Happy Canada Day

01/07/15

In an attempt to make the most of our expensive cabin we had a lazy morning but not too lazy, we had places to go and people to see! On the agenda today is white water rafting n the Sunwapta river. We checked in with the rafting company, grabbed a quick burger and then sat back and enjoyed the Canada Day parade! I’ve seen a few American parades in my time so I knew what to expect. Safe to say they are nothing like Northern Irish parades and I think they’re great! My favourite part was seeing the mounties. As a child who grew up watching Due South I have a real soft sport for them!

Soon we hopped on the rafting company’s converted school bus and began the 45 minutes drive upriver. On the way I spotted a black bear and some deer and it wasn’t long before we were changing in to our wetsuits, carrying the raft to the river and beginning our day of intermediate rafting. When I was in New Zealand I went white water body boarding and we’ve done a fair few kayaks down some pretty rough rapids so I was well prepared for a rough ride. Unfortunately it wasn’t as wild as I thought it would be. I was ready to channel my inner Meryl Streep in River Wild but instead I was a bit disappointed. We moved from the middle of the raft to the front and while we did get wet, I would have preferred something a bit more terrifying! It was still really nice to be on the water and to see the amazing scenery but note to self – next time don’t listen to the tour reps, do the life threatening activity instead! 

When we got back to town we had a quick dinner in an A&W restaurant. Yes, that’s right, your favourite brand of Root Beer is also a restaurant where they sell delicious burgers and of course, Root Beer! I even had a Root Beer Float which when combined with a bacon double cheeseburger and some sweet potato fries is just heaven. After dinner we made our way to the Jasper High School where there was a firework display to celebrate Canada Day. It was a really great atmosphere and despite being a small town, the fireworks were surprisingly good! You can’t fault North America when it comes to celebrating what little history they have – they go all out!

P.S Gin, next time you go white water rafting in Canada, charge your fake Go-Pro so you actually have some pictures/video of the river!