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We are heading out to Pittsburg to spend time with family! And ... we have never seen Niagra Falls and and heard Niagra on the Lake is a must see! We decided to take this little trip and enjoy the gorgeous colors of Autumn out East! Read more
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  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    Day 1

    Up, Up and Away

    October 13, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We started this journey with a very early morning flight to Calgary! From our first moments of being up, up and away, we were collecting memories ... and ... snacks!

    We enjoyed two for two on-time departures, two smooth flights, one party on Board launched off with a large Tim Horton's coffee and an apple fritter ... complete with a 6" tuna Subway sandwich, nicely chilled French Colombard-Chardonnay, pretzels AND cookies, a bottle of H2O and enjoying a few chapters of Grandma Gatewood's Walk on Audible. John even snuck a power nap into the itinerary! And, all of this was topped off with sunshine and 16°C upon arrival in Hamilton!

    We are going Rogue this trip ... Nissan Rogue that is! We picked up our rental and are already smitten with it! We found our way to our hotel easily and effortlessly! When we arrived, however, we were informed that the restaurant was closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday. It was a blessing in disquise because we ended up walking in the warm sunshine to "Ye Olde Squire Taphouse & Eatery". We thoroughly savored some authentic Irish Pubhouse Fare ... and then took another walk ... let's call it the 'wine walk' to get a bottle of wine for the room. We snapped a few pics of the Autumn leaves thus far! It seems they are just starting to turn color!

    We are looking forward to a good sleep and then we are off to Niagara on the Lake tomorrow! Will talk to you all again then! 😊    Read more

  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    22
    Day 2

    Leisure at the Lake

    October 14, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Oh my gosh ... we were worried about whether we'd be able to sleep because of the time change. We were in bed by 9:30pm EDT and never roused until almost 8:30am!! We lazed in bed with our coffee and barely got out of the hotel before 11:00am!! It was so lovely to have such a leaisurely start to the day!

    We stopped at an inviting fruit stand on the road and John couldn't wait until we got into the room to start the tasting. I caught him gobbling up the grapes and strawberries when we parked at our next accomodation!!

    We had such fun wandering around the flower laden streets ... meandering and pausing to look at whatever caught our eyes! We opted to take a couple of wine flights so we could taste test 9 of the local wines!! So fun to add a nice charcuterie board to cleanse our palates!

    Whenever we travel, we always look forward to popping open the door of our rooms to see if they meet our expectations! We were not the least bit disappointed with Luisa's Retreat here in Niagara on the Lake! It is the most fabulous location. We won't need to move our vehicle until it's time to check out!

    We wandered the day away and look forward to doing the same tomorrow! The forecast is calling for 16° and sunshine! Fingers crossed ... 🤞🤞    Read more

  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    11
    Day 3

    Zippity Doo Dah ... Almost!

    October 15, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    We wanted to take advantage of what might be our last day of lovely weather today so we were up and out and wandering about quite early ... well ... at least compared to yesterday!

    In our wanderings, we took some great pics if the gorgeous floral displays and Fall decorating around this pristine and well manicured town@. We also discoverd some fresh baked buns upon which we could enjoy the juicy, ripe tomotoes we had purchased at the fruit stand yesterday!!  A little mayo and some salt and pepper sachets (snagged from our breakfast) alongside some fruit ... and voila ... we had a delicious lunch in the sunshine on our deck! 😎

    We had planned to spend the day in Niagara-on-the-Lake today before we were due to depart for Niagara Falls tomorrow, but with the threat of heavy rains coming for the next couple of days, we decided to take the stunning and picturesque drive down the Niagara Parkway and get a head start enjoying the Falls in the sunshine for a bit.  The drive itself was spectacular ... even though the leaves are a little bit behind the curve in terms of changing color. I guess it has been unseasonably warm here thus far!!

    We took the White Water Walk along the Boardwalk and were mezmerized by the power and ferocity of the water!  Apparently, the water is moving at almost 50kms/hour!! It was definitely humbling to see and hear it's thundering presence. We included a little video ... hoping to give you a sense of our experience. 🌊🌊🌊

    After that , we caught our first sight of the Falls ... and the rainbows 🌈 ... and ... were stunned by the beauty! We noticed a zip line ... and ... much to the chagrin of my anxious mind ... we bought tickets and ascended to the top level to await our turn to go. 😯 I was shaking in my boots ... but ... determined to take a run. It was not very busy ... only about 400 people rode the lines today ... but ... they told us that on an average day in the peak season, they run 1300 people through!! 

    As we were saddled up with our gear, we were notified that there was a wind delay. 🌬 We waited patiently ... alongside a number of other adventure seekers ... only to have the delay last and last and last.  After almost an hour of waiting, we opted to get our money back and we will see if we can go again tomorrow or Thursday instead. That is ... as long as I can maintain my courage!!

