Oh Canada! Part 3

  The inevitable happened - we had to come home.  We left Winnipeg Saturday night and got a few hours down the road to Brandon, Canada.  The next morning we headed out for a full day of driving.  I think we drove almost the entire width of Canada - the whole thing, or at least really close to it. 

   I think the only highlight of that day was stopping in Regina to see my parents' temple.  Yes, a mere 6 hours from Winnipeg!  This was the littlest temple I think I've ever seen.  It was just in a neighborhood too. 

 

 



 

Alberta, Canada - our 3rd province!

Cardston Temple - awesome!

Love that giant square mountain that overlooks Cardston.

 

 

 

We drove as far as Cardston that day.  Our hotel had this gem:  a microwave/toaster.  Bailey asked me if I'd packed any frozen waffles.  After being on the road for 11 days.  Frozen waffles.

 

   We did get one gem of a story from our stay in Cardston.  It was Tyler's birthday that day.  So when we were leaving to get breakfast - we told him he got to pick where we had breakfast.  After asking the hotel clerk what options there were in the bustling metropolis of Cardston, he told us there was a Subway and a bakery.  Not super impressed with his options, Tyler picked the bakery, and we were off for a bakery birthday fit for a new teenager. 
   When we got there we were a little unimpressed - it was small, run down, and pretty yuck - just to give you the full picture.  The first few things we ordered they told that they didn't have, or wouldn't be done for a few hours, so we were really striking out.  Finally, we all found something to order and we sat down to wait.  Breakfast ended up costing $60 - not exactly what we'd planned on for breakfast.  One breakfast would come out of the kitchen at a time.  Slowly.  Very slowly.  I'm 100% positive that there one lady in the kitchen - because she would come out, deliver the one breakfast, and head back to make another.  For 6 breakfasts.  Not the way we really wanted to start our huge day on the road.  But finally everyone got their breakfast and we ate.  Derek started to talking to the lady, and told her that it was Tyler's birthday, and it would be really great if she had a cinnamon roll we could surprise him with.  She told us that she had one, and then went back to the kitchen.  So while we were done eating, Derek kept stalling us so this cinnamon roll could make it's appearance.  Then we see the lady come out, and ask one of the customers if she can borrow his lighter - I thought for sure her pilot light on her stove had gone out and now she was asking to borrow a lighter.  Oh no, not the case at all.
   Out she comes with the cinnamon roll - topped with 13 lit sparklers!  She yells to everyone in the restaurant "It's Tyler's birthday - let's sing!" and a restaurant full of strangers sang Happy Birthday to Tyler.  It more than made up for the cost and the wait of that breakfast.  As we drove out of town I asked Logan how his pancakes were.  He yelled, "De-lish!".  The bakery just kept getting better.
   Our next stop - the USA border.  The kids were excited to go back through border security - and  little disappointed that we were barely asked any questions at all.  

  Next stop, Glacier National Park.  We had planned on coming home through Glacier for months.  We really wanted to drive the Going to the Sun road - a 50 mile road that bisects the whole park.  I knew snow removal was a real problem, so for 2 months I had been checking the snow plowing progress on their website.  There were certainly no guarantees that the road would be open by late June.  So we watched and waited as more and more of the road opened.  When we got there we knew that road wasn't all the way opened yet.  So we drove 17 miles from one entrance, turned around, drove around the entire perimeter of the park, and went in the other entrance, and drove in 15 miles.  It stunk that we couldn't do the whole road, but it was still awesome to see some of the park. 

2nd National Park!

 

 

  We did find an awesome hike to Avalanche Lake.  It ended up being about 5 miles round trip - but the kids all did awesome  - maybe they were just so glad to be out of the car!

  That night we continued the birthday celebration by heading to Kalispel and eating at Famous Dave's.  Tyler LOVED Famous Dave's. 

By the end of this trip, our kids knew their way around a luggage cart!

 



Checking out of our hotel in Kalispel - our last one!

6 different hotels, 11 total hotel nights

Idaho - our 6th state!

 

This is our "after" shot - just a few minutes from home.

 

All in all, it was the most amazing trip.  I loved visiting Winnipeg, and seeing where my parents live, work, shop, and meeting people they love so much.  It was so fun to take on a huge road trip with the kids, who rocked it.  They were SO good, the whole trip.  It was definitely a trip to remember.