Favourites ... Summer Road Trip

Trip Song: Honey I'm Good by Andy Grammar

Favourites ...

Campfire Meal

S - pancakes & bacon

M - dorrito nachos 

J - dorrito nachos

A - meatballs 

Campfire Dessert

S - s'more cones

M - s'more cones

J - campfire popcorn

A - banana boat

Dinner/lunch out

S - Magpie & Stump Mexican in Banff

M - Magpie & Stump in Banff

J - Taco Del Mar, Washington

A - Paradise Valley in Medicine Hat

Favourite Place

S - Yellowstone - geysers, hot springs

M - Yellowstone - Upper & Lower Falls

J - Badlands & Mount Rushmore

A - the pool at Kitsilano Beach

Favourite animal siting ...

S - Buffalo or bear

M - Buffalo

J - elk at Banff campground

A - Buffalo

Favourite state/province

S - Montana

M - Wyoming 

J - Alberta - Banff

A - Wyoming - Devil's Tower

Best Campsite

S - Saskatchewan Landing PP

M - Rainbow Falls PP, Ontario

J - Banff - chasing the elk

A - KOA Coloma, Michigan - bounce bubble

Favourite Memory

S - seeing hot springs & geysers for first time at Yellowstone

M - seeing Nan & family out west & walking in the Glacial River. 

J - seeing the McManus clan

A - seeing the McManus clan

Top three

S - seeing friends & family, Yellowstone, Morraine Lake, Badlands

M - seeing family, Morraine Lake, Big Horn Scenic Bypass, Glacier

J - Outlet Mall, chasing the elk, Badlands

A - Blue Lake Park, the bounce bubble at the Coloma KOA, The Local Public Eatery at Kitsilano

Favourite song on the radio

S - all the classic rock

M - Bad Blood - Taylor Swift

J - Walk A Miracle?? - new Fall Out Boy

A - Fight Song - Rachel ...

One thing you learned ...

S -  Don't walk close to the Hotsprings & geysers because there is a thin crust. If you fall through you can be burned or killed. 

M - our glaciers are beautiful but disappearing quickly

J - Buffalo is the largest land animal

A - Kodak bear prints are huge

Things I Learned ...

Summer Road Trip - I Learned ...

(In no particular order)

1. Classic rock brings back memories of younger years. We can still rock it out in the car and look cool doing it! 

2. Nature makes me feel peaceful. 

3. Free wifi doesn't mean fast or reliable. 

4. I need more than one sweatshirt regardless of what others say. A light weight winter coat and a toque too!

5. I need to pack less clothes - yup, I said it and put it in writing!

6. Steep mountain roads terrify me, especially when there is no shoulder or guard rail. 

7. The pictures I took are beautiful but cannot capture the beauty we saw. 

8. I need more photo storage for trips like this. 

9. That Canada & the US are absolutely beautiful countries but we've only scratched the surface. 

10. People will do anything, I mean anything to make sure they're not driving behind someone pulling a trailer. 

11.  KOA is conveniently located next to the highway, you can hear the highway ALL night!! 

12. If the bathroom doesn't meet my standards I won't shower and will use the bathroom sparingly. 

13. Always remember the 30amp plug when leaving the campsite. Buy a bright yellow one to help!!

14. Things happen - deal with it and move on. 

15. Enjoy the good times, forget the problems. 

16. When I say let's stop at the outlet mall ... The car usually accelerates and we miss the exit!

17. Eating lunch out of the car saves a lot of money. 

18. Spending time with friends & family is priceless, even if it is a short visit. 

19. Headphones, DVD players and iPads make the car ride bearable for kids and saves the sanity of parents. 

20. Screens are banned when in National Parks and where the scenery is breathtaking - children need to look out the window!!

21. When trip planning we need to add an extra hour a day for bathroom & lunch stops. 

22. When trip planning leave a down day every 3-4 days where we can just relax and hangout. 

Day 20 - Coloma, Michigan

The Another long driving day today. We drove across Wisconsin, Illinois, a quick jaunt through Indiana and we have arrived in Coloma, Michigan. We decided to detour around Chicago because of all the toll roads. Due to construction and detours we had a lovely tour of one of the suburbs of Chicago. I'm pretty sure if the GPS could swear, she'd be swearing at us by now or maybe completely not talking to us ... But she is persistent and doesn't give up on her chosen route. It was a long day and I'm not feeling great ... Summer cold - maybe? We arrived at the Coloma KOA around dinner time. We have a nice site with lots of trees. Bathrooms ... Won't be using often and the showers - nope! They had a cool bounce bubble that the three 'kids' played on and I got some good pics. Then off to the pool for a swim before dinner. Looking forward to getting home tomorrow and sleeping in my bed, having clean clothes and downloading hundreds of pictures. Off to dinner & our campfire. See you tomorrow!! Just woke up ... Wow! Really loud here. Between the firecrackers going off at 10:30, the highway traffic and the train that I thought was passing through the trailer ... Not a peaceful sleep last night.

