The Rideau River at Burritt's Rapids, Ont.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Cancun, Mexico on November 11th.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

First day of pretirement, and it's going to be a travel day!

We said goodbye to the park yesterday, but it wasn't until almost three o'clock in the afternoon by the time we finally pulled out. Just lots of last minute stuff to do, and all of it had to happen on the last day. So, a couple of hours later than we were planning for, but it didn't really matter.

Then, we had a 258 km (160 mile) drive to Moose Jaw. Uneventful, and we've done this route before a few times, so not much exciting to see along the way.

But, we had to make a few stops in Swift Current and it was 6:30pm when we arrived at our friend Wendy's in Moose Jaw.

Yesterday's drive, 258 kms (160 miles).

Scenery along the way. 

The Trans Canada highway through Saskatchewan is not the most scenic.

Saskatchewan scenery.

We're going to help Wendy with a few things this morning, and then this afternoon we want to be at Regina airport around 4:00pm. Our flight isn't until 6:35pm, but better to be early than late, and it's a 45 minute drive to the airport from her place.

View of Moose Jaw from Wendy's apartment.

Our flight is one of those crazy airline ideas where to get from Regina to Ottawa we need to first go to Calgary and Edmonton... then to Toronto and then finally Ottawa. We could have got a more direct flight, but it was $35 each more money.... and we have the time, so what the heck. We like flying anyhow!

The Regina to Edmonton route stops in Calgary, but we don't get off the plane. So while we're stopping at five different airports, it's only on three planes!

Our flight route tonight!

Anyhow, we'll try and post some facebook and instagram updates along the way, but otherwise you won't hear from us on the blog until we reach Ottawa sometime tomorrow morning!

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And in Canada...







34 comments:

  1. Have a good flight. It probably feels good to be moving again.

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    1. Thanks Cheapchick! Yes, it is great to be on the move again.

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  2. And so it begins. Nice that Wendy can drive you to the airport and with the timing she can get back home while it is still daylight. As you well know I would gladly have paid for the more direct flight as well as prepay for seat selection. Looks like you will be getting in rather later tonight. Safe travels.

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  3. X2. You know, when I look at the map you displayed and the boundary between US and Canada, that boundary is so very straight from west to east until you get to the Minn./Ontario border. Then it's all up and down; I wonder how it got that way and will have to read up on it. Just a thought! You and Ruth might have been born in the US if it were straight west to east.

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    1. The wiggly eastern portion of the boundary was drawn first, at the end of the Revolutionary War. It only covered the settled portions of the two countries at the time---the west was still largely unexplored. The straight portion wasn't established until the following century, not until Manifest Destiny extended the idea of US sovereignty from coast to coast.

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    2. I'm guessing the straight part was agreed on when there was nobody there to care about the details.

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    3. Thanks, guys! You saved me some work surfing for that information.

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    4. Actually in the 1840s, expansionist Americans were seriously thinking of seizing most of present-day Alberta and British Columbia under the famous slogan "54°40' or Fight!" But, not really wanting a third war with Great Britain, we eventually settled on the 49th parallel as the current boundary.

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    5. Doug, wasn't that about the time of the Gold Rush? I guess I'm looking for the motivation in the 1840s.

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    6. But it wasn't a straight line so we don't have to even think about where we could have been born.

      They probably made the division where the REAL winters started and left that part for Canada to deal with, lol!

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    7. Ha maybe Ruth! Great Britain wanted territory extending into what is now northern California. But primarily for fur and timber trade---the fearsome Snowbird Lobby wasn't really a thing yet lol. Dee, gold had not quite yet been discovered when all this was going on.

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    8. Doug, yep, that would have been a big southern boundary dip for Canada on the west coast, through Washington state, through Oregon state, and into Northern California. We have a guy in our neighborhood who works for the SC Coastal Council, and we were all making small talk; he happened to mention that there still is a boundary dispute between Canada and US regarding the Northwest Passage.

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  4. Sounds like its all coming together, enjoy your travels as I know you will.

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  5. Wed. weather in Ottawa: - tomorrow morning - 20, afternoon 29 (feeling like 36)
    showers and possible thunderstorm.

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    1. For our American readers...tomorrow morning 68F and afternoon 84F with humidex of 97F.

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    2. It was 24 in Flagstaff the other morning. And I'm not talking Celsius ;)
      Looking forward to 90s in Yuma next week!

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    3. Yeah, but that cold temperature was only for the early morning right?! I bet it will be a nice day there.

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    4. Nope, it didn't even reach 60 that day. Canada weather lol! But, low 70s forecast here in Flag this weekend, so hopefully the bundling up was all worth it.

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  6. That is a crazy flight routing. Safe travels.

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  7. I have never flown in Canada, but here in the US I'll pay a good deal more than $35 to avoid flying. I haven't been on a flight since I retired and don't miss a thing about it.

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    1. We love flying, so all the different flights don't bother us!

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  8. +3I'd pay $35 for a direct flight....I don't like stop and go more than once. On a long flight, yes I prefer one stop to stretch the leg. With that said, to save money, my niece booked flights from Phoenix to Sacramento to Seattle and return Seattle, San Diego, Phoenix but we only paid $213 round trip...sweet! Enjoy your flight and safe travels.

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    1. We don't mind the extra flights. As Kevin said we have the time and we are unemployed now so we have to watch our pennies! ;-)

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  9. Safe travels and looking forward to reading your posts about your next adventure!

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    1. Thank you Dianne! We are eager to see what our next adventure brings as well.

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  10. Safe travels - we'll be thinking of you!

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  11. Airlines! They sure don't seem to make sense with their routes. Sometimes you actually go back to go forward. ;c)

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    1. Totally don't get their thinking on going backwards before going forward, it just doesn't make sense!

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