This is the view of my new town, Cochrane, Alberta, from the top of Big Hill Road bright and early this morning. The lights of the town nestled in the Bow Valley sparkle against the looming Rocky Mountains. Still on Eastern Standard Time, I got up in the chill, still darkness and decided today was a good day to tell my “Great Alberta Migration” story. Many of you followed along on my journey west last week and I so appreciated the company while on the road! Here’s a short story long…

It all started January 4th, 2014 with an early morning move from my lovely perch overlooking the boardwalk in Toronto. Many thanks to Alex, Margaret, Cara, Don and Pauli for your strong arms and bright spirits on what was a very difficult morning for me. Moving away from your home, friends and family is HARD! But somehow we made it through and I soon found myself driving west on the 401 with a heavy heart and trailer to keep me company. Don’t get me wrong. I was excited to start my move west. I just couldn’t find a way to bring everyone with me 🙂

As luck would have it, a major snow storm was on its way across the Midwest and Ontario. I made it as far as Forest for a lovely un-planned-for two-day stay at my parents. What a storm!! By the third day it was time to re-start the drive west. On Tuesday January 7th I climbed into my Jeep at 6 am and waved at my family through a frosty window. Hardest part yet!! Thanks Mum and Dad for keeping me safe and sound for two days and for supporting me on this new adventure. I love you!!

The first day of the drive was indeed the most difficult. While the day eventually dawned sunny, the snow squalls and blizzard left Michigan and Indiana roads a crazy mess. I passed through socked-in Detroit at 8 am and it took almost 2 hours to get to the other side. The trick was to dodge abandoned cars while keeping to your own lane. It is always more than a little freaky to pass by cars that are facing you on an Interstate. I finally passed through the worst of the roads once into Indiana, although they were having problems of their own. Just before dusk I found myself on the outskirts of Chicago. I had actually been dreading this part of the drive as Chicago is a BIG city and I have never driven across it before, let alone in good weather. And Chicago was caught in the grip of the dreaded “Polar Vortex.” Could I make it across safely? YES!! The roads were in good shape and the city, beautiful in the frosty, pink glow of sunset. I would welcome a return visit someday…when it is slightly warmer 🙂  By 8 pm I was still exiting the outskirts of Chicago and ran into construction on the I90 West. I ended my first day after a long, nail-biting, slow drive crammed between barriers on my right and speeding transports on my left. I finally pulled off at the first sign of a town with a hotel, Rockford, Illinois. I phoned my family to let them know I was safe and then crashed into bed. Day One of the Great Migration was a tough one!

Day 2 dawned crisp and bright and I made great time across some stunning landscape. I passed through rough and rugged Wisconsin with its rolling farmland and giant white barns. Then Minnesota with its many lakes, rivers and stretches of flat, gorgeous farmland. By nightfall I gassed up in St. Cloud, Minnesota and decided to press on to my planned evening stop over in Fargo, North Dakota. It was a dark and weary 3 hour drive but at last I made it to Fargo at 9 pm. What a FUNKY place!! I really did wish I could stay longer. The downtown seems like it has been caught in a time warp from the 50’s with store fronts emblazoned with neon signs. My hotel, The Hotel Donaldson, was an unexpected treat. The hotel itself takes up the top two floors of an old building downtown, with two restaurants welcoming guests on the ground floor. My room was huge, funky and adorned with exposed brick, wooden beams, fabulous local art and a cd with a local artist singing greeted me, along with two chocolate truffles 🙂  I have to thank the young hosts at The Donaldson who gave me a warm welcome on a bitterly cold night.

