Day 18: Today’s the day, West Coast meets East Coast…

October 8th, 2022. Today’s the day!

We woke up today refreshed and ready for the days travels. It’s a bit of a jaunt, being just over 7 hours and a time change ahead as well. But we all know we will be getting into our temporary home tonight!

We hit up some McDonalds for the road and got to it. The day was glorious. Not only because we would finally arrive at our road trip destination, but because it was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was shining, the skies were blue and the energy in the car was restored. Although the temperature outside was cold, only 4 degrees celsius, our coldest morning yet. After 1 hour of driving, we were already in New Brunswick! Woohoo our 1st Maritime Province!

Though we would only be driving through New Brunswick today, we took note of the places we want to visit when we return. These travels to another province will be so much simpler since we won’t have to take a ferry. High five to a $200 savings alone! Sorry BC Ferries, but I’ve paid for you for far too long. I know, I know, what about PEI…well fine, I know I have the option to take a bridge, but I am willing to take that ferry to visit. And I can hardly wait.

Travelling along hwy 2 is a treat. New Brunswick has an abundance of trees as far as you can see. Continuous views of yellow, orange and gold, just hills upon hills with deep enclosed vales. It is so incredibly beautiful. So much so that, New Brunswick nearly stole my heart and we thought maybe we should also be looking here. Plus…it boasts the Worlds Largest Axe, in Nackawic, NB standing at 49ft tall. Did I see it, you ask? NO, at this point Chris would stop for no one haha. He was done with sightseeing and driving location to location! And so, Onward we go, mere hours from home.

As we passed Sackville, and made our way to the Nova Scotia border, finally seeing our first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean. Here; the waters we are seeing is through a branch off the Bay of Fundy, unsure of this ones official name, but there it was just off in the distance! We have waited for this moment since we set off nearly 3 weeks ago! Though it was fleeting, as the hwy carried us on, but I didn’t care. As our new home was right on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Atlantic would be on my doorstep for months to come.

It was just after 5:30pm when we finally crossed into our new Province of Nova Scotia! We zipped straight up to the Welcome Centre where the flags were flying and the sun was shining. We parked the Jeep and went right over to the Nova Scotia sign and took the family pics. We even met a couple from Minnesota who were getting ready to explore the province for the next 5 days. I was disappointed that the Welcome Centre itself was closed, meaning I wouldn’t be able to grab my postcards to send home and lapel pins…and then it hit me…I can grab these anytime. We are actually here…to stay!

From here; we still had another hour and 45 minutes until we would be home. So we carried on, now on the 104 of the Trans-Canada Hwy. Taking notice of the different county signs with their individual slogans and the wildlife. What was really paramount, was the devastation from Hurricane Fiona. Large sections of trees uprooted, trees blown over, others broken in half. And this was what we could see from the hwy. As we passed some homes, it changed to missing shingles, buildings blown over, trees blown down in front yards, and broken fences. Keep in mind; our arrival is now 2 weeks after the the hurricane hit. The aftermath we can currently see is still very evident, saddening and extreme.

We did notice as we left New Brunswick however, a convoy of military personnel was leaving Nova Scotia. And shortly after our arrival into Nova Scotia a convoy of linesmen from Quebec was now leaving, as well. A good sign that Nova Scotia, though a long way to go, was on the mend. But now, it was getting dark and we were getting closer to home. So how our area faired would have to wait until morning.

We finally arrived at 8:00pm after one missed turn, thanks to the dark. Unloaded our luggage and quickly explored the house before setting out again….this time for to outfit ourselves with blankets, towels and a few staples. We were back home by 9:00pm, and wouldn’t be heading again tonight.

Though it is late, and we are all tired, we are all happy to be here. Arriving safely, with all of our things, and my trusty Jeep still running well, even after many bumpy roads and potholes.

