Almost Home

After leaving Minnesota on Saturday morning, we headed East through Wisconsin to Illinois Beach State Park on the shores of Lake Michigan. The boys have become such seasoned travellers that the 7-hour trip in the van didn’t faze them, but arriving at dusk to swarms of mosquitoes certainly did and we definitely set up our campsite in record time!

On Sunday morning, we headed to the Illinois/Wisconsin border to visit the Bristol Renaissance Fair. Since both Braedon and Riley have been quite obsessed with knights and swords since they were very little, we could not help but have a great day! The fair was much larger than any other we had ever seen and was complete with medieval games, merchants, and foods including the very yummy pickles on a stick that we all enjoyed. The shows were extremely funny and kept us highly entertained all day long. We especially enjoyed the Mud Show which was a Monte Python type comedy sketch involving three actors who skilfully wove adult humour throughout the show, while also entertaining the kids. Shawn got up-close and personal with the Washer Women when he was called up on stage and his portrayal of a sexy gypsy woman named “Veronica” will certainly be something we will remember for years to come. All in all, it was a lot of fun!

On Monday, we decided to have a quiet day and enjoy the park. While the beach was very pretty, the lake was also quite cold and the kids spent more time playing in the sand with some friends they met, than they did in the water. Shawn and I thoroughly enjoyed having some time to relax and read and were happy to watch and be entertained by the antics of the children. Watching them slip and slide on the sandy banks while trying to stay on their feet was very amusing!

Tuesday morning, we rose bright and early and headed 20 minutes west to Six Flags Great America. Although we visited Disneyland and Universal Studios in California and also had some time in the midway at the Calgary Stampede, the boys were both keen to hit some roller coasters before heading home and Six Flags was certainly the place to go. With the help of our Flash Pass, which allowed us to skip nearly all the waiting time in the ride lines, we rode 12 coasters in one day leaving the boys thoroughly satisfied and Shawn and I somewhat dizzy and nauseous, but still in high spirits! To top off an amazing day, Shawn and Braedon split a bucket of rings at one of the games just before we left and won a giant stuffed elephant. Since Braedon hadn’t really chosen any large trip memento, he was absolutely thrilled and it made for the perfect ending to a great day.

Today, we are on our way back to Ontario. It is hard to believe that after nearly 24 weeks on the road will be stop today at Kim and Kevin’s house less than two hours from home! Our plan is to hang out with Shawn’s family and catch up until Friday and then head for home on Saturday morning. While we are all feeling a mix of emotions about the end of our journey, we are also very excited to be getting home and are looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family. It has been an amazing journey – even more powerful and important than we ever expected and I know that the moments we have spent together on this trip will affect all of us long into the future. People keep telling us that this was the trip of a lifetime, but we are all certain that it will simply be the first of many big adventures we take together. We have an amazing family and after almost six months together in a 17 foot trailer, we know just how lucky we are to have each other. 4:Exploring… where to next?

Tammy

Back in the USA

After our humongous hike to Crypt Lake last Wednesday, we spent a much quieter day on Thursday taking a scenic drive through Montana’s Glacier National Park. Since Waterton and Glacier are collectively known as International Peace Park’s and connect on
either side of the border, we were not surprised to find the scenery on the US side comparatively staggering. Since we all had sore legs, the leisurely drive also provided the chance for a much needed rest. Although he was a little camera shy and rushed away quite quickly, we were all pleased to find a mountain goat grazing at the top of one of the mountain passes and marvelled at how well his white coat blended into the snow.

On Friday morning, we left Waterton and since have been slowly travelling East toward home. Although the drive across Montana was lovely, we were surprised that many of the small towns were not as quaint as expected and in addition to being somewhat rundown boasted numerous bars and casinos and did not seem the place for children. As a result we meandered right through and found ourselves in North Dakota by Saturday morning where we spent two days in a lovely little town called Medora. Medora sits right at the base of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and is certainly a hidden gem. During the day, we spent some time touring the national park and were fortunate to see several herds of wild bison and horses grazing in the badlands. In the evenings, we were treated to Medora hospitality taking in the unusual pitchfork steak fondue and the lively Medora Musical. Both were really fun!

