Our Time in the Mountains

Wildlife was all around us as we drove into the Canadian Rockies.    This elk, with soft velvety antlers, was our first sighting.  A rule of thumb for driving through the mountains is whenever there is slow traffic, get your camera ready; there is something great to see ahead.  I did see a mama grizzly bear with her baby cub but by the time we were able to turn around to get a picture, she had gone over the bank and we were not about to chase her down for a photo opp!!  Along the trip we also saw buffalo/bison (plains and woodland), mule deer, big horn sheep, whiskey jacks, magpies, blood thirsty mosquitos, and the infamous, elusive white tail deer—for all you New Yorkers!



In downtown Jasper, Matthew met a friend he named “Bear.”  Matt was amazed at the size of his feet compared to Bear’s.



Here at Athabasca Falls, outside of Jasper, we were amused by one of the warning signs, which read:  “Every year, people die a swift death by falling into these falls.  If one survives the fall, hypothermia will set in, in less than 1 minute. We only recover bodies for mourning families, so please spare us the trouble of recovering your body.”  -- spoken with true Canadian directness! :)  Normally these Falls do not have this much water flowing through but because of the heavy snow fall and melting, along with rain, the Falls are full and overflowing!

As we drove further into the mountains, the temperature continued to drop and snow began to fall.  The temperature decreased to a frigid 33 degrees F (1 degree C) –just my kind of weather for JULY!!  Even though it was brisk and windy, the view was amazing and well worth the drive.

Lake Louise

If there had been digital pictures 18 years ago when Dave and I first got our picture taken at this very spot, I would do a side by side but instead you’ll just have to imagine snow on the ground and more hair on Dave’s head!  It was sweet to reminisce past visits to this beautiful spot of God’s creation.

This was not our best "timed" jump but still a fun picture at Lake Louise.



We didn't stay long here, despite the beautiful view.  It was freezing and we were not prepared for this kind of weather.  Sam was wrapped in a blanket and I was borrowing Grandma's coat.  Something was going to have to change in the wardrobe department for us to spend anymore time outside!

West Edmonton Mall - Water Park

On Wednesday, July 6th, we awakened with great anticipation.  This was West Edmonton Mall day!!!  For those not familiar with this awesome place, I will fill in some details for you.

West Edmonton Mall (WEM) is the largest shopping mall in North America.--  Yes, it is larger than Mall of America. --  WEM is the fifth largest mall in the world. It covers a gross area of about 570,000 m² (well over 6 million sq ft). There are over 800 stores and services and parking for more than 20,000 vehicles. More than 23,000 people are employed at the property. The mall receives 28.2 million visitors per year; it also attracts between 60,000 and 150,000 shoppers daily, depending on the day and season. ~ Wikipedia ~

We had lunch in the food court with this friendly fellow; who seems to be there every time we are so we have made it a habit to always visit with him while we eat our lunch.










Sam, once again, is having her favorite Canadian food, poutin (poo-teen).  This delicious snack is made of French fries, melted mozzarella cheese and smothered with hot gravy!  Yuuummmmyyyy!  It's the perfect kind of high calorie snack to eat before we burn them all off in the water park.

These wonderful water walkways are also in the food court.  Children and adults alike (aka: Dave) love to jump up and stick their hands in the water flow to spray those around them ---so tread carefully!

On this particular day, we were there to visit the World Waterpark, which is the world's largest indoor water park of roughly 30 acres.  It has a maximum capacity of 40,000 guests, an average temperature for the water of 30-33 °C (86-89 °F), and is the world's largest indoor wave pool holding 12.3 million litres.  There are 24 different water slides.  Some can be seen in this picture and the others are innerwoven throughout the park.  One can also bungee jump above the deep end of this pool.  I'm not one to do that though since I get sick to my stomach just watching people take the plunge! :)
 

This is the children's area, Caribbean Cove, where some adults like to play as well. On the top, behind the large blue gorilla, is a 1,200 litre bucket that dumps water down the front of the structure every 2 minutes.  Our kids were dumped on quite a few times

Our favorite part of the water park is the wave pool.  There is nothing like jumping towards a 5 foot wave coming towards you and seeing how far you can ride it before you are run over by fellow passengers and tubes!  You never know where, or with whom, you will turn up after the wave is gone! :)

Here's a "live- action" video of the enormously fun chaos!

