May 29, 2012 by Rae

Surprise: You Can Get Travel Deals in Canada!

Whew. My flight, hotel for three nights, and rental car for two days in Calgary are booked!

There are no deals on flights in Canada. I went to all the deals sites and they came up with the same prices as Westjet and Air Canada. I don’t know why I even bother; I go through this exercise every time I look for flights and end up booking directly with the airline. It’s going to cost me $450 to fly to Calgary on Sunday. Had I been willing to wait till Tuesday, I would have saved $100, but lost two full week days.

Next, I had to find a hotel. I went to my favourite hotel booking site, priceline.com. Since I like to live on the wild side, I put in a bid for a one-star hotel at $40 a night near the airport. Priceline told me to increase my bid to $57, which I did, and I got a room worth $90 a night for $57. Now, the reviews for it are concerning, but it was the same thing when I went to Savannah. There, I got $35 a night room in a $150 a night area (off season travel rocks) with a bus stop right in front that took me to the historic part of town in 10 minutes for $1. The reviews for that hotel were worse than the ones for the Calgary hotel and I ended up in a nice, newly renovated, second floor room at the back of the motel. So I’m remaining optimistic. I like that I will arrive in Calgary at about 7:30PM and that a free shuttle will take me to my hotel within minutes. I’ll reveal the hotel when I get there and am ready to review it.

Finally, I needed a car. If The Plan goes off without a hitch (can you hear me laughing?), I will only need the car Monday and Tuesday. Going straight to a couple of car rental agency sites, I got prices of $120 at the airport location and $90 for in town locations, so $60 or $45 a day. I went on a couple of deals sites and finally scored on orbitz.com with a rate of $25 a day! I’ve never been with this company, so I look forward to reviewing it. I don’t know if they would pick me up at the hotel the way that Enterprise does. If not, I checked the Calgary transit site and learned that I can get to the car rental place in about a half hour on the bus with one transfer. This was very acceptable so I booked the car.

Of course, if I have to extend my stay, I will most likely not get these same rates for subsequent nights and days. But since none of these deals are refundable, I decided to be conservative in how many nights and days I booked.

I also sent out a couple of feelers on some trucks tonight, but I don’t know if they will amount to anything. I’ll need to get on the phone at some point. There is one truck that is calling my name, but I am shying away from it because it is a 1993 with more than 300,000KM, a bit scary for a daily driver. But for the right price, it could be a serious contender.

Another candidate doesn’t have a topper, but otherwise fits all the criteria. It’s a 1994, which is also a little older than I’d like, but it only has about 150,000KM. It’s being sold by a dealership that wants $4,000 for it. Ha ha ha ha ha. That truck is worth $2,500 max. I still scheduled a test drive on Monday since I found a matching (in terms of size, not colour) canopy for it so if it works out and I can get a decent price for it, it’d be a good contender. I like the idea of buying from a dealership since I’d be able to get a warranty and might be able to skip the super thorough inspection. I don’t have a problem with salesman pressure when I go into dealerships since I walk in knowing that I want and what it’s worth, so I’m not easily swayed.

You know you’re getting old when you see an ad for a nice-looking 1989 truck and you think, “It’s not that old, I remember 1989” and then you do the math and realise that 1989 was 23 years ago!

September 14, 2011 by Rae

Playing Hooky

I’ve worked every day since the last Monday in August, so I decided to take a day off once things quieted down. When Jody mentioned she had an appointment in Calgary today, I decided to not go in today so I could join her and Gary. I love taking Wednesdays off; it makes the week seem so short! Oh, and before anyone gets any ideas, I did not call in sick or use some other immature tactic to get off of work. I just let the office know last week that things had quieted down and that I was taking today off for myself.

We left at 9 and had breakfast on the way into the city. Our first stop was Ikea where we wandered around for about an hour. Jody had said that Gary wanted to go there and that he had something else he wanted to do after her appointment. So on the way to said appointment, I asked Gary what it was he planned to do after. He smiled and said, “I’m taking you gals out to dinner.”

I bet my eyes lit up because I knew where we were going! “The first part starts with R and the second with L, right?” Yup. Red Lobster! Gary had had that in mind for some time and a commercial last night did him in. Dinner was his contribution to the celebration of my three years on the road. Awwwww.

