BAZ Great Canadian Adventure

Packing day. Our weekend before the big trip started with the BC Soccer championships in Comox for Ben and two double headers on Saturday and Sunday for Zac. It is 9 PM and mom and dad are frantically packing and repacking to make things fit for the ferry at 745 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow we leave Nanaimo for Salmon Arm.

July 9,2007

We got on the 0740 ferry and were stuck between two big semis. We had a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Roger and Aunt Mary. Over the Coquihala to Salmon Arm. Over night at Aunt Kathy and Uncle Ron's. We had a swim in the middle Shuswap Lake. The motorhome blew up Ron's electrical system in his house (he is not happy). Off to Banff.

July 10, 2007

We all slept in a little this morning after a good visit with family yesterday. We got on the road headed west. We stopped at the site of the last spike and the spiral tunnel. The boys took turns in the co-pilots seat armed with the camera. I am sure we have photos of every mountain peak between Salmon Arm and Banff (thank goodness for digital cameras). We got into our camp site in Banff and we were surprised to find that it was not full. There are lots of huge motor homes here. The campsite is also populated with gophers. The campsite is on a hill and only about 2km from the main drag in Banff. We walked to town and had dinner. Zac and Kirby went for a bike ride after dinner and saw the hoodoos and three coyotes. We are still on the lookout for an elk.

July 11,2007

This is our first day totally unassisted by family or friends. Heather started the day with a run into town and back(big hill) while Kirby stated breakfast. We have a new cast iron skillet that fits well over the gas stove – perfect for breakfast; unfortunately we didn’t realize that it had been prepared to be seasoned. Lots of smoke in the RV. It was a good test for the smoke detectors – they work well and for a long time!! Our cast iron skillet is well seasoned now and breakfast didn’t turn out too bad. After breakfast we took the tram to the top of Sulphur Mountain. The tram cars are high speed four person cars that move along at a good pace. I think this is what we need to replace the orange chair at Mount Washington. The weather was great today and we could see all the mountain ranges around Banff from the top of Sulphur Mountain. After the tram we had a swim in the hot springs pool. The pool temp was 39C. We could only stay in for a few minutes before it got too warm. We drove out to the Bow Falls and watched a Mounty in red surge pose for pictures with countless tourists (I hope they were paying him overtime in this hot weather). The closest we have come to golfing so far is a drive around the golf course here in Banff. We went through the cave were the first hot spring was found by three rail workers in the 1880s. As we returned to our camp site we saw a huge deer (really big for Vancouver Island standards, a proud looking 4 point with thick velvet antlers. He was obviously quite accustomed to the activity in the campground as we had to wait as he slowly sauntered across the road. We finished the day with another swim, in a pool that was much cooler and another bike ride to the hoodoos.

July 12,2007

We got up early this morning and were fuelled, watered and on the road by 830. Our first stop was at Lake Louise. We were only there for about half an hour but the parking lot almost filled up by the time we left. Lake Louise has to be one of the most picturesque places on earth. Everyone was suitably impressed. We had a cold breakfast on the road (no chance of the smoke detector going off today) and stopped at the Columbia Ice fields at noon. We had one of the hottest days of the summer and it was perfectly spent on top of the Athabasca Glacier. The glacier has receded about a mile since I first saw it in the early 70’s. We boarded a bus at the main info centre which took us up to the edge of the glacier. We then boarded a six wheeled vehicle called an ice explorer. The tires were bigger than Zac. Although we live in the mountains, we were in awe of how big the Rockies are. On our way down from the glacier, a big horn sheep greeted us at the edge of the glacier. Heather had the honour of using one of 86 stalls in the women’s washroom(which apparently is registered in the Guinness Book of record). We got on the road again and it wasn’t long before we saw a mountain goat grazing at the side of the road.

We arrived in Jasper late in the afternoon and it was still really hot. We walked up and down the main street and popped into the train station. We walked back to the RV and found our first elk, actually three to be exact. One big old 7 point bull and two 4 pointers. We broke through the Rockies and are spending the night at a KOA near Hinton Alberta.

