Friday, August 15, 2008

5,000 KM's Later


I just got back from a 5,000 Kilometre (Kanadian Miles) excursion from Whateverpeg to Vancouver and back...
and I tried ingesting Red Bull to stay awake but bleccchh!
Along the way I saw Grizzly Bears,
Sasquatch,
but the best part was driving though the beautiful Rocky Mountains.


I paddled in Lake Louise,
did Lunch in Banff,
and totally nerded out at the Royal Tyrell (DINOSAUR!!!!) Museum,
and the Vancouver Aquarium
...all fabulous!

There are 600 pics to go through, granted most of them are texbook 'Touristo Shots', but someday I should be able to stitch together a semi-coherent travelogue.
At night I would settle my nerves with a few Rumskies and watch the O-frickin-lympics in a Motel.
I'll start visiting tomorrow but my brain hurts because I got home at 3 a.m. so things are still fuzzy..
and I still feel like I'm moving.

47 comments:

  1. Welcome back, Donn, and nice to see you had a hell of a good time!
    I hope you tell us more about your holiday -nice pics!-.

    I'm still enjoying the sun and the beach; I have 2 weeks to go!!! -Not blogging now, but visiting the friendships, hahaha.
    Shouldn't we be on permanent vacation?:))

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  2. Well I hope you had a nice time. We have missed you, and BC does not seem to have improved proportionately.

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  3. I can imagine is was a wonderful trip!

    (banff is one of the most beautiful places I have been...sigh)

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  4. Nice to see you have returned from the nether regions of the universe, Donnnnn. Looking forward to that travelogue. I am sure it will be vastly entertaining and brimming with all kinds of useless (and not so useless) facts. You've been missed!

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  5. Nice legs for a 50 year old! :)

    Glad you had a blast, and a safe trip!

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  6. I always find the nicest thing about coming home is using your own toilet. Hope you will put up lots of pics of those fabulous Canadian mountains and lakes.

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  7. I'll take that rum bottle from you, thank you.

    Welcome back!

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  8. Welcome home! It looks like you had a lovely time. Will you be making the trip east next year?

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  9. you're looking younger.

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  10. 5000 frigging km...thats excellent! mountains mountains...i love mountains. man...when will i ever go there.

    take rest old buddy... oh btw..that cousin of d Sasquatch is in a freezer now. :D

    tc.

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  11. holy SNOT you don't half mess around when you road trip do ya coppens? welcome back!
    speaking of rum, didja see mj???

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  12. WOW wur FUN!

    Great pics..Lake Louise looks so beautiful!!

    btw Donno I want ur input in my today's post :) tnxx!

    Keshi.

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  13. So?????
    whne ya coming ta OZ?

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  14. Nice to have you back. You just make sure you shettle those nervsh good n flobber.

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  15. 600 photos?! Wow, thank god for digital, eh? Could you imagine paying for all those to be developed? :) Sounds like a great trip, glad you're back safe and sound and blogging!!

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  16. Anonymous8:41 pm

    Is Red Bull one of the ones containing taurine? That's the bull bile stuff.

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  17. Anonymous8:41 pm

    Is Red Bull one of the ones containing taurine? That's the bull bile stuff.

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  18. Anonymous10:01 am

    I'm so glad you're back and even happier to know you all had such a good time.

    Road-trips are awesome!

    My life's ambition is to drive historic Route 66 from one end to the other at some point in life. You know I'm sucked in by tacky roadside attractions and nasty old roadside motels with cheezy neon lights.

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  19. Now, why on Earth would ANYone drive all that way to VANCOUVER, of all places, when they could have gone to DISNEYLAND?!

    No, really, isn't Washington D.C. closer?

    Oh, I know, they are'nt letting loud mouthed Canucks into the country anymore.........

    Could you send me a check for an amount equal to what you just spent for gas? I want to buy an up and coming third world country, claim my neighbor harbors terrorists, and rake in the cash meant to build up my armed forces and build bases for the CIA to use to torture people outside the "jurisdiction" of the U.S.

