Alaska with the Stocks 2009

[Dean & Linda Stock]

August 26, 2009   Day 96   Prince George, BC

   We started our day by opening our drapes and seeing a big bright sun!  We left the coach at the park and drove about 3 minutes to Fort St. James (FSJ) National Historic Site, a gem-rated AAA venue, with a parking lot big enough for 2 or 3 motorhomes with toweds if people are considerate when they park.  Admission was $14.35 CN for 1 senior and 1 adult.  The museum showed an introductory film explaining the history of this fur-trading post and how the people lived. The aboriginal people were Carrier Indians.  They were called this because if a man died, his remains were cremated, and his widow carried them in a pack on her back for the rest of her life.
   It gets as cold as -40°F!  There were about 7 buildings, and each had one or more fireplaces and  was staffed by someone in period dress who gave you a personal tour of that building.  We learned so much, and the explanations were interesting. The Hudson's Bay Company sent people here for 2 year enlistments, and they married native women called "country wives", who they left behind when they returned home.  Hudson's Bay encouraged them to marry the native women to improve their relationships.  Many of the employees of the Hudson's Bay Company here were themselves half-Indian and half-Scotch, including the boss of the trading post, Mr. Murray.  All of the trappers/hunters were natives.
   The warehouse held the furs and what was going to be traded, like pots, food, blankets, liquor (although they would not sell it to the natives, and there were massive amounts of liquor for just 8 Hudson Bay employees), and it was filled in July/August when 3 extra HB employees would come to get the furs.  They would usually get 300 90-pound bundles of ermine, beaver, muskrat, wolverine, wolf, fox, coyote, bear, and mink furs.  They would get skunk pelts and dye the white stripe black and sell them to the aristocracy of London as beaver hats.
   We also saw a performance by a talented young actress who will be performing in two dances at the Vancouver Olympics.  She enacted the difficulties of the daughter of the "boss" of the trading post.  She sang without music and wowed us!
   The man in the fur processing & canoe/wood shop really knew his stuff.  He does this during the summer and attends college during the school year.  He was very well-spoken and will either teach high school history or go into forest administration.  He is the father of 3, two of whom are teenagers.  I didn't pry, but I think the tribe and Canadian government must really subsidize Indian education.  He alternates sending his children to the tribal school and the provincial school.  He says the low class size in the tribal school has allowed his high-achieving children to be challenged, and his son  has skipped one grade.  At the tribal school, there is an emphasis on learning the tribal language and to treasure the land and live from it.  They take the kids on field trips to learn how to ice fish on Lake Stewart, trap and prepare the skins, and into Barkerville, a 200-mile trek.  The field trips are free, but the children must earn their entry by doing what they are supposed to at school. Free breakfast is provided daily, and there are free lunches twice a week.  This is all paid for by the local gas station.  I wonder about all the academic time that is lost doing tribal culture activities and how that impacts the average child's achievement.
   Dean also got a picture of the dock/pier.  They had a little tram from the dock that was used to haul the goods up to the warehouse and haul the furs down to the dock.
   We really enjoyed it, but don't expect Jamestown.  After their canned speeches, ask questions.  That's when it's most interesting and you really learn the most. Many of the guides have done research to learn as much as possible about their We spent over 3 hrs. there.   
   We made a "what-should-have-been" a pretty drive through forested land.  There were so many dead & dying birch trees that there was more brown than green.  The number of infected trees we have seen on this trip seems like an infinite number.

Miles Traveled:  105

Weather:  Morning was 55°F, late afternoon was 85°F.

Overnighted at:  Sintich Trailer & RV Park, FHU, 50 amps, Wifi that doesn't work tonight, Cable TV, very well maintained-they even had a water truck wetting down the gravel, $30.24CN with Good Sam-I like this much better than Busy Bee, where we stayed last time

[Dean & Linda Stock]

August 27      Day 97   Prince George, BC

   PG is a place to re-stock, do maintenance & repairs, and catch out breath after 4 months of travel.  We started at the VC at the intersection of Hwys. 16 and 97.  They gave us a good map and knew where almost everything was.  Two people helped us and used their phone book to look up and call our unusual requests, like for a sugar-free pie and a place where they have people working at the car wash (the interior of the Jeep is almost as dirty as the outside).  We involuntarily toured the outskirts of PG after not making a turn we should have.  Both of the major highways have miles of construction, and it's frustrating because you can see where you want to go, but there is an enormous ditch between Points A & B.
   We made a very lengthy stop at Happy Trails RV, which had a nice variety of stock and a very helpful salesman. 
   We saw the MacDonald's and figured out how to get there because we were parched in this heat. It was clean, but Dean said he found a new definition for "slow".  All we wanted was a diet coke.
   We stopped at a bank and picked up Canadian $, and they didn't list any bank fee.  Maybe free?
   At the VC they recommended the restaurant in the casino, so we stopped there.  And would you believe it-we got lost!  It seems that the restaurant can only be entered from the outside parking lot.  Inside they have a snack bar.  We were tired and hungry, so we stayed.  It was cheap, but we would not recommend their fish & chips.  I had a cup of soup, which was excellent. We stayed a little while and played.  It was fun and clean.
   We went to the Canadian Superstore to do grocery shopping.  You have to turn in on Ferry before you get to the store, or it's a long way to the next turn.  But, we did find the Costco, and we see you have to turn in early for that, also.
   The Superstore was like a WalMart, which they also have, but was possibly closed.  The clerk told me about hitting a moose with her semi, and she said it did $30,000 damage.  I asked her if it was a bull moose, but she only knew that there was moose poop everywhere.  We will be careful to avoid hitting moose, but we'd sure like to see one.  She also told me that both black and brown bears wander around in town now looking for blueberries.  I hope we see one!

