#beaubeaux

Our Alaska overland adventure, beginning in San Diego, had finally come to an end - but endings don't come fast in Alaska. The adventure isn't really over until you reach the lower 48, almost 2,000 miles away. Click the link below to see beautiful photos.

Today, we wrap up our 7th year of full-time travel. Tomorrow we enter our 8th year on the road. It's been an amazing 7 years. So, we want to say thank you for being a part of this journey.

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and Cape May, New Jersey finished up a wonderful East coast journey. The beaches, the food, the history, the people... all made it a delightful end to a 5 month crawl up the coast. Click the photo to see the details.

Posted September 21, 2021 – Narrated by Carmen To listen to the podcast, click the play button The LIB Eastern Seaboard Tour ended with our first-ever stop in Delaware and our second visit to New Jersey. In 2019, we only explored a few blocks of Jersey City, in our campground across the Hudson from Manhattan. So, even though we felt Summer 2021 was our first real visit to New Jersey, this was…

Jekyll Island, a hamlet off the coast of Georgia, provides a wonderful rustic campground to explore this magical oasis. Check out our review.

Posted May 5, 2021 – Narrated by Carmen To listen to the podcast, click the play button See our 5-Bambi rating legend at the end of this review. “I long, I pine, all my days, to travel home and see the dawn of my return.”       – Odysseus, in Homer’s The Odyssey This post – Part 3 of 3 – wraps up The Navy Brat Tour of 2021. Part One is Where Florida Begins and Part Two is Friendship…

Deer Lake, Burnaby

Near Radium Hot Springs

Lake Lillian, British Columbia

What a beautiful Northern California day! We’re in the scenic Lake Shasta area … high 70’s daytime, mid-60’s at night. Ahhhhh… Hear that? That’s the sound of our Canadian bacon thawing out as we reflect on our adventure in The True North.

Kootenay National Park

Hopefully, this warm weather will hold for at least a couple of weeks now that we’re on the other side of the Cascades.

Banff National Park

Icy winds from a Pacific typhoon blew us out of Port Townsend, Washington all the way to Portland, Oregon where we scheduled dental appointments for ourselves and a vet check-up for Pico. It rained for several days straight in Portland …

… so Jim checked his neat-o weather map and, voila! – he found a warm spot!

So we hitched up for the 500-mile mountain drive. To break up the trip, we visited dear friends in Springfield, Oregon …

Nita and David

… overnighted at Freed Estate Vineyard and Winery in Umpqua Valley, and the next day, stopped for lunch at The Laughing Clam in Grant’s Pass.

Now, with birthday month behind us, we’re getting excited about the holidays. We’re also making plans to explore the east coast of Canada next summer. Woo-hoo!!!

Lake Lillian, British Columbia

After ‘4-3-2’ing across two Canadian provinces – about 1,966 miles in 17 different locations for 106 days – we’re sorting out expenses and details, like …

Glacier dust rules!

The sparkling turquoise water in the Rockies wouldn’t be possible without glacier dust, but that stuff is tough on the rig. We tried, but couldn’t stay on top of it. “Clean Enough” became our motto. The Canadian Rockies are just too beautiful to stay home and do chores.

Have shoes, will gravel!

Walking is the best way to get around in the Rockies, so foot care is important.

The National Parks surface everything in gravel – it’s in all of the campgrounds, parking lots, trails, and footpaths and it’s tough on feet, ankles, knees, shoes, and bike tires.

Having summited Half Dome and Mt. Whitney in sandals, I’m no tenderfoot – but I had a feeling about the Rockies.

So, in Portland, I picked up a pair of hybrid rain/trail boots at a discount shop. They kept my feet dry and comfortable and I never turned an ankle or tweaked a knee or got a blister. I wore layered socks: thin silk toe socks under thin microfiber wicking socks under thick alpaca socks. Worked like a charm.

Home cooking!

Bean soup and homemade bread

Minestrone!

Jim’s making a scramble!

Carnitas burrito!

Homemade Chicken Francese!

Asian soup!

Jim’s scramble!

Spicy clam sauce on homemade zucchini noodles!

Italian sausage and sauce on spaghetti squash!

