"Welcome to my little corner on VT" Ann75's Profile

Welcome to my pages here on VT. I have actually been on VT since 2004, but I am starting all over again as I didn't know whether I was coming or going with my travel pages, so many double tips, photos that came from elsewhere on the internet. So, I figured it was time for new pages with fresh up to date and useful info (I hope) accompanied with some nice photos.

When I have enough inspiration I will start rewriting my Homepage and my travel pages...so bare with me for a (long) while.

Thanks for stopping by,
Ann

Travel pages that are in the making right now:
*Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
*Olympic National Park, Washington State, USA
*Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, USA
*Oregon Coast, USA
*Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, Europe
*Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

About Me

My name is Ann and I come from a small town called "Niel-bij-As" which is located in the province of Limburg in Belgium, Europe. After I met Michael (a Canadian) in 1999 I moved to Vancouver which is located in the province of British Columbia in Western Canada. I moved here in April 2000 and have been living here ever since. Michael and I got married in the summer of 2005 and in May 2010 we welcomed our beautiful daughter "Ava" into this world. We are a happy family and enjoy our time together. We like to go for walks, little trips and such.

Before our little girl was born we visited Europe a couple of times and we took some short trips to the USA. We like to travel, but usually we go for smaller trips by car. We have visited many parts of British Columbia as well and I hope to share some of my experiences with you. Hopefully I can give some insight to foreign travelers on what to watch for when visiting Canada and for North Americans that are visiting Europe.

My husband and I usually go for shorter trips (up to 1 week at a time). We travel by car and like to stay in cabins, apartments, suites, etc. We like accommodations where we can cook a little if we want to and where we have a private entrance. We do like hotels/motels as well with a small kitchen as an option. We are mainly interested in scenery and nature, so most of my trips will involve parks, landscapes and beautiful nature. But there will also be some pages about cities we have visited.

Below here you can find some info on the most beautiful places I have visited so far.

Peyto Lake in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

We have spent a few trips of about 1 week at a time in the beautiful Canadian Rockies.

The Canadian Rockies are located about 800km (500 miles) east of Vancouver on the border of the province of British Columbia and Alberta. There are 7 National Parks that belong to the Canadian Rockies which strectches out over an area of 25,000 square km (15,625 square miles).

These are the National Parks that belong to the Canadian Rocky Mountains: Mount Revelstoke National Park, Glacier National Park, Kootenay National Park and Yoho National Park which are located in British Columbia and there is Banff National Park, Jasper National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park which are located in Alberta. This amazing area is known for its beautiful blue-green lakes surrounded by mountains, glaciers, rivers, waterfalls and a diversity of wildlife. One can enjoy the endless views and there is a great variety on walking/hiking trails for everybody to enjoy.

I have visited Mount Revelstoke National Park, Glacier National Park, Yoho National Park, Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. There is still some left for me to explore in the future.

You can read more on my travel pages of these national parks once they will be created.

Rialto Beach in Olympic National Park, WA, USA

We spent about 4 days in this beautiful Park in the summer of 2007.

Olympic National Park is located on the Olympic Peninsula west of Seattle and in the most north western corner of the mainland of the USA. This park is such a diverse and amazing place to visit. No wonder they say it's 3 parks in one! You can enjoy the amazing surf and beautiful beaches, you will see a spectacular alpine country dotted with sparkling lakes, lush meadows, glaciers, waterfalls and North America's finest temperate rain forest.

Olympic National Park is a wilderness park with much of its interior accessible only by trail. A variety of roads lead off the major Highway (101) to various destinations around the park. There are several scenic drives including the drive to Hurricane Ridge, along the Pacific Coast and through the forested valleys of the Sol Duc, Hoh and Quinault Rivers. This all provide glimpses of Olympic National Park's diversity.

You can read more on my travel pages of this area once they will be created.

Bernese Oberland scenery, Switzerland, Europe

We spent about 12 days in this area in the summer of 2008.

The Bernese Oberland is one of the most spectacular regions of Switzerland. It is well worth a visit, especially during the summer months. The combination of snow-capped mountain peaks, fresh air, summer heat, jagged rocks and lush rolling green hills will quickly fascinate you. If you like hiking then the Bernese Oberland is the place to be. You will be rewarded with 100% pure nature. From the romantic shores of Lake of Thun until the endless forests until the freezing cold in glaciers, one highlight follows the other.

Interlaken is a good place from which to explore the central region of the Bernese Oberland. This small town lays between two lakes, the Thunersee (Lake Thun) and the Brienzersee (Lake Brienz) and is located near the famous mountain trio: the Eiger (3,970m/13,025ft), Monch (4,099m/13,448ft) and the Jungfrau (4,158m/13,642 ft). Take a train or cable car to one of the many vantage points from which to view the incredible surroundings. A 40-minute train trip east of Interlaken will take you to Grindelwald. This typical swiss village is situated at the northern face of the Eiger. Unlike Wengen or Muerren over the ridge, Grindelwald is accessible by car and bus, and gets much more tourist traffic than the Lauterbrunnen resorts.

From Grindelwald you can take the Jungfrau Railway up to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe at 3,454m/11,333ft above sea level! Grindelwald has a network of cable-cars leading up to numerous short- and long-distance trails throughout the region and beyond.

