It's a Saskatoon Wrap

Sunday, our second day in Saskatoon, we decided to visit the third most visited site in the area: The Berry Barn.

Situated along the banks of the lazy South Saskatchewan River, the farm is an attraction for lovers of Saskatoon Berries. This unique berry is famous in the area, and this farm has created a thriving business around the berry.

Lunch on the deck was a Creamy Mushroom and Cheese Chowder, served with warm rolls fresh from the oven. Of course, we had to finish with a slice of their famous Saskatoon Berry pie!

A walk along the river led us to the rows of berry plants. This berry is a little different in that it is not sweet. The pies made with it are packed with berries, but need a bit of ice cream or a cup of coffee to help out with the heavy filling.

A nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon, for sure! When we returned to the motorhome, we noticed some rather ominous clouds off to the west.

As we watched, the clouds began to change into more interesting shapes.

And just when we thought that we were going to escape the T-Storm, the clouds opened up!

And as quickly as it started, the storm was gone! In the midst of it, however, the wind blew a gale, we had golf ball hail for 15 minutes or so, and the entire rv park became a lake. Yes, those are raindrops on the windshield!

Today, Monday, the 31st, we decided to visit the first and second most visited attractions in Sask. We started at The Weir.

Built in 1939 as a make-work project to maintain a constant water supply for the city's water plant. It has been since superseded, but still is an interesting sight, as well as a favorite fishing spot for fishermen and American Pelicans alike.

Looking upriver toward downtown, notice the island. This has been formed slowly since the construction of the weir, and continues to grow with sand and silt washed down from the south. The island is home to hundreds of migratory birds in the season.

Spanning the South Saskatoon River a short distance downstream of the weir is a railroad bridge. There is a narrow walking path along the side of the shiny tracks (that still appear to be in use). Since the walkway is only a few feet from the tracks, we imagine that getting caught in the middle when a train went by would be exciting!

The most visited attraction in Saskatoon is the Museum of Western Development. This museum is devoted to the period when westward expansion settled the prairie, about 1880 to 1910 or so. A recreation of a 1910 town allows a visitor to peek into hardware stores, livery stables, auto repair shops and banks.

The bicycle/auto/motorcycle repair shop displays a 1915 Indian Big Twin motorcycle as well as a (year unknown) Hupmobile. It' said this motorcycle could get to 60 miles per hour in 30 seconds!

A huge display of early farm equipment is housed in the museum. From small stationary engines designed to run washing machines to huge machines that burned 5,000 pounds of coal a day and weighed 53,000 pounds, like this American-Abell Steam Traction Engine, built in 1911.

Row upon row of farm equipment is on display.

Including this interesting machine imported from England.

SaskPower has provided a detailed exhibit the follows a pioneering family from their arrival in the prairie in the 1890's to the present day. The middle of Canada wasn't available for settlement until the late 19th century and early 20th century due to the length treaty talks with the First Peoples. Both the east and west coasts were settled long before Saskatchewan, and the two coasts were connected by the railroad, which made it somewhat easier to reach the fertile prairie land. A program giving 160 acres of surveyed land to anyone who would "prove" it (build a dwelling, cultivate and grow crops, etc.) was available during these times, and thousands of immigrants came from England, the Ukraine, Sweden, Germany and Iceland. Most built sod houses at first, and gradually made the prairie productive. Generations survived the Dustbowl days of the '30s and the depression that followed; they went to war in 1915 and 1941; and they prospered in the '50s. Modern farmers have adapted to Corporation farming with huge operations unimaginable to their grandparents. The exhibit is fascinating and we spent several hours there.

A final "drive" around town concluded our visit to this interesting museum!

We're out of Saskatoon tomorrow, hopefully before the predicted rain starts. The wind is gradually increasing, and it's getting cloudy, so we may be driving down a dirt road in the rain!

