A long anticipated trip to Western Canada!
July 2019
This trip has been talked about and researched for over a year! We always wanted to see Canada by car, and had done trips east a couple of times. Rob was able to get vacation time, the trailer was still usable after some major repairs, and a kitchen renovation was to be started while we were out of the house, so the timing was good. Before we left we demolished the old kitchen and set up a temporary kitchen in the basement.
Saturday July 20, home to Lake Superior Provincial Park
We got an early start as the plan was to do a long drive today. We were lucky enough to get all the way to Agawa Bay campground in Lake Superior Provincial Park, and took their last campsite for the night. Almost 800 kms from home, a beautiful day driving through some of my favourite terrain. I love how rugged it is in this part of Ontario.
Sunday July 21, Lake Superior north shore to Thunder Bay
Monday July 22, Thunder Bay to Winnipeg
Leaving Kakabeka Falls, we drove through an area where the names of the roads and towns all sound Finnish/Estonian! I often wonder when I see these little pockets how people choose what area to move into when they come to Canada. North of Uxbridge there is also a very big Estonian community that we heard about from Rob's Finnish mother.
Along this section of the Trans Canada there is also a sign that indicates where the watershed changes from Great Lakes to Arctic Ocean. Now we felt like we were far from home! Shortly after that we crossed into the Central Time Zone, and then eventually crossed into Manitoba.
Once on these flat straight roads, it was easy to make good progress, and we made it to our planned campground, Bird's Hill Provincial Park, north of Winnipeg. We were not able to get two nights on the same site, so settled in for the night at our first spot. Lily, the dog who apparently can't see a rabbit literally right beside her, discovered gophers, which apparently were worth chasing to her! She took off after them a few times, never getting very far as she was luckily always on the leash. Their chirps drove her crazy! Today was 670 kms.
Tuesday July 23, Winnipeg MB
Today was spent in and around Winnipeg. We wanted to stay a second night, so after finding a free campsite for tonight and moving the trailer, we headed into the city. The guys were dropped off at the Human Rights museum, and then I parked nearby at the Forks and met a new cousin, Rick! I had recently started doing genealogy research on my family and had discovered some family in Canada that I had no idea even existed! We had been corresponding via email and arranged to meet in Winnipeg where he lives with his family. His grandfather and mine were brothers who came to Canada together for work back in the 20's. So fascinating to learn about them and to meet a cousin. We talked for ages while the boys explored the museum.
Wednesday July 24, Winnipeg MB to Saskatoon SK
Today was a long planned drive so we got going early. We left Winnipeg and took the northern route, leaving TC1 (Trans Canada) at Portage la Prairie and heading on TC 16, which was listed as scenic on CAA maps. It was a beautiful drive, and so easy to travel on the straight roads. There was a huge storm off in the distance that we watched moving across the province and into Saskatchewan. We were amazed by things like 1 km long trains, giant grain storage facilities and huge farmer's fields that must have been hundreds of acres all planted with the same crop.
As we got closer to Saskatoon, it looked like the big storm was going to catch up with us, and boy, did it ever! We were checking in at Gordon Howe Campground, and I got completely drenched getting back to the car! An incredible storm pelted us with rain and giant hail as we sat in the truck beside the campsite waiting for it to pass. The campground flooded for a couple of hours before it all soaked in and disappeared.
Thursday July 25, Saskatoon SK to Edmonton AB
Today was a good day for driving as it was cold and rainy and dreary, a good day to stay in the car. We were heading north as well as west, and of course the days are longer the farther north you go. We first noticed it in Winnipeg that long after 10 pm the kids were still up and running around the campground because it was still light! It must be dreary here in the winter when the sun goes down even earlier at home, but we enjoyed the extra daylight.
We had to stop in Edmonton so I could see the West Edmonton mall. Unfortunately they did not allow dogs in the building so Rob happily stayed out in the car with Lily while Devon and I did a bit of exploring. We got into a routine of someone staying with her all the time, not wanting to leave her in the car as the weather was too warm to leave her. She was a great traveler, always so excited to be in the car, no matter how many hours she had been there the day before. What a trooper!
The mall was incredible. I can understand with an Edmonton winter how people would come and spend hours here just walking around, but there was so much in there you would always have something to do. It was packed the day we were there, but it was rainy and cold out at the time so that may have added to the crowds.
Once we left the mall, we drove to Wabamun Lake PP and were lucky enough to get a hydro site for the night. 600 kms for the day today.
Friday July 26, Edmonton to Jasper AB
Some campsites were big enough that we could leave the truck and the trailer attached, making for an easier getaway in the morning. This was one of those sites, and as we were often arriving late and leaving early, we took advantage of the opportunities when we could. With the three of us working together, hooking up usually was done in less than 15 minutes, but in the morning when we were still half asleep or the weather was rough, or the mosquitoes were thick, that 15 minutes seemed longer.
Somewhere along this stretch of Highway 16, we hit the farthest northern point on our trip. Acting like nerds, we watched the GPS for the highest latitude. And we took a picture.
Another thing we learned along the way was to plan well when deciding where to pull in to get gas. I learned that lesson in a town called Hinton when someone had to move their truck out of a parking spot in the Tim Hortons in order for me to pull out of the gas station as it was built to not accommodate someone pulling in with a trailer. How embarrassing.
The scenery was becoming better and better as we headed west from Edmonton however.
We stopped at a Visitor's Centre nearby and discovered that all of the campgrounds were full in Jasper, but they had an overflow campground (Swidell) and were given directions to get there. What a stunning place to camp! No hydro, no running water. Pit toilets and a huge tank of water with a tap for you to fill up your water jugs. We loved it! I have never had such views before in a campground, we moved the chairs around the sides of the trailer to stare at each view in turn. Our propane worked great for the stove and fridge, and our new battery did fine to keep the lights on when we needed them. In fact, the whole trip was done with only one propane tank, and we used it for the fridge for at least half of the days. Impressive. 300 kms today, giving us time to relax at the campground, even taking a bit of a nap. We will be here for a couple of days.
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