• Rell01

Canada-US Cruicky’s Adventure

Tripping with our Son Tim and his wife Jess around Canada and a catch up with some beautiful ladies in the US! Baca selengkapnya
  • Awal trip
    23 Mei 2022

    Day 1 ++ Mon The day of the big juant!

    23 Mei 2022, Australia ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    Part 1:
    Well the day or should I say early morning of the Big Trip to Canada has arrived! Brian who lives at MumC’s property has kindly driven us at 2.15am to the airport! We are having to go Domestic from Brisbane to Sydney to start with before we board our international flight to Vancouver!
    Tim gave us Maple Leaf Passes that give us like Gold Class with bags and going to lounges! Not sure we will have time to go to any lounges but I have for the first time ever bought 2 big bags I feel scared they will reject our pass and feel very self indulgent never having done this before!! Having extra bags!
    Killing time at Brisbane Domestic before they open up! We are very early!

    Well the dramas commenced! I had a awful feeling something was going go wrong with my extra bag! And yep it did! Because our flight from Bris to Syd was domestic the ticketing only showed we could take one bag each! The Maple leaf Areoplan 50+ does actually kick in until we go to board the Air Canada flight to Vancouver apparently!
    So yep you guessed it cost us. If we wanted to just put our bags in to Sydney not the whole way through we would only have had to pay for one leg! But because we didn’t have much time between flights we had to cough up $300 for my one extra bag! Poor Tim who we were talking to the whole time on messenger was trying to make it work from his end, but Qantas wouldn’t come yo the party! So as much as we said no, no, no Tim put the money back in our account because he felt bad! Tim gave us the Maple Leaf gold class and felt he should have read the conditions better! I was a blithering mess shaking and upset, John trying to calm the situation and Tim apologizing when it wasn’t his fault!! That will teach me to want more bags! Never again! I should be happy with my economy lot! Anyway we paid the money and the bags went! Now we are finally in the air heading to the next connecting flight! What might be awaiting us there! We shall see!

    Made it to Sydney and craziness overload! Getting to Customs along with 1,000’s of others all in cattle line up and down, up and down, up and down I reckon we have walked miles and miles just to get our bags scanned! The odd few people not being obedient by not wearing their masks, but the vast majority did as asked!

    We got through the eventually about 45mins it took! Flights delayed due to wet weather apparently! We talked back and forth with the desk crew about our maple leaf pass thing and they had nothing to prove we had it! Tim had been speaking back and forth to Air Canada they say we should have it desk staff saying nothing here! Tim so, so disappointed it didn’t all go as he had planned for us to have a few upgraded things on the way! But not to happen…. Maybe on the way home! But I won’t hold my breath!

    We got to our crappy middle row seats which we could do nothing about it! It is what it is can only hope John doesn’t get anyone next to him! Whoops spoke too soon he just got someone 😢! I am on the isle seat so at least can get to a loo easy! 😀
    Anyway we are on the way…. We’ll we hope no more delays!

    What a flight it was! So very long! We both watched a few movies 🎥 and tried to sleep! I think I got more than John! The feet are getting like balloons getting old now for flights!
    They fed us x3 times! All good was actually fairly good compared to some flights we have had! Soon we will be on Terra firm-a Canada 🇨🇦! Then more customs to go through before our next 5 hr flight ✈️!
    Part 2:
    Arrived in Vancouver at 10.30am! Instead of 7.05 as per plan! But with travel best laid plans don’t always turn out!
    We were usher from one part of the airport to the next! We had missed our connecting flight, but that doesn’t matter apparently they just get you another! Which they did! Now fly out at 1pm with a 5 hr flight and time difference Tim will now pick us up at 8.30pm tonight instead of just after 4 this Arvo!
    They gave us x4 food vouchers for being so late in! Wow a bonus! Going through customs, John got randomly picked for a Covid Test! What the!

    At least one more leg left 🤔😅 we can hope!

    The last leg left on time, I binged watched the Glided Age, American version of Downton Abby! I actually didn’t mind it but such a prentice age!
    We had 4x$10 vouchers given to us for the inconvenience of the late flights and told we could use it onboard! Some of the attendance said yes we could some said we couldn’t in the end they let us use them! So 2x meat and pickle sandwiches which were very stale 1 beer, 1 Prosecco, 3 kitkats, and 1 pkt cashews well worth getting the vouchers!

    We arrived on time then painfully had to sit on the tarmac for 45 mins waiting in line for disembarking hmmmmm over sitting on planes but what can you do!! So so tired we are falling asleep! Finally we get going and finish the long joint from Aussie Land to Canada Land!

    We get our bags quickly and wow wow wow that never happens they came out nearly first!
    We found Tim ok it was funny I am liking around and could hear this little voice going Narelle Narelle ha ha it was funny as I didn’t recognize him straight up with his beard, hoodie and In the shadows!

    The drive back to Kitchener was boring as in the dark, once back to their lovely little unit we discover our suitcases are saturated! All my cloths, pillows etc are wet wet wet! We worked out it would have been when the bags came off from Brisbane and were left in the rain at Sydney airport and being delayed for 3 hrs it got very wet! Not impressed! But too tired to sort tonight! Finally got to bed at midnight 🕛 yeah!
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 2 Tues Fuzzy Minds and Tired Bodies

    24 Mei 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Well our first night of sleep was hit and miss having woken up multiple times even though totally exhausted…Tim and Jess have truly gone out of their way to make us feel at home and little phoenix is such cute little bundle of fluff you can’t help love him…

    We finally got out of bed just after 9am, to have some breaky…then start sorting out all our wet cloths…my goodness my whole 2 suitcases had very little not very wet….most of John’s also got hit….

    Fortunately Tim and Jess have a big back yard and I could place the collapsable cloths stands right out in the sun….Tim said they don’t have out door cloths lines due to the long winters…how lucky are we our cloths can get much needed suns rays 90% of the year….

    Once all out Tim took us up the street for me to get some walking boots 🥾, John to get us SIM cards for our phones and of course some money 💴 what would we do without that….

    So far the x2 long blacks which are Americana’s have been just terrible and no getting a cappuccino is near impossible here not the norm….John’s throat is cut….Maccas did have one last night that we go through the drive through…but was terrible….we are so, so spoilt in Aussie Land with our fantastic coffee culture….it’s hard to beat Australian Coffee culture and finding like wise OS has been quite an experience as we have travelled the world….like the Loo experience over the years we could write books just on these experiences ha ha 😁….

    Getting boots turned out a little harder…I have foot drop on my left foot so getting shoes that one fit right and two not too high due to anything with an edge or small rock I tend to either stumble or fall over…which is quite embarrassing…many I time I have gone flying and nearly or have ended up in someone’s arms….😂🤔 I do laugh but it can be quite embarrassing….

    I found 2 great pair I just needed the sole of one on the other shoe and all would be perfect….so I’ll keep looking and if all else failings I go back to get the pair with the higher heal and pray I don’t fall over….

    Getting a cheap Sim card here has also tuned out to be quite an expensive experiment….not cheap like Thailand….over $50 for just for a month…++++ prices you see is not what you pay at the counter taxes etc are added so you have to calculate that before you go to the checkout! In Thailand it was less than $20 for same period….yep Asian travel is definitely a cheaper way to go….So far fuel here looks similar prices…maybe a bit more. ….so for all those Aussies blaming the government for the fuel hike it’s a world wide issue at present….good old Putin has made it hard world wide keeping fuel prices low….don’t you just love him….😡

    We get a quick bite on the run then off to Farm Boy which is a fantastic fresh produce store filled with so many great offerings….I love wondering around OS food stores seeing what’s on offer…so many delights you want to try and experience….

    Paying for goods you add 10% Tax plus at restaurants it’s 15% extra for tips same as US but wages here are hire so one wonders why they still do the same as US where wages are much much lesser!

    The whole time I was up the street I just felt I was experiencing an outer body experience so weird to feel like this all due to jet lag….so once back and having to sort out the cloths as they slowly dried I hit the wall…I only needed 30 mins and off I went again on full power…John however he had over 2 hrs…..

    We relaxed the rest of the arvo…after redid the 2 bags I bought condensing down to the main one as much as possible,…never ever again will I bring 2 suitcases it’s tuned into a nightmare…I gave Jess all her TimTams I bought 6 different flavours….We are again so very fortunate in Aussieland to have such choices of goodies like this…most countries don’t have our choices and the quality we have….even jelly lollies I bought quite a few bags with me knowing that they only offer Harpo lollies OS and they are quite tasteless compared to ours…we are so, so spoilt….yep my extra bag was full of goodies so at least going home I should be lighter….but with Tim and Jess coming back to Aust not long after we get back I might even leave stuff behind to be shipped back with their gear….that way no embracing melt downs at airports having to lay a fortune for the extra bag 💼 even though poor Tim thought it was all paid for with the Maple Leaf pass…great if it works on the way home but I don’t want to experience all the issues we did on the way over…it was too stressful….

    Travel is stressful enough with out making it worse for yourself by doing what you dint normally do…stick to routine and that way less issues to deal with….well that’s the idea doesn’t always work…but one can try….

    Tim ordered dinner in and finished watching a fantastic new series of Around the world in 80 days….not tired 🥱yet …..ohh dear the body will take getting it’s time sorted a bit longer one thinks 🤔🤔🤔🤔!
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 3 Wed Turtles and Rest

    25 Mei 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Getting up today was easier after getting some decent sleep. No major plans for the day other than a walk in a Nature Park with Phoenix….. so brekky was leisurely.

    After brekky we had some down time while Jess worked…then all headed to Huron Nature Park.
    Lots to take in with little wild flowers everywhere…so, so green. Heaps of turtles laying around in the sun, they weren’t very big turtles compared to some at home…but very cute all lined up on branches coming out of the water…A large bird looked like a crane not sure what it was….
    We got half way around, when Jess remembered FEDEX was coming to pick up John’s Covid Test..So sadly we didn’t get to see the rest of the Park….Tim was telling us that only a few weeks back the area was covered in Snow and people would ski through it…hard to believe with the green canopy up top and green carpet below it was covered with Snow….we have no concept of the huge change in seasons as they do here…
    Maybe some of you know my story of my good 5600 Nikon DSLR with 18-300mm lens being stolen last year while in Brisbane…the buggars broke into my little car went through the backpack I have with me at present and only took out what pertained to my camera…left the rest…I was devastated as it had heaps of picks still on it from our trip to Victoria we had been on only a few weeks before…any Tim was so moved by my extreme devastation that he offered to buy me a new camera 📷…. We discussed it for quite a while before his suggestion of going to a Mirrorless Camera…. Long story I finally bought a Z5 Nikon which was nearly the latest then with the biggest lens I could get which was a 28-200mm. Since getting it I have really struggled to get it to work for me as well as I did the 5600….. every time I use it I get frustrated with the zoom capacity and clarity of the lens….so this morning it was about trying it out to get the hang of this rotten camera…I have been avoiding using it with not being happy with its over all outcomes….but it was worth a lot of money and I have to get my head around it…

    So back we go to home…..John and I sit down to watch a YouTube tutorial on the Nikon……ohh my goodness it’s really a complicated little computer…and my Jet-lagged brain 🧠is not taking in what needs to take in….I am sure this camera will do my head in…

    Tim and Jess decide to make home made pizzas 🍕….the pastry was just great and the flavours very yummy…. The afternoon was spent watching Jurassic Park…..and more of our Around the world in 80days…. Late dinner of Antipasto foods again very yummy…

    Phoenix has decided he loves John and I and wants to sit on my lap every time I sit….I am not a doggy person at all…but this little fellow has widdled his way into my heart…he is very soft very little hair and gets bathed all the time so smells very clean…
    All in all a good Day….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 4 Thurs Geese and Bridges!

    26 Mei 2022, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We are able to take getting up each day slow at present….that will change once we hit the Hwys….
    Tim took us to explore the Uptown, Downtown of Kitchener and Middle town of Waterloo…..
    The towns both look very slow and not many people around….I didn’t actually take any pics of the townships as they were so very slow….
    Our first stop was in Downtown Kitchener to take Phoenix to Doggy Daycare…..yep you got it right Doggie Day Care …..He loves it and can’t wait to get to it….He goes sometimes up to 3 times a week and Tim and Jess can watch what him on a Webcam at home so they can see how he behaves…..we saw him once home bounding around with about 29 other bigger dogs right into the thick of it all…..He is going to stay here while we trip away…..getting him ready for when he has to go into quarantine when he us shipped back to. Australia in August…..

    So having dropped him off we headed to a walk through the Victoria Park……this Park was modelled on Central Park in New York…..but much much smaller….I got to get my first close up of squirrels…..so so cute a whole family of Squirrels 🐿 playing under and around big oak trees 🌳 all different shades in colour….from babies to mummy and daddy’s….some are so dark to very light colours and one even had a reddish tail….watching their tales is so sweet they are just so graceful….

    The park had heaps of Canadian Geese with lots of goslings from wee little ones to nearly teenage ones….I was on the look out for them to attack fortunately that didn’t occur….Tim said they do attack if they think your a threat to their babies….
    The geese poo which Tim warned us about was the size of little dog poos was just everywhere what a mine field…..

    Also in the Park where numerous bridges 🌉 going across the waterways that had been made in the Park….one very old bridge had character indeed….

    From here we drove to Middletown Waterloo…..Waterloo and Kitchener are twin cities….Tim and Jess live in Kitchener but while Tim worked for Google here it was in Waterloo which actually was only a walk up the street for him when they lived in Downtown Kitchener…..Now they live in the burbs so much nicer…..Plus he had transferred to another section of Goggle that was based in the US and was working from home until he quit it…..

    I was on a mission to buy new boots to wear when we go walking on our road trip….I didn’t bring any with me as extra weight….😂😂😂😂 that’s funny for someone who had 2 bags and it cost a fortune…..maze well have bought my walking boots from home…anyway this time I wanted or have in mind leather mid to dark brown that I can wear walking or out at night if we went out…

    This mission has become quite a task….the streets are so dead and not many shops around but we looked nothing here….So back into the car and off to a major shopping centre to try there…..After walking from one shoe shop to the next finally success….the boots were on special but you have to 10% tax plus some other charge that’s not until you get to the till you find out the extras….hmmmmm I think we in Australia have got it better when we know our out right costs from start to end….and you can bargain in many places to get prices down….eg electrical, furniture, cars bikes etc etc…..
    My boots 🥾 I was informed were leather but guess what they were actually Vegan leather 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 apparently more breathable but waterproof…..well there you go…we shall see I guess….

