Medicine Hat to Cranbrook (from Thursday)

Hi everyone - we are  back with the land of the living!! I am catching up as we now have internet. Hate to think I am tied to this, but I guess when doing a blog, I sort of am!! Anyway, I will catch you up the only way I know how....from yesterday!

On Wednesday night we went out with a bunch and had Thai food. Really enjoyed it. Downtown Medicine Hat is being "revitalized" so there is lots of construction. We were glad to be able to get to the restaurant. I found these pictures from across the street interesting, harkens one back to a "by-gone" era with cigarette advertising on the sides of buildings!

I don't imagine that one can even buy these cigarettes anymore!

 

 

We left Medicine Hat about 10 a.m.  on Thursday. We weren't in too much of a hurry as we knew that we only needed to get to Cranbrook, about a 6 hour drive away. It's always hard to leave family. We really enjoyed staying with Helen, Doug's Mom. She was a gracious hostess. She enjoyed having us there (....for a whole week!!) and she didn't "seem" to mind giving up her bed. I am sure she slept well the first night we left!! Thanks Mom!! Even at 91 years young, she never stops being a Mom and taking care of her kids!! We also want to thank Diane & Brian (Doug's sister & her husband) and Duane and Agnes, Doug's brother & wife) They are always happy to feed us when we drop into town, which is more often now that we are retired!! Thanks everyone for the good old Medicine Hat, Alberta hospitality!!

We have done this southern route before and we really enjoy it. It is called Hwy 3-Crowsnest Pass. It wanders through the very southwestern part of Alberta and the southestern part of BC, right along the US border and is filled with amazing flat prairie fields, wind turbines, foothills and the soaring mountains that we always miss when we are away - welcome home!!

 

Not sure why Bow Island has this giant golf club...it just does!!

(about 1-1/2 hours south and west of Medicine Hat)

Oh my...could those be our mountains in site???

Fields of wind turbines, giving us a clean energy source, near Pincher Creek, AB.

 

 

 

 

These next few shots are of the Frank Slide. Frank, AB is/was a small town in southwestern Alberta that, one terrible day, had a massive rock slide. It is, still, the largest recorded rock slide in Canadian history. It is very ominous when you drive through here......

 

The Frank Slide was a rockslide that buried part of the mining town of Frank Alberta, on the morning of April 29, 1903. It occurred at 4:10 am, when over 82 million tonnes (90 million tons) of limestone rock slid down Turtle Mountain within 100 seconds, obliterating the eastern edge of Frank, the Canadian Pacific Railway line and the coal mine. Between 70 to 90 people were killed, most as they lay sleeping. Experts say it's a matter of time before it happens again.

You can see where it came down one side of Turtle Mountain on the left.....

 

...and landed here, on top of the eastern part of the town.

Massive boulders still lay, littering the roadway, reminding us of the

incredible and sometimes deadly power of Mother Nature....

 

If you come along Crowsnest Pass Hwy 3, take some time to stop

into the interpretive centre. It is very interesting.....

 

Whew...now that we are past that, we can relax!!

Once you get to Sparwood, BC, you are in the heart of mining territory. This is the world's largest truck, used in the mining industry.This is a "love it OR hate it" area.

Many people do not understand the mining industry.

I believe there is a balance that has to be struck with all these things....

 

 You can see the shopping centre, just across the street.

That should give you some perspective on the size of this truck!!

 

After this, we stopped off in Cranbrook, BC to see Al & Colleen, our Mexico travelling buddies. They are staying at Al's sister's place, getting a few things done on their "new to them" motorhome, Dino. Good luck guys and we hope to find you in Mexico next season!!

 

We carried along to just south of Cranbrook to Moyie Lake Provincial Park. Super nice and they have nice bathrooms too!!

 

 

 

Oh, excuse me...dinner is ready!!

Nice walking paths..... 

Okay, okay, you know us!!

Goodnight everyone!!

 

 

So that's it for Thursday. We are headed to Osoyoos next!!

 

Cheers friends!!