This summer, Go East of Edmonton created the Go East of Edmonton Roadtrip Adventure Game – a cross region challenge designed for you to enjoy a roadtrip getaway Northeast, East and Southeast of Edmonton. Cheryl and Kenneth Shock completed the entire game board in just 16 days! We sat down with the Shocks to hear about their adventures.
How They Completed The Board
As luck would have it, Cheryl originally saw the ad for the game while visiting her mother in the Go East of Edmonton region. She decided that she could complete the East of Edmonton section if they detoured and took Highway 15 back home instead of Highway 16. The next weekend they took a trip to Camrose and completed the Southeast section of the board.
From there, they decided to complete the entire board and planned a two day trip to complete the Northeast section. In total, they spent 4 days driving over the span of 16 days. Along the way, the Shocks saw much of the Go East of Edmonton region they had never seen before. The pair spent lots of time in the region, but the game gave them a chance to take backroads they’d never been on and visit places they’d never been to.
Fresh Experiences For Everyone
For Kenneth, originally from Spokane, Washington, the Roadtrip Adventure Game gave him a chance to explore his new home. Although he’s called Alberta home for the past 4 years, the Roadtrip Adventure Game introduced him to towns, destinations and things he’d never seen before. When asked for some of his highlights, Kenneth was quick to mention how beautiful Cold Lake is. He also can’t wait to get back to Lac La Biche and explore that region more. Despite spending some time in Wainwright for work, he’d never spent any time getting to know Flagstaff County previously, and was thoroughly impressed with the area.
Even for born-and-bred Edmontonians and Albertans, the game is a chance to visit new places, learn new things and go on a nice road trip, says Cheryl. One example of this for her was the Vegreville Pysanka. Cheryl has been there many times, and has a picture in front of it from when she was 4 years old. However, she didn’t know it was also a weather vane until visiting it this trip. We can imagine this is a hidden fact for many Albertans, so you’re not alone Cheryl!
One of Cheryl’s highlights was visiting the Village of Rosalind. The village self-describes itself as “Alberta’s Best Kept Secret”, and Cheryl’s first time visiting did not disappoint – noting the beautiful homes and lawns there.
Just outside of Rosalind, the Double Dam Golf Course & Campground was another hidden gem for the Shocks. Located in a gorgeous valley surrounded by wide open and lush fields, Double Dam is a wonderful place to spend some time outdoors.
Cheryl describes herself as a trivia fan, so naturally she looked up each place on Wikipedia along the way. This, along with her knowledge of the area, provided her the chance to teach Kenneth some of the history of the province. He says he’s so happy to be living here in Alberta and the Go East of Edmonton Roadtrip Adventure Game furthered his love for his new home.
Cheryl is of Ukrainian heritage and so the Shocks regularly visit the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. Kenneth notes with a chuckle that he must also have some Ukrainian background as well, since he loves perogies and other Ukrainian cuisine. While the UCHV is still open this summer (and a recommended destination!), their road trips offered the Shocks a chance to get to learn some additional Ukrainian history of the area.
A New Way To Explore The Region
In a normal summer, Cheryl usually picks up the Go East of Edmonton Travel Guide as soon as it comes out in the spring and when they have a free weekend they look to see what’s happening in the guide. You can also regularly spot the Shocks at the Vermilion Ag Fair each year, as well as parades, chuckwagon races, community garage sales, fairs and other events in the Go East of Edmonton region. Kenneth is an award winning brewer at some of the Go East of Edmonton regional fairs. He also notes he also misses all the classic car events they usually visit in the region each year. We do too – and we can’t wait for all things to take place again in the future!
In unprecedented times, the Adventure Board Game gives you a chance to get out of the house, go for a drive and explore local communities. Like most people, Cheryl and Kenneth have been spending a lot more time at home since April. Cheryl says the game was a nice reason to get out of the house for something other than to go to get groceries.
At Your Pace
Aside from being fully customizable, the Go East Adventure Board Game is also a great way to get out while maintaining social distancing. Roadtrips are inherently a social distanced experience, and Cheryl says that stops along the way give you the freedom to choose how close you’d like to be to others. She also says that everyone was so friendly at the sticker stops along the way.
The Shocks packed a picnic for the majority of their day trips, while also enjoying a meal at V&H Drive-In in Lac La Biche while on the Northeast of Edmonton leg of their trip. Again, you’re literally in the driver’s seat here – you decide if you’d like to make a pitstop, take a detour to go see something off the board along the way, plan picnic lunches, etc. That’s the beauty of the Go East of Edmonton Adventure Game – it lets you explore the region at your own pace.
Tips For Completing The Board
When asked if they had any tips for others looking to complete the board, the Shocks said their plan to do the East of Edmonton leg in one day, the Southeast of Edmonton leg in one day, and then to do the Northeast section in two days was a good idea in hindsight. While getting the stickers was the original purpose for the trip, having time to stop and see, learn from and enjoy each destination was important to the Shocks. This allowed them to find lots of nooks and crannies (attractions, lookouts, places to visit, etc) along the way, something Kenneth particularly enjoyed. He says he’s already looking forward to next year’s rendition of the game and hopes to find even more points of interest along the way.
Thanks to both Cheryl and Kenneth Shock for sharing their story with us. The Go East of Edmonton Roadtrip Adventure Game is open until September 7th, 2020 so don’t miss your chance to plan a fun road trip getaway East of Edmonton, while stopping and collecting stickers along the way for the chance to win some amazing prizes!