So when I finished paying off my vehicle 2 years early I had money to reallocate. Several of you suggested that I take that first month's $ and do something for myself instead of whapping it onto debt as I usually do. I hummed and hawed about that, unsure of what I wanted to do.
After my doctor appointment on the 19th I had a lot on my mind and my spirits were low. I had a lot of figuring out to do, a lot of reading to do to learn about some of these drugs and a lot of reconciling to do that I will have this disease for the rest of my life. I have to tell you that a lot of the pages I read were so sad and so depressing. The stories from others didn't give me a lot of hope as they wrote about the troubles they were having with the disease, and with the medication side effects.
I decided I needed a bit of me time. I always loved driving longer distances (with no mountains or no large cities in my way - they freak me out LOL) so I decided a 2 day round trip road trip was in order.
I went away last week on Wednesday early in the morning and returned Thursday by supper. A whirlwind trip to be sure but a lot of good self reflection went on.
I decided to head to Drumheller, Alberta. The Royal Tyrrell Museum is there.
For dinosaur lovers it is the mecca. I had gone there years ago with the boys so I knew how to get there, sorta. It was a great morning to drive the beautiful prairies, though on the way there, I felt like I was doing the 'gas station bathrooms of the prairies' tour. I learned I really can't eat and travel. Too far to the next town sometimes for safety.
In Drumheller, I felt like I was meeting ghosts of myself everywhere I went. I went by dino statues where I remember the boys posing...the ice cream shop we stopped at....the Smittys where the boys both argued over who got the blue crayon....and in the museum itself, I watched younger couples with their children and felt ancient. I flashbacked to being there and some dad was trying to pronounce a sign for his kids. He said it wrong and I remember him saying "sorry kids dad's not sure how to say that one'. DS1, who was 5 or 6, leaned over and said 'It's CRETACEOUS". precocious little bugger :-)
I drove by the hoodoos and remember climbing them, and then the Atlas Coal Mines, where we did our tour.
I spent the night in a hotel, with AIR CONDITIONING (I have none in my house LOL) and a KING SIZE BED. beyond exciting and sooo comfy.
The next morning I was off on a new adventure.... Dinosaur Provincial Park. I hadn't even known this place existed. Silly girl. This place is a UNESCO world heritage site and the field station for where a lot of the dino excavation takes place. You are just driving along minding your own business beside fields of wheat and canola with nothing to indicate what is coming (except for a sign that says 'snakes at risk. drive slow and preserve our rattlesnakes' *huge eye roll* lol
Then out of the blue the whole topography changes and you see this magnificient sweep where glaciers carved out chunks of the earth and show all those great layers of earth. There is a lookout point where I stopped and carefully walked to the edge, watching for those snakes I am supposed to 'preserve'. It is quite amazing to look at. I was the only vehicle there when I arrived but within minutes there were a handful of vehicles. As I walked the perimeter I came across a family from Manitoba with three little ones. They were asking the mom questions she wasn't quite sure how to answer and she said "maybe that lady knows" LOL So I found myself giving a little history lesson to the family, pointing out a few of the features I had noticed from the lookout. "You should be a teacher" said the oldest of them. I just laughed.
These are a couple of the pics I took from the top.
Following the road down to the bottom, there are areas for picnics, for camping, a concession, bathrooms (yessss) and an indoor mini museum and gift shop. There was a fee for the museum part.
Here are a couple of pics I took from inside the museum.
Outside there are all kinds of trails to take. Long ones and short ones. Ones with guides (for a fee) and ones without. There is even a bus tour for those who can't do the hiking, with stops where the guide gets everyone out to show and explain different features. If I were to take the boys (and be in better health) I would take one of the hiking ones with your own guide. Worth the $
I walked one of the shorter trails, tagging along behind an older couple and a family of four. Just figured it would be safer in case I got sick, or met one of the dreaded 'preserved' wildlife. When I got back to the main area one of the guides was talking with another group who had indeed encountered a rattler.
Here is a pic from right below a formation:
I wandered about the gift shop and picked up a couple of rocks for my dad, who collects different specimens.I laughed beacause when you pay at the museum they want to know where you are from. My 'Saskatchewan' seemed rather paltry when I listened to the three groups after me who were from New York, France and Israel LOL I also bought myself the necklace here below.
After that I began the drive home. I did think of a few of my blog visitors who live in the Drumheller, Brooks, Oyen areas. I was near you :-)
I had a lot to come to terms with on the drive. That I have been massively overweight for all of my adult life. That that weight has kept me from experiencing many things in life. I have spent too many summers going "next summer maybe I can...", I am going to have colitis for the rest of my life. I can take different meds and I have no idea what side effects they are going to give me. I have no clue if the meds will work to keep the disease symptoms at bay. I have only a couple years left before the boys are both gone - I have to make the most of them. Did I come to terms with everything? no but it was a lot of good time to think.
Costs for the trip?
- Gas - $150
- Tyrrell Museum - $11
- Dino Park - $3
- Necklace and 2 rocks for dad - $32
- Hotel - $137
- Food - $25 (don't eat much when it comes back to haunt you LOL)
