Spoffords Travel

Day 17 August 9, 2026 Prince Albert Saskatchewan to Prince Albert National Park Saskatchewan 113.3 miles

What an absolutely incredible day we had! The Canadians are so generous and friendly. We felt like we had known them for years rather than just met.

The day started with a nice hot breakfast. Rob loaded the car and we prepared to go. Well we were ready but the car was not. Rock the car to release the starter didn’t work. A friendly lady stopped to take a picture. She was going to visit her mother and aunt both of whom are in their nineties. She thought they would enjoy the picture. She needed to go so didn’t pull us.

Then a couple in a classic car stopped for a picture. The two guys talked about some things to try and then the driver of a nearby pickup came out and said we left the lights on all night. Well a dead battery would support the problem. Then it was find the tow rope. It sunk to the bottom and was never found. So three of us pushed and got the car started. The couple were members of the Klassic Kruizers Kar Klub. They invited us to join them in Birch Hills for the parade and other festivities.

We did go and meet the others at a designated spot. We were a hit. They treated us like royalty. When it was time to go to the parade staging area the car still wouldn’t start. Several men pushed us and we were going again. Rob left the car running from then until the end of the parade. The parade distance was much shorter than the one yesterday but the response was just as great. By then the gas tank was nearly empty. Sure wish we had candy to throw. One of the entries was a golf cart on which two girls stood on the back and were strapped in like golf bags.

After we parked we learned more about a good place to go next. Then we were presented with t-shirts from the car show they hosted yesterday. So special. We were thrilled.

Rob turned off the car and then tried starting it again. This time it did start. What a relief. The festivities for the day are in and around the museum. We got in the hamburger line and spent about 30 minutes getting to the head of the line. The burgers were about a half pound and shaped like a flower. The other options included hot dogs and taco salads. The salads were served in a Doritos bag opened down the side. They added cheese, lettuce, and other goodies. Salsa and sour cream were given in small containers. At lunch the club presented us with a metal sign for Gulf Gasoline.

We visited with some other locals during lunch. Everyone is so friendly. We were given coupons for free pie and ice cream. The pie was homemade strawberry rhubarb and delicious. A couple was playing music and singing so we enjoyed that for awhile too.

Time to hit the road. We have a new car magnet from the car show. We also have a hand drawn map to the national park. The KKKK members were all very friendly and helpful.

After filling with gas we headed for the park. The drive is beautiful. Road construction is in progress to widen the road. They are even working on Sunday. Traffic going back toward Prince Albert is bumper to bumper with small gaps now and then. Our traffic going North was very lite.

Entrance to the park was free. Near the entrance are some beautiful log homes. Don’t know if those are lived in full time. We saw the lake which is large and still. We didn’t see any watercraft on the water but there are many boats around. Then we came to a small community. Reminded us of Sun Valley. Lots of high end looking restaurants and shops. At the Visitors Center we were able to get a pull through camping spot. We were very lucky because we showed up on a Sunday. At the Visitors Center were most unusual two person bikes.

Day 16 August 8, 2026 Redberry Lake Provincial Park Saskatchewan to Prince Albert Saskatchewan 126 miles

We had several people stop to admire the car. One said that the small town nearby was having a festival the next day and we would be more than welcome. We will think on that one. That person also sad if anyone gave us trouble to let him know and he would take care of it.

As dusk began to fall last night the mosquitos came out in force. Most of them are small but they have big appetites. Rob spent at least 30 minutes swatting them in the trailer after we closed the door.

This morning we learned the batteries for the trailer had not fully charged. The reason for this is unknown. Rob turned on the car and ran it long enough to make coffee, tea and instant oatmeal. We must not have driven far enough yesterday. The trailer batteries are charged by the solar panels and the alternator on the car. The solar panels and everything in and out of the car are covered in dust.

Rob packed up and we headed back to the little town of Hafford to fill with gas. At the gas station another man stopped and invited us to join in the parade. He said a friend had seen us in Meadow Lake the day before. Well we followed him to the staging area for the parade. What fun small town parades are. Anything and everything is allowed in. So there were cars, fire department, heavy equipment, horses, floats, and decorated golf carts. The parade wound through most of the town. Seems you were either in the parade or watching it. They allowed candy to be thrown. Several people said they had seen us yesterday at the lake. Then Main Street had a car show, food vendors and sales folk. Live music was to play later in the day. We were told there would be good Ukrainian food. Apparently that won’t be available until at least 2:00 pm. They had vendors from Scentsy, Tupperware and Pampered Chef. We tried a Ukrainian meat pie. Not sure what kind of meat. Flavor was not what we are accustomed to. We would have loved to try the Spudnuts but they won’t be ready for another hour. They said that is similar to a donut but made with mashed potatoes and flour. We had an ice cream cone instead. Then it was time to get on the road.

