Friday at the Calgary Stampede

After a 7 hour trip from Donnelly to Red Deer, basically encompassing all of Thursday July 7th, we were spoiled with hospitality and great food at Bob and Perri's again!  They have traveled quite a bit in Central America, and we were happy to view some of their travel books - quite adventuresome, these two!  One of my favorites to hear about was Guanajuato, or "Hill of Frogs" - a city designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it boasts a wealth of history and culture due to the wealth of the nearby silver mine.  Most of its roads are underground! For more, see  Guanajuato

I spent the rest of the evening researching how best to get to the Stampede - think the Big E on fairgrounds in downtown Boston.  Decided to park at a commuter rail lot and take the Calgary equivalent of the "T" in.  Of course the lot was full, so we parked at a nearby mall and hiked in.  Waited in what looked like the obvious (long) line to catch a bus to the Stampede -there was no one around to ask and no signs - and everyone was dressed in ensembles with a Western flair - only to find out at the front of the line that this was for people who had gotten wrist bands - where and when?!  Anyway, we were directed to the adjacent rail station, for which there was, gratefully, no line, and headed into town.  Unlike Boston, however, the Calgary trains don't go underground, and each train we were on had to wait, with overflowing crowds, at traffic lights and pedestrian crossings.  At least the AC units were working!  until the ride home, anyway, when the train we were on broke down...

Well, we arrived at the Stampede somewhat fatigued from our commuting "ordeal."  Nothing a large cold Coca~Cola couldn't fix.  The Stampede is heavy on food and midway rides and, of course, the RODEO, with a variety of unexpected exhibits, like a Canadian Army tank and the cockpit of a fighter jet.  Also several buildings selling Western wear, and a casino.  Lots of raffles going on.  Concerts at night.  Sadly, the chuckwagon races don't start until 8 p.m. and we had to head out by then - flying home tomorrow.

Canadian Army tank

Jail wagon

The other side features a horse's musculature

Hats hats and more hats!  Yes, pink Stetsons

The view from the overhead ride - big brick building on right is the Grandstand - think rodeo!

Calf roping at the Grandstand

Fried Snickers bar - sinfully delicious!

Poutine:  Canadian favorite of French Fries and gravy, and more!

Fried food offerings

Well, the Stampede was a great end to our Alberta adventure; if only the adventure ended there!  Saturday found us at the Edmonton Airport, where we were unhappy to learn that our Delta flight to Minneapolis was delayed so long that we couldn't make the connecting flight to Boston.  Randy at the Delta counter spent more than 45 minutes trying to get us home.  Well, after 13 hours at the airport (no meal vouchers, thanks Delta) with very little to do (I read Dean Koontz' Odd Thomas, an 11-hour read), we took a 1:25 am red-eye flight to Montreal via Air Canada - BTW, their seats are more spacious than Delta.  Followed by 2 hours in lines to go through Customs, including an extra stop at the agricultural inspector because we had visited a farm.  Finally, a one-hour puddle-jumper on a "prop-job" to Boston - beautiful scenery en route.  Thanks to Uncle Rollie for picking us up, and for having spent Saturday washing and cleaning out the car so we would have a better experience on the ride home.  BTW, Uncle Rollie speaks very highly of the convenience of the new Cell Phone Lot at Logan.

And thanks to Uncle Rollie, Joe and Linda for all the work done around the yard while we were gone!  Dad was thrilled! 

Au revoir!

Week 2: Farm Country!

Dad, Cecile, Stan, Luke - note the Canadian suspenders

Reunited with Dad, the three of us set out on the 4th of July on the 5 hour drive north of Edmonton to Donnelly, what Dad has always referred to as "Farm Country".  In fact, fields abut the Edmonton City limits in some areas!  Very little development along the way, mostly vistas of farmland to all horizons.

Grain storage units, Falher

Dad didn't have a street address for the family in Donnelly; postal strike over, the friendly post office staff gave us stamps and directions.  The Cote family lives on a farm just outside the village center, and all welcomed us with open arms.  We enjoyed a walking tour of the farm - cattle, sheep, chickens, large equipment, hay barn, grain silos...  Here is some footage of Raymond cutting the hay near the house. Raymond Cote, mowing one of the hay fields in Donnelly, Alberta

Frank, Monique and Ariane were kind enough to offer us a place to stay, and we were spoiled with good company, good food, and good sleep while there!

Family came from far and wide to visit with us and each other; each night of the 3 in Donnelly we were feted royally (a nod to William and Kate's tour of the area coinciding with ours) and treated to stories that wove a fabric of our family's past, greatly enriching my knowledge of the Beaudoin background - thank you, all!

