BREAKING NEWS – In this installment of our road trip I must start out by saying that you shouldn’t, or rather I shouldn’t, do anything before having coffee. This includes making coffee! I, in my fog-brained stupor this morning, tried to make coffee in the maker that has come with our accommodations. Pretty standard stuff right? Wrong! Step 1. Pour coffee grounds into coffee maker Step 2. Pour in water Step 3. Turn on and wait for delicious coffee to gather below. You would think that I did everything correct, but no. I forgot the most important step of all; investigate and find out if indeed your coffee maker uses a paper filter or not before doing all of the aforementioned steps. If it requires one (the filters located by the coffee would be a good indicator of this) please use it. Coffee abuse is out of control, and who wants that? Really!
On with our regularly scheduled programming – Yesterday we packed up and made our way from Coeur d’Alene to Eastport just before the US/Canadian border. We stopped off at the Duty Free store for some adult libations and proceeded onward. Interesting thing when you get alcohol right before you get into Canada, the people at the store actually drive your booze up to the border and hand it off to you right before the checkpoint where you show your passports. I understand why, but odd all the same.
Much of the day was spent driving; from Coeur d’Alene to Canmore Alberta Canada was about 6-7 hours. I must say that the Canadian Rockies are AMAZING. something you don’t get to see in Oregon. The Cascades are awesome too, just in a different way. I hope the pics I am attaching make my case.
One thing I noticed right off was that all speed signs were in kph .vs mph like in the states. Another thing that makes sense, just that I am sheltered and don’t leave my own crib very often. In fact, this is my first trip to Canada and only my second time outside the US.
We did run parallel to the Kootenay River for while. The amazing thing about this river was that it is an icy blue. It didn’t matter where we were along its length, it was the same blue. It was beautiful and bewildering.
As I mentioned earlier, we spent most of the day in the car and trying to describe all we saw that was spectacular would be an exorcise in futility. I will say that along the way we saw deer by the roadside on several occasions, tons of turtles on logs at a small pond we explored at one rest stop, expressive cumulous clouds and Jess even spotted a rainbow fragment that just is. The picture will show what I mean.
Once we arrived at our resort in Canmore, we brought in our things and decided where to go for dinner. Our destination, The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company. Jess had the shaved prime rib burger, side of fries and an IPA whereas I had the Montreal smoked meat with a side of poutine and their stout.
Tomorrows post will be delayed as we will be meeting up with friends and camping with them. If I don’t post later on, you know that I have been eaten by a grizzly bear.
James Nutt - In the shoes of a forty-something 
Great shot of the canyon leaving Radium Hots Springs. That rode was made for motorcycles. Except for the moose. Only one I saw got taken out by an Escalade on that road 🙂
LikeLike