Our trip photos are now on-line. I split them up into two albums.
Album #1: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaNmLhw0atWZR
* Asheville, NC
* Swansea, MA
* Quebec City, Canada
Album #2: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaNmLhw0atWZi
* Montreal, Canada
* Deerhurst Resort, Hunstville, Ontario, Canada
* Niagara Falls, Canada
* Grand Rapids, MI
Enjoy!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Safe at Home
We got an early start this morning and enjoyed a pleasant, uneventful, 3-hour flight to Chattanooga. As we approached, I was checking on the weather in Florida and it appeared to be holding. There wasn't much rain or thunderstorms activity and it was all offshore.
After discussing this with Michele, we decided to press on. Roland borrowed a car and got everybody lunch from Subway while I got the plane fueled up. Soon we were back in the air and heading home.
By the time we got to Florida, the thunderstorms had moved inland, so went a few miles offshore over the Gulf of Mexico and it worked out just fine. I love traveling, but it's always good to get home!
After discussing this with Michele, we decided to press on. Roland borrowed a car and got everybody lunch from Subway while I got the plane fueled up. Soon we were back in the air and heading home.
By the time we got to Florida, the thunderstorms had moved inland, so went a few miles offshore over the Gulf of Mexico and it worked out just fine. I love traveling, but it's always good to get home!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Relaxing Day on the Lake
Happy Birthday to Brandon! With no big plans this morning, we all slept in and took it easy for a while. Later, we made plans to meet up with Ritch & Michelle to go boating later in the afternoon. We finally left the hotel room about 11:30 and got some lunch. Then, we split up: Roland & Sandy went to visit with her brother, David while Michele & I took the kids boating.
It was a beautiful, sunny day today –perfect for boating. We met up with Rich & Michelle at their house and then followed them down to the lake where they keep the boat. We got everything loaded up and then went cruising around for a little while. The kids were itching to get in the water, so we stopped and swam for a while. The water felt great and we all had fun jumping, splashing, and playing. We cruised the boat to a different spot and then did it all over again. Finally, we went to a 3rd spot, the beach at the public park. There was a nice beach area for swimming and a playground nearby, too. It was a wonderful, relaxing afternoon!
The kids were having so much fun, we stayed out longer than we planned. It was 7:15pm by the time we got to Emory’s house and met up with the rest of the family for dinner. We ate and visited for a couple hours and left around 9pm so we could get packed up and ready to go.
Tomorrow, we will take off and head toward Tampa. I have hotel reservations in Chattanooga, but if the weather is good, we may cancel and keep on going all the way home. Brandon is super excited to get home and open up his new i-phone which should be waiting in the mailbox, but I told him it really depends on the weather. Summery afternoons in Florida can be challenging for flying to do widespread thunderstorms. We’ll see how it goes…
It was a beautiful, sunny day today –perfect for boating. We met up with Rich & Michelle at their house and then followed them down to the lake where they keep the boat. We got everything loaded up and then went cruising around for a little while. The kids were itching to get in the water, so we stopped and swam for a while. The water felt great and we all had fun jumping, splashing, and playing. We cruised the boat to a different spot and then did it all over again. Finally, we went to a 3rd spot, the beach at the public park. There was a nice beach area for swimming and a playground nearby, too. It was a wonderful, relaxing afternoon!
The kids were having so much fun, we stayed out longer than we planned. It was 7:15pm by the time we got to Emory’s house and met up with the rest of the family for dinner. We ate and visited for a couple hours and left around 9pm so we could get packed up and ready to go.
Tomorrow, we will take off and head toward Tampa. I have hotel reservations in Chattanooga, but if the weather is good, we may cancel and keep on going all the way home. Brandon is super excited to get home and open up his new i-phone which should be waiting in the mailbox, but I told him it really depends on the weather. Summery afternoons in Florida can be challenging for flying to do widespread thunderstorms. We’ll see how it goes…
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Grand Rapids, MI
We woke to gray, cloudy skies this morning in Niagara Falls. I knew there was a lot of heavy rain & thunderstorms in the area, but last night it looked like it was going to stay south of our route. However, overnight it moved north a bit and now was right in our way. The entire state of Michigan was lit up on the radar map with green, yellow, & red. I had some bad news to deliver at breakfast…
When we got together I explained the situation and we discussed options. One thing that was adding complexity is that we were in Canada and we needed to clear customs upon return to the US. Each facility has different hours & notification requirements and, in the case of Grand Rapids, is by appointment only on weekends. In order to remove this problem from the equation, we decided to make the short flight (15 minutes) to Buffalo, NY to clear customs and get our feet back in the USA. Then, on any subsequent flight, we would have a lot more flexibility if we need to divert and land somewhere else.
