• Home
  • Travel
  • About Stephanie
  • Work With Me

How to Survive Life in the Suburbs

Off Roading, Horseback Riding and Mountain Gawking

in Uncategorized on 07/23/13

Taking up where I left off last Travel Tuesday!  Day Two of the #SierraDrive! (Day One)

Sleeping.  Sleeping is one thing I am not very good at.  I usually spend my evenings running around until the last possible moment, before crashing on my barely comfortable bed with my cell phone plugged in beside me and a “to do” list a mile long running through my head.  Sigh.  Not so fabulous…and so not what happened on this star lit night at the Sierra West Ranch outside of Calgary Alberta!  The days activities, the fresh air, the quiet, the lack of cell service?  All combined to create the most restful nights I’ve had in years.  

The breeze, the horses and the coyotes were all that could be heard, and not ever Dear Hubby’s (party induced) snoring could interrupt the perfection. 

GMSierraRanchRV

Thanks to that glorious nights sleep, Day Two on the Sierra West Ranch was off to a beautiful start.  After making ourselves somewhat presentable,  Dear Hubby and I jumped in our pick up, back through the creek, and met up with the crew in time for coffee and breakfast.  On our agenda for the morning, horseback riding and exploring the ranch in the Sierra.   Woot!

Turn up the volume if you want to have a good laugh at me! 🙂

IMG_9760

First up, it was time to get my Cowgirl on!  Dear Husband is an experienced horseback rider, I am not.  This was not going to stop me!  This was a dude ranch, there were real Cowboys there who wanted to take little old me on a horse!  Who was I to say no? I was going for the full Cowboy experience.  Yee Haw! I was properly introduced to Keystone, my gorgeous ride for the trail ride, and we were on our way!

I wasn’t scared at all.  I mean if “the Bachelor” could bring his date out here to Sierra West Ranch and  pull off this horseback riding thing,  so could I right?  

As you can see, I had it down by the end.  My girls would be so proud! (Should I mention that the awesome Cowboy stuck with me the entire time?  I am such a city girl!)

GMSierraDriveHorseBackRidingCollage

GMSierraHorseBeauty

The second part of our morning adventure took us through some countryside I thought only existed in the movies.  Breathtaking.

GMSierraRanchDrive1

We took the Sierra up a steep incline and were off on our excursion.  The mountains in front of us, and the ranch behind us, I felt a long way from the Suburbs of home.

IMG_9921

The GM continued to amaze me with the quietness of its cab, and performance on the rough roads.  Not once did I feel like we, or the truck were out of our depth.  I’ve driven pick ups on gravel before and had the uncomfortable experience of fish tailing.  The back felt too light to me?  Not so with the 2014 Sierra.  We kicked up dust, made tight turns, experimented with sharp inclines and always felt safe, secure and in control.  We even got a little lost and “might” have had to speed things up a tad in order to make it back to the ranch by departure time. 

It was almost like the Sierra liked it! (or perhaps that was just my Hubby) 

GMRanchDusty1GMRanchDusty2

After our little off road adventure we headed back to our camper and hastily packed up.  It was time to head back into the city and the Calgary Stampede!  Woo Hoo!  Truck loaded and another new discovery.  Those magical truck fairies had been at it again.  In our vehicle was some bottled water, and a map to our next destination.  Lunch!  (you would not believe how much food was on this trip! Awesome.)

Bye Sierra Ranch!

IMG_9738IMG_9740

A short hour ( and only one wrong turn) later , we reached our next destination in our own version of the Amazing Race.  This is where we hit our own self imposed road block.  Before lunch could even be considered we HAD to stop and shop.  Why?  Apparently we were a stone’s throw away from the World’s Best Beef Jerky Store.  For reals.  Truthfully, not so much my thing, but the Hubby was all over it.  Admittedly, it was a very cool store. 

GMSierraJerky

Purchases made, lunch consumed, err at the Little New York Bistro, in the middle of nowhere?  (it was great!) We headed out on the last driving leg of out tour.  At this point, after two days of driving, Dear Hubby’s back should have been developing a pretty good lower back ache.  You know what?  It wasn’t!  The seats in the 2014 Sierra were as comfortable as any luxury SUV I have ever driven or ridden in.  I was impressed.

We headed into the heart of Calgary and I will admit I was glad Hubby at the wheel.  Country driving, suburb driving, totally my speed.  City driving, not really a fan.  Before long we pulled into the Arts Hotel, and it was time to say goodbye to our fabulous ride. 

SierraWestOurTruck

It was only mid-afternoon, we had done so much and still had so much to look forward to! 

Thanks again to GMC Canada.

Next Travel Tuesday; The Calgary Stampede!

Disclosure: I was provided a trip to Alberta to test the 2014 Sierra.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own.  Please follow GMCCanada on Twitter.

  • « Dream Big And Answer This Casting Call!!
    Wordless Wednesday–Beach Days! »

    Comments

    1. Valerie Godin says

      July 26, 2013 at 8:54 pm

      What gorgeous pictures!