Overnighted at Sintich Trailer & RV Park.

Weather:  People say it is humid because of the lakes, but Dean and I are enjoying the 85°F weather!  We have no complaints.   

[Dean & Linda Stock]

August 28      Day 98 (a fix and re-supply day)   Prince George, BC

   After doing chores at the RV, we went to the library, located in the Civic Centre.  We downloaded our e-mail, map-quested, posted, banked, paid bills, and googled places.  We saved ourselves a lot of time by googling and calling businesses.
   Our Jeep was in need of TLC.  It has over 20 chips in the  windshield and 3 cracks, as well as hundreds of tiny dots.  Even though Dean has washed it, it needed a thorough inside and outside wash.  There are two "full service" car washes-Finish Line and Hands On.  FL is being renovated for the next 10 days, so we spent $30 at HO, and they got a lot of the dust/dirt out of the inside, and the outside is so clean that I don't recognize it!
   The Jeep also needed a plastic light cover for the turn signal light ($80!). The Jeep dealer here did not have it. A piece of gravel shattered it.  Many of dings in the windshield and the injury to the light cover occurred when we were driving it (as versus towing), so no amount of padding over the front or shielding would have prevented the need to replace the windshield when we get home.
   We went to The Home Building Centre, which was very well-stocked, to get a caulking gun.  They also had hinges that we needed.
   The Future Shop is the equivalent of Best Buy.  It did not have the memory card Dean wanted for our camera, but it did have good stock and Dean got me a memory stick.
   Then, we proceeded to the bank to get cash. Gas has been running around $1.05 per litre, and we have found a cash price of $0.88 at the Shell on Hwy. 97 right by our RV park.  We will pay cash.
   We went to AA Burger Bar, where Dean had a very good burger with hand-pressed meat and fresh bakery bun.  I had chicken, which was good, and a great dinner salad with red onion, cucumbers, and tomatoes.  We would recommend them.
   There is only one 6-screen movie theatre in this town of 80,000.  They also have The Park Drive-In which plays the same double feature film all summer and is open on Friday and Saturday nights.

Weather:  High of 81°F, smoky air because of fires caused by lightning

Overnighted at Sintich Trailer & RV Park

[Ian]

My cousin, Dennis Loxton, has lived in Prince George for many years.  Compared to me he is a bit wild, always coming up with great moneymaking schemes and wild women LOL

At one time his business was to agist sheep for the farmers in the snowfilled regions. Then he would get together with his shepherds and miles of moveable gates and 'drive' the mob of sheep up the large wide ways between the block of trees in the pine forests. For this he would be paid good money by the farmers to agist their sheep when their land was snowed over. He would also be paid good money by the BC Forest folks for weeding the ways between the blocks, and there was the bonus of rich manure spread randomly   He used the name of silviculture to describe the process to me.

Now that sounds like a wild-aussie scheme but it worked for quite a few years. Maybe his wife and children still live there, have not seen him for some months so it is hard to know just what he is up to at any one time

Here is a blog about him and the business that used to be... http://earthjustice.blogspot.com/2008/08/sheep-and-softwood-lumber.html
And a comment says: "As far as I know you can reach Dennis Loxton at 250-971-2348"

If you get the chance, please take a few minutes to say G'day to him. He's a character in the full meaning of the word LOL

[Dean & Linda Stock]

