More and more arrived and I finally slipped downtown to have dinner at the ABC restaurant. It really was not all that good but it did fill a void. What a gorgeous campground and to skip ahead a bit. I left on Wednesday morning early to head for Salem and I was told later that night that they had a tremendous rainstorm and thunder and lightning and that lightning even hit a tree in the campground and the next day they had to call animal control to remove a rattlesnake from just about where my tent was pitched. Thank God. Because I was going to miss a bit of the rally I chose to go on the rides Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday morning a group of ladies were supplying breakfast for 7.00 but what problems they had when all the breakers in the cook shack were blown but with much running around they finally got the pancakes and sausages cooked. Then about 13 bikes took off for Elkwater.
Lined up at the gate ready to go.
We had lunch at the little spot in Elkwater and then we went a couple of places I had never been.
An overlook of Reesor's Lake and then to Horseshoe Canyon. Here one is at the same altitude as Banff.
This is the visitors centre and this mural is made with bricks by a local artist.
Boardwalk and Lake at Elkwater
Reesor's Lake down in the valley
An Island in the Ice
Rode back to the campground and there was a legion shuttle bus which took us over to the hall where the beer garden and supper were provided for us for 7.00. This night we had burgers and salads. It was very good. The next day I signed up for the ride to Dinosaur Provincial Park and paid 15.00 for the bus tour of the park. So glad I did as I saw part of the park one is not allowed into on a self guided tour. Our bus driver/interpreter was very good and it was well worth the trip.
31 bikes went on this trip. This is in the parking lot at Dinosaur Provincial Park. North of Brooks.
Tony Neilsen, Barry Pratt, Ted Malcolm
Hoodoos
Strange Rocks
Our interpreter
Weird formations
A full dinosaur skeleton was excavated from this very spot.
This is the skeleton. It remains as it was excavated on sight in a beautiful building to keep it safe from the elements. There were over 500 complete dinosaur skeletons excavated in Dinosaur Provincial Park and it has been declared a Unesco World Heritage sight.
This is a Joyasaurus and our interpreter is explaining how one would preserve and remove this skeleton.
It would be cast in plaster and then lifted by this block and tackle and placed on a truck and taken to a place where it could be carefully worked on.
One last view of this beautiful place before the bus tour was over. Why is it called the badlands? No water, No food, A very inhospitable place where the early pioneers chose not to live.
We then descended on the Patricia Hotel for lunch where we had to cook our own steak or burger on the grill. That way no complaints as to the doneness.
Patricia is a big place. We took up most of main street.
Back at the campround..poor Kevin who wanted to come on the ride found to his chagrin that he had a flat front tire. He had just had both tires replaced in Cranbrook and they had not installed a new valve stem and this was the result but as with all things involving motorcycles and men. He had lots of advice.
That night we again descended on the hall and were served smoked Mennonite sausage and potato chips. We put our tickets in for door prizes. I read a little poem about a GPS and Dan presented me with a moose riding a motorcycle ornament and the motorcycle even had Medicine Hat stamped on it.
Good memories.
The next morning I left fairly early. The breakfast went better this morning and then I headed out. I reached Sprague Washington that evening but I will save that for my next episode.
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