Tuesday August 13th, 2024

The day started off with the sound of loons calling to each other somewhere off in the near distance on Lake Superior. We spent the night at Hogan's Homestead, one of Canada's top maple syrup producers. They tap 27,000 trees and have close to 400 acres. We were the only ones on the property and enjoyed a very quiet and peaceful night.

The next morning we were up early and excited to get on the road. This is the furthest west that Geoff and I have been and we knew that the Lake Superior Lake tour was going to be spectacular! After a quick stop in the gift shop and a purchase of maple syrup we hit the road. 

Our first stop was at the Alona Scenic Lookout and the views were beautiful! The girls had a chance to stretch their legs, we took a few pictures and had a chat with some other travellers then headed back on the road.

Next up was the Agawa Rock Pictographs. Very neat spot but the trail was pretty rugged. Geoff and I made it to the bottom and again the views were stunning. Back at the coach we enjoyed a quick lunch then took the girls for a walk. Zoey enjoyed a swim in the lake while Whiskey frolicked beside her.

This is when the day went from wonderful to horrible! 60 km outside of Wawa with zero cell service we lost all the air from our brakes and were forced (by the emergency brakes on the coach) to pull over to the shoulder and we barely made it over. We had to use the SOS feature on our phones. An OPP cruiser spent the afternoon with us while we waited for a tow truck from Sault Saint Marie to arrive. Several hours later the tow truck arrived and the driver managed to clamp the brake lines so that we could move and hobble into Wawa with a VIP escort. A police cruiser, tow truck and an SUV that the company sent in the event our family needed transportation, all followed us with lights flashing and 4 ways blinking. I am sure the line up of cars stuck behind us were not impressed!

Geoff and I cannot thank the OPP and Superior Tow company enough for getting us off the highway. Sitting barely off the highway with transports flying past us nonstop was very stressful. We sat for a good two hours before anyone showed up. Having a police car sitting behind us the remainder of the time was very comforting. 

Geoff and I neglected to purchase roadside assistance before heading out. We thought that we could wait thinking nothing would happen to us. To all of you would be travellers do not hit the road without it. We will be learning the hard way and expensive way. We don't know how much this lesson is going to cost us but hopefully we can share our mistakes so that you won't make the same mistakes! 

 

Thursday, August 15th, 2024

Yesterday was a long day for us which is why I didn't write a post. We started behind Superior Truck Wawa, where we had to spend the night after arriving there with a police escort and tow truck following behind. The night was uneventful and we need to thank Superior Truck for allowing us to plug in! We were up bright and early and ready for service by 8:00 am. 8:00 am came and went with no one appearing from inside. It wasn't until 10:30 that someone came out and talked to us. The mechanic advised it would be an easy fix and by 12:30 and much poorer in the pocket we were able to hit the road again. 

The drive from Wawa to Thunder Bay is a beautiful drive full of twists and turns and magnificent views. I, however, did not enjoy the drive. I was on pins and needles the whole way waiting for something to happen. I am sure that Geoff had had enough of me by the time we stopped just south east of Thunder Bay in Dorion at the Co-Op. Our original plan was to stay in Slate River at a Harvest Host location we had reserved but I had to cancel it as we were both too tired. We were lucky enough to book something else through Harvest Hosts at the last minute in Dorion. We had a great nights sleep and were on the road bright and early. 

Today we were in Thunder Bay by 8:30 and found a dumping station to empty our tanks and load up with fresh water. A huge shout out to the city of Thunder Bay as the dumping station was FREE, conveniently located and very well maintained. The park surrounding it was quite lovely as well. 

Our next stop was a grocery store to pick up a few necessities and we were once again on the road. Thunder Bay to Dryden is pretty unremarkable and the highway had its extremely bumpy parts but it was mostly straight and flat which made a huge difference in our fuel consumption and much less stressful on my nerves! 😳

I find it incredible that we have travelled close to 1400 km and are still within the province of Ontario. Geoff says that we could have been in Florida or close to it by now! 

Tonight will be our first night in a Walmart parking lot! Not the most ideal location but free is free! 

The pictures of the bridge below are of the Nipigon River bridge and is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. The construction of this 106 million dollar bridge commenced in 2013 and was completed in 2018! The first of its kind in Canada!🇨🇦 

 

Crossed our first time zone today and thought it was a good time for a photo op and lunch!

Saturday, August 17th, 2024

Today marks a full week for us on the road! In total so far, we have travelled 1802 kilometres. To me it feels a lot more than that

We started our day at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach. I went in to purchase our tickets while Geoff stayed in the coach with the girls. Johann at the reception desk was fantastic. I also had the pleasure of talking with her husband (Rick, forgive me Johann if I got his name wrong) about our travels and how they would like to do the same thing. Johann was very knowledgeable and provided excellent service. 

We spent several hours touring the village and were impressed with how well maintained everything was. They have a great set of volunteers that keep the village in pristine condition. I would recommend this stop to anyone who finds themselves in the area. 

Mennonites first started immigrating to Canada around 1874 from Russia. Their first homes were crude buildings made of sod, soil, grass and wood and were called Semlins. Oak logs were then used to build log homes, a vast improvement from the Semlin. 

Several buildings were moved to this historical village from various small communities around Steinbach, such as Blumenhof, Winkler, Mitchell, and Hochfeld. 

The Mennonite community had it's own orchard, vegetable gardens, sawmill, churches, windmills, and schools, as well as a general store. 

Pictured below are a few photos that I took while touring the 40 acre property. 

