This year vacation time for us will consist of a two-part road trip.
The first part included a long drive on the Trans-Canada to Calgary for a small family reunion. We just got back from that one and it was an inspiring trip in many ways.
I was determined to seek out and discover some genuine Canadiana on the journey across the prairies.
I’m a sucker for all those hokey old habits and things that really define what our country is all about. Here’s what I found.
We spent our first night in Brandon. Driving to the motel we could still see the aftermath of the flooding this past spring. The streets were lined with eight-foot barriers to keep the Assiniboine River at bay.
Seeing those massive piles of sandbags in person made the whole situation seem more real and definitely more menacing. The rivers were high all the way to Calgary and we saw large areas of prairie land still under water.
Some time later we found ourselves in the middle of Saskatchewan looking for a place to stop for breakfast. We hadn’t seen anything for miles and the road ahead looked pretty bleak.
Suddenly it appeared. In the middle of nowhere we found a rustic prairie diner with a sign in the window that said home cooking.
It was pure Canadiana. Twangy country and western was playing on the radio and it smelled like coffee and bacon.
Two cowboys were finishing their eggs as a shy, but friendly waitress took our order.
I ordered something that was supposed to be fried to perfection. The food wasn’t that great but that’s OK because all that nostalgia and memorabilia really hit the spot. That was just what I was looking for. I left a nice tip.
I was expecting a very tedious trip across the prairies but instead I found it interesting and surprisingly cheerful. It was smooth sailing through miles of sunny yellow canola with the occasional splash of blue flax.
There were other grains and green things growing everywhere and as far as the eye could see there were good things to eat, including plenty of prime Canadian beef.
In the middle of all this abundance, sadly, we got a grim taste of reality over the radio. The top news story concerned the famine, drought and starvation faced by millions of people in other parts of the world. I guess that’s what is meant by cruel irony.
Wouldn’t it be nice to set all those hungry families free on the Canadian prairies for a few weeks until their bellies were full and they had smiles on their faces? I don’t know a single Canadian who would object to that.
I find Calgary to be a very relaxing city, much like Thunder Bay. Drivers are courteous, there are plenty of mature trees and parks with walking paths and the people there are friendly and helpful. No wonder the Royal Couple stopped by to take in the Stampede. We just missed it ourselves.
We left Calgary for home without knowing how far we would travel before stopping for the night. It was farther than I thought.
We passed Regina with a full head of steam and we didn’t run out until we got to Broadview, Sask. just before dark.
The Sweet Dreams Motel was waiting for us. We took that as a good sign and it wasn’t long before we were dreaming sweetly with a cool prairie wind blowing in the window.
I got my fill of Canadiana on this trip but the common thread was clearly the interesting Canadian people we met wherever we stopped.
Whether it was the chatty gas station attendant who told me her life story in a minute and a half, the folk musician in Portage La Prairie who asked me about my Blues Fest t-shirt or time spent with family and friends in Calgary, average Canadians give this country its personality and flair. They are the salt of the earth.
Two of the most memorable Canucks were an armchair philosopher and his sidekick who go by the name of Doug and the Jeffronaut.
They were troubled by the fact that there are too many flavors of ice cream. There’s just no need for this extravagance.
See what I mean – pure Canadiana.
Stay tuned for part two of our vacation which takes us in the opposite direction all the way to Toronto.
Who knows what Canadiana awaits in the big smoke.
The first part included a long drive on the Trans-Canada to Calgary for a small family reunion. We just got back from that one and it was an inspiring trip in many ways.
I was determined to seek out and discover some genuine Canadiana on the journey across the prairies.
I’m a sucker for all those hokey old habits and things that really define what our country is all about. Here’s what I found.
We spent our first night in Brandon. Driving to the motel we could still see the aftermath of the flooding this past spring. The streets were lined with eight-foot barriers to keep the Assiniboine River at bay.
Seeing those massive piles of sandbags in person made the whole situation seem more real and definitely more menacing. The rivers were high all the way to Calgary and we saw large areas of prairie land still under water.
Some time later we found ourselves in the middle of Saskatchewan looking for a place to stop for breakfast. We hadn’t seen anything for miles and the road ahead looked pretty bleak.
Suddenly it appeared. In the middle of nowhere we found a rustic prairie diner with a sign in the window that said home cooking.
It was pure Canadiana. Twangy country and western was playing on the radio and it smelled like coffee and bacon.
Two cowboys were finishing their eggs as a shy, but friendly waitress took our order.
I ordered something that was supposed to be fried to perfection. The food wasn’t that great but that’s OK because all that nostalgia and memorabilia really hit the spot. That was just what I was looking for. I left a nice tip.
I was expecting a very tedious trip across the prairies but instead I found it interesting and surprisingly cheerful. It was smooth sailing through miles of sunny yellow canola with the occasional splash of blue flax.
There were other grains and green things growing everywhere and as far as the eye could see there were good things to eat, including plenty of prime Canadian beef.
In the middle of all this abundance, sadly, we got a grim taste of reality over the radio. The top news story concerned the famine, drought and starvation faced by millions of people in other parts of the world. I guess that’s what is meant by cruel irony.
Wouldn’t it be nice to set all those hungry families free on the Canadian prairies for a few weeks until their bellies were full and they had smiles on their faces? I don’t know a single Canadian who would object to that.
I find Calgary to be a very relaxing city, much like Thunder Bay. Drivers are courteous, there are plenty of mature trees and parks with walking paths and the people there are friendly and helpful. No wonder the Royal Couple stopped by to take in the Stampede. We just missed it ourselves.
We left Calgary for home without knowing how far we would travel before stopping for the night. It was farther than I thought.
We passed Regina with a full head of steam and we didn’t run out until we got to Broadview, Sask. just before dark.
The Sweet Dreams Motel was waiting for us. We took that as a good sign and it wasn’t long before we were dreaming sweetly with a cool prairie wind blowing in the window.
I got my fill of Canadiana on this trip but the common thread was clearly the interesting Canadian people we met wherever we stopped.
Whether it was the chatty gas station attendant who told me her life story in a minute and a half, the folk musician in Portage La Prairie who asked me about my Blues Fest t-shirt or time spent with family and friends in Calgary, average Canadians give this country its personality and flair. They are the salt of the earth.
Two of the most memorable Canucks were an armchair philosopher and his sidekick who go by the name of Doug and the Jeffronaut.
They were troubled by the fact that there are too many flavors of ice cream. There’s just no need for this extravagance.
See what I mean – pure Canadiana.
Stay tuned for part two of our vacation which takes us in the opposite direction all the way to Toronto.
Who knows what Canadiana awaits in the big smoke.
