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Sean Plamondon
Sean Plamondon

Sean Plamondon

traveled in 86 countries Read more🇨🇦Ottawa
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  • Sean PlamondonPeruSean Plamondon
    Our hike in the clouds
    Rachel's stopping pointSuper steep climb for 2 hours like thisFinally at the top but minimal viewWe did it!Totally in the clouds at the summitTreacherous descent !Just as we descended, the clouds opened a bitMillion dollar viewGetting rained on but we didn't care360 degrees of beautyRachel much better dressed than us :)And of course, blue skies when descended back to the townAlexa's yummy trout supper

    Aguas Calientes - Day 2

    March 10, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Another early morning, up at 6am. Quickly got ready, quicker breakfast and out the door by 6:50 to figure out how to get a bus up to machu picchu. And i do mean UP :)

    Lots of confusion for us. We got in a big line on the street but then found out we had to buy tickets at the office. So rachel and caleb raced off to get our tickets while i tried to hold our spot in line. I kept getting hassled that i couldn't be in line without tickets but i found a way to not lose our spot. After Rachel arrived, she thought she lost her phone and sent caleb a block up to look but the bus was boarding. He got back just in time. Alexa and i got on first and sat at the back and eventually noticed rachel and caleb weren't on the bus yet and then we all realized i had all 4 tickets in my hand haha. They got the last 2 spots. Phew.

    The bus ride up the mountain is otherworldly. But were heavily covered in clouds too. Still, all the mountains here are so vertical, it was very striking regardless. Once at the ancient city, everything was in the clouds. Didn't matter too much because we signed up for a hike to the top of machu picchu mountain, high above the ancient site. 4 hour round trip hike.

    Incredibly gruelling hike to the top. Took us about 2 hours but we were all exhausted. Poor rachel decided to only go 1/4 of the way and wait for us to return. At the top, we were unfortunately completely in the clouds and couldn't see anything. But every now and then some clouds would part and we'd briefly enjoy great views momentarily.

    After a long, painful and treacherous hike back down, we got incredibly lucky with the clouds breaking up for some awesome views of the ancient city. Got really wet in the process too but i didn't care. This is what we came for.

    After descending back to the town, rested up for a bit and finally met up with abdel and max who had missed their original flight due to passport issues and travelled in transit almost 40 hours straight to catch up with us. Had an amazing peruvian meal at andio and put our tired bodies to bed.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonPeruSean Plamondon
    1

    Aguas Calientes - Day 1

    March 9, 2024 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    Another early, big travel day to get ourselves really close to Machu Picchu. Started with an 8am flight to Cusco which required getting up at 530am.

    Once in cusco, made our way to the main Armas Plaza which was really striking with beautiful old buildings and the mountains around us too. Our taxi driver told us we needed to have cocao tea right away to help us with the elevation difference because we just went from sea level to 11,000 feet. So found a cafe in the plaza and also coordinated with Rachel and Caleb to meet up.

    We went for lunch at a fantastic spot overlooking the plaza and a better view of the mountains and then off to the Inca Rail office to catch our bus to Ollantaytambo. We had to split up briefly because Rachel and Caleb had to go get their luggage first from their hotel. The bus was about to leave and they sent me a message that they were lost! I tried to stall the bus and just as we pulled onto the road they thankfully arrived! Phew!

    Fantastic bus ride up into the mountains and through many cute villages. Stopped for a bit at an awesome lookout spot and had some fun moments with some local llamas.

    Then a huge descent eventually arriving at Ollantaytambo where we boarded a train to Aguas Calientes. Easily the most gorgeous train ride i have been on as we snaked through a very narrow corridor of jagged mountains on both sides.

    Finally at aguas calientes around 630pm. Total pedestrian town as there's no way to get here except via train. Lots of cute markets and high mountains tightly surrounding it

    Found our hotel and a restaurant not too far away and then eventually rested up for another early morning ... to Machu Picchu wooo    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonPeruSean Plamondon
    Enjoying the ottawa maple leaf lounge
    Finally on last leg to PeruImmigration lineAnd finally arrived enjoying a free hotel beverage

    Peru!

    March 8, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Very early start to the day with a 3am alarm to get to the airport by 4am. Followed by a 2 hour layover at the Montreal airport. Then a 4 hour flight to miami and another 4 hour layover. And one more 5.5 flight and we are in Peru finally. Phew long day.