This is a picture of a cab sleigh used for transportation in the winter! These were hand made and therefore each sleigh was unique. To keep it warm a small wood stove contained a fire that was stoked throughout the journey. 

There is also a large building containing a collection of old farm vehicles as well as a separate building containing old tractors! Of particular interest was an old steam tractor that brought back memories for Geoff! Geoff will provide a brief post about this tomorrow. We have had a request for Geoff to do some writing as well (by John) and we aim to please lol!

As it is quite late I will finish today's story tomorrow.  There is still lots to tell! Good night all!

Sunday, August 18th, 2024

Good morning! This part is coming from Geoff as it relates to the picture below of a steam tractor.

A steam tractor is a tractor powered by a steam engine which is used for pulling and various other purposes. As soon as I saw this tractor it brought me back to when my Aunt Mavis and Uncle Jack (Milton, On) would bring us to the Milton Steam Era Show. I can still remember the excitement of going and experiencing the smell of wood and coal burning, the sounds of the engines chugging and of course the food. There would be at least a dozen of these tractors all showing the different jobs they could do to chopping wood, milling wood, tilling fields and of course pulling. What a great memory!

Once we completed our tour of the village we carried on heading west. Manitoba is beautiful with it's farmlands stretching out as far as the eye can see. Everything is either green or the pale yellow colour of wheat. Every piece of earth is utilized including the medium between the highways! The day was sunny but hazy due to the wildfires to the north and west. When we looked off into the horizon we could see the smoke spreading out across the sky. 

The scenery might be beautiful but the highways are a completely different story. Unless you are on the main highway heading west (Hwy 1) be prepared for a bumpy ride, a very bumpy ride. Once again I thought our coach was going to come apart at the seams and at one point we hit a bump that was so bad we had to pull over and close the generator hatch on the front of the RV. I am pretty sure that we were well below the speed limit for the better part of the day. The only good thing about that is the fact that you can drive for hours and see only one or two cars and they have no problem passing. 

Another interesting thing about the highways here in Manitoba is the speed limit. Every highway, regardless of how bad in shape it is, has a limit of 100 km/hr. I can only imagine the repair costs. 😳

My second lesson learned so far, is to make sure you check the website of any interesting place you would like to see. I wanted to go to the Discovery Nature Sanctuary in Winkler, drove down some of the worst highways to get there only to find out that they don't allow dogs. I discovered this while sitting in the Walmart parking lot having lunch. I did however manage to get us a bag of assorted candy from the Bulk Barn for the road! 😂

After that fiasco we decided to head straight to our next Harvest Host location in Pilot Mound, Wooden Gate Cider Company. What a wonderful place! Geoff and I spent a few hours enjoying a cider tasting and tour of the facility. Our host Pam was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Herself and husband Clint run the company themselves and in seven short years have made a name for themselves in the cider industry. We bought three bottles and enjoyed one with our dinner. 

Now comes the bad news. Upon our arrival here, our generator wouldn't start and our house batteries were not charging so we were completely without power. Geoff went through everything he could think of and when Clint came back from harvesting apples in a near by orchard, he too tried his hand at attempting to fix our problem but to no avail. He was generous enough to allow us to plug in for the evening to which we are very grateful. So it would appear that we will be stuck here for the day until we can hopefully get into a repair shop first thing Monday morning. I will be canceling our next stop which was going to be Weyburn Saskatchewan and likely the one after that as well as we have no idea how long we will be "stuck" here. If we have to drink more cider then so be it!!! 😊

Sunday, August 18th to Tuesday, August 20th, 2024

After considering our options and deciding it would be best to be closer to a service centre, Geoff and I packed up the coach and left for Brandon, Manitoba. We purchased one more bottle of cider, thanked Clint for his and Pam's wonderful hospitality and hit the road. 

Once again the roads were horrendous and that is being generous. The speed limit of 100 km/hr is a joke. The best we could do was between 60 and 70 and even then we rattled the whole way. At one point Geoff hit the gravel on the shoulder of the road and I thought I was going to lose it. To say I was stressed is putting it mildly. I actually started crying and thought if this is how it's going to be our whole trip "I want to go home". Being in a 40 foot motor coach is a far cry from our Tiguan and I would much rather experience those roads in an SUV. However, having said all that we arrived at our destination, Meadowlark RV Park without any further issue. We settled in for the night to await a call from Pik-A-Dilly RV Centre.

Monday morning sometime around 9:30 they contacted us, Geoff gave them a breakdown about what he thinks might be the problem and they booked us in for Tuesday morning. Geoff decided he wasn't all that comfortable with their knowledge and so decided we needed to head out on our bikes and stop in at a a service station for transports! We only went to one and he came out with an appointment for Wednesday morning  He was impressed with the way the service manager handled his inquiries and feels confident that they will be able to help us. As I sit here typing this blog the sounds from the service centre are quite loud from the air guns that are going nonstop. This centre also looks to be new and state of the art! Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly tomorrow! 

We spent a pleasant bike ride back to Meadowlark with a quick stop at McDonald's (just down the road from us) and each enjoyed a smartie McFlurry.

It is wonderful to be off the road for a couple of days and the girls are definitely enjoying it. We walk them twice a day and are working on their training to not bark or react to other people or dogs. Perhaps we will have them ready for when we get to Texas!

Later that afternoon, Geoff went for a quick bike ride without me and discovered a 9 hole golf course less than a kilometre away from the park! We are going to check it out tomorrow!

