studiowest.ca

Just a little adventure on my annual trip to the Lee Bellows Memorial Bucking Bronc School this May.  This blog is to feature RV travel, RV living and places visited focusing heavily on Truck camping, if you’re here for the bucking broncs you can skip this part and go directly to the images. Being as I have past posts on the Bronc School I will include the short write up I did on the 2025 school for information on that or you can go to the archives for more.

Back to the broken truck, Friday started great, little wind, truck camper unwinterized and I was on my way taking it slow conserving fuel. Around Douglas Provincial Park my red battery light appeared, I stopped and checked and my battery read 21.3 V. I knew I had a problem but was not going to fix it there so try and make Moose Jaw. Just before Eyebrow, Saskatchewan, approx. 50 some kms down the road, all my warning lights appeared, not good the truck started to loose power and a wrench symbol appeared. I just made it to a deserted service station and pulled off the road the truck dash went black and the truck died.

I checked the battery again and it registered zero so good chance it was the alternator. Now Eybrow is a beautiful little community approx. 55 kms from Moose Jaw but there would not be and alternator or battery to be found here. I had just purchased my new Renogy Suitcase 200 watt solar panel, I needed a battery charge and had nothing else but bringing the battery back from zero I had my doubts. Coffee, dinner and my home was with me so it was a great quiet place to pass 3 hours. An elderly local couple stopped by and said they could boost me but I knew I needed battery power to continue and they said they would stop back later. The owner of the shop stopped by and we had a great visit waiting for my solar to do its thing. They along with myself could not believe that panel was putting out 10.2 amps in the sunshine and it was bringing my battery up. Thank you Renogy you were the only source available to charge that battery.

If it wasn’t for my desire to get to the bronc school, Eyebrow and the folks I met it would have been a good place to spend some time. As soon as the battery hit 12.3 V I figured I could get to Moose Jaw or at least closer. A boost to save power the old Ford fired up and I was gone not worrying about fuel economy just battery time so a little excessive on the fuel end. Made right to the Bellows/Gommersal arena where I would normally park and the truck died right there, zero battery but I made it. I had called around and found a new alternator in stock, Ford dealer did not have one (of course why would they), it was approx. 4 kms away. I hooked up my trusty Renogy solar panel and started hiking to pick up my new Bosch alternator. Well it turned out to be closer to 5 kms each way but I had my problem solved and in hand. Changed it out that evening on the rodeo grounds, I figured the solar would top up the battery enough I would not damage the new charger and I could return the core to the parts store and get a new battery, when you discharge an old battery to zero twice the writings on the wall as to how long it will last and I had had enough excitement for one weekend.

All is good now, let’s buck some broncs! Hope you enjoy the images as much as I did taking them, these are some determined and tough young men and women. May they add to the great sport of Rodeo and go on to earn some travel money.

This was an article explaining the school I posted last year. A few faces and names can be added to this year but a big thanks to all those who made it possible to give these cowboys and cowgirls a safe start to a great sport.

Thanks to having a complete self-contained home in the back of our truck we have been able to experience our beautiful country in our travels, if interested check out our past posts. It’s not the places we have been but the great people one meets along the way from different walks of life that makes our travels special.

Again this year I was fortunate enough to have attended the Lee Bellows Memorial Annual Bucking Bronc School held at the Bellows/ Gommersal Arena in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Lee, along with Don Gillespie and Kelly Brice 17 years ago saw a need for a school to not only promote the sport of bareback and saddle bronc riding, but to share the experience of past rodeo champions to make the sport safer.

Over the three-day weekend they introduced 38 new students to the sport, a new high total this year that would have put a big smile on Lee’s face. Students, both cowboys and cowgirls, come from all over to learn the basic skills. Starting with ground school, equipment checks, physical conditioning and riding techniques on mechanical horses, is just the beginning. It’s about learning the proper techniques of the sport and safety, to get them started in the very action packed sport, I was told. Staying on the back of one of these trained bucking horses for eight seconds is job one, then one must learn how to safely get off preferably with the help of the pickup men. If your eight seconds was cut short and one finds themselves on the ground there are also techniques for staying out of the way of flying hooves. All good lessons learned from the experience being handed down.

In my past life I did a lot of rodeo photography, following the circuit where I got to know and even photograph many of the professional cowboys who are now older and wiser sharing their knowledge with those wanting to participate in either saddle bronc or bareback riding.  Rodeo people are like family and I have been very blessed to have had the opportunity to meet many of them with camera in hand. There are many ways to participate in the sport, this was mine. So my annual trip to catch up with old friends I have a lot of respect for is always special. There is a fee to attend the school, and that money is used to help cover a little fuel expense for the stock contractors that haul in the horses, and pick up men who also have to transport several horses to the event. The rest of the crew are all volunteers gladly sharing their experience to keep the sport of rodeo alive, safe and exciting. Over 50 horses chosen by the stock contractors that would be suitable to start students on were hauled in. These are the real thing, trained to buck so the students are not getting a free pass, these horses do not like passengers. Francis Rodeo stock, a longtime supporter of the school, along with Tom Bingham, Don and Rebecca Helmeczi and Kaycee Ericson of 4E Buckers supplied the stock this year. For the students safety the best pick up men in the business, Wade Rempel, Luke Ellingson and Dwight Dokken, are brought in. I think one of the toughest jobs in rodeo is being a pick up man rescuing riders from bucking broncs and seeing to the riders safety. Lee Sinclair, Ross Smith, Don Gillespie, Steve Glenn, Dallas Bessey, and Matt Campbell are just a few of the many involved that carry on the tradition in memory of our friend Lee Bellows.