    My new sunglasses served me well as we logged quite a few miles along the edge of the Falls today. All in all, it was pure delight to spend the day outdoors awed by the magnificence of Mother Nature.

    We capped the evening off with a super scrumptious and sweet but spicyThai meal!! And, we also enjoyed some great conversation with the couple at the table beside us.  This is what happens when you are married to an extrovert who makes conversation with everyone!! 😉

    We are not sure what tomorrow will bring ... I guess we will let the weather determine our options, but I have no doubt that it will be fun!

    John is dozing off beside me right now ... and ... I am eager to join him so I'll say good bye for now!  Talk to you all again tomorrow ... 😴😴😴    Read more

  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    1
    Day 4

    Double Sixes in the Niagara Mist!!

    October 16, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    The thunder was rolling at about 4:30am and we awoke to the swishing sound of rain spraying out from under the car tires this morning! 💦💦💦

    It's the old boy's 66th Birthday today! It's a gift for both of us to be celebrating in this location! 🎉🎁

    I talked the old boy into having a White Linen breakfast at the fancy schmansy Prince of Wales Hotel. We arrived at 11:08am which was a bit past their 11:00am cutoff for breakfast. We would have arrived earlier were it not for us breaking all the rules and enjoying a glass of French Rosé in front of the fire at 9:58am ... and ... making long conversation with the couple who offered to rake our picture outside the restaurant. Fortunately, in honor of John's birthday, they made an exception and offered us a seat!  The birthday boy opted for the Exotic Mushroom and Goat Cheese Omelet. My head was turned towards the Carmelized Onion Tart ... but then ... I opted to go with a traditional breakfast instead! We sipped on our cappuccinos with  a littleTchaikovsky playing in the background! And then ... our server (Kafir) brought us some complimentary drinks ... orange juice and cranberry juice!! He delighted in telling us mixed them himself ... and .. they were, in fact, delicious!

    You know it's an uppity restaurant when the dry toast comes wrapped with white linens and is accompanied by balls of butter! 😉

    After our late breakfast, we hit the road to go back to the Falls and, along the way, I was reminded that I forgot to tell you about the newlyweds we met yesterday at one of the lookout points along the Niagara Parkway. Sam and Misty were just two days married and we took pictures for each other! Misty enthusiastically proclaimed that we had to pose for the "Vegas Shot"! None of us knew what on earth she meant ... but ... after she demonstrated, we offered up our own best showgirl poses! 😉

    We stopped to enjoy the Whirlpool Aero Car! It's an open sided gondola that takes you across the whirlpool in the gorge!!  The views were simply stunning!! 

    And then, we thought we'd get parked at the hotel even though we were far too early for check-in.  Turns out that we were able to get into our room two hours ahead of schedule!  And ... my gosh ... the view is exquisite! We are on the 20th floor of the 'Sheraton on the Falls' on a corner room facing the majesty of it all. Simply stunning!! 

    We sipped a glass of wine while we enjoyed the view as the rain fell and when it let up a bit, we headed out onto the Hornblower and ventured right into the Falls!  It was quite the experience!! 

    And then, to finish off the day, we enjoyed a very lovely dinner in the Italian restaurant at the hotel... overlooking the Falls.

    I think the old boy really enjoyed his double sixes birthday!! And with all that joy ... we bid you a very good night and will talk to you again tomorrow! 😊    Read more

  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    1
    Day 5

    Drizzling and Damp, but oh so Delightful

    October 17, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    Well our last full day in Niagara Falls has been dark and cool and windy! For breakfast, we opted to bundle up and head up Clifton Hill (which resembles an amusement park in terms of bright lights, wax museums, spook houses, and arcades etc) because we could see an IHOP sign from our vantage point on the 20th floor of our hotel. We ordered two breakfast plates and two coffees ... and ... it cost us $65!!! Yes. You read that right. Coffee was $4/cup ... our crepes and pancakes and eggs were almost $20 each ... add HST and GST and a tip = $65. 🙄 I wish I could say it was so delicious that it was worth it... but ... no.

    After breakfast we opted to wander down to view things from "Behind the Falls". I've attached a video to give you a sense of our experience. Yes. It was wet ... but ... worth it! 🤗

    We could have taken the "WeGo" bus ... but ... we logged a few more steps on foot in the rain ... dreaming of a good pizza for lunch. We stopped to ask one of the Niagara staff where to go ... they suggested Papa John's (even though Boston Pizza was right next door and 'Pizza Pizza' was right across the street.) Hmmmm. 🤔

    We took the young man's advice and brought our pizza back to our room and settled in most comfotably by the floor to ceiling windows enjoying the Falls ... warm and dry with our Fireplace keeping us toasty and comfortable all the while. 🔥🔥🔥 And ... by golly ... the young man knew his pizza!! It was so good we kept on eating!! We thought we'd have leftovers to eat on the drive tomorrow ... but ... not likely!😏

    We really enjoyed the laziness of the day and decided to go get a burrito from Freshi and bring it back to the room for supper!! A nice hot jacuzzi followed by a Pay per view movie (The Art of Racing in the Rain) = lovely way to spend a damp and dreary drizzling day.