August 29, 2009   Day 99    Prince George, BC

   Where do locals bring the produce they grow and pick from the wild?  The Saturday Farmers' Market had about 30 booths, and the smell of bannock (a kind of Canadian Indian fry bread served with preserves or dusted in powdered sugar) wafted through the air.  We resisted and bought a small sugar-free cake, sugar-free preserves, and a "lemon cucumber" which is about the size of an orange.  We cannot find sugar-free sweets anywhere (we have done an active search & contacted 5 places), so this was a treat.
   The elevator access to the library from the parking lot is through City Hall. Today (Saturday) there was a wedding in progress, and the whole building was off-limits.  We found a way in through the underground garage-best way to come in is through 15th St.
   We went to the library to post & do the things we forgot yesterday.  They have a traveling book program.  You take a book from the shelf, log into the internet when you finish reading it, and leave it at another library.  You can also see where it has been.
   We went across the parking lot to Two Rivers Gallery.  They had the most real looking tree coming out of a man's head (statue).  It is made out of cast iron, even the pine cones!  It is so realistic that even the birds were fooled at first.  We were intrigued by the beautiful totem pole and wondered about its symbolism.  We had previously seen a totem with the big hole in the bottom often signifies the year when they had no summer due to a Phillipine volcano that erupted about 100 years ago.  The skies were so darkened by ash that the sun was obliterated.
   The gallery building has gorgeous architecture, but there were only about 20 paintings and 10 pottery exhibits inside.  There were 2 that were impressive.  Admission was only $4 each, so we hadn't invested much time or money.  Not a "must do", but it's so close to the library and Connaught Park that you might want to stop by.
   We enjoyed driving through Connaught Park and seeing all their lovely floral displays.
   Mother Maria's Health Store told us they have sugar-free cookies. The store was small, had limited stock, no sugar-free cookies, and the prices were very high.  Dean was disappointed.
   I went next door to the very small sushi bar.  They only had 2 fresh sushi, salmon and tuna, and most of their sushi was fried or cooked.
   We stopped at the Shell station near Sintich RV Park on Hwy. 97 to gas the car and discovered that it's a Flying J, but the only way you'd know it is if you drove in and saw the pumps in the back with the Flying J insignia-no sign anywhere else.
   We went to Costco, and it had closed early because it is Saturday.
   We want to leave early to drive 2.5 hours to Barkerville, so we came home to do some repairs, eat dinner, and get to bed.

Weather: High of 83°F, fires still rage near Vancouver, but the smell is gone.

Overnighted at Sintich Trailer & RV Park

[Dean & Linda Stock]

August 30, 2009   Day 100   Prince George, BC

   We should have stopped at Barkerville, a national historic site, when we came north on Hwy. 97, but we didn't know about its existence.  It is a 2.5 hour drive from Prince George.
   Stop at the VC on the highway on your way in and you'll save money on the admission ($24.25).  Their hours are 8:30 to 8:00.  Try to get there early because it should be an all-day excursion. They do have  RV parks in Wells (5 miles away), but we didn't check them out.
   Barkerville is a gold rush town of 125 heritage buildings with people dressed in period clothing.  It was good, but it has the potential to be so much more, and we can see work in progress.
   There is a 10-minute video when you enter.  We got there about 11:30, and we didn't get a chance to do the guided town tour with a historic interpreter because we had to make choices of activities.  We have found that these tours are really good and bring history to life.  We went on the historical tour of Chinatown, heard the story of the Theatre Royal and Williams Creek Fire Brigade, and went to the live show at the Theatre Royal ($25).  This was an hour-long very professional performance; be sure to see it.  I ate in Chinatown, and Dean ate at Jake's in European town.  Both places were good.  Mine was $12, and the fabulous vegetables are cooked one order at a time-no steam table-so they were crispy, but cooked.
   The ticket is good for two days, and if you go to all the walks/talks, you could spend two days there.  There are stage-coach rides, gold-panning, demonstrations, and a lot of tours offered only in the morning.  You can also tour the buildings on your own. 
   The drive on Highway 26 takes about an hour, and has good road, nice scenery, and good wildlife.

Wildlife sightings: 2 deer, 1 black bear

Weather:  High of over 87°F

Overnighted at Sintich Trailer & RV Park

[Dean & Linda Stock]

August 31 & September 1      Days 101 & 102      Prince George, BC

   We have spent lots of time here chasing our tails.  Dean needed a new memory card for his camera.  People keep on telling us where there are camera stores, but they’ve all been put out of business by the big box stores of Costco & WalMart.  We discover this after driving to each place we heard about.  We were smart enough to call those we found by googling in the library.
   Dean went out to replace the turn signal light bulb on the jeep.  It requires a special kind of wrench.  Over to Sears we go again.  We have decided to leave tomorrow morning, even though we haven’t seen the Railroad and Transportation Museum.  Otherwise, we’ll never get out of here.
   We went to Costco & laid in supplies.  It is much smaller than ours at home, but it is SO MUCH BIGGER than anything we’ve seen in weeks that it’s a treat to shop there.   

Weather:  80’s

Overnighted at Sintich Trailer & RV Park

September 2   Day 103   Jasper, AB

   Our drive on Highway 16 was pretty, but everything is tinder-dry.  The road was great, and we should have seen lots of wildlife.  There are many dead trees, yellow grass, but also many pretty evergreens.
   At the KOA, they say that all the wildlife has gone high up on the mountains because of the heat and drought.  We had planned on going into Jasper NP, but we want to see wildlife.  We decide to stay only one night here.  Too bad, because it is the loveliest park we’ve been in on this whole 5-month trip.
   We will come back and see Jasper in May/early June, some year. 