The short flight was uneventful. We cleared customs and then found ourselves standing in the FBO terminal. Now what? Michele worked with the lady at the desk to call a few hotels. We thought we might stay here overnight and go tomorrow when the weather clears, but the hotels were all full due to a sporting event in town. We discussed the option of flying home to Tampa (5 ½ hours) since the weather looked great along that entire route. The kids were really in favor of that option, but we really wanted to get Sandy to Michigan if at all possible. Maybe we could fly south of the storms to Indiana to wait it out? But, that would add a couple hours to our flight time.
It was about 11:30am when Roland & I went into the flight planning room to have another look at the radar. Incredibly, the last few images in the radar loop showed northern Michigan beginning to clear up. We froze the image on the last return and saw that there was a pretty good path around the weather to the North. We decided to give it a try. I quickly filed a flight plan taking us back over Niagara, Toronto, northern Michigan and then down to Grand Rapids. Michele took the crew car to Wendy’s to get us some lunch while I had the FBO top the airplane off with fuel.
Finally, shortly after noon, we took off and headed north. The first 30 minutes were kind of bumpy as we were climbing to our cruise altitude of 10,000 feet. We were in & out of clouds, but we got a great view of the falls as we flew over. Canadian air traffic control was terrific. At first, they were puzzled with my requesting routing until I explained that I was trying to avoid the weather. Then they said to deviate as necessary and direct to Grand Rapids when able, which basically meant I was free to fly wherever I wanted to avoid the storms.
During the next hour, I picked my way through the cells using a combination of the on-board radar, NEXRAD datalink, and my eyeballs. We were in & out of light rain and had some occasional light turbulence, but it wasn’t bad at all. Finally, we flew through one last gap and burst out into bright sunshine on top of a lower layer of clouds. It was a beautiful sight!
The rest of the flight was very pleasant, but we had a 50+ mph headwind, so it seemed to take forever. We finally touched down in Grand Rapids around 3:30pm. Sandy eagerly called her family to let them know we made it to town. We got two rental vans, loaded our stuff, drove to the hotel, checked in, and just had time to shower, change, and lay on the bed for about 15 minutes. Then, it was almost 6pm, time to go visit.
We made the short drive to Emory & Marlee’s house where the whole Stouffer gang was waiting for us. Andrea grabbed Megan, Darcy took the boys to see the horses, Michele & Sandy started visiting and Emory handed me a cold beer. Perfect! Emory grilled brats & hot dogs for dinner and later on we sang & had birthday cake for Brandon. The boys enjoyed riding horses, throwing the ball, playing on Tim’s wi (video game).
It was a long, tiring day. I felt physically & mentally drained as I sat on the sofa and took a breather around 9:30pm. Brandon sat next to me and said, “Dad –look how happy Grandma is right now” and it was all worthwhile. We have no firm plans for tomorrow yet, but we might go on a boat ride with cousin Ritchie.
When we got together I explained the situation and we discussed options. One thing that was adding complexity is that we were in Canada and we needed to clear customs upon return to the US. Each facility has different hours & notification requirements and, in the case of Grand Rapids, is by appointment only on weekends. In order to remove this problem from the equation, we decided to make the short flight (15 minutes) to Buffalo, NY to clear customs and get our feet back in the USA. Then, on any subsequent flight, we would have a lot more flexibility if we need to divert and land somewhere else.
The short flight was uneventful. We cleared customs and then found ourselves standing in the FBO terminal. Now what? Michele worked with the lady at the desk to call a few hotels. We thought we might stay here overnight and go tomorrow when the weather clears, but the hotels were all full due to a sporting event in town. We discussed the option of flying home to Tampa (5 ½ hours) since the weather looked great along that entire route. The kids were really in favor of that option, but we really wanted to get Sandy to Michigan if at all possible. Maybe we could fly south of the storms to Indiana to wait it out? But, that would add a couple hours to our flight time.