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Another early morning. Heather ran in to town which was supposed to be an easy 4km and it was more like 7!! Kirby packed up the RV and the boys and met mom at Tim Horton’s at the far end of Hinton.

We had a good drive to Edmonton and the boys were anxious to hit the water park. We were in the water park for 5 hours so we came close to getting our money worth!! Heather was convinced to go down the very dangerous and steep slide and she was scared silly. This slide is almost vertical and starts from about 100 feet above the water. It feels like you are falling until you bottom out and get a severe wedgie. At the end of it Alex and Zach would have gladly stayed longer. It was another hot but beautiful day. The boys climbed several thousand feet during the day and by the end were wishing there were elevators to the top of the slides.

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Long before we left on our trip and during our planning stages, we bought MS Street and Trips to help with the planning and navigation along the way. On our first day we discovered that our new lap top does not have a serial port to connect to the GPS. We got an adaptor at the West Edmonton Mall and after down loading several drivers from the internet our GPS was giving us real time display on the laptop. Ben has become the full time navigator and in a short time has become very proficient, calling out range roads, junctions with other highways and directions to our next destination. Today we visited the Calgary Zoo.

It was a very hot day and most of the animal could be found in the shade in their enclosures. Zac was our photographer today and got some great shots of every animal we saw. There is a large Canadian exhibit which takes up about one third of the area of the zoo. The enclosures seem are large and set is the animals natural setting.After the Zoo we drove to Drumheller. What bumby rode into the Badlands. It was quite spectacular scenery We were all pleased to discover that the town aquatic center was a 5 minute walk from our campground. Nothing like water and a diving board to keep the boys happy.

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We were up early so we could go the the Tyrrell Museum on yet another very hot day. We decided to sign up for a special program called “Excavate It” Only Kirby and Zach were really keen at first but I must admit we all really enjoyed it. It consisted of a hike in the badlands and then we reached a site where we all had tools and got to excavate some dinosaur bones We had excellent hosts for the program. This was a highlight in Drumheller for sure. We spent several hours touring the museum and got lots of great pictures. The boys were desperate to go back to the pool so they spent few more hours swimming after dinner. Later in the evening a storm came upon us that was pretty ugly. The boys heard word that there was a tornado warning which we later learned to be true but nothing seemed to come from it other than a bad storm. We actually had a really fun night with both the guitars going and Zach was the lead vocalist rock star. Naturally he was giving it his best because he was being videotaped. So with the guitars the singing and the storm it was a quite a night.!!

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We left the campgrounds and went to see the Hoodoos which were really neat. But at 8:00 in the morning Mom did not appreciate the nasty bug bites that attacked her leg!! Don’t scratch they say!!! We had a longer drive to Regina making only one brief stop. We pulled into Depot in the afternoon around 4:00 in the afternoon. We were all pleased that it was a really nice campgrounds and it backed onto a golf course. After arriving the boys went and found around 15 golf balls. We walked around depot and found it hard to believe that it’s been over 20 years since Kirby was there!! The boys made friends with twin 14 year old boys from Ottawa, Kirby knew their dad from a course they were on together ten years ago. The boys were thrilled to learn they could swim in the pool after dinner. We have had excellent weather.

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This morning I went for a run and decided to book the boys a tee off time after all we did bring the clubs!! It was a very hot run.!! After breakfast we went to the new RCMP Heritage Museum and then we watched the noon parade. It really is a busy place and there are currently 30 troops there!! It was really neat for all of us to see the house on the grounds where Kirby’s Dad lived when he was a baby. The afternoon brought a round of golf for Kirby, Zach and Ben and Alex and I went for a bike ride. It was a great day that concluded with the Sunset Parade. They fired the cannon and was it ever loud!!! …………

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Today we drove from Regina to Winnipeg. We made a wonderful stop in Miami Manitoba which is where our Uncle Bill spent many years of his youth. It was a very heart-warming stop. We ended the day at our friends home in Winnipeg. It was so good to see Jacquie and Leno and their family. It was an extra bonus to see her Mom and Dad who we have also known for many years. Thank you for the great hospitality!!! They will always be special friends.

