Post trip reflections...September 4, 2013

Now that we have been back a few days, thought we end this blog with a few random facts:

• 18,2000 km. on the bike during the six week coast to coast trip through the ten provinces
• spent $1300 on gas
• spent $3500 on accommodation (would have been more but we were lucky that family put us up for 8 days!)

We have had quite a few people ask us what our most memorable moments were and what struck us most about this vast country of ours...

• there are a lot of trees and bush and rock in this country! :)
• pristine, heart-stopping scenery in every single province.
• special time with family:  Barb, Gil and family; Heather, Eli and Easton in Saskatoon (both on our way down east and on our return trip...could not believe how much the little guy changed in 5 short weeks!); Aunt Kay and Gerry in Ottawa; and Bill and Bev in North Battleford.
• great to spend time with Newfoundland family...thanks Ralph, Nellie and Lynn, and our "kids" Rob, Melanie and granddaughter, Amelia for more great memories!
• were surprised with how prosperous the Maritimes were.  Guess we still had the 'view' of hard times because of the fishery challenges, and had not realized how much oil has changed the face of the eastern provinces.
• the amount of construction going on in the parts of Quebec we passed through.
• how friendly and helpful people in every province were.
• how lucky we are to live in a country that is both breathtakingly beautiful and safe.
• how much we both love the prairies.

For now we are settling back into our new home, getting used to retirement, reconnecting with family and friends and thinking about what new adventures await us. 

Thanks for reading the blog and for sharing emails with us along the way. We had so much fun - every day was a new adventure!!!  We have been having fun watching The Amazing Race Canada as we saw many of the places featured in the TV show.

And remember - to just do whatever your bliss is, make a bucket list and cross things off, and never regret anything that makes you smile!

We saw so much and left much more unseen....Janice and Harry

Sunday September 1, 2013 ... time to end our amazing cross Canadamotorcycle adventure!

We woke in good time, having had a great sleep, but apparently Easton woke several times in the night so his parents were tired.  We didn't hear a thing.  I figure he was annoyed he'd been denied the pleasure of eating smores the night before and sitting around the campfire!

Eli made us a delicious breakfast...omelettes are his specialty and they were really tasty.  It was so nice to have home cooked meals the two days we were at Heather's and Eli's!  We had our fill of coffee and then packed up as we wanted to get home by 6 p.m. or so.  Left their place around 9:45 a.m.  It was hard to say goodbye to them all...know Easton will have changed so much by the time we see him again.  He is such fun...we will miss him....oh yeah, and his mom and dad too! :)

Gramma says carrots are good for me - and I agree!  Still working on what to do with my tongue but it's amazing how much I can get down!

I don't know why my parents are tired - I feel great! :)

We stopped in North Battleford for a visit with Harry's brother, Bill, and his wife, Bev.  Turns out we arrived on the day of their 48th wedding anniversary, so congrats were in order.  We should have been treating them, but instead Bev made us a delicious lunch...homemade borscht and cucumber sandwiches...the cukes were from Aunt Mary's garden.  It sure hit the spot after all the restaurant cooking we have been indulging in.

Turns out North Battleford has murals on some of its walls downtown too! :)

Back onto the bike and homeward bound.  It was fun seeing all the work going on in the fields.  Some crops were already harvested and some looked like they still had a lot of ripening to do before they'd be ready for thrashing.

The land isn't as green here as it was down east, but the views are every bit as spectacular! :)

We stopped in Lloyd for gas and in Vegreville to stretch our legs and get a photo of the giant psyanka.  We had passed it on the highway many times but never stopped to see it, so thought it fitting that we do so as one of the last stops on our Cross Canada Motorcycle Adventure!  I had no idea it had been made piece by piece...what we couldn't figure out was how it was actually put together.  They had some itneresting stats about the process and details about the construction, but nothing about that particular piece of it.

Drove into our driveway at 6:30 p.m.  Tired but feeling a great sense of accomplishment...will do one final post in a couple of days after we have had time to process and gather a few last thoughts...

Saturday August 31 ... Saskatoon Family Day

Easton let us sleep in his room last night while he bunked in with his parents.  After a good sleep we all woke feeling good.  Another photo session with Easton and then it was time to head for Eli's basketball game.  The team won their game so doesn't play again until Sunday afternoon.

Yoga pose...

I really, really, really love my momma!

Yes, I can do this for a really long time - WAY longer than Gramma and Grampa Harry!

Say what?

The daddy airplane...that guy is SO much fun Easton told us!

Home for Eli to shower and then off for lunch at Jerry's, a local restaurant that serves delicious food.  After filling up we headed for home and Harry and I were on grandson babysitting duty while Heather and Eli went grocery shopping.  Easton had a nap, I did the dishes and Harry washed the bugs off the bike.  Felt kinda nice to be doing everyday things again.

After a yummy taco supper prepared by Heather, the four of us played a fun gin rummy card game that Harry and I had never played before.  Heather was the big winner!  Then it was time for Easton to go to bed and the adults went outside for a fire in the firepit Eli built in the back yard. Smores were on the menu so that was a delicious treat!  Early to bed for us all as it's time for us to hit the road for home in the morning.