Calgary and back again: 19 Jul - 1 Aug

[mararmeisto]

So, many years ago before I joined the Navy, I used to live in Calgary. People ask me where I'm from, and although I spent the majority of my early years growing up in BC, I spent the last few as a civilian in Calgary and I usually call that "where I'm from." It's confusing, I know, but they were formative years...

Anyway, what with relatives still in the area, on both sides of the family, we decided that it was time for a road trip - destination Calgary!

Of all the times I've driven from BC to Alberta, I've always either taken the Number 1 or the Yellowhead (a couple of times only). Having never been through the Crowsnest Pass, I thought this would be the year I'd try the 'other' pass through the Rockies. Not one of my better choices, especially in a Delica towing a trailer.

The Number 3 highway is a wonderful road, through some of Canada's most varied terrain: a huge river delta, lush orchards, a desert (Canada's only), semi-desert, a mountain range and another and another and another, high mountain meadows, etc. Only thing not on the Number 3 is arctic and tropical!

Did I mention mountains? There are four mountain ranges between the ocean and Calgary: the Coast Mountains, the Columbias, the Cascades, and the Canadian Rockies - that's a lot of up and down. Worst of it is, the Number 3 is the steepest of it! Kootenay Pass was nearly the end of it at 1774m, but I managed to keep the rpms and speed down such that the temperature needle was just shy of the red. Of course, two adults, four children, two dogs and a utility trailer with all sorts of stuff in it didn't help, but at least we didn't take the tent trailer (I think Moon Machine would have boiled over for sure). Still, we made it and that was the part of the road I was most worried about.

We camped along the way: Osoyoos (bloody hot), Cranbrook (nice), Chain Lakes AB (mosquitos), Sorrento (nice, even if it was an RV park), Harrison Hot Springs (rained). We like camping, and the kids had a good time at it, and there was very little complaining. Hardest part was being at sister-in-law's place for a week, cause we were in the city, someone else's house, brother-in-law who doesn't like small dogs, etc, etc, etc.

We saw Delicat first thing off the ferry (got 40 litres of veggie oil) - mixed it straight, about 25%. Van ran like a dream, and one fill-up showed a fuel economy of 11.9 km/litre (27mpg!). Of course, I was only calculating the dino-diesel for those kind of numbers. Still, makes me want to get a centrifuge all the more quickly - there's an oil change shop just up the road from me.

We saw Mark (?, sorry dude) and Leah in Cranbrook. They came up behind us in the mountains, then pulled off for a bit while we continued upwards. We met later at the Superstore in Cranbrook, where I learned they lived there, recently moved, etc, etc.

We saw one or two more Delicas before leaving BC - and then nothing. No high roofs; no low roofs; no Super Exceeds, pickups, quad-cabs, gasoline VanWagons - NOTHING! Not even for the week we were in Calgary. I don't know where all those people who post on this forum from Calgary were, but they must not have been driving their L300 StarWagons around for that week. We saw lots of RHDs, and waved at them (even got waved back at), but no Delicas again until outside Revelstoke. Stopped and spoke with Colin outside Abbotsford (he was on his way around the slide on the Sea-to-Sky, bikes on the back) on the last day - good to meet him.

Did I mention we got married in Calgary? Part of the reason for going to Calgary was to get married. We didn't want a big ceremony, so we got married in Lucienne's sister's backyard. Her sister, my brother, and our children were in attendance (as were the dogs) and this got around the whole big todo which we didn't want to do. It was a wonderful time: she was so beautiful, I got choked-up as I said my vows to her, and it didn't rain even a little bit (although it had thundered and hailed like mad the day before).

I've included a bit of a photo album in my gallery: Summer Trip '08. Enjoy! It's going to be a couple more years before we save up enough to pay for the ferry off Vancouver Island again - bloody pirates.

[kb&2dogs]

Congrats you two!

I guess all future trips will be camping on the island for awhile. We'll have to set up another camping trip soon without the yahoos (hopefully!)

[BCDelica]

Congratulations, you two sure look like a happy couple; maybe too happy......

