Monday, July 19, 2010

We had another day today with nothing on the agenda, but since we were running low on LP Gas we decided we'd pull out and refill our tank.  And it followed that instead of paying $25 we'd dump the holding tanks at the same time.  We probably would have made it to Thursday morning but why take a chance if you don't have to.

It was raining this morning so I decided to wait and see if it would stop before we pulled out and dumped.  We waited until 3:30 and during that time Sharon decided to give me a haircut and pretty-me-up.  And it worked to some degree.  I didn't look like a mangy mutt anymore.

At 3:30 we decided to bite the bullet and just "get it done" in the rain.  As soon as we pulled out, the sky cleared up and the sun came out. Go figure.  We saw Henry at the LP Tank when we filled up.  He said they would be taking us on a tour of the area after Dinner tonight.  We told him we'd be ready.

We've been having trouble maintaining our Wi-Fi connection here and retrieving e-mail has been a chore.  We seem to have one e-mail hanging up the whole program.  Sharon took off with the computer when she went to pay for the LP Gas at the Office.  She was gone for about an hour and came back frustrated again.  I deleted some problem e-mails the other day but I must not have gotten the one that was causing the problem.  I'll have to go in and delete them all.  I think there's 17 of them.  17 jokes that will never see the light of day.

Henry and Arlene stopped by to pick us up about 6 PM for the scenic tour around the area.  We  drove through several Provincial Parks and they seem to be very popular even though they have no water or electricity.  They are nice little wooded parks even though that wouldn't be my cup of tea.  We also stopped for Ice Cream at the campground store before we came back home.

The rest of the night was spent in front of the Telly just relaxing. We had had an active day even though it wasn't very hectic.  It was still sprinkling outside when we went to bed.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

We had a couple of last minute things to take care of today so we could keep our options open to go to the Columbia Icefields, at Jasper National Park tomorrow.

We left for town about 10 and did some grocery shopping before we settled into A&W for lunch.  We also wanted to check out which gas station would be the easiest to get  in and out of.  On that front I think we'll just take the first station that isn't busy, since none of them appears an easy in, easy out.

We went for lunch and had Mini-Sirloin Burger Combos, which is 2 sirloin sliders that were very good.  Our first intention was to get Coney Dogs but they weren't on the menu.

After lunch we went home and Sharon took off with the laundry while I cleaned the front of the motorhome.  It took and hour and a half to get the bugs off and clean the windshield, and Sharon was back home with the laundry about the same time.

We had invited Henry and Arlene over for Dinner tonight and were planning to have Spaghetti and Meatballs with Salad and Garlic Bread.  Sharon started getting it ready once we got done with our chores.

The LeDuc's came over about 4:30 and the cocktail "hours" began.  Supper was quite good and the cocktail hour was extended until about 9 o'clock. 

After Henry and Arlene left we watched TV for about an hour or so before we headed for the bed.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

We were on the road by 9 this morning headed toward Jasper National Park and the Columbia Icefields.  It took us a couple of hours to get there and we arrived about 11 in the Park, and then drove about 18 miles north to the icefields.  We decided that we would take the tour out onto the Athabasca Glacier and bought our tickets for the trip.  It was an hour and a half trip even though it only covered about an actual mile of distance. We had a good time and were glad we took the plunge.

After the icefield tour we headed back toward the Saskatchewan Crossing to look for souvenirs. I couldn't find anything different than what I had already bought, at the Icefield Centre.  We picked up something to nibble on and then went on our way.  We hadn't eaten since Breakfast.

We got back on the road to home, stopping only for $10 worth of gas on the way, since we couldn't make it all the way on what we had.  The gas is cheaper in Rocky Mountain House so we'll fill up there.

We arrived back home about 5:30 in plenty of time to stll go out for Dinner with Arlene and Henry.  They took us to Grillers for a very nice Dinner.  By the time we got back home we were quite tired from the long day.  We watched a little TV before we finally caved for the night.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

We left Rocky Mountain House this morning right at 9 after dumping, refilling our gas tank and stopping at Tim Horton's for Timbits.  Our trip was pretty uneventful except that we couldn't contact Terry and Jo-Anne after having left several messages on their Voicemail.  We had wanted to meet them at a different place than we agreed on last week so we just had to wait until we were a no-show at the original meeting place and they would call us.  It worked partially until they'd waited 40 minutes after we didn't show to call us.  We told them where we were at and they showed up about 30 minutes later.

After we settled into our campground at Banff National Park (Tunnel Mountain Campground) we took off touring the area, with stops at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel which is a magnificent place to spend a vacation.  We actually stopped and had a beer there.

