TravelStream™ news feed for member jhmason on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jhmason en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:16:44 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224548280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224548280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224548280/tpod.html Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:16:44 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

Yesterday started out with an early morning flight to Churchill. We met at the airport and were placed on a shuttle to the Norliner charter flight. To my surprise, we took a 737 jet rather than the turbo-prop plane I was expecting. As we approached Churchill, we could see the land getting more wintry-looking and more barren in appearance. Once the various tour groups were sorted out, we got on another bus to go to the tundra buggy 'launch' location, where our bus driver, Trevor, became our tundra buggy operator and guide. We immediately set out for the prime viewing location, a trip which takes about 30 minutes.

The tundra buggies are very large - seating at least 40 people with a large aisle, washroom, propane heater, and an open viewing area in the back. The ride is very bumpy - although the buggy goes on "roads", these are very rough with large pools and rocks. They are the remains of roads created by the army during cold war days when Churchill was one of the posts for the distance early warning system as well as a location for practicing arctic warfare. The tundra buggies, restricted to no more than 18 operated by two companies, are only allowed to operate on these roads.

On our way out to Polar Bear Point, we saw several bears in the distance, a mother with two cubs and another single bear. The bears are usually quite solitary and in warmer weather are quite lethargic, as they easily overheat. Also, at this time of the year, they are conserving energy as they haven't eaten much for the past four months. They are so well-insulated that only their noses, eyes, ears and mouth show up on infra-red film. Also, their guard hairs are hollow, increasing the insulation value and contributing to the bear's buoyancy. We spent the whole day in the tundra buggy, returning to town about 4:30 or 5:00. In addition to seeing a number of bears at fairly close range, we also saw ptarmigan, lemmings, snow buntings, a snowy owl, a bald eagle and some ravens. The land is incredible, very similar in appearance to the land around Yellowknife, with large swaths of exposed granite interspersed by stunted trees, tundra and lots and lots of water. We ended our day at the Tundra Inn restaurant, where we enjoyed a dinner of pork chops (Larry and Murray), fish and chips (Maggie) and Arctic char (Joan.) We tried to do a bit of souvenir shopping, but the stores were closed by eight, so we did not buy much.

On Monday, we started out at 7:45 and spent the whole day on the buggies. Overnight, the weather had become colder, making the bears much more active. Very shortly after reaching the viewing area, we saw bears at close range. One was a female, who walked across a rocky shoreline toward us, then found a dead bird on the beach, played with it for a while and then settled down for a rest. I got some great pictures of her rolling over, lying on her back with all four paws in the air, and then watching us from time to time. Another bear got up on its hind legs, looking for all the world like a gigantic prairie dog looking at the surroundings. These bears are enormous, males are up to 1500 pounds and females much less, usually 400 to 500 pounds. When they stand up on their hind legs, their noses can be up to nine feet off the ground. We came across another two bears, who entertained us by sparring with oneanother. One was clearly quite territorial and kept annoying the other. Finally, when a helicopter flew over, one was spooked and started running away, not stopping for more than 500 m.

Then, it was time to go back to the airport and back to Winnipeg. This time our flight was on a Convair turbo-prop plane as there were fewer people returning that day. The flight was very cold, but soon we were back.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224381900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224381900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224381900/tpod.html Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:17:37 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

We arrived in Winnipeg on a beautiful morning and headed right down to the Forks, where we parked the campers and walked into town to have lunch at the Wagon Wheel, a Winnipeg institution that has been featured in Reader's Digest and is well-known for its clubhouse sandwiches. It is like a walk back into time, with its genuine diner atmosphere and delicious banana milk shakes, made with real bananas. In the early afternoon, we arrived at Larry's cousin Dave's house where Dave and Lois welcomed us with a wonderful turkey dinner, a late Thanksgiving celebration which they shared with the four of us and their children Ian and Jamie and his fiancee Christianne. At the conclusion of the meal, we were poured glasses and champagne and told that Jamie and Christianne are going to get married on July 17, 2009.What a great surprise! Much fun was had discussing wedding customs and plans.

