Volo, Illinois to Calgary, Alberta
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Day 1: Volo, Illinois to Minneapolis, Minnesota
Today’s Song: Get Out The Map, by The Indigo Girls
As planned, I was able to finish off packing the car and get on the road by 7 AM.
All packed up. It’s time to hit the road!
This was my first time really putting the Mustang through its paces, and oh my did it deliver! The first time I hit a freeway I punched it to see what would happen. Suddenly, I was doing 90 miles per hour. I admit I had to take a few moments to giggle madly. Clearly this isn’t something to do around other cars or populated places, but I see some fun times once I get out to Nevada and Utah…
The first leg of my trip brought me all the way to…Lake Geneva, Wisconsin I stopped for a good breakfast at one of my favorite places, Simple Cafe.
Of course, a good trip starts with a good breakfast.
After lingering a bit longer than expected there I started wandering north and west through Wisconsin. My first stop was Water House Foods in Lake Mills. This was a cute little bistro across from the town square.
Since I’m not in any hurry, I’m stopping for a cappuccino in Lake Mills, WI.
After a tasty cappuccino, I was back on the road. I changed course a couple of different times as a drove, taking suggestions from folks on Twitter. Eventually I wound up heading north of Madison to Sauk City, where I stopped at Wollersheim Winery and Distillery. I didn’t make it to the winery, but I was able to try a sample of six of their spirits.
If I walk away from here with only one bottle it will be a miracle.
Considering I drive into Canada where they may or may not assess a duty on any booze I have in excess of the allotted (small) amount, I limited my purchase to a bottle of the pear eau de vie, which was quite delicious!
The afternoon was getting on so from there I jumped to Interstate 90 and drove directly to St. Paul, getting in at about 5:30 PM. This gave me enough time to grab a quick shower and get settled before heading back out against to The Happy Gnome, where I met Mwako, Charles, Cyn, Lego, and Kellic for dinner. A fantastic meal and drinks ensued, with enjoyable conversation all around. My dinner included a rather enormous chicken sandwich.
And now I’m back in my room at the Hyatt Place St. Paul, winding down for the night. This has been a great start to the trip – a little bit of meandering, a little lounging around various interesting places, and a little straightforward highway driving to get where I need to go. Tomorrow will sadly be more of the latter, since the drive from here to Winnipeg, Manitoba is not a short one. I’ll be up and on the road bright and early, though!
Miles Driven Today: 366.2
Time Driving Today: 7:01
Total miles driven: 366.2
Total Time Driving: 7:01
Day 2: Minneapolis, MN to Winnipeg, Manitoba
Today’s Song: Balto, by Enter the Haggis
Today’s song came about because I associate Minnesota with winter, winter with sled dogs, and the idea of pushing forward on this trip. That, and it’s a damn fun driving song too!
I woke up way too early this morning (after waking up for an hour between 3 and 4 AM), early enough that the free breakfast at the Hyatt Place wasn’t even ready to go yet. Fortunately they were kind enough to let me jump in for a light, simple breakfast.
Up and ready to leave even before breakfast starts. Fortunately they let me slip in while they were setting up.
It was a pretty straight shot up I-94 to Fargo, then turning north on I-29. I was hoping to stay on local roads as much as possible during this trip, but sadly sometimes sacrifices must be made in the interest of time and sanity. I did start up a new audiobook, The Lightning-Struck Heart, by TJ Klune. I’ve read the book before and really enjoyed it – it’s a farcical take on gay romances with knights in shining armor, a clumsy, love-besotted wizard, and a sassy gay unicorn with a serious attitude problem. The narrator, Michael Lesley, delivers a jaw-dropping performance, pretty much the best audiobook narration I’ve ever heard. This is definitely worth checking out!
At lunchtime I was coming up on Grand Forks, North Dakota, so I detoured to a brewery I scoped out the day before: The Rhombus Guys Brewery. They have a respectable beer menu and tasty food (with enormous portions). I had the Dark Matter Imperial Stout, which was delicious!
Oh hey, look what I found! I ordered the Dark Matter Imperial Stout. Quite tasty!
“I’m not too hungry, so I’ll just order a salad.” Dammit.
I also had a chance to walk around downtown Grand Forks, which is right on the Red River. It’s really quite lovely!
Grand Forks, ND is charming. Also, oh yeah – they’ve had a bit of flooding here.
From there it was a short trip to the border, where I was waived through after a series of brief questions. Then an hour more brought me to Winnipeg. I checked into my hotel and arranged to meet Dave and Sarah (aka Plonq and Atara).