Bouncing bubble

 

AR's Post on Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Today we drove about 7 hours. We stopped at McDonalds we had the big breakfast it was delicious🍟. Then we got to the camp site and went on this bubble, it's really bouncy😊. Then went swimming straight away. Then we had dinner it was pasta-yummy! Then we went back to the bubble for a while. Then came back roasted marshmallows, played soccer and went to bed. That's all today. BYE BYES !

JR's Post on Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Today was a not as long day. We travelled from Rochester, Minnesota to Coloma, Michigan. We had McDonald's for breakfast we shared the Hungry Man breakfast. Once we arrived at the campsite we went on a bouncy house with no walls, then we went for a swim in the pool. It was warm. One day left till home. Yay!

AR's Post on Monday, July 20, 2015

Today we stated driving it was a 10 hour drive - so long! Then we got to the camp site got the camper up and went swimming the pool. They had tons of balls to play with. Then we came back and had dinner we had craft dinner - yummy🍩. Then we went to the park and played. Then we came back had a fire and I don't know if we're playing skip-Bo. That's all today. BYE BYES

JR's Post on Monday, July 20, 2015

Today was a long long day, we traveled 10 hours today and 7 hours tomorrow. We stopped for gas twice and rested three times including lunch at one of rest stops. We arrived at the campsite and went for a swim we had fun at the pool we are home in two days. Yay!

Day 19 - Rochester, Minnesota

Well, today was a long driving day. We drove across South Dakota and Minnesota. We saw deer, fields of corn and grass ... That's it! Arrived at the Rochester KOA and got set up - glitch free!! We're getting pretty good at getting things set up. Everyone has their jobs and total set-up takes maximum 15 min. It's a nice spot but the owners are wound a little tight ... We didn't park properly, we got our wood from too far away ... Yikes!! Once we got set-up the kids got their suits on and off to the pool we go! KD and hot dogs over the fire for dinner ... Then s'mores and some Skip-bo. Heading for Michigan tomorrow and then home. 

That's all I've got for pics today ...

Day 18 - Badlands, South Dakota

Today we explored the Devil's Tower. It was a really neat place with a scenic trail around the base. We watched some climbers climbing up the tower. I got some great pictures of the kids today. We went back to our camp site and packed up the trailer and headed for South Dakota. We went to Mount Rushmore - meh! Huge tourist trap, very busy ... Not my favourite stop. The carvings of the four presidents in the rock was impressive but we were in and out quickly! Then we headed to the Badlands KOA, set up the trailer, the kids had a swim, Dorrito nachos for dinner and then off to the Badlands for sunset. I'm a bit of a nerd with rocks! I love them, I love taking pictures of them so I'm sure I took about 100 rock photos but they kept changing colours as the sun set. It was beautiful. We climbed up almost to the top in one area and had a breathtaking view of the area. Returned to the campsite around 9:00pm and that's it folks!! Our major site seeing is over (unless we come across something really neat) and now our goal is to continue east and head home. Tomorrow we'll be sleeping in Rochester, Minnesota. Off to roast some s'mores! Night all ...

Devil's Tower

Mt. Rushmore

Badlands

JR's Post on Monday, July 20, 2015

Today was a good day we visited the Devils Tower their were rock climbers who climbed up to the top. We went to Mount Rushmore we saw four of the presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Once we arrived at the campsite we went for a swim then had dinner. Now we are off to the Badlands. The best thing about the Badlands was climbing up a mountains and going back down. We went to the pinnacles they were huge. We had a good day.

AR's Post on Monday, July 20, 2015

Today we went driving and stopped at the Devils Tower - it's pretty cool like AWESOME!! There were rock climbers, way up near the top. Then we went to Mount Rushmore and saw the faces of George Washington,Thomas Jefferson,Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Then we got to the camp site and went for a swim at the pool. Then we had dinner and went to the badlands. We climbed one of the mountains. We heard there's rattle snakes mom got scared. After that we had a fire. That's all today. BYE BYES!

AR's Post on Sunday, July 19, 2015

Today we drove 10 hours, such a long way. We saw beautiful sceneries. Then we went to the big horn scenic bypass. Then we went grocery shopping at Walmart, me and J always get candy every five days. Then we had dinner at Subway. I had meatballs for dinner and I had strawberry Fanta for a drink. Then we got to the camp site and met people because there was a fire that everybody can join in. That's all today. BYE BYES!!

