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Pitter-Patter, Pitter-Patter. Sounds of raindrops overhead. It rained steadily overnight and with the hatch closed we noticed a pool of water on the boot that attaches the tent to the van. When Dave opened the hatch the water dispersed nicely. Rainy day. Our first full day of rain on our trip. Oh well, into every life a little rain must fall, and today it is our turn.
We noticed oil pumps everywhere in Canada. They are in farmers fields and beside streams. Canada is oil self-sufficient as I am sure my friend, Marilyn from PEI knows. They do not import any oil. The pumps are not an eyesore, nor do they appear to be hurting the environment. The US could take a lesson from the Canadians and start becoming less dependent on foreign oil by drilling more wells.
We didn’t walk this morning because of the rain. So where does one go on a rainy to walk? The Mall. But we didn’t go to just any mall to walk, we went to the West Edmonton Mall, one of the world’s largest. It has 800 stores, 19 movie theaters, over 100 eateries and 9 major theme attractions. It was huge
and it was awesome! We saw people swimming in a gigantic wave pool, sea lions were performing in their pool and Columbus’s Santa Maria was floating in another pool of water. There was also an NHL ice arena in the center of the mall and Galaxy Land which contained 25 rides.
We gassed up again this morning and I am happy to report we are getting more than 25 mpg. Fuel was $4.69 per gallon, much better than we expected. We’ve spent $469 thus far in fuel.
We left Edmonton and headed up the Yellowhead Highway and then the East Access Route. We can now follow the Milepost on all of our routes through Canada and Alaska. It tells us where there are attractions and gas stations, food, etc. It lists services and points of interest, including where to see wildlife and where the trash bins are located. We’ll see how valuable this information is in the coming miles.
We decided to stop early today in Sandugo, AB. According to AAA the campground has a motel and internet. Well they have one “motel unit” and no internet, but it is a great place with great people. The
Ol’ Pembina River Ferry Crossing RV Park is a hoot. The owners George and Mary Jane Suntjens have a personal museum far better than a lot of public ones. It is like a step back in time, from the old schoolhouse to the general store, gas station and a one room turn-of-the-century home. The general store has old signs and memorabilia, almost anything you can imagine is in there. George also has a collection of old cars, trucks and tractors. The best part is a working soda fountain and ice cream shoppe. The Suntjens treat their guests like family and provide a lot of little extras.
The rain continued, but we stayed nice and warm and dry inside. The tent is a Godsend.
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Dianne
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Wish I'd realized sooner you were going to be in Edmonton. That's where my brother Dave and his wife live. If you're going back down through BC, let me know. I've got family from almost one end to the other, LOL Have a great time and stay dry, :)