August 25-Sept 5

 

 

Our time at Muncho Lake came to an end and it was time for us to turn around and start on our way home (sad face) L.  We travel slowly, I’m sure you’ve realized that by now.  We try to follow Jerry’s rule of three.  (So we’re not always moving and have time to visit/tour the areas we’re in.)  We plan to drive no more than 300 – 350 KMs a day, to be in the campsite by 3 pm and stay for 3 days.  That means we need enough time to get back to Guelph before all the campgrounds close.

 

We retraced our way back to Fort Nelson where we planned to stay just one night since we’ve been there a few times before – one of those exceptions to our rule.  However, we wanted to be sure not to miss the Testla Lake cinnamon buns this time.  While the pilot car was leading us through the construction, we detoured into the campground where we had a great lunch of homemade soup and bread.  We got some buns to go.  They have not faired well over Covid and with the construction outside their door things have been really slow.  In 2018 when we stopped the place was hopping and they were making more than 1000 cinnamon buns a day.  I have to say that the buns were OK but I don’t think they were fresh baked.  I hope things pick up for them.  They have a cute sign at the front door.

 

 

 

HoHoho

Back at the Triple G Hideaway Campground, we heard from a few people that there had been an accident on the Alaska Highway at the Sikanna Chief Bridge (just after suicide hill)  and that 97 was closed in both directions until further notice … there was no detour. 

 

In the morning we decided to pack-up and head south anyway and hope the bridge would be open when we got there.  If it wasn’t, there were a few options for us including boondocking in a layby if necessary.  However, when we stopped for gas, Jerry heard just how bad things were and we decided to wait before travelling down the highway.

 

We went to the visitor centre because there was good WiFi there to see what would be involved if the bridge wasn’t going to open soon.

 

The only viable alternative route would be through the NWT via Fort Liard and Enterprise and would add three days and about 1000 KMs to our trip. 

 

We decided to wait in Fort Nelson for further news and returned to our recently vacated campsite for another night to reconnoiter.

 

The accident was serious.  A tanker hauling flammable products collided with the bridge and started a huge fire.  The pictures on Drive BC were scary.  It took some time to determine if the driver had escaped but unfortunately, he perished.

 

They flew in engineers to assess the damage and updates were posted on Drive BC at various times.  We were checking the updates hoping the highway would be open.

 

Fortunately, by the next day, they were allowing one-lane traffic in alternating directions and controlling vehicles to cars and light trucks.  This did not include commercial trucking and no word about RVs.   We packed up and headed out anyway.

 

Once we got to the area, we had a wait in the hot sun.

Waiting for our turn at the bridge.  Traffic was one way, single lane, 3 at a time 150 m apart.

 

Unfortunately it also altered some of our reservations and we had to cancel our Hot Air Balloon flight in Grand Prairie.  This was Elizabeth’s birthday gift from 5 years ago and it has been cancelled either due to weather or Covid for 5 years … so it is delayed again.  It is usable in various locations across Canada and we thought this time it was going to happen.  It was really windy so it’s likely they didn’t fly anyway.  Maybe we’ll try again in Edmonton or Regina.

 

We camped again for only one night at a the Charlie Lake Rotary Campground and then continued into Alberta towards Grande Prairie.

 

Just a short deviation about travelling with a cat.  You have all read about my struggle with the cat hair floating everywhere in the truck and trailer despite brushing Misty often.  You just can’t get ahead of it in the small environs.  Misty has left parts of herself all over Canada.  Recently, we’ve had an additional annoyance added.  Jerry found some light weight Kitty Litter called Tidy Cat and figured it would be good to have less weight (right two less pounds – it would be better if I just lost the weight!).  This litter looks something like crumbs of Styrofoam and acts like it too.  It’s light it floats and seems to be charged … it sticks to Misty’s fur and paws and floats around.  We’ll be getting new litter ASAP and donating this stuff to a humane society I think.

 

We passed through Pouce Coupe.  A small town named after the Chief of the Beaver Nation, Pouskapie.  It was originally called Pouskapie's Prairie.  However, the French fur traders that settled here changed it into a French phrase that sounded like the chief’s name.  It translates to “cut thumb.”  Things we see or hear on the road often starts us off speculating about completely unrelated things.  In this case I asked Jerry why some cars are called coupes after singing the chorus of “My Little Deuce Coupe” of course.

 

We also passed through Beaverlodge – a small village not too far from Grande Prairie.  Everything of course was called Beaver this or Beaver that.  One place, a hair salon, was particularly unusual – The Sheared Beaver.  There were a few comments in the truck.  The GPS indicated that up ahead was a statue of a giant beaver.  Of course we stopped.  Jerry was disappointed.

 

 

There is an historic agricultural research station in Beaverlodge established in the early 1900s.  It is still functioning today, focusing on bees and Saskatoon berries.  We learned that after WWII, this research station was responsible for making Canola Oil palatable for human consumption and developing the market.  Before their research and modifications, canola oil was used for lubricating machinery and was in high demand during the war years.  The Peace River Valley is a mainly agricultural area.