Well that was a pretty good pace, camping along the way, you set for yourself driving to Cowtown (Nice town for not having a ocean). That utility trailer of yours would be great for bringing a barrel of WVO or two behind you on future road trips.

Best Regards,
Kev

[Erebus]

John,

Sorry to have missed you. Looks like you had a wonderful trip. Oh, and congrats too. There really are some Delis in Calgary, but apparently Jungle Jon was on Vanc Island, Green1's is probably still in pieces, and I am currently in the Yukon. Next time. The Frank Slide is amazing -- and scary. Terra not-so-firma.

[delicat]

Congrat sailor! Glad to see you found your port...

Oil worked out good? good to hear. Enjoy your married life!
David

[Green1]

I'm really sorry we didn't get to get together while you were here, I was absolutely over-run with stuff and couldn't find a spare second, on top of that I didn't have any vehicle at all until I got the delica back on wednesday night. I really do apologize for not getting back to you though!

We don't have a lot of delicas in Calgary, but there are some, my best guess is around 20 now (for a population of about 1.2 million people)

Was that your Delica with BC plates on hunterview drive that week? if so you were less than 5 blocks from my house!

[mararmeisto]

...{w}as that your Delica with BC plates on hunterview drive that week? if so you were less than 5 blocks from my house!

Okay Green1, so you obviously saw me, although I didn't see you. First house when family moved to Calgary in '85 was on Hunterview, and I was showing my son where his dad used to live (so many years ago). Graduated grade 12 from John G. Diefenbaker High School, too.

[TardisDeli]

Congratulations Lucienne and Paul and Kids. Best Wishes, and remember the Delica Sticker: "Take a Happy Life".

Disappointed you didn't plan the wedding to occur on a deli meet weekend, we could have all lined up the deli's like an honour guard, with the front mirror's taking the place of the swords, and all done the the deli windshield wiper salute. Cool.

The reason you didnt see many Deli's in Calgary, is they have discovered the TardisDeli Motel in Burnaby, Jungle Jon and family were just here on the way to Vancouver Island, and Erebus Ruminante was here before their Northern Expedition.

Cheers, Congrats, Best Wishes. Christine and Jay.

[mararmeisto]

...[t]he reason you didnt see many Deli's in Calgary, is they have discovered the TardisDeli Motel in Burnaby, Jungle Jon and family were just here on the way to Vancouver Island, and Erebus Ruminante was here before their Northern Expedition.

Cheers, Congrats, Best Wishes. Christine and Jay.

Had I known of the TardisDeli Motel, we would have stayed for the night... maybe some other time.

Thank you for the kind wishes. We had wanted it to be a family affair, so that's what we planned for. Not so much an extended family, but the idea of the Delicas all lined up is intriguing - maybe in 20 years at our re-affirmation.

And we did take the sticker's advice: We went outdoors and took a good life! Camping all the way.

[konadog]

And we did take the sticker's advice: We went outdoors and took a good life! Camping all the way.

Happy Day - Great you had a fun trip - My mom and dad would load us kids into the canopy covered back of the old Ford truck (no seat belts required in those days!) and run out to the prairies every summer to visit relatives and to touch base with their roots. The best was sniffing around my dad's childhood home near Saskatoon. Long abandoned and in the distant corner of some multi-section spread, the old 1/4 section homesteader house and barn were still standing. Pretty cool. I was a whiney little kid no doubt, but sure appreciate those trips now. And my old dad was BC parks brass (great job in his early days, scouting the likes of the Bowron Lakes chain for potential parks) so you know we camped the whole way, every time - Great stuff. And good going on your nuptials! We did the quiet thing in our friend's house and wouldn't have changed and thing, though I too like the image of all those delicas lined up looking sharp

[piyeguyo]

Hi

Sorry I missed you too. My Deli was parked at home most of the time.
We've been using my wife's car a lot lately (Little Kia Rio) Hopefully tomorrow after I replace the rear wheel cylinders I'll be back on the road.

Regards,

Fabio