Hello there, Winnipeg! I have a nice little room here, and I am told it has a view of tonight’s fireworks.
My wonderful guides here in Winnipeg, Plonq and Atara, in front of the Winnipeg Cathedral.
Dave and Sarah picked me up and brought me over to there place, where we shared a delicious meal of Thia and Italian chicken sausages, fresh tomato salad with basil, and grilled vegetables. Dessert was Vinaterta made with Saskatoon berries by a local baker. Yum!
After dinner we headed downtown, back to my hotel. From there we walked over to The Forks, in the middle of the Canada Day celebrations. It’s a really neat place that I’m told we will be revisiting tomorrow when the crowds have died down a bit. The night was capped off by a spectacular fireworks show that we watched from the other side of the river.
Happy #Canada150 ! What a great night, and the fireworks were a perfect end to the day.
And now I am back in my room and quite exhausted. I can sleep in tomorrow, as we’re not meeting up for brunch until after 10 AM. After that It will be a day of taking in the sights around Winnipeg and spending time with great friends!
Miles Driven Today: 470
Time Driving Today: 7:32
Total Miles Driven: 836
Total Time Driving: 14:33
Day 3: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Today’s Song: Oh Canada, by Classified
Today’s song is a fantastic take on “O Canada”, Canada’s national anthem. It’s irreverent, funny, and yet patriotic at its heart. (“Our national mascot’s a damn beaver!”)
This was an excellent day, and much appreciated after yesterday’s long day of driving. I stayed in Winnipeg today, getting the Grand Tour from Sarah and Dave. I have found Winnipeg to be a perfectly charming city, with a whole lot of neat things to see!
I had a nice lazy start to the day, which was needed after yesterday’s late night of fireworks and fun. After grabbing coffee and an incredibly delicious maple pecan scone from Fools and Horses Coffee, I met Dave and Sarah at their place and off we went for a delightful brunch at Prairie’s Edge Restaurant, a restaurant in the middle of Kildonan Park.
A little morning fortification from Fools and Horses Coffee.
From there it was off to Lockport, Manitoba. A relaxing drive up the Red River brought us to the St. Andrews Lock and Dam. The dam is a unique structure called a Caméré dam, where the dam has movable curtains that can be raised in the spring to let the river ice pass.
We then headed out to Assiniboine Park, the largest park in Winnipeg. This has many attractions including a zoo (which we didn’t have time to visit). We did walk through the conservatory featuring a variety of tropical plants, and the Sculpture Garden.
Also, did you know that the story of Winnie the Pooh originated in Winnipeg?
We enjoyed a nice long walk (interrupted by a stop for a milkshake!), then returned to downtown Winnipeg to check out The Forks, which was remarkably less crowded than last night’s Canada Day festivities. An observation: Canada fell on Saturday, July 1, and Monday, July 3 is a holiday for most workers here. If this were America I would expect lots of 3-day festivals and the like. Here it appears that they had a big celebration on Saturday then swooped in overnight, cleaned everything up, and returned to business as usual on Sunday morning. Judging from the picnickers we saw in all of the parks and people with their families, the rest of the weekend seems devoted to personal celebrations/relaxation. I could get behind this.
The Forks is a nifty marketplace with all kinds of shops and restaurants. They have a beer garden in the middle of one of the buildings that we of course had to inspect to make sure it was good enough.
Touring The Forks in downtown Winnipeg, Plonq and I got to sample some wonderfully tasty beers. (My favorite: Pommies Cider from Ontario)
After this we took an interesting guided boat tour up and down the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. It was a wonderful trip, but I got a little distracted in the middle of it (see below). We grabbed a quick dinner at a restaurant that we all agreed was pretty whelming (a BBQ restaurant with a pulled pork sandwich on the menu and the rest burgers and sandwiches? OK then.) I was able to get my first Gin Caesar of the trip, but I think this will require further investigation to make sure that there are acceptable versions. (What is a Caesar you ask? Read this! And all I ask is that you try it before you saw “Ewww!” 🙂 After a walk around the Government House and the Manitoba Legislative Building (aka “The Ledge”), we made one more ice cream stop at a Winnipeg institution, we returned to my hotel room and chatted over the tasty pear eau de vie from Wollersheim Distillery.
Tomorrow, it’s off to Regina, Saskatchewan. I have laid out a couple of possible routes for tomorrow, depending on which way I want to go and how long I want to drive. There’s the straightforward route on the Transcanada Highway, or the scenic route through Riding Mountain National Park. We’ll see how I feel when I wake up (and how late I wake up!).