Day 3 started before dawn with a necessary re-packing of my trailer. When I pulled into Fargo the night before, the trailer decided to take a drastic list to one side. My load had shifted on the winding roads of Minnesota. So I re-packed it as quickly as I could in the dark, cold morning and set off, this time expecting to cross back into Canada by nightfall. North Dakota on this day was windy and much warmer. A strong south wind kept me company on a drifting I94 West. 2 hours out of Fargo, my road finally turned north and pointed me in the direction of Canada. I loved this part of the drive. The day warmed up and the sun came out. I got to drive on some straight-as-arrows roads crisscrossing north and west across North Dakota. I drove through tiny towns marked by tall water towers often painted with the iconic red, white and blue of Old Glory. The terrain was flat as a pancake and you could see towns coming from miles away. Just before dusk I pulled into tiny North Portal, the gateway back into Canada. I must admit to heaving a big sigh of relief, even as I slid through customs. North Portal is such an un-assuming way to enter Canada. A few buildings, lots of snow and one customs agent. My goal was to reach Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan for the night but unfortunately darkness and a bucking bronco trailer forced me to stop early in lovely Weyburn, Saskatchewan. I knew something needed to be done either with the trailer, or with the Jeep, in the morning so I crawled into bed, exhausted, but relieved to be back on Canuck soil.

Day 4 started snowy, but with some good news. Many, many thanks to the kind folks at Hillsview Service in Weyburn. They gave my Jeep and trailer a good look-over and a test drive. As it turns out, my Jeep tires were low on air. They got me back on the road and heading confidently west by 9:30 am. Day 4 was another brilliantly sunny, windy driving day, this time across the rolling hills of southern Saskatchewan. I passed through foggy Moose Jaw and stopped for lunch and gas in charming railroad town, Chaplin, Saskatchewan. I would loved to have taken many photos along my drive but this was my first chance to pull over safely and take a snap or two of the iconic grain elevators that mark prairie towns. The snow was deep but the sun warm as I got back on the road, passing through Swift Current and by sunset, at last, I crossed into my new home province of Alberta in the stunning Cypress Hills. I made for Medicine Hat, the sun setting a bright pink on my left, and a CP Rail train keeping me company on my right all the way into “The Hat.” This would be my last stop before reaching home.

Day 5 dawned sunny and windy yet again. Fortunately the Trans Canada on this stretch is straight and extraordinarily flat! On this day I only had to contend with ground drifting that can mesmerize you if you are not careful. I cannot tell you how relieved I was to finally witness the city of Calgary magically appear on the horizon like a mirage just after Strathmore. I had suddenly grown very weary of the road and my crazy trailer. It was time to reach home and move in! My final unexpected hurdle appeared just 5 minutes from home. Even though I have travelled many of the highways in Alberta before, I had never passed through Cochrane. The 1A into this pretty town is pretty steep! I threw up prayers left, right and centre that this would not be where I met my Waterloo and luckily the trailer stayed straight behind me as I descended slowly into town. Here I must thank my cousin Richard who gamely helped me move in to my new condo. By 4 pm the uHaul was at last empty and I admit here to falling into a freshly made bed to sleep the sleep of the dead. I woke up early on Day 6 to find myself home at last!

What a journey! I know I will look back on this someday and smile. For now, I’m still more than a little weary but grateful for the kindness I met along the way. For my friends who cheerfully moved me and kept me from weeping back in Toronto. My family for harbouring me in a blizzard and loving me on my way. The kind strangers who took me in each night when I’m sure I looked like I had been shot through a cannon sideways. For the wonderful retired couple I met in Weyburn at the garage who offered to drive behind me all the way to Cochrane to make sure I made it safely (!) and for my cousin for greeting me here and helping me move in. And for all of you! Your kind, encouraging words along the way kept me company when I needed it the most. It was a lonely journey for certain. But I know this is the fresh start that I need and I am grateful for it!

Thank you everyone!!

Oh – I did manage to take a few extra snaps last night and this morning. You can find them in my new Cochrane, Alberta gallery here. I will be filling this gallery regularly, I have a feeling 🙂

I am also blessed with a new opportunity to share my Vagabond Adventures with a wider audience. Just before Christmas I was invited to participate in a new travel community called Maptia. I was asked to become a “founding storyteller” to help build the site before it leaves Beta. I am thrilled to be asked as this community and its gutsy founders are creating a wonderful platform for everyone to tell stories around places. Their hope is that through sharing our stories, the world will become a much more compassionate, empathetic place. This is an idea I can easily support! Please visit my first story here when you can! You can also learn more about Maptia here and here.