tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66364952725668539772024-03-14T05:05:52.658-07:00Are We There Yet?A chronicle of our most excellent adventureThe Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-63845469678175936162013-06-27T10:45:00.001-07:002018-06-15T13:54:43.678-07:00A year later!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It’s been just over a year since Ben and I loaded up the car with our kids and as much stuff as we could fit, and hit the road for a cross Canada journey from Vancouver to Toronto. The trip, much of which has been well documented on this blog, lasted 40 days and took us through BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ontario. It was the trip of our lifetime!<o:p></o:p></div>
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A year after we have landed in our new home, we are now preparing for our first camping trip again and although this one is a weekend trip to a local camping site, I couldn't help but think back on our trip last year and reflect on the journey on its first anniversary. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There are of course a few things that have changed since last summer. For one thing, our boys are a year older. Owen is able to last in his car seat longer now that he can interact more easily with his brother in the back seat and us in the front. Zaid is more able, at least some of the time, to listen to instructions and follow along when asked not to do something because it is not safe. I am looking forward to a more relaxed experience at the campsite this time around, with less running around and more sitting and watching the kids play together. We will see if this vision will hold or be shattered 5 minutes after we unpack!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our trip last year has really helped to cement our love for travel and adventure, as well as camping. The most evident for me is the love of car travel. Since our trip I find that I feel most relaxed and at ease when I am in the passenger seat and Ben is driving us somewhere. The longer the trip the better! Our drives to Niagara last winter and this spring were great. I felt that I was relaxed even before we arrived at our hotel. I think being in the car has become a mental trigger for me to unwind and get into “break” mode. And after a couple of very intense months of my new job, I can’t wait for the 4 hour drive to the campground in Bruce Peninsula National Park.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At the campsite, our plans for food include jiffy pop, campfire hot dogs and s’mores. As for activities, hiking, walking around the nearby village and long hours on the beach are in order. And one thing is for sure, it’s been way too long since we unpacked our trusty big blue tent and it will be wonderful to do that again. </div>
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We are all very happy and excited to be going camping again soon!<o:p></o:p></div>
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If this summer you are planning or thinking about traveling and/ or camping in any of the regions we visited last summer, I invite you to read our blog posts to find out about best sites, parks, attractions and hidden gems to visit, as well as a few not so wonderful places to avoid. </div>
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I Hope your summer is as full of adventure and excitement as ours are!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Haifa <o:p></o:p></div>
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Haifahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10947202011705435049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-89026488781615751172012-08-08T08:51:00.002-07:002012-08-08T08:51:51.476-07:00Greatest MomentsIn spite of all the grandeur of the Rockies, vastness of the prairies, business of Chicago, and wonder of all the places we visited, it is the little things that have provided the greatest moments of the trip, and will provide the greatest memories moving forward. Just like life, the best things truly are the little things. Here is a chronological list of, some, of the best moments I had on our trip.<br />
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1) Afternoon Sun in Kekuli Bay<br />
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Our first weeks adventures with rain have been well documented on this trip. It wasn't until we got to the Rockies that we truly left the rain behind and enjoyed the sun for the final 30 days, give or take. Our first night in Manning Park required a 10 minute tarp set-up and dinner crouched on the ground beside the picnic table, rain pouring down. Our stay in the desert of Osoyoos even brought rain each afternoon. However, the first afternoon at Kekuli Bay provided a beautiful afternoon, free of even clouds. Haifa and the boys hung out beneath a tree while I set up our tent, being sure to stop every 2 minutes for a sip of water. After getting the tent up Zaid and I went for a walk down to play in the playground and then to the dock to look at the water. We even saw a rattlesnake curled up in the grass having a rest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the Sun at Kekuli Bay - Notice the Ouzo</td></tr>
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<br />2) Walk up Johnston Canyon<div>
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After a long (for us) day of driving from Revelstoke we pull into our campground at Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park in the mid-afternoon. After getting out of the car Zaid immediately requests that we go on a walk and so we, desiring a stretch of our legs as well, oblige. We initially decide to just go to the river flowing by the campground and walk along its side. Soon we are crossing back underneath the Bow River Parkway and across a little footbridge over the river. We get caught up in a stream of people and find ourselves along the Johnston Canyon walk. The route was short, about 1 km, but was amazing. The path either goes alongside the edge of the canyon or right over the river itself, attached to the rock wall itself. We end up at the lower falls and had a great time getting misted by the falling water. We reward our good luck with a soft-serve Vanilla Ice Cream when we get back.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Falls in Johnston Canyon</td></tr>
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<br />3) Herbert Train Station Museum<div>
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The longest travel day until that point was the drive from Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park in Southeast Alberta to Regina in central Saskatchewan. We decided to pull off the highway in the town of Herbert to look for a park with which to picnic. We follow the signs to the visitor centre, usually the best bet to find a picnic table, and stop for lunch. Much to Zaid's delight the visitor centre also doubles as a train museum, complete with 3 old train cars that are fully accessible. It proved VERY difficult to keep Zaid at the table and interested in lunch as all he was wanting was to look at the trains. I wolfed down my sardine sandwich and went with him to explore the trains. We were only there for about 45 minutes but we all had a great time looking at all the trains had to offer.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zaid sitting in the Caboose</td></tr>
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4) Windy Lake Michigan</div>
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The day had been planned as a relaxing day to account for the blah feeling that had enveloped us all the day before. A morning thundershower simply reinforced the idea of a slow and relaxing drive down to Port Washington, Wisconsin. We set off around 11:00, ready and willing to take multiple stops along the scenic Lake Michigan route as we saw interesting things to do. The first indication that things were a bit windy was the drive, the car was fairly difficult to control with the crosswind pushing the car towards the shoulder. Then, we turn a corner and come into the town of Algoma, right on the shore of Lake Michigan. The lake looked like a stormy ocean, we could not see the other side and the waves were rolling in thick and white. We park the car and hop down the stairs, wind gusting into our faces and blowing our hair (and us) every which way. It was exhilarating and thrilling and gave us a great jolt awake from our malaise. It was a great 10 minutes, just what the doctor ordered.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYSfPTVq3PTn1Os6QXQ9OkDy_pk0XmRkqD9Dq48CxcoCEkpzlfgQZg4w_K_au08meLTXfqRuBW6g54-6mKFx2bUHDgypVfC0Woabunfg-qAqy62fRXyAzy9w_ZkuTdDnIax1iwdBbM6M/s1600/IMG_5828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYSfPTVq3PTn1Os6QXQ9OkDy_pk0XmRkqD9Dq48CxcoCEkpzlfgQZg4w_K_au08meLTXfqRuBW6g54-6mKFx2bUHDgypVfC0Woabunfg-qAqy62fRXyAzy9w_ZkuTdDnIax1iwdBbM6M/s320/IMG_5828.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haifa and Owen enjoying the wind</td></tr>
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<br />5) Chicago Dance Party</div>
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I have written about this in a previous post and so will simply quote the paragraph again here. </div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I was putting Zaid to bed this evening when all of a sudden I hear faint bass beats wafting up from the streets below. They didn't seem to bother Zaid, but my curiosity was piqued. I recalled having walked by a stage advertising a free dance party during the summer this morning and put two and two together. After getting Zaid down (or at least I thought) I headed outside to see what was going on. There was a dance party, and it was awesome. There was probably 500-800 people and all of them were dancing. From young parents with their children to old couples in their 70s, from the stylings of the "Chicago Dancing Diva's" to the stylings of rhythm-less middle aged white people, from girls in tie-die shirts to guys in basketball jerseys, from Indians dancing Banghara, to me tapping my foot and bobbing my head, EVERYONE was dancing. The whole event was free and lasted about 2 hours. It was funded completely by the government, with no form of sponsorship anywhere. This is a city that does things right.</span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dance Dance</td></tr>
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<br />6) The walk from Addison Station to my seat in Wrigley Field<div>
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I get off the packed train at Addison Station and immediately see what appears to be the back of Wrigley Field. I see stairs leading up to doors labelled "box seats" and stands above. I don't really have time to look further though as the throng of baseball fans (mostly Cubs, but many Cardinals fans as well) is leading me down the stairs to the street below. The street is FULL of people and they all seem to be going to the stadium, or to a local bar first. As we make our way the half block to the stadium I realize that what I thought was the stadium was actually houses across the street. It seems that they have built their own stands and charge people to watch the game from across the street. </div>
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We get closer and closer to the stadium and the yells of "tickets for sale" and "water $1 each" grow more frequent. Then, all of a sudden, the stadium is there. From the outside it is very hard to tell that a baseball team plays inside, as it fits into the neighbourhood perfectly. I guess this happens when the stadium and the neighbourhood can grow up with each other for a century.</div>
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I make my way through the throng to will-call and pick up my ticket. It is in my hands, Cubs-Cardinals, at Wrigley Field. Within minutes I will be in my seat looking at the ivy covered walls I have seen so many times on TV. I have been waiting for this ever since I became a baseball fan at the age of 5, watching the Blue Jays play the White Sox with my dad at old Exhibition Stadium.</div>
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I slowly walk around the crowd outside, taking the atmosphere in. I notice a quartet of musicians in Cubs uniforms playing and stop for a listen. I take out my phone and take the obligatory tourist photo of the original Marquee and work my way in. The ticket-taker scans my ticket and I am in. It takes some time to figure out where I am going as Wrigley uses aisles instead of sections that I am used to. However, I quickly realize I need to go up the ramp and so slowly make my way up. </div>
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As I get to the top of the ramp I notice a row of seats right there and get a bit confused. However, the stadium is so small that there isn't really a concourse, simply the start of the seats. I grab a beer (Labbatt Blue, since I despise Budweiser and Coors) and make my way to my seats. The game doesn't start for another 20 minutes and so my section is pretty empty to start. I take in the ivy-walls and the Cardinals warming up in front of me. I take in the friendly joking around between Cardinal and Cub fans, I take in the vendors yelling out "Cold Beer" and "Ice Cream" and I am happy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first view of the field</td></tr>
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<br />7) Evening Swim in Whiteshell Provincial Park<div>
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This entry is not in chronological order; I have saved it for last. This was the single best moment of the whole trip. </div>
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We had found the beach earlier in the afternoon but didn't have our swimming stuff with us and so decided to come for a swim after dinner. We get our gear on, swimming diapers for the boys, and trunks for us, and head out on the short 5 minute walk. We arrive at around 7:00 to a near empty beach and get our sandals off, shirts and hats off, and towels out. Then we run to the water and play. For about 45 minutes we are in pure bliss. Chasing Zaid, splashing Haifa, getting splashed by Zaid, walking out to the deeper parts, sitting with Owen in the shallows. The whole time, we all have huge smiles on and are laughing. There were absolutely no worries our thoughts in our mind, just the water and the swimming.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach earlier in the day. We were having too much fun for pictures during our swim</td></tr>
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</div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-30419503166727788682012-08-03T19:04:00.001-07:002012-08-03T19:04:33.825-07:00The Best of Times and the Worst of TimesAugust 3, 2012<br />
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We have been in Toronto now for 2 days and are pouring ourselves into the house search. We have a couple of very nice leads on places and a few more viewings set up for the weekend. With any luck we will be in our new home by the middle of the month.<br />
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This post is going to be a review of sorts of our trip from my perspective. I will be talking about my favourites and least favourites, bests and worsts, and so forth. Onwards Ho!<br />
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Best Campsite:<br />
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This one is easy, the best campsite we had by far was at Caliper Lake Provincial Park in Northern Ontario. We had a large grassy site situated directly on the lakeshore, nestled amongst the trees, and away from the road. We could not see the campground road from our site. Combined with the lack of fellow campers anywhere near us and we had this beautiful lakefront site that felt like we were in the middle of the woods.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campsite at Caliper Lake</td></tr>
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Best Campground:<br />
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We had a few very nice campgrounds - Kekuli Bay in the Okanagan and Kinbrook Island and Elkwater in Southern Alberta come to mind as quiet places with wonderful ammenities and large campsites, or as is the case with Kekuli Bay, a wonderful view. However, the best campground overall was Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park. I devoted a whole blog post to this <a href="http://wellarewe.blogspot.ca/2012/07/day-11-real-camping.html">campground</a> and so won't go into too much detail. I do want to emphasis the quality of the washrooms - they were fully heated which helped immensely with the cold mornings and had the most powerful hand blowers I had ever seen (they even caused ripples in your hands).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlQmbgqxlgeTvAry7_-YHCm2bdJg9Su_Du6EFqooFNtWTX7vZ7DVXF5dlGVK_aEldF5s4Y3f1f7xc4BKWhcEbCnbTiUSwHfhr-lTe1hW5G8KyyYKNi67c_Et_bTItwZ6l1Y9IYHFukGc/s1600/IMG_4868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlQmbgqxlgeTvAry7_-YHCm2bdJg9Su_Du6EFqooFNtWTX7vZ7DVXF5dlGVK_aEldF5s4Y3f1f7xc4BKWhcEbCnbTiUSwHfhr-lTe1hW5G8KyyYKNi67c_Et_bTItwZ6l1Y9IYHFukGc/s320/IMG_4868.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kekuli Bay Provincial Park</td></tr>
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Worst Campsite and Campground:<br />
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This one is also very easy - Bleriot Ferry campground just north of Drumheller, Alberta. On our first drive around this place it wasn't all bad, there was lots of grassy campsites and it was situated right on a river. However, it was only after paying our fee that we realized how horrible it was. There was no shade at all for most of the day, resulting in us moving our camp chairs around the tent to keep up with the tent-made shade. There were horrible neighbours who were loud and rude and a mother who berated her children from the moment they arrived until the moment they went to bed. The washrooms looked like they hadn't been cleaned in a week. The water required a 10 minute boil to get rid of bugs. The river was brown and dirty and located behind a mud pit. Worst of all were the mosquitoes; they were relentless and numerous. We awoke in the morning to find our usually white tent black with mosquitoes waiting between the tent and fly for us to leave. It was so bad that even the mosquitoes thought there were too many mosquitoes; they were chasing our car down the exit road trying to hitch a ride out of town. We were so very thankful to get out of that place and glad there was nothing even close to as bad for the rest of the trip.<br />
<br />
Worst Driving Experiences:<br />
<br />
