Back in the USA

Remember back in Calgary where Russ wanted to kayak but didn't have his life vest so we went to a Cabella's to purchase another? Funny story: while setting up camp in Revelstoke Russ moved some items around to get the chairs out for our camp. He flopped something on the back of the sofa/bed. I pointed at it and yelled, "What is that?!" He looked at me like I was crazy. Then I picked it up and showed it to him... the lost flotation device. But didn't want two of the things, so we planned on returning the new one at the Cabella's in Abbotsford.

That was our first stop of the day.

Back in the USA -- almost

From there we went into Vancouver where we met my niece for lunch at her favorite Indian place, Raga. BEST Indian food we've had in a looooooog time. We started with a appetizer sampler, then split a couple of vegetarian paneers, rice, and naan.

We said our goodbyes and crossed back into the USA where we immediately bought some cheap gas at Costco! Not that it really was cheap, but better than anything we paid in Canada. To their credit, the did have some great roads. Probably money well spent.

We toured the little town of Bellingham, then settled on spending the night in a state park, Deception Pass. We're nestled in among some old growth trees. Russ plans on kayaking in the morning.

Gondolas, breakfast, and tube carts

We set out to partake in the Revelstoke Lodge special: a ride to the top of the mountain on a gondola, then breakfast at the chalet on the mountain, then a cart ride back down. Seems like a great way to start the day.

Once we reached the top, we noticed that there was, in fact, another gondola going even higher. It, however, didn't open until 8:30. Not a problem. We went to eat, then did the BIG gondola.

The views were amazing. Gorgeous valley and the little lake below.

Breakfast at the upper lodge

As we traverse the sky we noticed little walking path below us. That, too, sounded wonderful -- we'll walk down, then do the scooter thing. It was, what, just a few kilometers? Maybe take 45 minutes or so, right?

It took us over 2 hours. Portions of it were quite technical, taxing my bad knee and heel. I wore sketcher tennis shoes, famous for their soft and cushy soles; great for walking, but lousy for stepping through a skree field. My foot kept sliding toward the front of the shoe, jamming my big toe. I could barely walk once we were down.

But we did get down. So. There's that.

In that time, however, once we got back to the chalet, a huge line formed for folks wanting to ride the carts. I was in no mood to wait to get back to the coach. We still had a five hour ride ahead of us to get near Vancouver, and I really wanted a shower. And to do that meant we needed to get some water since we were low. We took the gondola back down.

Given the delays and late start to the day (and that I desperately needed a nap around 2:30) we didn't drive quite as far as we hoped. Mountain roads, twisty and indirect. We did, however, get to Hope, BC. We paid for a campsite. It was the second time we shelled out cash for some sleep since crossing the Canada border.

PS. Salmon Arm looks to be a nifty town. Shuswap Lake is an enormous body of water, much like Lake Havasu. Lots of water sports, house boats, and pontoons. Quite the summer destination.

Banff and BC -- and BEAR!

We headed westward along the Trans-Canadian Highway to the Banff National Park. Along with every other Canadian this side of Ontario. We were pretty shocked at the number of people (ie, cars) on the road. True, it was Sunday, and if ever there were a bunch of "let's go out and about and hike and kayak and canoe and oh-look-there's-a-bear!" type of folks, it's the Canadians. But the population density increased when we got to Calgary and followed us west.

The park was lovely. Lots of snow-topped peaks, rushing rivers, and pretty lakes.

We headed to Lake Louise, where Russ wanted to take some photos. Roughly 4 kilometers below the lake is a village where tourists could catch shuttles. We decided to drive.
Of course, ever though we arrived around 10 am, all the parking was full. Russ decided to jump out and get his pics, then meet me somewhere down the hill. I ended up back in the village overflow parking lots, and he ran down the mountain. He needed the excercise.

Within a few kilometers of Lake Louise you enter British Columbia, our last province. We needed to do laundry again, so we headed for Revelstoke, a small town that boosts a fantastic ski resort. And free RV parking.

Mr. Jones and me

After starting the laundry we took the dogs for a walk. We spied a playground and headed that way for a grassy puppy retreat. The playground belonged to a two-story building that looked like an old schoolhouse. Upon walking around it, however, the city repurposed it for lease. Behold, the new home of Mr. Jones Distillery. Vodka!

