Location: Toronto, ON
Happy Father's Day! My dad said he had enough of me so I didn't head north to my parents place for the remainder of the weekend. I love you too, dad :P Enjoy the NASCAR race today! Go Jr!!! :)
So I'm back home, safe and sound ... and missing the East Coast like crazy!! I was so tired when I got home last night that I didn't bother making an entry, so I thought it would be appropriate in this entry to reflect back on my trip ...
IT WAS AWESOME!! :) Even tho I didn't see any puffins :( or whales :( :( it was still a pretty wicked trip.
I can't wait to go back! There was so much I wasn't able to see that I can't wait to get back to. I definitely need to spend more time on the Bay of Fundy -- I want to see the tides, the flowerpot islands, and go whale watching! And apparently there is a Chocolate Museum in St Stephen, NB. How awesome is that!! :) I want to explore St John's, NL and Charlottetown, PEI further -- The shops in these cities look so neat. You'd prolly find some nifty one-of-a-kind items as well as some amazing art. Oh so much to do, so little time ... You'd need at least a month to fully explore the East Coast. But fly out and rent a car. By driving we lost 2-3 days each way. Dad doesn't like airplanes tho so to save him the torture we made the long drive :)
I miss the seafood. I'm still thinking about the seafood chowder I had in St Anthony, NL *drool* And after the lobster I had in Charlottetown, PEI I know to get more than 1 lb. That was like a snack! :) And the goat cheese and halibut = amazing! Gotta try making that!
I wasn't able to sample all the beer that I wanted to, but I can say Black Horse from NL (brewed by Molson Breweries -- Sorry, can't find a link directly to the beer) is pretty good. It's like a Coors Light. It's a little weaker than I like my beers to be, but definitely a keeper in my books. As long as I can see thru 'em I'm good :) Speaking of booze, I need to head back to St John's, NL to get Screeched In. There are bars on George St (like Trapper John's) that give you a pin and a certificate! George St is Newfoundland's version of Bourbon St in New Orleans. It's nothing but bars ... The ultimate street for a pub crawl :)
The people are so kind. We had a number of ppl come up and ask us where we were from and offer us some pointers on where to go and what to see. If it weren't for the gentleman that spoke to me in Twillingate we never would have seen the large berg ... in the dump :) Thx to the woman who spoke to me on the Iceberg tour I was able to taste some iceberg ice right outta the ocean (her hubbie was the guy drivin' the boat.) And if we hadn't been tourists we would have come home with a rather large speeding ticket ... (that RCMP guy was CUTE!)
I can't believe the sway in the weather! A week ago I was wearing my winter jacket, looking for icebergs and whales and freezin' my butt off. Today I'm in my shorts trying not to die of heat exhaustion and observing the occasional lightning strike. Crazy!!
Oh, and we must not forget about the adventures on the ferry. Fog on the way to Port aux Basques, rough seas on the way back ... I'm really surprised (and glad) I didn't barf!! :) Supa fun tho :)
And we should count our blessings here in Ontario as far as gas pricing goes. I saw signs in Quebec for 149.4 ... and that was for self serve!!!
I still have some pics that I haven't posted on here, so the pics in some of my previous entries may grow over the next week or so. Other than that, this is my sign off. Hope you've enjoyed reading about my Adventures! 'Til next time...
Enjoy a fine mug up with some Partridgeberry jam, ya foolish gommel. If she's gone bye she's gone and ya can't get outta the fine kettle of fish, cook up a scoff and have an awful nice day.
Long may your big jib draw! :)
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Day 14: Giant bridge and lobster!!!
Location: Rimouski, QC
So today was pretty much just a driving day. We stopped at the Visitor's Centre in PEI to stock up on souvenirs before we crossed Confederation Bridge. The stores in Gateway Village are cool! Lotsa hand made stuff, as well as your typical keychains, magnets and bookmarks. INSANE amounts of Anne of Green Gables stuff. I know she's a big deal in PEI, but I didn't realize it was THAT bad :)
This is such a horrible pic of me, but I thought you guys might get a kick out of it ...
The winds @ the Bridge were supa fast today. They were at least 90 km/h cuz trucks were not permitted to cross: winds have to be at least 90 km/h for this to happen. The waves crashing in were insane!! When we got to the New Brunswick side we stopped @ a lookoff so I could snap some photos ... and play on the beach :) My dad had to lean against me while I snapped some of these pics so I'd stop movin' around in the wind! :)
I really like this pic ... except it was taken in NB not PEI ... Oops!! :)
I found another UC in Murray Corner, NB ...