    Met a nice guy on the last plane next to me from miami and we talked politics and football for about 90 minutes. And he gave me a lot of good tips for peruvian dishes to try. Looking forward to putting this new knowledge into effect :) I have heard very good things about peruvian food 🤤

    Immigration took about 30 minutes and then checked into our hotel attached to the airport. Flying again in the morning so extremely convenient location for tonight.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonYucatanSean Plamondon

    Playa del Carmen

    December 22, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Started the day with a short drive to Hacienda Oxman to swim in their cenote. Another really deep cenote and long roots and vines hanging all the way down from the ground level high above.

    Spent about 30 minutes swimming there and then drove 90 minutes south to Tulum. Unfortunately the mayan ruins were a very long wait so decided to skip it. Went to the Tulum brewery instead. Gorgeous restaurant, almost like fine dining. But the prices were outrageous. For example, a burger was 50 Canadian dollars! So i just had a couple of small samples of their beers and instead found a really nice restaurant on the ocean.

    Then drove an hour to playa del carmen. My first time back in almost 20 years and wow has it ever grown! Found a few great craft beer places amongst the craziness of this city to finish off a fantastic adventure in the yucatan peninsula.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonYucatanSean Plamondon
    View from my Homun hotel room
    Chichen ItzaChichen ItzaChichen ItzaChichen ItzaChichen ItzaIk Kil cenoteIk Kil cenoteIk Kil cenoteX'Keken cenoteSamula cenoteIdilio restaurant/brewery

    Valladolid

    December 21, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Started the day with a 90 minute drive to famous chichen itza. The crowds and lineups to get in were awful. The main pyramid is gorgeous but compared to other ancient mayan sites i have been to, the supporting structures were a tad underwhelming. Thoroughly enjoyed walking around but also happy to eventually escape the crowds.

    From there drove a whopping 5 minutes to Ik Kil cenote. This cenote was something else. They are all amazing in their own way but this was a really deep sinkhole and huge vines cascading all the way down to the water. So beautiful.

    Drove another hour to just outside of valladolid to two more cenotes, both were caves with holes in the top to let some natural light in. After splashing around there for an hour, found the hotel in the city and headed out for food.

    Found an amazing outdoor place for food and specialty beer. Ordered a bunch of tapas and some grilled mushrooms

    Wandered to an Irish pub which was disppointing and eventually found a lively spot in the northern part of the city with a live rock/mex band. Great finish to another awesome day.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonYucatanSean Plamondon
    Edzna
    EdznaGassing up at someone's houseUxmalUxmalUxmalUxmalUxmalUxmalUxmalX'batun cenoteX'batun cenotedzonbakal CenoteCenote kankirixcheCenote kankirixcheCenote kankirixcheCenote kankirixcheCenote noh-mozunlHomun hotel

    Homun

    December 20, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Extremely ambitious travel plans today. Got up after 6, so that i could be out the door at 7 and on the road early because i knew the travel distances were substantial and the stops along were going to be great and not quick at all.

    Started off with an hour long drive to the ancient mayan site called Edzna. Fair sized site with lots of beautiful old structures. Spent about 30 minutes walking through the entire spot.

    Then had a 2 hour drive to Uxmal, another mayan site. But en route i realized i had a bit of a problem. Half way to Edzna i noticed my gas was getting a bit low. And i was now halfway to Uxmal with an hour to go and my gas tank warning was showing. There just weren't any gas stations or even towns bigger than a tiny village. Asked some locals in a village about gas and directed me to a person's house down a side road. Sure enough, a woman there was selling gas. I asked for 200 persos worth of gas and she brought out a bunch of Gatorade bottles filled with gas and poured it all into my car. Another new experience :)

    An hour later arrived at Uxmal. Very impressive ancient site. Huge temples, and structures plus amazing detailed carvings everywhere. Stayed about 45 minutes and then hit the road again.

    Drove another hour to X'batun cenote which was an incredible blue looking lagoon carved out of stone and a semi crater below trees and long dangling vines to the water. Relaxed there for a while and then went another 3 minutes further down the same road to Dzonbakal cenote which was more of a cave cenote also with striking blue water. Definitely not as impressive as the first but very nice to hang out in there and i could hear lots of bats chirping away.