    I forgot on the way to the shopping centre we ended up in a long line of cars just stopped on the main Hwy….up in front of a big bus that was at the front of the line…there taking their time were big lines of Geese families just wandering slowly across the road…with traffic banked up both ways…There would have been about 30-40 them all with parents leading their babies from one side of the road to the next….sadly I didn’t get to get a pic of the huge commotion….

    Once I got my boots back into the car Tim took us to the only coffee shop he has found that actually makes coffee like we have at home….a real cappuccino and a real long black….apparently these guys have trained like Aussie Brewster……and it’s taking awhile but people are now coming in realising the coffee is so good….. My 3/4 strength Long Black was perfect and John’s cappa was spot on just needed to be hotter….but they did well….apparently they also buy a lot if their beans from Australia as well…. For those who are not in the know Australian Coffee culture is starting to lead the world….we have a massive coffee culture and training which we take for granted is world leading…so there you go lesson for the day….
    Coffee here is very difficult to get a true Cappuccino and Long Black’s don’t exist…it an Americana and they are often brewed not made from the expresso style of making coffee is what our style is based on….
    You never thought you would get a coffee lesson in my blog did you 😂😂😂

    So all coffe’ed up back home….. doing not much for the Arvo….I videoed messaged Dad at 6 pm yep a few dramas to sort….then off to watch the Latest Top Gun Movie….I wasn’t that excited to go and see it but to my surprise it was a really good movie….Great story line, well acted, very emotional and good outcome….worth the watch….

    All in all another good day….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 5 Fri Lay Day….

    27 Mei 2022, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today was pretty much a lay day not doing much at all….we helped Tim take Phoenix for his walk….John got to do some Geocaching and found some he could actually log them….
    On both walks we have been on we have seen these rather deep holes in the tree trunks….it would seem the tiny but very efficient little birds The Woodpecker has been very busy…. The holes are quite deep and a good width of about 5-10cm wide….unreal how they manage with that little beak working their way into the tree trunks….don’t worry as soon as they are made I am sure other little creatures take over the holes for homes….so they are 2 fold….

    After our walk Tim and Jess had to go out so we did Phoenix sitting….He was perfect for us….Tim made Bahn Meh a Vietnamese roll for lunch….very tasty indeed…Then he had to Phoenix to the Vet he has been limping on his back right leg so Tim felt it needed investigating…..They feel it’s been stresses so he is in anti inflammatory for a week and no Doggy Daycare for a bit to let it rest….

    Tim then came back and took us to get some supplies of Coffee, Alcohol 🍺 🍷 and another pair of long leggings for myself….( really you say she bought 2 suitcases)
    I put 2 pair in from the offset of the trip….but with so much else on I took them out at the last minute telling myself how silly I was taking 2 pair,.,,well not so silly as it’s the best form of clothing for travel….and doggy sitting…Phoenix lives to snuggle in my lap and I find the leggings the easiest cloths to wear when he does this…. The pair I bought at home for $7.50 from Kmart are brilliant fit like a glove and the material is so soft….the pair here the cheapest I could find at a cheap shop is $25 and yep I keep thinking I am a big girl so got them a size bigger and well they are a bit on the larger size.. too bad I took the price off forgetting if I was to take them back it had to stay on silly me…. Well it is what it is…now Phoenix can snuggle…..

    The Alcohol shop Tim took us too is Government Run, so they keep the prices set different than independent ones apparently…..Grog is definitely a bit cheaper at home and Dan’s, BWS etc have such amazing choices to here….again we are very spoilt or over indulged with the choices we have at home….

    Tim and Jess cooked the most perfect Beef Roast with a great salad, warmed potato 🥔 salad and condiments for dinner….We finished up with our last 2 episodes of Around the World in 80 Days…… great pic to watch…then onto the newest series of Obi One Kenobi with Ewen McGregor…..and yep worth the watch also….plenty more to see when they resales more episodes…
    The day was finished with John finally getting his Covid Results back NEGATIVE….phew….not that he thought he had it but it is still Good to get the results of a NEG back….my goodness it was a difficult slow process, compared to what we did before we headed to Thailand from Australia and in Thailand the whole process was quick efficient and results fast….Hmmmm you have to wonder….
    Anyway one less thing to think about….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 6 Sat S’mores and Bunnies!

    28 Mei 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Another pretty much lay over day of not a lot happening…..Tim took us to the Kitchener Markets first up….wow, wow, wow great fresh produce….I bought the hugest bunch of asparagus for $2.00 it was at least 5 times the amount you would get at home from the supermarket….Fresh eggplants 🍆 , tomatoes 🍅, cheesecakes slices, fresh Ham, Tim bought fresh salmon 🍣 and fresh Trout, cheeses, olives 🫒…..breads, croissants 🥐…… we had a ball just checking out all the great produce….Even got to see my first Mennonite ladies with their lovely bonnets…..Tim and Jess had explained there was a large community of Mennonites in the area and they sell many of their wonderful fresh produce at the local markets….
    For those of you not sure what Mennonites are below is a Wikipedia explanation…..
    (Mennonites are a religious-cultural group established in the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation when some Christians separated from the Roman Catholic Church. Mennonites date their separate Christian identity to the Anabaptist movement of the early 16th-century Reformation. Anabaptist (literally "rebaptizers") and Mennonite ordinances differ from other Christian denominations in that baptism is a choice made by mature voluntary believers (not infants); the communion service sometimes includes foot washing as a symbol of humility and service.)

    From here we had to go home and drop off our goodies…have a quick cuppa then head off to get Our Hire Car….John had booked a Chevalier Colorado….a Mini Ram he thought but looks just like our Car…..I really would have preferred a station wagon type car …..but this was 1/2 the price of any other type of car….so it is what it is….but it’s big and guess I will get to see things better up higher than a smaller car….it’s white like our car also…so doesn’t feel much different really….
    The girl at the Hire place was a bit sharp….saying she was technically closed at 12md be our instructions were to pick up then…..my goodness she was in a hurry others came in while we were their and she didn’t give them the same lecture ….also she tells us it has to come back before 30 days are up, because they aren’t a leasing company they can only hire a maximum of 30 days….in 30 days we will be on the other side of the country….no one told us that either… as she was going over the Ute with John she then tells him it can be taken to any of their agents in the country to re organise the next 30 days….the issue is our hire of it was for over 60 days something like 65 days so good on them for not telling us this info before we hired it….just have to see how this plays out I guess….

    I drove back with Tim 🤔😂 I wasn’t game to go with John on his maiden voyage back home….I have been all over the world with him driving on the left hand side of the road….but those first few times out are always hairy until he gets his mind in the right mode fir left driving…🥱😳!

    I spent 2 hours downloading all my pictures to date….I stupidly on the last lot of trips have allowed my iPhone to build up as it has so much memory….but then it takes up to a full day to sort them and catalogue them as I do in days and date….it’s a night mare especially when I do the ones through Instagram to FB…… the date taken is different than the date redone for display and it does my head in trying to figure our dates and days to file them correctly…I make it difficult myself but it’s the best way to do it….However I realised after a near break down of filing pics from weeks at a time I have to start downloading them only 5-7 days max…even that is too long….when my original iPhone had only 16g of space I had to download everyday so I could have enough space on my phone to take more pics….as much as I complained it actually made my filing system easier….with my Big Camera it’s easier as nothing changes on its date and I can just go to date cut and paste into my file system…..I know it sounds complicated and I don’t know anyone else who does it like I do …..must be a bit OCD with my filing but it works well and I am doing something with say a diary 📔 it’s easier to look up dates….anyway I’ll confuse you all if I continue explaining and I am confused enough 😂😂😂😂!

    We shared getting dinner I helped revamp the potato dish from last night to a warm potato salad …it turned out yummy….lots of shallots, boiled eggs, garlic, bacon and a mix of mayo, yogurt and mustard yummmm….

    Once we finished dinner at 7.30 pm we were off to Tim’s old Bosses place Bob to basically say farewell to him as he and his family are off on holidays…Tim may get to see him before he goes, or maybe not, but it was lovely of them to invite us over….with a fire in their back yard we sat around with Lisa his wife and Isobel his daughter, having the choice of too many drinks and got to try S’mores….it’s Hot 🔥 cooked Marshmallows with chocolate 🍫 set between 2 biscuits 🍪 plain wheaten type biscuits….apparently very Canadian thing to do at a fire 🔥 place….
    We had a lovely evening hearing about their lives here and their daughter Isobel’s adventure to the The Artic Circle ⭕️ on an exchange she has done a few years in a row….what an adventure that as for her…..

    Jess had given Bob a bottle of Shiraz Gin she was presented with after she designed the Label got the Gin company in Aust! She had wanted to say thanks for all the support Bob has given to Tim while working at Goggle! He was tickled pink with the thought!
    Plus Lisa has 2 of the cutest bunnies 🐰 she has living indoors you have ever seen….so soft and cuddly…..we had a great night and by 10 we had to get home, as we are heading away for the next 3 days to an Airbnb at Tobermory to do some bush hiking 🥾 finally get to try out my new boots….
    I guess the day wasn’t really a layover day….we actually filled it quite well….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 7 Sun Buggies and Huge Sheds

    29 Mei 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Our new address is 122 Maple Drive Miller Lake!

    So today is when we all head away for our first trip to see the countryside….do some bush walking and investigate around a Huge Lake….Huron Lake so Tim tells me! Same name as the nature park we went to!

    Packing took awhile this morning with both cars loaded up, cloths, food and Alcohol….All the ingredients to survive 3 nights and 4 days….

    Finally set off around 11am with Tim fuelling up….If he had bought his fuel yesterday it would have been 197.9 l but today it 202.9 .5c dearer today per litre…..That’s Unleaded Diesel is 205.9 L, so to be honest prices nearly the same as home especially around Brisbane! ….In Canada it’s like home it’s Litres but once we go over the border it’s on Gallons…..Confusing being so close together….

    Finally off and the trip went pretty smoothly….going from small town to small town past Hundreds of small Acer properties…..We tried to guess if they were 100 acre or 200 acre properties….All with Massive huge sheds, big, big silos and newly growing crops after all the snow had disappeared…..We worked out they have a window of about 4-5 months to grow crops compared to our 12 months of the year…The massive sheds to put their Cattle in over winter and the Silos to store their fodder….I am not sure how they make money to survive growing only for themselves…must be to sell the cattle or the milk 🥛 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 need to chat to a farmer to find out how it works….

    The signs along the Hwy were warning signs to be aware of push bikers and Wagons….Yep you read right….Buggies, Wagons that drive along this area of the country with the Mennonite families that live around the area…….We had gone about 1/2 way when we saw a huge group of buggies powering down the side of the Hwy….must have been over 20… all coming from church..Most dressed in black…..Ladies with bonnets….

    We had stopped on the Hwy at a little town for morning tea…..Jess had hoped to take me to a Mennonite shop she had been to before….but being a Sunday nearly everything was shut…So we sat in a community seating area in the middle of town and ate early lunch…Tim had made….John bought some coffees us which actually weren’t too bad….

    The only other stop we had was the closest town to our Airbnb it was for an ice cream….and yep it was yummy….Tim ordered a Poutine for us to try….but said it wasn’t done in the traditional style it would normally be….A poutine is Hot chips 🍟 with hot gravy and cheese curds…..hmmmm🤔 this just had very runny cheese….but tasted ok very fattening I am sure….

    All the small towns we came through kind of reminded me in the way they were set up on the Hwy though the towns were of a Wild West scene,…Shops lined up individually along the Hwy didn’t seem to go any further back than the Hwy road….strange…maybe I am wrong but that’s how they looked….

    We finally arrived at our Airbnb set in woodlands around 3 pm….it was a 3hr trip but with stops took us 4 hrs…The home like all the others is set on maybe 1/2-1 acre…..surrounded by thickish woodland….just after we arrived I finally got to see my first Chipmunk 🐿 yeah…..

    All unpacked….We had a rest….It was then that Jess thought I had packed towels for us all, but not realising I should have had only packed our towels….so getting close to 5pm they rushed back to the little town we came through to try and by towels for themselves…they did manage to get 2 Beach towels but the people at the stores were quite rude and in a hurry to shut up shop….seems to be a thing here at shutting time no patience with late comers….anyway they now have towels turns out they were round not rectangles… weird! ….

    I babysat Phoenix while John slept…poor little fellow out if sorts in a strange house….

    There are heaps and heaps of small blocks with lovely houses here all hidden until you start along the road to where we are….not far from us is the Lake….we only discovered this when Tim and Jess took us in their car to take Phoenix for a walk they drive us down to check it out…looks lovely….We drive back up the Hwy to a walking track that went alongside Wetlands….again the Forrest was quite thick with near green carpet below the tree canopy on top with heaps of little wild flowers like we saw the other day when we all went for our bush walk in the Huron Nature Park….. what we had to remind ourselves is it’s only about a month since no snow so the greenery is quite unreal to see how fast it grows once the snow has disappeared….We got to see another couple of Chipmunks 🐿 in amongst all the wood laying around on the Forrest floor….so tiny wee little things….

    Then we arrived at a huge high rise plate form to get above the wet lands to try and see the birds….Jess could tell what they are from a bird app she has that identifies their whistle….unreal….

    Back we headed…John using the Hot Tub 🛁 outside….I didn’t join him as too many mossies…..they are bad…guess all the water laying everywhere breeds them prolifically once spring and summer arrive….Rotten things just left them at home….

    I cooked dinner tonight of Salmon pinwheels done with a rice 🍚 , shrimp 🦐 and some other flavours…. Asparagus, Halomi and Capsicum 🫑 stir-fired….The Salomon was supposed to be roasted in the oven but I fried them instead….not the best plan but they were still yummy and heaps of….
    John and I sat up and watched another episode of Star Wars….been a day that’s for sure….tomorrow we explore….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 8 Mon- Rugged Tracks and Great Views

    30 Mei 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Today was tough…..
    We set off after breakfast to do a walk to Loin Head Lookout on Huron Lake….
    We had to book online for parking and that parking was allocated to 4 hr time slots…and according to the information it was a strict 4 hr time slot….this we had to pay for but the NP walk we didn’t….I was concerned if I was too slow we wouldn’t get back by the 4 hrs….Both men thought I was silly as it was only 6.5k….not realising it would turn out a difficult track to keep up good timing….
    It started out with such pretty scenery and that actually was the case the whole walk….It was just over 4 kms but what a roughed 4ks it was….the track is still quite damp having the snow only fully melted a few weeks back….so what ground was there was muddy in some patches but mostly compressed solid ground but very moist….along with this was very uneven and difficult to walk over limestone on 80% of the track….up and down over rocks and rock walk ways….it as difficult for me with my dicky foot trying to make sure I didn’t fall over….I am happy to say only one fall…
    Jess and I amused ourselves with finding beautiful little flowers and unusual plants along the very green path…

    Up rocks, down rocks….little Phoenix kept up the whole way until we were heading back and he just stopped and no way would he go on…but Tim coxed him and off the little trouper speed again….such a little treasure this dog….

