Spring break - Part 1

"SPRING BREAK"

We so needed a holiday! How do Canadians do it? 13 weeks of a school term is crazy. Our bodies were tired, our minds exhausted and we wanted to explore. Unfortunately our plan to drive to Vancouver and up to Whistler and then on to Jasper and back home was foiled by Ali's doctor's appointments for her broken arm. After of a week of pain and sleepless nights she decided we must do some exploring anyway so that we would not waste the 10 days of spring break. So we loaded up the car and headed north in Alberta.

Church at Camrose


Giant Pyanska and Elk at Vegreville - it was Easter afterall.

Our plan was to drive an alternate route to get to Edmonton (the long way around took us 5 hours instead of the normal 1.5 hours up the highway) then on to Jasper, visit the Icefields parkway and see the Athabasca glacier, go though Rocky Mountain House back to Sylvan Lake. See the Orthopedic surgeon and then on to Drumheller and the badlands, down to Medicine Hat via the Dinosaur Provincial Park and back home.



Here's some pics of our trip:

Greek Orthodox Church at Vegreville

Being spring we thought we might catch a glimpse of some animals at Elk Island National Park. A few beaver lodges, some Canadian geese, a loon (duck) and a muskrat was all we saw but we would definitely be coming back to this park - not far from Edmonton to see the wildlife in the summer.

There's Beavers here somewhere...

In their lodge perhaps?

Some Canadian geese

Something big has been here...

 We made it to Edmonton and spent a couple of days with Christine. Ali's arm was not fabulous but she managed to spend a full day shopping at West Ed mall to commiserate her misfortune. After a week the bruising had started to come out.
At least Christine helped carry the bags. The boys had a nice time enjoying mini-golf.

River on the way to Jasper

Mountain goats at Jasper National Park

Well hello there...

Jasper National Park has lots to offer nearly every 20 steps is a photo opportunity so only a few snippets of pics of the thousands we took. We enjoyed a hike through Maligne canyon (Ali's grip on the handrails was with her armpit so she could steady herself for the downhill ice slide on snow and ice covered steps).

Frozen waterfalls - photos don't seem to do the colours justice.

Maligne Lake

Elk

Time for a rest in Jasper for the night. A lovely pub meal of bison burgers and a comfy bed restored our energy for the next day.

Totem pole - main street Jasper AB

Main street - Jasper AB

Athabasca Falls - frozen.

Along the icefields parkway

Bear bin

Athabasca Glacier

All aboard the tundra buggy

Glacier

On the ice formations

The most unique glacier in the world where 3 rivers meet

On the way home - bye for now.