On Monday, we completed another long drive East landing in Bloomington, Minnesota on Tuesday morning. We have spent the past few days shopping at the Mall of America and have enjoyed preparing for our return to school and work in September. Since both boys have been the lucky recipients of clothing hand-me-downs since they were little and have rarely had to purchase a lot of clothes, the chance to go on a true shopping spree was a new experience. Riley was clearly born to shop and had no trouble finding a mountain of things that he needed. Braedon, on the other hand, was a little more reserved and took awhile to warm up to the process. Since I have been off for almost 14 months, and Shawn almost 6, we took the opportunity to purchase some work clothes as well and will certainly have lots to declare as we cross the border!

Today, we are simply hanging out at the lovely little RV park taking advantage of the pool and games room. Tomorrow morning, we will load up and head toward Illinois State Beach near Chicago where we plan to visit a Renaissance Fair in Wisconsin and a Six Flags Theme Park as well. It should be a fun couple of days!

Tammy

So proud...

Sunday afternoon, after spending a fabulous day at the skate park and local farmer’s market, we shared a tearful goodbye with Chris and Paula’s family, and drove several hours south to Heads Smashed In Buffalo Jump in Southern Alberta. Our experiences in Calgary had been amazing, but with only three weeks left of our adventure, we were all looking forward to spending the remaining time together as a family of four, and we have certainly shared some special moments over the past four days! Although we have had many amazing experiences together on this trip, there have been two truly wonderful events this week that have made Shawn and I feel extremely proud of our boys and the strong, capable and committed young men they are becoming.

To help you understand the first event, I need to give you a little background information. All along our journey we have had opportunities to observe others and have had many conversations about those who are less fortunate than we are. About a month ago, Shawn and I were talking to the kids about poverty and how many children, even in rich countries like Canada and the U.S., go hungry everyday. Our discussion led Shawn to share his memories of participating in the 30 Hour Famine back when he was in high school and what he learned from that experience. As well, we had some discussions about how we could get involved to help back in Newmarket. Inspired by our chat, Braedon commented that he would like to try fasting and so we agreed that our first day out of Calgary, we would have our own famine and learn first-hand what it might be like to go hungry.

As agreed, Sunday night, after a supper of farmer’s market finds, Braedon, Shawn and I set our minds and settled our stomachs for more than 30 hours without food. The plan was to make it all the way through to breakfast on Tuesday morning without eating a thing. Shawn and I would drink only water, while Braedon with his growing body would drink mainly water, but some juice as well. Monday dawned a beautiful sunny day, and though we headed out for a busy day exploring Head Smashed In and Fort Macleod, I am hugely proud to report, that with a few minor exceptions (Shawn had a cup of coffee to manage a headache, I had a glass of juice to stop the shakes, and Braedon had a handful of blueberries to get to sleep on Monday night) we all reached our goal. We could not be prouder of Braedon! He not only committed himself to achieving his goal, but made some really mature comments about how his experience differs from kids who cannot count on a healthy meal even after 30 hours of hunger. It was a learning experience for all of us!

Despite our hungry bellies, Head Smashed In was a great experience. For those of you who have not been there, Head Smashed In is a Buffalo jump and a UNESCO Heritage site. For more than 6000 years in the past, First Nations people lived in harmony with buffalo, hunting them without weapons by working together ingeniously as a community to drive an entire herd over the cliffs to their death. The interpretive centre was highly informative and after learning more about the people and their amazing ingenuity, we were able to walk out to the jump and take a look at the actual site. Although, there were some great hikes, with no food on board, we decided not to push ourselves too hard and instead headed into
Fort Macleod for the afternoon. Historically, Fort Macleod was the centre of the Alberta cattle industry, and one of the original outposts of the Northwest Mounted Police (now the RCMP). The museum was hugely informative and offered us the chance to tour a fort, but also to see a musical ride. We all enjoyed the experience and learning some history, but probably were most excited by the three goats living on the sod roof of one of the buildings.

