Day 11 - Kinda Low

Today was hard for me, not going to lie. Started off well enough with some extra sleep and then a good breakfast. At breakfast, though, Will told me he didn't, in fact, want to drive to Banff today. He'd read an article about air quality in the Calgary paper that morning. I was more than a bit disappointed. I read the article he had, which spoke of air quality levels comparable to Beijing. I reminded Will that we walked around Beijing for days many years ago, when the air was even worse. The article ended by saying the danger was greatest for the very young (I assume babies) and the old or anyone with major breathing problems. We do not seem to fall into these categories. I know Will is being cautious and protective for all the right reasons, but I am starting to think we might have made the wrong decision to cancel our stay. I have spoken to many locals about how we were supposed to be in Banff but cancelled. They all seem a bit perplexed by this when I mention the smoky air. 

We drove through it Monday. The smoke was visible. You could smell it. So it's not like we were delusional about that. But I'm wondering if we could have gone places where it wasn't as prominent. Today, my friend Susie (loyal blog reader extraordinaire) texted links to pictures of live web cams in the NP. The one from the Banff gondola surely had some smoky skies, but the one of Lake Louise definitely looked pretty clear. It made me very sad to see these places I've been dying to see and think that we made the wrong choice. I immediately texted the owner of our condo to see if he would consider renting to us the next three nights we have. He responded that unfortunately it had been rented right after we cancelled. This kills me! So...tons of people are clearly in the area. And someone is staying in OUR condo! I did a quick check on Expedia only to find that, of maybe 5 or 6 available places, every single one is at least $250 a night, which is just too much for us. 

So, anyway, to fill the day, we drove an hour and 45 minutes northeast to Drumheller, AB: home of the Royal Tyrell Dinosaur Museum. On the way, the kids were being very whiny and difficult. Will was losing his cool, and I was trying really hard not to cry, and not always succeeding. Finally, we put on the Hamilton soundtrack to keep the kids happy, and the drive was a bit smoother from there. The drive there, though not through the Rockies, is pretty because a lot of the farms have these crops with yellow flowers. I believe they are canola plants. The farms are pretty with rolling hills of yellow everywhere. Then, when you get to Drumheller, the landscape completely changes, and you are all of a sudden in badlands. It is very dry and not very colorful, but a neat, new view of the country. Drumheller is famous for its dinosaur museum, and the entire town has capitalized on this Dino theme. As you drive through on the way to the museum, a lot of the businesses have dinosaurs tied into their decor or signage. A bit kitschy. Oh, and while my dad will kill me when he hears, I did see a small Star Trek museum, but we didn't stop. 

The dino museum itself is fine. It's mostly just fossils behind glass and a lot of either casted or original dinosaur bone reconstructions. I was not in a great frame of mind to enjoy it, honestly, but I did my best. The best part was a section where actual people were working behind glass on real Dino bone projects. And there was even a young woman behind a desk in the open, working on reconstructing a dinosaur jaw. She'd taken it out of it's "shell" (the put them in a plaster cast to transport) and was cleaning it up with a tiny scalpel, toothbrush, etc. Eleanor and I watched her for quite a bit and asked some questions. After seeing the exhibits, Ethan and I did a short hike in the badlands adjacent to the museum. He got to do some climbing, and we took some neat pictures. Admittedly, it was the happiest I've been in 3 days. I was outside, I was hiking, and I was seeing new things outdoors. This indoor life has been killing me the past couple of days. Will and Eleanor stayed back - Will because of his leg bothering him (more on that to come) and Eleanor because she wanted to play in a play area attached to the museum. We left for Calgary around 5:30 or so, listening to a few chapters of Mary Poppins on the way. 

When we got back to the hotel, I ordered a pizza from Dominos (next door) and Will left for the health clinic. He wasn't going to go but I told him he had to. He has been complaining about it for days, it feels hot to the touch and is bothering him a lot, and I would rather know for sure if it is anything serious! Finally, I threatened to call his sister, and that seemed to do the trick. :) I texted a bit ago and he wrote back to say it's infected. He didn't say exactly what "it" is but I'm still assuming spider bite. He will have to take medication four times a day. And he said it may cause stomach upset. I told him all antibiotics say that but, knowing Will and his weak stomach, it will cause it, so I told him to get a decent probiotic to take while he's on it. It's 9:30 here, and he isn't home. I'm assuming he's waiting for the meds now or on his way home. 

Because I truly am an optimist, I have to believe that we will see some beauty tomorrow, and hopefully the next couple of days. This can never be the trip I had planned, but we can hopefully knock off some of the sights I've been so looking forward to seeing, especially Lake Louise. I think the Columbia Icefields will be too far away, as I believe they are two hours away from Banff and that was already going to be a long day when we planned to stay in the area. If I get to spend any reasonable amount of time in the Canadian Rockies, I will be a happy girl. Oh, and we still haven't seen a bear, so that would be nice, too. 

After a long, somewhat sad with some bright spots day, I go to bed a bit hopeful for a good tomorrow. 

P.S. Will just returned. The doctor said it was good he came in. Without treatment, it could have turned much worse.