Our Final Destination - Home

After driving 6,041 miles (9,666 km), we pulled into our driveway at 5:55 am this morning.  We left Shenandoah, IA, Friday morning around 7:30 AM and only made one stop for lunch, fuel, potty; one for dinner, fuel and potty; and 3 other potty breaks along the way rounding out our trip to 21 hours and 40 minutes.  That is a record time for us.

I will continue adding other events to this blog like our day mountain climbing, Montana and Iowa pics but for now I will give some totals for our journey.....drum roll, please!!!!

Final Straw count = 123

License plates: 
Out of  50 States, we saw 47.  
Out of 10 Provinces & 3 Territories, we saw 7 Provinces & 2 Territories

The states not seen by the Travelling Quigley's were Deleware, Hawaii and Rhode Island.  Yes, we did see Alaska---at a gas station in Montana.  They were pulling in while we were leaving and they saw us all point at their license plate and yell, "ALASKA"  They responded with a kind northern smile and wave, knowing they had made our day! :)  The provinces not seen were Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island;  The territory missing from our sight was Nunavut.  I guess we'll have none of that! :)

Total Miles Driven = 6041.3
Gallons of gas used = 282
Average Mileage = 21.4 miles per gallon (We had the infamous Bubble traveling with us.)
Average Speed = 56.2 mph (Our time in Chicago didn't help this number.)

Total Suitcases = 4 -- along with each child and mom having a "carry-on' for the van trip.
Loads of laundry done along the way = 10 and counting, now that we are unpacking! :)

To all those traveling along with us on this blog, thank you for joining us!  We had a wonderful, relaxing vacation with many awesome memories made along the way!  Hope you enjoyed the journey, we know we did!

PS  There are about 3 more blogs coming with pictures and stories for this last fun filled week.

Time At The Cabin - Sunset Pointe--Alberta Beach - July 2-7

   

One of Dave’s favorite places on the planet is this place, Alberta Beach –Mom and Dad’s cabin.  We stayed at some friend’s cabin just a few doors up from here but Grandma’s place was definitely the place to hang out.

Grandma keeps her flower beds so nicely manicured. Neighbors walk by throughout the day admiring the yard and hummingbirds visit frequently.

Dave relaxing in the front yard.

Matthew and cousin Isaiah playing with the bubble machine.  This and the sandbox occupied them for hours.

Isaiah and Matthew sitting on Grandma’s rock.  Say  “Cheese!”

Niece Megan and Emily dressed up for a “Super Hero” party.  Megan went as “Super Megan” and Emily dressed as “Rogue” from the X-men movie—notice the white streak in her hair! J

Dave and I enjoying the beauty of Sunset Pointe on Lac Ste Anne.   The sun would set around 11 PM and rise again between 3:30 – 4 AM.  This picture was taken at 10:55 PM, we continued to watch for another 20 minutes before the mosquitos ate us alive! J

All of us enjoying poutin!   (From Left to Right)  Nephew Isaiah, Auntie Esther, Sam, Auntie Daphne,  Nephew Ryan, Jon, Auntie Vange, Niece Megan, Emily, Rachel, Matthew)

Thumbs up’s verdict by Megan and Emily for cinnamon rolls and cream cheese frosting!

 

Auntie Esther, Isaiah and Sam munching down! J

Sweet Matthew and me—(Love, love this little man!)

Camp is always a blast!  A place filled with lots of memories, love and laughs!

Catching You All Up

So I’ve heard some rumblings from those still in the working world that there have not been any recent blogs and all I have to say is: “I’m vacat-ing!!!”  Yes, it’s my word for what I’m doing on vacation. J  --sleeping, swimming, water sliding, eating, mountain climbing, soaking in hot springs and visiting with great family & friends –all of which you will read about in the new blogs coming soon, but for now I will do some catching up for you.