    Drove another 45 minutes to Kankirixche cenote. Another cave like cenote but this one had a partial opening letting the light in. Maybd my favourite so far.

    And a very difficult to reach finale, at noh-mozunl cenote. Drove down really crazy uneven dirt roads through tight bush for ages and eventually reached a rock wall barricade to prevent any cars from continuing. After a local told me to continue i went on by foot and found maybe the best cenote yet in a cave like hole but full circle opening high above. Had to descend down a crazy ricketty staircase. Took a few pics and hurried back to the car. Wasn't anticipating i would have to backtrack, so getting to the hotel in homun took a lot longer but eventually made it just after the sun went down.

    Super fun day exploring mayan sites and cenotes.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonYucatanSean Plamondon

    Campeche

    December 19, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Slept in a little bit and then drove an hour to san ignacio cenote. Most of that hour was just trying to get out of merida - what a chaotic city.

    San ignacio cenote was more of a resort. Really nice restaurant, hotel, pool, lounging areas, artificial river. And a cave underneath it all with a natural pool of water. Swam around in the underground cenote and relaxed there for a bit and then had a yucatan styled lunch. It was cheese stuffed with pork; and no, i didn't say that backwards accidentally haha. Very tasty.

    Drove another hour south to Ich ha lol xaan cenote. This cenote had very shallow waters but with incredible colors. One of them had crazy blue water and the other had crazy blue colored rocks, almost like someone painted them.

    And another 30 minute drive to the seaside town of campeche. Its a walled city with lots of beautifully restored and colorful streets and buildings. Campeche is famous for its pirate atracks back in the day, which is the reason it was eventually a walled city.

    Did a quick walkabout and then got myself to a waterfront restaurant to watch the sunset while enjoying some ceviche and a beer.

    Finished the evening closer to my hotel on a very vibrant pedestrian street full of restaurants and shops. Have to be up at 6am the next morning and still not caught up on sleep, so didn't stay out very late.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonYucatanSean Plamondon

    Merida

    December 18, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Arrived at 1pm in cancun. By the time i got through customs and got my rental car, it was 2pm and then drove 4 hours straight to the lovely town of Merida in the center of Yucatan state.

    Stayed downtown so everything is walkable. Strolled past the cathedral and some other nice churches and found a nice courtyard spot for supper. Then wandered off to a few craft beer locations nearby before calling it a night.

    I had to be up at 3:30am for my flight to cancun, and getting more sleep was very much needed    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0

    Bogota - Day 4

    November 18, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Last day in Colombia. Kris flew home in the morning, a day before my return.

    I had a number of ideas to get outside the city to caves or visit a pretty town nearby but the weather wasnt so great.

    So i decided to just have a mostly relaxing day. Walked around bolivar plaza and enjoyed all the nice old buildings. Grabbed some lunch at bogota brewing company and then took some ubers to some craft breweries a bit away from the old town.

    The first one wasn't all that great. Tried two styles and both were very odd flavors. Not for me. Too malty i think. The second one was fantastic. Really good beer, great music, friendly bartender. I bought a tshirt and a beer glass there too and stayed a while.

    From there, i went back to the old town for supper at a nice place with live music. And after that popped into another place with live music as i was walking by. Really nice finish to the trip with something a bit different to close out on.

    Got back to the hotel around 130am and i had to get up at 6am... which isn't much time for sleep but i would rather utilize all my time i have in colombia and catch up on rest in canada 😁    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0

    Bogota - Day 3

    November 17, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    After Kris found some much needed sunburn cream for himself, we ventured off to hike to the summit of monserrate. The walk is a traditional el camino for residents of bogota to the church atop the mountain

    Its a fairly steep climb and exhausting under normal circumstances. But with Bogotá's already lofty elevation, adding 500 more meters contributed significantly to my lack of climitization. For most of the walk, i was struggling to get enough oxygen and the last 100m, i was a bit dizzy and disoriented. But we did it! And with fabulous views above the massive sprawling city.

    There are two very nice restaurants at the summit. We chose to eat at the traditional colombian restaurant over the french one. Prices were significantly greater than any other place we had been but wow was the food good. We feasted like kings and also enjoyed a few beers on the terrace. When we left the restaurant, we had to ascend 20+ stairs and we nearly keeled over. I guess the altitude plus beers were a strange combination.