Early Tuesday morning, with rumbling tummies, we headed 100 km South to Waterton National Park. After a hearty breakfast at a local restaurant, we headed out to explore the park. Waterton is simply breathtaking and absolutely makes our Top 10 list for the must-see places we have visited! We’ve been staying in the Townsite campground, which is located in the heart of the park, and the scenery is so beautiful that I simply don’t know where to put my eyes! From rocky mountains, to deep blue lakes, and meadows literally overflowing with wildflowers, Waterton is a feast for the senses. In addition, the local wildlife is unlike anything we have encountered so far with deer literally walking the streets of town (we counted 14 on our way to the amphitheatre last night including 4 fawns!) and ground squirrels clambering everywhere you look. We spent the day simply enjoying the area, planning out our visit, biking, and swimming and the evening enjoying a presentation at the amphitheatre and lazing on the pebbly beach. It was fabulous!

Today, we decided to embrace another adventure and were thrilled to have a second reason to be proud of our boys! Although we have done a great many hikes on this trip and have reached the summit of many mountain tops, our longest to date had been 15 km. Crypt Lake, known here in Waterton as Canada’s Best Hike, was our new challenge. The distance of 17.8 kilometres was daunting enough, but with an elevation change of more than 2200 feet over only 8.9 km, we knew it was going to be a hard climb. Since we were also aware that near the top, this route would require us to scramble across narrow rock ledges with steep drops while holding onto a cable and to climb a ladder to cross through a natural tunnel, we all awoke this morning feeling a little nervous. Our experience, however, was truly one we will never forget! It took us 6 hours to summit and descend, and we will all have sore muscles tomorrow, but the sense of accomplishment we all feel tonight and the spectacular views along the way made every minute worthwhile. Braedon and Riley were absolutely amazing, tackling this challenging trail like pros and persevering through hot sun, enumerable switchbacks and monster deerflies that decided we would make a good meal. Braedon even overcame a fall and twisted ankle, donning a tensor bandage but never stopping on our descent, while Riley encouraged him to finish the hike. All in all, it has been an amazing few days. As always, I feel hugely blessed to have such an amazing family, to have this time to spend together, and to share these unforgettable experiences.

Tammy

Catching Up with Chris and Paula!

After an exciting week with Lisa and Grant and a fabulous time Stampeding, we spent the weekend together at Grant’s mom’s trailer in Sundry. With a great playground and lots of space for bike riding, the kids thoroughly enjoyed tearing around and having the freedom to come and go as they pleased while the grown-ups hung out together. In the afternoon, we took a leisurely walk down to the river where we all through sticks for Kipper and enjoyed watching him as he tried to swim back to us through the strong current. After wading in along the banks, the kids decided it would be more fun to lay down in the gentle current and float downstream. Braedon and McKenzie had so much fun, that they returned the next morning with Shawn to try out the boogie boards. In true Dillon fashion, we capped off a great day with a couple rousing games of Euchre. Shawn and I are proud to say that the Ontario crew held strong and beat the Calgary folks two games to one!

After hanging out on Sunday and stopping in to visit some of Lisa and Grant’s friends on the way back to town, we arrived at my step-brother Chris’ house late on Sunday night. Although Chris and I spent most of our teen years living together in Oro, until this week, we had not seen each other in almost 10 years and were both really happy to finally have time to catch up. Chris’ kids Seamus (13), Kiah (9) and Emma (8) have enthusiastically welcomed our guys into their home and we have all enjoyed watching the kids connect and interact with each other. On Monday, we loaded up both families and headed out to Drumheller where we visited the Royal Tyrell Museum. It was fascinating and combined with dinner out was a fantastic way for us all to get to know each other. Although the dinosaurs were amazing, it was probably even more fun to watch the kids as they bustled piggy-back from exhibit to exhibit in groups of two and three and shared their discoveries with each other.