Tuesday dawned with the promise to be another warm and sunny day. We both slept in and enjoyed a lazy morning. We had turned the a/c on after cooking dinner last night in what could only be described as a sauna inside the coach. Geoff actually asked me when we sat down to dinner if I had splashed water on my face or if it was sweat, it wasn't water! So this morning it was cool inside and we have been running the a/c all day. We took the girls for a long walk, put them in the coach to nap while we went out again on our bikes. We are now enjoying a cool beverage and relaxing over the never ending sound of traffic from Transcanada Highway 1.

Wednesday August 21st. 2024

After spending over 4 hours at Inland, we are once again poorer in the pocket with only a new chassis battery. They unfortunately were not able to figure out what is going on with our coach. (sigh)

We left there feeling defeated and headed to the nearest grocery store (Safeway) to pick up a few groceries then back to Meadowlark. We both asked ourselves what next? Geoff decided that more research was required. 

After lunch, we took the girls for a walk and then we headed out on our bikes! Let me tell you that taking e-bikes down Manitoba dirt roads is hazardous! I have never been hit by more grasshoppers in my life! My head, chest, legs, arms and face felt the onslaught. They are everywhere out here and I am thinking full armour is the way to go! Like maybe a goalie mask, chest protector, goalie pads!  I can't imagine riding a motorcycle and being hit by them. 😳

Once back at camp while enjoying a beverage another Monaco came in and Geoff took a walk over and asked the owner (Arnie) if he might know a thing or two about our issues. He wasn't able to help but provided us with his business card and email address and said he would be home tomorrow and if we email him he will provide us with the information of someone who works on his coach. Arnie is from Regina, as is his mechanic. 

We now have to decide if we are going to continue to try and figure this out on our own like two blind mice or head to Regina!

Thursday, August 22nd, 2024

I awoke early to the sound of a thunderstorm somewhere in the distance and lay there listening to it as it travelled by. Once up with coffee in hand we both went into research mode. Geoff on his IPad and phone and me going over the USB stick that came with the coach. 

The possibilities of what could be wrong are endless. I think it is beyond our capabilities. I have asked Geoff to make a decision. I need to know if we are going to Regina because I will need to find a park to stay at. We only have our current location reserved for two more nights. 

The girls, including me, were getting restless so I tore Geoff away from his research to go for a walk. After we put the girls inside the coach we went for another bike ride! This time we headed into Brandon and found a bike path that took us along the Assiniboine River. We got to see a large beautiful hawk and scared a deer hidden among the long grasses right beside the path. Good thing it didn't jump onto the path, as Geoff and it would have collided for sure. Brandon is quite a lovely city and depending on what we decide, bears further discovery. Geoff determined that we did about 20 kms today. Easy peasy with our e-bikes!

Back at camp, we were sitting outside enjoying what I am sure you are able to establish by now, a beverage, when I spotted a white van pull in with big lettering on the side, DoctorRV. I told Geoff and no sooner he was off in search of the van. As I sit here updating our blog the good RV doc is working on our coach! It's currently 8:30 and the sun is starting to set. I don't think he will get it fixed tonight so I think he will be back tomorrow if he has time! To be continued .......

Friday, August 23, 2024

Our day started early! Geoff was anxious to get started on the coach again, which was still not fixed. His goal was to check the wiring from the generator to the back of the coach where the batteries and electrical feed system are located. He took the top, back and side panel off of the generator  checked all the connections then crawled underneath to follow the wires. He worked tirelessly and tried everything he could think of. I tried to assist him as much as I could without being in his way. I also took the time to extend our stay here until next Saturday. 

By the time he finished what he had set out to do it was about 2:00 and we still hadn't stopped for lunch. At that point things went from bad to worse! Geoff wanted to see if he could start the generator from inside the coach and not only would the generator not start but we lost all power in the coach as well. At this point my heart sank and I could tell from Geoff's face he was going through something similar. I ate my lunch in silence and had to force Geoff to take a step back for a minute to eat his lunch before it got cold (left over chicken fajitas). 

After lunch we needed to get away from our money pit, and take a breather so we took the girls for a walk. The break didn't do much to assuage our anxiety but the girls were happy. We returned and were just about to sit down to enjoy a beverage when a Commercial and Residential Electrical van drove by. We have seen it drive by just about every day as the driver lives just down the road. I could tell Geoff was desperate for help as he followed the van right to the guys house! The guy agreed to come help so he turned his van around and followed Geoff to the coach. Unfortunately he was not able to find the problem either. At this point I had given up hope of ever getting it fixed and would happily sell it but who wants a motorhome that doesn't work. I provided Geoff with a Good Sam toll free number for RV technicians that is included with our road side assistance. He was reluctant to call but was running out of options. The technician suggested that we try removing the solenoid between the chassis batteries and house batteries so that we could get a part number to order a new one. At this point we were willing to try anything. The technician said if that doesn't work out then call him back.

Since I hadn't taken anything out for dinner we decided to order a pizza from Pizza Hut. While waiting for it to be delivered I saw that I had missed a call from our good friends Ralph and Tabitha so I called them back. Friday nights we always got together either for dinner then pool or just for pool. Before we left home we agreed that we would continue our Friday night date nights by video chatting.  