Miles Driven Today: 10 miles
Time Driving Today: 31 minutes (Getting coffee, then to and from Dave and Sarah’s house!)
Total Miles Driven: 846 miles
Total Time Driving: 15:04
A side note: While we were on the boat tour I got a message from my good friend Dave Stein, who was working at Anthrocon in Pittburgh this year. He told me that a donation of $3,000 had been made to Anthrocon’s charity in Dan’s name. I was completely overwhelmed, and cried on seeing the news. This was such a wonderful gesture, and I thank Kage and all of the good folks at Anthrocon for their kindness!
Day 4: Winnipeg, Manitoba to Regina, Saskatchewan
Today’s Song: Run, Runaway, by Great Big Sea
Current Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
Today’s song is a fun cover of the classic by Slade. It’s perfect driving music, which I needed because I did a LOT of driving today!
I started out the day with another visit to Fools and Horses Coffee after checking out of my hotel.
Back at Fools and Horses Coffee since 1. It’s really good, and 2. It’s a holiday and a many other places are closed. (That’s an apple rhubarb muffin)
After waffling a bit on my route for the day, I made a snap decision to take the scenic route through Riding Mountain National Park. I’m so glad I did! I stumbled across a brewery along the way, so of course I had to stop. The beer was nothing to write home about but shockingly the alcoholic pink lemonade was pretty good, so I bought a six-pack.
From there it was up to the eastern gate of Riding Mountain National Park. When I plotted out the route, Highway 19 seemed like a nice route through the forest. I did not realized that it wasn’t paved. Adventure! Fortunately it was a beautiful drive. The park is the eastern edge of the Pembina Escarpment and rises above the surrounding (very flat) farmland by 300-400 feet. This leads to some absolutely fantastic views. The drive took me through boreal forests and meadows. It was long but definitely worth it.
That detour was not what I expected. Nevertheless, it was absolutely worth it!
More pictures from Riding Mountain.
After a brief stop in Wasagaming (think pretty mountain resort town that is absolutely flooded with people), I turned my attention to getting to Regina as quickly as possible (4.5 hours away). The drive was uneventful, though I am so happy I have audiobooks to carry me through he stupefyingly boring prairie. I rolled into Regina and was welcomed by Lydia, her boyfriend Andrew, her roommates Chris and Jason, and Chris’ girlfriend Desiree. Lydia had prepared an absolutely delicious homemade dinner for us all, consisting of shrimp gumbo and rice, broccoli salad, cornbread muffins.
[From Lydia] I have acquired a husky! And cooked a lot of food!
And for dessert: Berry tiramisu, also made by Lydia!
Tonight’s dessert: berry tiramisu.
After such a fantastic meal, and the fact that I woke up WAY too early this morning, I’ll probably be going to bed very soon. Tomorrow: touring Regina and Ukrainian food!
Miles Driven Today: 405 miles
Time Driving Today: 8:30
Total Miles Driven: 1,251 miles
Total Time Driving: 25:34
Day 5: Regina, Saskatchewan
Today’s song: Not a Lot Goin’ On, by Northey Valenzuela
Today’s song is, of course, the theme song to Corner Gas, a Canadian comedy set in the fictional Dog River, Saskatchewan, a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. It’s a very funny show, and I need to watch more of it.
On Day 5, I rested. Today has been a very low-key kind of day and I definitely needed it. It doesn’t help that my hosts’ household is fighting off a nasty cold and they didn’t have a lot of energy. This was just fine by me though!
I woke up entirely too early, 5:30 AM. The change in time zones caught up with me, coupled with the light outside seeming so bright that’s I assumed it was 7:30 or so. Nope! Fortunately I had gotten to sleep moderately early last night so it wasn’t too bad. This gave me time to hang out with Lydia and Andrew’s dogs, Jasper (darker brown) and Zoe (lighter brown).
And of course I need to set aside lots of time to pet Jasper and Zoe, who are absolute sweethearts!
They are both complete and utter sweeties, and need lots of petting!
Once everyone got rolling, we took the dogs over to the Legislature Building and walked around the lake and gardens. It was a beautiful day, and the views were lovely.
After a nice lunch (I enjoyed by Ahi tuna salad) we came back and just relaxed around the house. I think Zoe and Jasper had exactly the right idea.
Dinner time brought a Ukrainian feast, courtesy of roommate Chris. Pierogis, nalysnyky, beetniks, borscht, shishliki, and double garlic kovbasa. Absolutely delicious, and a lovely dinner al fresco.
Also, I was happy to be able to share a champagne toast to Dan with friends who weren’t able to make it to previous memorials.