Fresh fruit and yogurt

We made most of our own meals. The National Parks have the usual small tourist markets with minimal options for a maximum price – so, on the way, we stocked up at Farmer’s Markets and roadside produce stands, acquiring local specialties like Saskatoon jam, Taber corn, cherries, honey, tender fresh organic greens, smoked fish, summer savory, local wild rice, seeded mustards and – the pride of Alberta – an occasional steak.

There’s way too much to see!

Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC

Downtown Vancouver, BC

Downtown Vancouver, BC

We tried our best to schedule it all in, but things happen.

We missed the Stampede breakfast, the Beauty Creek Trail hike, Whistler Blackcomb and Ainsworth Hot Springs. It rained the day we planned the Banff gondola and Jasper was under smoke. But missing stuff is a great reason to go back and try again.

The politeness is catching!

Deer Lake, Burnaby, BC

As a Californian, I certainly don’t want to resort to cultural stereotypes (and who knows how long Canadians can maintain composure) but when they weren’t playing hockey …

Jennifer Shaw of Calgary Fire Women’s Hockey

… we found Canadians to be considerate, polite and hospitable. The mood changed instantly at the border crossing where the conversation shifted from political preferences to ice cream flavors.

Without the constant barrage of human-on-human stress signals, we were able to disengage our American reflex for hyper-vigilance and my personal coping strategy of hyper-friendliness took a break for four refreshing months.

Citizens are even nice behind the wheel.

Canada finally broke Jim of that annoying habit of nosing into the crosswalk. Long delays for trains made some drivers a bit jumpy but, in our experience, it was still easier to cross the street at rush hour in Vancouver than in big American cities. Everyone seemed to be looking out for each other.

Liquor and tobacco stores are out …

and Craft breweries and wineries are in!

Dageraad Brewing Company

Steamworks Brewing Company

Old Settler Pub

We quickly learned that liquor is not sold at Costco. And Canadian Costco only accepts Mastercard instead of Visa, so we had to shop with cash. Next time, we will research early to find out which credit card Costco accepts.

So, for liquor, we had to depend on locals pointing us in the right direction because the rules for licensing vary from place to place.

It makes sense that a country with universal national healthcare would tighten the gun, liquor and tobacco laws.

Taxed at $8 per, Jim gave up cigars for those four months in Canada and I say, that’s a good thing. Now we know what those duty-free cigar and tobacco stores were about on the stateside of the border.

We have no idea about marijuana – but it’s still probably important to keep your leaf away from the border even with legalization. Yes, we were in downtown Vancouver when the bud dropped and guess what? It was about as exciting as a health fair for old people.

Deer Lake, Burnaby

Mail

It took three extra weeks to get the mail, so next time we will stock up on meds before crossing over. Also, our vehicle registration was out of date for about a week as we awaited delivery.

Amazon

Amazon.ca is different than Amazon.com. Like Costco, they have different products and our prime membership didn’t cross the border with us, so stocking up before crossing is a good idea.

Exchange Rate

Fortunately, our bank waived all currency exchange fees on our credit card purchases and hopefully, that will continue – but, we will call to confirm before we reenter Canada.

Simple comforts …

British Columbia cherries! The best!!!

Freshly brewed unsweet iced tea was unavailable at all restaurants – and decaf black tea could not be found at grocery stores.

Dog-friendly restaurants were nearly unheard of. Even outdoor cafes and many parks do not allow dogs – even on a leash.

But both of those disappointments saved us a lot of money by enjoying our meals at home, so …

Expenses were ducky!

Food and restaurants are pricey in Canada – often 25% higher than in the states even with the currency exchange rate. But with so many free things to do, it felt like we were dripping in gold.

Due to colder weather, we spent an average of $101 per month on propane – much higher than our previous average of $35 a month.

Diesel was about $4.70 per gallon, but since we traveled under 2,000 miles in 3+ months (low for us, but hopefully our new normal) fuel expenses remained within our usual average of $355 a month.

So, our nearly four-month Canadian Rockies extravaganza vacation didn’t break the LIB bank! In fact, it was like … free.

We’re mighty tickled to report that – at least for now – the system works like money in the bank. Living in Beauty is taking us places!

Golden Ears Cheese Crafters, Maple Ridge, British Columbia

Please share your Canada travel tips in the Comments below!

“While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,           As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my trailer door. Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my trailer door —           Only this, and nothing more.”

– adapted from The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

Deer Lake Park – Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Jim celebrated his sixty-fourth birthday on October 4th. And if that wasn’t spooky enough, we were all alone in the woods.

