O Canada

For all of you who are wondering...yes, we made it there and back...all 2,250 miles of it. The beauty of Canada is breathtaking. Pictures just don't tell the story. I always thought that the mountains in Utah were big. The Canadian Rocky Mountains make them look like adolescents.

We came to Canada via Glacier National Park in Montana. Waterfalls, rivers and streams were everywhere. This was awesome.
You can see the narrow passages on"Going to the Sun Highway" This Parks vehicle was actually under the rocky ledge as it passed us.

Here we are at Lake Louise in the Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Note the color of the glacier water; a beautiful gray/blue. There are over 1000 glaciers in this park! You can't see the top of this one because of the cloud cover. David and I are seated on the patio of the famous Banff Hotel. The view from here was incredible. The hotel was originally built in the late 1800's by the railroad as a resort for the wealthy. It's still for the wealthy or those who wish to pretend.

Have you heard of the Calgary Stampede? It is a Rodeo to end all rodeos. People come from all over the world to this event. Here is a flavor of the Rodeo.

This is the entrance to the fair grounds. A view of the city of Calgary from the fair grounds. There were street entertainers and marching bands. Our favorite was the One Man Band. See video clip below.

There were all kinds of horses from tiny ones, small as dog, to the big working class horses. The Chuckwagon races were great; men on horses and men driving wagon teams, mud flying everywhere, crowds cheering their favorites. The wagons and the outriders were so exciting as they manuvered around the barrels then off to run the track and home to the finish line. Fun. Fun. Fun. I bet a quarter on the Eckels wagon in honor of Laurel and Bob but I lost. So much for picking winners. Then, ofcourse were the Canadian Mounted Police looking good.
I especially liked the dog on the Budwwiser wagon pulled by the Clydesdales. Just hearing the sound of their hooves was impressive. The little dog had the best ride of the day. The rodeo itself was great with its bull riding, calf roping, bareback riders, barrell racers and all that goes. They call the Calgary Stampede the "Greatest Outdoor Show in the World." It's very entertaining and fun. All in all we had a great trip. I couldn't help but think of the glorious world Heavenly Father created for us as we travelled all those miles. The memories are many. The friends are great. 2250 miles in 8 days on a bike is a pretty good ride!

Don't you think? We're grateful to be safely home. God Bless America.