We entered beautiful Alberta, Canada amidst foggy, cool, and rainy weather. Our destination was Calgary to stop and visit with our friends from the desert, Wally and Sam Beck. Calgary is surrounded by the majestic Canadian Rockies and boasts an abundance of things to see and do. It is a city of contrasts, from its famed Zoo and Prehistoric Park to Heritage Park, Fort Calgary and the Military and Aerospace Museums. Canada Olympic Park is the flagship site of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games. It now operates as a multi-purpose competition, training and recreation area designed for year-round use by both athletes and the general public.
Upon arrival at Sam and Wally’s, they directed us around back of their home to the alley where we were able to set up our truck and trailer. Once Wally opened the fence gates, we were just able to get our slides out. It was as if the space had been tailor-made just for us.
Once we were set up, we went in to visit and Sam and Wally graciously offered us some of Sam’s homemade wine. Wow! Was it ever good! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, also prepared by Sam, and spent a great evening just talking and becoming reacquainted. They have a very lovely home in an older, beautiful area of town. 
We found out that in addition to being a technical wizard, Wally also likes to carve birds. He showed us some of the ones he had done and they were exquisitely carved and painted.
We decided to “play it by ear” and see what the weather provided as most of the attractions were outside and it would be miserable if the weather was cold and wet. Sure enough, the next day brought clouds, storms, and downpours so we decided to stay in and visit and get to know one another a little better. Wally and George worked on computer “stuff”
and Sam showed me her latest crafts. She was making chenille blankets and they looked as if they would be so soft and cuddley. While she worked on those, I was able to work on updating my blog from British Columbia. We also found out that all four of us love to read and Wally showed us how he used his pocket PC, downloaded books, and then read them by using the hand-held PC. What a neat idea! No more heavy books to carry around with you. We’re trying out a couple of old PC’s that he had to see if we like the concept and so far, we are both sold on the idea. Ahh – technology! Isn’t it wonderful!!!
George and Wally also spent the better part of a day trying to find an air leak in the truck. After a trip to the parts store and several more hours of work, it seems they were able to rectify the problem and the truck now holds air pretty well.
I don’t want to make it sound like we had yucky winter weather the whole time we were in Calgary because we did have a day or two that turned out pretty nice. Sam and Wally drove us around to do some sightseeing and shopping, and we stopped at a Farmer’s Market with all sorts of delicious fruits and vegetables. We also took a tour of the local garage sales and thrift stores and found some items we just couldn’t live without. An evening out at the local pub found George and Wally eating fantastic fish and chips and Sam and I had an equally delicious steak sandwich.
Sam and Wally’s daughter, Dena and their grandson, Kyler, came over for dinner one evening. Dena was planning a holiday to Cuba and Kyler would be spending some time with Grandma and Grandpa. He was such a cute little kid and smart as a whip. Nothing gets by him!! I believe he said he was four but he has a very complex vocabulary and seems as if he is older.
Neighbors were planning a garage sale on the morning we left. We hope it was successful and that everyone sold those things that they no longer wanted or needed.
A big thanks to Wally and Sam for a wonderful visit. We are really going to miss seeing them at the desert this coming year, along with our other Canadian friends that we either have already visited or will be visiting soon.
As we traveled across the prairies of Alberta, we made a quick stop at Medicine Hat which is touted at Canada’s sunniest city. Close by are the Rocky Mountains to the west, the Cypress Hills to the south, and the Great Sandhills to the east. Medicine Hat has the world’s tallest tepee, the Saamis Tepee, which was originally built for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. It is built entirely of steel, with a concrete foundation and was said to have more engineering challenges than the famous Eiffel Tower. 
The structure stands 20 stories high and weighs almost 1,000 tons. Ringing the Saamis Tepee are ten large, circular storyboards, bearing vibrant paintings by noted native artists of the region.
A little further down the road, we decided to stop for a night or two at Maple Creek at a campground that Wally and Sam had described. It was a super campground and we thoroughly enjoyed our two days before taking off toward our third province of Canada – Saskatchewan! We have thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and most especially we’ve enjoyed the time we have spent with our Canadian friends! We have lots more to do and see and we hope you will continue traveling along with us as we tour the beautiful provinces of Canada. We hope to hit them all this year or at least most of them and we know we will have many memories and exciting experiences to share. To all our family and friends in the States, we miss you and carry you with us in our hearts. God bless and watch over all of you!!
