Canada Day 2017 vibes

Canada Day this year was awesome! It fell on a Saturday and the Riders were playing their home opener against the Bombers. Pretty exciting right? But Kerry and I weren’t heading to the stadium that weekend, we were headed down to Regina for a different important matter – watching my good friend and former PR classmate Andrea get married!

It’s been 10 years since the ‘PR kids’ last took classes together and hung out, but some things just never change. Congratulations Andi and Daniel – your special day was amazing!

Once the wedding festivities were complete we still had a big long weekend ahead of us. So we did as we always do – found something active to do! We were camped in Lumsden (one of the prettiest places on the planet in my opinion) and the Trans-Canada Trail (also known as The Great Trail) runs through the area. So we packed our bikes and headed out on a wee bit of a back-country adventure.

I’ve never had the desire to ride through a farmer’s field, or to ride through trails closed in by trees, so this adventure was the closest thing I’ll ever do to true mountain biking. The views were absolutely worth it at the end of the day though, and I am grateful for those farmers and ranchers that participate and support the Trans-Canada Trail program. I’m so glad that we had the chance to spend the weekend amongst friends, and also the ability to enjoy one of my favourite spots in Saskatchewan.

August long weekend on the Icefields Parkway

The last big epic adventure that summer brought was an extra long August long weekend. I took an extra day off work to complement a floating stat in our office and ended up with five days off in a row. Kerry and I decided to head to the mountains to chase more trails and hiking before fall set in.

One of the things that has been on my Canadian bucket list for years was to drive the highway between Jasper and Lake Louise – the Icefields Parkway. We decided to take the August long weekend, pack the car and head west, with a quick overnight stop and visit in Edmonton, before heading towards Jasper National Park and our first stop for the night at the Pocahontas campground.

Located by the Miette Hot Springs, Pocahontas was a little gem of a campground close within the Jasper National Park gates, with secluded spots and a fun little trail to Punchbowl Falls and beyond that we hiked before a thunderstorm moved in and kept us drenched for the rest of the evening.

The next morning we shook out our wet tent, packed up our gear and headed to places I hadn’t seen since I was 18 including Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake and the town of Jasper proper. While the weather was still gloomy and rainy, there was still lots to appreciate and we went for a bit of a walk-about through Maligne Canyon just to soak in the beauty of nature.

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From Jasper we turned onto Highway 93 heading south – we had finally made it onto the Icefields Parkway – my bucket list item was about to be recognized. We were blessed with a wee bit of sunshine as we drove, so we pulled over to explore Athabasca Falls. To me the Falls seemed angrier, perhaps fuelled by the large amounts of rain we’d had so far.They were awe-inspiring regardless. We had to keep pressing on to our next campground for the night – Jonas Creek. We pulled in just in time as by the time we got our tent and tarp up, the skies started to open again. We had a quick supper and went for a wander around the campground, but we decided to turn in early as we were cold and tired.

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Sunday dawned warmer, sunnier and drier than we’d seen so far on our trip, so we made the most of it. We backtracked a bit up Highway 93, back to Sunwapta Falls. There’s nothing like more rushing waterfalls first thing in the morning, especially when there are fewer tourists about. We took some selfies, felt the mist on our faces and it rejuvenated us enough for the next leg of our trip.

We were climbing into some seriously pretty parts of the mountains, getting closer to another bucket list destination – the Columbia Icefield, home to Athabasca Glacier. We stopped at the foot of the glacier to layer up and then got as close as we could on foot to this icy giant. We definitely were not disappointed with this stop. I was amazed at the sheer size of the glacier, but even more surprised and saddened to see how much the glacier had retreated in the last 100 years. We are in serious danger of losing these naturally occurring wonders.

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From the Columbia Icefield we continued south to the Parker Ridge pull-over. Boasting a great little hiking trail from the parking lot, we headed out to stretch our legs and our lungs. When we reached the top of the ridge we again were rewarded with another gorgeous glacier – this time Saskatchewan Glacier. We grabbed a patch of grass, had a Clif bar and took in the beauty of the landscape around us. It was worth taking the time to stop and explore.

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We continued on to Waterfowl Lakes Campground for the rest of the day and enjoyed our first fire and warm’ish weather in two days. We couldn’t have been more thrilled (and I may have overdone it with my bushpie maker). It still felt nice to sit by our first campfire in two days – we soaked it all in.

