The OED defines “wanderlust” as “a strong desire to travel.” I believe I have inherited mine from my Aunt Jackie McGee. You see, yesterday was the memorial service for our (and I say our as Aunt Jackie belonged to everyone!) Aunt Jackie yesterday back home in Ontario. My Mum’s sister, Aunt Jackie was the quintessential “cool Aunt” who lived a long, brave life to its fullest. A card-carrying singleton like me, Aunt Jackie fearlessly traveled the world and always remembered to send post cards and sometimes, brought back tiny mementos. A set of round playing cards from Trinidad and Tobago that graced our Saturday-Night-Before-Hockey-Night-In-Canada family euchre games. Arm patches with our names in Hawaiian. My sister was Kiki and me? Pakalekia. My sister Jen and I have been reminiscing about all of our favourite Aunt Jackie stories this week as I prepared for this post. She touched us deeply. For the first time since I moved, I felt the distance between Ontario and Alberta in my heart.

Yesterday I awoke early and was immediately filled with the need to drive. After three weeks settling in to my new place in Cochrane and digging into my new job here, I just needed to fly. To get out and discover. I needed the sun on my face and the mountains just called my name!  I wasn’t sure where I was going but I knew I needed to find some solace on the open road and perhaps find a way to pay tribute to dear Aunt Jackie in my own way out here in Alberta. The Bow Valley Trail, or the 1A, provided a path west and I took it. I found some amazing places along my drive. Not far out of Cochrane I spotted a tall spire rising out of the rolling foothills so I went to investigate. The McDougall Memorial Church nestled at the end of a long fenced walkway turned out to be a fascinating, unexpected find. Named after the Reverend George McDougall, this Methodist Church built in the late 1800’s was one of the first in North America to be built in “Carpenter’s Gothic Style,” southern Alberta’s wooden take on Old World Gothic. It was also the home of the first European settlers in southern Alberta and a school. For those who crave history, please visit historic places.ca for the full story. Or please wait a few weeks when I write a travel blog on Maptia about my Bow Valley Trail adventures.

The 1A took me through some rugged, snowy landscapes such as the Bow Valley Provincial Park photo you see featured above. The foothills soon turn into The Rockies at this point in the drive and I was met by stunning scenery on all sides. From Canmore, to the beautiful Vermillion Lakes outside of Banff and on to the majestic Castle Mountain near the end of the Bow Valley Trail, I soaked up the sun and the scenery with my camera. If you would like to see some snaps from my first official adventure, please visit my new gallery called Awesome Alberta Adventures.

I think Aunt Jackie would approve of my wanderlust memorial. I certainly felt closer to her way up there in the mountains as they scrape the floor of heaven.