MyWestworld

Vancouver Island: Return of the Martin Mars Bombers

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by Rob Howatson.

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Thirty years from now, I may not be able to tell you who won the Norway-Slovakia game at the 2010 Games, or what colour Jill Barber’s furry winter hat was when she sang at the Richmond O-Zone, but I will never forget the throaty growl of the Mars bomber’s four 2500-horsepower, Wright Cyclone engines as the plane drew a curtain of water that momentarily blotted out the sky.

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Pacific Northwest: Keep the B-Train?

Posted on 21. Feb, 2010 by Rob Howatson.

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Amtrak passenger trains have been running between Vancouver and Seattle since 1995, offering a scenic roll across the border. But it is only in the past six months that the service has become truly practical for British Columbians looking for a daytrip or weekend in Space Needle Town.

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North Shore: Best Vancouver View

Posted on 19. Feb, 2010 by Rob Howatson.

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The new “View Pod” energy tower is perched on Grouse’s highest point, 1,295 metres above sea level. Access is via the Skyride aerial tramway, the Peak chairlift and the world’s first wind-turbine crow’s-nest elevator, from which thrill-seekers squeeze onto the sky-high platform to appreciate the view.

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Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer: The Rockies Under Glass

Posted on 19. Feb, 2010 by Rob Howatson.

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During a trip aboard the transcontinental in 1886, the wife of Canada’s first prime minister insisted on riding atop the train’s front bumper. The engineer played along, but he must have been sweating bullets. The first lady had chosen the steepest section of track to be out on the cowcatcher – the drop between Hector and Field known as the Big Hill.