I cannot differentiate between two moments, thankfully both of which were pretty short. First up we have a 5 minute drive south from Nakusp, BC back to our campsite at McDonald Creek. There had been heavy rain all day and it was only getting heavier as we headed out onto the undivided highway. Just out of town we ran into some pretty heavy fog that was the source of the stress. If we were on a city street going 50 then we would have had enough visibility, but being on a windy highway with a 100 KM/H speed limit proved to be too much. I slowed the car down to 80, but was nervous to go any slower in case someone behind us was going too fast in the fog. After about 2 minutes I began to get very close to having a panic attack, but there was no place to pull over and leave enough room for cars to get by. Haifa was great in helping me calm down and a couple of minutes after that we came down a slight hill and exited the fog, giving us a much easier final 5 minutes to the park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTb9oIC7wC_d6lr4ChVspNk8TrOBQtVb0N7756d36emM5jdz_yMFpv9CJj1_nrxh0ilXOZLwNVsQ9PVDWiaEw3cJ1ifEAnZPUImGx7InNUONaKGFqIxld5PqYtqE074Rshyjn9zaxs05Q/s1600/IMG_5924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTb9oIC7wC_d6lr4ChVspNk8TrOBQtVb0N7756d36emM5jdz_yMFpv9CJj1_nrxh0ilXOZLwNVsQ9PVDWiaEw3cJ1ifEAnZPUImGx7InNUONaKGFqIxld5PqYtqE074Rshyjn9zaxs05Q/s320/IMG_5924.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Navigating Downtown Milwaukee Freeways</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Secondly we have a 1 mile stretch of freeway in downtown Milwaukee. We had just got back on the I43/I94 going south and were one of about 4 new lanes that had joined a 3-4 lane freeway going south. This would have been stressful in and of itself but within a mile, or even less, we had 4 of the lanes exit to various parts of downtown or other freeways. This resulted in hundreds of cars travelling in 7 lanes, and all needing a new lane within a few hundred feet. Cars from the far left were changing 6 lanes of traffic at once, trucks from the far right were doing the same. As soon as a free car length appears in a lane drivers on either side jump at the chance to change lanes into its spot. And, because this is a freeway, this was all going on at 65 MPH (or 105 KMH).Thankfully the insanity was over quickly and we were back to the relative ease of a 3 lane freeway.<br />
<br />
Best Drive:<br />
<br />
The best drive was short, perhaps about 20 minutes of the highway from Vernon to Fauquier in BC. This road crosses a mountain range on the way from the Okanagan to the Kootenays region. The last 20 minutes or so you plunge down this windy road from the tops of the mountains to the valley floor and a ferryboat crossing the Arrow Lakes. Rising cliff on your left and plunging cliff on your right, snippets of river below and views of mountains all around. This was fun driving in a beautiful setting and nothing before or after came close.<br />
<br />
Best City:<br />
<br />
While we spent a majority of the trip camping in the wilderness, we did take time for hotels in a number of big cities along the way. Perhaps city is a generous definition for some of these locations, but I am considering Kelowna, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Duluth, and Chicago as the cities we have visited. We had an amazing time with our friend Joanne in Calgary, loved the Urban feel of Winnipeg, and were amazed by the beauty of Duluth, nestled between a hillside and Lake Superior, however there is no contest, Chicago was the best. Both <a href="http://wellarewe.blogspot.ca/2012/07/day-34-36-chicago-chicago.html">Haifa </a>and <a href="http://wellarewe.blogspot.ca/2012/07/day-35-deep-dished-in-chicago.html">myself</a> have written entries about our time in and enjoyment of Chicago and so little else needs to be said. Its been a week since we were in the city and we are still excited about our short visit<br />
<br />
Worst City:<br />
<br />
Apologies to all of our friends from Saskatchewan, but Regina is pretty crappy. The "city" is tiny and seems to be only full of non-residents. On Friday evening the 4 block downtown area was completely empty of any living soul except ourselves. Each restaurant we came across was closed, save one. Outside of downtown there is really only strip malls and big box stores. The place is really a place to avoid and we don't intend on voluntarily going back. I think an exchange with the front desk clerk at our hotel indicates the kind of city it is. When we asked for a good place to eat close by she suggested McDonalds or Chili's. Picking the lesser of two evils we asked where Chili's was and she said we would need to take our car. Preferring to walk, we were quite surprised to find it across the street from the hotel. Any place that people recommend you drive, and not walk, across the street is a place to miss.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKKCAAOQeLPoINGGRjO3MaDX3WgwfRmRPmPi9DzoKUKIPYrQkio9T7ttN_wH5KSBE84Y96_iun0Az2wrvb6XvZ4HZA0MsmSyWI-NHwjNDinjENbTYTj1iKja9gM6d3Y9fjAkz7W-mEfA/s1600/IMG_5368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKKCAAOQeLPoINGGRjO3MaDX3WgwfRmRPmPi9DzoKUKIPYrQkio9T7ttN_wH5KSBE84Y96_iun0Az2wrvb6XvZ4HZA0MsmSyWI-NHwjNDinjENbTYTj1iKja9gM6d3Y9fjAkz7W-mEfA/s320/IMG_5368.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Regina, Friday Night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Best Animal Encounter:<br />
<br />
Thinking back on all the animals we saw this has proved to be a very tough category. We saw a van hit a deer in the Okanagan (not good, but memorable), we saw a black bear crossing the highway on the Arrow Lakes, we crossed under a bridge and came across 2 Elk in the Rockies, we drove right up to a group of fighting Mountain Sheep in the Rockies, we were greeted to our campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park by a male Deer sauntering in front of the car. However, the most amazing encounter for me was at Good Spirt Lake in Saskatchewan. We had seen a mother deer with her two babies a couple of times around the park earlier, but as I set out to find the garbage I would have a close encounter. I turned the corner from the road to the washroom path, not really paying attention to where I am going. Suddenly, right in front of me, and I mean RIGHT in front of me, was the deer family. I stood still as the mother carefully and slowly, eyes always on me, sauntered a mere couple of feet from me, closely followed by her children. I could have reached out to touch her, but a combination of trepidation and respect held me back. As soon as they were clear, they bolted and ran off across the street and into the woods. It took quite a while for me to catch my breath afterwards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7EMm9vs-1z7jQ3BWFs6x4QyES9MjPEbljhYWqXtiSHKcIw8VVfds4G1va3tpbmMpksHVWYKgHLRblZ9VLfShRQfcrIQAczmobAiSm05BhZQVJp9k7LB_0M_2X8P1DEx42c4HIUYPbqk/s1600/IMG_5548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7EMm9vs-1z7jQ3BWFs6x4QyES9MjPEbljhYWqXtiSHKcIw8VVfds4G1va3tpbmMpksHVWYKgHLRblZ9VLfShRQfcrIQAczmobAiSm05BhZQVJp9k7LB_0M_2X8P1DEx42c4HIUYPbqk/s320/IMG_5548.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buck greeting us to Whiteshell Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Worst Animal Encounter:<br />
<br />
This one comes from our last night of camping, in Wheatley Provincial Park just a bit southeast of Windsor, Ontario. Haifa was in the tent with Owen and I was puttering about outside. I was just crossing in front of the tent door when I saw the tail end of a snake slither into the woods right in front of me (and our tent). I stop dead in my tracks as it was easily the biggest snake I had ever seen outside of a Zoo. Unfortunately, Haifa had seen my reaction and, not wanting to lie, I had to admit to seeing a snake. This made Haifa, how has a phobia of snakes, deathly scared for the rest of the evening and kind of ruined the last night for all of us.<br />
<br />
To add insult to our situation, a family of raccoons decided to join us for our campfire later that night. I was in the tent putting Zaid to sleep when I heard Haifa say "Go Away Raccoon" in a loud and stern voice. After Zaid was asleep the raccoon returned with 2 others and got halfway into our campsite before we noticed them. I got up with a jump and banged our fire poking stick on the ground, scaring them to the edge of our site. A few more bangs on the picnic table drove them far enough away... or at least we thought. After we went into the tent for the night we heard them come back and inspect our chairs and stove and other items left out (no food items). It made for a pretty tense night by all of us raccoon-phobes.<br />
<br />
Best Natural Attraction<br />
<br />
We were so blessed to have witnessed so many incredible places in this great country and continent of ours that it is so hard to pick just one. Instead, I will provide a short, and not exhaustive, list of some of our favourites.<br />
<br />
Kalamalka Lake in the Okanangan Valley, BC<br />
Takkakaw Falls in Yoho National Park, BC<br />
The interplay of mountains and clouds in Banff National Park, Alberta<br />
Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta<br />
Canola fields, Saskatchewan (and Alberta)<br />
Lake of the Woods, Ontario<br />
Caliper Lake, Ontario<br />
Lake Michigan, Wisconsin (in particular)<br />
Countryside of Southwest Ontario, Ontario<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyvwUyuJgljdrHEh4aTkhtBBb1L2YLzSVcPAiGe8b8LDK82xRDAXN69Ce3LBQXk6YoRr56FhNsT2kq51eZw2bm4HSy-y2rI2OwYfyKtdF9SaASac-3BaTqL7TY_eSboZbtEV5qFhHHvU/s1600/IMG_5048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyvwUyuJgljdrHEh4aTkhtBBb1L2YLzSVcPAiGe8b8LDK82xRDAXN69Ce3LBQXk6YoRr56FhNsT2kq51eZw2bm4HSy-y2rI2OwYfyKtdF9SaASac-3BaTqL7TY_eSboZbtEV5qFhHHvU/s320/IMG_5048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banff National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Best Attraction made by Humans:<br />
<br />
We went to numerous museums, zoos, aquariums, galleries, etc. and enjoyed nearly all of them. We didn't want to go see 25 art galleries though and so made a conscious effort to visit a variety of different types of attractions. Looking back now, three of the places we visited stick out:<a href="http://wellarewe.blogspot.ca/2012/07/day-17-bloodsuckers-of-badlands.html"> Royal Tyrell Dinosaur Museum</a> in Drumheller, Alberta, <a href="http://wellarewe.blogspot.ca/2012/07/day-30.html">Soudan Underground Mine State Park</a>, Tower, Minnesota, and <a href="http://wellarewe.blogspot.ca/2012/08/day-39-home-stretch.html">The Henry Ford Museum</a>, Dearborn, Michigan.<br />
<br />
Each of these places provided a great example of the different things we experienced at all of the places we visited. The Royal Tyrell Museum was breathtaking. Filled to capacity with numerous dinosaur fossils of full and nearly full creatures, each step of the way brought us face to face with some new amazing creature to look at. Soudan Mine was something we stumbled upon and would not have even heard of it had we not randomly picked a campground from our map book. The place fully encapsulated the sense of joy we had at stumbling across some hidden gem in some tiny town. We got to walk all around an old mine and learned a tonne about old-school Iron mining and the region of Minnesota that we were visiting. The Henry Ford was full of artifacts from history that provided a surprisingly strong sense of reverence and respect for the major events of North American history.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5N8IchLXAM8YCZHQabIKy6dhIq7CUPq5UGdH7ByGjuMaenAanUpVMoZ0DYkXE3XkcFj1SJr57dzEoz5yZymjMt8Noo2ZsGwql5b54_fz7k5PJvkEpA40g7qVOnjc8O1x3-q541dVqVw/s1600/IMG_5665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5N8IchLXAM8YCZHQabIKy6dhIq7CUPq5UGdH7ByGjuMaenAanUpVMoZ0DYkXE3XkcFj1SJr57dzEoz5yZymjMt8Noo2ZsGwql5b54_fz7k5PJvkEpA40g7qVOnjc8O1x3-q541dVqVw/s320/IMG_5665.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soudan Mine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
It is late in Toronto now, and I have already filled this post with too much stuff. I will thus split this into two posts. Coming soon will be a summary of the best moments I had over our 40 day exodus. <br />
<br />
<br />The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-24546019624414350912012-08-02T08:53:00.000-07:002012-08-02T08:53:54.662-07:00Day 40: ArrivalWe Made It!!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09tR1QmrmeD_axP4CyeJ_ELpBC-8kimMNzBcWB4GKyKWa3axTL5FBZ1qgE-DNPJN-1JRpJidLRzJbUC43tkLRgS4nEGJzfjxHxuzueHwfdjg6mdlvZSLA5Y6H59spaolCjUgwAYPw2Eg/s1600/IMG_6513%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09tR1QmrmeD_axP4CyeJ_ELpBC-8kimMNzBcWB4GKyKWa3axTL5FBZ1qgE-DNPJN-1JRpJidLRzJbUC43tkLRgS4nEGJzfjxHxuzueHwfdjg6mdlvZSLA5Y6H59spaolCjUgwAYPw2Eg/s320/IMG_6513%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-19448506233373631612012-08-02T08:49:00.003-07:002012-08-02T08:49:40.817-07:00Day 39: Home Stretch<br />
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July 31, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today is the last night of our trip. At this time tomorrow
we will be in our new hometown of Toronto, relaxing with my Sister and
Brother-In-Law and (hopefully) booking a bunch of viewings for places to rent
ASAP. For now, though, I am sitting by the campfire in Wheatley Provincial
Park, about 30-45 minutes South-East of Windsor on Lake Erie. We have gone all
out for our last night of camping, purchasing two bags of fire wood, having
fire roasted Smokies for dinner and S’mores for desert (we have had these
twice, on our first night camping and our last). Given the heat and humidity
that has stuck with us this trip; I don’t think the extra heat was such a good
idea though.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our friend’s mother happens to live in the nearby town of
Wheatley and invited us over for the afternoon after we had set up the tent. It
was a wonderful time on the porch of this beautifully large yard, the adults
drank iced lemonade and ate melon in the cooling breeze while Zaid had great
fun filling up a yogurt container with water from the hose and dumping it on
his head. Our very generous host sent us back to the campground laden with
fruits and veggies, and a beautiful blueberry pie that will be part of lunch
tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Crossing back into Canada turned out to be very quick and
simple. After my experience driving in downtown Milwaukee, with the 4 lane
freeway turning into 8 and then 4 again, I was a bit nervous driving down the
freeway in another large US city. This stress, combined with my previously
mentioned stress of crossing borders made for a very stressful time. I had done
ample research the night before and determined that the Detroit-Windsor tunnel
would be the best route. I’m not sure how the Ambassador Bridge was, but there
was no need to stress about the tunnel. There was next to no traffic on the
freeway or in the tunnel, as we zoomed through customs in just a couple of
minutes. We all breathed a sigh of relief to be back home in Canada so easily.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our day started with the final big attraction, the Car
Museum (technically called the Henry Ford museum) in the Detroit suburb of
Dearborn. This turned out to be well worth the visit. Not only did it house
close to a hundred cars from an 1899 car to a 2009 Toyota Prius, but it also
housed a huge collection of trains, airplanes and other memorabilia. Amongst
the items we saw were the limousine that JFK was riding in when he was
assassinated, the bus that Rosa Parks refused to bow to segregation in, and
(the highlight for Zaid), the original Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. The museum
houses far more stuff than we had time to visit, including a pioneer village
and a tour of a working Ford factory, and so we hope to make a return visit at
some point in the future.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf9XGi13lCWnWsaEqBdQPq1R4Z3RdQUGBzpWB1yXRUZbut3EvZDZ9wSawXENqzOKmj1dBuJr_mKOZ4M20DbwLIBd3tlBkuGN7W2xKxj2tP55gmVbSEcJeEmh_wlpmbmgjU9f2kePtuTQ/s1600/IMG_6463%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf9XGi13lCWnWsaEqBdQPq1R4Z3RdQUGBzpWB1yXRUZbut3EvZDZ9wSawXENqzOKmj1dBuJr_mKOZ4M20DbwLIBd3tlBkuGN7W2xKxj2tP55gmVbSEcJeEmh_wlpmbmgjU9f2kePtuTQ/s320/IMG_6463%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bus where Rosa Parks stood up to Segregation by not standing up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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With the end of our trip looming it is time for us to turn
to the future, and our new life in Toronto. The end of our trip will come on
day 40, making it 40 days and 40 nights from Vancouver to Toronto, the same
amount of time that Noah was afloat on the Ark in the flooded world. Like Noah,
after 40 days we are ready to land and are excited for the new beginning that the
end of our trip brings.<o:p></o:p></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-22076901003402361702012-07-30T18:32:00.001-07:002012-07-30T18:32:54.708-07:00Day 37: Tri-State Day<br />
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July 29, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today we woke up in our hotel room in downtown Chicago,
Illinois and are now close to bed at our campground in Wayne Dunes State Park
in Michigan after a brief stop at the Indiana Sand Dunes National Shoreline in
Indiana. This makes it 3 states that we have been in today. We left Chicago
early this morning in order to make a stop at the Sand Dunes before finding a
campground in the wasteland that is Michigan State Parks. According to our
mapbook this is the only campground within a 200 mile, or so, radius. Luckily,
there was lots of space available, although the 15 minute line-up at the Park
Entrance (caused by daytime users) had us a bit worried.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our campground is located in a big Oak forest just beside
some giant sand dunes. We got in late, and so will be visiting the Dunes
tomorrow morning for a look and, hopefully, a dip in Lake Michigan. The forest
is very nice, but there is lots of Poison Ivy that we have to avoid. As well,
this is by far the loudest forest we have been in; the sound of Cicadas is
overwhelming, nearly as loud as a hotel room in downtown Chicago.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our brief stop at Mt. Baldy along the Indiana Dunes
shorelines was nice, but the place is completely ruined by the giant Nuclear
plant right next door, blocking the whole Northern vista. Mt. Baldy is a giant
sand dune on the North end of a long strip of Dunes at the coast of Lake
Michigan in Indiana. As of now the Eastern edge is about 3 metres from the edge
of the parking lot, but if recent trends keep up, it will be in the parking lot
within 5 years. The combination of wind and tourists is causing the dune to
move inland at a rate of about 5 feet per year. I’m not quite sure what will
happen when it hits the parking lot, as demand for the site and beach already
far exceeds the space in the lot. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLjRBXe4KnvVn9aaQIA-444cv08hdmIyAQQr0t4Q00D3SiPAAtIGnzwo0EI5497hW6mdvwuC_O6Bw69QLsIUKxLVnTeh2dCV9RibkZi4GxiptiSIYJjpPsgxsyCWZYjTmqwF3jcnXQLk/s1600/IMG_6352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLjRBXe4KnvVn9aaQIA-444cv08hdmIyAQQr0t4Q00D3SiPAAtIGnzwo0EI5497hW6mdvwuC_O6Bw69QLsIUKxLVnTeh2dCV9RibkZi4GxiptiSIYJjpPsgxsyCWZYjTmqwF3jcnXQLk/s320/IMG_6352.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View North from Mt. Baldy</td></tr>
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Leaving Chicago this morning was pretty straightforward.