We joked that Dad didn't stop talking for two weeks straight!  Of course, it was generally recognized that Andy could out-talk Dad - Andy and his wife Fern have retired, sold their home, and now travel extensively in their RV.  So, what are the chances that Andy and Dad would cross paths?  Picture this:  on Dad's first Sunday in Alberta, Bob and Perri took him to church in Red Deer.  They usually attend Mass on Saturday night, but they put it off to welcome us that evening.  In addition, they usually go to a different church, but wanted to take Dad to this one so he could experience the spectacular architecture of this church.  When they sat down, they noticed that the gentleman in the adjacent pew looked familiar - it was Andy!  Well, they were quite excited to see Dad, and made time to see him three times during our visit.  Dad has now been invited to visit them in Phoenix next February - I'll personally drive him to the airport!

Andy, Marcella and Dad near Girouxville, Alberta

Mr. Lucien and Mrs. Albertine Cote took us on a tour of the area.  First stop:  Falher, well known for its honey and Father Bee, billed as the World's Largest Bee! For more on these, see Falher and Father Bee.

On through more small villages and farmland, including Girouxville, Normandville, Jean Cote, Marie-Reine, and Judah, ending up in Peace River.  A local family donated land to be forever used as a small park, and what a vista is to be seen from there!  The Smoky River, Heart River and Pat's Creek join to form the Peace River at the base of this bluff.

Peace River, west from the Sagitawa Lookout

Dad and Luke at the Sagitawa Lookout, Peace River

Canola field near Peace River, Alberta

Peace River, Alberta

Note:  the Peace Garden Restaurant, which offers Chinese food and a whole lot more, was unfamiliar with duck sauce, a staple in Chinese restaurants in the U.S. - the equivalent in this geographic area is plum sauce.  The link to the menu is included, as I don't think I have ever seen such an extensive and varied menu anywhere, ever - Kink?  Your thoughts?  Peace Garden Menu

The sun set around 10:30 p.m. in "Farm Country".  Monique loves this time of year, as the longer days are more productive - work at a job during typical work hours, then accomplish a lot at home until the sun goes down.

The strong sense of family we enjoyed here was welcome and very much appreciated!

Saturday and on to Lake Maligne

I missed Maligne Lake on my former trip to this area and looked forward to seeing it today.  The area is famous for its scenic beauty, even within an area of rampant scenic beauty; indeed, I've made a jigsaw puzzle adorned with a vista of Spirit Island from the southern end of the lake.

The road to the Lake is incredibly beautiful, and our day began with a quick stop on the side of the road to take a picture of Pyramid Mountain.  Luke noticed that there were several elk in the foreground of the panorama (Hey Mom - duh!).

Pyramid Mountain, Jasper National Park

Same photo, with close-up on 2 elk in foreground

The road to Maligne Lake brings you past Medicine Lake and its staggering beauty.  In fact, I used the word "staggering" so much on this trip that Luke forbade me to use it any more (as if!).  Bring out the thesaurus...

The road delivers you to the northern end of Lake Maligne, near the outlet - another great potential sampling location, BTW.

Maligne Lake, facing roughly south from the outlet, the start of the Maligne River

We followed the general flow of people to the visitor center/gift shop et cetera.  Another glacial lake that has been developed - boat docks with tour boats alongside the early 1900's boathouse, now in use as a canoe rental shop - yes, more bright red canoes.  Here, however, they are less visually intrusive, as Maligne Lake is much bigger than Lake Louise.  For the price of $115, two people can take the 90-minute round-trip cruise to the southern end of the lake.  Exorbitant?  Yes, but the scenery en route was incredible, and we didn't have time to canoe its length to Spirit Island.

Eastern flank of Lake Maligne

Facing south, from the northern end of Lake Maligne

Southern end, Lake Maligne

Spirit Island

Mount Warren, the peak just right of center with the most snow

Southern Lake Maligne

Panorama, southern Lake Maligne

 Picked up a biography in the gift shop - Mary Schaeffer Warren, the first non-native woman to explore the Canadian Rockies - great sense of the period of the late 1800 - early 1900's.

Sunday - West Edmonton Mall

Headed east out of Jasper towards Edmonton - stopped frequently to take scenic vista photos.  Knew we were back in civilization (quote unquote) when we saw the WalMart in Hinton.  Went straight to the 2nd largest mall in the world, West Edmonton Mall (the newer Mall of America in Minneapolis is now the biggest).  Saw some interesting sights, including the huge Batman in the lobby of the cinema ($35 for 2 tickets to Transformers 3, Imax 3D), and the hemp products store.  Not one but two large food courts with the usual cast of characters, and some unusual ones, too... I bet even you, Kink, would find something to intrigue you :) 

Spent over 2 hours driving around Edmonton looking for the GO Backpackers Hostel, with no luck.  Finally gave up at 8:30 pm and called the family in Edmonton and asked to sleep on the floor.  Well, only Luke slept on the floor (he insisted).

Friday - Canada Day

 Canada's 126th independence day - great day to be in Jasper!  Slept late and missed the pancake breakfast  - interesting note:  you could either bring your own dish/flatware or "borrow" the same for a $3 deposit.  Recycling and composting are quite institutionalized here in Canada - bins for these are located side by side with garbage bins throughout Alberta. 

