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SummerRoadTrip2012_Orlando to Calgary

June 28, 2012


My friend Vern and I on the North shore of Lake Superior 2011
 The trip was originally planned on the bikes; alas, destiny had other plans for Bessie and Me. I was to connect with my friend Vern (who I met last year on the North shore of Lake Superior in Ontario Canada....that in itself is a whole 'nuther story...) in Milwaukee this summer, after my Midwest visit. It has been my goal for the past three summers to ride across the Canadian Rockies and out to Vancouver British Columbia. When my friend heard of the accident and that Bessie was totaled, he suggested we go ahead with the trip, only on four wheels. I've never in my life turned down a Road Trip - via any mode of transportation - so I wholeheartedly agreed. Only a little apprehensive since I have never had a partner - other than my two daughters - for an extensive road trip, I booked a flight to Calgary, Alberta Canada and packed my bags.

Ironically, I find packing for a car trip more challenging than packing for a trip on the bike. With two saddlebags and a pack, a girl is really limited in terms of clothes and shoes. With two huge suitcases and a pack for my camera, the sky's the limit and I found myself throwing nearly everything I had into the suitcases! Besides, the weather reports from this part of the world were not encouraging for this Florida girl.

Let me just say there is no easy way to get from here to there; I spent an hour getting to Orlando (thank you Doodle for taking care of your Mama), three hours waiting, 3 1/2 hours flying to Montreal, three hour layover in Montreal, 4 1/2 hours flying to Calgary...it was an exhausting day. And no offense to any of my French friends (which there are only a few), but I'm not impressed with the French Canadians of Montreal or Quebec....unfriendly at best. I flew Air Canada and even the stewards were arrogant.

And it's a good thing my walk from Customs in the Montreal airport took me right past baggage claim, because no one on the Orlando end mentioned that we had to fetch our own bags from Montreal and take them through customs to the connecting flight to Calgary!! I saw what looked like my bag rotating on the carousel, so I went over and checked....sure enough thats my bag! I would have been on the ground in Calgary wondering where the hell my bag got to!!

I was glad to hit the ground in Calgary and see my friend's smiling face near baggage claim; he had called me a few weeks earlier and indicated that instead of his truck for the road trip, he decided to buy a custom, special edition Camaro SS for the trip! We both have the need for speed in common, he figured since we couldn't ride the bikes, this was the next best thing. I had to agree.
Custom Camaro SS_Number '33'

Calgary, Alberta Canada is this thriving, cowboy kinda town just southeast of the Canadian Rockies....Western Canada is in stark contrast to Eastern Canada....and very quickly I decided I liked Western Canada the best. Driving from the airport, the Rockies loom in the distance, beckoning, inviting and majestic. The plan was to stay in Calgary for the night since I arrived late in the evening, had been traveling for 15 hours, and was working with a two hour time change.....thank you God for safe travel.

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