Leaving USA…
I’ve only regretted the size of my unit three times, all three times in Glacier National Park. Once when I found out I couldn’t drive the full length of “Driving to The Sun” road, the second when I found out I couldn't drive into the North Fork and the third was when I couldn’t drive to where they were having a Northern Lights Watch Party. After the third time I figured I’d been tired of not being able to do things so decided I’d find my own Northern Lights watch party and headed for Canada.
Now when I think back on it my reaction might have been a little bit hasty, but I don’t regret it. As I was already in East Glacier, I shortly found myself at the US/Canadian border. There was a little bit of a line but nothing like there usually is going to Mexico. It gave me just enough time to think about where exactly I was going for the best sighting of the Northern Lights, I wasn’t sure, so I downloaded an app (of course!) By then I was at the front of the line and being asked a few questions such as where I was going, where I was coming from, how many days I was staying, was I by myself and then I was on my way. I’m not sure why but I was expecting it to be a much more intense process, but I wasn’t going to complain.
The next thing was that my speedometer doesn’t have km/h which I solved by switching my WAZE app to km/h. My anxiety level went down several notches once I figured that out and I was on my way once again. Several things I noticed as I drove down the highway: Canadians speed just like Americans do and the Canadian highways are in much better condition than ours are! I’m worried about getting a ticket so I’m setting my cruise control for the speed limit and sticking to it even if everyone, and I mean everyone, is going fast around me. I keep checking to make sure that I am going the speed limit and I am, so I just keep in the right lane and let everyone go around me.
I have decided that I want to stay in a campground with water and electricity, especially this first night as I’ve been boondocking and need to fill up on water and recharge my devices so I’m keeping an eye out for campgrounds. Just outside of Calgary I see one that looks promising, so I stop in. Nope, I guess the Calgary Stampede is happening until the 17th and everyone around Calgary is full. Yikes, but that brings up another opportunity that I might do while I’m here. Onward in my search for a campground. I pull up some possibilities on my phone and make a call. I get a very friendly response that all their campgrounds have no water or electricity. I ask if she knows of anywhere in the area that has water and electricity. She does! She sent me to a lovely city campground, Rosebud Valley Campground in Didsbury, AB, where I spent the night and was able to do some research with my app on where to go next for a likely Northern Lights sighting. I found a likely location which has a local campground and made a reservation for the next evening. I then realize that even though it is still light out it is 10:30 at night and I am exhausted. Before going to bed though I want to wait for dark to walk around just on the possibility that there may be something happening even though I’m on the outskirts of a town and there are lights, so the likelihood is low, but I remain hopeful. At midnight I go to bed disappointed but excited that tomorrow may be different!
I headed to Horseshoe Canyon the next day full of hope and excitement. It is out in the countryside so there will be no interference from lights and the app says the possibility is good for a sighting. Once I get to the location, I realize that Horseshoe Canyon is like our Badlands, and it is amazing. I drive around taking pictures for hours before checking into the Horseshoe Canyon Campground-Drumheller, AB. The campground is nice. Along with full hookups the sites are large, and the campground has a putting green, a playground, a store, several shower/bathroom areas and recycling bins. After setting up I spent the rest of the evening in anticipation of seeing the Northern Lights. I opened my weather app just to make sure there were no storms coming in and noticed a Severe weather warning because of the fires for this area. Oh no, this doesn’t sound good. Apparently, the smoke from the fires was supposed to get bad, it had been noticeable since I got into Canada, but it hadn’t been BAD. Now there was a Severe warning. This wasn’t good. I was hoping it wouldn’t affect the Northern Lights but by the time 11pm rolled around I couldn’t even be outside because the smoke was so bad. I gave up, went inside making sure all the windows and vents were closed and went to bed feeling defeated but at least I know that I had tried.
The next morning, I woke to the same smoky conditions so decided it was time to head back to the States. My route includes many small towns and I decide to stop at a small farmers market. It was nice to get out of the RV and walk around for a while. Back to the drive and it looks like it is going to be a long boring drive, flat farmland that doesn’t really change very much as far as scenery. I roll down the windows, turn up the radio and sing along to my favorite songs. My favorite cure for any boring drive.
Finally, I need to pull over, it is getting late, and I’ve decided to stop for the night. I drive around this little town, Milk River, and there is a baseball complex with a RV campground! How unique is that? I stopped to check it out and decided this is where I was going to spend the night. The town itself is a quiet little town and I was able to attend church before I left. Now I still have postcards that I’ve been trying to mail but have not been having much luck.
It is Sunday and I found a post office, but the main office is closed, and the post office box area doesn’t have a stamp dispenser. Strike one. I then go to a tourist information office and while they are very nice and helpful with other things, they have no stamps. Strike two. I then find a Duty-Free Store and try there. They have stamps!!! They only have enough for two of my four postcards. Is that a Strike three or a foul ball? I send two of the post cards and end up buying presents for the whole family! This was really the first time that I have shopped since I started this trip, I guess I’m doing okay.
Next thing I know I’m talking to the Border Patrol, and he is asking me similar questions as when I went into Canada. He did have me open the curtain so that he could see into the back portion of the camper which they didn’t do when I went into Canada. All in all, it was easy peasy and I’m driving in Montana once more and the adventures continue.
“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” - Jennifer Lee
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