Friday, June 7, 2013

Day 41--June 7, 2013


Today we traveled through the rest of Manitoba, all the way through Saskatchewan.  We haven’t made it to Alberta, but we will tomorrow.  When we were in Minneapolis, we had planned to enter Canada through North Dakota.  However, when we called for campground reservations, we were told the campgrounds had been evacuated because of flood water due to come that very day.  At first, we decided to sit it out and wait for the water to go away, but it was then we got news of my niece’s passing and our plans changed. 
We are now in the part of the country where the flooding took place.  I think we would have been in deep dodo if we had tried to drive through this area at the time of the floods.  All the fields are still filled with water.  And, it has been raining for the past couple of hours.  Yes, we had some rough spots in a re-routed trip, but at least we weren’t in floods.
This morning, we saw a bear dead on the side of the road and a deer (also dead) in the grill of a car down in a ditch.  Richard said it still counts as spotting wildlife.  I’m not so sure.  J
Tomorrow we will be back in the Canadian Provinces and Territories Richard and I are most familiar with and love.  Our first stop will be in Edmonton, Alberta where we will probably spend two days roaming the West Edmonton Mall.  We’ve visited this place a couple of times, and it was with the image of this mall that I wanted to go to Mall of America in Minneapolis so badly.  That mall had many very nice stores, but I was disappointed that I could go in Jacksonville to almost any of those stores.
The Edmonton Mall left a mark on my brain.  I’m not much of a shopper, but the closer we get to that massive place the more I feel an adrenalin rush surging through my body.  Must shop.  Must shop.  Must shop. 
It the largest shopping and entertainment center in North America and the Province of Alberta’s #1 attraction.  It has over 800 stores and services, 100 eating establishments, 2 hotels and 10 theme park attractions.  There is an enormous indoor water park with man-made waves for surfing; a full-scale amusement park; an ice skating rink; 2 18-hole miniature golf courses; bowling, billiards, and bingo; bumper boats; a sea lion show and underground aquarium at Sea Life Caverns.  Also located in the mall are Palace Casino, Jubilations Dinner Theatre and the IMAX 3D theater.
One of the unique stores I fell in love with was an Oriental market with any food you could name, and some I’d never heard of.   They had instructions on how to cook everything.  Very interesting.  I’ll take lots of pictures for tomorrow night’s blog.  And, Richard said he'd take pictures of me surfing and ice skating.  He is soooo funny!!!
Until next time,
Dolores

4 comments:

  1. I was analyzing Richard's call on seeing wild life --- it was wild, but since it's dead doesn't that make it still life?

    Have fun shopping - and take a ride in the water park for me. I love playing in water. The miniature golf would be enjoyable as well. Lots of photos please! Especially on the water slide.

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  2. LOL Skye, good point. A friend of mine told me not to get hurt surfing. I told her it wasn't the surfing that worried me, it was keeping my bikini on. LOL

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  3. OMG I love the Edmonton Mall. Isn't it like the largest ever? At least it was when we were there. You could spend two days just in the mall itself. LOL And tell Richard there is wildlife in the mall (just not bear or deer).

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  4. I'm so glad you're FINALLY enjoying your vacation.

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