This summer Rod and I have a few plans that all seem to involve driving throughout the interior of Alberta and BC. So, I thought it was fitting to log our adventure blog titles in a consecutive manner.
Since our last mini adventure to Canmore, school and work life ruled the ways. In those past couple of months one exciting thing occurred – I (Tracy) finished University. There will be a blog post for graduation of course in a couple weeks. But really, Rod and I have been keeping busy working and getting ready for summer.
Kicking off our road trip season, was the end-of-school trip home to see the family in Vancouver. This time we also added in a little mini vacay south to Long Beach, Washington to celebrate our five-year anniversary that was somewhat missed in March due to the end of term being so busy.
Like all of our other Vancouver trips, it involves the long 12-hour drive from Lethbridge to Maple Ridge. We were up at 4:30 and on the road by 5:30 a.m. last Saturday. We made our regular dog stops in Banff and Kamloops, and a few other breaks along the way to get into town just before the niece and nephew headed off to bed.
Sunday was a great family day; my family had decided to hold off on Easter dinner for a couple of weeks so that Rod and I could be a part of the festivities. The day involved the sun, so with a rare opportunity we decided to take advantage of the weather and head out to Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam to walk the path. This also gave Rod the chance the wiz around on the boosted board with Aubrey, who ended up having the time of her life on that thing. She is a little obsessed with it now, no doubt an activity that her and Rod will share in the future.
That evening Rod and I were treated to an amazing home cooked meal by our friend Melissa. As always, we try and take as much time as possible to catch up with friends when we are in town, but are excited for the more regular hang outs that await us in the future.
On Monday, we packed up the car and the dog again to head south to our favorite little boutique hotel, Adrift in Long Beach, Washington. It’s a five and a half hour drive, but the beauty of winding through the pacific northwest is always a treat regardless of the rainy weather.
We arrived in the late afternoon, checked in and even with the slight rain we were excited to get Avery out on the beach for a good run. She of course LOVED IT. Sticks and smells and birds, oh the birds she chased, she was in heaven. We felt bad making her come back to the hotel or out for non-beach walks, because I knew she would have been more than happy to stay and hang out on that beach forever. But alas, dinner was needed.
Adrift is a wonderful hotel with amazing pet policies. At most hotels, Avery is requirewd to be kept in a kennel if we are to leave the hotel without her. Problem for us, is that for some reason Avery tends to whine and bark continuously if she is left in a room in her kennel and we leave. So, it was an amazing experience to be able to leave Avery in the room, open concept so that we could head upstairs for dinner.
Dinner of course was also amazing, sitting on the top floor of the hotel, most tables are situated to face the windows that give you these amazing views of the beach and the ocean in front of you.
Tuesday, we got up and walked the dog into town to head to the bakery for some sweet treats for breakfast. The rest of the day involved multiple beach dog walks, naps and relaxation. We headed out to our favorite restaurant “The Lost Roo”, this amazing Australian themed restaurant that we found our first time to Adrift some five years ago.
We definitely spent some time reminiscing about our first trip down to Long Beach some five years ago. The town has not changed and we love that about! It is and will continue to be a true favorite getaway, and we can’t wait until we are living in Vancouver, where the quick trips down will not include the 12-hour precursor drive.
Wednesday, we were up in time to give the dog once last sandy beach run, before packing up the car, grabbing another round of donuts from the bakery to hit the road. We found our way into Seattle to stop by our favorite sandwich shop PotBelly Sandwiches as well as a few stops at the outlet malls to try and find a few deals.
Thursday, with some of the best weather I’ve seen in Vancouver, Rod and I spent the day driving around different neighborhoods to give him a bit of a run down. As we are starting to think about trying to purchase when we move, Rod needed a little location scouting to fully understand all the different neighborhoods the lower mainland has to offer. That night was a dog walk and catch up time with friends.
Friday involved a few different tasks for the day. From picking up my wedding dress, to a meet and greet for Rod, and hanging out with the kiddos to catching up with friends, it was a great way to end the week home. I’m always sad to have to say goodbye, but thankfully moving home changes all that. I will surely miss everyone here in Lethbridge, but I am extremely excited for the new adventures that await us in BC.
Saturday morning, we were up and out to one last breakfast with the family. Hoping in the car we made our way out of town. The trip was going decently well until we ran into a highway closure in Revelstoke. After all this time travelling in the past few years, this was the first time either of us had been stuck with no clue of when the highway would be opened. There was sadly an accident on the road between Revelstoke and Golden that had it closed from about 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. Sunday morning. As most people being turned around, the hotels started to fill up quick. We thankfully were able to find a pet friendly place to stay for the night.
We thankfully made it home Sunday afternoon after a long few days of driving. Thankful to be back in our space and bed, with time to reflect on how this was driving road trip one of about five or six that still await us this summer.
But with lots of adventures, that means lots of blog posts!
Until Next Time,
– Tracy