I am in Calgary and approaching the end of my last layover.
Airport security procedures continue to suck. I was subjected to an incredibly invasive pat-down in Penticton, but once that was done, it was smooth going. I’d never done a cross-country flight with layovers, so I didn’t realise I only need to do the security thing once. When I’ve flown to the US with layovers, I had to clear customs while still on Canadian soil, so there were two security checks.
But once the security hassle is over, I remember why I don’t mind going through it. There is something about flying that gets me every time. I just love that little hitch in your throat at the moment of takeoff; it is so exhilarating. I was seated right next to the landing gear on the flight to Vancouver, so I had a chance to see how it works. It was cool to actually see the plane bounce at touch down!
Everyone needs to both drive and fly across the continent once. By tonight, I will have seen the Pacific Ocean, the Rockies, the prairies, and the Canadian Shield before descending into the familiar St Lawrence Lowlands that were home for thirty years.
The layover in Calgary turned out to be a most pleasant respite. I had a nice lunch at the Chili’s restaurant, then caught up on some work. I need to pack up now and go off in search of snacks since I’ll be landing in Montreal at 11PM local time, which is dinner time for me!
I can’t believe that I’m flying east a week from tomorrow! I got an awesome deal on my tickets to Montreal from Penticton, but it’s going to be a bit of a circuitous route. To get there, I’ll be doing Penticton–>Vancouver–>Calgary–>Montreal. To get back, I’m doing Montreal–>Toronto–>Vancouver–>Penticton.
Flying directly from Vancouver to Montreal was several hundred dollars more and would have required very early morning flights. Funny how the longer route is cheaper and more convenient! I’m happy that I fly out of Penticton at 10AM (meaning I leave Osoyoos at a reasonable 8:30) and out of Montreal at 4:30PM. I’ll arrive at 11:30PM local time both ways. Long days, and jet lag’s a bitch, but this is the best flight itinerary I’ve ever put together.
Thankfully, I’ve been through all those airports except Penticton (which is tiny), so the trip should be easy. My layovers are all only just long enough to ensure that I’ll make my connection barring a huge delay, so I won’t have too much time to kill. I’ll have the iPod on me for entertainment.
I’m getting pretty excited about this trip and it will be very nice to see my family again after more than two years away!
Kluane National Park is one of those regions that, like Kananaskis Country in Alberta, has inflamed my imagination for years. While I would love to explore the region in depth and camp there, just a brief day trip into those fabled peaks was enough to satisfy the itch.
After the car repairs, I headed west on the Alaska Highway and, for the first time, pushed past the turnoff to the North Klondike Highway. The landscape became arid, with soft round peaks rippling through, grey and weathered, reminding me of elephant skin. The road imitated the mountains, with one frost heave after another threatening my suspension. I would not have enjoyed this ride with Miranda!
And then, just like that, they were before me, the Kluane Ice Ranges, just as I had always envisioned them. Pointy, slate grey, and snow covered. Beautiful.
I only went as far as Haines Junction, heart of Kluane Country, and turned back. And it was enough for this current incarnation of my traveling life. I would love to come back that way again, in another version of this life where I have more time to explore the territory, but it was enough.
pushing west on the Alaska highway
Takhini Valley
Takhini Valley
first glimpse of the Ice Ranges!
info about Kennedy and Hubbard peaks
You can clearly see the Hubbard peak in this photo, but the Kennedy peak is very faint. They are the white bit between the darker mountains.
entering Haines Junction
downtown Haines Junction set against the Ice Fields
Haines Junction, by the way, is tiny, little more than a swell on the highway, and should not be confused with Haines, Alaska. Alaska Highway travelers headed for Fairbanks should note that they should turn right at Haines Junction for Fairbanks rather than going straight to Haines. I think that someone was trying to confuse the tourists. đ
Reader Croft essentially adopted me on the battery issue with my coach. He realised from my blog entries that I was facing eminent battery failure and took me under his wing to see a replacement project brought to a successful conclusion. Thank you so much, Croft!
As it turns out, he was right. My battery was the original one that came with the coach and had more than surpassed the average lifetime for a battery (seven year lifespan vs. twelve year old coach, hmm)… Also, it had probably not been maintained by the POs, and I discovered tonight that the cells were bone dry. Yup, this was definitely not a project I could postpone.
The first thing he advised me to do was replace my standard 12V battery with two 6V golf cart-type batteries to get more usage time between charges. I found some that he said would be satisfactory at Canadian Tire. Then I came to the issue of installation. Canadian Tire quoted me 400$ to install them and an RV place 300$. Croft seethed at that! So, he gave me two lists. One detailed the steps that I needed to take to replace the battery myself and the second gave me all the components I needed, including the Canadian Tire inventory number for some of them. Can I say thank you too many times in one post?
Once I knew what to do, I had to get permission to do it at this campground and I had to find myself a helper who could lift 136lbs, the weight of just one of my new batteries!
I had to ask for permission because there are a lot of rules here, one of which is that you are not allowed to work on your RV. I spoke to the manager and said “May I change my RVÂ battery here?” She said that that was fine as it’s neither a messy nor noisy job. I then asked her if she could recommend a strong guy to help me. She volunteered her husband!
Today, I went to town (Calgary) to get all the parts I needed, including some lumber to reinforce the compartment floor. I was lucky to find what I needed in the scrap bin, so my costs for wood were negligible, and I scored some 3/4 plywood for the floor!