It was about 11:30am when Roland & I went into the flight planning room to have another look at the radar. Incredibly, the last few images in the radar loop showed northern Michigan beginning to clear up. We froze the image on the last return and saw that there was a pretty good path around the weather to the North. We decided to give it a try. I quickly filed a flight plan taking us back over Niagara, Toronto, northern Michigan and then down to Grand Rapids. Michele took the crew car to Wendy’s to get us some lunch while I had the FBO top the airplane off with fuel.
Finally, shortly after noon, we took off and headed north. The first 30 minutes were kind of bumpy as we were climbing to our cruise altitude of 10,000 feet. We were in & out of clouds, but we got a great view of the falls as we flew over. Canadian air traffic control was terrific. At first, they were puzzled with my requesting routing until I explained that I was trying to avoid the weather. Then they said to deviate as necessary and direct to Grand Rapids when able, which basically meant I was free to fly wherever I wanted to avoid the storms.
During the next hour, I picked my way through the cells using a combination of the on-board radar, NEXRAD datalink, and my eyeballs. We were in & out of light rain and had some occasional light turbulence, but it wasn’t bad at all. Finally, we flew through one last gap and burst out into bright sunshine on top of a lower layer of clouds. It was a beautiful sight!
The rest of the flight was very pleasant, but we had a 50+ mph headwind, so it seemed to take forever. We finally touched down in Grand Rapids around 3:30pm. Sandy eagerly called her family to let them know we made it to town. We got two rental vans, loaded our stuff, drove to the hotel, checked in, and just had time to shower, change, and lay on the bed for about 15 minutes. Then, it was almost 6pm, time to go visit.
We made the short drive to Emory & Marlee’s house where the whole Stouffer gang was waiting for us. Andrea grabbed Megan, Darcy took the boys to see the horses, Michele & Sandy started visiting and Emory handed me a cold beer. Perfect! Emory grilled brats & hot dogs for dinner and later on we sang & had birthday cake for Brandon. The boys enjoyed riding horses, throwing the ball, playing on Tim’s wi (video game).
It was a long, tiring day. I felt physically & mentally drained as I sat on the sofa and took a breather around 9:30pm. Brandon sat next to me and said, “Dad –look how happy Grandma is right now” and it was all worthwhile. We have no firm plans for tomorrow yet, but we might go on a boat ride with cousin Ritchie.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Niagara Falls
Wow, it’s not even funny anymore. We can pretty much expect rain anytime we go near the airplane. We woke this morning to chilly air and light rain at Deerhurst. We got everything packed up and set near the door of our rooms and then headed over to the main building for breakfast. After eating, I went out to the lobby to use the wi-fi and check the weather. Just how bad was this rain?
Not too bad, actually –just some patchy light rain in our area. There was some more serious weather closer to our destination in Niagara Falls, but I saw a path around it to the West, so we decided to go ahead as planned. Nick was there again and was as helpful as ever. While we were eating, he got all our bags loaded up in the shuttle and came with us to the airstrip to help load the plane.
Once we got in, I took my time and checked everything twice. The winds were light, so I elected to use runway 23 which slopes downhill to give us a running start. We had plenty of runway (3,000 feet), but the trees at the end looked especially unforgiving, so I didn’t want to make any foolish errors. We back-taxied to the very start of the runway, turned around and lined up for takeoff. I held the brakes as I advanced the power to the takeoff setting. Once last glance at the gauges showed everything normal, so I released the brakes and we went speeding down the narrow strip and launched into the rainy, gray clouds.
We popped out of the clouds and into sunshine at 8,000 feet and had a very pleasant flight. As we approached our destination, I was happy to see that I still had a clear path around the weather about 35 miles West of our route and we were able to get in with no problems. After securing the airplane and taking out a couple bags for the overnight stay, we went into the terminal building just as it started to rain again. Perfect timing! I had reserved a couple small rental cars and we had to wait about 10 – 15 minutes until they were delivered and we were on our way.
I had reserved a private tour starting at 1pm, so we had just enough time to get to the hotel and have lunch before it was time to check in at the tour desk. We had a stretch limo waiting out front to transport us around for the afternoon. The kids loved it!