While on the phone with them the RV Doctor stopped by to see if we had had any luck. Geoff told him that things were worse. He and Geoff went over what happened while trying to start the generator, and went over the connections again and discussed removing the solenoid. While in that compartment Geoff happened to have touched a wire that he and the RV doctor were trying to decide if it was a ground wire or if it served some other purpose. When he touched the wire all the lights came back on. After inspecting it further it turns out that where the wire crimps into the connector it was loose. It was a very insignificant wire as it only led into a battery maintainer. The RV doctor recrimped it and presto we were back in business. One insignificant little wire was the cause of all our problems. Just to be sure, Geoff tried to start the generator and it started without any problem. 

I was still on the video call with Ralph and Tabitha when this happened and I had to give the phone to Geoff because I was so overcome with emotion that I started crying. Everything that had happened since we left home, to getting stuck on the side of the highway, to losing power, to the generator not starting, and to all the money we had spent had been building inside of me and the relief that it was actually fixed just hit me. I think I even had Tabitha crying. 

The day hadn't started off so well but it sure ended on a high! I can honestly say that I have never experienced that strong of an emotion before. I will remember it forever. 

Saturday, August 24th, 2024

Wow did we ever sleep good last night! We actually didn't get out of bed until sometime around 9:30. We enjoyed a slow morning, drinking coffee and not worrying about what to do next with the coach. 

After our slow start to the day we took the girls for a long walk, about 4 km and then decided to go for a bike ride. I had done a little research on bike paths in the area and found one that circles Brandon, called the City Loop Trail. It is a 20 km trail that takes you both around the outskirts of the city as well as through the city. We spent a very enjoyable afternoon exploring the trail and once done, we picked up a few groceries, a case of beverages (Coors Light) and headed home. Geoff barbecued a whole chicken in his Tailgater, I made a pasta salad and we enjoyed a stress free evening! 👯‍♂️

Wednesday, August 28th, 2024

For the past couple of days, Geoff and I have been enjoying the Manitoba sunshine, taking the girls for a walk and the occasional bike ride.I have read a few books while Geoff has puttered about doing a few odd jobs on the coach.

Today though was our first time going to get groceries on our bikes! To get to the Real Canadian Superstore we had to go about 8km one way. We were able to take the bike path for a good part of the way and then a few side streets. One of these streets brought us right past a bike store where we bought a mirror for me. Across the street was a German Deli/butcher where we bought some rancher sausages and chorizo sausages. The bike store was kind enough to install my mirror for us which gave us the time to shop at the deli.

One of the side streets that we took was named Louise Avenue, to which I had to stop and take a picture to send to my sister Louise. Shortly after we arrived at the grocery store. I shopped while Geoff stayed with the bikes. Apparently he gets a lot of attention (or maybe it’s the bikes) while waiting for me!  Half an hour later I emerge with two baskets packed with supplies. We managed to get everything packed into the  hard cooler, saddlebags, soft cooler bag and a backpack with room to spare.

I found it a little more challenging to ride today with a cooler strapped on the rack behind me. I am not the most athletic person, and to be honest my balance sucks. Geoff is pushing me outside my comfort zone and I know in time I will improve but right now I am nervous every time we are on city streets and having to deal with traffic! He says I am doing great but my heart doesn’t stop racing until we are safely home again. With a cooler packed behind me and the extra weight I definitely felt the difference. I know I must slow him down but he always waits for me and never complains.

Once back at camp, we unpacked the groceries and I proceeded to make dinner. This is the first time that I used our convection/microwave to cook a meal in. When living in a motorhome you always need to be cognisant of the amount of power you are using, so that you are not blowing your power source.  The convection oven only used 17 amps (400  degrees) so we were okay.  If the air conditioning had of been on I likely would have had to shut it off first. All in all, supper was great (curried chicken legs with basmati rice) and I only made one mess while cooking. In trying to get the coconut milk out of the can, I smacked the bottom of the can because nothing was coming out until it did, all at once, into the frying pan I was using and that resulted in my sauce going everywhere! Backsplash, all over the cooktop and on the floor. Good thing the girls, especially Zoey, were outside with Geoff otherwise they would’ve been covered. 

We have two more full days here in Brandon and then we are on the road again. Maybe tomorrow we can get a quick round of golf in then visit a local brewing company or visit the airplane museum just up the highway…….. we shall see. 

This is hwy 634

Sunday, September 1st, 2024

The prairies truly are beautiful. As we continued our journey west, we could see for miles. Farm, after farm. Some have already been harvested while others, the majority have yet to be touched. 

I really need to take a moment and give my appreciation to the farmers that provide our country with the abundance of food that we enjoy. The work involved in planting, maintaining and harvesting the hundreds of thousands of acres is staggering. They are completely dependent upon the weather, and at harvest time, the markets and the price they can fetch for their crops. Crops can only be harvested if the weather conditions are favourable and only when the moisture levels of the crops are within an acceptable range. If they wait too long the value of their crops decreases significantly and what the crop can then be used for also changes. They work from sun up to sun down and sometimes through the night all in an effort to get the crops harvested on time. It gives me a far better appreciation of the food I eat!

Part of our drive today consisted of travelling past Chaplin Lake. Chaplin Lake is a salt lake and is a very important region for migratory and nesting birds It has been designated as Western Canada's first hemispheric shorebird reserve. Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Some of the species of birds that call this lake home are the endangered piping plover. About 30 species of shorebirds – including sanderlings, stilt sandpipers, and semi-palmated sandpipers – use Chaplin Lake to nest or as a stopover site each summer. Below are a few pictures that I managed to take as we drove by. 

Our destination for today was Cypress Hills Winery, in Maple Creek Saskatchewan. We did a quick tour of Maple Creek before arriving at our destination.