I have wrestled with posting our continued summer travels to Tumbler Ridge, BC, due to the tragic situation the community has faced recently. We have stayed in the campground there the past two years and fell love with the community. The news this past winter left us stunned and shocked that this quiet, clean friendly community could experience such a terrible tragedy. Our hearts and prayers are with those in this wonderful community we kinda adopted.

By posting this I want to share the beauty of Tumbler Ridge and area and our experience within their community. The first season we had been advised by friends that the Tumbler Ridge area would be worth checking out. The beauty of the surrounding mountains, rivers and forest could be compared with those of Banff and Jasper, two beautiful but totally designed tourist traps. We fell in love with the community and area simply because of the lack of rows and rows of vendors selling cheap souvenirs at huge profits. If you’re looking for expensive restaurants and rows of taverns, you came to the wrong place.

It sounds like I may be coming down hard on Tumbler Ridge, and for those of you who are looking for that fancy dining and shopping experience I will save you the trip. When we were told we should visit Tumbler Ridge that it was like a mini-Banff, we were actually hesitant to check it out but so glad we did. I told Charlotte after spending a night camping at the provincial park by the Kinuseo Falls, we would overnight and check it out then get out of dodge. Well two almost three weeks went by before we left, and that was the first time. Our second visit was almost a month.

If you love nature, hiking, biking, canoeing and winter sports this is your place. This small community has everything one NEEDS, and just that we actually had to hunt to find a souvenir. Note: found at the travel center and the folks there are just wonderful and helpful. The stores and restaurants have everything one basically needs no Walmart’s or Costco’s. The community center is second to none, with everything one could wish for, swimming pool, several ice arenas, gym, library, conference rooms and more. All clean, staffed with helpful people making it a very user-friendly facility. We enjoyed their swimming pool to cool off during the hot weather.

We stayed a Monkman Campground on the outskirts of the community and absolutely loved our time there. We could bike into town from there and explore the community, go swimming or just enjoy the many bike paths. It was for this reason the proximity of the campground was important as we do not do electric bikes those are for the younger generation who do not need exercise. The campground host Terry went above and beyond to make sure our overnight stay would turn into three weeks. She runs a solid clean campground; the washroom facilities were the best we have encountered in our extensive travels and fantastically clean…always. The setting of this campground may not be as pretty or spaces with a lot of privacy but the atmosphere and quietness along with an on-the-bit camp host made it worthwhile, thanks Terry.

Just a bit about Tumbler Ridge, designated a UNESCO Global Geo Park, Tumbler Ridge is ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts. With accessible year-round recreation opportunities for all ages, interests and abilities, the possibilities are as diverse as the landscapes in which they appear. Fifty hiking trails and countless ATV, snowmobile and mountain bike trails lead to special places – caves, fascinating geological formations, waterfalls, dinosaur trackways and mountain tops. Tumbler Ridge lies within The Great Wilderness, one of six tourism regions in British Columbia and the largest by far. Spanning the vast northern half of the province, this region is defined by towering mountain ranges, ancient landscapes, and abundant wildlife.

Tumbler Ridge is located in the traditional territory of the Cree, Dunne-za, Metis, Saulteau and Tse’khene peoples, of the Kelly Lake Cree First Nation, Kelly Lake Metis Settlement Society, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Saulteau First Nations and West Moberly First Nations, within Treaty 8. Accessible via Highway 52 and Highway 29, the town in northeastern B.C. is roughly 660 kilometers west of Edmonton, 1,180 kilometers northeast of Vancouver and roughly 1,000 kilometers north of Kelowna. We enjoyed this land and trust we all use it responsibly to allow future generations the opportunity we have enjoyed.

Tumbler Ridge began as a coal mining community in 1981 and grew steadily until the 1990s. “As the 1990s rolled in, global coal prices began to dip, and Asian markets faced some challenges. These hurdles cast a shadow of uncertainty over Tumbler Ridge’s future, hindering its projected population growth to 10,000 residents. Despite the setbacks, this resilient town persevered. As coal prices rebounded in the 2000s, so did Tumbler Ridge. Since then, the traditional coal mining town has diversified its economy with an emphasis on tourism and renewable energy projects, including generating wind energy. According to our camp host Tumbler Ridge has faced challenging times before. In the 2023 B.C. wildfire season, the entire town had to be evacuated she said it was a little scary as they could see the glow from the fires just over the mountain tops. Everyone living in the community of about 2,400 people, along with people living in the areas east of it, including Bearhole Lake, was ordered to leave immediately due to the West Kiskatinaw River fire.

As always these are just my impressions, and one would have to experience for themselves, we are back country less crowds’ nature loving, keeping it simple kinda travelers. We have stolen several images to share with you and leave nothing but tracks and a deep appreciation for the area and its residents. We look forward to a return and again our hearts go out to those in this small community we have grown to love.

NOTE: As of writing this Monkman Campground formerly run by the Tumbler Ridge community has been sold as of  June 2025 to Dunne Za Ventures Limited Partnership. At this point I have no further information as to its status.

Our next travels take us back up through Dawson Creek and a return to the North West Territories…. tag along be glad for the company.

We hope to meet you down the road, look for the Northern Lite condo.

Gerry & Charlotte (Slow Roaming Nomads)

Our first impression of Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta, Canada was a solid eight out of ten. Right up there but as we have more National Parks to discover we had to leave room at the top just in case one will score higher. Note this Blog of mine is not AI generated, so opinions, spelling and embellishing can only be blamed on me.

