The rest is coming, I promise

There are still days left to document of the August 2013 Epic Road Trip, but I've been fumbling my way through GoPro and iMovie software.

You see, finally, after almost two years in the box, I decided it was time to break the GoPro out. So it captured roughly 10,000 photos (no lie), and I'm trying to piece together a time lapse video of the road between Edson and the BC border.

So after I get that fixed up, I'll get back to writing up the awesome trip :)

The Epic Road Trip - August 2013 Edition - Day 4 - Whistler and beyond

The weather was still a little dreary, but we were raring to go. Not only was it time to visit Whistler, it was also a day to go on a boat!

We had decided a week or so before heading out to ditch our original plan of going to Portland via Montana and Idaho to go to Vancouver Island instead. We had been to Vancouver a number of times in the past six years (including the August 2012 road trip), but we always thought the cost of the ferry crossing was prohibitive.

We loosely strapped Mr P into his car seat and packed away the tent. He sat contently drinking water, eating crackers and throwing his cars around until we were done. We drove into Whistler. Which is a bit of a deceiving town! Everything (restaurants, stores, etc) are hidden away from the main highway. It's a nice way to build a city (everything looks so clean!), but hard for the spontaneous to find breakfast.

After finally tracking down a place, we decided we should see SOMETHING from the 2010 Winter Olympics, and decided to take a short detour to the Whistler/Blackcomb resort where the downhill ski events had been held. Here is where we ran into one of the few drawbacks of travelling with a toddler.

I'm sure it's very nice.

We were still (and continued to stay on) Alberta time. Which means Mr P woke up at his usual 7:30 a.m. time. It just meant 6:30 a.m. in BC. So when we went to go take a look around the resort (and buy a tshirt!), we found it all closed up. It wouldn't open for another couple of hours. We wanted to catch an early afternoon ferry to the Island, so we decided not to wait around, and headed into Vancouver.

I don't know why, but I always pictured ferry travel to be not very popular, and thus was surprised by the lineups to get on the boat. Granted, we were going from one of the most popular ports to one of the most popular ports, but I still didn't expect a two-hour wait.

So close...

Confession time - besides a canoe, I'd never really been on a boat before. So this was kind of new and cool to me. Mr P was a take it or leave it kind of guy, but was really excited by the whole driving onto the boat thing.

Oooh. We're moving.

Well I don't like this one bit!

The view from the ferry. What a beautiful country I live in.

Umm. So over this. Can I go inside now?

Mr P really didn't care that he was on a boat. He didn't want to be outside (too windy). There wasn't much to do inside, until we found...

What?!? I can go down these things on my belly?

The ferry crossing is about one and half hours. We were about an hour in when we found the kid area. It had a slide! That was the best news ever for our boy. He spent the rest of the crossing here, having fun and being a kid.

Once off the boat, it was time to pick a place to stay for the night. Back to our handy BC Parks Guide, I picked Sproat Lake. Little did I know how completely awesome it was going to be. My kid (and Mr T) LOVE airplanes. So when we got to our campsite and saw this, I knew it was going to be one of the best campsites ever.

The Martin Mars - used as a tool in forest fires. Check out the link here for more info.

It was a beautiful site with a rock beach to play on, and of course an airplane to stare at all day long. Sproat Lake Provincial Park is also home to some Petroglyphs, which are kind of cool. More info here.

It was an early night to bed - the next day was going to be exciting - we were off to a place Mr T had wanted to go for a very long time - Tofino.

The Epic Road Trip - August 2013 Edition - Day 3

After waking up, getting some breakfast we got back on the road. 

With Matchbox cars in hand, and happily looking at all of the new scenery ("treeeeeeees! Treeeeeeeees!), Mr P was ready for travel.

We've taken a bunch of different routes to Vancouver, but never Sea to Sky Highway. We had never been to Whistler . We decided it was time to change that.

However, before you can get to Whistler (and the Sea to Sky), you have to drive BC Highway 99. If you love twists, turns, extreme drop offs, trees and water, this is the road for you. Full of 50 km/h speed zones (and really, with the twists and switch backs, you should pay attention to these speed signs), it takes what feels like forever to get to where you're going, but it's totally worth the drive.

(I apologize now for not having photos, but due to weather and wildlife on this road, I was being more of a co-pilot and less of an archivist as we went).

We stopped in Lillooet for lunch. It's a quaint little town nestled in the heart of a valley, accessible only by these heart-stopping curvy roads. Mr P was having a blast looking down at the village though, and liked being able to see airplanes and helicopters so close to us when we were at the summit.

After lunch, we surprised Mr P with a 45-minute visit to the local playground. There wasn't much there - a slide and a lot of rocks, but plenty of room to run. He was in heaven when he realized he had free reign.