We are headed for the Doukhobor Dugout House. The place is only about 30 miles. Well of course part of that is down dirt roads. No wonder all the local cars are covered in dust. Most of the roads are gravel. We got there without much trouble. The site was the original settlement for some Russian immigrants. The Russian government decided everyone should have military service. They disagreed so 7,000 of them placed their guns on a huge bon fire and set it ablaze. They came here and built small homes into the side of the river bank. The river is further away so no danger of flooding. Eventually they built bigger and better structures. A lot of their descendants still live in the area. They were also having special events put on by various cultures in the area. When we arrived there was a Native teaching a group of high school or college age kids some dances with hoops. They were making bread and had ice cream. We had a thick slice of bread with butter and jam. Unfortunately the jam was not homemade.

We decided to go to Prince Alberta based on the time we had. We didn’t see any lodging as we drove into town. We pulled off into a parking lot to ask Google. A very friendly couple came up to admire the car. They suggested a direction where the car should be safe. They said one of the other streets had hotels but homeless and druggies. We found one. On the way to the hotel a passing driver called out that he liked “our Canadian Cadillac” Now to do all the nightly duties.

Day 15 Dorintosh Saskatchewan to Redberry Lake Provincial Park Saskatchewan 173 miles

Very peaceful night. We locked the three flies in the bathroom. Hopefully they had a good night.

The weather looks mostly cloudy with a slight breeze. Several people stopped to take pictures and ask about the car. One motorcyclist was especially friendly. He offered another suggestion to visit. We were finally off with a later than normal start. We have what should be a shorter than average driving day.

We saw a doe today. She was quickly lost in the brush.

After about 2 hours we came to our first stop. That was a lighthouse that sits up on a hill. A very long staircase leads up to it. Neither of us feels like that climb. Based on two other folks the lighthouse isn’t open. So off we go again.

The terrain is a mixture of farmland and woods. The woods now are more aspen and less evergreen. Lakes of various sizes are scattered throughout the area. Some cattle and a few horses are in pastures. We have also seen several large horse trailers going on the road.

We turned on one of the township roads. They are gravel which is smoother than much of the asphalt roads. The dust however is much worse. Far less traffic but the dust is so thick we must slow way down to avoid going off the road. We drove on these roads for over an hour before we reached the crooked bush. Well this was incredibly disappointing. Just didn’t see much of anything. No sign even. There was a picnic table sitting in the sun. Really hard to believe this is one of the 54 Wonders of Canada. This a small area of aspen trees that are twisted and bent rather than standing tall. All the trees are related since new trees come up from the roots of existing trees.

We paused long enough to take a few photos. Now it’s head to the Provincial Park to camp for the night. We did drive a few miles on an asphalt highway before once again turning onto gravel. You would have to know this park even existed. There are no signs on the highway. After a few turns we did see on very small sign pointing in the direction we were going. Sure enough we came to the park. It’s a large park located on a lake. We were told you must register online. The web site isn’t easy to use. Even with the attendant’s help it took Rob at least 20 minutes. Then came the next difficult task. Finding our spot. A surprising number of permanent RVs are parked along our route. We have spot “O”. We never found the marker but we parked where we thought it was. The fee was $20 Canadian. Seems like a lot of vehicles going by on the road. They are ether headed to the showers or to the only place to buy food.

The car ran fine today. However, the trailer decided to have a flat. Time for Rob to go into maintenance mode.

Day 14 August 6, 2026 Slave Lake Alberta to Dorintosh Saskatchewan 307.0 miles

Had a big buffet breakfast included with our room. Rained very hard last night so the parking lot has lots of puddles and wet spots.

We were just out of town when we saw a buck very close to the road. Luckily he took off running in the opposite direction or we would have experienced a show stopper.

Much of the road is very rough again. Lots of potholes in various sizes. Water drainage and weather conditions obviously contribute to the condition. Still lots of big trucks and they do go fast. The cars go faster. We haven’t seen many police officers writing tickets.

When we made our morning gas stop we noticed the grocery store across the street so we stopped in. The store is really nice with some good buys that we took advantage of. Half the store is clothing and household goods. Everyone brings their own bags.

We ate lunch at a small wide spot in the road. We have not seen any rest areas for quite some time.. Every time a truck passed the car rocked.

We were surprised to turn down a gravel road for the last 25 miles of our journey. I didn’t think gravel roads even showed on the maps. Oh well for a gravel road it was very good. In fact better than some of the paved roads.

The town is very small so finding the motel was not too difficult even though we used Google to do so. The door was locked so we went to the bar and hotel. They don’t do rooms any more but they knew the owner of the motel. They do have a room so we returned.

Rob heard of some interesting places to go visit that are not too far from here. We will see about that for tomorrow.

The trailer breakaway switch cable caught on something today. Not a big deal. However, we will need to get clever on how to reattach it in the morning. Sounds lke a good theme for a dream tonight.

