Discovering America the Beautiful : July 2015

There is something to say about the beauty that can be found in vastness and emptiness. It is quiet, breathtakingly simple and yet, powerfully moving. We started our Canadian journey in Vancouver, crossed five provinces and reentered the US through Sault St. Mary. Most of this journey was done driving through mountain ranges, valleys and plains void of towns and for that matter, people. Not because we chose back roads to travel, but because this immense country has a relative small population. Needless to say, the Canada we experienced was pristine and undisturbed, a blank canvas for Mother Nature to express herself in all of her splendor.

July is a beautiful time to visit Canada. The prairies are covered with flowers and blooming crops, the snow in the mountain has melted leaving the glaciers to feed the streams and lakes with refreshingly cold and clean water, and the evergreen conifers forests fill up with seasonal flora. One can imagine how different things might be in winter, but summer is just magical.

As I thought about what I would write in this, my last blog, I felt overwhelmed. There is so much to share, for each province, each town, each person we met had something special and unforgettable to offer. This blog would look more like a novel if I wanted to do justice to our experience, and I think it would be indelicate and pretentious to assume people would have the time or the desire to read it. So instead, I decided to let the pictures tell the story.

Six weeks and over 7,000 miles later, I can honestly say that we loved RV’ing: the anticipation of arriving to a new campground every couple of days and the freedom to change our course based on a fellow traveler’s tip, the people we met from all over the world, (not at all the stereotype I had in my mind), and learning to enjoy the long drives rather than being concerned about the distances between stops. Above all, we loved traveling with our pets.

It was amazing to see them understand and adapt to both, their new routine as well as their constantly changing environment. They made our experience richer and even more memorable.

Lady is 14 years old, afflicted with severe arthritis and other ailments that come with old age, which make it very difficult for her to move. I must confess that I considered putting her to sleep instead of taking her on the trip, for I was afraid that not knowing what to expect from being on the road for so long, she would suffer far beyond her already daily struggle. Herb was absolutely opposed and I am so glad I followed his advice. Lady’s spirit and resilience were incredibly inspiring to the both of us. She just wanted to be part of it all. No matter what, even if it was exhausting and/or painful to her. She gave us the gift of the great memories that will forever remain with us once her time on this earth is up.

We feel blessed that such a long trip went so smoothly, especially for two novices who are used to airports, hotels and guides. Our most dangerous encounters with nature were limited to mosquitos eating my legs up for six weeks, a skunk that wandered into our campsite, and thankfully, the spray got Rocky only on the nose (otherwise he would have had to move into the back of the truck for rest of the trip), and a wolf that snuck behind Rocky while walking one evening after dinner in the campground but decided to just check us all out and then go on its merry way to the dumpster. So, are we going to do it again you may ask? Most likely we will take a trip this fall to Maine and perhaps eastern Canada. But, will RV’ing become a lifestyle for us? That is yet to be determined. What I know for sure is that I fell madly in love with the Rockies, particularly with Montana. It is a complete different lifestyle from what I am used to. It is about space, nature, simplicity and freedom from the craziness of our very busy world. There is something very alluring about exploring the possibilities of a life like that. Who knows, maybe I will be writing about it one day.

For now, the only thing I can say for sure is that this was indeed an adventure of a lifetime and a life changing experience.

Thank you for letting me share the ride with you.

A Canada's Tale in Pictures

Vancouver 

The perfect city! The seawall lines the entire city with parks, bike paths and landmarks. The vibe is cosmopolitan but in a super chilled way. It is a place built for people to enjoy life.

Calgary

Calgary was not on our original itinerary. But after hearing from several people that we "MUST" be part of the annual Calgary Stampede we changed our plans and drove south. It is called the biggest outdoor show in the world and I think they are right. The entire town shuts down for opening day and everyone dresses in western wear. It was truly something to see.

It all starts with the parade and then it is rodeo time!

Banff

Nestling peacefully in one of the most picturesque settings of the Canadian Rockies is the little town of Banff, a town that is lavishly endowed by nature with some of the most awe-inspiring scenery to be found upon the earth.

The Icefield Parkway

The highway that connects Banff and Jasper is said to be the most beautiful drive in the world. For us it was beyond spectacular. A bucket list moment that will never be forgotten.

The Glaciers were so incredibly majestic that we decided to spend the night in the parking lot of the visitor center. Contemplating not only their beauty, but thinking about the time when a third of the US was covered by them and now they are on their way to extinction. By 2030, these 5,000 years old glaciers will have dissapeared. I cannot imagine the impact on the ecosystem,