We started off with a short driving tour around the upper falls and ended up at “Niagara’s Fury”, a 20 minute movie about the geological history of the falls and how they came to be. Then, we stepped into an adjacent theater for a (4-D ?) fly-by of the falls complete with wind, snow, mist, and splashing water. Good thing they gave us ponchos!
Next, we took the elevator down to the tunnels under the foot of the falls. We were able to peek out at several openings behind the falls and then visit an observation area outside just near the base. It was really impressive and, again, the poncho’s were essential because of all the spray and mist.
Next, we got back in the limo and drove downriver a short distance to the famous “Maid of the Mist” boat tour. There were a ton of people there, but they really run a good operation –3 boats running, always one loading & unloading) and we didn’t have to wait very long. The boys & I staked out a spot on the top level near the rail for maximum spray from the falls, while Michele & her parents kept Megan on the lower level. The boat left the dock and started up stream toward the falls, getting closer and closer. Finally, it seemed that the captain was going to put the bow right into the falls –it was awesome and we got SOAKED! I tried snapping pictures, but the spray would put water droplets on the lens quicker than I could wipe them off. I’m glad I didn’t bring the big SLR camera on this tour!
We still had about 90 minutes left with the limo, so the driver suggested we tour the area and offered to drive us to nearby Niagara on the lake. We stopped off at a winery on the way and Michele, Sandy, & I went in for a quick tasting. As I was standing there sipping wine in my wet, smelly clothes, I decided that I really had enough for one day and I’d like to go to the hotel and get a shower.
So, we did just that. We got cleaned up and then met back downstairs @ 6:30pm for the short ride to Skylon tower revolving restaurant. The food was good and the view was outstanding. The kids really enjoyed that, as well. After dinner, Michele & her parents strolled Megan a few blocks to the Hard Rock Café to get some T-shirts and I took the boys back to the room to check on the weather for our flight tomorrow. There is a lot of nasty weather in Michigan right now, but it appears to be south of our route and forecast to stay that way.
Michele & co. got back to the room just in time for the 10pm fireworks display over the falls. We have a corner suite with an awesome view, so everybody gathered there to watch the show. What a fun & busy day! Tomorrow, (if the weather is OK), we’ll make the 2 hour flight to Grand Rapids and return to the good ol’ US of A.
Not too bad, actually –just some patchy light rain in our area. There was some more serious weather closer to our destination in Niagara Falls, but I saw a path around it to the West, so we decided to go ahead as planned. Nick was there again and was as helpful as ever. While we were eating, he got all our bags loaded up in the shuttle and came with us to the airstrip to help load the plane.
Once we got in, I took my time and checked everything twice. The winds were light, so I elected to use runway 23 which slopes downhill to give us a running start. We had plenty of runway (3,000 feet), but the trees at the end looked especially unforgiving, so I didn’t want to make any foolish errors. We back-taxied to the very start of the runway, turned around and lined up for takeoff. I held the brakes as I advanced the power to the takeoff setting. Once last glance at the gauges showed everything normal, so I released the brakes and we went speeding down the narrow strip and launched into the rainy, gray clouds.
We popped out of the clouds and into sunshine at 8,000 feet and had a very pleasant flight. As we approached our destination, I was happy to see that I still had a clear path around the weather about 35 miles West of our route and we were able to get in with no problems. After securing the airplane and taking out a couple bags for the overnight stay, we went into the terminal building just as it started to rain again. Perfect timing! I had reserved a couple small rental cars and we had to wait about 10 – 15 minutes until they were delivered and we were on our way.
I had reserved a private tour starting at 1pm, so we had just enough time to get to the hotel and have lunch before it was time to check in at the tour desk. We had a stretch limo waiting out front to transport us around for the afternoon. The kids loved it!
We started off with a short driving tour around the upper falls and ended up at “Niagara’s Fury”, a 20 minute movie about the geological history of the falls and how they came to be. Then, we stepped into an adjacent theater for a (4-D ?) fly-by of the falls complete with wind, snow, mist, and splashing water. Good thing they gave us ponchos!
Next, we took the elevator down to the tunnels under the foot of the falls. We were able to peek out at several openings behind the falls and then visit an observation area outside just near the base. It was really impressive and, again, the poncho’s were essential because of all the spray and mist.
