It's a whole new world!

Dinasour Provincial Park is an amazing place that really seems like an entirely different world. We headed out bright and early and I have to say that the closer we got the more confused I got. I couldn't really see a lot of change in topography but then the world seemed to dissappear as suddenly there were large canyons and odd geological formations. The weather (as I've whined about before) on this trip wasn't the greatest leading up to the day of our trip which meant that we were unable to take the orginal tour that we'd booked; however, out guide was able to take us off the beaten path.

Our guide let us I know that each year there are new large finds in the park as

winter rains and snows reveal more and more specimens. We were

fortunate enough to actually find a large bone still encased in the side of a hill. It was in an area where we were finding a lot of other bone fragments. For those of you who are wondering... NO I did not pocket a piece of bone

for display in my house. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site! It almost killed me not to

but I did take pictures instead!

The weather improved as the day moved on and it got quite warm as we walked through the park. The bonus of all the rain was that there were a lot of cacti in bloom - a beautiful yellow or peach colour were the most common. Overall - an amazing hike. I would recommend that anyone who visits the park take a guided hike as you do get to wander off the public trails. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and did a great job of involving people in the learning. I have learnt that I'm not all that into guided hiking (I like to take pics and move at my own pace...I also tend to become annoyed by stupid question...and yes there is such a thing!).

For those of you who are on adventures that involve camping the park does have lovely campground and even has a well stocked canteen and a small cafe. The Red Deer River also flows through the park and it looks like there are a number of put-ins and pull-outs so this could be a great way to view the park.

Just a quick word of caution... this park is NOT located near the Royal Terryl Museum in Drumheller. There are at least an hours drive apart - something that seemed a little odd when we were first heading to the park. I glad that Tija and Christine had figure this out in a past visit to Drumheller as that is where I would have headed on this trip! Oh well - apparently that too is a must do trip but it will have to wait until another road trip!

Banff

After spending a lovely down-day in Okotoks with Tija and Christine we headed off with the dogs for an overnight adventure in Banff. We took two cars as Chris had to work on Wednesday (next day) and Tija and I were planning to take a scenic route (highway 40 via Kanaskis) back to Okotoks. I followed Tija's little red Honda fit until we were beyond the limits of Calgary then the green rabbit (my lovely VW) couldn't handle the following any longer!

Despite my griping on Facebook, I didn't stop at MEC to purchase a new raincoat on the way to Banff. I decided that the light-weight jacket I bought at MEC on my last trip to Edmonton (June) would suffice! Of course I also

The drive to Banff is always beautiful (once you get out of Cow-town) and we were lucky enough to see the two elk on the left. They were hanging on the opposite side of the highway beside the Canmore tourism info centre (good planning)! I'm sure Tija and Christine were wondering why I suddenly turned off the highway but they did follow me! Unfortunately I wasn't able to get in front of the elk to get a great shot and they were hangin' in some deep shadows but for those who know me you won't be shocked that I still took tons of pics!had a stylish Ikea umbrella (purchased in Calgary for Cameron's grad from U of C...years ago!). We also decided to think positive - which worked out for the most part!!

After this quick stop we were back on the road to Banff, destination the Red Carpet Inn.

This was a cute little hotel along the main drag in Banff. Tija and Chris have stayed here

numerous times as it is basic but very affordable and of course they are also pet friendly. You can see in the pictures the two dogs are not tiny fru-fru dogs so it is important to find a place that allows this size of beast. The hotel was in a great location as it took less than 5 minutes to walk into the main townsite.

Our first adventure of the day was walking the dogs down to the river for a quick swim. It was like watching dogs from my childhood (Billy & Diesel) who were often trying to carry the same stick. Of course Billy and Diesel would take most of us out at the knees or would carry the sticks in opposite directions and would end up turning in circles! As there had been a lot of rain in the mountains the river was quite high but that didn't stop the dogs from taking the plunge. The river trail was quite beautiful and on a hot day I could see myself walking in the water as

much as on the trail. The views are also stunning as you look up to Banff Springs Hotel or out to the surrounding

mountains.

After some short stops at various candy shops (yummy) we headed back to the hotel to drop off the dogs. We then headed back into town for Sushi (can't remember the name but it is located

near the Coyote restaurant. The sushi was fantastic and once we were stuffed we were off to see Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in "Public Enemy". The movies was good and I was quite amazed that they were able to make the audience feel sorry for Johnny Depps character! It may have been made better by the water bottle full of wine that I consumed! Who knew that red wine would taste so good from a metal bottle!

