On Saturday morning we decided to head over to the mountains, an hour's drive from Rocky Mountain House. Brad took us to Crescent Falls, located off the highway and on a grid road up the foothills of the Rockies. I found it odd/neat that we drove for so long, and on a seemingly deserted grid and then all of a sudden there were campgrounds, hiking trails, and picnic areas hidden in all this dense forest of evergreens. As soon as we stepped out of the van we could hear the water; it made quite a loud noise for such a small waterfall that it must have been rushing very quick.
We got some good pics, had lunch at a picnic site, and made our way back to Rocky. Mike and I bought the kids' school supplies in the afternoon and then relaxed the rest of the evening.
We got up bright and early this morning so that we were able to be ready, packed, and all set to leave by 9:00 am...the mall at Balzac outside of Airdrie opens at 11 on Sundays and we needed the entire day to shop.
And shop we did! For 7 hours straight, with a bit of time at 1:00 for some lunch. I didn't think I would like the mall as much as my beloved West Ed, but I gotta say it was pretty frigging amazing. So well planned out, all on one level, and the shops were nestled in different themed hallways that were so quaint and picturesque. I had to snap some pics for you all who haven't been there so you can see what I mean...it meant announcing to everyone there that we were tourists, but what the hey...I was!!
After dropping serious dough, and me finding my little black dress for my cousin's wedding, we called it quits at 6:00pm (the mall closed anyways), and we headed back to the hotel to unload before supper.
 |
| I loved this huge 'campfire' in the middle of the western area...the huge over sized chairs were situated all around it, and every one was occupied by people taking a break and taking in the view. It was like being in Paul Bunyan's campsite. Lol! |
We swam with the kids for a bit in the hotel pool, and now, as I'm typing, everyone is sleeping like little babies. I'm tired, but I'm enjoying my alone, quiet time much much more.
Tomorrow is D-Day, Calaway day, or Puke day for me as I like to think of it, and the kids are burning with excitement. Me, I'm longing for my own bed and slippers, and I miss my kitties too.
 |
| A still life in the Bass Shop |
 |
| Bass Shop 2...there were huge fish swimming in the pond |
 |
| Huge fresh water tank with different species of fish native to North America |
 |
| Charlie couldn't resist touching this deer...Bambi, she called it. |
 |
| Yep, still in the Bass Shop. This shop was seriously humongous. |
 |
| The general store had ice cream in waffle cones, and everything inside it was antique from the early 1900's. |
 |
| These statues were everywhere in the mall...pretty amazing, and I wish the mall wasn't so far away from home. |
 |
| Every "neighborhood" in the mall had a theme, and I can't remember all of them but there was a Hollywood theme, a western, pictured above, dinosaurs, and agriculture, to name a few. The mall was so easy to get around that shopping was actually a pleasant experience. I can't wait to go there again. |
No comments:
Post a Comment