With the temperature in the high 20’s at night and the high 30’s daytime, we were the solitary campers in a large densely forested park during the last a few days before seasonal closing. Shuswap Lake Provincial Park was kinda creepy in a beautiful way.

Shuswap Lake Provincial Park – Scotch Creek, British Columbia, Canada

Shuswap Lake Provincial Park – Scotch Creek, British Columbia, Canada

Shuswap Lake Provincial Park – Scotch Creek, British Columbia, Canada

But good friends, old and new, warmed our rattling bones with home-cooked delights and even met us at a cheerful pub, right across the road from our campground to toast Jim’s Beatle Birthday.

64th Birthday at The Hub

Birthday at The Hub with Laura and Paul.

Pattie is a great cook!

Pilpil! Got the recipe!

Watching the salmon run was the perfect metaphor for an epic Birthday Month. Old age ain’t for sissies! Whenever the futility of life gets me down I will turn to the salmon for inspiration …

Then, we moved south to a slightly warmer climate in Sasquatch Country!

We must return to Harrison Hot Spring in June for Sasquatch Days!

Hiking in Sasquatch country

Jim performed a Vulcan mind-read on the Sasquatch!

Lost in Sasquatch country

Sasquatch live here.

Our campsite beside a natural outdoor stage with amazing acoustics.

Very Sasquatchy, if you ask me.

In a few days, we will be in Port Townsend for my birthday and I will miss the trains in Canada. Trains soothe my mind and put me in a mood to ruminate.

Warming our feet by the fire tonight in our cozy campground on Cariboo Place, we realize how these past twenty-seven months of travel have connected us to the land, our roots, long lost friends and family … and also to some unexpected encounters with the spirit world.

Interested? Pull up a chair and sit for a spell …

Our campsite tree

The Ghost Lights

We’re not paranormal enthusiasts, but now and then, one or both of us have a feeling that a place is, well, invested with an energy – sometimes good and sometimes not so good. Traveling has sharpened our senses, made us more keen and perceptive.

An example of good energy is the ghost lights of Anza-Borrego which stayed right beside us inside our tent throughout a treacherous night of flash floods, making us feel safe and protected. Only a decade later did we learn they were The Ghost Lights. We thought they were angels.

The Monticello Snake Story

After a restful night at Golden Acres Ranch near Monticello where – we had no idea at the time – one in three houses are recorded (in a somewhat legitimate way) as haunted, I felt compelled to stop the rig on a narrow country road to take pics of an intriguing cottage.

A big yeller dog roused up from the porch and raised his hackles. The home’s human occupant promptly emerged from the house and, he – an exquisite orator in the southern tradition – recited, to my delight, a popular regional snake story.

What a gift! I hung on every word. Floridians, in my book, have full rights to all snake stories and this gentleman is a master of the art. But sometimes a house wants to tell its own story like the one in Opelika, Alabama …

Spring Villa

On our way to Fort Pickens from my sister’s house in Tennessee, we’d hoped to overnight near Opelika. We pulled into Spring Villa Park and Campground on the chance they might have space for the night.

Instantly, our eyes fixed on the gorgeous old antebellum mansion and our immediate response was, “What a shame.” Poor thing needs some serious TLC.

At the check-in, a pale middle-aged ranger with a balding head and bulbous eyebags announced in a slow, gravelly baritone that the old house is haunted. Jim loved it. Thought it was an act. “Okay. That’s really cool” he said.

The ranger, unamused, held his weary “this-is-no-joke” gaze.

“So, um. Is the house being restored?” Jim asked.  “No.” replied the caretaker/ranger guy, “We can’t find anyone to do the work. Like I said, it’s haunted.”

While this continued, I took Pico on a walk and observed the other campers who seemed to be excessively goth for small-town Alabama. A lady in a flowing satin-black gown and lipstick smiled and gave me a cheerful, “Hey!” as she decorated her picnic table in black chenille with purple string lights in late-November.

But, too tired to change our minds and more concerned about the basketball-sized anthills than the superstitious southern folk, we opted to stay put.

You see, we’d just come from Costco in Birmingham, and all we wanted to do was properly stash an obscene amount of food, and present our fresh, new rosemary Christmas tree for its first night of the season.

After dinner, we settled down, watched a movie and got ready for bed.

Jim always turns in around 10 pm while I take Pico for his last walk. But on this night, Jim grabbed the leash.

