Friday, August 5, 2011
Canada Day in Ottawa 2011
Ok... so I can check this one off the "bucket list". I have long wanted to spend Canada Day in our nation's Capital. I got to spend it with 300,000 fellow Canadians and a couple of Brits! (Will & Kate... yes... there is a picture below)
Characters: here is a look at all the different characters hanging out on the Hill.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Jenn & Adam's Crazy Canadian Cross Country Car Trip - Part 2
...continued from Part 1 below
Sept 24, 2010 - The rain has let up by morning. We had decided to stay on Atlantic time for the whole trip, so the morning light is an hour behind us. Today we want to make it to Thunder Bay, so we have to get an early start. We've lost 1 - 1 1/2 hours due to the traffic in Ottawa and the torrential downpour last night, so we need to make up time. Today is going to be a better day, right? It ends up it is! The scenery from Sudbury to Thunder Bay is gorgeous! The Lake Superior area is beautiful and I am definitely coming back here when I can spend more time and enjoy the area. Unfortunately, the sun only comes out sporadically during the morning, and the rest of the time we have clouds and a little rain now and then. But, that's OK. At least it doesn't rain steadily!
As we drive along this winding, mountainous highway I can't help but think of Terry Fox. We are on the same highway that he ran all those years ago! I have always held Terry in high-esteem, but seeing the actual road where he ran a marathon a day really puts things in perspective. It leaves me speechless. One thing I have wanted to see is the monument to Terry near Thunder Bay where he ended his journey. Now it is just hours away.
The hills are alive with colour. Lake Superior's water is as green as any Caribbean beach I've been on. I REALLY want to spend hours here with my camera. Darn it!! We have too tight a schedule, so I will just have to be satisfied with Jenn snapping pictures out the window. BUT, like I said above, I will return to this area in the future.
Ontario is a BIG province! The drive to Thunder Bay is looooong!! We arrive quite late at night, and I am too tired to stop at Terry's monument. From the highway we can see it on a hill above, all lit up. But, I am only thinking about bed at this point in time. Next time, Terry! Next time!
So, we need to find a motel. You'd think they'd be just off the exit, but nooooo! After driving around Thunder Bay for a bit, we stop at a gas station and they tell us there is one just a minute or two away. Good! We pull up under the awning out front and I step inside to inquire about a room. The guy at the front desk spies the dog and right away expresses concern. "There will be an extra fee for the dog, IF we accept it." "If?" I ask. "If I put my hand down towards it and it goes to bite me, it can't stay." Well, Oliver, who continues to be an angel, wouldn't hurt a flea. So, no worries there. "How much then in total?" I ask. "$189.99." Hahaha!!! What he REALLY meant to say, was that we and the dog are NOT welcome!! That's what $189.99 says to me! Well, as luck would have it, the motel 2 more minutes down the road welcomes the dog with open arms for $99 a night. You do the math!
MORE TO COME (including pictures)...
Sept 24, 2010 - The rain has let up by morning. We had decided to stay on Atlantic time for the whole trip, so the morning light is an hour behind us. Today we want to make it to Thunder Bay, so we have to get an early start. We've lost 1 - 1 1/2 hours due to the traffic in Ottawa and the torrential downpour last night, so we need to make up time. Today is going to be a better day, right? It ends up it is! The scenery from Sudbury to Thunder Bay is gorgeous! The Lake Superior area is beautiful and I am definitely coming back here when I can spend more time and enjoy the area. Unfortunately, the sun only comes out sporadically during the morning, and the rest of the time we have clouds and a little rain now and then. But, that's OK. At least it doesn't rain steadily!
As we drive along this winding, mountainous highway I can't help but think of Terry Fox. We are on the same highway that he ran all those years ago! I have always held Terry in high-esteem, but seeing the actual road where he ran a marathon a day really puts things in perspective. It leaves me speechless. One thing I have wanted to see is the monument to Terry near Thunder Bay where he ended his journey. Now it is just hours away.
The hills are alive with colour. Lake Superior's water is as green as any Caribbean beach I've been on. I REALLY want to spend hours here with my camera. Darn it!! We have too tight a schedule, so I will just have to be satisfied with Jenn snapping pictures out the window. BUT, like I said above, I will return to this area in the future.
Ontario is a BIG province! The drive to Thunder Bay is looooong!! We arrive quite late at night, and I am too tired to stop at Terry's monument. From the highway we can see it on a hill above, all lit up. But, I am only thinking about bed at this point in time. Next time, Terry! Next time!
