Sitting here on the bus at 1:45 am as we travel through Washington state, I am so aware of these quiet moments alone. Living and traveling on a bus 24 hours/day with 11 other people can just be a little much. While traveling on the bus overnight isn't my favorite thing, it definitely is nice to have some quite time to myself. I am generally the last one in my bunk; as the rest of the team goes to bed I stay out in the front lounge reading, updating the blog, watching tv, and being thankful. Tonight I am having so much fun reflecting on the last few days of tour. It's not an easy life by any means, but the hard work and inconveniences pay off so much with days like these. First we were in Butte, MT, which wasn't the most amazing stop in the world, considering it was rainy and gross out. We had a matinee in a really nice space, though, and then that night we were invited to Jillian's Piano Bar! One of the patrons insisted that we come to the bar to meet some folks and enjoy free food and drinks. When we explained that we may come later in the evening due to transportation, etc. they said, "Oh that's perfect because that will be right when the turkey is roasted!" Music to my ears.
Arriving at Jillian's was a treat. The bar was pretty brightly lit and we found ourselves escorted to a small private room where there were drinks set up including "Dan's Death Punch!" YIKES! The meal was great and we soon saw the pile of Broadway books on the piano. Without much coaxing necessary we found ourselves singing one song after another, taking requests, doing duets, I ended up playing piano some... it was a hoot! Everything from Kevin singing "Don't Rain on my Parade" to an "I Need a Hero" trio to Katie R. doing a Liza medley and the whole gang belting out "Seasons of Love" and "Rainbow Connection." It was a pretty fantastic night. Ha ha! The drive to Canada that night on the bus was a little rough because I wasn't feeling well, but we made pretty good time and customs was easy as well.
Vernon, British Columbia is a great little town. We were staying in a unique Best Western Lodge in town that was surrounded by great mountains and I was really pumped for the challenge of getting to do some fun winter activities! The first day in town was spent making a lot of plans, phone calls, and researching options for our full day off the following day. We did get to enjoy the Talkin Donkey coffee shop across the street and went out that night for Mexican and a movie. (I don't recommend "The Tourist." It's laughable.) The following morning I got up and called Enterprise car rental and Kevin, Tavis, and I headed there to rent a van! We had heard so much about Silver Star Mountain resort that we were determined to get the cast there! Our company manager came along for the ride and boy did we have fun! It all started with Kevin driving us up the mountain (his first time driving in snow, mind you) and getting geared up for a day at the slopes. Tavis is an awesome skier so he took off and enjoyed some really tough, but beautiful slopes for a while as the rest of us enjoyed a little meal and walking around the ADORABLE ski village they created. There were all sorts of shops and restaurants, all brightly painted, giving the resort a real Dr. Suess vibe!
Starting in the afternoon we went snow tubing down some really great hills. The combination of heights, speed, snow, and this group just was too much! We had SO MUCH FUN riding the slopes, being spun on the tubes by the Aussie workers, and going down in pairs, legs interlocked. It was hilarious and amazing. Plus- we were surrounded the entire day by INCREDIBLE views and a full moon like none I've ever seen; it was gigantic! The night continued with a great big meal, including "Prawn Night" ($.35 shrimp) and lots of stories being shared. We couldn't have asked for a better nightcap than getting to meet "Silver Fox", the mascot of the mountain, while we sat around a bonfire and enjoyed hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows. This was just what we needed. (And our rented van worked out just perfectly.)
Unfortunately Katie M. has not been feeling great, so she wasn't able to join us on the slopes and the next day was our show. I spent a lot of my day catching up on emails and reading at the Talkin Donkey before heading to the theatre for a put-in rehearsal with Jess. She went on for Katie M. that night, nailing it! What a pro! It was a great sold-out audience in a nice, new facility, so it was a real treat for all of us! I was so excited to head to Canada for the first time and the trip was everything I could have imagined. Now that I've met our nice neighbors to the North, I'm going to have to make a point of trying to get up there again soon!
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone reading along. It means a lot for me to have you reader out there! Let me know what is happening in your life. I would love to hear how this winter is treating you, if you are planning to travel anytime soon, what made you laugh today... let me know! Miss all of my family and friends so much...
Love,
Tripp
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