)
We stopped in Shediac, NB to see the World's Largest Lobster. Dee, you weren't kidding!! The Lobster measures 35' in length, 15' in width and stands 16' tall. He weighs a total of 90 tonnes: 55 tonnes for the lobster and 35 tonnes for the pedestal.
Look where we stopped, Dee!!
We didn't get a chance to go around the Gaspé Peninsula. My mom was concerned about timing so we had to skip that leg of the trip. That's okay with me! Something else for me to do later :)
So we're holed up in a Comfort Inn in Rimouski, QC for the night. We just got back from having dinner @ St Hubert. We had St Hubert's at a location in Rivière-Du-Loup last week, and I enjoyed my sammich so much then that I got it again tonight. Mmm ... Chicken Sandwich with Brie ... :) Even tho the service was really bad, the sammich made up for it :)
Tomorrow: Home :(
So today was pretty much just a driving day. We stopped at the Visitor's Centre in PEI to stock up on souvenirs before we crossed Confederation Bridge. The stores in Gateway Village are cool! Lotsa hand made stuff, as well as your typical keychains, magnets and bookmarks. INSANE amounts of Anne of Green Gables stuff. I know she's a big deal in PEI, but I didn't realize it was THAT bad :)
This is such a horrible pic of me, but I thought you guys might get a kick out of it ...
The winds @ the Bridge were supa fast today. They were at least 90 km/h cuz trucks were not permitted to cross: winds have to be at least 90 km/h for this to happen. The waves crashing in were insane!! When we got to the New Brunswick side we stopped @ a lookoff so I could snap some photos ... and play on the beach :) My dad had to lean against me while I snapped some of these pics so I'd stop movin' around in the wind! :)
I really like this pic ... except it was taken in NB not PEI ... Oops!! :)
I found another UC in Murray Corner, NB ...
)We stopped in Shediac, NB to see the World's Largest Lobster. Dee, you weren't kidding!! The Lobster measures 35' in length, 15' in width and stands 16' tall. He weighs a total of 90 tonnes: 55 tonnes for the lobster and 35 tonnes for the pedestal.
Look where we stopped, Dee!!
We didn't get a chance to go around the Gaspé Peninsula. My mom was concerned about timing so we had to skip that leg of the trip. That's okay with me! Something else for me to do later :)
So we're holed up in a Comfort Inn in Rimouski, QC for the night. We just got back from having dinner @ St Hubert. We had St Hubert's at a location in Rivière-Du-Loup last week, and I enjoyed my sammich so much then that I got it again tonight. Mmm ... Chicken Sandwich with Brie ... :) Even tho the service was really bad, the sammich made up for it :)
Tomorrow: Home :(
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Day 13: Fundy 'splorin' and PEI
Location: Charlottetown, PEI
When we left our hotel this morning we decided to take the scenic route to NB and PEI, so we journeyed along the Fundy Shore EcoTour and the Glooscap Trail. Beautiful driving, but twisty turn-y roads. Along the way we saw 2 deer (one in the middle of the road, but he ran away before I could take a pic) and a pheasant. No moose tho :(
Here are some pics from a few places we stopped at.
A rest stop in Selma, NS...
This lighthouse is located in Hants County, NS on the Minas Basin, which holds the record of the highest tides ever recorded. Tides here have been recorded at 53.5' higher than at low tide. That's a little taller than a 5 storey building. OMG ppl!!! The force created by the tide waters at the Minas Channel is equal to 8,000 locomotives or 25 million horses. Tides are so cool ...
I tried to capture the height of the cliffs but you really have to see it to understand. The Basin floor looks so neat when the tide is out. I wanted to put my hand in the orange muddy stuff but I couldn't get close enough :(
The lighthouse isn't very big when you compare it to the ones I saw in NL, but it's still cute :)
In case anyone got thirsty ... :)
An interesting note about tides: As 14 billions tonnes of seawater flows into the Minas Basin daily, the Nova Scotia countryside actually tilts under the immense pressure. Neato!
While we were at the lighthouse we went back on a walking path. I was about to snap a pic of the view when a BALD EAGLE flew right in front of me!! Now, had I snapped the pic the eagle likely would have ended up in the photo. But because I was wondering what my dad was so excited about I stopped to look at it and missed the pic. Oh well, it's in my head. Holy crow was that ever cool!!