I presumed he was acting in my behalf due to the creepy neighbors. “I want to check this place out,” he said.

I had half a mind to go with him and said so, but then he got in a spooky mood and let loose an Jack Nicolson “Here’s Johnny” imitation. “Sure you don’t want to go?” he said, creeping me out better than I thought he could. I said, “Uh-uh. Not playing this game. But take the phone and may unicorns and rainbows guide you.”

He speed-dialed me and off he went into the sultry Southern night on a Young Goodman Brown escapade/with chihuahua.

Pico de Gallo – a big N. Hawthorne fan.

On digital technology, I listened to their footfall through the deep wet grass as Jim slapped mosquitos off his face.

The squishy walking suddenly stopped!

“What’s going on? I asked. “Gotta ditch the headlamp … Bugs.” Then, squish, squish, squish … on they walked. Presently, Jim said, “I’m at the house.” He said it real important-like – as if he were about to set foot on the moon.

The boards creaked under his weight. Then, Pico sounded urgent warning barks. Several voices popped up in the background, women’s voices!

When Pico calmed down Jim told me the women were ghost hunters using an app to detect paranormal energy. The app told them that a presence was just inside the door. So Jim fastened his headlamp again just as … the door opened! The women screamed and ran.

“Just leave!” I said.

“Hold on,” he said, “It was probably a draft but I’m taking a photo … Sending.” The photo showed the door about three inches ajar from the inside. But what sent chills down my spine and made me scream, “Run!!!” was the shadow-play of Jim’s hand and iPhone which appeared to be a freshly dug grave and tombstone.

A sudden thunderstorm…

… on Lake Ponchartrain drove us off the designated bike lane near Fontainebleau State Park.  We took shelter in a gazebo in an old cemetery.

By all appearances, we were alone. Yet, we both felt we were being watched.

Then … Out of nowhere

(Everything happened so suddenly the details are difficult to assemble)

Out of nowhere, a young man appeared in the gazebo with us – a boy really – blue eyes, brown hair, medium build, wearing dungarees and denim shirt. Just as I noticed the number on his shirt, I spied a work truck, way back in a far corner of the cemetery with a guard and several prisoners around it. Ah, a routine maintenance program. Of course.

We exchanged hellos and his dialect suggested he was from the area. He asked if we wanted to see some bones. Bones? No! We’re just passing by, ducking the weather, we explained.

But he wouldn’t have it. Bones we would see. For mercy’s sake and politeness, we followed the young man, and upon his request, we peered between broken crypt walls to behold the bones he spoke of.

But when we looked up to ask the boy if he knew the name of the deceased, he was gone – vanished – nowhere to be seen or heard and no sign of the old truck and crew.

Natchez

And, oh, where to begin with Natchez? The ghosts outnumber the living so they all just have to to go along to get along.

Kings Tavern in Natchez – the most haunted pub in Mississippi

Boothill

But our most haunting moment was near Mount Moriah Cemetery, commonly known as Boothill where this row of tombstone clouds reminded us of the single row of thirteen civil war graves of unknown soldiers on the Natchez Trace.

Fort Pickens

We could go on and on … Fort Pickens and the bomb removal squad.

The set of LOST?

Savannah

The Old Pirate House

The Haunted “Old Pirates House” in Savannah

and Moon River Brewing Company,

The Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures featured this brewing company.

Harper’s Ferry

Harpers Ferry ghost stories…

But that’s enough. Now, it’s time to pass the Talking Stick.

Do you have a ghost story to share – one from personal or second-hand experience?

Or just a good travel yarn, perhaps?

We’re dying to hear it.

Let’s see if we can keep this campfire burning through Halloween night!

– Rumi

Dragonflies everywhere!

A soothing wind, a healing balm, a tamed beast – so, the ancients described power under control. In Canada, the thermal springs bring the mountains to their knees …

Carmen at Radium Hot Springs, September 2018

Exploring the highest points in the rugged Canadian Rockies took a toll. Perhaps we overdid it with all the hiking, kayaking, and cycling.

We had not intended to push ourselves to the limit, but at every turn, another beautiful trail appeared …

Sinclair Creek trail, just a 5-minute walk from our campsite at Canyon Camp RV Resort.

… beside another shimmering turquoise stream.

We’re thrashed and unrepentant.

