Hey, it’s another installment of the Tranquilty Tour “DVD extras”… As always, you can learn more about Tranquility Tour at tranquilitytour.com, follow us at #tranquiltytour on Twitter, Like Tranquility Tour on Facebook, and come back here to An Uncommonly Silly Blog anytime for the extras.
—–
I took some of the best pictures I ever snapped on the ride between Kalispell and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta. Just because the federal government is shut (and therefore the US national parks… still) the views from the open state and US highways were breathtaking. I can’t imagine what I was missing inside Glacier NP, because the views from outside of it were insanely gorgeous.
—
The wind in Alberta is something to behold. I thought the Wyoming wind was something else, but the gusts off the lake in Waterton National Park last night literally ripped the plastic housing from the top of our camper’s AC unit. It reminded me of the tropical storm winds I’ve been in, but nastier and gustier. The mountains of Glacier gave them a push off the lake and across the border… it was crazy. Although the plastic AC housing is clearly beyond repair (despite my overnight efforts in the sub-freezing winds to tie things down), I managed to use duct tape and zip ties to get the thing stable again. If you don’t have duct tape and zip ties on you, stop what you’re doing and get some. Seriously… throw in epoxy and you just listed the three things I use the most to hack together semi-permanent fixes. I need a fourth for my Mount Rushmore of fixing stuff. Maybe I’ll figure that out by the end of the trip…
—
I walked around downtown Calgary during the “Tim is banned from the Pop-Up” portion of the pop-up (i.e. hours, 1, 2, and 2 and a half). I got a beer at the Black Cat Cafe and watched some of the Leafs game. I came back and had a drink at the restaurant where we had the pop-up and chatted with the owner for a bit about Canadian politics and the oil sands. Once again I was told I know more about Canada than Canadians by a Canadian. I chalk it all up to CBC podcasts and poutine… and yes, I got more of that today too. Thank you Canada… your federal government is open, you embrace hockey, and you celebrate the holy trinity of fries, gravy and cheese curds (or shredded cheese in Alberta it seems). What’s not to like?
Banff tomorrow. I hear good things…