Overnighted at Hinton/Jasper KOA, 50 AMPS, wifi?—if I hold it with one hand, hanging off the computer table, and then only for a few minutes before we’re dropped, 50 AMPS, wide, grassy sites, though Dean would prefer wider roads, beautifully maintained, tables with benches at every site, a puppy playground with tunnels, slides, and hoops, a lot of expensive play equipment—slides, horizontal bars, swings, ladders, and more, firepit building, a baby bath sink in the washroom, kamper kitchen, community campfire, laundry with great hours (8-10), games room, and a tiny tots playroom.  We usually go to KOA’s as a last resort, but we’d definitely stay here again.  $36

Weather:  90°F or close to it.
 
September 3, 2009   Day 104   Edmonton, AB

   We made the easiest 4-hour drive of our trip—-divided 4-lane highway, with a wide green parkway in the middle, smooth pavement, gorgeous but infrequent rest stops (long, diagonal parking for RV’s that are towing, flush toilets, level, and blacktop!).  We did note that on the half-circle sign showing fire danger, ranging from  very little to extremely dangerous, the needle had been positioned 20° past extremely dangerous.  We see all kinds of signs warning of moose, deer, and mountain sheep, but only see ravens.  Dean did see a large dark animal dart from the parkway center divider across the opposite side of the road, and he believes it was a wolf.  Alberta’s Dept. of Hwys. Deserves a gold medal.  We’ve only encountered short periods of construction, and miles of smooth as glass asphalt.
   We got to the VC at 4:32—it closes at 4:00.  We got to the Jeep dealer at 4:59, and they closed at 5:00.
   We came home to eat, use wifi, and plan.  We had hot weather today and a thunderstorm with lightning and thunder this evening.  Our cat is sensitive to noise and hid in the panel behind the accelerator. Dean tried his best to get him out, but he couldn’t. I hope he comes out soon!
   
Overnighted at Glowing Embers RV Park & Travel Centre, $34.20, FHU, 30 AMPS, TV svs via antenna, Wifi, $34.20.

[Dean & Linda Stock]

September 3   Day 105   Edmonton, AB

   We caught up on our e-mail in the morning, and we should have opened the Telus Science Center.  It is so interesting, we could have spent a full day there.  They have a special DaVinci exhibit that leaves in 4 days.  I didn't realize that he also was an inventor, as well as a painter.  He also did a beautiful bronze horse, which took him 16 years to make because he spent so much time watching the movements of different kinds of horses.  Unfortunately, it was destroyed, but there is another one made from his same mold.  He invented many types of machines which included devices that transferred linear motion into rotational and visa versa.  He built a bridge which only consisted of relatively small logs that would be available anywhere, and there were no fixed attachments (bolts, ropes, nails).  It could be taken apart and put together with ease.
   I learned so much in the Human Body section.  I usually run that category on Jeopardy, so I thought I knew quite a bit.  Not so!
   I wish we had skipped the show, which Dean enjoyed and I thought was so-so, as it took time from the museum part.  We spent about 5 hours there, no time out for eating, just seeing their exhibits, and we are planning on going back.
   This is the best science museum I've ever been to, and we've been in many.  Their explanations were excellent.  You had to read and understand the scientific principle before you could do the interactive exhibits, or you wouldn't know what to do.  In other museums, I have often seen kids just running from exhibit to exhibit pushing buttons, with no idea of what they are seeing.  You can't do that in this museum. 
   They kicked us out at 7:00, and the other patrons were also lingering.  The City Guide and AAA book said they were open until 9:00.  We are finding that the decrease in tourism has caused several places to change their hours.

Weather:  It rained a lot in the afternoon while we were inside, and it stopped shortly before we came outside.  How convenient!

Overnighted at Glowing Embers RV Park-great WIFI!

[Dean & Linda Stock]

September 4   Day 106   Edmonton, AB

   We got up early to make the hour-long drive to the Ukranian Cultural Heritage Center (a gem-rated AAA attraction) and be there when it opened at 10:00.  Even though we arrived a few minutes after 10, the parking lot was almost deserted, and there was a "CLOSED" sign at the entrance to the parking lot.  We talked to others who were wandering around, and just as we were driving out, I saw a security guard.  He told us it was open, but the money-taker hadn't come.  The K-12 schools as well as the colleges here started the Wednesday BEFORE Labor Day, and the Center wasn't aware of it, so they had a "skeleton staff" today.
   The Center is composed of authentic buildings from the 1910-1920 era. About half the buildings had costumed interpreters who explained about the site as if they were the person from that era who owned or operated that building.  I especially enjoyed the grain elevator, and Dean thought the blacksmith was interesting.  We were impressed with the inventiveness and adaptations these people made to be able to have a good life in this new land.
   We have found that people make these places come alive, and many of the buildings were closed completely because their interpreter had gone back to college. The site is really spread out, so wear good walking shoes.
   We had lunch there.  I had a true Ukranian meal with piroghies, cabbage stuffed with lemon rice, and a kielbasa.  Dean had a burger.  They did not have ice for our cokes, which we have encountered in several places.  Maybe they have so much ice in the winter that they don't want any in the summer.
   We took the guided tour, which was interesting.  I would definitely try to get here when they have a full staff, because the interpreters add so much.  We left around 3:30, so it was a full-day activity.
   The attached pictures ore of the Ukranian Orthodox church, a combination hardware store and gas station, the lumber company  and blacksmith shop, and the grain elevator.  The blacksmith had used a Ford model T engine to power the various tools in the shop vis a series of belts and shafts.
   We stopped at the wonderful big Costco on our way home.  They had a much greater selection than Prince George.

