Our time in Alberta drew to a close. We boarded VIA rail once again. Having a little more experience and a few tricks now, the night in economy was a more tolerable. Everyone used eye masks, ear plugs, and brought something to coverup with. Some extra clothing added cushioning to the seat. Still not luxurious, but tolerable for 23 hours or so. As we were going in reverse, we had new scenery for a portion of the morning (the part of the route traveled at night on the trip in).
No significant issues with fire on the way back west into British Columbia, and sunset found us with a brief stop in Kamloops, offering enough time to stretch everyone’s legs.
By morning, we were back in Vancouver, where we had rented an Air BnB. Unfortunately, we were still too early to check in, so we took advantage of a free shuttle to Capilano Suspension Bridge, where we could check our bags, do a little walking after being on the train, and even do a little schoolwork.
The bridge is 137 m (~450 feet) long, hanging 70 m (230 feet) above the river.
The fun/terrifying part of the suspension bridge was the movement when you (or the 20 or 30 other people) walked. It was a mixture of swaying and bouncing. We saw more than one person turn around after a few feet on the bridge. But it was reassuring that the bridge survived the impact of a 46 ton Douglas fir that fell on it back in 2006.
The forest here is a continuation of the temperate rainforest that extends along the Pacific Coast into Alaska. Ferns, vine maple, Bigleaf maple, western red cedar, Douglas fir – all plants that thrive in the frequent rain.
While walking around the forest and doing schoolwork were fun (ok, maybe not the schoolwork), we were happy when it was time to check into the Air BnB.
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