Rocky Mountain High: A Drive Through Alberta From Vancouver to Jasper ~ October 8-9, 2018
A Drive Through Alberta From Vancouver to Jasper
October 8-9, 2018
October 8, 2018
It is a bleak, dreary morning in Vancouver. Peter and Betty Lou went off to pick up the car while Jeff and I finished cleaning up the apartment. Then we loaded up the car and set off for Kamloops.
It was raining most of the day, and Betty Lou did most of the driving. We were struck by the number of farms - large farms - we saw as we left Vancouver and headed east. Soon enough we were out of civilization and into the vast woodlands and mountains. We drove for an hour or more without seeing a single house or building. Even in the gloom, it is beautiful countryside! Peeks of autumn color through the fog added sunshine to the unending grey of the day. I imagine on a sunny day the colors would be riotous and beautiful, but they did much to cheer my mood.
We decided to head for Hope - a town between Vancouver and Kamloops - for lunch. I looked up Hope and discovered that there was a museum there as well as a lake and two rivers. Being on the trans Canada route 1, we never actually got to Hope.
Instead, we stopped at the Flying J Truck Stop for lunch. Peter and Betty Lou shared a sandwich, and Jeff got an Italian "sub" at Subway. I settled for an ice cold diet Coke! And then off we went for another couple of hours until we arrived at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Kamloops! I think we all were ready to get out of the car!
After a rest and some exercise, we headed down the street to Romeo's Restaurant for a delicious dinner. I opened the menu and knew almost at once what the others would have to eat: Meatloaf for Peter; Sea Bass for Betty Lou; and a full rack of Ribs for JJ. I surprised everyone by choosing Pad Thai with chicken and shrimp. Everyone enjoyed their dinners and before we knew it, we were back at the hotel and soon off to dreamland.
October 9, 2018
After a really good night's sleep, we headed downstairs for breakfast. Betty Lou was swimming in the hotel pool, which she pronounced was "a really great pool." The morning was still cloudy, but much brighter than yesterday with the promise of clearing and sunshine. We agreed to a 10 a.m. departure time and we were loaded in the car on under way at 9:58 -- precision at its finest.
We followed Louis Creek all the way up to Clearwater when Jeff asked that we stop in the nearest town as he "needed to stretch and maybe have a bathroom break." I could tell that something was not quite right ... and I was definitely right:
We stopped at a Tim Horton's, and Jeff struggled to get out of the car -- the dreaded vertigo reared its ugly head. He decided he needed to lie down on the concrete and do the vertigo exercises. Several very kind Canadians stopped to ask whether or not he was all right. I explained that he was having an attack of vertigo. I knew that he hadn't totally lost his sense of humor when he lifted his head and said to one of the Canadian couples, "It's either vertigo or a reaction to the outcome of last night's Yankees Red Sox game!" A nurse stopped to see if she could help, and then a jeep with two doctors stopped and got out. I explained again that it was "just" an attack of vertigo and that he was doing some exercises to try to clear it. Eventually he was able to sit back up and get into the bathroom of the Tim Horton's. After some time he decided that there really was no way he would be able to "stomach" an additional 3 hour drive, so we booked a motel room where he has been sleeping all afternoon -- somewhat peacefully, I might add.
I inquired at the front desk of the hotel for attractions nearby and sent Peter and Betty Lou off to see several waterfalls. They have checked in twice, and because there are several places along the way where it might snow after dark, we have decided to spend the night here and head for Jasper tomorrow morning when Jeff will, hopefully, be much improved. A minor "blip" in an otherwise wonderful trip.
Peter and Betty Lou had a scenic day viewing a couple of spectacular waterfalls. They shared their pictures with me last night over dinner (Jeff was still sleeping off his vertigo). We ate dinner at the Old Caboose Pub, where there wasn't much sign of the "old caboose," but we were told that the caboose is where the kitchen is. The food was adequate - nothing to write home about, but edible (and we were all hungry). I'm hoping that we get an early start tomorrow as it's about a 4 hour drive, and I'd like to have some time to do something in Jasper today - even if it's just a visit to the visitor's center to make a plan for tomorrow.
