Go Big or Go Home - Day 18 - The trip so far

We got up early again (time zones are a blessing when travelling West) and hit the road by 7 a.m.  Partly because of the temperatures we would see towards the end of the day and mostly so that we could get to Calgary and spend more time with our friends.

It was an uneventful day, except for the occasional prairie dog who ran out on the road and appeared to luckily dodge our tires (skittish creatures).  Lots of animal sightings like antelope (my first), but none playing with deer….amazing amount of hawks and a coyote.

We talked a lot about the changing landscapes even across the prairies.  

Manitoba seemed to have smaller farms, mostly agricultural and a lot of communities along the highway.

As we got closer to Saskatchewan we saw large grain elevators, fields of vibrant yellow canola and huge farms.  They also had huge tar snakes (that plastic stuff they jam into cracks in the pavement)…this stuff is not good when you are on a motorcycle and you have to do your best to avoid them even more than avoiding the paint…they are slippery as all get out and can give your heart a skip when you feel your wheels slip beneath you. 

While Saskatchewan has beautiful green and yellow fields, the transition to Alberta starts just before the provincial border but turns more brown and gold with a lot of sage brush which gives the landscape a break from the brown with a slight greenish hue.  Reminiscent of Montana and Wyoming….Alberta is not as flat as Saskatchewan or Manitoba (not including the Rockies). It is more rolling hills than flat.

Needless to say, none of them have as many trees as Northern Ontario!

We arrived mid afternoon to Calgary and made our way to friends house where we will be staying for the next couple of days before picking up my parents for a “mini vacation tour”.  The bikes will be serviced during this time…then we have a 2 day ride to Kelowna on the slow road.

All that to say, don’t expect a daily update for the next little bit but I will be posting some of our side trips for sure.

Sage brush….the stuff tumbleweeds are made of!

Ahead of us - Alberta border…clear skies and higher temps!

…behind us.