    Jess found a few smaller orchids along with numerous unusual ferns and different plants….the area was covered in new growth of every type of fern, fresh bark on birch trees 🌳….so beautiful but I couldn’t really enjoy it as much as I wanted just trying to stay upright on the uneven Rocky paths,,,,.

    What seemed like forever we eventually made it to viewing points along what we saw later from the main town of Loins head were sheer limestone cliffs….
    The water below along the edges was crystal clear looking like some of the beaches we have visited over the years. Eagles, chipmunks, even a snake 🐍we walked past on our way back along the cliffs tops….only John saw it and took a pic we were oblivious thank goodness….apparently non venomous possibly a common Garter snake 🐍…..anyway just glad I didn’t see it….

    I stayed on one of the smaller cliffs while Tim, Jess and John headed to the main one…where both Tim and John climbed down to a very precarious spot with a natural window view to the water scene below….it looked magic…shame I didn’t go but since I had a fall at the end of last year off the ladder, my right hip has given my hell…I did some damage and now feel as old as I am…
    We passed a guy on the track who sounded very Aussie I didn’t get to ask him….
    A few dogs with the owners…..one a Pug had given up the ghost to walk and was in a doggy backpack…😂😂😂😂 it did look funny….mostly all small dogs…..only ones that gave us hell were 2 poddies barking little pests they were….

    It was a quicker trip back as our 4 hr time slot as nearly up….it was much hotter now compared to when we starred out….nearly out of water too boot and a struggle going back over the rugged track as I was tired….out of shape not having been riding for ages, both John and I are very unfit at present….my new boots were rubbing badly, my hip giving me curry I was a miserable old cow heading back…but I pushed on …..

    Tim, Jess and Phoenix rushed back quicker to make it to the car in time…we were 4 minutes past the time allocation….whew thank goodness we are back…

    From here we headed to buy some much needed stores at the supermarket of Loinshead,,,.then to get an ice cream before heading to their habour….

    While in the supermarket 3 young girls all came into the store all with Aussie accents…you really hone in on accents when you travel and hearing your own or similar your ears 👂 definitely prick up….again I didn’t get a chance to ask them if they were Aussies…

    We drove to the Loinshead Harbour which had some really lovely yachts and larger cruiser at the marina….A very cute little lighthouse and heaps of massive white sandstone barriers along the shore line….. making the crystal clear water look even prettier….

    We were all so tired we drive back in silence…I headed straight to bed with drugs for the old hip…John slept for nearly 3 hours I had about 45 mins but felt so much better after it all….

    Tim hit the hot tub….we eventually woke John so he could go in the hot tub too….We sat outside this arvo the mossies not as bad as yesterday….
    We even lit the campfire 🔥 and had hot marshmallows toasted on sticks after our dinner of backed salmon 🍣 salad 🥗and a potato salad ……a nice light meal after a big day…
    I had envisioned walking the Camino Track, but after today I think I am getting too old and stiff to be a great adventurer 🤔😁!

    We finished off the night with another Star Wars movie….getting them down….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 9 Tues-Grottos and Snakes

    31 Mei 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Another day of adventure…this time we headed up to Tobermory NP to go see the Grotto….This NP we had to pay to go to….the sign at the gate as we went to pay had a Caution Bears in area …so I had my hopes up we might see a bear….

    The walk thank goodness was much shorter and my poor feet from my new boots felt very sore and I was concerned they would give blisters….and yep by the end I had blisters….

    The track was so much better than yesterdays, mostly under a pine Forrest so the flooring was more spongy feeling….we took the 45 minute walk to the Lake to start with unreal the massive rock edged lake all white and clean looking….this is where my blisters started appearing as my feet not being on stable ground moved around inside my boots 🥾….as the track chopped and changed from Rocks to dirt…back to Rocky craggy cliffs and back to hard solid ground the friction had done its magic on my poor feet giving me a couple of blisters…

    The scene was very picturesque here from wooded over growth tracks to walking beside the lake…the to scale Rocky cliff escarpments to find the Grotto… it was another unreal sight to behold, only spoiler was the volume of people around the Grotto area…well I thought it was a big volume until we were heading back and streams of people were heading into the tracks so glad we went earlier as the volume in the Grotto area would have been too many to enjoy the views….so pretty with light coloured rock platforms walks etc and along the top of it were hears of smaller conifer pine trees…..certainly looked so lovely…

    We had lots of people stop and chat to Tim with Phoenix….heading back Jess and Tim spotted a snake on the path…I took some pics not real good ones and the best on I took it looks like I accidentally deleted it 😢😢😢 Jess was brave enough to video it…it had lots of pale bands around it….2nd snake in 2 days!!!😩after seeing snakes only a few weeks ago in Thailand and now here my goodness I have had my fill of the creatures well and truly!

    Once back to the cars I took my boots off my very sore feet to let the breath…and off we set to go to the Tobermory Brewing Co for lunch. We had fish and chips…which was ho hmmm….Tim and Jess ordered burgers they were huge, but again the Chips were like most places we have been soggy and not all that tasty….

    A look around the harbour with its marina of huge boats….lots of sightseeing boats as well as a big car ferry that comes in…it looks like the ocean, but all fresh water how unreal…

    All of us bought ice creams again…I have to stop getting them, they are too sweet and make me sick for ages..who would think something so yummy could upset your tummy so much….

    Tim and Jess went to check out some wet lands and we headed home for another much needed rest…The walk too us a good 2.5 hrs…not as long as yesterday but with climbing over all the rocks etc we were all pretty had it after yesterdays efforts…

    A quite afternoon….finished with a yummy dinner of sausages and veggies cooked on the BBQ, I made mash potatoes 🥔 which helped the meal come together…

    Our time here is up we head off tomorrow….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 10 Wed -Lake Villages

    1 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Today we left the lovely little Cottage Airbnb….Tim and Jess headed back to Kitchener… while John and I set off to look at the villages along Lake Huron,,..it is a massive lake and so many towns, villages dotted along it….it’s 59,600 Km2 332 km across 195 feet deep but can get to be 750 feet in some areas….it’s the 3rd biggest Lake by volume of the Great Lakes….unreal…Makes Lake Callide look like a little dog peed 😂😂😂

    First stop was Sauble Falls it had a history of a Hydro Electric Power Plant that made lower for a Sawmill….The falls weren’t very big but the history was worth the look…

    We went through Sarina had morning tea there and finished up at Goderich for lunch,.,,
    But darted in and out of other villages to look at where they were situated on the Lake,…to be honest we only got to see a few as there were so many….

    It’s hard to believe this is a fresh water lake with Sand dunes and seagulls abounding….
    Plus you could see it was a productive farming area…so many of the properties ran right along the edge of the Lake what views they have….and we saw so many beautiful Homes, truly beautiful homes….

    There were so many Camp parking spots dotted along the Hwy, Trailer Parks abounding, and would you believe also dotted along the Hwy and in the towns everywhere Cannabis shops..Half the state must be smashed if they all buy up Cannabis…which is now legal to sell here in Canada….
    Sad really but the realities of where life is going…so many people not coping with life and need help and many see this as a way to relax and wind down… but after nursing so many affected by what Cannabis can do especially to young brains 🧠 it’s sad and scary…but when your government sees it as a positive thing to keep the people happy what can you do….it really is just a matter of time before we get it legal in Australia….I am not against Cannabis use for Pain, illnesses or other medical conditions it’s being found to be the best form of treatment…but I am against it being used to just self medicate life’s pains when you could find good help…anyway it’s a whole legal, ethical and moral argument that many have big opinions about and mine count for nigh…..

    The other reason I am heading with John down the Hwy is he is taking me to stay with a beautiful lady I have met through a wonderful Christian group of ladies on line…we chat most days Judy, and a number of other very special women who have been such an inspiration to me…the funny thing about Judy is we worked out nothing after we became friends that she lived not all that far from Tim..so when she knew we were coming over she asked me to come and stay with her for a couple of nights….And when some of the other Women all who live in the US knew I was coming to Canada 🍁 we all planned a getaway weekend to the US side of Niagara Falls….some of the ladies are flying 1,000’s of Ks to see me it us jus so humbling….

    We arrived at Judy’s around 4 pm had a coffee together with her husband Pete, John and I…before John he had to hightail it back to Kitchener….Pete and John sure hit it off with so many common interests….Meeting Judy in the flesh was just such a joy…her and I headed out for a walk along the Lake which was just around the corner from her home and ohhh my glory it was like ice….the weather had changed last night with Rain and thunder storms 🌩 and the day bought in the cold cold wind….most of the morning was fog covered until around 11am….then the cold wind hit….even Judy was cold as we walked and that’s saying something for a Canadian used to snow and wind…hopefully it doesn’t last too long….we both took lots of great pics of the sunset over the lake and then hightailed it back to the warmth of her gorgeous cottage….before we set off we had watched the squirrels 🐿 playing happily in her back yard…so cute even if pests….
    Our walk was after dinner as sunset was around 9pm….crazy to still have daylight and cold together….At home daylight disappears around 5-6 when cold so my body clock is a bit miffed ha ha….

    So great just being with her after chatting online for so long and be in each other’s company is such a joy….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 11 Thurs- Friends Bring Joy!

    2 Juni 2022, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    A late start for me getting my blog done every day is taking time and discipline….
    So while Judy busied herself for her one and only client today….I did my blog….
    Judy runs her own Nail business from home….a very busy business mainly by word and mouth….

    After Judy’s lovely client a mother of the groom left, we bundled up and headed for her to vote….I had thought it must be getting close to a voting time here as there were small billboards everywhere we have driven so far in Canada 🇨🇦 that looked like voting advertising for those trying to be the next local government rep…..

    Once voted she drove me to experience many of the rich area of the community with so many huge massive homes…one house she showed me was nearly finished and it had 11 bathrooms 😵my goodness unreal…..from here through their big community park then onto the most massive bridge that seperates Canada from the US Blue Water Bridge ….and the US was only a very hard rock throw away….I had no idea it was so, so close to where she lived….we drove around to the Port which looked like Gladstone’s and to a Marina one of many in the area….I had to keep pinching myself this was not the ocean, but a fresh water Lake…just unreal all the info structure that is place for these massive lakes….from a vantage point in a park near the Port….they had a replica of a pond that shows how all the lakes come tother their shapes and just how vast it is really is,…..you would just die to have this much fresh water at home….
    Next we were of to a true Canadian store Giant Tiger ….it as bit like a mixture Woolworths and Big W….maybe not as big…I managed to get a few items….and some Canada 🇨🇦 shirt and dress for James and Alex….hope they fit they are growing so so fast at present…
    Then we hit all the $1 shops which turns out are now $1.50 shops apparently they put their prices up in January….very similar to our cheap shops but worth a look….next was lunch at Swiss Chalet where we had a true Poutine which is hot chips gravy with cheese curds and this had chicken mixed in….to top off the meal so it was healthy 😁😁😁 we ordered Green beans done in Garlic….and yep I sure stunk after them….but very yummy.. I ordered a Sangria here it had a twist of flavour which we worked out it was Red wine Cherry Juice, some ginger beer and preserved cherries it was lovely but with the cherry Juice it was so, so sweet….Lucky Judy loves sweet things

    We finished off going to their local Shopping Mall Almbton Mall…..which resembled Bilo with so many shut up shops….Judy was on the hunt for a new summer T-shirt…..which she did eventually score…..
    A good look around, which revealed many of the shops are the same as the other all the shopping malls we have been too, no different than home….always the same shops all over the country from one shopping mall to the next…

    Many of the shops Judy took me to she struck up conversation and telling them she as showing me her Australian friend the highlights of their fair township….so many were just so friendly…

    Once done back to the unit to soak up the sun as the day started cold windy and miserable….so, so cold 13c too cold for this old duck…I was rugged up most of the day….
    It was just so pleasant soaking up the rays….

    By late afternoon we had a message from 2 of the ladies flying from Alabama to Atlanta where their connecting flight was held up with plane issues….eventually it was completely cancelled and the only flight they could get was Sat night and we are to be in our Airbnb by 4 pm tomorrow….so they decided at 8 pm tonight to hire a car and drive the 14 hrs to meet us….ohh my glory both Judy and I felt so humbled and also very upset for them that they had all this trouble….just awful…apparently it’s most likely to do with like Australia many don’t want to work now….very sad….as we drive down to Judy’s we constantly saw signs up to hire… staff wanted…it’s become such a common thing world wide since Covid….

    A big day…so we had an easy night with a lovely Caesar salad and Spinach and Cheese Pizza…
    Another great day…..
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 12 Fri- Sweet Anticipation!

    3 Juni 2022, Amerika Serikat ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Judy and I up early to set off for the US side of Niagara Falls area in Buffalo New York where we are meeting and staying with the other ladies that are doing an all night marathon drive after their plane flights got cancelled on route to meet us….
    On waking uo the ladies Dawn and Bretta had left us Marco Polo messages to say they were still on route and doing well….

    Once Judy I were packed we Poloed them to give updates and they too did the same….Judy and I knew once we hit the border I would lose reception and she wouldn’t have international roaming and we would have to find Wifi to communicate…

    So back and forth trying to setup for them to be picked up….meanwhile Heather another one of our lovely ladies was messengering back and forth from New York where she lived..

    The ladies from the road run worked out we would probably hit the US before Heather could get going , so we’re were given the mission ti find them at the Buffalo Airport where they had to drop off their hire car….

    Our run to the border went pretty well, a couple of stops off the Hwy for cuppas and food…Judy had a 2 for one breakfast wrap from the Chainstore called Tim Horton’s ohh my goodness that was yummy….

    Finally we made it to the border crossing only issue we had was the GPS took us to another border crossing Judy hasn’t crossed before and was unsure how good it would be there…but she gathered as we had to get to the Airport this one most likely made it easier….it did in the long run.
    Just before we set off Paige the last of the 6 of us ladies poloed us laughing that she was witnessing a big sting being set up all the back and forth trying to setup picks for the girls…she is flying in in Sat from Alabama herself….so we are praying madly nothing like what has happened to Dawn and Bretta will happen to them….anyway she laughed and laughed at how it all sounded like a major sting to bring it all together….

