Travel Day...

Day 3, Feb 5th

A pretty big travel day for us and a massive travel day for our holiday partners, Clive, Lorraine, Darren, Brenda, Karmen, Tayla, Riley, Jack and Kody, hereafter collectively known in this blog as 'The Gang'.

After a pretty ordinary Day 2 with stolen phones and sad news from back home, it was delightful to wake at 06:30 and find out that I had become a grandpa again. Of course I found out this news via Facebook...lol. I woke the girls and gave them the good news. Brian did text me with the news later though.

Welcome to the world, Isaac Kenneth Baker. 3.8kgs and 47 cm long. A brother for Joshua and Lily.

I checked on flightarrivals.com and saw that 'The Gang' were running fairly close to schedule and due in about 30 mins late at 10:15. We checked out at 11:00, but not before getting a better shot of that billboard outside our window which has been screaming at me since our arrival...

We are obviously on the other side of the world here, in Australia all the big billboards are for nasal delivery sprays with '1800-GET-AFAT', the complete opposite, go figure!!!

We transferred to the airport from the hotel directly to Westjet in Terminal 2 and waited for 'The Gang'. They arrived soon enough and shortly after we were lining up to catch our flight to Calgary...

The flight to Calgary was just over 3 hours. Fascinating scenery as we flew north from the greenery of California to the barren snow covered fields of Oregon and Montana as we crossed the border into Canada. We arrived at Calgary at 18:00 and had yet another long walk to immigration. I guess it's a side effect of expanding airport sizes and terminals that you just don't think about, but as the airport gets bigger, the walk to get out of the terminal also can lengthen. In that respect, Sydney's domestic terminal is brilliantly designed.

A sign welcomed us to Calgary and once we had cleared customs and entered the main terminal buiding we were reminded that we were in 'Stampede City'...

That said, our stay at Calgary was only 2 hours and after a Starbucks and a quick bite, we were on our flight to our final destination, Kelowna at 20:00. After a very short flight (think Sydney/Canberra type short) we were met at the Airport by our shuttle driver Brian who was as accommodating as you could possibly be. We were delivered to our Kelowna accommodation, the Sandman Hotel and Suites where I had a small scare straight away when the guy at the desk looked at me strange when I said 'Four rooms for Inman?'. Apparently they had only kept 3 for us and Clive and Lorraine were somehow left off. Fortunately there were vacancies and it was quickly sorted.

Tomorrow 'The Gang' will meet in the lobby at 08:30 where we will decide about breakfast. There is a Denny's in the hotel and a Macca's next door. My money is on Macca's..lol It's then off to the mall across the road where after browsing a few shops and buying a few things (walking boots for me, thermals for Casey) the guys will head to the grog shop and the girls to the supermarket to get 10 days supplies.

If all goes well, the guys will head back to the hotel for a 12:45 shuttle pickup, collect the groceries (and the girls I guess) at the supermarket and head up the mountain for the 1 hour trip to Big White Ski Resort.

Let the fun begin!!!!!!!!!!!!

Later...