There was no problem with the valet, aside from him not putting the engine
break on after bringing our car back out. The best time to drive in this city
of crazy drivers, and pedestrians, most definitely appears to be Sunday
morning. We encountered very little traffic and no pedestrians jay walking in
our short drive from downtown to the freeway. As a sports fan I was excited to
pass Solider Field (home of the Bears) and Comiskey Park (home of the White
Sox) on the way out of town. This, combined with the Cubs-Cardinals game at
Wrigley the day before provided a very nice complement to my Chicago sports
visit.</div>
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Wrigley Field is tiny, it takes up what appears to be just a
single city block, but somehow fits in an entire baseball stadium. It was great
to see the old wonder, wandering around the concourse and streets outside,
looking at the ivy-covered outfield walls, and watching the rivalry that is the
Cubs-Cardinals. The game wasn’t the most exciting, perhaps because I am not
used to the National League rule of the pitchers having to pitch. It seemed
like every rally was snuffed out by a pitcher coming to bat and promptly
striking out. It really stunted the flow of the game. Nevertheless, I
thoroughly enjoyed my time at the game and am glad to have gone. <o:p></o:p></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-80181976819846118992012-07-30T18:21:00.005-07:002012-07-30T18:21:53.321-07:00Day 34-36: Chicago Chicago<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our time in Chicago has come to an end and tomorrow we begin
our last three days before arriving in our new home town, Toronto. Chicago has
been wonderful and is definitely the highlight of this summer. A world class
city, Chicago has everything that an urban citizen needs wants and desires from
a large modern metropolitan. A beautiful setting is provided by Lake Michigan
and the Chicago river. This is complemented very well by the city’s
architecture which seamlessly blends historical buildings with ultra- modern
ones to create a stunning skyline.
There is no lack of green space and beautiful parks, and the city seems
to make an extra effort to create an atmosphere where art, music and culture
thrive to enrich the lives of both the locals and the tourists. ( I was happy to read in the local magazine that the city has just invested in creating a new cultural plan with help from consultants from Toronto!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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We cramped a few things in our short stay here, and in the interest of
keeping this short, here is a list of the highlights of our time in this great
city:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Grant Park: This is a very nice big park with trails that
connect it to the main streets downtown, the lake shore and multiple museums and
the aquarium. In our few days there, we passed by Grant Park many times and it
was always nice to stop by a sculpture,a piece of public art or fountain.</div>
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Millennium Park: Another park right outside our hotel in the
middle of downtown is Millennium Park. This park is home to the famous “bean”
sculpture and many other works of art. This park also seemed to be the cultural hub of the city especially in the summer. We picked up a booklet that listed all that was going on in the park during the summer
months and all the activities were free of charge. There were music, theatre and dance performances almost daily, and every Sunday morning there is a 4 hour
workout session that includes an hour each of Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and Zumba.
All for free! There was also a fee public dance party every Friday evening and
a Family Fun Festival was on the week we were there. This is only to count a few of what was happening in Millennium Park throughout the year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Field Museum: We’ve been to many museums on this trip and
several of them were natural history museums, but this one by far tops all of
them. Housed in a beautiful looking historical building, this museum contains
many permanent displays of natural life and a few feature exhibits and shows.
Of the featured ones, we chose to visit the bugs exhibit which had us shrink to
the size of little bugs so that we can go underground, a few feet into the soil
and explore life under the surface. Zaid loved looking at all the bugs
and pretending to be underground with them. Definitely a great exhibit for the
little ones. A great hit was also the exhibit of African animals especially
the big cats and the apes. And just for good measures there was a little
exhibit all about earth evolution including the rise and fall of dinosaurs and
so Zaid’s satisfaction with the museum was guaranteed with this addition of a
few giant dino skeletons to look at. We spent about 3 hours in the museum and
did not even get around to see everything. Definitely a great museum by all
measures. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Deep Dish Pizza: You can’t go to Chicago and not have
Chicago style pizza. We followed the recommendation of a friend and visited a
local deep dish pizza chain. I was expected something heavy and over the top
but instead we got a classic sausage pizza with what seemed to be a nice light
homemade tomato sauce. The pizza tasted good but I still prefer thin crust. I found the deep dish to come with just a little too much dough and
cheese for my liking. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tower Observatory: There were a couple of options as far as
looking onto the city from a super high tower. We chose to go up to the John Hancock tower's 94<sup>th</sup> floor for a coffee treat and unbeatable 360 degree
view of the city. You could see all of the downtown sky scrapers, the actual
city neighbourhoods, the lake and the sky. The afogatos we had were delicious
and for less than $5 each, more reasonably priced than a Starbucks drink back
down on earth!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Baseball Game: We wished we could have done this together
but since we waited too late to buy tickets it was almost impossible to find
three tickets together, unless we were willing to pay upwards of $1,000 for
them. So Ben, being the one who cared the most about this particular activity,
went to the game by himself. The boys and I had some time for a nap back at our
hotel and then a walk and lunch in Grant Park.</div>
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In addition to this list, we also met up with a childhood
friend of Ben’s who now lives with his wife in Chicago. We all had dinner
together at a nice pub downtown. Unfortunately our two boys were in a grumpy and tired
mood which did not make for a relaxing dinner. Ben and I fear that our boys may
have driven our friends away from the idea of having kids, ever! To Alex and
Jenna: we are very sorry! <o:p></o:p></div>
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On Sunday morning we checkout of our hotel on Michigan Avenue and were on the road again in no time. Next is the Sand Dunes in Indiana
and the Henry Ford Car Museum in Detroit, and then home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Haifa </div>
</div>Haifahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10947202011705435049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-86934306648138160032012-07-27T20:34:00.001-07:002012-07-27T20:34:53.274-07:00Day 35: Deep-Dished in ChicagoJuly 27, 2012<br />
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A few posts ago I wrote about how Winnipeg rocked. If Winnipeg rocks, then I don't really have any adjectives to describe how much we are loving Chicago. This is a city that does nearly everything big and gets it right. . Enormous green spaces crash into towering buildings, the lake runs into rivers that snake their way through the city offering wonderful urban river-walks, turning corners brings you face to face with a beautiful and creative piece of public art, old style towers from the 1800s stand majestically beside new and modern works of stunning architecture. The city has completely floored me. I have been on a Chicago high of excitement since we arrived yesterday afternoon.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWDXTOlTp94I8OvgUPsFps8ZhvJRpjOgLpUB7kspVOYsuv5SFUnJ2eJKDXLPI4DDWImAodiztwASCwANFHIWbFqpM1cTEVC7pBHvI8lMgk-cplzC_3YIzfwXgrMq5ETd6wtkXaOuPtu0/s1600/IMG_6018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWDXTOlTp94I8OvgUPsFps8ZhvJRpjOgLpUB7kspVOYsuv5SFUnJ2eJKDXLPI4DDWImAodiztwASCwANFHIWbFqpM1cTEVC7pBHvI8lMgk-cplzC_3YIzfwXgrMq5ETd6wtkXaOuPtu0/s320/IMG_6018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous "bean" - Cloud Gate</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I am having some trouble writing this post as there is so much bumping around my head that I want to get down, but the energy from the city is making it a bit hard to focus. I'll keep at it though, as the energy of Chicago, which has swept through me, is the best inspiration for writing about this place. </span><br />
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I was putting Zaid to bed this evening when all of a sudden I hear faint bass beats wafting up from the streets below. They didn't seem to bother Zaid, but my curiosity was piqued. I recalled having walked by a stage advertising a free dance party during the summer this morning and put two and two together. After getting Zaid down (or at least I thought) I headed outside to see what was going on. There was a dance party, and it was awesome. There was probably 500-800 people and all of them were dancing. From young parents with their children to old couples in their 70s, from the stylings of the "Chicago Dancing Diva's" to the stylings of rhythm-less middle aged white people, from girls in tie-die shirts to guys in basketball jerseys, from Indians dancing Banghar, to me tapping my foot and bobbing my head, EVERYONE was dancing. The whole event was free and lasted about 2 hours. It was funded completely by the government, with no form of sponsorship anywhere. This is a city that does things right.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Revellers at the free dance party in Grant Park</td></tr>
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We've packed a ton into the last day and a half here: Affogato's on the 94th floor of the John Hancock center with a view of downtown Chicago to the south and a rainstorm coming in over the north; 2 hours this morning at the Field Museum of Natural History being shrunk to the size of bugs and seeing the Tsavo man-eaters; a long walk down Michigan Street and beautiful building after beautiful building; Deep-Dish Chicago Pizza at the famous Lou Malnati's; playing with light and reflections at the Cloud Gate Sculpture; turning the corner into a gigantic fountain set against Michigan Lake; stumbling across a sidewalk purse sale and successfully bargaining our way to a free wallet for Haifa.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmslJbzLKTrqbwF8X7AIHT5k-oWQyldbyE8zBANj6z4j-n8gtMF2E9KlAUhTYm_WPJnWvHvzP1KHj6Hh5fUJ18q0Y3xA2e-92sGPQuazWKL6N3jRY1AgQUt8Jc5S8UC5Ln5afd_KiCF8/s1600/IMG_6189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmslJbzLKTrqbwF8X7AIHT5k-oWQyldbyE8zBANj6z4j-n8gtMF2E9KlAUhTYm_WPJnWvHvzP1KHj6Hh5fUJ18q0Y3xA2e-92sGPQuazWKL6N3jRY1AgQUt8Jc5S8UC5Ln5afd_KiCF8/s320/IMG_6189.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Cafe on 94th floor of John Hancock Center</td></tr>
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We both had very high expectations for this city, and I was a bit worried that there was no way they could be met; I was wrong. This city has far exceeded even our outrageous expectations. I love this city, every moment has filled me with excitement, both for being here, and for our move to Toronto. As I have said before, Vancouver is not a city. It is a very large town in a beautiful setting, but it is not a city. I want to live in a city, and Chicago has stoked the flames of this desire for me. I cannot wait to get to Toronto and finally, after nearly 25 years, live in a city again.<br />
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<br />The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-77697245646196995922012-07-25T20:16:00.001-07:002012-07-25T20:16:36.725-07:00Day 33 - Port Washington, Wisconsin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It seems that we have finally reached the point of being tired of being on the road. Even though we have loved almost every place we have been so far (with the exception of the dreaded Blariot Ferry Park), and continue to enjoy every day of this trip, we are also at the same time getting tired of the constant travel and homelessness. Yesterday was the peak of this tiredness for us. For some reason we all woke up already tired, and after a long day of driving we arrived at our campsite nothing but more tired. With no energy to set up camp, we all just sat there in exhaustion starring out at the trees around us and at each other. Finally after an hour and several breaks, one used to go purchase beer, Ben got the tent up and I was able to go in and get it ready for the night. After some rest we managed to summon enough energy to complete our day with the requisite walk around the park, and the making and eating dinner. By the time the boys were tucked into their sleeping bags and sound asleep, we were too exhausted to stay up any later and soon joined them in the tent. <div>
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We had decided yesterday to change our plan from camping again today to staying in a hotel instead. This morning we received confirmation that our decision was the right one. We woke up this morning to heavy rains and thundershowers that, once again, soaked up our tent, chairs etc. We quickly got everyone in the car as soon as the thunder started and used little breaks of light or no rain to pack up our camp slowly over the morning. When everything except for the tent was tucked away the rain stopped, so we left our tent up to dry and went for a drive. We drove to a nice look out area from which you could see the whole park and parts of Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan. Ben and Zaid went for a short walk while Owen and I sat on a bench enjoying the views, the fresh air and for me my cup of morning java. </div>
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When we got back to our camp our tent was still wet so we took it down and decided to dry it in our hotel room instead, something that we have done many times over this trip. Our drive to Port Washington was not too long and we stopped a couple of time along Lake Michigan for breaks and lunch. Today was a windy day and the winds were particularly bad on the Lake shore. This made for a hurried and frenzied lunch as we simultaneously had to eat and keep our food from flying away! </div>
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We arrived in Port Washington in the afternoon and easily found our hotel near the main entrance to town. We checked in and spent some time resting and catching up on email, facebook etc. Our hotel has a swimming pool so we decided to go for a swim which is always a big hit with Zaid and Owen who love the water and can't seem to ever get enough of it. After a swim it was time for dinner so we headed into town looking for something local and fresh. We stopped to stock up on more excellent Wisconsin beer and the guy in the store recommended the New Port Shores, know for being the only restaurant in town on the lake shore. The place is obviously a very popular local joint because even for an early dinner it was packed and the only tables they had were in the back room. We decided to stay anyways and it was not a bad table after all for I at least still had a view of the lake from my seat. Both Ben and I ordered a local fish fry which is similar to fish and chips except that the fish is dipped into a much lighter and crisper batter (I believe it's mostly corm meal) which actually stays on the fish when you pick it up. Both of our dishes were delicious and Zaid devoured his Mac n' Cheese plate in no time (which happens to come with a bowl of apple sauce which also was devoured). </div>
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After dinner we got back to the hotel. Soon Zaid and Owen were asleep, and now Ben and I are sitting down, enjoying some local beer, catching up on modern technology and planning our next day. Tomorrow we drive to Chicago but since we are not too far away, we plan to stop in Milwaukee on the way for a break and something fun to do. We are both very excited about Chicago and I expect a very busy and tiring 3-4 days. After Chicago our trip will be starting to come to its end as we drive straight back to Ontario and finally Toronto. Even though we are at the point now of looking forward to having a home again and staying put for a while, I know that we will be very sad to see this trip come to an end, and I know that I will miss this time of our life very dearly. </div>
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Haifa </div>
</div>Haifahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10947202011705435049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-75855132848430325772012-07-25T13:24:00.001-07:002012-07-25T13:24:15.559-07:00Day 32: America's Dairyland<br />
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July 24, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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In any trip there will inevitably come a day when you awake