    Later, went to one of the many bogota beer company locations. While enjoying some yummy craft beers, a bunch of locals invited me to join their table and share their massive beer tower with them. And after that, they took Kris and i to some dance clubs which ended up being a really fun night.    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0

    Puerto Nariño - Day 3 / Bogota

    November 16, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Started the morning walking 20 minutes to a large property to see the wild monkeys. Unfortunately the monkeys were somewhere else that day. But we did have fun feeding the macaws there and enjoying the beautiful estate overlooking the amazon river. For some reason the macaws didn't like Kris much cuz one bit him pretty good haha.

    After that went to the local museum which had great examples of all the wildlife in the area

    Our boat back to leticia was at 3, so we all had lunch and then sat at a bar near the river and had a few laughs until our boat came around. Pretty sure i will be visiting Mike and Charlie in belgium within the next year. Awesome guys.. we all got along famously right away. Jack was awesome too but australia is a fair wee bit further to reach. Hugs all around on departure.

    Had to wait 3 hours in leticia for our flight to bogota, so kris and i found a spot downtown for food and beer to kill a few hours

    We still had no hotel bookes yet for bogota and unfortunately we couldn't get our internet to work so we scrambled to book something at 10:30pm as we left the bogota airport. The place we booked with didn't allow checkins after 10pm, so we had a really difficult conversation on arrival at the hotel but eventually figured out an arrangement and we were no longer homeless yay

    Bounced around some nearby bars until we found 2 good ones that had great latin music that had everyone up and dancing (except us). And eventually headed home for the night. We were pretty tired.    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0

    Puerto Nariño (Amazon) - Day 2

    November 15, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Edit: re uploading vids and pics.. something went wrong on the first try

    Three more people joined our tour in the morning. Charlie and Mike from Belgium and Jack from Australia.

    Started the day looking for dolphins. Strangely enough, the amazon river has 2 types of dolphins, grey and pink. We got really lucky and saw so many grey dolphins jumping out of the water. And a bunch of pink ones breaching the surface of the water

    After that, boated over to a sandbar, and swam in the amazon for 30 minutes or so. Just enough to scorch everyone's shoulders but the water was so warm and refreshing that it was hard to think of anything else - like sunscreen apparently!

    Spent the early afternoon having lunch and getting to know the guys over some beers. Then started our colombia side jungle hike. First half of the hike was around dusk, in a much denser jungle than the peru side. The second half of the hike was completely in the dark with our headlamps and flashlights.

    Our guide was amazing at finding all sorts of massive insects, including tarantulas. Plus some poison dart frogs and of course jack the Australian found a snake haha. So cliché. Most of the insects were the size of my hand.

    Once we got back, had a quick supper at the hotel and then off to a place for some beers together.    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0

    Puerto Nariño (Amazon) Day 1

    November 14, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Had a 630am pickup to catch our 7am public transportation river boat from leticia to puerto nariña. 2 hour boat ride down the amazon and then greeted by Brehiner who will be our dedicated tour guide the next few days.

    This part of the amazon is interesting because the borders of cokombia, peru and brazil are all a few kilometers from each other. In puerto nariño, colombia is on one side of the amazon river. and peru is on the orher side of the river.

    Shortly after arriving, we got onto a smaller boat with our guide and a couple from germany/austria and headed to the peru side of the river where we would spend the next 5 hours in the peruvian jungle.

    Right away our guides found sloths in the trees. Most were really high up and hard to see but they found some much closer. Plus a number of vultures, exotic frogs, toucan, and some really strange looking bugs and plants. Plus crazy jungle trees. I can't describe how hot and humid that walk was. We were completely drenched just walking around.

    Had lunch in a remote tiny village and then back to our boat and back to colombia where Ramona and Tobias departed back to leticia. We had 90 minutes to lie down and try to cool off. I have never enjoyed a cold shower so much in my life! I actually took one cold shower, lay down for a bit and then took a second cold shower before our next excursion.

    Around 4pm, we were back in the boat, outfitted with rain gear and heading down the amazon to find a good spot for piranha fishing!

