End of the Road… for now

We did it! Made it safely ‘home’ (to Peter and Shane’s house in High River) on Saturday, finishing our summer road trip in 27 days and 3000 miles. We found a whole lot of wonderful country on our journey and crossed a few places and sights off our ‘must-see’ list, including but not limited to: Flin Flon, Thompson, Churchill, polar bears, tundra, train travel and most of Manitoba.

Under a prairie sky

Now for the catch-up story. When we reached Thompson after our 17-hour train ride south from Churchill, Jim was not well. His summer cough had returned. So we booked another night at the Best Western and he stayed bundled up, resting for 24 hours. That seemed to do the trick. However, the delay meant we had a 375-mile drive to get to Winnipeg and needed to do it in one day. If you’ve followed our summer blogs you’ll know that an 8-9 hour drive doesn’t compute for us – but we did it and we’re proud of it.

            Winnipeg is under construction. We found The Forks – where the Assiniboine and Red Rivers converge, the reason Winnipeg is where it is – and had a lovely hour biking around and lunching. Then we made the mistake of trying to find the museum. Downtown is under construction; every street is torn up and those that aren't are one-ways going the wrong way; no parking except reserved; traffic is backed up to Toronto; and it was hotter'n'hell out there. It took us an hour to get the heck out of Dodge and make it back to the hotel.

Monument to a paper clip

            Two days in Winnipeg was enough for us so we started our trip westward, staying a night each in Brandon, Regina, Swift Current and Lethbridge. When possible we took the small, two-lane roads and were well rewarded for the extra time involved. In particular we enjoyed Highways 48 and 393. On 48 we discovered Kipling, the town that had a large part in the true story of Kyle MacDonald, who started with a small red paper clip and – in 14 online trades – ended up with a house in Kipling. Really. Google it. The house is now a quaint restaurant where we had lunch and, of course, we stopped to admire the world’s largest paper clip in the town park.

            Highway 393 was much longer, narrower and in pretty rough shape, but it delivered us to Old Wives Lake and the long-abandoned schoolhouse on a lonely hill. We stopped for a picnic lunch and listened to the wind in the willow bushes. Did you know there's a Coyote Capital of Canada? There is: Hodgeville Saskatchewan. Then it was on again, anxious to see our first glimpse of the Rockies in Alberta. We were sad but glad to be back in our home province once again.

            We stopped in Claresholm to visit Mom and I’m so happy to report that she’s doing well, smiling as usual and looks great.

Old school house near Old Wives Lake

Wild Game Report

Not much. In fact, from the time we left Prince Albert we didn’t see any game at all – if you don’t count the polar bear and beluga whales at Churchill – until we were south of Grand Rapids where we spotted a lonely deer at the side of the road. Then nothing until west of Swift Current and a herd of 30-40 antelope upped the count. I think we’ll have to get back to the ranch to see the animals.

 End-of-Road Syndrome?

            Jim and I seem to have a penchant for seeking out the ends of roads. Examples: This summer we drove to Thompson, then traveled by train to Churchill. There are no roads much beyond Thompson and nothing at all beyond Churchill. In past trips we’ve been to Inuvik (end of the Dempster Highway), the end of the road past Yellowknife, Kukal (a tiny village in south India at the end of a mountain road), Prince Rupert B.C., Homer Alaska, South Point on the Big Island, Polipoli on Maui, Tofino on Vancouver Island. Long drives. Abrupt stops. Incredible memories.

            We have another month here in Alberta; we plan to spend most of it at the ranch. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Churchill notes

August 15. 

We’re in the Thompson station sitting on the train to Churchill; it’s slowly filling up with passengers. Let’s just say this is not a luxury ride – more of a low-cost economy class. Folks lined up outside, a large group (43) boarded first in one car and we’re in another with lots of tourists. It’s like a plane without the stewardess. The seats are dirty and ripped but they’re big and squishy, recline way back and they have footrests.

            There’s quite a mix of passengers, from Aboriginals to Indians of the Eastern variety to the invading whites. The dome car is for the sleeper car people only so we’re stuck here with our window seats. It’s good that we brought our own food on board, so supper is assured. We’ll be in Churchill for breakfast.