and the excitement and sense of adventure you had every other morning seems to
be sleeping in a bit longer than usual. Perhaps it is just taking a few days
off and will come back again, but usually it signifies the adventurer is
growing weary of the nomadic life and wants to head for home. For all of us,
with the possible exception of Owen (who at this point probably only knows this
nomadic lifestyle), that day came today. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We woke up early, packed up the tent and were on the road
before 9:00, a new trip early. Owen fell into his morning nap right away, as
always, but soon Haifa and Zaid joined him. After a long 5 hours on the road we
finally stopped at our new campground. For some reason, I was unable to find
the energy to even take the tent and poles out of the bag. It took me about an
hour to put up the tent, as I took long breaks after every step of the way. The
thought of taking the tent down again tomorrow and then putting it up in the
afternoon proved to be too much and so we have decided to make tomorrow an
extra hotel night. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zaid and I relaxing by the riverfront at our campsite in Brunet Island State Park</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Our feelings about being on the road are in no way meant to
be a judgement on the state, or people, of Wisconsin. Wisconsin, for me at
least, has been a revelation – it is a wonderful State, full of beautiful and
varied landscapes and the nicest people way have had the pleasure of meeting at
any point on our stay. We drove from Superior to Brunet Island State Park, just
North of Eau Claire yesterday and had a long day driving to Potawatomi State
Park on the western shore of Green Bay on Lake Michigan today. Both of these
State Parks have proven to be wonderful places, located in Boreal Forests and
staffed with the friendliest and most cheerful Park Rangers of all parks. The
Ranger at Brunet Island gave Zaid an explorer’s package, complete with a Smokey
the Bear stuffed animal, which Zaid eschewed his usual Duck (Ba-Ta) for. Zaid
got to keep the activity books, and a few supplies, but had to return Smokey
for another child to enjoy later.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zaid throwing rocks into Green Bay on Lake Michigan</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The drive today, while long and draining on us all, provided
a wonderful change of scenery from the Western edge of the State through the
city of Green Bay and into the Michigan Lake zone.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Along the way we passed through a number of
small towns with familiar names: Owen, Abbotsford, Wittenberg (the last name of
family friends), Caroline (my mother’s name), Denmark, Luxembourg, and
Brussels. It became quite an interesting game by the end, trying to guess where
in Europe we would end up next!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We had planned to stop for lunch at a park in Green Bay but
were forced to change our plans after we exited the city without having seen
even a city bench to rest on. Green Bay is, by FAR, the most blue collar city
we have passed through on this trip. You could see the poverty come out at you
from the moment we entered the city until we exited out the eastern edge. It
makes me quite curious to see Detroit and the surrounding ghost towns.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tomorrow we are planning on a scenic drive down Lake
Michigan to Port Washington, just North of Milwaukee. The area promises
numerous sandy swimming beaches and sounds like just the kind of relaxing place
we need to re-energize ourselves. We are still very excited about our 3 nights
in Chicago and fully expect to get a second wind as we enter the Windy City. I
hope Chicago holds a big enough wind to keep us going for the 3-4 days we have
planned to get from there to Toronto. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, that is all for now. I head back to my amazing
Wisconsin beer (they have great beer here; it is not just a myth). Tonight it
is Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale by New Glarus Brewing Co. (one of the top 10
breweries in the world last year).<o:p></o:p></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-82274540527760510902012-07-22T20:27:00.001-07:002012-07-22T20:28:08.475-07:00Day 30: "Drink some beer, do some fishin"July 22, 2012<br />
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After a short 2 nights in Minnesota we have entered Wisconsin until Thursday morning when we head to Chicago. Well, while technically in Wisconsin, it is not possible to be closer to Minnesota than we are without actually being in Minnesota. The hotel we are staying at in Superior, Wisconsin is literally the first building you come across after crossing the John A. Blatnik Bridge from Duluth, Minnesota.<br />
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We arrived in Duluth late morning today after a short drive down from Tower, where we had stayed for the last 2 days. Yesterday was the first relaxing rest day we have had in ages. We spent the morning relaxing at the campsite, going for a dip in the lake and taking a walk around the forested end of the point. After lunch and a nap for Zaid we headed out to do some sightseeing just as the sun was reaching its maximum power, in hindsight this was probably not the best choice.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Our first stop was the Soudan Iron mine, the first, richest, and deepest Iron Mine in Minnesota. It is no longer operational and now serves as Minnesota State Historic Site. The main attraction is an hour and half journey 150 underground into the old mine itself. The trip promised to be a cool 50 Farenheit (which must be cooler than the 92 that it was above ground), but we decided to give it a pass. We were all very skeptical about Zaid's ability to remain focused for a 90 minute guided tour. If it had been a 5 minute trip then he may have handled it well. </span><span style="background-color: white;">The decision to remain above ground proved to not be a large loss as we had a tonne of fun exploring the surface buildings and equipment. Although, our favourite part was probably standing in front of the elevator shaft into the mine, with the cool temperature from the depths of the mountain pouring out into our faces. We stayed there for close to an hour and thoroughly enjoyed the whole time. One of the joys of this trip is these unexpected stops at hidden gems.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhZiDIjQcdOjhFPkBzSi0fxU9_5MgNMUgv1YiRwHWO4AU3s2G_5tkJu-tAmFXPQexOSvhOc9ltdaTc1ucx_lREdELfbWlSSofcyW492YeQRNqy_YuUjjeIqRzcwSDN73fV8i0xmFeUdA/s1600/IMG_5668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhZiDIjQcdOjhFPkBzSi0fxU9_5MgNMUgv1YiRwHWO4AU3s2G_5tkJu-tAmFXPQexOSvhOc9ltdaTc1ucx_lREdELfbWlSSofcyW492YeQRNqy_YuUjjeIqRzcwSDN73fV8i0xmFeUdA/s320/IMG_5668.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on a Mine structure overlooking Northern Minnesota</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">We nearly stopped at another potential hidden gem this morning as we passed by the town of Evelth, which lured us with signs promising the "US Hockey Hall of Fame." Unfortunately, being the only one even remotely interested in stopping, I was outvoted and we kept on the road. In short order we were required to stop though as the low oil light came on. We stopped at a gas station in the hamlet of Independence, purchased motor oil, popped the hood and stared dumbfounded at all the components underneath. Which lid did we need to unscrew? and where was the dipstick? Haifa and I were crouched in front of the car, me with motor oil and Haifa with the Car's manual, neither of us doing much of anything. Luckily, a local saw our confusion and came over to lend a hand. Within minutes he had helped us fill the oil and we were back on the road. Many thanks go out to the Independence native for helping a couple of stranded tourists.</span><br />
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Everything I had read about Duluth promised a beautiful city nestled between the shores of Lake Superior and a steep hill. However, upon first entering Duluth we saw nothing but the usual stretch of strip malls, big box stores, and fast food joints that seem to mark the entrance to every town large enough to call itself a city. It seemed, however, that this part of Duluth was stretching on for a fair bit longer than other, larger, cities we had visited. Where was this promised beauty? Just as we were getting a bit disappointed we took a curve along the highway and had this amazing sight of Duluth before us. Downtown was off the right, the port and the bridge to Wisconsin was centre, industry to the right, Lake Superior dominated the skyline, with the faint shoreline of Northern Wisconsin providing a dividing line between water and sky.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi125O6okyqv5QRyM4yVNsnYaBzR5wtYcvJKI_StbVu8Cof5Ov5O8YqVp8MgqjFVNKBN-RoszrhG7T5ZIXHKaexmL27aOyAjrIOACovc3-nEcgCaxMgqyJSpKZQLnGk2ntsM44guW_VfUE/s1600/IMG_5688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi125O6okyqv5QRyM4yVNsnYaBzR5wtYcvJKI_StbVu8Cof5Ov5O8YqVp8MgqjFVNKBN-RoszrhG7T5ZIXHKaexmL27aOyAjrIOACovc3-nEcgCaxMgqyJSpKZQLnGk2ntsM44guW_VfUE/s320/IMG_5688.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first glimpse of Duluth</td></tr>
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After driving through the city we stopped at Subway and drove to Leif Erickson Park, nestled along the Northern shore of Lake Superior. The view of city and lake was amazing, and for a special touch for Zaid, a passenger train passed right by our picnic site.<br />
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We, rather easily, found our way without help of a map, to our next destination - The Great Lakes Aquarium. I guess when you are looking for a building on Harbor Street, the first place to go would be the Harbor. This proved to be a huge hit with all of us, complete with a live Otter feeding, a huge water-table room set up as the great lakes, and the petting of live Sturgeon and Sting-Rays.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNADPOAvbOvX3GMZ_xaCzqbOkSPZ-M02B0qp11NYZld9a4voRx1U32Chk9FazyRr500zD8ni9FOyrk7EZWA3qk2E6vhShxHGkcP7Gjkz4hUSvRfrJ8FdguIQvTAL8kSfmq-ggmzk1ALzM/s1600/IMG_5730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNADPOAvbOvX3GMZ_xaCzqbOkSPZ-M02B0qp11NYZld9a4voRx1U32Chk9FazyRr500zD8ni9FOyrk7EZWA3qk2E6vhShxHGkcP7Gjkz4hUSvRfrJ8FdguIQvTAL8kSfmq-ggmzk1ALzM/s320/IMG_5730.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben, having worked up enough courage to touch the Sting Ray</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">We finished our day off with a swim at the hotel's swimming pool, but not before we had dinner at Hammond's Steakhouse. This proved to be a retro 70s era classic American Steakhouse and served up good food that was exactly as you expected. Haifa and I had the Steak and Shrimp special, while Zaid had his usual "Chicken Fries" (Chicken Strips and Fries). All of our meals came with a salad starter and to our surprise Zaid finished up every last piece of lettuce from his salad. All that remained on his plate were the remnants of the Ranch dressing. Happily for us, the salad had made him too full to have much of his deep fried Chicken and Potatoes. Finally he has a healthy meal out.</span><br />
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We have a few LONG days of driving ahead of us. Our plan is to drive to the area around Eau Claire, Wisconsin tomorrow and then east to Lake Michigan the next day. After a rest day we head down the Lake to the big city of Chicago where we will be staying for 3 days. We are getting close to that long awaited Cubs game.<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-57183654034670693382012-07-22T19:41:00.000-07:002012-07-22T19:42:05.914-07:00Day 28: "Go The Distance"<br />
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July 20, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today we have hit two milestones in our trip: we have
finished the fourth week of travelling, and we have entered into the USA –
Minnesota to be precise. The crossing of the border has brought renewed vigor
and excitement to our trip as we are in a place completely new to all of us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Crossing the border caused the usual stress and worry that
crossing any border brings to my mind. I have a deep-seated fear of people in
uniforms with guns and whenever I go into a new country I worry that I will be
denied entry for some minor reason. This stress is intensified when returning
to Canada as I have an irrational worry that I will be denied entry back home,
left with nowhere to go, destined to be stuck at the border crossing
indefinitely. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Combined with a reunion with the bikers travelling across
Canada, crazy drivers passing us on a single-lane highway with a double yellow
and windy road, and a pickup truck that left a propane tank rolling across the
highway in front of us, the border worry caused the drive to the border to be
quite stressful and tense. Luckily, we all made it to the border none the worse
for wear, without even Owen crying. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I believe my stress may have shown at the border since after
the requisite questions about fresh fruit, where we are from, and where we are
going, the border guard put in a radio call for further checks. A second guard
comes out and leads us to the long-term waiting area and takes our passports to
the back room, leaving us in the car for about 10 minutes. We had just enough
time to make Plan B (head east towards Thunder Bay and then down to Toronto)
when the guard came back, passed us our passports and welcomed us to America. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We made a small stop in International Falls to exchange
money and purchase the promised cheaper US gas (did not seem any different in
price to me) before heading on our way to Bear Head State Park in North-Eastern
Minnesota. The state highway south proved to be horrible, full of cracks and
bumps from the biting cold winters, which made the driving somewhat slower.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Shortly before our turn-off we passed by a sign that made me
very excited, and Haifa very confused. I bet she was wondering what the heck I
was up to with a huge smile and giggles over passing the exit to Chisholm,
Minnesota. Bonus points awarded to any reader who can determine why I was so
giddy with excitement about this seemingly non-descript place. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After the turnoff we expected a short-drive to the town of
Tower, Minnesota, and then an even shorter drive to the campground. As we
passed the 20 minute mark with no sight of either we got a bit concerned, after
consulting the map again and determining that indeed we were seemingly on the
right path we realized our mistake and cursed the heavens over the blasted
imperial measurement system. Miles and Pounds I can figure out when pressed,
but for the life of me I have no idea what is up with the Fahrenheit system of
temperature.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the first time this trip we experience disappointment
upon arrival at a campground; a large “Campground Full” sign greeted us at the
entrance. Haifa jumped in to ask about overflow camping or a campground close
by and was met with a grumpy women who suggested trying another state park.
Which state park, and where they were located was apparently beyond her
knowledge base. Her attitude certainly didn’t help with our disappointment. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After a brief discussion we decided to head back to the town
of Tower, stop for lunch and then find a visitor centre to help determine our
next move. We had turkey sandwiches in the town of Soudan – home to the very
first Iron Mine in Minnesota, which is
now a modern day Mining museum complete with a tour of an old mine shaft. We
determined that in order to go to this, and the Tower Railroad museum, tomorrow
that if we couldn’t find any campsite close by that we would get a motel in
town.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On our way through town we caught sight of a sign promising
camping and followed the directions to Hoodoo Point campground just outside of
town on Vermillion Lake (for those following at home this is the third
Vermillion Lake we have visited). The manager said he had one site left, but
that it was a pretty bad site and advised us to take a look before paying.
Driving past shade-less fields full of RV’s we got quite worried about what the
bad site would look like. To our pleasant surprise this bad site is easily the
best in the whole campground. We are surrounded on three sides by trees, have a
large space to fit our tent, have a kitchen, play area, and living room. We
quickly booked for the night and will hopefully be able to extend our stay in
the morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The stereotype of Minnesota, even for us from up North in
Canada, is one of a deeply cold and empty land full of lakes. It is full of
lakes, but it is not empty or cold (at least not in summer). Today was the
hottest day of the trip by far. The extreme mugginess did not help, neither did
the complete lack of any cooling wind. A dip in the lake helped a bit, but the
sweat came back just as soon as we were out. Then, at about 8:00, a 10 minute thunder
shower rolled in. This was literally greeted with cheers from the campers.
