It's already getting late into the summer and our travels haven't even begun. With summer sports and the rain there hasn't been much opportunity to head out. I was really hoping to hit some more roadside attractions, but even more then that, I was hoping to search for ghosts.
Armed with the books Ghost Stories of Alberta and Albert Campfire Stories (or something like that), I was ready to start my list. The problem there is that searching for ghosts turned into searching for ghost towns of Alberta. This proved to prevent a problem. How does one find towns that no longer exist? Apparently not on a map. After trying to find the town names on top of my Alberta map proved to be a very discouraging task. I kept wondering what I was doing wrong, until I realized it wasn't me at all. They are ghost towns - towns that are no longer around - no longer around to be placed on a map.
This is were Google comes in handy. Now I have my list and a number of coordinates, and a family who are less then thrilled to be spending another summer in the van with mom. I keep telling myself that they will appreciate it later in life.
Now I have 163 possible destinations, excluding the roadside attractions I'd still like to get in, with maybe 50% of them actually appearing on my Alberta map. I think I'm lucky enough that about 35% more exist in the world of coordinates, but the rest - who knows - maybe the ghosts will guide me.
Showing posts with label road trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label road trip. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, September 6, 2010
In the end (Over 100 Towns Later)
What started out as a cool way to stay close to home and still have a summer vacation started out as simply visiting the "Big Things" of Alberta, quickly turned into a huge list of roadside attractions to concur. With the kids back at school, summer vacation is truly over. In the end, we visited ? towns/cities, saw ? roadside attractions, went through six list updates, and at least four Alberta maps covered in various highlight routes, black lines outlining our route and approximate driving times. However, my obsession doesn't end there. With still ? small towns and ? roadside attractions left to see, I will have plenty to do in my spare time. Whether I go alone, with a friend, or with family, I hope to keep going places until a thick blanket of snow covers the ground, or too much ice covers the road.
If you're planning a trip, bring a pen and write down your memories as you go. Make sure you have a working camera. I lost a lot of great memories - photos that will never make it into my scrapbook. Set your course with no final destination in mind and have fun. Take in the scenery, meet the locals and drive around. Give yourself more time than I did to enjoy each town and what it offers Alberta.
Maybe one day I can take the boys on a tour of Alberta's festivals, rodeos, historical points or museums. Perhaps I could even take my MIL or biological mom on a tour of antique shops and old graveyards. Oh, Ghost Towns! I like that idea the best. All I know is that one day I would love to see a thumbtack on our Alberta map, showing places I've visited. So for me, the question becomes, when will this obsession end? Is it once there is a tack on every small town or more likely until the next big idea hits me?
However, before I travel again, here are some things that other drivers should know:
If you're planning a trip, bring a pen and write down your memories as you go. Make sure you have a working camera. I lost a lot of great memories - photos that will never make it into my scrapbook. Set your course with no final destination in mind and have fun. Take in the scenery, meet the locals and drive around. Give yourself more time than I did to enjoy each town and what it offers Alberta.
Maybe one day I can take the boys on a tour of Alberta's festivals, rodeos, historical points or museums. Perhaps I could even take my MIL or biological mom on a tour of antique shops and old graveyards. Oh, Ghost Towns! I like that idea the best. All I know is that one day I would love to see a thumbtack on our Alberta map, showing places I've visited. So for me, the question becomes, when will this obsession end? Is it once there is a tack on every small town or more likely until the next big idea hits me?
However, before I travel again, here are some things that other drivers should know:
- There is such a thing as too slow
- Merge and yield are not the same thing
- The right lane is for slow people
- The white line should not be down the center of your car - you aren't trying to trace it
- A secondary highway doesn't mean it is paved
- Sometimes a map is still better than an electronic navigation system
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Aug 26 - Dejavu
With barely a chance to unpack from our last trip, it was time to leave for our next adventure. The first stop Redwater to view North America`s Largest Oil Derrick, which at one point was the World's Largest. It felt odd stopping there as a tourist, given the number of times we pass through or by the town on the way to visit family.
