Road Trip

 At some point in our lives we have to make weird decisions; such as going on a long road trip with four kids and a husband!  

When  my husband first told me about the move from Ottawa to Calgary I was so thrilled, However, that didn't last longs I started to worry when he said we  should do it within a week and we don’t have enough days for a long road trip. The plan was to get to Calgary before the starting of the schools in order to enrol  the kids. 

Long story short, or not that short, we left Ottawa at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, our first stop was Sault ste Marie .. it was a long drive as we had to stop several times for toilet and food. And because we left late that day, we reached the hotel around 1:00 am on Wednesday.

Wednesday morning after we had breakfast we decided that we couldn't  drive another 8 hours. We were so exhausted. So we spent the day discovering the city and left the day following.

It was a great decision; 

Sault Ste Marie is a beautiful city in Ontario, it’s on the St. Marys river, north of the U.S. borders. The city is full of cultural and historical sites. We had a lovely day and a peaceful night made us ready for the drive on the next day.

On Thursday we drove to our second stop: Thunder Bay. 

We reached there before sunset, picked a nice restaurant, had a hot meal and then headed to the hotel and spent the night. 

Thunder Bay is the largest city in the northwest Ontario. The city takes its name from the immense Thunder Bay at the head of Lake Superior, known on the 18th century  French maps as Baie du Tonnerre (Bay of Thunder). 

Friday morning we drove to our third stop: Winnipeg in Manitoba 

It was an interesting drive; as we drove closer to Manitoba We could feel  the difference in land. More hills, no more mountains. 

We were heading to the beginning of the Canadian Prairies (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.)

We reached Winnipeg before sunset, and had a hot meal then went to the hotel to rest.

Saturday morning we drove to our fourth stop: Regina in Saskatchewan 

As we were getting closes and closer to Calgary we were more tired and excited. 

The drive to Regina was not long as the ones before which was good. We needed the extra hours to have some rest and relax. 

Regina is the capital and the second largest city of Saskatchewan. The city is full of places to visit and explore. 

Sunday morning we drove to our destination: Calgary. 

It was a drive full of emotions, memories and happiness..

We reached Calgary around 5:00 pm.

All the mixed emotions leaving our friends in Ottawa and coming back to a city we love and people we miss in Calgary made us more strong and made us think about the importance of having true people in our lives. 

Some tips when you go on a road trip with kids :

.Bring lots of snacks. Try to bring even snacks you will not allow at your house on daily bases or ever! (you can by them as you stop on the road)

.Charge all the devices you have; sell phones , I pads, tablets.... don’t stick to your rules at home, these won’t work in a car for long rides! 

.Have books, magazines and activity books handy. 

.Have road games ready, such as; story telling, poem challenges, songs competition ...

.Try to stop as often as possible not just for toilet, gas and food.. if you find  a nice area where the kids can run a little bit or throw a ball or even pick rocks, leaves and flowers that will be great.

.Be patient as possible it’s hard to be squeezed in a closed place on four wheels for a long time. 

.Don’t forget to be ready for emergencies; first aid kit, blankets, lights....

And for sure don’t forget allergy, pain and fever and stomach upset medications. 

.Try not to drive at night, no lights on the roads and high chance of animals crossing.

.If you have time try to spend it exploring the cities or towns you stop in.

.Plan your trip ahead of time and insure that you book to sleep in good hotels.

I would definitely do it again with the same kids and husband. 

Calgary 2018