Booming “Yeah’s” could be heard from around the campground as the sky caved in
on us, pelting us with as much rain as it could muster. Big shaking thunders
and flashes of lightning caused quite the show, and the rain cooled us down for
the rest of the evening. Walking to the bathroom later I was awed at the sight
of the thunderstorm to the southeast of us, reflecting the pink of the setting
sun as the flashes of lightning could be seen from inside its belly. It was a
wonderful sight.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tomorrow, with luck, will be a relaxing day. We hope to
extend our stay here so that we can visit the sites in town and jump into the
lake a few times. We have booked a hotel in Duluth on Sunday and then have
three days to traverse Wisconsin before we get to Chicago for Thursday. Given
the busy 4 days ahead of us, we are all looking forward to taking it easy for
the first time since the Okanagan. <o:p></o:p></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-77708063556114480432012-07-22T19:13:00.001-07:002012-07-22T19:13:09.648-07:00From Manitoba to Ontario<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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July 18-19 From Manitoba to Ontario <o:p></o:p></div>
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On our second day in Winnipeg we woke up bright and early as usual. Zaid was
very hungry and kept urging us to go down to have breakfast and so Ben and I who would have loved nothing more than some more sleep, reluctantly got
everyone changed and walked down to the hotel’s cafeteria for our continental
breakfast. Once all were fed and happy, we went back to our room for a quick
skype chat with my mum and to pack up our bags for departure. On the way out of
Winnipeg we stopped for a quick visit at the Royal Canadian Mint where we were
all very excited to learn how money is made, and got to have a picture taken
with a gold bar worth more than half a million dollars. For Zaid, the
most exciting part was the little pond in the lobby which he kept running
around and around. After the Mint we stopped again for some groceries and soon
were on our way to our next destination. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our next stop was a night of camping at Whiteshell Provincial Park on Falcon Lake. Whiteshell Park is a beautiful location with forests
similar to those of the West Coast and a beautiful sandy beach just minutes
away from the campsites. It reminded us a lot of Manning Park in BC. As we were
driving slowly towards our campsite we were greeted by a gorgeous looking
male deer that popped out of the bushes right beside our car. We slowed down
and I quickly pulled my camera out just in time to capture the elegant animal
as he turned around to stare at us right in the face. After a minute of looking
at each other the deer gently walked across the road and disappeared into the
bushes and we drove away to our site feeling jubilant. The rest of the stay at
Whiteshel was pleasant and had us swimming in the lake twice. At one point the
whole family including own,were in for a dip and Zaid had a wonderful time
splashing everyone with water while screaming “splash you!”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The next day, July 19<sup>th</sup> we packed up yet again
and began the drive towards our new home province, Ontario. Our stay in Ontario was going to be very brief as we head towards the US for a week before coming back to Ontario on the way to end the journey. Our destination for now was a campground
just south of Kenora called Caliper Lake Provincial Park in Lake of the Woods area. This park was truly beautiful and our particular site was by far the most
beautiful camp spot we have had on this trip so far. Arriving on a Thursday meant that
the park was almost empty and so we had many sites to choose from. We ended up
choosing a spot right on the lake but with a few bushes between us and the
water, enough to stop Zaid from attempting a dip without the supervision of one
of us. Our picnic table was only a
couple of meters away from the water, and as we sat down to dinner our
conversation was accompanied by the sound of the waves and cries of loons
living close by. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Soon after arriving and setting up our camp we headed out
for a walk to discover the rest of the ground. Something which we’ve come to do
every time we stay in a new park. On our walk we stopped for icecream and
there we ran into two bikers. They turned out to be part of a whole group of
bikers that we actually drove by earlier in the day and who are on a cross
Canada ride. We were excited to see other cross country travellers, albeit they were going by bike and actually crossing the entire country all the way from the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Later on in the evening, after the kids went to sleep, Ben
and I sat down around a camp fire watching the lake and eating roasted
marshmallows. At some point two Pelicans swam by right inform of us. It was a
magical evening in the most beautiful place we’ve seen. We liked this site so much that we
contemplated staying a second night but then decided against it as we were
eager to begin our USA leg of the journey as soon as possible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The night at Caliper Lake was a bit less magical and a bit
more scary. We woke in the middle of the
night to very heavy winds which, according to me were accompanied by thunder,
lightning and rain. Ben who is a heavy sleeper recalled waking us only to light winds. In any case the wind was strong enough to break a branch off a tree, which we found in the morning sitting inches away from our tent, and in the exact spot where we were setting the evening prior. That was the extra reason we needed to decide against staying one
more night and continue on our trip in spite of how much we loved the location.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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The following day we set out to drive to the USA. More about
that in the next posts by Ben. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Haifa <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>Haifahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10947202011705435049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-28132463278394822842012-07-17T19:11:00.000-07:002012-07-17T19:11:06.828-07:00Day 25: Winnipeg RocksJuly 17, 2012<br />
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Winnipeg Rocks. That is really all there is to say about it. We loved our time in Calgary, but the place felt like a large suburb rather than a city. Vancouver feels like a large provincial town rather than a city. Regina looked like a city, but the place was dull and empty. The feeling in the city is great, there is a tonne of old Canadian history, there are wonderful locals, great riverside parks, beautiful tree lined streets, a thriving french neighbourhood, and an active urban feeling along Portage Avenue. <span style="background-color: white;">Winnipeg is a city, Winnipeg rocks, too bad its -15 on a good day in the winter.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">We had a general feeling coming into town that this part of Canada is home to many descendants of Eastern European immigrants, in particular Ukrainian. We have been anticipating great perogies since we left Calgary and have devoted considerable time and energy to finding the best perogies in town. My friend Lori suggested our best bets would be an Orthodox Churches Perogie dinner, or Mom's Perogies. We decided to go for Mom's perogies for dinner last night. After getting directions from our Hotel we left at about 6:00, much later than our usual dinner time, resulting in two very hungry children in the back. We get to the Deli at about 6:30 to find out that it closes at 5:00 on Monday. Somewhat disappointed, but far more hungry, we begrudgingly stop at a Wendy's for some fast food. Given our hunger it didn't really matter what it was we were eating (Thankfully). </span><br />
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This morning we were at the Market at The Forks and came across a perogie place and decided to have lunch there. This was a horrible decision. There was absolutely nothing positive to say about the place. The counterwoman was grumpy and tired, the signage and pricing was confusing, the prices were outrageous ($6 for 5 perogies), and the perogies were disgusting. They were mostly dough, with very little filling (and none of the cheese promised), and tasted like chewing this gummy mess. The taste was non-existent, they literally had absolutely no flavour. The only sensation was gummy. It was one of the two worst meals I have ever had.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVyQbpIqV1pi_9RGwOmF7er4qD6ELQJajiAGQzuuCbW5n2R9notrEfZjnx7SrP-CaL9XvCOCSuziPGMDjzjG4BLZGGBpn6B__O52G3ZU-9xoB6KBt7yz-JOFOxUwQ7HhPYoaynujwOJc/s1600/IMG_5521%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVyQbpIqV1pi_9RGwOmF7er4qD6ELQJajiAGQzuuCbW5n2R9notrEfZjnx7SrP-CaL9XvCOCSuziPGMDjzjG4BLZGGBpn6B__O52G3ZU-9xoB6KBt7yz-JOFOxUwQ7HhPYoaynujwOJc/s320/IMG_5521%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zaid's reaction after his perogies</td></tr>
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Given our debacle with food in Winnipeg over the last 2 meals, we decided to put some serious effort into dinner tonight. We settled, after much deliberation, on Chave D'Ouro, a Portuguese place that seems to, according to locals, serve the best chicken in town. The dinner was wonderful, served by a talkative and cheerful Portuguese Grandmother, we had wonderfully charred and flavoured Chorizo, roasted Potatoes and Chicken covered in Piri Piri Sauce. It was a welcome warm and tasty meal after our perogie disaster.<br />
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We had a busy day today. On top of our food hunting we spent a great 3 hours at the Forks, just outside of downtown Winnipeg. This place has a huge importance in Canadian history as it marks the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine River's - a hugely important place for trading and commerce for over 6000 years. We had a great time walking around the market, checking out the Prairie garden (where we sampled Earl Grey plants and a relative of Mint that smells of licorice), playing in the Children's Museum and playground, and then walking across the Esplanade Riel footbridge over the Red River into St. Boniface (the french quarter where all signs were in French). After our perogie disaster we headed to St. Boniface to pay a visit to Louis Riel and the St. Boniface Cathedral. The Cathedral burned down 45 years ago, leaving just the outer shell, but it was very beautiful. I cannot imagine what it looked like when it was a full church. The residential neighbourhood around the tourist zone was wonderful - large tree-lined streets with wonderful old houses. If only it wasn't -15 in the winter I could see spending some time here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZt5qlT5DY2FMex_NaU9jCgCTFFWVEaDSHJ27Tgm9B_O-wCgfKCGYm5GbssfZHHyvNPkKVkHN1gRedVdhne19qNepR-uQ9hQIoVayoE8-nFvX9jmZ29W3TGowyDRCnc1GqCkczQz-bEE/s1600/IMG_5531%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZt5qlT5DY2FMex_NaU9jCgCTFFWVEaDSHJ27Tgm9B_O-wCgfKCGYm5GbssfZHHyvNPkKVkHN1gRedVdhne19qNepR-uQ9hQIoVayoE8-nFvX9jmZ29W3TGowyDRCnc1GqCkczQz-bEE/s320/IMG_5531%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Boniface Cathedral. Louis Riel's resting place is on the left.</td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">As a long-time Vancouver resident we hear repeatedly about who beautiful our city is. This often gives us a bit of a complex, that because Vancouver is beautiful other places must not be nice. I love being proven wrong, especially in the wonderful city of Winnipeg. </span>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-15283385415055458212012-07-16T20:42:00.001-07:002012-07-16T20:42:40.408-07:00A rainy welcome to Manitoba<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
July 16, 2012<br />
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Yesterday, July 15th, we left Saskatchewan for Manitoba. We woke up in the morning in our campsite in Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park bright and early. As soon as we starting packing up our belongings the rain started. It was very heavy and strong rain that soaked us to the core in just a few minutes. We quickly got the boys in the car while we finished packing up and by the time we were done, Ben and I were completely soaked. We left the park as soon as we could and our plan was to head for Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba for a couple of nights of camping there.<br />
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When we arrived at the park, the heavy rain was still falling and we reluctantly decided that it would be safer to stay the night in a hotel, especially with warnings of thunder storms over night. We spent about an hour in Wasagaming <span style="background-color: white;">unsuccessfully</span><span style="background-color: white;"> looking for </span><span style="background-color: white;">accommodation</span><span style="background-color: white;">. The resort town combined with heavy rain which may have driven many people away from camping and into hotels, meant that very few rooms were available and those that were were very expensive. After checking 5 of 6 places we decided to drive to Minnedosa which is another town less than an hour away to find a hotel there. Our search in Minnedosa was fruitful and we quickly found ourselves safe and dry in a simple but comfortable motel room. </span><br />
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The following morning, we left our motel to head to Winnipeg. Before leaving Minnedosa however we made a stop at the town's heritage village site. The site had a few houses built about 100 years ago and a beautiful park which we walked in, enjoying views from the lake and river in town. I have been getting very interested in bird viewing since we started on this trip, enjoyed spotting a couple of new species which I then ticked away on my bird viewing checklist which I piked up in Cypress Hills. When our walk was complete we got back into our car and headed to Winnipeg.<br />
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Just outside of Winnipeg, we stopped for lunch at a park by the water treatment centre for the city of Portage La Prairie which sits right beside the Assiniboine River. As we conveniently travel with our kitchen in our trunk, it took us mere minutes to have our stove/grill set up on a picnic table and have our hot dogs grilling away on it. After enjoying hot dogs for lunch we walked around and by the river. We were all excited to spot a threesome of Pelicans playing in the water (one more bird for me to tick off).<br />
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We finally arrived at our hotel in Winnipeg just in time for checking in time and after a quick rest in our room, we were off again to visit the city's main park, the Assiniboine Park. This was a beautiful park almost as big as Stanley Park in Vancouver. It contained a kid's dream playground area complete with a very small door that adults need to bend down in order to go through. It also had a lovely flower and plant garden with many local plant species and a beautiful sculpture garden than must host 20 or 30 different sculptures scattered around flower garden and gorgeous looking ponds.<br />
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Our walk in Assiniboine Park took us to dinner time and we weer back in our car driving to a local perogies place recommended by a friend of Ben's. Unfortunately by the time we arrived at the restaurant it was closed for the day and we had to continue driving around looking for an alternative. Being far away in the outskirts of town, the only available places were fast food junk joints and with the two boys hungry and screaming in the back seat, we eventually pulled over at Wendy's for our dinner. The food was your typical junk fair but while we were disappointed to not be eating perogies we were all too starved to care much by that point and gobbled our burgers and fries very <span style="background-color: white;">quickly. As a special treat we decided to allow Zaid to drink pop for the first time, but were happily surprised to see that he did not like it. After making a disgusted face he asked for water! We were very proud of him but also felt a little guilty that our effort to always eat healthy wholesome food may have gone a little too far. I mean what kid does not like pop??!! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">There is much to do and see in Winnipeg and we only have a very short time. Tomorrow is going to be busy with plans to visit a Children's museum, St. Boniface, the Forks and couple of other things. We might not be able to get a round to see everything we want but we will try our best. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Next will be more camping just before the border with Ontario and then in Ontario. Ben is itching to be camping again and we are all hoping for good weather so that we can enjoy it. Our next post will most likely then come to you from the USA!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">until then. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Haifa </span></div>Haifahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10947202011705435049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-79297391943615918262012-07-16T13:57:00.002-07:002012-07-16T13:57:37.964-07:00Day 22: Thoughts From Saskatchewan<br />
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July 14, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tonight is the last of our three nights in Saskatchewan. We
are at Good Spirit Lake, about an hour North-East of Melville and are staying
in a nice campground amongst a small poplar forest. Tomorrow we head for Riding
Mountain National Park in Manitoba. I have lots of thoughts about our short
time in this province but there is little way to combine them into a cohesive
unit. Therefore, I present a collection of musings and happenings from
Saskatchewan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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1) There is no flag that better represents the area it
stands for than that of Saskatchewan. Today we were driving along a small, and
very straight, country highway, to the left was a young wheat field – green as
far as the eye could see, and to the right was a canola field – yellow as far
as the eye could see. I felt as if we were driving down the centre of the
Provincial flag.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2) Regina kind of blows. We went downtown for dinner on
Friday night, only to find a deserted city. Most restaurants were closed and
the few people we did see seemed to be in a hurry to get out of dodge. After 30
minutes of walking we stumbled upon a greasy Chinese diner that served some
very good white-person Chinese food, the restaurant had only 3 of 20 tables
full. There were more people, by a factor of 10, at the Superstore this morning
than downtown on a Friday night, not a good sign for a city.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxaJTmbp6pFhEUgHiKaGgvyWqg_oNINxLhCUPHTYviXAWzJ9-3fnRKDLJ5Ki-nj9HeOFRjefENofrvSHvDJMC0BJz1Xhkt0JL9NWjFyR9xT3evqObPLuqNdhs4_aqVY8QnOVvhY3kAac/s1600/IMG_5369%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxaJTmbp6pFhEUgHiKaGgvyWqg_oNINxLhCUPHTYviXAWzJ9-3fnRKDLJ5Ki-nj9HeOFRjefENofrvSHvDJMC0BJz1Xhkt0JL9NWjFyR9xT3evqObPLuqNdhs4_aqVY8QnOVvhY3kAac/s320/IMG_5369%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Regina - Friday Night</td></tr>
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3) I have no idea
what the term is for someone from Saskatchewan or Regina. Our best guess is
that residents of Regina are called “Reggies.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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4) They REALLY like the Roughriders here. They have highway
road signs celebrating old football heroes. They have a whole area of Regina
cordoned off as the “Green Mile.” Approximately 75% of all people (from babies
to old women in wheelchairs) today (when the Roughriders play the BC Lions)
were wearing some kind of team paraphernalia. It should be noted that we
travelled about 200 KM today and drove through multiple small towns, all Rider
obsessed. One of the two official provincial license plates comes adorned with
the Roughriders logo and slogan. They REALLY like the Roughriders here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5) Despite my dislike for Regina, we all found the Royal
Saskatchewan Museum to be a hoot. They had a very nice natural history of
Saskatchewan gallery that we all loved, as well as a dinosaur and First Nations
Gallery. To top it off, Zaid spent 30 minutes playing in the “Paleo Pit” in the
