Of course, like all Edmontonians traveling south, we stopped at The Donut Mill in Red Deer's Gasoline Alley for a nosh and a bathroom break.
And we also pulled over in Vulcan to see the Starship Enterprise.
On the base, there's a friendly greeting in English . . .
. . . and one in the Vulcan language too.
The greeting in Klingon is not quite so friendly though.
In Lethbridge, we went to the gorgeous Nikko Yuko Japanese Garden. During World War II, the Canadian government unjustly arrested all Japanese Canadian citizens living on the west coast and moved them to inland internment camps in British Columbia and as far east as Lethbridge. The Nikko Yuko Japanese Garden was created by Canadians after the war as an act of atonement and reconciliation.
Apart from gorgeous trees, shrubs, water features and other traditional components of a Japanese garden, Nikko Yuko also has a stunning "dry garden" or zen rock garden.
Like any Japanese Garden, Nikko Yuko is the perfect spot for quiet contemplation.
[All photos © My Rare One, August 2014]
35 comments:
The Nikko Yuko Japanese Garden looks breathtaking!! And the doughnut mill sounds pretty yummy right now :)
What a fun place to visit! I'd love to go.
Mary
Part of all the things I never knew about Canada.
It calms me just to look at Zen Gardens. Vulcan...hahahahahahahahaha. It has to be a great place to live. Thanks for sharing your trip :)
what a fun trip and so happy you two still enjoy each others company.
It's cool the 2 of you are still good friends. The place looks beautiful. The Donut Mill looks like my kinda place. :D
do they have to water the rock garden? :)
We've driven past that Donut Mill umpteen times and yet never gone in. I guess I just never needed a bathroom break at that particular moment. Did you sample a donut? Were they worth the stop?
My son used to work at the hotel in Vulcan. I feel the fact he hated working during Spock Days makes me a failure as a mother. :)
Wait. What? You guys have a place called Vulcan up there. Hang on, I'm driving up now. You don't mind if I crash at your place do you?
BTW, I love that you and the Rare One are still best friends. Wonderful!
Elsie
I think my favorite part is the Japanese town and architecture. Although I do enjoy a nice Zen garden. I love the look of the sand. So nice to hear you and rare one stayed good friends. Reminds me of the ex and myself of 12 years. Always so nice to hear.
Great photos, love those zen rock gardens. And Vulcan...awesome!
Great pictures..Looks like you had an interesting journey...The Japanese gardens look beautiful..I couldn't pass up the Doughnut house.."friendly" separations are the best kind..Enjoy your day..
Neat place and wonderful photos!
Southern Alberts. My old stomping ground. I can't wait for the next installments!
I love Zen gardens. So peaceful.
I like the plaques. The Vulcan language always reminded me of kids scribbling on a wall. The Klingon language looks like cat claw marks.
Great photos! Vulcan looks like a cool place!
I have been to the Nikko Yuko Japanese Garden and I know I will be going back. I loved it.
The garden is stunning!
I'm mesmerized by that zen rock garden and would love to get "lost" in it for hours.
I think that all Governments must be paranoiac - the British did the same thing to the Italians in our country, most of whom were simply earning their living making ice cream or running restaurants.
It was, however, a lovely gesture that the Canadians built a beautiful Japanese Garden in atonement and reconciliation.
I am so happy you and your Rare One are still such good friends. That garden is magical. Looking forward to more to come! L
Lethbridge eh? These gardens look very contemplative indeed.....next time out your way this WILL be stop for us too.
Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Oh Boy! A Road Trip! I love road trips! The last road trip I took in Canada was over 30 years ago up (and down) the Al-Can Highway. :o)
How cool is that Donut Mill! And I bet the donuts are quite tasty.
And the Starship Enterprise! How awesome is that! In the county of Vulcan no less! :o)
The Japanese Garden is so beautiful! I doubt if the U.S. gov't did anything for the Japanese citizens that they interred here.
Guess I better go take a bathroom break before the next leg of the journey.....
I love...LUV...this post! Wonderful photos. And The Donut Mill! *squee* I would have stopped there just to photograph it. And the Starship Enterprise! *squee* I really enjoy when my fave bloggers share photos of their road trips. It's always fun to see places they go/live.
That is a beautiful Japanese garden. It's awful what happened to the Japanese Canadians during the war. I watched a documentary about David Suzuki, a Canadian icon, and he spoke of the camps. He and his family were victims of those arrests. It was quite heartbreaking listening to his story.
That looks like a fun road trip! I never knew Alberta held that much in Vulcan! I am not sure if I should share this information with my boys....we may have to then make a road trip! :)
In case I haven't made myself perfectly clear...I love you Canaderians.
Despite being an Albertan for 25 years now, I've still not visited these places, nor had I heard of the Japanese garden. Thanks for adding these to my future plans.
What a lovely Japanese garden. We have one here in Belgium too. Must be twenty years since I've last been there.
Alberta never ceases to amaze. Today some joker posted a picture of snow in Atla - but we don't believe it here in sizzling Ontary ary ary o!
May you both live long and prosper.
the Ol'Buzzard
I am so happy you and your Rare One, are the best of friends ;o)
LOL! Starship Enterprise!
Gorgeous photos! Thanks Debra ;o)
I'm truly impressed - I am not friends with any of my exes. But then, they're all dicks ;)
I love these shots! It's so disgusting what honkeys have done to the landscape, animals, and other people.
Oops, the second part of that comment was meant for the most recent post! I love all things Trekky. Or is that Trekki?
I love the Vulcan pictures.
I'm partial to the Vulcan greeting myself.
Very nice gardens, beautifully done.
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