Nothing, and I mean nothing, says "you're not in Europe anymore" like South Edmonton Common. Surely if there is a hell on God's green little Earth, here it lies. A deep maze of vast and adjacent parking lots surrounded by lifeless big box outlets, roads that go nowhere and chain restaurants serving up processed, pre packaged calories in synthetic interiors. Everyone drives. Not a pedestrian, bike or dwelling anywhere in site. People come here to shop. Not f...

Waiting in the Via Train station to catch the eastbound. We're in car 220 right behind the dining car. Girls will be tired by the time we get into our bunks. Well wake up somewhere tomorrow in Saskatchewan where, as I've explained to the girls, you can sit on the porch and watch your dog run away for three days. Had a great visit in Drumheller and the badlands. Wow, who knew there were so many dinosaurs in Alberta. Were the PCs still in power here back th...

Well after 5500 km of driving, tomorrow morning we ditch our van and head out on our own. The van will stay with Mike and Anne Hansen in Lethbridge and we will pick it up when we fly into Calgary next summer. We've had such an awesome visit with these guys. The kids all got along famously and have started what should be lifelong friendships. Mike and Anne were incredible hosts in every way. Tomorrow morning all their four fabulous kids start school. It is v...

The words of that great Tom Russell tune "Blue Wing" have been running through my head for the entire trip: "They paroled Blue Wing in August, 1963. He made his way picking apples to the town of Wenatchee." We passed through Wenatchee en route from North Cascades National Park to Glacier National Park in Montana. After a great family visit with my Dad, my brother and his awesome family in Seattle we headed north on I5 to catch highway 20 through the Cascade m...