Passing through Alberta

We spent only a few days in Alberta on our way to the Alaska Highway. We plan to see more of it, including Jasper and Banff national parks, on our return trip. On our way to Elk Island National Park in Alberta we stopped in Vegreville to see the largest pysanka (Easter egg) in the world. It’s 31’ high and slowly turns in the wind. The pysanka is a traditional icon for the Ukrainians, who immigrated here in large numbers in the late 1800’s. 

We thought maybe the rain had gone, but we were in for more. It rained all night and continued raining the next day. It would pour, drizzle and then let up for a bit before repeating the cycle. 

Between downpours, we drove around Elk Island park looking for bison. We found plenty. The bison roam freely so it’s not always possible to see them. We saw several lone bison strolling along or beside the road and an entire herd in a field. Later that day we got a glimpse of the Woods Bison herd, which live in a separate part of the park from the Plains Bison, presumably so the two sub-species don’t interbreed. 

We saw our first moose who disappeared quickly into the woods. We managed to squeeze in a short trail through a marsh and along a lake. The pink, prickly wild roses, the official flower of Alberta, were abundant and often the only other color to offset a sea of green. Bluebells were also plentiful in the woods, and yellow flowers bloomed in the sun. It poured rain all night. Also, it was colder (lower 50’s) than it had been. 

The next morning, it was--can you guess?--raining! I had planned a big day of sightseeing in Edmonton, but we weren’t really motivated to do anything outside. 

We visited the legislative building and got a private tour with a friendly, knowledgeable guide. She did a great job educating us about some aspects of Canada. We drove along both sides of the North Saskatchewan river, which runs through Edmonton, and then headed to Starbucks for wifi access because, although the campground we were staying in supposedly had it, it was unusable.

The next morning we woke up to a surprise--sunshine! Yay! We thought the rain would never stop, but it did. We drove for about three hours, then stopped for lunch at a rest area. As we got out of the truck and headed to the trailer, David said, “What’s that hissing noise?”  He leaned over the tire and discovered that it was leaking air. “I’m sure glad we stopped when we did,” he said. He was able to plug the leak successfully, and after lunch, we were on our way. June 21st--still light at 10:30.