The winery is located on the top of a hill overlooking the prairies and provided an unobstructed view of the sunset as well as another opportunity to enjoy some wonderful wine and food. Today we met a fellow traveller from South Carolina by the name of Brad. We shared a table and stories of our travels. We traded our contact information and he was kind enough to invite us to visit him should we find ourselves in the Carolinas. We may just take you up on that offer Brad!

We ended our day watching the sun sink below the horizon in a blazing show of yellow, blue and orange! 
 
Sidenote. Geoff believes we need a temperature sensor for the generator and we will likely be ordering one as soon as possible as we are still unable to use it unless it gets quite cool out. 

Monday, September 2nd, 2024

Geoff and I were up early and eager to hit the road. Today there was no wind and great day for driving. Our first stop was in Medicine Hat Alberta. Well technically our second stop as we did leave the highway briefly to take a picture at the Welcome to Alberta rest area. It was a quick stop. 

Medicine Hat is a wonderful city. One I wish we could have stayed longer at. We may just head back that way before we go south for the winter. We needed to restock our supplies so we found another Real Canadian Super Store to use up our points. If you do not collect points, especially Optimum points, you really are missing out. Today I purchased over $180 worth of groceries and paid less than $15, just by using our PC World Elite Mastercard to buy almost everything from gas, camping sights, ice cream cones and so much more. When you are on a budget this is a great help. 

After the groceries were packed away we pulled over to a different spot in the parking lot that was adjacent to a bike path with mature trees that provided us with much needed shade as we enjoyed lunch and a short walk with the girls. Before getting back on the road we had a chat with one of our best friends Marshall as he was heading to Toronto. It was great to hear from you Marsh!

Geoff also took a moment to email my sister Louise to provide her with our What Three Words" location. While visiting Brian and Louise this summer they told us about this app that can pinpoint your location within 3 meters. Each location is given a unique set of 3 words, and no 3 words are repeated together. Our lunch stop was "Lenses, Untroubled Spying" Look it up and you will know exactly where we were! Also look up your location and message me your 3 words! It's pretty cool!

On our way out of Medicine Hat I was lucky enough to get this photo. 

The Saamis Teepee is a tribute to Indigenous history in Canada. It was originally constructed for the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988. It was purchased in the hopes to give the city a landmark with some allure. It took one week to reconstruct it in its current location back in 1991. 

Below the Saamis Tepee in scenic Seven Persons coulee lays the Saamis Archaeological Site, one of the most important archaeological sites of the Northern Plains. The area was once a buffalo camp and meat processing site, and experts believe over 83 million artifacts are buried at the site. The main masts of the tepee measure 215 feet (the same as a 20 story building!) and the diameter is 160 feet, with a foundation weight of 800 metric tons. This information is extracted from the Medicine Hat website.

Today I would like to give a shout out to John and Laurie! Before we left home they gave us a recommendation for an audiobook which we have now been listening to for the past two days. "My Effin' Life" by Geddy Lee. It sure makes the drive more interesting and helps keep me more relaxed. Geoff had always been a huge RUSH fan and is thoroughly enjoying listening to his/their story. Infact ,he requested that we listen to it some more tonight and when we turned it off he then wanted to listen to Working Man. Thanks guys!!

We are now currently in Drumheller for the week and will be sure to fill you in on our explorations. Below are a few more pics from today with the last one showing the unique terrain found here.

Our what three words for here are: Salutes.Freebies.Scoreboard" Please feel free to message or Facebook me where exactly you think we are! 😉

Good night all and pleasant dreams.

Wednesday, September 4th, 2024

Well we have been in Drumheller now since Monday and have been taking it easy and settling in. The park itself is very nice and is pretty quiet especially since the kids are back in school. It feels like an adults only park!

Yesterday was laundry day and I mean that quite literally. The facilities are very expensive. $4 for a load of laundry and .25 cents for 3 minutes in the dryer. The sign above the machines say to not overload the machines. Seriously? If I could have fit everything in one machine trust me, I would have jammed it all in one. How do they expect people to NOT overload them? So since drying our clothes in their machines was out of the question, I decided to use our dryer in the coach. It doesn't hold much but since we are already paying for a full service site I didn't care. 

We also had our first camp fire since hitting the road and yes the wood is crazy expensive. $12 for 8 pieces of wood. We used 4 last night and will finish the bag tonight, another 4 whole pieces. Going forward, we will use our gas fire pit! 

Today while I vacuumed and prepared dinner, Geoff went on an exploratory bike ride to see what's around and if he thinks I will be okay going down the highway. I guess Highway 838 is not very busy, Geoff said he saw two cars the whole time he was out so I think I can handle it. We will go to the dinosaur museum and hit a couple of bike paths. I am looking forward to it. 

The first picture below is of a buck that walked behind our coach this morning. Unfortunately I couldn't get a better picture. I have also included a picture of the wasps we have been collecting! This picture is after a couple of hours. By the end of the day the catchers could not hold any more and Geoff had to shoo them away. He told them he would have more room for them tomorrow! 😂The other ones are of Geoff's ride today and our views when we take the girls to the fenced in play area.  The very last one is our lot with our fire! 

Friday, September 6th, 2024

Our last two days have been busy exploring Drumheller. Yesterday after a short bike ride we visited the Royal Tyrell Museum and it was amazing! I have never seen so many dinosaur fossils. Not only was this museum very informative but it was also very well laid out.

