Banff, Alberta, Canada

A day after my nephew's wedding, I planned on leaving Edmonton very early in the morning for Calgary. Since it is only about a 3 hours drive, I figured my wife and I could get there and have enough time for the remainder of the day and the better part of the night to get a feel for the city. I did not factored in my relatives' plan for the day and getting lost along the way. They persuaded my wife and I to stay a bit longer, enough for lunch at their house and to check out West Edmonton mall before we leave the city. The lunch took forever to end and it was almost 4 pm when I checked my watch! I had to tell them we've got to leave for Calgary and we'll stop by the Edmonton mall on our way back.

On the road to Calgary, I missed the junction (thanks to my excellent navigator, my wife) to the city and by the time we realized it, we were already half an hour passed our destination for the day. I tried to turn back but their highway or trailway or whatever they call their freeways (as we in California call ours) is complicated to the unfamiliar and we kept missing the onramp. I saw a casino inn and I decided to call it a night and checked-in instead. What can be a better deal than this place to sleep or rest LOL. Forget about Calgary for now, we'll head for Banff in the morning.

My nephew and his new bride on the dance floor.

On the road to Calgary

The highway signs are less prevalent than we are used to in California and unless your map reader-navigator is good or your gps is working you are bound to get lost......many times over.


At last Banff National Park entrance!


On the way to Banff after we paid the entrance fee to the park


If you feel like trying bufallo or caribou meat, this is the place!

Bow River coursing through Banff

Banff

Our lodge at Banff

Pit stop on the way to Lake Louise

Canadian outhouse in the midst of nowhere

Edmonton, Canada

A nephew in Edmonton was getting married so I thought it was also a good time for my wife to see parts of Canada she has not seen yet. I went to a AAA office, got myself a bunch of maps and a tour book of Canada and inquired about the cost of airfare and hotels. I was shocked when I was told that it would cost me $800 for two roundtrip tickets, LAX-Edmonton. I have seen better rates on the 'net! The agent actually said that if I am comfortable going online, I am better off doing that than booking through an agency. I did just that through Expedia and I got a roundtrip fare for two plus three nights at the hotel where the wedding reception was going to be held for $940! Since we were going to go on a road trip after the wedding, I also rented online a fullsize car with unlimited mileage for $240 per week. Not bad....not bad at all.


A mobile ATM machine!

There is a revolving restaurant at the top floor of the hotel where we were staying so my two sisters, a brother, a brother-in-law and my wife all went there for an early dinner. What food you see on the table plus a couple of beers and a liter of wine cost us $320 inclusive of tip!

I ordered monk fish

My wife ordered a medium well steak

Street market in Edmonton

A peaceful looking street in the middle of the city

That's Saskatchewan River meandering through the city

Ice skating ring inside the West Edmonton Mall, the largest mall in North America and supposed to be 5th largest in the world.

Another view inside the mall

USS Benfold, Seal Beach, California

The USS Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer, was at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station last weekend. The public was allowed a tour of the ship (top deck only) so I decided to go there but I ran into a long line of cars entering the parking area, then a long line of people going through the security checkpoint, and finally another long line to board the ship. I did not realize there are that many people interested in seeing an active-duty destroyer!

My step-nephew served onboard this destroyer for three years before he was given a permanent shore assignment.

The ship is capable of arming and refueling helicopters but it does not have a hangar to keep them.

This kid will be riped for recruitment after high school.

The Navy's secret weapon. One look and you are ready to surrender LOL.

Hurley US Open of Surfing, July 2009

Yesterday I went to Huntington Beach to take some pictures at the US open surfing competition which has been going on for several days already. When I got there, I found out that my subcompact camera is inadequate for the task because the surfers were too far out of its range. How the heck did I come up with the idea that I can take decent photos of surfers riding the waves with my tiny gadget? LOL. I dropped my plan and decided to head home but thought I might as well snap a few photos, here and there, before I hit the road.


These are serious photo enthusiasts. They were there very early to claim their spot and they were armed with cameras fitted with powerful zoom lenses.

Look at that zoom monster!

This is the south side of the pier were the competition was being held.

Same side, behind the grandstand, where the sponsors have their booths to showcase their products or services.

North side of the pier, where the beachgoers were just relaxing and taking in the sun, not caring a bit about the surfing competition.

I don't know what he was cooking on the griddle, it did not look appetizing but a long line of people waiting to get a bite of it do no agree with me.

This guy was not selling anything, he was just giving them away!

Another freebie

More free samples

Orange County Fair 2009

It's that time of the year when the county fair is here again. I can't help checking the place out at least once during its month long run. This morning was a bad day to come because the temperature was in the high eighties (deg. F.) My wife and I only stayed there less than a couple of hours then left with the plan to return in the evening. However, I found a more interesting thing to do the rest of the day - watch TV and go to sleep LOL. The fair visit will have to wait another day.

I pity the guy whose job is to tend the barbecue pit - the poor guy works under the sun and every so often endures the blast of heat from the pit to check the meat .

My favorite watering hole

I am in awe at what some photographers can do to make an ordinary subject looked extraordinary.

Snake!

I was looking at an assortment of old pictures stored in a cardboard box when I saw one of me taken by a buddy years ago when we were fishing at a lake in San Bernardino National Forest. He took the time to take this photo with a film-based Canon slr before he told me of the snake emerging slowly from a cave-like structure a few feet away!

We have been camping, hiking and fishing together for years and both of us do not have an unhealthy fear of snakes and other animals we encounter in the field, but I still did not appreciate the fact that he took his time to get the camera and took my picture before alerting me to the snake LOL. He instantly knew at first sight that it was a non-poisonous snake and I did, too, after I saw the snake but still........grrrrrr. If it were a rattlesnake, I would have taken off with my van and let him walk all the way to civilization, notwithstanding the fact that we both know that snakes do not act aggressively unless they felt threaten or their protected space is intruded upon.

Happy Fourth of July Everyone!