Feast & Farewell
On our final night in Nova Scotia, we were invited to an amazing maritime feast with Arie, and the neighbours we had befriended at the Captain's House. Again I can barely comprehend the level of hospitality we received during our stay in this incredible place!
Mikhail helped to prepare the meal while I sat and ate all the scallops - they were the most delicious scallops I had ever eaten! There was conversation and laughter and a sense of warmth and generosity that was so genuine and sincere, that I will always remember it vividly. We were treated to locally grown fresh corn on the cob, fresh scallops, haddock and mussels followed by freshly baked apple pie and ice cream.
What a way to wrap up the most perfect trip! We were ever so fortunate to meet all these incredible people on our trip and still maintain contact with them to this day. We are hoping to get back to Nova Scotia and see them again soon.
Feeling a bit nostalgic, I awoke early the next morning so I could take in the last morning of our stay in Nova Scotia before setting out on our journey back to Alberta. I had mixed feelings as I quietly exited the tent so Mikhail could continue sleeping. Part of me was sad to leave this amazing place and the incredible people we had met and dreading the long journey ahead back to Alberta while I was also very much looking forward to getting home to see those we left behind.
Fog had settled in overnight and laid over the meadow like a thick blanket. I went for a walk in the meadow and took a detour through a nearby graveyard. As the sun rose over the trees in the west, the rays of sunshine back lit the grave markers creating a very pleasing effect. Some might imagine the scene of a foggy graveyard as frightening, like something from a horror movie; however, in reality it was quite the opposite, it was peaceful and tranquil. I marvelled at this beauty and took many photos to try and capture the essence of the moment.
I slowly made my way back to our campsite, fired up the camp stove, made myself a cup of coffee and sat down in my chair to soak up this last peaceful August morning before heading back out on the open road. I relish in my great fortune to be able to experience such a place and have the opportunity to embark on such an epic adventure.
The sun continued to rise above the trees and the fog dissipated to reveal a vivid blue sky. A pair of hummingbirds interrupted the peaceful scene and began racing around the meadow zigging and zagging in and around trees and doing laps around our tent. I watched them intently for a while and lost track of where they had gone. Suddenly, they appeared immediately in front of me. They just hovered there, approximately three feet away for what seemed like minutes. They both stared at me quizzically as I sat paralyzed in my chair. An encounter with a hummingbird is considered a blessing or a good omen by many.
Observing these hummingbirds seemed like a sign and a very relevant message and a search for deeper meaning. When I researched this further, an encounter with hummingbirds is a sign to:
be flexible with changes in life;
witness the positivity and joy in the small and simple things in life;
be resilient to overcome obstacles; and
live in the moment.
I thank these little creatures for bringing happiness and meaning to my life, provoking me to reflect on my life and this journey and also visiting me on my last day in Nova Scotia to wish me farewell.
After my hummingbird encounter, we ate breakfast, packed up our gear for the last time and said our goodbyes to Arie before heading out on the open road back to Alberta.
The Way Home
Reconnecting in Red Lake
On our way back toward Edmonton, we pushed hard to make some miles as we headed west. Our plan was to put some long days of driving behind us and take a break in Red Lake, Ontario. One of my old friends from University resides there and it was the perfect opportunity to stop in and catch up. I have known my friend Bob for over 25 years. We went to college in Regina, Saskatchewan together and studied Engineering in the same program. I continued my career in the Engineering field and after achieving an Engineering degree, Bob went on to earn a teaching degree. He and his wife Jennifer are raising their family in Red Lake and both teach school in the area.
Red Lake is off the beaten path at 535 km northwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario and a further 175 km straight north off the TransCanada Highway from Vermilion Bay, Ontario. This is likely not a place you would be casually driving through. If you are driving to Red Lake, you likely have business or acquaintances in Red Lake or the immediate surrounding area.
In this small community, the primary sources of employment include numerous support services for the mining operations in the surrounding area, small-scale logging and tourism focusing on hunting and fishing. The area has a long history in gold mining and is home to one of the largest Gold mines in the world; the Red Lake Mine.
With a population of slightly more than 4,000 people, the town of Red Lake and surrounding area, still has that small town feel with a rustic outdoorsy feel. The town is very connected to the lake with many boats and fly planes coming and going.
