mountain varmint, Whistler sure is a pretty place. Originally known as Alta Lake, early prospectors and fur trappers nicknamed the area “Whistler” after the shrill whistling sound made by the hoary marmot. The hoary marmot is North America’s largest ground squirrel, sometimes referred to …read more…

Preserving Canada’s Legacy – Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Whistler, BC

// June 13th, 2012 // 2 Comments » // Places Whistler, BC

[Whistler, BC Canada] — Canada, like the U.S., has a rich history of indigenous peoples. Among the three primary groups — First Nations, Inuit, and Métis — Canada’s Aboriginal population today numbers over one million, according to the 2006 Canadian census. And just as in the U.S., these groups have historically faced discrimination and other …read more…

To Hell’s Gate in a handbasket: British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon and Hell’s Gate Airtram

// June 11th, 2012 // 2 Comments » // Places Hell's Gate

[Hell's Gate, BC, Canada] — It’s really hard for me to pass up a place that’s been referred to as “the Gates of Hell.” That’s just how I roll. Simon Fraser, however, didn’t have much choice in the matter. In 1808, the explorer encountered towering rock walls and churning rapids in this narrow gorge along …read more…

The Art of the Chainsaw – Hope, British Columbia, Canada

// April 16th, 2012 // 9 Comments » // Places Hope, BC

[Hope, BC, Canada] — “Chainsaw” and “art” are words you don’t often find used together in the same sentence. Unless you happen to be a big fan of the 70s horror film “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” of course. If you haven’t been to the town of Hope, in Canada’s westernmost province of British Columbia, …read more…

Roadside kitsch: Gas Station Man, British Columbia, Canada

// February 25th, 2012 // 4 Comments » // Places Gas Station Man

[British Columbia, Canada] — Regular readers of the Travelin’ Gringo are probably aware of my fondness for tacky roadside kitsch. To me, giant fiberglass “muffler men,” Sinclair Dinosaurs, or falling-down barns painted with “See Rock City” are irresistible. They speak to a bygone era in transportation — a time when gas was cheap and cars …read more…