The New Car, A Long Drive & Vacation Begins

The alarm went off just after 6, and the first thing I saw when I looked outside was Mac lying right across the fence from Switch and Beibs. Aww. Then I looked to the left and spotted chubby-butt Roo, who had managed to snap a rail in their paddock. Of course she did.

I filled water bottles and packed up the frozen items in the cooler while S tossed hay and roped the broken fence back together. Then, at 6:45, the new car set off on its inaugural road trip with just 300 km on the odometer.

And apparently we weren't traveling light.

We had packed 80 beers, 30 hard iced teas and a bottle of rum, plus Matt and Shaina had sent another 24 beers and 8 coolers along with their bags. All that liquid definitely added some weight to the car, although at least we know it will be considerably lighter on the way home!

No way we could fly, the car was loaded with suitcases, bags of snacks, coolers, 2 sets of golf clubs (1 set never left the car), quilts and all the beverages.

We were making good time, so we swung through Tim Hortons for breakfast and dropped iced capps off at the Boysis house, where they were getting ready for the trip. They weren't quite ready to leave yet, so we headed off with them following about 45 minutes later.

smoky three sisters mountains near Banff

there is a duck in the Boysis car

Shaina and Matt were already ahead of us, having flown out earlier in the morning and then Ubered to the holiday house. They had arrived around 11 a.m. and were waiting for the rest of us to make the long drive.

We met up with the Boysis family at the Glacier Park rest stop for a much-needed bathroom break before continuing on to Revelstoke, where we stopped for lunch. Renn's car seat was then transferred in our car, and she kept us entertained for the remaining three hours to the holiday house.

I managed to make room and get the car seat in, check out the pig family along the window ledge in the mirror. This was a pig family vacation as well.

Back at the ranch, 4/6 of the Paetz family were picking pet and entertaining the animals. Just look at how many they picked after eating!

By the time we arrived, the new car had clocked 660 km and we'd spent about 7½ hours on the road, arriving around 4 p.m. PST (1 hour behind us). It was a long day behind the wheel, but seeing everyone and finally arriving at the house made it worth it.

The holiday house was beautiful—very large, modern, with loads of room and plenty of glass. Nathan and Shaina chose well!

And just like that, vacation officially began.

Renn was stoked with her new bunk bed room!

The vacation officially began with pool plunges, a hot dog supper and cold beverages I packed. After the long drive, S promptly claimed the couch for a nap while the rest of us settled into vacation mode.

shooting crocodiles

Kaylin brought along her facial mask :)

The fellows checked out the golf course layout they are playing tomorrow on the big screen TV in the basement while Renn and I played pig family of course :)

Later, we settled onto the deck for cards, minus Sheldon, who had apparently had enough excitement for one day.

By 11, the cards were put away and it was time for bed.

The first day of vacation involved a very early start, a broken fence, a new car's inaugural road trip, 660 kilometres, seven and a half hours of driving and enough beverages to apparently supply a small campground. But everyone made it, the house is fantastic, and we're finally here.

Now the real vacation can begin—and I have a feeling that car is going to be considerably lighter when we head home.

ran out of battery on the continued home video