My mom really likes lilacs and there was a tree growing at the opening of this walking trail. So she picked a bit of them and was sniffin' it from Nova Scotia to PEI. At one point she figured out a way to save her arm the trouble of raising the small piece to her nose ...
I found a few churches along our route today, but most of them were boring or obstructed :) So here are 2 that I managed to find in OK shape.
Avondale United Church
Noel United Church
When we arrived in PEI we missed the travel centre at the beginning of Confederation Bridge so I don't have any pics of it ... yet :) I'm hoping we can stop on the way out tomorrow.
I can't believe how red the soil is here. I want to put my hand in it. It looks so cool! It's one of those things you hear about but don't think of ... 'til you see it.
Downtown Charlottetown looks pretty quaint. I wish I had more time here to explore. Oh well, I guess I'll have to come back :)
For dinner we went to Lobster on the Wharf! in downtown Charlottetown. It's a nice restaurant with a fantastic view over the water. And this is my dinner. His name is ... Yummy!!! :)
This was my first time ever having lobster. Well, I'm pretty sure I've had it IN other dishes but never on it's own like this. They had a "Lazymans Lobster Dinner," which was a lobster already out of its shell, but I thought it was more appropriate to have it the "traditional" way for my first time 'round. Pain in the butt, a little weird and freaky, but yum!
Tomorrow: New Brunswick and the Gaspé Peninsula.
When we left our hotel this morning we decided to take the scenic route to NB and PEI, so we journeyed along the Fundy Shore EcoTour and the Glooscap Trail. Beautiful driving, but twisty turn-y roads. Along the way we saw 2 deer (one in the middle of the road, but he ran away before I could take a pic) and a pheasant. No moose tho :(
Here are some pics from a few places we stopped at.
A rest stop in Selma, NS...
Walton Lighthouse
This lighthouse is located in Hants County, NS on the Minas Basin, which holds the record of the highest tides ever recorded. Tides here have been recorded at 53.5' higher than at low tide. That's a little taller than a 5 storey building. OMG ppl!!! The force created by the tide waters at the Minas Channel is equal to 8,000 locomotives or 25 million horses. Tides are so cool ...
I tried to capture the height of the cliffs but you really have to see it to understand. The Basin floor looks so neat when the tide is out. I wanted to put my hand in the orange muddy stuff but I couldn't get close enough :(
The lighthouse isn't very big when you compare it to the ones I saw in NL, but it's still cute :)
In case anyone got thirsty ... :)
An interesting note about tides: As 14 billions tonnes of seawater flows into the Minas Basin daily, the Nova Scotia countryside actually tilts under the immense pressure. Neato!
While we were at the lighthouse we went back on a walking path. I was about to snap a pic of the view when a BALD EAGLE flew right in front of me!! Now, had I snapped the pic the eagle likely would have ended up in the photo. But because I was wondering what my dad was so excited about I stopped to look at it and missed the pic. Oh well, it's in my head. Holy crow was that ever cool!!
My mom really likes lilacs and there was a tree growing at the opening of this walking trail. So she picked a bit of them and was sniffin' it from Nova Scotia to PEI. At one point she figured out a way to save her arm the trouble of raising the small piece to her nose ...
United Church Pics
I found a few churches along our route today, but most of them were boring or obstructed :) So here are 2 that I managed to find in OK shape.
Avondale United Church
Noel United Church
PEI
When we arrived in PEI we missed the travel centre at the beginning of Confederation Bridge so I don't have any pics of it ... yet :) I'm hoping we can stop on the way out tomorrow.
I can't believe how red the soil is here. I want to put my hand in it. It looks so cool! It's one of those things you hear about but don't think of ... 'til you see it.
Downtown Charlottetown looks pretty quaint. I wish I had more time here to explore. Oh well, I guess I'll have to come back :)
For dinner we went to Lobster on the Wharf! in downtown Charlottetown. It's a nice restaurant with a fantastic view over the water. And this is my dinner. His name is ... Yummy!!! :)
This was my first time ever having lobster. Well, I'm pretty sure I've had it IN other dishes but never on it's own like this. They had a "Lazymans Lobster Dinner," which was a lobster already out of its shell, but I thought it was more appropriate to have it the "traditional" way for my first time 'round. Pain in the butt, a little weird and freaky, but yum!