Family was our next stop. We stopped at the farm to pick up my niece and Mother-in-law who were going to join us on our journey North West. The first stop - Westlock to see the World`s Largest Tractor Weathervane. Along Hwy 18, between Thorhild and Clyde is a mini castle tower. The local story is that the original land owner build it to house the remains of his dead wife. It was a place where he could go and be with her as she rested in peace. Of course, we also needed to show Doodles, my MIL and niece, Mars or Bust. Everyone agreed with Magoo and I that it is a bust.
Once in Wainwright, the boys were not interested in looking around the museum. After my MIL got a few photos it was time to hit Barrhead. Once again we stopped and ate at KFC and forgot to look for the tinman. We did drive around town a bit and saw some lovely old buildings. Leaving town, my MIL took the wrong exit and we were headed S on Hwy 33, when we in fact wanted to be heading W on Hwy 18 towards Mayerthorpe.
I quickly realised that my first time through, all I saw of the Fallen Four Memorial was the sign. This time we went to the actual park and building. All I can say is wow. It is so tastefully done. The artwork is amazing and the letter are extremely touching. It is a very humbling experience.
Now for the long haul toward Grande Prairie, our first over night stop at a lovely Best Western. A quick dinner before jumping into the pool and then returning to the room for a movie and bed.
Family was our next stop. We stopped at the farm to pick up my niece and Mother-in-law who were going to join us on our journey North West. The first stop - Westlock to see the World`s Largest Tractor Weathervane. Along Hwy 18, between Thorhild and Clyde is a mini castle tower. The local story is that the original land owner build it to house the remains of his dead wife. It was a place where he could go and be with her as she rested in peace. Of course, we also needed to show Doodles, my MIL and niece, Mars or Bust. Everyone agreed with Magoo and I that it is a bust.
Once in Wainwright, the boys were not interested in looking around the museum. After my MIL got a few photos it was time to hit Barrhead. Once again we stopped and ate at KFC and forgot to look for the tinman. We did drive around town a bit and saw some lovely old buildings. Leaving town, my MIL took the wrong exit and we were headed S on Hwy 33, when we in fact wanted to be heading W on Hwy 18 towards Mayerthorpe.
I quickly realised that my first time through, all I saw of the Fallen Four Memorial was the sign. This time we went to the actual park and building. All I can say is wow. It is so tastefully done. The artwork is amazing and the letter are extremely touching. It is a very humbling experience.
Now for the long haul toward Grande Prairie, our first over night stop at a lovely Best Western. A quick dinner before jumping into the pool and then returning to the room for a movie and bed.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
What did July Look Like (over 2500Km)
July 6: 4H39m & 354KM
No longer there
Couldn't find
- St. Albert - Mundare ***1h8m***91.8km
World's Largest Keilbasa: Middle of Town - Mundare - Vegreville ***23m***23.8km
World's Largest Pysanke, Elk: Off Hwy 16A,
Our Lady of the Highway Shrine: Off Hwy 16 - near Vegreville - Vegreville - Lloydminster ***1h44m***145km
World's Largest Survey Markers: East end of Hwy 16 on provincial border
World's Largest Sundial
Moose - Lloydminster - Dewberry ***56m***65.4km (although I'm sure Navi took us on a much longer route)
World's Largest Chuckwagon: Hwy 45 through town
Tirelady - Dewberry - Ross Lake ***27m***28.2km (However it took us longer, given that we were headed towards Elk Point) SecHwy 646
