So last night we were going to stop in Winnipeg to meet Morphy and Morgan for supper (it was nice to catch up) then head to Kenora, Ontario.

I should at this point mention that Neil and I did not make any reservations for this trip as we had wanted the freedom to stop and do whatever we wanted along the way... So we get to Kenora at midnight last night to discover that there were NO rooms available anywhere in town. It was also cold and our warm clothing buried in suitcases at the bottom of the truck... and it was dark so setting up our tent was not really sounding very fun... so after killing an hour (mostly due to the fact that Kenora does not have Vacancy / No Vacancy signs on their hotels -- we stopped for caffeine and a doughnut (sugar) -- pulled out the map and decided to drive to Dryden which was about 1.5 hours from Kenora. This time, thinking we were smart, I called the three major hotels in Dryden from the cell and found out they were all full as well... but continue on we did -- the alternative was sleeping in the truck and we could do THAT anywhere -- and we got there at 3AM only to stay at the Kowality Inn (no typo) -- the WORST kind of trashy motor lodge imaginable.

So after sleeping in this morning we altered our plans and went for a 3.5 hour day and drove to Thunder Bay. We stopped at Kekebeka Falls outside TB and they were really quite nice! Right now I am loving my CLEAN, NEW, BEST WESTERN FREE INTERENT room right now...

I'll put pics up later.
K

We have had the chance to visit with almost everyone (sorry Kendra -- Saturday just didn't work out.

I have gotten to:

• Prove I am a kind and caring person by letting Todd beat me at Canasta. You're Welcome!
• Hang out with my super cute nephew.
• Watch the Riders pull off a miraculous win on Sunday after playing terrible for the entire game (minus the last 3 minutes of the fourth quarter).
• Celebrate Neil's and Harry's birthdays!!

Friday night we arrived in Regina, our home town. Driving in Saskatchewan is on one hand very easy -- nothing but wide open road! On the other hand it is very boring...

Friday morning we were back on the road. Everyone always says that Alberta is so great and Saskatchewan is so boring --- well in terms of driving, once you are past Banff they are both boring. At least Saskatchewan doesn't stink like Brooks, AB.

Here is a clip from this part of the journey

I love BC. As far as awe inspiring places it is way up there. I love the way the mountains look blue off in the distance from the coast. I love the solitude that is found on the Gulf Islands. I love how ethnically diverse Vancouver is. I love that you can have a forest in your back yard. I love the Okanagan where wine and fresh fruit is plentiful. I could go on and on... I just think everywhere you look you find something beautiful.

So it was with a heavy heart that we left Vancouver on Wednesda. We travelled to Kelowna. From Kelowna, on Thursday we headed back up to the Trans Canada Hwy via Vernon and Sicamous. Once on the #1 we encountered major construction.... take a look:

We arrived in Calgary late that night. Thanks Mel & Jeff for the place to sleep!