It was coming onto one when we got back in the van after Ikea, so I put an order in to the Roving Delicatessen for half a chicken sandwich with some cheese and tomatoes. The whole concept of turning around to the guy in the backseat to put in an order for lunch never ceases to amuse me.

Jody’s appointment was by a giant mall and I estimated (correctly) that there would be about two hours to kill, so I decided to do some shopping for things I haven’t been able to find in Lethbridge. Gary handed me his cell phone so Jody could call me when they were done and the van keys just in case. “But I’m not giving you my wallet!”

My shopping didn’t take any time at all! I just wanted some cotton tops and some deeply discounted sandals for finishing off the summer and for next year. I had no trouble finding either. I did some window shopping after, picked up a piña colada Julius, and sat down on a bench to check my email and read a bit. The time passed quickly and before long I was hanging up on Jody since I hit the wrong button on Gary’s phone. 🙂

We headed straight to Red Lobster after. It was early, but we hadn’t really had lunch and there would be no crowds. After perusing the menu we all decided that the endless shrimp promotion was the most appealing offer so the parade of plump pink goodness began. They had so many different varieties to choose from! I tried their shrimp Alfredo linguini, the garlic shrimp with cheese topping, and the grilled sweet and spicy shrimp skewers, but there was also plain garlic, fried, and more! The Alfredo and skewers were my favourite; I actually had two skewers. Add to that biscuits, salad, and the carb of your choice (rice for me), and we rolled out of there!

There is so much I could have done at home today, but it was lovely to get out and shake up the routine a little.

May 8, 2011 by Rae

Dinosaur Country!

Today was another road trip day with Gary and Jody! We headed into dinosaur country!!!!!!!

Before we could do that, though, there were some errands to be run in the Calgary area, including picking up a part for their trailer, and stopping at three RV dealerships to ask if I could leave some promotional cards for Full-Time RVing in Canada (all said yes, certainly).

Jody asked each dealership if they had toy hauler motorhomes and one had a Newmar Canyon Star. The salesman, who just happened to have been a Glendale Royal Classic seller back in the day, was really eager to get me into this rig! It was a nice rig, of course, being a Newmar, but it wouldn’t have worked for me since the garage was too small.

In between the dealerships, the Roving Deli opened for business. Gary had BBQed some really nice chicken breasts (among other things) last night, and they became very delicious sandwiches!

Mid-afternoon, we finally headed out to Drumheller. I’m saying finally only because we had left Lethbridge at 8:30! It ended up taking us about six and a half hours to do a drive that would have only taken an hour and a half or two as the crow flies. We could have gotten to Edmonton in that time! Ah, that’s what happens when RV enthusiasts start looking at rigs.

Shortly before Drumheller Jody turned to Horseshoe Canyon, an amazing place where the prairie literally drops away. It’s like my beloved Chasm, you wonder where the heck this hole comes from!

We arrived in Drumheller in very late afternoon, much too late see any attractions, but I made my list for when we come back later in the summer! The town is surprisingly seedy-looking, very rough and worn down. I imagine it looks better in the height of the tourist season when everything is open. We made a stop at the tourist info centre which is home to the biggest dinosaur in the world. We paid the $3 to climb the one hundred or so stairs to the top so we could see the view from the mouth.

After, I suggested we do the route to Wayne that takes you through eleven bridges in four miles (just over six kilometres). It’s a neat circuit since each bridge is different and the scenery is beautiful. There’s nothing after Wayne, though. This route is suitable for all but the largest RVs since the height clearances on the bridges is at least five metres (16.4 feet) and there is space to turn around tightly after the last one when the road widens and turns to dirt.

Next stop was the Star (coal) Mine Suspension Bridge. It’s not very high up over the river; I’ve actually jumped off of a taller bridge into a river. Needless to say, this one wasn’t hard for me to get across at all.

Following that, Jody took me to see the hoodoos, which are neat sandstone columns with a cap on them, all naturally sculpted of course.