- Ross Lake - Esker (Glacier Walking Trail) north off SH 646 to end of Twp. Rd. 564/RR 45
- Esker Walking Trail - Heinsburg ***9m***7.3km (This does not include the drive along TWP RD 564) Alberta's Only Intact Wooden Water Tower
- Heinsburg - Elk Point ***30min***34.4km
Pete Fiddler: N end of town on Hwy 41 - Elk Point - St. Paul ***30min***36.2km
World's Largest UFO Landing: Downtown on Hwy 44 - St. Paul - Bonnyville ***55min***69.5km
Angus Shaw Statue corner of Hwy28 & Hwy 41 beside museum we also stopped for lunch and drove around trying to lose the truck that was following us - Bonnyville - Cold Lake ***43min***51.2km this does not include going to the different campgrounds or detours
- Cold Lake - Lac La Biche ***2h***147km
David Thompson: downtown by water front
V&H Space Dock: foodstore & restaurant - Lac La Biche - Grassland ***38min***47.2km
Tireman - Hwy 55 - Grassland - Athabasca ***39min***48.3km
Rocking Horse Ranch - Athabasca - Legal ***1h15m***99.7km
Depression Pete doesn't count driving around town for a long time - Legal - St. Albert ***36min***40.4km
- St. Albert - Morinville ***20min***19.3km
World's Largest Toque - Morinville - Legal ***18min***21.3
Depression Pete - Legal - St. Albert ***36min***40.4km although I took a much longer route home - why I went to Hwy 28 is beyond me
- St. Albert - Villeneuve ***18min***15.3Km
Weather Rock - Villeneuve - Sangudo ***1h5m***84Km
Stone, mini grain elevator sundial: town entrance - Sangudo - Mayerthorpe ***17m***20.3km
Fallen Four Memorial Park: 52 & Veteran's Way
Four Metal Flowers: in front of RCMP building - Mayerthorpe - Whitecourt ***34m***46km
Sled
Steam Engine - Whitecourt - Carson Pegasus Provincial Park ***33m***28.7km
- Carson Pegasus - Swan Hills ***1h8m***68.9km
Wilderness Scene: off Hwy 33 beside tourist information booth - Swan Hill - Slave Lake ***1h29m***116km
Wal Mart - Slave Lake - Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park ***19m***18.8km
Bird Observatory - Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park - Hilliards Bay Provincial Park ***2h1m***149km
Walleye: Sec hwy 750 @ Shaw's Point - Hilliards Bay Provincial Park - Carson Pegasus ***3h16m***227km
- Carson Pegasus - Whitecourt ***38m***28.8km
- Whitecourt - Blue Ridge ***31m***32.8km
Trigon antique resstoration - Blue Ridge - Fort Assiniboine ***50m***59.7km
World's Largest Wagon Wheel & Pick Axe: Hwy 33 beside museum
Bear - Fort Assiniboine - Barrhead ***35m***40.3km
Blue Heron - Downtown off Hwy33
Tinman - Barrhead - Westlock ***35m***40.2km
World`s Largest Tractor Weathervane: off Hwy 33 - Westlock - Legal ***32m***38.5km
Depression Pete: 50th & 47th down from small info booth - Legal - St. Albert ***36m***40.4km
- St. Albert - Southgate Center ***29m***20.2km
World`s Largest Shoes & Stockings (Immense Mode): 111St in City Bus Terminal - Southgate Center - Whitemud Tourist Center/ Gateway Park ***5m***2.5km
Leduc #1 Oil Derrick Replica: Hwy 2, south side of Edmonton - Whitemud Tourist Center - Devon ***32m***35.2km
Baseball Helmet: Hwy19 @ Baseball Park
Oil Derrick: Hwy 60, 2km S @ Cdn. Petroleum Ctr - Devon - Mulhurst ***57m***58.9km
Pink Combine: Hill Top House RR280 - Mulhurst - Pigeon Lake: Ma Me O ***33m***31.0
- Pigeon Lake - Bluffton ***52m***57.2km
The Rock: Hwy22 TR440 Commemorative Memorial Park - Bluffton - Markerville ***1h26m***81.4km doesn't include trying to find the place
World's Largest Cream Can: TR364A - Markerville - Sundre ***1h10m***74km
8-ball - Sundre - Cochrane ***1h5m***79.7km
Cowboy: NW of town museum
White Horse - Cochrane - SeeBe ***46m***53.3km (couldn't find ghost town)
- SeeBe - Canmore ***19m***27.7km
No longer there
Couldn't find
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