            Between hotel checkout at 11 and boarding the train we spent a couple of hours at the museum, had samosas for lunch (Would you believe there’s a large and growing population of East Indians in Thompson, three Indian restaurants and lots of spice?). Jim got to know the names of most of the hotel staff so we’ve been well looked after.

            The train has an overhead bag shelf just like the old planes, and coat hooks for hanging stuff and blinds that lower over our huge 6x3 window. Too bad no one washed the window; photos are going to be a tad murky.

Tundra sunset

            We expect to have seatmates as we’ve been warned the train will be full.

            5:32 and we’re moving! We had to switch seats but I like them better – two beside each other. A group of kids just boarded; they had to get here from God’s Lake Narrows (Google that one!) and that’s why we’re a half hour late getting underway.

            So we shuttled backwards for a while, then got on another track then sat for a while. More taxiing than the reef runway. But we appear to be off! It’s 5:50.

            An hour and a half into our trip and it’s miles of boreal forest and muskeg and forest and muskeg with outcroppings of white rock and big lakes and small bogs. In fact bogs are almost continuous.

August 16, 7 am

            Although the night wasn’t used much for sleeping (the woman behind us has a smoker’s cough that didn’t quit) I am awake and happy. The landscape changed during the night – to vast plains of tundra with boggy spots, stretches of lava covered in a cream-colored lichen, and stunted trees. I have never been this far into the wilderness. Hour 15 of a train ride heading north, well beyond roads, trails, lights and humans. Of course, at the end of the journey is the town of Churchill so it’s not like we’re going to chug right off the end of the earth.

           

Sunrise rainbow over the tundra

We were graced by the most spectacular sight at 5 am – brilliant red sunrise on the right, brilliant double rainbow on the left, stark against black clouds full of lightning and rain. The morning light was an eerie orange haze.

            During the night the train made two or three stops in the middle of nowhere and a man walked along both sides with a powerful flashlight, obviously checking the train – but for what?

            We’ve seen two swans and no other wildlife.

Personal note about trains. Could any type of travel be as elegant as train travel? Flying is expedient, cruising may be exhilarating, driving is economical. But trains… sheer elegance in the movement, the speed, the front-row seat to the world passing by. The coach may not be fine stuff but as long as the seat is padded sufficiently and reclines to a satisfactory angle, the seatmates friendly but quiet, and the windows mostly clean – the elegance of traveling by rail is unsurpassed.

Churchill

            Well, wouldn’t you know it… no room at the inn. Jim’s “reservation” didn’t take and we were homeless for half a frantic hour. Fortunately we found a B&B with a room. Check-in is at 5 so we walked around town, visited some of the attractions, looked for polar bears along the shoreline and river, saw dozens of beluga whales  and are now on a minibus tour of the area. Our group is all East Indian except us.

Inukshuk on the Hudson Bay

             It’s early fall here and yet people are complaining about the heat this week. Kaitlyn is our guide and carries a gun for our protection against polar bears. She’s doing an orientation now including the warning that polar bears can swim 2 km in 5-7 minutes, just in case we wander along the shoreline. Yes! We saw a polar bear – I spotted it ambling along the beach on the other side of the river.

            We saw the Ithaca (shipwreck), the abandoned satellite domes, the Northern Studies Research Center, the polar bear jail, the port (now closed), the community building housing everything from the hospital to the bowling alley to the town administration, the rocket launching area and lots more. What was supposed to be a 4-hour tour was a tad short of 3 hours: started late and then part of our group was late coming back from an earlier tour.

Jim and our armed guide

At 5 we were met by Jennifer from Blue Sky Bed & Sled (they take bed ‘n’ breakfast one step farther, offering dog sled/cart rides with their 'crew' of 32 mushing dogs - http://www.blueskymush.com/bandb.html) and off we went to a plain but homey two-storey wood frame home and a wonderful two-day stay. She and Gerald (100 percent Metis) gave us a fine welcome and so much more: two fabulous breakfasts, always-available strong coffee and homemade bannock, a special drive out to the cape to see the sunset, advice and stories. They even arranged a massive thunderstorm the afternoon of our first day.