I’d called Canadian Tire ahead of time to make sure they had two of the batteries in stock and to put them aside for me. They did have some and they were on sale now! I saved 20$ per battery. When I arrived, all the items I’d asked about were waiting for me as were a few other things the clerk had assumed I’d need (he was right) and someone made himself available to bring the batteries to the car. WOW. Canadian Tires out west sure aren’t like the one in Gatineau! My shopping list there included the batteries, a voltmeter (on sale from 40$ reduced to 10$!), a battery watering thingy that looks like a turkey baster, a 9V battery for the voltmeter, and a gallon of special battery water (same price as I’d seen for the same quantity of distilled water at Walmart, so I figured I might as well go with battery-specific water).
I got home mid-afternoon and set to work cutting the wood for the floor and corresponding back and forth some more with Croft working out other little details and questions that came up. Let me say that it was so nice to work on my home like that. I sure missed being a homeowner in respect to doing fun projects!
My helper arrived at 6 as promised. Getting the old battery out of the RVÂ was tougher than I’d expected. It was in a tote… that was bolted to the RVÂ floor. It took about a half hour for him to get the tote out of there, put in the plywood, and put in the two new batteries. He kept on needing tools and laughed each time I pulled out what he needed. And some people said I was an idiot to bring all my tools (save the miter saw)!
He accepted only a thank you for all his effort. Some people are just so nice.
It didn’t take me long to hook up the batteries as per Croft’s specifications, test them with my shiny new voltmeter, and hook them up to the charger which informed me that the batteries were already fully charged. I then installed some 2×4’s to keep the batteries from moving, opened a beer, and set to work putting all the stuff that I’d taken out back into my coach. That was the longest part of the process!
Total cost of the project, including the beer, but not including the hardware bits I had at home: 270$.
Here’s a picture of the final result. The way I cut those 2x4s leaves me with a little compartment in front of the batteries that is just the right size for my container of water, the voltmeter case, the battery baster, and a couple of rags. Croft says that everything looks good, so I’m having a beer now and calling it a day!
Scary moment of the day: I had to scrape a thick layer of frost off my car this morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Driving into Calgary today, I had to take this picture:
That’s not a lake down there. It’s a fog-shrouded town!
Preamble to my day:
1) Yes, I was a history major and am still a history buff.
2) The days have been way too lovely and sunny to spend them cooped up in museums!
So, today, I went to Heritage Park, which is Calgary’s Fort Edmonton. It’s quite a similar set up, only I got to see Heritage Park while it was fully running. It was a much more hectic, but richer, experience.
Entrance to Heritage Park is 15$ and then you pay 3$ per ride you want to take or 10$ for unlimited rides. Rides include a steam train, a paddle boat, a wagon, a trolley, and a variety of midway attractions. I suspected that the 10$ option would be the best value, so I went with that.
Guests who arrive before 10AM are served a complimentary and surprisingly hearty and delicious pancake and sausage breakfast with juice. So, I started with that and then began my tour of the park.
My first stop was the blacksmith shop where I stayed for almost a half hour watching the blacksmith turn a piece of iron into a meat fork. He gave me a lot of information on the trade and how one learns it.
After that, I wandered through the village, taking pictures of random things that caught my eye.
The Two Storey Outhouse:
This outhouse was attached to a bar with a hotel over it. Bar patrons used the ground floor holes while the hotel guests used the upstairs ones.
The Reservoir’s Water Colour:
The ride on the SS Moyie was an incredible value, affording me a half hour cruise of the Calgary reservoir.
Rugs I Wouldn’t Have in My Home:
I was startled just walking into that parlour. Imagine wandering around the house in the wee hours of the morning while half asleep and stumbling onto that thing?!
Fan Etiquette:
That Oh-So-Gaudy Victorian Sense of Style:
I wish I hadn’t been shy and had taken a picture of the interpreter in this house. My first thought was that her blouse matched the wallpaper, but I didn’t say that out loud. When I commented on the decor, she said “A lot of people are impressed that my blouse matches the wallpaper.” LOL
My Favourite House Style:
Some people, including the interpreter, call this a Queen Anne Cottage. It’s actually a rare type of Victorian that followed the Queen Anne Cottage, which has more ornamentation, and is a Gothic Victorian. If money were no object and I could afford someone to ensure the upkeep of such a home, this is what I would have built for myself. I love the square tower and the general layout of the rooms inside without there being all the Queen Anne ‘frou frou.’
Before having lunch, I decided to try the midway. I rode the whip, which was fun, but very tame. I then decided for some unfathomable reason to ride the ferris wheel. The second to last time I rode a ferris wheel, I told myself ‘never again’ and six years later I found myself riding it again and being stuck at the top for an unfathomably long time due to a mechanical problem (how reassuring). But this wheel seemed tiny! Yeah. Let’s just say I didn’t have much fun and I was really, really, really glad when the ride was over. This video makes me queasy all over again:
I walked around for a bit after to settle my stomach and decide what I was going to do for food. I carry snacks, but was getting a bit tired of my usual lunch of a granola bar, cheese, nuts, and fruit. I avoid having lunch in these sorts of places, but when I saw the prices at the most ‘upscale’ restaurant on site, I decided to treat myself to a nice meal. Prices would have been considered reasonable anywhere and were a bargain in this sort of location. 14$ (including tip) netted me a huge gourmet sandwich of provolone, turkey, and vegetables, with a side of fresh french fries and a bottomless glass of apple juice.
Add a steam train ride, tons of walking, and an extremely bright sun, and I was wiped by about 4. What a full day!
I really liked Heritage Park and suspect that even if Fort Edmonton Park had been running full swing it wouldn’t have been quite as much fun. My only major complaint about Heritage Park is that too many of the exhibits are actually stores. For example, you walk into a period drug store and are accosted to buy all manner of goods before you can walk to the back and see the actual museum exhibits. Otherwise, HP offers really good value for the money.
