The Saamis Teepee is quite spectacular in it's size and colour, and also with the artwork that depicts the history of the Métis and First Nations people hanging within the structure. 

There are 10 paintings in total, all depicting the history and changes the Métis and First Nations people have been through. From the signing of Treaty 7, the arrival of Europeans, their way of life, and their ceremonies.

After our stop we enjoyed a nice ride that brought us passed some beautiful homes, a new development and farm fields laden with bales of straw and the skies of blue above them. 

When I was checking out with my groceries, the cashier asked how my day was going. I went on to tell her that I was having a great day enjoying the beautiful city of Medicine Hat and it's fantastic trails. She asked me where I was from and I told her North Bay Ontario, to which she responded she was from Windsor. I asked her what brought her here and she replied her ex's family and that there wasn't much going on here.

I guess it all depends on your age and expectations in life. I think this is a wonderful city and could easily see us settling here if we were looking for a place to stay. I imagine that being retired has a lot to do with that. My cashier was young, still working and likely wanting more than what Medicine Hat has to offer. What more could one want than to live in the sunniest city in Canada and one of the most affordable places to live in Alberta?

After shopping we headed back home and had to deal with the hills again! I always walk down while Geoff rides and he has to wait for me at the bottom. While going back up the other side of the valley, I was ahead of Geoff until I had to stop as the hill was too steep. Shortly thereafter, Geoff too had to stop and I swear this was in slow motion, he stops, leans over to get off, falls off, then falls into the bush the same time his bike, full of groceries, hits the ground. I gasped while he was laughing so hard he had trouble getting back up! If only I could have gotten a picture of it! And he is the experienced cyclist! 🙈

The picture below has us at the top of the valley on the north side and the only way to get to the other side is down and then back up again. This is where it was too steep to ride up all the way!

Saturday, September 21, 2024

Well it's hard to believe that today is the first day of fall. I can honestly say that the summer has flown by and for once Geoff and I have been able to make the most of it! 

Today was a very active day for us. It started with a 6 km walk with the girls that brought us over the TransCanada Highway via a pedestrian bridge. I would like to mention here that Geoff and I had seen this bridge in our earlier explorations but had crossed it off as a possible route for us as it only has stairs to get up or down it and was not conducive for bikes. However, having now actually taken the bridge we quickly saw that it does in fact cater to bikes because there is a track for the wheels on the far side of the stairs that allows you to walk your bike. Neither one of us have ever seen this before! This city once again does not fail to impress us. 

We then walked passed the city hospital to meander our way towards the river. Once we were on the far side of the hospital, we had two deer cross right in front of us, close to a set of stairs that we were looking to take. Zoey was completely oblivious of the deer but Whiskey (always observant) saw the deer but for once didn't bark. Maybe because they weren't on TV? Just as we were going to take the stairs we saw another deer about half way up on the grass. We opted to not take the stairs in the event that we scared the deer off and separated it from the other two. 

The remainder of the walk was uneventful until we started our ascent back up to the campground and came across two of the biggest porcupines that either one of us had ever seen! We waited patiently for them to cross the road and head into the field before heading up the road. Neither Whiskey nor Zoey saw them but when we passed where they had crossed you knew that they could most definitely smell them! Unfortunately I had left my phone at home so unfortunately I have no photos 😥.

After a brief pit stop to have lunch, Geoff and I headed out on another 30km plus bike ride. I have outlined our route today in yellow and have attached it below. 

Our ride today brought us under the highway via a tunnel and through the Kin Coulee Park. The word coulee is used in the names of trails, parks and streets here in Medicine Hat so I decided to look up the meaning of the word today (which of course makes perfect sense). A coulee is a gully or a ravine that is usually dry and was cut by water action. There must have been quite a large river here at one time as the ravines are plentiful and we are constantly having to go up and down them. 

We also saw an incredible frisbee golf course that was groomed just like an actual golf course. We found the Stampede Grounds and then proceeded to get lost. Honestly I am not surprised because the trails are everywhere and it is easy to make the wrong turn unless you have the map open while you are trying to cycle. We eventually figured it out but not without a lot of backtracking and biking on roads. 

Once back at camp I made stuffed peppers for the first time and decided you should never make them when you are exhausted lol. They turned out but they were labour intensive and not a great choice after so much exercise. 😳 

There are two golf courses along the trail here. One is called the Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course and is an 18 hole executive style course while the other one is called Paradise Valley Golf Course and Golfuture Range and is an 18 hole par 3 course. I think we will take the time and play the Paradise Valley course. 