basement – a playroom stuffed from wall to wall with Dinosaur toys.<o:p></o:p></div>
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6) There are a tonne of dragonflies here. I picked 15 full
ones out of the grill of the car today. They have been circling our campsite
since we arrived 7 hours ago, even going so far as to land on books we are
carrying, or beside Owen in his carseat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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7) I was out trying to find a garbage can after dinner and
decided to go have a second look by the washrooms. I turned the corner from the
road to the path towards the washrooms and came face to face with a mama deer
and her 2 babies. The quickly passed me by, about 2 feet in front of me. It was
quite something to witness. We have seen this deer family 3 times now in the
campground.<o:p></o:p></div>
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8) Owen has been drooling a lot recently, and we finally
figured out why. His first tooth came in! Despite indications that it would be
an incisor, it was the traditional lower front tooth. The one next door is on
the verge of popping out as well. Hopefully this explains the slightly less
than pleased behaviour he has been showing in the car.<o:p></o:p></div>
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9) Our car is disgustingly filthy. It hasn’t rained more
than a couple of drops in over a week and the combined effects of dirt roads
and thousands of bug splatters from the top of the carrier to the bottom of the
front grill are taking their toll. When we stop the front of our car becomes a feeding
ground for all kinds of bugs. I hope automatic car washes can account for the
car-top carrier.<o:p></o:p></div>
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10) We stopped for a lunch in Melville today and stumbled
upon a garage sale. It was hosted by an older man who needed to empty his late
mother’s house after he had sold it - $90,000. We purchased an old school film
camera as a toy for Zaid. He has been loving taking pictures from the car. <o:p></o:p></div>
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11) We stopped for lunch in Herbert, just east of Swift
Current, on the way to Regina. We stopped at the tourist centre, which happened
to double as an old train museum. Zaid, who has developed an obsession for
trains as large as his obsession for trucks, was in heaven. We spent about an
hour puttering inside the old train cars. A little gem by the side of the
highway. <o:p></o:p></div>
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12) We cannot wait for traditional perogies made by old
Ukrainian grandmothers in Winnipeg. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-57142945914671700692012-07-13T13:02:00.000-07:002012-07-13T21:02:34.071-07:00Cypress Hills<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
July 10 - 12 , 2012<br />
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We spent July 10th to 12th camping in Cypress Hills. Cypress Hills, for those who do not know, is described as the highest point between the Rockies and Labrador. That makes it quite literally an island of hills in the middle of a sea of flat Prairie fields. And because of that it is a perfect holiday and camping spot in this area and weather. The Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park straddles the borders of both Alberta and Saskatchewan. We chose to camp in the Alberta part of the park in a little campground nestled between the hills and Elkwater lake.<br />
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As we began setting up our camp we noticed that the sites around us were all occupied by families with children. There were at least four family with children ranging from age 6 to10 and Zaid quickly ran out to some of them and started chatting with them. Most of the kids had brought their bikes with them and were zooming around the site, and Zaid was very interested in all the bikes. The children were all very kind and most of them would stop as soon as they saw Zaid and would allow him to touch their bikes, inspecting every parts of them. One little girl told me that after spending a few minutes examining her bike Zaid firmly <span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">said </span><span style="background-color: white;">"good bike" and finally allowed her to continue her ride around the grounds. Another little girl took it upon herself to make sure that whenever Zaid wondered too far away from our site, she would hold his hand and lead him all the way back to his mommy and daddy. The older boys walked with him as he went to explore the little creek across from our site, and all of the kids just made sure that he was safe and having a fun. For Zaid this was by far our best camp.</span><br />
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On our first day we drove to the beach and had a swim in Elkwater lake. The lake was not as warm or clean as Newell Lake from our previous site, but was still very pleasant to be in especially in 30 degree weather. The following day was our relaxing day. In the morning we visit Fort Walsh, a fort built in the 1800s to help expand the sovereignty of Canada to the western regions. The tour guide was an excellent historian who was dressed the part and who was full of interesting and educational historical information about the fort, the era and the region. Unfortunately standing and listening to a history lesson about the fort was not too interesting to Zaid and Owen, and so we quickly broke away from the group and explored the rest of the fort according to our own schedule and route. Following a quick lunch at the site's information centre we drove back to our camp for a relaxing afternoon in the shade of the trees surrounding our tent.<br />
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In the evening we enjoyed a simple dinner of franks and beans, followed by a walk to the town's corner store for some ice-cream and a walk back to prepare the boys for bed time.<br />
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It is fair to say that apart from the little accident we had with Own, as talked about in Ben's previous post, the stay at Cypress Hills was great. We enjoyed some shade and coolness after being in the heat of the Prairies for a few days and it was nice to be back in a climate and eco-zone similar to that of the West Coast. The area is also full of wild life although we only managed to spot birds and deer, in addition to the not so wild cows grazing every here and there in the hills. The hills are home to the scary Cougar but luckily for us we did not spot any. <br />
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Cypress Hills were recommended to us by several people back in Vancouver and we are very happy to have listened. If you are ever in this part of the country it is definitely not to be missed. A great community, with everything to make a summer holiday fun, relaxing and adventurous.<br />
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Next is off to Regina and a couple of days break from camping. As always we are all looking forward to a comfortable bed and a hot shower, and of course a chance to do some laundry. Ah the life of road travellers!<br />
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Haifa </div>Haifahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10947202011705435049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-49901027692344645072012-07-12T20:49:00.001-07:002012-07-12T20:49:57.320-07:00Day 18: I Dropped Owen<br />
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July 10, 2012. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I dropped Owen this evening. It was almost 4 hours ago and
he is fine now. He has a big welt on his forehead and scratches all over, but
is alert, focused, and as cheerful as ever. Owen is fine, but I am still a bit
shaken. I expect to poke Haifa awake every hour to make sure he is still fine. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We had just finished dinner and I was holding Owen at the
picnic table. Zaid was fiddling with the propane tank on the campstove and
Haifa decided to put the stove away to end the fiddling. However, in doing the
job quickly, the propane tank remained open, spilling propane out into the air.
In a flash I had two thoughts: get the propane tank closed ASAP and keep the
kids away from it. Holding Owen, the only way for me to accomplish this was to
hold him in one hand, arm outstretched, and remove the hose from the propane
tank with the other. As I put this hastily thought out plan into action Owen
slipped from my grasp and fell about 2 feet to the gravel floor below. He fell
face first and immediately burst into tears. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Neither Haifa nor I really recall many of the details of the
next 5 minutes or so. Owen ended up in Haifa’s arms and I managed to corral the
propane. Zaid was a bit scared and so was still hanging around, which is good
because if he had decided to wander we would still be looking for him. 5
minutes more pass during which Zaid remained in the camp and Haifa alternately
consoled both Owen and me. Thankfully, our neighbouring campers, Jeff and Kay
from Fort Saskatchewan, had seen the scene unfold and came over. Their presence
shook us out of our shock and got us into action. A phone call to the Visitor
Centre revealed the small town of Elkwater has not even a doctor’s office and
the nearest Hospital was 45 minutes away in Medicine Hat. After 4 more phone
calls we managed to get the Parks Paramedic to come up and pay us a visit. By
the time she arrived Owen was mostly back to his old ways. He greeted her with
a huge smile and passed all of the concussion tests with flying colours.
Nevertheless, we now have her number on file and will be monitoring Owen all
night long.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwdVhMR5fMVDz_HP2Oj91iktHwc5q9LVP_YlVBztKBW4xB17MtJwW25Rm2UbcwJmrqWKKMMg1OwCACc6cyCiSI-dD6kOmA3o9iPGa8QalkwP2bG0Zd_CyBvX7DHvo0K1DsZdvw_VsxLY/s1600/IMG_5295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwdVhMR5fMVDz_HP2Oj91iktHwc5q9LVP_YlVBztKBW4xB17MtJwW25Rm2UbcwJmrqWKKMMg1OwCACc6cyCiSI-dD6kOmA3o9iPGa8QalkwP2bG0Zd_CyBvX7DHvo0K1DsZdvw_VsxLY/s320/IMG_5295.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen and I - none the worse for wear the following morning</td></tr>
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Aside from the stress and worry of the evening the day was
excellent. We broke camp early at Kinbrook Island and had a midmorning swim at
the, surprisingly, empty beach. The drive to Elkwater in the interprovincial
park of Cypress Hills proved to pass surprisingly well, Owen only required one
stop and Zaid had a long nap as well. After settling into our campground we
headed down to Elkwater Lake for another dip in the water to cool down before
heading back to camp and the stress to come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zaid and I playing in Elkwater Lake - Cypress Hills</td></tr>
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Tomorrow we head to Saskatchewan for the day, visiting Fort
Walsh and the Cypress Hills Massacre National Parks sites before coming back to
our camp in the Alberta side of the park. We are planning a long drive to Regina
for the day after that, bringing us fully into our third province.<o:p></o:p></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-51217990393715286132012-07-12T20:41:00.001-07:002012-07-12T20:41:15.911-07:00Day 17: Bloodsuckers of the Badlands<br />
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July 9, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are deep into Alberta and the great Canadian Prairies
now; it is quite a change from the environment we </div>
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are used to in BC. It is,
however, not really like the stereotypical prairie environment either. Coming
from the mountains we have a view of the prairies as this great flat wasteland.
We joke that from the Rockies you can see the city of Winnipeg off in the
distance, unobstructed by anything. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In my mind the term flat brought to mind a blank sheet of
white paper lying on a table, textureless, empty, plain. While the prairies are
most certainly flat, they are far from empty. From softly rising and falling
slopes, to canyons cut out over thousands of years by rivers, to groves of
trees, to vast fields of yellow canola and green soy, to the silos, barns, and
farmhouses in the middle of this all, the terrain of the prairies is full of
texture. It is nice to be in a place that celebrates much of what we take for
granted having come from the mountains.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Heading to Drumheller for Zaid’s most anticipated visit, the
Royal Tyrell Dinosaur Museum, Owen wakes up, forcing us to stop for a roadside
feeding. Being locked in the air-conditioned car since leaving Calgary, our
system was shocked by the opening of the door. The freshest and most wonderful
scent filled the car. All the various crops, as well as the roadside grasses
come together to create the most beautiful smell in the prairies. Haifa
immediately had recollections of springtime in Jenin when her family had just
moved to their home atop the mountain. Surrounded by fields this was the smell
she had grown up with.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A second stop was required before checking into our
campground, a visit to an ATM, since campgrounds generally only accept cash
payments. The map, as well as the roadsigns, suggested that Carbon might be an
option for us. A short 3 kilometer drive from the highway we grew sceptical
when there was no sight of any house after our turnoff. However, we quickly
made our way down into this depression which housed the prairie town of Carbon.
This is pretty much exactly what I had in mind when thinking of small prairie
towns; one single main street, with a few houses in the background. The main
businesses along main street were an agricultural co-op, what seemed to be a
tractor storage yard, a bar/restaurant, and, luckily for us, a Credit Union. In
the 10 minutes we were there, getting cash, taking pictures, and calming Owen,
we saw only 1 other individual in the background.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJz3TBP-MFWknwV7wUB1g8ZvhWMeDufOfb2MePV_K0lk1ioRhNy0PJekAZKpzNlZnVMJ6Vd2aho3O6dwZT6tATV9WsZeu3PivXZas7aDpN4VziEKWqDqVY7UlQuFLYE_UchzrXnz8qKo/s1600/IMG_5199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJz3TBP-MFWknwV7wUB1g8ZvhWMeDufOfb2MePV_K0lk1ioRhNy0PJekAZKpzNlZnVMJ6Vd2aho3O6dwZT6tATV9WsZeu3PivXZas7aDpN4VziEKWqDqVY7UlQuFLYE_UchzrXnz8qKo/s320/IMG_5199.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Street in Carbon, Alberta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Given the popularity of Drumheller and the Dinosaur museum
we decided to procure accommodations before visiting the museum. We decided on
Bleriot Ferry provincial park, about 20 KM North of the city, right on the
shores of the Red Deer River, on the floor of a canyon. Being in a location
called “The Badlands”, and amidst the heatwave that had been ravaging Eastern
North America, we thought that such a location would be cooler. It very well
may have been, but any gains in the temperature department were more than
offset by the Mosquito department. I have never seen such quantities of
mosquitos in my life. We woke up in the morning to a nearly black ceiling of
bloodsuckers stuck between the tent and fly, waiting for us to depart before
the struck. The Mosquitos, combined with the drunkards next door (from Vancouver),
the loud bully of a mother next to them, the 30 degree heat, and the filthy
washrooms that hadn’t been cleaned in at least a month made this by far our
worst campsite yet, and one that we expect to be the worst of our trip. We left
as soon as was humanly possible in the morning to get away from it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Luckily, the experience at the Royal Tyrell Dinosaur Museum
overshadowed the experience at the campground. Alberta has one of the highest
concentrations of dinosaur fossils in the world, and much of it is clustered in
the area around Drumheller. As such, this museum has been built, and proven to
be a massive success. The place is full of complete dinosaur skeletons from
probably 30-40 different unique dinosaurs, including Triceratops, Stegosaurus,
and the T-Rex. The newest addition was a fossil recently discovered of a
sea-creature that had 76 vertebrae in its neck (making it 10 times longer than
a Giraffe’s neck). This was truly an awe-inspiring visit for all of us, and has
proven to be a highlight of the trip so far.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpIgzOkV2dfct53rQSlJIGcHTdDzQRp1jYdfrpoZojxmmKcZ-hcMefAsE3mt5yM4XHR0CJKnp9gp6CaK3Q01ik2Ck4ivRWkFQLRDUlkwy2UhF1XuBZmyIsZ7iwhBEf0CJVONdVKriE2I/s1600/IMG_5219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpIgzOkV2dfct53rQSlJIGcHTdDzQRp1jYdfrpoZojxmmKcZ-hcMefAsE3mt5yM4XHR0CJKnp9gp6CaK3Q01ik2Ck4ivRWkFQLRDUlkwy2UhF1XuBZmyIsZ7iwhBEf0CJVONdVKriE2I/s320/IMG_5219.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T-Rex Skeleton in the museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Today we made our way in a south-easterly direction to
Kinbrook Island Provincial Park, about 15 KM south of Brooks. This has proven
to be a very welcome time to relax. The Island is in Lake Newell, which is a
popular boating, fishing, and swimming destination for Albertans. The campsite
reminds me very much of Hayne’s Point in Osoyoos. Most of the campers spent the
day sitting at the beach or swimming in the just warm enough (and just cool
enough) water. The campground is very well run, with lots of shade to keep the
scorching sun at bay. Our strategy of swimming in full clothing
proved to be very successful, as we were kept cool by our wet shirts all
afternoon. The excitement was a bit much for Zaid though as he took two and
half hours to fall asleep this evening.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tomorrow we will pack up our tent, head to the beach for one
last cooling swim, and then head for Cypress Hills Provincial Park. This brings
us to the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan, heading towards our third
province. It also comes at an opportune time as I have just started reading
“The Englishman’s Boy” by Guy Vanderhaege, which deals with an event known as
the Cypress Hills Massacre. It will be nice to have the place provide context
to the book, and the book provide context to the place, in particular our
planned visit to the Cypress Hills Massacre National Historic Site.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can’t believe we are almost in Saskatchewan. In a week or
so we should be crossing into Minnesota to begin the US portion of our trip,
and then a short time later we will be in Toronto. There is still lots of new
stuff to see and do though, so we are staying excited and ready for new
adventures.<o:p></o:p></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-62829804251165654272012-07-12T19:48:00.002-07:002012-07-12T19:52:56.669-07:00Calgary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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July 6-8 </div>
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On July 6<sup>th</sup> we left Banff and headed towards
Calgary. <span style="background-color: white;">We started our Calgary visit by stopping at Olympic Park
which happened to be on the way from the Banff and is where events from the 1988 Olympics in Calgary took place. The park was quite interesting
with lots of fun Olympics inspired activities to satisfy a whole family. We opted
to visit the Sports Hall of Fame since it would have been challenging to do any
other activity such as Zip-lining, luging etc with two young children. The
highlight from the Hall of Fame was when Ben spotted a gold medal in diving from the 1970 Edinburgh
Commonwealth Games won by his mother’s cousin!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next we drove all the way to the opposite end of town to
visit Calgary Fort. More like a museum than a fort, the place had many
interesting exhibits showing life in Alberta in the early days of the20<sup>th</sup>
century. Zaid enjoyed two things in particular; playing with antique toys from in the interactive children’s area, and painting a buffalo to put on
the Alberta map in an activity called “reherding
Alberta”. He also loved watching the horses in the barn right outside
the Fort. <o:p></o:p></div>
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By the time we were finished with the Fort it was time to
head to my friend’s place. Joanne lived in a very nice community in south west Calgary. After a brief period of being lost we found ourselves at
her front door. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our stay with Joanne was fantastic. She was a most generous
and gracious host, who adore children in general and who loved Zaid and Own.
