They invited Aunt Laura and Uncle Ernie and fed us all a wonderful dinner. It was great to see them all again.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Post #22 Home
We travelled through the southern parts of Manitoba, visiting my Aunt Eleanor, and Uncle Hank at their home in Elm Creek.
They invited Aunt Laura and Uncle Ernie and fed us all a wonderful dinner. It was great to see them all again.
They invited Aunt Laura and Uncle Ernie and fed us all a wonderful dinner. It was great to see them all again.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #21 Friday, July 18, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #21 Friday, July 18, 2014
Destination:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Weather:
-a.m. +19C with some clouds; no more rain
-p.m. +24C - sunny and a bit cool; summer for a few more days
- intense thunder storm with over 3 000 lightning strikes in the Saskatoon area
Wildlife:
- large eared white-tailed rabbits right in town
- a gigantic wild bison in Elk Lake National Park, AB
- coyote on the highway
- ducks, red-tailed hawks in groups of 3
- white swans
Activities:
- cheap gas $113/l.
- walk through the old Fairmont Hotel downtown
- Taste of Saskatoon in downtown on the river
- food samples at reasonable prices
- deep fried crocodile - Harry says it tastes like chicken
- deep fried octopus ( not very nice)
- bison chili with bannock - delicious
- Greek souvlaki
- we see large boulevards lined with beautiful mature elm trees in older part of town
- drive N to Rosthern to stay overnight with Rob and Ruth Ann Koop
- up and away early in the morning
Thanks Rob and Ruth Ann for your warm hospitality.
Destination:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Weather:
-a.m. +19C with some clouds; no more rain
-p.m. +24C - sunny and a bit cool; summer for a few more days
- intense thunder storm with over 3 000 lightning strikes in the Saskatoon area
Wildlife:
- large eared white-tailed rabbits right in town
- a gigantic wild bison in Elk Lake National Park, AB
- coyote on the highway
- ducks, red-tailed hawks in groups of 3
- white swans
Activities:
- cheap gas $113/l.
- walk through the old Fairmont Hotel downtown
- Taste of Saskatoon in downtown on the river
- food samples at reasonable prices
- deep fried crocodile - Harry says it tastes like chicken
- deep fried octopus ( not very nice)
- bison chili with bannock - delicious
- Greek souvlaki
- we see large boulevards lined with beautiful mature elm trees in older part of town
- drive N to Rosthern to stay overnight with Rob and Ruth Ann Koop
- up and away early in the morning
Thanks Rob and Ruth Ann for your warm hospitality.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #20 Thursday, July 17, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #20 Thursday, July 17, 2014
65501 kms
Weather: less smoke, +15C Leaving Jasper for Athabaska First Nation and Edmonton, Alberta
cool all day as we drive east to Edmonton
wildlife:
-wild mountain goat right beside the road
-ravens, purple martins, coyote right beside the 6 - lane highway
-we also see many very large white-tailed rabbits that are so large, that they are like the raccoons we have here. ( This is not a Monty Python movie set, either.)
Activity:
-smoke in my eyes at Hinton, Alberta
-fires are contained in Jasper National Park
-observe expensive road re-building - in every direction; compared to Ontario, where perhaps one overpass is being rebuilt in an area. A lot of $ is being spent on the roads and infrastructure.
- arrive at Four Points Sheraton Gateway in south end of Edmonton
- go to West Edmonton Mall for dinner at the food court - delicious Greek food
- we see: the fun park; the mini-golf; the wave pool for swimming with the zip line; the pirate ship for a show; the indoor skating rink complete with little kids taking lessons.
- the mall is undergoing indoor repair and re-building
-we see many many oil refineries and small wells.
Names:
Wyndswept B&B
Eagle News
Cougar Creek
Edmonton
65501 kms
Weather: less smoke, +15C Leaving Jasper for Athabaska First Nation and Edmonton, Alberta
cool all day as we drive east to Edmonton
wildlife:
-wild mountain goat right beside the road
-ravens, purple martins, coyote right beside the 6 - lane highway
-we also see many very large white-tailed rabbits that are so large, that they are like the raccoons we have here. ( This is not a Monty Python movie set, either.)
Activity:
-smoke in my eyes at Hinton, Alberta
-fires are contained in Jasper National Park
-observe expensive road re-building - in every direction; compared to Ontario, where perhaps one overpass is being rebuilt in an area. A lot of $ is being spent on the roads and infrastructure.
- arrive at Four Points Sheraton Gateway in south end of Edmonton
- go to West Edmonton Mall for dinner at the food court - delicious Greek food
- we see: the fun park; the mini-golf; the wave pool for swimming with the zip line; the pirate ship for a show; the indoor skating rink complete with little kids taking lessons.
- the mall is undergoing indoor repair and re-building
-we see many many oil refineries and small wells.