We’d do it again in a heartbeat because, Radium Hot Springs!

We limped down here to the Columbia River Valley with what my nurse-sister Deborah, diagnosed as “a bad case of the mid-sixties.” (Never call a nurse when she’s expecting a new grandchild. No sympathy!)

Cold wind and old wounds.

We both have a bum left shoulder from seventeen years of bookstore work, and Banff’s icy fingers dug deep into scar tissue from our 1985 cycling accident.

But, after two weeks of relaxing spa-treatment and self-care, we’re good as new …

Rejuvenated – and feeling even stronger than when we crossed into Canada in July – we’ve wrapped up a relaxing, therapeutic two-weeks at the Canyon Resort On Sinclair Creek in the village of Radium Hot Springs bordering the Kootenay National Park.

Sun worshiping Chihuahua

Dragonflies everywhere!

Dragonfly blessing!

Quiet evenings by the fire …

There’s no shortage of hot springs in British Columbia and the Autumn shoulder season is a great time to sample pools.

We took a day trip to Fairmont Hot Springs.

We were lucky to see a young bear in the treetops enjoying an afternoon nosh of wild apples and berries.

Later in the week, we drove a graveled forestry road to the remote, Lussier Hot Springs in Whiteswan Provincial Park.

Only a ten-minute drive from our beautifully landscaped campsite beside Sinclair Creek is the charming village of Invermere-On-The-Lake situated beside the large recreational lake, Windermere.

Invermere is the home of Kicking Horse Coffee, a fabulous bakery, a fine German restaurant, a wonderful sausage shop, and the unsurpassed and hospitable, Arrowhead Brewing Company.

Kicking Horse Coffee

Arrowhead Brewing Company

But let’s back up.

When we left icy Banff, we spent five hours traveling the eighty-mile drive – stopping frequently to enjoy the scenic pullouts and hiking marble canyon.

As we entered Radium Hot Springs the landscape popped with fall color. Instantly, we shed off two layers of clothing and relaxed into our tranquil canyon home.

There, we met seasonal residents from the Carolinas to California and “the canyon” is a favorite weekend hideaway for Albertans.

Call it “The Palm Springs of The Rockies,” the mild climate in the Columbia River Drainage Basin between the Rocky and Purcell range is an ideal location to keep a vacation condo, park model or RV.

Sure, there are more world-class destinations in The Rockies, but with the hot mineral springs, warmer climate, and a cool business district we think Radium Hot Springs is just right.

Every single day we sighted more wildlife than we did throughout the entire six weeks in Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff …

Campsite deer

Less rugged, dusty and commercial than the higher elevations, Radium Hot Springs provided a comfortable sanctuary to simply relax and tidy up.

This was our first full hook-up site in several weeks, so we used the resources to rinse a couple of pounds of glacier dust out of our clothes and spruce up the rig, inside and out.

Beauty’s so clean we could eat supper off the solar panels.

It was almost Tommy Bahama weather.

Until the last two days, we spent our evenings outside by the fire and slept with the windows open as the creek serenaded us to sleep.

But winter arrived overnight. Yesterday, snowfall was visible on the distant mountaintops.

Last night the chill dropped to the low 30’s (-1º C).

But, thanks to the thermal springs, we’re feeling stronger in body and soul and ready to head south and re-enter the USofA.

It’s about time. We’ve been here so long that Canadian Tire ads pop up on our Facebook feed.

So, yes, it’s time … Time to gaze once more on the magnificent grandeur of the glorious and free True North … time to warm up The Beast, hitch up Beauty, set the GPS for a southern latitude and get the 4-3-2 outta here.

But first, we’d like to thank our lovely Canadian friends and hosts Darwin and Andrea …

and their wonderful children Jennifer, Justin, and Ginger.

Also, we’re grateful to Doug and Laura, and Karen and Ken. Thank you, dear friends, for your gracious hospitality, advice, and tips – and Happy Thanksgiving!

But, not so fast …

A nice perk of 4-3-2 is the long, slow goodbye.

Life in the fast lane at Radium Hot Springs

Depending on which way the wind blows and if the elements are hospitable, we’ll visit other thermal springs along the way and, perhaps a winery or two and maybe even watch a salmon run.

Also, before crossing the border, we’d like to meet our new friends and LIB followers Pattie and Paul.

But, one thing we know for sure is that we will miss our sweet, hot, warm, comfy, soaky, cozy digs in Radium.