We came back to the van and I put in an order at the deli for sandwich fixings without the bun since I’d overdosed on potato chips and I got a nice plate of chicken, cheese, and crudités. Aren’t I spoiled, what with a driver AND a personal chef? I should also add that in the morning I got a nice container of honeydew melon and my supper dessert was some of the best oranges I’ve had in ages. I only say this because Jody’s invitation to come today was about a paragraph long. They really don’t need to sell me on a road trip! 😀

It was getting really late by this point, with our at home ETA being 9PM, but there was still one more detour to do: Dinosaur Provincial Park so I could see the fabled Badlands! This is an area where more dinosaur remains have been found, and more species, than anywhere else in the world! It’s a World Heritage Site. Between that and Horseshoe Canyon I have to say that I continue to be astounded by the variety of landscapes in my country and how many treasures it holds. RVing is the only way to travel in this country and do it justice.

We descended into the campground and Jody followed a road that does a circuit behind it that really takes you out into the scenery, including a few places where a structure was built around dinosaur remains. What a great way to show off the fossils in situ. The campground is in a fantastic location; I’d love to spend a weekend there.

This was only a taste of dinosaur country and I can’t wait to explore it in greater depth! Thank you once again to my local guide and chef! 🙂

box is nearly her arm-span across

box is taller than her

contents! LOL!

delicious chicken sandwich from the Roving Deli

LOVE the cream cabinets!

looks like the Dempster Highway!

Horseshoe Canyon

entering Drumheller

giant dinosaur in Drumheller

view from the mouth of the dinosaur

inside the dinosaur

Me: “A dinosaur’s trying to eat me! Waah!” Jody: “You don’t look scared.”

Me: “Do I look scared now?”

inside the dinosaur

jailed dinosaur that looks like an alien

grain elevator

bridge no. 1

bridge no. 2

bridge no. 3

bridge no. 4

bridge no. 6

bridge no. 7

bridge no. 8

bridge no. 9

hotel and saloon straight out of the far west

bridge no. 10

bridge no. 11

grain elevator from the rear

bridge no. 1

suspension bridge

Star Mine suspension bridge

other side of the Star Mine suspension bridge

Star Mine suspension bridge

hoodoos

origin of the word hoodoo (it’s West African)

about how the hoodoos are formed

hoodoos

hoodoo country

Star coal mine

more hoodoos

dinner from the Roving Deli (I’d asked for the sandwich contents without bread; nice spread!)

approaching Dinosaur Provincial Park

deer near Dinosaur Provincial Park

dear near Dinosaur Provincial Park

entering Dinosaur Provincial Park

beautiful poem about Dinosaur Provincial Park

Dinosaur Provincial Park holds the world record for the most number of dinosaur remains uncovered

the Badlands

the Badlands as described by French explorers (coureurs de bois (forest runners))

the Badlands

World Heritage Site

the Badlands

descending into the Badlands to the campground, with some serviced RV spots!

the Badlands

deer on the Badlands

fossilized dinosaur remains where they were found

the Badlands

more dinosaur remains

a tiny RV shipped from Germany

April 30, 2011 by Rae

The Roving Delicatessen

Fraserway RV in Airdrie, just north of Calgary, was having an open house today with good sales, including 25% off all parts under $300! Gary and Jody go every year and invited me along. I’ve been desperately needing a new pigtail for my propane system (ie. a hose that goes from my auxiliary tank to the Extend-a-Stay tee), but have been procrastinating since the one I bought in Osoyoos in the fall of ’08 was so expensive. I decided that this was the day to pick one up, so that gave me an excuse to go. 🙂

We started our day at Willow Creek municipal campground because Jody wanted to see if the prairie crocuses (Anemone patens) were in bloom, which they were:

prairie crocus (actually not a crocus but rather a member of the buttercup family)

We headed out after towards Calgary and Gary started to rustle around in the back seat. I turned to discover that a delicatessen had sprung up back there!

Gary’s Roving Delicatessen

This is how they travel; Jody drives, Gary makes sandwiches! And delicious ones at that!

We got to Airdrie and stopped at another RV place so we’d be able to compare prices at Fraserway, then headed for the open house. Turns out Fraserway had better prices, even without the 25% discount!