Back on the road, we picked out a campground from the BC Parks Guide and made our way to Nairn Falls Provincial Park 30 km outside of Whistler. While we didn't get to see the falls (the 2.5 km one-way hike is on a super narrow trail and runs right beside the river - plus it was raining), it was a great place to stay. It was P's first night in a tent since the 2012 road trip, and he did well. 

As all toddlers do, he took up almost all of the room in the tent by sleeping at a strange angle. We found as long as he had a car and his blankie he was good to go. Oh - and as long as he could spend at least 20 minutes using Mr T and I as his personal trampolines, he slept just fine. Not like a baby at all!

The Epic Road Trip - August 2013 Edition - Day 1 AND 2

Day 1

Admittedly, this was not really a road trip day.

Mr T and I went to work. Mr P went to day care. But when we got home, the Swamp Monster (our new road trip vehicle - 2014 Subaru Forester), was packed in quick order, and we were heading for Edmonton to spend the night.

Mr P knew something exciting was happening when he got to have his blankie, Scout AND his little SLS Mercedes Matchbox in the back seat with him. When he saw the hiking backpack we carry him in for long walks, he knew what was up. "Go, go, go!!!" he chanted with toddler glee.

That is the deep sleep of a happy toddler in a hotel.

Day 2

Our day started with a trip to Subaru City to get the Swamp Monster (so named because of it's green/grey colouring) its first oil change (fortuitous timing if I do say so myself). After less than an hour and a quick trip to Costco to pick up a flat of water and some road snacks, we were heading west, toward Jasper.

Taking into account the rules (see the backstory below), we decided we'd stop in a few places - Edson and Hinton. It's only three hours to Jasper from Edmonton, but we thought we'd be generous with the stops at the beginning of the trip.

Heading into Jasper, Mr P was sleeping, so we thought we'd bang on and forego our usual stop for a sandwich at our favourite joint. It was only a few hours to where we thought we'd be staying for the night - the KOA in Clearwater, BC.

However, as we drove on, we drove deeper into a storm. While we had made our reservation hours before (again, see The Rules), we quickly decided we'd much rather hit up a hotel than stake up a tent in the pouring rain. So, keeping in mind the fact Mr P needed to eat, we stopped at a restaurant in Valemont, BC to load him up. He wasn't up for playing nice, so it was an eat quick and get the toddler who throws cutlery out of the restaurant kind of stop.

Then it was onto Kamloops for a hotel. This was against our rules for two reasons: 1 - it was last minute lodging and 2 - we had agreed to stay in hotels only every two days to do laundry and to get Mr P a bath. However, it was in everyone's best interest. Due to his long nap in the car, it was a few hours past bed time when he finally decided to sleep. 

All it took was a little Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives to get him down.

Road Tripping - The Back Story

Before I can get to documenting our most recent awesome adventures, you may want to learn a little about how we got to this point.

It all began with a drive west just over seven years ago. I fell in love (cue the sappy awww here), and decided to pack up my life and move to Alberta with the man who would become my husband.

So picture this, beautiful January day in Ontario. I packed my little Hyundai Accent (which had been through a couple of States and all over Ontario in the four years I had it) with all of my worldly belongings. My dear husband-to-be (Mr T to you) also had his VW Jetta packed with some of my stuff and a bag of clothing to wear as we made our way across the country.

From there we set off from a snowless, sunny farm and started making our way northwest. By the time we hit Sault St. Marie, it was snowing. Little did we know, we were driving west as a huge blizzard (that would eventually make its way across the entire country) was making its way east.

In any case, it took us seven days to make it to Alberta - and that was just the first of our epic road trips.

Once firmly rooted in our new home, we took to driving around the province (some people call three hours one way a day trip - we call it going shopping in Edmonton). 

On whims we would jump in the car and drive seven hours to go to Jasper. Not to ski. But to get a sandwich at our favourite joint - the Patricia Street Deli. 

Over the next five years, our friends came to know that we weren't sitting idly at home on weekends. No. We were off exploring. Monday mornings inevitably started with the question, "so where did you guys go this weekend?"

Trips to Jasper, the Loop (Edmonton to Jasper to Banff to Calgary back to Edmonton and finally that three-hour leg home), Vancouver, Osoyoos, Kamloops and Golden were all favourites.

And then. And then came Mr. P.

People told us the trips would stop. We wouldn't be doing road trips anymore. It's too hard to travel with a baby. 

Nah. That wasn't the plan. The plan was to make our little dood into a road tripper just like us.

And so it happened. He was born in Edmonton. It took almost six hours for Mr T, the new dad to make the drive home. That was officially his first road trip.

Two months later, leaving Mr T at home, Mr P and I got on a plane and went back to Ontario to give his grandparents something to smile about. Not a road trip no. But a reason to get Mr P a passport. And to keep the travel bug going.

As new parents we stuck pretty close to home the first few months - a day trip to the border city of Lloydminster (about an hour and a half away), Edmonton a few times. It was winter. We didn't want to risk anything. 