Day 17 - Devil's Tower, Wyoming

Today was a driving day. It took a little longer than we thought as we didn't account for the two hours it took to get through Yellowstone. However, we did see grizzly bears, not up close but it still counts!! We drove through Shoshone National Forest just outside Yellowstone and the scenery was amazing!! Every turn brought completely different landscapes, colours and views. I wish I had taken more pictures! The other highlight was driving Big Horn Scenic Bypass. It started by driving through a narrow canyon filled with steep pink cliffs and then we climbed, and climbed and climbed. At the top we were at 9000 feet above sea level - Wow!! The views - unbelievable!! Again, I sat in the passenger seat - terrified!! As we wound around the switchback turns, this time pulling the trailer behind us. Of course if you go up, you must also come down! Equally terrifying!! To put it in perspective, the mountains we saw in Banff were on average around 5000 feet. Again we learned that the GPS does not know all ... She told us it would be a ten hour drive and she planned a ridiculous route, we took our own route and when she finally gave up and agreed with us it ended up being much shorter. But she did keep trying to re-route us. Tonight we are staying at the Devil's Tower KOA in Wyoming at 4000 feet. Bathrooms don't compare to the Yellowstone ones - just okay. But it's a nice spot and we can see the Devil's Tower from our camp site. Didn't make it in time to see it tonight but we'll head over first thing in the morning. Met some people at the community fire tonight and got some suggestions for tomorrow. Night all!! 

Devil's Tower

JR's Post on Sunday, July 19, 2015

Today was a long day of driving, we took a 2 and a half hours to drive through Yellowstone, but we saw plenty of animals. We drove Big Horn Scenic Bypass, it was awesome looking down that drop. We stopped at Walmart and got some groceries, we also had Subway for dinner tonight and it was delicious. Once we arrived at the campsite we checked in and parked in our spot. Mom and I visited the shop and looked for a bumper sticker for the trailer I got a Bear Claw necklace. We had a community fire, we sat down and talked to everyone we had a fun and long day.

Day 16 - Yellowstone National Park

Today was a jam packed day, we left our camp site at 8:00am and returned at 9:30pm only to make dinner and go to bed. It was a cooler day today, went down to six degrees last night and was only ten degrees by lunch. By the end of the day it had warmed up to around twenty. So again my touque came in handy in July! Animals we saw today: elk (lots and lots of elk), Buffalo (also pretty abundant), bull deer, bears ( yay!), a marmot, mouse and chipmunks. I got some great pictures of the Buffalo and elk, sort of a picture of the bear (if you look closely you can see Mamma's head in the grass but no Cubs - I wasn't getting out of the car for that one!) and the others I missed but ... Still thrilled to see them! We saw so many amazing places today I can't even remember them all or the order we saw them in so my top three were: Ol'Faithful Geyser, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Mammoth Hot Springs. Ol'Faithful wasn't so faithful today, she was late and only spewed water up about 25 feet. However, I was still impressed and loved the boardwalk around the site. The visitors centre had really neat displays and a fun area for the kids. The geysers, hot springs, etc are my favourite part of Yellowstone. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone was impressive and terrifying at the same time. We walked down to one of the viewing platforms by going down a narrow path, perched on the edge of a cliff, with switchback turns because it was so steep. I'll admit to a few panic attacks and moments when my heart may have stopped. It was especially panic inducing watching the kids going down the trail looking over the edge without a worry in the world. Luckily, I had J by my side helping me along and holding my hand on the way back up. The end result was spectacular. My very favourite part of the day was Mammoth Hot Springs. The colours were unbelievable and the scenery was breathtaking. As we wandered along we had some elk cross our path. We stopped and watched them for a bit and one of them even walked across the top of one of the hot springs. I wish I was at the bottom to see him peering over the edge. It was a long busy day but we made the most of our time in the park. I need to come back for a week or two to really enjoy everything that Yellowstone has to offer. Next time I'd stay at our KOA Campground or stay at Mammoth Hotsprings. Tomorrow off to the Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Night!

Ol'Faithful

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone 

Mammoth Hot Springs

Elk on top of the hot spring

JR's Post on Saturday, July 18, 2015

Today was a busy day. We went to Old Faithful in Yellowstone, the eruption was fantastic. I liked how it shot straight up in the air. We visited the mud volcano, it only erupted in one corner of the hole. We stopped at Lower Falls we had to go down a whole bunch of switch backs, mom got a bit cautious about the drop off to the canyon but I held on to her hand. My top three things today were the Lower Falls, Mammoth Hot Springs and finally Old Faithful. We had a fun and long day.

