Summary
After having the auction and selling the farm we spent a couple of weeks resting up in Panama in Jan 2009. Did a couple of house sits for friends & family before and after that trip but at long last, left for our first official road trip as trailer trash on March 7, 2009. We crossed the border at Detroit and made it into the states the next day.
Our only goal was to get some where warm as fast as possible and to be in Orlando by April 14th to fly out for first ever international house sitting job in Costa Rica. On the way to Florida we discovered Cumberland Gap National park, excellent hiking by the way and we also ended up spending quite a bit of time in Alabama which was totally unexpected but thoroughly enjoyable. Explored the top of the Florida Panhandle (Topsail state park, Cedar Key) as we headed west and then south to Sarasota to visit family who were renting a place in town to celebrate their recent retirements from the rat race.
Returned from Costa Rica to a very soggy Florida on May 19th and headed north and west. We wanted to be back in Ontario by end of August for Vanessa and Stewart’s wedding Sept. so we had lots to see and do if we wanted to get all the way out to BC and back by then.
Finally found exactly where my Cousin Tom and family lived in Alabama but our quick visit with them turned into 2 plus weeks when Dave just about severed his hamstring trying to waterski for the first time in about 30 years. We now know what real Southern Hospitality is, everyone there was so helpful! But that delay made our trip west a bit quicker than we would have liked but we did manage to get to the Grand Canyon….incredible! We couldn’t do much in the way of hiking since Dave’s leg was still healing so we took a helicopter tour instead which was breathtaking.
Gambled a bit in Vegas for a few days and then met up with friends in White Salmon, Washington were we white water rafted for the first time. Got back to Canada on July 7th when we ferried over to Victoria, BC. Hooked up with Dave’s sister Pat on the island for about 2 weeks but we still have lots more to see on Vancouver Island on future trips. Headed east and spent a couple more weeks visiting Nat & Dave in Revelstoke. Phenomenal hiking in that part of BC. Lucked out and got a last minute reservation for 5 days in Lake Louise, our first time in Banff National Park and wow, the scenery, the hiking, the wildlife are world class!
Once we got out of the rockies and into the flat part of the prairies, we didn’t make too many stops and to be honest, the scenery is pretty boring compared to the mountains. The highlight of that part of the trip was our visit to the Royal Tyrell Dinosaur museum in Drumheller, AB. Also managed to get a quick visit in with my university friend Pete in Regina, SK and I got Mikey back! Crossed into Ontario on August 28th and after a long drive thru Northern ON made it back to Southern ON in time to help prep for S&V’s wedding in Sept.
Interested in all the details of this trip, check out the BLOG and the ALBUMS.
