September 09, 2015 at 05:40PM by advodna_dave

While trapped in the trailer by the cold and drizzle, there were moments we were at our wit's end with both kids, but out on the trail, they usually just go with the flow; Mae's up for anything as long as she gets a chance to eat and sleep, and Wynne has been going through an explosion of learning in recent weeks so entertains us with profound proclamations from the backpack carrier. At first, we were pretty blown away by what she'd picked up from the Leap Frog videos she's been watching in the car when she'd yelled out "Gravity keeps people from floating off the planet!" But then she followed up with something that was more of a stretch: "Ice is actually glass!" Uh, okay, I see where you're going with that. Well done! Unfortunately, the next blast of wisdom was "Stuffed animals are paper!!" #ohwell #roadschool #childhoodunplugged #bowlake #jasper #alberta #icefieldsparkway

September 09, 2015 at 11:22AM by advodna_dave

After skirting the impossibly blue Bow Lake with dramatic views of snow dusted cliffs on the far side (see @sethkhughes's feed for a pic!), the trail followed the river as it wound up the canyon, at one point climbing steeply up these stairs, for of view of Bow Falls as it tumbles off the glacier. #icefieldsparkway #jasper #alberta #bowlake #arcteryx #jawdropping #hardcoremom

September 09, 2015 at 09:47AM by advodna_dave

After a couple days of cabin fever, we just had to get out for a hike. Everyone was super pumped. #childhoodunplugged #childhoodunenthused #deuter #babybackpack #babywearing #fulltimefamilies #smartmudflapgirl

September 09, 2015 at 08:28AM by advodna_dave

I think someone forgot to tell Fall when to show up so Winter came down early to cover for him. It's been a rainy, overcast few days with temps dipping below freezing most nights and new dusting sod snow on the jagged mountains surrounding us. No problems with pipes or anything yet, but we have been making some adjustments to keep the interior warm, especially given the fact that the plan is to spend November in the trailer in Boston. We'd cut Reflectix panels for the back windows before Alaska for warmth and to keep it dark for the kids to sleep, but now added panels for all of the other windows. It takes less than a couple minutes to put them all up, sliding the window levers and locking catches through slits in the Reflectix to hold the panels in place, but makes a huge difference. We've also started putting up a heavy velvet curtain that snaps across the front of the lounge bed to effectively reduce the size of the trailer that needs to be heated. With the front Fantastic Fan open a crack in there to reduce condensation, we're comfortable in our cool little front bedroom while the kids are toasty in back. In the morning, we slowly take down the Reflectix panels one by one as we need more light and the temps outside creep up. #airstream #airstreaminwinter #airstreamwithkids #alsopreventsanyonefromreadingourthoughts

September 09, 2015 at 06:57AM by advodna_dave

Farther down the Icefields Parkway, we'd arranged to meet up with @sethkhughes and @dreaknufken at Waterfowl Lakes. The first time we'd met them was just about a year ago when they were on their way south after a summer in Alaska and thoughtfully gifted us their not-at-all-janky mud flaps. The next time we saw them was last January, a week or so after we'd hit the road, in the Alabama Hills on the east side of the Sierras. And now, a little more than 6 months later, we're on our way back down after exploring all the places they'd recommended up north. It's great to see these guys, and after our conversations, I can't wait to see what we'll all have been up to when we meet up again after another 6 months! #airstream #silvercommunity #lifeontheroad #bigairstreamfriends

September 08, 2015 at 06:29PM by advodna_ann

At the viewpoint on our hike to Bow Falls. Ok, what's the word for a family selfie?? Selfamilyie?... #windy #chillybabies #bowfalls #bowlake

September 08, 2015 at 06:04PM by advodna_dave

Wynne carried a small chunk of ice in her mittened hand all the way down from the deep blue arch beside the Athabasca Glacier to the car. As I was strapping her into her car seat, I knocked it out of her hand, and we spent the next 10 minutes crawling around the footwells and scouring the ground underneath the car until we finally found it. Oh, and one of Mae's Uggs also slipped off on the trail while we were pulling her out of the Ergo. We didn't notice until someone ran down the rocky path to return it (which also brought to light the fact that the baby's bare foot had been exposed to glacial katabatic winds for the past 15 minutes!). The Athabasca ice made it home to a jar and will now be frozen in the freezer and thawed on the dinette at the whim of a three year old for eternity. #iceicebaby #elsawannabe #childhoodunlplugged #roadschool #fulltimefamilies

September 08, 2015 at 04:35PM by advodna_dave

You can actually camp in this parking lot with an incredible view, but we just did the hike and had lunch. #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife #icefieldscentre #icefieldsparkway #jasper #alberta

September 08, 2015 at 02:33PM by advodna_dave

Sometimes you don't realize that the gravel along the sides is actually ice until a section falls off to reveal the deep blue interior created by thousands of years of intense pressure. There were a few tourists taking pictures beneath this arch that were about to realize it in a dramatic way. #naturalselection #athabascaglacier #icefieldscentre #icefieldsparkway #jasper #alberta

September 08, 2015 at 12:23PM by advodna_dave

Almost exactly two years ago, we joined a caravan of full-time Airstreamers for a road trip up into the Canadian Rockies. By half way through that trip, we'd pretty much decided to upgrade from our 19' Flying Cloud to a larger trailer and do a lot more of this kind of travel. I blame them for everything (@malimish_airstream, @worksology, @jessaworks, @lauradomela, @weaselmouth, @democratictravelers, @thedemocratictravelers, @wandering_amanda, @wandering_tim, @aluminarium). Oh, and the Icefields Parkway may have had a lot to do with it as well... Get ready for some InstaCatchUp! #jasper #alberta #icefieldsparkway

September 08, 2015 at 12:38PM by advodna_dave

While all of the scenery on the Icefields Parkway is stunning, in our minds overshadowing the more central and popular areas of Jasper and Banff National Parks, the Athabasca Glacier will always hold a special place in our memories. I think it was here, as 20 month old Wynne walked the majority of the way from the parking lot to the toe of the glacier, that we really began to understand the power of raising kids on the road and marveling at the things they would see. While there this time, we had some fun recreating a few of the classic moments from that first visit. #childhoodunplugged #roadschool #fulltimefamilies #heylookkidsaglacier #thenandnow #athabascaglacier #icefieldscentre #icefieldsparkway #jasper #alberta - posted by advodna_dave on September 08, 2015 at 12:38PM