Saturday, Lois took Maggie and Joan shopping while Dave, Larry and Murray went to some antique (junk) shops. I found a cozy winter jacket that will be useful in Churchill as well as for trips to Calgary in the winter. After an early dinner at a Thai restaurant, we visited Fort Whyte, a bird sanctuary right in the city of Winnipeg, where we watched thousands of birds landing on the ponds for the evening. It is an incredible sight, seeing skein after skein of birds landing in the water and the sound of honking and quacking is amazing. Winnipeg is in one of the major migratory routes for birds. Fort Whyte is an education centre and sanctuary that has been created out of a former rock quarry. The quarries have been filled with water and the surrounding land also supports wetlands and a bison paddock. Then, it was back home for an early start on our trip to Churchill.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224208440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224208440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224208440/tpod.html Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:55:43 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States

Thursday morning dawned with more cloud in the sky, but we soon drove out of the clouds and few snowflakes into sunshine, which continued the whole way to Grand Forks. We stopped several times at rest stops for a stretch and a washroom break. The design of the North Dakota rest stops is quite beautiful, with relief carving in the brickwork of the building façade. We drove the entire day on freeway, first I-94 and then I-29, so the miles went quickly. In the office of our campground, there are pictures of the floods in 1997 which completed flooded the area in which we are camping, even though we are some distance from the Red River. On our way, a deer crossed the road in front of our camper and then seemed very confused and darted about the median. It is easy to see how they get killed on the roads. We arrived quite early in the afternoon and have taken the opportunity to get our laundry washed and get organized for our arrival in Winnipeg tomorrow.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224121560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224121560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224121560/tpod.html Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:48:20 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Mandan, North Dakota, United States

Wednesday began with a beautiful rosy dawn and we were soon underway to Bismarck and Mandan in North Dakota. We drove through miles and miles of quite flat farmland, with many crops being harvested as we went by. Initially, we were surprised by the drying cornstalks, still unharvested, until we realized that the corn has to dry on the cob before being threshed. The roads are long and straight so we made excellent time. One disadvantage of the high speeds that one can travel is that there is a lot of road kill along every highway - deer, foxes, porcupine, coyotes, pronghorn, and some domestic animals.

We arrived at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park in time to walk around the site, which in addition to a beautiful sheltered campground near the confluence of the Heart and Missouri Rivers, also is home to the preserved remains of Fort Abraham Lincoln, an 1800s army infantry and cavalry post which was led by George Custer, prior to his forays into the Black Hills and eventually to his ill-fated attempt to force the Indians onto reservations in Montana. There are just a few buildings remaining, with the foundations or cornerstones of many more. We were unable to go into the buildings, but peeked into the windows and saw that they were much like those of other old army bases, rows and rows of bunks and simple furnishings for the men. We also visited the reconstructed houses of On-a-Slant Mandan village. It was a large village, covering 8 acres with over 75 circular dwellings, built with a frame of timbers, then covered with a network of willow and then covered with dirt - a very practical design in this place of harsh winds and snowy, cold winters. These dwellings had been reconstructed by the CCC during the 30s, another project we visited. Yet another was Yellowstone Park, where among the projects completed, was the giant archway through which we drove into the Park near Gardiner.

We had another fine evening, though a little colder than the previous night. Larry and Murray met a young couple on the river shore, who had rented a cabin in the park for a mere $40 a night. The young man was the son of a farming family, who farmed 32 sections or 8 square miles of land in the northern part of the state.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224034620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224034620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1224034620/tpod.html Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:39:47 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Pierre, South Dakota, United States

It seems like a long time since we left Rapid City, but it is just two days. What a difference in landscape since then. After our departure from Rapid City, we encountered mile after mile of signs advertising Wall's Drugstore, our next stop. It is a block-long conglomerate of items ranging from camping equipment to drugs, from artworks and pottery to books, and clothing and shoes for all ages to ice cream and doughnuts. They have added a backyard set of shops and washrooms across the alley from the main store, but much of this section seemed closed for the winter.

Our next stop was the Visitor Centre for the National Grasslands, where we found out that the grasslands are managed by the Dept. of Agriculture and can be leased for grazing or used for hunting, fishing, hiking and camping. Parcels of land have been acquired in a chequerboard fashion all over the states. Over time, some of these parcels have been traded for others so that the grasslands form contiguous blocks to ease the management of the lands.

Leaving Wall, we entered Badlands National Park. The Badlands are deep canyons, high spires and hoodoes formed by erosion of layers of rock and clay laid down by periods of sedimentation during periods the area was covered by an inland sea and layers of ash from volcanic eruptions. The lands are fantastical and ever-changing as erosion continues today. Just before we came, there had been a very heavy rainfall and we could see signs of how it had washed down more clay into the bottoms of the canyons, leaving whitish streaks of mud. The Badlands are inhabited by many animals, including deer, pronghorn, mountain sheep, prairie dogs, swift foxes and red foxes, and even some bison.