After a great day and the movie we headed back to the hotel and were quickly a sleep! The next

morning Christine and the dogs headed back to Okotoks quite

early and Tija and I made a much later departure (after a trip to

Starbucks of course). We didn't really have a plan for the day beyond taking highway 40 through Kanaskis park. This is a drive the EVERYONE should do at some

point in their life. The highway was a great condition, though it is only open from June to October each year due t0 snow conditions.

One thing that people driving highway 40 need to be prepared for are the general lack of services (beyond the Kananaskis township). The Delta Hotel in Kananaskis has a great hotel and rumor (thanks Tom) has it that the hotel service is exceptional! We stopped for a quick lunch and some more caffeine before heading back on the road. The views from the restaurant are amazing though I did spend good deal of time looking for wildlife rather than listening to the conversation...but more of my friends are now used to that!

After heading back on the road we made the necessary stop to look at the rocky mountain sheep that seem to love the roads in the mountain parks. I think that they are eating the lichen off the roads, or perhaps licking salt? Either way it makes for an easy photo op! You'll notice that the coat of the sheep were quite shaggy looking as they were still in the process of shedding their winter fur.

Further

down the road we stopped off at a large scree pile that was left by glacial recession. The landscape was quite amazing and in the small part of the area that we covered we saw a mountain rabbit (which looked like a large mouse), a ground

hog, and a chipmunk. Of course I have pictures of all and to commemorate the trip I also added a small (think door stop) rock to my collection! Tija as acquired a specimen that became the first rock in their new "rock garden" (now that's the type of garden that I would be able to make grow!

Once we finished our exploration...that is after I took another million pictures of the animals we headed back down the road. There were a number of beautiful vistas and of course the mountain views were amazing! One of the best parts of this drive is the

changing landscape. We were are to see the Rockies slowly meld into the rolling foothills and the harsh landscape of mountainous rock turn into fields of green. As we travelled south of Okotoks we headed back north along the Cowboy Trail - the route that I would return on only a couple of days later. All in all these two days spent in the mountain were highlights of my trip...of course on Friday we headed out to Dinosaur Provincial park, yet another place the EVERYONE should visit!!!

Kelowna to Okotoks - The Scenic Route

As usual I headed out onto the road as early as possible and in this case I was left the Funk family around 6:00 am. It's about a 10 hour trip to Okotoks (home of Tija and Christine) from Kelowna and as Tija and Christine were both working there was no real reason for me to fly up the highway like I normally would. That being said I mostly flew up the highway until I reached Golden.

The drive was gorgeous like usual and due to my early departure and only quick stops for gas and Tim Horton's I reached Golden before lunch. This was the junction and decision point for me as I didn't really want to go through Banff and stop there as Tija, Chris, I were planning to visit there later in the week. So I did what any modern woman (who travels with a computer and 3G wireless

stick for internet) would do - I used google maps to evaluate my driving options! End result - I decided to head to Radium Hot Springs and then north again through Kootenay National Park. After that I headed south east to Okotoks via Bragg Creek. This route definitely added time but it was amazing... at least until I hit the crazy rains in Alberta! I was expecting to see funnel clouds and flying clouds! Well there were no flying cows but I think they were lining up in twos!!

The drive south from Golden to Radium was really beautiful. I have done that trip recently but as it was February the scenery was quite different! In stead of

white it was a lovely green! While this road was only two lane it didn't matter as there was so much less traffic than on Highway 1. This was useful as there

were a number of times when I made quick and unexpected stops to take pictures! The day was perfect for it as the air was still and the sun was filtered through a light layer of clouds. The only real challenge on this road is the general lack of services - two stops at Tim's meant that I was really looking for a bathroom by the time I arrived in Radium.

After a quick stop to empty the bladder and fill up the gas tank I headed north again. The trip through through the park starts off great as you weave through tight canyons and come to the hot springs very earlier. I didn't take the time to stop at the hot springs but I was really amazed

at how many people were parked there and just how cheap it was to partake. I did stopped in the second parking lot to call Cameron and to take a the picture of the red cliffs. I suggested that we stop here on our trip later in the summer but I think that we'll be taking a different route. That's okay as I'm sure that I'll be travelling through here again in the future!

As I was travelling in a national park it wasn't surprising that there were a number of pull-outs and bathroom breaks! Unfortunately there was a lot of traffic on the road and people didn't get that I would want to stop unexpectedly to take pictures! That being said I did the motor-home driving technique (pull over and let the speed demons go by) and then just gave up and didn't stop unless there was an official pull-out.