We tasted, purchased, then headed for home for the night -- the parking lot of the Revelstoke Ski resort.

Russ making bison burgers for dinner

PS.  Oh look, there's a BEAR! While camping, after eating our dinner, drinking some beer, and doing internet-y things, a black bear simply walked past us, appearing from behind our coach. He had to be within 20 feet of us. We both bolted to our feet, scooped up the dogs, and dashed into the coach. When he move away a bit, we started snapping photos.

By the way, we have a huuuuuge list of animals we'd seen road signs for along the Canadian roads that we didn't see at all (moose, elk, are at the top). No, it had to be a bear that walked through our camp.

The Road to Calgary

Last Saskatewan sunset

As we drove into Spectre, we intended on taking the cable ferry across the Red River (sadly, Google maps doesn't give it's name, but I'm assuming). Due to a small gas crisis we decided to head to the dunes and take the ferry in the morning.

Which we did. The ferry captain was amazed at our vehicle. We had just enough time to give him a tour during the tiny crossing.

Pretty quick we left Saskatchewan for Alberta. The terrain remained remarkable with beautiful farms and sprawls of lush land. To look at a map, the place has thousands of small lakes and ponds. We spotted a few irrigation contraptions, but they were as elusive as the deer.

On the ferry

One small "maybe if we come back" item -- the Dinosaur Provincial Park. It was hopping when we passed it, with lots of people walking all over the rock. The RV place across from it looked really nice, too.

Since leaving Regina, we got off the Trans-Canadian highway for lesser traveled roads. Most were paved, which didn't mean they were smooth, however. Some were gravel. Given we'd already traversed a gravel road, we were emboldened to do more. We were rewarded with better views and well maintained backroads.

Some gravel roads were smoother than paved

Calgary is a shining city. It was a windy day, which was probably why, but everything just sparkled. Our first task, as always, involved food. Russ discovered a BBQ place with rave reviews and outdoor seating, Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey. We split the brisket and turkey, with cornbread, green beans, and a watermelon salad. Wonderful food.

Calgary

Since we were near the Bow River, we took a walk, hoping to find a spot to park, set up our chairs, and hang out. No luck, but we saw a number of paddleboarders, kayakers, and tubers on the water. We started to search for points you could access the water. Once we did so, Russ started to organize for a paddle. He'd get in up river, then text me when he was out, and I'd drive to meet him. However, he realized that he no longer had a life vest. He beleived it's still in Regina, where he last paddled. We made this discovery at 6 pm, just when all the small boating businesses closed. So we took the drive to the nearest Cabella's. We'll be better prepared for the next time.

We headed west to camp in the RV lot at the Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino. Should be a chilly night, since we've started the climb over the Canadian Rockies.

The Great Sand Hills of Saskatchewan

Canada-oil? Canola? Anyone?

It was an easy in-and-out at the Regina Mercedes dealer. Fast, friendly, and efficient. And, according to Russ, the least expensive service we've ever had. We were on the road by 9:30 am.

Our goal was to get to Calgary today, but I'd done some research for stops mid-way, since I didn't think we'd leave the dealership until 5 pm. As we drove along the golden fields of canola (finally saw some irrigation, as the terrain turned drier), I mentioned the Great Sandhill museum. They were part of Harvest Hosts, and offered their parking lot to members.

Next thing I know I'm driving so he can do the research. A call was made, and there you go. Alberta will have to wait for tomorrow.

I don't know why, but... BOOTS! El Coche in the valley below.

Given it was a bit toasty (93 around 4 pm), we made big salads for dinner. The temps for the night were supposed to be around 57. We turned off the AC by 7:30.

While driving to the dunes I remarked that I was amazed we haven't seen any antelope. And... viola!

Regina, Saskatchewan

Travelin' pugs

We took our time hitting the road from the brewery. Our destination is five hours away, in the capitol of Saskatchewan, Regina. Waaaaaay back in Michigan our vehicle notified us that a small service was due (largely an oil change). We hoped to get it done in Winnipeg, but the dealer there was booked until next week. To Russ's amazement, there was a dealer (not all of them handle Sprinters) in Regina. We planned on spending the night there for our 8 am appointment Friday.