Names:
Wyndswept B&B
Eagle News
Cougar Creek
Edmonton
Thursday, August 7, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #19 Wed. July 16, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #19 Wednesday, July 16 2014
weather:
Hot - 10 a.m. it is already 29C. The weather has turned and the wind has brought in heavy smoke from forest fires in Alberta; therefor, poor visibility. We can't even see the opposite bank of the Thompson River! Hiway 93 south of Jasper is temporarily closed, so we plan an alternate route across Alberta to go through Jasper and continue on to Edmonton - a city we have never visited.
As we drive north from the city, we pass through T'Kemlup`s First Nation, where the land is dry. It is ranch country, and by 2:00 p.m., it is above 32C. We follow the Thompson River N and here, the river, the road and the railway all fit snugly into the valley.
wildlife:
- red fox along the road
- ravens, and a bald eagle flying over the river
- a full-grown black bear crosses Hwy#5N near Apland, elevation: 2,200m
activities:
- we stop at Carls Roadside Fruit and Veggie Market on Hwy #5 BC,
where we buy fresh local fruits and veggies for our lunch.
- lots of smoke creates some difficult viewing conditions; we can still easily see the road, but surrounding mountains are obscure.
- we eat a snack at Grey Wells Lodge, where the road north to the Provincial Park campground is closed because of forest fire dangers
- we notice interesting place names: Burch Island, Lost Creek, Thunder Creek, Moonbeam Creek, Mileage Creek, Albreda River, Clearwater, Blackwater, Cleavely Creek, Dominion Creek, Rosie`s Roadhouse, Lost Horse Inn, Sleeper Mountain, Mount Robson - veiled in forest fire smoke, Mt. Edith Cavall, Ghita Creek, Ghita Mountain, Mt. Fitzwilliam,
- at home in Orillia, people who drive pickup trucks often have a four-wheeler in the back. Here in the mountains, people have 100 gallon diesel gas tanks and generators in the backs of their trucks.
- we see a road marker - 1,025km E from the Pacific Coast and we`re still heading east toward the mountains and Jasper.
- we see lots of aqua coloured water rushing down from snow-covered mountains. The above-mentioned creeks are short, swift and all are running down to meet the Thompson River. Wait, there must be a change in the elevation, now the rivers aren`t all running back to the Thompson, they`re heading into Alberta.
- now it`s the Athabaska River that we are following, not the Thompson.
- there are more vehicles with broken / damaged windshields
- new Time Zone, Alberta border
- we follow the Rocky Mountaineer Train along the mountain valleys and by Moose Lake
- Hwy 97 S to Banff is closed - - forest fire smoke - it is unusually hot - +32C.
- Jasper for night.
The first hotel we stopped at wanted $367/night for a non- air conditioned room
- The next hotel wanted $104 / night for a queen sized bed.
-our actual room was in the Athabasca Hotel, where the hallways were air-conditioned, but not the rooms. Air conditioning wasn't turned on until it cooled down at night, so the front desk attendant explained that to get our room cooled off, we would have to sleep with our door open to the hallway.
Oh, and we had to share with 10 other hotel rooms for separate men's and ladies' shower / bathrooms.
Our room was so small, there was no closet, no cabinet for storage, no chair - we sat on the bed - and only a sink in the corner. To get around the bed, you almost had to walk sideways. The ceiling fan kept us cool.
-we ate a delicious dinner in the hotel restaurant and while dinner was being served, the smoke rolled into town. We had some coughing going on and our eyes were stinging. Locals remarked about how scarey that was, and we could see the local shops, but all the mountains were veiled by smoke.
- our hotel manager suggested coffee next morning at a nearby laundry mat. What? a laundrymat?
weather:
Hot - 10 a.m. it is already 29C. The weather has turned and the wind has brought in heavy smoke from forest fires in Alberta; therefor, poor visibility. We can't even see the opposite bank of the Thompson River! Hiway 93 south of Jasper is temporarily closed, so we plan an alternate route across Alberta to go through Jasper and continue on to Edmonton - a city we have never visited.
As we drive north from the city, we pass through T'Kemlup`s First Nation, where the land is dry. It is ranch country, and by 2:00 p.m., it is above 32C. We follow the Thompson River N and here, the river, the road and the railway all fit snugly into the valley.
wildlife:
- red fox along the road
- ravens, and a bald eagle flying over the river
- a full-grown black bear crosses Hwy#5N near Apland, elevation: 2,200m
activities:
- we stop at Carls Roadside Fruit and Veggie Market on Hwy #5 BC,
- lots of smoke creates some difficult viewing conditions; we can still easily see the road, but surrounding mountains are obscure.
