Category: Our RV Lifestyle

Brenda and Wilf’s anniversary!  Water Tower for dinner!!

First a walk to the river, that star gets around!

Next a drive around   

These pretty birds are everywhere. Someone knows what they are called   but, that someone isn’t me.           

Wilf comes over and figures out our Bob lighting issue.  All done!  We go to his shop to check out his big rig!  Wish we had better photos.

Allan sat in the drivers seat, what the heck do you do with all these thingies

On the way to the restaurant we spot,

she’s known as a “sweetheart” in Lethbridge.

Should have taken better view photos from the restaurant

The happy couple!

With their happy friends!!

Enjoying Creme Brulee for dessert     Love these guys!

We decided it may be good to have an alternate method of cooking for the colder, rainier days.  So many say how wonderful an Instant Pot is so we give it a shot.  All that know Allan know he’s a RTFM (read the fuckin manual)  kind of guy…We have limited, OK perhaps no extra space.  This 6qt model is just too big for most of our cupboards.  They make a 3qt model, that may be more for us.

The view across the street   

Teacup Tiny Home, developed in Lethbridge! Year round living.   

Side note!     

A lot of flatness & cows!

SNOW, no!!!

We later learn it is really sulfur.  The goal is, Bailey never sees snow!

We see many grain silos     

           Some oil wells

Trains and more silos   

Alberta!!!!We pass a sign indicating vehicles over a certain weight must report to the inspection station.  Does that include us?  Allan errs on the side of caution, after seeing the chaser vehicle

Turns out it isn’t required for us, would have been interested to determine our weight but we couldn’t figure that out.

Back on the road I finally get a photo of the “Important Intersection” sign.  We foolishly thought all intersections were important!Almost there     

What’s that???  Turns out it’s the Water Tower Restaurant.

Next exit is ours…

       is in a coulee  New word that Brenda taught us

Heading to site F145P

This is the first site we’ve been in that is both pull thru (Bridgeview calls it that) and a back out.  It’s a nice, long site   

With this view from the front seats   

We see a river, off we go 

We spot a ship wreck!

Some lovely scenery

The Lethbridge Viaduct, commonly known as the High Level Bridge

Construction began August of 1908, the bridge was completed June 22, 1909 and officially opened on November 1, 1909. It cost a whopping $1,334,525.00 to build. This bridge is still the longest and highest of its kind in the world reaching 5,327.625 feet long (1.6km) and 314 feet high (96 meters). In its time is has been described by some as one of the wonders of the world!  We thought the Peterborough one was impressive!

We’re in Lethbridge to see Allan’s childhood friend, Wilf and family.  The evening ended with a surprise visit from Wilf’s parents And then Shelly, Wilf’s sister and her husband Jim.  Forgot to take that photo!

It will be a super fun week here.

 

Wake up to this!     

Head to town, didn’t know Moose Jaw is  mostly closed on Sundays.  They skies are very dreary after such a nice sunrise.

Get a huge kick out of finding Capone’s hideout!

Fun wall art

Meet Mac the Moose of Moose Jaw!    

Random plane next to Mac   

Back at the campground     

A little walk around, love watching the vehicles drive on the horizon.

Off to Lethbridge in the morning.  Allan’s lifelong friend lives there, will be a fun reunion.

We leave at 840a, km 68,684   

Unlike the drive to Turtle Crossing, we leave on a paved road, so not

This was an uneventful, flat terrain drive. A nice break.

We arrive at Peanut Hills Campgrounds at 130, crossing into Central time zone.

Follow Bailey to the site

Parked without my help but WHOOPS we are supposed to be site 31, we are in 30.  Allan was going to wheel around for try 2 but the park Manager drove by to say “Leave it”  🙂

All set up!  Notice the train cars and plant in the background!

Do a quick walk, it is a small park so takes no time.The vehicles that drive on the highway appear to be floating

Fire time!

Tomorrow is explore Moose Jaw day.

We booked our campgrounds for the entire trip prior to leaving Sutton.  We like to keep our drive times to about 5 hours knowing that likely ends up being 6+h.

Today’s drive, a whopping 1:52 minutes.  Oh well, it will be nice to have an easy drive day.

Wake up to……

NO, not snow but we each did a double take.

We leave at 1020a, 68,485k

We encounter much flatness and many walls of hay!  Speed limit, who came up with that number     

Nice, here we go again – Bailey’s GPS is telling us to turn down this road.  The bad thing about this GPS is, it doesn’t like to reroute.  It’s stubborn!!     Keeps wanting us to do a U-turn so we can turn here. 

Enlist the aid of Maps on my cell.  It know the road is closed and sends us back to Hwy 1.   Turn off Hwy 1 onto this road.  Photo doesn’t make it look bad but it was the worse road to date.  Everything shook, rattled – it was deafening.  I should have done a video.  

Not to be left out Maps is now telling us to turn onto private property drive ins.  The road ends,  Bailey’s GPS is saying turn right, Maps wants us to turn left.  At this point we have more faith in Maps but turning left doesn’t make sense.  We call Turtle Crossing, “turn left then we are on the right!”

We arrive at 132p, longer than the anticipated arrival time thanks to the crazy directions.