This picture was taken along the Saratoga Park Trail which was once a favoured campsite and burial ground and was used by the Métis, fur traders, buffalo hunters, whiskey traders, ranchers and early settlers travelling between the Saskatchewan River and the Missouri River.

Sunday, September 22nd, 2024

Last night was a bit chilly. You can certainly tell that fall is upon us. The sun takes a bit longer to warm the day and it gets cooler earlier now in the evenings. Having a good furnace in your RV is important and we are fortunate enough to have a few options. We have a furnace, an electric fireplace, as well as heat pumps (part of the air conditioning system). Usually the fireplace has been enough to keep us warm but we required the furnace a couple of times over the passed few nights. 

Once again we took the girls for a long walk (6 km), and I managed to get a picture of the pedestrian bridge that I wrote about yesterday. It shows the steel rail for the bike tires on the left hand side. I also took a picture from the top of the bridge looking west. Geoff was disappointed there wasn't a Webers on the other side 😂.

After lunch we headed out on our bikes to discover more trails. We came across another golf course entwined amongst a new development of some very beautiful homes. This is the third course of five that are located in or near the city. It is the Desert Blume Golf Course and is Medicine Hat's premier course. Each hole has six sets of tee boxes allowing for players of varying abilities.

We have yet to find a pool hall so I am forced to talk about golf lol!

I thought it might be interesting to throw in a few statistics about Medicine Hat. The average salary here is less than 55k per year and the average household income is 94,700 per year. The cost of housing in Alberta is the lowest compared to British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. British Columbia has the highest housing costs, $938,500 is the average, where Alberta's average is only $494,920. Another good reason to consider here if you are looking to relocate. 

We biked another 30 km and I think I am getting better at this biking thing and I am looking forward to getting in shape! 

Once we returned to camp we enjoyed an early fire and a stroll through the campground. There are less and less people here every week. 

Supper was easy tonight as we had left over stuffed peppers from the night before. We ended the evening by watching the classic movie Tombstone. It only seemed fitting to watch a western! 😳

Monday, September 23rd, 2024

We once again woke up to sunshine and blue skies. Although the air was still chilly it didn't take long to warm up. 

Since the forecast for the day was not too hot, Geoff and I decided to play a round of golf. We chose the Paradise Valley course, as it is a par 3, easy to walk and the girls wouldn't have to stay home alone for too long. We are also on a budget and this course is budget friendly and offers discounts to seniors (although I am not considered a senior yet). 

We each purchased some balls, rented clubs and walking carts and off we went! The round took us less than three hours to play although it seemed much longer! Geoff and I both hit some great shots and in the end he beat me by only two strokes. However, I still had all of my balls whereas Geoff only had two remaining (out of six).

I took lots of pictures but have only attached a few of them! After golf, we biked home, enjoyed a cold beverage while relaxing outside. Dinner was a homemade pizza cooked in our Treager. Another wonderful day of retirement 😊.

Yes, Geoff decided to shave off his beard today so I had to share a selfie! 🪒

Wednesday, September 25th, 2024

Today was a hot one, 33 feels like 34 and quite windy, which helped with the heat. We walked the girls on one of the many paths here and it was quite busy with cyclists and apparently snakes as well.

After being passed by 4 cyclists, we caught up to 3 of them stopped in the middle of the path. They warned us to keep the dogs on the path as they had just seen a rattlesnake lying on the path and it had just now moved off into the tall grass. All that Geoff and I saw of it was it's body, a good two inches in diameter and definitely the largest snake I have seen that wasn't in a zoo! Glad they scared it off before we got there. 

After dropping the girls home and having a quick lunch we headed out once again to explore some more trails. Today we ventured to Echo Dale Park, the second campground owned by the city. This trail followed along the South Saskatchewan River, with spectacular views of the bluffs on one side and endless fields of pale gold on the other. This a definite do over as the trail was so, for lack of a better word, cool!Part of the trail was an old railroad track which carried coal from the Ajax Coal Mine to Medicine Hat back in 1919. 