After 18 days, I am so proud and ecstatic to say that the four of us have now travelled 5,442.0 kms together. Gone through 8 Provinces. Experienced incredible wildlife moments. Visited so many of Canada’s great cities. Stayed in crappy hotels to luxurious ones. And were fortunate enough to also experience some of the Great White North’s greatest natural attractions, tourist attractions and heritage attractions!

So, I say goodnight as a traveller and with thanks for following along with us.

And this isn’t the end. This blog is called Operation Relocation…we may have moved, but we are not really relocated. We have much more exploring to do!!!

Cheers and xo.

Melanie

Day 13: Moose’s Big Day…not quite as planned…

We woke up in Sault Ste. Marie on Moose’s Birthday.

Once Moose was awake per our usual tradition, time to open Mom and Dads present. Moose opened the hidden box to find a new pair of black and blue ‘Jordan’s’. The brand of shoes he’s been keeping an eye on. Moose is one of those really special kids, he doesn’t jump and down and scream with crazy excitement, or even show disappointment if he is. He always shows his appreciation with a sweet ‘Thank You’ and a hug. For the Jordan’s, we got BIG hugs and quite a few Thanks Guys, followed by the immediate wearing of said shoes. Bowie picked something a bit unusual for a birthday gift, but not when you are giving to Moose: Crocodile Pepperoni. And he was thrilled haha.

We didn’t want to spend the day driving on Moose’s big day, so we planned a short drive (for us) 3 and a half hours to Sudbury. Here they had a really cool Interactive Science Centre with an Imax. We thought he’d have fun messing around with things and we could watch the Imax and keep his mind off of missing everyone.

Well, that backfired big time. Obviously, how could it not. He’s a teenager! What we hoped to avoid with fun and silliness inevitably happened. Moose got bummed out. For all of his birthdays we have had dinner at a restaurant of his choice with his Nana, Grandpa, Auntie and Uncle, and a party. I have always gone all out for the big party (usually at home, his preference) with his friends. Themed food and cakes, all home made and wacky games when he was younger. This year was different. We were alone. And he was alone, and at his age…we are not always enough. He had calls and texts all throughout the day, which helped I am sure. But the short drive…felt really long at that point.

So what do you do to cheer up a bummed out teen? Sing to him…nah doesn’t work anymore…Scream out to him when you see Amish people driving in their horse and buggy…Yes, that seemed to help. So I did…for at least 3 groups haha.

When we arrived in Sudbury, Moose saw his restaurant of choice. M.I.C Restaurant, “Made in Canada”. It was full of Canadiana and pictures of famous Canadians. Plus the food was excellent. Moose got the Bruschetta Pizza, and Bowie the MIC Burger. Our hotel, The Towneplace Suites, by Marriott, was right up the hill so we checked in. Moose went to have some more chats on his phone. Science Museum…nah. Imax…nah. He wasn’t into it.

So we all chilled in the pool and hot tub for a while. Then it was time for dinner. Our hotel room was the best one yet, on purpose. A great room for a great kid. In addition to a large living space we had a full kitchenette. So we decided to make him his own special dinner and have cake the old fashioned way.

It perked him up abit…and I’ll take it. It’s not lost on Chris and I that some days will be really hard. We had hoped to get him to Niagara Falls on his B-day, but it would have to wait for now…

Happy Birthday Moose, Thank you for being a trooper and weathering the strange birthday this year.

Xo Mom

Day 12: Today we drive, and drive and drive…

We checked out early from Valahalla Hotel and Conference Centre. Not because we didn’t enjoy our stay, we truly did. But, because today was the longest planned driving day we’ve done yet without any ‘stops’. Ontario is a very large province, it is HUGE. Actually it’s Canada’s second largest province “covering more than 1 million square kilometres (415,000 square miles) – an area larger than France and Spain combined.” If you’ve never looked at it, check out a map…She’s a big one!

We needed to make up some good time for 2 reasons. 1. Moose’s Birthday is tomorrow and we don’t want to spend the day driving for him, that’s a lame bday. 2. We’re on Day 12 guys…we’re ready to get some km’s in and get closer to Nova Scotia.