Farewell and Hello

Edmonton is a large city in roughly to center of the province of Alberta, with a metropolitan population of over a million (North America's northernmost city of that size). We enjoyed four nights and three days there, but were happy to leave as another of a series of thunderstorms rolled through on Thursday night, burying Nessie even deeper into the prairie mud. Friday morning we were up early, and after a bit of back-and-forth, we powered out of the mud and got on our old Canadian friend, the YellowHead Highway, heading east.

After a quick stop for fuel at the eastern side of Edmonton, we drove for about an hour to the Ukrainian town of Vegreville, the home of the Vegreville Egg.

The sculpture of a Pysanka, a Ukrainian-style Easter egg is 31 feet long and 35 feet tall. It is the second largest pysanka in the world, after another built in the Ukraine in 2000.

The pysanka has existed as part of Ukrainian culture for thousands of years, dating back to pre-christian times and the colors and symbols have special significance. Bronze represents Mother Earth, White suggest purity, and yellow universally represents prosperity and happiness.

The Sunburst on the bottom of the egg symbolizes eternal life, growth and good fortune. the combination of golden triangles forms church-like symbols representing a trinity associated with the familial unity of man, woman, and child. The straight white line circling the egg near the bottom repeats the idea of eternal life. The large sawtooth design carries the message of protection and security afforded the early settlers of this area by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the central six-pointed star of gold and silver represent windmills, which symbolize a rich harvest. Pretty cool, huh?

The egg was made of anodized aluminum, and was the first structure built according to a computer program defining the surface area as a computer algorithm. Until it was dedicated in 1975 on the centennial of the RCMP, a two-dimensional surface had never been assembled as a three-dimensional object.  Incidentally, the software used to guide the lasers which cut the Pysanka's tiles was purchased and used for the cutting of the exterior tiles of the space shuttle!

Driving east we found out what the word "Prairie" really means:

Thousands of acres of Lavender (above) and thousands of acres of yellow Canola carpet the rolling hills with a startling splash of color.

Near the town of The Battlefords we were really, really, really driving through some flat, flat, flat land.

With little wind, and a light throttle, we navigated the 325 miles to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Campland RV Resort. Incidentally, we managed to achieve a mileage number of 10.5 for the days trip, one of our better numbers. Oh, I know, it's nothing compared to an automobile, but it's great for a vehicle that weighs over 45,000 pounds!

Campland is a pretty typical Canadian park: dirt/gravel interior roads and sites, with some grass and small trees. The difference is that it is located a half-mile off the highway on a local road paved with....dirt/gravel.  Large trucks roar up and down the (county?) highway sending clouds of dust over the campground. Hmmmm. The wifi is nonexistent at our site, and unusable near the office, and the cell signal is marginal at best. Guess we'll have to go to Starbuck's for free wifi!

Today, Saturday, we went into downtown Saskatoon (called Sask around here) to visit the Farmers Market. This seven-day-a-week facility expands on Saturday mornings to include many local vendors. It was advertised as the premier event in Sask on the weekend, so we had to check it out. As it turns out, it only required about an hour to go through the market, buy a couple of home-grown, grass-fed steaks and a jar of alfalfa honey. And this includes walking from/to the car, which was parked 4 blocks away due to the exorbitant parking fees charged near the market.

We drove around and about town a bit, did some grocery shopping, and returned home. An otherwise quiet day was spiced up when a new neighbor moved in. Can't miss this one! We've had to close the curtains early!

This morning, the weather prediction was for thunderstorms and 3-5 inches of rain. None of which materialized. Tomorrow the prediction is for t-storms and little rain. Who knows? We do know that the ambient temp at 4 pm this afternoon was 83 F, and tomorrow 93 F is expected! Hold on, a/c, we need you!

Ok, I've Had Enough!

Went to the West Edmonton Mall this morning. This was the world's largest mall until 2004, and is still the largest in North America by leasable area. It is the tenth largest in the world, along with the Dubai Mall. The numbers are staggering: 800 stores, 5,300,000 sq ft , parking for more than 20,000 vehicles. Between 90,000 and 200,000 people visit each day, depending on the day and the season, for about 32 million visitors a year. It is the most valuable property in Edmonton, with a value of $1.3 billion (CAD). Trivia: Most bungee jumps in 24 hours while indoors on November 6, 2007, by Peter Charney, completing 225 jumps.....

