Hello everyone! We finally made it home - yep, back to Canada ... our first time since 2018. It was so awesome to see friends and family across Alberta, as well as to do some sightseeing, and also visit some of our favorite pubs and restaurants. We will cover the details in 3 sections - Edmonton, Lake Louise/Banff, and Calgary as we go. This video sums up the visits with our kick ass group of friends! Edmonton After running into our friends, the Coppages (returning from their holidays in the US and coming back to KSA), in the Amsterdam airport, it seemed fitting to kick off vacation properly - with several airport beers. We woke up on the plane, landed in Calgary, and drove up to Edmonton. Due to Covid, there weren't any direct flights to Edmonton at that point. After checking into the airBnb, it was off to the Canadian Brewhouse for a lengthy shift with some great friends (Anita, Chris Reid, Dennis, the Gowers, and the Serights) who came out. We spent the next day visiting some family in St.Albert, getting to visit with aunts Sue & Lynn, cousins Lana, Glen, Brad, and their kids. Great to see everyone! Thank you for arranging this. Ran into our first cannabis shop in St.Albert - huge business in Canada and legal since we have been back. Time to support the local economy I suppose. We met up with the gang and Jason W. on Whyte Ave for a special night of Bulldogs at Julio's Barrio. The night unravelled quickly and we ventured down the street to the Black Dog and Blues on Whyte. We love Edmonton! Our last night was a special one, as we attended an outdoor concert with Anita, Dennis, and the Gowers. Captain Tractor, the Dead South (fucking unreal!), Alan Doyle, and Blue Rodeo lit up the stage as we drank, sang, and danced! Just watch Lisa's singing on the Lost Together video below. Amazing to be back at a concert! No cabs available so we rode home in a limo (under the negotiation that the driver would stop to get us beer and burgers, and that we could listen to DJ Chunky Luv on his stereo!). An amazing few days in E-Town...miss this place....miss these people! Lake Louise & Banff We drove south from Edmonton and cut over to the mountains in the west, staying in a remote mountain lodge one night, doing some hiking and trying to avoid the bears. Made it to the beautiful Lake Louise (at 2 degrees Celsius), as this was Lisa's first time to see the iconic Canadian lake. So beautiful. Got some pics, but beers (and warmer temps) in Banff were calling so we hit the road. Managed to stop and see cousins Warren and Jenna (and their kids) for a couple drinks, as they were camping along the lake just outside of Banff. Was great to catch up in such a beautiful spot! Met up with lifelong friends, Layne (better known as Vin) & Glenice, in Banff. It was amazing that they took time away from work to come see us and party together in Banff. We caught up over drinks, some mountain golf (beautiful!), and walking around one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Even stopped (for the first time) in Canmore for lunch and a couple pints! If you ever visit Canada, DO NOT leave without seeing the Canadian Rockies! On to our final stop - Calgary! Calgary We made it to Calgary and were immediately invited to Avi's new house to see some old friends (Avi, Michele, Nicole, Jr, Vin)and their kids (holy shit, have the kids grown up!). Same old shenanigans, even including a nap from the host! Calgary included visits to our favorite restaurants, visiting some breweries, doing some hikes at our favorite locations, running errands (Yes, Lisa finally got her drivers license renewed!) Lisa's mom and Jeff's Dad & Joan arrived so we were able to catch up and enjoy some time with them. Great to see everyone doing well and to see that they still love their cards! We took a day away from everyone to rest up for the upcoming days. That plan failed, as we hit the pub , ran into another friend, Stu, and the night quickly derailed - see the videos below. Had a chance to golf with Vin, Jr, and their dad Lynn....this one got a bit wild as it was Lynn's birthday so it just made sense to indulge. Finally got to see Vin & Glen's new house (a beauty!). Ended the day at a gem of a place called the Beer Hall...damn good pizza! We had a chance to catch up with another great friend, The Big Daver, at the Kilt & Caber for a couple drinks...great to catch up with him and see that he is doing well! The final encore was the Labor Day game between the Riders and Bombers, hosted by Avi once again (this guy is a hosting machine). First things first, the Riders got their asses kicked. But honestly, the game was secondary compared to the celebration of seeing everyone in one place. Gowers and Dirty Den came from Edmonton, Hautas came from their lake, and a shitload of people came out from Calgary. It was so cool to see everyone saying to each other "we haven't seen you in so long"....so happy this event could connect the gang again! Avi and Michele had a taco bar that was outstanding, we played games, we drank, we hugged, we drank more. Then we paid the price the next day. All worth it and would do it again in a second! Final day tradition - Keg dinner with friends. And we are off. Miss this group! Upcoming TravelWe have a couple long weekends coming up in September and October - will most likely just visit Bahrain for some golf, brunches, and pool time. Saving it for November, November 10-15 - Amsterdam...can't wait to get back and have some fun here! November 29-December 8 - Vienna and Budapest. We are excited that Anita is flying out to travel with us. Should be some amazing excursions, Christmas markets, and a Sparty fun Budapest (videos to come!) 2022 vacation requests are due soon. Still to be determined. Hoping to make it for the Feb 12-19 T&A trip in Cabo san Lucas, Mexico. Stay tuned for more... We have been so lucky to have such an amazing summer - 3 weeks in Croatia, 4 weeks with everyone in Canada. We are blessed and so grateful after everything in 2020.
THANK YOU to everyone who came out to see us while we were back in Canada. Sending you all love....hope you all have an awesome fall season. Love, J&L
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