The Weekend Post: Moving Cross Country and Jasper National Park

I know I've said it time and time again, but I'm really sorry for just vanishing into thin air!

Rather than bore you with some lame excuses, I'll just sum it up that things were crazy and I'm really bad at adding new things (blogs) to my schedule. Maybe things will be better this time around?
Anyway, as I mentioned in a previous post, I was planning on moving to Alberta after graduation and I'm here!
My mother and I drove across the country in her old sedan, which has officially been passed down to me.
It was a bit of a squished ride, but that didn't keep us down. Even after long days on the road (I'm talking 15 hours here, people) there was always time for laughs and sing-alongs.
However, rather than simply powering through and driving from NS to AB, we decided to stop along the way and take in a few sights.

Our first "detour" was to Ottawa, the nation's capital. Neither my mum or I had ever been, so we were pretty stoked to check things out. While the weather wasn't on our side (RIP nude flats) we still had a fantastic time - shopping, sightseeing, and eating. Uhhh, the eating...
We weren't really sure where to go, and while I'm sure there were loads of other places we could have went, we decided to go to Milestones. I had been there before when visiting a friend in Toronto, but only for drinks. While I did try an excellent craft beer at the Ottawa location, the burgers were what were ah-mazing. Like seriously, I'm drooling on my laptop as I think about them right now.
Mum ordered a chicken burger with a sriracha slaw and I opted for a beef burger with guac and salsa.
If I could lend you my brain so that you could experience the memory of these burgers, I would - they were so freaking good.
But I digress. 

Our next destination was Sault Ste. Marie. Just so you know, it took us about 2 days to get through Ontario. If I never have to see Northern Ontario again, I won't be upset.
I'm really not sure what there is to do in the Soo, but I did a bit of googling and discovered that there were some waterfalls in the area. We all know how I can't resist a good waterfall.
As we were walking the trail to the falls, my mother decided that was the opportune moment to mention how much it would suck if we were to run into a bear. Uhm, say what?! The thought hadn't even crossed my mind at that point, honestly, but it was definitely there after she made that comment.

Will we ever understand my fascination with waterfalls? Probably not...

After Sault Ste. Marie, we did our best to power through the Prairies and get to Alberta as quickly as possible. We stopped in Edmonton for a brief shopping excursion, though to be honest, I wasn't that impressed with the West Edmonton Mall. A bit obnoxious, if you ask me.

Then, finally, we made it to Grande Prairie! Moving and getting supplies isn't all that exciting, but my dad flew in on our second day in GP and we decided we would head down to Jasper and check things out there.

WOW. That's about all I can say to sum up Jasper National Park. So freaking pretty, but so many bear warnings. As if I wasn't on edge after our trip to the falls earlier... 

I GET IT, OK!?

Athabasca Falls - the obsession continues!

Got soaked trying to capture this, but how could I resist waterfalls and a rainbow??

Becoming one with nature...

Running away from nature when it got too close...

Anyway, the three of us had a fantastic time, albeit the trails were a bit hard on dad, especially when you consider he's waiting for a hip replacement.

Shortly after our return, my parents had to head back to Nova Scotia. I was sad to see them go, but also definitely looking forward to what the next year has to bring.

With that, I just want to say that I've got a bit of a schedule set up and some pretty cool ideas in mind, so I'm hoping that I'll be posting more frequently.

Until next time...