I have travelled a lot throughout my career. When my daughters were younger and still living at home, I’d occasionally take them with me on the road.

I like to think it was a treat for all of us.

Sometimes they would attend an event with me. Sometimes they’d visit with nearby family or friends while I worked. And when they were older, while I was involved in a program, sometimes they’d enjoy time on their own in a new location.

I was reminded of those shared trips last week when my youngest daughter, Lindsay, asked ME to tag along with HER on an overnight business trip to Moose Jaw.

You can do a lot of visiting on a road trip as the miles fly by. We caught up on each other’s news of all kinds.

I shared memories triggered by sights along the way, and even filled in a bit of background history about the places along our route. You know – how things were in the old days – back in the 20^th century!

Riding ‘shotgun’, I tried to make myself useful– fetching drinks from the back seat, cracking open snack bags, peeling bananas, scouting street signs. We joked that a having a ‘car girl’ was a handy addition to life on the road.

After scouting out a few dinner locations in MJ, we opted for an experience at Hopkins Dining Parlour – a grand old three story house turned restaurant with Victorian décor and antique furnishings.

The place has seen better days, but the food was tasty and the atmosphere memorable. At one point during dinner, the 100 year old player piano in the parlour burst into a crashingly loud rendition of ‘Oobla Di Oobla Da’. That we won’t forget!

Booked into the Temple Gardens for the night, we returned to our hotel to spend an hour ‘taking the waters’ in the hotel’s pool.

The spa pool is fed by geothermal mineral waters that spring from an ancient seabed and surface at temperatures of about 45C.

It was especially relaxing to lounge in the outdoor area of the pool under the lights in the cool evening air. More chatting and people watching ensued.

The next day, while Lindsay attended her meeting, I treated myself to a day of relaxing and exploring.

A couple of ink sketches from the window of our hotel room while having a morning coffee.

A walk through nearby Crescent Park on my way to a massage at The Sahara Spa located in the historic CN Train Station.

Lunch and browsing at the Yvette Moore Café & Gallery.

Sketching the dome of the historic City Hall while sipping a latte in a coffee shop across the street.

A little shopping down Main Street.

An outdoor sketch of Rosie’s On River Street.

And then, it was time to meet back at the hotel for our drive back to Saskatoon.

On the road again, we debriefed our respective days, watched the harvesting unfolding in the fields along the way, and chatted further about everything and nothing at all.

It was a shared adventure we will both remember with smiles on our faces and love in our hearts.

Partnering work and family is still a winning combination.