We've Got Questions ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  Here are some questions for you.

1. Where did your mother and father grow up?

My mother and father both grew up in northern Alberta in several small communities close to what is now the city of Grande Prairie.  They were both born in Grande Prairie, Alberta too.  Back then it was a one horse town but today it is a thriving and much larger city.

Grande Prairie as you approach from the west

It looks very flat around this area but that's a bit deceptive because there are gently sloping hills and valleys all around just off the main highways and byways.

The following photos are not really in order of how we visited or passed through but they will give you an idea of the scenery in the area.

It was summer when I was last there. This beautiful flower pot decorated the entry to the hotel.

More northern scenery

And more....I think this was just after entering Alberta from northern British Columbia 

We visited relatives in Grande Prairie & East to Valleyview before visiting an uncle in Fairview.

Not too many of these old wood buildings are still standing.

Now we are heading west to Dawson Creek, British Columbia (BC)

2. Where did you grow up?

I grew up mainly in a small northern city in the province of British Columbia. The city is called Dawson Creek. It was small back then and it's still quite small today. It's claim to fame is that it is the place where the Alaska Highway begins.  There is a sign to show where the highway begins at "Mile 0".

3. What was your favorite meal your mother made? What is your favorite recipe to make?

That's a difficult one.  My mother could make something out of nothing and it would all taste good.  Whatever she made was filling, 'stick to your ribs' food so you were not always hungry.  The dishes that I recall liking a lot are spaghetti and meat sauce and roasted chicken pieces.  The chicken was to die for, so tender and juicy and reminiscent of KFC chicken with flavour.  My favourite as a child.  She also made wonderful bread, muffins, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, cakes and pies, with the latter being her specialty.  One of my brothers took after mother in the pie making department.  I didn't inherit mother's skill of making pies.  You would laugh if you saw my sorry attempts, especially concerning lemon meringue pies. It's too bad I don't have a photo of my efforts to share with you. I can laugh about it now but I remember at the time being frustrated when my efforts did not pan out.

I don't really have a favourite recipe but something I make often is a stir fried noodle, vegetable and meat dish or a stir fried vegetable and meat dish to have with steamed rice. Perhaps my favourite recipe is one I don't make very often.  It's a Greek meal of chicken, lemon potatoes, Greek salad, Tzatsiki sauce and pita bread.  I'd make it more often but it's quite time consuming and labour intensive because almost all of it, with the exception of the pita bread, is made from scratch. I prefer making something that is quick to put together but now and then I like something a little more involved.  I also love to bake but try not to do too much of it because I eat too much when there are freshly baked goods in front of me. 

I especially like baking bread.

4. What are the advantages you enjoy where you live?

I'm assuming you mean, where I currently live which is a considerable distance from where I grew up albeit in the same province. 

I live in the large metropolis of Vancouver, British Columbia. I love it for its plentiful trees, green spaces (parks and private gardens), and spectacular scenery (beaches and mountains). I live in the rain forest and I even like the rain.  However, as as I get older I'm finding that even a winter with more rain than snow is still a bit too cold for me.  The other thing I love about where I live is the fact that I don't have to travel out of town to access government services or health care and we have an excellent public transportation system.

I hope you enjoy this photo heavy post. I couldn't resist sharing a lot of photos.

Thank you for stopping by!

Ride with me: Chetwynd to Edmonton

I left off my journey in Dawson Creek where we were able to find a room at the George Dawson Inn for the evening. In the morning we had to make the hour drive back to Chetwynd for the funeral. There wasn't much time to take photos and the ones I got in drive by shooting are not so great but I think they will give you an idea of the place.

This photo is taken as you enter Chetwynd from the north.

One of the first buildings you come to as you enter town is the white building. It is the Legion Hall and is where many of the wakes for funerals takes place.

Chetwynd is a small town of a few thousand people but it has all the basic services, including a swimming pool. It is always busy work wise but the town itself never grows very large.

One of the old hotels in town has been demolished (right of photo).  It looks like there may have been a fire involved.

This is a slightly better view.  note the wood carving in the foreground. These wood carvings are all over town. Someone or several someones spent a lot of time carving these pieces.

This is a newer and quite large hotel called the Pomeroy. There is another new and large hotel on the hill coming into town from the north.  These two big hotels were not here the last time I visited.  Though I see they are now in every town in the north.  I couldn't get a room though. Everything was fully booked!

After we leave Chetwynd, we will be heading back through Dawson Creek and Grande Prairie, already posted about elsewhere. We are heading south to the City of Edmonton.

Look up on the mountain! Can you see all those wind turbines? I was very surprised.  I counted  27 of them on the mountain but my research told me that are 34 windmill towers with a capacity to produce 102 megawatts, or enough electricity for 38,000. The wind farm has been in place for about two years and is located on Bear Mountain near Dawson Creek.  The project was started by a company based in Calgary, Alberta.

This post officially commemorates "Mile 0" of the Alaska Highway. Many people stop here to take their photos before heading north on the highway.

 

I managed to snap this photo of an old heritage building as we zoomed through the town.  I can't remember now if it was the town of Beaverlodge or Hythe in northern Alberta.

This dock and waterview is in the provincial park at Sturgeon Lake, Alberta.

Many years ago this lake was filled with sturgeon fish but there aren't any more unless they are hiding down in the deep recesses of this glacial lake.  Other fish are there for the fishermen to catch.

Now it is off to Edmonton.  We have a few hours drive ahead but some beautiful scenery and a fantastic sunset to keep us entertained.  We also stopped off in Grande Prairie for a meal and bit of shopping.

 

 

You will see these oil rigs all over the north country.

 

 

We finally pull into the City of Edmonton around 11:30 p.m. or midnight. It has been a long day but we stop at McDonalds to use the wi-fi and check out hotel prices.  We decide on the Ramada Inn and it turns out to be a wonderful place with comfortable beds, a mini bar/fridge, coffee, etc.  Price is $109.00 Canadian dollars plus tax.

I'm always happy for a comfortable bed when I'm tired.

So glad you stopped by and joined me for the tour. Come again soon as we make our way to Calgary and back through beautiful British Columbia.