The Echo Dale Campground is quite small with only 10 unserviced sites, but what makes it unique are the two man made lakes. One is for kayaking or paddle boarding, as well as fishing (stocked with over 1800 rainbow trout), while the other one is for swimming. At the far end of the grounds is an old farmstead with its original buildings dating back to the same time period as the railroad.

There are several paths throughout the park including a red gravel path that wound along the river's banks. This is where I saw the second snake of the day, although this one was a simple garter snake. After touring the area we headed back to camp and enjoyed the rest of the warm day relaxing outside. 

After dinner we took the girls for our daily walk around the park where I managed to get a shot of the sunset. What a great way to end the day!

The views of the South Saskatchewan River from the top of the trail.

One of the two man made lakes. This is the boating/fishing lake.

This is the second lake, although it has been drained, and is the swimming lake. 

This picture and the one below is the bike path that was once part of the railway track.

Thursday, September 26th, 2024

Geoff tried to fix the washer today and thought he had, when he found a very grimy quarter stuck in the motorized drain pump. 

This is no small job. The closet first needed to be emptied, then the wall beside the washer had to be removed and he then had to flip the washer on it's side to be able to take the bottom off to get at the pump. This is not a standard washer either as it has a weighted bottom to keep it from moving around in the coach during the spin cycle. In other words this sucker is heavy! Once he removed the motor, he did take pictures of it in the event he needed to order one. He thought about taking the motor apart but believed the dirty quarter was the culprit. After putting the washer back together and putting everything back in it's place, we tried the washer again but unfortunately it still didn't work.

After reading about someone with similar issues, Geoff said he should have taken the pump apart and cleaned it because that is how this guy had fixed his (after he had ordered one and replaced it and took it apart for fun). So I think Geoff is going to try taking the motor apart before spending about $120 for a new one. We will keep you posted on how this works out!

So the day was spent doing laundry, and cleaning the coach. Not the most fun but had to be done. After this we took the girls for a walk then started supper while listening to the Tragically Hip's greatest hits. We have for the past three evenings been watching their documentary so listening to their music seemed almost necessary! They are one of, if not the greatest of Canadian bands. Knowing the history behind the songs makes them that much better! 

We walked the girls around the park after dinner and I once again captured the end of the day with a great picture! The sun setting on the prairies is magical and something I could never tire of! The picture below of the deer was taken tonight as well. There were 4 of them just outside the park grazing. There is no shortage of deer here!

This switch back trail is one of the many "mountain bike trails" that are part of the trail system found beside the campground.

Friday, September 27th, 2024

I started the day today with a great FaceTime with my mom and dad. To me, this is one of the best ways to keep in touch with those you love. Being able to see them when you are talking with them is almost as good as being there in person minus the hugs. I am so thankful that I get to see them! ❤️❤️

As per our usual routine, we walked the girls, came back for a quick lunch then headed out on our bikes. I am really quite surprised that I enjoy biking so much. We did another 30 km today and if it wasn't for my butt and Geoff's tailbone getting sore we could likely go another 30km (providing the batteries don't burn out first)! 

Today we decided to take the trail that runs along the north side of the South Saskatchewan River and back through the Police Point Park. Instead of sticking to the paved trail we branched off onto the crushed stone trails. It always amazes me the number of people we see when we are on the trails and how well they are maintained. The grass is always trimmed even on the most remote parts. Medicine Hat is very proud of their city and this is evident in the beautifully maintained lawns and the little to no garbage or debris to be seen. 

We continued on to the Parkview River Trail, then the Ranchlands, where we read about how the prairie native grasslands are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. The Ranchlands is a protected section of the native grasslands and is home to many species of plants and wildlife. I have attached below a view of the trails from the Police Point Park, a picture of the park sign, and four information boards describing this area as well as a couple of pictures depicting the views!

The picture below is of Geoff overlooking the coulee!

Our next trail was the Parkview Street Side Trail, linking up to the Vittera Trail and the Big Marble Go Centre. Parts of the trail were quite wide open leaving us exposed to the very strong wind gusts that the region was experiencing today. You could feel the wind pushing at you from all sides. 

After stopping at the local Coop to pick up a few groceries we headed out to find the Medicine Hat Brewing Company because we wanted to make a reservation for Saturday night and of course to try one of their many beers. I am not a huge fan of beer unless it's mixed with Clamato but I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed my choice and much to Geoff's disappointment I drank all of it.  Geoff also thinks the beer had something to do with my cycling abilities after we left the brewery because I was right behind him the whole way when I would normally be a bit more anxious about the hills! Who knows lol, maybe that is what I need before heading out all the time. 😉

Industrial Avenue IPA for Geoff on the left and a Creamsicle Ale for me! 

