It’s that time again, when I get the chance to stay in the USA for a couple of months. Two years ago, I wanted to visit engineering friends in Alberta, Canada. That didn’t push through, so I thought this time, I should not miss the opportunity of flying quickly from Arizona.
There’s one week it was best to visit, as my friend in Edmonton would be on leave, and going on a road trip with her small family. Perfect. I could squeeze in!
The destinations were the lake and orchard cities of Vernon and Kelowna. We passed by the longer route through Jasper, so I was able to see that side of the Rockies for the first time.
The area surrounding Okanagan and the smaller lakes Kalamalka, Swan and Wood, are beautiful, and have special weather apt for orchards. We had the pleasure of eating fresh produce, especially the cherries! It’s my first time seeing and eating yellow cherries.
Coming from hot summer in the Philippines, hot dry summer in lower Arizona, and not packing much cold weather wear, I was not prepared should there be a cold swing. So, I’m glad to have caught Canada’s limited summer! I even got a bit of sunburn after swimming in the lakes.
Vernon is where we stayed. It is a popular retirement place, which we easily noticed based on the population. Its downtown is small, quaint, and dated. Kelowna is a bigger city, and is more vibrant and modern, in spite of being a top retirement destination. The vibe is better. So, we thought it’s better to stay there for next time.
On the way back, we headed towards Calgary, so I got to see the Banff side of the rockies again. I can say, it is the most gorgeous side of that mountain range, after having seen 3 sides (Glacier-Waterton, Banff and Jasper).
The reason we stopped by Calgary is because we have friends there. I hadn’t seen them for 9 years, and my Edmonton friends don’t meet them often anyway. So, we arranged the trip for at least an overnight stay.
More than the gorgeous places, I was really happy to just catch up with friends in Alberta. That’s the main intent of this trip. We had almost never ending conversations, the type you have with people you truly bonded with in the past, and have really missed. And those are moments I’m willing to have my sleep schedule disrupted.
Enjoy the visualizer!
The Journeying Engineer 
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