Weather:  High in the high 70's, about 2 minutes of heavy rain twice, mostly       sunny

Overnighted at Glowing Embers RV Park.

[Tim Lassen]

We were in Edmonton two years ago and enjoyed our stay waiting on a new MH windshield.  Our the roads still a mess or have they fixed them?..Where are you heading next?  We are currently in Winnipeg heading west towards Regina and will enter the US Thursday..tim

[Dean & Linda Stock]

We were in Edmonton two years ago and enjoyed our stay waiting on a new MH windshield.  Our the roads still a mess or have they fixed them?..Where are you heading next?  We are currently in Winnipeg heading west towards Regina and will enter the US Thursday..tim

If I were stuck in Canada, this is the place I would want to be.  The roads are beautiful!  We can't understand how they do it with the same cold winter temps you see in Yukon.  if you come here, you will be amazed.  When they do construction, you see lots of people working hard and you can see the progress day by day.  We have found this to be true throughout the whole province of Alberta, not just in the Edmonton vicinity.

We are going to be here several more days as there is so much to do.  Then we are headed to Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, possibly Revelstoke, then onto the US to see Glacier National Park,  over to Oregon's Willamette Valley to see fall leaves, Lake Tahoe, Sacramento (we've seen over half of the US state capitol buildings, but not our own!), and home.

We want to be in the U S by September 15 so we can postmark a quarterly tax payments and have them travel only by U. S. mails, but it is looking more and more likely that we will have to entrust it to Canadian mails, which absolutely gives me chills.

How far west are you coming?  Happy trails to you!

Linda

[Dean & Linda Stock]

September 5    Day 107      Edmonton, AB

   We love Alberta, especially Edmonton!  The weather is fascinating.  If you wait an hour, it will change.  They have interesting attractions and wonderful people.
   Today we went to Fort Edmonton Park and saw 4 towns of different eras-Fort Selkirk, the Hudson's Bay Co. fur-trading post of 1845, Edmonton in 1895, 1905, and 1920.  Each of the sites had about 17 buildings, many with costumed interpreters playing the role of the real people who lives in, owned, or ran the building.  All buildings were open, and I think they usually all have interpreters, but the early start date of the universities robbed them of several of their employees. 
   Entrance for 1 senior and 1 adult was $23.75 and included everything, including a wonderful train ride.  The train cars were from 1895, and 1905.  The engine was first used in 1915.  In the day it used wood, but today it runs on recycled motor oil!  Canadians do a better job of recycling than we do, although they say they produce more trash per person than any other country in the whole world.  The train cars were in perfect condition and the seating areas were beautiful varnished wood.  You can go into the high cupola of the caboose and look up over the train and see all the different settlements. 
   Be sure to see their extensive 30' x 50' model train exhibit.  Talk with the guys for a few minutes and they may give you a behind-the-scenes tour, actually walking among the layout.  As a young married, Dean had an HO train set up on wooden tables in our living room.  After several years, we accumulated enough money to be able to afford living room furniture, and his layout got banished to the garage, with the thought that "someday" he would build a platform that he could raise and lower-never happened.  Telling this story got Dean the offer of a guided tour.
   The park is at its peak in July and August, with all sorts of activities going on throughout, like wood-splitting, plays, etc.  In May, June, and September they are on a reduced schedule, in September only functioning on Sundays and Labor Day.  There were several thousand people there, but there is so much to do that it didn't feel crowded.
   This is a "MUST SEE"-the best of the village re-creations we have seen.  Get there when it opens at 10:00 because it is a full day excursion.
   Afterwards, we went to the West Edmonton Mall, the second largest mall in North America.  We only saw a part of it, but suffice to say, it has 3 exits from the freeway because it is so huge.  It was after 6:00 on a Sunday, and almost all of the shops were closed.
   We decided to find a restaurant as it had been about 9 hours since we had eaten, so we wanted to eat NOW!  We found this obscure Chinese restaurant in a small strip mall, which was very nicely decorated and had wonderful food.  We had their 2 person special, which included egg rolls, chicken fried rice, tea, our choice of 3 main dishes, and fortune cookie for only $23 TOTAL!  We would definitely recommend The New dragon Palace restaurant at 17743 98A Ave..

Overnighted at Glowing Embers RV Park.

[Tom]

Aye, the Edmonton mall is huge, much larger than the Eastridge (East San Jose) mall, and smaller than the Mall of America.