Our visit to the park was later in June and at that time the park was busy, at a roadside turnout we had met a couple who were travelling from Victoria, BC to the east coast; you guessed it in a truck camper. They had tried to book a campsite and were told “campground full”, so we went in with the understanding we would have to leave for the night and return to a small community to overnight. The drive in was awesome and it looked like a smaller Banff to us, a busy town site with lots of gift shops and eateries, a marina with boat charters and kayak rentals. Note: no outside watercraft allowed on the lake.

Camping? Completely by accident we ended up at the in-town campsite and yes, the big sign said “Campground Full”. Located at the south end of the community of Waterton, this campground offers 90 water, sewer and electrical sites, 45 electricity sites, as well as accessible, unserviced and walk in tent sites. I pulled to the kiosk and said to the young man that we had noticed the sign (one could not miss it) that they were full and we would probably have to leave the park come evening. He looked at our rig and asked if we would need power hook ups, we said no we would prefer not to pay for hook ups as we are totally self-contained. He then said he had a spot that we could stay (less price as well) and directed us to an area where we could pick a site. We had a choice! This after the sign said “campground full”. The sign should have possibly read dry camping no hook ups, only or something. But then after we got settled in our spot with some tents and other smaller van type campers, we realized looking at the size of the rigs around us these were smaller sites non paved without 30–50-amp water and sewer, most rigs could not stay where we were. Points for truck campers and smaller rigs, we had scored a site in the town campground.

We stayed a week and had a bit of a chance to check out some of the park. We are told it’s usually windy and they were right at least during our stay. Several days of heavy rain prevented some of our hiking however we did manage to see Cameron Falls which is accessible walking from the townsite or by vehicle.

For flatlanders our hike into Bertha Falls which if I remember was only 3 kms in was interesting as it was up and over a mountain. We kept running into people returning who told us it was not much further and it would flatten out, obviously they were from BC as they did not know what flat is. We did it and it was so worth it, I just had to get over trails that were walls on one side and sheer drops on the other. I had a horse take out my hip a few years back and every once in a while it gives out so I don’t trust it on narrow mountain trails.

The Prince of Wales Hotel is a wonder in itself.  What a beauty, not sure what the room rates are but we could afford to look in the windows. A bit of a steep hike up from the town site but again very happy we did it.

There is so much more to the park to explore but rain kept us checking out the shops in the town site. One evening we were treated to a fellow camper Rob MacLeod playing the bag pipes on the lake shore, I love the sound of the pipes and out in nature it was even better. Rob can be contacted at rowdyrobbie@gmail.com for those occasions one may want some pipe music, if I remember right Rob is based out of Calgary Alberta.

The predicted heavy rain and snow only came in a heavy rain, water running everywhere and no sun for our solar. Bracing for snow we were able to relocate to an electrical site so not full as advertised. Last year our National Parks offered free entry and 25% off camping fees and we noticed approximately 85% of the RVs were American. Pretty good deal with the dollar where it was and close to the US border into Montana and Glacier National Park bordering the Canadian Park. We wanted to return this summer early because it will be booked mid-summer and then proceed to Glacier National Park, however those plans changed when we discovered there was $351.00 Canadian for an annual non-resident pass or $137 Canadian per person into their popular National Parks in the US. At least at the time of this writing that’s what information we have, I think we are very generous with our entry prices north of the border. At that price were going to skip that trip as there are many less expensive options.

Staying in busy campgrounds is not who we are, so hearing about a small no service first come sites south of the park towards Montana we decided to check it out and found Belly River Campground just outside of the Kainai (Blackfoot) Reserve. Small quiet and primitive camping just our style.

Our quiet primitive campsite at Belly River, we’re not much for crowded popular tourist attractions and campgrounds so this suited us well for a couple of days.

After a few days stay appointments were calling us back to our home base cabin we must return and explore more of the area. As the park has so much more to offer we barley scratched the surface. We do not make reservations just take our chances but if you can’t be flexible, I would highly recommend reservations. I give this park 8 out of 10 and that may end up being our top score, yet to be determined.

Just going to include a little non tourist information on the park if you want to continue reading and let our images fill in the rest.

Waterton Lakes National Park is in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada. Accessed from Highway 6 from Pincher Creek, Alberta. Waterton was the fourth Canadian national park, formed in 1895 as Kootenay Lakes Forest Reserve. It is named after Waterton Lake in turn after the Victorian naturalist and conservationist Charles Waterton. Its range is between the Rocky Mountains and the Prairies. This park contains 505 kms (195 sq mi) of rugged mountains and wilderness. It has a very diverse ecosystem.

 Waterton operated by Parks Canada is open all year, but the main tourist season is during July and August. The only commercial facilities available within the park are located at the Waterton Park townsite. This park ranges in elevation from 1,290 meters (4,232 ft) at the townsite to 2,910 m (9,547 ft) at Mount Blakiston. It offers many scenic trails, including Crypt Lake trail. In 2012/2013, Waterton Lakes National Park had 402,542 visitors.

The Prince of Wales Hotel as seen in our photos, is one of Canada’s grand railway hotels, was constructed between 1926 and 1927 adjacent to Upper Waterton Lakes, by the Great Northern Railway of the United States in an attempt to lure American tourists during the U.S. prohibition era. The hotel, which opened in July 1927, is the only grand railway hotel in Canada to be constructed by an American railway company. The hotel was named after the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), in a transparent attempt to entice him to stay in the hotel on his 1927 Canadian tour, but the prince stayed at his own nearby ranch in Pekisko, Alberta, instead.   Wow even King Edward could not afford to stay so I don’t feel too bad, if you can afford it do it as I hear the food is great. The hotel was designated as a national historic site of Canada on 6^th of November 1992.

