Thursday, July 13 to Friday, July 14, 2023 (Gull Lake, AB)

Well, our time with Dave and Leslie has come to an end...we will be continuing south, today, Thursday (July 13). Our next stop is at Dave and Cheryl's place at Sandy Point Resort and RV Park on Gull Lake, AB, about an hour and a half south of here. 

The smoke from the wildfires has really moved in this morning...

We had a relaxing start to the day and then before packing up the car, Steve took his drone out for a (2:49 minute) video tour of the Roche Estate. Unfortunately the camera gimbal went a little squirely at one point. Steve 😟 

Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye to Dave and Leslie. Thanks so very much for your hospitality, we had a blast! We always seem to have great fun when we get together, don't we? Sorry you hadn't sold your acreage before we got here but on the other hand, we were really happy to be able to see it...you have a beautiful piece of property! Good luck on the sale next Spring!

We made our way over to highway 2 that heads south towards Calgary...there are acres and acres of Canola fields. Absolutely beautiful!

At Lacombe, AB, we turned west onto highway 12 and less than a half hour later, we were pulling into Sandy Point Resort and RV Park...

We didn't expect to see a lighthouse...

Dave had given us directions to the Resort where they have purchased a lot and have a modular home. Dave and Cheryl are RV friends that we first met at Lone Rock Beach Campground on Lake Powell in Utah back in November 2017. Dave had been following our blog and when we got home from one of our outings with Ray and Deb, he came over and introduced himself.

After big hugs, we got settled in their spare bedroom and then sat outside chatting. Dave took us for a walk around the resort...and then it was cocktail time! Cheers, guys!

They have a beautiful yard with a propane firepit...

Dave smoked brisket for dinner...yum!

Ta Da!!

After a delicious dinner we did shots... Peanut Butter Whiskey and Nanaimo Bar Cream!

 

Cheers! Sorry we didn't text teaser photos Dave R. and Jim N! 😁😁 (Steve)

We were hoping to get out on Dave and Cheryl's pontoon boat Friday (July 14), but it was just too windy and smokey with quite a chop on the lake, so Dave suggested we go to Rocky Mountain House, a town about an hour west of here. There is a National Historic Site that would be interesting to check out too.

 

On our way out, they showed us the day-use area here at Sandy Point. You can't even see the shoreline on the other side of the lake...

Rather than taking the direct route to Rocky Mountain House, Dave took us a little further south and went through the town of Sylvan Lake...

Sylvan Lake is one of the most popular recreational areas in Alberta, with over 1.5 million visitors per year. Water based recreational activities include boating, dragon boat racing, swimming, windsurfing, water skiing in summer and ice fishing, skating and snowmobiling during the winter months.

We drove through Rocky Mountain House...

Today, Rocky Mountain House is well known as the place of "Where Adventure Began" with the story of the Rocky Mountain House trading fort and David Thompson. The highway dedicated in his name passes through some of the most beautiful scenery in Western Canada and still is the place of “Where Adventure Begins!”

...crossed the North Saskatchewan River...

...and arrived at Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site...

Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site is a fine example of the fur trade in the west. Discover a historic trading post along the North Saskatchewan River and immerse yourself in stories of Indigenous Peoples and legendary explorers.

Location of the most recent Hudson's Bay Fort 1868-1875

Steve here...Unfortunately nothing remains of the forts other than the chimneys and flag markers showing the location of various buildings... 

Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site of Canada is an archaeological site that contains the remains of several early 19th-century fur trade forts known as Rocky Mountain House. It is located on the North Saskatchewan River at Brierly Rapids, which was historically an obstacle to navigation. The designation refers to the remains of trading establishments built and occupied between 1799 and 1875 on the west bank of the North Saskatchewan River above its confluence with the Clearwater River together with an associated burying ground.

Blacksmith display...

Some of the items a Blacksmith would have made back in the day...

We continued along the trail above the North Saskatchewan River to various listening stations that described the life and history of the area and it's people...

Métis Camp...

But before checking it out we...

...watched this family float by...

Some Métis clothing and beading...

Dave was very good at guessing most of these pelts...

Stylish hats!

York Boat...

Inside the left Tipis...

Inside the kids Play Fort... 

Before leaving we returned to the Visitor Centre to check out the displays and enjoy their AC...

After wandering around the site for a couple of hours, we were hungry! So on our way back through Rocky Mountain House, we stopped at Griller's Steakhouse for lunch. Geez...no picture again!

Dave took a more scenic route back to Gull Lake...such beautiful yellow canola fields! But unfortunately, so much smoke...

Instead of going straight back to the resort, we went on a little tour of the Village of Gull Lake...

Named after the large population of gulls found near the lake, Gull Lake is a large shallow lake with a catchment area of 206 sq. km, located west of the City of Lacombe in the counties of Ponoka and Lacombe. 
Gull Lake is a popular recreational lake with sandy beaches. Aspen Beach Provincial Park is located on the southwest shore of Gull Lake.
The oldest Summer Village in Alberta, the Summer Village of Gull Lake is located on its south shore. The water level of the Lake is maintained (if declines) by pumping water from Blindman River through a pipeline and canal.

After dinner, we braved the smoke for a little while and sat outside at the propane firepit. Dave had recently finished it...great job, Dave!

What a great day...so nice seeing areas that we have never been to!