[Marsha/CA]

Linda,

I think it was the Glowing Embers RV Park where we stayed for the 2 weeks waiting for our windshield replacement.

FYI, I would NOT rely on Canadian mail into the US for something important.  Can you pay it online?  We have sent a couple of things, just via mail, and everything took at least 2-3 weeks.  One small package I sent via airmail and it still took over 3 weeks.  And, I'm not sure I would trust the US government to honor a Canadian postmark.

Isn't that Edmonton mall something?  I've been to both the one in Edmonton and the "mall of America".  You almost need a couple of days to see everything.  I'm not a shopper, so just walking around a bit to get a feel of just how massive it is was enough for me.

Alberta is a great province, their taxes are less.....

We were headed to Glacier NP also, then I called them.  They informed us that the "top of the world" (I could have the name wrong) road is closed for the season.  That is one we really wanted to see and drive, so we decided to visit Glacier at a later date.  If you decide to go to Glacier be sure and also see Waterton NP on the Canadian side.  I understand it is also very nice.  I was really disappointed about not seeing Glacier, so we substituted Yellowstone in so that I would "cheer-up".....

Marsha~

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Linda,

FYI, I would NOT rely on Canadian mail into the US for something important.  Can you pay it online? 

We were headed to Glacier NP also, then I called them.  They informed us that the "top of the world" (I could have the name wrong) road is closed for the season.  That is one we really wanted to see and drive, so we decided to visit Glacier at a later date. 
Marsha~

Marsha, you really motivated me to get my act together.  We've just been blowing in the wind, passing through things that didn't work and staying as long as we wanted when we found interesting places, letting circumstances set out timetable.  Our daughter let us know that she expected us home on October 1.  Is it possible that she misses us as much as we miss her?  We have tickets with Dawn and her husband for the Blue Angels on the 3rd, too.  I sketched out an itinerary, and your info on the road in Glacier NP (I think it's the Road to the Sun or something) will have a definite impact.  We'll also re-schedule it for another trip.  It relieves some of the time pressure and will give us extra days in Banff that we wanted.  I think you will make it to Nevada earlier than we will, but let me know when you're closing in on 50, and we'll see if we're nearby.  .

Thanks for the suggestion on e-mail.  As soon as I finish this, I will research that brilliant idea.  Dean and I both knew that existed, but we haven't needed to use it, and it does cost money, so we filed it deep in our memories.  Our brains have focused on traveling, and they don't change into business mode easily.   Taxes just aren't as much fun as figuring out what sights to see tomorrow.

May all your roads home be free of construction and smooth.

Linda

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Aye, the Edmonton mall is huge, much larger than the Eastridge (East San Jose) mall, and smaller than the Mall of America.

The sights are now closing around 4:00, so our evenings are free.  We may get to explore the mall.  We can't believe that there isn't a big directory when you enter telling you where everything is.  You really need a map.  We didn't go to the VC in Edmonton.  The first time we were 2 minutes after close (4:32) and today we were 9 minutes late.  They may well have a map of the mall.  We hope to see a movie there tomorrow night, and I want to see their penguins.

Thanks so much for helping us set up this blog, Tom.  It has been such fun!

Linda

[Tom]

Thanks so much for helping us set up this blog, Tom.  It has been such fun!

You're very welcome Linda. I'm one of many here who are glad you decided to write it. We're following along, enjoying "being there" through your writing and your photos.

[Dean & Linda Stock]

September 7 (Labor Day)   Day 108   Edmonton, AB

   We started our day by practicing our navigating skills and finally arriving at the Alberta Railway Museum.  We had huge winds last night, and they knocked down the signs showing where to turn.  11/2 hours, two phone calls, and one U-turn later, we found the thin black ribbon of asphalt with trees on each side of it that led to a rail yard.  Even I was fascinated by the enormous snowplow that was at least the height of a caboose.  If you love trains, you will enjoy this. I think all of the members of their club were there working.  They were really proud that they had one train running a short distance.  The enthusiasm of these guys was wonderful, but the museum is mainly the rail yard and a small museum with communication equipment from throughout the last century.  I feel bad saying that even Dean said it was only "OK" because we can see that the guys have put a lot of work into it.
   We had a couple of hours before the Telus Science Center closed, and we had wanted to spend more time there.  We correctly solved the mystery in the law enforcement part of the museum, but only after comparing fingerprints, shoeprints, cloth fibers, handwriting, DNA, and evaluating their means. Motive, and opportunity.  We re-visited the DaVinci exhibit, which we didn't get to see all of when we were there before.  It was truly excellent, and everything in the place is well done.  For future visitors, they will have a different special exhibit, but I'm sure it would be good.