October 10, 2018
I set the alarm for 7 a.m., but I probably didn't need to -- I did not sleep much last night. The bed was uncomfortable, and my mind just would not shut off. Fortunately Jeff was feeling much better after sleeping for 17 hours! We went back to the Old Caboose for breakfast. The coffee was lousy, but Jeff enjoyed a piece of French toast and I enjoyed half of a breakfast sandwich. Betty Lou ordered a Spanish omelet, but neither she nor Peter liked it very much and ended up just eating the egg portion. Betty Lou finished the other half of my sandwich. Then we went back to the motel and packed up and loaded the car before setting off for Jasper at about 9:45.
As often has been the case, the sky was thick with clouds this morning as we set off on Canadian Route 5. Our route followed the Thompson River, as did the railroad tracks, so we saw glimpses of freight trains all along the way.
I managed to capture a picture of a waterfall as we sped past (above, left)!
At about 1:30 we stopped for lunch at The Gathering Tree in a lovely town called Valemont (Val le mont or valley of the mountain, according to one lady I spoke with and asked how to pronounce the name of the town). The food was delicious -- Jeff had a cup of chicken noodle soup; Peter and Betty Lou shared a sandwich and a bowl of soup; and I enjoyed a chicken caesar wrap. All were delightful and a welcome change for the lousy food at the Old Caboose!
As we approached Jasper, we followed Moose Lake for quite some time, and although I kept looking for some moose, there were none to be seen.
Majestic mountains greeted us as we approached Jasper National Park late in the day. I think we all were glad to finally make it into Jasper at about 4:30 local time (which is Mountain time). The apartment is adequate, but I was disappointed that there is no laundry facilities -- of course, I must not have looked very carefully because it very clearly said that there was no washer/dryer. Anyway, the beds are comfortable and everything is clean, and we are happy. Jeff went to take a nap while Peter and I walked to the grocery store to pick up things for the next couple of days. We brought them back to the apartment and then went off to the liquor store for some wine.
The apartment is in the lower level of this tidy little house on Patricia Street in Jasper! Through the gate and around the corner to our doorway.
I made a chicken and broccoli dish for dinner, which turned out surprisingly well. After we cleaned up the dishes (no dishwasher here either), Betty Lou and I made a pot of beef stew for us to have tomorrow night.
All of us were ready for an early bed. Tomorrow, we take on some of the sights in Jasper National Park!
It is a bleak, dreary morning in Vancouver. Peter and Betty Lou went off to pick up the car while Jeff and I finished cleaning up the apartment. Then we loaded up the car and set off for Kamloops.
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| One Last Shot of 910 Beach Avenue |
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| Loading up the Car |
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| Lush Farmland as We Left Vancouver |
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| Fog Over the Mountains |
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| More Fog |
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| Grey on Green |
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| Fog in the Mountains Outside Hope, BC, Canada |
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| A Stop for "Lunch" at the Flying J Truck Stop |
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| Dinner in Front of the Fire at Romeo's Restaurant |
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| A Lovely Rose |
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| And a Delicious Pad Thai |
October 9, 2018
After a really good night's sleep, we headed downstairs for breakfast. Betty Lou was swimming in the hotel pool, which she pronounced was "a really great pool." The morning was still cloudy, but much brighter than yesterday with the promise of clearing and sunshine. We agreed to a 10 a.m. departure time and we were loaded in the car on under way at 9:58 -- precision at its finest.
Route 5 in Canada has been a two lane road (one lane going in each direction) with speeds of about 90 km per hour (56 mph) -- far more comfortable than yesterday's 78 mph! The scenery was lovely, as you can see from the photos, and soon we began to see some sunshine.