We didn't waste time photographing all 800 stores.....(you're welcome)....but did snap a couple of pics of the worlds largest indoor wave pool. The wave pool has six wave bays, each with two panels. A total of 1,500 horsepower powers pumps that generate wave up to 6.5 feet high.

Sea Life Caverns is an indoor lagoon containing a salt-water habitat for California sea lions, as well as a replica of the Santa Maria.

Even the corporate offices are housed in an attractive wing.

Two roller coasters provide entertainment to those so inclined.

This mall has it all. Movie theaters, hotels, an indoor shooting range, an indoor skate park, three radio stations, mini golf, a bowling alley, and various event centers. Oh, and 800 stores.

We had had enough about half way through the second floor shops. We had walked at a pretty good pace, and D's hip was beginning to talk to her, so we stopped for a mocha and a snack at Second Cup. After a bit of a rest, and conversation with a local woman who comes to the mall to people watch, we returned home to the rv park and Sasha.

About three miles from where we're staying is an ethnic restaurant named Taste of Ukraine. We sampled Polish Pyrogies yesterday, so we were interested in tasting pirogies (their spelling), and so off we went at about 5. We were greeted warmly by a young man dressed in appropriate attire and shown to a table. We were the first customers for the dinner only restaurant. On the back wall is a display of paintings done by Ukrainian artists in the "old country". They are displayed and are for sale with proceeds going directly to the artist.

The decor is reminiscent of Ukraine as well, and shows a lot of attention to detail.

I know I'm not supposed to post about food, but I can't resist:

We started with Crispy Cannon Balls: A vegetarian mixture of grilled eggplant, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and cheese formed into balls and rolled in bread crumbs before a plunge into the deep fryer. No pic because they disappeared before I remembered the camera....

My computer keyboard won't type in the language of choice in the Ukraine, so I'll try to translate.

Donna's entree was called Dnipro Dream. A fillet of fresh wild salmon wrapped in a bundle of puff pastry and topped with a lemon dill sauce. It came with cabbage rolls and Nalysnyky....cheese crepes!

My entree was called the Tsar's Pot of Meatballs: Meatballs with a rich gravy and a dollop of sour cream, accompanied by sauerkraut Pyrohy (pirogies) and Pyrizhky - potato filled buns baked in cream. Wow!

We saved part of dinner for later, and moved on to dessert!

A Strawberry Nalysnyk fit the bill just fine! It's a fine crepe wrapped around scoops of vanilla ice cream and strawberries then topped with more strawberries and whipped cream. No doggy bag on this one!

Ok....I've had enough potatoey, heavy, doughy food for awhile. Good, but under seasoned, and very, very filling. It was nice to sample some of the food from my heritage, but enough is enough!

We're doing some housekeeping tomorrow, so may not post until we arrive at our next stop three hundred odd miles east of here....

Alberta's Capitol with Extras

Our first stop today was the Alberta Legislature building in downtown Edmonton. As is customary in Capitol parks, the grounds are beautiful and immaculate, the buildings are impressive, and the parking is atrocious. We made it to the Capitol in about 20 minutes, but spent most of an hour searching for a parking place. We finally found one open spot in a private lot at the rate of $14 per hour. We signed up for 2 hours hoping that we could complete a tour.

The approach to the Legislature Building is impressive, with several shallow pools offering a place to cool off for hundreds of young kids! Under much adult supervision, of course.

The side view is dominated by the dome.

The rear of the Capitol is introduced by an eternal flame burning in honor of Alberta's Centennial in 1966.

After navigating security, we were ushered into the rotunda, where we were met by a young lady who explained that a tour had just left the area, and that the next tour would not start for an hour. Not wanting to pay for more parking, we decided to do a self-tour of the ground floor.

Looking up to the capitol dome is almost dizzying!

From the floor under the dome, a marble staircase leads to the legislative rooms.

At the top of the stairs, a carved set of wooden doors dating to 1915 opens into the legislative hall.