    We used sausage as bait and the piranha were incredibly adept at taking the bait off the hook without being able to feel. After a while i got a good system of slowly moving my hook so i could feel a bit of resistance and then pull hard if so. 7 different times i pulled a piranha out of the water but they fell off my hook each time. No one actually caught one but it was a really fun experience.

    Back in town, met up with our guide for some beers and eventually a very sound sleep to the sound of very loud frogs and bugs chirping away.    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0
    Sergio

    Leticia

    November 13, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    A mostly unexciting travel day. However, what lay ahead left us with soaring anticipation.

    Had to fly back to Bogota with a 3 hour layover and then catch a plane to Leticia, which is the gateway to the Amazon where we will start a 3 day tour with our guide i pre-hired.

    Didn't arrive in Leticia until 8pm. Sergio and his father greeted us at the airport and drove us to their office in town where they outfitted us with some rubber boots, and gave us a rundown about the start of our tour the next morning. It was nice to meet Sergio finally because i had been talking to him for quite a while arranging this tour. After that, sergio's father drove us to our nearby hotel.

    Wandered out to find some food at an arepa place and another spot for a few cold beers before getting to bed. Wow was it humid and thats at 10pm. I cant imagine how it will be midday in the jungle the next few days.

    Then off to bed because 530am was going to come quickly the next morning!    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0

    Medellin - Day 4

    November 12, 2023 in Colombia

    Kris and i both slept in, which nullified a few ideas i had for today like parasailing and repelling down a waterfall.

    Instead, we signed up for a very popular grafitti and history tour. This tour takes place in the barrios (slums) of medellin but has now become a massive tourist attraction. The history of how commune 13 was established on the side of a mountain is equally fascinating and tragic. It used to be one of the most dangerous places in the world but that has been mostly cleaned up and is now a vibrant community with an immense amount of culture.

    Our walking tour climbed high up through the jungle of makeshift structures, learning about its history and the deeper meaning of many of the murals. We were also treated to a performance of professional break dancers, who were some of the most athletic and coordinated people I've ever witnessed.

    We went into galleries, treated to a local dessert, and even created some of our own graffiti with a spray can. And the views of the city were quite amazing too

    Our tour had 9 people, and 7 of us were canadians. 3 others were also from ottawa. Too funny. Got to know Sam and his girlfriend a bit and shared an uber on the long drive back to the richy area of el poblado.

    Went to a rooftop bar for snacks and beverages before heading out for one last meal in medellin. In bed relatively early for the travel day tomorrow    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0

    Medellin - Day 3

    November 11, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Today did another day trip in our rental car to the town of Santa Fe. As usual, navigating our way out of medellin was an adventure with lots of wrong turns and then trying to deal with the ramifications of those errors and get back on track. This might be the most difficult city i have i ever driven in. Rio is a close second.

    The drive to santa fe was spectacular. In one hour's drive, we descended more than 3300 feet of elevation through some of the biggest and most dramatic mountains i have seen.

    Santa fe is a really nice old colonial city with cobblestone streets, and all the buildings are whitewashed. And hot!! What a difference it makes being at a lower elevation. Kris said the temperature was over 40 with humidity. I believe it.

    We walked around for a bit and had some fantastic food at a beautiful restaurant my travel book recommended. After about 2 hours, made the drive back to medellin.

    Rested up for a bit and then headed back to the el poblado area for some good beer and food. Starting at our usual spot Medellin Beer Factory. Waitress recognized us right away with huge smiles and enthusiastically took care of us. Colombians are such great hosts and very naturally caring and always aiming to please. Very salt of the earth. We have already had a number of acts of kindness that were very surprising. But less so while driving where every inch of road is a battle haha    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0
    View from our condo

    Medellin - Day 2

    November 10, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We wanted to drive to santa fe today but medellin has really strict rules for different licence plates being restricted from the road on different days. And sure enough, our licence plate ends with an 8, and friday is restricted on 8's.

    So we went to center area of medellin and walked around. Found a nice place for lunch and then found a place that would cut a copy of our condo key for us. One key for 2 people is kinda silly.

    The center area is totally chaotic and soooo many people everywhere. It was fun to walk around but after a while it was sensory overload and we had to get out of there.