Tomorrow: New Brunswick and the Gaspé Peninsula.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Day 12: Halifax tour and Fundy!
Location: New Minas, NS
We started our (very early) day with the Halifax City Tour. I wasn't able to get many good pics while we were in the bus :( but here are a few that I managed to snap.
St. Mary's Basilica
St. Matthew's United Church
I wish I was able to get out and take some pics of this for work. It's really a beautiful church. Check out the link above for a good pic of the bldg.
Some really big fancy house ...
I can't remember the name of the couple that live here, but apparently they are quite wealthy and generous. AND ... their house has a bowling alley and a carwash out back!
We made 2 stops on the trip where we were able to get off the bus and explore. We saw the Citadel and Fairview Cemetery.
I wasn't sure how to photograph this place. It's a giant circle! We only had 30 mins to spend here so I wasn't able to look around much. I recommend visiting it tho. It's quite spectacular.
This is the cemetery where the remains of 121 Titanic victims rest. Most of the stones are very simple. These were paid for by the White Star Line, and were mainly second and third class passengers. Most of the first class passengers were sent back to their homes, or were laid to rest at this cemetery with a fancier headstone.
White Star Line had an office in Halifax, NS and the city had an accessible and large harbour at the time of the sinking, so they were the "first responders." When the bodies were recovered they were each assigned a number, regardless of whether they were identified or not. Out of all the bodies recovered, only 6 passengers were not assigned a number. If you take a peek at the headstones, the bodies are not buried in numerical order. They were laid to rest as they were sent to the cemetery.
You'll notice that some headstones have text written on the front of it. These remains could not be identified when the bodies were first recovered. However, in 1991 there was DNA testing performed on some of the people in the cemetery and they were identified. The names on the front of the stones are those people who were identified in 1991.
This is the grave of the unknown child. There have been 3 identification attempt made, most recently in the last few years. At the time of his funeral, hundreds of people attended. I believe it was the White Star Line that paid for this stone, even tho the remains of the others whose stones were paid for by the Line only received a basic stone. This child left an impression on everyone.
I'm not sure I got all my facts straight about the cemetery, so don't take my word just in case :) The tour guide was quite informative so there was a lot to remember (and get confused.)
I have been DYING to see the Bay of Fundy since I was a teenager. My dream was to study Marine Biology or Oceanography at Dalhousie University and study marine life in Fundy. Maybe someday I'll actually be able to realize that dream. But in the meantime I have memories of Fundy :)
We were supposed to go Whale Watching on Fundy in Digby, NS but the afternoon tour wasn't running, and they couldn't guarantee that any tours would be running tomorrow either so we left :(
Tomorrow: P.E.I.
Halifax City Tour
We started our (very early) day with the Halifax City Tour. I wasn't able to get many good pics while we were in the bus :( but here are a few that I managed to snap.
St. Mary's Basilica
St. Matthew's United Church
I wish I was able to get out and take some pics of this for work. It's really a beautiful church. Check out the link above for a good pic of the bldg.
Some really big fancy house ...
I can't remember the name of the couple that live here, but apparently they are quite wealthy and generous. AND ... their house has a bowling alley and a carwash out back!
We made 2 stops on the trip where we were able to get off the bus and explore. We saw the Citadel and Fairview Cemetery.
Citadel
I wasn't sure how to photograph this place. It's a giant circle! We only had 30 mins to spend here so I wasn't able to look around much. I recommend visiting it tho. It's quite spectacular.
Fairview Cemetery
This is the cemetery where the remains of 121 Titanic victims rest. Most of the stones are very simple. These were paid for by the White Star Line, and were mainly second and third class passengers. Most of the first class passengers were sent back to their homes, or were laid to rest at this cemetery with a fancier headstone.
White Star Line had an office in Halifax, NS and the city had an accessible and large harbour at the time of the sinking, so they were the "first responders." When the bodies were recovered they were each assigned a number, regardless of whether they were identified or not. Out of all the bodies recovered, only 6 passengers were not assigned a number. If you take a peek at the headstones, the bodies are not buried in numerical order. They were laid to rest as they were sent to the cemetery.
You'll notice that some headstones have text written on the front of it. These remains could not be identified when the bodies were first recovered. However, in 1991 there was DNA testing performed on some of the people in the cemetery and they were identified. The names on the front of the stones are those people who were identified in 1991.
