Aug 7: Day 5 in a Nutshell

Today we traveled  from Regina, Saskatchewan to Edmonton, Alberta.

Highlights

The last few days we have been driving through countryside.  There have been a lot of bugs.

Conversational Question of the Day:

It was a day without meaningful conversation.  

We were in quiet mode 



Mile's traveled today: 

Driven By Sal: 320.1

Driven By BB: 191.1

Total for day:  511.2

Total Trip:  2,697.6

Sal

Aug 6: Day 4 in a Nutshell

Today's travels took us from Jamestown, North Dakota to Regina, Saskatchewan.

Highlights

There is a town about 40 miles west of Regina named Moose Jaw. It is home to Mac the Moose.

Mac is a statue 33 feet tall, making him the world's tallest moose. 

Mac held the title of tallest moose for 21 years until he lost it in 2015 when a moose statue 12 inches taller was erected in Stor-Elvdal Norway.  Norway's statue is named Storelgen, or “Big Elk” and is a glitzy stainless steel bull, erected with the aim of stealing Mac's record.

The citizens of Moose Jaw were dismayed to learn that Mac lost his title and started making plans for him to regain it by giving him a new set of antlers.  The new antlers gave him the extra inches needed to reclaim the title. 

A friendly feud occurred between the two cities over which could claim having the tallest moose.

The two cities entered into a "Moosarandum Of Understanding" which states that Mac will “forevermore be known as the tallest Moose in the world,” however Storelgen will be the “shiniest and most attractive Moose in the world.”

Conversational Question of the Day:

If languages were easy to learn, which 2 would you study?  Would you want to live in a country that spoke one if the languages?


Mile's traveled today: 

Driven By Sal: 361

Driven By BB: 163

Total for day:  524

Total Trip:  2,186.4

Sal

Half Way There!!

 I admit, we are getting tired.  I’ve had a minor meltdown or two.  I won’t speak for Sal, but I think I recognized a grumpiness this afternoon, and I’m wearing a bandaid on my arm from Mr. Grey’s expression of displeasure with his circumstances.

But, for the most part, we are still enjoying the trip.  On our way out of Jamestown ND yesterday we stopped by for a quick look at the World’s Largest Buffalo statue.   It was our first out-of-the-way sightseeing stop.  Worth it?  You decide.

We crossed the border at North Portal Saskatchewan.  (Hard to spell but easy to draw.).  No problem whatsoever.  The border inspector asked the expected questions, then wished us a nice trip.  Contrary to what I had read, he had no interest in Grey, didn’t even look at him or his papers.  Whole thing took maybe 10 minutes.  

Saskatchewan looked pretty similar to North Dakota, very flat.  But we passed some fields of canola and sunflowers that were pretty.

We stopped for gas in Moose Jaw.  We still don’t understand how much gas costs here.  162.9???  We just pump it and pay.

We spent the night in Regina.  Today we crossed into Alberta and are spending the night in Edmonton.  Tomorrow we wIll be in British Columbia and on the Alaska Highway.  Hope you can read my excitement in those words.  

Friday and catch up

Yesterday we crossed the Mississippi River and today the Continental Divide.  Tomorrow the Canadian border.  We filled out our ArriveCAN information tonight and have Grey’s paperwork in order, so hopefully we’ll sail right through. 

Today was a good day.  We had our first traffic backup of the trip in the Minneapolis area but it wasn’t horrible.  The speed limit in North Dakota is 75, which helped us make up some of the lost time.  

Tomorrow on our way out of town, we are going to stop and see the world’s largest buffalo statue.  When I checked into our hotel, I was asked what brought us here from Virginia.  I said we came to see the buffalo statue and was chagrined when she thought I was serious and started telling me about the upcoming multi- million dollar facelift to be beginning soon (the statue is rather old now).  She asked if I had seen the largest yellow rubber duck, which, no, I haven’t, but apparently it will be somewhere in the area soon.  She thinks it is four stories high and floats down various rivers.  I’ll have to google that, but want to see the buffalo first.  I’m afraid I’ll be disappointed now.  That duck sounds pretty fabulous.  I did share that I had seen the largest glass of ice tea outside of Charleston SC.  I think she was impressed.

Planning on an early start tomorrow.  Grey has already retired, so he has nothing to add.  

BB

Aug 5: Day 3 in a Nutshell

This morning I woke up in Waterloo, Iowa.  I will sleep in Jamestown, North Dakota.

Highlights

A lot of famous people are from Jamestown, ND.

*The most important one is my friend Phyllis.  I've known her since elementary school.  She taught me piano, introduced me to handbells and attended the Richmond Forum with us.  She might not be in the history books but she was a wonderful role model and fun to be around.

*Author Louis L'Amour.  He wrote novels that took place in the American west.  A series he wrote about the Sackett family is my particular favorite.

*Singer Peggy Lee. 

Interstate 94:

*Goes by Moorhead High School, home of the Spuds.  Go Spuds!

*Between Valley City and Jamestown crosses the continental divide.

Conversational Question of the Day:

If you could do it over, would you change your college major?


Mile's traveled today: 

Driven By Sal: 145.8
Driven By BB: 425.6

Total for day:  571.4

Total Trip:  1662.4

Sal

Aug 4: Day 2 in a Nutshell

Today's travels took us from Dayton, Ohio to Waterloo, Iowa.

Highlights

Lunch at Culver's in Greenfield, Indiana.  Culver's is a regional restaurant chain out of Wisconsin.  They are known for ButterBurgers and Cheese Curds. I had a ButterBurger Cheese and French fries.   BB shared her Cheese Curds with me.  I would have this meal again.

Skywatching.  We didn't have the dramatics of yesterday's lightening storm; however the clouds in the sky over the gently rolling farmland caught my attention.  A lot of sky is visible when the land is basicslly flat with no trees.  The clouds take many shapes (fluffy, towering, wispy) and are colored by the sunlight.  The bold colors (red, purples) showed up at sunset, but at one point during the day the clouds delicately filtered the light making sunbeams appear. 

Conversational Question of the Day:

If you could pick anyone, living or dead, to have coffee with, who would it be?

Mile's traveled today: 

Driven By Sal: 419.7

Driven By BB: 144.6

Total for day:  564.3

Total Trip:  1091

Sal

Mom was sad Thursday

 Mom says she will not post about yesterday.  It was not a great day.  First she put her pants on backwards and wore them like that until the first bathroom stop of the day.  Then she had forgotten to charge her cell phone, so she could not look up fascinating facts like is the yellow crop canola or rapeseed (both are yellow, if you care).  Then all of a sudden, like flicking a light switch, she became obsessed/worried about me because I had not been drinking any water or eating or using my box.  Sal said when Grey is unhappy, Mom is unhappy.  And we all know what it’s like when the Mom is unhappy!!

There were multiple stops to purchase a syringe, wet food, call vets, blab, blab, blab.  Good grief.

When we got to the hotel, and I had some peace and quiet, and my favorite drinking vessels, my margarita glass and a coffee cup, I drank, ate, and used my box.  TMI, sorry.  

So hopefully Mom is happy, because, you know, when Mom is miserable…😫 … it makes for a long drive to North Dakota.