In RV the next morning at Battleford the temperature had dropped to 57 degrees and we turned on the RV’s propane heater for the first time…it is zoned for both the main part of the RV and/or the bedroom and bath area. It worked well. Now off to Edmonton, Alberta where we plan to stay a couple of days to look around and rest a bit from driving. The border between Saskatchewan and Alberta runs directly through the middle of the city of Loydminster down the main north/south street. I’m sure this unusual arrangement must cause some interesting issues on taxes, jurisdiction and politics. Also interestingly the Alberta Visitors Welcome center is located in Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Visitors Center is located in Alberta. A most unusual arrangement.
Having enjoyed the A&W last night in Battleford we again stopped at the A&W in Loydminster for lunch. We arrived in Edmonton, a very large and modern city that is the capitol of Alberta, about 3 pm. As we have chosen to travel without advance reservations for places to stay and this being a weekend we found that our first choice for a place to stay was full and we had to drive out to the western side of Edmonton to find a place at the Glowing Embers RV Park and Travel Center off highways 16A and 60. This is a large park and they gave us a pull through site by combining two back-in spaces toward the rear of the park. This made it very convenient for hook ups to water, sewer and electric. The park offered wi-fi connection for PC’s but our site was out of range so we went to the room they have set up as a library where we could connect but had problems getting connected.
One of the well know features at Edmonton is the West Edmonton Mall. It is a gigantic shopping mall that includes an indoor amusement park, a large hockey skating rink and a Casino in addition to hundreds of stores. We went there for dinner after setting up and chose to eat at the Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurant, one of a dozen nice restaurants in a food court section that is the size of many other malls. We then wandered the mall and found a large Chinese grocery store where we discovered and bought some fresh made coconut bread. It was delicious and we enjoyed every slice over the next several days as morning toast. Apparently Edmonton has a large ethnic Chinese population as the one section of the mall that was anchored by the store also contained a dozen or more other Chinese/Oriental specialty stores. Then, of course, we went to the casino as seems to be our habit on this trip. A casino in a mall! Don’t know if this exists anywhere else but it was busy with mostly slot machines. We don’t play much but enjoy people watching and a few minutes excitement at the slots. Pat hit for $50 on a quarter machine and we ended up with a net win of probably $20 for an hour’s enjoyment.
Sunday morning we started off to take a ride to see about finding the spare serpentine belt for the RV and to get an oil change for it. Found the belt at a Freightliner truck place but wouldn’t pay their $139 plus materials price for an oil change! Will get one elsewhere tomorrow.
Then it was of to the Elk Island National Reserve, a national park located just east of Edmonton that is renown for its wild bison and elk herds. They have both woods bison and plains bison. Woods bison used to roam the eastern US in the Appalachian Mountains but were all killed off the mid to late 1800’s. They are slightly smaller and darker in color than the more well know plains bison. We spotted a small herd of woods bison at a distance off the main highway before we entered the park but no photo opportunity. The park is large but with limited roadways and while we drove the full length of the park and visited the pavilion area near the largest lake in the park for a bite to
eat at a fundraiser picnic put on by Friend of Elk Island, we did not see any wildlife. Then, as if on que, just as we were leaving our last side road trip there was a large solitary bull bison appeared directly ahead of us on a bank at the edge of the road. Pat was delighted as we got to watch him lay down and roll around to scratch his back in the grass.
Shortly after we returned to the RV, Dick spoke to the lady in the RV next to ours who was walking one of her two Dalmatians and found she had successfully made a wi-fi connection. Later he and she went to the library and she helped him through the gyrations needed to establish a connection.
Monday morning Pat took the laundry to the RV park laundry mat and took her PC to get on the net while doing the laundry. Dick took off in the RV to get an oil change at a quick lube and oil place that did the job plus lubricating 27 fittings for $104 including materials, but they did have to use our filter. We met in a Wal-Mart parking lot, did a bit of shopping and headed off to continue our adventure.
Having enjoyed the A&W last night in Battleford we again stopped at the A&W in Loydminster for lunch. We arrived in Edmonton, a very large and modern city that is the capitol of Alberta, about 3 pm. As we have chosen to travel without advance reservations for places to stay and this being a weekend we found that our first choice for a place to stay was full and we had to drive out to the western side of Edmonton to find a place at the Glowing Embers RV Park and Travel Center off highways 16A and 60. This is a large park and they gave us a pull through site by combining two back-in spaces toward the rear of the park. This made it very convenient for hook ups to water, sewer and electric. The park offered wi-fi connection for PC’s but our site was out of range so we went to the room they have set up as a library where we could connect but had problems getting connected.
One of the well know features at Edmonton is the West Edmonton Mall. It is a gigantic shopping mall that includes an indoor amusement park, a large hockey skating rink and a Casino in addition to hundreds of stores. We went there for dinner after setting up and chose to eat at the Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurant, one of a dozen nice restaurants in a food court section that is the size of many other malls. We then wandered the mall and found a large Chinese grocery store where we discovered and bought some fresh made coconut bread. It was delicious and we enjoyed every slice over the next several days as morning toast. Apparently Edmonton has a large ethnic Chinese population as the one section of the mall that was anchored by the store also contained a dozen or more other Chinese/Oriental specialty stores. Then, of course, we went to the casino as seems to be our habit on this trip. A casino in a mall! Don’t know if this exists anywhere else but it was busy with mostly slot machines. We don’t play much but enjoy people watching and a few minutes excitement at the slots. Pat hit for $50 on a quarter machine and we ended up with a net win of probably $20 for an hour’s enjoyment.
Sunday morning we started off to take a ride to see about finding the spare serpentine belt for the RV and to get an oil change for it. Found the belt at a Freightliner truck place but wouldn’t pay their $139 plus materials price for an oil change! Will get one elsewhere tomorrow.
Then it was of to the Elk Island National Reserve, a national park located just east of Edmonton that is renown for its wild bison and elk herds. They have both woods bison and plains bison. Woods bison used to roam the eastern US in the Appalachian Mountains but were all killed off the mid to late 1800’s. They are slightly smaller and darker in color than the more well know plains bison. We spotted a small herd of woods bison at a distance off the main highway before we entered the park but no photo opportunity. The park is large but with limited roadways and while we drove the full length of the park and visited the pavilion area near the largest lake in the park for a bite to
eat at a fundraiser picnic put on by Friend of Elk Island, we did not see any wildlife. Then, as if on que, just as we were leaving our last side road trip there was a large solitary bull bison appeared directly ahead of us on a bank at the edge of the road. Pat was delighted as we got to watch him lay down and roll around to scratch his back in the grass.Shortly after we returned to the RV, Dick spoke to the lady in the RV next to ours who was walking one of her two Dalmatians and found she had successfully made a wi-fi connection. Later he and she went to the library and she helped him through the gyrations needed to establish a connection.
Monday morning Pat took the laundry to the RV park laundry mat and took her PC to get on the net while doing the laundry. Dick took off in the RV to get an oil change at a quick lube and oil place that did the job plus lubricating 27 fittings for $104 including materials, but they did have to use our filter. We met in a Wal-Mart parking lot, did a bit of shopping and headed off to continue our adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment