Finally the sun reappears today, and with the promise of better weather for our final few hours in Vancouver we walk down to Kitsilano beach, meandering at the pace of Eve and Nea as we go. We drink coffee watching locals playing volleyball on the beach, and then hop on a little boat over to Granville Island where we have lunch at Bridges restaurant on the promenade.

The rain is back, heavier than ever, meaning any plans we had for outdoor exploration are put on hold. We head instead to Granville Island, the foodie centre of the city.

On waking the smoke has gone, but frustratingly, our glimpse outside the bedroom window brings little cheer as it has been replaced by rain and cold, thick, grey clouds. After another visit to the spa and sauna we brave the elements, sheltering under umbrellas as we head to a café called Gone for its vegan breakfast, and then buy gifts at the souvenir shops on the soggy walk back to the hotel.

It’s pretty hazy outside when we awake but Bethan’s familiarity with Whistler’s best eateries means there’s no point in succumbing to the hugely over-priced hotel breakfast, so we walk into the main square of Whistler Village and settle on La Brasserie, where we tuck into a hearty start to the day.

We’re back in Mantles for breakfast the next morning, after a visit to the well-equipped gym. Our waitress is Sarah from Northern Ireland. In Canada to gain experience in catering, she’s sweet if a little strange, but with Coman hiking his accent up 100%, she bestows upon us some takeaway boxes and turns a blind eye as we pile them high from the buffet, saving us the need to buy lunch.

The beautiful clear night that bewitched us with stars has turned into a crystal clear morning so we decide to go for a run around the lake, somewhat unprepared for the drop in temperatures.With mist curling above the lake we set off but manage only a few hundred metres before coming to the conclusion that we are in fact idiots and a t-shirt and pair of shorts is nowhere near enough clothing for the freezing mountain conditions.

With clearer skies promised at dawn, we get up at 6am and drive to Moraine Lake, half an hour away. Despite the early hour, many other tourists are there as the sun starts revealing the astounding views around us. We follow the trail up a rock pile to look down on the lake from above, its turquoise waters a thing of real beauty.

The joys of jetlag wake us early so we head to the gym before breakfast in the Primrose Restaurant. Coman’s vertigo deters him from joining me on a cable car to the top of Sulphur Mountain, opting instead for a massage, but my journey on the Banff Gondola provides spectacular views of the valley below, a patchwork of vistas at my feet.

As semi-mature adults we really shouldn’t laugh at its name but Lake Minnewanka – pronounced “as it sounds”, according to the long-suffering concierge at our hotel – really is quite funny. One of the highlights in Banff, we drive there after breakfast, revelling in the glorious sunshine whilst berating the satnav for sending us on a circuitous route that means we miss the first boat ride of the day by a matter of minutes.

Leaving Seattle we fly to Calgary and then hit the road to Banff, and our destination for the next two nights, the Rimrock Resort Hotel.

With an abundance of air miles to use, and rarely seen close friends in Vancouver to visit, our wanderlust has yet again got the better of us, so we've headed west for a roadtrip through some of the most spectacular scenery on earth, traversing the Canadian Rockies.