Summer plans, part 2: The Trip West

Part 1 - The prep

Part 2 - The trip west

During our long weekend camping trip, we discovered something about our trailer: it had water damage. Apparently it's not uncommon with hybrid trailers, especially if those end beds aren't closed properly when they're folded up. That seems have been the case with our trailer at some point long ago. The damage is old but considerable. We'll probably have to rebuild the beds since structurally they're a little iffy.

That, along with the dismal fuel mileage we got on our trip to/from the campground, made me think twice about pulling the trailer to BC this summer, which had been the original plan. So after some number crunching, it was decided the best course of action would be to drive to BC without the trailer. And after some reality crunching, it was decided that less road tripping with Nora was good for everyone. So since Carrie had some work commitments, it was decided that she'd stay behind with Nora a few days and then fly to Kelowna.

So the day arrived in mid-July that Lily and I were to leave. All packed up and... literally 10 minutes before we were gonna leave, Carrie says, "Uh, the kitchen sink won't drain."

Great. 

A bit of plunger action didn't help (don't do this, by the way). Then I removed the traps and looked for blockages. Nothing. By then, there was significant leaking under the sink because of the plunger (kitchen plumbing can't handle that kind of pressure, apparently.) I didn't have a drain snake and didn't have time to go and rent one, so I tried what little else I could before calling my local handyman buddy.

Plumber extraordinaire, complete with requisite butt crack. Who knew I had such ample butt cleavage?

Once he arrived, Lily and I hit the road since we had paid-for accommodations to reach by nightfall in Sault Ste. Marie. I felt really bad about leaving the problem to Carrie, but decided there was nothing I could do anyway.

(As it turned out, my buddy snaked down more than 25' and found nothing. A plumber came around a couple days later and for an exorbitant fee removed a massive disgusting grease blockage 40' down and made a bunch of repairs. The problem is solved, but yikes $$$!!)

Our budget motel (is there any other kind?) in Sault was basic, but at least we made it in time that night. But in my haste to unload our stuff and settle in for the night, it seems I neglected to close a car door properly, and an interior light killed the battery overnight. Fortunately, I came prepared! Pulled out my handy new charging pack, and we were on the road in a matter of minutes.

Now one of the best purchases I made for the trip was a game called Minecraft. The younger folks seem to know what this is, but I did not. It seems to be a throwback to the days of bad graphics, but it seems to be a real hit. This, paired with a cheap tablet, made Lily's day. Week. Month.

The second day we drove through hinterland, Ontario. We made it to Kakabeka Falls just past Thunder Bay, where we camped at the provincial park overnight. We enjoyed the falls and the nearby trails before turning in.

Minimalist camping

The next day we headed back to Thunder Bay to treat Lily to some fun. Unfortunately the time I'd read on a website was meant to be PM, so when we arrived to an awesome indoor climbing centre in the AM, we couldn't get in. Disappointing, but that was that. So west we drove.

That's not fog...

We were still in Ontario when we first encountered smoke (before Thunder Bay already). That was a little surprising, since I figured it would just be a BC problem. There were significant forest fires in the region, and we would see/smell smoke all the way to Saskatchewan. I hadn't booked any accommodations beyond the first two nights, so we were winging it now.

Once we got to Kenora, smoke conditions were pretty bad, and we thought it would be good to hole up in a hotel out of the dirty air. I stopped and inquired at a few hotels, but things were full or very expensive; apparently there were a lot of firefighters in town, driving up prices. One hotel manager suggested I drive a couple hours further to Winnipeg and stay there for half the price. I explained that we couldn't stay in Manitoba, only pass through, not being Manitobans or fully vaxxed and all. She was pretty sure I was wrong, so I called their counterpart in Winnipeg. Well, it turns out travellers can stop in Manitoba for gas, food, or lodging! (If I'd known lodging was permitted, my trip in June might very well have gone differently.)

So, after dinner at a pub, we set off again, arriving in Winnipeg fairly late. I checked around for hotel options and found the Clarion Hotel, which has waterslides (which were operational... important to note, since many Ontario hotels closed their water features due to COVID).

Room with a view

The Clarion was a great step up from the motel in Sault. We made the most of it, hitting up the pool in the evening and again in the morning. After a free breakfast at the adjoining restaurant, we hit the road again.

After the disappointment in Thunder Bay, I had scoped out other climbing options along the way. Turns out Regina had a decent place that was open at the right time, so we drove to Regina and killed some time at Boston Pizza waiting for the climbing centre to open. When we walked in, we were greeted by a sign saying walk-ins were accepted only at this-and-this-time-bla-bla-bla, i.e., not right at that moment. We were a little deflated, but just as we were about to leave, a staff member came up and apologized for the outdated sign. Yay! Climbing was on!

Mastering the free climb...

...and the auto-belay, which lets you down slowly

A great time was had, both free climbing and auto-belaying (Lily's favourite part was falling from great heights... safely). When we'd had enough, we hopped in the car and drove a couple hours to Moose Jaw, where we found a decent inn with a pool.

A pool pretty much to ourselves

[Oh, and I think this was the day we left the world of mandatory masks behind. Apart from an old age home, I'm pretty sure I didn't wear a mask again for an entire month.]

Lily was spoiled once again, spending time in the pool that night and then again in the morning. If you're keeping track, that's four pool times in 1.5 days!

On day 5, after a morning swim and a complimentary breakfast, we headed for Calgary. Lots of lazy straight driving these days, setting the cruise control and testing the range of the Suburban. Where the speed limit was 110 km/h, I'd set my speed at 102 and just chill like the old man I've become. Big rigs passed me aplenty. BUT... I know I can get 1000km to a tank on the highway! Pretty good for a fat SUV.

I was pretty much out of gas when I pulled into the Costco gas bar in Calgary. We sat dutifully in line for 20 minutes, being rewarded with gas for $1.22 (it was $1.37 everywhere else). Not something I normally have patience for.

We found a Days Inn for cheap. It wasn't great, but it worked and included a free breakfast. After a nice walk and some supper at Tim Hortons, we went to bed on time. We got up early for a change, and after eating we headed out for our final day of driving. Lily spent time on the tablet, but I made her put it down and endure the scenic views for a few hours. This was the Rockies, after all. Not an animal in sight, sadly.

We wanted to stop and see some things too, so the first attempt was at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. Unfortunately it was crazy busy and there no parking available, so we could either use a shuttle or just carry on. Instead we found parking at Lake Louise and spent several hours walking the trail and exploring there.

Pretty famous background

Lots of mud flats to explore

Then it was off to Vernon! We hit a construction detour that cost us an hour, and more smoke reared its hazy head, but for the most part the drive was uneventful. We got to Vernon a couple of hours before Carrie and Nora landed at Kelowna airport.

4200 km to Vernon. She done good so far.  

More to come...