A toast: To Dan. I am a better person for having him in my life.
We chatted and relaxed after dinner, then I called it an early night. Tomorrow: an early start, and a drive to Calgary via the scenic route. Well, as scenic as Saskatchewan can get, anyway…
Miles Driven Today: 5 miles (a short shopping trip)
Time Driving Today: 0:15
Total Miles Driven: 1,256 miles
Total Time Driving: 25:49
Day 6: Regina, Saskatchewan to Chestermere, Alberta
Today’s Song: The Last Saskatchewan Pirate, by Captain Tractor
Today’s song speaks for itself, I think ????
Today had me driving from Regina, Saskatchewan to Calgary, Alberta (Well, Chestermere – close enough). It’s an easy 7-hour drive if you take the TransCanada Highway. I, of course, did not, and so it took me over 9 hours.
I woke up WAY too early (5 AM) and decided to shower and hit the road. After finding coffee and a quick pastry for breakfast I was off, heading northwest out of Regina. After a few hours, I stopped for a true Canadian experience that everyone had been telling me I needed to do.
There. Happy now? (For the record: blech.)
About halfway to Saskatoon, I turned due west and proceeded overland, through field after field of canola and rapeseed.
Unfortunately, I also experiences what I am told is one of the common pitfalls of driving in the prairie provinces. As I approached Rosetown, SK, a passing truck kicked up a rock, which smacked right into my windshield.
Well, this is suboptimal. I’m already working with the rental agency and my credit card, so it won’t cost me anything at least.
I’ll need to keep an eye on it and if it gets worse, I may need to do something about it. Unfortunately that may mean them asking for me to swap cars, and OH HELL NO.
From there it was a pretty uneventful drive to my destination. I had hopped to maybe stop in Drumheller, AB to see the museum there but between delays, traffic, and construction I had to pass. I arrived at Richard and Lindsey’s in time for Richard and I to go out for dinner and drinks. The rest of the evening was a nice bit of relaxing and unwinding from the day.
Miles Driven Today: 469 miles
Time Driving Today: 8:22
Total Miles Driven: 1,725 miles
Total Time Driving: 34:11
Day 7: Calgary, Alberta
Today’s song: Life Is a Highway, by Tom Cochran
Life’s like a road that you travel on
When there’s one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your back to the wind
Yeah, this song speaks to me as I drive on this trip.
No long-distance driving today! Instead, I wandered around Calgary and found cool stuff, which is what I enjoy doing in interesting cities.
Breakfast was at a nifty espresso/wine bar. I decided to forgo the wine since it was 9 O’Clock in the morning.
While getting breakfast I got a call from the guy I rented the Mustang from (Budget/Avis in Lake Zurich, IL – highly recommended!). He told me to go ahead and get the windshield crack repaired. This was good since I noticed that the crack was continuing to travel the length of the windshield. My next stop was to the most highly recommended windshield replacement place on Yelp (hey, you’ve got to start somewhere!). There were extremely helpful and ordered the replacement to arrive tonight. I’ll be there at 8 AM tomorrow to have them install it.
My next stop was Nose Hill Park. This is a gorgeous park that rises just to the north of downtown Calgary and offered great views of the city and surrounding area. I slathered on some sunscreen and went for an extended walk around.
It’s a beautiful day out in Calgary! I celebrated with a nice stroll around Nose Hill Park. Fantastic views from there!
From there it was lunchtime. I was in the mood for something light but filling. Pho it was!
A few more stops around town later and it was back to Lindsey and Richard’s place to relax a bit and shower to get all the sunscreen off. I rested a bit in the afternoon and got caught up on social media and laundry.
Dinner was a delicious Mexican dinner at Salt and Pepper, followed by a stroll through the Inglewood neighborhood. We stopped by a lovely little liquor store that had my number: “Oh, that gin looks interesting to you? Here, I have some you can try…”
Making a note of this for later. This could be astounding or it could be gross. Not sure which.
In case you were wondering, it was astounding. I bought it. And then came, “Oh, if you want to try a really high-end gin, how about this…” I did. It was So. Damn. Good.
So I bought it, of course. Whoops!
And tonight? I see hot tubbing in my future!
Tomorrow is going to be busy. Lindsey has invited me to join her and Richard at a Stampede BBQ at her employer (y’all will love the pics!), followed by meeting up with friends and going to the Calgary Stampede where there will be so-so beer and copious terrifying food!
Miles Driven Today: 111 miles (lots of driving around town!)
Time Driving Today: 2:09
Total Miles Driven: 1,367 miles
Total Time Driving: 27:58