To catch you all up, it is now Wednesday, July 13^th and we crossed back into the good old States, namely Montana on Sunday, the 10th.  When we made our first stop we were quickly reminded of small town America.  Where else can you pull up to one small building and get fuel, eat at Subway, gamble at the casino, visit the local tobacco outlet, and sit at the lunch counter  in the family restaurant ---all in the same small building!

In answering the question:  “What is a butter tart?”---I actually tried to answer this question last Sunday but my internet connection at the cabin was not allowing me to download to the blog so I couldn’t get it done but here’s the answer!

A butter tart is a Canadian pastry, similar to a pecan pie, but on a smaller scale.  It’s a pie shell with a diameter similar to a muffin and the “pie filling” consists of brown sugar, butter, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins and other ingredients.  It does not contain pecans, I just mentioned pecan pie to give you an idea of the consistency.  It is very sweet and Dave loves them!  When he saw the blog question, he took a picture of one before he devoured it just so you could see one for yourself.

More Catch Up:

            Miles driven:  3727 miles (as of 7/11)

            Straw count:  118

Cheapest gas price for the day: $3.58 – small town Montana

            State count: 40

            Province & Territories: 4

The Wonderful Omnipresence

This being Sunday, my thoughts wander to my home of Asbury; thinking of those I love and praying for their time together as a family.  We also enjoyed the wonderful presence of God today. 

Family camp is going on this week in Alberta Beach.  Dave loves coming here because so many memories were made here for him.  Many weeks of his summers growing up were spent in his family’s cabin surrounded by good friends.  Riding bikes through the camp ground with his comrades, devouring chips and gravy at the snack bar, and playing Rook into the early hours of the morning were all parts of these memory-making moments.  But for me, the most significant are those spiritual milestones that have helped grow him into the man I love.

This morning as we were in the chapel together, my mind tried to imagine him as a younger man and the many speakers he would have heard, the songs that would have touched his heart and the times he had spent around the altar listening to the voice of God.  I was not here to witness those moments myself but I know they existed from the stories Dave has shared with me.  They are not my stories to tell but I am thankful for the faithfulness of God and how He shapes us through time and circumstance.

As my mind wandered through time, I was brought back to the present and reflected on how important and significant even today is.  Dave commented at the beginning of the service, “Wow, I’m actually sitting next to my wife! Do you know how long it has been since we sat together in a church service?”  I replied, “Sure, honey, it was last week…for about 2 minutes during announcements!” J  That’s just one of the prices you pay with being in the ministry and it’s one I am willing to pay.  However, it did trigger thoughts in my mind. 

During the worship service, we sang the chorus, Your Grace is Enough, by Chris Tomlin. 

Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

My mind focused in on the words: “Remember Your people, Remember Your children, Remember Your promise, O God.”  And I thought of “Your people”…..These people…all standing around me who don’t know me, but their lives intertwine with mine because we share a common place in the heart of God.  We are all experiencing His Presence as He visits us here in His sanctuary.  Then again my thoughts wander to how many times my husband has experienced His presence in this sanctuary and where, even now, my own children are experiencing this same Presence at the same campground as their Dad. 

He remembers His people, He remembers His children and He remembers His promise to us.  He is faithful to a thousand generations of those who seek Him and love Him. (Deut. 7:9).

We Are Finally Out of the Van

We arrived around 3:30 pm on June 30^th.  Grandma and neice Megan and nephew Ryan were there to greet the van-bound travellers.  In reality, the trip wasn’t as bad as I had imagined it was going to be.  Sometimes it’s nice to be stuck in a closed-in area with those you love.  Our only regret at this point is that we didn’t bring 2 audio books for the trip. 

On long road trips, we try and pick audio books to share together.  During past trips we have done Boxcar Children,  The Hobbit, Huckleberry Finn, and others.  This time we chose Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool.  We weren’t sure how it was going to be but it was a Newbery Award Winner so it had great potential. And that’s why we should have brought along 2 books. 

This one was so well written, charming and captivating that we finished it on this side of the trip so we have nothing to listen to on the way home…unless of course, we decide to “read” it again, which all good books should be! J

Last night, we enjoyed a great dinner with the family and today we are celebrating Canada Day with pony rides, cook-outs and topping the evening off with fireworks!  Happy Birthday, Canada!