Weather:  High of about 70°F, brief periods of rain

Overnighted at Glowing Embers RV Park

[Dean & Linda Stock]

September 8, 2009   Day 109   Edmonton, AB

   Edmonton's premier horticultural attraction is the Muttart Conservatory.  There are 4 large glass pyramids that act as greenhouses. They represent flowers from 4 regions-tropical, arid, "show" (a special changing exhibit), and temperate. They had several large floral displays planted outside among beautiful trees.  We got a late start(laundry), and we spent about 3 enjoyable hours here.
   We drove into downtown looking for a store that has moved, and everything closed by 5:00 (post Labor Day hours) so we went to the River Cree Casino & Resort for dinner.  The buffet was nicely decorated, with very limited selection, satisfactory as to taste, but we wouldn't go again.  It's a 3-year-old cheery, comfortable casino with table games, craps, and slots. The people were very nice and answered questions we had about Alberta.  They told us that they get tornadoes around this time of year.  Their worst ever was on August 31, 1989.  I had noticed a black spherical cloud in the sky yesterday, which prompted that question.

Weather:  High of 61°F, no rain
   
Overnighted at Glowing Embers RV Park
 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

FYI, I would NOT rely on Canadian mail into the US for something important.  Can you pay it online? 
Marsha~

We paid our CAlifornia state taxes on-line.  It was a piece of cake--five minutes and it was done.

The Feds were another matter.  Wading through their convoluted website to find out what to do required a large shovel and a lot of time.  We had to join  EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System), which was quite an experience.  However, it takes them 15 business days to process your application.  Since our quarterly payments are due on Sept. 15, just 5 days away, it doesn't help us a bit for this time.   I'm going to try using it for our January 15 payment, just to have it all worked out for the future.

I called my CPA, and we decided to mail the payment from the U. S. when we get there.  It will be a few days late, but he says the interest charges will be minimal.

Thanks for the "heads up" re Canadian mail going to U.S.  In talking with the Albertans, they agree with you, but they say it's great within Canada.

Linda

Linda

[Wendy]

I called my CPA, and we decided to mail the payment from the U. S. when we get there.  It will be a few days late, but he says the interest charges will be minimal.

Payments to IRS must be mailed by the due date. If you mail the payment by 9/15, you're covered, no matter when they receive it.

If you're still concerned about that, do you have someone at home who can send the payment and you'll pay them back? When my parents traveled full-time (before ATMs and overnight mailing), we had a couple of checks from their checking account to use in an emergency if they called us.

Wendy

[Ned]

This year we're using the automatic payment service where the IRS is paid directly from our checking account on the due dates.  No more forgetting about the quarterly 1040-ES filings.

[Dean & Linda Stock]

If you're still concerned about that, do you have someone at home who can send the payment and you'll pay them back? When my parents traveled full-time (before ATMs and overnight mailing), we had a couple of checks from their checking account to use in an emergency if they called us.

Wendy

Wendy, what a great idea!  It makes me wonder why we never thought of it!  We will definitely leave signed checks with our daughter when we leave next time.  It would cover house repairs, too, if they should be needed.  THANK YOU!

[Dean & Linda Stock]

This year we're using the automatic payment service where the IRS is paid directly from our checking account on the due dates.  No more forgetting about the quarterly 1040-ES filings.

I didn't even know you could do that.  We'll have to talk that idea over.  I am so mentally frustrated & fatigued from trying to go through the IRS website that I will check this out in a few days, if Dean is willing to do it this way.  It makes good sense--you just have to make sure you have the money in your checking account.  Do they take it out on the 15th or before?

Linda

[Ned]

They take it on the 15th.  I suspect it's too late to set it up for the Sept. payment, but keep it in mind for next year.  I set this up through my CPA.

[Jeff]

This year we're using the automatic payment service where the IRS is paid directly from our checking account on the due dates.  No more forgetting about the quarterly 1040-ES filings.

Ned:

Sounds like the simplified IRS collection system they have had for years; send them what you have and they will refund anything they think you deserve.

[Ned]

Don't wait up for the refund

[Dean & Linda Stock]

September 9, 2009   Day 110   Edmonton, AB

   We got off to an early start and stopped at Fraserway Camp Care RV (open 8-5).  They didn't have what we needed, but they ordered a part for the toilet.
   I was really looking forward to the Royal Alberta Museum ($16.20/1 senior & 1 adult), and it was everything I hoped it would be and more.  We got there about 9:15 and closed it at 5:00. They had a wonderful frieze showing the history of the people of Alberta.  They had a seasonal photography exhibit, a competition for people from all over the world, and it was spectacular.  Their display of minerals was extensive and of high quality.  We lingered in their First People's section, reading all the explanations.  Dean's picture of the statue by the entrance depicts the settlers who came from all over to get the free land being offered in Alberta. Many of the settlers came from the plains states in the U.S.  We didn't get into their Wild Animals section, and I'd love to go back to see it.  We also missed a lot of the natural history area.
   Around 1:00, we took a 5-minute walk to Original Joe's, a restaurant that was recommended.  We both had sweet potato fries and pulled pork sandwiches that melted in our mouths, so good that I am going to download their other sites into my files.  They had a wonderful smooth beer that was made locally, an apricot beer made by Alley Kat, a local brewery.  I know it sounds odd, but it was great!
   The Public Schools Museum (free) was open late on Wednesdays, so we set off.  We found an empty parking lot, and a beautiful old school with lots of ornate woodwork.  The school board members wanted the children to feel a sense of privilege and awe so they would want to come to school. We got a personal 2-hour tour.  Some of the items they had on display (butter churn, pencil sharpener, treadle sewing machine, tea kettle) were there to give school children on field trips a feeling of what life was like when the McKay School was built around 1913.  Dean took a picture of the chart of how many "lashings" a student would receive for various infractions. The third floor was the site where the early Provincial Assembly met while waiting for their Capitol building to be built. 

