This is the first blogpost from your Pinoy Canadian Explorer, Denick Carullo, and I intend to post more blogposts for as long as opportunity allows it. "Pinoy" is a colloquial term for Filipino. My blog address, pinoycanadianexplorer.blogspot.ca   , can easily tell fellow Filipinos scattered all over the world that the blogger is a fellow Filipino or a "Kabayan". But this blog is open to all tourists, local or foreign, regardless of race and color.

With my wife and teen-age kids at the Peace Arch in South Surrey, BC right at the US-Canada Border. This photo was taken a few days after we landed on June 25, 2012.

My family and I arrived here in Vancouver, BC, Canada as immigrants on June 25, 2012, exactly 11 months ago. Originally coming from a humid hot and wet country (Philippines) and from an oven-hot desert country (Saudi Arabia), arriving in a cool and green city like Vancouver, BC, Canada is a much welcome relief. The cool weather is just perfect for us. It seems like we are always in a vacation mood with those tall cone-shaped pine trees around the communities and right in our own backyard.

Just like what my former professor at Brighton College in Burnaby, BC, Engr. Edward Cheung said, "Canadians are a hardworking people. We work so hard 5 days a week." True indeed, people here work so hard thus we deserve to enjoy the beauty of nature that abounds in this beautiful country.

So join me and my family explore "The Best Place on Earth". Let's enjoy the beauty of the province called "Beautiful British Columbia".

Carplates here in British Columbia have this "Beautiful British Columbia" embossed on them, proudly.

White Rock Promenade & Pier
City of White Rock, British Columbia, Canada

From where we live in North Delta, White Rock is just about a 25 minute drive towards the US- Canada border. If you are coming from Downtown Vancouver, it could probably take you about an hour drive on weekends. If you are commuting by Skytrain and Bus, you can get off at the Surrey Central Station where you can catch a bus that goes to White Rock.

This bus has just loaded and unloaded passengers in front of the White Rock Museum along Marine Drive.

  White Rock is a seaside city therefore expect deep slopes and terrains as you approach the promenade and pier. The first time we came here in April 2013, we followed the GPS that took us to a route descending from the upper part of the city towards the seaside. The slope was too steep that made us feel scared going down the road somehow. I think that was a first-time experience for my family. We all laughed after navigating the very steep slope. Whew!

I think it was almost like a 45 degree- slope, well, maybe lesser than that.

 We came back after two weeks and took a different route that was less steep and scary. We found Nichol Roadto be more pleasant and gradual in slope.

The approach coming from Nichol Road and towards Marine Drive was less steep and more pleasant. 

 A panorama of the Pacific Ocean on the right and Canadian homes on the left perched on steep slopes will greet tourists as they go down the gentle descent coming from Nichol Road. For tourists who want to experience a different high as part of the memorable journey, you may try the other steeper routes.  Just make sure that your brakes are functioning well and that your tires have good grips on the asphalt. The kids may be more adventurous but the "Lady of the House" may be just as nervous as my wife. (Ha Ha Ha!)

Parking is not a problem at all as there's plenty to accomodate hundreds of vehicles. You will notice that there are more cars parked near the center of attraction of the Promenade which is the Pier or Marina. If you come late in the afternoon, you may get available parking slots away from the center. I think part of the center too is the Museum and Archives. When looking for a parking slot and you see the museum, you are at the center.

Ample parking awaits tourists. When you see that white small building, you are almost at the center of the promenade. Dining and shopping establishments are on the left.

White Rock Museum and Archives

My son at the parking vending machine. Reasonable parking fee.

A close encounter with a choo choo train! You can even stand by the railings and get nearer to a passing train to as close as 6 feet from the steel railings. Right after parking our car at around 4:00pm, this monster freight engines passed by hauling a train of more than 80 freight coaches. They're massive! All steel! Wave to the train driver and he'll wave back at you.

For kids at heart, this caterpillar-like freight train brings memories of the old Wild Wild West movies we saw in yesteryears. Imagine how powerful the engines are to haul almost a hundred heavy coaches.

This railtrack has been serving these massive trains since the early 1900s.