This is the grave of the unknown child. There have been 3 identification attempt made, most recently in the last few years. At the time of his funeral, hundreds of people attended. I believe it was the White Star Line that paid for this stone, even tho the remains of the others whose stones were paid for by the Line only received a basic stone. This child left an impression on everyone.
I'm not sure I got all my facts straight about the cemetery, so don't take my word just in case :) The tour guide was quite informative so there was a lot to remember (and get confused.)
Bay of Fundy
I have been DYING to see the Bay of Fundy since I was a teenager. My dream was to study Marine Biology or Oceanography at Dalhousie University and study marine life in Fundy. Maybe someday I'll actually be able to realize that dream. But in the meantime I have memories of Fundy :)
We were supposed to go Whale Watching on Fundy in Digby, NS but the afternoon tour wasn't running, and they couldn't guarantee that any tours would be running tomorrow either so we left :(
Tomorrow: P.E.I.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Day 11: The Harbour & Peggy's Cove
Location: Halifax, NS
First some pics from our hotel. Thought a certain SOMEONE back home would enjoy this. Mmm ... Jamie Fraser ... :)
After getting lost in Halifax we made it to the harbour, which is quite neat. A bunch of clipper ships were docked in the harbour during a break in the Clipper 07-08 around the world race.
This is our new toy. We've hired a crew to take it back to Ontario ...
We were hoping to catch the City Tour but we just missed the last bus of the day, so we're going tomorrow. As morbid as it sounds, I'm looking forward to seeing the cemetery where passengers of the Titanic rest.
We stopped for lunch at Murphy's Restaurant at Murphy's on the Water. Had the Mar Seafood Caserole and a pint of their own Captain Murphy's Ale. Yum! This one goes in the "Places to Eat" list.
We browsed the gift shop for a bit then headed out in search of a hotel for the night. We're staying at an uber nice Quality Inn in a suite. We're likin' the idea of a suite. My parents and I can watch TV on a couch, then they have their own room to sleep in while I snooze on the pull out couch. Nice ... This location has a waterslide in the pool so I'm hopin' to get a dip in before going to bed tonight :)
After we checked in we headed out to Peggy's Cove. OMG it's so beautiful!!! Apparently it's even more spectacular when the waves are crashing in, but the ocean was pretty calm so I didn't get to see that. Oh well, next time! :)
This is a pic of inside the Sou' Wester Restaurant where we had dinner. The food was okay, but you can't beat the atmosphere and the scenery.
Leaving Peggy's Cove...
As we were leaving Peggy's Cove we stopped to take a look at the memorial for Swissair Flight 111. It's quite beautiful actually, considering the circumstances. I took a moment to think of those who were lost.
Tomorrow: Halifax City Tour and Digby: Whale Watching baby!!!
First some pics from our hotel. Thought a certain SOMEONE back home would enjoy this. Mmm ... Jamie Fraser ... :)
After getting lost in Halifax we made it to the harbour, which is quite neat. A bunch of clipper ships were docked in the harbour during a break in the Clipper 07-08 around the world race.
This is our new toy. We've hired a crew to take it back to Ontario ...
We were hoping to catch the City Tour but we just missed the last bus of the day, so we're going tomorrow. As morbid as it sounds, I'm looking forward to seeing the cemetery where passengers of the Titanic rest.
We stopped for lunch at Murphy's Restaurant at Murphy's on the Water. Had the Mar Seafood Caserole and a pint of their own Captain Murphy's Ale. Yum! This one goes in the "Places to Eat" list.
We browsed the gift shop for a bit then headed out in search of a hotel for the night. We're staying at an uber nice Quality Inn in a suite. We're likin' the idea of a suite. My parents and I can watch TV on a couch, then they have their own room to sleep in while I snooze on the pull out couch. Nice ... This location has a waterslide in the pool so I'm hopin' to get a dip in before going to bed tonight :)
After we checked in we headed out to Peggy's Cove. OMG it's so beautiful!!! Apparently it's even more spectacular when the waves are crashing in, but the ocean was pretty calm so I didn't get to see that. Oh well, next time! :)
This is a pic of inside the Sou' Wester Restaurant where we had dinner. The food was okay, but you can't beat the atmosphere and the scenery.
Leaving Peggy's Cove...
As we were leaving Peggy's Cove we stopped to take a look at the memorial for Swissair Flight 111. It's quite beautiful actually, considering the circumstances. I took a moment to think of those who were lost.
Tomorrow: Halifax City Tour and Digby: Whale Watching baby!!!
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