AR's Post on Saturday, July 18, 2015

Today the first place we went was the Ol'Faithful geyser it was a little lazy today. Then we went to the water fall. Then we went to the mud volcano it's cool. Then we went to Yellowstone canyon pretty cool, it's better going down then up. It's really big you don't wanna fall down. Then we went to mammoth hot springs and there are bumps that look like candles. It would be fun to walk on but I don't want to its fragile. Then we headed back to the camp site but first we went to the grocery store to buy ice, chips, and hot dogs. Then we had dinner and had s'mores over the fire. That's all today. BYE BYES!!

AR's Post on Friday, July 17, 2015

Today we got on the road heading to Yellowstone. Then we stopped at a place called Earthquake Lake. At Earthquake Lake in 1959 there there was an earth quake. There were boulders of rocks and rising waters. A lady named "Grace Williams" was there the night of the earth quake and she heard it coming. She got out of her cabin and got away. 5 people in her family died. Then we got to the camp site and got unpacked and went to explore. We went to Fire Hole Canyon. Then we went to the geyser - pretty cool. On the way back a bison traffic jam was still happening and we had to wait 30 minutes. Then we went back to the trailer and went to bed. That's all today. BYE BYES

Day 15 - Montana to Yellow Stone National Park

Today we left Missoula, Montanna and headed for Yellowstone National Park. First of all no catastrophes with the trailer, everything seems to be working smoothly so fingers crossed!! The more we saw of Montana the more we loved it. All the wide open spaces, I can see why it's called 'Big Sky Country'. The ranches are beautiful and many have the homestead perched in the middle of a vast open space with views of the mountains, plains, rivers ... I could live here!! We will need to come back to Montana to explore more, especially the southeast part of the state. We did a lot of big climbs up "real" sized mountains and steep drops down. Some still had snow on top. We saw a herd of deer and a fox along the way. We took highway 287 down from the 90 and passed some beautiful countryside. The town of Ennis, (which needs to be explored again), was quite cute and we stopped at a great little coffe shop called Maples Coffee. When we got to the Gallatin area we stopped at the Earthquake Lake Visitors Centre. It was very interesting and we learned about the earthquake that took place there in 1959 and how it changed the landscape. The pictures we took were amazing. After that it was a short drive to our campsite at the Mountainside KOA. Very nice campsite and the best, cleanest bathrooms yet!! Once we set up the trailer (with no glitches). We headed for Yellowstone... There was so much to see and it was beautiful beyond words. We took a scenic route along Fire Hole Canyon and it was breathtaking. The waterfalls and steep cliffs were beautiful. At this point I was pretty excited to see a bison on the side of the road, we did manage to get a picture before the oncoming traffic blocked our view. We went to the lower basin geyser and it was spectacular. I think what amazes most about the scenery is all the beautiful colours. On the way out of the park we saw a herd of bull deer (is a bunch of deer a herd?) Then got stuck in a two mile long bison traffic jam. Everyone was still stopping and taking pictures of him. Returned to the campsite and had Dorito Tacos for dinner then showered and off to bed. Getting up early to go see Ol'Faithful tomorrow. Night all!

Georgeous Montana

Maples Coffee Shop

Earthquake Lake

Fire Hole Canyon

Lower Basin Geyser 

Lower Basin Geyser

Bison - Caused a large traffic jam!!

JR's Post on Thursday, July 16, 2015

Today we traveled from Missoula to Yellowstone National Park. We stopped at Earthquake Lake where there was a big earthquake and 28 people died and over 1000 were staying at the campsite. Once we arrived at Yellowstone we went to a Geyser and during the drive we saw two bisons and at the end we saw eight moose. We saw the geyser and wow it stinks we kept blaming it on other people in the family, one of the geysers were erupting it was cool. We had Doritos tacos they were yummy.

AR's Post on Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Today we got on the road and saw horse statues at Moses lake. Then we drove but when we were in Idaho we had to get new wheels on the trailer. Then we got to our camp site we had dinner it was hot dogs, yum, yum. Then we went to the pool. Mom said the pool was open till 8:00, but it was actually open till 10:00. She was wrong! Then we got back from the pool and I wrote my blog, that I'm doing right now and we're going to play a game. I don't know the game we're playing but I want to play Quarto. So that's all today. BYE BYES

JR's Post on Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Today was a long day we went to Moses lake and saw a horse statue. Then we went to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho to get the trailer tires fixed they were worn out, so we had to get them swapped. While they were being fixed we went to Costco and looked around and tested foods, they were delicious foods, my favourite one was the Beef Jerky. Our tires got repaired and then we were back on the road to Montana. We had hot dogs and Cheetos for dinner they were good. We went for a swim in the pool it was chilly, we are going to play a game called Quarto.

