NOTE: This post contains slideshows and if you are reading it on your phone, it is best viewed direct from the SITE, rather than in the READER.
All photos taken July 25, 2021.
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, its off to Timmies we go……………Drive thru that is. Bacon and sausage breakfast sandwiches and a family pack of 50 Timbits (Google it). My travelling companions looked at me strangely…really…a 50 pack…we’ll never eat all those…just watch me.
I ate my sandwich before hitting the highway for the final push. Then it was Timbit time. Being Sunday morning, the highways were quiet…smoky, but quiet. We had hoped to stop in the fruit stand near Barriere to pick up some peaches and pears, but our early Sunday morning departure negated this and so we rolled on…..
I would ask all of you to pay attention to slide #2 below which shows the Kamloops Native Residential School (building left of sun), which brought the injustice perpetrated on the children of Canada’s First Nations peoples by the Government of Canada’s misguided “good intentions”. to the world’s attention. 215 unmarked graves were recently discovered here and more are coming to light at school locations all over Canada. We can only hope society learns from this historical disgrace and that Canada and the other nations implicated will also provide all records, tools and resources required to bring closure to those affected.
….to Valemount for a gas, rest and coffee stop. In the coffee shop, very good coffee, but absolutely no Covid precautions by staff or clients. Hmmm, time to get home.
The last 100+ km to the Alberta boundary were very scenic and mostly smoke free, but we could see the clouds building ahead, so visions of raindrops danced in our heads. Sorry, I just wanted to say that.
At long last, we hit the Alberta and Jasper Park boundaries. Great, we just lost an hour as the time zone changed back to Mountain.
As soon as cell service returned, we placed a takeout order with Famoso Pizza. Salads for the ladies and pizza for me. We found a place to stop, so I could eat, (next post) before driving on. Our next stop was in Edson and after that, the final 2 hour and 20 minute push put us home right around 6 PM. The last slide below is of a train crossing over above the Anthony Henday highway in Edmonton.
7 days, 2,900 km, 2 provinces, 4 family groups visited and a ton of stress loaded onto us all. Gee, but its great to be back home.
Picture This 
Quite an epic trip Allan but so great for you to be reunited with family again albeit for a short time. Enjoy the rest of the day. Marion.
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The good news is that we survived, despite our worst fears. It was good to get back on the road again and it will not be the last time, for sure. Thanks for reading Marion. Allan
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Beautiful drive and those Timbits are addicting!
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Thanks. They are addicting, but they are not as good as they used to be when they were baked in store. Now they all come from a factory kitchen and are simply reheated in each franchise. I always prefer a good local bakery when I can find one. A donut is a sacred thing and should be treated accordingly. Thanks for reading Lyssy. Happy Wednesday. Allan
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I agree – I love finding a good local bakery when I’m traveling. Can be hard to find on road trips though
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🍩🍩
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Such a shame about the Native school children. I hope they can be identified and properly buried. Your photos (dirty windshield and all 😄) have me dreaming of several road trip opportunities.
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It is a shame that people and Governments always try to get the upper hand rather than give a hand up. I am sure if they had taken the time to say their plan out loud, they would have realized how awful it was. This situation of indigenous subjugation has happened in all conquered nations. America, Canada, Ireland, NZ, Australia. Most still have to address the matter and deal with reconciliation. I am glad this is now out in the light, so we can move forward. The pain still continues after many generations. I think Americans and Canadians both thrill to being on the open road. Much as I complain about the long drives, I always enjoy driving my way to adventure. Thanks for reading John. Have a great Wednesday. Allan
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I gotta ask, did you finish the family pack of 50 timbits!?
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They did come in handy on our 10 hour drive. We did have a few left over which we finished at home. In short, I was right. Thanks for reading. Allan
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I have done that drive many, many times. Of course, I head north toward Peace River and Hay River, and when on the way south, I turn toward Penticton at Kamloops. Your photos are very familiar to me. Cheers.
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My most northern point on the route was Keg River. I used to work in Manning in 1972. Gosh that sounds so long ago. Then I was transferred down to Oyen. I used to travel home to Fairview from there and back in a weekend, but I was a lot younger then. We always used to travel to Vancouver via the Rogers Pass. Now that I have travelled the Yellowhead a few times, I wonder why. It is much calmer. Thanks for reading Lynette. Allan
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Thanks for sharing that photo of the Kamloops Residential School. I do believe we can move on from this as a county and do better because we’re more willing to acknowledge it and strive to do better. This is coming from someone whose passport country is in the definition of insanity, so trust me. I have hope!
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The best way to help people see something is to shine a light on it. They need to teach this in the schools and have indigenous people come in to talk about their experiences. My wife’s father was a victim of the Irish residential schools, also a terrible tragedy. At over 90, it still haunts him. Hope is all we have, but we must continue to push governments to do the right thing. Thanks for reading. Allan
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Yep. We all need to do our part for reconciliation. That’s terrible about your father in law. I know a lot of people who are scarred by the Catholic Church
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Some of the views are familiar and bring back fond memories of the West.
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We have been driving this route to Vancouver since 1986. Now driving it 4 times over 3 weeks, so too familiar, for sure. Thanks for reading. Allan
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