While out capturing deer pictures, this happened......

There were 15 vehicles in total, out for a Friday night drive, and they went right around the park and down our road. What a cool way to end the day! The last picture is an early evening view of the trails outside the park as the sun was starting to set! 

Saturday, September 28th, 2024

I have started sleeping in later and later it seems. Most of it is due to the fact that I wake up at either 2:00, 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning and then lay awake for hours. This used to really annoy me when I was working because 6:00 always came early and I normally would have just fallen back to sleep before the alarm would go off. Now I fall back to sleep and wake up at 8:30 or 9:00, which makes for a slow start for the day but with nowhere urgent to go I don't mind. Geoff always likes to sleep in so it's been working out great.

We had a busy day today. The girls had two long walks and we ventured out for a short bike ride back to Echo Dale Park. I took a few more pictures of the very interesting trail but from different angles than what I previously posted. 

We took the girls for a longer second walk as Geoff and I had our first date night since we left home. We treated ourselves to a dinner out at the Medicine Hat Brewing Company and then went to watch the local WHL team at the Co-op Place. Their arena is quite nice, has a seating capacity of 7,100 and opened in August of 2015 with a $75 million price tag to build. It became the Co-op Place after the South Country Co-op bought the naming rights. 

The Medicine Hat Tigers played well, outshot their rivals, the Red Deer Rebels 40 - 22 but unfortunately they could not pull off a win. It was fun to watch but doesn't compare to watching your home team play. Go Battalion Go! 

The trail to the left brings you down to the far side of the historic farmhouse and the one on the right brings you to the man made lake. 

This picture was taken on the way to Echo Dale.

The left beer is a Bluberry Vanilla Ale which I had and Geoff's on the right is called The Duke English Pale Ale. We ordered wings to share as an appetizer, which were really good. I ordered a Mac and cheese which was a disappointment as it was too dry but Geoff enjoyed his beef dip with fries. 

Warm up!

Sunday, September 29th, 2024

While out either walking the dogs or cycling, I really noticed how much the scenery has started to change. Up until today it still felt like summer, out in shorts and a t-shirt and normally flip flops. 

We again took a route that we have been on before but it was a bit cooler. Geoff wanted to pick up spare brake pads as the hills here cause you to brake more often than not, especially me as I don't like going too fast, however walking down the steep hills is not as hard on the brakes as riding down.

I am a bit sad tonight. While walking, we came across two large vultures pecking away at a deer carcass that wasn't there yesterday. I hope it isn't one of our family of deer that like to visit the park. Another reason is our girls had a fight, while I was getting their dinner and it really shook me up. I haven't seen them do that before. 

Tonight the weather has really turned and it is once again quite windy with a call overnight of frost. There is a family here in the park with 5 children and they are in a tent. 🥶

All in all the only good thing about tonight was our dinner. I made mushroom risotto, while Geoff grilled steaks. We also had corn on the cob and opened one of our Cypress Hill wines, a cherry wine. We now have one bottle left, a cranberry wine which we plan to have on Thanksgiving Day.

Monday, September 30th, 2024

Last night was one of the coldest nights yet. The temperature went down to 0 and I got up early to turn the furnace on, then scrambled back into bed to get warm. The high only reached about 13 degrees so it was an indoor day that involved cleaning windows and vacuuming for me, while Geoff tore the closet, and washing machine apart, again. 

I am happy to say that this time he was successful!! After taking apart the pump, which was quite nasty with grit and who knows what else, cleaning it and reinstalling it, he tested the washer by doing a short cycle and it worked. It finally did what it was supposed to do and he didn't have to manually drain it. We were both thrilled and I was impressed that he finally managed to get it working. 

Today I was happy to do my first load of laundry in the coach. I know this might sound lame but this to me was a great day because doing laundry at the park office (or any of the parks so far) has been expensive. $4.00 a load to wash and the same to dry adds up quickly. You don't truly appreciate having a washer and dryer until you don't. Thank goodness Geoff is very handy and is as knowledgeable as he is. He just saved us a lot of money.

