Trailer Travels - Day 15 - Home (July 23)

Today is the day we finally made it home! John had wanted to stay another day, but I really just wanted to get home because I knew how much work we  had to do once we got home.

We left around lunchtime, and started up the highway. We were travelling towards the Pine Pass that had all of the damage from flooding a few weeks back. I was a bit nervous about it - pulling a trailer through construction is never fun. But they've done so much work that it was simple. We were stopped for about half an hour, which isn't too bad. Overall, it only took an extra hour.

And then we were home! Boy oh boy, did it feel good! But there is so much more work to be done! No rest for the wicked!

Trailer Travels - Day 14 - Prince George (July 22)

Back on the road again. John and I left super early from Kamloops to make it to Prince George at a decent time.

We stopped at his grandparent's house in Quesnel, and had a quick visit before we made the last 120 km to Prince George. We actually didn't do much in PG either. A few stops for shopping, Chinese food for dinner with John's mom, and drinks with some friends. I was so exhausted that I slept like a baby! I needed it obviously! Nothing much happened, but we got a chance to visit.

Trailer Travels - Day 13 - Kamloops (July 21)

Today was a very bittersweet day for me. Leaving Golden meant getting closer to home, but I did not want to leave. It was too nice and relaxing in Golden. And there was so much more that I wanted to do but didn't because I was actually enjoying doing nothing. I was so sad leaving, I actually cried between Revelstoke and Sicamous, which is weird for me. I'm not usually like that. But, it was really sad.

But then we got to Kamloops. I miss that place too. I had a lot of good memories there, but I'm also glad I left. We got the opportunity to visit with John's brother, his wife, and their almost one year old daughter.

Opening birthday presents

Enjoying the wrapping paper, of course!

Wearing the super cute dress I made her!

Taking me for a walk

After our visit, we journeyed around Kamloops, taking in all the old sights. One of the bars that John and I used to meet at a lot has been torn down and it looks like they're either building parking or an office building. It's so sad. So many good memories from there. But I guess nothing lasts forever.

We also met up with John's best friend, and had dinner. It was fun, and a nice night in our old town. Wish we could have stayed longer to see more people, but it's all good. Can't see everyone!

Trailer Travels - Day 12 - Golden (July 20)

Day 3 in Golden. Another day of relaxation. But, today, we went to town. The big city of Golden.

I think John had a hard time sitting around yesterday, so I agreed to go to town. We were supposed to meet the family for lunch, but we went into town early. And we drove around and around and around. My goodness, it was boring. But I think John was happy. He hates sitting still. I love it.

But, lunch was good. And one of my aunt's came out for a visit in the evening, so it was good.

It's sadly the last day in Golden. I wish we could stay longer, but c'est la vie.

Trailer Travels - Day 11 - Golden (July 19)

Day 2 in Golden - what a nice day to relax! I can't even really say what we did, because we did so little.

But it was nice to relax. I don't think much beats sitting on a lawn chair, hiding from the rain, in my grandpa's shop. It rained to much, it was ridiculous. But the shop is big, and the door opens nice and wide and we were able to stay dry, and relax at the same time.

Trailer Travels - Day 10 - Golden (July 18)

Back to the Kootenays! So exciting! I was up so early in anticipation! I'm pretty sure I woke up at about 5 am, but since I was sleeping on the couch, it wasn't that big of a deal. I didn't wake John or Kaylie up until about 7. I initially wanted to be on the road by 9, then changed my mind and we were on the go about 8.

Usually, when we go to Golden, we go through Field, and the Kicking Horse Canyon, but since we were going to my grandparent's house in Parson, we went through the Kootenay National Park. I think it actually took longer, but it was a nice drive for a change. I did try to get us lost (again) but John figured it out. I've come to know that I have no sense of directions, and I get confused on the road a lot. Oh well. We made it!

Basically, we've just been hanging out and relaxing. I love that about being in Golden and Parson - the relaxing.

Lots of rain too. I think that's just the way our vacation is going. I'm ok with it. I'd rather have rain than sun, which might sound strange, but I hate sunburns and I burn all the time!

