New Year's in Edmonton

We depart from Hamilton Airport on December 29, 2004 and return on January 4, 2005. We will be staying near West Edmonton Mall this time and may actually visit!

28.8 dial up sucks

sitting in Days Inn in Kelowna where everything is taking 10 times longer than necessary.

Our "favourite" hotel

So we survived Jetsgo. And we survived Mother Nature. But will we survive the hotel. Probably, but may never return.

1. Restaurant is mostly closed and under renovations. No one told me that when I made the reservation.

2. Desk clerk from H-E-double hockey sticks. Here is the conversation:
DC-The elevators are not working because of the storm.
C-When will they be working again?
DC-Couple of hours
C-We have a lot of luggage I really don't want to carry up the stairs, what can we do about that?
DC-You can cancel your reservation. (in that tone that make you want to slap someone)
C-Well, that is certainly an uncalled for remark.
DC-You are the third person who has asked that and there is nothing I can do. Do you you want the room or not?

3. Water park is shut down because of the storm as well.

This morning the regular staff got an earful and the manager has been informed.

Also, the only reason we stay at this hotel (Ramada Hotel and Water Park) is because of the water park. Seems the flooding has done something there as well and the water slides are not working.

So why, I ask myself, are we even there? Travellodge has room for us on the return stay and we will most likely not be at the Ramada again.

And then the weather

Photos to post later when we find somewhere to do that (at the cousin's house tonight) as I am at the Edmonton Library at the moment and cannot find the USB port as the CPU is locked up tight.

So the plane lands in Edmonton. We get the van, and it is better than I thought it would be. We get the tonnes of luggage loaded. Fine.

Driving into the city it starts to rain. Did you know Edmonton had some flooding lately. No. Well check this out: http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/07/12/canada/edmonton_storm_new040712


We were in that flood. Water rushing over the highway. Water up to the undercarriage of the van. And Albert drove right through it. Photos we have are great.

Went to East Side Mario's for dinner and had to park way out back where there was high ground. The parking lot was under water.
Went to Grandma and Grandpa's after dinner and had to detour halfway around town as roads were close (under water) all over the place.

We made it -- barely

What a fun day yesterday was. Left the house in a limo for the airport at 10:30 am for a 12:45 flight. Seems like it should be enough time, however, when we were checking in we could not find the health cards for the children and they would not allow them on the plane. Eventually they said Emma could go because she had a library card (really secure ID that is) but since Andrew had nothing he could not go. Our options, stay home, two people go, leave Andrew at home alone, or someone had to go home to get the cards. By this time the lineup behind us was huge and people were being rude and saying things to us.

That is the option we took. I raced out, bargained with a limo driver for a quick round trip, and we were off. I had only 1 hour to do this. He went fast. Could not find the health cards, so took the birth certificates. He went fast again and I was back at the airport, $90 poorer, but with ID in hand.

Went back to the check in line, cut to the front, got dirty looks, and were checked in. Raced through security, raced down the halls to the last gate (who gets to fly in the first ones I wonder) and walked straight onto the plane -- second last people to board.

Day        Date        Wake up here      Go to sleep here
Sun         11-Jul-04      Toronto                Edmonton
Mon         12-Jul-04      Edmonton            Edmonton
Tues        13-Jul-04      Edmonton            Wapiti
Wed         14-Jul-04      Wapiti                  Wilcox creek
Thurs       15-Jul-04      Wilcox creek        Golden BC
Fri            16-Jul-04      Golden BC          Sicamous / Salmon Arm
Sat           17-Jul-04      Sicamous            Sicamous / Salmon Arm
Sun         18-Jul-04      Sicamous            Kelowna
Mon         19-Jul-04      Penticton            Osoyoos
Tues       20-Jul-04      Osoyoos            Osoyoos
Wed        21-Jul-04      Osoyoos            Castlegar
Thurs     22-Jul-04       Castlegar            Creston
Fri           23-Jul-04      Creston            Ft Steele
Sat           24-Jul-04      Ft Steele          Radium hot springs
Sun         25-Jul-04      Radium             Banff/ Kananaskis
Mon         26-Jul-04      Banff                Edmonton
Tue         27-Jul-04       Edmonton          Edmonton
Wed        28-Jul-04      Edmonton          Toronto

As of today the schedule has been finalized as to which towns we will be spending the nights in. We have booked most hotels and campsites including one teepee. Will post schedule later.

Well, the plane is now booked and the car is rented and the hotel knows we are on the way. Leaving Toronto July 11 and returning July 28. Staying in Edmonton three days at the beginning and two at the end. If anyone knows how you can rent a full size van converted for sleeping that would help our hotel costs!

The Route

Well, it seems I can post photos so that is one worry gone. We have not booked the flight or hotels yet, but I have booked vacation from July 9 - August 2. The plan is to fly to Edmonton and stay a few days at the Ramada Waterpark Hotel before spending 2.5 weeks traveling through the Canadian Rockies.

This is a trial of blogging. It is intended as a vacation diary for our friends and family. I hope to be able to post photos of our travels. Not that we travel that much, but will be this summer.