When deciding on a coach, one of the things that should be considered is do you intend to cook and or bake? To me being able to cook is important as I enjoy doing it, especially if I have time. I also enjoy baking although I try not to bake too often because I really don't need the extra calories. Today I made chicken Parmesan and baked a dessert. It may sound simple but it involved coordinating the power supply because we only have 30 amps. The only way I could pull it off was to use our stove top, two burners powered by propane, which allowed me to use the convection/microwave oven at the same time. We have a Kuraidori induction cooktop as well but not enough amperage to use it. We also can't have the furnace running and the oven on at the same time. This is why you need to consider the type of RV you purchase as well as the sites you pick, whether it be a 15, 30, or 50 amp site. 

I am also happy to say that we saw the deer family again grazing outside the park while we walked the girls. As it was quite chilly our normal walk through the park was cut short giving the girls just enough of a walk to complete their business. I am very thankful that in a couple of weeks we will be heading south, where I can continue to wear shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops!

Tuesday, October 1st to Wednesday, October 2nd

Ever since arriving here in Medicine Hat we have seen this design on the hillside not knowing what it was.

On Tuesday, after grooming Whiskey, we decided to take a bike ride to find out the importance of this sign. This is the Medicine Hat First World War Monument and is dedicated to honour the sacrifice of all veterans and the fallen from the Great War, the 3rd Canadian Mounted Rifles C.E.F., the 175th (Medicine Hat) Battalion C.E.F., and the citizens who supported them during the war.

It is constructed of stone and brick and was designed and constructed in the 100th anniversary year of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and in the 150th year of Canadian Confederation. The name of the location it is on is the Private James Peter Robertson VC Hill. After doing some research I found the following information in an article written by "The Mad Hatter Historian" William J. Anhorn.

Private James Peter Robertson, joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) on June 14th, 1915 and was killed on November 6th, 1917. He received the Victoria Cross, accepted by his mother on May 2, 1918 in Riverside Memorial Park, here in Medicine Hat. 

An extract from "The London Gazette" No. 30471, dated 8th Jan., 1918, records the following:-"For most conspicuous bravery and outstanding devotion to duty in attack. When his platoon was held up by uncut wire and a machine gun causing many casualties, Pte. Robertson dashed to an opening on the flank, rushed the machine gun and, after a desperate struggle with the crew, killed four and then turned the gun on the remainder, who, overcome by the fierceness of his onslaught, were running towards their own lines. His gallant work enabled the platoon to advance. He inflicted many more casualties among the enemy, and then carrying the captured machine gun, he led his platoon to the final objective. He there selected an excellent position and got the gun into action, firing on the retreating enemy who by this time were quite demoralised by the fire brought to bear on them. During the consolidation Pte. Robertson's most determined use of the machine gun kept down the fire of the enemy snipers; his courage and his coolness cheered his comrades and inspired them to the finest efforts. Later, when two of our snipers were badly wounded in front of our trench, he went out and carried one of them in under a very severe fire. He was killed just as he returned with the second man." He was only 35 years old.

The monument is similar in design to one found in Calgary constructed by the 175th Battalion members. The various battalion camps were outlined or bordered with lines of whitewashed rocks as well as the roads and walkways. The rocks were gathered from a nearby riverbed as part of a training exercise. Four of the various battalions took it further by creating large numbers based on their battalion numbers, placing them on the hillside behind their camp. Hence the history behind the design.

Lest we forget.

A view of the South Saskatchewan River after visiting the monument.

This is a picture of our campground taken while at the monument. It is located amongst the trees.

I know, another deer picture. But I just wanted to share how cute they are and how big their ears are!

Before grooming and after pictures of Whiskey. 

Thursday, October 3rd, 2024

We are now in the process of getting ready for our drive south, therefore I have decided to start a new page called Heading South. I will be posting soon on our progress. 

Friday, October 4th, 2024

I had a hard time sleeping this morning so after about 15 minutes of lying awake in bed I decided to get up! I am so glad I did because I managed to get a beautiful shot of the sunrise.

Since today's forecast was once again expected to be in the mid twenties we decided to get out on our bikes and explore some more trails that we have not yet been on. This always involves us taking the girls for a long walk so they are sure to sleep while we are out exploring. The two pictures below were taken while on our walk. 

This is a communal fire pit that is open to the public aNd is located on the South side of the South Saskatchewan River.