    And oh my gosh ... if you have not seen that unforgettable masterpiece of a movie ... be sure to gift your spirit by seeing it. I cannot do it justice with mere words ... but ... it is one of the most heartachingly beautiful stories of love ... depicting the complexities and layers and depths of its rich intricacies. 🙌

    Oh my ... I don't ever recall a time when the tears have spilled out of my eyes with a force or intensity that almost mirrors the downpour of the Falls adjacent to us. I am still feeling my way through all richness of metaphor and symbolism so beautifully executed in this film💖💔💝

    And so ... in the final analysis, the day was not how we would have planned... but it touched us in ways we never could have imagined. 🙏

    So much so .... that we forgot to eat our supper. We shall do that now, while we enjoy the illumination of the Falls at night! Simply mezmerizing. 🤩🤩🤩

    BTW: No zip-linig today either ... due to weather! 🌬🌧🌫 Our last shot at it will be tomorrow morning before we check out. Please keep your fingers crossed for us! 😉    Read more

  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    Day 6

    Flight Without Feathers

    October 18, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    And so ... when we awoke this morning the rain had stopped and it occurred to me that we might be able to zipline after all! I got so nervous that I couldn't eat my breakfast... and ... forgot to put my eyebrows on!! 😬

    And then ... it happened! And it was fabulous!! And we got a video... but ... it's too long to add here! I am so glad I found the courage to do it!

    After that high ... we headed across the Rainbow Bridge into New York State on our way to Pittsburgh. The drive was lovely ... and ... the highway was lined with the blessings of Autumn colors!

    All was going well until we were about 7 minutes away from the Airport where we needed to return our car rental. I had used the Google maps link for the Enterprise Car Rental Return Location supplied by Expedia. Well ... it took us to some remote hangar ... no where near where we needed to be! After another unsuccessful attempt to use the GPS to guide us ... we stopped a passerby and asked for directions!! What should have been a 7 minute drive took almost 45 minutes!! 😫

    Nonetheless, Rod and Barb were patiently waiting for us and we have landed here for the next few days! We had a lovely evening with family and look forward to our time together. I have no idea how long it has been since we've been up this late! 😉    Read more

  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    211
    Day 7

    Pleasures in Pittsburgh

    October 19, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    We enjoyed such a nice evening reconnecting with Art, Michele , Rod and Barb! And after a short but nice sleep we sipped some coffee and enjoyed a really nice breakfast!! Art posed the question of what our best moment of the year has been. It sparked some interesting conversation!!

    And then, we hopped into Barb's Mini and headed off to "The Strip". It was gloriously sunny and warm and we wandered and sipped and ate our way up and down it. We even enjoyed the signature Primanti Brothers sandwich of Pittsburgh ... you have to squish it to be able to eat it!!

    And then we picked up all the fixings for our meals tonight and tomorrow! Such fun to shop in such specialty stores and fresh markets!

    After a brief stop at the house, we headed out to 'Top Golf' to swing some clubs and enjoy a little competitive fun and games. And then a night light tour of the city on the way home!!

    And ... we capped it all off with a lovely cheese fondue! Looking forward to what tomorrow brings!    Read more

  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    2
    Day 8

    Savoring the Sights ....

    October 20, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Our morning began by bidding farewell to Art and Michele. They got off to an early start because they have a 40 hour drive back home! We certainly enjoyed all the good laughs over our short time together!

    After our good-byes Rod and Barb, took us down for an exceptional brunch on the Grand Concourse at Station Square to celebrate John's birthday. It was spectacular in size and selection and scrumptiousness! 😋

    Afterwards, we wandered through Phipps Conservatory and were absolutely stunned by the artistry and elegance of the foliage displays!!

    We also wandered through some of the culturally decorated classrooms at the University of Pittsburgh and were awed by the stained class at the Heinz Chapel.

    We returned home for a nap ... and ... then enjoyed a lovely supper with Stev, Lyndsey and their boys. Unfortunately, the only picture we got of our dinner can't be posted because it was taken as a screen shot by accident and this App refuses to load it! 😞

    On a more positive note, Rod's salmon was unrivaled ... as was the conversation! For those of you who are familiar with the Myers Briggs Personality Indicator ... Lyndsey is also an INFJ ... so the conversation is deep as we tend to experience the world in very similar ways!

    It was an extraordinary day in terms of the weather so we even ate outdoors ... on October 20th ... and finished up the evening with a nice fire and a hand or two of cards!