We are covering Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie, which is 699.6km and with no stops should take 7 and a half hours. So, of course, we stopped…25 minutes in. A worth while stop at The Terry Fox Memorial built to commemorate his Marathon of Hope. The park is a tranquil setting, you could bring a lunch and sit at the tables surrounded by trees and flowers. The Memorial itself is quite striking. It is Terry Fox mid-run, high upon a large concrete platform with each provinces coat of arms across the front. The impact the memorial had on the kids was quite immediate, having participated in Terry Fox runs since kindergarten. We took our time reading, walking about and looking out at Lake Superior.

As we continued on our way I’ll share a couple Ontario funny ‘road’ trip facts for you:

a) The road…is SPARKLY. Yes, at first I thought it was just glass. But…the sparkles went on…forever. So pretty!

b) The highway number road signs are in the shape of a crown! One of my favourite little things to watch for.

c) The roads…are in great condition! First time I’ve said that! Not to many bumps and grooves. And if there is, it’s already under construction on it.

As we continued on our way I kept hoping we’d pass a moose somewhere along the way, but alas, I’ll have to keep an eye out. Though we did passed these incredible Red Mountains along the way. The road construction even had pink/red crush all around the road from blasting. The drive along Lake Superior Provincial Park is so relaxing. Looking out at the trees with continuous changing colours and all the lakes, I, again fell asleep. A testament to Chris’s smooth driving and a real indicator that the 3 hour time difference in 12 days with constant travel was wearing me down. We took another pit stop, this time a detour down a side road.

Here, Moose took off his sandals and put his feet in Lake Superior, “Bowie was here” was etched in the sand and I walked the beach and combed for treasure. We returned to the jeep and at this point it was my turn to drive for a bit. The whole stretch of todays journey was alongside Lake Superior, just not always in direct view. Can you name all of the Great Lakes? We got 4 out of 5…its been a while. But we should see all but one on the rest of the trip.

We made 2 more stops…I know 7.5 hours is getting a lot longer now…but Ontario is so beautiful. We stopped in White River, ON. Did you know that is where Harry Colebourn bought the real bear, Winnie the Pooh? Me either! Winnie was later donated to the London Zoo which is where A.A. Milne was inspired to write the stories we all know. Our last spontaneous stop was a white sandy beach called Old Woman Bay, named for the shape of a woman’s face displayed in the cliffs along the south shore (which I could not see).

We finally reached Sault Ste. Marie…a little later than we planned and after dinner. We all headed straight up to the room with our luggage. Moose headed out to the sitting area (near our room, don’t worry Mom) for some calls to friends, as tomorrow is his birthday. We ordered dinner from the hotel and settled in for the night.

Long day done for now. Xo Mel

Day 6: Getting Ready for West Eddy…

Bowie helped with the blog name today…and it definitely fits the bill. I’m behind on my posts I know. Thank you Fantasyland wifi, or should I say lack there of! It was a struggle to get the last one out and this one has had to wait…but I’ve got some good access today. So, lets catch up.

West Edmonton Mall! Easy start to the day because we were already at our day’s destination, we woke up there. First off breaky and caffeine…at Starbucks. Ok check. Now if you’re in North Americas 2nd Largest Mall, where would you start? For us it was the Lego store. Can I say wow! Bowie had scoped it out already on our evening mall excursion. Now in person I now know, The Lego store… has… EVERYTHING! Star Wars, Harry Potter, Halloween, The Titanic, Bricks of every colour, Build Your Own Lego Character. It is a kid and big kids dream. There was built and on display a near life sized Lamborghini built from Lego bricks, that had working lights and sounds, a 3ft tall Storm Trooper and the Millennium Falcon. We even made our own Lego characters! Did you know you can make your own? Now you do, so here’s how step by step:

1. Scan in your box, once it is paid for. (don’t worry, friendly staff are here to help you)

2. Name your character, whatever you like! Mine – Viking Princess

3. Customize their outfit: You can opt for a premade “shirt”, then customize it with stickers. Or draw your own creative top. Don’t forget the back

4. Once your happy with your design, submit…its off to the printer. Your character gets printed in real time!

5. While in the printing process its time for you to get down to business. Pick a head, hair/hat, legs/dress, and an item or accessory. You can even ask for different arm colours. Moose did.

