As aforementioned, I’ve been trying to get these two done in Banff, which is not the easiest place to get work done. Another double post will come later, chronicling Day 2 in Banff and the trip home to Vancouver.
Day 5:
Day 5 is pretty much our day off. While not actually a day off, we’re only going as far as Edmonton to drop Bandmate, The off at the bus station and to see some more family. It also gave us a great opportunity to see the West Edmonton Mall. Day 5 was also the day of being late, however. Staying with family means several things: a home cooked meal, a warm, clean bed, and sleeping in. One of these things is not very conducive to deadlines though, and when we had our coffee and I got to catch up with a cousin I haven’t seen in a long while, we quickly became late for our breakfast date. After a drawn out farewell, we finally hit the road. After searching my way through the 37 Rocky Ridge street names we finally were on our way to downtown Calgary.
The fellow we were meeting was an acquaintance of mine but a dear friend of Girlfriend, The. He has been in Calgary for the last year working on his Ph.D. at U of C and lucked out with an apartment downtown. He suggested we meet at a local place where he noticed long lineups on weekend breakfasts. We managed to arrive at Red’s Diner just under an hour late. Over the next few hours we all enjoyed a wonderful breakfast. If anyone’s looking for a good feed in downtown Calgary, Red’s was excellent and moderately priced. Once again though, we ended up going a little longer than we had hoped. But it’s only fair to Girlfriend, The. Then again, Bandmate, The was on a deadline.
After another long round of farewells, we hit the road toward Edmonton. Over the next three and a half hours (an accident just outside Edmonton’s city limits hindered a speedy advance into the city) we puttered down the highway toward our final destination. We made it with plenty of time to spare so we swung by the bank to square up (note: ended up being MUCH cheaper than a flight from St. John’s NFLD, to Alberta) and then it was off to the bus station. We pulled around the corner and spotted the Red Arrow bus line, which will bring our dear amigo to Fort Mac and the large pay cheques he so desires. After yet another long farewell, our quartet was now a trio. Best of luck up north buddy, it was an honour and a pleasure to travel this far with you.
From here, the three remaining adventures soldiered on toward the WEM. After a few minutes of thinking we were lost, we came upon the most massive building I have ever seen in my life. Not just expansive and wide, but tall too. A couple of blocks in size, most of the towns we passed through in the prairies could probably fit inside it. Girlfriend, The conceded that she didn’t need to do any shopping and we could make a quick visit just to say we’ve been there. A quick visit here lasted nearly 3 hours. And it could have been well longer. The entrance we ended up using was the one to the amusement park, which worked out well for what we were looking to do. Walking in it looked like a Chuckie Cheese on steroids. Everything’s bigger in Edmonton. After some discussion (and some help from a coupon given to me by my cousin) we were able to get some tickets to ride a few coasters. Girlfriend, The isn’t big on coasters whereas Roommate, The is quite the fan, so we had to figure out the best decision for everyone. We decided on a group adventure on “Cosmic Spinner” and then Roommate, The and I were going to tackle “Mindbender.”
The first coaster was pretty cool. It was like the tea cup ride at any county fair, except it was actually on a coaster track. So it spun independently as it whipped around turns, which led to some mean whiplash. But it was quick and Girlfriend, The was happy to say she rode a ride at WEM. “Mindbender” was something else: a different beast altogether. According to the guide, it’s the largest indoor triple loop roller coaster in the world. At its peak, it’s 14 stories high. Trust me – its 14 stories high. An exhilarating two minutes in the moment, plummeting from the peak down some spirals and through the three loop-de-loops, but the enjoyment for me was only immediate and very short-lived. Roommate, The went on again right away, this time getting in a backwards car. I, on the other hand, had to sit down because roller coasters and I aren’t friends. Unfortunately, it put a serious damper on the rest of my afternoon. So I became kind of grumpy because I was queasy and on top of that, I’ not a big fan of malls, so being in the biggest mall in Canada wasn’t awesome. But, it was a sight to see. After the amusement park we walked past the other interesting parts: the water park, several tattoo and piercing parlors, the aquarium, the hockey rink and the massive food court. On our way to investigate the casino (a reoccurring theme on this trip, it seems) Roommate, The noticed a “wild west shooting gallery.” Yes, there’s a gun range in the mall. Here comes my Albertica theory.