Our route for today is the longest one yet and we covered 35 km of trails. Some of the trails we have been on before but the Strathcona Island Park Trails, on the far right (South side of South Saskatchewan River), were a first for us. The beauty and placement of these trails still amazes me. Back home we essentially have one trail, the Kate Pace way (https://northernontario.travel/northeastern-ontario/cycling-routes-around-north-bay-northern-ontario) although according to this article North Bay and surrounding area has 100s of kilometres of areas to bike, most of these are roads and not trails dedicated to cycling, walking, or running. The picture of the map below shows our route today and is outlined in yellow.

I did take many pictures today but have only attached a few of the highlights. 

After leaving the park trails we headed out to pick up some groceries and on our way there I had a bit of an accident. I have never quite done anything like this before, and I am not sure how I managed to do it, but while I was attempting to get off my bike to walk across a busy intersection, I gouged my knee on the throttle on my bike. All I can tell you is that it hurt like hell and I apparently broke the throttle as well. It's a good thing we were close to a Shopper's Drugmart because I needed to get something to clean my knee and bandage it with. Once my knee was taken care of, we then headed over to the Great Canadian Superstore. While I was grocery shopping, Geoff was attempting to figure out what was wrong with my throttle. He determined that it's going to need to be repaired and he didn't have the necessary tools on hand, so after we bought groceries we switched bikes because I use my throttle quite a bit and Geoff could manage without one. Below is a picture of my knee and it's not pretty.

This second picture was taken the next morning. I used Polysporin and kept it bandaged overnight.

While heading back to camp the winds started to pick up. When I checked the forecast we had a wind advisory of gusts expected over 100 km. While enjoying a beverage outside before it got too windy, we enjoyed a video chat with our good friends, Ralph and Tabitha, then later on had a great video chat with my sister Louise and her husband Brian. Love you guys ❤️

Our other good friends shared pictures and a couple of videos of their evening out at the Grace 2- Celebrating the Tragically Hip Concert at the Capital Centre back home. We had purchased the tickets long before we planned on leaving and gifted the tickets to them. We instead, listened to the Hips greatest hits while playing Yahtzee. The excitement never ends lol. Janet and Joe we are happy you enjoyed the concert. 💕

Our evening walk with the girls was in very high winds with dirt flying everywhere and the trees groaning under the stress. I was happy to get back inside but was not happy with how much the coach was shaking. Needless to say I didn't sleep until the wind died down which was sometime around midnight. 😳

Sunday, October 6th and Monday, October 7th

The weather here over the past couple of days has been spectacular! The last time I remember weather like this in October was several years ago when we went camping with my sister Louise and her husband Brian for the Thanksgiving long weekend. We did some four wheeling, partridge hunting and had a wonderful weekend (Bridge ,over bridge, over water).

We had the pleasure of going cycling with our neighbour across the road, Terry and his son Griffin, on Sunday and he introduced us to a couple of trails we had not taken yet. Here are a few highlights from Sunday. 

I was late getting the best shot of the sunset on Sunday night but this is still a pretty cool sky! 

For the last two nights, I have woken up at about 3:00 am, mostly because of my aching hands and the fact that they are constantly going numb. While awake, I could hear the coyotes calling to one another somewhere out in the darkness. I lay awake listening to them until they moved out of range. I wonder if I will hear them again tonight?

Geoff and I cycled over 30 km today under brilliantly blue skies and a warm breeze. Since we have covered most of the trails already we are searching out new ones whenever possible. The new trail we took today was not the prettiest we have taken but it did allow for a couple of photo opportunities. 

Before we headed back to camp we picked up a few groceries and enjoyed some homemade burgers for dinner. We took the girls for our nightly walk around the park, which is becoming quieter every day, and I once again captured the sun sinking below the horizon.

This is a picture of Gilwell Park which has a disc golf course on it. 

An old CPR engine located in the Riverside Veterans' Memorial Park.

One of several murals that can be found in downtown Medicine Hat.

Tuesday, October 8th, 2024

Today we did about 36 km on our e-bikes and I think that is a record for us. It was another beautiful sunny day with a high that reached 28 degrees. It was not too hot, but a bit windy, although the wind was warm. We both could have stayed out longer if not for our butts getting sore and our batteries running out. By the time we returned to camp Geoff had zero bars left on his battery. 

