We got a new motel room, it was a real junker. In our room, I saw a rat run by my feet. That's when Mom said we should try to get our money back. When we were going to visit the manager Dad saw a man with a gun. He told the manager that we saw the man with a gun and that the hotel wasn't safe. The manager said that the gunman was their best customer. Dad said that the hotel had a rat problem, but the manager retorted that their exterminator died and that it would not be fair to him if they got a new one. Mom decided we should sleep in our rented van. The manager said we could not stay in his parking lot. We all piled into the van and Dad drove to a 24 hour grocery store parking lot. We all went to bed. It was great until we heard gunfire. A gang was having a shootout with the police. I thought so close to Canada it would be peaceful, boy was I wrong.

Dad hurried to find us to a better spot. I must've fallen asleep because when I woke up Mom and Dad were gone. We were parked in front of a bakery, I guessed they were buying us doughnuts for breakfast. I woke Rowley up. He was happy because his Mom and Dad said he was not to eat a donut in their sight. His Mom and Dad were not in sight so he could have a doughnut. Mom and Dad came back with hot chocolate and donuts for everyone. Dad started the car and we left. It was 20 minutes until we hit the Canadian border. A man looked at our car and said "could I look inside" he found Manny under my seat crying. I guess he hid under there after the gunfire. Border security didn't find it as funny as I did. Two guys with machine guns came, and they asked Mom and Dad some questions eventually we were able to leave.

Canadians were so nice a man ran up to our van and gave us money and he said "Here take this money for being you!" It looked like 100 dollar bill but I couldn't be sure. We drove for a few hours and got a new hotel room; it was nicer than the last one. Mom said we had a bit of time before we went to dinner, so we could all go to an arcade. We found a nice one with lots of games. I played Pac-Man, it was fun until Rodrick got mad and got in a fight with the guy that he was playing Mortal Kombat with. We had to leave. When we got back to our hotel it was serving dinner. We went to have dinner, it was great! Sadly afterwards I had to go to bed. When I woke up I saw Mom and Dad looking at a new map I think it was the town we were in.

Mom woke the others up. When I went to have breakfast Mom warned me not to eat too much because we were going to brunch. I had no Idea what brunch was. When we got to brunch we went to the counter and paid, and then they gave us plates. I thought you had make the stuff yourself, I figured that was a dirty trick. Turns out it's like a breakfast buffet! You just grab whatever kind of food you want, and as much as you want! When we were done Mom and Dad said we had to go to Jasper, Alberta. I had no clue who Jasper was. When we got there it was cold and it had been snowing for hours. It was summer I thought it only snowed in winter. Dad said we could use his boss's cabin for 4 days and we would be skiing in the Rocky Mountains. We got to the cabin it was really fancy. We took our stuff to the rooms. Then we got our ski gear on.

We got in the car and drove for the ski hill the road was twisting. When we got a parking spot it was snowing so hard I couldn't see what was in front of me. We took the T-bar, it was fun until Manny saw something menacing on the top of the mountain then he just wanted to go home. Dad said we could switch to the chair lift. We waited in line even though no one else was there we couldn't tell with all the snow falling. We got on the lift and Manny was so scared he jumped off Dad grabbed Manny with his feet. I saw something going down a path. My map showed that it was a long path. At the top I suggested we take Dead Man's Trail. Mom said "Manny is too small to go down it". I asked if Rowley and I could go on it, Mom agreed. Rodrick wanted to go with us, but Mom said he was still a beginner skier, and that he should stick to green runs. As Rowley and I skied down the path I saw the scary thing Manny saw, and I could understand why Manny got so scared. The creature was gigantic. It looked somewhat human. Rowley started to cry. We turned to take a different path and got out of there in a hurry. When we met back at the van with Mom and Dad I said that the hill will close in 2 minutes and that we would be stuck until morning. They bought it, now the monster wouldn't get us. That was my best lie yet. Back at the cabin we had super and Dad said we could do something for two hours before bed. I told everyone I lost my gloves on the hill and I said I wanted to go look for them. I took Rowley with me. It was actually closed now. I wanted to get a better look at the strange figure. Everything was good until we stated to walk up the hill. The road was covered in ice. Rowley and I finally made it to the T-bar and I saw it again. I point the creature out to Rowley who thought it was going up the hill. I replied that we should go after it. We slowly sneaked up on the thing it looked a lot like a man who had been stuck here for years. He resembled a man that worked here because he was in uniform. He was fixing a spotlight that was burned out then he said "you kids are not allowed here I'm calling the cops." We rushed out of there. Yelling on the top of are lungs. He was calling the cops. Before I knew it I was back at the cabin Mom asked if I had found my gloves I said "yes" nervously I did not want Mom to know what happed. I went to bed.

