Heading North to Canada from Salt Lake City, Utah

Next stop on the trip north was Idaho Falls, Idaho, where I spent two nights. Yes, there are falls there, but nothing as spectacular as Niagara Falls, Ontario. The weather while I was there was pretty wet and overcast so the photos weren't great. The drop isn't very much, but it is wide (I couldn't capture it all, so opted for the nicest part). The river runs through town.

Seeing as outdoor activities were out of the question, I partook in a couple of the small brew pubs in town. Snow Eagle was the better of the two for beer selection and menu by far. 

It always amazes me the variety of colors and flavors brew-masters can create, which are all still called beer. The other was Idaho brewing company. What made it unique was that they had a board covered with post-it-notes of the regulars buying each other future pints.

I stayed at the Snake River RV Park & Campground. They are the first campground that has given me a stuffed animal upon check in, of course a snake, with a business card attached that has all their particulars on one side and on the other side says "We hope you enjoyed your stay please come again!" This kind of pet I can handle. It doesn't need to be fed, watered or taken out for a walk. It is pink, orange and black and about 8" long. They needed to trim a few tree branches hanging over the site they assigned me to. They were quite responsive about it. I would recommend the campground if your travels find you in Idaho Falls. They are open year round.

An overnight stay in Butte, Montana was my last stop in the USA. Some RVers purchase maps of the continental US and put them on their rigs, usually on a slide out. Then they put the "stamp" for the state in place as they accomplish it. Often times on the RV Facebook groups I follow people will ask if you can put the stamp on if you just pass through a state. The typical answers are either you have to sleep there, or your map, your rules. I don't have the map, but I think you need to at least sleep in a state/province to count it, just passing through just doesn't cut it in my mind. 

I entered back into Canada on April 15th at the Coutts crossing in southern Alberta. This was the first time I entered Canada outside of Ontario. The border guards gave me a thorough questioning, but didn't go in to inspect the trailer. I enjoy traveling to the US, but it is always nice to get my wheels back onto Canadian turf. The red and white flags were a welcome sight.

I had been working on getting out of the states sooner than I had originally planned, in order to save my limited days for future travel. This however put me ahead of schedule for my planned visit with my nephew in Calgary, so I hung out in Fort MacLeod, Alberta for a few extra days at the Daisy May Campground. It was early in the season for them and still a bit muddy around, but I was happy with my site close to the entrance and office.

One afternoon I visited the Smashed in Head Buffalo Jump, a world heritage site, which was only a few kilometers from the campground. I was unfamiliar with Buffalo Jumps, as this was the first one I encountered. The museum was quite well done. For the uninitiated, when buffalo were prevalent, Indians on horseback would round some up and then drive them to the edge of a cliff. The Buffalo's would then "jump" to their deaths. Underneath the cliff, other Indians would butcher them, using all their parts for something. 

Side view of Buffalo Jump cliff. The drop is less than it used to be, due to the buildup of debris at the bottom.

Buffalo skeleton.

There was a surprisingly good Japanese restaurant in town. While having dinner there Sunday evening a young RCMP officer came in for take-out. I commented on how loaded his body was with gear. I guessed 50 lbs and was close, he said it was 55 lbs. Bullet proof vest, hand gun, stun gun, multiple sets of handcuffs, extra ammunition clips, radio, overdose kit, etc. We had quite an interesting chat about policing while he was waiting for his order to be prepared. He was quite frank with me. Times have changed since I was in grade one, where the local policeman came into class and said his lunch (sandwich and banana) were in his holster. 

The downtown is quite historic with many stores well preserved and vibrant. There is a good little library, offering meeting space. One afternoon a group of ladies were playing bridge there.

Unfortunately the Fort Museum was not yet open for the season. 

There is quite an active seniors center in town called Welcome Mat. I went in to play Euchre on Wednesday afternoon. Many have recently retired from farming and have moved into town. Most stayed there through the winter, as opposed to heading south. They were quite welcoming. I enjoyed my afternoon with them.