Hè roadtrippin 'in Canada

As announced, our last stop on our trip is Canada. The last days in Peru were still calm before we finally flew to Canada. We expected a mix of city and nature. We planned 4 days in Toronto, 15 days in a camper for a road trip to Vancouver, and another 4 days in Vancouver. We definitely wanted to see moose, bears, and whales. Moose have been on Leonie's bucket list for years, and it's a dream to finally see them in the wild. Arriving in Toronto, we immediately felt a sense of relaxation. We could talk to people, understand the language, and were in a familiar culture. The constant monitoring of our bags and clothes could finally be relaxed a bit, and we could move freely. A great feeling! As the first act after picking up the rental car, we went to Mexican Chipotle. Roman couldn't wait to have his favorite fast food. And he wasn't disappointed! The taste and portion size were just perfect, just like in the US. However, the prices were correspondingly high. No comparison to Peru and certainly something to get used to when suddenly paying $15 instead of €5 for a dish. But it also shows that prosperity has its price. In our Airbnb about an hour outside of Toronto, we were greeted nicely by our host. A nice older gentleman from China rents out 5 rooms in the basement of his house, and we had one of them. Besides the food prices, the hotel prices are quite high. We couldn't find anything decent in Toronto for less than €150 per night, so we decided to go with Airbnb and a rental car. Unfortunately, an unpleasant phase started in the evening that lasted for about two weeks and is counted among the less pleasant memories. Leonie seems to have caught something in Peru and had very strong stomach cramps and gastrointestinal problems. The next day we visited a doctor and were prescribed medication. The following days were therefore a bit calmer, and we could plan our camper route in more detail. The day before we were supposed to pick up the camper, there was still an important point on our list: the Niagara Falls. The famous waterfalls are about an hour's drive away, and it was a must for us to go there. When we arrived, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view. The similarly named city invited us to stay, so we spent almost the whole day there, strolling through the streets. And then came the part of our trip to Canada that we were most excited about. We had rented the camper for 15 days to drive from Toronto to Vancouver, covering a total of about 5000 kilometers. We had signed up for a so-called relocation. This means that we bring the camper from A to B (from Toronto to Vancouver) within a certain period of time for the company and receive a special discount in return. So we paid significantly less than we would have with a regular rental. We were also lucky to drive a brand new Ford Super Duty truck with a new camper top. We were the first users, which made us very happy. At the same time, we were a bit nervous because as camper novices, we didn't want to break anything. The pickup went smoothly, and we were able to pick up the camper on time. After various questions and checks from us, we were able to start, and we immediately realized that this was not a Golf or Opel Corsa. The vehicle was huge compared to our cars. It was definitely comfortable, just a bit getting used to with its height and width. In order to save some money, we had planned to stay overnight at free parking lots as often as possible. Camping sites usually cost between $40-60 per night, and especially in the first few nights, we wanted to cover as much distance as possible. So we spent the first night at a Walmart parking lot. Maybe not what you imagine when you think of camping in Canada, but we would explore nature in Alberta and British Columbia (about 4000km further). Nevertheless, Ontario was beautiful. Partly still covered in snow, we drove past kilometers of forests and lakes. The scenery reminded us of what we know from movies. Lots of nature, few roads and houses. simply super idyllic. We spent most of our time along Lake Superior. As the name suggests, this is the largest lake in the world in terms of surface area. We also wanted to explore it a bit on foot and decided to take a half-day break and go for a hike. When we arrived in the park's parking lot, the parking ticket was supposed to cost $15. But since everything was covered in snow and looked closed, we thought we could save these $15. The hike only took a total of 1.5 hours, and when we arrived at the camper, of course, we had a ticket. Somehow karma, but also annoying for a 1.5 hour hike. Well, of course, we continued on our way. Ronny and Schnegge (what we called ourselves from now on) had to get back on the buck (the camper) and hit the road again. Then suddenly Ronny made the first discovery. When he was randomly staring into the forest, he saw a huge moose standing between the trees. So we quickly braked, turned around, and looked again. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the moose again. To Leonie's disappointment, because her dream is to see moose. But a few kilometers further, it happened. The moose was standing by the roadside, eating peacefully. Fortunately, we were able to brake in time this time and watch the moose. Overjoyed and with a tear of joy in our eyes, we continued the tour. But somehow it was moose day on that day. We actually saw 3 more moose. So we happily spent the night, once again at a Walmart. Afterwards, we left Ontario and arrived in Manitoba. Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba and a popular area for German emigrants. But since our plan was to drive 4000 kilometers to Banff within 5 days, we didn't spend much time here and only drove through the city briefly once. After Winnipeg, there was a long stretch of nothing. We drove through the prairie for about 2000 kilometers. Flat farmland and occasionally a few houses or a small town. This section was probably the most boring of all. But even here, there were things to discover. The sunsets, for example, were beautiful. Due to the wide view, the sunset could be observed in the distance. After exhausting 5 days, during which we drove almost continuously (except for sleeping in the evenings), we reached Calgary as planned. In Calgary, we were able to replenish our supplies and then drove prepared into Banff. In early May, there was still partially ski season in Banff, so a few slopes were still open. However, most of the tourists had switched to hiking shoes and bicycles. To get an overview of the activities and sleeping options, we visited the visitor center. Here, they showed us which attractions and hiking trails were already open (it was still offseason) and where we could spend the night. In addition, we were warned not to go on hiking trails without bear spray if possible. The trails partly lead through forests, and Banff is bear country. It was very exciting for us, because as you all know, there are no bears in Germany. Well, then we set off