    Hey, a guy's gotta make a living SOMEHOW........

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  20. Oh, and welcome back to your blog where you belong.........we missed you!

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  21. Anonymous11:32 am

    SOme day I must go see the rockies. My grandparents went, took loads of amazing photos and footage. THen they crossed over into america, went out for dinner and their room was burgled. Sigh. Bloody yanks...

    You seem to have had a fabulous time! I am muchos jealous.

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  22. Put it all on Flickr and blog the link :)

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  23. hey wow
    ur post got me nostalgic!
    i actually did a canada trip this june and although was in toronto and did the niagara and lake superior and the treks in that region..was an fab experience..can see u had tonnes of fun!

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  24. aww ty for comin ova MWAH!

    Keshi.

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  25. looks like a great holiday, like your pics! and welcome back, missed ya :)

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  26. The Rocky Mountains do indeed look amazing!

    Lucky you!

    Don't envy you all that driving though - you must have needed another holiday when you got back!

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  27. Which one is Sasquatch?

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  28. Anonymous4:13 pm

    Hey Donn!

    You and Sasquatch make quite a pair. You guys are hawt!

    Welcome back to isanity...err, I mean reality.

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  29. Anonymous4:14 pm

    That was supposed to be "insanity." ACK!

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  30. Sounds like you had a lurvely time, Don...

    I especially liked the Sasquatch pic.

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  31. Now I want a holiday - jeez, you got me all unsettled.

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  32. LENI
    Parts of my Brain are already on permanent vacation and it is wreaking havoc with the where are my keys portion!

    VICUS
    It is a misonomer to call British Columbia even the slightest bit British. I saw scant evidence of the Motherland.

    I therefore propose that they drop the Brit part and just refer to it as Ish Columbia.

    I hope that this helps.

    KATHERINE
    Banff with two F's is spectacular but it is so touristified that the Grizzlies now wear Depends so that they don't sully the scenery.

    PONYGIRL
    Well. As far as useless facts go my biggest concern is that Sassycatchewan should be renamed...not a Cat in sight..although I did see a roadkill Pronghorn Antelope..
    but seriously, nothing but Cows for 4 hours!

    I propose that the name be changed to MassCOWSchewin'.

    ANGELA
    Whilst driving for great periods of time I kept my legs free from the ravages of atrophy by using Suzanne Somer's Thigh Master...what I really needed was a Butt Master..no wait I take that back.

    DAPHNE
    Spot On! As a certifiable germaphobe you can well imagine my constant state of chagrin being away from my own commode for any length of time...not to mention the carpets, pillows, and mattresses of the Motelssss...((bllleccchhh))
    I can't even think about it.

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  33. MJ
    I wish that I had more time to 'visit' but our stay with rellies was booked solid and activity laden. I did enjoy driving like a maniac into Van.
    There are so MANY people!!!

    I saw the Snowbirds perform from some back street in Surrey where the ditch is AMERICA! No fence..nothing! Why the hell do they worry about the border crossings when you can just drive across some farmer's field?


    ANNA
    Actually we have already started examing the logistics. It would take a lot longer and I would love to see Kebec City, Ottawa, and my Daughter loved Montreal where I would need to park in Delis!..but I really want to chug Screech and eat Lobster every night in the Maritimes!

    MISTI
    I am younger..the more you travel the further back in Time you go and you actually do get younger. It reawakens your sense of wonder..
    remember how exciting it was to discover things when you were a kid? That's what travelling does.

    GHOSTAY
    HA! That Sasquatch hoax came out a day after I posed with that statue..so it was very timely. Unfortunately the hoax was piss poor otherwise I am tempted to believe that a large North American Ape could flourish undetected in the North West...the forsest are so thick and there are thousands of miles of it.

    I heard that the DNA test revealed a bit of 'Possum blood...the hoaxsters said that the Sasquatch may have had one for lunch..HELLO!