    Allan checking in.

The first park rule “Turtles have right of way”.  Makes us think we will see lots of turtles.  We are on the lookout.

All set up.

The tow cables after a bit dirty after that bumpy, dusty road.                         

                                 September 11 – Our stroll around the park.

No turtles spotted yet…  Allan is searching.

Beautiful sunset           

and fire   

Allan is much miffed…

NO gators in Florida or the Carolinas

No bears in Ontario

Road signs say:

Deer next (how ever many) km,  NO deer sightings

Moose next (how ever many) km, NO moose sighting

NO prairie dogs in the Prairies

And now these are the only turtles we see.   Disappointing.

Maybe we’ll have better luck in Banff National Park, they say it is home to 53 species of mammals.

Leave at 830a, seems to be a popular time for us, 67,989k

Weather turns dreary, scenery not as scenic     

Standard reduced to one lane section     

The strangest things pass us!       

Manitoba coming up, 2km   

Made it!   Hello Manitoba!!

More better, Hello Divided Highway!!

Clouds and more clouds     

Now the dueling GPS begins.  Not one of our favourite games. Which one do we believe??

We choose to not do a u-turn!  Good choice!!

Made it!  Arrived at 235p                   

First campground we have been in that builds elevated  electric rooms.  Flooding issue?   

Allan begs to differ, beer o’clock is now.

September 09 – Explore downtown Winnipeg day. Turned into a “drive by” day, was much too peopley to walk around.

We go back to the campground which is really in the outskirts, in a town called, St. Francois Xavier We still need some steps so thought we’d walk to the town. Nope it is over 3h walk each way on the side of the highway.  There is a gravel road next to the gas station/check in building, there is a turn close to the start but we decide to give that a go.

Pleasantly surprised to find  ..

The dirt road ended up in an estate subdivision filled with large homes.  We managed to get our 10k steps today.

 

Today we head to Ignace, we never heard of it before booking, but the distance worked.  Leave at 830a, 67,454k

The normal restricted to one lane   

Red rock

A funky bridge           

Terry Fox Scenic Lookout near Thunder Bay

A little “clean the windshield” sprinkle   

Our GPS often pays tricks on us.  This time it sends us down a bumpy road and wants us to turn on a dirt road.  The dirt road has a turn we can’t see around.  I get out, walk to the corner to find another corner.  This can’t be right.  Allan calls and no it isn’t right, we should not have turned.

We get back on the road we shouldn’t have turned off, drive another 5ish minutes and here we are, arrive at 315p

Thinking we have a back in site, we decide to unhook Bob  prior to check in. Bob loves Bailey and decides he doesn’t want to get unhooked.  Suspect that bumpy road whacked something out of alignment.  Allan struggles with it, wiggles and jiggles, poof! They are unhooked.

All set up       

We won’t be able to have a fire as the pit is too close to Bailey but the weather isn’t that nice anyways.  Allan has a, much deserved

Found our golf cart!  Think it’s the park’s owners, they may object!

Walk to Davy Lake         

Walk into town   

Why oh why would they have so many charging stations in Ignace.  Never saw this many in Toronto!  These are for Teslas only!!  Not much else in town.

Weather here hasn’t been great, rain, sun, rain, partial sun.  Wonder if this is typical.

September 08:   Time to leave. First for us!  Stinky slinky leaking everywhere!!

The only other hose we have doesn’t reach, the plan is to circle around and stop closer to the sewer.  We find the communal hook ups first so use it.  Another first, we pump quicker than the sewer can handle.  Stop, stop!!  Finally we are empty.  Such an exciting morning  and it’s only  830a!

Off we go…..

Today we explore Marathon & area, find a liquor store and Pebble Beach.  No photo of the liquor store.

Such large pebbles more like rocks       

We were nervous about sprained/broken ankles so didn’t venture out far.                                                                                  

 

Marathon exploring done!

 

 

 

We ended up the day celebrating Kyle’s birthday from afar, with, you guessed it

Again……  

Love you tons!!

We leave at 815a, 67,051km

This photo does not show enough the potholes on the road leading into/out of the SSM KOA.  This place takes the prize of being the bumpiest!Cloudy skies…

Strange place to be walking 

Getting closer.

Rain, helps to clean the windshield 🙂

Approaching Marathon as if we would!

Bears can be dangerous????

We arrive Penn Lake Park at 123p and get set up.

That peek-a-boo hole beside the lawn chairs opens up to the sandy lake.

Clouds reflected in the lake

We venture out for a walk and encounter yet another sign

Just passed the bear sign, we find the hiking trail that goes around the lake

Allan “Want to go?”

Me “Of course”  while thinking, they wouldn’t really put a trail where bears hang out!

Beautiful, but looks like a bear would be happy in this trail…

We forge on.  “What’s that rustling sound?”  Allan researched what to do if you encounter a bear; do not turn & run.  Stand your ground, make noise and throw stuff.  Problem we have no stuff!

It’s a very scenic trail…

The trail opens up to view the lake

Back in the wooded trail

We make it out!!  No       

Celebrate with, of course, a fire!         

Turns out this is one of our favourite campgrounds.