to our sleeping place. This time it was going to be a gas station. Camping is not allowed in the national parks, so you have to book a campsite. Unfortunately, all campsites were fully booked. So we had to look for alternatives, and the nice lady at the visitor center assured us that we could spend the night at the gas station. The next morning, there was suddenly a knock on the door, and we were told otherwise. A park ranger explained that this was also not possible and gave us a verbal warning - great, we had taken extra precautions. At least we didn't have to pay anything, and the incredibly nice (seriously) guy even gave us another alternative. But before we went there, we had breakfast at the Multichannel and drove to Lake Louise. We were expecting a bright turquoise lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains. What we got was a completely frozen lake and snow-covered mountains. It was still winter here. But that didn't stop us from taking a short hike through the area and across the lake. The view was amazing, and we don't have this kind of winter in Germany. After the hike, we let the real campers out and spread out a picnic in the parking lot. With cozy sunshine and 5 degrees, we enjoyed a cold beer, a sandwich, and chips. Wonderful! We spent the second night in the national park in a not very spectacular way on a park & ride parking lot before finally checking into the fully booked campsite. Here, we had warm showers, electricity for the sockets, and a microwave, and we were surrounded by like-minded campers. The campsite was also close to the city of Banff. The city reminded us of a cozy little town in the mountains and was beautiful. Restaurants, hotels, and shops cleverly used this cliché and decorated accordingly. We spent a total of 3 nights at the campsite. Each day, we chose a sporting activity like hiking or cycling. We discovered beautiful scenery and always hoped to finally see a bear. As recommended, we had borrowed bear spray, so we were prepared for any emergencies. On the first morning at the campsite, we made another animal discovery. Moose cows were grazing peacefully right next to our camper. It seems that they also live on the campsite because we saw them every day. But we were explicitly warned about them. They are still wild animals that should not be petted or fed. Especially in the calving season, which was just happening. Besides the moose cows, we saw various other critters, as we lovingly called them. However, they were mostly some kind of deer or small rodents. Unfortunately, the big fish, or rather bear, didn't cross our path. But the highlight at the campsite was the campfire. Every evening, after physically demanding activities that one of us would even call torture, we had a campfire as a reward. The idyllic crackling of the fire, a refreshing cold drink, and the beautiful mountain scenery were unique. It also made us crave grilling again. Except for a few pieces of chicken from the leftover roasted chicken, we couldn't prepare anything over the fire. But that will be done as soon as possible in Germany! Time flew by, and we had to pack up our camp and continue driving. After Banff comes Jasper, a slightly more remote national park. The drive takes about 4 hours and goes through the famous Icefield Parkway. The road is continuously surrounded by mountains and glaciers, which was supposed to be the icing on the cake of beautiful views. So we packed everything and set off. Like real tourists, we took every viewpoint along the way. But at the second stop, we heard a strange beeping noise from the camper. After a closer look, we saw that it was the refrigerator beeping. We quickly found the cause in the documents. Our propane gas was empty - great. The failure of the refrigerator at an outside temperature of about 5 degrees is not a big deal, but we also use the propane for heating when we sleep. At night, it was already getting uncomfortably cold outside. Nevertheless, we continued driving and just hoped that we could refill the propane in Jasper at the campsite or in town. After many more stops and one enchanting backdrop after another, we finally arrived at the campsite, and lo and behold, there was no propane. But we were given a tip to ask at a gas station further into town. At the third gas station, we finally had luck and were able to refill the propane. The night was saved! The campsite in Jasper was much more remote and somehow in the middle of the forest. We hoped that we might finally see a bear here. According to the reception, it was also bear territory, and you should definitely not store or leave any food outside. But even there, we were denied the sight - these bears just seem to hide too well. The next morning, we took a recommended route that offered a few attractions. Starting with our absolute highlight, the first bear. Unexpectedly, while driving at full speed, we saw several cars parked on the side of the road with hazard lights on. So we slowed down and stopped, until we finally spotted this big, furry guy coming out of the bushes. Finally, finally, finally. The bear (a brown grizzly bear) seemed a bit irritated by the many spectators, so he slowly walked across the road past us and back into the forest. A brief moment, but what a great experience! Full of joy, we continued driving, and another big, this time black furball appeared on the side of the road. And behold, a black bear. It seemed like our lucky day! Again, the bear disappeared into the forest within seconds, but we didn't care. We had seen it! At an almost abandoned lake, we made our next animal discovery. We were in the nesting area of the bald eagles and could observe one of the birds hovering in the sky, looking for prey, while the other one sat in the nest, keeping watch. Our day of animals continued, but that was basically the end. It's enough - two bears and two eagles are sufficient! However, Leonie was still a bit sad that we didn't see another moose. We saw several in Ontario, but those were moose cows. Unfortunately, we haven't seen a big male moose with a huge antler yet. After two days in Jasper, it was time to say goodbye and head towards Vancouver. We had to return the camper in just two days. But as if someone had summoned it, Leonie finally got what she had longed for so much. On the side of the road stood a huge male moose hidden by bushes and eating. Fortunately, other motorists had seen the moose and had stopped in front of us. So we were able to see the moose, stop, and enjoy the sight. Luckily, he didn't seem to be in a hurry and calmly continued eating despite being watched by several people. Jackpot! We could cross the animals off our bucket list, and Leonie's dream came true. The moose, by the way, was one of the reasons why we went to Canada, and we were rewarded! Between long roads, overnight stays at Walmart parking lots and gas stations, we didn't see much for the rest of the last two days. But the days flew by, and we had to reluctantly return the camper. What an experience!