    Popped by Bipolar brewery on the way back to our condo, rested for a bit and then went back to the incredibly busy el poblado restaurant area for food, drinks and an attempt at dancing haha.    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0

    Medellin - Day 1

    November 9, 2023 in Colombia

    Got in a few hours sleep and headed back to the airport to catch a plane to Medellin. Picked up our rental car at the airport and started driving to Guatape. Gorgeous scenery winding through the mountains.

    Two hours later arrived at Piedra de el peñol. A huge rock jutting straight up several hundred feet. It has a staircase to the top built into a natural crevice of the rock but unfortunately was closed for repairs. Still the views from its base were high above Guatape and made for fantastic sights. Enjoyed a cold beer here and then drove down to Guatape

    Guatape is a small, colorful colonial town that has been beautifully preserved. Took a while to find parking and finally had our first meal of the day at 4pm. Walked around the cobblestone streets and waa repeatedly rewarded venturing down random side streets with charming buildings and murals and artwork everywhere.

    Would have loved to spend a lot more time exploring but it was getting a bit late and we still had to drive back to medellin and i really didn't want to be driving those mountain roads in the dark.

    The drive back took about 3 hours. The approach into medellin was pretty spectacular. Medellin sits in bowl completely surrounded by high mountains and our approach was high, high above the city. Completely dark at that point but the lights below and up the mountain sides was quite a sight

    Took us quite a while to navigate our way down the mountain and find our condo building. Using only a voice assisted gps is almost useless because there are so many possible splits in the road, its incredibly easy to make wrong choices. Which we did a number of times haha.

    Checked into our luxury condo and eventually got ourselves to the very busy and richy area of el poblado for some drinks and a bit more food before calling it a night. It felt like the entire city was on this one particular pedestrian street with hundreds of restaurants and bars. I found one called medellin beer company and we relexed there for a while. And hit a few other places amongst the crowds until our eyes were starting to close. We were still super tired from the journey from canada plus a very full first day.    Read more

  • Colombia v2.0

    Bogota - Day 1

    November 8, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Yay back to latin america!

    Long travel day. Had to get up at 345am and after a 4 hour stop in fort lauderdale, arrived in Bogota at 5pm. Same time zone.

    My buddy Kris wasn't arriving until after 8pm so i made my way to the old town. Checked into my hotel and wandered around the colonial streets until i stumbled across a bbc (bogota beer company) location. There must be 50 of them in bogota.

    Met two crazy characters from tennessee at bbc who were both surprisingly very left leaning politically. I guess no book cover judging applies :) rediscovered south american honey beer. Sooo good.

    Once that closed, found my way to a bunch of bar lined pedestrian streets and found a place and eventually Kris found me to share a beer before finally getting some much needed sleep. One more flight tomorrow and can put some roots down for a bit    Read more

  • Penn, Maryland, NJ and NY

    Ausable Chasm / Ottawa

    August 19, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Slept in again and then drove 90 minutes to Ausable Chasm. Initially was planning to do the adventure course with harnesses and ropes but alexa wasn't feeling it today so we had a very enjoyable and relaxing hike through the canyon. Such a beautiful spot. Love it here.

    Then 3 more hours back to ottawa. We are both exhausted. We fit so much into those 8.5 days. Even wore me out haha which is pretty hard to do 😄

    We started a fun experiment as soon as we crossed the border. We counted every single American flag we saw during the entire trip. Proper flags. Didnt count images of flags or flag banners etc. How many do you think we saw in 8.5 days?

    964 !

    'murica! Haha    Read more

  • Penn, Maryland, NJ and NY
    Crazy new ride that flips riders at 170 feet up
    The comet. Great wooden coaster at lake georgeView from Christie'sView from Beach ClubMy bucket of seafood. Yum!

    Lake George

    August 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Drove 3.5 hours north to Lake George. New York State has an interesting toll situation now where you just drive through a set of cameras and they send you a bill in the mail. Convenient but i have no idea how much i owe :) Will find out soon

    Started at Six Flags. Alexa and i have been there several times before so we knew all the rides well and were not in a rush plus there aren't many adrenaline type rides at this location. But walking in a new giant one has been built that looks super scary.

    Went on a few other rides but my stomach was feeling off so we only spent 2 hours and left without trying that new scary ride. Spent the evening relaxing by the lake. We both caught up on messages with friends and was nice to have a down quiet day to re-charge a bit.