Day 13 August 5, 2026 Fort Vermilion Alberta to Slave Lake Alberta 260.8 miles

We made it through the night at the campsite with very little disturbance. A few kids rode a four wheeler through the area a few times but didn’t cause any problems. The only critter we saw was a small squirrel.

Overnight the starter on the car locked up. We put the car in gear and rocked it a little bit and the problem was resolved.

We drove back to the gas station and filled up. Another customer told us that the next gas was about 170 miles away. Good thing we have extra gas. Hopefully no wind.

Seems to be a combination of smoke and clouds. So far no wind or rain. The temperature is also warmer.

More rolling hills and forest today. Very few houses of any kind. Quite a few RVs. Also several horse trailers so there must be rodeos in the area. We have seen a few signs pointing to rodeo grounds.

Red Earth finally came into view. They have a gas station with a grocery store, sporting goods store, chicken fast food and liquor store. We remember that a few years ago we bought two fly swatters here. Bought Mary Brown’s chicken for lunch.

The highway in front and for at least 10 miles is going to be resurfaced. Now it is grooved asphalt which is terrible to drive on. The posted speed limit is about 30 mph but everyone is going much faster. Well, we did not speed.

When that came to an end the road got really very rough with potholes everywhere. You could not avoid them all. Road maintenance is not a high priority in this area. We were glad to see the town of Slave Lake come into view. We had a little trouble finding the hotels but we finally found three rather close together. The one we chose has a guest laundry which was really good. Saved going out again.

Day 12 August 4, 2026 New Providence Northwest Territories to Fort Vermilion Alberta 316.2 miles

This is another day of backtracking. Therefore no new sites to see. We followed the MacKenzie River for several miles. It’s a big River comparable to the Mississippi River. We didn’t see any boats or barges however.

We hadn’t gone far when a light rain began to fall. It stayed with us most of the day. Heavier in some areas. No use taking pictures because they would all have polka dots. Wet polka dots.

When we got to the Hay River the wind really picked up. Might be a similar thing to the Columbia River gorge. The river does flow through a gorge in this area. The wind does seem to really affect our gas mileage. It drops two to three miles per gallon.

We fueled in High Level just to be sure. A guy there said he had seen us a few days ago but neglected to get a picture. He took one now. Another guy had a picture of when we were here a few years ago. We are helping to make memories.

Once we crossed the border into Alberta the forested land decreased and the farm land increased. Back were the grain and canola fields.

The GPS was telling us the hotel was 49 miles away. We stopped and some of the locals came over. They told us where the hotel was located. We found it and Rob went in to check. He came back out and said they claim to be booked full. Rob says the trailer looked much better than any of the rooms possibly could. We had the address of a campground and headed there. It is located about six miles out of town. The campground seems empty for where we can see. We pulled into the first site since it is a drive through and set up camp. We ate dinner at the picnic table and then got back in the car before the rain started.

The car is running fine. The refrigerator that stopped working a few days ago is trying to freeze everything. The refer did not get the memo about living a life in moderation.

Day 11 August 3, 2026 Yellowknife Northwest Territories to New Providence Northwest Territories 163miles

The wind this morning seems much calmer than yesterday. Now it is only a slight breeze. The skies are blue with very few if any clouds.

The woodie is blocked in by vehicles on both ends, we did a parallel park as we were told rather than the drive in kind. Sometimes the trailer is too difficult to maneuver in reverse. Rob asked the desk clerk to find one of the drivers and ask them to move their car. A large group of young adults are packing up to leave. Turns out the vehicles belong to them. They moved one and we were able to get out. They have some kind of a big trailer somewhere because one of their vehicles is a small semi cab.We think that the were one of the competitors in a BBQ cookoff.

Wow we finally saw a bison. He was walking parallel to the road but in the middle of the mowed area. We didn’t seem to bother him. When we came along this road yesterday we didn’t see any bison. The area is near the bison reserve so some of them drift over.

A bit later a BBQ food truck passed us along with another trailer and several cars. It was the same group from the hotel. Must have been some event in Yellowknife.

Two different men were cutting some of the fire killed trees and loading them. Most likely firewood for this winter. Certainly seems to be a lot of it. Perhaps most people don’t have wood stoves. We have been told that many people use propane for heating and cooking.

Then we saw a second bison. He was just standing there. No cares in the world.

The air is getting smokey again. Must be forest fires somewhere. They don’t seem to be close so that is a good thing.

More food trucks passed us. Definitely something had been going on.

One of the couples we had seen a couple of days ago stopped when they saw us. They were just as impressed with Yellowknife as we were.

We ran out of fuel again but only had 11 more miles to go. Sure glad we brought along extra fuel. The gas station is out of town about 3 miles. We went to town and found a hotel for the night. It is on the river which is nice. We even have a river view room.

Two police officers stopped to check out the car. They were Canadian so they were very friendly and helpful like everyone we have met up here. They told us to contact them directly if we needed anything. That offer would not happen in the States.