Trailer Travels - Day 9 - Calgary (July 17)

Well, the morning after the drunken mess that was the wedding, we were off once again. John was a bit under the weather, but after the gift opening, we were off to Calgary again to see a concert at the last day of Stampede. I travelled with Kaylie, and we both got very sick of the smell of canola fields.

Calgary was HOT. So warm! Good for the last day of Stampede. We actually ended up seeing two concerts - Jackie Valentine and Marianas Trench. Both were really good. Marianas Trench was late coming on and I was so not impressed (I hate people that aren't on time) but they definitely made up for it.

And of course, being back at Stampede, we got to eat more deliciously gross food. We even tried deep fried Oreos (YUCK!). But then it was back to the campground at Calaway Park for another night before heading home to Golden.

Not a good photo, but it was the best I got of Marianas Trench

Trailer Travels – Day 8 – Hanna (July 16)

Wedding day for another friend! It’s nice to have another friend join the married club. And I got to meet up with a friend I haven’t seen since 2007. We were very close in elementary school, and through high school. We worked together for a bit after high school, but I moved away, then she did. It was nice to see her!

Since the wedding was at a church in the middle of nowhere, we decided to follow the bride out. Bride’s mom (aka Captain Mom) almost got us lost. We found the place, just went a different route than we planned. We were late, but since we were with the bridal party, we didn’t worry too much.

The ceremony was perfect. So sweet. I definitely cried when the groom said his vows, but pulled it together for the bride’s. It was a super hot day in the area, so I’m happy to say that the ceremony went by quickly. Then it was a short break and off to the reception.

And what fun the reception was! Lots of drinks, lots of laughs, lots of dancing. What could be better? Probably the best wedding I’ve ever been to, including my own. It definitely made the trip worth it.

More photos to come on the wedding. I have so many to choose from!

Trailer Travels – Day 7 – Hanna (July 15)

Off to the big city of Hanna! For those of you who don’t know where that is, you aren’t missing anything! We were there only for a wedding, and there would be no other reason to go there. Oh wait, there is a doll museum there, but how creepy would that be?

Big city!

We rolled into town really early, and since the wedding wasn’t until the 16^th, we had a lot of time. The bride, my friend Tasha, and one of her bridesmaids, my bestie Kaylie, stopped by for a quick visit. Then we were pretty much left to our own devices for the rest of the day. It was nice to just relax, which is what I had in mind. I basically read an entire book, and got sunburned. The book was good, and the sunburn was not as bad as it could have been.

Essentially, day 7 of the vacation was the most relaxing. Good thing too, because the next day was wedding time!

Trailer Travels – Day 6 – Drumheller (July 14)

Up early and off once again! One night in Drumheller, home of the Tyrell Museum. As a kid, I never went to Drumheller – dinosaurs weren’t my thing. But as an adult, I was so excited to go and see everything.

John and a T-Rex

Me and my fave - triceratops

First of all, driving into Drumheller is amazing. The road to get there? Not so amazing. But once you really start getting into the Badlands, it’s awesome. So different from what I grew up in, and what I live in now. I don’t know that a lot of people would think that it’s beautiful, but I find it rather enchanting. You can almost see history coming to life. Which leads me to the Tyrell Museum.

The front entrance to the Tyrell Museum

I was so excited to be there. In my adult life, dinosaurs have been something I’ve become interested in. I do not think that the excavation that goes on to find the bones is right, if you think about it. It’s like mining for coal. People get pissed about mountains being cut away for coal, but does anyone think about how we’re cutting down hills in the Badlands to find fossils? Doubt it. Maybe there is some issue in the area, but I’ve never heard about it. I get that it’s great to be able to know the past, but I’m not 100% sure what it tells us about our future.

But, I did enjoy myself inside the museum. I hated it in some ways – like how stuffy and crowded it was, and how slow some people moved. But I loved that I got to slow down and take it all in. I think had it not been so crowded, I would have rushed through the museum, much like the Whyte Museum, and I would not have enjoyed it nearly as much. I got a chance to see some great dinos, triceratops being my favourite, and a Darwin wing. So very cool.