    Anyway we got to the US border and a huge multi lane line up of cars etc…so the waiting game until our turn and Judy was concerned as she wasn’t vaccinated for Covid but had, had it not long ago so was hoping that would help…I had all my paperwork for being an Alien 👽 and that I had had 4 Covid shots plus my ESTA a Visa system to get into the US, so thought all should be fine,

    The Border patroL officer asked questions about did we know each other, why were we going ti the US….then he took my passport and paperwork and put it in a canister and opened up this end of a pipe thing next it was whooshed away….ohh no, it then proceeded to tell us we had to go to the Main Immigration office to have my passport stamped and checked….So we were directed to another are to lark then go in to get my passport….but before we left the officer at the first stop didn’t even mention Covid to Judy not a word….so she was flying high and relaxed…it as then my turn to get all stressed and I did very much while waiting to be called to be checked….
    The officer we ended up with ended up being really lovely and a bit jokey especially when I asked about was my Covid paperwork all good, he joked he wasn’t worried but if it had been his work partner then it would have been tough…it was all in jest thank goodness, a huge sigh of relief once I went to lay my $6 entry fee….Praise God I can tell you we had both prayed non stop the whole way for all to go smoothly and it did..Our Lord certainly knows what we need and how we need it even when we don’t…

    So now free off to the Airport we Speed….we did stop quickly at a free wifi area to both make calls…I called Tim on messenger so he could let John know I had made it across the border…and msgs back and forth to Dawn and Bretta trying to set up a liaison pick up point…..
    Next stop Buffalo airport and getting the Sting to come together…which did pose a bit tricky, with trying to find the ladies….After a couple of times around the airport and me getting out to look….Judy eventually drove into the hire care area packed where you bring back the hire cars and set off on foot to find our missing pair….about 15 mins later they all arrived laughing 😝 and relieved it all come together….while I sat there waiting I started to get a bit antsie so done would come along to see why I was sitting there in a hire car….he he he it wasva crazy place with cars coming and going at a rate of knots….so luckily they were too busy to notice me….

    The funny thing about meeting each other first time in person was in one way so natural as we knew each other from our online chatting, but seeing each other in the flesh….some we thought tall were short and Vice Versa…..it was just get to hug each other finally….

    We were all a tight fit in Judy’s car but off we set for our final destination in the adventure our Old Rectory AirBnB…. The area had been described a getto type area with bordered up homes and closed down church’s….Our bnb was part of an old church next door to the rectory….and yes a lot of homes in disrepair but others being done up and starting to look new again….
    Heather had made it to the Airbnb first so she had it opened and was the welcoming committee again hugs all around just so good to meet in person….
    We quickly dropped off all our gear then set off to go in Heathers Minivan 🚐 to buy our groceries for the next 2 days……we had planned doing the Maid in the Mist boat tour yo the falls this afternoon but that was before the 2 girls had to drive 14 hrs straight ti get to us….they were had it and needed food and a rest….

    So off to Aldi first….hmmm kinda the same but different….same concept but looked messer and not too many things the same with food wise…they cater each country to their specific style and tastes….It was fun shopping together….Ohh my goodness we have so much food….I am sure it will be for the next month not 2 days 🙄🤣🤣🤣🤣

    Next stop Wegmans it is a chain of stores in the US a mix of Costco…..Woolies, Big W and hmmmm just a big store…We we’re greeted as you come through the entrance beautiful, beautiful flowers 💐 so pretty….so off to eat before we look around….my goodness big pieces of pizza and big baguettes loaded with food….once feed we could all think then off to explore…Heather has talked about Wegmans lots so it was crazy actually seeing it and being in it after she talked about it so much…. The displays of cheeses so many types all set out in what type they were and huge punnets of cherries, strawberries, blueberries etc ginormous in size….

    So we had our fill of looking and back to unpack allow Bretta and Dawn a rest….We sat around chatting and laughing it as so wonderful to be in each other’s company…A walk in the later afternoon around the neighbourhood with Judy and Heather while the others slept….

    It is mainly Afroamerican folk who live in the area….lots of kids out playing happily in the parks around us….we saw 5 church’s just in the Soave around our block…plus could see steppes further afield from our vantage stop…

    A police car at one stage tore around the corner we are standing in an unmarked car with lights flashing, but no sirens 🚨 blazing….he was in a hurry….we said hello to the folk as we passed by….taking pics of the old church’s and homes…as many lived in as abandoned…..

    Some housing development happening with an old Catholic school the looked like redevelopment into units….a look around the old church and building beside it even though our Airbnb book advises not to….we didn’t go into it just looking around the outside…

    The girls finally awake we all, finally got a chance to chat and really catch up….I got them all dinner while they talked…then the joy of sharing a meal together and being thankful for the Lords blessing upon us all getting their safely and in person…. Great night of love shared….I did bring some little Aussie gifts to the girls, which I bought out after dinner…it was just so wonderful being able to give it to them in person…how blessed we all are in each other’s company…like old shoes we just all fit so well having known each other for only such a short time Online but it fells like we have always known each other….💗💗💗
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 13 Sat- My Glory the Waters Doth Flo

    4 Juni 2022, Amerika Serikat ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Up early to get my readings and update the blog….I was given the huge massive king bed…this lovely old home had 4 bedrooms upstairs and 1 down stairs….4 queens- King and 2 Singles.
    Every time one of got up during the night the old floors creeped….if you had teenagers it would be a perfect floor to know when they tried to sneak out…but no getting away with being quite to get to the loo….it certainly is a give away…..
    Once up I was cookie again and made scrambled eggs and bacon for our lovely ladies….sitting around chatting and laughing was bringing each one of us such joy just being in each other’s presences….

    A big clean up, a quiet time for us all then before we knew it we were off to the Airport to collect Paige who had flown in from Bowling Green Kentucky…..she had polled the group back and forth all morning just so we knew she was on the plane then on time….
    Thankfully Judy and I had driven around the airport a few times so we could help Heather find her way….My directions gave Paige a bum steer on where to meet us, So Judy dived out of the Van to find our wayward missing sister….
    Finally the last peace of our puzzle was with us…and we all fitted together with our different ages, personalities and love for the Lord….
    I am sure anyone herding the Minivan fly buy would have thought we were all drunk women with the laughter and noise coming forth….

    So all tucked up off to Niagara Falls we set, thankfully not that far to go…We even manage to grab a parking spot just about straight up…$25 was paid to leave it for as long as was required….we all envisioned it would only be an hour or 2 not realising how big an area the Falls covers and what to actually see…

    For me seeing seeing the first lot of falls yes there was lots of water 💦 but I truly thought it would be raging more…but nevertheless still spectacular…..the spray was impressive and seeing the Maid in the Mist boats below made them look small….

    Off ti the next area which was the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side…ohhhh my glory if I thought the spray was heaps on the US side I was very much mistaken…it was spraying us like a good shower with the wind pushing the water back towards us and the raging thunderous falls with the most beautiful colour mint green was just so stunning…Wow oh Wow….we spent quite a bit of time here and eventually decided to have lunch at the restaurant that looked over the falls below….what a view to be hold….

    Lunch was ok, they managed to stuff Dawns up 3 times it was a simple change that they just couldn’t get their minds around…eventually the Food Services Manage came over and sorted it out she did eventually get her right meal and to top it off they gave us x 2 free very yummy desserts we could share…very very yummy….So all feed it was now 5 pm we decided to head to the Maid in the Mist ride to go below the falls…By now both myself and a Heather decided we didn’t feel like getting wet and cold…so we opted out the other 4 went…my goodness they certainly had a ball, they were all pumped with laughter and adrenaline coming back off. It and filled their tale of just how amazing it was….so looks like I will have to do it on the other side when I meet up with, Tim, Jess and John….I get to have another chance all going to plan…

    All having had a great much longer day here than we planned we set off to get a couple of items to go with dinner 🥘 tonight, back to relax, shower and finally all catch up and that we did until 12.15 am….a long day for Paige as she had been up at 3am to get to the plane ✈️…

    It was a joy to just sit in each other’s company chatting away like old friends who had known each other for years…it is and has been a very special friendship formed through Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,….He has given us all more than just knowing each other He has given us a love in and gif each other only He can give…

    What a fun 2 days it has been…Thank you ladies for flying or driving out of your way just come and see me knowing I was on this side of the world it is definitely a highlight of my travels over the years, just being made feel so honoured you would go out of your way to see this little old Aussie lady..Love 💕 you all
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 14 Sun - The Hard Goodbyes!

    5 Juni 2022, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    I woke with a massive headache 🤕 during the night and had to try and open new bottle of Tylenol like Panadol in the dark….my glory it was like trying to pick a lock open….took forever to work out how the old come off but I did eventually….
    We had gone to bed very, very late it was after 12 mn before we got to bed all chatting being able to finally stop and be together…

    Still a bit there when I got up but did the blog from the day before my readings, then packed up all my gear which yes I have far too much of as usual…I just never get to learn how to be frugal with my packing….

    Once packed I headed down to get our last breaky started….I took over probably shouldn’t have but went into my cook mode and whipped up a storm to share in our last meal together in our lovely Airbnb….

    The ladies were all slow to get going today with us all having such a massive day at the falls, all their flying and driving for Bretta Dawn and Paige…plus all our chatting and the very late night…

    Breaky done we had our last meal together….then set about packing all our stores we bought which most of it being donated to Heather as she is our closet one here only an 1 and 1/2 down the road to home….

    We managed to get some pics on the Top step just before we headed off to be our keepsake of remembrance of our precious time together….Bretta had made each one of us a bracelet to also remember our sisterhood and the special time shared..

    All packed we said our last goodbyes to the Airbnb and set off to just spend the day together somewhere we could just sit around and enjoy each other’s company…

    In US Niagara that is hard I can tell you it’s so devoid of places to meet up other than around the actual falls parklands….so we ended up parking near there and tried to find a spot to sit and relax..
    Our first spot inside the tourist centre all looking at touristy things, then getting a table in a very noisy eatery, bonus was we hit to buy a coffee, some drinks and some food….Paige bought a massive Banana and Caramel Crepe ohh my goodness it was lovely but very rich….good thing a few were sharing it….

    Once done we tried sitting in the parklands but far too sunny…so off we set to find a shady spot, which we eventually did and it was perfect….plenty of metal chairs and shade to just relax….

    So here we sat for the next couple of hours soaking up our conversation, laughter and tears…it was a perfect way to finish this special time together….For the ladies they have promised each other to meet again… most likely in Bowling Green Kentucky with Paige in her massive beautiful home….

    It was sadly time for Judy and I to set off across the Border to Canada once more…. our big hugs and tears made it hard to walk away from this wonderful group of string women who each of us love each other dearly……

    The line up was long and slow….you go across the Rainbow Bridge which goes right over the end of the US side of the Falls…sadly due to high guard rails you couldn’t see anything other than very high rises on the Canadian side….

    Finally at another border crossing you would think I would be fine with going through so many this last few months, Thailand, then in to Canada 🇨🇦then the USA 🇺🇸 and now back to Canada 🇨🇦, but I get nervous every time….

    The Immigration female officer was polite but very offical as they should be…Asking all the questions, about what we bought, did we have alcohol…..what we had done, asking Judy about her Covid Vaccination status….which she doesn’t have but had Covid only about 6 weeks ago which gives her a status report…..

    Judy had organised a wonderful Spa and Meal package at a Resort on this sure if the border for the night ….So we drive there where John picked me up….Tim and Jess were at a Brewery waiting for us to join them…

    A try of a Pink Cider and some if a Fresh Pretzel 🥨 which became my dinner a quick catch up on what they had all been doing while I was with the ladies, then back to our A
    BnB bed and breaky….

    Not quite where I envisioned it being by the Lake as it is described as Niagara on the Lake….it is surrounded by very flash massive homes and fields out our window…but not self contained a bit small compared to our last treasure us ladies had….

    Still it’s a bed and I don’t have to cook breaky in the morning ha ha as it’s part of the package supplied being a Bed and Breaky…

    All tired off to bed..
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 15 Mon- No Barrels Water Galore!

    6 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Up earlish to set my routine of doing the blog……we are in a Bed and Breakfast and the Owner was up early too to make our breakfast….So come 8.30 we could go down to our full laden table of goodies….it looked amazing p, fruits, yoghurts, cereals, Muffins and in the middle of the table very cute round French Toasts with a pierce of bacon and a peach 🍑 with a jug of hot maple syrup to por over it….I hadn’t actually had it this way before I know it’s become a trend but I hadn’t had anything like it….and it was yum, yum, yum….

    So feed and watered we headed off to the Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and they didn’t disappoint in any way….it was magical to see them front on….seeing them from the US side was great but this was just so much better….How blessed am I to get to see them a day apart on both sides unreal…

    It’s a very different set up on this side of the Falls….actually I think in my opinion the US parklands are nicer but the Canadian side has easier access…
    We took our pics up top then headed of ri buy out Tickets to do the Hornblower boat to go to the falls on the River…..The US had blue plastic rain coats….we have Red for Canada….it was $36.95 cad , it was $25 US, so works out very similar pricing….

    Off we set getting wetter and wetter winder and winder as we go….so, so well worth going even though my shoes 👟 and John’s are saturated….

    Heaps of pics taken with a very wet phone.then back up for a quick coffee…..then John and I set off to look at the Canadian Horseshoe Falls where they come over….the mint green colour is just so mesmerising to see and the roar of the water unreal….worth coming down the extra walk to see them….Tim and Jess opted out of doing this section…it truly was the best…the earlier viewing we had the US falls….

    Still slightly damp we set off to a winery Palatine to do some tastings….I opted for a Sangria, John had a little Ginger Beer Tim and Jess did the tastings and enjoyed them so much they bought a few…we had a cheese and salami platter which became our lunch….Feed, watered and bought up we drive to see the Lake Ontario ..…it had the most massive tanker out on the Lake which looks so like a huge ocean….

    Once looked we set out back last all the amazingly beautiful homes….my glory some are so massive….Before we headed to the Falls we drive into a new area being built in with massive homes some with Copper on their outer roofs it looked so opulent it’s crazy….

    Back we all rested and John and I slept must be had it….We rested until 6…. Got ready for dinner and off we set for the Irish Pub…only it was shut up….so we parked and headed to the English a pub which was built in 1812 very, very old…apparently even has a Ghost 👻… the meal for me was crap….John and Tim enjoyed theirs Jess’s looked a hot mess but she said it was ok….
    After dinner we wandered around the streets of Niagara what a gorgeous little village it is, so neat with flowers 💐 planted everywhere…massive flowers pots and hanging baskets….it was a joy to wander around, so pretty and the shops so interesting…many opened but we didn’t go in…there were about 3-4 tourist buses pulled up but by the time we finished our dinner they had gone and the place was much more quieter and easier to look around…beaks if lively looking restaurants and Prince of Wales Pub that looks very, very French in design..

