Family Holiday 2019 - Mountain Adventure!

all photos © Nicki Ault, 2019

Well that was fun! We just returned from a family holiday!

We took a ten day trip to the mountains and made it an adventure. The kids, 17 and 15, were a great age to explore this new landscape with. They were into everything: the hikes, the views, the Sky Tram, the canyons, the hot springs, the zip-line, the planetarium, the waterfalls, the white water rafting, the canoeing, the Columbia Ice Field, the Skywalk - EVERYTHING!

The trip got underway with a night in Edmonton (teenagers like to go to sport stores to check out shoes), then a scenic drive to Jasper for several nights, then a spectacular drive to Canmore where we rented an RV already parked in a campground for a few nights. We were able to enjoy campfires and marshmallow roasts.

We wrapped things up with a very short stint in Calgary where we managed to connect with a couple we hadn't seen for years and years. On the way out of town we hit the TELUS Spark science centre and then stopped in Drumheller to go through the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Both are first class!

My head is spinning with ideas for new projects and paintings! I have never had a desire to paint the mountains, but now I am intrigued. At any rate, it was the break I needed from my normal routines. I didn't bring any art-making supplies with me; the trip was all about family and unplugging. The odd thing is that I actually did pack some of my painting clothes. I didn't wear them at all, obviously, but maybe subconsciously they are like a security blanket. Anyway, mountain explorations will have to wait for a month or so because I have two big art events in September for which to prepare, so stay tuned!

You know you had a great holiday when you feel energized and motivated to get back to work!