Bear Country USA in South Dakota

Back in 2007 on a road trip to Mount Rushmore, my friend Andrea and I stopped at Bear Country USA just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota. Bear Country is a drive through wilderness park that allows you to see various animals, including wolves, bison, elk, and bears (obviously), up close and personal from the comfort of your vehicle.

While it was a pretty relaxed experience, the most lively animal was actually an elk that approached Andrea's car and started chewing on the antenna. We had quite a few laughs about that encounter over the course of the trip. 

In addition, checking out the bear cubs after our drive through the wilderness park was a definite highlight. They were pretty cute, and we got there just as they all started climbing up a tree at the exact same time (check out the video below). It was another worthwhile stop on our road trip through the Black Hills of South Dakota.

My Last Visit With Grandma

Early Tuesday morning I received the news that my grandma had passed away.  It's emotional losing anyone you're close to, and naturally your mind starts to wander around the last things you said, your visits, the relationship you had.  Having just seen her a few weeks ago in good spirits I'm actually most thankful that my final memories of her are positive ones surrounded by family.  

When I shared a bit from our brief afternoon reunion that took place on July 29, it seemed poignant to write about it at the time because my grandma had just been accepted into an extended care facility.  It felt like a lot of goodbyes were being said then as everyone wrestled with this being a final step in preparation of the inevitable.  No one could have known that only a week after moving out of the house that she would pass.  Life is strange like that.

The last picture I snapped of Grandma and me.

There's poetry in the fact that we all came together when we did for that visit. For me (because it was the last time I saw her), it makes me feel like I had time on my side. In the past I've worried about months going by without seeing my grandma and thinking I might accidentally miss my chance. Truthfully, we should all be so lucky to realize that the final moment we shared with someone we loved ended on a high note.      

As I sat next to Grandma for a bit that afternoon we didn't talk about anything out of the ordinary really.  She questioned me about the concrete whale post I had sent her and whether I'd been able to find out anything else.  I hadn't.  She had a white board and marker next to her to make communicating easier as her hearing had become increasingly worse.  I tried to write out a few of the details.  She seemed to enjoy a lot of my recent pictures from around Medicine Hat largely because I think she had resigned to the fact that she'd never see it in person again.  

On a visit last year I brought a few of the photo books I'd made of my road trips to California and I'd never sat with anyone who was more intent on asking about the details and history of each location.  That was Grandma to me.  Someone always interested in a good picture, a strange story, a bit of history, etc.  It felt nice to share that with her as I know her approach has become familiar territory in regards to what I do now. 

I have memories of Grandma welcoming us at the door and then disappearing into the back of the house only to reemerge with magazines, or clippings, or some unusual toy that she'd come across.  She stashed stories in anticipation of visitors, which was amazing, because it meant she always had something to share.  Grandma was always good at making you feel important just for being there, and you'd know that because she usually did all of the talking.

Back to the start.  Me with Grandma and Grandpa in 1985.

My sister holding Grandma's hand.

One of the last things we had talked about that afternoon was our last name.  Grandma always liked to remind me that I am the only male in line to carry on the Fandrich name. Of her five kids (three of which were boys) my dad was the only one to have a son.  It was a pretty tongue and cheek reminder (as it always was), but she made sure the point never eluded me.  I could always count on Grandma for a bit of casual ribbing.

In the end, things truly won't ever be quite the same.  She was my last grandparent, and a meaningful link to my childhood.  No story from my youth is complete without recalling how I'd burn sticks of spaghetti on the stove while she babysat me and my sister.  Or, how we'd get our feet washed in the sink after playing barefoot on the kitchen floor. Trips to the candy store, camping, bocce ball, Sunday visits, Christmas dinners, and so on, all paint a vivid picture for me of what I knew to be an ideal grandparent.

My cousin Leslie also shared some memories and sentiments about our Grandma. She wrote a beautiful tribute that can be read here.

In recent years she was a magnet for the extended family to centre around.  At 88 years old you can't help but think she did pretty well, and how lucky we all were for it.  I'll miss her.  She made sure the first 28 years of my life were a little more interesting, a little more entertaining, and without question, a little more loved.

Hugs from the great grandkids.

I love this picture my aunt snapped of our family that afternoon.

A picture I found of Grandma from 1943. 

Rosedale Suspension Bridge

Just east of Drumheller, spanning the Red Deer River, sits the 117 meter long Rosedale Suspension Bridge (also known as the Star Mine Suspension Bridge).  What makes this landmark special is that it's an open grated bridge that you can see through.  It also sways and bounces as you walk, making it a memorable crossing.   

Located at the site of the now abandoned and largely demolished Star Mine, the bridge was originally used by the coal miners who worked on the other side of the river.  After the mine closed in 1957, the Alberta Government decided to rebuild the bridge as a monument to the mining history within the Drumheller Valley.  As precarious as it may sound, the bridge is very well maintained and completely safe.  It's also free, and doesn't take long to explore.

Across the bridge, I climbed the hills to get a better vantage of the structure as Andrea snapped some pictures of me.  The view was pretty good, but the climb was even better. We probably only spent a half hour there, but it proved to be a brilliant detour.      

Original Star Mine and bridge.