Canada and Beyond

We spent last Sunday night in Post Falls, Idaho and got up and took a leisurely trip to Kalispell, Montana.  As I said before, one reason for stopping in this area of Montana is the Polebridge Mercantile Bakery and one of my favorite things, Huckleberry Bear Claws.  I was not disappointed.  We had very little trouble locating the bakery in Whitefish.  To my surprise, the Whitefish location makes a bear claw nearly twice the size of the one in Polebridge for the same cost.  Definitely satisfied with that.

I have had an old leather belt for as long as I can remember.  I have punched holes in it and used it to hold up just about every kind of pants you can imagine.  Lately it has been getting a bit tattered.  I have purchased new belts from department stores but I find myself very disappointed when they fail because they are not pliable and tend to crack and fall apart.  My old belt is one piece of leather that is soft and hasn't cracked.  I went to a clothing store in Kalispell and found a replacement (haven't tossed it yet) belt.  It was expensive as belts go but if it last anywhere as long as the one it is replacing it will still be usable after I am dead and buried.  I highly recommend this store if you want good outerwear with a western flair.

We left Kalispell and head up to cross the border into the Canadian Rockies.  The border is just a short trip north and the crossing was not busy at all.  We were in Canada on our way to Banff in no time at all.  I had to adjust to the speed being in kilometers and thus a little slower that the U.S. equivalent.  In fact, we didn't see a speed limit above 120 kilometers per hour (68 mph) during our whole trip.  We cruised into the Canadian Rockies and I have to admit my son was right.  The Canadian version of the Rockies is better than the American version.  I can't really put my finger on it but I think it has to do with the speed of travel (much slower), the roadway (not a freeway) and the scenery.  The magnificent vistas catch you at every turn.  As you climb and head towards their Trans Canadian Highway you soon learn you are about to enter the Banff National Park.  You arrive at Radium Hot Springs and soon learn that you need a pass to transverse the park.  The purchase is simple.  Just tell them how many days you expect to be visiting and they charge you accordingly and give you a pass to tape to your windshield.  Low the poor individual who happens to stop anywhere in the park with no pass taped to the windshield.  Park workers are everywhere and they write tickets for not passes.

Amazing Vistas

Sign flashes to warn of bears in the road

Beautiful

Wild flowers

Wild life

Wild river

Wild rapids

We arrived in Canmore, BC just east of Banff a few kilometers and made our way to our motel for the next two days.  So far so good.

I was still suffering from what I thought was psoriasis but I was becoming more aware that it might be something else.  The itching and rash was terrible.  There was burning combined with constant itching and some skin scaling over a good percentage of my body.  My medical staff worked with me as we traveled but as I will tell you later, nothing seemed to help give me any relief.

Hope all is well and thanks for stopping by.  I will continue the update over the next couple of days.