First Week-July 23-July 29

First Week

Saturday July 23-Home to Revelstoke

We got up and left at about 8:10 with Catherine, Beth and AJ seeing us off.  We didn't stop until Merritt, where we got some lattes, gave Willow a stretch and gassed up the car.  

 

We got to Sugarplum Labs (Tina) about 12:30.  Willow got to meet her mom Khloe, a sister from another litter Desi and Tucker amongst others.  She even got to swim with some of her friends in the pool.  We chatted and visited for about half an hour, then got back on the road.

 

Willow With Some Family

 

In Salmon Arm we stopped at Northyards Cider to have a tasting flight, pick up a four-pack for the evening and eat the sandwiches we had in the cooler.  We also grabbed a couple of sundaes at the McDonalds right next door.  

After this we drove the further hour onto Revelstoke.  We checked into the room (Stoke Hotel) then tried to take a little walk along the river and into the older neighborhood.  We kept this walk short as it was quite hot and Willow was feeling it.  There was an art center we came across with a couple of food trucks so we picked up a couple of salad wraps to take back for dinner and a couple of bubbly waters.  We got our walk up to 2 km but were worried about Willow as the weather app says 30 degrees but it feels much more than that.  We went back to shelter in the ac of the room with the thought to come out for a further walk at dusk.  We realize we live in a special place that is relatively free of mosquitoes.  This place isn't and we wished we had remembered a bit of bug spray.  Willow was unimpressed with the bugs around her head. 

Sunday July 24-Revelstoke to Medicine Hat

We got up and did breakfast.  It was top notch.  Then we were on the road by 8:30.  We stopped in Golden to gas up.  The price is 15 cents more per litre than in the Lower Mainland which is a touch aggravating.  We just put in $30 as the price drops quite a bit across the border and we knew we could  gas up in Canmore to make Medicine Hat.  

 

We also made a stop in Banff.  We paid to park close to the Starbucks as we wanted some lattes and I get my birthday freebee-but it wasn't to be.  This Starbucks closed up just as we arrived as they said they didn't have enough staff to carry on.  We consoled ourselves with an ice cream cone each, which was adequate compensation.  

We stopped again at Canmore to fill up completely and we got our coffees (and I got my birthday coffee) here.  From here we drove right through Calgary.  We had another brief stop at a little store in the Sitsika reserve and a roadside pit stop, and then made it to the hotel in Medicine Hat (Comfort Inn and Suites) by 6 (we lost an hour to time change today.  

We had a very brief rest, and then walked to an Earl's down the street.  They let us dine on the porch with Willow at our feet.  I had a parent gift me an Earl's gift card in June, so dinner was half covered.  We had the Sunday special Caesars which came with a pepperoni stick in, so Willow got her share of treats.  After dinner we took a walk around through a park nearby.  Willow ran around a bit and thankfully missed noticing the large deer that was watching us from the edge of the park.  The hotel has a nice little pool so Megan and I took turns puppysitting in the room and going for a swim.  

Porch Feast With Willow At Feet

Willow Didn't Notice A Friend

Monday July 25-Medicine Hat to Brandon

The breakfast was pretty good-lots of selection.  I had a hankering for waffles but it wasn't to be-it was explained to Megan the mixer was still out for repair.  We had to go to the gas station 3 times today-but the last one doesn't count for today's drive as we filled up as we entered Brandon so we'll have a full tank to start the morning with.  Our first run was from Medicine Hat to Swift Current.  We let the gps guide us into a Starbucks in Swift Current and got some lattes.  There was something strong about those lattes that kicked our bladders as the restroom stops for the rest of the day were required every few hours.

 

We had a nice picnic lunch stop at the Information Center in Moose Jaw. Willow had some opportunity to run about.  Then we made another run for Indian Head where we stopped again and she had some ball chasing.  As this Info Center was right across from a Dairy Queen we had a couple of small dipped cones. At Indian Head Megan grabbed a Saskatchewan map as she was missing being able to track as we drove, so we stopped again at the Manitoba Info Center right across the border for a Manitoba map.  

We got to our hotel in Brandon (Holiday Inn Express) at about 6pm local time.  We picked up some truly awesome burritos a short walk from the hotel, and brought them back to the room.  Tomorrow's drive is thankfully only 6 hours-not 8.  We had luck and clear weather for our ball throwing stops and picnic today, but showers have tracked us most of the day on the trip and thunder storms are threatening tonight.  Willow has had her exercise-but Megan and I are shy of our 10 000 steps so we will use the exercise room and pool to catch up.  We are also on the same floor as the coin laundry and the plan is to catch up with this every third or fourth night, so as soon as we're done with our workouts I'll run all the laundry.  

The Road Just Into Saskatchewan

Moose Jaw Moose

Tuesday July 26-Brandon to Dryden

Again, started with a really good breakfast.  There was a neat little machine that made pancakes that I haven't seen before.  When I hunted for hotels, in order of priority I needed pet friendly, air conditioning, breakfast included, pool and exercise room.  We needed to be pet friendly, and if I could get all of the others at a reasonable price I did.  Also, a goal was to have a laundry facility every third or fourth night.  I don't think I was wrong.  Having the breakfast right there makes a great start.  

On The Road By 8:30 Daily

Our first run was to Winnipeg, around the ring road and to the East side.  This brought us to a Tim Horton's.  You have to go into towns for the Starbucks.  That's for city folk.  If you just stay on the main highway thoroughfares you're generally going to just have Tim's.  Willow had a stretch, we picked up coffees and waters, and continued on, switching to Megan driving.  We had another quick rest stop just past the border into Ontario.  Then we went into Kenora and had our picnic lunch at the Information Center sitting right on Lake of the Woods.  Megan was able to get a map here also.  

 

In Kenora-Lake of the Woods Behind

We switched back to me driving, stopped for a small bit of gas to cut any worry of running out, then ran onto Dryden and our Hotel (another Holiday Inn Express).  I chatted with the fellow at the desk about good spots to walk a dog, and he suggested a place called Sandy Beach.  We had a ninety minute delay, as I've been burning through data in my current plan and was worried about running out.  I got an email from Fido with an offered plan change that would be way better than starting to pile on additional chunks of data, but had to get dropped off chats a couple of times before closing a deal.  Now I don't think I'm worried about having to put my phone away, which would be lousy as we've been using it as the gps and map unit in the car!

We found our way to the beach, and Willow had a swim.  We walked around the perimeter of the park a number of times to try to get to our 10 000 steps.  We couldn't quite get there as I was looking it up as we walked, and we discovered the Indian Restaurant we wanted to pick dinner up at was closing at 7pm.  We went over there, grabbed a dinner to go and came back to the hotel.  We later took turns finishing up our 10 000 on the treadmill in the exercise room.  

 

Willow is getting well used to the routines of this trip.  We're working hard on 'dogs aren't allowed to bark in the hotel room just because they hear somebody out in the hall' rule right now.  

Wednesday July 27-Dryden to Wawa

Full breakfast start again.  Tomorrow morning will be just muffins and coffee which will be a little jarring.  Today was the longest driving day of the trip-a 9 hour drive with a time shift that will take us ahead by an hour to boot. We made a quick pit stop in Upsala and then drove to the Terry Fox Memorial outside of Thunder Bay.  

 

 

 

Gas Buddy helped today.  Gas stations on the highway at Nipigon were all 1.95 per litre.  I looked at the app and it looked like a block off the highway we could find gas at about 1.65, and it turned out to be true.  We had an interesting adventure after Upsala.  We generally dial our cruise control about 7-8km/h over the set limit.  This isn't too adventurous-we still get passed by almost everybody at this, but we're not going so slowly that we get people doing silly things.  We were actually dialed in at 99 with a speed limit of 90, but still a large gas delivery truck decided not to wait for the next passing lane and decided to overtake us crossing over.  There was oncoming traffic.  We decided we needed to brake to let him back in, and we saw the oncoming cars drive onto the shoulder to avoid head-on collision.  Technology is interesting today.  I would have been rather powerless a few years ago, but I immediately used my phone and data to look up the website for the company involved.  I got a manager's email, and emailed him details of the incident-time and location.  He responded before we had arrived in Thunder Bay with a brief message that he would look into it.  By that evening I had an email stating that he had reviewed the dashcam footage from his company's vehicle, that it was unacceptably dangerous driving by his driver and that there would be discipline.  I don't feel badly about this-someone driving a big truck like that who is allowed to do that without being called out for it will eventually kill people. 