    I ordered a seafood bucket that was fantastic. Lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp, plus corn, sausage and potatoes. Sooo good. While alexa odered the ribs and chicken combo. And back to our hotel by 930pm. The eariest maybe the whole trip :)    Read more

  • Penn, Maryland, NJ and NY
    At liberty state park
    Times squareWe climbed to the apex of the building in the middle. Normal viewing platform is below the apexVessel. Interesting architectural structure next to our building ascentAlexa at 1200 feet above the cityMuch easier doing this after our building climbPanoramic from The EdgeManhattan bridge from dumbo areaCecconi's restaurant in dumboLamb ragout. Really good!Brooklyn bridge from dumbo areaView from just outside our Brooklyn restaurantLast stop at the yard house. Felt imperative to order a yard of beer :)

    New York City

    August 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Short one hour drive today to Liberty State Park on the New Jersey side of new york to get the closest views of the statue of liberty without hopping on a boat. I originally wanted to get tickets to take the stairs to the crown of the statue but it was soldout.

    Navigated our way to Times Square as our hotel is only 1 block away. Driving there wasn't particularly difficult, just really slow and congested. Required some aggressiveness though to fight for lane changes etc.

    Walked around time square and then walked to Hudson Yards where i found a really unique experience for us. We ascended 100 stories in the 6th tallest building in new york city via elevator and then with harnesses, ascended another 16 stories via stairs, most of which were outside the building. And eventually to a ledge where tourists could lean out over the edge. This is apparently the tallest exterior building climb in the world.

    Climbing the staircase outside didn't bother me, but definitely quite a thrilling thing to do. I couldn't get myself to lean out over the ledge at the top. However alexa apparently is much braver than me and did both the forward and backward lean! Wow. After that, went to the normal viewing platform and got a bunch of pictures of the city and us on the glass floor and against the angled glass walls over the city.

    From here, we took the subway to the Brooklyn bridge and walked across it to Brooklyn and we found the really cool Dumbo area which is an old industrial area revitalized into a hip restaurant area with cobblestone streets. Had a really good meal at a nice italian restaurant and then took in the nighttime views of the brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

    Took the subway back to times square, and relaxed at a restaurant where alexa reconnected with her friends online and i did the same with a ridiculous Yard of beer at the Yard House.    Read more

  • Penn, Maryland, NJ and NY
    The Joker
    SupermanEl ToroKingda KaYou can see the train cresting the topMedusaMedusa againPre congo rapidsPost congo rapidsJersey DevilWonder womanPoint Pleasant on Jersey Shore

    Six Flags / Point Pleasant

    August 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Started our drive back towards Canada but not without some fun stops along the way. Alexa and i have talked about this specific day for a few months lesding up to now. Mostly because this particular six flags has the world's tallest roller coaster at 425 feet tall ! Plus a whole bunch of other huge crazy coasters as well.

    Decided to begin our day on the smallest of all of them but a really unique one called The Joker where you ride beside the track and your seat can fully rotate on its own in free motion independant of the ride. Hands down the scariest thing i have ever done including sky diving many years ago. Poor alexa screamed so much and so loud you'd swear she was being murdered next to me. I was absolutely not ready for that experience wow!

    We were both really shaken up by that ride and it helped to be in line for a while for our next few rides to calm the nerves. Rode superman which has you lying face down. Then green lantern which is a stand up roller coaster. Both of which put you through a lot of loops and inversions. Then the rain came during our food break which seemed to clear out a ton of people from the park and we were walking right onto most rides.

    El Toro was easily the biggest and best wooden coaster I've ever ridden and it freaked me out cuz i was coming way out of my seat on the hills. Followed by Medusa which probably had more inversions than I've ever experienced but super fun.

    Finally we nervously got in line for Kingda Ka, the tallest in the world. It accelerates you from zero to 200kmh in seconds, shoots you straight upwards to the top, slowly crests the peak and then straight down all 425 feet with a barrel roll. I waa soooo scared sitting there waiting for take off. The entire up and down takes about 7 seconds and its actually hard to even have time to be scared. That initial drop feels all kinds of wrong but its over so fast. We loved it so much, we got right back in line and did it again! Feels like you've strapped yourself to a rocket that tries and fails to take you into orbit haha.