We continued on to Lake Minnewanka where a huge Elk was dining alongside the road, 5 feet from the car, and we got great pictures.  We also went to the Norquay Ski area which is on top of a mountain with great vistas of the Banff Townsite.  We also went to the Upper Hot Springs Baths and to the lower baths at the Cave and Basin Historic Site.  We also managed to drive to Bow Falls before stopping for Fish and Chips at a local Restaurant.  I also managed to pick up another T-Shirt at the Hudson Bay Company Variety Store.  We had a very busy afternoon before we finally came home about 8 PM.  It never gets dark here so even when you go to bed at 10 it's still light out.

But go to bed we did, eventually.

Friday, July 23, 2010

We were rolling and on the road this morning by 9 AM not knowing what a day this was going to be.  Our first stop would be Lake Louise which is a breathtaking spot up in the mountains alongside the hotel and nestled in between the mountains.  The sun had abandoned us this morning but this was truly a georgous setting.

After we left Lake Louise, and drove by Lake Moraine, it was time for lunch and we ate at the Lake Louise Train Station Restaurant Obviously the original train station converted.  Terry's Dad had frequented this station many times when he worked for the railroad.

Leaving again we were headed to the Spiral Tunnels on our way to British Columbia.  The spiral tunnels were cut in the mountain and a way for the trains to gain or lose elevation as they moved through the mountains.  There was a model mock-up on the site that showed us exactly what was built in the mountains.

Our next stop was Golden, B.C.  We were making a huge loop from Banff to

BC and then back to Alberta again.  The whole trip was completely through the mountains with stops to picture spectacular vistas on the way, and an ice cream and cookie snack.  Turning south after Golden we arrived in Radium, B.C. the location of the public Hot Springs pools.  We paused for just a short while to take a few pictures, and then continued on our journey.

As we turned east again and got close to Alberta we spotted a Black Wolf and two pups trying to cross the road.  The pups got separated from the mother as the traffic came through just as they were crossing the highway.  We stopped and waited to see if the pups would come out again but they must have been spooked and remained hidden.

The rest of the trip back home was uneventful except to say that we decided to have a wiener roast for supper tonight.  As we got back home about 6 we just put on warmer clothes and went over for a campfire.  We met Terry and Jo-Anne's neighbors as they came over and introduced themselves as Alec and Cheryl McNeil from the Edmonton, Alberta area.

After the hot dog roast we came home and I promptly fell asleep in my recliner.  I was quite pooped to say the least.  I probably slept for about an hour and then got up and went to bed.  With a pre-sleep nap under my belt, I was ready for the night.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

We were off on another journey this morning to Canmore and the Nordic Center up in the mountains at Spray Lakes.  The Lakes are the result of snow melt in the mountains and they fill to capacity every spring so that the Hydro Plant can operate and produce electricity.  On the way back down the mountain we were treated to a beautiful vista of the Bow River Valley under us.

Driving back through Canmore around noon we found a parking place right in front of the restaurant we ate our lunch at.  After lunch we were done with sightseeing in and around Banff so we came back to the campground

Sharon and I came back to the motorhome and took a well deserved nap for a couple of hours before we got in the car and went over to Terry and Jo-Anne's.  We had a campfire for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to go for supper.  We had decided earlier that we were going for Pizza tonight.

We left the fire and went back downtown about 7 looking for a Pizza Place.  We found Athena Pizza right next to a place that we had Fish and Chips the other day.  Our pizza was quite good and after we ate we went back to the Bertamini's to sit by the campfire again for the night.  We actually got home about 10 and went almost immediately to bed, waking up only to the sound of our cellphone battery going dead.  Sharon got up and found it in her purse and plugged it in for the night, and we dozed off again.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Today was going to be a travel day as we are moving back to Terry and Jo-Anne's in Lethbridge.  We'll park in their driveway for a couple of days before we move back down to the "lower 48".

We would be stopping in Strathmore on the way, to visit with their kids Mike and Allison and have lunch with them.  After lunch we continued on to Lethbridge and arrived about 2 in the afternoon.  We spent the next hour trying to get level in the driveway, and getting power.  We did, however, spend the following hour drinking beer and cooling off.  This was by far the hottest day we've had since we've been up here, in Canada.

Terry decided he was up for KFC for supper tonight and nobody disagreed.  So he left for the chicken and brought back a bucketful.  It was piping hot when we dug into it and none of us could eat it, it was so hot.  We had never gotten it that hot even when we picked it up at the store.

For the rest of the night we just sat around and relaxed. Our last couple of days had been very hectic.

I finally got our e-mail straightened out tonight.  We had one e-mail that was hanging up everything and I got rid of it tonight.  I had to discard about 15 e-mails to get to it however, but there didn't seem to be anything earthshaking in our mailbox.

By the time we came back out to the motorhome we were just tired enough to watch a couple episodes of "Deadliest Catch" before heading for the feathers.