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On the holiday Monday we continued our trek south, with our final camping destination in mind – Johnston Canyon Campground. On our way we stopped at the Peyto Lake parking lot but stopped only briefly to admire the lake before shaking off the busloads of tourists and continuing on with our hike up to Bow Lake Summit. Once upon a time a fire tower used to be located at the top of the hill and we managed to find some old anchors and timber from the original structure. Again, we had the most beautiful view and we were all alone, except for one very curious hoary marmot.

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We had hoped to hike the upper falls at Johnston Canyon, but had totally underestimated how busy the park would be on the holiday Monday. We abandoned that plan and instead headed towards Marble Canyon in the Kootenays to hike the trails there. It was a perfect afternoon in the sunshine, and was a fitting end to our hiking adventure.

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Once back from Marble Canyon we hit our campsite, set up camp for the night and enjoyed our first shower in a few days. It was glorious! We made a quick detour into Banff to restock some of our food and beverages, and then we invited our friends Dave and Amy over for supper. Nothing beat BBQ, salad, beverages and good friends. We couldn’t have asked for a more fitting way to end our week. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to see Alberta’s beauty by car and by foot, and I can’t wait to retrace my steps again in the future.

Ted and Nisa said ‘I do’

So I’m still working on this blog catch-up thing, but I’m staying committed to it – so won’t you come along with me for the next instalment?

At the end of May, pretty much right after I had finished hiking to Grey Owl’s Cabin, I took a week of vacation and went on an epic road trip. From Saskatoon to Calgary to Lethbridge, all the way down to Bigfork, Montana – to gorgeous Flathead Lake.

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The trip was two-fold. I was on vacation, and I was going to a totally new place, but the reason for the trip was to see Ted and Nisa get married. In fact, it was to marry them! It was a fantastic week, just the four of us, Ted, Nisa, me and their friend Aric.

There were hours lounging in the sun by the lake.

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There were day trips to Kalispell and Whitefish (with plenty of breweries to stop at along the way).

There were spectacular sunsets each night.

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And there was the most delicious view to wake up to each and every morning.

Then there was the big day – June 1, 2016. The day that Ted and Nisa said ‘I do’. I am humbled to have been a part of their special day. Their love for one another runs so deep.

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I look forward to watching their relationship grow and see where the road takes them throughout the years. Thank you again Ted and Nisa for the most memorable week ever!

Family Day get-away

So last month Kerry and I snuck away for the Family Day long weekend and headed to Edmonton to spend some time with friends Ted and Nisa to talk about their upcoming wedding this summer.

While we were there we visited the Ice Castle and later that evening we enjoyed a visit with Chef Matt Phillips and dinner at Lux Steakhouse + Bar. Perfect weekend start to finish!

 

New Year, Old Habits

It’s 2016! A fresh, shiny new year filled with so much potential, opportunity and awaiting adventure.

My resolution for this year? Get back into some of the old habits that used to bring me the most joy, mostly blogging. It’s been months since I last posted, but I realized recently how much I missed writing and sharing. So, to kick off the new year and this great resolution I thought I would share how I spent New Year’s.

New Year’s Eve had me Alberta-bound with new friends Kerry and Ashley. After a brief vehicle break-down in Kindersley (some unwanted stress but plenty of laughter) we managed to make Calgary by late-afternoon to drop off Ashley while Kerry and I continued on to Canmore. We were going to be spending the next four days with my excellent friends Dave and Amy, ringing in the New Year with their friends.

New Year’s Day saw warming temperatures and bright blue sky, so after breakfast at Summit Cafe, Dave, Amy, Kerry and I met up with more friends in Banff for some skating. I can’t describe how lovely and storybook perfect it was to be outdoors, enjoying winter in the mountains.

Later on that evening Amy, Kerry and I went a night ski on a lit trail at the Canmore Nordic Centre. I think cross-country skiing is truly my happy place, and with the mild winter we’ve had in Saskatchewan, this was our first opportunity to get out on the sticks. We ended the evening back at Dave and Amy’s enjoying some charcuterie, wine and Lip Sync Battle.

Saturday in Canmore kicked off with brunch with Dave, Amy, me, Kerry and four of my other favourite people – Courtney & Rodney and Paisley & Jamie! I am so fortunate to have such great friends like Courtney and Paisley, who would take time out of their schedules to come to Canmore and meet with me. I’m so glad we could spend some time together. After brunch Kerry and I decided to don our snowshoes and tackle the trails at a favourite hike of mine – Stanley Glacier.