Overnighted at Glowing Embers RV Park

[Dean & Linda Stock]

September 10, 2009   Day 111   Edmonton, AB

   We had business to do in the morning, but we got to the Alberta Legislature Building in time for the 1:30 tour (every half-hour). Colleen was an excellent guide, and we were her only customers.  We learned that Alberta became a province in 1905, and their first legislature was held in a curling rink, then in a school.  It was designed in 1912, and finished in 1917.  This is amazing because they imported 2,000 metric tons of marble from Quebec.  It was the first building in Alberta with electricity.  The fountain was installed in 1959 when Queen Elizabeth visited.  Dean took a picture of the 5 palms up by the dome.  The seedlings were sent by the state of California, probably as an invitation to come to our Olympics, and they are a thriving 7-meters tall.  Alberta is named after Louise Caroline Alberta, Queen Victoria's fourth daughter who was married to the governor general (he represents the queen and acts as a check and balance).  She never saw Alberta, and Lake Louise was also named after her.
   We still don't understand all the intricacies of their system of governing.  We have been told by educated Canadians that the governor-general is just a figurehead, but our guide told us that for a bill to be enacted it requires 4 readings, a positive vote, and the signature of the lieutenant general.  If he says "no", it is not enacted.  The premier is the head of the state government, equal to our governor, and the prime minister is equivalent to our president.  Elections are held when they are "called", every 3-4 years, but they must be held every 5 years.  There's a big brouhaha going on right now, and an election may be called. The Legislature meets at 1:30, Monday-Thursday, from mid-Oct. to early December, and from Feb. to June.
   They have had some interesting prime ministers.  "Bible Bill" Abrahart , an Albertan premier, had his own 4-hour Sunday religious radio show.  He wanted for Alberta to print its own currency and supervise its own banks. Bill got mad at the lt. governor because he wouldn't sign the law since it was unconstitutional.
Bill shut off the electricity to the lt. governor's house, causing the pipes to freeze and sold off all the furnishings.  The lt. governors for all provinces are chosen by the governor general in consultation with the premier.  Women got the vote in 1916, while the U. S. woman didn't get that right until 1919.  However, until 1925, women in Canada were considered chattel, but 5 women came into Alberta and forced the issue, carrying it all the way to London, where they prevailed and won "personhood", allowing for their election.  They have had one woman premier.
   One premier emphasized education, and to this day if a student has an 80% grade-point-average in 10th grade, he earns $400, in grade 11 he earns $800, and in grade 12, he can earn $1300, for a total of $2500 which can be used for college.
   Dean got a call from Camp Care RV, who told him that his part was ready to be picked up, about 24 hours after being ordered.
   We went to the West Edmonton Mall about 4:30. We wanted to see the penguins, seals, lizards, etc. in the Deep Cave exhibit, but the shows were over for the day, and the admission was $10 each.  It seemed like a minimal experience with few exhibits, so we passed.  Every Edmontonian says the zoo is really bad, even "am embarrassment", so we'll take a pass on that also.  They have the eating areas well-organized.  All the fast food is together, and the sit-down restaurants together.  We ate at Jungle Jim's.  I had a pineapple chicken wrap & sweet potato fries, and Dean had a hamburger & s.p. fries.  With 2 root beers, the total was $27.15 CN.  The movie, "All About Steve" cost $8.56 each.  The theatre was nice and had 13 screens.

Overnighted at Glowing Embers RV Park

[Dean & Linda Stock]

September 11, 2009      Day 112   Edmonton, AB

   Dean went to the Alley Kat Brewery to get apricot beer to take home and picked up his RV part while I tried to do everything with WIFI while we have great WIFI.  So often RV parks have advertised WIFI and not had it.
   We then went to the Devonian Gardens ($13/adult, $8.50/senior), 5 miles north of Devon.  It is owned by the University of Alberta and primarily functions as an outdoor lab for horticulture students.  It lacks artistry, even in its Japanese Garden.  But it has an interesting Medicinal and Poisonous Garden which features plants like hemlock, opium poppies, and nightshade.  We had perfect weather, so it was nice to stroll among trees, but I would not go back.
   We have really enjoyed Edmonton!  If you're going to Alaska, this is a great place to visit.

Weather: Sunny, with a high of 80°F, very slight breeze-JUST PERFECT!

Overnighted at Glowing Embers RV Park