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This morning we are on our way to Thunder Bay!!! It will likely be our longest day of driving so far but it really is another beautiful day. Well it was a great drive that ended at the Terry Fox Memorial in Thunder Bay. We stayed at the KOA campground and the boys were happy for the pool and the mini golf.

I decided to go for a run out to the Terry Fox memorial. It was one of those runs that does the soul good!! I graduated from Port Coquitlam High School which is now Terry Fox High. I also ran into a skunk!! Luckily he liked me.

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Well another day of travel through Northern Ontario. Today we went to Sault Ste. Marie. It was a very pretty drive along Lake Superior.

We managed to stop for a swim in the lake. It was FREEZING but all three boys went in but not for long. It was a refreshing stop. Again we camped in the KOA and took full advantage of the pool and laundry facilities!!! This part of northern Ontario is part of the Canadian Shield and has huge out-croppings of pink granite. This granite is so plentiful that they crush it and use it as gravel in the roads which gives the pavement a dark pink hue. Heather went for a bike ride into town and we had a quiet evening.

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Today consisted of a drive from Sault Ste. Marie to JellyStone campground just outside of Toronto!! It also included a detour into Sudbury to buy Alex the new Harry Potter book. He was thrilled!! It was a long drive and we were all glad to arrive at the campground. None of the boys would accompany me on the hay ride with Yogi Bear!!! Not even Kirby!! The evening was busy making plans to travel in to the city for Sundays activities. Kirby cycled into Bradford to double check bus schedules!!!

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This is a busy holiday. We were up at 6:00 (no shower line ups!!) and ordered the cab for 7:15 to take us into Bradford. We took two buses into the City which I would highly recommend. We arrived in Toronto and walked around the CN Tower, had Tim Horton’s and then hit the Hockey Hall of Fame.

We all enjoyed it and Ben loved it!! The afternoon was spent at the ball game. Blue Jays vs the Mariners. It was an excellent game even if the Seattle Coach was ejected. He reminded me of a bobblehead while he argued with the Ump!! The Jays won 9-0. It was a good day to be a Jays fan!

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Today we drove out to Wonderland which was 20 minutes from the campground.

We had a great time and it was a beautiful day. Everyone enjoyed some exciting rides. The water park was lots of fun but the line ups were rather l o n g. It was a fun.

Kirby did an amazing job driving along the 401 in rush hour!! It felt like we were in a movie. However we had a safe drive to Belleville and it was great to see Scott, Heather, Adam and Becky. Adam is now taller than Uncle Kirby!!! The kids had a nice swim and we all enjoyed our visit. We look forward to seeing the Belleville clan in Nanaimo in August.

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We enjoyed the seemingly short drive to Smith Falls to Aunt Doll and Uncle Bob’s lakeside retreat. We were lucky to have some time with cousins Mike and Sue. We all got to tube ride and Zach water skied for the first time!! It was a relaxing visit and the boys really enjoyed a new game called Arizona snake toss. This may have to become a new Waldbank/Ferley Place tournament event!! We wish Bob and Doll a wonderful European River Cruise as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary!

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We had a good drive to Niagara Falls. The 401 was a bit crazy but we made it safely!! We went by the house that Kirby’s family lived in when he was 4,5,and 6 It’s amazing the memories that he has. After getting settled at the campground we took the bus downtown to see the falls.

We did the Journey Behind the Falls and of course got soaked! There is a platform that comes out right beside the falls so you feel like you get a sense of how powerful the falls are. We also got to see the falls lit up at night, it was really pretty.

The next day we went on the Maids of the Mist Boat ride which was a great experience.

The afternoon brought a big walk from the falls to the whirl pool tram. We walked by lots of old character homes that were Bed and Breakfast places. Niagara Falls was definitely a five stars.