6. Time to assemble and display *Important note* If there is something specific you are looking for, the incredibly friendly staff will help you find it!

There is so much to do at West Ed it just depends on how you want to spend your day. Waterpark! Amusement Park! Mini Golf! GO-Karts! Shopping! We gave the option to Moose and Bowie. The kids talked about the waterpark, but also wanted to do some serious shopping. They’ve had pools at every hotel stay along the way apart from one, so they chose shopping. It takes 1.5 hours just to briskly walk the entire mall, so we had some ground to cover. We browsed as a group for about an hour. Then Chris and Moose went off on their own and Bowie and I did some solo girl shopping. Everyone worked up an appetite so we all met back up at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co for lunch. Mmmmm Shrimp. We all continued shopping until our feet couldn’t take us anymore. 4 o’clock struck and it was time to get moving on…but where do we put all our bags? The Jeep is full to the max! Well, we MADE them fit with strategic stacking and packing…

We needed to put some distance behind us, so we hopped onto hwy 16 (the Yellowhead), and headed to Lloydminster, AB. This town is about 2 hours 45 minutes away from Edmonton, but it’s on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan which would set us up to make good time tomorrow.

Fun fact: 2 of my uncles and my aunt lived in Lloydminster back in the ‘70s. It is also the furthest East in Canada I have ever been! Into all new scenery for me here on out. Getting to our hotel was an adventure on its own. We arrived in town…holy hell the roads…bring your 4×4, they are unkind to any suspension, be prepared. Also, Google maps had us heading into an old folks home instead of our hotel… Our makeshift way to get there included crossing through 3 parking lots just to arrive at our hotel. We checked in to the smallest hotel room yet, but we’re all tired so who really cares. Chris ran over to the grocery store and picked up dinner and I repacked our new finds into our already full bags. We all settled in for an easy night. Then off to bed.

Until tomorrow, Cheers Mel xo

Day 5: Dino Bones and the Road to West Ed…

Strathmore treated us well. Our stay at the travel lodge was so comfortable. Everyone slept well. In the morning we made our way to the dining area for a full continental breakfast! This particular Travel Lodge has the other hotels beat this far for their continental breakfast. Moose made his own waffles, Bowie had toast and cream cheese with fresh fruit. Chris and I both had omelets, fresh fruit and bacon. There was so much more to choose from, fuel for the road!

Todays destination – Drumheller, AB. For those of you who don’t know what’s there, I’ll fill you in. Dinosaur bones! I have wanted to visit the Royal Tyrell Museum since a friend mentioned it quite a few years ago. So today was pretty much for me and I just hoped the kids would enjoy it too. Driving through the hills into town is quite remarkable. The road has twists and turns and the hills are all around. It is really cool to see the appearance of gradient layers and the drastic change of colour within the hills. Before you fully enter town you are greeted by a “Welcome to Drumheller” sign with a large T-Rex attached. So ya, you pull over and take the picture…

Driving through town the dinosaur theme game is STRONG! Dino hotels, dino statues galore, dino lamp posts, dino digging, dino playgrounds, dino business…that’s all I can say about that, to quote Forrest Gump. But it works, because when we pulled up to the museum it had only been open for about 40 minutes and the parking lot was filling up FAST! As we made our way to the entry, there are dinosaur sculptures placed along the walkway ready for a photo op. We were greeted by staff outdoors to direct us to the correct line. As we got our tickets from the gal at the ticket booth, she didn’t ask for payment. So per Canadian rule…I offered. Tada it was a FREE weekend! Bonus point for Moms choice of activity.