            Around 11 our second night, they hustled us out into the bush to see a Northern Lights extravaganza with 360-degree lightning, full moon, shooting stars, fog and a satellite. The Lights were magnificent. Home around 1 am so we didn’t get much sleep before it was time to get up, shower and eat another huge breakfast. At 6 am we were woken by gunfire – an errant bear wandered into town and was being “escorted” out. That happens a lot in Churchill and we were often told to look in all directions, especially behind, wherever we walked. When we first arrived at the B&B Jennifer warned us, “Do NOT go in the back yard.” We complied.

Under the Northern Lights

            We were going to go out on a zodiac this afternoon but the fog rolled back in, the wind came up and it’s cold as anything – so the Maui Wimps cancelled. Instead, we wandered in and out of trading posts and bakeries, and had lunch with Jennifer at the Lazy Bear Inn.            

            And then it was time to pack up and say farewell to the folks who rescued us from what could have been a disappointing few days. The family who stayed in the B&B are leaving today as well.

            If we come back – and I hope we do – we’ll definitely stay at Blue Sky Bed & Sled again and take advantage of the dog sled tours they offer as well.

            And then it was time to get on the train and met up with our many new friends from all over the world.  This train was much cleaner and newer than the one that brought us up here. We both slept during the 17-hour night and feel that if we get one good night in our hotel here in Thompson we’ll be ready for the long drive to Grand Rapids (Manitoba) tomorrow.

            Thanks for going along for our Churchill adventure. More to come.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Churchill notes

August 15. 

We’re in the Thompson station sitting on the train to Churchill; it’s slowly filling up with passengers. Let’s just say this is not a luxury ride – more of a low-cost economy class. Folks lined up outside, a large group (43) boarded first in one car and we’re in another with lots of tourists. It’s like a plane without the stewardess. The seats are dirty and ripped but they’re big and squishy, recline way back and they have footrests.

            There’s quite a mix of passengers, from Aboriginals to Indians of the Eastern variety to the invading whites. The dome car is for the sleeper car people only so we’re stuck here with our window seats. It’s good that we brought our own food on board, so supper is assured. We’ll be in Churchill for breakfast.

            Between hotel checkout at 11 and boarding the train we spent a couple of hours at the museum, had samosas for lunch (Would you believe there’s a large and growing population of East Indians in Thompson, three Indian restaurants and lots of spice?). Jim got to know the names of most of the hotel staff so we’ve been well looked after.

            The train has an overhead bag shelf just like the old planes, and coat hooks for hanging stuff and blinds that lower over our huge 6x3 window. Too bad no one washed the window; photos are going to be a tad murky.

Tundra sunset

            We expect to have seatmates as we’ve been warned the train will be full.

            5:32 and we’re moving! We had to switch seats but I like them better – two beside each other. A group of kids just boarded; they had to get here from God’s Lake Narrows (Google that one!) and that’s why we’re a half hour late getting underway.

            So we shuttled backwards for a while, then got on another track then sat for a while. More taxiing than the reef runway. But we appear to be off! It’s 5:50.

            An hour and a half into our trip and it’s miles of boreal forest and muskeg and forest and muskeg with outcroppings of white rock and big lakes and small bogs. In fact bogs are almost continuous.

August 16, 7 am

            Although the night wasn’t used much for sleeping (the woman behind us has a smoker’s cough that didn’t quit) I am awake and happy. The landscape changed during the night – to vast plains of tundra with boggy spots, stretches of lava covered in a cream-colored lichen, and stunted trees. I have never been this far into the wilderness. Hour 15 of a train ride heading north, well beyond roads, trails, lights and humans. Of course, at the end of the journey is the town of Churchill so it’s not like we’re going to chug right off the end of the earth.

           

Sunrise rainbow over the tundra

We were graced by the most spectacular sight at 5 am – brilliant red sunrise on the right, brilliant double rainbow on the left, stark against black clouds full of lightning and rain. The morning light was an eerie orange haze.

            During the night the train made two or three stops in the middle of nowhere and a man walked along both sides with a powerful flashlight, obviously checking the train – but for what?

            We’ve seen two swans and no other wildlife.

