Howdy, Campers! We've finally returned after what will probably go down as one of the most character-building vacations we've ever had.  We're sorting through the pictures so we can get videos put together for you - and hopefully, posted before the end of the coming week.

But let's kick things off with the first character-building experience we had...

It started while were on the way down the pass that leads into Radium. I noticed that the brakes were acting weird - the pedal went almost all the way to the floor before we even slowed down - and by the time we got to the bottom of the hill and into Radium village, I was starting to feel that something was just not right.  Initially, our plan was to spend a few days at Wasa Lake, but something told me we shouldn't be stopping there.

We decided to head for Cranbrook - and no sooner had we passed Wasa Lake, than it began to rain.  And the farther we drove, the harder the rain fell, until it was pounding down so hard and fast that our wipers couldn't keep up.

Slowing down to almost playground-zone speed, leaning forward in the hopes of being able to see more clearly through the windshield, we searched for a spot to pull off the road and wait out the surge of water.  We finally found one near the top of a hill just outside of Cranbrook; we sat there for several minutes, willing the rain to slow down enough that we could safely get into town and find a place to spend the night.  By this point, every nerve was strung almost to the breaking point, because the brakes were rapidly giving out, and we had no way to do anything about it until we could get in town.

Finally, the rain slowed down just enough that we could get back on the road. As we approached the edge of Cranbrook, the rain finally stopped altogether...

We found a motel called Travellers Motel - they had only four rooms left. It was a bit pricey - almost $78 (tax included) - but it was worth every penny. Not only did we have an awesome double bed and television, we also had a complete kitchenette, and the whole place was so clean it shone.  The staff were friendly and accommodating, and they even gave us recommendations for places we could go to get our brakes checked.

As it turned out, not only were the brakes shot, but the master cylinder had to be replaced.  We ended up spending two nights at the Travellers Motel, and forking out a total of just over $500 for the brake work.  Thanks so much to Dan and the crew at Minute Muffler in Cranbrook for taking such wonderful care of us and getting us safely back on the road!

Okay, that's all for now, Campers.  We'll get the videos ready and posted as quickly as possible so you can enjoy the visual experience of our vacation. Despite this first set of challenges, we really did enjoy ourselves, and we just can't thank the Minute Muffler crew or the wonderful folks at the Travellers Motel enough for that.