So, we need to find a motel. You'd think they'd be just off the exit, but nooooo! After driving around Thunder Bay for a bit, we stop at a gas station and they tell us there is one just a minute or two away. Good! We pull up under the awning out front and I step inside to inquire about a room. The guy at the front desk spies the dog and right away expresses concern. "There will be an extra fee for the dog, IF we accept it." "If?" I ask. "If I put my hand down towards it and it goes to bite me, it can't stay." Well, Oliver, who continues to be an angel, wouldn't hurt a flea. So, no worries there. "How much then in total?" I ask. "$189.99." Hahaha!!! What he REALLY meant to say, was that we and the dog are NOT welcome!! That's what $189.99 says to me! Well, as luck would have it, the motel 2 more minutes down the road welcomes the dog with open arms for $99 a night. You do the math!
MORE TO COME (including pictures)...
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Jenn & Adam's Crazy Canadian Cross Country Car Trip - Part 1
Sept 22, 2010 - Here we are, my daughter and I, getting all set for our drive out to Edmonton. Her Jetta is all packed up and Oliver (the dog) is in the driver's seat, having no clue of what is about to happen over the course of the next 3 1/2 days! It is at about this time that I learn that the heater is kaput in the Jetta. And it's not that it won't work... it's that it won't shut off! We have to drive the whole way with the heat ON! Not even the a/c will bring down the temperature of the air blowing out the vents. Hopefully this is the worst to happen to the car. We're a little late (1 hr.) getting started, but off we go!
The first night's stay is in Edmundston, NB. We call along the way to make a reservation at a hotel we find in the NB Tourist Guide. Perfect... they have a room. We punch the address into our trusty GPS (who we shall call "Bonnie" from this point on) and get back on the highway. "Just ring the bell when you get there" they tell us. About 11:00 PM we approach Edmundston... but wait, Bonnie is taking us past Edmundston. Hmmmm... this doesn't seem right! Sure enough, we end up taking an exit on the Quebec side of town and Bonnie leads us through a bunch of back roads out into the middle of NOWHERE! So, after giving Bonnie the "rest of the night off", we turn around and head for downtown... which is our best guess at where this hotel is. It's well after midnight now! We search for the street name and voila, we stumble across the hotel! Great news! Except... nobody is answering the bell! Rang it once... rang it twice... not sure how many times I rang that stupid bell! Luckily, I had stayed at the Day's Inn just down the road in June on a trip to Quebec City! We call and they have a room!! And they will accept the dog! Bonus! We crawl into bed, tired and about 2 hours past our expected time of arrival.
Sept 23, 2010 - After a beautiful sunrise and a nice breakfast, we load Oliver (and the 3 rats... did I forget to mention them?) into the car and head for the Quebec border. Today is supposed to be our longest day of the trip... 15 hours of driving! We want to make it all the way to Sudbury, ON. Do we trust Bonnie today? Sure... anyone can make a mistake, right? So, we turn her on and set our course. Unfortunately, our late arrival last night has meant a slightly later than wanted departure this morning. That's OK. We ended up having a good rest and we will make adjustments to our schedule, if necessary.
We have some good news and some bad news for the next few legs of our trip. The first good news is we hit Montreal well outside of peak traffic hours. The bad news is I'm now at the wheel and didn't understand what Bonnie meant when she said "Keep right and go to the left." Huh??? I soon learned what that meant while driving in 4 lanes of traffic, and it DIDN'T mean "stay left". Apparently, staying left takes you off of the TCH and into the heart of Montreal!! To be fair, this was not Bonnie's fault, and to be honest, she did a very good job telling the dummy behind the wheel (me) how to get back onto the TCH. Jenn snapped some photos in Montreal as we quickly passed by, while I frantically followed Bonnie's orders to get us back on track. All in all, only about 15 minutes is lost.
On to Ontario...
By this time, clouds have set in (which is a foreshadowing of what is to come - but more on that later). Quebec was beautiful, as always and we look forward to seeing what Ontario has to offer. (Oh, by the way, Oliver is being a perfect angel!)
The bad news for the next leg of our journey is we hit Ottawa during rush hour. The good news is, I'm not driving! Jenn is! She does a wonderful job, and doesn't take us off the TCH. Not even once! And Bonnie doesn't mutter a word about keeping right while going left! (Which, in my opinion, is a violation of physics!)
"There's the Parliament Building" I yell. Well actually, I could only see the very top of the Peace Tower for about 2.5 seconds, from 5 kms away... but still exciting! We are in the nation's capital! Well... we are driving through the nation's capital. "Someday, I am going to come to Parliament Hill for Canada Day", I exclaim. Meanwhile, a good part of the TCH has 15 foot walls on either side so there is not much more of Ottawa to see. I managed to fire off a few quick photos (none of which includes the top of the Peace Tower!).
Soon after Ottawa, the nice double-lane TCH we have been on since Moncton turns into a twisting, two-lane highway and stays that way through the rest of Ontario. Of course, this is also where we get to see Canada's Economic Action Plan in full swing! How many kms of road can you pave in one recession, anyways? It is also right about this time that the rain starts! (Remember the foreshadowing?)