    So we headed home as Tim and Jess tired…John and I sat out the front of the BnB until a massive storm chased us inside….The owner Ann came home from being out and we started up a conversation with her that lasted over an hour….

    Her and her hubby who is In Scotland at present with a Compound fractured femur 11 days post Op…can’t fly home for 6 weeks…they had gone over to a wedding for their daughter in Scotland Aa that is where they had lived for 15 years…..Ann is from Wales….Her husband English but grew up in Scotland so sounds Scottish apparently….They moved to Canada 15 years ago with 3 children the last one just finishing UNI a few months ago…they have a huge catering business, the BnB and her husband has another business I just couldn’t quite figure what it was…it designs machinery of some type for the catering businesses….interesting….She told us lots especially about the huge English, Irish and Scot families settled here…quite a little expat community….she said all her girlfriends here are all Irish….
    She also told us the prices of the houses in the new estate close by 3 million for the 2nd one from the corner…John looked in the real estate offices and saw some homes for up to 12 million my glory who has that money…he said many had 6-8 bedrooms and bathrooms but still that’s crazy….all for a house that could burn down…guess insurance covers that…the homes are lovely and so big but truly that amount of money would make me sick to the stomach…..

    A great day had and lots learnt…makes life interesting…
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 16 Tues- Following the Lake!

    7 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    It’s raining and miserable so how blessed were we to have seen the falls yesterday and the day before for me in full sunlight a true delight and a true blessed moment in time…….
    Up for our last Brekky at the BnB….today was Frittata with, a zucchini bread, hime made strawberry comport, creamy butter….hot coffee ☕️ yogurt, cereal and fruit 🍌 choices, my goodness…..it was very tasty what ever part we ate….although personally fir me I loved yesterday Brekky better….

    Packed up, car loaded, we are heading off home to Tim and Jess’s separately from them, John through we might explore our way along the lake as much as was possible to get back to Kitchener…

    Our first stop was at the place where Fort George was situated here around 1796 in Niagara on the Lake it was facing across the Lake to Fort Niagara across the Lake in the US …..A battle between the 2 forces in 1813 saw Fort George destroyed. a little history below…..

    (History of Fort George
    After turning over Fort Niagara to the Americans in 1796 in accordance with Jay's Treaty of 1794, the British began construction of a fortification on the west side of the Niagara River to secure their interests in Upper Canada. By 1802, the construction of Fort George was complete. The fort's outer defenses included six large bastions and a palisade wall encircled by a dry ditch. Log blockhouses, kitchens, a hospital, workshops, barracks, officers' quarters and a stone powder magazine were constructed inside the walls.
    Standing guard over Navy Hall and transportation along the Niagara River, Fort George served as the headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army during the War of 1812. Major General Sir Isaac Brock served at Fort George until his death at the Battle of Queenston Heights on October 13, 1812. Brock and his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonell, were interred in the northeast bastion at the fort following the battle. Their remains were later relocated to the first Brock Monument in 1824.
    On the morning of May 25, 1813, batteries at Fort Niagara and along the American side of the Niagara River unleashed a devastating artillery bombardment on Fort George. Almost every building within the fort was destroyed. Two days later, a large American invading force landed west of the mouth of the Niagara River. The town of Niagara was turned into a battlefield as the Americans pushed towards Fort George. British and militia forces put up stiff resistance, but were heavily outnumbered. Around noon, the order was given to retreat, and the British retired to Burlington Heights (located in present-day Hamilton, Ontario).)

    While we were looking at the Huge Carn at where it’s site was near Lake Ontario a man in his car noticed us and decided he wanted a chat friend,y bloke…..we got back into the car after he asked where I was from and wished us a good holiday…then came over knocked on the car window and proceeded to tell us about the true position of where Fort George was really situated…not here…but further up the Lake…not far up mind you he said and they have found graves of US soldiers buried there…but it’s not advertised….he was as pleased as punch time share his story with us….
    We said our goodbyes then set off down the road….going past beautiful homes and neat as pin gardens….everyone takes so much pride in their garden which they most only have for 4-5 months max a year…compared to our all year gardens….
    Next we found ourselves at the canals just past all the vineyards …as we drove over a huge bridge over the canal…we had stopped to look at a massive ship mored in the habit close the Hwy….next thing the whole bridge was being lifted…we thought maybe a ship would come though the lock, but sadly that didn’t happen must have just been a drill…still amazing to see it happen…Port Weller was this spot…
    After all the excitement of watching the budge we headed to the next place was along the lake we ended up in a car park next to a massive marina….Port Dalhousie was this pretty spot….then we duck and weaved in and out of beautiful homes and gorgeous gardens….my goodness so many homes backed into the Lake what sights they must behold….

    Our next adventure in and out of streets which ended up being like a maze was Grimsby ……not sure how we ended up in amongst cutest little homes I have seen…..like lolly homes pretty soft pastel colours pinks, with yellow trims, lilac with white and purple trim, light blue with Lila and darker blue trim….. I don’t know what the area was called but it looked like fairy book story cover with these pretty and brightly coloured homes….

    We followed the Lake all the way to along the Hwy we were on the local roads that ran next to the main Hwy, so we could duck in off the main service road to see the different areas if they sprung up along the lake…
    We headed into Hamilton and started the GPS to find us Hutch’s Diner on the beach…. eventually it did….this area is being developed with huge high rise accommodation along the Lake areas and heaps of new housing estates….it had me beat what everyone dies with so many new developments…..the poor GPS was totally lost with roads shit down or blocked off….we eventually found our Diner and yep just like the movies….it really was like stepping back in time and so was the food…very taste and flavourless like it was made years ago and just served….anyway the atmosphere was sort the stop….Then we headed west to Brentford away from the Lake…..seeing lots of new homes nothing much to see here so drive straight through….onto Cambridge which had a River running through it….we drive through the CBD which they call Downtown ha ha again itching exciting then headed to see the river which had a lovely little steel bridge going across it…we went for a walk half way across it and took a few pics…hopped back into the car to make our way home to Tim and Jess’s at Kitchener….Tim must have wondered what happened to us so he texted just to check we were still making our way back…
    It as great to look around just taking our time exploring….probably missed the main sights in each place but we were more than happy to just get a feel of each p,ave as we drive through…

    Tim and Jess had made dough for Pizzas before they left so hime made Pizza’s it was fir dinner very yummy light crust and so tasty… Phoenix who had been in Dogo Care for the 3 days away must have been exhausted….Tim had to bath him as he stuck…and poor little fella just slept all that partying has caught up….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 17 Wed- The Download! 📷

    8 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Another day unfolds and today we have nothing planned other than finishing washing and download all my pics….
    I knew it would take a number of hours to sort 7 days worth and yep it did..thank goodness I could fasten up the process a little with Tim having a multiport to put the 2 hard drives and my phone into….
    Due to the fact my big camera does not cope with taking pics from a moving car 🚗😝😝😩 which is doing my head in…I have had to resort to my iPhone….which is fine fir most pics but the ones I used to take long distance within my DSLR would capture them in a flash….these new mirrorless I feel on fast movement no better than a point and shot….if there is a pole on the move then it ends up distorted….to capture still front on pics with time to focus on the they are great… it not movement…to be honest it has made me feel less than trying to capture decent shots with it…and iPhones are good yes but they are only an iPhone not the capabilities of a good camera….and this one my mirrorless Z5 I feel will have to go to someone who doesn’t need to shot on the move….

    Anyway I started around 10am finally completed the 7 days in the iPhone and the 12 days on the camera it took time and patience…. Tim and John sat playing some game if Tim’s Jess is working try to keep the family a float until Tim starts back with Goggle on the 8th Aug….He starts here first then transfers back to Australia at the end of Aug beginning Sept….he is very happy to be commencing with a team of some he already knows and that he has secured a job back with them again after the other debacle…..

    John and I slipped to Farm Boy fir some fruit etc to take away with us….tomorrow we head to Prince Edward County for 2 nights….

    As I say a nothing day. I didn’t even get to view my pics when I downloaded them…if I did I would want to start editing them and it’s John’s work computer we bought it doesn’t have an editing program for me to play with….what a shame…
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 18 Thurs- County Royality 🤔!

    9 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Today we are off on another adventure Tim and Jess have planned….To Prince Edward County….sounds like we are heading to royalty…. With a name like that I expect Castles and gold paved streets….

    John and I set off before Tim and Jess to explore along Lake Ontario around Hamilton and beyond…..We really didn’t get much explored with slow traffic and a stop to get a blowup whoopy cushion for me. I have a nerve in my left leg that plays up on long trips we wanted something to support it gently otherwise I actually end up in terrible pain….

    Plus a coffee from Tim Horton’s which our Tim says is crap….and yep he is pretty right….I ordered a cheese and bacon toasted sandwich it came with just cheese….the little girl making everything seemed fine be a bit pushed….Anyway I didn’t let her know and she made a new one…good on her….we were sitting next to old fellas having their daily coffee talking painting cost and how much they charge…one still did work the other was retired….their conversation lead to them discussing stuff about Australia, so my ears pricked…I eventually mentioned we were Aussies and the older of the 2 was telling me all about a TV program he was watching this week about Sungs in Melbourne he asked us what a Sung was….🤔🤔🤔🤔 well we told him we had never heard of such a thing…maybe it was Victorian….Hey Vic is it?

    Anyway they were your typical old fellas with lots of options especially about the state of how Tim Horton’s was not run….not in his day he told us when he worked here…p,us he had been a pilot for British Airlines apparently plus another job he mentioned…we learnt a lot in our 20 min stop….😂😂😂

    Off we set again feed and coffeed…. Past the most hugest massive homes all along the Lake front of Hamilton….my glory the money that must be tired up in these oversized Hollywood type homes….Time hit away fro us looking and we had to be at The Distillery District in Toronto to go to my Cousin Elizabeth’s for fathers had owned the buildings now made into the distillery precinct…..

    (The story of The Distillery District begins in 1831 when James Worts came to Canada and opened a mill for grinding grain with his brother-in-law, William Gooderham, along with their families. Two years later, Worts’ wife died during childbirth, and he ended his life. However, Gooderham continued with the business, partnering with Worts’ eldest son.
    In 1837, in response to the increase in harvest grain from Upper Canada farms, Gooderham added a distillery to the mill, producing his first spirit – whiskey. By the 1850s, the Gooderham and Worts distillery was fully functioning – and thriving to say the least – including a wharf, storage facilities, an icehouse, cooper shop for barrel-making and a dairy in addition to the already operating distillery and flour mills. In 1859, Gooderham opened a new distillery on Mill Street, which is said to be the most important contribution to Toronto’s manufacturing business; although a fire destroyed parts of the main building in 1869, forcing Gooderham to reconstruct the building, his business continued to thrive. In 1871, Gooderham and Worts became one of the largest exporters in spirit production, shipping millions of gallons across Canada as well as North and South America – and at one point was the largest distillery in the world. After the death of Gooderham and Worts’ son, Gooderham’s son inherited the business; however, between 1914 and 1920, WWI and Prohibition brought spirit production to a standstill. In 1923, he was forced to sell the declining business to Harry C. Hatch, who merged with Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd., renaming the business Hiram Walker-Gooderham & Worts Ltd. in 1927. With a new focus on the production of Canadian Club whiskey, operations moved to Windsor, officially ending the production of rye whiskey at Gooderham & Worts in 1957 – although rum production continued until the distillery officially closed its doors in 1990, after 153 years of production. In the 1990s, The Distillery District was granted new life as it became a popular destination for film – it was the number one film location in Canada and the second outside of Hollywood, with over 1700 movies filmed here. The Distillery – purchased by Cityscape Holdings in 2001 – underwent a huge project to restore the district in order to turn it into a car-free neighbourhood that would preserve its heritage, ‘entirely dedicated to arts, culture and entertainment.’ It finally opened in May 2003 and is now one of Canada’s top tourist attractions as well as a unique neighbourhood that is a vital part of the city of Toronto.)
    Lib is very proud of her families history with these lovely old buildings….we didn’t have much time there sadly so I took as many pics as possible and we grabbed a quick sandwich before we sided off down the freeway 🛣….we had to go this way instead of slowly along the lake as we had to be at our Airbnb by 4pm which is the time you can access Airbnb and hotels here it’s late…plus Tim and Jess had booked their Fav restaurant at a little place called Wellington fir a special dinner…

    The traffic was just terrible getting out of Toronto, so we arrived just around the 4 pm mark…our little Airbnb is very tastefully decorated, chocolates on the beds and a bottle of my fav Rise Bubbly to greet us….how lovely…. From the outside it looked very ordinary…apparently there is another section in their basement that’s an Airbnb as well…hard to see where they go in….

    We quickly changed then speed off in Tim’s car to the restaurant destination….once there the scene was just lovely the restaurant overlooking the massive Lake Ontario…Drakes Devonshire Inn on the Lake…interesting eclectic place with quirky artworks, modern feel…
    The services was excellent….Tim and Jess had stayed here just before Covid lockdowns had occurred…it held special memories for them…it was partially frozen the Lake on their visit…

    Tim picked most of our dishes they started with Oysters….I don’t like them so they had 4 each…then we tried 3 different starter….Scollop Crudo marinated in burnt orange, coriander oil, burnt sea same rice tule, cucumber and pomegranate….
    Bison 🦬 finally finally sliced with a sauce on the top of Oyster mayo, pickled mushrooms, capers, pickled shallots and croutons to eat it on….

    Next course was Duck Wings done in a maple syrup + sriracha spiked, buttermilk ranch dip, chillies, green onion and garlic….these were Devine….
    To go with this we had Alan- Seared Yukon, roasted mushrooms, petal barley risotto, asparagus tips, beetroot roasted, herb beurre Blanc and crispy kale…..lastly Roasted Octopus romesco sauce, toasted almond’s, chorizo, crispy confit potatoes, kale preserve lemon vinaigrette….

    Plus Jess and I had cocktails 🍸…..a very yummy meal….I ordered another cocktail with the waiter telling me it packs is a punch….well it tasted just like the Racha we had in Montenegro like rocket fuel….even John tired to partake only it bought back bad memories of a very heavy head the night him and our Russian landlord partook for a few hours neither able to speak each others language but who cared with the Racha to do the talking….ohh the head that night and next day….so one sip and he just couldn’t cope…😝😂😂😂

    We tried to sit outside of the restaurant but a bit chilli….so headed in near the fire…a guy started singing, but we had to go….we had to be there by 5.15 pm as they have 3 sittings a night…very very popular place…

    It was a lovely night only my poor old gut got very upset I was sure it was the oil the duck was cooked in…definitely not the Racha which sadly none of us could finish…I think we could of fired the car home on it 😂….