When I woke up there was a snow storm. We went to Dairy Queen and got a sandwich because there are no other places for food. The food was good we got milk shakes for drinks. Mom said if we take a left we could go to a Mall called "The Land of Many Lands" Dad gave me and Rodrick 600 dollars I did not ask any questions about that. Mom gave Manny 300 dollars he seemed happy. Dad told us to be back here in three hours because they are going to take Rowley to the airport so he could go home. He was lucky because we had to see people in our family next. We had to look after Manny, but we can buy anything we wanted with our money from mom and dad. Rodrick said "let's buy what we want and then we will go to the food court". Manny asked if we could go to Candy Land and Pet Land and also Toy Land. Roderick said we can go there and then we can go to Rock land. I said Game Land and Comic book Land are the best lands of them all. I said. Rodrick said that we can go to Pet Land and then Candy Land for the first two. They were close to where we were. There were so many things in Candy Land it was hard to think I could get whatever I want. Rodrick said to grab some stuff but save some money he said he had a good idea. That was good to know he was being nice. I got 70 dollars it was gum and a chocolates bars mostly. Rodrick spent 20 dollars on Poprockits. Manny had 80 dollars saved up he used all of it to get candy. Then Rodrick said start eating anything you can garb right in front of the store manager we did and then he said we were banned for life we were not going back so it was fine. We did not have to pay for the stuff the manager said just to leave. We went to Pet Land They had every pet that you can think of. I took Manny to the fish part of the store we looked at the fish for 4 minutes and then he ran to a thing around the corner it was a horse for sale it was in Manny's price rage Manny said he was going to get it and we could ride it to school Dad would not have to pay for gas.

But it was sold the guy at the counter said. Manny said I had to follow him. We went to a tunnel in the Pet store and right next to the tunnel there was a sign said "the scorpion king enter at your own risk." There was a scorpion as big as the horse it was out of its cage but then I look better and it was fake. There was just an empty cage and it said sold. We went back to the fish part I got a big tank of fish Manny paid for the food and all the other things a fish needed we said we would come back for it. Rodrick got a scorpion. The one that was sold out. It was big he said he would come back for it also. We left to go to Game land it was quick, and I got a few games and then an iPod.

All the stuff I got was part of a deal when you spend a lot of money you get a free iPod. We went to Rock Land Rodrick got a few CDs and we left. We went to Comic Land I got 10 comics and we left it was going fast because we had to meet mom and dad at the doors in 2 hours. We went to Toy Land it was a size of a Wal*mart but just for toys. Manny got some cars and blocks then he said he was done we paid and then Rodrick said let's look around the mall for a bit and then go to the food court. He seemed to want to go to the food court really badly. All the other stores were just clothes stores and shoes stores. We spent a hour walking to trying to find the food court. I got a wrap from KFC with root beer and fries Rodrick got a big Mac with fries and root beer also. Manny got a bucket meal with fries and Coke. I guess Rodrick was just hungry. We got our pets and then we went to the door are fish tank had to be plugged in so for 100 dollars we could get a battery for it we took it because we will not be by a plug in for a bit. Mom freaked when she saw the stuff we got after 5 minutes of yelling Mom was ok again. We went back to our cabin got our bags and left to go back home. We did not go see our family because we had pets in the back of the car. It was a long car trip to get home we finally made it home. In three days we are going to Mexico now that our pets are at home.