We are nearing the end of our westbound travels and the halfway point to the drive. Some how it seems longer than we remember it. Perhaps it is that we were younger when we last mode this trip, 14 years younger. We have been in Vancouver more recently but travelled by air. There is something special about road trips. We talk to almost everyone, some local and some travellers, like us. We met a man in the hotel elevator this morning whose job is to count mountain sheep. Yes that is a thing.
Continue Reading →Month: September 2022
First look at the Rockies
This was to be a short day with lots of stops so I decided to make the fuel stop this morning rather than last night. Well I apologize for the nasty things I have said about Burlington traffic (some of them anyway). Calgary traffic is INSANE! The fuel stop was about 800 metres from the hotel and it took 45 minutes to get back. The only good news was the $1.36 per litre price. After a leisurely breakfast and an appropriate time for the traffic to calm, we started west again.
Our first coffee stop was the once sleepy little town of Canmore. Let me assure you it is no longer sleepy or little. It is still pretty and clearly a popular tourist destination. There is considerable new construction and I’m betting a million dollars won’t buy you much in this town. There is less and less building space in the town so new construction is increasing upon the north side of Highway #1.
Continue Reading →Across the Prairies to Calgary
As we travel across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta the terrain changes from scrub forrest to flatland to rolling hills. Grain farms dominate the flatlands which, moving westward, transforms into cattle ranches. Oil rigs and pumps become visible in western Saskatchewan and common in Alberta. Wind farms are sprinkled across terrain and several solar collection systems become evident.
Continue Reading →Winnipeg and beyond
Saturday was a nice day of rest. We spent much of the day with my cousin Myrna and her daughter Tannnis then shopped for supplies to make lunches until we reach the west coast. We even found some Rogers Golden Syrup, a childhood treat for which my Dad is to blame. Then we managed a bit of rest at the hotel. On July 20, 1959. on the steps of the Legislature Building, Myrna was presented with her girl Guide “Gold Cord” honour by none other than Queen Elizabeth. We have the photo to prove it. Click through to the web page to see it.
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