    Back home we settled in to watch a very predictable Liam Neeson picture and have some of the bubbly Lola it’s called….very very nice…

    Another day over…off to visit wineries tomorrow…and wine unusual sand dunes…
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 19-Sandunes, Deadpeople and Wines!

    10 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Another day of exploring has arrived upon us….Tim made a yummy breeky if Thick Bacon 🥓 and eggs with a tomatoes 🍅 salsa type side dish….after which we packed Uo and headed off in our car today…

    Picton was our first stop for morning tea at a Bike 🚲 Coffee Shop….Tim’s analogy was Bike shoos should serve good coffee ☕️ for all the push bikers 🚴‍♂️ and yep pretty good…

    Next stop they call then Sandbanks Sand Dunes..they are located on Lake Ontario.
    Info below if your interested….
    (Sandbanks Provincial Park is a provincial park located on Lake Ontario in Prince Edward County near Picton, Ontario, Canada. The park is considered one of the best sandy beaches in Ontario and contains the largest bay-mouth barrier dune formation in the world. The 1,550.87-hectare (3,832.3-acre) park was established in 1970 and operates year round. Birdwatching, camping, cycling, fishing, and swimming are among the activities available in the park. ] It is noted for its picturesque sand dunes and beaches and contains the largest bay-mouth barrier dune system in the world. This formation is created by longshore currents flowing from west to east along Lake Ontario's northern shore. Some dunes can reach 25 metres (82 ft) high. The dune system stretches roughly eight kilometres (5.0 mi) long from the tip in the northwest less than 100 metres (330 ft) wide to a 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) swath in the southeast. The dunes run from Lake Ontario into West Lake. Behind the barrier dunes lies a series of foredunes that is sparsely vegetated and further back, pannes, back dunes, and reforested sand ridges. The dunes were formed by glaciers 12,500 years ago. In the 1880s, due to a combination of timber cutting and poor farming practices, the soil inland from the sand dunes had become destabilized and the sand dunes were able to drift inland, increasing in size. In 1881, the West Point Road was buried under 30 metres (98 ft) of sand and the town of Athol, Ontario was forced to relocate after facing a similar event. In the 1920s, Sandbanks was the site of an intense reforestation project. The sand dunes extended over a further 34 hectares (85 acres). To recreate the Carolinian forest that had pre-existed there, the reforestation project used poplar to prevent the sand dunes from burying roads and orchards.)

    What we have to keep reminding ourselves of is that this is a fresh water lake system not the ocean…even though their are pesty seagulls around.. with everything around, sand, massive cargo ships etc…you are easIly fooled and start calling it the sea 🌊….

    Next stop was lunch at a Brewery restaurant Called Matron Fine Beer 🍺 Jess had a very unusual Cheese Ball called ….as she out her fork into it kind of exploded at her it did look funny…Tim and John got a Burger and I had a little of John’s and Jess have me a taste…they presented pkt thick cut normal chippies …..only time I have been sever pkt chips with a meal was in 1979 on a cruise when I asked the waiter for some chips…he looked at me oddly and next thing I had a plate if pkt chips served with my main…The word in the games is French-fires for our hot chips and crisps for pkt chips…you need the lingo to go with the want apparently….anyway this was a mistake it was what they serve quite often in Canada with a burger….well so Tim tells me…

    All feed and watered or beered for the mean and Jess had a wine…I actually shocked my site and had a Raspberry and and Lime Artisanal Soda….note the word Artisanal 😂😂😂😂 just makes it e tra special apparently and extra pricey 😩 !

    Next on the list was Dead Peoples Stuff Antiques Jess wanted to buy some little glasses for their sweet desert wines…and this little very popular place delivered with great prices too…I couldn’t get over her well marked items…so many antique places are over priced to the hilt….this one was great…worth a look at a stop and of course the name says it all….

    Then into Huff Estate Winery where they had a whole acre or more of unusual sculptures….some where 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 hmmmm not sure what you are others were 😜😜😜 yep got it and others were 🥰🥰🥰 yes I really love this…especially the huge human hand and faces made from bolts and some from wire….do love this type of sculpture….Tim and Jess had gone into the winery while we looked at the sculptures they came out with a box of goodies…so I raced in to have a look and yep decided on the spurs of the moment without tasting to get so. Cans of Rose’ and Sparkling wine in little personal sized cans which are great for travel…. Hope they taste good, guess the proof with be in the opening…

    Next port of call was Hinterland Wine Company really loved the ambiance of this one not modern more rustic…but decided not to try their wines they had nothing on offer I liked…but did buy a bag of mixed Carmel pop corn, chocolate coated nuts and Pretzels 🥨 my goodness all the tests together were yummy….plus the bonus was a wonderful old fence line I had been wanting to get a pic of throughout our travels I have seen these fences and they look like something out of the War between the North and South of the US….layer in a zigzag shape to keep it upright it looked great for pics….just hope the pics look great…Tim and Jess tried their wines here so we sat in the courtyard enjoying the peaceful surrounds….

    Onto the Grange of Prince Edward Winery to try out Bubblies yes now your talking, this winery specialises in making Sparkling varieties both white and Rose’, Tim and I were the only triers here…Jess had, had a her fill and John was our designated driver for the day…he tried a corn beer….Tim and I had 2 different styles of tasting…mine had 3 duffer t his 2 different more dry type and different style wines…mine were ok but not enough to want to buy…Tim secured a bottle of White Sparkling….

    Our self guided Tour took us next to the Traynor Family Vineyard this is Tim and Jess’s fave one and since coming here last time had green substantially…they buy this wine in line all the time…unfiltered and without preservatives and a modern twist to the taste, not traditional as they and the girl serving us would say it was shall I say very different 😵🤨 not really to my tastebuds style….all the more for Tim and Jess I tired a couple a sparkling and Rose’ but just couldn’t quite say yep I like it….so no buying here…By the time we had done here we were considering what to do for dinner…
    Tim and Jess suggested we pick tonight so I found what sounded like a great little restaurant called Panda Panda serving Asian fusion food…when I looked on the map to get directions 🗺,I said to Tim gosh I didn’t know Belleville had streets marked our or designed like Paris….well on examination again 🤪🤪🤪😂😂😂 it was Belleville in Paris…so guess we aren’t going there for dinner….
    So the choice was given back to Jess who picked the Midtown Brewing Company at Wellington the little town we choose last night for dinner… plus it was close and meant only a 10 minute drive, not a drive a flight and another drive flight drive to get back 😜😜😜 !

    Pizzas 🍕, Chips , olives and roasted Chickpeas….too much but it went down…Another drink then off home to relax and enjoy our surrounds…Poor Jess hit the hammock after a shower, not long after getting home and was out like a light….we watched a very bad Australian made movie about Russians and the US….
    All in all a big day…but we hit to experience Prince Edward County winery region….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 20 Sat-Finding Home!

    11 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Another side adventure over…Time to pack and head back home to Tim and Jess’s….we had a bagel with salmon, crème cheese and capers before setting off…We left Tim and Jess as they were heading straight home..we wanted to try and go along as much of the Lake as possible…
    But before we set off there were a couple of spots to look at in Belleville…One being a beautiful old Manson Glanmore built on 1882-83 for a wealthily banker it was designed in the style of Domestic Second Empire architecture….now I am not sure what that style is or was but it looked lovely.
    Then off to try and find a little building on the Lakes edge that looked worth a look…. we saw it from the bridge we drive over Thurs night when we went to Wellington. Well we couldn’t find it but did find a group of Long Boat rows at another marina area and the mouth of a river that flowed from the city into the Lake…

    Not having time to try and find my cute little building we drive around the Downtown section of the city, bought our fuel ⛽️ then set off for home….

    Next stop a Drawbridge on the Murray canal that was man made cutting straight through the narrow strip of land connecting Prince Edward County with the north shore of Lake Ontario, the Murray Canal is an 8 kilometre canal cut linking Lake Ontario with the Bay of Quinte. It was constructed between 1882-1889 to provide an alternative shipping route to the treacherous waters surrounding Prince Edward County. Presqu'ile Bay will lead you to the Murray Canal and its two road bridges: Brighton Road Swing Bridge and Carrying Place Swing Bridge.

    We thought we could go along this canal,all the way to the main lake…but sadly it was blocked off….so inland ish we headed seeing the lake here and there….heaps and heaps of new estates and new homes, some again ridiculously huge that had taken over beautiful farming land….all about the $ isn’t it…

    We stopped in a little place called Corburn for morning tea…it really was very difficult trying to find somewhere to have it…the towns, villages…cities not sure what to call them didn’t seem to have many cafe’s coffee shops on offer…this place had about 3 thrift shops would loved to have looked…but with John by my side hmmmm don’t think so…he doesn’t like thrift shopping…

    We bought a Butter Tart with pecans ohh my goodness was it rich couldn’t eat all the little tart just far to rich….very similar to my pecan tart recipe I have had for over 40 yrs…but mine not as rich…

    Off we headed past farms, what I thought was villages but turned out be cities with many from 11,000 the smallest number of people to over 150,000 none as small as home…I was very confused because you just expected them to be smaller than they were…

    We drove and drove though and past so many places and all the time looking for somewhere for lunch…we eventually ended up on the main Freeway yuk….through Toronto into Toronto on the other side looking to follow the lake…but no such luck…and trying to find a little place to eat was proving harder and harder…we eventually found one by accident and decided it had to do by now it was 2.30pm and this place shut at 3pm so we quickly ordered…A corn-meat sandwich with a side of chips… well you would have thought a corn meat sandwich 🥪 would have had other stuff in it and we should know by now when you order here look what’s on it…it either comes with more than you thought but in most cases none of what you thought….very basic, very bland as we are discovering much of the food is very tasteless….the potatoes were part fried, part cooked on a stove top certainly not chips….pretty cold….the sandwich did have lots of very thin corn meat on it but that was it…don’t even think it had butter… well it was food so we could continue to find our way back home….
    We did come back past the massive mansions we saw on the way up…but more if this time as we started at the beginning of where they were…last time we ducked out halfway through them…
    Wasn’t long before we had to get back into a Hwy so no more sights to see…

    We made it home at 4.30 pm…only took Tim and Jess 3 hours us all day…but we are getting to see the country…
    Phoenix had been in Doggo Care again and has come home with a real limp on his back right hind…Tim had taken him to the Vets before we headed away the first trip and they started him on treatment…but all his partying has left him quite limp poor little guy…

    My turn for dinner so off to Farm Boy to buy a hot 🔥 chook….ha ha when I asked the girls from my weekend away about their hot chooks they were truly miffed…what is a hot chooook they asked…ha ha us and our Aussie slang…explaining a Hot Chicken…trust me…
    We bought salad 🥗 to have with it and Jess made home made garlic bread 🥖…finally food with flavour… it really does come down to what your used to…and in Australia 🇦🇺 we really are so, so very very spoilt for so much choice and so much variety and so many flavours …until you travel I think we take it fir granted … but to be honest I haven’t been to too many countries that serve great tasty food…plus being a tourist makes it hard to access true flavours you only get to experience that when you with a local…that’s when you find the true flavours and tastes of a country…
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 21 - Rest, Pics and Phoenix!

    12 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Another day to just stop and collect our thoughts, more trip planning and downloading for the 1,000’s of pics I took over the last 3 days…. My goodness did I get carried away…
    Took another 2 1/2 hrs to download…slow old process…but as said before if I let it get to many days I can’t keep up with it…does my head in…
    Spent the afternoon with John, Tim and Jess all looking for accommodation near Yellowstone NP ohhh my glory is it ridiculous pricing to go to this…even towns 2-3 hrs away have high pjs Jed their prices to a ridiculous amount…the sad fact is we are hitting this area at peak time it will be the 2-4th July and it’s right in the middle of summer holidays for the US….we couldn’t avoid it at this time due to the mileages we will be doing just to see what we are seeing…
    It reminds me of trying to find cheap accommodation in Italy 🇮🇹 on our 2018 trip we hit there at peak tourist season too and to be honest I did better with cheaper accommodation there than over here….my glory do they milk the tourist with accommodation hikes during the peak times….

    We will be working till we die for this trip I am sure….crazy even food is so much dearer…every time we hit Farm Boy to buy a few items it cost 💲 nearly or over $100, for not much to show for it….I know our prices are going up too but I still think we are cheaper, plus they add all those taxes onto it at the checkout which we don’t have to think about, it’s done for us…

    The afternoon also was spent with Phoenix getting me to take him outside…funny little fellow…he monitors those squirrels like a guard dog…the slightest presence and he fires down the steps flys up the back yard and jumps around like a bunny trying to get to this pesky squirrels….at one stage he insisted on getting on my lap and I am not a dog person as I said before but he convinces me with his sweet eyes…I thought he wanted just some loving…but soon realised the only reason he was on my lap was to monitor those darn squirrels from a higher vantage point…crazy dog…his heart and breathing was going a 1,000 mph as he sat there waiting to attack….ha ha very clever little character he is…

    We had an early dinner with Tim making very crispy yummy chicken wings, I revamped our salad from last night with prawns….ohh my goodness they were the most tasteless prawns I have ever had…devoid of any flavour…. Good thing I made a yummy sauce to go with it…

    Then after dinner we all headed to like a gold Class at the movies they call it VIP here so we could see the new Jurassic Park movie….predicable as always but not too bad to see on the big screen….

    Another day gone, pics sorted, some more accommodation sorted all the poorer for it…but how blessed we are to get the opportunity even if we will have to move in with each one of you reading this for the next part of our lives to pay for it 🤪🤪🤪😂😂😂😂😂
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 22 Mon-Castle to Quaint Town!

    13 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    We decided today we had best let Tim and Jess get sorted for the big trip without us around.. so after Brekky which Tim had made yummy pancakes again, on Tim’s suggestion we head to Stratford being a quaint town and we had seen a sign for the castle so we set off for Castle Kilbride at Wilmot, we knew it wasn’t a true castle as such but nevertheless we thought we will go to see what it had to offer….

    Going by all the back roads we actually ended up going about 20 k on a dirt road and what a great smooth dirt road it was…the main roads around are just so rough and rugged to drive on….we thought our roads are bad and yes they are…but it would appear that the snow really plays havoc with them when melting and all the use of salt on them when snowing causes huge issues….Judy my friend said they spend the 4-5 months with out snow repairing at the damage only for it to occur all over again….guess it’s a lot like our flood periods wreaking our roads…but our floods don’t last 7-8 months of the year like snow does here….