- we eat a snack at Grey Wells Lodge, where the road north to the Provincial Park campground is closed because of forest fire dangers
- we notice interesting place names: Burch Island, Lost Creek, Thunder Creek, Moonbeam Creek, Mileage Creek, Albreda River, Clearwater, Blackwater, Cleavely Creek, Dominion Creek, Rosie`s Roadhouse, Lost Horse Inn, Sleeper Mountain, Mount Robson - veiled in forest fire smoke, Mt. Edith Cavall, Ghita Creek, Ghita Mountain, Mt. Fitzwilliam,
- at home in Orillia, people who drive pickup trucks often have a four-wheeler in the back. Here in the mountains, people have 100 gallon diesel gas tanks and generators in the backs of their trucks.
- we see a road marker - 1,025km E from the Pacific Coast and we`re still heading east toward the mountains and Jasper.
- we see lots of aqua coloured water rushing down from snow-covered mountains. The above-mentioned creeks are short, swift and all are running down to meet the Thompson River. Wait, there must be a change in the elevation, now the rivers aren`t all running back to the Thompson, they`re heading into Alberta.
- now it`s the Athabaska River that we are following, not the Thompson.
- there are more vehicles with broken / damaged windshields
- new Time Zone, Alberta border
- we follow the Rocky Mountaineer Train along the mountain valleys and by Moose Lake
- Hwy 97 S to Banff is closed - - forest fire smoke - it is unusually hot - +32C.
- Jasper for night.
The first hotel we stopped at wanted $367/night for a non- air conditioned room
- The next hotel wanted $104 / night for a queen sized bed.
-our actual room was in the Athabasca Hotel, where the hallways were air-conditioned, but not the rooms. Air conditioning wasn't turned on until it cooled down at night, so the front desk attendant explained that to get our room cooled off, we would have to sleep with our door open to the hallway.
Oh, and we had to share with 10 other hotel rooms for separate men's and ladies' shower / bathrooms.
Our room was so small, there was no closet, no cabinet for storage, no chair - we sat on the bed - and only a sink in the corner. To get around the bed, you almost had to walk sideways. The ceiling fan kept us cool.
-we ate a delicious dinner in the hotel restaurant and while dinner was being served, the smoke rolled into town. We had some coughing going on and our eyes were stinging. Locals remarked about how scarey that was, and we could see the local shops, but all the mountains were veiled by smoke.
- our hotel manager suggested coffee next morning at a nearby laundry mat. What? a laundrymat?
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #18 Tuesday, July 15, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #18, Tuesday, July 15, 2014
weather:
- sunny and very cool in the a.m. - just 14C - elevation1,609 at the ski village with a gondola ride up to 1,915 at the summit.
- then very hot hot hot! up to 92C by lunchtime at Okenagen Landing on our drive W to Kamloops
wildlife:
-tiny blue butterflies, a small red squirrel, mosquitos, a chipmunk and goldfinches; horseflies.
activities:
-hiked Silver Star Mountain trails and saw a mountain meadow
-drove down the mountain around the top of Lake Okenagen and started to follow the Thompson River W to Kamloops
-visited and had a delicious dinner with our former neighbours from Orillia, Larry and Carol Shank.
-drove to Riverside Park in Kamloops and had dessert at a cool yogurt shop
- saw a beautiful view of the city as the sun set - some haze from forest fire smoke in the valley
weather:
- sunny and very cool in the a.m. - just 14C - elevation1,609 at the ski village with a gondola ride up to 1,915 at the summit.
- then very hot hot hot! up to 92C by lunchtime at Okenagen Landing on our drive W to Kamloops
wildlife:
-tiny blue butterflies, a small red squirrel, mosquitos, a chipmunk and goldfinches; horseflies.
activities:
-hiked Silver Star Mountain trails and saw a mountain meadow
-drove down the mountain around the top of Lake Okenagen and started to follow the Thompson River W to Kamloops
-visited and had a delicious dinner with our former neighbours from Orillia, Larry and Carol Shank.
-drove to Riverside Park in Kamloops and had dessert at a cool yogurt shop
- saw a beautiful view of the city as the sun set - some haze from forest fire smoke in the valley
Monday, July 28, 2014
BC Road Trip Post # 18 Tuesday, July 15, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #18, Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Weather:
a.m. super cool + 14 C in the high mountain elevation with clear skies,
p.m. super hot + 102F or 39C in Kamloops in the evening Hot, Hot, Hot!