If Texas and Vermont had a polite baby, it would be Alberta (at least Edmonton). Beef, guns and 24 hour liquor stores. Everything was grandiose in size but not in class. The entire province seems to be big pick-ups and people that believe concealed weapons are a great idea. I will admit, some beautiful things are to be seen, but more so away from the cities and closer to BC.
So Roommate, The and Girlfriend, The decided to rent some hand guns, buy some ammo, and shoot some guns. Nice. I’m so proud of her, shooting that gun. I really wish I felt better because it would have been a cool experience. So after the 9 mil’s were empty we headed to another cousin’s of mine. It’s great having family out here, saving us some funds for future hotels (which came in handy, for sure). After a nice little chat and catch up, we headed out to a local pub, The Pourhouse. A neat little gastropub, there was no deep fryer, which was super cool. A nice selection of beers and some delicious Alberta beef products. If you’re ever in Edmonton on Whyte Street, check it out, great food, great atmosphere. Heading back to the apartment, it was another early night. Both my cousin and his fiancée had early mornings, which worked out well for us, getting us on the road nice and early. We all agree, that they’re a super cute couple and wish them all the best in the future. I look forward to welcoming her into the family.
Day 6: (Bear Watch 2011)
I quickly realized that the most difficult thing in the world is trying to work on a computer in the Rocky Mountains. This blog should have been finished two days ago but as soon as those mountains popped over the horizon it was game over. However, I will do my best to describe the day we had. Starting off nice and early, we left Edmonton on our way to Jasper. Upon my cousin’s recommendation, and because Girlfriend, The is from Brantford, we made a little sidetrack to Rexall Place (the Oilers’ arena) to se the Gretzky statue there. A couple quick picks and we were back on the road. For the first 2 hours or so it was fairly plain highway. It actually looked a lot like Ontario: a bit of field, a bit of forest, a bit of farm. Soon, this would radically change. Shortly after passing Obed, Alberta, we headed into a small valley and began to climb a hill. As we reached the top of the hill, it was a moment very reminiscent of Drumheller, but instead of the Hoo Doo valleys, there were snow-capped mountains in the distance. At this point, Girlfriend, The’s camera had about 500 pictures on it. That would soon change. By the time we reached Hinton, the mountains were everywhere and the three of us were like kids in a candy store. Roommate, The was especially giddy. For the next hour after Hinton we sat fairly quiet, awestruck by the massive mounds of rock that surrounded us. All of this has been well-documented as at the end of the day, the very same camera had 1000 pictures on it.
As we neared the gate to Jasper National Park, there was a small welcoming committee of mountain sheep at the side of the road, munching on some grass. Finally, some wildlife. A nominal fee is charged when you enter the park, but it’s quite worth it as there are so many things to see once you cross in. Beautiful lakes, and dried up basins of former lakes; gorgeous trees and minimalist plains; mountains and more mountains. There are few things I can do to convey the beauty of this place. After another few hours of driving and photo opportunities, we pulled into the town of Jasper to grab some lunch. We sat down at the Jasper Brewing Company to catch the end of Verlander’s no-no (depressing) and to try some new beer. I tried the stout which was a a milder version of Guiness, Girlfriend, The had a nice fruity wheat beer and Roommate, The had a tasty lager. All were delicious. The food which came shortly afterward was also amazing. My steak sandwich was great, Roommate, The’s fish and chips in a bucket were incredible and Girlfriend, The’s potato and bacon soup was quite good – even though I’m not a thick soup fan. After lunch it was on the road again, continuing on our way to Banff.
By this point I’m sure the camera was getting frustrated that it would be turned off for half a second before being turned back on to snap a few more quick pics. Passing by the Columbia Ice Fields gave Roommate, The “school boy” moment as he jumped out of the car and sprinted around the are looking for the best possible shots. Continuing onward, I tried to write this post but kept getting distracted by the ridiculousness of the mountains. We pulled into Banff around 9:30 and found a room at the Ptarmigan Inn. One of the nicest hotels we’ve stayed at so far for sure. A quick clean up and get ready, and we headed out to dinner. Walking up the road to the “Saltlik” we were looking for a good ol’ Alberta beef steakhouse. We found it. Starting with chili oysters and duck tacos, finishing with crème brulee and fitting three beautiful steaks in the middle; we were quite full and happy. Add a bottle of Okanagan organic merlot and we were ready for bed. Good night Banff.
Approximate distance travelled over 2 days: 1100 km
H.
Hashbrown, The 