    NATIONS
    When I go on a Road Trip I GO! Actually we loved travelling along the Southern Coast of BC...well within your climate zone..I noticed that everybody who lives there has a Horse, a Hippy, and a Harley? What the hell does that mean?

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  34. KESHIROO
    Louise is barely above freezing but it is Turquoise and soupy...we paddled out in front of all the other Touristos so I'll be in hundreds of Vacation albums..I'm famous!

    WHITESNAKE
    I'm coming to OZ in a few years when I can afford to stay for MONTHS!!!
    and maybe never ever leave.

    GORDIE
    I actually got into driving like a escaped convict high on amyl nitrate out on the highways of Alberta where the unofficial speed limit is about 130kph. I got used to driving in the mountains but I wouldn't want to do it in the Winter at night..there are lots of roadside crosses...way too many.

    My nightcaps were well deserved.

    STACE
    When you live on the flatlands you gawk at the mountains in disbelief..every mile was a revelation..so beautiful! The Pacific was meh! and I never did convince my wife to go to Wreck Beach (it's a nudie) even though I explained that it is only visited by aging Hippies that look like Winnie the Pooh and Gay men so I would be getting all of the attention...OH maybe that's why?

    CITIZEN MONDO
    Red Bull states like year-old Koolaid baked in the Sun in a garbage bag mixed with an Olympic Sprinter's Steroid laced Urine sample! Unbelievably terrible!

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  35. SCRATCHY
    We stopped in for photo ops at most of those tacky attractions..what a hoot! As far as the sleazy Motels I was mortified at the very thought of the escapades of the previous occupants...
    especially antics sans pants...
    ((shudders))

    which is why I went through 2 crates of Mr Clean and a Drum of Febreeze!

    THE MICHAEL!
    I have already been to Diz twice and what I spent on gas for the entire trip was less than the price of ONE airline ticket to Vancouver.

    I mentioned earlier to MJ that I drove down miles and miles of unprotected American border..seriously no fence just a small ditch..so it is ludicrous to waste so much time and effort harrassing law abiding folk travelling across our boundaries.
    It was a total WTF moment...what a joke.

    FATHORSE
    That's terrible..I trust that your Grandparents sued the American Government and created an International scandal!

    I have seen the Alps and the Rockies and mountains are mountains to a flatlander but they are always impressive..I wouldn't want to have to drive on them all the time or in poor weather..geeze I sound like an Old Man!

    LLEWTRAH
    Flicker and I have had some issues in the past and I don't know if they have been resolved..most of them are on Facebook..
    Oh Oh is it OK to mention the 'F' word out here?

    EKTA
    You did! Niagara Falls, the Honeymoon capital of North America, needs to rebrand to Viagra Falls(talk about an oxymoron)to capture that emerging secondary Male Menopause Market.

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  36. KESHIROO
    No worries mate you always come through for me too.

    SWEETS
    It was a fantabulous adventure and it is always good to get out and see the other world that exists outiside of your screen...although it doesn't seem any more real..because it's all in our heads anyway..isn't it..just like the Matrix.

    POET LAURA EATE
    Actually I got into the whole driving thing and aside from one 14 hour drive most of the time we would drive for 3 hours and get out and look around, take a walk, snap 50 photos...my good-lady-wife read novels and my son watched DVDs and I blasted tunes on a discman so I revisited a lot of the CDs that I never listen to anymore since I burn my faves..it was sort of cool rediscovering an entire album..how quaint?

    ALLAN
    I suppose you noticed that there was a Bigfoot hoax on the Interweb while I was posing with that statue...seriously if one of these jokers would take the time to do it right then he would make a killing because everybody wants to believe in them.

    Imagine a large North American Ape or Neanderthal type Hominid plodding around the countryside..kewl! I've read a lot of articles on them and the famous attack on the miner's cabin would make a great movie!
    Somebody would have 'bagged and tagged' one by now...or atleast picked one off with a Semi.