Tunnel Mountain Campground and Mount Rundle

Lake Minnewanka

Two Jacks Lake

On our way to Banff

This must be what it’s like to have Alice in Wonderland Syndrome …

Jim, on Two Jacks Lake

this strange shrinking sensation …

… We felt it last at The Teton Range in Wyoming where elevations are much higher than in Alberta.

The Canadian side of The Rocky Mountain Range is lower than the American side, yet these mountains are more imposing and confrontational in stature because glacial forces cut out the valleys so the mountains rise more drastically from floor to peak.

Lake Minnewanka

Whether it’s sheer wonder, geographical illusion, the energy of vortexes or, perhaps, the thin air – most people, when enveloped by mountains in a wilderness setting, experience a reduction in the sense of self.

Pilgrims throughout the centuries report immediate benefits … negativity is set adrift, ailments are healed and creativity is awakened as the heart opens to beauty and wonder.

Two Jacks Lake

This phenomenon deserves some serious thought and reflection.

Hiking at Lake Minnewanka

Awareness of one’s insignificance is an opportunity to discover what its like to give yourself permission to relax and just be …

Lake Minnewanka

Tunnel Mountain summit: Our campground is behind Jim’s head.

National Parks are a response to this desire to interact with the environment.

It is well documented that contact with wilderness – even the illusion of wilderness – renews the spirit and boosts health and emotional well-being.

Believe it or not – this is downtown Banff

In any rugged outdoor area, the risk of danger is real but worthwhile. Nature itself sends the message: Prepare!

Bear spray is a no-brainer, hiking poles (naturally), and I can’t say enough about the long silk underwear and alpaca socks that have saved my bacon more than once during this last, exhilarating 40-30 degrees week.

In Banff, the weather can riff the entire seasonal spectrum within twelve hours.

Every day is a new weather adventure.

So, we layer up. Easier to peel off what we don’t need and toss it in the backpack than to be without.

Queen Elizabeth stood here!

Banff, which means “Holy Woman” in Scots Gaelic, is named for the village in Scotland.

Tunnel Mountain Campground and Mount Rundle

Wrapped around Tunnel Mountain – which the indigenous people call Sleeping Buffalo Guardian Mountain – Banff is Canada’s first National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mount Rundle, our front yard while we were in Banff.

This part of Banff National Park is not as sprawling as Jasper.

We’d already visited Lake Louise, so once we were here – we were here.

From the campground, everything is within reach – arts and culture, community, and recreation.

If the weather permits, biking rather than driving to Banff from Tunnel Mountain Campground is preferable and after dark, the shuttle is a good bet and free parking is available in the village.

Banff is a no-worries kind of town.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Sir William Cornelius Van Horne

Thai Bowl at the Harvest Festival

Ham and cheese crepe at the Harvest Festival

Local ensemble at The Harvest Festival

You can go paddling in the morning …

Lake Minnewanka

Shopping in the afternoon …

and, out to dinner with friends at night.

Our friends, Laura and Doug. They stopped by on their way to a wedding in Calgary.

And, every season is spoken fluently here!

Within our two-week Shoulder Season in Banff we experienced Spring …

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Summer …

Fall …

and, now, Winter …

Evidently, it snowed while we were at Banff Ave. Brewing Co.

Clearly, we are not in charge.

There’s nothing like winter to set your priorities straight.

Warmth units like homemade cheese toast, stews, the firepit, Crown Royal, propane (which, for the last four days, we had to purchase on a daily basis in the beautiful town of Canmore) and our wonderful butt warming seats in The Beast are raw currency in this environment.

Cold weather set in before we could cycle The Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail. But Pico has no regrets because he’s still traumatized by the hailstorm in Drumheller.

Nope. Never would we have planned it this way, but we’re lucky to have experienced the early snow.

The quiet woods all glistening and romantic (just like that scene in Camelot) enhance the echoes of bull elk bellowing in the valley below.

When Jim opens the door, the sharp fragrance of pine rushes in on the muscular back of the mountain air, devouring the scent of baking bread.

The warmth of home. Gratitude. Peace.

Yesterday, before hitching up, we drove a couple of miles to Banff Upper Hot Springs for a steamy morning dip.

Ahhh, yes!

What’s that I hear in the distance … an avalanche?

Yep, we’ve fallen.

Big time.