My Week In Canada

It has been several years since I went up to visit Canada, but a couple of weeks ago, my parents and I drove up to visit my Aunt.

When I was a kid, we would take a long drive almost every year to Canada for vacation time, to visit some of my extended family members.   It was not an overly exciting place as a kid to visit, but there were a few things I liked.  I have a better appreciation now for the natural beauty, among other things.

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, our trip turn out to be about 4 hours longer than it should have.  Because of this, we wound up staying a brief night in Cranbrook, Canada, called The Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort.  It was so late, only the restaurant bar was open for food.  I ordered some wings covered with Birds and Bees sauce (which was salted honey).   I would describe them as "wings with honey and fairy dust."  They were that good.  The celery was okay.

We had planned to be at my aunt's place the day we left.  It didn't happen that way.  In order to see one of my cousins, we got up super early, and were on our way...

This area (below) is known as Frank's Slide, due to a devastating disaster in 1903, that buried a town, in Frank, Alberta.  I was told (decades ago) that one little girl was the only sole survivor.  It was chilling to drive through that area every time.  Being a little girl, back when I heard the story, made me wonder what it was like to be the only survivor of something so horrible.  After doing some research, I have come to find today, that there were more survivors than just one.  Still devastating, though.  For years, only the rock remained of the tragic slide, covering each side of the highway.  Over time, trees are now forming on some of the rubble, and the Earth is starting to heal.

Right after Frank's Slide, a cute little church stands.  It's surroundings has changed throughout the years, and it has had a few renovations, but it is basically the same place I remember as a kid.

Also along the way, is the world's largest truck:

There are many sign warnings for moose, but we didn't see any this trip.

We did see a whole bunch of deer, however.  That was fun.

Here are a few photos from a small museum in Claresholm, Alberta.

One photo I was hoping to get a better picture of, didn't quite compare to the one I took several years ago, when cameras still used film.  This was Lethbridge then:

This is Lethbridge, now.  My photo is more clear, and true to color, but the flowers are more sparse, and the setup is less fancy.

Another area of the garden, then:

...and now (the other side).

It is still nice to see, but not as grand as it once was.

Even though we stayed in Canada for about a week, the visit seemed brief.  I enjoyed my time there, and enjoyed seeing old sights.  It is good to be home now.

( Last four photos are back in the states, in or near Bonners Ferry, Idaho).

To read about this year's Bite of Seattle click here.