Not the best photo, but I was so excited to be in the Darwin area. I could feel his energy in the room!

It was so hot in Drumheller, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I was very thankful for the air conditioner in the trailer. We definitely used it. We also went for a bit of a drive after dinner and found a cool suspension bridge, more hoodoos, and a coal mine that you could go on tours into, but we were too late. It looked cool.

Best thing about Drumheller – the world’s largest dinosaur!

Big Dino!

Trailer Travels – Day 5 – Banff (July 13)

What a way to wake up. Very bright flashes of lightning followed quickly (read: instantly) by thunder. So loud! And at 6 am. Not so pleasant. But, it was a good way to get the day started – with a bang!

It was Banff day! I was so excited. I love Banff. Mountains and tourist-y things = Love! But, with how the weather started off, I wasn’t too optimistic about the day. We had planned on seeing the Whyte Museum, wandering the town, and going to the hot springs.

Here’s what actually happened:

We went to the Whyte Museum. I remember it being much larger. It was so small! I couldn’t believe it! Not what I expected. It was a huge letdown. We paid like $8 each to get in, and we were there 15 minutes – max. Not cool.

Then it was off to wander the town! We got to check out a farmer’s market and every single souvenir shop in town. I just love that town. We decided to try to find Tunnel Mountain, which I guess is just a campground, and instead found some hoodoos. They were cool, but nothing in comparison to Fairmont’s. While we were there, we chatted with an older gentleman about a place called Two Jack Lake. I’d never heard of it, but it was really easy to get to, so we decided to check it our and eat our lunch there. It was actually a pretty great find. Lots of little gophers running around everywhere, and a nice lake too! I think it would be a nice place to go camping.

Two Jack Lake

And then my panic attack started. The Banff Gondola. So freaking scary! Worst 8 minutes of my life! I have to admit, the view from the top (once you hiked up there) was amazing. I just had a bit of a panic attack on the way down. John enjoyed himself, and seems to think that we still have one more to go – at Hell’s Gate. I’m not so sure, but we shall see.

One view from the top

Then it was off to the hot springs! The weather continued to be really nice so it was good. My back sure appreciated the heat of the hot springs. It wasn’t as nice of hot springs as I had thought it might be, but it was still ok. I like Radium Hot Springs much better. Maybe I’m biased because it’s a mere 45 minutes from Golden! Either way, sitting in the sun in a hot pool was good.

Have you ever heard of the Indian Trading Post in Banff? There is only one reason to go – the merman! You have to go. It’s worth it to see it!

The Mer-Man!

After the merman, it was off to the campsite to chill out and get ready for another day.

Trailer Travels – Day 4 – Lake Louise (July 12)

Today was the day we started to make our way into the Rockies. Lake Louise is only a couple of hours from where I grew up! I definitely got a lot of feelings of nostalgia while we were driving here – but things have also changed so much! Random things that I never remember seeing have popped up everywhere! New buildings, new roads. Very strange.

We did a lot of touristing. We went to the chateau Lake Louise, but the first time we went up there was literally nowhere to park, so off we went to Morainne Lake. It is gorgeous up there. The water was so blue, and there was still snow on the hillsides! We hiked the trail around the lake to a waterfall, which was so beautiful. When we came back to the lodge, we also climbed the rock pile. It’s this huge mass of rocks that they’ve carved a trail out of. So cool! It gave a stunning view of the land.

At the end of the lake, right by the waterfalls

I was so excited to see this! So cool!

Looking down the lake from the rock pile

Then we went back to the chateau, and found some parking. In comparison to Morainne Lake, it was a letdown. The lake isn’t nearly as gorgeous, and it’s so packed with tourists that you can’t really get a great view of the mountains, though for me, any view is a good view.

The view of Lake Louise from the chateau

Then it was off to the ski hill to go up the gondola. John loves gondolas; I have panic attacks in them. I was trying to be brave, but I have to say, I was very relieved when we got there at 5:15 and the last ride up was at 5. John was a bit disappointed, but maybe another day we’ll make it up one.