      • Stephanie says

        July 26, 2013 at 9:58 pm

        Thank you!! The scenery was gorgeous.

    2. Jessica j says

      July 26, 2013 at 1:55 pm

      love horse back riding

      • Stephanie says

        July 29, 2013 at 5:35 pm

        I can see how a person can fall in love with Horse Back Riding, it’s so peaceful!

    3. Jacki says

      July 26, 2013 at 3:42 am

      Fantastic post Stephanie! I too love your face on the horse…and how you wrangled a cowboy! Looking forward to next week’s post about the Calgary Stampede!!!

      • Stephanie says

        July 29, 2013 at 5:34 pm

        LOL The horse was REALLY tall? Is tall the right word? So beautiful and so far off the ground! It was a great experience and wrangling a cowboy? It was more like he was making sure that horse didn’t decide to take me for a very long trail ride against my will! HA

    4. mrdisco says

      July 26, 2013 at 1:59 am

      That looks like one impressive camper trailer

      • Stephanie says

        July 29, 2013 at 5:32 pm

        It was an incredible trailer!! We were feeling quite spoiled!

        • mrdisco says

          July 29, 2013 at 8:32 pm

          i’m not sure i would be able to handle a big trailer like that. i would be worried i would run over a cat or a small child in the process

    5. Chandra Christine O'Connor says

      July 26, 2013 at 12:31 am

      that’s the only way id camp is in an rv no tent for me I need flushables. |I’ve never been on a horse.

      • Stephanie says

        July 29, 2013 at 4:51 pm

        LOL I was very happy to have my own “powder room” while camping. We really were spoiled!
        Oh and the horse riding, Sierra West Ranch was a great place to start.

    6. Carolyn says

      July 24, 2013 at 11:29 pm

      Having never been to Calgary I have been reading your posts with great interest. It certainly looks like a great place to travel to. How great that you were able to drive around in that great looking truck. I too would love the challenge of crossing the little creek. It certainly appeared to handle well! Something to consider next time we are in ready to trade in our old truck!

      • Stephanie says

        July 29, 2013 at 4:49 pm

        Not only was crossing the little creek a ton of fun, but it showed me how well that truck handled! I was truly impressed!! The Sierra is absolutely worth a test drive the next time you are in the market for a new vehicle.

    7. Deborah Pucci says

      July 24, 2013 at 4:03 pm

      The view is amazing!

    8. Tenille says

      July 24, 2013 at 4:32 am

      Sigh…Alberta really is God’s country isn’t it? So beautiful! Great pics, especially loved the one of your face when you’re on the horse! So wish I could have been there. Next time!

    9. Lacy says

      July 23, 2013 at 11:39 pm

      As a young girl I used to do a lot of horseback riding
      and it was something I always loved to do. Back trails and open skies…wonderful. Thanks for bringing back such wonderful memories. I also loved your video driving the truck! It certainly looked it handled well.

      • Stephanie says

        July 23, 2013 at 11:45 pm

        I’m so glad I could bring back some wonderful memories and thanks for the sweet words about my video, your right, the truck handled like a dream! “)

    10. Judy C says

      July 23, 2013 at 10:40 pm

      Great pictures! Sounds like an adventure that you won’t forget!

      • Stephanie says

        July 23, 2013 at 11:20 pm

        Thank you! It really was an adventure I won’t soon forget, feeling quite blessed.

    11. Being Gluten Free [Rossana] says

      July 23, 2013 at 8:24 pm

      Love the pics, what a fabulous adventure for both of you! 🙂

      • Stephanie says

        July 23, 2013 at 11:24 pm

        Thank you!!! We had a fabulous adventure checking out the Sierra and I can’t wait to tell you all about the Stampede!

    12. Heidi C. says

      July 23, 2013 at 8:15 pm

      Such stunning photos! What an adventure you must have had. I’ve always wanted to horseback ride in the Prairies – I am so envious!

      • Stephanie says

        July 23, 2013 at 11:26 pm

        You should add this trip to your travel bucket list! You can actually stay right at the Sierra West Ranch and spend your day riding the trails. Now of course you know I have to recommend you take a GMC Sierra to get out there! 🙂

    13. ~she~ says

      July 23, 2013 at 4:57 pm

      Beautiful scenery! I’ve always wanted to drive cross-country in an RV. Hopefully it wouldn’t turn out like the Robin Williams movie.

      • Stephanie says

        July 23, 2013 at 11:28 pm

        LOL I’ve had the same thought! It seems so romantic to load up the family and travel cross country. Err do you think you can get someone to empty to toilets for you? lol

    14. Alison Pentland (@FeeFiFoFunFaery) says

      July 23, 2013 at 3:23 pm

      Glad your ride didn’t didn’t get tagged driving through Longview. The police are notorious for radar traps there, but then your hubby never speeds does he! I grew up in Calgary and my Uncle was a rancher, so I spent many a summer with horses and cattle. I must have missed the gene since I am still nervous around horses!

