Alberta

Day 3 – Crossing Alberta

We continued on Highway 16 until Edmonton. The drive was uneventful, but fortunately, the skies cleared up. We debated how far we could go that day, knowing that the British Columbia border was still far off. With the sun setting an hour later in BC, we decided to try to make it there before nightfall.
Our GPS app suggested we take Anthony Henday Drive to bypass Edmonton. The wide, multi-lane road felt similar to driving on the 401, though not as congested. We caught a glimpse of the greater Edmonton area from the road and noticed smoke around us. Unsure if it was from wildfires or oil refineries, we decided to press on and leave Alberta for BC the same day.
A reality check revealed that it would take another six hours to reach the BC border, meaning we’d arrive close to midnight. As we entered Highway 43, we were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful scenery. We turned up our music playlist, which played a mix of country, rock, and other genres, and enjoyed the drive.
Our car’s clock showed that it was already after 11 pm in Ontario, and our bodies were calling for sleep. But with the two-hour time gain and another hour in BC, we decided to keep driving. As it got dark, the weather changed, bringing rain and occasional lightning. While overtaking a truck, the first lightning strike startled me, making me momentarily think it was a speed camera. The next two hours were challenging, with limited visibility, rain, and fatigue on one side and our determination on the other. We reminisced about our road trip from Berlin to Aix-en-Provence in France 25 years ago—a 1500 km journey through day and night under heavy rain and traffic in some parts—which motivated us to push through.
The sight of illuminated oil refineries before entering BC gave us the final push to leave Alberta. It was past 11 pm when we finally crossed the border into British Columbia.