Travelling north, the land became flat prairie with many large fields of crops including corn, sugar beets, flax, wheat, hay, and safflower interspersed by grasslands and beef operations. We arrived at our destination, Pierre and found our campsite, Farm Island Recreation Area which is north-east of the city on the Missouri River. During the 1930s, a Civilian Conservation Corps team built a causeway linking the island to the mainland, creating a lake. They also built trails and park amenities which are still in use today. The park was warm and sunny, so we enjoyed a walk around the island, had dinner and built a campfire to enjoy the evening sunset.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223853420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223853420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223853420/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:18:27 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Rapid City, South Dakota, United States

A very long day yesterday. We started out around 8:30 am, having decided to go as far as Rapid City, SD if we could. However, we didn't want to miss Little Bighorn National Monument. We arrived to find that the park was open, though there were intermittant power failures and the road through the monument was only open for the first mile. Both Maggie and I had been looking forward to this, though perhaps looking forward is not the best term for visiting a site that has such sad connotations, especially for Native Americans. We were pleased to see that the staff is mostly Native American and that there is a memorial to the many brave Natives who fought for their land. The memorial is especially beautiful and reaches out to the memories of the soldiers through the Spirit Gate that looks toward the obelisk commemorating the soldiers.

From there we pressed on through snowstorms along I-90 through Montana and into Wyoming. The weather was cold, though just below freezing and the visibility was often poor. However, the road itself was in good shape. We made a brief stop in Sturgis, where up to 700,000 motorcyclists converge each summer. It's hard to believe that such a small, quaint town (with many beautiful older houses and buildings) can host so many. We looked forward to arriving in Rapid City before dark, but were caught in a traffic jam on the freeway in a section under construction. A truck had broken down and was blocking traffic. we were stuck there for more than an hour. Why the highway patrol didn't simply alternate traffic, I don't know.

We awoke this morning to thinning clouds and warmer temperatures after a night of heavy rain, sleet and snow. Looking at the weather forecast, we decided to visit Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial. As we approached Mt. Rushmore through the Black Hills, which are very jagged and rise almost straight up into the sky, the clouds began to disperse and we could see the figures of the presidents. We got a good look and then the clouds drifted in again. We spent the remainder of our time viewing the film of the creation of the monument and visiting the exhibits. The monument is very impressive, but we were simply blown away by the size and vision of the Crazy Horse Memorial which we visited next. It seems only right that in these hills, sacred to the Lakota, there should be a monument to Native American leaders. The dedication of Korczak Ziolkowski, his wife Ruth and his children in response to the request from Native Americans is astounding. The work was begun in 1948 and is still ongoing. The venture is entirely private and funded through a foundation. Seven of Korczak and Ruth's children are involved in the enterprise which will eventually include a university for Native Americans. A fine museum already exists.

Tomorrow, we have a treat in store. We are going to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with a turkey and pumpkin pie! It is a holiday here too - Columbus Day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223352120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223352120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223352120/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:07:38 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada

We spent a few last hours on Sunday morning with our grandchildren and then got underway to Waterton National Park. The day was quite lovely, though as we neared Pincher Creek, a terrific windstorm came up and we had to drive quite slowly as the wind moved the truck and camper too much at higher speeds. Even the sloughs had whitecaps! It is no surprise that the area has many wind generators. The wind did not die down, even as we approached the park. It is beautiful country, with the golden aspens and birches offsetting the silver gold of the grasslands, the blue of the sky and water and the purple hues of the mountains. Our first night was so windy, that we put down the jacks to stabilize the camper which otherwise rocked with each gust of wind.

On Monday, we drove to Red Rock Canyon and hiked up the canyon and back the other side and then up to Blakiston Falls. It was a beautiful day, but cool. Overnight, fresh snow had fallen on the jagged mountain peaks, accenting their rugged crags. After a picnic lunch, we drove to Cameron Lake, still higher in the mountains, where we walked a short way along the lakeshore. It was even colder there, with ice crystals still lying on the steps of the information centre. Back at our campsite, deer were lying in the grass near our camper. One even investigated the door to the camper, leaving a "deposit", perhaps to tell us what she thought of us invading our territory. The park is very quiet, with many of the campsites and businesses, including the Prince of Wales Hotel, already shut down. Most of the rest will shut down after the Thanksgiving weekend.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223691660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223691660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223691660/tpod.html Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:18:49 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Hardin, Montana, United States