We weren’t the only ones on the trail that day and our snowshoes gave us great purchase on the steep hike up the mountain. We made it as far as the creek at the top – basically where the forest slips into rocky mountain, but we had done half the hike so we considered the day a super success!

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Not quite ready to call it a day, we stopped at Johnston Canyon to do a quick hike to the Lower Falls. I can’t believe in all of my trips to the mountains I have never visited Johnston Canyon – it’s spectacular! I can’t wait to go back and do the full hike there.

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Saturday evening was spent at the “Canmore condo” with Paisley and Jamie catching a quick visit before we all packed up and headed home the next day. Thank you Dave and Amy for your wonderful hospitality – I always appreciate time spent with you. Thank you Rodney and Courtney, Paisley and Jamie for making time to visit with us, and thank you Ashley and Kerry for making the trip to and from the mountains a lot of fun! To the next adventure!!!

 

Bridges and bicycling, another great day in P.E.I.

On my first full day in P.E.I. I knocked a huge item off my bucket list, visiting Green Gables. I wasn’t finished though, I had another sacred spot that I had to visit before I left the island – the Confederation Bridge. I woke up early the next morning, headed to Tim Hortons for a road coffee and some breakfast, and then headed west on the Trans-Canada highway towards the town of Borden-Carleton, the last stop for people leaving P.E.I. headed to New Brunswick. It wasn’t quite the sunrise photos I had hoped to capture but it was still early. I had the park to myself and I spent a few minutes taking in the majesty of the bridge with the sun glinting off the water. Alone with the bridge that connects us all

I hustled back to Charlottetown, dropped off my rental and enjoyed a brisk walk back to my hotel. I had enough time to change, answer some work emails, and then I was off on a bicycle tour with other conference delegates for the rest of the afternoon.

The pink dotted line from Morell to St. Peter’s Bay shows the trail we biked. From St. Peter’s Bay to Greenwich we took the highway.

We were bussed from Charlottetown to the town of Morell where a trailer full of mountain bikes greeted us. We were matched with bicycles and helmets and then set off down the Confederation Trail. The weather was perfect for the start of October on the island as we cycled past mussel farms on our left, while soybean fields passed by to our right.
We stopped for a water and snack break at St. Peter’s Bay before tackling a hill and riding on to Greenwich Dunes in Prince Edward Island National Park. We ditched our bicycles to do some hiking in to the dunes on foot. What an experience we had, walking across bogs on floating docks, then scaling the dunes to be met with the most amazing view.
We dipped our toes in the cold ocean water and we snapped group photos before piling back on the bus for the trip back to Charlottetown and an evening welcome mixer. Again, we managed to pack what felt like an entire week’s worth of adventure into one day. That trip to the dunes was probably one of the most sublime of the whole trip.

I found a kindred spirit in P.E.I.

Work has been busy this fall as we get into our most hectic time of the year. From harvest until seeding we’ll be busy organizing and planning all manner of communications, focused on what’s new for our growers. Part of my role is getting to know agricultural reporters, freelance writers and journalists across Canada, so I was thrilled to be able to attend the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation conference this year in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

I arrived a bit ahead of the conference just so I could get in some of my own sight-seeing. On my first full day in Charlottetown I picked up a rental car and headed off to fulfill a bucket list item – visiting the town of Cavendish, setting for the international best seller Anne of Green Gables book series. The drive there was delightful, the countryside was in full fall colour and there were plenty of picturesque farms to stop and snap with a camera.

Once in Cavendish it was easy to slip back in time to the pages of a book. My tour started off at the site of Anne of Green Gables author, L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish home. Still tended by her great-grandson, John Macneill, I had a lovely chat with his wife Jennie and she told me all about the history of the author and the home.

This is all that is left of L.M. Montgomery’s childhood home.

I wandered through the gardens and fields that Montgomery used to walk, straight down to The Haunted Wood, a copse I remembered reading about as a young girl. In the sunlight the paths seemed much less threatening, and eventually the Haunted Wood deposited me at the foot of the house I’d dreamt about as a child, the famed and fabled Green Gables.

It was just as I had pictured it would be, filled with charm and history, showing itself to thousands every year, but yet still never quite revealing all of its secrets.

I took a final stroll down Lover’s Lane and wandered the grounds and the barnyard one last time before bidding my childhood memories goodbye.

A friendly local at the Cavendish post office told me the best place to view the red cliffs of Cavendish beach, so I drove down the Gulf Shore Parkway until I found the perfect place to stop. The wind was up and the beach was deserted, but the tang of the ocean with the red cliffs made the moment so beautiful.