It’s difficult to overstate how stunning the Lauterbrunnen Valley is – even seasoned Alpinists shrug their shoulders and call it the most beautiful valley in Europe! An immense U-shaped valley (the world’s deepest) with bluffs on either side rising 1000m/3000ft sheer, doused by some 72 waterfalls, it is utterly spectacular. However long you stay, two hours or two weeks, you won’t want to leave. Lauterbrunnen village itself lies on the valley floor, while the slopes above host two of Switzerland’s most appealing resorts.

Muerren to the west is the transfer point for a dramatic ride up the longest cable railway in the Alps to the Piz Gloria on the Schilthorn peak, while Wengen to the east is a stop on the train line up to Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch. Both are car-free, perched on narrow shelves of pasture way above the world below, and both offer some of the best hiking to be enjoyed in the Alps. Other places to visit include the picturesque towns of Bönigen and Iseltwald as well as the western part of the Bernese Oberland with areas such as Gstaad, Simmental, Frutigenland and Hasliberg.

You can read more on my travel pages of this area once they will be created.

The Sunrise area at Mt Rainier NP, WA, USA

We visited this park in 2009 and spent about 4 days here.

Mount Rainier National Park was established in 1899 and has a size of about 235,625 acres (97% is designated Wilderness) and this includes Mount Rainier (14,410ft/4392m). Mount Rainier is an active volcano encased in over 35 square miles of snow and ice. The park contains outstanding examples of old growth forests and subalpine meadows. Whether hiking on its flanks, climbing its summit, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on its slopes, camping along its glacier-fed rivers, photographing wildflower displays in subalpine meadows, or just admiring the view, nearly two million people go here to enjoy the grandeur and beauty of Mount Rainier each year.

The park is devided into five areas, which are accessible from different areas: Longmire, Paradise, Ohanapecosh, Sunrise/White River and Carbon paper River/Mowich Lake.

View of Vancouver from Kitsilano

It's not exactly a place I have visited, but I live here now and for me it has so much to offer and sometimes I still feel like a tourist in my own area.

Vancouver is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Vancouver is Canada's third largest city and is located at the Pacific Ocean on a peninsula surrounded by water and the mountains. Vancouver is considered a pretty clean and safe city with a great variety of shops, museums, theatre, outdoor activities (hiking, walking, kayaking, sailing, skiing on the local mountains in the winter) and more. Walking around Stanley Park is a favourite thing to do for tourist and locals alike. This beautiful park extends from the city centre of Vancouver almost to the North Shore. With wonderful views of the mountains and the ocean around every corner, downtown Vancouver is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Walk along Robson Street, the most popular shopping street. Experience Chinatown with the different kinds of building and stores, walk on the beaches of English Bay and the seawall of Stanley Park, enjoy a walk in Gastown with the old steam clock and the many gift shops.

Look out for some Hollywood film sets as Vancouver is used for many big Hollywood movies and shows. That's why you might hear that Vancouver is called "Hollywood North". Here are some examples of shows and movies that were/are filmed here: The X-Files, Dark Angel, Stargate-SG1, The 6th Day, Kiss of the Dragon, Small Ville, The Twilight Saga and many more. Then there is also the Canada Place, the stadiums, the Harbour Lookout, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Science World, the Vancouver Art Gallery and much more! All of these attractions are located within minutes from the city centre.

Vancouver is also popular in the winter for winter activities. There are 3 local mountains where you can do any type of winter sport. There is Grouse Mountain, most famous for it's stunning views over the city and fresh powder snow. Grouse Mountain is accessible by skyride...this is a big airtram that will take you up to the top of the mountain. Mount Seymour and Cypress Mountain are famous too and you also get wonderful views from the top of these mountains. As you can see...Vancouver has lots to offer. The Winter Olympics in 2010 were hosted by Vancouver as well.

View from Burnaby Mountain in my area

The beautiful scenery of Western Canada really got me going with photography when I moved here and especially after buying my first digital camera in 2001 which was a Sony Mavica FD85 (1.3 megapixels). In the beginning I only took the usual vacation or snap shots and never really thought about composition, lighting, etc. After getting quite some wonderful comments on my photos I became more interested in photography and joined some photography forums to learn more about photography. This really helped me to try and "make" better photos. I would think a bit more about the composition, how the light conditions were and such, but the equipment wasn’t really that great to create stunning shots as my camera was a "point & shoot" with no manual options. But I did my best with what I had and I must say that some photos turned out quite good (except that the quality wasn't all that due to the low megapixels).

In late summer of 2006 I got myself a better camera which allowed me to use more manual settings and I have been able to take better photos. Of course it’s not just due to the new camera that my photos are better, but also due to the amazing tips and critiques I have received from co- photographers over time! I am no professional whatsoever, but I do enjoy taking photos very much and am always willing to learn better techniques. I love to take photographs of any kind of scenery, especially mountains, lakes and sunsets, but also city scenes! Since the summer of 2008 I am finally the owner of a Sony Alpha A200 DSLR which gives me even some more options. I truly enjoy it and now I am also getting into taking photos of our little baby.

For my photography portfolio please have a look here: http://abadjura.500px.com/