Road trip 1, part b
A computer crash ate the earlier stuff, but here are some of the emails and pictures I sent out during part of the first road trip. This starts in Edmonton and goes into Oregon, but with huge gaps in the pictures. If I run across anything else I’ll post that, too.
May do the same trip again in a year or two. On a motorcycle so I can stop just about anywhere to take pictures.
Aug 25, 2008 [Edmonton, Alberta, Canada]
Yesterday watched the Dragon Boat races on the North Saskatchewan River and can report that the Drag(on) Queens lost (see photo).
Today went to a “music festival” at the Ukrainian Village and was disappointed. Here’s the village:
Right click then select “view image” to see a larger version of images then if there’s a magnifier, use it to see them larger still. Use the browser Back button to return.
Instead of the costumed ethnic dancers I expected saw a bunch of old guys playing polkas.
Worse, the food wasn’t nearly as good or authentic as Nicole and Jacqui made. The holobtsi, for instance, used sweet cabbage wraps around tasteless white rice drizzled upon with a weak tomato sauce. The perohy were oily and filled with cheddar, something nobody here in Alberta had heard of at the time the village is supposed to exist in (about the 1920’s and 30’s, with constructs from earlier in the century).
The buildings were a bit better.
The white house is similar to the one I grew up, except that mine had a thatched roof like the barn in this photo.
The house is about 32 feet wide and maybe 18-20 feet deep. It’s made of logs that are plastered over with a mud-and-straw mix then it is “calcimined” to get the color layer. The layout of this house is similar to my old home. You walk into a vestibule that’s about 8 feet wide and extends to the back of the house. On the right is “the big room” (yes, we called it that), although it’s only about 18 x 12. On the left, the space is divided into two rooms, each about 12 feet by 10 feet. One of these is the kitchen. That’s it. Amazing, but my family somehow survived it J
Since that was a dud, went on to see Fort Edmonton. That’s down on the flats running through the city, right on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. Kind of a big place, interesting to walk through. The most interesting thing might have been the advice a young couple gave me when they found out I was headed for Vancouver – look up Salt Spring Island. Apparently it’s a great place to get a tan all over, but I’m afraid that’s not for me so I’ll stick to museums and totem poles.
The city is great. Here’s a shot of the river valley that runs right through it:
You may not be able to see that because it’s a panorama, but try expanding to full screen.
Off to the mountains on Tuesday sunrise, so this may be the last you hear from me for several days.
Aug 27, 2008 [Jasper National Park, Canada]
It snowed last night and it’s colder than whatever out here now.
The good news is that I camped at about 3600 feet above sea level and the snow came down to only 5500. Here’s a shot from near my campground (cold and overcast today):
And this is a closer view from down the road:
These shots are typical of both sides of the highway, and I’m only barely into Jasper Park, Cyrina, and not at the real mountains yet J
I just keep turning corners and saying “Holy Cow” or something similar over and over.
Wow. I’ve got a bunch of pictures and want to keep stopping again and again. I’m going to have to think this out then maybe get back here next year and do a decent job on this.
Later.
Aug 28, 2008 Dullsville, otherwise known as Radium hot Springs, BC
Leaving tomorrow, nothing to see here, so here’s a typical shot from two days ago on the way down from Jasper:
Dull, hazy lighting but I think you get the idea – totally awesome leg of the trip. That whole distance from Jasper to Lake Louise is in a river valley with mountains rising steeply on your left, rising just as steeply from the other side of the river on your right, behind you and ahead of you. Probably the most striking mountain route in North America.
If you ever get the chance, do it. I may do it again next year, with a couple of changes.
First, I’d do it around May so the rivers are full and the waterfalls are really working. Then, I’d start in the south and head north, entering from Calgary rather than Edmonton. That way I’d get the sunny side rather than the shaded side of the scenery as I drove.
Sept 13, 2008 On the Oregon coast now
Same place, same time, different clicks (should be at least 8×10’s but maybe if you maximize your email window…):
Th-th-that’s all, folks – the computer ate the rest.