Day 14 - Washington, Idaho & Missoula, Montana

So I'm going to start with the negatives today ... Figured out why we were vibrating - split tire!! Luckily, someone flagged us down on the highway and we stopped before it blew! Pulled over in a rest stop to see what was up and could clearly see one of the trailer tires wobbling madly. Took it to Les Schwab Tires in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho and had to to have it replaced, the other tire was also worn and beginning to split so why not replace both?? They were very helpful and had it all fixed and ready to go in an hour. Arrived in Missoula, and remember the "magic" I mentioned yesterday?? Trailer went up and down, first try. Not today ... Barely made it up... Getting really frustrated with all the issues with the trailer. Just to finish my list of complaints, the bees/wasps  are awful at our campsite and buzz around while we try to eat. The Misoula KOA is not my favourite. Huge and like a giant parking lot ... Could touch the neighbours trailers from ours - no privacy at all. However, it is in the town of Missoula but you wouldn't know it as it is its own little oasis. 

Back to the highlights of the day ... Stopped at a look out at Moses Lake in Washington ... Beautiful!! Still can't get over how dry everything is here. Totally parched and yellow. Drove through some very barren, flat land today. Saw some wind farms that reminded me of home. The closer we got to Idaho the more it reminded me of Muskoka but on a larger scale. Coeur d'Arlene Lake in Idaho was spectacular and I would come back to it and spend more time one of these days. Montana wasn't what I was expecting ... Lots of evergreens and mountains (much smaller mountains than BC though) but again very dry and still some barren spots. Lots of homes perched on hilltops all alone looking out over the beautiful landscapes though.  The scenery continues to amaze us and no matter what I just cannot capture the true beauty of the places we see with my camera. Some of my best pics are still stuck in my other camera but I'll post them when I find wifi that doesn't suck!! Fingers crossed for an end to our problems and a better day tomorrow. Off to Yellowstone KOA in the morning. 

Moses Lake Lookout

Moses Lake

Montana

Day 13 - Ellensberg, Washington

We left Maple Ridge, BC this morning and headed into the states. It was a relaxing day today, not too busy, not too much driving. The "magic" happened this morning and the trailer has a new life and went down on the first try - no glitches!! Yay!! The drive into Washington was uneventful. We stopped at the Tulalip Outlet Mall outside of Seattle - yay!! We did a little shopping (very little by my standards) and had lunch at one of our favourites Taco Del Mar. Then back on the road to Ellensberg. It is unbelievably dry out here and the landscape is parched and yellow. There has been a total fire ban since Saskatchewan. A is pretty disappointed that we aren't having fires and all the fun desserts that go with them. We arrived at the Ellensberg KOA around dinner, trailer went up - no glitches!!! The kids had a swim and then played at the park. It is a really nice campground on the Yakima River. Clean, friendly and we'll run. Finally, finished my book 'Going Clear' ... Very interesting book about Scientology. Anyway, on to Montana tomorrow. Night all!!

AR's Post on Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Today before I tell about today yesterday I forgot to tell you something. When we were at the pool yesterday a life guard came to me and J and said hey you and your little brother come here. He thought J was my little brother - lol! K now I tell you about the day. So today we hit the road and now we're in the United States. We had lunch at Taco Del Mar. We went to a mall today and the first store was Nike. I got new running shoes because my old ones are worn out. Me and Mom went to Justice and I got a tank top that says "fun" and some shorts and leggings. After we got groceries at Walmart and I got gummy worms for the car ride. When we got to the camp site we went swimming and mom jumped in but right back out. Then we had dinner, the wasps were bothering us like crazy. Then we went to the park and played at it. Then we chilled out. That's all today. BYE BYES

JR's Post on Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Today was a good day, we traveled across the border between the two countries. We went shopping at a mall near Seattle. Their was a Nike outlet and UA outlet, I bought some stuff two pairs of shorts, two shirts and one pair of socks. After that we traveled to our campground in Ellensberg in Washington state. We had burgers and chips for dinner tonight, we went for a swim before dinner. It was a good day!👍🏼

Day 12 - Maple Ridge/Vancouver

Today we went into Vancouver to meet Aunt Linda for lunch at The Local Public Eatery at Kitsilano Beach. Great lunch & great company. Then the McManus Clan met us and we went for a swim at the pool on the ocean. The kids had fun splashing around and I got a chance to catch up with Geraldine. It was nice to see everyone even if it was a short visit. We finally caved and bought a new battery for the trailer so here's hoping that our trailer issues are solved and it will work properly without any "McGyver" fixes or screw driver magic. Fingers crossed!! Spent the evening with Nan, John, Carol, Janice, Sarah, Adam and their kids. Ate pizza, watched the kids swim, a few whale wars and caught up. The little cousins had fun getting to know each other and splashing around in the pool. A was so tired tonight she fell asleep typing up her blog!! Crossing over tomorrow and heading back towards home. It's off to Washington state in the morning and our adventure continues ... Night!