Within a few minutes of our arrival Joanne managed to become Zaid’s newest best
buddies. Acting just as you might expect
a great aunt to, she had all of his favorite things; snacks, toys, tv shows,
books and other activities. When Zaid was done exploring all of the toys and
books, he moved on to explore every nook and cranny of the house, including all
of the kitchen cupboards. Faced with all of her pots and pans spread on the
kitchen floor, my friend did not bat an eye, instead she happily joked that
she’s been meaning to clean up her kitchen for a while and now she has the
chance to do so! Zaid an amazing time with his new friend Joanne and was quite sad to leave a couple of days later. Even now a few days after we have left he still asks every now and then to go back to Joanne's house. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our second day in Calgary started with a quick breakfast at
home and then a trip to the Ismaili Community Stampede Pancake Breakfast. Pancake breakfast seems to be the thing to do
and have during the Calgary stampede and it sounded like everything community
and organization in town was putting on one. In fact there was a list in the
newspaper of the locations of all breakfasts staking place
during every day of the
stampede . And they were all free! We were enticed by
the Ismaili breakfast when Joanne mentioned that they serve pancakes, scrambled
eggs, curry and chai. The meal did not disappoint and somehow these very
different foods and flavors seemed to all go well together, especially washed
down with a super strong and creamy chai.
After filling up with yummy food we joined an organized tour of the
Ismaili temple. The temple was
so beautiful and filled us all with a sense of tranquility and peace. I am not
sure if it was the calmness of the place, the symmetrical architecture, or the special
windows allowing for a perfect balance of light and shade, but I believe it was
all of these elements combined to create that perfect environment for worship
and contemplation. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Following a trip back to Joanne’s house for some rest we
headed out in the afternoon to the Calgary Zoo. The Zoo was disappointed due to two things. First the very hot weather meant that most of
the animals were hiding in the comfort of their den’s and difficult to see. And secondly it was the fact
that the Zoo was so big and required a lot of walking to get around and see all
the animals. The walking combined with heat and a cranky and tired Zaid did not
make for a fun time. In spite of that though there were still some great
moments spent there. For me, it was seeing the Elephants who luckily happened
to be outside their home and so close to the fences surrounding their area
you could almost reach out and touch them. We also all enjoyed watching the
grizzly bear pacing back and forth across the hill in his enclosed area. The
grizzly seemed agitated or perhaps hungry but in any case not too happy and we
were sure glad there was a fence between us and him. It was so amazing to watch
him and we did stand there mesmerized for a few minutes before we could peel
our eyes away and on to the next animal.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Zaid’s favorite part about the Zoo was the butterfly
garden. Earlier in the day when we told
him that we were going to the zoo and asked him what animal he wanted to see
the most, his reply was “lions and butterflies”. We assured him that we will
most certainly see a lion but that we were not sure that the Zoo will have
butterflies. But Joanne informed us that this particular Zoo does indeed have
butterflies and Zaid was very excited to see them. The butterfly garden was
small but very pretty and there were indeed many beautiful and lively
butterflies zooming around the place not at all scarred by all the people
around. Zaid was having an amazing time until two butterflies decided to land
on him, at which point he decided that he had enough and urged Joanne to
push his stroller out and away. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The next day our visit to Calgary was coming to an end. We
had a lovely breakfast with Joanne and after saying goodbye we got into our car
and drove to our next destination: Drumhheller and a campground just outside of
it called Bleriot Ferry Park. I will leave it to Ben to tell you all about this
part of the trip but it is sufficient to say for now that the campground was
awful and the dinosaurs were awesome!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am writing this tonight from our last stop in Alberta.
Next is Saskatchewan, and our next post will be coming to you from Regina!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Haifa <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Haifahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10947202011705435049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-60717106626174598972012-07-07T11:46:00.001-07:002012-07-07T11:46:24.112-07:00Camping in Banff<br />
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July 5<sup>th</sup>, 2012 <o:p></o:p></div>
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We’ve been camping in Banff since Monday night and we love it
over here. Ben keeps talking about how this is real camping and how much he is
loving the place and I can totally see why. We are camping in Johnston Canyon
camping ground which seems to be very central and equally close to Banff and
Lake Louise. Out of all of our different campsites so far this has been the
most comfortable for me. The camp is large and almost always at least two
thirds full which gives us a nice feeling of not being all alone in the
wilderness. We’ve also seen many more fellow tenters here than in BC camp
grounds which is also very nice. I personally like that the camp has enough modern
life conveniences like flush toilets, dish washing sinks and power outlets to
make it comfortable while at the same time, keeping the heart and soul of the
forest alive enough to make us feel that we are indeed in the
wilderness. I also feel safer here than
in previous sites, something that is unexpected considering the abundance of
wild animals in this area. The feeling of security was helped by the assurance by
the check- in lady that although bears are frequently seen just outside the camp, they almost never actually come into it. I am not surprised because the camp is
busy and loud while also (thanks to the very vigilant park staff) being very clean of
food and anything else that might attract bears which is the trick to keeping
wild animals away. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking of wild animals, the days we’ve been here have been
great for viewing wild animals that I have never seen before. On the way up
here we spotted a grizzly bear and the next day a black bear. We also spotted
three big horn sheep on our second morning. But yesterday in my opinion brought
the best wildlife viewing. We had gone
for a walk to the nearby lodge and restaurant for an afternoon ice cream treat.
On the way back we were walking by the creek under a little bridge and just as
we came out of under the bridge we noticed two HUGE elks standing on the other
side of the creek feeding on grass. It was a great sight!! These two very big animals were right there mere meters away from us,
completely oblivious to us watching them eat away. We stood there for a good 5
minutes or more, taking pictures and then just watching in awe. We then walked
the rest of the way home leaving the elks to continue their dinner in
peace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZt2p4vdOnbD1Q6LqtaBBND4z9vbMIXNX8wq_niS5NIWxiIhfb4iTeYJJ1g4hIyEoi0DwP4cG7A4Rkg-IgoPWD7sqS7UbfMCh7jtVSjfAxzjlp-okdMLqnLf_ydGEBAFWDG0vZVtn7DVWQ/s1600/IMG_5079%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZt2p4vdOnbD1Q6LqtaBBND4z9vbMIXNX8wq_niS5NIWxiIhfb4iTeYJJ1g4hIyEoi0DwP4cG7A4Rkg-IgoPWD7sqS7UbfMCh7jtVSjfAxzjlp-okdMLqnLf_ydGEBAFWDG0vZVtn7DVWQ/s320/IMG_5079%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elks in Banff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It seems that the elk population here is out and about these
days because today we spotted two more as we drove back to camp at the end of
our day. We also saw a deer in Banff town and it was right in the front courtyard of a residential apartment building! We’ve
seen warning signs for wolfs around here but have not spotted any, which in my
opinion is not a bad thing! I would however like to see a bear from a clearer
(but safe) vantage point as so far the only two I spotted I only managed to get
a glimpse of their backside as they were disappearing into the forest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This area of Canada in truly majestic. There is no way of
describing the beauty and power of the Rockies except to just be here and see
them. They stand so tall and so bold, they are awe inspiring. I am so very glad
to have had the opportunity to come here and see them. Another majestic sight has been the Takakkaw
waterfall. Yesterday we walk right up to it and had a picnic lunch as we sat
and stared at its beautiful water thundering down what seems like
eternity. Today we visited Lake Louise,
yet another beautiful icon of this country and now I know why. I have never seen
water this colour before and certainly never, not even in Norway have I seen
such a beautiful sight of lake, mountains, trees and glaciers all in one
exquisite frame. If you are a nature
lover, the Rockies are a must see and visit. I am so glad we decided to spend a
few days here to venture around and see as much of the area as possible. Alas,
we run out of time tonight and we will have to leave a few things unseen, but
not forever as I very surely see myself coming back here again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFg3Cr5VDNePGqnWS0mPd3bQcmK30mAmga0_5sm9QmqE9VnapKbDMsoI5M72k3MVptwL60qsyeDfx86aUYkzh1e7Mj_ZRggQh7DelKHBpgrEWW5tlZrJE8udfVNl9wOQ0bdI8dADrQ-cBH/s1600/IMG_5067%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFg3Cr5VDNePGqnWS0mPd3bQcmK30mAmga0_5sm9QmqE9VnapKbDMsoI5M72k3MVptwL60qsyeDfx86aUYkzh1e7Mj_ZRggQh7DelKHBpgrEWW5tlZrJE8udfVNl9wOQ0bdI8dADrQ-cBH/s320/IMG_5067%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Tomorrow is off to Calgary where we will be staying with a
very generous friend of mine for a couple of days. We have postponed our
Calgary visit to now because we did not want to be in Banff during the Canada
day long weekend craziness.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Now we
realise that this has put us in Calgary during the 100 Anniversary Stampede craziness!
Needless to say it was impossible to find hotel accommodation in town for
anything less than $300 a night.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">If it
was not for my friend Joanne who very generously invited us to stay with her, we were going to alter our route to skip Calgary all together in favour of
Edmonton. So thank you Joanne for giving Calgary a chance! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div>
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Haifa</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Haifahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10947202011705435049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-3017619484139555132012-07-07T11:31:00.000-07:002012-07-07T11:31:14.905-07:00Day 13: RIP Sandeep<br />
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July 5, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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The weather gods seem to finally be shining down upon us as
glorious as the sun. We have had beautiful weather here in Banff for the last
day and a half, although it has been quite cool. We wake up in the early hours
of the morning absolutely freezing cold and shivering in our sleeping bags,
despite the 2, and for some people 3 layers of clothing. Luckily this is
nothing a little snuggling and then a campfire cannot cure. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I fear we have become a bit spoiled with wildlife. This
afternoon we went for a dip at the Banff Hot Springs and at one point the whole
pool become a flutter with activity, people were flocking en masse to one
corner of the pool deck that overlooked a lawn on the outside. As best as we can
guess, given the antler signals passed along, it was yet another elk. Given our
experience of the day before we couldn’t be bothered to get out of the hot
waters and join the crowd. Banff has been great, but it would be even better
without the incessant crowds. Our indifference was somehow rewarded with a
roadside viewing of a feeding elk on the way back home. This time we did stop
to marvel, albeit for a short period.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before our dip in the pool we paid a longish visit to Lake
Louise and a rather short visit to Moraine Lake. Lake Louise is as magnificent
as always and we enjoyed a nice stroll about 1/3 of the way around the lake. I
can’t help but feel though that the lake is but a side attraction to the wonder
that is the glacier at the far end. Flanked by mountain on either side and
standing stark white and majestic against the blue sky it really is a marvel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00IbRoAS4c2tMBrTmMedBShFfKn2buZ5A-Cv_yhDz49YtSknTwdrQUo0DozghAn12_9XoxqyeAaNGtfxO4HnsiVdwbYbSsSdrkWknWFooAzg1pUzdxSZCigon1iEnVS7sBj8DFES_-Zg/s1600/IMG_5089%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00IbRoAS4c2tMBrTmMedBShFfKn2buZ5A-Cv_yhDz49YtSknTwdrQUo0DozghAn12_9XoxqyeAaNGtfxO4HnsiVdwbYbSsSdrkWknWFooAzg1pUzdxSZCigon1iEnVS7sBj8DFES_-Zg/s320/IMG_5089%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Louise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Moraine Lake, about 14 KM from Lake Louise, looks like it
would have been a great place to visit. Unfortunately, half of Alberta had the
same thought. The parking lot is designed for perhaps 75 cars, but at least 200
wanted to visit. About 5 minutes before we got to the lake No Parking signs
began appearing on the other side of the road. A little bit later we hit the
first car parked on the side of the road, this continued for about 3 minutes
before we got to the parking lot. In hindsight we perhaps should have stopped
behind the first car we saw, but a sleeping Zaid and fussy Owen pushed us
onwards. We caught but a brief glimpse of the lake before heading back down to
the highway. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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On the way back, a hungry Owen made us stop at the side of
the road, a widened shoulder at a very tight turn along a very curvy road.
While Haifa fed Owen in the front seat, having to lie down, feet on ground and
head on gear stick, in order to get Owen to feed, I looked around our temporary
sanctuary. Three things immediately grabbed my attention: the river at the
canyon floor, a bouquet of flowers tied to a tree just over the cliff and a
large memorial card to Sandeep resting against the 30 KM/H road sign. I look
over the edge of the cliff towards the bouquet and notice a cluster of three
trees missing bark on the lower part of the roadside trunk. Other, smaller
trees were crushed and broken and a distinct lack of bushes was evident.
Sandeep must have been trying to take the turn too quickly and skidded off the
road to perish in the trees 5 meters down the cliff. Needless to say I drove
very carefully for the rest of the day. Nothing makes a driver drive more
carefully than these roadside memorials. I suggest Highways Authorities plant
fake ones at dangerous intersections in order to help curb speeding. It would
sure work way better than the speed limit signs nobody pays any attention to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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RIP Sandeep.<o:p></o:p></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-32119828374697718142012-07-07T11:26:00.001-07:002012-07-07T11:26:54.132-07:00Day 11: Real Camping<br />
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July 3, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are in Alberta now, the second province of our journey.
We have made Johnston Canyon campground the base for the 4 day period from
Monday afternoon to Friday morning. We are on the Bow Valley Parkway about 20
KM from Banff and 40 KM from Lake Louise. We are also, presumably, quite close
to a railroad line as every so often we hear to unmistakable click-clack of
wheel on track and “Choo Choo” of train whistle. We cannot actually see any
train though, which makes the whole experience a bit unsettling. I half expect
an apparition of a train to come steaming through the trees as it makes its way
along its eternal rails.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After about 2 hours here I came to the realization that THIS
is real camping. I still am not quite sure what is different between the
previous 6 camping nights and the 4 we are spending here that makes this a true
camping experience but I have some theories. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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1) The Location<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are in an alpine forest. The tall alpine evergreens are
relatively sparse and they are very thin and tall. Most of the tree is a long
trunk with bare branches sticking out. Just the canopy has needles. There is
very little groundcover, just ankle high grasses and small shrubs. Compared to
the dense rainforests of BC something about the alpine forest screams camping.
The other difference in the location is that we are camping by a creek. The
previous campgrounds have all been on lakes. Something about the faint rushing
water noise makes it seem wilder.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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2) The Tents<o:p></o:p></div>
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The camp is divided into two loops, a hook-up loop that is,
according to Haifa (the only one brave enough to venture over there) full of
RVs, and a regular loop that is about 2/3 full and almost exclusively of tents.
