'Cross Canada

We are now 6 days into Canadian adventure along the trans-Canada highway. Ontario proved to be a slow-go, wending our way around and over an uncountable number of lakes and rivers. It's beautiful and rugged country. Full of bears and moose (though we only got to see one moose, dern it!). We can only imagine the coldness of the winters here and what it's like when all these waterways freeze solid. You would need a car or truck to live here, for sure, but you might also want to consider a boat and a snowmobile too.

And the 'skeeters. Remember my first postcard from the edge? Well, they have 'em here. First rule of thumb. Don't go out at night. Second rule of thumb. Don't open the door of your motorhome, ever.

When Ontario opens up into the plains provinces, the water follows, first in the lakes and rivers of Manitoba, then streams and rivers and big patches of standing water in shallow ponds in Saskatchewan. There's an enormous amount of agriculture here, with fields as big as the eye can see. They grow all kinds of grains. (someone told us there are several hundred varieties of wheat.)

Highway 1, the main branch of the Trans-Canada Highway, began in Manitoba and has taken us into Calgary, Alberta today. The wheat fields have given way to oil rigs and huge gas plants.

What's striking is just how huge everything is, and, outside the few cities, how sparsely populated.

As we head up into the Canadian Rockies, which loom before us much like the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, we are now entering a highly touristed section of Canada. And after so many days in "the country", we wonder if we are prepared! More to come...from Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and beyond.

Here's a few photos from recent days:

Almost all the rock outcroppings along the roads in Eastern Canada have small rock monuments built up on them. We haven't yet discovered their meaning:



And here's more beautiful lake scenes from Ontario.

And our favorite R.C.M.P.!

And our 2nd favorite!

Somewhere in Saskatchewan:

I just liked this sign:

A huge teepee structure in Medicine Hat, Alberta:

Now, onward and upward...literally...to Banff tomorrow!

Oops, I almost forgot this one: