Okay I am on my way. Yippee!!!

Look at my poor little bug.  She looks a little overloaded don't you think?

Aw my poor baby.

Well she did get me to my first destination today.  Saw lots of country and Lynette I did see snow.  Just not at our level.  He he

I know stop it already.  Sorry can't help myself.

So this morning I got up around 7:30.  A record for me.  Usually don't get out of bed unless I really have to.  Must be either excited or I am in dread of driving to Edmonton.  I did a bit of turning in bed last night so didn't get too much sleep.  Still excitement or just dread?  Well anyways this is another first for me.  Traveling a distance on my own.  Most I have driven is to an airport were I have gotten on a plane by myself.  This though is going to take a couple of days to get where I am going.  Stop when I want, eat when I want.  Sightsee if I want to see something.  Most of all can listen to my tunes instead of having a quiet car.  I do not like a quiet anything unless it is me.  Because yes I am quiet.

Enough of that.  Let's get on with my day.  Dogs got an early walk today instead of their usual later in the day.  Got my suitcase in the car and headed off.  Filled up the tank and did a stop at timmies to get a couple of muffins I could snack on if needed a pick me up.

Headed off on my drive at 10:00.  Onto highway 1 to hope and then onto the coquihalla highway to Kamloops.

The drive was pretty good.  Not too much traffic once I got out of the lower main land. A few trucks on the road, but it was a Sunday so wouldn't be as many trucks.  This was nice.  Warning for anyone else driving the coquihalla in the next few days.  They are doing some road work.  Resurfacing in places that takes it down to one lane instead of the two.  Was not too bad today.  With light traffic and only a few trucks the slow downs were not too bad.

I made a few stops to look at the scenery but that was about it.  Mostly saw trees, trees and more trees.  Once in while a railroad track and a few rivers.  Well I guess it was the same river.  The North Thompson river.  From Kamloops on up.

I went from nosebleed high to ear popping down again.  The temperature when I left was around 17 raising to a high of 29 as I went through Kamloops and then dropping a little as I came through grey wells park.  Now being a comfort of around 23.  That is Celsius for the US ladies reading this.  29 is dang warm.

I can say I do love my bug.  I filled her up in town before I left and she still has between a quarter and half with it being closer to half left in her.  She has driven over 600 kilometres today.  Not bad for a VW. I will have to fill her again tomorrow morning before I head out on my second leg tomorrow.

I stopped on this side of the pass tonight.  I didn't want to try driving through there if it started getting dark.  There are animals that sneak out on you in the dark and are all of a sudden in your headlights.  Has happened to us before and I really do not want it to happen while it is just me.

So am now in a very nice hotel room.  Yeah doing my silly blog, watching the boob tube.  I took a bit of a walk after I had myself something to eat in the restaraunt downstairs. Then realized this is skeeter country.  I was still in my shorts and tank top.  Comfy clothes to drive in but not so good when you start meeting up with skeeters.

My meal was a regular I order.  A noodle dish.  But they put something a little different in it.  It tasted great.  And was all bubbly and hot.  The garlic toast was a little over done so I couldn't eat it but I did enjoy the entrie.

The hotel is nice but to get to the second floor they do not have an elevator.  Makes it kind of difficult if you are taking your suitcase upstairs.  I love the wood they incorporated into the stairs and the bar downstairs.  Made out of logs.  Gives the place a rustic look.  Well I guess that is why no elevator.  Rustic.

Wow just look at this hat rack.  I could put that to good use.

There is the bar

Also here is a few pictures from my drive today.  Love seeing the Rockies again. With the snow on the top.

So had a good day.  No problems today and hope no problems for the rest of the drive up and back.  I am having fun.  Why did I think that this would be dreadful.  I guess the chicken just like to come out and yak at me about what I should not be doing.  Well I am doing it and I am loving it.  My confidence is coming around.  

Talk to you tomorrow if I have wifi.

Well another adventure coming my way

Yes indeed.  I STARTED MY HOLIDAYS.  It is official. Two weeks of fun and laughter and lots of giggles.  Well maybe not two weeks but for part of it.

Another #RHSIsSimplyFun is coming my way.  Or maybe the other way around I am going to it. I will be spending a few days in Edmonton.  The funvation is called Red Hats Around The World. Three days of Canadian fun.

I have been to a couple other Canadian red hat funvations.  As much of a blast as going to one in the States.  Both are equally as fun.  It is all in what you put into it.  If you go to a funvation and sit on your duff expecting someone to cater to you,  you are not going to have that much fun or get much out of it.  So if you get involved in what is going on around you and join in.  Turn yourself into the child you use to be and just play not worrying about what others are going to think you have so much fun you don't want it to end.  

My only problem is the travel to get to these funvations.  Some of them are farther then I like to travel.  Butt will get sore on a plane and my legs will start giving me some trouble. Sometimes the price is just more then I want to spend.  If you want to go to them you have to figure out how to pay for them and then not worry about money when you get there.  Budget yourself and think do I really need this piece of bling or that hat I am admiring so much.  It is gorgeous but.  The other thing is if you do buy it getting it home with you when you only brought a small suitcase.  Think about the carry on regulations now as well.  Getting costly there too.  There is a solution to that too.  Shipping your items home.  There is always a ups or fedex close by that would be happy to help you with your parcel.  Or maybe the vendor may offer shipping as well.  A thought anyways.  Better then having an over stuffed suitcase.

Sorry just thinking to myself here on likes and don't likes.

So today to start off my holidays I spent and afternoon with my local red hat sisters.  A few of the girls are celebrating birthdays in the month of May.  So we went out for a dinner .  So delish and then dessert afterwards.  Stuffed to the top of my pretty red hat.  We went to the bistro at tangle bank gardens.  Such a lovely place to go.  And they have a shop there as well that you can nose around.  See some of the artesian items from around the area.  Wonder and look at the flowers and such as well.  Was nice to get to get her with these ladies.  They are so much fun to be around.

After I was done eating and all where heading for home I came back to the house to have my son there.  He finished off a project he was working in the garage on and came in and asked if I wanted to go to a movie.  So we headed off to see Andries fault.  My gosh the special effects and the action in it. I was on the edge of my seat for part of the movie.  I liked it for a disaster movie.

So now I sit on the couch and start another adventure tomorrow

This one is going to be a little different for me.  I usually drive to the airport, wait many hours after going through security to get one a plane.  This time I am driving.  Leave tomorrow morning and head up through British Columbia over the mountains and through the dales to grandmothers house I go.  Oooops getting off track here.  Yes going over the mountains and ending up in Edmonton for my final.stopping place.  I have planned two days of a slow drive and decided to be a tourist.  See something I will stop and look around.enjoy the scenery and take in all that is British Columbia.  You see I have ever really seen BC.  Whenever the two of us have traveled it is always get from point A to point B.  Not much stopping in between.  Well I hope I can see allot of it.  I leave sometime in the morning.  Right now a little scared shirtless as I am going on my own.  Hoping I might see some other red hat ladies along the way as a few others are driving up as well.  Well if I do great, if I don't oh well.

As I was saying about being a little chicken.  I have ever driven that far before on my own.  The first time I went down to the States just to go to the Silver Reef I had the same kinda feelings.  You know I got over it, bucked up and said to myself you want to do this go for it or just go home now.  Well I went for it.  Now it is no big deal and this will be the same way.  After a while I will tell myself to just get on with it and get going.  You are going to enjoy yourself in the end so stop fretting and just go see some country.  See there I am talking myself into it now.  Yep still chicken at this point but I am going to do it and start my drive tomorrow morning after the dogs are walked and I get a bit of gas in the car.  I have it mostly packed already .  Just got to put my suitcase in and I am ready to go.

Talking of suitcases.  You know how many times I opened and closed it to put more stuff in and take more stuff out.  It is just crazy what you think you might need and what you think you don't need,  then you take it out and put other stuff in.  Then you go back to your other idea and out some of the other stuff back in.  Well I am not opening it again.  It goes in the car tomorrow and I won't touch it again till I get to my first hotel for the night.  The car is just a little loaded down right now.  I have in a couple of dresses I was thinking of.  A few pairs of shoes.  You know you need different shoes for different parties going on.  You can't wear heals with your pj breakfast.  Or a pair of boots you have along for pirate event does not go great with a formal dress.  Then I brought a pair of short healed shoes just in case I have trouble with my legs and can not wear the high heals. Oh my delemas I have to think of when I do this.  Glad I am not flying. Or I would have to downsize allot to get on the plane.  I have been overweight a couple of times.  Not fun.  And coming back is worse cause you bought this stuff and want to get it home.

So my car is full and ready for the drive.  I also have a quilt in there that is going to be a giftie for one of the prizes given away during the event.  That took up a bit of room in my car.  Well it is only a little bug. So anything in there takes up allot of room.

So I guess that is it for my first day of holidays.  Will write again tomorrow night on my continuing adventure.  This experience is going to help I hope in getting rid of the chicken that lives inside of me.  You all know I am the quiet one.  Not much in the way of talking in person.  Some of you ladies have gotten a few words out of me, but I still do not say much.  Unless I get on here and I blab a mile a minute.  Talk to you al tomorrow night.  I can tell you about all the trees and maybe a deer or two and the lakes and mountains I saw on my first leg of my journey.  I know really fun stuff.