Southern Alberta Road Trip, Part 1

Although My Rare One and I are now living separately, we remain BFFs and enjoy spending time together. So a couple of weeks ago, we went on a little holiday down to southern Alberta for a few days. The next three posts are my "Coles Notes version" of all that we saw right here in our own beautiful province.

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]