As much as this is a nice place to spend the summer, we'd rather be traveling. And we have a lot to look forward to when September rolls around because we've got a full plate of exploring to do for you all over the following seven months!
Haven't heard much from Sherman (our motorhome) the last week or two. We know that he was at the Calgary Stampede for a few days, but the last we heard was that Tana and Graham weren't as enthusiastic about the Stampede as they thought they might be and they were cutting that visit short and heading down to the Pincher Creek area and west to see the Frank Slide.
Sherman has been to the Frank Slide before because we drove through that area way back in the fall of 2007.
The Frank Slide.
Back in 1905, the whole side of Turtle Mountain came collapsing down on the town of Frank, killing 76 people. It's really something to see!
Sherman is now over half way through his motorhome exchange adventure, and we'll be seeing him again in less than three weeks!
Really looking forward to our two week drive back to Ottawa when we're done here. We're going to take the Canadian route this time, keeping off the main highway as much as possible, and we're even going to do the northern Ontario route that takes us through Kapuskasing and then south through the province of Quebec. We've never done that road before! Going to have to pratiquer notre français (practice our french).
3,106 kms (1,925 miles) to our daughter's house in Osgoode, Ontario...just outside of Ottawa.
Coincidentally, that works out to about an average of 221 kms (136 miles) per day which is exactly what we like. Lots of time to stop for hiking and exploring along the way. And we're looking forward to the 14 nights of different boondocking spots that we can find along that route!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The number one best selling piece of women's clothing on Amazon...
Halfway allready!! Time flies and soon you'll be back on the road. Looking forward to the adventures...
ReplyDeleteCan you tell that we are already getting hitch itch! ;-)
DeleteHard to believe that top on Amazon is a best-seller when you have to hand wash it.
ReplyDeleteI guess some people don't mind handwashing, that or they have a maid! ;-)
DeleteWe are about 1/2 way as well, then we can cross the border and make our way south. Enjoy the trip across Canada have not done that for a very long time, hopefully soon again.
ReplyDeleteI take that you aren't going to do your cross Canada tour after you finish there, like you were planning on doing last fall?
DeleteAs sorry as we are that we won't get to visit with you and Ruth this fall, we totally get taking a new route as you cross the country. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteAnd trust me, we thought about that as I was looking at the route because we had been looking forward to seeing you guys again. But yes...we want to do the northern route this time around.
DeleteI'm confident we'll get together in the future...just don't know where...Portugal?
DeletePortugal is definitely a possibility!
DeleteHalfway through and how far has the lake filled? Hopefully more than halfway for all the boaters.
ReplyDeleteIt hasn't filled very much, still lower than last year but people are putting their boats in, they just have to be very careful getting them from the launch area out to the lake itself. The water forecast for the lake says it is suppose to go up about 9" so that will help. We will see if that actually happens though.
DeleteWe were at the Frank Slide in 2014. Very impressive.
ReplyDeleteYes, it certainly is. Once you are actually there it is huge!
DeleteThe Frank Slide looks eerily similar to our slide. We live just east of the devastating Oso slide that happened 2 years ago. 43 people died when it slid through a small development of summer cabins and homes in the woods, many of them from our small town. We lost a good friend as well as neighbors & students. We have to drive through the middle of the slide every time we head down the valley to go anywhere so it is a constant reminder of all those who died there and how powerful our earth forces are. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/2-years-since-oso-slide-a-quiet-renewal-amid-the-sorrow/
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to following your adventures! It won't be long!
Yes it does! I think the only difference is that the Oso slide was a mudslide and the Frank slide was a rockslide but the effects seem the same. The river was blocked and water started making a new route. The highway and railroad tracks were totally buried under all the rock. Between 70 to 90 people were believed to have died under all the rock.
DeleteI am surprised that I don't remember seeing your slide in the news. So very sad that so many lives were lost and some that you knew personally. I am sure that will be something that you will never forget, unfortunately.
The Oso slide also slid across the river and they evacuated people as it started backing up & people below the slide were cautioned to be ready to evacuate. Then the river cut a natural course through the debris and solved that problem. It took 6 months to rebuild the highway which is the main road out of town. It is always surreal driving through it. Time seems to stand still for almost a minute as you drive through. It is heartbreaking that so many were lost in these slides. Were there prior slides at the Frank site? The Oso slide had slid before, but just the lower part and never came farther than the river. This time the whole mountain came down which no one thought would happen, but there were warnings that it was not a safe place to live. The Oso slide got a lot of attention and was on the national news. Our town is small....around 1,200 people, so it was pretty crazy with news teams and people coming from all over.
DeleteNo there were no other slides prior to this one. This is what Wikipedia says about the Frank Slide "Multiple factors led to the slide: Turtle Mountain's formation left it in a constant state of instability. Coal mining operations may have weakened the mountain's internal structure, as did a wet winter and cold snap on the night of the disaster." They also say that there will be another slide sometime in the future just don't know when. It was one of Canada's biggest slides and has been the most deadliest slide.
DeleteWe can just imagine what it must have been like there after the slide, not only with the press/new media but also just bystanders coming to gawk. Yes, we can understand that feeling of it being very surreal to be driving through it, much like the Frank Slide. Very sad indeed.
Are you sure you want to take that high road to Ottawa? I was on that road last year, see my blog posting about it . .
ReplyDeletehttp://lalaironwheels.blogspot.com/2015/07/one-long-yawn.html
Yep, still want to do it! We've done the lower road through Sault Ste Marie and Sudbury a couple of times before, so this will be something new. Beside, it looks like there's a lot of places to boondock for the night!
DeleteI've driven the Northern Route many times, alone and just last summer coming home from a wedding with my family. It can get pretty desolate! Mostly used by truckers but although not as pretty as the Southern Ontario route, it's much quicker with less stops. I swear there is bridge work on the Southern Route that has been going on for almost 20 years.
ReplyDeleteWell this will be our first time and we don't mind having a change. We are always pretty good at finding things to see and do even in the middle of nowhere! :-)
Delete