My tour to Cavendish was brief as I had a performance to attend at The Guild back in Charlottetown. I went to see Anne & Gilbert: The Musical which chronicled Anne Shirley’s university years. The performance was amazing and made me want to bring out my books and start reading them again.

Finally, I capped the day off with a late lunch/early supper at The Pilot House, recommended by my colleague Rachel. I had to have something seafood, so I ordered a bowl of chowder to go with their famous balsamic baby back ribs.

Happy and tired after a full first day!

 

I was more than exhausted from the full day and I fell asleep that night knowing that the adventure had just begun, and that Prince Edward Island had me completely under its spell.

August Alberta vacation

Now that I’ve moved back to Saskatchewan vacations are done a bit differently. Previously, any vacation time I had tended to spent back at home in Saskatchewan visiting family and friends. Now the roles are reversed and with my first week of vacation since the move, I found myself back in Alberta catching up with friends in Edmonton and Calgary.

Summer for me isn’t complete without taking in the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. I’ve been threatening for years to take vacation time so I could take in the festival and this year I did exactly that. The weather was pleasant, the plays delivered on their promise (we managed to cram in eight shows) and I ran into more friends randomly then I ever would have if I still lived in Edmonton. Thank you Nisa for being a willing and fun Fringe partner-in-crime. I hope we can do this all again next year!

Fringe beer garden break with Jim and Nisa

I made a middle of the week stop in Calgary and had a fantastic time catching up with “the girls”. It was the first time we’d all been together in ages. There were more visits and meetings with friends that took me from lovely downtown Calgary, up to my alma mater Mount Royal University. Again, there were surprise run-ins with friends that I couldn’t have organized if I tried. I firmly believe that surprise visits are the best. Thank you to Courtney, Denise, Paisley, John B., John R., Carolee and Ashley for the visit time.



Finally I wound my visit up back in Edmonton with friends Sarah and Lech. There was time for some patio drinks with MACT classmates, one more Fringe play and an awesome afternoon at the Old Strathcona Antique Mall. Thank you friends for opening up your homes and for the quality time we spent together. I can’t wait to get back out there to see you again!

Ford Fiesta spices up a bitterly cold Alberta winter – Review

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to land another week of driving time with a great Ford vehicle – the 2014 Fiesta. The week I had the car was one of the coldest on record for Edmonton with icy streets, so the car really got a workout on all kinds of road conditions.

I’ll admit, I was interested to test drive the Fiesta again. I was given a 5-speed model to test drive back in 2009 and was a little disappointed as I found the engine a little under powered for highway driving. I didn’t have to worry with this latest 5-speed model; the 1.6 litre hatchback had more than enough power to make driving fun! I took it for a day-trip down to Sylvan Lake to visit my cousin again and was impressed at the smooth shifting of the manual transmission and the immediate pick-up. I’d love to give the 1.0-liter EcoBoost® engines a try when they come in.

What did I appreciate the most about this car during such a cold week? The heated seats. Actually the climate control system overall was amazing – it took no time to warm the whole car up. I also appreciated having the Sync system at my fingertips. Before heading down to Sylvan Lake I used Bluetooth to access playlists on my phone, and enjoyed my music on their quality speaker system.

I’m a hatchback lover and I really enjoyed this car. I would love to take this car out again in the summer, maybe for a camping trip, so I could load it up and see how much cargo it can fit. I found sight-lines clear so shoulder-checking while driving was a pleasurable experience. I did a little internet sleuthing and built a Fiesta loaded with all of the features I liked. The price was just a little over $21,000 CDN; definitely within my range!

It was just such a fun car to have for a week! Thank you again Ford Canada and Focus Communications for the opportunity.

Football, family and friends – Labour Day Classic

The Labour Day long weekend means catching some of the last warm days of summer. It also guarantees some of the best match-ups and rivalries the Canadian Football League can offer. I knew where I would be – in Regina watching the Roughriders take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I wasn’t alone this time; my cousin Jamie did the drive from Winnipeg to take in some “Saskatchewan hospitality”. I could easily see this becoming a yearly tradition for us!

I also got to meet Lesley, a fellow Saskatchewanite who lives in Edmonton and works at the University of Alberta. Twinsies anyone? Finally many thanks to my good PR friend Megan and her husband Ken for having Jamie and I over for a post-game BBQ. It was a perfect weekend from start to finish. 🙂