According to local reports, we just missed the UFO sighting! Details and photos can be found here.
Guess how much Joe paid for his triple scoop Huckleberry ice cream cone?!
Not a great swimming spot!
We met Mike’s older cousin somewhere on a road in Montana!
GEOQUIZ: What animal is on the town sign of Trout Creek, Montana?
The day began early with a hearty pancake breakfast curbside to North America’s second largest parade. The Calgary Stampede Parade dates back to 1912 and that first parade was led by 1800 First Nations people in full regalia. This year boasted about 700 horses and over 4000 participants in its 130 entries. Joe marveled at the politeness of Canadians leaving space along the sidewalk for pedestrians, as opposed to jamming in as many chairs as possible for parade viewing! Canadians are so nice!
Our friend William Shatner was the Grand Marshal eschewing the traditional parade marshal horse in favour of a sweet baby blue Chevy Bel Air convertible! He gave us a big thumbs up when Joe hollered, “Denny Crane!”
At the opening ceremonies for the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, we were treated to both of our household’s anthems, in honour of so many Americans competing and supporting the Stampede on Independence Day. Other than hockey games, we don’t often get to sing both anthems back to back!
GEOQUIZ: Where and when is North America’s largest parade?
Do you know how to identify grizzly scat? We learned all about it at our park’s visitor centre…and then we started seeing it at the side of roads and trails! Two women came in to the visitor centre this morning to report a grizzly sighting (with photos!) and more than one campground had a “Bear in Area” sign posted. While we were excited to possibly see another bear on this trip, we all agreed that it would be best to be in the car when it happens!
Last night, Taylor proved her wilderness skills by winning the S’Mores Competition. She innovated a new chocolate to marshmallow ratio in addition to perfecting her chocolate pre-melt technique on the edge of the grill. Papa Gill didn’t stand a chance in this cook-off!
We took the scenic route to Calgary this morning and saw an abundance of Rocky Mountain Sheep!
The road crews have been busy this spring:
GEOQUIZ: Despite McLeod Meadows’ host’s invitation, we continued our search for grizzly bear by heading to a provincial park re-dedicated in the late 1980’s to honour a distant relative of Sarah’s. Which park did we stay at?
Our campground host invited us to spend a second night in his park because the government was re-launching the Evening Program tonight. “It was a great show in the old days with real good costumes, acting, and music. Not sure about tonight’s show – I haven’t seen it, yet. Could be amateur hour, but it’ll be fun and I hope to see you there!” He then awarded us each with a set of pins including one from his hometown in Saskatchewan and one of the provincial bird of Alberta.
Taylor had the best hammock spot on the edge of the river by our campsite. The opalescent blue-grey colour of the river water (known as glacial milk) is mesmerizing to watch as logs and rocks are tumbled downstream. The power of water is evident in the size of the uprooted trees and boulders that have been washed down from the mountains.
GEOQUIZ: Joe and Taylor hiked to a lake that Shasta would have loved. Name the lake.
This is our first van trip without our beloved Shasta. Joe picked out a new sticker for the bus as we drive north this morning:
Where in the world are the Gills? 