Next, we got back in the limo and drove downriver a short distance to the famous “Maid of the Mist” boat tour. There were a ton of people there, but they really run a good operation –3 boats running, always one loading & unloading) and we didn’t have to wait very long. The boys & I staked out a spot on the top level near the rail for maximum spray from the falls, while Michele & her parents kept Megan on the lower level. The boat left the dock and started up stream toward the falls, getting closer and closer. Finally, it seemed that the captain was going to put the bow right into the falls –it was awesome and we got SOAKED! I tried snapping pictures, but the spray would put water droplets on the lens quicker than I could wipe them off. I’m glad I didn’t bring the big SLR camera on this tour!
We still had about 90 minutes left with the limo, so the driver suggested we tour the area and offered to drive us to nearby Niagara on the lake. We stopped off at a winery on the way and Michele, Sandy, & I went in for a quick tasting. As I was standing there sipping wine in my wet, smelly clothes, I decided that I really had enough for one day and I’d like to go to the hotel and get a shower.
So, we did just that. We got cleaned up and then met back downstairs @ 6:30pm for the short ride to Skylon tower revolving restaurant. The food was good and the view was outstanding. The kids really enjoyed that, as well. After dinner, Michele & her parents strolled Megan a few blocks to the Hard Rock Café to get some T-shirts and I took the boys back to the room to check on the weather for our flight tomorrow. There is a lot of nasty weather in Michigan right now, but it appears to be south of our route and forecast to stay that way.
Michele & co. got back to the room just in time for the 10pm fireworks display over the falls. We have a corner suite with an awesome view, so everybody gathered there to watch the show. What a fun & busy day! Tomorrow, (if the weather is OK), we’ll make the 2 hour flight to Grand Rapids and return to the good ol’ US of A.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Fun on the Lake
Just a quick update tonight, because it’s getting late and we have to get up early tomorrow. Today was a relaxing, lazy day. We slept in late, then got up and caught the shuttle to the main building for breakfast. After we ate, I took the boys down to the Splash zone to play & swim for a while. Michele got in, too and we had a lot of great family fun splashing around.
We had lunch by the pool later and then went back to the rooms to rest for a while. The kids did some homework (reading & math) while I sat on the porch, returned a few phone calls & e-mails, then read my book for a while.
After a quick nap, it was time to get up and head back over to the main building for dinner. We had plenty of time and the weather was so pleasant, we decided to walk over and get some exercise. The boys had a great time chasing the geese all over the golf course on the way there & back.
After dinner, we had tickets to the live stage show here at the resort, “Decades”. It was really good and I think everyone enjoyed it. They started in the 50’s and then went through each decade singing & dancing to many hit songs. It was a great way to end our stay here.
The kids have especially loved Deerhurst and I wouldn’t be surprised if we come back sometime. But, for now, it’s time to move on again. Tomorrow, we will making the short flight to Niagara Falls.
We had lunch by the pool later and then went back to the rooms to rest for a while. The kids did some homework (reading & math) while I sat on the porch, returned a few phone calls & e-mails, then read my book for a while.
After a quick nap, it was time to get up and head back over to the main building for dinner. We had plenty of time and the weather was so pleasant, we decided to walk over and get some exercise. The boys had a great time chasing the geese all over the golf course on the way there & back.
After dinner, we had tickets to the live stage show here at the resort, “Decades”. It was really good and I think everyone enjoyed it. They started in the 50’s and then went through each decade singing & dancing to many hit songs. It was a great way to end our stay here.
The kids have especially loved Deerhurst and I wouldn’t be surprised if we come back sometime. But, for now, it’s time to move on again. Tomorrow, we will making the short flight to Niagara Falls.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Montreal -> Deerhurst
Another flight, another arrival in the rain –I can’t believe it! We took off this morning around 10:30am and headed Northwest from Montreal to Huntsville, Ontario, Canada and the Deerhurst Resort. The Resort has its own private airstrip, which is super-convenient for us. I had called a few weeks ago to get permission to land there. I called again them shortly after takeoff to advise them of our ETA and was alarmed when the operator told me the airport was closed and I couldn’t land here. I asked to speak to the manager and was told she was on the other line, so I said I would call back. I was kind of freaked out for the next 10-15 minutes and started poring over the charts trying to figure out the next closest airport. However, my anxiety was for nothing, because when I called back, she said that the airport was open and we were welcome to land.