Back at camp, we tried out roller blading. John’s had roller blades for about a year now, but he doesn’t get to use them much because he doesn’t like to go by himself. While we were at WEM, we finally bought a pair for me. I haven’t been on roller blades since about grade 9 or 10, so I was a bit nervous. I did fairly well! No falling, which is key. It was nice that when I bought my blades I got the knee/elbow/wrist pads for free. I only used the wrist guards, but it was nice to have that security.

We also went to a presentation at the amphitheater at the campground. I walked there in my slippers because my feet were hurting so bad, and quickly learned what a mistake that was. Anyway, the presentation was pretty cool. For growing up in bear country, I knew nothing about bears. We never really worried about them though. No one went hiking, and if we did, it was while hunting and someone always had a gun at the ready. It was good to learn though, because now I can feel more comfortable hiking.

We called it an early night to prepare for day 5 – Banff.

Trailer Travels – Day 3 – Calgary Stampede (July 11)

Monday was Stampede day! If you don’t know what Stampede is, Google it. It’s huge! They call it the greatest outdoor show on earth, and this year was it’s 99^th year. I think we’ll be doing all that we can to get there for the 100^th anniversary. If we thought it was crazy this year, I can just imagine what it will be like next year.

For the most part, the day was nice and sunny. Then it started to rain. And not just rain, lots of thunder and lightning too. They actually shut down the rides. John and I found the Bud tent, went inside, out of the rain, and paid $6.25 for a can of Kokanee. It was crazy! But we saw some good live music by Craig Brooks, and the rain did eventually stop. We also saw Shawn Desmon perform at the Coke stage. Pretty good for live music, and being free, it was great. Being me, and being so short, it wasn’t very good, but I could see his head most of the time! We also saw a show band and flag waving people perform (I have no idea what to actually call them!). It was pretty cool too! It was definitely interesting hearing them perform a version of “Poker Face”. Then in the evening we caught up with even more friends, before calling it a night to get some sleep before heading off to Lake Louise in the morning.

Taking a rest

Hello, Llama!

Dancin' horsie!

With our $6.75 Kokanee

Shawn Desmon concert! Surprisingly enough, he can actually sing live!

Trailer Travels – Day 2 – Calgary (July 10)

We woke up to more rain. Hoping that it does not become a theme. Once we got about 30 minutes outside of Edmonton, a crack in the sky opened up and the sun came out! And then it got hot! We’re not used to that at all coming from the north.

It was our nephew’s third birthday, so we made our way to the party. It was fun, but strange at the same time. We’ve only just met his mom, who is John’s mom’s new husband’s daughter. It’s a strange situation for all of us, but we were happy to be there to celebrate.

Not a great photo, but you can tell he is enjoying his cake!

After that we went to one of John’s friend’s house for dinner in downtown. It was a really good night!

Trailer Travels – Day 1 – Edmonton (July 9)

After being rained out and spending a night in Fox Creek, we made it to Edmonton. As you already know, we’ve been having so much rain up here that roads were being washed out. I have to say, I’ve never seen so much water laying in the ditches on the side of the road. It was like mini lakes had popped up everywhere. At one point, between Fox Creek and Whitecourt, the westbound twinned lane was totally washed out due to a lake crossing the road – and there usually isn’t a lake there! It was crazy!

You can't see the second flooded area as well - my phone ran out of memory space - but it was much worse than this spot

But, anyways, we made it to Edmonton. It was still raining., so we walked around West Edmonton Mall. That place was nuts! If I had thought ahead, I wouldn’t have gone – it was Saturday after all. But we went and wandered around for a few hours. We checked out Galaxyland, and foolish me, I told John that the next time we came, we could stay at the mall and go on some rides. If you didn’t already know, fair rides, roller coasters, all of that stuff, scare me to death. Not really sure what I was thinking. Obviously I was in a travel coma.

Then we made it to my uncle’s house for dinner, where we finally met his boyfriend, and a couple of his other friends. We stayed up playing cards and had a really good time.

And it was still raining when we left his house to go back to the campsite. Thank goodness for the trailer.