More history if your into it, in 1932, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was formed from Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier. It was dedicated to world peace by Sir Charles Arthur Mander on behalf of Rotary International on 18 June 1932, whose members from the Alberta and Montana chapters lobbied for the formation of the park. The Peace Park was the first of its nature in the world, and was intended to promote goodwill between nations and underscore the international nature of protection of wilderness.

In terms of local governance, those lands within Waterton Lakes National Park were split between the Municipal District of Kerr and the Municipal District of Castle River prior to 1944.

The Waterton-Glacier International was inscribed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. In 1979, Waterton became Canada’s second biosphere reserve and the first Canadian national park to take part in this UNESCO program. They say Biosphere Reserves are created to achieve a better understanding of the relationship between humans and the natural environment, have we learned anything?

In September 2017, a large forest fire forced the evacuation of the townsite and park. The fire burned through 200 km² of the park, destroying the visitor center, stables and other buildings. Some 80% of hiking trails were affected and several remained closed for the 2018 season. The fire severely damaged 30% of the park, and up to 70% of the park’s forested area was destroyed. However, the Waterton Park townsite and the Prince of Wales Hotel were unscathed. It’s amazing this historic site was saved as we could still see the devastation in the park.

A lot of word salad and hopefully for those interested some information that’s not hard sell tourist stuff. My photographs do not do the beauty of this park justice so don’t take our word for it; one would just have to check it out on your own. Our next post will be in northern BC followed with our travels to the North West Territories.

Safe travels and we hope to meet you down the road, may the wind be on your back.

Gerry and Charlotte

Slow Roaming Nomads, one frame at a time.

On our way to Waterton Lake National Park, we lucked out with a stop at the Bar U Ranch National Historic site. From Wetaskiwin we cut across and caught the Cowboy Trail Highway 22 south. While travelling, and on a mission when we only stop for the night, we usually find either a small community campground or a Walmart Resort. We found even the small community campgrounds in southern Alberta a little pricey for what they offered, usually all sites with power. Being as we are travelling in a truck camper and are set up for off grid camping, we do not need power sites. I can see charging the amount they do for the big rigs with double air, microwaves, massive water heaters etc. but our camper may use a little for led lights. We only need a chunk of dirt to park on for an overnight. I like to think we’re frugal and not cheap however when spending your entire summer on the road it can get very expensive so we seek less pricey options. We overnighted in a small, Longview, Alberta campground at good value and next morning continued discovering the Bar U Ranch site.

The Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, was just a short drive from Longview, Alberta, and is a preserved ranch that for 70 years was one of the leading ranching operations in Canada. At its peak, the ranch extended over 160,000 acres (65,000 ha) with 30,000 cattle and 1000 Percheron horses. Two owners were instrumental in the establishment of the Calgary Stampede, forming part of the Big Four. Ya I knew you were going to ask “Big Four”??

I dug up some information on the Big Four and who they were. They were all wealthy Alberta cattlemen Patrick Burns, George Lane, A.E Cross and Archibald Mclean. Together they founded the Calgary Stampede. All four men were involved in the Alberta cattle industry.

The ranch was founded by Fred Stimson, whose North West Cattle Company kept cattle on 147,000 acres (59,000 ha) of open range between 1881 and 1902. Stimson used the Bar U brand for NWCC stock. From 1902 to 1925 the Bar U was operated by George Lane and his business partners, whose business ventures included meat packing, mills and other farms and ranches. Lane renamed the operation the Bar U Ranch, buying out his partners in 1908. Lane raised both cattle and Percherons.

From 1927 to 1950 the Bar U was part of a group of ranches operated by Patrick Burns totaling 700,000 acres. Burns grew grains on the ranch, which remained one of the largest ranches in Canada during that time.

After 1950 much of the ranch land was sold. The present National Historic Site is the central remnant, owned by Parks Canada which bought the property in 1991 and opened it to the public in 1995. The site features costumed historical interpreters and is open daily from mid-May to the end of September every year.

We did not spend enough time there and will have to make a trip back and take a day to see everything. We were on a mission to get to the Waterton Lake National Park which we will definitely visit again as well.

I got a little sidetracked but thought a little information on this ranch was interesting and it would be a must see for yourself. Just a few images to share. Next stop Waterton Lake National Park.

Hope we meet down the road…

Gerry & Charlotte

“The Slow Roaming Nomads”

We love a good rodeo and were not disappointed in the Rawhide Rodeo in Wetaskiwin Alberta. A bit about the host community and the rodeo in images.

In 1892 the city of Wetaskiwin, Alberta Canada, was established by a group of Scandinavian immigrants. The city is located 70 kilometers (43 mi) south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word wītaskiwinihk, meaning “the hills where peace was made”. Wetaskiwin was once the site of a battle between the Cree and the Blackfoot. In 1890, when the Calgary and Edmonton railway was built, it became a whistle-stop, and was known as Siding 16. In 1892, when the area was surveyed, it was named Wetaskiwin to commemorate the battle. In 1900, a Baptist church was organized. One year later, the village, with a population of more than 500, and was officially incorporated.

If you’re in the area Wetaskiwin is home to the Reynolds Alberta, a museum dedicated to celebrating “the spirit of the machine” as well as the Wetaskiwin Heritage Museum, which documents the pioneer arrival and lifestyle in Wetaskiwin’s early years. Southeast of Wetaskiwin, the Alberta Central Railway Museum, acknowledges the impact that the railway had on central Alberta.