Personal note about trains. Could any type of travel be as elegant as train travel? Flying is expedient, cruising may be exhilarating, driving is economical. But trains… sheer elegance in the movement, the speed, the front-row seat to the world passing by. The coach may not be fine stuff but as long as the seat is padded sufficiently and reclines to a satisfactory angle, the seatmates friendly but quiet, and the windows mostly clean – the elegance of traveling by rail is unsurpassed.

Churchill

            Well, wouldn’t you know it… no room at the inn. Jim’s “reservation” didn’t take and we were homeless for half a frantic hour. Fortunately we found a B&B with a room. Check-in is at 5 so we walked around town, visited some of the attractions, looked for polar bears along the shoreline and river, saw dozens of beluga whales  and are now on a minibus tour of the area. Our group is all East Indian except us.

Inukshuk on the Hudson Bay

             It’s early fall here and yet people are complaining about the heat this week. Kaitlyn is our guide and carries a gun for our protection against polar bears. She’s doing an orientation now including the warning that polar bears can swim 2 km in 5-7 minutes, just in case we wander along the shoreline. Yes! We saw a polar bear – I spotted it ambling along the beach on the other side of the river.

            We saw the Ithaca (shipwreck), the abandoned satellite domes, the Northern Studies Research Center, the polar bear jail, the port (now closed), the community building housing everything from the hospital to the bowling alley to the town administration, the rocket launching area and lots more. What was supposed to be a 4-hour tour was a tad short of 3 hours: started late and then part of our group was late coming back from an earlier tour.

Jim and our armed guide

At 5 we were met by Jennifer from Blue Sky Bed & Sled (they take bed ‘n’ breakfast one step farther, offering dog sled/cart rides with their 'crew' of 32 mushing dogs - http://www.blueskymush.com/bandb.html) and off we went to a plain but homey two-storey wood frame home and a wonderful two-day stay. She and Gerald (100 percent Metis) gave us a fine welcome and so much more: two fabulous breakfasts, always-available strong coffee and homemade bannock, a special drive out to the cape to see the sunset, advice and stories. They even arranged a massive thunderstorm the afternoon of our first day.

            Around 11 our second night, they hustled us out into the bush to see a Northern Lights extravaganza with 360-degree lightning, full moon, shooting stars, fog and a satellite. The Lights were magnificent. Home around 1 am so we didn’t get much sleep before it was time to get up, shower and eat another huge breakfast. At 6 am we were woken by gunfire – an errant bear wandered into town and was being “escorted” out. That happens a lot in Churchill and we were often told to look in all directions, especially behind, wherever we walked. When we first arrived at the B&B Jennifer warned us, “Do NOT go in the back yard.” We complied.

Under the Northern Lights

            We were going to go out on a zodiac this afternoon but the fog rolled back in, the wind came up and it’s cold as anything – so the Maui Wimps cancelled. Instead, we wandered in and out of trading posts and bakeries, and had lunch with Jennifer at the Lazy Bear Inn.            

            And then it was time to pack up and say farewell to the folks who rescued us from what could have been a disappointing few days. The family who stayed in the B&B are leaving today as well.

            If we come back – and I hope we do – we’ll definitely stay at Blue Sky Bed & Sled again and take advantage of the dog sled tours they offer as well.

            And then it was time to get on the train and met up with our many new friends from all over the world.  This train was much cleaner and newer than the one that brought us up here. We both slept during the 17-hour night and feel that if we get one good night in our hotel here in Thompson we’ll be ready for the long drive to Grand Rapids (Manitoba) tomorrow.

            Thanks for going along for our Churchill adventure. More to come.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Three Prairie Provinces in 9 days and counting

We left High River on August 1 at 9am and got Robin to the Calgary airport an hour later. And off we went! After a short stop at the CrossIron Mall for breakfast and pit stop, we drove east to Beiseker where we viewed the new old sod hut and train cars; then a panorama of old barns and canola on our way to Stettler.

Stettler! Just as we remembered it with one important difference: the bakery was open! The grin on Jim’s face told the story. We found our B&B (the Phoenix) easily and checked in with Dave and Barbara-Lynn Goodwin. The room is lovely with attached bath (we got an upgrade). Dave suggested we have supper at The Other Side, which we did and it was good – and lots of it (the leftovers will be lunch tomorrow). Good night’s sleep although it was warm. Good breakfast of yogurt/berries/peaches and sausage and eggs. We left Goodwins a box of Hawaiian Host Macnuts and were off to find the bakery and thrift shop, then an oil change.