OMG Walking through the doors; HUGE carnivorous dinosaur statues in a scene of attack, surrounded by what would be their natural environment. Now the kids are excited. There is a lot of educational material throughout the museum. Some people ran up to take pictures, then were gone. While others would read the content and also take in that particular exhibit. Its all up to how you would like to enjoy it! Just remember to be courteous.

We were somewhere in between. Moose and Bowie’s interest was there, but not lets read it all and discuss for hours on end. There were certain areas of the exhibit that I really enjoyed: The Millions of Years Arches which separated each exhibit by appropriate era(s). The extinction level plaques. Did you know there has been 5 major mass extinctions in Earths history? Me neither, but now we do. The Exploded Skull, pictured above. This really shows what it takes to educate the masses about the dinosaur and fossil world. This discovery was found in pieces, fragments and some bones not found at all. Because the bones for this piece are so fragile, the researchers made casts and even digitized components to make 3D prints just to have it on display. What patience and focus must be needed to execute something so spectacular! Every nook and cranny has something to offer. We learned about fossils, and the varying techniques used to obtain and display them.

Chris found it really interesting how oil and gas companies have made such an impact in the Alberta region, as far as locating specimens. Some of these spectacular finds would never have been found if it wasn’t for active work sites. The Royal Tyrell Museum actually makes a point of showcasing these finds in conjunction with the active worksite and the worker who stopped production to preserve these remnants. Which then go on to become educational displays for all of us.

What’s really cool! The Preparation Lab is visible through a glass window. There are 2 projects that you can see in the works. Tools, brushes and premade casts ready to go. Plus giant vacuums…can you imagine the dust! One thing I found particularly interesting, there was a video clip of a current paleontologist who works with the museum. She noted that there is one tool, an air scribe, that is actually built for paleontology and archeology. All the other tools they use daily are adapted from other professions. Think about it. A toothbrush, paintbrushes, dental picks, and circular saws, glue syringes! Maybe that’s the million dollar idea for someone in that profession…

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for….THE BIG DINOSAURS!!! We’ve made it to the bottom floor, the finale…Though seen from upstairs actually seeing them up close in the gallery…knowing what it takes to recreate these skeletons, these reconstructions. Magnificent, awe-inspiring. It takes you back to when you were a kid and thought you might find a fossil digging in your sandbox…or was that just me? I really liked how they put some of the skeletons in ‘scenes’ like predator vs prey, basking in the sun or similar species living together. Sadly, when you exit this gallery…it is Extinction Level 5…A Deadly Day. “An asteroid about 10km in diameter crashed to Earth 66 million years ago. It was sudden, and left the world in chaos…” There is more, but you’ll have to visit for that.

Post Extinction a final exhibit of what species were able to evolve or survive is left to explore and then exit through the gift shop. Now we were really lucky with this free day, because as we exited we heard the ticket booth tell the HUGE line-up that the museum was sold out…this was only 1:00pm! Happy Dance for me. We headed out to the hills and explored briefly, then it was time to go.

Getting to West Ed…

Moose was getting antsy as he was ready to shop. Off we go on our way to West Edmonton Mall. Yes it’s a 3 hour drive and yes we just left Calgary. But we’re on an ‘Epic Adventure’. We’re taking the unconventional path on an unconventional Cross Canada Journey. Scenic views and good music helps the drive as we travel along hwy 56, then onto hwy 21, and finally hwy 16. We opted to stay at Fantasyland located in the hotel. We got cleaned up and headed straight in…but it was Sunday and closing at 6pm. We had about 20 minutes. There was major disappointment here from Moose and Bowie. We went back to our room to cool off and reset. So I tried to write the previous days blog, but the internet was sooo terrible I couldn’t even upload pictures, gah. Now lightbulb from Chris, lets get dinner…FROM INSIDE THE MALL! What!!! I had no idea that we would had access to the mall and the restaurants remained open AND you can wander around the mall at night! Off to Moxies for dinner and exploring…

Well that is Day 5, a little long of a post and a few days late thanks to shotty wifi haha. Thanks for staying along for the ride.

Cheers xo Mel