      • Stephanie says

        July 23, 2013 at 3:37 pm

        LOL Thanks for the tip 🙂 Actually, although we were doing our own version of the Amazing Race Canada there was no speeding. Not in a media vehicle! Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be to get pulled over? Eek Besides that the scenery was so beautiful you had to slow down just to enjoy it:)

        I grew up close to Toronto and then moved away when I was 16 so spent zero time near horses until I met my Hubby. They are gorgeous creatures but still make me a little nervous, perhaps it’s the fact that they are just so darn huge!!

    15. torviewtoronto says

      July 23, 2013 at 1:46 pm

      beautiful pictures of your fabulous ride

      • Stephanie says

        July 23, 2013 at 1:54 pm

        Thank you!!!

    Newer Comments »
    Travel addict, sun seeker, coffee drinker, fashion lover, picture taker. This is a peek behind the closed and competitive doors of the suburbs. A place to come to learn about the best places to travel with your kids in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and beyond! stephanie@sassymodernmom.com
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Search This Site

    Guest Blogging For ETCanada & Skinny Cow

    At the GRAMMYs !
    Stephanie Holmes

    sassymodernmom

    Canadian Blogger. Traveler. Influencer. Picture Taker. Family Travel Expert.
    ❤️London ON
    ☀️Always planning my next vacation!

    My forever valentine 💘 My forever valentine 💘
    Drinking margaritas, soaking up the sun and watchi Drinking margaritas, soaking up the sun and watching the whales from our loungers! Paradise found. It’s right here at The Beach Club in @quiviraloscabos 
.
#quiviraloscabos #loscabos #quivira #quivirabeachclub #qlifecabo
    Saying goodbye to 2024 with a grateful heart. Can Saying goodbye to 2024 with a grateful heart. 
Can’t wait for all the adventures coming our way in 2025! Wishing you all a happy healthy New Year 🎉
    One of our best adventures of 2024. This trip to t One of our best adventures of 2024. This trip to the Grand Canyon was truly unforgettable. 
.
.
#roadtrip #arizona #grandcanyon #postcardsfromtheworld #letsgoeverywhere
    Woo hoo - another amazing HomeExchange! This week Woo hoo - another amazing HomeExchange! 
This week we felt all kinds of spoiled in our cozy accommodations in gorgeous Scottsdale. We hiked local trails, snuck in a little golf, drove with the top down, ate all the food, and enjoyed a sweet sunset in our own backyard. All because #Homeexchange provided us with a unique - almost free- way to stay in Arizona and see all the things! 

We had such an amazing time we’re already planning our next adventure! 
Want to plan an escape like this?
Follow the link in my bio to find out how you can plan your first or next Home Exchange.

https://spn.so/49qawpmk

@homeexchangecom #homeexchangepartner 
#homeexchangecom #homeexchange #HomeExchangePartner #LetsGoEverywhere #adventure #budgetfriendly #travel #luxurytravel
    About last night….. . #auroraborealis #londonont About last night…..
.
#auroraborealis #londonontario #ldnont
    It’s true. For the past 3 years we’ve been usi It’s true. For the past 3 years we’ve been using @homeexchangecom to take some epic vacations! 

Lake Como ✅
Cabo ✅
Scottsdale Arizona - on deck! 

If you’re ready for a new adventure sign up now through the affiliate link in my bio and you will automatically receive 250 points!!! ❤️
It’s easy, I promise. 

❤️Umm and if you have a cottage, a condo or second home, why are you not on Home Exchange?? Oh the places you can go! 

💕Drop a comment telling me your dream destination! 

#homeexchangepartner #homeexchange #travelhacks #letsgosomewhere #traveltips #familytravel
    This week my Hubby and I celebrate our 28th weddin This week my Hubby and I celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. Yup TWENTY EIGHT. How are we celebrating? Between work and family obligations it’s been tricky to make time for us. My solution… book a trip! 

For this adventure we’re once again turning to @homeexchangecom com One or my favourite ways to plan an epic vacation and see the world. 

In the past we’ve stayed in both Lake Como and Los Cabos.  Sigh, they were glorious trips!

Why try a HomeExchange?
HomeExchange offers a whole new experience to stay in real, authentic homes, and live like a local. HomeExchange allows you to stay in areas you never could with a traditional hotel experience. 
 Intrigued? Follow my link and see how easy it is to get started.

https://spn.so/49qawpmk
(Link also in profile)
PS I’m now searching for my next great trip? Which places are on your travel bucket list?

#HomeExchangePartner #MyHomeExchange #familytravel #beautifulplaces #familyadventures #canadiantravel #letsgoeverywhere #travelbucketlist
    Missing those Paris views…. thankful for the mem Missing those Paris views….
thankful for the memories ❤️
.
.
#Paris #tb #girlstrip #ParisFrance #parisfrance🇫🇷 #beautifuldestinations #postcardsfromtheworld
    Out of office …. . . #summervibes #boshkunglake Out of office ….
.
.
#summervibes #boshkunglake #canarvon
    Load More... Follow on Instagram

    Facebook

    Categories

    Blog Archive

    Copyright © 2009-2025 · Life in the Suburbs by KrizzyDesigns

    Copyright © 2025 · Glam Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in