By April, we were chomping at the bit to go. So in the car we got. Loaded with bottles and diapers and all of the stuff new parents think they need to get through the day, we set our sites on doing the Loop.
And it was perfect. Mr P was, at seven months old, still sleeping most of his day away. We would stop every four hours or so to eat, change diapers and see something new.

Jump ahead to August. Mr P has been doing day trips to Edmonton and thinking nothing of it. He's 11 months old now and starting to get a little independent. Mr T, who had taken four months of parental leave, was getting ready to go back to work. Mr P was going to start day care, and we thought, hey, let's take a road trip. And let's tent instead of getting a hotel. And while we're at it, let's go not just to Jasper, but maybe to Vancouver. And hey, while we're down there, let's go to the States too. We had just seen a show on Voodoo Donuts and started watching Portlandia on IFC, and decided we should head to Portland.

Wow. What a difference a few months makes.

The start of the trip was what it always is. Easy. Sleeping baby. Happy baby. Happy parents.

There were moments when he wasn't happy. Hungry. Dirty diaper. Sick of being in the car. We understood that. He slept in the tent like a champ. Which was a blessing.

And it was all good... until we started making our way back into Canada from Seattle. Then the ear-piercing, headache inducing screaming started.

We had no idea what was going on. We had no plans for lodging for the night and it was getting dark fast. Desperate, we took to a hotel. The screaming continued with short bouts of sleep. Getting back to northeastern Alberta was going to be rough.

We drove at length, trying to get back home in as little time as possible. Probably not the best idea.

It was at the point the Rules began being formed. (By the way - we tracked down the source of the crying - poor Mr P had developed bronchitis and was just not feeling well. Trust me, I had tons of new mom guilt on this one).

You see, this wasn't just a road trip, this was a learning experience. So here they are - here is what we've learned, and hopefully can help someone else later.

Rules For Traveling with Small Children (0-2)

1 - Be willing to bring toys. We don't have DVD players in our cars. Hopefully we never will. It's not just about the destination - it's about the journey. On the latest trip (August 2013), we allowed Mr P to bring four Matchbox cars, three books, Scout and Elmo. We also bought him stuff along the way. See the next post for what :)

2 - Always have snacks and water on hand. I don't know about your kid, but mine eats like a linebacker. Having food on hand is essential. Water is also essential - it can get hot in a car, even with air conditioning. You have to keep your kid and yourself hydrated.

3 - Know where you're staying by 3 p.m. You don't necessarily have to be there by that time, but have reservations and know where you're going. This is especially important if travelling on weekends, long weekends or during peak tourism times. Our first long road trip (August 2012) had us calling multiple hotels and stopping at campgrounds for almost two hours until we found something. When you have a screaming baby, that's just not an option.

4 - Stop frequently. We've called it at every two hours. Two hours is a good marker. Get a snack. Get some snuggles. Everyone gets out, walks around and gets a stretch. Our minimum stop is 15 minutes, but usually last closer to 30 minutes.

5 - Every four hours stop for a meal. As adults, sitting in a car doesn't burn many calories. But our little doods are growing, and they need food. Stop for something of substance. This works in with the stop every two hours rule nicely. For more of what we did on our latest trip (August 2013) keep reading the blog.

6 - Do something just for the kid(s) every day. We're very aware these trips are mostly about us right now. So we try to make sure we do something every day that's just for Mr P. Stop at the aquarium, the zoo, a toy store, etc. Let them go a little nuts. It's a much needed break from the car for all of you, and it lets your kid(s) know you're aware they need time to have fun too.

After hearing this story, most people said they would just give up and stop road tripping. That wasn't an option. As selfish as it all may seem, we just want Mr P to explore and experience the world. We want him to be curious and be willing to try new things. We believe doing these road trips will do just that.

Well that was a book. If you're not completely bored, keep reading for notes (and photos!) from our latest trip.

Bring on the real Trials and Tribulations!

While this blog was originally started to post assignments for my ECSM course through U of A, I've come to the conclusion it can take on a decidedly more personal vibe now.

If you're not interested in the trials and tribulations that accompany raising a toddler, you may not want to read on.

If you're a seasoned parent, sick of the FTM (first-time moms for you Internet lingo illiterate [not a bad thing I assure you - the fate of the English language lays in your hands]) obvious stories and solutions, you may not want to stick around either. But you're more than welcome to.

This is also to try my hand at documenting our family's road trip adventures "Tripping with a Tiny Dictator". Although Mr. P is not yet two years old, he's pretty well travelled for a North American child (and no - that's not a dig at North Americans - it's simply pointing out its easier to travel to many different countries and experience many different cultures in Europe due to proximity. Our continent is impossibly large).

I'm going to do some backtracking to get you all up to date on our previous travels, and then hopefully sling you some new info as our next adventure starts Aug 16, 2013. 

For now, I leave you with this photo from our last trip to BC on Canada Day weekend.