It's hard to imagine that these magnificent creatures walked this earth, and in particular this part of the world, in the huge numbers discovered by the researchers here at the museum and around the world. Alberta has discovered between 60 and 70 different types of dinosaurs, which 58 of those species and 350 good skeletons, were found in Dinosaur Provincial Park a UNESCO World Heritage Site.(World Heritage is the designation for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy)(https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=what%20is%20a%20unesco%20world%20heritage%20site%20and%20what%20is%20the%20purpose%20of%20this%20recognition&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5

Research has found that there were hundreds of millions of animals that lived during the dinosaur era which means there are still millions of fossils that have yet to be discovered. 

Today since the weather was so beautiful we went on a 25 km bike ride to Drumheller on their bike path trails. The hoodoos and bad lands of Alberta are like nothing I have ever seen before. Where the prairies are flat and golden the badlands are sparse yet mysterious. They remind me of old western movies and while sitting out at the campfire at night you can almost imagine what is was like to be a cowboy (or cowgirl 😉). Just up highway 838 and a short distance from where we are staying is Horsethief Canyon. The name was given to this area because of the illegal horse trade network during the previous century. Horses were smuggled illegally between Canada and the USA and allegedly hidden in this canyon. 

What an interesting part of our country! 

Below are a few pictures of the highlights of the museum and our bike trip from today. Hope you enjoy them.

Sunday, September 8th, 2024

Gobsmacked

I don’t normally name my blogs but today was particularly noteworthy. We left Drumheller shortly after 10:30 this morning. It was a beautiful day for a drive and we were excited to get to Calgary to catch up with a couple that we met over 15 years ago! All was going great until our first big corner, then the fridge doors flew open and you could hear glass clinking.  We had to pull over at the first spot we came upon, put the rods in place, then the lock for the doors. We were fortunate that nothing was broken. Shortly after that the pantry door and sliding shelf came out (good grief, those were my responsibilities ), which I took care of on the move. Before we leave Mount Kidd, we will have a checklist in place. This had already been discussed with Janet and Joe before we left.  You would think we would have one in place already. 😳 RV Life Lesson

The remainder of our drive into Calgary was filled with the voice of Geddy Lee as we continued to listen to his book “My Effin Life”, which is really quite a good story. After being in the badlands for the week, it was nice to see some golden fields again.

We stopped at a Real Canadian Superstore, which had a few restaurants in the same plaza and caught up with some old friends, Denise and Mario. It was wonderful to see them after 15 years. Facebook is good but in person is so much better! Time flew by talking about what each of us has been up to over the years and before we knew it, it was time for us to go. We took a few pictures, hugged and said our goodbyes. After a quick grocery run, we continued west. Before we even left highway 201, you could see the mountains, for the first time, off in the distance.

We stopped for fuel, had a couple of ladies take their pictures with our coach. and we were off to find some mountains, and boy did we find some mountains.

The drive down highway 40 was probably the most spectacular drive I have ever been on. Pictures just cannot do it justice. Geoff and I were truly both Gobsmacked. You drive between the mountains and forests, and there’s lakes and rivers, and you just can’t take it all in at once.

By the time we pulled into Mount Kidd RV Park, the office was closed, but I did manage to speak with one of the staff, who was very helpful. Geoff and I settled in, then set up our chairs and enjoyed a beverage. Even the smell of the pine trees is incredible, not to mention the absolute peacefulness now that the sun has set. It’s heaven.

Monday, September 9th, 2024

Today we walked the girls around the park and did some exploring then stopped in at the office to pick up a bag of wood for a fire tonight.

After we ensured the girls were comfortable inside the coach we headed out on our bikes to take in more of the park and explore some nearby trails. I have never been on a more spectacular bike trail than the one we were on today. I tried to take some great pictures but they just don't depict what we actually experienced. The trail pretty much followed along highway 40, took us passed the Kananaskis Golf Club and then into the Kananaskis Village. In total I think we biked about 26 km. I only hope the weather will be better than what they have forecasted so we can explore more. 

I was nervous about going out as there have been bear sightings in our area as well as a naked man running through our park which brought in the RCMP to investigate. If we see him we are to call 911! Imagine! 

We did not see any bears but did see a lot of other cyclists enjoying the trails. I have included pictures of the highlights of today's journey. We enjoyed some switchbacks heading into the village, crossed the Kananaskis River a few times, and went through a beautiful stretch of pine forest. I hope you enjoy the pictures. ❤️

This a picture of the bike trail, completely paved and extremely well maintained. 

This is our view heading back to our campsite.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

The weather here for the past couple of days has been cool, cloudy, and rainy. 

Yesterday we only managed to get in a short bike ride to Wedge Pond, just a few kilometres from our park. It was a very chilly ride and we knew it was cold based on the fact that we could see our breath, and by how cold our hands were.

Wedge Pond is definitely just a pond but provided some great photos with the reflection of the mountains in the glass like surface.  There is a trail that takes you around the pond, which at one time contained fish, but after doing a bit of research, anglers have claimed that it has not been restocked since 2013, and there are no fish remaining. There was not a lot of information available about this location. 

Once we returned back to camp we spent the rest of the afternoon playing Monopoly, and Cribbage. Janet, I finally got Geoff to play! He smoked me at Monopoly but I redeemed myself playing Cribbage. There is really not a lot to do on a rainy day in camp unless it involves a few games!

Both Monday and Tuesday night we experienced a few streaks of lightning and very loud claps of thunder as it echoed around the surrounding mountains. I was hoping for more and with any luck we may get some tonight! 

