Ramada High River

... a few of those. Unfortunately, it started belting down rain just in time for the races so I ended up getting soaked and covered in mud (and a bit of horse poo). In the afternoon, I went to some of the main Canada Day events in Calgary at Prince's island. There were some bands playing and lots of family-oriented activities. By this time, the weather had improved significantly (no more wet undies!) so it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable day.

... well it's actually the Vulcan Tourism and Trek station. Inside it's a Trekkies wonderland, you can even dress up and have your picture taken "on the bridge" Hey after 15 years of Star Trek conventions it's no wonder the whole town joined in. Check out: www.town.vulcan.ab.ca There are murals, a Vulcan's Space themed Waterpark, many businesses combine the Trek theme in their advertising or name even the post ...

Morning brought about a whole new frame of mind. We were determined not to let yesterdays events throw a wrench into the works. The weather look decent and that would make our visit to Lake Louise very pleasant. Later in the day we were going to Banff to do some sight seeing and shopping. With our motel room we got a complimentary breakfast buffet each and ate our fill. We packed up right after and made a bee line up to Lake Louise. Well, guess what happened, again? Yep, it started ...

... but we were not allowed to partake until our food had settled! We found the Rodeo-X to watch. 6 BMX riders and ramps provided half an hour of excellent entertainment. Next we headed for the superdogs show in the old ice rink. A wide variety of breeds of dogs performed for a large crowd. The funniest moment was the disobedient dog who would not go around slalom and ran off to perform a call of nature in the middle of the hall ...

... more than enough reminders lately that everything happens for a reason and to be careful what you ask for - you just might get it, even if it isn't on our schedule... it always turns out better than we imagined anyway. Travel plans - this summer we are taking every opportunity to do some fun camping trips here in Canada. John and I both love camping, so we plan on taking full advantage of it this summer. We had a good start to the camping season ...

... ago. There isn't a day that goes by, however, that the trip isn't in our minds. It feels just like yesterday that we were on the other side of the Pacific pond, and we miss it immensely. However, we are not done our travels..... not by a long shot. While we are in Calgary until 2008, we are trekking off again back to Japan next summer... this time for 5-6 months (or so I can safely say at this point). We'd like to be taking off earlier ...

... t the same. I wore my flip flops on my way home today for the first time in a while, and it felt so familiar yet so strange. And I find I keep thinking about wanting to be in Australia. I miss the slower pace - it feels like we have re-entered the rat race and I hate it. I love it, but hate it at the same time. So, here I am again, thinking about where to go next...

... at work and had a lot of nervous energy. So I stuffed myself on Spolumbo's sandwiches and potato salad that were served at a lunch and learn. My nervous energy was converted into a bubbling cauldron of stomach acid, slowly decomposing Genoa salami, marinara sauce, and provolone cheese! I booked a few hostels and changed my plans slightly - I'm going to squeeze in Amsterdam. Reading up on Belgium, I didn't think it was necessary to ...

Dara- Tomorrow's the big day! I've been planing and saving for a year and I still can't wrap my head around what we're about to do. For me, I think not having a home base will be the most difficult thing to get used to. That and carrying around my hundred pound pack! (okay, so it's only 30 lb). This trip is an ...

What a crazy-busy time these past couple of weeks have been for us. The combination of Christmas, moving, and getting ready for this trip has definately kept us on our toes! To be honest, planning for this trip has been pretty easy compared to last time we went to Asia. This time we know what we need and what to expect. All was going smoothly until I decided to ...