We followed Louis Creek all the way up to Clearwater when Jeff asked that we stop in the nearest town as he "needed to stretch and maybe have a bathroom break." I could tell that something was not quite right ... and I was definitely right:
We stopped at a Tim Horton's, and Jeff struggled to get out of the car -- the dreaded vertigo reared its ugly head. He decided he needed to lie down on the concrete and do the vertigo exercises. Several very kind Canadians stopped to ask whether or not he was all right. I explained that he was having an attack of vertigo. I knew that he hadn't totally lost his sense of humor when he lifted his head and said to one of the Canadian couples, "It's either vertigo or a reaction to the outcome of last night's Yankees Red Sox game!" A nurse stopped to see if she could help, and then a jeep with two doctors stopped and got out. I explained again that it was "just" an attack of vertigo and that he was doing some exercises to try to clear it. Eventually he was able to sit back up and get into the bathroom of the Tim Horton's. After some time he decided that there really was no way he would be able to "stomach" an additional 3 hour drive, so we booked a motel room where he has been sleeping all afternoon -- somewhat peacefully, I might add.
I inquired at the front desk of the hotel for attractions nearby and sent Peter and Betty Lou off to see several waterfalls. They have checked in twice, and because there are several places along the way where it might snow after dark, we have decided to spend the night here and head for Jasper tomorrow morning when Jeff will, hopefully, be much improved. A minor "blip" in an otherwise wonderful trip.
Peter and Betty Lou had a scenic day viewing a couple of spectacular waterfalls. They shared their pictures with me last night over dinner (Jeff was still sleeping off his vertigo). We ate dinner at the Old Caboose Pub, where there wasn't much sign of the "old caboose," but we were told that the caboose is where the kitchen is. The food was adequate - nothing to write home about, but edible (and we were all hungry). I'm hoping that we get an early start tomorrow as it's about a 4 hour drive, and I'd like to have some time to do something in Jasper today - even if it's just a visit to the visitor's center to make a plan for tomorrow.
October 10, 2018
I set the alarm for 7 a.m., but I probably didn't need to -- I did not sleep much last night. The bed was uncomfortable, and my mind just would not shut off. Fortunately Jeff was feeling much better after sleeping for 17 hours! We went back to the Old Caboose for breakfast. The coffee was lousy, but Jeff enjoyed a piece of French toast and I enjoyed half of a breakfast sandwich. Betty Lou ordered a Spanish omelet, but neither she nor Peter liked it very much and ended up just eating the egg portion. Betty Lou finished the other half of my sandwich. Then we went back to the motel and packed up and loaded the car before setting off for Jasper at about 9:45.
As often has been the case, the sky was thick with clouds this morning as we set off on Canadian Route 5. Our route followed the Thompson River, as did the railroad tracks, so we saw glimpses of freight trains all along the way.
We were teased by tiny bits of blue sky as the morning wore on, and the overcast skies brightened steadily.
We all enjoyed watching the snow-capped mountains peek through the clouds! These photos could not capture the beauty and majesty that was all around us.
I managed to capture a picture of a waterfall as we sped past (above, left)!
Just before we stopped for lunch, suddenly the skies cleared and we were greeted by the most brilliant blue sky! Magnificent!
At about 1:30 we stopped for lunch at The Gathering Tree in a lovely town called Valemont (Val le mont or valley of the mountain, according to one lady I spoke with and asked how to pronounce the name of the town). The food was delicious -- Jeff had a cup of chicken noodle soup; Peter and Betty Lou shared a sandwich and a bowl of soup; and I enjoyed a chicken caesar wrap. All were delightful and a welcome change for the lousy food at the Old Caboose!
As we approached Jasper, we followed Moose Lake for quite some time, and although I kept looking for some moose, there were none to be seen.
Majestic mountains greeted us as we approached Jasper National Park late in the day. I think we all were glad to finally make it into Jasper at about 4:30 local time (which is Mountain time). The apartment is adequate, but I was disappointed that there is no laundry facilities -- of course, I must not have looked very carefully because it very clearly said that there was no washer/dryer. Anyway, the beds are comfortable and everything is clean, and we are happy. Jeff went to take a nap while Peter and I walked to the grocery store to pick up things for the next couple of days. We brought them back to the apartment and then went off to the liquor store for some wine.
The apartment is in the lower level of this tidy little house on Patricia Street in Jasper! Through the gate and around the corner to our doorway.
I made a chicken and broccoli dish for dinner, which turned out surprisingly well. After we cleaned up the dishes (no dishwasher here either), Betty Lou and I made a pot of beef stew for us to have tomorrow night.
All of us were ready for an early bed. Tomorrow, we take on some of the sights in Jasper National Park!
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