Wetaskiwin sits on what was formerly the coast of the large sea that covered much of Alberta millions of years ago. The northwest end of Wetaskiwin is characterized by hills with sandy soil (formerly sand dunes), while the southeast end of the city is very flat with more silty soil.

The city lies at an elevation of 760 m (2,490 ft). Coal Lake, a reservoir developed on the Battle River is located immediately east of the city, and other nearby waterways include Pipestone Creek, Bigstone Creek, Bittern Lake and Bearhills Lake.

Enough already about Wetaskiwin, “Let’s Rodeo”, the main attraction for me was the Wetaskiwin Agricultural Society’s Rawhide Rodeo. As those who know us know Charlotte and I have photographed many rodeos over the years. A few of those years travelling the Canadian Cowboys circuit every weekend in one of our many truck campers.

This rodeo I must say impressed me, the contestants and rodeo stock we all local residents of the area, totally showcasing their western lifestyle. Some highlights each day included concessions, wild pony race, sheep riding, beer gardens, kids’ money pit, food trucks and theMini Chuckwagons are back as well!  We were there for their 25^th annual Rawhide Rodeo in June and I was impressed with how they were introducing the younger generation to the sport of rodeo and the western lifestyle.

On the main rodeo circuits, the seasoned competitors are the main event, but this rodeo was truly family-friendly featuring some very young up and coming rodeo stars as well as some excellent veteran cowboys and cowgirl performances in all the regular rodeo events.

The Mini Chuckwagons were a hit and a first for myself, a great performance put on by Wynnies Minnies Chuck Wagon Racing. A great group who love what they do. I thank Dion Lees and Wynn Schram for taking the time to answer all my questions.

Another feature I found different and again involved the youth was “Payce the Pick-Up Man and his Schwab Pick Up Chicks”. Anyone that knows rodeo knows just how important good pick-up men are to a rodeo and the contestants, well here at Wetaskiwin they start training them young. They were also excellent young marketers working the crowd during the rodeo when they were not picking up, to autograph a sheet with their photographs and names on. Payce, Brin, Aubrin and Kitt – watch out for these youngsters they are going places one day, perhaps the National Finals Rodeo. Well done.

If you’re in the Wetaskiwin area around June 12^th to 14^th this summer you may want to experience the 26^th annual Rawhide Rodeo for yourself, great fun and free camping right on the grounds. Below a chile supper at the rodeo grounds.

The beauty of a truck camper when you park it, you’re home but it’s also easy to move. Note we found a quiet spot on the grounds along a nice tree line not too far from 3 other trailers, well that was Friday night and before we knew it the area was full of cars and it was party central for the locals. Big speakers were hauled out and the party was going to get in full gear right after the rodeo. Within minutes we were packed up and moving across the large field parking lot to a much more secluded area, the beauty of a truck camper. We stayed the whole weekend and thank the Wetaskiwin Agricultural Society for their hospitality.

Thanks for getting this far into my ramblings and hope you enjoyed some of the images, our next stop is another first for us, Waterton National Park. Wow did we enjoy this place. More on that in my next post. If you want notification by email you can subscribe, don’t worry I will not be sending you a lot of marketing emails, I do this for the fun of it and to promote truck camper living and travel. I just hope I have provided a little information on a place to visit in your travels.

We hope to meet you along the road.

Gerry and Charlotte

“The Slow Roaming Nomads”

 I would like to just share some images from Elk Island National Park, taken this past summer. After years of driving by we no longer skip a stop-over at this National Park located just east of Edmonton, Alberta on the Yellowhead Highway. In a previous post I have given much of the information on the park so will not repeat in this post. These images were taken in June so wildfires were burning and either creating a haze or some interesting colour to the sunshine.

I hope you enjoy these images and if you have not visited the park, I hope they will create in you a desire to do so, you will not be disappointed.

Not having any commitments back home until the end of June, we decided perhaps the next National Park should be Waterton National Park in southern Alberta. But having met and visited with some other travellers they told us they were leaving to attend a rodeo in Wetaskiwin. Heck that was kinda on our way and although it would be far from our first rodeo, we decided it just might be fun. Join us for some images and rodeo camping in the next posting.

I would like to thank those who commented on our last post of Bud Miller Park, always appreciated. For those who want to get notification on my sporadic posts, one can subscribe no charge and receive notice via email. My days may be numbered on promoting posts on social media groups.

Enjoy every day, take time to notice nature, it’s perfect in every way, and we hope we meet down the road.

Gerry & Charlotte, practicing nomads

Well winter is settling in Saskatchewan, Canada and back at our cabin, it’s time to refresh the web site with a hidden gem we discovered this summer. Besides wild fires almost every where this summer we managed to log over 10,000 kms again and most of it smoke free and decent weather. I will start with a little hidden gem in Lloydminster, Alberta, just across the Saskatchewan border.

Well sometimes our travel plans get changed due to mechanical issues but during that delay I discovered a hidden gem.

Our planned travel to Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada was disrupted by one of a thousand sensors on these new vehicles and needed to be replaced. If I put the transmission in park, it would not start and it locked in park. Thanks to YouTube, I discovered a way to get it into neutral where it would start. The Ford dealership in Lloydminster confirmed the problem was a neutral lock in the transmission but did not have the part in stock. They could have it the next day and to be at the dealership at 7 am. Well three hours in it was still not in the shop, my time is not worth anything it appears as it was near noon before they got it in. Many hours later I was once again on the road, now two days late. It’s not just that dealership I have experienced this, at several others as well, the upside having an extra day to kill I discovered what I consider a hidden gem in Lloydminster.