From Winnipeg through the remainder of Manitoba we traveled through lush farm country. Miles of fields filled with yellow flowers (we found out were canola) spread over the soft-rolling hills. Quite lovely. A bit different from similar terrain in the US, largely from the lack of "Trump" signs. But also a lack of any irrigation equipment. Lots of marshy ponds around. Road signs warning of moose still dotted the road, though we never saw one. Did spy some deer and buffalo, though.

Once in Regina (population 208,000), we parked downtown and ate a late lunch at a pizza place, Famoso. Despite being in the financial center of the city, there weren't many folks that looked business-like; almost no men in suits, and just a few business-dressed women. Mostly folks looked to be students. Buildings don't look new. Parking in the city was either lots or metered (which was true in Winnipeg, too, but their meters accepted credit cards, not just "loonies"). Needless to say, the streets were devoid of parked cars. We think the city is largely government and colleges.

After eating we went to the Wascana Lake where Russ did some kayaking. We hung out at the park until 8 or so, then we decided to get some dessert.

Lake Wascana, and some of the crew boats

we had some ice cream at the Milky Way. It got high ratings from google, but I was dubious. So far our ice cream experiences in Canada have been very disappointing. We bought Haagen-Daz bars at Walmart, got some beer-flavored ice cream from the Farmery, and now the Milky Way. I have come to the conclusion that Canadians don't know how to make ice cream. Their version is icy, with crystals. Russ got the soft serve at the Milky Way, and it was much better, more like a frozen custard. Maybe, since it's so cold, they don't eat it often enough to know any better.

Lastly, off to the Walmart. It should be easy to get to the Mercedes folks from here.

Winnipeg, my favorite city!

We stayed in the Pine Tree campground last night, which would have been perfect except it had no internet. I've become addicted to web access, between watching weather, playing games, and now blogging.

"Woke last night to the sound of thunder. How far us I sat and wondered." Russ poked me around 5:30 in the morning when he heard the rumbles. Better walk dogs before it became a thing. It did -- a wonderful thing. I love a good thunderstorm.

Peach Waffle

We drank our coffees, listened to the rain, then headed to Winnipeg for shopping. Tummies growling as we entered the city we decided to stop for breakfast rather than do cereal in a parking lot. We discovered Clementine's, a small restaurant downtown that Googled 4.6 stars on over 500 reviews. Sounded promising. We split the Belgium waffle (with Earl Gray whipped cream, peaches, and frosted pine nuts), the braised bacon benedict (cider hollandaise, dill, poached eggs, black pepper biscuit), and a side of potatoes (red baby potatoes, honey, lemon aioli). GOOD GRAVY, it was amazing.

Russ ranked the #1 reason to come to Canada: Clementine's in Winnipeg...

Clementine's Menu -- click to make it bigger

Bellies full we headed out to do our shopping; a trip to Costco for some soymilk (a fail, no soy here) and Petsmart for dog food. Once complete we ventured toward our Harvest Host destination for the night, Farmery Estate Brewery. Since the farm was an estimated 2 hour drive away we thought it would be an easy day.

There is an old saying in India: Make plans. God laughs.

Farmery Estate Brewery

We left Winnipeg around 12:30, just as the winds kicked up. And man! Did they kick up. Gusts made it hard to keep the coach moving in a straight line. Due to frequent travels across west Texas we  knew how to drive a vehicle that acts more like a kite those conditions. But it still made us move at lower speeds. Keep in mind the speed limit here is 100 kph (roughly 62).

Then came the "optimization." Since I drove, Russ googled our route to Neepawa (home of the Farmery). It suggested a road that cut off a significant part of the highway, promising our journey would be (I'm no making this up) three minutes shorter.

It was dirt. For 60 kilometers we blazed down a bumpy, gravely, sometimes muddy road, all the while battling 25 mph winds. The google people will get an earful once we're stateside.

Fish and chips at the Farmery

We arrived 15 minutes later (so much for optimizations) and exhausted. But safe and sound. We drank some beer and got some food from the truck outside, while enjoying a breezy (!), sunny day.

Note: The fish and chips (made with pike) will give Ivar's a run for his money.