Sunday ; A lovely, sunny, mild, fall day.
We spent the morning and early afternoon visiting with my sister and brother-in-law. Late in the morning Bud made us a campfire in the back yard.
We went into Winnipeg to do some Wal-Martin' before visiting Joanne's sister and two nieces for the evening.
Monday ; Lorette / Winnipeg, Manitoba to Broadview, Saskatchewan
Today was cloudy and gloomy, with intermittent light rain frequently throughout the day as we drove, and occasionally heavy rain. Shortly after we stopped for the night the sky began to clear which resulted in a beautiful horizon sunset, something we don't see where we live in the mountains.
We had a farewell breakfast this morning with my sister and brother-in-law, prepared for departure, and pulled out of their yard in Lorette about 10:30 AM. Thank you very much, Sharon and Bud, for all your hospitality and generosity over the last eight days.
We stopped at the City of Winnipeg Wastewater Treatment Plant on the South Perimeter Highway, dumped our "black" waste holding tank, and continued on the Perimeter Highway around Winnipeg, then west on the Trans-Canada Highway 1. We had lunch at a rest area prior to reaching Brandon, then stopped in Brandon to refill with diesel. Bought only half a tank because I didn't like the price !
We crossed the border from Manitoba into Saskatchewan, contemplating stopping for the night at the Saskatchewan Travel Information Centre. Not surprisingly, not only was it closed for the season, the entry road was blocked so we couldn't even enter the parking lot to boondock overnight. We recall the same thing from previous trips across Saskatchewan, both spring and fall. Another province that seems to think travel occurs only between Victoria Day in late May and Labour Day in early September !
We stopped at the Co-op Fuel Station in Moosomin and refilled with diesel. Decent price, so full tank ! Impressive station ! Travellers' lounge with free Wi-Fi. Free overnight parking. Free trailer dump station. Free showers ! Free, fresh, clean towels for the users of the showers. We marked this station in our road atlas, for future trips.
We stopped for the night at a municipally operated rest area near Broadview, Saskatchewan. Very nice ! Lots of train whistle blowing at the nearby level crossing. A soothing prairie sound at night time, actually.
Tuesday ; Broadview to Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Today was sunny and warm, a slightly boring, long day of driving across Saskatchewan. Endless grain fields ! At this time of year, endless fields of grain stubble. With occasional piles of potash thrown in just to break the boredom. HA HA HA !
We stopped to dump and flush our waste holding tanks and refill with freshwater at the municipal campground in Grenfell. HEY ! Didn't we spend a night here in May, 2005 on our way east to our summer WorkCamping job as campground hosts at West Hawk Lake on the Manitoba / Ontario border ? Yes, yes, we did !
We stopped to have lunch and refill with diesel in Regina. MMMMM ... my sister's chicken soup for lunch. Thank you, Sharon ! MMMMM ... my sister's raspberry cookies for dessert. Thank you, Sharon ! We stopped for the night in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart at Swift Current. MMMMM ... my sister's perogies with dill cream sauce for supper. Thank you, Sharon ! MMMMM ... my sister's chocolate cake for bed time snack. Thank you, Sharon ! MMMMM ... Bo spent the evening gnawing on a beef rib bone. My sister gave us a bag full for him. HA HA HA ... thank you, Sharon !
I guess I have a sister who expresses love through food. Thank you, Sharon !
After supper Joanne went into Wal-Mart to do some shopping. I took my laptop into the McDonald's inside the Wal-Mart and used their free Wi-Fi to retrieve and pay a MasterCard bill.
Wednesday ; Swift Current, Saskatchewan to Medicine Hat, Alberta
Today was cloudy and cold with intermittent light rain.
Before leaving Swift Current this morning we refilled with diesel, then continued west on Trans-Canada Highway 1. We refilled our freshwater tank in the town of Gull Lake. We crossed into Alberta and stopped to have lunch at a rest area. I napped briefly, then we continued on to Medicine Hat.