Upon arrival at Sam and Wally’s, they directed us around back of their home to the alley where we were able to set up our truck and trailer. Once Wally opened the fence gates, we were just able to get our slides out. It was as if the space had been tailor-made just for us.
Once we were set up, we went in to visit and Sam and Wally graciously offered us some of Sam’s homemade wine. Wow! Was it ever good! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, also prepared by Sam, and spent a great evening just talking and becoming reacquainted. They have a very lovely home in an older, beautiful area of town. We found out that in addition to being a technical wizard, Wally also likes to carve birds. He showed us some of the ones he had done and they were exquisitely carved and painted.We decided to “play it by ear” and see what the weather provided as most of the attractions were outside and it would be miserable if the weather was cold and wet. Sure enough, the next day brought clouds, storms, and downpours so we decided to stay in and visit and get to know one another a little better. Wally and George worked on computer “stuff”
and Sam showed me her latest crafts. She was making chenille blankets and they looked as if they would be so soft and cuddley. While she worked on those, I was able to work on updating my blog from British Columbia. We also found out that all four of us love to read and Wally showed us how he used his pocket PC, downloaded books, and then read them by using the hand-held PC. What a neat idea! No more heavy books to carry around with you. We’re trying out a couple of old PC’s that he had to see if we like the concept and so far, we are both sold on the idea. Ahh – technology! Isn’t it wonderful!!!George and Wally also spent the better part of a day trying to find an air leak in the truck. After a trip to the parts store and several more hours of work, it seems they were able to rectify the problem and the truck now holds air pretty well.
I don’t want to make it sound like we had yucky winter weather the whole time we were in Calgary because we did have a day or two that turned out pretty nice. Sam and Wally drove us around to do some sightseeing and shopping, and we stopped at a Farmer’s Market with all sorts of delicious fruits and vegetables. We also took a tour of the local garage sales and thrift stores and found some items we just couldn’t live without. An evening out at the local pub found George and Wally eating fantastic fish and chips and Sam and I had an equally delicious steak sandwich.
Sam and Wally’s daughter, Dena and their grandson, Kyler, came over for dinner one evening. Dena was planning a holiday to Cuba and Kyler would be spending some time with Grandma and Grandpa. He was such a cute little kid and smart as a whip. Nothing gets by him!! I believe he said he was four but he has a very complex vocabulary and seems as if he is older.
Neighbors were planning a garage sale on the morning we left. We hope it was successful and that everyone sold those things that they no longer wanted or needed.
A big thanks to Wally and Sam for a wonderful visit. We are really going to miss seeing them at the desert this coming year, along with our other Canadian friends that we either have already visited or will be visiting soon.
As we traveled across the prairies of Alberta, we made a quick stop at Medicine Hat which is touted at Canada’s sunniest city. Close by are the Rocky Mountains to the west, the Cypress Hills to the south, and the Great Sandhills to the east. Medicine Hat has the world’s tallest tepee, the Saamis Tepee, which was originally built for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. It is built entirely of steel, with a concrete foundation and was said to have more engineering challenges than the famous Eiffel Tower. The structure stands 20 stories high and weighs almost 1,000 tons. Ringing the Saamis Tepee are ten large, circular storyboards, bearing vibrant paintings by noted native artists of the region.A little further down the road, we decided to stop for a night or two at Maple Creek at a campground that Wally and Sam had described. It was a super campground and we thoroughly enjoyed our two days before taking off toward our third province of Canada – Saskatchewan! We have thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and most especially we’ve enjoyed the time we have spent with our Canadian friends! We have lots more to do and see and we hope you will continue traveling along with us as we tour the beautiful provinces of Canada. We hope to hit them all this year or at least most of them and we know we will have many memories and exciting experiences to share. To all our family and friends in the States, we miss you and carry you with us in our hearts. God bless and watch over all of you!!
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