Alberta

 Getting close...

 The day we came into Alberta we started experiencing these Rolling farmlands!  Very pretty.

 Cows break up the monotony of a long ride sometimes.  They usually are quite interested in us when we pass and often break into a run and follow us along the length of their fence.  Part of the reason they are so curious probably has something to do with Keith's quite realistic mooing.  We taunt most of the animals we pass plainly for some amusement to liven the day of continuous pedaling.  You should hear Keith's hawk screech.

 This is a little town we stopped in to make our lunch.  The whole town is "viking" themed--not, as we found out, because the townspeople have viking heritage (they don't), but merely because their town is called Viking.

 We camped in "Bruce" that night--a town with a rodeo heritage and theme.  We put our tent up in an empty grassy lot in town, right across from a fancy, widely-popular "dinner event" at a motel from which savory aromas were wafting across the lawn... ahhhh well... rice packets again!

 Okay, I know, we have posted a ton of pictures of frogs... they are all just neat! All the different kinds!  I had to post this... he's so cute!  These little ones are wood frogs, we guess, that we have found in the grass of a few campsites now.

 If you know who Hiyo Miasaki is this might remind you of his movies... we have seen a few of these and are not quite sure what they are.

 Okay, well, there is more behind this picture that needs telling, but first let me say that this Chicken Tandoori pictured is maybe my favorite meal I have ever eaten.  Yes, quite possibly.  It is making my mouth water now... the tangy, rich, savory, how do you even say it??!!  It was amazing.  We were brought to this Indian food cafe by Hafiz, a good friend we made in Edmonton.

We visited the Edmonton Mall-- formerly the largest mall in the world.  We are at the 24th of who knows how many entrances!  I like how, though he was just stretching, Keith looks like he is saying, "The Mall is THIIIIIIIIS big!"  We don't even like malls, but we had to check this place out.  We got pretty turned around in there.

We did get to watch the Sea Lion show that takes place in the mall everyday... that was one talented sea lion, but what may have been more amusing was that we were watching him in a huge lagoon inside a mall. 

Yeah, there is also a floating pirate ship.  We also found the ropes course, mini golf and water park inside the mall, which is no small water park. We couldn't find the roller coaster.  You wouldn't think it would be that hard to find in a mall...

So, this is Joanne and Hafiz, who we spent a wonderful weekend with in Edmonton.  We met them at the park and they invited us to stay with them.  They fed us, let us clean up, and put us in a nice, comfortable bed, showed us some of the great things to see in the city, and on top of that were just a seriously awesome couple of people.

They took us to the "Fringe" -- a festival that takes place in Edmonton each year.  The booths of good food, street performers, and tons of shows and plays put on make it a pretty cool event.  The rides brought in were actually run on vegetable oil-- they called it the world's first "Sustainival."

Thanks Hafiz and Joanne-- it was awesome :)

We biked that next day to a small town called Entwistle.  We were scouring the area for a good place to set up camp (we were going to set up on the grass behind a church) when we went to a nearby house to ask if we could fill up some water.  While getting our water, the neighbors came across the street and told us they had an old camper we could sleep in.  It was a lovely evening--they brought us into the camper the rest of the meal they had had for dinner and later pulled a bunch of vegetables from their garden to send on the way with us.  Gilda and her son, Dave, were great, warm-hearted people that we enjoyed getting to know very much.

5,000 miles!!   It was easy.  :)

Our camp in Edson--in a patch of trees between the rails and the main part of town.  We made friends with a nice guy working at the gas station across the street, Al, who gave us a flat of bottled water!  There are such nice people in this world.  Probably felt bad for us living like hobos.

Our first look at the Canadian Rockies!  Here we come Rockies!

What a beautiful sight contrasted with the prairies we have been in for quite some time.

Don't worry--it's not real.  Just thought this would be a good place to enjoy our lunch of Cinnamon rolls and whole milk.

Ahh, Jasper National Park.

Do you see the face?

I won't explain what we're doing here, as we might be prosecuted.

Wanting to be hidden from the road, we found this secluded space and stashed our bike and gear behind the cover of these bushes... I look up (doing a cougar check) to see this bride and photographer walking down this secret, random, wilderness path we have found to do a bridal shoot!!  How perfect.

Keith takes an evening dip in the frigid lake.

I had the shot set up so well, but... I didn't quite capture it the first time.

So he did it again-- better!

And again :)

Our view from camp.

A favorite "snack" we have developed, reserved only for those times of caloric desperation: a Pop Tart, Peanut butter sandwich.  Delicious with the fudge pop tarts; cream cheese would go between the raspberry ones.  Do not try this at home.
 

Early morning on the road towards the town of Jasper.