I had teased Sal about an early start to the drive home all day Friday and she surprised me by being awake at 6:00 am. I downed a quick black coffee, we had goodbye hugs and we were ready to go. Everybody was up to see us off which made leaving a little easier. That and the fact that we would see them all again in less than a week.
We were on the road by 6:50 Calgary time under cloudy skies that would rain lightly most of the morning. The now familiar towns breezed by, Medicine Hat, Swift Current, Maple Creek, Regina. A perfect day for driving as it stayed cool until we got to Manitoba. The sun appeared as we approached the border and after the adventure with the lady in the tin foil hat I got to see the wind farm at Moosomin in daylight. It was much less eerie but there's still something about the size and the slow rotation of the arms that chills me.
We arrived in Brandon at about 5:30 local time after almost 11 hours on the road and just under 1100 kilometres. We went to Montana's after showering and shared a burger, a few appetizers and a dessert that was less than spectacular. Sleep came easy.
Sunday morning saw us up and gone by 7:00 again. We stopped for coffee, gas and breakfast sandwiches in Winnipeg but not for long. Timmy's might not be the best food but at least it is consistent across the country, except for Dryden. Traffic both days was very light. Even in Ontario we had very few tie ups that passing lanes didn't solve quickly. I have to say I would rather drive across Saskatchewan than Ontario any day.
Yes the prairies can be flat and boring. Around Winnipeg the complete lack of any hills is a bit tedious. But further west the rolling hills and big wide views are very calming especially on days like we witnessed. Saskatchewan calls it the 'living sky' and it truly is. With partial cloud and 180 degree views from the drivers seat, the landscape is dotted with sunny patches and shaded pastures, bright yellow of fields of canola shining in sunlight against a sky that is bruised with purple and blue. Look to the south and the sky is clear blue, to the east huge clouds with bright white candy floss tops and in the north clouds that are so close to the ground you could disappear into them dumping rain onto the hills that rise up to meet them. Herds of cattle dot the hills and there's always the question "what did that lone cow over there do to be shunned by the rest of the herd?" Small stands of trees protecting farms big and small. There's always something to look at even if its is 20 kilometers away on the horizon. As a bonus the highway is 100% divided from the Manitoba border to the Pacific. Ontario should have taken care of this long before it became a have not province.
It was good to get home but the trip was more than worth the driving time which I kind of look forward to. Getting to spend two weeks with Mike and his family will never be boring, riding in Banff was exhilarating and hugging Sal after 6 weeks apart was the best.
We were on the road by 6:50 Calgary time under cloudy skies that would rain lightly most of the morning. The now familiar towns breezed by, Medicine Hat, Swift Current, Maple Creek, Regina. A perfect day for driving as it stayed cool until we got to Manitoba. The sun appeared as we approached the border and after the adventure with the lady in the tin foil hat I got to see the wind farm at Moosomin in daylight. It was much less eerie but there's still something about the size and the slow rotation of the arms that chills me.
We arrived in Brandon at about 5:30 local time after almost 11 hours on the road and just under 1100 kilometres. We went to Montana's after showering and shared a burger, a few appetizers and a dessert that was less than spectacular. Sleep came easy.
Sunday morning saw us up and gone by 7:00 again. We stopped for coffee, gas and breakfast sandwiches in Winnipeg but not for long. Timmy's might not be the best food but at least it is consistent across the country, except for Dryden. Traffic both days was very light. Even in Ontario we had very few tie ups that passing lanes didn't solve quickly. I have to say I would rather drive across Saskatchewan than Ontario any day.
Yes the prairies can be flat and boring. Around Winnipeg the complete lack of any hills is a bit tedious. But further west the rolling hills and big wide views are very calming especially on days like we witnessed. Saskatchewan calls it the 'living sky' and it truly is. With partial cloud and 180 degree views from the drivers seat, the landscape is dotted with sunny patches and shaded pastures, bright yellow of fields of canola shining in sunlight against a sky that is bruised with purple and blue. Look to the south and the sky is clear blue, to the east huge clouds with bright white candy floss tops and in the north clouds that are so close to the ground you could disappear into them dumping rain onto the hills that rise up to meet them. Herds of cattle dot the hills and there's always the question "what did that lone cow over there do to be shunned by the rest of the herd?" Small stands of trees protecting farms big and small. There's always something to look at even if its is 20 kilometers away on the horizon. As a bonus the highway is 100% divided from the Manitoba border to the Pacific. Ontario should have taken care of this long before it became a have not province.
It was good to get home but the trip was more than worth the driving time which I kind of look forward to. Getting to spend two weeks with Mike and his family will never be boring, riding in Banff was exhilarating and hugging Sal after 6 weeks apart was the best.
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