    We arrived at the Castle to discover it was an old mansion with no info about it, but had been built into a modern Council building their main Council building for the area….it did look odd and to top it off only opened Wed-Sat….so just a quick look from the side and front…
    On investigation we discovered it was built in 1877 info below…
    (Castle Kilbride is the former residence of James Livingston, a Canadian member of parliament, and owner of flax and linseed oil mills. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in March 1994. It was built in Baden, Ontario in 1877 and named after Livingston's birthplace in Scotland. The major feature of Castle Kilbride is the interior decorative murals in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The trompe-l'œil technique used in the murals gives the illusion of a third dimension. The building is also an outstanding example of an Italianate villa of its place and time, and at the time of its building was a tribute to the reputation of its owner as the so-called 'Flax and Oil King of Canada')

    Such a shame we couldn’t go in as I think that’s where the beauty of it would have been….but the front section was quite impressive nevertheless….

    Next onto Stratford is a city on the Avon River within Perth County, mainly dairy country around here, but big paddocks all ploughed now ready to see a new harvest….it has a very impressive Town Hall right in the centre of the cities main Downtown as they call it….it was built in 1897 The Perth County Court also another wow building and built in 1887… nothing like our history many from the early 1900’s still Canada has a few more years on us doesn’t it….
    We went for a wander around the streets…found a lovely coffee shop to have a cuppa in opposite the Town Hall so we could watch the coming and going’s if people around it’s open square…the coffee shop had a very impressive ceiling and lots of quirky items set around its walls etc to keep the eye and my finger happy taking shoots….

    After we looked around we drive down to the river checking out that section…like Kitchener it has a number of small bridges over the River making it look very scenic….people sitting around taking in the warmth of their spring days…. Back to town we ended up to a pub for lunch….John had fish and chips and yep you have to order a side salad, no salad or veggies served with a main…most times what you see on the menu is exactly what you get no extra dudes here…I had burchetta do you think that could be stuffed up…yep they put oregano on it instead of Basil….No1 I hate oregano and No 2 it really tasted like Sh##@t …. Upset my gut all afternoon…I went on something I thought couldn’t cause an issue hmmm 🤔 wrong again…

    We headed back towards Kitchener going to Zerhs like Woolies to but some bits and Pierce’s for the big trip….but everything so jolly expensive…a pair of tongs was $8 no cheapies here…so after not being able to get some items I said to John let’s find a cheap shop….
    We found what we thought was a cheap shop turned out yo be a huge warehouse with long table looking Bins with what must be factory 2nds all looks pretty much like a huge jumble but people everywhere scouring through them…
    So out the door goggle a Dollor shop and off we set…and bonus hit my tings and everything else for $1.50 ea…. Not a Dollor anymore went up at the beginning if the year…jolly inflation hey…everywhere…
    Now your asking what the heck does she need tongs for….well at nearly every Airbnb we have stayed at they don’t have flippers of tongs and have had to use a knife and fork…so a little pair of tongs is now in our emergency kit I take from A-B along with other items that we might need along the way….history has taught me yo be ready for anything when staying in accommodation on the road…

    Back home we sorted our gear out…Phoenix has been to the Vets again this time to get more stuff done for his transfer back to the Land of Oz…I have mentioned that he has have regular tests and stuff down over a 6 month period to make him eligible to come back home…he is half way through all,this being done and it must be done in set dates…so our who,e travel is planned around his Vet dates…he hasn’t coming with us this trip and we will miss the little cutie…

    Dinner Tim cooked of Bison sausages on a hotdog roll with sautéed onions cheese and trimmings very tasty…..

    So all sorted tomorrow the big jaunt begins….long days, long drive and hopefully lots to see as we drive….
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 23 Tues-The Long Haul 🤪😩!

    14 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    So up very early 5 am to get my readings and blog done before getting out to finish the last of the packing done and out to the car…As I am so slow to getting organised in the AM so got my breakfast ready to take with me…1/2 a bagel 🥯 with cream cheese, salmon 🍣 and capers yum…I did enjoy it…John had his standard Cereal and juice….we left at 0710hrs we are heading to Sauté Ste Marie a city on the way across this big country as we heard Howard’s Vancouver and The Rockies…..

    We said farewell to Tim and Jess as they had to leave later to put Phoenix in to care for our 3 week trip….Poor little fellow he will miss us all…..or should I say we will miss him…at I’m days he loves his care place so much he never wants to come home…

    Off we set to make our way north without going through Toronto again…the traffic is crazy and at that time it would be peak hour….so off to the smaller rural backroads going through farmlands…smaller towns ha ha…the smallest I saw until we hit the more northern parts were 19,500 unreal…they look small but they aren’t…the back roads ended up being to slow after an hour or more of 80 is plus they were busier than we thought they would be…by the time we made it to Orangeville we decided even though it was much prettier and interesting it was far to slow as we had 800ks to drive today…a big haul indeed…
    So off to the major Hwy our only up was we’re had everted Toronto thank goodness…bit the Hwy was very very busy and heaps of road works….

    We pulled up fir a cuppa at a Tim Horton’s don’t tell our Tim he says their crap….but beggars can’t be choosers on a road trip like this…we missed 3 lots of Road Transit centres as they were actually advertising Tim Horton’s only after we drove by did we realise they all had one…

    A coffee and a Brekky bacon, egg, and Hash brown in a wrap like I had with Judy was great plus bonus I have half left for tomorrows Brekky if the one at the hotel is crap…

    The landscape finally started to change with Rocky outcrops popping up along the Hwy…up to this point it had just been thick, thick bush,and and pine forests….Now the rocks were getting bigger and bigger giving the landscape a more dramatic feel….

    Then as I was busy doing something with my phone….sorting pics I think…John says what’s that….and all I could see on the other side of the Hwy was brown hairy thing…I thought maybe a cow…with a truck looming towards it we John realised it was a big brown bear….by the time we could slow down he had scampered off the Hwy the truck averting him and me missing a great photo op….😩😩😩 let’s hope more….

    For lunch we pulled up at Jeremy’s Diner with a big sign in the door saying due to not being able to hire staff as of Wednesday tomorrow they were shutting indefinitely…that’s so sad….we are just blown away with how many hire me signs on 100’s of businesses a lot like home but more so…in the towns we have visited it’s nothing to see 10-20 hire staff signs up….Covid has a down side of people not wanting to work now…I truly don’t know how they are all living…not sure if there is a dole here but guessing there must be with the sheer volume needed to be hired…

    Anyway we had lunch nothing special but food…As usual I was bought the wrong thing…John says I am a magnet….once sorted I could eat….John had a huge Foot Long Hot Dog….mine was pea soup and garlic bread…the garlic bread was great…the pea soup ordinary and tasteless…but I ate some…

    So off we go again…seeing the Huron Lake winding its way along the Hwy on both sides sometimes…huge river systems and wet wet land that looked soaked…

    We saw and I missed time and time again the different Indian Tribes names and say it was Native Indigenous lands we were entering… many we didn’t know but Mohawk we did….
    The other thing is the sheer volume of Cannabis shops dotted along the Hwy…some must be making great money as getting very flash…others as just Dongers…..

    Other sights we saw was heaps and heaps of boats small motor boats covered in what looked like heat shrink over it one….at a close up look it was heat shrunk over them all…100’s of boats are done like this must be to protect them from the harsh winters…Plus hundreds and hundreds of massive Caravans RVs they call them of Fifth Wheelers…most pulled up in peoples yards…they must use them as extra housing from the look of it…When we went to Utah years ago we noticed this in all the Indian reservation homes and others as well…tiny run down homes with massive RVs parked close by….same here the further west we have come…So strange to see it…plus I noticed heaps of abandoned caravans in fields or surrounded by bush….must be easy to just cast off here….

    So, so green…and the rugged rocky outcrops along the freeway made for a dramatic look…. Some of the Hwys looked like driving into Sydney with the craggy Rock walls between each side of the Hwy…
    Lake views become so pretty but I missed most opportunities with camera issues…this Z5 is doing my head in big time.,,

    We made it to our destination just around 5pm…Tim and Jess a good 1 1/2 away behind us….

    The hotel Howard Johnson by Wyndham is crappy from the outside…but rooms are clean and neat…downside I had to ask the office if they could store our freezer bricks in their freezer our tiny room ones just would t cut it…as we will be staying in Airbnbs we need some stores so I am the chuck wagon again, with groceries and cold goods….

    Tim and Jess made it at 6.45pm tired but elated they had done their very first big jaunt driving so far in one day….while they lived in Sydney they never owned a car only hired one and did short trips out or when longer shorter distances…and not having been a big driver Tim was concerned he might get too tired…but he did great…

    They booked in and we all started to try and find a place for dinner…Tim found a Scottish Whiskey Bar Restaurant to go to….What a great little Bar this turned out to be great food 🥘 , only small, but great atmosphere, great services perfect end to a big day and I finally got to try out the deep fried pickles….I loved them, John thought OK….ha ha his way of saying I don’t really like it…😜
    We were pretty had it so actually ended up going to bed early…
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 24 Wed-Locks Away!

    14 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Another day has dawned awake on and off for long periods, this is starting to be a common occurrence…I might be best to go back into my Melatonin….I think I mentioned it before now…but ho on it 2 weeks before travel with big time changes and stay on it for 2 weeks once there to regulate my sleeping pattern it does help…maybe just need it a bit longer…we have another time change only an hour in 2 days but might be enough to hinder the regular sleeping pattern….

    We picked up our complimentary breakfast from here. Actually wasn’t that bad really , muffins, yogurt, a cereal bar and juice….even a little butter for the muffins…anyway we decided we will use these on our road trip in the car and John had his cereal I had my left over Tim Horton’s bacon, egg and hash brown farmers wrap….not as crisp ax yesterday heating it in a common area in the foyer…. Then we set off to explore the area….

    Our first port of call was actually a marina…. When I got out of the car to take pics 2 older men where there, they said hello then went to a seat nearby with another older guy and sat down chatting…when I walked around the front of their car there were all, these ducks and pigeons eating grain.I worked out they must feed them everyday and meet up with their mate….nice to see them out and about enjoying each other’s company…

    From here John realised he could do some Geocaching and set off to find one…I sat in the car waiting…I looked out the window and saw an unreal old building across the water…thinking to myself I would like to see this…then realised it was actually in the USOf A so no going to find it today…

    John back found on Geocache the other one as missing…those darn mugglers….off we drove to further up parking in a huge car park opposite the boardwalk along the Water way on St Marys River that flows into Huron Lake that you could again nearly if you were great at it throwing a ball ⚽️ to the Yanks on the other side…it was a bit further than that, but still closer than I thought….

    From this Vantage point I could see the huge old building a bit better and bonus it had a plaque on the boardwalk explaining all about it… it turns out it was Edison’s Saul’s Electric Hydroelectric Plant…they started to built it in 1898 and didn’t finish until 1902… situated on the Soo Locks of St Marys River that flows into Lake Huron….it was the very first Hydro Eke trip Power Plant built in the US…it is 400 meters long and contains 78 horizontal AV generators making it the longest horizontal shift hydro facility in the world….😲

    We continued walking around the upper end of the boardwalk finding some bears….ha ha very big statue bears looking out on the River…
    The bears are looking out at the Soo Locks…

    (The Soo Locks……The world-famous Soo Locks bypass those rapids and permit freighters to pass up or down the St. Marys River to and from the Great Lakes Waterway. You can see the locks at work – an average of 10,000 ships per year pass through them – from atop the 64-meter Tower of History near downtown Sault Ste. Marie.)
    (The main artery of the region is the St. Marys River, which flows from Lake Superior, over the rapids for which the town is named (French colonists referred to them as “Les Saults de Ste. Marie,” “Sault” translating to “jumps” or “falls”), into Lake Huron. Because of its prime location, Sault Ste. Marie was positioned for prominence: “The Soo” is where Michigan was born.)

    Then off to have my first Starbucks coffee just close by…while there…..having being served with a young lady with the biggest black longest false eye lashes she nearly couldn’t blink they were so long 😁😁😁 any entertained John he couldn’t get over them….sorry back to my story, we did some research on what to see and we saw you could go to the Sault Ste Marie Canal on this side of the border….but right above them is a massive long span of different bridges 🌉 going to the USA….it was built in 1889 and 1895 and was the longest lock and first to use electricity…plus was the last link in an all Canadian navigational chain from the At,antic Ocean to Lake Superior….it was originally built to bypass the turbulent rapids on St Mary’s River plus a last link in the Canadian Great Lakes St Lawrence shipping Route…also as the Wisconsin Glacier retreated some 12,000 yrs ago… The St Mary River did carry the waters from Lake Superior to Lake Huron….the rapids resulted from a six meter difference between the two lakes….The canal was cut through the bedrock of St Mary’s island that being Red sandstone
    which all the old buildings around the canal are built out if…what a gorgeous colour this sandstone is….when the had finally completed the canal in 1895 it’s chamber was 274 m long, 18 m wide and was the largest in the world at that time… Stone cutters laboured for 4 yrs to support even the walls of the lock which are intact today….Today this Lock is only used for recreational vessels and a bonus just as we were about to leave a Police boat was using the lock so we got to see it in action.,,unreal from the height of the canal going out to Lake Superior is 6.4m higher drop with the gates shut higher on the Lake Superior side than the waters on the bottom side to St Mary’s River ……huge difference and seeing it in action made it seem so much more special witnessing the heights and depths of each side…

    We started out at the top end towards Lake Superior looking at what we thought were 2 old discarded bridges…how wrong we were…
    One the huge Orange one it turns out is a Swing Dam… I won’t write this but will put in the info below it is a massive sheer machine that once we knew how it worked was totally fascinating…. There were 9 built in the world this is the only one left that can still be used and the only that was used in an emergency in 1909. I’ll put that story there as well so very interesting…

    (The Sault Canal Emergency Swing Dam is an all-metal structure built by the Dominion Bridge Company in 1896.[1] It sits along the Canadian Sault Ste. Marie Canal, to protect against the rush of water that would occur if something ever damaged the Sault locks. It operates by swinging over the canal and dropping wicket gates into the water. The Emergency Dam was put to the ultimate test on June 9, 1909 when the freighter Perry G. Walker crashed into the upstream lock sending a torrent of water crashing into the downstream lock. The Perry G. Walker and another ship the "Assiniboia" were sent back into the St. Marys River and another ship that was heading upstream out of the locks the "Crescent City" hit the channel wall. The swing dam proved its worth by slowing down the torrent of water. This example of emergency swing bridge is the last of nine ever built. Other examples were previous in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, USA and in the Panama Canal.)