We started to converse with the security guard, who took pity on us and volunteered to give us a personal tour of the chamber. With a close-cropped haircut and an earpiece in one ear, the tailored-suit clad gentleman hopped up the marble steps three at a time and threw open the doors. The first thing we noticed was that the largest area, with the most comfortable seating, belonged to the Conservative Party.

On the opposite side of the room, a smaller number of seats belonged to the opposition parties. A number of small parties recently consolidated into one organization. They have not as of yet chosen a name for their party.

A statue of Chief Crowfoot of the Blackfoot Confederacy (1830-1890) stands in a place of honor in the Rotunda. Realizing that the old ways of his people were doomed, Chief Crowfoot represented their interests in negotiant that eventually led to the signing of Treaty Number Seven in 1877. It is said that when his turn came to sign, he said " I will be the first to sign and I will be the last to break the treaty". Nobility of character, a gift of oratory, and wisdom in council gave Chief Crowfoot the title "Father of his people".

Leaving the Legislative complex, we headed for a local restaurant for lunch. The People's Perogy specializes in polish perogies, which are different (in some unknown way) from the typical Ukranian delicacy. We chose a couple of combo plates so we could sample different flavors.

Donna chose two flavors of perogy, the "loaded potato" and Ricotta Dill, with a side of a bowl of Borscht, made with beets, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. The soup was a bit salty, but delicious!

I ordered a half dozen pirogies, also choosing the Ricotta Dill, but asking for a Jalapeño Cheddar filling for the other three. I ordered a cabbage roll with dill sauce as a side order.

Perogies are made with a simple dough stuffed with a mashed potato filling, along with pretty much anything else the cook can think of! Sauerkraut is widely used as a filling as well. After filling and closing, the dumpling is typically boiled, but some prefer them pan-fried. The cabbage roll was exactly that: cabbage leaf rolled around a sausage and rice mixture, with a choice of sauces on top. I chose the Dill sauce and it was delicious as well.

All in all, the lunch was great! Topped with sautéed onions and bacon bits, the rather plain potato based filling took on a delicate and unusual flavor. This is a perfect example of how European peoples took something that grew well in unfavorable environments and made good, simple, and filling dishes. The restaurant was established by an emigrant polish family who make all the perogies in house. There you go....hard work and a bit of luck, and your dream can come true!

Look What the Wind Blew In

One hundred ninety nine miles north of Drumheller, via Big Valley, Stettler, Nevis and Tees, as well as Ponoka (Home of the World's Largest Bronc Riding and Stampede Arena, the sign said), we pulled into Kinsman RV Resort in St Albert, Alberta. The trip was uneventful if you call 35 mph winds with gusts to 45 and a driving rain uneventful. We decided to head north out of Drumheller on AB 56 so as to see some of the farms and rolling hills that are a trademark of the area. Thousands of acres of Canola and Hay are in various stages of growing...with some near maturity, and some just starting. The brilliant yellow and green Canola fields are incredible! I tried to get a picture, but with the cross-winds blowing us about on a narrow country road...well, you see how it went. I did manage to get one picture of AB 56 as we topped a rise...straight as a string!

St Albert is west and north of downtown Edmonton, Alberta, and has been a destination for us for years. While we only have four nights and three days here, I'm sure we'll see plenty of sights! We have found out that there is a huge Ukranian culture in the area, so, since that the Ukraine is close to where my people came from a hundred years ago and more, we may have to go eat some periogies and borscht!

Our arrival in the rain was somewhat underwhelming when we pulled into what appeared to be a hard gravel site and found out that the dirt underneath was wet and muddy from the rain.

Can you say Muddy Mess?

We have decided not to extend the jack system since the jacks and any wood we may put under them will simply disappear into the mud!

But here we are! And happy about it! The constant wind and rain took its toll on us today, so we've elected to stay in this evening and relax. The wind has gone down to 10 mph, and the clouds are breaking up. It's 9:10 here, and the sun is still about 15 degrees above the horizon. We're back to the northern sun again!