I love the feel of this place, it feels so far from the daily bustle of the big City, likely because it is! This is my second visit to Red Lake, and each time I come, it always makes we want to come back for more. The combination of reuniting with good friends and a rustic backdrop of the lake, with float planes and beauty in every direction also doesn’t hurt.
We drove toward Red Lake from Kakabeka Falls near Thunder Bay, Ontario with overcast skies and steady rain most of the way. I was gearing up for disappointment as I was hoping for some sunny weather to get out on the lake and enjoy some downtime and a great visit. As we pulled into Red Lake later that afternoon, the rain dried up and the sun came out to reveal a glassy calm reflection over the water and the faint call of loons in the background. What a treat!
Upon arrival, we were immediately drawn toward the lake. It also helps that Bob and his family live right on the lake, in fact the lake is their backyard! We strapped on some life jackets, climbed into their boat and went out to explore the lake.
After enjoying some time in the sun exploring the lake, we were greeted to a marvelous meal of steak and fresh fish!
After our meal, we sat out on the dock and enjoyed a beautiful calm evening. The kids did some fishing and we all had a great visit. Catching up with Bob made me realize why we became friends in the first place and I started to wonder why I didn’t place more effort into keeping in touch with him outside of this trip.
I have taken Mikhail fishing several times over the past few years, but I am embarrassed to say we have never caught any fish. I am obviously not much of a fisherman! Mikhail tried his hand at fishing on the dock and caught not one but three fish that evening, the kid couldn’t have been happier!
We went to bed and awoke to an even more beautiful day than the previous. Completely calm, glassy water - we enjoyed a final visit and an amazing breakfast that Jennifer prepared for us out on the deck overlooking the water before packing our gear and reluctantly hitting the road. I really didn’t want to leave, and Mikhail tried his hand at convincing me to stay longer, but we still had many miles ahead.
At The Hundredth Meridian
We left Red Lake later that morning - we should have left much earlier in the day but the generosity and hospitality we received made it challenging to get away any sooner. We almost didn’t leave at all!
We set a goal to make it to Rosthern as our next stop for the night which would be our longest day of driving on the trip at approximately 1,300km. Mikhail and I were excited to get to Rosthern to spend some quality time with his grandparents (my parents), prior to getting back home to reunite with his sister and mom.
This was “by far” the hardest leg of the trip; long, flat straight, uninteresting sections of road, stiffness in my back from over 11,000 km of travel and the thoughts of heading back to work and getting back to reality started to set in. I have done longer days on the road, but this one in particular seemed to be one of the tougher stretches in recent memory.
The day’s journey was mostly uneventful until we observed menacing dark, storm clouds and lightning on the horizon approximately halfway between Winnipeg and the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border. Our location at the time coincided with the approximate location of the hundredth meridian, “where the great plains begin”, as aptly named in the classic Canadian song, by the Tragically Hip, hence it seemed fitting to name this chapter accordingly after the song of the same title.
The hundredth meridian is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean through North America and South America and down through Antarctica to the South Pole; and was aptly the theme song for this portion of our journey. Tragically Hip Hundredth Meridian.
We could see this storm brewing far in the west well before the sunset and we drove toward it for what seemed like hours. As the sun sank below the horizon, the clouds became more ominous and threatening and the mass of swirling darkness and flashes of lightning became more concerning as we were driving straight into it.
Battling through the worst storm I had experienced in recent memory, in addition to having already had a long day on the road, I was starting to get emotional and overreacting to the situation. MIkhail was frightened but provided great support through the worst of it all - he was such a trooper!
The Jeep was being pummelled with strong winds, heavy rain and hail to the extent that we had to pull off the road and put our hazard flashers on. Visibility was near zero as the rain and hail poured down and the wind surged on. I was worried the Jeep was going to sustain serious hail damage as the hail was hitting hard enough to make you question whether the windows would stay intact. We were also worried that others who decided to keep driving through near zero visibility may collide with us. The storm raged on and off violently for a few hours and we took it easy or pulled over when it made sense so we could ensure we made it safely to our next stop.
We eventually pushed on through the storm and drove for quite a few more hours into the night before getting to Rosthern in the early hours of the next morning. My parents waited up and greeted us as we pulled in the driveway. We were so tired, it was hard to be excited to see them, but we were relieved to arrive and headed straight to bed so we could spend some quality time with them the following day before heading back to Edmonton.