Tenting is real camping and it feels good to be around fellow tenters. The
first night at Kekuli Bay we were the only site out of about 40 occupied that
had no RV. Compared with here, were our neighbours don’t even have a car, we
feel much more at home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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On a side note, the family camping next to us tonight is a
couple and their teenage sons; they have 4 road bicycles and seem to be on a
Rocky Mountain bike camping trip. I am quite impressed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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3) The Campfire<o:p></o:p></div>
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BC Parks is either very concerned with the conservation of
firewood, is running out of money, or both. If you want to have a fire you must
buy a tiny bundle of wood for grossly inflated prices. While this makes sense
from a conservation standpoint I greatly prefer the system at Banff that allows
us unlimited wood. You simply pay a slightly higher charge per night and you
are allowed to have a fire using as much wood as you want. The first afternoon
was spent gathering firewood and we have a stock that is the envy of all our
neighbours. We have had a campfire both nights, and even had one this morning
to allow us some fire toasted toast and early morning warmth to fight the 5
degree temperatures. We had Jiffy Pop last night, sausages roasted on the end
of stick tonight, and are planning on marshmallows tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhwzNpHNS_4XCczig7XtOhRZ7-KKWa2ECdcD6QM65AAII4iquzP0x7nny4alCWSxOcou1ou3ADKw0H0gpa5VOBgDBEuuK35ckQV8u3UebSJHmpzl8b6bdLD35OEloOT3wyqJu6FeLm-Y/s1600/IMG_5031%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhwzNpHNS_4XCczig7XtOhRZ7-KKWa2ECdcD6QM65AAII4iquzP0x7nny4alCWSxOcou1ou3ADKw0H0gpa5VOBgDBEuuK35ckQV8u3UebSJHmpzl8b6bdLD35OEloOT3wyqJu6FeLm-Y/s320/IMG_5031%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys sitting around the Campfire</td></tr>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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We spent the rainy day in Banff village, walking along the
streets packed with tourists, visiting a small Victorian era natural history
museum, and playing for an hour at the playground. Luckily for Zaid, there was
a small team of steamrollers, pavers, and loaders sitting next to the
playground, waiting to be used to re-pave the tennis courts. So much of the
time was spent instead oohing and aahing over the trucks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is so much to do in the national parks that we are
worried we might have to cut some things out. We hope to visit Lake Louise, the
Banff Hot Springs, Columbia Ice Fields, Yoho Park, and Radium Hot Springs in
the next 2 days before we head to Calgary. I’m guessing some of these will have
to wait for next time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnCNl3Satj5xhaoAiOBY9bzjAtkn6OAMWYoLB5vCEeXveRnFRlpf6QodLLtjAhxrmJEBfF817r2nvFRUU2FGQTX42MtT3dtw-vJu-FEBlbIX9saJ21XADNW8M3CrRaZDtFQgekEa5sBM/s1600/IMG_5038%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnCNl3Satj5xhaoAiOBY9bzjAtkn6OAMWYoLB5vCEeXveRnFRlpf6QodLLtjAhxrmJEBfF817r2nvFRUU2FGQTX42MtT3dtw-vJu-FEBlbIX9saJ21XADNW8M3CrRaZDtFQgekEa5sBM/s320/IMG_5038%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roadside Bighorn Sheep</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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I almost forgot to mention the wildlife. On the way from
Golden to the campground we passed a family of Mountain Goats on the Cliffside
as well as a Grizzly Bear beside the highway. Then this morning, along the Bow
Valley Parkway we came across a trio of male Mountain Goats RIGHT beside the
road that were engaged in some playful sparing, in preparation for battle come
mating season. We also came across, RIGHT beside the road, a black bear.
Unfortunately, it scampered away before
we got a great view.<o:p></o:p></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-14819405109517199212012-07-01T22:26:00.001-07:002012-07-12T19:53:42.928-07:00Canada Day in Revelstoke<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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July 1<sup>st</sup>, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">As you can gather by reading Ben’s previous post, yesterday
was a crazy day for all of us. Even though we somehow enjoyed the crazy
adventure of trying to get out of rainy Nakusp, we were all very happy to make
it to dryness in our hotel room in Revelstoke last night. We were all very
exhausted and slept very comfortably and soundly until about 6:30 am when Zaid
woke us up.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Our plan for today was to watch the Canada Day celebrations
we read about in the town’s visitor’s guide, visit the local railway museum and
the BC Hydro Revelstoke Dam. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We are sure that there was some Canada Day celebrations
going on, however when we arrived at the town centre this morning at 8:45 am
there was no sign of anything. Most stores and shops were closed and a drive to
the Dam also revealed that it is closed until 10:00am. Hoping that there will
be something to do in this town before 10 am we stopped to ask at the
information centre. We happily learned that the railway museum is open at 9:00
am and after purchasing a cute train conductor hat for Zaid and getting our BC
Parks Passport stamped we headed to there. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p>The Revelstoke Railway Museum was a great hit with all
members of the family and a perfectly fitting way to celebrate Canada Day by learning about the history of the Canada Pacific Railway. The museum had the
magical combination of being interesting to the adults and exciting to the
children. Zaid who is obsessed with all things that go, loved it! We all
especially loved the real old CPR train on display. We were able to go inside
the business car and look at the tiny bedrooms and dining room on the train. We
ended the tour with a stop at the kids play room where Zaid played with little Thomas
trains and other train related toys. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLs-q59R2yrc0GdI5_J68odNozpNzrsOPRde9PYlXUsqe9_9UASSEPxNGFWygAESvrssVO-hc3VGLtuWJVzSXOBc0m0ZFmLWOOlv-9ByKymHBTv7uvRthBmUBqNJto_eQmHmCHRcflo8I/s1600/IMG_4977%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLs-q59R2yrc0GdI5_J68odNozpNzrsOPRde9PYlXUsqe9_9UASSEPxNGFWygAESvrssVO-hc3VGLtuWJVzSXOBc0m0ZFmLWOOlv-9ByKymHBTv7uvRthBmUBqNJto_eQmHmCHRcflo8I/s320/IMG_4977%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben and Zaid at the Railway Museum </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p>After our visit to the railway we went home for naptime and
then left again for a picnic lunch by the river. Then knowing that the Dam must be open now, we
headed over there for a quick visit. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Dam was not a great hit with Zaid who preferred to run
around the place like a crazy person but both Ben and I enjoyed it. The last
section of it included more interactive displays about power and electricity and
that was interesting enough to keep Zaid engaged. He pushed buttons to train light bulbs on and
pushed pedals to activate static electricity or use sunlight to power a small
model train. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2AtUcCylq5UmLJFxogcWqtTW0T58fFsPxtym2RgQJ4mt-kUFEezWBuQirCvua39SFdkjZ-6z-iv1fxQGRe_hdXdkiNs1PJh6zm1_aCKVsUBa6Ho_3uETQdLgDMotw0H_URDIC4aFzO2E/s1600/IMG_4987%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2AtUcCylq5UmLJFxogcWqtTW0T58fFsPxtym2RgQJ4mt-kUFEezWBuQirCvua39SFdkjZ-6z-iv1fxQGRe_hdXdkiNs1PJh6zm1_aCKVsUBa6Ho_3uETQdLgDMotw0H_URDIC4aFzO2E/s320/IMG_4987%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Revelstoke Dam</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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The Dam visit tired us out enough to warrant a trip back to
the hotel for some rest, following which we head out again for dinner. Seeing
that the weather was sunny and warm we decided to take out a couple of pie from
a local pizza place to eat by the river again. We picked up our pizzas and
drove to the river side and spread our food on the picnic table to eat. We immediately
noticed a small grey cloud way out in the distance and joked about how with our
luck this cloud is going to move straight to just above our heads and rain on
us. Ten minutes later this is exactly what
happened! In fact come to think of it, it did rain a little bit on us when we
were having our lunch picnic as well. So keeping with Ben’s Harper’s index this
makes the number of picnics on which we were rained on 4 and the number of
picnics on which we had no rain 0!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After our dinner we stopped at a playground for Zaid to play
and then drove back to our hotel to get ready for the evening bed time routine.
Zaid was a bit riled up but fell asleep not too much later than his usual bed
time. Owen has been asleep since we came back from dinner and I suspect he will
only briefly wake again for some milk before I go to sleep myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had read about Revelstoke in their visitor’s guide before
getting here and based on that expected a more lively town. I’m not sure if it is the holiday Sunday or the
fact that anything after the excitement of Nakusp is bound to feel dull, but this
is exactly how I found it here. The museum and Dam were very interesting but
the town itself was nothing too exciting. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Tomorrow we head out bright and early to Banff for four days
of camping and then off to Calgary for a couple of days. This is going to be my
first time in Alberta and I am very intrigued. Let’s hope the weather forecast holds true and
we get the sunshine and little to no rain that it promises. Keep your fingers crossed!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Haifa <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Haifahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10947202011705435049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6636495272566853977.post-24674518416764456852012-07-01T21:22:00.000-07:002012-07-01T21:22:49.389-07:00Day 8: Rained out of Nakusp<span style="background-color: white;">June 30, 2012</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I write this at the end of Canada Day in Revelstoke. We
arrived here about 9:30 last night after an eventful end to the day. The day
started with rain, continued with rain, ended with rain, and for good measure
had a side order of rain as well. However, it was a wonderful day, perhaps the
best day we have yet had.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We woke up bright and early, as we seem to always do in the
tent. We were staying about 15 minutes south of the village of Nakusp on the
Arrow Lakes and were planning on spending the day in town. We had the good
sense to bring along our glass Bodum French Press and had broken it at the last
campsite. So, we decided to head to town early and start our day with a coffee
in a local café. We put on our clothes, sure to pack our raincoats and head off
to town. Taking the final turn into town we come across a temporary barrier
barring the road. Meandering through the side alley parallel to Main Street
(actually Broadway, and no there were no bright lights) we notice that all
access to the main drag is blocked. Parking the car, we decide to brave the
rain and head out to see what is going on in town. Aside from an unusually
large number of people huddled under umbrellas and awnings for such a small
town there was little else indicating the reason for this blockage. Walking
along the main street we gather more evidence – store displays wishing “Happy
Canada Day” and “Congrats on 120 Years Nakusp” suggest some sort of festivities
are about to start. We pass by an older man dressed in old style clothing and a
younger woman as well. We still are not certain, for we only witnessed a brief
dog-owner lookalike contest, but our guess is that the planned celebrations
were significantly reduced on account of the rain. This should have been our
first indication.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pounding rain, and influx of people into town meant that
all of the coffee shops on Broadway were full. So we decide to take a chance on
a sign pointing down towards the lake, promising an authentic Italian Café.
This was a great decision. We enter this tiny 4 table café squeezed into the
lobby of a hotel with a beautiful panoramic view of the lake. We order moist
and filling muffins along with two coffees. Not wanting to head out into the
rain we order a couple of more coffees and a milk for Zaid. The place was run
by a woman who seemed to have an intense love and hatred for her job. She quite
boisterously, fed by a 5 espresso morning, and jokingly begged a man at the
neighbouring table to take her job as she was sick of the 2 AM starts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, June 30 is my Mothers birthday and so we had been
wanting to give her a call to send our wishes. Unfortunately, Nakusp falls in a
kind of black hole of cellphone reception and so were getting a bit despondent.
Luckily, the hotel attached to the café had free internet and Haifa had her
ipod, which was already for Skype. So, we were able to enjoy a great chat with
my mom from this tiny café with a beautiful view obscured only by the waterfall
of rain pouring down the window. After saying our goodbyes, and pulling our
hoods ever tighter we decided to venture back outside again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After some window, and grocery shopping, much of it with the
intent of staying dry, we decide it is time to head up to the famed Nakusp Hot
Springs, just north of town. We were
slightly worried about bringing Owen in, but everyone, staff and locals alike,
insisted it was okay. We are sure glad we listened. This was a wonderful time.
The pool is only 3 feet deep and is a perfect temperature, not super-hot, but
hot enough to keep you warm and work out all your kinks. Combined with the
cooling wine pouring over your face and head it was exactly what we needed. Zaid kept on exclaiming “Fun” every two
minutes as he directed me from one side of the pool to the other. Owen on the
other hand was content to just lay back and kick his feet with a smile on his
face. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We head back to town to have a lakefront lunch, in a
sheltered gazebo, of sardine sandwiches, carrot sticks, and cheese slices. It
somehow hit the spot perfectly. After lunch we head to the Nakusp Musem, which
was something to behold. Imagine clearing out an old treasure hunter’s basement
of dust and bugs, hanging a few signs and calling it a museum and you have the
Nakusp museum. It was mostly just piles of artifacts lying on the ground, or
leaning against the wall, in the basement of the old schoolhouse. Zaid was a
bit overenthusiastic about the place, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I
think this was helped by the old woman dressed in a red skirt and matching red
shirt and her young (20ish) male assistant who knew absolutely everything about
all the artifacts and were very pleased to tell you all about it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By now it is mid-afternoon and we are all needing a bit of a
rest and so we head back to the campground. At this point, we finally have a
brief spell in the rain, giving us a false sense of hope. Haifa and the boys
head to the tent for a rest and I head to the lake for a brief walk before I
join them. We quickly discover a couple of wet spots in the corner of the tent
but think nothing of it at the time. Shortly later the rain starts again, and
this time, by some hellish miracle, even stronger. Slowly, over the course of
an hour we discover that these are not wet spots, but rather the whole floor of
the tent is soaking wet. Going outside to inspect I discover that what had been
a beautifully dry place to pitch our tent had turned into a rather substantial
lake. I run up to the signboard at the entrance to the camp to find out the
ferry times to Revelstoke and run back, confirming that yes, we can make a
quick getaway to the dryness of a hotel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next 40 minutes are a blur. Haifa spends the first half
hour in the tent looking after the boys and packing up all of our stuff while I
run around outside packing up our outside stuff. As we neared the
deconstruction of our tent we put Zaid and Owen into the car, which caused Owen
some distress. Luckily, Zaid stepped into protective big brother mode perfectly
and offered his younger, somewhat scared, sibling consoling phrases of “Its
okay Owie” before singing to him. I was very proud of him that night. Finally
we get the car packed up, I am utterly soaked from head to toe and so I make a
quick change into somewhat dryer clothes, although the run back to the car from
the washroom sort of defeated the exercise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We speed out of the campsite at about 6:45, stop at the gas
station in town for a couple of coffees and are chased by thunder and lightning
the 60 KM to the ferry dock. Somewhere along the way to the other side of the
lake the rain stops and we drive the final 40 KM to Revelstoke. We have a quick
“dinner” of garlic sausage, avocado, and banana chips before tucking the boys
into bed at 9:30.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7alys7xFrwKNoFeMjxlh1ADSbq_tK_lDtzUwYDJ1KgPuXz04889gUV3Pk1kjZpkrPBlgV_ELPTHwgfewY19Qe8lvNlDjkUuUrKLcd-j0TcytSNYevUkuMQVCQ6L1yS0IkGatQRbof40/s1600/IMG_4942%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7alys7xFrwKNoFeMjxlh1ADSbq_tK_lDtzUwYDJ1KgPuXz04889gUV3Pk1kjZpkrPBlgV_ELPTHwgfewY19Qe8lvNlDjkUuUrKLcd-j0TcytSNYevUkuMQVCQ6L1yS0IkGatQRbof40/s320/IMG_4942%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloud cover of the eastern shore of Arrow Lakes on the ferry to Revelstoke. Photo: Ben McNamee</td></tr>
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This morning I brought the tent inside and it has been
drying out on the hotel room floor all day. The ten is now dry, but the fly
still has some ways to go. Hopefully it is dry by morning. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Haifa will post about our day in Revelstoke, but now it is
bedtime before we head to the Rockies and Alberta tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></div>The Lobsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09118446100117657614noreply@blogger.com0