It’s been awhile since I have travelled by road for a long
stretch of time. Looking at the budget and finances, this summer seemed ideal
to make a long road trip to see friends, family and the scenery, at least when
I started plotting this a year ago. The first leg wasn’t supposed to be that
bad, Fort McMurray to Fort Saskatchewan. This is supposed to take about 4.5
hours.
The van was loaded with suitcases, and no camping gear. That
in itself is a major time saver. We left right after swimming lessons and supper
to hit the road. For the first couple of hours, everything was normal. From
playing on electronics, to smooth driving on the infamous 63, we were doing
great. The inevitable stretch and bathroom break at Grasslands was fine: Shell
won out due to having better coffee.
Next rule: before heading out on a long drive, check the
weather report.
Between Grasslands and Boyle IT happened. The road was dry
on our side, but over head there was a large black cloud that loomed
ominiously. The center of the cloud was an angry green, but it looked as though
we would only catch the edge of it. A line rippled across the road ahead and
that was like driving into a thundering waterfall. The wipers couldn’t keep up
and the wind pummelled the car. The clouds above felt as if it was low enough
to touch and the kids kept looking for fingers touching down.
What do you do? I advocated for getting the heck out of
there. We drove forward with trepidation, but it honestly felt like either move
or the storm will move you somewhere else. Boyle was a welcome sight and we
turned South to try and get out of the weather. By Long Lake the rain had
eased, but then, my youngest was carsick. Too much wind and rocking, coupled
with her outrageous fear of storms and that adds up to more delays as we
cuddled on the side of the road, in the rain.
The rest of the drive was spent juggling carsickness with
storm tracking. We turned off the usual routes (thank you google maps) and
found communities like Brudderheim along the way. I was never so happy to see
the Lakeview Inn and Suites. It’s my favorite hotel chain thanks to the awesome
staff that don’t blink twice at sick kids, the comfy clean beds and lovely
breakfast in the morning. Not that I had breakfast, I was so exhausted that I
slept through it. However, Tim’s is right across the road so that is what we
did. Next stop, Calgary.
No comments:
Post a Comment