We woke this morning to a winter wonderland! Our campers, the ground and the hillsides were covered with a thin blanket of snow. We visited the visitor centre which advised that some of the park roads were closed, thus spoiling our opportunity to visit some of the features including the Yellowstone canyon and the mud volcano on our way out of the park. We decided to backtrack to Livingstone and then make our way to Hardin where we plan to visit Little Bighorn. On our way down the mountains, we saw several herds of elk, one of them with 20 or more animals. We soon saw the wisdom of descending to lower ground (from the 6800' altitude of Mammoth campground) at Hardin which is only about 3000'. Through much of the day we had snowstorms, sometimes with very little visibility, though the road was quite wet, with only a few slushy sections. We saw a bus and two vehicles pulling trailers in the ditch, so obviously it had been quite slippery earlier in the morning or overnight. Here in Hardin, it is just around freezing and the snow is falling but not sticking. the forecast is for more snow tomorrow, so we will make our way to Rapid City using I-90 which is very well-maintained rather than using the secondary roads which are often more scenic. We will cut out the stop in Broadus, where the weather is supposed to be colder.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223518860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223518860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223518860/tpod.html Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:08:39 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States

We drove to Yellowstone in beautiful sunshine and enjoyed a picnic lunch sitting outside in the sun by the Yellowstone River, shortly after leaving Livingstone. Once we arrived at Mammoth Springs visitor centre, we found out that snow was forecast for the next couple of days, so we quickly decided to visit as much as we could during Wednesday afternoon. We drove down the west side of the park, visiting a couple of geyser basins and enjoying the view of the Gibbons Waterfall and Firehole River canyon and falls before arriving at Old Faithful, where we observed the geyser spouting right on schedule at 5:35. Then, it was back in the truck to get back to our campsite before dark, as the roads are windy and steep and wildlife often crosses the road at dusk. We saw a large herd of buffalo, as well as many single bulls, groups of elk, pronghorns and deer. The elk are quite dangerous as this is the rutting season; there are large groups of them all around the visitor centre, with rangers and volunteers there to see that you do not approach too closely. We finished up the evening in a cafe in nearby Gardiner, where we had our first dinner out of the trip.

We woke the next morning to clear and cold weather. Our first objective was to visit the Mammoth Hot Springs complex, which extends over many acres and has several different terraces. The site is a mixture of old and new fumeroles, springs, mud springs and impressive cones formed by the hot water. Much of the water flows through an underground stream to the Gardiner river, where it flows into the river, creating hot pools. After lunch, Margaret and I drove down to a parking lot near a path to the pools. There were at least a dozen people enjoying the two main pools. We choose to sit in the smaller one where the temperature was more even. At the lower pool, the water entering from the underground stream (referred to as the Boiling River) cascades into the stream, but one has to be very close to the entry point to avoid icy water from the Gardiner. Boiling is no misnomer as the water from the underground stream is 54 degrees We rounded out the evening with a campfire and homemade clam, halibut and scallop chowder, served with bruschetta. Snow was forecast for the evening and the first flakes were falling as we sat around the campfire.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223439000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223439000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jhmason/1/1223439000/tpod.html Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:12:49 -0400 From the Prairies to the North

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Helena, Montana, United States

After a very windy and rainy night, the four of us got an early start leaving Waterton. As we approached Cardston, the rain stopped and the sun came out, though the wind scarcely abated. In Cardston, there is a large Mormon temple as well as several churches; obviously, there are many Latter Day Saints in the area. We had a very easy crossing at the border and drove into Montana. Most of the day was spent driving through ranching country. Closer to the mountains, the land is very like the foothills of Alberta. We decided that Montana really deserves the appellation of "big sky country" but could easily also be called 'big wind country' as we had constant winds throughout the day, which often slowed us to much less than the 70 mph speed limit.

We drove through the Blackfeet Indian Reservation for much of the day and had an interesting stop in Browning where we visited the Museum of the Plains Indian and a local gallery. At the latter, an older gentleman, who was related to one of the artists, took the time to explain the many dioramas and figures created by his kinsman. We were also fortunate to have a nearby service station, which assisted us in gaining entry to our truck after the keys got locked in. The wind there was terrible, nearly tearing the doors out of our hands.

Closer to Helena, we drove through some mountains with very stratified layers of rock in colours of gray, red and green. We are hoping for a quieter night so that we can get more sleep. Between the wind and the rain the last two nights, we have slept poorly.
]]>