On Tuesday, we hung out as a group at Chris and Paula’s home in Calgary and enjoyed a day of sunshine in the back yard. The elastic guns that we picked up way back in Colorado continue to be a big hit, and the adults managed to balance conversation with the constant need to duck in the face of an invasion. After much provocation, Shawn and Chris finally retaliated and I got to watch a very humourous and impromptu “Battle Royale” take place in the kitchen and living room. On Wednesday, Shawn and I took the kids to a nearby water park and we all had a blast riding the waterslides and challenging ourselves in the wave pool. Yesterday, we headed to Heritage Park, a local western pioneer village. Although the history and exhibits were all really neat, I think what we all liked best was that most of the shops in the little town are still actually operating and that we were able to purchase some yummy baked goods at the bakery and to take home some sweets from the general store!

This morning, we plan to reconnected with Lisa and the kids for breakfast and another visit and will spend the weekend hanging out with Chris, Paula and the kids before departing on Sunday for Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump in Southern Alberta. We are continuing to have an amazing trip, and are finding it hard to believe that we will be home in just over three weeks. Wow!

Tammy

Against My Will (AKA: My Aunt made me write this!) - A Guest Blog by Jeff

My journey began with a gorgeous ride into Banff from the Calgary airport, where I got a little taste of the mountain views and the beautiful scenery that Alberta has to offer. I was surprised to find that when I arrived at the campsite it was the same one that we had stayed at 13 years ago when I took my last trip to the west coast. We spent the first evening at the Banff hot springs and had the most relaxing massage and soak. What a way to start the trip! On the way back to the campsite, we decided to stop for ice cream and I was faced with by far the toughest decision of the trip. Do I get Wowie Cowie or Gooey Mooey ice cream? My solution….get them both! It was well worth it!

We spent the next day on a great hike through Johnston Canyon. We hiked to the upper and lower falls and were able to go off the trail to explore some of the hidden treasures, drink the cool water of the river and watch my uncle fall into the water. Priceless! The natural stone carvings and downriver views were beautiful and lots of pictures were taken to remember them. We capped off the Banff trip with a beer and some wings on the patio of the Banff Springs hotel, where we enjoyed the beautiful view and the tasty beverages. We couldn’t ask for more!

We left Banff on Monday morning to head toward Calgary for a visit with Lisa and Grant, who are Dillon cousins. On our way to Calgary we took a very scenic route through the mountains to Kananaskis village. We stopped in for lunch (best prime rib sandwich ever!) and took some time to absorb some more great mountain views. We arrived in Calgary at Lisa and Grants and got to meet Kipper, their vicious attack dog that tried to lick us all to death. We spent the night having some beers and sampling Grant’s famous chicken wings. On Tuesday, we had a boys day and went to an indoor water park which was awesome. They had a wave pool, some water slides and Tarzan ropes that we all made great use of!

Wednesday was the start of Stampeding, definitely the highlight of my trip! The grounds are massive and there was so much to do that we definitely needed the full 2 days to cover it all. We started the day with some midway rides (thank God for unlimited passes), watched some real cowboys ride the bulls and horses at the rodeo, and got some great pictures of cowboys being tossed to the ground, looked like a lot of fun, maybe a new career for me? Thursday was spent watching all the shows, doing some souvenir shopping and watching the Chuckwagon races and grandstand show. My favourite show (besides the grandstand show) was the rock and roll ice dancing show. The music was awesome and the performances were amazing! It took me a little while to understand what was happening in the Chuckwagon races but once we got it all figured they were very entertaining to watch. I can understand how people would make some pretty serious bets on them! The grandstand show followed the races and all I could say was “WOW, what a show!” From motocross jumping to crazy acrobatics to some great singers and even a tribute to Michael Jackson, it was all very well done! It was capped off with a spectacular fireworks show that left us all in awe.

Now, the time has come to return to reality and head back home. I miss everyone and can’t wait to see them. Happy trails Uncle Shawn, Aunt Tammy Braedon and Riley and thanks for having me!

Jeff