Bud Miller All Season Park, definitely worth a visit, I have been in Lloydminster many times, driven through many times and never knew this park existed. The park covers 200 acres of playground for residents and visitors to enjoy at no charge. Set in a well treed rolling hilly country it features 6.3 kms of paved and 6.9 kms of gravel hiking and biking trails all extremely well maintained as is everything else in the park. I was totally impressed as there was no litter and all facilities were clean and top notch, possibly because there were trash receptacles everywhere, something not all parks provide.

The park is located at 2902 59^th Ave and features as mentioned hiking and bicycle trails, community gardens, flower gardens, picnic areas, children’s playgrounds for every age group, sports facilities and water spray park. Fishing, tennis, beach volleyball, lawn bowling, ball diamonds and miniature golf are just a few of the activities offered. There is an aquatic complex that offers a wave pool, water slide, whirlpool, steam room, sauna and fitness room.

As the sign says not to disappoint, winter activities include 7.5 kms of groomed cross country ski trails, tobogganing and ice skating on the pond.

While I spent the day there the park was well used by the residents and in speaking to several, they all said it’s one of the city’s most welcome additions. What I noticed is how well the users of the park respected its amenities by keeping it clean. This park would put most provincial parks to shame not only in how well-groomed and clean it is but in the massive activities it offers… no Lloydminster is not just one of those dirty oil industrial cities in Alberta. One just has to take the time to search out its many hidden gems. Just a reminder as we travel there is beauty everywhere, and it should not take a truck failure to make me slow down and enjoy the many beautiful smaller communities along the road. I’m very happy to have been able to share some of the beauty of this park.

As provincial parks and national parks turn more to only online reservations, we have been searching out campgrounds in the smaller communities along the way. We have been very pleased with the community run campgrounds, usually less expensive, quiet, no reservations required. It also offers one a chance to check out their community shops and attractions. Some of these smaller communities and villages have some of the best restaurant food and bakeries anywhere, home cooked. Too often we let out destination get in the way of enjoying the journey as I found out in Lloydminster. It’s now a stop- over for us.

Well, we made it to Elk Island National Park in Alberta, then did something not planned, headed south, way south. Another destination, but we enjoyed the journey this time as well, those I will save for another post in the near future.

To all, safe travels out there wherever those may take you, enjoy each day as we are not assured more along the way. “It’s in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure is not to explore”. Earnest Shackleford.

Hope to see you all down the road, join us this winter as we record some of our interesting travel locations.

Gerry & Charlotte, practicing Nomads

How about a Bronc Riding School? Perhaps this is not your typical travel blog post. However one never knows where one will end up when you travel in a truck camper that can get you right up close to the action where other large RVs can’t go. Thanks to having a complete self-contained home in the back of our truck we have been able to experience our beautiful country in our travels, if interested check out our past posts. It’s not the places we have been but the great people one meets along the way from different walks of life that makes our travels special.

Again this year I was fortunate enough to have attended the Lee Bellows Memorial Annual Bucking Bronc School held at the Bill Gommersal Arena in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Lee, along with Don Gillespie and Kelly Brice 17 years ago saw a need for a school to not only promote the sport of bareback and saddle bronc riding, but to share the experience of past rodeo champions to make the sport safer.

Over the three-day weekend they introduced 38 new students to the sport, a new high total this year that would have put a big smile on Lee’s face. Students, both cowboys and cowgirls, come from all over to learn the basic skills. Starting with ground school, equipment checks, physical conditioning and riding techniques on mechanical horses, is just the beginning. It’s about learning the proper techniques of the sport and safety, to get them started in the very action packed sport, I was told. Staying on the back of one of these trained bucking horses for eight seconds is job one, then one must learn how to safely get off preferably with the help of the pickup men. If your eight seconds was cut short and one finds themselves on the ground there are also techniques for staying out of the way of flying hooves. All good lessons learned from the experience being handed down.

In my past life I did a lot of rodeo photography, following the circuit where I got to know and even photograph many of the professional cowboys who are now older and wiser sharing their knowledge with those wanting to participate in either saddle bronc or bareback riding.  Rodeo people are like family and I have been very blessed to have had the opportunity to meet many of them with camera in hand. There are many ways to participate in the sport, this was mine. So my annual trip to catch up with old friends I have a lot of respect for is always special.

There is a fee to attend the school, and that money is used to help cover a little fuel expense for the stock contractors that haul in the horses, and pick up men who also have to transport several horses to the event. The rest of the crew are all volunteers gladly sharing their experience to keep the sport of rodeo alive, safe and exciting. Over 50 horses chosen by the stock contractors that would be suitable to start students on were hauled in. These are the real thing, trained to buck so the students are not getting a free pass, these horses do not like passengers. Francis Rodeo stock, a longtime supporter of the school, along with Tom Bingham, Don and Rebecca Helmeczi and Kaycee Ericson of 4E Buckers supplied the stock this year. For the students safety the best pick up men in the business, Wade Rempel, Luke Ellingson and Dwight Dokken, are brought in. I think one of the toughest jobs in rodeo is being a pick up man rescuing riders from bucking broncs and seeing to the riders safety.

Lee Sinclair, Ross Smith, Don Gillespie, Steve Glenn, Dallas Bessey, and Matt Campbell are just a few of the many involved that lend a hand and help instruct in classes and in the arena.