Tomorrow we leave for the cabin with more relaxing to come!  Thank you to all those praying for our safe arrival!  We have made it!  We pray you all have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Dad Makes Up for the Night Spent in the Van

We rolled into Saskatoon, Saskachewan around 1 pm on Wednesday.  Dave began the hotel availability check for the night.  He came back with one of those looks.  What???? Are there no rooms at the inn???  He replies, “No, they have rooms just no pool.”  --What a good man! 

The next hotel won the big prize!  Awesome pool area, hot tub and fantastic water slide!  We spent a few hours splashing around and judging between who could make the biggest splash coming out the slide. The life guard even let us do shoulder stand throws!!! (One more way you know you’re not in over- regulated New York.)

 Matthew and Dad kicking around in the pool.

The awesome waterslide!!!  aka:  The Swirling Blackhole!

Even Matthew took a turn on the big swirly slide!!!  Of course, Dad was holding him the whole time! :)

All smiles and beginning to "prune up"!!!

After we were all “prune-like”, we went back to the room while Dave, the hunter-provider, drove somewhere to bring back food for the starving.  All the kids were enjoying the Discovery Channel’s River Monster’s  when we realized Dave had been gone quite a while…longer then he should have been. 

 Well, those who know me well know what’s next….

…He’s dead in the ditch somewhere and I’m in Canada with 4 hungry children armed with only Doritoes, one MooTube and 3 cheese sticks to sustain us! J

He left around 4:30 so I was giving him until 6:30 pm before I went to the front desk to report a missing person.  He was lucky he came back at 6:15 with pizza and pasta in hand!  (Can you believe a 2-liter of soda costs $3 bucks!)

For those wondering, like me, where he was----His exact quote once inside the room was: “This city has terrible traffic patterns! In rush hour, it seems as though a green light is equivalent to a 4-way stop.”

Once again, Dave and the 3 “older’s”, as we call them, went back to the water extravaganza while Matt and I let our heads hit the pillow at 7:30 pm, not to rise until 7:30 am.  Aaaahhh!

Breakfast found us hungry.  The continental breakfast in the hotel was delicious with waffles, muffins, cereal and butter tarts.  That’s right.  You read correctly, butter tarts for breakfast.  I commented how I wished I had brought the camera to take a picture of Dave’s smile while eating his butter tart and Jon says, “That’s ok, mom, I can take a picture in my mind! -- CLICK! -- Oops, my thumb was in the way!” J  What a funny boy! 

You Know You're in Canada When...

You Know You’re in Canada When….

…a gallon of milk costs $5.69

…people say “Good Morning” and mean it. J

...peanut butter packets are placed on the restaurant table right along with the jellies.
...you can eat butter tarts for breakfast.
…“Moose on the Loose” signs are posted along the highway.
...towns are named “Cut Knife”, “Moose Jaw”, and “Assinaboine” --Don’t ask me what that means but it's fun to say! :)

More Water

After crossing into the great state of North Montana…(jk—Canada), we enjoyed Timmy’s breakfast and headed back out on the open road.  It wasn’t long before we ran into water….literally!  There are some flooding issues up here as well.  All Matthew could say was “Wow---WATER!”  That pretty much summed it up for all of us!

This is a picture out our window as we drove down the road.  If you look close you can see the white line along the  edge of the road.

Follow the leader so you know where the road is!

 Location:  Southern Saskatchewan

There is no room at the Inn/ Border Crossing

There is No Room At the Inn

Our goal last night, (Tuesday pm), was to drive, at least, to Fargo, ND before turning in for the night.  Our trip went quite quickly and we were there before we knew it.  At the same time, all the kids were zonked out in the van and Dave was all good for driving further, so off we went.  I fell asleep, waking periodically to get my bearings.  But before long, we were near Jamestown, ND, and there was no room at the inn…at ANY inns!  Every hotel gave us the same story:  “No Rooms Available!”

On we went into North Dakota’s abyss.  The clock rolled around to 1:30 am and our van was still trucking down the road.  We finally pulled into an empty parking lot in Harvey, ND, (population: small).   Dave slept for maybe 2 hours and then took off down the road again.  At 5:30 am we pulled into Minot, ND.  The gas station could provide us with fuel and the use of the bathroom but no coffee!!  There is water contamination because of the recent flooding, so no coffee available!  The restaurants were not open for the same reason—bad water.  We would have taken pictures but the sun was just coming up and it was still too dark.

