Summer Vacation with Puddles

Puddles wants to go on a summer vacation and he wants to know if you would like to come with him. He wants to go to the mountains in British Columbia, Canada.

One morning, bright and early, Puddles and his friend, Patricia, are all packed and ready to go. They have brought a tent, sleeping bags, a cook stove and a cooler, plus a digital camera and a pair of binoculars. There are plenty of sights to see in BC so they wanted to be prepared.

“Are you ready?” asked Puddles, getting into the driver’s seat of the van.

“I’m ready,” said Patricia, waving goodbye to her parents.

“So when do we get to the mountains?” Patricia asked as Puddles pulled out of the driveway.

“It takes about 4 or 5 days,” said Puddles.

“Wow!” exclaimed Patricia. “That is a long time.”

“You want to change your mind?” asked Puddles.

“Not a chance!” exclaimed Patricia.

“Good,” said Puddles.

Puddles and Patricia drove through Northern Ontario, which took a good full day of driving. Just before they stopped for the day, Puddles and Patricia saw a baby moose cross the highway just feet in front of them. They were very grateful that the moose made it safely across the highway.

“Boy,” said Patricia. “I am tired!”

“Me too,” said Puddles. “But at least we are getting somewhere now. It is a long drive to go through Northern Ontario.”

“You can say that again,” said Patricia. “However, it sure is beautiful country.”

“Yes,” said Puddles. “It sure is.”

Puddles and Patricia spent the night in Nipigon, Ontario. They were refreshed and ready to start on the next part of their trip by morning.

“Welcome to Manitoba!” exclaimed Patricia happily, a few hours later, seeing the Manitoba border sign on the side of the road. “Puddles, we are now in Manitoba.”

“Yes,” said Puddles, looking at the border sign. “We sure are!”

“Why is it so flat here?” asked Patricia, about an hour later.

“We are in the prairies now,” said Puddles.

“The prairies?” asked Patricia.

“The prairies consist of three provinces, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta,” explained Puddles. “The prairies are flat land and they are a joy for farmers.”

“I can see that,” said Patricia, looking out the window at a tractor in the field. “It is good farm land here.”

“Yes,” said Puddles. “That is what the prairies are all about.”

Patricia liked the prairies. She liked the flatness and the fact that they could see for miles in any direction. She was thrilled when they saw a prairie sunset for the first time.

“Isn’t that a sight to see,” said Puddles.

“Yes,” said Patricia. “It sure is. It looks like the sun is going to fall off the side of the earth.”

That night, Puddles and Patricia spent the night just at the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Patricia liked Saskatchewan very much. The next morning, Puddles and Patricia took a walk through a little Saskatchewan town and enjoyed seeing the old grain elevators. They also enjoyed seeing an early morning train running down the railroad track and were very excited to see a coyote standing boldly in a field across the highway from them.

That afternoon, Puddles and Patricia arrived in Alberta. Patricia had a lot of fun at the Alberta border, watching prairie dogs poke their heads up out of their holes and standing at attention. That evening, Puddles and Patricia spent the night in Calgary, Alberta and they were very excited because just off in the distance, they could start to see the peaks of the mountains.

The next morning, Puddles and Patricia were in the midst of the Rocky Mountains and they both sat in silence enjoying the beautiful scenery. It was the most awesome sight that both Puddles and Patricia had ever seen and words could not describe how they felt.

Pretty soon, they were in British Columbia, their destination and they were awestruck when a bald eagle flew overhead.

“Did you see that?” asked Puddles.

“Absolutely,” said Patricia. “That eagle was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my entire life.”

Soon after that, Puddles and Patricia saw a mountain goat standing right in the middle of the road.

“I love BC,” said Patricia.

“Me too,” said Puddles.

“This is the best vacation ever,” said Patricia.

“Definitely,” said Puddles.