      

World's biggest lantern, Donalda AB

            Heading north we stopped at Donalda, a little village that has died a lot since our last visit. The world’s largest lantern was still there, and the museum and the art gallery where we bought a cow for the ranch. Really. But the antique store and ice cream shop were closed and gone. Next stop, Heisler for a picnic lunch in their town park. Not many people around and those we saw were mowing lawns. Off to Holden to find lots of empty storefronts and a silly little thrift/grocery/clothing shop with a handy bathroom. Next stop Vegreville and I found our hotel on the first try. The Hotello by Pomeroy is new, clean and comfy. In fact, I had the best sleep of the summer! We had dinner at Vito’s and it was another full plate of good food. The free breakfast was simple: bagel and a cup of crunchy things with red sweet stuff and yogurt. We found the world’s largest Easter egg, browsed the antique mall and were out of town by 10:30.

August 3.

                  Small villages all along our route on Hwy 45. We detoured through Myrnam and saw two Hutterite females, a guy on a mower, several beer stores and a café, and off we go again. The landscape is wonderful, rolling hills dotted with farms, forests, sheep, cattle and every low spot filled with water from recent storms. The land is lush, very green and miles of crops including corn. This road is definitely one less travelled – very little traffic and lots of opportunities to pull off and take photos. The tops of the higher hills provide huge views in every direction. We drove through Dewberry and ended up in Marwayne’s campground for our picnic. The nice lady at the village office let us use her restroom. It’s still cloudy but warming up at 1:20. It’s another 40 km or so to Lloydminster so we’re not in a rush to get on the road.

 

World's largest tomahawk, Cut Knife

Lloydminster – the Schizophrenic Town on the Border 

Maybe it’s because Lloydminster sits on the Alberta/Saskatchewan border and is neither Albertan nor Saskatchewanian. Maybe it’s the two L’s in the name. Whatever the reason, Lloydminster is the Bizarro World of road trippers. Let me cite 3 short examples:

#1

“The soup today is broccoli cheddar,” she said as she seated us.

I ordered the soup. A few minutes later a bowl of brown glop was placed in front of me and identified as harvest mushroom.

“I thought the soup was broccoli cheddar,” said I.

“It is,” was the answer. “It hasn’t changed yet.”

I looked down at the glop. It showed no inclination to change anytime soon.

“Would you like me to take this back and wait until it changes?”

I nodded.

A few minutes later a bowl of creamy broccoli soup was set in front of me. I ate it quickly just in case it decided to change back into brown glop.

#2

The open sign was out, the door was open, the lights were on but when I walked in the lady said, ”We’re closed today.”

#3

There’s a 52^nd Street in Lloydminster. Well, actually there are a number of them, not quite connected to each other. And one 52^nd Street turns into 54^th Street with no announcement at all, kind of like soup.

We braved the oddities of the town and spent two nights in Lloydminster. The motel was funky and old but comfortable and clean so no complaints there. The weather was good, not too hot and a nice breeze to keep away the mosquitoes when we biked around the Bud Miller All Seasons Park – lake, community gardens, mural, art center, lots of good bike paths. And train whistles in the distance. Bakeries and thrift stores next on the agenda.

Biggest, Longest, Tallest. The world's biggest lantern and tomahawk; Canada's longest baseball bat; the world's tallest border markers. Well, who wouldn't stop to take a look and a photograph?

World's tallest border markers

August 5

Saskatoon is a lovely city on the South Saskatchewan River. The day was warm and brilliant so we drove to the river park, off-loaded our bikes and toured for 2 hours. The bike trails are wonderful: no traffic, just a few other bikers and joggers. We visited the farmers market and wished we had an RV to fill up with fresh veggies and fruit. Just as well we don’t, though, it would be filled with baked goods first. Jim found a delightful bakery right next door to a delightful antique store so we were both delighted for an hour.