We have pretty much explored every bike path here with only a few short trails here and there. I can honestly say that I will miss this city. Although the cost to stay at Gas City Campground was pricey, our total cost for the month was $1622.88 (which included 5% GST) and included electricity, it's location was worth it. 

We had our last fire of the season, and while we were sitting by the fire shortly before heading in for the night, we could hear the coyotes, somewhere off in the fields around us, howling. To be that close to the city, a city surrounded by prairie fields that go on forever, and to hear and see the wonders of nature is pretty remarkable. I am so very thankful that we had the opportunity to see this part of our beautiful country and to be able to share it with all of you. 

The pictures below are a few of today's highlights. 

These three photos were taken on the path that circles the local college. 

The picture below shows a set of steps that bring you from the Kin Coulee park up to the college. You can see the rail track built in to allow you to use the steps with your bike. This area is also a toboggan hill and that is what the other photo shows.

Wednesday, October 9th, 2024

Today was quite a bit cooler than the last two days but we still managed to get in a 7km walk with the girls. We went over to the north side of the river and through some neighborhoods before connecting with the Northwest Riverside Trail. We have biked this trail several times but not in this direction so we saw  things that we hadn't seen before.

The picture below is a view of the river with the fall colours reflected in the water.

Our ride today was across the McCutcheon Trail then onto the Jeffries Trail. Both trails follow along the edge of the escarpment and offer spectacular views of the city. From there, we could see a lot of the other trails that we have taken. Below are a few of the highlights.

I will say that the trail coming down from the escarpment I will not do again. My hands were gripped so tightly on the handle bars and I squeezed my brakes as hard as possible. I was shaking by the time I got to the bottom. Of course, Geoff pulls up behind me and says "Good job, that was easy peasy". I had a few choice words in my head and those were not among them. 😳

After I recuperated, we went to check out St. Patrick's Church, which is a National Historic Site of Canada. I have captured pictures of the spires while on the escarpment a few times and have wanted to see it up close so today we did. The church was constructed between 1912 and 1914 and was designed by an American architect by the name of Manley N. Cutter. It is constructed of reinforced concrete and features French Gothic Revival details.https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=12913&pid=0 

From there, we crossed back over the river on the historic Finlay Bridge. The bridge was constructed in 1908 by the Canadian Bridge Company of Walkerville, Ontario. When it was constructed it was the longest steel bridge in Alberta with a 900 foot span. https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=alberta/finlaybridge/ 

After crossing this beautiful bridge, we once again took the Strathcona Island Park Trail. The fall colours are not nearly as stunning as Ontario's but are pretty in their own way. 

Before heading home we checked out another one of Medicine Hat's breweries. This one was called Hell's Basement Brewery. Geoff enjoyed the All Hops For-a-Basement, while I ordered the Vodka Seltzer Cucumber Basil which was really refreshing. 

Geoff and I found this quite interesting as I previously posted a picture of this very mural they are referencing.

After finishing our beverages we then headed to Camp Handcrafted Ice Cream. It was sooooo good. I had a fall flavour called Salted Caramel Date while Geoff tried the Island Mud Pie. https://campicecream.ca/  If possible I would like to stop there again before we leave. 💕 I would really like to try the Apple Pie!

Even though the day was not sunny and warm we still had a great time. What could be better than being retired, and exploring with your best friend and soulmate.......

Thursday, October 10th, Friday, October 11th, and Saturday, October 12th, 2024

Thursday we said goodbye to our neighbour across the road. Terry was heading to Edmonton to return his trailer back to his aunt and uncle. It was cool out so we did some work around the trailer, took the girls for a late walk, and just hung around the campground. 

Friday we biked to the Rogers store to try and get our phones figured out before we head south. What a waste of valuable retirement time. We were there for over two hours, and all they did was set me up with Fido talk and text for $25 a month, no data. When we finally left there we believed that my number had been ported over to Fido and it was getting too cold and late for us to do the shopping we had planned, as well as the stop at the brewery for our dinner. By the time we made it home I had received a text saying that the porting of my number didn't work because I didn't respond in time. (I had responded while still in the Roger's store). Also, there is a seniors US/Canada/Mexico package available for $95 a month that had 175 gb of data. I asked for this while in the store and was told that this was only for new customers and it would cost us $135 monthly. 🤬 How is that good customer service? They also couldn't cancel our second phone, we would have to do that online or over the phone? To say I was annoyed with the whole situation is an understatement.