Wildlife:
* tiny blue butterflies, dragonflies and horse flies along the mountain trails
* gold finches, and gophers
* one small red squirrel
* a natural artesian well open to the public for free clear drinking water - cool
Activities:
* short hike along mountain trails at Silver STar Ski Resort
* watching bagpipe players ( 350 of them in smaller groups)
* watching downhill cross country - down hill racing bikers zoom past us on the trails
* drove across the south shore of Vernon which is the north shore of Lake Okenagen
* drove up along the river through very dry farmland which was being irrigated
* drove up the long hill with plenty of switch-backs into the Juniper Development of Kamloops
* visit with Larry and Carol Shank, our former neighbours from Orillia
Drive downtown Kamloops to see the Riverside Park Music performance
what a great visit with Carol and Larry. Thanks for a delicious meal and a great tour of your new home town, Kamloops BC.
Weather:
a.m. super cool + 14 C in the high mountain elevation with clear skies,
p.m. super hot + 102F or 39C in Kamloops in the evening Hot, Hot, Hot!
Wildlife:
* tiny blue butterflies, dragonflies and horse flies along the mountain trails
* gold finches, and gophers
* one small red squirrel
* a natural artesian well open to the public for free clear drinking water - cool
Activities:
* short hike along mountain trails at Silver STar Ski Resort
* watching bagpipe players ( 350 of them in smaller groups)
* watching downhill cross country - down hill racing bikers zoom past us on the trails
* drove across the south shore of Vernon which is the north shore of Lake Okenagen
* drove up along the river through very dry farmland which was being irrigated
* drove up the long hill with plenty of switch-backs into the Juniper Development of Kamloops
* visit with Larry and Carol Shank, our former neighbours from Orillia
Drive downtown Kamloops to see the Riverside Park Music performance
what a great visit with Carol and Larry. Thanks for a delicious meal and a great tour of your new home town, Kamloops BC.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
BC Road Trip Post # 17 Monday, July 14, 2014
BC Road Trip Post #17 Monday, July 14, 2014
Weather: cloudy, smoke haze in the valley +25C cooler
Wildlife: small things: a chipmunk, dragonflies, mosquitos, black flies, bats
Activities:
* we thanked Ruth and John for an amazing stay and visit.
Thank you to Arnannquaq ( and James) Aviana, and Naya;
Thank you to Amber ( and Cale and Josie).
* left Kelowna for Silver Star Mountain, N of Lake Okenagen and near Vernon BC. It was hot - +28C.
* saw Lake Kalamalka with unusual shades of vibrant blue water
* up the rise past Vernon, and the temperature began to drop: by the time we reached the ski village, which is elevation 1,600 metres, the temperature was a cool 17C.
* surprise! there is a two - week bagpipe camp / workshop taking place with over 350 bagpipe players up here. What a great place to practice such amazing music! It echoes off the surrounding mountains.
* surprise again! people taking their X country bicycles up the gondolas and riding down the ski trails. They wear expensive safety helmets, gladiator - looking shoulder, elbow and knee pads on top of their clothing. Some of them look like hockey players riding bikes.
* there is a stunning view of the north shore of Lake Okenagen.
* the road is made of switch-backs and is paved, but has NO shoulders and No guard rails. I can't look over that edge!
DINNER: with friends Pauline Cole and Doug Baker at the Castle Mountain B&B
- we ate delicious bbq'd salmon and veggies cooked to perfection by chef Doug.
- Pauline made a salad with Saskatoon berries. We've never eaten them before, and they are delicious!
- the company was excellent, and we had a wonderful time.
- Thank you Pauline and Doug.
Weather: cloudy, smoke haze in the valley +25C cooler
Wildlife: small things: a chipmunk, dragonflies, mosquitos, black flies, bats
Activities:
* we thanked Ruth and John for an amazing stay and visit.
Thank you to Arnannquaq ( and James) Aviana, and Naya;
Thank you to Amber ( and Cale and Josie).
* left Kelowna for Silver Star Mountain, N of Lake Okenagen and near Vernon BC. It was hot - +28C.
* saw Lake Kalamalka with unusual shades of vibrant blue water
* up the rise past Vernon, and the temperature began to drop: by the time we reached the ski village, which is elevation 1,600 metres, the temperature was a cool 17C.
* surprise! there is a two - week bagpipe camp / workshop taking place with over 350 bagpipe players up here. What a great place to practice such amazing music! It echoes off the surrounding mountains.
* surprise again! people taking their X country bicycles up the gondolas and riding down the ski trails. They wear expensive safety helmets, gladiator - looking shoulder, elbow and knee pads on top of their clothing. Some of them look like hockey players riding bikes.
* there is a stunning view of the north shore of Lake Okenagen.
* the road is made of switch-backs and is paved, but has NO shoulders and No guard rails. I can't look over that edge!
DINNER: with friends Pauline Cole and Doug Baker at the Castle Mountain B&B
- we ate delicious bbq'd salmon and veggies cooked to perfection by chef Doug.
- Pauline made a salad with Saskatoon berries. We've never eaten them before, and they are delicious!
- the company was excellent, and we had a wonderful time.
- Thank you Pauline and Doug.
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