Canada Trip: Introduction

(Both maps Copywright 2002 by American Automobile Association)

This was the trip I was waiting for for more than seven years! The company I used to work for went out of business, and I was out of a job. So naturally, I decided to go to Alaska!

As in every road trip I've ever taken, things did not work out according to plan. Due to outside circumstances, this ended up becoming a "Canada Trip" instead of "Alaska Trip"! It all started when I made up my mind to go to Alaska, and the following things happened, in this order:

• My sister-in-law's brother asked me if I could "drop by" in Cleveland, Ohio along the way.
• My parents asked me if I could "drop by" in Orange County, California along the way.
• My cousin asked me if I could "drop by" in Columbus, Ohio along the way.
• An internet chat-friend asked me if I could "drop by" in Orange, Texas along the way.
• One of my ex-coworkers asked me "If you're going to Cleveland, could you also please do me a favor and give all these books to my cousin over there?"
• I asked another internet chat-friend if I could "drop by" in Michigan City, Indiana along the way.

And so the trip started on the evening of July 14, 2002 ("Day 0")-- from Orange County, California. (I purposely made that the "starting point", not San Jose, since my 48-state trip also started from there). It was basically a non-stop drive to Orange, TX -- then another non-stop drive to Holland, MI -- then a roundtrip to Michigan City, IN and back to Holland -- then Columbus and Cleveland, OH.

From Cleveland, there was a round-trip to Niagara Falls, followed by what was more or less a non-stop drive to Calgary, with a couple of detours along the way (more on that in the Pictures section).

That was the first two weeks. The third and final week of the trip was the most scenic, the most eventful, and the most fun (not to put the rest of the trip down)!

Banff National Park: SPECTACULAR!!! Better than anything I've seen in the U.S. or Canada -- and yes, that includes Bryce Canyon!

Kootenay, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks: GORGEOUS! Especially after Banff, I was in a great mood and couldn't wait to see more of the Canadian Rockies...

The Alaska Highway: Amazing.... Remote.... Beautiful.... During the entire time I was driving on that road, I couldn't believe I was actually there, after waiting so long..... until I got a phone call! (More on that later).

Vancouver, BC: "Died" for the third time in my life, and I can't wait to die again!

I was back home (without going to Alaska) on the evening of "Day 22": August 5, 2002, after 11,200.0 trip miles on my car from my parents' house to my brother's house.... And my cost for this CANADA trip was $2,152.62 -- an average of $97.85 per day.

I hope to return some day, and finally go to Alaska!!!

Table of Contents
Continue on to Week 1: USA