Between both dealerships, we must have toured close to a hundred rigs. I discovered another type of fiver that I really like. It has a proper bedroom at the front, a bunk room at the back, and a loft above the bunk room. I could see going with something similar in a toyhauler motorhome, with the bunk room of course being a garage and the bedroom being my office.

den and loft with ladder (Starcraft Lexion)

I found the pigtail I needed in the parts department (with no help from the very rude salesgal) and it came to only $13 after my discount and tax!

Having had our fill of RVs for the day, I was then whisked away to Bass Pro Shops, which is more of a museum than a store! They allow photographs, so I tried to capture the feel of the place.

front end of the cariboo herd

We ended the day by making a very quick stop in Mossleigh to visit with Ken and Donna.

Another awesome day with my local guides! Thank you!

More pictures below.

prairie crocus (actually not a crocus but rather a member of the buttercup family)

that prairie azure and gold I love so much…

entrance to Willow Creek municipal campground

the grass looked like hair or fur!

campground with river

river that winds around the campground

campground

prairie crocus (actually not a crocus but rather a member of the buttercup family)

a crow or raven met its end here

these guys posed for pictures

Gary’s Roving Delicatessen

gorgeous lake (manmade, I think)

I asked Gary for an additional half sandwich. He thought this open faced version would be funny.

that organizer is a better use for the space in a class C loft than is a leaky window!

den and loft with ladder (Starcraft Lexion)

first rig I saw with a loft and a den below it (see previous picture)

LOVE the Harry Potteresque cubby hole under the stairs!

nice little den below the loft

proper stairs up to a loft!

Jody climbing proper stairs to a loft

I laughed at the awkward placement of the toilet paper roll holder!

exterior of Bass Pro Shops

entrance to the store

amazing light fixture

first floor of the store

all the murals are hand painted

antlers

I want a rocker like this!

sea plane

front end of the cariboo herd

there’s a guy in a duck blind in the tree

back end of the cariboo herd

‘general store’ at Bass Pro Shops

driving into a storm

April 20, 2011 by Rae

Friends and RVs

Jody needed to run an errand in Calgary today so I came along for the ride. We stopped in Mossleigh to visit Donna. She is working at Aspen Crossing this summer and gave us a tour of the place. It combines a campground, a superb gift shop, a restaurant (great Sunday brunch apparently), cabins, and more. I was particularly impressed by the tour of the caboose that was converted into a luxury cabin that would be a great motorhome layout! Donna is very enthusiastic about camphosting in the nearly new campground (this year will be the second in operation). It was so, so, so good to see her and Ken, but I didn’t get to visit with Midnight.

Our visit done, Jody and I pushed on to the town of High River where we spent hours climbing into and out of travel trailers, fifth wheels, and a few motorhomes. I’d never spent so much time in a bumper pull trailer before and was astounded by some of the layouts!

Before I get into my discovery of the day, I have to say that I have finally decided on what my next rig is going to be. I’ve vacillated between getting excited about fifth wheels and considering a B+, but I finally came down to earth and made a decision. I want to downsize and I can do that two ways: going smaller or going bigger. So, my next rig would be one of two choices.

The first choice, going smaller would mean going down to a B and seriously reducing my cargo. I’d have to be in the mode that this is my only vehicle and that everything has to be prepped for travel.

The second choice, going bigger would actually be going smaller in terms of over-all rig length without sacrificing my current lifestyle of having an apartment with a car: a toy hauler super C motorhome, such as those made by Haulmark, with a Smart Car in the garage.

So, all that to say that if I’m going down to a B, then I’ve found it. It’s a Libero by Leisure Travel. It has a bed in the back, full bath and kitchen, and the dinette in the front is definitely usable as a desk, plus it has the solid construction of a high-end unit.

One thing I find neat when I look at RVs is that I see ways in which I could improve Miranda but I don’t get a burning desire to replace her yet. What can I say, the old gal is home!

inside of the dining car, which was PM Diefenbaker’s ‘western car’!

Vote for John G. Diefenbaker

letter from Diefenbaker (about a week after my birth!) about the state of the Canadian economy and how disgraceful Parliament was (nothing changes in this country!)