Month: June 2018

Because, sometimes, you wake up and ask yourself, “Can you drive to the Arctic Ocean?” And, in fact, YOU CAN! Here we are, after braving the Dempster Highway across the Yukon and the Northwest Territories of Northwestern Canada! The Arctic Ocean in Tuktoyaktuk!

If you’re going for the history, you definitely want to stay for the food! Kalyna Kitchen offers a variety of Ukrainian flavors in a quick-serve atmosphere. We enjoyed a sampler platter of Kovbasa, Pyrohy, Holubtsi, Creamy Dill Potatoes with Sour Cream, and Fried Onions. Mmmm… I love it when history tastes AWESOME!

As a self-proclaimed history buff, one of my absolute favorite activities is exploring a Living History Attraction. As a family, we always do our best to really get into the groove… Engaging with interpreters in period costume and dialect, studying the details of daily routines, admiring architectural nuances… We love perusing old tools, accessories, crafts, handiworks, and products, pretending they are our own, and imagining life as if we were truly present in another time and place! The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village in Alberta, about 45 minutes east of Edmonton, is a fabulous place to do all of that and…

What do you do when you cross another provincial border? What do you do when your itinerary is full of super cool places that NONE OF US have ever visited? YOU DANCE!

I love just soaking up some of the local urban flavor, trying to capture as many random shots as I can. Buildings, companies, hotels, restaurants, theaters, signs, lights… People. Just random people to me. Living their lives. Doing their thing. Me, marveling in the serendipity of acknowledging each path I cross. Who am I to them. Random. But, they are forever captured as a piece of me. A random shot. Of a path crossed. One second in time. An image captured, forever.

You have to try a Starbucks in each country, right?

When the sisters find welcome in new territory with bubble tea, little brothers get PIZZA! Don’t worry… We’ll get to some authentic Canadian goodness here soon… But, Pizza Pizza IS a pretty prominent pizza franchise throughout the entire country. So, that makes it some noteworthy Canadian goodness in its own right, yes? I mean, actually, for counter-service quick-order pizza, it was VERY good… Easily bordering on “wish-would-have-bought-three-more-for-the-road” kind-of-good!!

No trip would be complete without Boba Tea! I mean, uh, no trip could start without Bubble Tea! Oh, heck, Honeydew Bubble Tea, what a way to welcome us to Canada! Our first stop in Winnipeg, getting started right!

And just like that, out of the humble countryside, A city welcomes. A city beckons. Winnipeg. We are here. The Heart of the Continent.

The smallest of country churches, modest against the vast subtlety of the Canadian landscape… Hardly a blip on the radar of thousands of unsuspecting passersby… But, have you ever stopped to wonder… A church. This church. The center of life for so many. Birth. Death. Life. Love. A pillar of a community, founded well over a hundred years ago. The history in such a place. Anything but subtle, To the people who call this home.

The thing about travel experiences as found on social media, is that you only get the highlight reels. The Insta-perfect Eiffel Tower shots… The glorious Red Rock sunsets… Me, I’m just as happy as I can be riding through the Canadian countryside, enjoying the warm breeze through freshly harvested fields, the contrast of the blue skies against the grain elevators… My heart is here. Beauty is absolute, even in the mundane. Especially in the mundane.

After a few weeks in Minnesota, we’re ready to work away across Canada headed towards Alaska! Bring on the Canadian Adventures! We couldn’t be more excited to be commencing this leg of the journey! This is the first time in Manitoba for all of us! It’s super exciting when we all score a new place together!

Tim Horton’s Coffee Aye! Canadian Love in a Cup! And guess where we are headed now! TimBits and a Latte, and we’re headed out! Woo hoo! Onward and Upward! See what’s next! Oh, and in the meantime, did you know you can order Tim Horton’s Coffee to drink in the comfort of your own home, wherever you may live? Yum! Check Out Our SPGFAN Bemidji Minnesota QUIKLIST! For ALL the Things to Do in Minnesota, CLICK HERE! See Everything Our Family Has Done in Minnesota! Click HERE or on Any Photo Below toOrder Your Own Tim Horton’s Coffee! CLICK HERE…

Downtown Nisswa, Minnesota One of my favorite elements of roadtripping is the unexpected discovery of small towns with HUGE character. And Nisswa, with its Northwoods, Paul Bunyan, Native American flavor delivers character in a VERY big way! All the chocolate, candy, and ice cream one’s heart could desire… Native gifts, toys, boutiques, and a range of souvenirs for everyone… A variety of restaurants… And, of course, COFFEE! So, the skies may be a little dreary today, but Nisswa, Minnesota is a quaint Northwoods town with THE warmest welcome! Check Out Our SPGFAN Nisswa, Minnesota QUIKLIST! For ALL the Things to…