The Not So Fun Part of Going to Edmonton

Trips to Edmonton are a very common and highly anticipated weekend getaway for us.  We like to get away to the city for a little shopping, a lot of eating and a stock up on Asian groceries.  The West Edmonton mall is where we usually go for our one-stop-shopping as everything is under one roof.  We can get the majority of our personal shopping done, get our Chinese groceries at T&T, and if we're pressed for time we can grab a bowl of Pho there as we're about to leave the city.

This trip a quick one for us - we went down on Friday and came back early on Saturday.  We power shopped/browsed on Friday evening until our feet were sore.  The Mister made off with two new pairs of boots and I got to check out Crate and Barrel and Restoration Hardware at Southgate Mall with a few good meals in between (next post).

One thing that remained the same on this trip was the traffic on the 4 hour drive down.  We left at 7:30 am on Friday morning and didn't have too much going south with us, but there were plenty of wide loads traveling north on 63 that morning.  The roads were a little wet and dirty, but there was no snow or rain falling and we only got stuck behind one big rig (driving 40kms/hr) for a few minutes.  These photos are of only a few of the over sized loads we saw on Friday, and a very typical depiction of what you will see on a drive to or from Edmonton any day of the week. 

Traffic on Highway 63 is a hot topic in these parts.  There are many that do not feel that twinning this highway will fix the problem of frequent accidents and deaths.  I agree that people make some very bad decisions on this stretch of road, endangering their lives and the lives of others.  These people will likely make the same bad decisions whether the highway is divided or not.  However, being forced to share the road with vehicles that cannot even reach half of the posted speed limit and stretch over the yellow line into oncoming traffic is really not acceptable.  But, for now we have to deal with it.  And while we are burdened to drive together we should remember these things:  It is never okay to pass on a solid line.  It is never necessary to drive 140+ kms/hr.  And it is rarely acceptable to pass 20 cars at a time.  Well, I'm not going to touch that one... Anyhow, as seen in the pictures below, I think it is obvious that this road needs widening.  Soon.   Like, sooner than 2015 soon - 9 years is a reeeeallly long time to twin a 400 km section of straight highway. 

Pretty standard.

Definitely a wide load, it was driving 40kms/hr.

Again, very common to see.

Check out the traffic that is stuck behind this rig.

Taking a rest.

This thing is tall.

There were two of them.

And a looong string of traffic stuck behind them both.

Pilot truck sending the warning of a wide load ahead.

Yeah, that's pretty big.

A regular occurrence.

Cabin Fever

Is it obvious that I'm suffering from a severe case of wanderlust?  I'm feeling a little stir crazy.  I think we're going to Edmonton next week, but not for pleasure.  At least I will get out of the house for a few days and get to stock up on some toiletries and groceries that you can't get here in town.  Sephora and T&T are the necessary stops this time, but I'm hoping to get a few hours to check out Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware and Anthropologie.  I just need a little fix, you know?  And there's no doubt we'll make time for a bowl of Pho and meal at Famoso.

In the meantime, I'll just reminisce about our first trip to Banff five years ago.  We're long overdue for another trip to the mountains, but I'm not sure it will be this year.

London calling

The Ocean Breeze is Salty

I grew up having the ocean at my doorstep.  I left home and moved to the city, and still had the water to my right as I walked to work every day, and a view of the harbour through the window once I got there.  When the time came to move on I went to work on a ship, getting closer still, to the ocean.  Every break, every chance I had, I would rush outside to look over the railing and stare at the waves, sometimes spotting whales, porpoises, and flying fish.  Other times I would just sit and read with the salty wind in my face.  At night, I would follow the same ritual, only this time I would have to imagine the creatures that were following us, eating our waste, playing in our wake.  I'd go back to work with my hair disheveled, my glasses full of salt spray and my skin dewy and glowing.

While I am completely fascinated and madly in love with the sea, I am terrified by it.  Staring into the water at night can nearly frighten me to tears.  Yet I could do it for hours.  In fact, I have such an overwhelming desire to be staring off the balcony of a ship into the black ocean right now I feel desperate.  

When it was time again to move on from the ship life, I moved so far inland that the sea was nowhere to be found.  I am learning that mountains and prairies hold their own majestic beauty, and I can understand missing them if you had them in your peripheral most of your life.  But the ocean.  I just like to be near it.  I don't need a hot sandy beach and a fruity drink to enjoy it either, (although it certainly adds to the ambiance).  I actually prefer it to be a little dark and stormy at times, it keeps me reminded of the power it holds and respect it deserves.

I am feeling so nostalgic lately.  Winter can do that to you, cause you to reminisce fondly of trips and vacations, sunny days and warm nights.  It can make you want to get out, break out of the house, the boots, the stuffy winter coat and gloves, chapped lips and static on everything.  Dream about running on a beach (ok, let's be realistic - sit on one with a beer), swim, let your toes out of their slippers (even though I am loving my new grey fleece Sperry Top-Siders at the moment). 

While I don't see any vacation in the near future, I am sure that the next trip we take will be planned with the ocean in mind - as all of our trips tend to be.  We have already discussed a drive down the California coastline, beginning in Vancouver.  I think I'm going to start my idea gathering shortly to give myself something to look forward to, to daydream about.  In the meantime, I have my own memories to keep me occupied.