Canada's longest baseball bat, Battleford

August 7

Next stop, Prince Albert on the North Saskatchewan River. This is a much smaller city but still friendly and easy to navigate. Our motel was on the south side so after checking in we drove around for a while, getting a view of the whole place including the casino, prison, downtown, and the Mann Art Gallery. We picked up some curry and had a picnic in Mair Park next to the river, all alone as usual. Naturally I found the thrift store and Jim found the advertised bakery but – dang – it was closed up and gone.

                  We toured the Mann Gallery and discovered a local artist named Grant McConnell. His paintings and drawings are cleverly humorous with a satirical bite.

Tuesday July 9

We’re up early and heading off to Flin Flon on Highway 106 – something I have looked forward to for a long time. It’s paved all the way so should be a good trip. Some cloud cover but looks like it’s going to clear soon.

                  The 200-mile trip that would take normal people about 3 hours to drive, took us a good 6 hours. We stopped several times, including a lunch break at Ballantyne Lake.  The mosquitoes are so large, so plentiful that the kind folk of the little settlement have built a “screened-in” picnic shelter. On closer examination it appears the kind folk believe the mosquitoes will never notice the six-inch space at ground level nor the wide-open space at roof level that aren’t involved in the “screened-in” process. Still, we appreciated the effort, ate quickly and jumped back in the Jeep.

  

Flin Flon sunset

                The highway was mostly good, with patches of lumpy fixes and bouncy frost heaves. We reached Flin Flon around 4 and immediately found our old hotel – The Royal – on Main Street. Now, there’s a relic of glory times past. The walk up three flights of stairs in stinky stale air was not too welcoming but the room was clean, cool and had an interesting view of the alley out back. We drove the town easily, walked the path around Ross Lake, parked near the 777 mine to enjoy the 7 o’clock (am and pm) underground detonation, got to know the downtown area well, did a little shopping and enjoyed the heck out of Flin Flon.

Disaster averted!

When we got into the hotel I went online and found a notice that the hotel we had booked in Churchill has shut down. I immediately tried to book somewhere else through all the travel sites but everything was booked solid. Well, here we were, holding prepaid nonrefundable tickets on VIA Rail from Thompson to Churchill and back; plus prepaid nonrefundable hotel rooms in Thompson - 2 nights before and 1 night after our train rides. And VIA and Hotels.com wouldn't let us solve the problem online - we had to phone. But Jim's cell doesn't work here and the hotel's phone wouldn't allow toll-free or calling card calls. What a mess. I didn't sleep all night. The next morning we went to the Flin Flon Tourist Info place and explained our situation. The wonderful lady there gave us their phone and said, call anyone, anywhere - it's on us! So I got on their wifi and got all the details of our reservations and Jim phoned VIA first. No way they were going to refund, even when he explained we had no place to stay for 2 nights in Churchill. Nope. We even called the research station, hoping they would have a couple of spare bunks. Nope. Jim was about to call the Thompson Hotel to see if our reservations could be refunded or changed when I got another message from the defunct hotel, suggesting we phone the Polar Inn to see if they had a room. So he did - and they did! Whew. What a relief. For a while it looked like we would lose about $650 and NOT see the polar bears to boot. 

A side trip to The Pas

Pisew Falls near Thompson

On to The Pas (pronounced “Paw”), a bit out of our way but we have two extra days to fill before our train leaves Thompson on Monday evening. And we're glad we took the time. We spent a couple hours at the Sam Waller Museum and could have spent many more. What a fabulous record of the indigenous people for thousands of years, and their interaction with white people for the last 200 years. The history in this museum certainly made a rather colorless town much more vivid to us. We found a lovely wooden bowl in the gift shop, created by artist Ron Scott. 

                  A little time in the casino wasn’t too productive, so we were off to Thompson, our next stop on the road to the polar bears.

End of the road

The highway from The Pas to Thompson is a lonely one. In five hours we passed – or were passed by - maybe two dozen vehicles, all in a hurry to get somewhere else. We took our time as usual, stopping at Pisew Falls and Reed Lake. The rain started at Ponton and we drove into some heavy stuff as we arrived in Thompson. We’re here on a weekend, so most of the stores and attractions are closed, giving us a good break to catch up on laundry, emails, and blogs.

Tomorrow we board the train for our 17-hour excursion to Churchill and the polar bears!