The darker it gets, the harder it rains! You know, the kind of rain that seems to go sideways! Jenn is still driving, and continues doing a good job. She doesn't know it (until she reads this), but I am grasping the door handle with white knuckles because I can't see the road at times and I can only hope she does! We have to slow down considerably, so it is looking like making it to Sudbury is out of the question. So, where to stop for the night? That's the question. Hmmmm... North Bay looks do-able. Only a few small towns to get through first.
The nice little town of Mattawa, ON seems to be taking full advantage of some of Canada's Economic Action Plan's $$$$s (thank-you Stephen Harper). ***CLANK!!!!!!!!!!*** In the pouring rain, it was impossible to see the big construction hole torn up in the street! Jenn didn't see it! I didn't see it! Oliver didn't see it! But we felt it!! Especially as our teeth smashed together! It didn't take long for Oliver to make his way into my lap! He practically flew over the seat! After both of us screaming, "Why was there no sign to warn you of that?!", Jenn soon points out the fact that VWs are known for their aluminum oil pans, which can easily crack open (whenever the car bottoms out). Hmmmm... seems we may have found a place to stay for the night, after all?! After a couple of minutes looking for an awning or something under which to open the hood and check things out, we realize that if we are in fact losing oil, we better not drive any further. So, standing in the rain (as it sideswipes us), we open the hood and check the dipstick. Good news! No apparent crack! Back in the car, soaking wet, we drive on to North Bay. Well... at least the heater is on!
Ahhhhh... North Bay. We made it! At the first exit we see a Travelodge. We pull over, look at the Ontario Tourist Guide and decide to call a few places to get rates before deciding where to stay. We call Travelodge first, as it is right in front of us. Perfect.. the rate is reasonable, we are wet and tired, and only have to literally drive across the parking lot. I make a "reservation". I go into the front desk, give them my name and I am not in their system. "But I just called." The desk clerk offers, "You are not in our system, but we do have a room." I inquire about the price and it is much higher than the price I was just quoted on the phone! Huh? Well... apparently there are TWO Travelodges in town! Who knew? And the affordable one is 10-15 minutes further. If only I wasn't so cheap! Back in the car.
Continued in Part 2...
Soon after Ottawa, the nice double-lane TCH we have been on since Moncton turns into a twisting, two-lane highway and stays that way through the rest of Ontario. Of course, this is also where we get to see Canada's Economic Action Plan in full swing! How many kms of road can you pave in one recession, anyways? It is also right about this time that the rain starts! (Remember the foreshadowing?)
The darker it gets, the harder it rains! You know, the kind of rain that seems to go sideways! Jenn is still driving, and continues doing a good job. She doesn't know it (until she reads this), but I am grasping the door handle with white knuckles because I can't see the road at times and I can only hope she does! We have to slow down considerably, so it is looking like making it to Sudbury is out of the question. So, where to stop for the night? That's the question. Hmmmm... North Bay looks do-able. Only a few small towns to get through first.
The nice little town of Mattawa, ON seems to be taking full advantage of some of Canada's Economic Action Plan's $$$$s (thank-you Stephen Harper). ***CLANK!!!!!!!!!!*** In the pouring rain, it was impossible to see the big construction hole torn up in the street! Jenn didn't see it! I didn't see it! Oliver didn't see it! But we felt it!! Especially as our teeth smashed together! It didn't take long for Oliver to make his way into my lap! He practically flew over the seat! After both of us screaming, "Why was there no sign to warn you of that?!", Jenn soon points out the fact that VWs are known for their aluminum oil pans, which can easily crack open (whenever the car bottoms out). Hmmmm... seems we may have found a place to stay for the night, after all?! After a couple of minutes looking for an awning or something under which to open the hood and check things out, we realize that if we are in fact losing oil, we better not drive any further. So, standing in the rain (as it sideswipes us), we open the hood and check the dipstick. Good news! No apparent crack! Back in the car, soaking wet, we drive on to North Bay. Well... at least the heater is on!
Ahhhhh... North Bay. We made it! At the first exit we see a Travelodge. We pull over, look at the Ontario Tourist Guide and decide to call a few places to get rates before deciding where to stay. We call Travelodge first, as it is right in front of us. Perfect.. the rate is reasonable, we are wet and tired, and only have to literally drive across the parking lot. I make a "reservation". I go into the front desk, give them my name and I am not in their system. "But I just called." The desk clerk offers, "You are not in our system, but we do have a room." I inquire about the price and it is much higher than the price I was just quoted on the phone! Huh? Well... apparently there are TWO Travelodges in town! Who knew? And the affordable one is 10-15 minutes further. If only I wasn't so cheap! Back in the car.
Continued in Part 2...
Monday, October 11, 2010
Travel
I am going to use this blog to chronicle my travels. Mostly, this will be just for myself to have a record, since I don't do scrap books. haha! But, for those who want to come along on my journeys, this can be for you too.
Adam
Adam
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