Tides out at Kitsilano Beach

A enjoying the view. 

Kitsilano Beach pool

AR's Post on Monday, July 13, 2015

Today we got up and we had breakfast. Then we went to the Local to eat lunch with mommy's Aunt, her name is Linda. Then we met our old friends from Orangeville, we swam at the pool at Kitsilano Beach. Then we went back to John and Carols to see are cousins, then when they left we went to bed that's all today. BYE BYES

JR's Post on Monday, July 13, 2015

Today was a busy day we went to Canadian Tire to find out what's wrong with the trailer then we found out our battery is dead so we went to an RV place. Then we met Aunt Linda at a restaurant, then we met the McManus and went swimming with them for awhile. Once we dried off we went back to our home and swam again with our cousins. We had another fun day today tomorrow we are traveling to Washington state.

Day 11 - Maple Ridge, BC

Today we left Revelstoke in the rain. We decided to just pack up and go. We stopped at McD's for breakie where I was reminded again that free wifi does not mean fast wifi!! Still trying to upload all the great pics from my other camera. Another day of driving through the mountains. Some steep grades, beautiful lakes and valleys. We arrived at Nan's place around three and the kids wanted to get in the pool asap!! Once we got the trailer up to dry out and dig out their suits they were having a blast in the pool together. They have really bonded on this trip and have rediscovered how much fun they can have together. We had a nice visit with John & Carol and Nan joined us for dinner too. Then it was another swim for the kids and some tv time (they've been so deprived!) before heading off to bed. Tomorrow a visit with Aunt Linda and the McManus Clan then back to Nan's for a family dinner with the cousins too. Night all!!

JR's Post on Sunday, July 12, 2015

Today we traveled to Maple ridge B.C. We went six hours today. When we arrived we met family we hadn't seen in a long time. They brought in Nan and she stayed for dinner. A and I went for a swim before having dinner. We had spaghetti and bread, and for dessert we had watermelon and blueberries they were yummy fruit. We went for a swim after dessert and we had lots of fun with the plastic whale and a tube. We got out of the pool and dried off and just sat down, we had fun today. Tomorrow we are going to see my mom's Aunt and her friends kids at a park to play.

AR's Post on Sunday, July 12, 2015

Today we started driving. When we got to B.C and we are staying at Daddy's Nan's house. We got the camper up and me and J got on our bathing suits and then went in Nan's pool. We had dinner and I had spaghetti with a little bit of salad then I went back in the pool. Then I got dressed in PJ's on and then hanged out. That's all today. BYE BYES

Day 10 - Revelstoke, BC

Today we left Banff and headed on our way to Revelstoke, British Columbia. We took the Bow River Parkway, which is a more scenic drive than the Trans Canada. We stopped at Johnson's Canyon to hike to the waterfalls but the trail was closed. We still walked along the river and enjoyed the scenery. The drive again today was breathtaking and photos do not capture the magnitude of the mountains. I felt like a tiny speck in the universe driving along the mountain ranges. We stopped in Kicking Horse for lunch and sat beside the river, while watching the white water rafters as they returned from their trip down river. We arrived in Revelstoke and checked into Canyon Hot Springs Resort. Although, it's a beautiful setting and very clean. It is noisy with long trains passing by every 30 minutes to an hour. Also, they charged us almost $50 to use the pools for the day and $3.00 if we want to shower. Could've stayed in a nice hotel with free showers and pools for about the same amount!! The kids spent most of the day in the pool and even I went in a few times. Had pasta for dinner and then another swim. Used the pool shower to wash my hair for free - not paying $3 for that! Then Crazy Eights and a game of Skipbo before turning in. Off to Maple Ridge tomorrow to see family and friends!! Excited ... 😀

View from the pool. 

Even found some time for a glass of wine and my book. 

JR's Post on Saturday, July 11, 2015

Today we travelled from Banff to Revelstoke we went to Johnson Falls. We only had a four hour drive today - that was short. We stopped at Kicking Horse and saw lots of white water rafting - that looks like fun!! Once we arrived at Revelstoke we went for a swim it was nice and warm. We had spaghetti and meat sauce, then we went for our last swim of the night. Now we are playing cards. We are half way through our trip we are going to have a good rest of our trip.