The Border Crossing

Despite lacking coffee, Dave pressed on!  Everyone else was still sleeping and he figured he could make some good time without hearing, “Are we there yet?” so on we went.  The next time he pulled off the road, we were at the border and he felt we shouldn’t wake the kids just for customs so we all took in more shut-eye.  The sun found us at 8 AM all needing a bathroom break.  We made our final stop in the States at a gas station where a small can of peaches cost $2.89!  

The border crossing happened with little incident.  There was no one in sight and I would have thought it was abandoned except for this sweet little man who appeared out of the booth directing us to the right lane…the ONLY lane!   Welcome to Canada!

More Traveling Down Memory Lane and Celebrating Samantha!

Our next major stop was North Central University in Minneapolis, MN, our alma mater.  After 16 years, there have been some major changes but the basic bones of the structures are there.  We hung out in Elliott Park to stretch our legs before we made our way into the CLC (College Life Center) to get “permission” to meander around.  The kind receptionist welcomed us in the old NCU way along with giving Dave and I nice shirts and toys for the kids! J   Our tuition dollars are starting to pay dividends.

As we walked around, Dave and I slipped back into our old roles.  I know you wouldn’t believe it but Dave became cautious as we snooped around saying:  “Rachel, you know they have cameras here!”  I, in turn, would respond, “Yeah, but let’s go down this hall, I mean, what are they going to do, kick us out!” 

For those who attended NCBC with us, we snuck up the back stairwell in Carlson Hall to see the morgue on the 4^th floor.  I also made it up to my dorm room in Miller Hall; the one where Becky Brogden trapped Tracy May inside and we had to call the Mpls fire department to get her out. (I was bummed, because I forgot to take a picture until after we left! L )  My kids were shocked to hear all this information about their mother.  Samantha commented, “Wow, I am seeing a different side of my mother in the last 30 minutes then I have seen in all my 15 years!”  By the way, it is Sam’s 15^th birthday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to my sweet Samantha!  We also took a walk down Elliott Avenue to see if the giant silver fish sculpture was there, but sadly, it is gone!  Dave and I stood on the sidewalk square by Carlson Hall where 18 years ago, the revelation came to him that I was the one for him!  Sweet memories! J

Driving around Mpls was great fun as we took “tourist” pictures out the window while driving.

We shared with Sam all the great restaurant spots and for her birthday dinner she chose LeeAnn Chin’s.  What an excellent choice!  Sam kept saying, “Wow, this is the best Chinese food I’ve ever had!”  Yummy!

Night with the Heimer’s

Going back to Dave’s college days, even before me, is Dave’s roommate, Wade.  Now for those who know Dave and love him, Wade is a reflection of Dave’s inner child.  There is no telling what will happen when they are together.  There is never a dull moment with them.  Dave and I use to double-date with Wade and Andrea and through the years, Andrea and I have shared quite a few laughs at their expense.   Wade and Andrea pastor in Marengo, Illinois and we had the privilege of staying in their home Monday night..  (Yes, they actually let us in!)  We invaded around 9:30 pm.  Again, I am reminded of how much I love being with Andrea.  She’s a woman of ‘like-mind.’  She is an awesome decorator and I love going to her house just for new ideas! J  We stayed up into the wee hours of the morning catching up and having fun.  We decided the Heimer’s and Quigley’s must have a vacation together.  Maybe we can rent some cabins somewhere ½ way between our homes and just relax.  Aahhh….I’m more relaxed just thinking about how much fun that would be!    

What's Up with the Straws? and The Price of Moving

What’s Up with the Straws?

Before this vacation even began, our neighborhood McDonalds had forgotten to give us straws for our drinks, TWICE!!  I know… all the responsible ones out there are saying, “You should check those things before you leave the drive-thru.”  I know!  But I was busy checking the food count and I didn’t notice the missing straws until all the food was divvied out and we were down the road with no straws.  We then came up with this brilliant idea to pick up extra straws along the way for our own private stash.  So for all those following our adventure: Day one = 3 straws.