    All in all, it was such a great day. We feel like we got a good taste of Pittsburgh today! And ... we are off to bed early so we are recharged and ready for one more full day here! 😴😴😴    Read more

  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    Day 8

    Out and About ...

    October 20, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    I awoke to discover that something had bitten me on the back of the neck ... it was swollen into a hard, reddened lump but didn't itch. Normally it would not have alarmed me, but deer ticks are so very prevalent here ... and ... so is checking for ticks! My preference was to get a Christmas tree ornament for a souvenir of our trip ... not Lymes Disease!

    After Barb assessed it, I felt less concerned and since she had some errands to run, John and I sat in the warm morning sun sipping on tea and reflecting upon our trip! There have been so many beautiful experiences and we feel very grateful for each and every one!

    BTW ... I have been meaning to mention that
    gas costs only about $.80/litre here and when we left home it was $1.14/ litre! We have been trying really hard to make sense of this. So far, we have had no luck.🤨

    After that we went to the Walking Store. I was looking forward to going because they carry Obeo shoes ... great walking shoes ... and I needed to get do.e new walking sandals, replace my running shoes ... and ... get some hiking shoes I can start to break in for our Camino walk next year! I also discovered Dansko shoes at this store! Super comfortable for me with my narrow feet and super high arches! And ... lucky for me ... Barb was exceptionally patient! We were in that store for about 1.5 hours ... but ... I found four pair!!! 🤗

    John even got a pair that he raved about for the rest of the day. Normally, his knees will bother him if he walks too far, but the orthopedic inserts made a huge difference for him! He was shocked that as we wandered through the day that he experienced no knee pain!

    We then enjoyed a great lunch at Atria .... one of Rod's favorite lunch spots. And then we were off to Oakmont Bakery ... in search of dessert! And the choices were staggering. It took three pictures to capture the length of the options!!

    And after a short stop at one of their properties we were off to a local spot in Wilkensburg! And
    ... I have to acknowledge that the dry, hot wings at Salvatore's were the biggest, juiciest, tenderest, crispiest and tastiest wings I have had the pleasure of gobbling up! Not the least bit greasy ... 😋

    And then we headed home for more feasting! Lobster bisque, scallops in a lovely sauce, home made potato pancakes, grilled veggies, squash ... and ... a plate of our choices from the bakery!!

    Yes ... we sipped and nibbled and shopped the day away! It was terrific!! Its supposed to rain tomorrow but, it's been remarkable because we have enjoyed shirt sleeve weather since we arrived! We have half a day left before we head home with loads of great memories! 💛    Read more

  • Fall into Niagra & Pittsburgh
    Day 10

    Our Final Hours ...

    October 22, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    We awoke to the sound of rain falling gently  ... and ... had a nice, lazy start to the day.

    We sipped coffee and chatted while Rod prepared us a nice breakfast. After some spirited discussion, Barb arrived home from work, we had a nice lunch and were off to the airport ... with a quick stop at REI store to see about socks! 😉

    Barb had indicated she had purchased some great socks there for hiking ... and well ... since I had just got some new hiking shoes ... I clearly needed appropriate socks. 😁

    While we were there we got looking at day packs for hiking.  They had a nice Osprey Women's 24 liter bag that seemed perfect for our Camino. It was $130.00 US currency. We checked the price on Amazon.ca to see if it would be cheaper to buy it in Canada.  We were absolutely aghast to discover it was $369.00 CAD!! 

    So ... we thought it wise to take it. Since we had no room to pack it, I thought I'd just wear it. Thank goodness I did!  Turns out that I needed the men's version to accommodate my football shoulders! Gah. We'll need to do some fiddling to get the fit just right ... but ... I am excited because now I have all I need to start training for our walk.  I'll be able to break in my shoes and get accustomed to wearing a back pack!

    Our flight was scheduled to leave on time ... which was good because our layover I'm Minneapolis/StPaul was only 1 hour and 3 minutes. Our second flight was in a new Delta plane .... very roomy!! We even had TVs in the seat backs with not just movies ... but ... games, music, TV series and even live TV!  It was great because I caught the last half hour of The Voice tonight! It was one of the nicest flights we've had in terms of comfort ... and ... we even landed 20 minutes early!!

    And ... in our final hours we enjoyed three seamless flights, three super smooth landings and the luggage arrived when we did! All in all, ait would have been a perfect way to end a lovely vacation ... except on the car ride home ... we nearly ran into two deer that were crossing 43rd street in the dark!!! Yikes!! Thanks to my husbands keen eye he noticed the first one and slammed on the brakes ... only to have another one trot out in front of us!! Gah!! 😖

    On a more positive note ... the adrenaline in our system will keep us wide awake for the drive home! 🤪    Read more

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