More Travel Tales

Dearest Red Bird

Well, it's been a while since I've told you tales from the road, so I feel a little catch up is in order. Last news was from Indian Head where a very grumpy Sparrow was having a love/hate relationship. I feel a need to expand on what I said in an effort to redeem my image, that post was not a shinning example of my personality. The truth is I'm a terrible sleeper and Indian Head wasn't the first place where The Canadian Pacific Railway had robbed me of the very few hours I manage to snatch every night. Getting to sleep is difficult, I often lie awake for one to two hours no matter how tired I am and staying asleep is hard too. Most nights I am awake by two or three am and am then tossing and turning for the rest of the night. It's usually body pain that robs me of sleep, back, arms and now a new symptom of restless legs, that one is so much fun! Still, Indian Head didn't deserve my hate. I was sad to leave and still encourage anyone heading that way to visit.

Indian Head, Saskatchewan

During our stay in Indian Head we took a day trip into Regina. I wasn't expecting much from Regina, I don't know why, but I was pleasantly surprised. The architecture was beautiful and the city well thought out. The downtown core was centered around a lovely little park with the newer buildings sympathetic to the heritage of old Regina. A short drive from downtown is an area known as Wascana. Acres of parkland surrounding a central lake and the University of Regina nestled among quiet treed neighbourhoods. We had a lovely day and would visit again in a heart beat.


Ever onwards we pointed the car towards the Rocky Mountains and followed Highway 1 into Alberta, stopping en route at Sask. Landing Provincial Park in Saskatchewan and Tillebrook Trans-Canada Provincial Park in Alberta. Tillebrook is the tinniest park just outside Brooks a small town a couple of hours east of Calgary. Brooks claim to fame is a massive Aqueduct and engineering marvel built in the early 1900's. Impressive in it managing to be a complete disaster on so many levels! Once built they discovered that the concrete used was sub par and immediately started to rot. The flow rate predicted was never reached as the surface of the Aqueduct was to rough and  friction slowed the flow of water considerably. With the water coming from a local river the introduction of algae, weeds and fish had not been taken into consideration and the Aqueduct had to be regularly dredged and drained. In fact there were so many fish, on the days they drained the Aqueduct the locals would turn up with sacks to take home the catch of the day! In the end they gave up and dug a canal along side instead. Irrigation problem solved. Close to Brooks is Dinosaur Provincial Park in the Badlands of Alberta. The scenery is breathtaking, To be honest with you I didn't really know what they meant by badlands, I was expecting dry desert like plains, but the deep valleys and stunning rock formations are really something. We didn't see any Dinosaurs which was just as well, I've seen Jurassic Park, it doesn't end well.

Hoodoo's in Dinosaur Provincial Park

And so on to Calgary, but I'll save that for next time. I'm so looking forward to hearing your travel tales Red Bird. Not quite such a long ride as us but just as exciting. I'm thinking of you on these last few days of packing and cleaning, the worst part of moving for sure. I wish I could be there to help.
Always yours
Sparrow