Took the Tram up Whistler Mountain, a short drive from downtown and highly visible from our hostel - cloudy day, but the clouds were high enough to let us see the peaks. 

Tram base, Whistler Mountain, Jasper

Western side of the Maligne Range, Jasper National Park

Tried my first Smokie - grilled outdoors on the Tram platform, served in a hot dog bun - similar to kielbasa and satisfying.  The top of the tram is, like the one at Lake Louise, not quite at the summit.  Although the trail to the summit was open, and approximately a half-hour hike from the upper tram platform, we opted to eschew the summit as it was minus 5 Celsius and breezy, with light snow falling.  Quite invigorating!

Got back in time to view the Canada Day parade - quite long!  With a variety of floats, people on horses, and a great bagpipe/drum band up front.

 

 

 

Late lunch at Earl's - great steaks and a tasty strawberry daiquiri, and as they're on the 2nd floor, offer stunning scenic vistas.  Their to-go boxes have composting/recycling messages on each of the six sides - educational and entertaining!

 

Another quiet evening - missed the fireworks which didn't start until 11:15 p.m. due to the late sunset typical of this time of year.

Thursday - On the Road Again

Thursday we left Banff for Jasper.  We mistakenly continued west on Rte. 1 and ended up in Golden, BC before we realized we needed to backtrack to Lake Louise (about an hour!) to get on the Icefields Parkway, but weren't all that bugged as we got to see the Kicking Horse Valley again, albeit in the rain.  The Kicking Horse Valley spans the Continental Divide!  Saw the famous Spiral [railroad] Tunnels, built to compensate for steep grades through the valley Kicking Horse Pass Spiral Tunnels.

 

Spiral Tunnels, Kicking Horse Pass, British Columbia, Yoho National Park

Sprinked all the way to Jasper.  Listened to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire en route.  We saw numerous elk and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and one bear - couldn't miss the bear, as there was a traffic jam of buses, RVs, cars and trucks stopped to view it, and the intrepid (stupid) people out of their safe vehicles to photograph it.

Stopped at the Columbia Icefields to climb up to the Athabasca glacier - think cold and rainy, but beautiful.  Canadians are apparently not in denial about climate change and global warming, as there are numerous signs indicating the glacier's retreat since 1925, and kiosks noting the impacts of climate change on glaciers. 

Athabasca Glacier, Alberta

 The photo below shows that the glacier has retreated from the marker in the foreground to its present location since 1992.

Glacial retreat at the Athabasca Glacier, Alberta

Luke at the Columbia Icefield, Alberta

Encountered light snow near Nigel Pass!  Made it to Jasper in time for a fast food dinner (sorry, Kink) and a quiet evening of television (TV?  Moi?).  Gorgeous views from every point in town, much like Banff!  And very nice accommodations at the Miette Guest House - a completely different type of hostel from the Hi Alpine Center.

Wednesday, last day in Banff area

Luke "I refuse to smile"; Lake Louise in background

Did I mention it's been cloudy and/or rainy every day we've been here?  Definitely affected today's activities.  We headed back up the Bow Valley Parkway (I-1, the Trans-Canada Highway would have been faster, but the BVP is so gorgeous) to Lake Louise.

Visited the ski area first for a trip up the mountain on the ski lift to beat the rainy weather obviously heading that way.  We had a choice of closed cabin gondola or open chair - guess who chose the open chair (hint: not Luke).  Good thing we brought along the sweatshirts!  It started sprinkling lightly en route, but just enough to tease. Despite the weather, the vistas were worth the $26 per person fee.  And we were treated to views of a helicopter ferrying supplies via a long rope and net basket from the ski area parking lot to somewhere down (up?) the valley.

Arrived at the top (not the summit, just the top of the ride) in time to find that a grizzly bear had meandered behind a building just down the slope (sorry, we never saw the bear, although park staff were quite focused on keeping aware of its whereabouts!)

From the ski lodge, we drove to Lake Louise.  The area on the eastern of the lake is much more developed than when I visited in 1990 - paved walkways, shopping boutiques, a bridge over the outlet stream and landscaping.  The highest level of visual impact (visual assault!) is from a large canoe rental boathouse and docks.  The rental canoes are bright red, highly visible against the beautiful glacial blue water - so much for the pristine views of the mountains and glaciers visitors once enjoyed!

For pristine mountain and glacier views, one must go to Moraine Lake, easily reached from a side road near Lake Louise.  It also has some development, but it's limited to the northern end of the lake (where the access road ends) and far enough back from the shore that the buildings aren't intrusive in the viewshed.  Luke and I had lunch on the patio - easily the most expensive sandwiches and chips I've ever eaten - and a particularly bold chipmunk actually jumped up onto my lap in search of food.

Once back in Banff, we went back to the cinema to see the third Transformers movie, released today.  Leonard Nimoy provides the voice of the head Transformer!

FYI:  The sun doesn't go down until 11:30 pm or so, according to Ashley, our very nice hostess here in Jasper.