 

On our way into Grande Prairie we stopped so Jerry could give Miss Too and Clifford a bath at the rather huge Car Wash facility at the edge of the city.  Clean and sparkling we headed to our destination, Camp Tamarack RV Park.  Just like any Canadian city, Grande Prairie is under construction almost everywhere.  It was long before the dust settled on our new washed vehicles.  Sigh.

 

Camp Tamarack is a really nice place outside the city limits and we had a great site with trees and shade.

 

Grande Prairie is a fairly young city – about 100 years old and has grown rapidly.  The population is almost 70,000 in 2022.  We biked about 15 kms on paved trails in Muskoseepi Park, greenspace that follows Bear Creek and runs through the centre of the city.  It has a lot going for it, a water park, swimming pool, skate board park, a beautiful pavilion and a heritage museum – all free.

 

The next day we cycled a 20 km round trip to “Cora’s” for brunch and Shoppers Drug Mart for, you know, drugs.

 

We took a free bus tour of the city run by the Grande Prairie Rotarians.  Rotarians are very strong here with 5 active groups and over 1000 members.  The tour was interesting even though it had a definite business development focus and highlighted the Rotary projects. However, it was very uncomfortable in the school bus with the evening sun beating in on us and no leg room between the seats that were so high you couldn’t see over them.  We were each provided a small paper fan in lieu of air conditioning and a bottle of water.  I’m glad we didn’t pay.

 

There is a huge silver sculpture in front of the visitor centre and I had been wondering what it was.  Well we got an answer on the tour.  It’s a giant Sundial.  The largest working sundial in the world.

 

 

The camp was nice and we decided to stay here for five nights – we were tired of packing up and moving along.  Besides we had chores to do as well as enjoying the bike trails in the city.

 

Grande Praire – Whitecourt (one night only) – Acheson

 

The drive from Grande Prairie to Acheson (just outside Edmonton) was uneventful.  One good thing, they have very regular and spacious rest areas along the way.  We landed in Edmonton and encountered another heat wave 35-36 °C!

 

The Edmonton campground had the amenities we wanted but was in the middle of an industrial area so not much to see … except it was only 20 minutes to the West Edmonton Mall.  

 

Neither Jerry nor I enjoy shopping but how can you be so close to the second largest mall in North America and not go?  We went there on Sunday.  It was busy!  It’s a place worth seeing once for sure.  Huge, the largest in the world?  Depends on how you interpret largest.

 

From Wikipedia:

West Edmonton Mall (WEM) is a shopping mall located in Edmonton, Alberta that is owned, managed, and operated by Triple Five Group. It is the second most visited mall in Canada,^[6]after the Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, followed by Metrotown Mall in Burnaby,^[7] and the 23rd largest in the world (along with The Dubai Mall) by gross leasable area.^[8] It is currently the 2nd largest shopping mall, by square footage, in North America behind the Mall of America. Mall of America encompasses 5.6 million square feet^[9] and West Edmonton Mall encompasses 5.3 million square feet.^[10] By store count, West Edmonton Mall is the highest in the Western Hemisphere as it currently counts over 800 occupants, in comparison to Mall of America's 520 occupants.^[11]The mall was founded by the Ghermezian brothers, who emigrated from Iran in 1959.^[12] The mall's major anchor stores are Hudson's Bay, London Drugs, Marshalls, Simons, The Brick, and Winners/HomeSense.

West Edmonton Mall covers a gross area of about 490,000 m² (5,300,000 sq ft).^[3] It holds over 800 stores and services including nine attractions, two hotels and over 100 dining venues in the complex,^[13][14] and parking for more than 20,000 vehicles.^[4] More than 24,000 people are employed at the property. The mall receives about 32 million visitors per year; it attracts between 90,000 and 200,000 shoppers daily, depending on the day and season. 

Galaxyland – I couldn’t wait to get out of this amusement park – so loud!

 

I knew I wouldn’t be able to walk far so we indulged in a rented scooter so I could make my way around the place.  It has a lot of unusual things for a mall.  Like, a centrally located ice rink; Galaxyland – an amusement park with rollercoasters, trains and other rides; a waterpark with a wave pool and a flow rider; an aquarium complete with a performing seal; a pirate ship; mirror mazes and race track … as Jerry said, you have to see it; once.

 

We enjoyed Lego Land, watching the skaters and the seal.  However, I was hoping that it somehow would be different maybe have great art or beautifully designed buildings but it’s just a really big mall with lots of the same stores you see in other malls.  

Performing Seal 

Wave Pool at Water Park

OK there were a few sculptures.

 

Ice Rink

 

I think I saw this somewhere else...oh ya...reminds me of...a cruise LOL

 

 

 

Lego store

 

Labour Day Monday, the temperature dropped to a reasonable 20-22°C.  Very nice.

 

We continue to move east with a stop at a local cycle shop that specializes in recumbent trikes.

 

So long for now.

Love from,

Jerry, Elizabeth, Misty, FJ (Flat Jesus), the Guys, Miss Adventure Too, and Clifford the Big Red Truck.