7 in 14: Part 3 - O Canada!

"Traveling the only road in Canada" - South Park

On our way north, we had a layover in Calgary. First and foremost, we sought out poutine! With bellies full of gravy, cheese curds and fries, we walked around a beautiful park and saw baby beavers playing in a pond! Calgary is a lovely city, and if we were cold-weather-loving people, it would definitely be on the short list for a nice spot to plant roots.

Our lovely Kiwi (New Zealander) friends, Will and Dana, made the trip down to Colorado to celebrate our wedding in June. We HAD to make the journey up north before moving to Malaysia. They lived and worked in Whitehorse where cruise ship tourists would stop by for a Yukon-themed adventure. There was so much to see on the property including animals (llamas, baby Highlander cows, goats, donkeys, and sled dogs), a taxidermy hall, Yukon history exhibits, giant fire pits, and a cafe/restaurant where they fed hungry tourists donuts.

Even though we had just left, we drove south for 110 miles and crossed the border back to Alaska to explore Skagway, stopping at the check point for a passport stamp. We went to the oldest brothel in the area, The Red Onion, where gold miners supported the local economy. The walls were decorated with bed pans, and history tours took place describing the oldest profession (unfortunately, we just missed the last one by the time we arrived). On our way back to Whitehorse, a snowstorm was brewing and it turned into a white-out as we were driving up the mountain pass. Breaths held and knuckles white, we crested the summit and popped out on the other side (no snow, of course)! Mad kudos to Will for his expert navigating!!!

Next day we were back on the road heading east for 400 miles to the Liard Hot Springs. We stopped at Sign Post Forest which was started in 1942 and hosts 100,000+ license plates and eclectic signs hung up by people passing through from all corners of the world, adding 2 of our own to the collection. The 4 of us were determined to see the Northern Lights, however the clouds deemed that a silly request. We did our best and made a fire to ward off the Canadian-chill, and there were hints of green in the sky. Still a beautiful sight, even if it wasn't as impressive of a display as the pictures that Dana shared with us from the week prior. (We'll just have to come back and catch them another time!) Liard Host Springs was so beautiful and relaxing. We were all happy and prune-y when we eventually emerged from the sulfur waters.

Back on the property, we got to meet the animals up-close-and-personal. Our personal favorites were 2 baby Highlander calves, who we got to bottle-feed! Their silly cow-mouths guzzled down their dinners voraciously. There are 3 llamas, which we lovingly nicknamed "The Michael Jackson Trio". There were a number of goats, but the one that stands out is Frank - an old and smelly devil who pees on everything, including his own beard. Running away from pee-soaked Frank was the top priority as we helped Dana unload hay bales to feed the llamas and donkeys.

On our way home, we had another layover in Calgary. This time we rented a car and drove to Banff National Park. Moraine Lake is glacial-fed and the sediments reflect a truly breathtaking turquoise blue. We also spotted a few elk strolling through the town of Lake Louise, making a meal out of people's front lawns.

Canada is truly a beautiful and amazing country. We are so happy that we made the journey to America's hat before we departed the continent! Many thanks and all our love to our wonderful Kiwi hosts! ❤️

^ Border crossing to Skagway, AK

^ Sign Post Forest

^ A tiny fraction of the signs posted in the forest

^ Hiked up to an abandoned mining shaft - what a view!