Whitecourt, Alberta

A good 3 hour drive from Gibbons to Whitecourt, all set up at the Lions Club Campground for 1:30 pm After a late lunch. we visit the information centre which is next door to the camping, get fixed up with a trail map and set off on another nature walk.

 

We have moved out of the prairie and are now in forest, the big change is the light and not being able to see the big sky.

  

We are now in bear country, this worried us a bit as we have no bear spray, the lady at the info. centre said there had been no bear sightings this summer,  the cougars were the problem and what do you do if one of those takes a fancy to you - - we set off into the woods a little worried

  

The trail we walked, not a sight or sound of bears, cougars or any other wild life except for butterflies, which quite pleased me as I like watching them.

  

I dont think we have seen this one before, I have no idea what its called, pretty though.

 

Two for the price of one, and they are different.

 

This is the last butterfly pic.

 

So I thought how about another bug. thats it folks another great day on the road, todays milage 187km. To morrow we go to Valley View.

In and around Gibbons Alberta.

We have been here at the Longriders RV Park for 4 days enjoying the area and making new friends.
On Thursday morning we went into Fort Saskatchewan to visit the old Mounted Police Fort and Museum; an interesting tour, especially the court house with all the original furnishings. all the different "Mounty" uniforms from the 1870s, the only common factor being the tunics which have always been red.

During the afternoon Rodger, who we met at happy hour at our neighbours on Wednesday night, took us on a trip to Edmonton to show us around and buy some steaks and beer for a BBQ Friday night.

 Blair, our neighbour, getting the campfire going for the BBQ.

     Steaks Alberta style                                                                      

Friday we went into Edmonton and visited The Royal Alberta Museum and spent most of the day viewing the exhibits, mostly natural history and first nation culture.

   Saturday was a lazy day, chatting with Rodger in the morning watching Blair cut grass. Shopping in Fort Saskatchewan in the afternoon.

 Sunday, we went for a walk along the Sturgeon River in Gibbons a couple of km. down river from Wednesdays hike.

 Lots of birds and bugs and wildflowers.

I think this little fellow is a woodpecker, at least he sounded like one, pecking away at the tree.

 I have no idea what this plant is called.    

Looking ahead up the trail.

   Last look at the river before returning to the campground. Tomorrow Monday we will  be on the road again in the direction of Grand Prairie.

Lloydminster to Gibbons via St. Paul.

This evening we are in Gibbons, Alberta. Tuesday morning we left Lloydminster and drove to St. Paul a distance of 157km. Driving past oil wells, wheat and canola fields and ranch land with lots of cows. St. Paul is just a normal western town with a main street about 2 km. long and a few streets branching off. It has one claim to fame in my book, its the first place we have been to without mosquitoes! I will visit again.

 The entrance to the camping at St. Paul

 Some more of the wonderful western sky.                                                                                                    

Wednesday, A change of plan today, we are having problems getting into campgrounds around Athabasca and Lac Le Biche so have decided to go south a little ways towards Edmonton, first stop Gibbons, The Longrider RV park and they have a site the last one, how lucky and they have wifi, they have put us on a site which they are closing off to build a new office and washrooms but as its only for a day or two we have hit it lucky.

 The Campground is close to the Sturgeon River with a trail running alongside, a perfect walk. We are sharing the trail with a bunch of horse riders.

 Our last sight of the river as we turn away

 to go back to the campground.                












This was quite a climb from the riverbank up to the camping.
Happy hour with our neighbors, bbq pork chop and mushrooms for dinner followed by butterscotch ice cream a good ending to the day.
Distance travelled today 189km. The landscape changed again today, we left the oil wells behind and drove though mostly ranch land with just a little farming, about 30km from Gibbons the oil wells started again, What a rich and varied land this is.