Rosthern is a small prairie town in central Saskatchewan with a population of approximately 1,700 people, situated approximately halfway between Prince Albert and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. My parents live on an acreage just outside the town. It is a bustling little town contrary to many small towns in the prairies with a grocery store, hardware store and most local conveniences.
My parents moved to the area after a long search for the perfect acreage and have lived there for the past seven years. They have worked hard to make the place their own and made many improvements to the property over the time they have lived there. They recently purchased a pair of pygmy goats and a few chickens and have done amazing things with the place since they purchased it.
That night, I slept as soundly as one could sleep. I awoke to another beautiful sunny August morning. We were again treated to exceptional hospitality and to an incredible breakfast and a happy reunion with my parents who had intently kept track of us through our entire journey. We told them of our adventures across over 12,000 km and spent time going through many photos and telling stories.
We toured my mom’s garden and visited the chickens and goats under a beautiful calm sunny morning. We gathered a bunch of fresh produce from the garden to take home with us that included peppers, tomatoes, onions, carrots and potatoes. We then packed up our veggies and got in the Jeep for the home stretch: Rosthern to St. Albert.
We were so excited to get home, and strangely enough the six hour trip that usually seemed to take forever, flew by quickly as this was a short jaunt compared to some of our longer days on the road over the course of this trip.
As we pulled into the driveway back in St. Albert, we were greeted by Moncia, Hailey and of course our dog, Baby who were all extremely happy to see us after nearly 40 days away. It was a tearful reunion with many stories and photos to share.
Final Reflections
This was a liberating journey that forced me to reflect on how I live my life and helped me to see what truly matters. An unforgettable father-son journey that I wish every father and son could take to strengthen their bond. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to take this journey with Mikhail as I learned so much about him; his strength, his passion for life, his kindness, his sense of humor, it was very special.
I am also very fortunate as I reflect on the amazing hospitality and generosity we received throughout this trip as well as all new friends and old friends we met along the way. This journey proved to me that surrounding yourself with good people really can have a positive effect on a person. This journey will live on in my memory for the rest of my days.
There were so many reasons during the planning phase where I told myself this is impossible and threw my arms up and said this can’t work, but we focused on solutions and ways we would make it happen and ultimately pulled it off. It was so worth it!
So many times we will think about something we want to do and then we eventually convince ourselves it isn’t practical, or it's too hard or some other reason will surface that ensures that the dream will not become reality. The power to make things happen lies within all of us and if we really want to “live your story” you have to follow through and make those dreams a reality! You have to stay the course and have focus and determination to make it happen!
I hope that everyone has the opportunity at some point in their lives to take a journey such as this - to experience the world with a loved one and strengthen their bond and build some amazing lasting memories along the way.
All the best,
Aaron
Live Your Story Crew
A Log of Days, Destinations and Distances Traveled:
DAY 1: St. Albert, AB to Warman, SK - 531 km
DAY 2: Warman, SK to West Hawk Lake, MB - 970 km
DAY 3: West Hawk Lake, MB to Wild Goose Lake, ON - 786 km
DAY 4: Wild Goose Lake, ON to Rouyn-Noranda, QC - 700 km
DAY 5: Rouyn-Noranda, QC to Rivière-du-Loup, QC - 1,055 km
DAY 6: Rivière-du-Loup, QC to Margaretsville, NS - 660 km
DAYS 7 - 29: Margaretsville, Nova Scotia and various locations around Nova Scotia (July 26 - Aug 23)* - 3,016 km
DAY 30: Margaretsville, NS to Saint-Michel-du-Squatec,QC (Lac Temiscouata) - 848 km
DAY 31: Saint-Michel-du-Squatec, QC to Rouyn-Noranda, QC - 1,139 km
DAY 32: Rouyn-Noranda, QC to Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park (Thunder Bay, ON) - 982 km
DAY 33: Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park to Red Lake, ON - 539 km
DAY 34: Red Lake, ON to Rosthern, SK - 1,311 km
DAY 35: Rosthern, SK to St. Albert, AB - 563 km
TOTAL13,100
*Included 14 days of self-isolation to meet Covid-19 restrictions in the maritimes (0 kms travels during this time)
Also associated with this trip, read, A Pilgrimage: Reflections Far From Home
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