4th of July-45F with rain-off the road for a day in Grand Cache , Alberta...Hot dogs, beans and good old red, white and blue PBRs

4th 0f July--Celebrating kicking the Redcoats ass in Grand Cache, Alberta, Canada. We have global outlook...celebrated Canada Day (Independence) in Banff, Alberta on July 1 in an Irish pub...so many ironies, so little time.

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Grizzly picture from the cell phone of  traveling salesman we met at Vegas Restaurant and Lounge in Grande Cache, Alberta during rainy day layover. Taken along the road we rode in on.

Bison along the road in theYukon Territory

Redsy on a plank bridge on the road from British Columbia into the Northwest Territory

Two old retired farts (one with a blocked artery) spent a nasty day looking out a motel window and napping, while the poor working stiffs with jobs to rush back to, slopped on :-)

Travel Parks in Lake Watson, Yukon, don't like Yankees (at least with tents). A "local" directed us to a secluded spot  of unknown ownership  nestled between an tiny airport Lake Watson. Redsy built a big bonfire and I cooked the usual fine meal on the Barbie.....can't remember what. LOL

(see grizzly caption earlier above) Same road, different grizzly eating elk kill.

In the tent and ready for bear

Ron/Redsy misses Barb!

WE MADE IT! Arrived in  Tok (~toke) Alaska, about 100 miles from the Canadian border. We felt a big sense of accomplishment making it to this point.....2 old farts, 1 with a blocked artery! We've been camping, but last night we got a room. Good thing. Its in the 40s and rained all night and all day.  Going to check out and head to Fairbanks tomorrow.

Canadian Rockies Between Banff and Jasper, Alberta

Sunday, June 1, we arrived in Banff, which is a major Alberta tourist destination and also the site of some of the Calgary Winter Olympics twenty something years ago, What we hadn't realized when we headed to Canada last weak was that July 1 is the equivalent of our July 4th. Additionally things are ramping up for the Calgary Stampede (allegedly the biggest rodeo in the world). So, the result is an abundance of tourists (some from pushy shovey cultures :) and a shortage of camping and lodging places. But, being resourceful ,we did score a campsite (w/o fire ring, boo hoo) and celebrated Canada Day in grand style at St James Irish Pub. Being camped in Grizzly, country, Redsy slept in his tent with a loaded shotgun.I was tired and left my shotgun (borrowed from Florida friend Dick Wooley) in the trailer, useless, and left my fate in the hands of Redsy "Grizzly Adams" Goshow. We talked to a couple Monday morning who camped at Lake Louise (between Banff and Jasper) Sunday night. Everyone with a soft sided trailer or tent, was required to camp in an area surrounded by an electric fence. They saw 3 Grizzlys outside the fence when they went to the showers in the morning,

Monday June 2, we had intermittent rain and couldn't find an available camp site, so stayed in a Best Western in Hinton, Alberta. We'd camped 6 nights straight (since Fargo, ND).

Elk East of Jasper, Alberta

Video - Sheep we watched coming out the east side of the Canadian Rockies today, west of Edmonton. We saw a Grizzly and black bear along the road today, but didn't  get pictures.

Ed promoting improved international relations between US and Canada with bridal party at the Last Chance Saloon near Calgary (should qualify for Obama stimulus money - no pun intended!)

A fun stop near Calgary - Last Chance Saloon

Fargo ND - Ron getting registration paperwork in order to take shotgun into Canada