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Today my Mom is 80 years old!!! Happy Birthday Mom!! This was without a doubt our longest travel day so far. We left Niagara Falls at 7:00 and arrived in a little town named Union Illinois at 7:30. Thank heavens we got to move our clocks back one hour when we arrived. We had to wait almost two hours at the boarder in Sarnia but it went smoothly. The big event was driving downtown Chicago in rush hour. It is one big city, we took lots of pictures. I was very glad when we arrived at the campground. The boys have been amazing on these long days.

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The drive from Illinois to Sioux Falls was very picturesque. The highlight was when we crossed over the Mississippi River.

There was even a paddle wheeler making its way along the river. I did groceries in Sioux Falls and the boys checked out WalMart. Kirby told me he could have bought a shot gun in WalMart!!! I told him I could have bought a bottle of Baileys at the grocery store. I like living in Canada!!

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Today we drove to Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills South Dakota. Just outside Rapid City we went through the Bad Lands. They were full of Hoo Doos and steeply decending Valleys. We took lots of great photos here.

We stopped by Mount Rushmore briefly on the way to the campground. It is quite amazing and the boys and I couldn’t believe how much Kirby resembled Teddy Roosevelt.!!Our campground was huge with over 600 campsites!!

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We had a busy touring day that started at Mount Rushmore where our tour informed us all about the history of the U.S Presidents in the sculpture. It was very hot but it was quite fascinating learning more about the monuments.

Next we went to see the Crazy Horse Monument. This is another mountain sculpture that depicts the native leader Crazy Horse. This sculptor is still not complete but when it is done it will be many times larger than the sculptor at Mount Rushmore. The sculptor who was contracted in the late 40’s has since passed away. Seven of his ten children continue to work on the sculptor.
Next we took a scenic drive thru Custor State Park. It was a beautiful drive but unfortunately the wildlife was hiding!! It was very hot and I think the wildlife had moved into the forrest out of the heat.
We continued to drive to Wyoming where we camped right at the bottom of Devils Tower. It is a huge volcanic core that stretches almost 1000 feet high from a relatively flat landscape. We had a great time on a hiking trail that went around the base. In the evening we watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind in an out door theater. The movie was filmed at Devils tower. We all slept well as it was a busy day!

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It was a good drive to Yellowstone Park and we were lucky enough to get a reservation inside the park at Bridge Bay Campground. We had a quiet evening which included a walk in the rain around the campground area. the boys saw a small group of deer and there was buffalo poop everywhere. It appears that the buffalo walk through the campground periodically. It was refreshing to have a little rain. Since there is so much to see at Yellowstone we decided to get up early and take in whatever was possible.

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Wow, Yellowstone Park is amazing. We left the campground by 8:00 and before 10:00 we had already seen a huge herd of buffalo, a grizzly bear with two cubs and many elk. We were very lucky to have been in the right place at the right time. It was pretty neat having the bison walk right in front of our motor home.!! Although we saw many hot springs, they were all pretty unique. We watched Old Faithful Geyser erupt which was quite impressive. It erupts about every 85 minutes and draws quite a crowd. Zach continues to be the #1 photographer, particularly with wildlife and scenery. He seems to be following Kirby’s footsteps!! One really needs at least five days or more to explore the park properly as it is so big and there is o much to see.
We had a fun night playing Cadoo and cards, mom is very bad at the game cheat!!! The rain is falling again but it almost goes unnoticed. We are planning to leave at 6:00am!!I can’t believe our adventure is almost over!!!

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At the moment we are driving to Spokane but Montana seems to be getting bigger as we drive. Eventually we will pass through Idaho and then Washington and we will spend the night in Spokane. We are stopping for gas now as Kirby has just told us we have driven just over 600 km. today and it is only 2:00.
Well it is now 6:24 and we miscalculated that Spokane would be a busy place!! No room at the Inn. We made a group decision (not many choices) to continue to drive West a couple of more hours to some place called Ellensburg. They have room and it is in the right direction. Amazingly the boys are holding up really well!! We made it to the KOA in Ellensburg and the boys were very happy it had a pool. This is our last night, I can’t believe it.