 

Terry Fox Memorial

We had our picnic lunch there and took a stretch.  We then did a long run to White River.  Willow did some ball catching there.

 

 

White River

Our last run was from White River to Wawa.  This is a kind of dilapidated looking town.  We took a walk around and saw a large number of very dilapidated places-houses and businesses.  We are in a very traditional small town motel tonight.

 

 Once past Thunder Bay the road got interesting.  At Thunder Bay and everywhere after that where we curved away from Lake Superior the temperature was in the low 20's.  Everywhere that we got close to the lake, including Wawa, a mist grew and in places became a heavy fog.  And the temperature dropped fast.  In the car we watched the temperature drop from 22 to 13 in a matter of minutes on the road as we entered the mist. 

The Mist

 

We had our picnic lunch there and took a stretch.  We then did a long run to White River.  Willow did some ball catching there.  Our last run was from White River to Wawa.  This is a kind of dilapidated looking town.  We took a walk around and saw a large number of very dilapidated places-houses and businesses.  We are in a very traditional small town motel tonight.  We walked for pizza, then after eating took a good walk around town so we could get to our 10 000 steps.  As soon as we met that goal we got in out of the cold!

Thursday July 28-Wawa to Parry Sound

We woke up this morning to a violent thunder and lightning storm.  Willow was most disturbed by it.  She threw herself up at Megan for a hug while out to do her morning duty.  I grabbed the complimentary muffins and coffees from the front office, we topped up at a local station, and headed on.  Our first stop was at a pullout at Batchawana Bay.  We had our rest stop and moved on. 

 

 

Batchawana Bay

 

We traveled on to Sault Ste Marie where we got some Freshii wraps at about 11am.  We also texted and talked with Catherine and Caitlin and Siân as Catherine made the difficult decision to not get on the plane given her current health issues.  

The road from Sault Ste Marie to Sudbury wasn't very easy.  There is lots of road construction going on and we were stopped a number of times for long waits as the two way highway was only one way at a time.  We got off the highway route in Sudbury to run into town to gas up again and have a rest stop.  Finally we headed South towards Parry Sound.  

In Parry Sound we checked into our motel-another old school motel showing its warts.  I struggle with the fact that the big name hotels/motels are not only cleaner, better equipped and include full breakfasts-but they actually only cost a very small amount more than the mom and pop joints.  I'd love to support private owners, but on our trip they just haven't been that competitive.  

We took a trail along Georgian Bay and had some great lookout points. 

 

Trail in Parry Sound

Lookout Point On Trail

Set for Dinner

 

Then we walked down a really nice municipal path to the waterfront and had a nice anniversary dinner at a Boston Pizza that let us sit with Willow at an outside table.  Finally we trekked back up the hill to our motel having a good chunk above our 10 000 steps. 

Friday July 29-Parry Sound to Stratford

We were able to sleep in a bit more then usual, then got up, packed the car and headed off quickly this morning.  There was a packet with a couple of muffins, orange juices and granola bars provided for breakfast, we just packed it.  We went downtown and took some pictures of older buildings, and grabbed a coffee and pastry from a cafe.  Then we were on the road.  We took a very twisting route to Stratford.  The gps tried to change the route to make it faster and take us on a toll highway a few times but we would have none of it.  We passed a few places where lots of wind turbines have been put up.  At one point I could have looked around the horizon and counted hundreds of them. 

 

 

 

Parry Sound to Stratford The Fun Way

Wind Turbines

 

Once in Stratford we were able to get into the room early.  We went a few doors down from the hotel and caught up on laundry.  Then we headed to Beth and AJ's hotel to take the their bag.  Megan and I walked Willow over to Suzanna's apartment.  We left her in Suzanna's under-renovation apartment.  She was not a happy camper.  Then we went to The Revival House, did all the greetings, and had a nice dinner.  

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards I drove Brian back to the apartment while Beth, AJ and Megan walked there.  Willow was anxious to drag me out of the apartment and down the hall.  I think she was a little traumatized by the whole business.  We brought her back to the hotel and walked around the neighbourhood until we had our steps.  Willow seems to be relaxed now.  

This ends our Week One-Time to turn to Week Two