Click on image to enlargeMax & I were traveling through Bristish Columbia today and I couldn't resist taking a picture of this cute little trailer.  What a great rig.   I love it!  The huge mountain in the background is part of the beautiful Canadian Rockies.    We left home yesterday morning and have had two very pleasant travel days, with overcast skies.  It's been a nice reprieve after the long hot spell at home in Wenatchee. 

Our route took us east from Wenatchee to Coeur d' Alene and then north into Canada through the Kingsgate crossing north of Bonners Ferry.  The border crossing took quite a bit longer than in the past.  We always take our passports so get through fairly quickly, but I don't think everyone has proper ID and it takes longer to clear the cars.  Plus, they only had one lane open.   We stayed in Cranbrook, BC last night.

We are inCardston, Alberta now to celebrate Max's birthday tomorrow with his two sisters.  We found out tonight his sisters put an ad in the local paper inviting people over for cake and ice cream tomorrow evening, so we have no idea how many people will show up.  For those who don't know where Cardston is, it is very near Waterton Park and just north of the Montana border and Glacier Park.

This is where Max was born and raised, so we try to take a nostalgic journey back at least once a year.  When his Mom was still alive we tried to get here twice a year.  Alberta is called "Wild Rose Country" and Max's Mother's name was Rose (Rosalee actually) so we say she was THE "Wild Rose". She was actually a very sweet lady (but had a stubborn streak) and had the softest skin I had ever touched.  Max's sister Elinor has lived here all of her life and is trying to adjust to life as a widow since her husband, Grant, passed away last Thanksgiving. His sister Connie, who officially lives in Phoenix, is here now too.  Connie and her husband, Bill, flee Phoenix during the heat of the year and become vagabonds in their motor home.  When they first got into RVing, they were on the road full time for about 3 years in their 35' motor home.   They have since traded the (small) 35' motor home in for a 40' motor home and seem to be content with traveling 5-6 months and spending the Winter and early Spring in Phoenix.   Bill said tonight their MH gets 6 1/2 miles to the gallon.  At $2.65 per gallon that computes to a little over 40 cents per mile.  That's just for fuel, and doesn't account for oil and other maintenance costs... or the cost of parking the motorhome in campsites, which is not cheap these day.   

Max & I usually bring our custom van on trips like this but, with the cost of gas, we decided to drive the car.  It's not that we can't afford the fuel for the van.  As long as we have other options, we just decided not to contribute to the problem.  Our van only gets about 15 mpg and the car, a Mitsubishi Galant, gets 30-33 on the road.   I figure we'll conserve nearly 75 gallons and $200 on fuel, which will go a long way in paying for our motel expenses.    Gas here in Canada is even more expensive than in the states, if you can believe that.  Here in Cardston the price is 96 cents per litre and I think there are 3 3/4 litre to a gallon, so that computes to $3.60 per gallon!  In southern British Columbia the price was over $1.00 per litre.  We were warned by a Canadian cousin to fill our tanks before entering Canada, so we heeded that advice. 

Well... that's enough for tonight.  Will try to check in again tomorrow or the next day.  Maybe not tomorrow because we're having the birthday party tomorrow night.
Carol