Still Driving....

Day 5-6 was another border crossing day! We were heading out of Manitoba and into Alberta. We had planned a 2 day stay in Drumheller - The Badlands of Alberta...with it's magnificiently wierd land formations and dinosaur bones, who wouldn't want to stay? Our drive was another easy one. I love these straight roads! What a concept! We veered off the Trans Canada to head into Drumheller. We drove by odd shaped hills and browned and blackened earth. It was driving onto a movie set. We had booked an inn which was a nice change from the chain hotels. We felt like we were staying with our grandparents as the hosts were lovely! We set out to see the World's Largest Dinosaur but as we lined up, the skies blackened and filled with flashes of light! Forked lightening streaked across the skies as a major storm rolled in. As the dinosaur is made of steel, it was closed down for the night! Ah well. We headed to a fmily restaraunt for dinner and set our itinerary for the next day. Our stay in Drumheller was filled with dinosaurs, reptiles, fossils, rocks and canyons. What an awesome adventure.

Touching a real footprint of a T-Rex!

Looking out the mouth of the World's Largest Dinosuar!

Day 7 meant one more long drive to get us closer to the border. It was another grey day. Heavy clouds hun overhead which made the mountains seem ominous, rather than welcoming and grandiose! We popped into Banff one last time and got some gas and made our way to our rest stop of Revelstoke. The name has a western town feel to it and I imagined cowboys and tumbleweeds! The day got increasingly grey and rainy which dampens the mood of travellers. The roads are tricky enough...add rain and it makes it an adventure...but at this stage of the holiday, my adventure tank was on low. Who am I kidding, It was empty. Tapped out ages ago. I was faking it for a long time! LOL! After a long stop at the scene of a car accident...not unnerving AT ALL...where we watched a car being towed up the side of the cliff...more fun...we headed into Revelstoke. The entrance into Revelstoke is cool. I will give it that. Big stone pillars with grizzle bears on them. Yes! It was cool. Revelstoke was grey. I think I need a new word...ashy. Revelstoke was definitely ashy. The weather didn't help, but as we walked the streets, in search of food, I couldn't help but think, "who actually lives here? Like, who made the conscious decision that this was their home and why?" It wasn't horrible, but besides skiing, which doesn't happen in the summer or Fall, what do people do here? Again...maybe I was overly influenced by the disgusting weather which turned the skies the colour of a lead pencil tip, smudged against the white of a well worn notebook, and made the mountains look like jagged lumps of coal, jutting out from the ashen, green grass. Yes. I think the weather ruined Revelstoke for me. Sorry Revelstoke. I am sure you're not half bad...on a good day!









Day 8 and we were heading for our last Canadian border crossing! British Columbia, here we come! I had this funny feeling that the moment we saw the border, we'd almost be there! Well...not so! This was the drive I was dreading I think I may have said this a few times now. Don't misunderstand me. I love that we drove this amazing distance and country, but it's ok to dislike things during the process of doing them. If not, then it's not real life and it's some cheesy soap on American Tv where collagen filled lips smile the fake smile that let's everyone now everything's ok and if it's not it doesn't matter because there can always be a re-write later! Today's destination was Kelowna. Mum and Dad shouted us a fancy, smancy hotel where there were the choice of pools and fun for the kids and time for us parents to sit and relax and NOT DRIVE! The Manateo Resort was fun and relaxing and worth it. It was the prefect last stay in a hotel room as it was POSH and clean and resorty...if I can say that! haha! We had the famous Okanagan fruit - blueberries that tasted like lollies and juicy apples! We had the best rest and were ready for our last drive. Our last day of packing lunches for the road. Our last day of avoiding that question, which, luckily alluded us...."How much longer?" Well I can answer that question - 1 MORE DAY!!!!