Wedge Pond

This morning as we took the girls for a walk we came across some bear scat on the road. Just off to the left was a rather large, what looked to be a wasp's nest, torn to shreds. This was not there on our walk yesterday so I imagine the bear came through over night. At the same time a very large drone was flying overhead. I think this is how they monitor bears and their movements. As we came up to the welcome centre, the men handling the drone were in the parking lot replacing the battery and it had a rather large camera lens attached to it. 

After walking the girls we took some time out to play a couple of games of pool. This was our first opportunity to play since leaving North Bay. I will say that our view from the table was pretty spectacular! Oh and Geoff beat me 3 games to 1. No surprise there lol. 

Upon our return back to our site, I made lunch while Geoff packed up our bikes. Because of the amount of rain forecasted for tonight and tomorrow, we will not have a chance to get out on them again. 

Monopoly and Yahtzee were on the agenda for the afternoon and this time I managed to beat Geoff! I think this was a first for me 🤗.

This is the road that leads to our site and the other photo is of an empty site by us. I just wanted to give you an idea of the landscape around us and how nicely laid out the park is.

Friday, September 13th, 2024

Yesterday was a very long and dreary day spent inside our coach playing Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Cribbage. The dogs only went out if necessary as it was far too wet and muddy. Trying to keep the "house" clean was a near impossible task and required both Geoff and I to assist each other. On top of that my right knee was swollen and extremely sore and stiff. I took an Aleve in the morning, used Voltaren and took an Advil before going to bed. I think the elevation might have had something to do with that so resting it for the day was likely the best thing for it. I lost at Monopoly of course but had some luck with the other two games.

After a relatively good night's sleep, I awoke to Whiskey sleeping on the bed between my legs and have no idea when she jumped up. I can't say that I blame her as it was quite chilly this morning and only Zoey had a nice fluffy blanket to curl up on for the night. The rain had finally cleared and the day was clear and crisp! We made short work of getting ready to leave and were on the road shortly after 9:00 am. After we emptied our tanks, we bid our last farewell to Mount Kidd, which now had a fine dusting of snow on it's peaks, and left the park. 

The sun was shining, the sky was a beautiful blue and the scenery was once again breathtaking! Every twist in the road provided us with a different vista of the mountains. As we left highway 40 the tears rolled down my cheeks. To see the mountains in pictures does not even come close to how majestic they truly are. We are beyond blessed to have a country as beautiful as ours and I am humbled to have been able to witness even the smallest part of the Rockies. I can only hope to be able to visit them again. 

The rest of our drive today was pretty uneventful and the time slipped by as we continued to listen to Geddy Lee. We are still only half way through his book, and he is quite the story teller. 

We arrived in Medicine Hat shortly after 3:00, picked up a few groceries then headed to Gas City Campground, our home for the next month. Geoff and I are looking forward to exploring the 155 (or so) kilometres of bike trails. We shall keep you all updated on our adventures! Happy Friday the 13th!

This last picture was taken just before we reached Medicine Hat and was the storm system that had hunkered down in the mountains for the last three days! 

Saturday, September 14th, 2024

Geoff and I spent the day settling into our new temporary location at Gas City Campground in Medicine Hat, Alberta. 

I finally caught up on some laundry while he set up our fire table, smoker, lights, chairs, and tire covers. 
Once we completed our "chores" we took the girls for a long walk and explored a little bit of our area.

We headed out on one of the nearby bike trails which took us further up into the hills and provided us with some amazing views. I took several pictures and sent some to an old friend (Chris) that loves to mountain bike as I knew he would appreciate these trails. The trail map reminded Geoff of a ski hill. Each trail is named and rated for it's difficulty. Throughout the trails they also have pit stops where you can repair your bike or add air to your tires. 

When we returned to camp we decided to sit outside and enjoy some downtime. It was also getting later in the day and we wanted to connect with Ralph and Tabitha as they were attending our summer pool league banquet and we knew we would be able to see some of our pool family. Just as we were catching up, Whiskey caught site of the massive dog from the trailer behind us and went at it full speed, broke her leash and got within about 10 feet of it barking as loudly as possible. At this point she decided she was not willing to take it on and was backing up just as Geoff caught her. To say he was upset with her is an understatement. She spent the rest of the day inside the coach. We were both embarrassed and thought for sure we would be asked to leave. We still have some serious work to do with her. 

After we settled again we called Tabitha back and we "attended" the banquet and watched as Geoff's name was drawn for a $250 cash prize. Of course he had to physically be there to win so Bonnie promptly drew another name! It was great to see our pool family again! John and his wife Laurie, Stu and his wife Cathy, Kim and Jeff, Alain, and of course Bonnie, our fearless leader! If you ever have a chance to visit North Bay you need to visit Partners Pool League. (https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=partners%20pool%20league%20north%20bay&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5) Bonnie does an amazing job of organizing and keeping this league running (with help from many others including our good friend Kim) and Geoff and I loved playing and will miss everyone so much!

We took a final walk of the day with the girls so that I could take a few pictures of the sunset and we then enjoyed a nice evening together by the fire. 

Monday, September 16th, 2024

While relaxing outside after a long bike ride, Geoff tells me about a large cougar being spotted in a campground in the Kananaskis area where we spent 5 days camping! The mountains are truly beautiful but hold an ever present risk of danger too. Very thankful that we did not see either a cougar or bear when we were riding the trails there!

