CANADA

The Canadian Experience

August 28, 2016 – Day #9

Today begins the Canadian Prairie Experience – many miles on roads less traveled.  300+ miles, 70 or so more than we needed to take. The navigator (who shall remain nameless) took the road that looked to be the closest to our destination of Medicine Hat, Alberta. That WRONG road took us to the Canadian Boarder at Willow Creek, only to discover that the road beyond was new gravel and really not passible for us. SO After a U-turn, we headed back 70 miles and got to the Wild Horse Crossing where we made it into Canada. We had paved roads, on the narrow side, but much better than the gravel would have been. The scenery out our windows was as expected – prairie like. One wonders after driving miles and miles past acres and acres of wheat and hay fields how do the ranchers ever get it planted, harvested and stored. What a huge undertaking, even with the over sized farm equipment we saw everywhere. One tired crew of MoHo passengers came to rest at the Lodge Motel and Casino in Medicine Hat. It was good location to boon dock. As a reinforcer for a frustrating day we went in to the casino and tried our luck on their poker machines. We quickly tired of seeing our $ go away so we went into the lounge for dinner and to seek another entrant in the Manhattan Quest. Sadly the Manhattan scored only a 1. on our cherry scale. The lounge did not have bitters or cherries, and best bourbon was Jim Beam.  But surprisingly the bourbon did adjust our attitudes and the club sandwich hit the spot.

Prairie Highway

Border Crossing (1st time)

Border Crossing (2nd time)

August 29 -30, 2016 – Day #10-11

More prairies on our Canadian Route 1 East to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Travel today was a lot less stressful, straight shot of about 240 miles on good divided highway. Much the same scenery viewed through very buggy windshields, as the last few days, acres of vegetation, an area where they were drilling for oil, salt mining, cattle grazing, numerous grain silos and picturesque ponds. We pulled into the Prairie Oasis Tourist Resort. Nice older campground was a good place to park for a couple of days. The hungry and thirsty adventurers went into the town of Moose Jaw for happy hour and dinner. We walked 3-4 blocks of Main Street, finding a very welcoming Brown’s Social Club for a break. We had another entrant in the Manhattan Quest entry – only 2. on the cherry scale.  VERY SMALL pour, no cherry – but it was made with Woodford Bourbon. Dinner was very good fish and chips, dessert EXCELLENT key lime pie.

Tuesday morning we returned to town to investigate more of Moose Jaw. A quick visit to the Tourist Information Center gave us some ideas for the day’s itinerary. We started with a bit of tourist shopping and then we took the Capone Experience in the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, a very entertaining walk and talk about the bootlegging, brothels and gambling that took place under the streets of Moose Jaw during prohibition. In the afternoon we drove out to Sukunen Museum – Pioneer Village and walked through the remnants of old Moose Jaw and surrounding communities. The most interesting exhibit was the Sukanen Ship that was built in the early 1900’s so the Rancher Sukanen could try and sail back to his homeland in Finland. How that would work is a bit of a mystery for the boat was built in the middle of the Saskatchewan Prairie. Our afternoon and evening was spent in camp – enjoying a couple of games of Zilch (Karen will not brag about her victory) and a homemade dinner.

Ship built in Moose Jaw to return Farmer to homeland in Finland

Oldest theater in Moose Jaw

one of many Murals in Moose Jaw, this one depicting the Prohibition

 tunnels used by Al Capone

Icon at southern entrance to Moose Jaw