We are also playing the traditional “license plate” game.  We are hoping to see all 50 states along with all 10 provinces and 3 territories.  By the end of Day 1, our count is:  29 states, 3 provinces, 0 territories.  We are pretty impressed we spotted over ½ the states in one day!

The Price of Moving

Monday’s Cheapest Gas Price = $3.19 per gallon (Of course, we saw this right after we filled up at $3.43  Can’t complain though, that’s still cheaper than NY)

Remembering Perkins

Monday night, we stopped in Elkhart, Indiana for dinner at a Perkin’s restaurant.  There’s a special place in Dave and I’s heart for Perkin's.  I shared with the kids last night, the stories of Dave and I in our poor college dating days.  Ordering a pot of coffee and large plate of fries at Perkin’s and sharing hours of talking because that’s all we could afford!  Dave piped up:  “Yes, and look at us now:  eating full meals and paying for 4 kids!”

Another great thing about being back in the Midwest is experiencing the friendliness of the people and great customer service!  We did however draw some attention as we walked into the restaurant filled with only 10 other local patrons.  They all seemed to notice the carrier on top of our van along with the New York plates.  It didn’t help that Dave decided to have some fun with the hostess of the restaurant.

By the door, a sign read : “It is our pleasure to seat you.”  Dave asked, “So, how much pleasure do you get in seating families like ours?”  She was caught a little off guard but responded nicely, “As much as seating others!”  (heehee)  The others in the restaurant snickered.  And of course, she seated us smack dab in the middle of the restaurant at a large table with the locals in booths surrounding us…another adventure with the Quigley’s! J

Where Leaving in a White Van! 6/27/2011

Monday morning (yesterday) at 8:35 am I was singing, “Our bags are packed, we’re ready to go….We’re leaving in a white van, don’t know when we’ll be back again.  Oh yeah, we’re glad to go!” J 

After heading down East Shore Drive, we returned back home at 8:48 am to pack Matt’s movie: Bear and  the Big Blue House;  which reaped great benefits further down the road when Matt was ready to have a meltdown.  All in all though, despite 753 miles of driving and one short nap of 55 minutes, Matt did quite well for a 2 year old.  I was another story all together. J

The Cleaning of the Van

As we continue to prepare for this epic journey.  We decided to clean out the place we will call "home". 

Vacuuming out Dorito chips, cereal and old M& M's was all part of the day!  We had to head out this evening to pick up some things for the trip and the kids commented:  "Wow, Mom, this van is so clean it's like we just bought it!"  What a nice compliment, however, I don't know how long that clean Armour-All smell will last.

 On a side note, we were asked if we will be adding pictures.  The answer is: Absolutely!  Along with a map posting to show where our current location will be.  So glad you have chosen to share this journey with us!

Two Provinces and Twelve States (Thirteen if you include crazy)!

The excitement is rising!  In a few days we leave on our family vacation that will take us through twelve states:  NY, PA, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN, SD, ND, Saskatchewan, Alberta, MT, NE, and IA.  We are guessing we will be putting over 5000 miles on our van in a little under three weeks which will consume over 220 gallons of fuel, (or 860 litres).  This will enable us as a family to spend quality time in roughly 200 cubic feet of space for over 86 driving hours expending just under 2000 BTU/hour.  It's going to be a blast!  Like the old saying goes, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." 

Maybe we are a little crazy...but who says therapy isn't fun?

Why not blog your vacation?

In only a few short days, our family is going to be embarking on a monumental journey (at least for us).  We will be driving from upstate NY to Edmonton, Alberta in a minivan.  That's six travelling Quigely's crammed in with all the gear to take a trip cross country and then some to visit the family north of the border. 

Was talking to someone recently and they said, "Why not blog your vacation?" or something along those lines.  We were planning on journalling as we went - having everyone contribute their favorite moments and stories, or simply capture thoughts along the way.  Since we are becoming more technologically savy, we said, "WHY NOT?"

So we'll see how it turns out!   

Now, off to bed.  Need to get some rest before we roll out in less than a weeks time.

So long for now.