    After that, rode the amazingly smooth and wild single seat Jersey Devil, got alexa completely soaked on the congo rapids, then wild mouse in the dark called The Dark Knight and finished with inverted coaster Batman.

    Drove 30 minutes to the Jersey Shore to Point Pleasant Beach and found a nearby place for a late meal, some cards and still chatting away about today's experiences. Pretty sure we talked more about the terrifying joker ride more than everything else combined. But the best was alexa telling me 20 times what an amazing day she had :)    Read more

  • Penn, Maryland, NJ and NY
    Fish Tales restaurantZipper rideSeacrets tables IN the bay

    Ocean City - Day 3

    August 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    After another late evening we slept until 11am and lazily got going at noon. Walked to a really fun restaurant called Fish Tales on the bay side. Had a very dominican / carib island feel to it. Alexa ordered something called Walking Taco which was a bag of doritos filled with spiced ground beef and melted cheese. Haha we had no idea thats what the walking taco would be. I had the biggest and most tender scallops ever but they were covered in a spicy wing sauce and topped with blue cheese. Weird flavor explosion in my mouth.

    Spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach. Paid for a big umbrella so we could relax more this time and not get scorched by the sizzling sun here. The waves were huge today! It was really hard to get the boogie board out to tummy deep waters and the waves diced me up pretty good when i did. Alexa wisely played in the more shallow areas while i got myself back to the chair to let all the salt water drain from my nose and ears :)

    Took alexa on my childhood favorite Zipper ride, and then we went to a really cool mini golf place next door. It was ridiculously packed and slow going, but fun. After a bit of rain, started getting an amazing sunset, so we ditched at the second last hole to race to our next destination bay side for some nice pictures for supper.

    Got to the restaurant Seacrets just in time before the sun went down and watched the sky go through yellows, oranges and pinks before a huge thundershower forced us back inside. Its a really unique restaurant with live bands all day in different sections (its huge), outdoor seating literally in the bay, and tons of booths and tables in the sand plus a very Jamaican vibe inside. We split a full rack of ribs with a caprese salad and side of fresh fruit. Back to the hotel and lights out by 10 as we are back on the road in the morning.    Read more

  • Penn, Maryland, NJ and NY
    Crab cakes

    Ocean City - Day 2

    August 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Slept in until noon. We both really needed that. Plus we got to bed after midnight. And have had extremely full days.

    Started our day at the beach again. Shortly after settling in with our beach chairs, we saw 4 dolphins jumping in and out of the water in the nearby distance (oxymoron?)

    Then we had a blast boogie boarding the waves for a couple of hours. Super fun to do and pretty hilarious to exit and watch alexa get occasionally diced by the waves too haha

    From there we went to speedworld which is a mega go-carting place with 8 different tracks. Had so much fun battling each other plus the other racers. A bit of rain made things really slippery and caused a few car pileups, usually with me in the middle of it, and alexa crashing hard into me as she was always looking for a seam to get by me.

    Finished our night at really down to earth Coins restaurant and bar. After a bizarre conversation with the hostess, Dave the bartender took care of us and we had great food and times. I tried the crabcakes, which were awesome. Alexa capped the night with some minecraft and i finally booked our new jersey hotel 2 days from now. Yay    Read more

  • Penn, Maryland, NJ and NY
    Crab ballsCrab soup

    Ocean City - Day 1

    August 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Drove 3 hours to get to ocean city plus a quick pitstop at best buy to get alexa a charging cord for her ipad

    Our hotel is right on the boardwalk so everything is very walkable and convenient for us. Immediately bought boogie boards and went to the beach and spent a few hours in the waves and relaxing in the sun.

    Walked the length of the boardwalk to the main pier but all the food options at that end are pretty junky, so i found us a great seafood spot bayside a few blocks away called M.R. Ducks right next to the marina. Maryland is famous for its crab, so i ordered crab balls and crab soup. Yummy! And we had an amazing sunset as alexa exacted her revenge on me in rummy 500.

    Then back to the boardwalk and we went on all the big midway rides. The ferris wheel, roller coaster, and some other really crazy rides that i don't know how to describe. Super fun. I took a video of the coaster ride but it was such a violent ride i could barely keep the camera focused on where we were going.

    And a really nice long walk back down the boardwalk to our hotel. I think we both passed out really fast.    Read more

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