Homeward Bound

Departing Banff National Park, our minds shifted to the final leg of our journey. It now feels like we are truly headed home, but there were still a few visits and stops we’d been looking forward to along the way.

Heading west from Banff, we met our niece Alyssa and her partner Marc on the northern outskirts of Calgary. Marc arranged for us to park our rig in the industrial yard at his workplace, and then he and Alyssa whisked us off to a local Milestone’s restaurant. Over lunch we caught up on Alyssa’s move from Red Deer into the condo she and Marc are now renting together. It was wonderful to spend time with them, and… who knows? We may just have another reason to head west again sooner rather than later.

Lunch with Marc & Alyssa

From there we drove north and spent the night at Jarvis Bay Provincial Park en route to Edmonton. A wrong turn landed us on a long gravel road, and by the time we arrived at the campsite the car and trailer were completely coated in dust. Grrrrr.

Our next stop was a special one: William’s Campground in Beaumont, just outside Edmonton. This “campground” is actually the home of our niece Jen Jen and her husband Devin. Their property includes a gated driveway with space for one RV, a 50-amp hookup in the backyard, a large patio with table and umbrella, a treehouse, and even a Tesla charger in the garage. We were spoiled with royal treatment during our two-day stay and loved our time with Jen Jen, Devin, Zara, Tyson, and their two dogs, Dante and Marley.

The William's Campground

Stephen & Tyson in Tyson's treehouse

Stephen playing with Marley and Dante 

Tyson feeding his three pet salamanders 

Zara, Fran, Jen Jen, Devin and Tyson

While in Edmonton, we also managed to meet our friends Donna and Dan—who we know from Hawaii—for a breakfast reunion. Our timing was lucky: just hours later Dan was off to Toronto with their twin boys for Blue Jays games, while Donna headed to Calgary for a weekend with her sister. It was short but sweet to reconnect.

Brunch get together with Dan & Donna in Edmonton

Heading east again, we overnighted at Silver Lake Regional Park near Maidstone, Saskatchewan. Let’s just say… not memorable.

The next stop, however, was a highlight: Twin Peaks Creamery, a Harvest Hosts farm. The name alone had us intrigued. This family-run farm features an on-site creamery and ice cream parlour, plus beef and pork products raised right there. They also have yard games, picnic tables, and a petting zoo with goats and sheep. Naturally, we left with a haul: three pints of ice cream (Pralines & Cream, Mint Chocolate Brownie, and Coconut Vanilla) and a selection of pork tenderloin, sausages, and ground beef. Fran somehow fit everything into our tiny freezer—though we had smartly made space in advance. A week later, we’ve nearly polished off the ice cream, and every flavour was fabulous.

Camping at Twin Peaks Creamery farm

The farm mascot? 

Milking time....

Mmmmm - where the good stuff is

Twin Peaks ice cream flavours

From there we stayed at White Sand Regional Park near Theodore, Saskatchewan—again, nothing to write home about. A theme began to emerge: in Saskatchewan, every venture off the highway seemed to involve gravel roads. By trip’s end we estimated close to 100 kilometres on dusty, washboard surfaces that rattled our teeth and left the car and trailer looking like they’d been dipped in flour.

En route we took a tiny ferry across the South Saskatchewan River

We cut that stay short by a day and added an extra night at Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba. The name comes from the escarpment that defines its high elevation and from its historic role as a popular place for horseback exploration. The park, established in 1929, became Manitoba’s first national park—but only through the forced displacement of the Keeseekoowenin Ojibway people, an important part of its history often overlooked. In the 1990s the park also dealt with a serious outbreak of bovine tuberculosis spreading between elk and local cattle, which was eventually addressed through collaboration between Parks Canada, farmers, and Anishinaabe communities.

What makes Riding Mountain special is its mix of three ecological zones—forest, grassland, and lake country—which earned it UNESCO biosphere reserve status. It is also home to about 3,000 moose and several named peaks, including Riding Mountain at 2,365 feet.

Unfortunately, our visit was marked by cold, wet weather, and our electric heater ran almost nonstop. We did manage one outing: a drive through the Lake Audy Bison Enclosure, home to about 40 bison. Seeing these massive animals roaming freely was unforgettable.

Bison vs Buffalo?

A quick note on terminology: in North America, the correct term is bison, not buffalo. The true buffalo live in Africa and Asia. At one time, over 30 million bison roamed the Canadian prairies; by 1900 fewer than 300 remained due to overhunting and disease. Thanks to conservation efforts, today there are more than 150,000 across farms, ranches, and the wild.

Staying cozy while it is cold and wet outside

Although it feels like we’re nearly home, a quick check of the map was sobering: 2,366 kilometres still lie between us and home. For perspective, we are 2,108 kilometres from downtown Vancouver—so not even halfway back from the west coast. One more province to cross.

One more blog post to go. Stay tuned.