Marty

May

2023

Canadian Prairies and Dinosaur Provincial Park

Marty’s Road Trip Prairies and British Columbia

It has been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted anything here of our cross country road trip. We have traversed the Canadian Prairies, spent a little time in Calgary and have been sitting in the Okanagan for almost a week.

I’ve tried to post a few things on Instagram.

You can see some here: @martysroadtrip1

I’ve also posted a couple of photos here: @misterglue1

A couple of videos of the Canadian Prairies here. We had a stop in Medicine Hat. From there to Calgary we took a small detour and spent a couple of hours visiting Dinosaur Provincial Park. We have been to Drumheller but Dinosaur Park beats in hands down. We were walking the park near the end of April and it was plenty warm enough. Apparently, in the summer months it can be over 140°C!! So, If you can, visit in other than summer months.

The first video here is some prairie footage. The crops that one can see from the highway, you would think that Canada could feed the whole world.

The second video is our walk through Dinosaur Provincial Park.

Apr

2023

Along Northern Edge of Lake Superior

Marty's Road Trip 2023

Yvonne and I started our 2023 Road Trip a few days ago. Still quite a bit of winter along Lake Superior in Northern Ontario. Makes for a stark beauty. Yvonne pulled up Gordon Lightfoot's 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' on Spotify to keep us company. A haunting, eerie song. Kept us company for the very long two day drive through Ontario. Checking mileage, I found that Brandon, Manitoba is exactly half way between Niagara Falls and Vancouver.

Beautiful drive, albeit long.

Apr

2023

Muddy Hike on a Sunny, Spring Day At Short Hills

Hiking Short Hills Provincial Park

Was a bit cloudy when we started out hiking and we expected mud because it has been raining so much lately. And it was muddy! We've hiked Short Hills many times and we tried to stay higher up and it helped a bit. Almost no one at the provincial park today, I think we saw three others hiking. Only a couple of cars in the parking lot. Pretty much had the place to ourselves. Way over dressed, though. Had to take off jacket and sweater after the first 10-15 minutes in the woods. Sun was shining and almost no wind. Was a stunning day. There are several spots to enter the park - three main parking lots. We parked at the Wiley Rd lot. Hiked in on the big muddy path for a couple hundred metres going south and then a couple hundred metres in, headed in on a path through the fields and woods. Again, we hiked along the peaks of the hills as much as we could. Went by a small waterfall and hung around the bigger one for a while at the south part of this loop. That one is pictured below. Loads of paths through South Hills park, it's about 1600 acres. And at least a couple of rivers running through. We've snowshoed in the Winter, Hiked through most seasons. I prefer without the bugs though, if I can help it.

And some video on Instagram @martysroadtrip1

Mar

2023

Famous Cake Donuts at Tyrone Mills

Cake Donuts

Anytime we are anywhere east of Toronto we head out to Tyrone Mills for cake donuts. Tyrone Mills is an old Mill in the town of Tyrone, Ontario. A little less than an hour east of Toronto on Highway 401 and about 10 minutes north. We spent a lot of time in those rolling hills when we were much younger.

They have a variety of treats, tarts, jams, jellies and syrups. And a great variety of flour. Wheat, spelt, whole, white, etc.

Byam's General Store

In the 1960s, if we could tear ourselves away from the creek and woods and barns of the farm, we'd make the kilometre trek to Byam's general store in Tyrone. We'd get ourselves a soda and candy and sit on the porch sipping and eating and resting for the trek back. Usually, safer and quicker to hoof it back through the woods.

Now we drive. Best cake donuts anywhere. Variety of tarts, mince, butter, lemon... Here are a few photos of the interior of the Mill and one of the front of Byam's General Store. The store has now been converted to an apartment. The new owner has kept the original face and tries to update seasonally.