AR's Post on Saturday, July 11, 2015

Today we went from Banff to Revelstoke. We stopped at Johnson Canyon. Part of the path was blocked off so we went on the rocks, it was cool. Then we got to the campsite and there was a pool so me and J swam in it. Then we had dinner it was good. After dinner we went back to the pool. Then went back to the trailer and played crazy eights. That's all today. BYE BYES!

AR's Post on Friday, July 10, 2015

Today we went to the hoodoo's for a hike. Then when we were done that we had lunch and had a little gopher friend with us. Then we went to Canmore to get the groceries. Then we stopped at the cave and saw the hot springs. It had snails in it that were the size of a popcorn kernel. Then we ate dinner and went to town. We got ice cream at Cows, I had rich chocolate ice cream. It was YUMMY. But it poured rain when we were in there and when we were eating ice cream in the store the power went out but ten seconds later it came back on. That's all today. BYE BYE

JR's Post on Friday, July 10, 2015

Today was a less busier day. We walked to the Hoodoo's and saw a huge rock (pillars.) Once we finished there we came back and had some lunch we saw a gopher that wouldn't leave us alone. When dad and I were playing some soccer dad saw an Elk walking across the street, dad and I chased him down and took 40 pictures of him. Before going to Canmore we saw a baby Elk nibbling some grass, he was so cute. The. We went and bought some groceries. We went to the Caves and Hot springs 10 minutes from our trailer. We had Tacos for dinner tonight and it was good. We headed to the town and looked around. Now we are just sitting down inside of our trailer, we had a fun day.

Day 9 - Hoodoo's, Banff Caves & Basin

Much more relaxed day today. We slept in until 7:30, had a leisurely breakfast and took our time. We hiked from our campsite to the hoodoo's, which are cool land formations left behind by the glaciers. There was a bear siting near by so we walked back a little quicker!! We had lunch at our campsite with a little furry friend ... We call them prairie dogs - he was quite cute and completely unafraid of us ... Sadly, we weren't sharing! After lunch Daddy & J were kicking the ball around when an elk passed through the camp site!! They went after it and got a great picture!! We headed to the Banff Cave & Basin and I got a great picture of a young deer eating at the side of the road. At the basin we learned about the hot springs and the endangered snails that live there. They were very small ... Like little grey kernels of popcorn. We went into an underground cave and saw the hot spring. We returned for dinner - tacos again! Then went into Banff for ice cream at Cows. I had the Moo York Cheesecake - it was delicious!! While we were getting our ice cream the sky's opened and it poured rain and even some hail came down. We returned to the trailer and played Skipbo - A won again!! Kids went to shower with Daddy and I got some peace and quiet to read my book. Tomorrow we're off to Revelstoke to experience the hot springs first hand!! Night all ... 😴

Hiking to the Hoodoo's. This is the Bow River. 

The Hoodoo's. 

Our furry lunch companion ...

Our trailer ... Drawn by J

Underground hot spring. 

Day 8 - Moraine Lake, Lake Louise & the Ice Fields

Today was another busy day ... We started our day at Moraine Lake which was beautiful!! The colour of the water is unbelievable and the mountains in the backdrop make for some beautiful pictures! I'm sure we took over a hundred pictures today, however, no matter how many I take I cannot capture the beauty, colours and magnitude of what we saw. It was a phenomenal day of scenery!! We hiked along the lake to the waterfall at the end and then headed back. The prices here are insane ... A pop cost $3.50 a can!! One can!! Needless to say our trunk lunches are coming in handy. After Moraine Lake we headed for Lake Louise ... Zoo!! So we decided to go to the ski hill and take the chair lift to the top. From there we could see Lake Louise with the mountains all around it. We hoped to see bears on our way up but there weren't any roaming by today. It was interesting because we were surrounded by electric fences and the animals roamed free ( as it should be). We left the Lake Louise area and headed up the Icefield Parkway to see the glaciers. Along the way we found a glacial river and stopped to check it out. It was COLD!! Feet numbing cold but refreshing and a nice break from driving. It was a long hike up to the glacier and once we arrived at the top we found out you can no longer walk on the glacier. It has receded quite a bit from when we were on it fourteen years ago. Then it was a long drive back to our camp site. We decided that after a long day we would head into town for dinner and found a Mexican place called Magpie & Stump - delicious!! We finally returned to the trailer around 9:30pm. Exhausted ... It won't take us long to fall asleep tonight!! Tomorrow ... Less driving and a more relaxed pace. Drumheller isn't going to happen for us again this time! 😢. P.S. The tooth fairy does deliver in the mountains!!  On a side note I've noticed that time means nothing on this trip. We get up when we wake up, eat when we're hungry and sleep when we're tired. Most nights we're up until 11:00pm, which is 1:00am at home and we haven't noticed the time change at all. It's a nice way to live!! Night all!

