Prairies or plains, plains or prairies? It doesn’t really matter – either way, they’re great! Well, that’s what I think…
We were driving through Alberta (Alberta Bound – Paul Brandt) and Saskatchewan last week, enjoying the delights, much missed in recent years, of a road trip.
Our destination for the journey was beyond the Great Plains, and when friends heard about our trip, a few muttered something about how the days can drag traveling through the boring middle western provinces. You know, there’s nothing to see out there.
Drag? Nothing? Huh?! I respectfully disagree! On this trip, once we passed Calgary and the smoke from wildfires north of the trans-Canada corridor – hope that they get big rain and less windy days soon – we enjoyed bright sunshine and big blue skies. A drag? Nothing to see? Um, where to begin? How about the rolling green and gold hills?
Or the sight and sounds of a train rumbling and clanking, parallel to the road?
Then there are hawks above, geese at eye level, and water fowl on the ponds – a drag? The sparkling ponds and newly green early spring trees? Dreary?!
What about seeing horse paddocks and corrals, mighty farm machinery, and the intricate wrought metal ranch gates? I’m always thrilled by the older style grain elevators, and the newer vast – perhaps not beautiful but certainly impressive – modern equivalents. Empty space?!
Empty? Ok, then how about the joy of an empty open road in front of you, stretching into the distance? For me, this is a road trip prize to savour when it happens, and it often happens on the prairies.
So, if the prairies are a bore, something dull and simply to be endured as you pass though, then colour me dreary, because I love the plains. It helps when you can fuel up at Tim’s (dark roast, always the dark roast) and Ian Tyson or Paul Brandt are doing their thing on the radio. Oh, ok, not the radio – on the road trip mixtape that some nerd might have thrown together before leaving. Can I say mixtape when it’s an Apple playlist? I think so. (Navajo Rug – Ian Tyson) Great songs for the Great Plains!
So there we are or there we were. I love the coast, I love the mountains, and yes, I love the prairies!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
OldPlaidCamper 
I love a good road trip, no matter where ever! Thanks for taking me along. “Home, home on the range ….”
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Delighted you enjoyed the trip – thanks for stopping by!
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I’m glad you folks enjoyed another fine trip across the prairie! I was young once & didn’t much appeciate my life in South Dakota but I learned, eventually, to love that environment on return visits, especially through the sandhills of Nebraska. As you say, there’s a lot to love & learn about the prairie life (much of its natural conditions imperiled today). Thanks for sharing your enjoyment of Canada’s prairie region!
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Thanks, Walt! Nothing quite like the prairies – I’ve never had to live out there, and goodness, the winters must be tough, but we always enjoy our trips through the mighty grasslands!
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I like the team effort at recording the journey. There is plenty to see, flowers and grasses shape the curves in the fields and create an amazing aray of colour.. Great to see the elevators, icon of the prairies.Enjoy the journey.
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Thanks, Jane! Yes, we’ve enjoyed the journey – nothing quite like a prairie trip! Hope all is well with you!
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I so loved this post, pc. I, too, am a big fan of the North American prairies. Just as you say, open and vast and beautiful. I loved being along with you and Mrs. PC on this adventure, from behind the windshield, at the dashboard, and breezing by the endless beauty. Many thanks.
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Thanks, Jet, and I’m very happy you enjoyed this one! Yup, if you can keep hold of your hat, then there is so much to enjoy breezing through the prairies!
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Loved the road trip enthusiasm and the song Alberta Bound!! Sounds like it’s been a fabulous week of celebrating the open road and Everton avoiding relegation!!! Watched the last 15 minutes and felt as stressed as the crowd and enjoyed watching them celebrate. In case you need an excuse to blast AC/DC once or twice on the trip, I have discovered the cows love hearing them as you roll on down the highway. Enjoy the rest of your wonderful journey and I’m glad Mrs. PC won’t have you sulking over Everton this summer!!🙂
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We love that song! We play it when we’re in Alberta, driving through AB, heading to AB, leaving AB, wishing we were still in AB…
Followed the Everton match with Guardian MBM reporting on spotty internet connection at a campground. Bl**dy hell, was that tense! Very happy I can forget about football for a couple of months, then look forward to another relegation struggle next season. My brother was there, and he’s exhausted and has not renewed his season ticket for the good of his health…
Yup, and I think the cows prefer Bon Scott era over Brian Johnson (they both work for me, Mrs PC prefers neither, so the highway to hell is relatively quiet – although when I played the latest Dinosaur Jr. it stayed on for the whole album, so there’s time for something loud yet…)
We’re continuing our sulk free trip this week, enjoying sunny days and an open road.
I hope the week ahead is a good one for you!
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I loved the plans too. A while different beauty.
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Whole different
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Absolutely! Love driving the dusty backroads, always something to see!
I hope your week is off to a good start.
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Monday was uneventful. That is a good start.
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