    RANDOM CHICK
    I did miss both the inanity and insanity of the Blogosphere..sort of..but it was good to get out and away from the screen sucking for a couple of weeks.

    I wondered if I would be satisfied with being able to travel around the world sitting at my computer after actually transporting my carcass 5,000 kms...since it is Summer it was awesome but when it gets to be 30 below in a few months I will gladly embrace the warm, glowing, glow of this screen with all of my heart.

    GILLETTE
    I have a few close-ups of the Bigfoot and I that I might present when I go after the hoaxsters. I can scoff about it now but if I were trapped out in the wilderness I would be looking over my shoulder.
    My 21st Century mind has been thoroughly cleansed of all those comfy in the wild senses and my imagination could easily get out of hand and start playing tricks on me out there...
    Owwwooooooo!
    What was that?

    TOM
    A change of scenery can work wonders for the soul. Since we returned we have made day trips almost every day..it may take a while to slow down..we're off to the Lake this weekend..but you must remember that our Summers are so short and our Winters are so Long and FREEZING that we do tend to overdo it.
    You gotta make Hay when the Sun is shining.

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  37. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeay! You're back!

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  38. *nudge nudge under the table*
    you're turning red yet? lol

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  39. That looks like a totally awesome trip . I want to totally nerd out in the dinosaur museum.

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  40. Anonymous4:07 am

    Hi ,

    I was reading ur blog posts and found some of them to be very good.. u write well.. Why don't you popularize it more.. ur posts on ur blog ‘Homo Escapions’ took my particular attention as some of them are interesting topics of mine too;

    BTW I help out some ex-IIMA guys who with another batch mate run www.rambhai.com where you can post links to your most loved blog-posts. Rambhai was the chaiwala at IIMA and it is a site where users can themselves share links to blog posts etc and other can find and vote on them. The best make it to the homepage!

    This way you can reach out to rambhai readers some of whom could become your ardent fans.. who knows.. :)

    You can also win an exciting t-shirt by winning the contest which is going on in rambhai.com…. hurry up the contest is from 10 – 24 august…

    Cheers,

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  41. KINDNESS
    Yes and I went WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE all the way Home!

    MISTI
    I don't blush easily but when I do my face turns purple, I make an audible gasp, and start my shame spiral for being so DUH and getting caught off guard.

    You don't wanna see me do that do you?

    BEAST
    Few things in Life can compete with DINOSAURS..
    unless of course you actually believe, as does our Minister of Homeland Security, that they co-existed with Adam in a symbiotic Flinstonian Golden Era, and then they all drowned (prolly in twos) during Noah's floody floody because they were too big for the Arky Arky.


    RAY
    Good Question? I have no idea how to enlarge my audience or what the 'chaiwala at IIMA' means. If you would care to guide me I would be most appreciative.

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  42. you know what...the freakin media is damn gullible...

    its like u starting a were-reindeer hoax and they believing it...(hint...hint hint....)

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  43. Nice to see you back, Donnnn, and that you and your family had a stupendous trip. I love the mountains! I am a flatlander at heart and couldn't live IN the mountains, but spent seven years in Lethbridge, which is within viewing of those lofty peaks. Awe inspiring every day.

    Looking forward to more posts from you.... not just comments on comments... ;-)

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  44. So are you back to normal now?

    Or as normal as you can be?

    I think you need to take that trip out East anyway. You guys HAVE ALL SUMMER!

    Ontario and all the Great Lakes are gorgeous, Quebec is incredible, then the Atlantic...

    Best place in Canada...Cape Breton Highway, the body-surfing in relatively warm waters, the snorkelling...

    And if you could ever make it to Newfoundland...beautiful sidetrip is Maine, New Hampshire...

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  45. what an awesome trip, i love the photos!!!

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  46. I've been to Lake Louise! learned to ski at Banff. . .

    happy days

    thanks for the reminder

    XXX

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