Notice how close the people were to the passing train.

The bright orange train stands out from the sky blue backcround. In Art and photography, you call that complementary colors as they are opposite in the color wheel.

I tried to count how many coaches there were. I guess there were about 80, maybe more.

Seagulls perched on the steel railings along the rail tracks.

...and I thought I have seen a one-legged seagull. Actually, it was just standing on one leg while the other leg was used for scratching an itchy wing probably.

Tide pools along the beach occur during low tide. Earlier in the afternoon, we were able to walk around these tide pools but later in the afternoon, water from the sea gradually rose and tide pools were gone.

Going towards the Pier. This Pier or boardwalk could be about 250 meters long, or maybe more. The island-like mass of land on the background is part of the State of Washington, USA. But that's not an island. Call it a peninsula? The Peace Arch border between the US and Canada is just minutes away from White Rock.

The maple leaf Canadian flag waves proudly to visitors saying "WELCOME TO CANADA!" The State of Washington is just minutes away. This was White Rock in April 2013 and the temperature was still cold requiring tourists to wear sweaters or jackets. The seabreeze even makes the temperature cooler so prepare for that.

White Rock by the sea could be a romantic backdrop for people in love. A perfect venue for dates whose budget could be restrictive. And if your budget has no limit, you can dine in one of the seaside restaurants along the promenade.

This Pier could be about 250 to 300 meters long. Go there earlier in the afternoon, say anytime before 4:00pm, and you can luckily walk under the bridge while it's low tide. Those are tide pools scattered along the beach. After 5:00pm, water under the bridge reaches about  half of the timber posts.

Logs washed ashore are aplenty. Tourists enjoy the company of seagulls merrily flying high and low.

My family.

Photos taken from atop the PIER:

Mother and child throwing rocks into the sea.

Breakwater provides safe harbor for boats.

Just to warn swimmers and bathers not to jump into the waters.

Toys for the big boys.

Notice a group of people ogling on something on the deck and a man pulling something from the water. I went down the deck to satisfy my curiosity

There it was, a man was setting up his bait for crabs, a duck's neck. Why duck's neck? We better ask the crabs.

It seems that when crabs crawl into this ringed net with their favorite food in them, they will eventually get entangled in that net.

Aiming his bait into the waters.

And here's the swing dedicated to crabs...

...and there it went out into the waiting crabs. Good luck to the luckiest one, or the unluckiest one.

...and there were two hungry crabs caught. Never mind, they had their last supper.

The fruit, er the catch of the day.

A lady tourist held it in her hand while I aimed my camera.

Seagulls of the same feather swim together.

I caught this seagull yawning, or was it talking?

...and it looked at me with mouth still open.

When I moved closer, it flew towards the timber post.

..and the eagle has landed, I mean seagull.

That white rock is very visible from the sea. The long white building must be a hotel. Perfect sea vista for vacationers.

Commercial establishments dot the main road. Houses mingle with the green environment harmoniously.

White Rock got its name from that white rock sitting prominently by the seashore. Local history says that early people like the First Nations used that white rock as a navigation guide whenever they were out in the sea fishing or sailing. Tide pools provide a unique seascape.

The famous White Rock. Compare how big it is to the people nearby.

Oooppss! A giant bird suddenly appeared patrolling the seashore.

It must be more than 2 feet in height. Is it a pelican or a kingfisher?

Well, it's dinner time.

Bir Bird stares towards the sailboat. The blue mountain behind it is part of the State of Washington, USA.

Visitors' Information Center near the beach. Canadian and US flags wave harmoniously.

This used to be a station of the Canadian Pacific Railway, built in 1912, until it was converted into a museum that it is today.

These beachfront houses have one thing in common...

Wide floor to ceiling glazed doors and windows that admit light and heat and provide the best vista of the sea.

The Promenade

After an enjoyable and maybe tiresome walking tour, it's time to dine in one of the restaurants along Marine Drive. Come, let's check it out.

... and for those on a $20 budget like us, Fresh Slice Pizza is the place to be. That includes a large pizza, spaghetti, and drinks.

See you in my next blogpost...

( All photos were taken by my Nikon D90.)