    Looking at the plates that come down on the Dam bridge..such and every one had a buckled section…we were to learn the sheer pressure from the water during the disaster in 1909 cussed these l,ages to buckle which to this day can still be seen…just made you aware of the sheer force of the water coming from Lake Superior through the canal to Lake Huron is massive…to buckle each and every plate made of metal plate would have been huge….

    We came here for a quick look and suddenly realised there was so much to take in so we slowed down to take in the rest of the many discoveries of being here… next to the big Orange Swing Dam…was this rusted looking yep like a bridge…on investigation yep it was a bridge a rail swing bridge….it too swung across the canals we thought in bygone years…but in talking to a guy who it turns out worked there..this bridge is very much in action so much so it swings across at 7 pm every night… wow …..it too was built in 1896 when it swings across this lines up right across the waterways to the US with 9 what is called Camelback spans and 3 big big lift bridges as well spanning right across St Mary’s River and her Rapids… we later went for a walk on St Mary’s Island to Whitefish Island and from here could see the massive Lift bridges up in the air on the US side……unreal feats these massive structures for their day….

    From here we walked across to Whitefish Island that was used by the Native First Nations peoples until all the canals were built…. Today it is used by fisherman getting amongst the rapids to try their hand at fishing in their long rubber overalls… it was here we kept following another couple who Sheryl you will be very proud of me I asked them their names and got a selfie Witt them…Glen and Jocelyn were from Alberta out west and were driving across to get a motorbike trailer for his Goldwing…. We actually followed them through an off side track trying to fund a shortcut back to the main track…I think Jocelyn through there husband was leading us all up the garden or rather the bush path to nowhere…but we did eventually find our way out….being on the island and you could get really close to the rapids and see the US and the massive bridges so much better…
    Well worth coming in the extra walk…I had a ball walking over as all the weeds are out and the weeds here are so different and interesting to ours…many with pretty little flowers that lined the paths along the way…plus what looked like a Queen Ann Lace a weed in parts of Aust and wild what looked like flocks…I even had a tiny chip muck come right up to me to check me out… we worked out that people must feed the sadly so they aren’t coy…which could be bad as people do awful things yo little creatures when they don’t have a sense of danger…mind you it was so special…one even come right up to my hand…I thought John might get a pic but no too busy watching…

    Our time was running out with a massive storm looming…so back over the bridges that joined the two islands…back past 3 areas that looked like otters might have build their own dams as that’s what it looked like…but on close inspection the wood had been cut… darn…but it really did look so much like Otter 🦦 dams… maybe it’s meant to attract them…not even sure they live here…
    Back to the main lock where I wanted to finish looking at the buildings left from the bygone days…only a few now…and that’s when we got to watch the Police Boat go through the Locks…a bonus to finish our morning now afternoon…

    I am sick of crap food so on the way back we called to a little local supermarket to get some ham, cheese and bread…I am going to and did make salad sandwich’s as I had other stuff from Tim’s fridge and they were yummy…finally something I can eat…

    What a great day…sorry so much info but so many facets to this great area on the Canals of Sault Ste Marie…

    Tim contacted late afternoon about dinner…the place I accidentally sent to you Vic Low and Slow Fusion BBQ…. So I rang and booked it not knowing for sure it was booked ad it was only a msg bank you spoke to…as it turned out we were the only patrons… John slept nearly 3 hrs feeling very unwell and had a temp… I dosed him up and more when he got up…felt fine later…but always a concern these days we have Covid…. Had an email this morning to say Mum has Covid…pretty pissed of really…she has no visitors except us and none has been lately with Dad having Covid….so it has to come from staff….anyway they have her isolated…sad really every time I think about her being locked away because of this horrible disease…it breaks my heart…
    Dad is on the improve thank goodness they have both had their 4 Vaccines or I would say curtains for them both…

    Anyway back to our dinner…it turned out to be pretty good…I took a lick of the side dishes and forgot the massive platter for 2 mins you filled with meats…Chicken, sausage, Pulled pork and Brisket all smoked and very tender and tasty…The meal was huge, plus we had a starter nine if could eat it all…my fav was the very light Corn Bread… got some left for Brekky….
    Coming out if the restaurant I walked past an ally way filled with great art works…very good Sone if it..,a local guy had to,d us of more great ones near a school, but sadly wasn’t on the right side of the car to capture them…
    Tim and Jess were very impressed with our visit to the Canals today, so John took them to see it…what a bonus the rail bridge was over the canal… bonus indeed…I thought it might go back while we were there but apparently it stays all night different trains go across… Tim and Jess hightailed it to Whitefish Island to see the Rapids..they were certainly a lot quicker than us…
    All in all a good day…
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Day 24 Wed- Locks Away!

    15 Juni 2022, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Another day has dawned awake on and off for long periods, this is starting to be a common occurrence…I might be best to go back into my Melatonin….I think I mentioned it before now…but ho on it 2 weeks before travel with big time changes and stay on it for 2 weeks once there to regulate my sleeping pattern it does help…maybe just need it a bit longer…we have another time change only an hour in 2 days but might be enough to hinder the regular sleeping pattern….

    We picked up our complimentary breakfast from here. Actually wasn’t that bad really , muffins, yogurt, a cereal bar and juice….even a little butter for the muffins…anyway we decided we will use these on our road trip in the car and John had his cereal I had my left over Tim Horton’s bacon, egg and hash brown farmers wrap….not as crisp ax yesterday heating it in a common area in the foyer…. Then we set off to explore the area….

    Our first port of call was actually a marina…. When I got out of the car to take pics 2 older men where there, they said hello then went to a seat nearby with another older guy and sat down chatting…when I walked around the front of their car there were all, these ducks and pigeons eating grain.I worked out they must feed them everyday and meet up with their mate….nice to see them out and about enjoying each other’s company…

    From here John realised he could do some Geocaching and set off to find one…I sat in the car waiting…I looked out the window and saw an unreal old building across the water…thinking to myself I would like to see this…then realised it was actually in the USOf A so no going to find it today…

    John back found on Geocache the other one as missing…those darn mugglers….off we drove to further up parking in a huge car park opposite the boardwalk along the Water way on St Marys River that flows into Huron Lake that you could again nearly if you were great at it throwing a ball ⚽️ to the Yanks on the other side…it was a bit further than that, but still closer than I thought….

    From this Vantage point I could see the huge old building a bit better and bonus it had a plaque on the boardwalk explaining all about it… it turns out it was Edison’s Saul’s Electric Hydroelectric Plant…they started to built it in 1898 and didn’t finish until 1902… situated on the Soo Locks of St Marys River that flows into Lake Huron….it was the very first Hydro Eke trip Power Plant built in the US…it is 400 meters long and contains 78 horizontal AV generators making it the longest horizontal shift hydro facility in the world….😲

    We continued walking around the upper end of the boardwalk finding some bears….ha ha very big statue bears looking out on the River…
    The bears are looking out at the Soo Locks…

    (The Soo Locks……The world-famous Soo Locks bypass those rapids and permit freighters to pass up or down the St. Marys River to and from the Great Lakes Waterway. You can see the locks at work – an average of 10,000 ships per year pass through them – from atop the 64-meter Tower of History near downtown Sault Ste. Marie.)
    (The main artery of the region is the St. Marys River, which flows from Lake Superior, over the rapids for which the town is named (French colonists referred to them as “Les Saults de Ste. Marie,” “Sault” translating to “jumps” or “falls”), into Lake Huron. Because of its prime location, Sault Ste. Marie was positioned for prominence: “The Soo” is where Michigan was born.)

    Then off to have my first Starbucks coffee just close by…while there…..having being served with a young lady with the biggest black longest false eye lashes she nearly couldn’t blink they were so long 😁😁😁 any entertained John he couldn’t get over them….sorry back to my story, we did some research on what to see and we saw you could go to the Sault Ste Marie Canal on this side of the border….but right above them is a massive long span of different bridges 🌉 going to the USA….it was built in 1889 and 1895 and was the longest lock and first to use electricity…plus was the last link in an all Canadian navigational chain from the At,antic Ocean to Lake Superior….it was originally built to bypass the turbulent rapids on St Mary’s River plus a last link in the Canadian Great Lakes St Lawrence shipping Route…also as the Wisconsin Glacier retreated some 12,000 yrs ago… The St Mary River did carry the waters from Lake Superior to Lake Huron….the rapids resulted from a six meter difference between the two lakes….The canal was cut through the bedrock of St Mary’s island that being Red sandstone
    which all the old buildings around the canal are built out if…what a gorgeous colour this sandstone is….when the had finally completed the canal in 1895 it’s chamber was 274 m long, 18 m wide and was the largest in the world at that time… Stone cutters laboured for 4 yrs to support even the walls of the lock which are intact today….Today this Lock is only used for recreational vessels and a bonus just as we were about to leave a Police boat was using the lock so we got to see it in action.,,unreal from the height of the canal going out to Lake Superior is 6.4m higher drop with the gates shut higher on the Lake Superior side than the waters on the bottom side to St Mary’s River ……huge difference and seeing it in action made it seem so much more special witnessing the heights and depths of each side…

    We started out at the top end towards Lake Superior looking at what we thought were 2 old discarded bridges…how wrong we were…
    One the huge Orange one it turns out is a Swing Dam… I won’t write this but will put in the info below it is a massive sheer machine that once we knew how it worked was totally fascinating…. There were 9 built in the world this is the only one left that can still be used and the only that was used in an emergency in 1909. I’ll put that story there as well so very interesting…

    (The Sault Canal Emergency Swing Dam is an all-metal structure built by the Dominion Bridge Company in 1896.[1] It sits along the Canadian Sault Ste. Marie Canal, to protect against the rush of water that would occur if something ever damaged the Sault locks. It operates by swinging over the canal and dropping wicket gates into the water. The Emergency Dam was put to the ultimate test on June 9, 1909 when the freighter Perry G. Walker crashed into the upstream lock sending a torrent of water crashing into the downstream lock. The Perry G. Walker and another ship the "Assiniboia" were sent back into the St. Marys River and another ship that was heading upstream out of the locks the "Crescent City" hit the channel wall. The swing dam proved its worth by slowing down the torrent of water. This example of emergency swing bridge is the last of nine ever built. Other examples were previous in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, USA and in the Panama Canal.)

    Looking at the plates that come down on the Dam bridge..such and every one had a buckled section…we were to learn the sheer pressure from the water during the disaster in 1909 cussed these l,ages to buckle which to this day can still be seen…just made you aware of the sheer force of the water coming from Lake Superior through the canal to Lake Huron is massive…to buckle each and every plate made of metal plate would have been huge….

    We came here for a quick look and suddenly realised there was so much to take in so we slowed down to take in the rest of the many discoveries of being here… next to the big Orange Swing Dam…was this rusted looking yep like a bridge…on investigation yep it was a bridge a rail swing bridge….it too swung across the canals we thought in bygone years…but in talking to a guy who it turns out worked there..this bridge is very much in action so much so it swings across at 7 pm every night… wow …..it too was built in 1896 when it swings across this lines up right across the waterways to the US with 9 what is called Camelback spans and 3 big big lift bridges as well spanning right across St Mary’s River and her Rapids… we later went for a walk on St Mary’s Island to Whitefish Island and from here could see the massive Lift bridges up in the air on the US side……unreal feats these massive structures for their day….

    From here we walked across to Whitefish Island that was used by the Native First Nations peoples until all the canals were built…. Today it is used by fisherman getting amongst the rapids to try their hand at fishing in their long rubber overalls… it was here we kept following another couple who Sheryl you will be very proud of me I asked them their names and got a selfie Witt them…Glen and Jocelyn were from Alberta out west and were driving across to get a motorbike trailer for his Goldwing…. We actually followed them through an off side track trying to fund a shortcut back to the main track…I think Jocelyn through there husband was leading us all up the garden or rather the bush path to nowhere…but we did eventually find our way out….being on the island and you could get really close to the rapids and see the US and the massive bridges so much better…
    Well worth coming in the extra walk…I had a ball walking over as all the weeds are out and the weeds here are so different and interesting to ours…many with pretty little flowers that lined the paths along the way…plus what looked like a Queen Ann Lace a weed in parts of Aust and wild what looked like flocks…I even had a tiny chip muck come right up to me to check me out… we worked out that people must feed the sadly so they aren’t coy…which could be bad as people do awful things yo little creatures when they don’t have a sense of danger…mind you it was so special…one even come right up to my hand…I thought John might get a pic but no too busy watching…

    Our time was running out with a massive storm looming…so back over the bridges that joined the two islands…back past 3 areas that looked like otters might have build their own dams as that’s what it looked like…but on close inspection the wood had been cut… darn…but it really did look so much like Otter 🦦 dams… maybe it’s meant to attract them…not even sure they live here…
    Back to the main lock where I wanted to finish looking at the buildings left from the bygone days…only a few now…and that’s when we got to watch the Police Boat go through the Locks…a bonus to finish our morning now afternoon…

    I am sick of crap food so on the way back we called to a little local supermarket to get some ham, cheese and bread…I am going to and did make salad sandwich’s as I had other stuff from Tim’s fridge and they were yummy…finally something I can eat…

    What a great day…sorry so much info but so many facets to this great area on the Canals of Sault Ste Marie…

    Tim contacted late afternoon about dinner…the place I accidentally sent to you Vic Low and Slow Fusion BBQ…. So I rang and booked it not knowing for sure it was booked ad it was only a msg bank you spoke to…as it turned out we were the only patrons… John slept nearly 3 hrs feeling very unwell and had a temp… I dosed him up and more when he got up…felt fine later…but always a concern these days we have Covid…. Had an email this morning to say Mum has Covid…pretty pissed of really…she has no visitors except us and none has been lately with Dad having Covid….so it has to come from staff….anyway they have her isolated…sad really every time I think about her being locked away because of this horrible disease…it breaks my heart…
    Dad is on the improve thank goodness they have both had their 4 Vaccines or I would say curtains for them both…

    Anyway back to our dinner…it turned out to be pretty good…I took a lick of the side dishes and forgot the massive platter for 2 mins you filled with meats…Chicken, sausage, Pulled pork and Brisket all smoked and very tender and tasty…The meal was huge, plus we had a starter nine if could eat it all…my fav was the very light Corn Bread… got some left for Brekky….
    Coming out if the restaurant I walked past an ally way filled with great art works…very good Sone if it..,a local guy had to,d us of more great ones near a school, but sadly wasn’t on the right side of the car to capture them…
    Tim and Jess were very impressed with our visit to the Canals today, so John took them to see it…what a bonus the rail bridge was over the canal… bonus indeed…I thought it might go back while we were there but apparently it stays all night different trains go across… Tim and Jess hightailed it to Whitefish Island to see the Rapids..they were certainly a lot quicker than us…
    All in all a good day…
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