Festiva in the Park: day one

FRIDAY JUNE 1st, 2012 

Our road trip has a name.

We realized that we are going to be going through or stopping at quite a number of National and/or State Parks so the trip has been dubbed "Festiva in the Park"

We got away from Calgary this morning about an hour later than we had hoped. Filled up with gas then hit the Trans Canada Highway westward over the Rocky Mountains, through the interior of BC to Vancouver. The first half of today's drive was very familiar because we done almost every year for the past 20 or so. From Salmon Arm on though it's been a very long time since we've been on the portion of the highway. It's been at least 25 years because this was the first time we'd driven BC's Coquihalla Highway and it opened in 1987!

We went through four national parks today, Banff, Yoho, Glacier and Mount Revelstoke. The drive was pretty uneventful with the car performing well... almost 50mpg on the first leg.

Here's a few photos for your enjoyment...

Loaded in and ready to go!

Well equipped for the road.

National Park number 2.

We'll put the road right through...... there.

In Salmon Arm.

With B, E and I on the wharf at Salmon Arm.

Arrived in Vancouver in time for the sunset.

CLICK HERE FOR DAY 2

Festiva Madness trip: Day 4

Another great day! Only a couple of hours in the car.
Spent most of the day touring the Creation Museum in Petersburg KY. The closest major center is Cincinnati and if you are anywhere close to there I would highly recommend a visit. We spent almost six hours at the museum and could probably have spent longer. Lots to see and the overall quality matches or exceeds the Royal Tyrell in Drumheller AB.

After our time there we drove down to Paris, the one in Kentucky not France! Drove about 20 miles off the interstate and it was worth it just for the drive! Beautiful two lane road with gorgeous homes and ranches on either side. We were expecting lots of white fence but most were either black or dark brown. Several older low stone fences too.

Bought gas for the lowest price so far on the trip... $3.229 a gallon ( 85.4 cents per litre!).

Fossil of a hungry fish.

Get ready to run!

Calgary Stampede here I come!

The men on a floating bridge.

This fossil is called the Burning Tree Mastodon... no not the guy on the right... the skeleton.

Sharon and me.... still smiling!

That is a banana tree... growing outside.. in Kentucky!

The camera timer works.

Ready for the next leg of the journey.

Rush hour traffic... just like Calgary's Deerfoot Trail except that it moves!

Beautiful Kentucky from the Interstate.

Even more beautiful Kentucky back road.

Welcome to Paris KY.

Doing the dishes.... hotel style.

Thank you to Gran and Grandad for the ice cream money! We hope it's OK that some of it didn't buy ice cream! Tomorrow brings a fort, a cave, three states, a district and another 800km (500 miles).

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT UPDATE.