For those who haven't travelled through Kootenay National Park or haven't done so since the fire season of 2003 (I think that's the year) you need to be prepared to see vast tracks of forest that are burned. The fire damage (I know it's natural but it's still sad) runs along both sides of the road for quite a while. It is great to see the regrowth but it is still disturbing to think about how dangerous it would be for the fire fighters and how many animals would have been displaced. It was more like driving through a movie than a national park. I took some pictures and will posted them later on.

Once I reached Highway 1 again (between Lake Louise and Banff) I basically headed to Okotoks without really stopping (other than a quick food stop in Canmore). The drive from Highway 1 to Brag Creek (highway 22) and then to Okotoks was really beautiful and while it added about one hour onto the total trip it was definitely worth it to avoid Calgary! The sky was really dark and the rains tended to feel more like the monsoons we experienced in Ghana but overall well worth drive!

Visiting the Funk Family

It was great to spend some time with the Funk family - of course the 30+ degree weather was a real treat! Janay worked for most of my stay but Darryl, Annaliese, and I managed to stay busy! This involved some serious napping but it seemed only fair since D needs his rest and Annaliese still needs to nap (she's almost 2). I did feel bad when Janay came home from work but no that bad!!!

I spent some time hangin' around Kelowna with Annaliese and managed to find some Ospreys in the downtown area. It was lovely but I was a bad auntie

and forgot to pack a hat or sun screen which meant that we only spent a little time

outside before heading home. On Saturday Janay, Annaliese, and I visited the farmers market, Kelowna Lavender Farm and then headed out to the Kalamalka Lake for an evening swim... all in all a great day!

The lavender farm was an amazing sight as the various species were all in bloom. This was an experience for all the senses - you could see the beautiful blooms, smell the amazing fragrance, and listen the the drone of honey bees that added a lovely splash of orange and yellow to the purple lavender. We visited on an activity day where people could learn how to do make lavender wands, take care of your lavender garden (plants for sale at the farm), and how to cook with it. As lavender is one of the main ingredients of Herbs de Provance

I must say that I would have loved to have stayed for that demo.

The site also had a great gift shop where I was able to pick up some great gifts for my lavender loving mother!!

While the site was really amazing we didn't stay long as Annaliese needed to have a nap and Janay and I needed to spend some time out of the sun!

Later that afternoon we headed out to Kalamalka Lake for a swim. This was great as it brought back many memories as we passed the site of Junior Forest Warden National Camp out. This was a bit of a trip as Janay and I were teenagers that last time we participated in one of those!

I cannot believe how long it has been since we were that young! Over the years I have camped there three times with the JFW's - the last trip being when I was 16 and had spent the summer away from my family in Alberta! I need to thank those who agreed to take charge of me...it could not have been an easy job!

Anyway - the trip to the lake was a lot of fun. Annaliese is just like me - happiest when in the water! I'm not sure where that characteristic comes from as neither of her parents are like that! The park that we visited was beautiful and really family orientated. It was also filled with lots of birds and water Lillies so there were some great opportunities to take lots of photos. This was a great way to finish off my stay with the Funk family!

Off to the ferry

Well this trip started out good - I got up at 4:30 in order to get to the 5:45 ferry only to discover that they ferry actually leaves at 5:15!! Needless to say it is a good thing that I live on the other side of the lovely Ferry Update signs! A quick change of plans and I'm now in the line to catch the 6:20 am ferry from Departure Bay! Of course this change will only cost me about 10 minutes as the Departure Bay to Horeshoe Bay ferry is a shorter ride! I also get to ride on the lovely new ferry which make the sailing that much more enjoyable!!

Today I'm off to Kelowna to hang out with Janay and family for the rest of the week. It should be fun to spend Canada Day in Kelowna with Nay. I'm planning to be there until the Sunday when I head out for Okotoks (sp?) to visit Tija and Christine. The plans for that leg of the trip are a little sketchy right now but we're talking about visiting Dinosaur National Park (Yahoooo) and then spending a night in Banff before I head back to Kelowna to watch Kevin (younger cousin who is currently playing with the Jr. National squad!) play some baseball. If it all works out I'll be back on the coast around the 9th or 10th.

I've decided to blog this as I'm trying out my new macbook pro...got to say that I love it so far! The Telus wireless Internet stick is working great and was WAY easier to set up on the Mac than on my PC laptop! This is also only road trip 2009a - I'll be repeating much of this trip and of course blogging about it when I head to Edmonton in August to pick up Cam and Dorianna (his girlfriend). As she has never visited Western Canada we'll be giving here a great intro to the Rockies and the Okanogan (mountains & wine...one has to love it out west!).

Well I must start working on some of pics from the Ghana trip - and for those of you who were/are following that blog I'll finish it up really soon!

Ag