This year the school had the honour of having Miss Rodeo Universe, Kaili Hill along with her boyfriend Ronnie Courtright all the way from Reno, Nevada. “We drove 20 hours to get here, Ronnie wanted to try riding bucking horses and we were told about this school here by Steve Glenn”, Kaili said. It was a pleasure for sure to have met these two really nice individuals, I commend the judges or whoever chooses Miss Rodeo Universe they got it right in their choice of Kaili. She is and will be an excellent ambassador for the sport of Rodeo. Thank you for coming to Saskatchewan.

I’m sharing a few of the many images here on this site for those interested and if you happen to be in one of the images that’s great. Riding bucking broncs is not for the faint of heart so if you showed up and tried you have my respect. For those who will continue on in the sport of Rodeo in whatever capacity, best of luck and safe travels. Hope we can meet you again down the road.

I’m sure after seeing all the fun these folks are having there may be some who want to sign up….the tradition continues thanks to all those involved.

If you’re interested in getting notified when I finally get posts up you can just subscribe for free and get email notice. This keeps me motivated to continue…thanks again for those who have taken the leap of faith.

Gerry (RVcowboy )

Facebook: Gerry Popplewell

Charlotte (partner nomad)

A question we have always asked ourselves do we need a home base? Charlotte and I have spent a lot of time travelling in an RV of some sort, mostly in truck campers. Although we have had everything from bumper pulls to large fifth wheel units. We have travelled extensively either for pleasure, a year on the road publishing our Pure Country Magazine or our photography and marketing business taking us all around the western provinces of Canada. Below just a few of many RV’s over the years, the campers may have changed but we still kinda look the same a testament to a relaxing nomad lifestyle.

So it was only natural after retirement and wanting to continue to see this beauty of Canada and the USA, we questioned do we really need a sticks and bricks home base. Well in Canada and in our province of Saskatchewan one needs a fixed address to a residence to have access to our health care, auto insurance etc. We have a postal box but that would not cut it, so we decided we could rent a small room or apartment to qualify. Having spent so much time on the road in small RV’s we realized to be happy and comfortable we required very little and could easily live without our house (big by our standards not so much in today’s standards) and a whole bunch of stuff.

 It was decided the nomadic lifestyle won out. We went through three truck campers before deciding on a four season Northern Lite 9.6 model. More camper than needed for an occasional trip to the lake, we were going to live in this for a period of time. We put our house up for sale and started getting rid of a lot of stuff, quads, snow machines, pontoon boats and more stuff than one could imagine. We just did our kids a big favor on our passing.

That’s when the “home base” reared its ugly head again during one of our many, many garage sales. A small cabin just up the lake from us came up for sale and the location overlooking the lake got the best of us and for a small price we purchased it for cash. Our home base was established and worse yet we now owned two pieces of property and a truck and camper, so much for downsizing. Going back to the garage sale I pulled all my wood working tools off the tables, the cabin now needed work.  After having just renovated our home totally we were now back in the game doing it all over.

Well it took nearly a year and a half to sell our primary residence and we were completely renovating the “home base” from roof to floor. Luckily I was able to take a contract and continue working in between so we were able to pay cash for our renovations but there was definitely no travel during that time. Our home base had become an anchor not to say a money pit for a while, but we felt it would be the perfect retirement condo someday. Being not independently wealthy we knew this nomadic lifestyle would not work unless we were totally debt free and that happened the day we sold our primary residence.

All things work out in the end as I was encouraged to retire from our contract as no one wants a 70 year old these days doing their marketing, even if I did know what Twitter (X) was. Now I’m happy to be out of marketing as every time you pick up your phone you are bombarded on every medium by ads for stuff no one really needs, yes marketing has changed.  Now it was time to hit the road.

As you know from my past posts, we have travelled and lived as nomads on the road renting our small cabin for a period of time and totally enjoying the freedom and experiencing the beauty of our country. Do we regret the decision to purchase a home base….No as the upkeep taxes, insurance and utilities when we are not there are cheaper than renting and if we are careful we can continue travelling. This winter we are hunkering down in minus 40 Celsius Saskatchewan weather and that’s minus 40 for our American friends as well. Now you know our pain, but our wood stove and little cabin are very warm and cozy. We planned on being in Arizona once again at a truck camper rally but with our low Canadian dollar and expensive health insurance we decided to wait and  see what our governments on both sides of the border did to our dollar. Well we waited now we wait 30 more days, the one thing we have learned as nomads is, if it does not feel right trust your gut either stay put or move. Well, we at this time are staying put as our politicians all have their moment in the media. We have been very fourtunate to have travelled almost every highway in Saskatchewan as far north as we can go. Also as far north as we could drive in Manitoba and Northern Manitoba and time in Northern BC. The end of the road in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. South in the USA to Arizona and the Mexican border and in between. And yet there is still lots we left to see. Sharing some of our travel images with you.

There is a comfort in having a home base, admittedly more so for Charlotte and as we get older we know we have a place without a high overhead  at this time and a bunch of stuff to maintain. Time and freedom become very important, free to move when we feel the need with our home on wheels, and freedom to hunker down in the frosty winter in a cozy home base. We are so fortunate by shedding more space than required, more utilities, more taxes and more stuff we can still afford the semi nomadic lifestyle we both enjoy.  The downside is while we are gone the base expenses remain and it’s something for me to worry about while on the road. Even with either good tenants or a great neighbour checking it constantly it’s still on my mind.