Today we had the pleasure of going on a 16 km bike ride that took us passed several deer including two beautiful bucks which I managed to snap a photo of!

Our ride also took us into downtown Medicine Hat, which surprisingly enough is under major construction and not unlike North Bay, has its own issues with homelessness and addicts. Needless to say we will not need to explore that area any further.

If not for Geoff and his pushing me to take trails I would never have thought I was capable of, we would not be exploring nearly as much as I thought. There are so many hills, and very steep hills and I managed to surprise myself by actually biking up two that I told him there was no (insert expletive) way I could do it. I have attached a picture of one of them but it really does not depict how steep it is.

Of interest (at least to Geoff and I) was the King Edward Billiard Hall and Bowling building, which was built in 1907 and housed not only billiards and bowling but contained a shaving parlour, shoe shining, and cigar and tobacco business as well. An expert from Chicago put in the bowling alley. The building was sold 4 years later and became Dawson's Confectionery and Lunch Room then eventually became the National System of Baking, a Calgary based chain which was the longest single occupant (36 years). We thought we found ourselves a place to play Bonnie but no such luck!

Medicine Hat has an interesting history as well. The Canadian Pacific Railway stopped here in 1883 to build a bridge across the South Saskatchewan River. While looking for water the CPR accidentally struck gas which resulted in the largest gas field found in North America, which is why the city is referred to as the Gas City and hence the name of our campground.

The name Medicine Hat inherited its name from the native word saamis which means the medicine man's hat. There are a few legends around this as well. I have posted the link here. https://www.medicinehat.ca/en/government-and-city-hall/our-history.aspx

Tuesday, September 17th, 2024

What a wonderful day we had today. We woke to the sound of a thunderstorm and the rain gently falling on the roof of the coach. The storm quickly passed and we had beautiful sunshine and blue skies. Forgot to mention that Geoff was half asleep this morning when he took the girls out to do their business. He came back inside stating that he tried to get a "poop" bag out of his pocket but couldn't get to them because his shorts were on inside out! I took one look at him and broke out laughing because it was very clear they were inside out. 😂😂

We took the girls for a nice long walk, went home and had a quick lunch then headed out on our bikes to explore. It's hard to see from the map below but we started at the camp, just below the South Saskatchewan River on the left side of the map. I circled and indicated in black ink (as I don't have a highlighter but will get one on Thursday) the route we took. We did about 30 km in total and enjoyed some beautiful views 

The next few pictures are the views from the McCutcheon Trail which runs across an escarpment on the north side of the river. Number 1 on the map. You can see for miles and miles. In the third picture is a tiny red arrow. This is pointing to the small patch of greenery which is our campground.

The next trail we took was the Police Point West Trail, that took us to the Police Point Park and trail system. The park was established in 1975 to honour the North West Mounted Police detachment from 1883-1893. This park is home to 300 year old Cottonwood trees, yucca plants and numerous forms of wildlife. There is an earlier history to this park going back to the Legend behind Medicine Hat. This park is the location on the South Saskatchewan River that contains the "breathing hole" and was a sacred place to the First Nations' people, a place where the water spirits came to breathe. https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=history%20of%20police%20point%20park&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5 

We continued along enjoying the Parkview River Trail, passing the Ranchlands, Viterra Trail until reaching the Big Marble Go Centre. This centre is located on 57 acres and is a state-of-the-art facility which includes a 50-metre multipurpose pool, a wave pool, swirl pool, children's pool, steam room, a Rip-n-Rattler water slide, a 100 foot by 200 foot ice rink and a variety of meeting rooms, entertainment rooms, a Booster Juice and food concession. 

It was recently expanded to include a twin field house with a running and walking track, as well as an expanded fitness centre. Outside of the centre there are three regulation sized soccer pitches, one premier (lighted) sports field, four high-quality ball diamonds and a BMX track. https://www.tourismmedicinehat.com/facilities/big-marble-go-centre 

This complex is amazing to say the least. The more we explore Medicine Hat the more impressed we are. It also has the distinction of being the sunniest city in Canada with an average of 330 days of sunshine.☀️ 

After our bike ride we returned to camp and enjoyed a FaceTime call with our good friends Janet and Joe and ended the day with an amazing view of the rising Autumn moon! I have attached a photo but it truly was more spectacular than it depicts. 

Wednesday, September 18th, 2024

Well today is going to be another rainy camp day. Perhaps I can beat Geoff at Monopoly or try a new recipe. We shall see......

Our scenery here at the park changes everyday. Because Gas City Campground is so close to the highway it is a convenient overnight stop for RVers, regardless of which direction they are going. Geoff and I are constantly amazed at the number of different styles of trailers, fifth-wheels, C-class and motorhomes we have seen at the parks. Geoff mentioned it's like going to the Caribbean and never seeing the same bathing suit twice. It's so true.

It's also incredible where everyone comes from as well! Earlier this week a C-class from the east coast parked just up the street from us where a young couple had been setting up for a birthday party. It was their dad's birthday and they celebrated it and enjoyed a family reunion even if it was just for the one night. Another couple with a fifth-wheel parked across from us and enjoyed a couple of days visiting with their daughter and grandson before they were back on the road again. 

While walking through the park we were admiring a very sleek looking coach and noticed their Ontario license plate. We stopped to chat for a few minutes and they told us they were from Ottawa, heading to Vancouver Island to visit their grand children then heading to Arizona. The other day we saw a very long travel trailer with a Texas license plate! You really don't realize how many people are travelling this vast country in RVs until you are actually one of those people. 😊