Hitting the less smokie skies

After a couple weeks back home we're back at it. A lot of preparation went into getting ready. We packed as light as we could. One checked bag, a carry on, plus a motorcycle helmet!
We were able toLes mer
Smoked Calgary Afternoon 🔥

We saw clear skies on the flight over! Then we decended into a smokie city.
As we exited the airport to make use of our 12hr layover we chuckled spotting 3 pine cones dropped (by a kid?) in theLes mer
Bubblegum pain

We landed 20 min early in Atlanta. But, the baggage was unloaded before the passenger bridge installed! Once they opened the bridge we had to wait another 2 min for boarder control to decide if weLes mer
Private swim

We recovered well from the Red eye flight with close to 11hrs of sleep! 😴
We popped up a bit north in town to Atlantic Station shopping area. My walking shoes were needing replacement as they noLes mer
Deep Fried avocado

The day started off with a transit ride to an unpaved section of the Beltline trail near Glenwood. Again, some friendly folks on the bus chatting us up. We learned about the famous people in OaklandLes mer
Botanical Gardens

A quick transit ride to the Botanical Gardens in Piedmont park.
Wow! It's impressive 👍
We wandered around for almost 4 hours! I've never seen or smelled orchids like they have in the greenhouseLes mer
smoked jerk cauliflower egg rolls

The afternoon was more fun! Ponce Street Market, the old Sears and Robuck building. Beltline south. Weather was great. Lots of people watching. Some folks kept going back and forth on short seconds ofLes mer
Revolution Dognuts

Hopped on the Street Car. It's a cute idea but it's such a small route, and ridership is low. It's a big money loss for the transit system. It was fun to pop over to the Market to see it, thoughLes mer
Managers Special EV

I found a great deal with Hertz for the rental we needed for the week: The Managers Special EV! I signed up(for free) as a Gold Member to get J as a second driver without a fee! Ironically they didn'tLes mer
Not as advertised 😭

Well, the Birmingham Airbnb was not what the photos showed, nor the description 😵💫. The host knew of my request for no air fresheners, but it wreaked! Probably trying to cover up mold smellsLes mer
Accommodation swap, again 🙃

Well the hotel room I found wasn't good either. It's sofa bed, not so much a bed. Airbnb helped out and provided a discount code to use due to the cancellation/issue of the last one. Messaging lots ofLes mer
Best museum tour EVER

Today's adventure was the 3-years-in-the-making visit to the World's Largest motorcycle museum, the Barber Vintage Motorcycle!
We arrived right at noon, opening time for a Sunday. Lucky dad joined usLes mer
Get yerr ass down (🐕)

Ahh, the sweet sounds of the Birmingham evening air. The neighborhood "bell ringer," as our host referred to her as.
Enjoy the video clip 📹😂 without profanity. Another of her favourite phases,Les mer
Southern BBQ!

Our host delivered the coals today.
Funny story. I asked yesterday if the bbq was propane. She said "gas." upon our arrival I saw this beauty! Her response was, "yes, gas. You use the gas to lightLes mer
🏍️ California Superbike School 🏍️

We had the most amazing three days (Level 1, 2 and 3) zooming motorcycles around this impressive race track! California Superbike School has been around decades and they have perfected a world classLes mer
Goodbye Birmingham, Hello Atlanta

After three speedy days on the track, we packed up to leave back to Atlanta. Not an overly adventurous travel day, but we did stop at the Sweetwater State Park to stretch our legs. We hiked along theLes mer
Run a Layover

Early rise and a drive to ATL airport rental car facility in order to return the Tesla 🚗 It was a quick and painless drop-and-go! Thank goodness 👍Then a Skytrain back to the Domestic Terminal.Les mer
Capital exploration 🇨🇦

Staying with longtime friends in Ottawa was the best!
We explored the city, starting with a canal cruise. Next a Taco lunch and a walk around Parliament Hill area. A yummy afternoon coffeeLes mer
Poutine a Quebec

Sunday we all ventured to Quebec for a hike to the Carbide Wilson ruines in Gatineau Park. https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/carbide-willson-ruins
Lunch was delicious at Cafe Le Hibou! I ordered theLes mer
Cycling Ottawa 🚴

Some wildfire smoke from the north blew in last night, but thankfully it mostly dissipated by early afternoon.
We hopped on our friends bikes and cruised canal and river trails. Of course we had toLes mer
"Play" dinner deliciousness

Wildfire smoke 😷returned and more intense than yesterday. We did a couple errands by car instead of cycling 🚙
The kids have been consistent with their train track construction during our wholeLes mer
Hogs Back falls

We stopped by the Hogs Back falls around the corner from our house. It's a pretty location with history 👍
It's also Packing up day! We're off to Europe tomorrow.Les mer