Week 10; headed for the West Coast

Hello from a very sunny and temperate Elk Island, Alberta. We've been having a lovely time on our journey so far towards the west coast of Canada, enjoying Manitoba and Saskatchewan along the way.

Happy faces on the Elk Island Boardwalk

Over the last 10 days or so we have enjoyed some one of a kind scenery from the Canadian Badlands. This was places and landscapes that we had no idea even existed and yet have been some of our most favourite places. After driving through Manitoba and most of Saskatchewan which is notoriously flat, it was a welcome relief to see so much texture in the landscape.

We have stayed mostly in provincial/national parks over the last 1-2 weeks in order to get the most out of the places we have been. Our favourite by far was Dinosaur Provincial Park which was home to some of the most amazing Badlands and cretaceous rocks and fossils. We spent 2 nights there but honestly could have spent longer. There is so much to do there and we have said we would go back. We hiked around the park, caught sight of a rattle snake, did the public driving loop and saw 2 fossil exhibits all while enjoying the mountains, crevices and rocks that were formed after the Asteroid hit and during the ice age. It was very cool to be stood in the same exact place that a dinosaur or herds of dinosaur had stood before civilisation as we knew it begun. In addition to the dino theme of our trip we also drove through Drumheller, another dramatic landscape in the Canadian Badlands. Although our trip there was fleeting, it was still cool to see how people lived in the tiny houses and obviously, to visit the World's Largest Dinosaur.

Once our Dinosaur adventures came to an end we headed to Edmonton for a quick look around, shopped at a farmers market and I got a new tattoo! The dogs struggled a little with being around so many people in the city, but as usual once we get them back out into nature again they seem okay.

I have quite a few permanent artworks now; shout out to Rose Quartz Studio who normally do the work and thank you to Pansy Poke for this piece!

To be honest, I know the feeling! If this trip has taught me anything it's the value of the environment and the nature we surround ourselves with. I think we all feel better once we are out of the crowds and the noise and the lights and can hear the breeze in the trees. It's not impossible to live like this forever, although it does come with its own challenges (public toilets and needing to be plugged in being the main one!) I know how privileged we are to have this opportunity and we are doing all that we can to make the most of everyday.

There are more pictures on our Instagram page so please feel free to check us out! @barksandbackpakcs

I hope you're having a great day and that you find time to get outside :)

C x