We spent the late part of the afternoon visiting with our old friend Sep, and his wife Susanna after she returned home from work. We had supper with them, and then ... as I had promised Susanna two weeks ago ... I performed a magic show for them. HA HA HA ... they were a great audience, especially Susanna who was seeing my magic for the first time. Sep has been an audience to my magic for 24 years.
Thursday ; Medicine Hat, Alberta to Sparwood, British Columbia
Today was sunny and cold. BRRRRR !
Before leaving the Wal-Mart parking lot this morning Joanne went into the store to buy a few grocery items. HMPH ! Why does Alberta charge both a recycling fee and a deposit on disposable milk jugs ? I suppose they have to make up for a lack of provincial sales tax somehow !
We left Medicine Hat and got onto the start ( or end, depending on direction of travel ) of Highway 3, the Crowsnest Highway. Here's the directions to our home ; get on Crowsnest Highway 3 where it starts at Medicine Hat, drive about 1029 km. / 643 miles, turn left into Riverside RV Park Resort. Ya can't miss it ! HA HA HA !
We stopped at Coalhurst, in their municipal park and campground. While Joanne prepared lunch
I took Bo for an off leash romp and some Bo-gility in the playground. After lunch and a brief nap we dumped and flushed our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank before continuing west on Crowsnest Highway 3. We refilled with diesel in Fort McLeod. We stopped at the site of the Frank Slide, to learn about the horrific rock slide that took place there in 1903, covering the town of Frank and killing 70 people, the deadliest rock slide in B.C. history. We crossed over the Crowsnest Pass from Alberta into B.C. and stopped for the night at a rest area near Sparwood.
Friday ; Sparwood to Nancy Greene Provincial Park, B.C.
Very cold this morning and this evening. When we departed the rest area this morning the temperature was right at the freezing level. It rained on and off all day.
We continued west on Highway 3. It was a long, difficult day of driving through the mountains on wet roads. We stopped in Cranbrook to empty the grey waste holding tanks and refill the freshwater tank. We refilled with diesel. We bought some groceries. We refilled a propane tank.
We stopped to have lunch at a roadside rest area beside Moyie Lake. As we pulled into Castlegar late in the afternoon I received a phone call from a trailer delivery client. I'm supposed to move her trailer from Oliver to Okanagan Falls on Monday, but now there's a possibility I'll have to take it to Smithers in Northern B.C. WOW ... that's going to be about a $1500 delivery job !
We couldn't find a suitable place in Castlegar to boondock overnight, so we continued driving until we reached Nancy Greene Provincial Park. The campground was closed for the season, but there was a large parking area near the park entrance. We parked there overnight.
Joanne cooked Rainbow Trout for supper. Rainbow Trout that I caught in the Similkameen River at Riverside RV Park Resort, then froze and hauled all the way to Winnipeg and back. HA HA HA ... well travelled fish !
Saturday ; Nancy Greene Provincial Park to Keremeos, B.C.
Cold and raining !
We left Nancy Greene Provincial Park this morning and continued west on Crowsnest Highway 3. We stopped in Grand Forks to refill with diesel. At Osoyoos we turned north on Hwy. 97 to go to Oliver to meet with a trailer delivery client.
We had lunch in the parking lot of Canadian Tire in Oliver, and met with the trailer delivery client there. He and I finalized plans for me to pick up his new ( to him ) trailer in Oliver on Monday and deliver it to him in Smithers in Northern B.C. next Friday. I'll have to drive about 1200 km. / 750 miles in just a day and a half, leaving Thursday morning.
We drove north on Hwy. 97 from Oliver to Kaleden, then southwest on Hwy. 3A to Keremeos, then west on Hwy. 3 home to Riverside RV Park Resort, arriving home by 5 PM.
I needed access to the Internet, and our Internet service was not working tonight < fume > !
DSK
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