Saturday morning the sun was shining and the skies a beautiful blue. Geoff took this picture while we were out walking the girls. It was a busy morning in the skies above us!

Once back at the coach, I got on the phone first with  Fido to check on my account and was on hold for over half an hour only to find out that they couldn't do anything and I would have to speak with Rogers. I called Rogers, waited another 15 minutes only to be transferred to another department where half way through our conversation we were cut off. Back on the phone I get and this time I was finally successful. I spoke with with someone who actually knew what they were doing. Once my phone number was successfully ported I asked to be transferred to customer service. On hold once again, another 15 minutes and after providing all my details and explaining that we just needed to cancel our second phone, we were told that if we returned it we wouldn't have to pay $369. They could just send us a return label and just send it back. Of course this wasn't going to work because we are leaving in two days. Our customer service rep then asked why we were wanting to cancel our services. After explaining everything that we have been through since Friday she got quiet on the other end until she told us that for $85 a month she could give us a US/Canada/Mexico plan that included 230 gb of data. WHAT THE ....? She wanted to know if we would be interested? Of course I had to verify this with her several times because I didn't believe it. (Why would they have stores in malls where they pay huge rent, have to staff it with employees who can't do anything (our store rep had to call support which is why we were there for over two hours), and still not satisfy their clients?) Sorry got off on a bit of a tangent there but being frustrated will do that to you. Getting back to my story, I told our rep that yes we would be interested and to please set it up. Great, we were finally getting somewhere, she was setting us up and I think she was almost done when.... we got cut off AGAIN 🤬 Because we still had to go grocery shopping and wanted to go the brewery one last time we decided enough is enough for one day and we would try again tomorrow. 

Geoff tried their newest brew, Hazy Hatter EPA while I enjoyed the Blueberry Vanilla Ale again. These beverages were well deserved I think!🤔 Geoff and I both agreed that if we were to live here this would be a regular spot for us!

Sunday, October 13th, 2024

Our last day in Medicine Hat has finally come. Hard to believe how quickly time has flown by and how much we have truly come to love this city. Once again, the weather was sunny and warm. Between packing up and preparing our thanksgiving dinner we took one last bike ride out to Echo Dale Park and back. It was a great break from our chores and we enjoyed ourselves. I will note here that my front brake pad on my bike (Geoff's former bike) now needs to be replaced as by the time we got back to camp it was completely worn out. Very happy that I made it back safely as it was all down hill.  😳

Before continuing on with our tasks we took some time out to video chat with my family. It was wonderful to see them even though it was from afar. Mom and dad are currently visiting with Louise and Brian so we got to talk with everyone at the same time. Love you guys. ❤️❤️

Our dinner consisted of a turkey breast that I cooked in our convection oven, mashed potatoes, maple glazed carrots, stuffing, gravy and cranberries. We had our last bottle of honey wine that we had purchased at the Prairie Bee Meadery called Cranberry Cheer and it paired beautifully with our dinner. I had been saving it for today! For dessert I had purchased two tiny pumpkin pies and made fresh whipped cream to go with them. Geoff said everything was delicious and I agreed with him. It really is amazing what you can accomplish with limited resources. 

The day before, we purchased most of our groceries for dinner at the local Co-Op. We had done a lot of our grocery shopping there as it was conveniently located and the store is quite nice with great service. Since Geoff and I were on our bikes and Saturday was quite cool out we were dressed warmly in our SkiDoo sweaters that were gifted to us by our great friends Lise and Marshall many moons ago. My reason for bringing them up is because you never know the conversations you could have simply because of what you are wearing. 

While checking out with our cashier, she saw our sweaters and mentioned how much she missed snowmobiling. She told us she was from Northern Ontario and used to snowmobile there regularly. We told her that we were from Ontario as well and asked her where she had lived. Yes, to our surprise she said North Bay! Her husband was from Temiscaming and they raised their children in North Bay. What a small world and a nice conversation we had with her and all thanks to our sweaters. Thanks Lise and Marshall for the wonderful gifts.

As the sun sets on the final page of the chapter called Medicine Hat, Geoff and I reflected on how much we will miss our stay here and how fortunate we were to experience everything the city had to offer. Spectacular views, beautiful weather and most of all the best biking trails you will find anywhere. We have so much to be thankful for. For those of you who have been following along we thank you so much and hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all and we will see you in the next chapter! ❤️