On the Road Celebrated

Cardston, Alberta

This morning we left Waterton Peace Park, called that because the park joins Glacier National Park in Montana. We had two lovely days biking and canoeing but this morning brought the nicest treat. We got to see a mama Grizzly and her two cubs below us in the wetlands, where we had wandered earlier, looking for moose. For me this was a special gift because it was a non-threatening and ordinary look into the lives of these bears from above. In the same gaze we could see elk in the tall grasses with the mountains behind. It’s hard to leave.

We couldn’t bring ourselves to leave Canada altogether, just yet, so we are headed out across the prairie east. I just went to the Cardston Farmer’s Market and bought veggies. There is a big Mormon community here (and a huge temple on the hill) as well as four Hutterite (sp?) communities that were well represented at the market. They dress even more conservatively than the Mennonites and speak their own language. There are also many native people here. We saw what are left of the buffalo they once thrived on--(considered extinct in Canada but a handful are on display in a drivethrough "paddock.")

We will have to process veggie oil before we get there but we are going to a place north of the border called “Writing on Stone” where ancient people’s expressions can be viewed. After that we’ll head into the U.S.

If any of you want a soothing place, without many tourists, I’d recommend Waterton. It has a genuine sense of calm and will probably be quite nice through mid October. There is a little town in the middle of the park with all the amenities and everything you might care to do is accessible without a vehicle—they rent bikes. You can take the tour boat up from Montana.