When I mentioned freedom remember, the bigger the fire you build for yourself, the more time you will spend hauling wood to keep it going. A lesson I wish I would have leaned many years ago. We love the simplicity of our Northern Lite truck camper, it’s a complete home on wheels, is it a four season?… maybe in British  Columbia, it’s good but we will be testing it during  two weeks of minus 40. We have found what we appreciate most is the freedom to move when we want, finding a quiet spot in nature, the places we have seen and the great people we have met on the road, not the stuff we own that would tie us down.

May my next post be about someplace down the road either camped in a snow bank or desert…freedom 75 stay tuned and thanks to those who have subscribed you make editing worthwhile. If you want more information on some of the areas we have traveled you will find them in the travel menu. Thanks again.

Hope we can meet up down the road take care ya all and safe travels.

Gerry &Charlotte

England’s London Bridge in Arizona you say… really it’s there we saw it for ourselves.

Outside it’s minus 30 Celsius (23 F), I sit in our cabin, wood fire stoked and reflect on our trip south last winter. The memories are awesome urging us to repeat again this winter even with our dollar in the tank around 70 cents and possibly going lower. By the time I finish this article we just may say it’s only money and live on the edge of poverty.

Back to the London Bridge, it’s not in London, England anymore but situated in Lake Havasu, Arizona, which is kinda cool as we could drive there with our truck camper to see it in person.

We left one of the highlights of our trip Valley of Fire (featured in a past blog) after skipping Las Vegas Nevada. Not sure of the highway number as we took backroads to Henderson over to 93 south to Kingman south again on 40 to 95, the only road into Lake Havasu City. North of Lake Havasu we overnighted on our first BLM land, the Havasu Wildlife Refuge, free camping on public land. This off grid camping is available throughout Western United States and was very appreciated by us Canucks. In doing my research I ran across one of the best ambassadors for Arizona on YouTube, Russ from his channel RVerTV.  Russ taught me everything I know about dispersed camping on BLM land and LTVA camping in Arizona. It was a pleasure to actually meet him in Quartzsite and thank him in person, my kinda move star.

Lake Havasu is a large reservoir formed by the Parker Dam on the Colorado River. It sits on the border of Mohave County, Arizona and San Bernardino County, California. We really enjoyed the area but Lake Havasu City is a real tourist trap with approximately one million people visiting each year to see one of its main attractions, the London Bridge. If you’re into lots of entertainment, boating, fishing, nightlife and many events hosted as well as shopping there is plenty of opportunity to do so. We only really visited the bridge and the tourist visitor’s center which covers a good acre of land. After eating at a Fish and Chip shop, yes a British style restaurant, what else would be near the London Bridge, we checked out many of the interesting shops.

The beauty of travelling in a truck camper is one has no room to purchase a lot of “things”. During our walk around the area I remember Russ (RVerTV) mentioning they had sightseeing cruises of the Lake and area that were kinda expensive. Charlotte and I stood watching a big Ferry loading at the dock; the sign said $5 each. Thinking it was a deal and off season we would take the sight-seeing tour. Well we got the tour right across the lake to a casino. We just drove through Nevada where every gas station is a mini casino, so we waited ten minutes and took the ride back. We got our money’s worth as I was able to talk to a resident of Lake Havasu that grew up there when it was just a village on a dirt road, the changes he has witnessed. The community was first established during World War II as Site Six, an army Air Corps rest camp on the shores. In 1959 Robert P McCulloch purchased 3,353 acres on the east side of the lake along Pittsburgh Point, a peninsula that he would eventually create by digging a channel into an island. Four years later he would purchase 13,000 acres of Federal land which would eventually be incorporated as the city Lake Havasu in 1963. In 2020 the population was 57,144 and growing as a recreational resort city.

London, England was replacing the London Bridge and in 1968 Robert P McCulloch purchased it for 2.5 million US at auction. An Arizona company was hired to disassemble it, mark each stone and have it shipped to California where it was transported by truck to Lake Havasu. The same company then re-assembled it over the channel he had dug at a cost of seven million US dollars.  It took three years to be completed; I would hate to think what that would cost today. So when, “London Bridge was falling down”, Robert P. McCulloch salvaged it and it now resides in Arizona. It’s definitely a beautiful sight and well worth the trip to see it. If you have ever owned or seen a chain saw with the name McCulloch on it or some power equipment it was manufactured by the McCulloch Motor Company owned by Robert P McCulloch.

There is much more to the story of Lake Havasu and the London Bridge, this was the 25 cent version, you will just have to check it out for yourself. If you are travelling in a RV North is the Wildlife Refuge BLM land, across the Lake in San Bernardino County the Lake Havasu State Park and nearby Cattail Cove State Park, worth checking out.

From there we headed to our truck camper rally in Quartzsite, our only planned destination.  The London Bridge was one highlight, others were, naturally our rally, the Dwarf Car Museum and Valley of Fire all featured in previous blogs. If you’re interested you can pull them up on our site menu. Enjoy the photos and my take on the London Bridge. Enjoy your time wherever you are, travel safely and respect our natural lands.

Now the urge to travel and explore has been re-ignited may have to roll some of those pennies we have been saving and cash them in, even though we may need more to spend in US dollars. We don’t need to spend on more “stuff” just more memories so stay tuned and I will share as much as I can. Thanks to those who subscribe and the many comments I get. For some reason when I try to answer it appears they do not get out still working on that, forgive me I’m 74 and technically challenged. The site now has had close to 40,000 views that keep me motivated to continue. Thanks.

Next up: Perhaps more Arizona or some winter camping…stay tuned.

Gerry and Charlotte (practicing Nomads)

E mail communications: gerry@studiowest.ca