Moraine Lake

Glacial River

Columbia Ice Fields - Athabaska Glacier

AR's Post on Thursday, July 9, 2015

Today we got up and went started driving to lake Moraine it's cool. Me and dad were the only ones that dipped our feet in the lake. Then we went to the chair lift to see Lake Louise. It was pretty cool but very hot, hot, hot. Then we stopped at a river that the whole family put their feet in. Then we went to the Columbia Ice Fields. When we were walking up to get there I read a sign about a boy who went missing because he fell in a ice crevice and it took the rescue team 3 hours to get him out but when they got him out he already died from hypothermia. So now they block off the ice because they don't want any other kids to die. Then we went back to town and had dinner at the Magpie and Stump. It was a good restaurant. The tooth fairy came and I got two dollars. And that's all today. BYE BYE

JR's Post on Thursday, July 9, 2015

Today we had a busy day, we went to Moraine Lake, we did a long walk then we went on the chairlift at Lake Louise. We had lunch looking over the mountains. We went and saw the Glacier in Jasper National Park it was windy. My favourite part about today was the chairlift and the Glacier. Tomorrow we'll have a less busy day.

Day 7 - Banff, Alberta

Today we were up extra early. We saw the mist and the sun rising on the Saskatchewan River while we ate breakfast. It was beautiful. We drove to Medicine Hat and met up with family for lunch at Paradise Valley Golf Course. It was nice to get together and catch up, even if it was only a short visit. Then we continued on our journey. It was another long day but we finally arrived in Banff. We'll be here for a few days which will be really nice. We won't have to set-up and tear down each day. Our campsite is a bit like a parking lot but we have a spectacular view. Can't wait to see the sunrise tomorrow!

Sunrise on the Saskatchewan River. 

On our way to Banff. 

Our view from our site!! Wow!

The "Walmart" parking lot campsite ...

Sunset ...

JR's Post on Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Today was a long day. Once we woke up we had a fire and then burned the wood down. We had lunch with my dads cousins their names were Rob, Jo, Mandy and Nick. We went to Paradise Valley Golf Course in Medicine Hat. The food was really good I had the Crispy Chicken wrap and Salad. I found it very good. Then we had to drive 5hr the Banff National Park. We stopped halfway so Mom, Ava and I went to McDonald's for some drinks while Dad was resting in the car. When we got closer to the National Park you could see the scenery changes, we could see lots and lots of mountains, they were big.

AR's Post on Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Today we drove and we met dads cousins there names were Mandy and Nick and Rob and Jo. There all really nice we had lunch. I had chicken fingers and fries yummy!! Then we got to our camp site and when I was sitting waiting my tooth fell out!!! So tonight I'm going to see if the tooth fairy will come on a camping trip? And after that we went to town to buy some things like ice, apple juice, butter and ice tea. There's big mountains they were really cool one had a little bit of snow. So that's all today. BYE BYE😜

Day 6 - Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park

Last night we went into Brandon for supplies and decided to take a night off and grabbed dinner at Subway. When we returned we played Skipbo and then turned in for the night. It was going to be a chilly night so we all bundled up and went to sleep. It's so refreshing to sleep outside(ish) in the fresh air and I love a chilly night in my warm sleeping bag. We headed for Swift Current, Saskatchewan so yet another day of driving ... We seem to have a lot of those lately! But ... Fun times are coming!! We stopped outside Regina for another gas station lunch. I'm getting pretty efficient with preparing lunch on the trailer. Along the way we stopped at Chaplain Lake Nature Centre and learned about the salt deposits and all the migratory birds. Very interesting and a nice break from driving!! So ... Saskatchewan ... Fields, highways, fields, yellow fields, purple fields ... Pretty much! Until we turned up Highway 4 to get to Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, the landscape changed completely and it was spectacular!! Hard to describe but beautiful grassy hills and valleys. The pictures are a bit foggy because of the smoke from the forest fires way up north. Our campsite is right on the Saskatchewan River and again we have a beautiful view. Made pasta with chicken for dinner and then went to Papa Joe's for an ice cream cone. When we got back we popped popcorn over the fire (Thanks Krystal for the idea ... Delicious!) and then retired to the trailers for more Skipbo action - let's see if the boys can win tonight! Looking forward to tomorrow and meeting up with Rob, Jo, Mandy & Nick for lunch before heading to Banff for three days. It's going to be a balmy twelve degrees tonight. Night all!!

Chilly night ... Snug as a bug!!

Saskatchewan!!

Trailer lunch ... Gourmet peanut butter & Nutella wraps!

Chaplain Lake Nature Centre

Saskatchewan ... Yes, Saskatchewan!

Dinner with a view ...

Relaxing ...