I was happy to have that settled, but was also keeping an eye on the weather in the Deerhurst area. There were quite a few thunderstorms in the area and some of them looked big & nasty on the radar. The kind you really do not want to fly into! I am so glad that we have all the state-of-the-art weather avoidance tools in our airplane (on-board radar, NEXRAD data link, lightning detection). I can’t tell you how many flights would have to cancel without it. I could see the storms clearly on my screens and was able to find a nice gap in between cells to fly through with minimal fuss. We had to fly through some light rain on the way in, but it was pretty smooth.
Finally, I had the airport in sight and got set up for landing. I was concentrating very intently as there were many factors that could work against us if I were careless: short runway, wet pavement, downhill slope, trees on approach end, and finally, rising terrain to the North. I was careful to set the plane down firmly on the first few yards of the runway and got on the brakes right away –plenty of room!
The resort shuttle van was waiting for us as we taxied into the ramp and shutdown. The driver, Nick, was great! He is a long time resort employee and a jack-of-all trades. He helped us get loaded up, drove us to the reception area, made sure we got checked in, and then showed us where the restaurant was so we could get some lunch while he put the bags in our room. Then, he picked us up after lunch and took us there. AWESOME!
The rooms are not fancy, but they are decent. Roomy, clean, and we are right on the lake on the first floor. We can walk right out our patio door and down to the water. There is a big lawn with chairs all over for sunning and a ton of toys in the water for the kids to climb on and jump off. They call it the “splash zone”.
As soon as we got in the room, Brandon, Cameron & I changed into our swimsuits and went in. Justin was enraged that he had to wear a life jacket (mandatory for everyone in the splash zone) and had a total meltdown. He soon fell asleep on the bed to get some much needed rest.
The water was very chilly at first, but we got used to it quickly. I swam and played with the kids for about and hour and then got out, showered, changed, and sat on the porch to watch. Brandon & Cameron played for another hour at least while Justin kept right on napping. Finally, at 6pm, we got them out, woke up Justin, and got everybody cleaned up for dinner.
We have no plans for tomorrow –just rest & relax. The weather is supposed to be great: mid-70’s and sunny.
I was happy to have that settled, but was also keeping an eye on the weather in the Deerhurst area. There were quite a few thunderstorms in the area and some of them looked big & nasty on the radar. The kind you really do not want to fly into! I am so glad that we have all the state-of-the-art weather avoidance tools in our airplane (on-board radar, NEXRAD data link, lightning detection). I can’t tell you how many flights would have to cancel without it. I could see the storms clearly on my screens and was able to find a nice gap in between cells to fly through with minimal fuss. We had to fly through some light rain on the way in, but it was pretty smooth.
Finally, I had the airport in sight and got set up for landing. I was concentrating very intently as there were many factors that could work against us if I were careless: short runway, wet pavement, downhill slope, trees on approach end, and finally, rising terrain to the North. I was careful to set the plane down firmly on the first few yards of the runway and got on the brakes right away –plenty of room!
The resort shuttle van was waiting for us as we taxied into the ramp and shutdown. The driver, Nick, was great! He is a long time resort employee and a jack-of-all trades. He helped us get loaded up, drove us to the reception area, made sure we got checked in, and then showed us where the restaurant was so we could get some lunch while he put the bags in our room. Then, he picked us up after lunch and took us there. AWESOME!
The rooms are not fancy, but they are decent. Roomy, clean, and we are right on the lake on the first floor. We can walk right out our patio door and down to the water. There is a big lawn with chairs all over for sunning and a ton of toys in the water for the kids to climb on and jump off. They call it the “splash zone”.
As soon as we got in the room, Brandon, Cameron & I changed into our swimsuits and went in. Justin was enraged that he had to wear a life jacket (mandatory for everyone in the splash zone) and had a total meltdown. He soon fell asleep on the bed to get some much needed rest.
The water was very chilly at first, but we got used to it quickly. I swam and played with the kids for about and hour and then got out, showered, changed, and sat on the porch to watch. Brandon & Cameron played for another hour at least while Justin kept right on napping. Finally, at 6pm, we got them out, woke up Justin, and got everybody cleaned up for dinner.
We have no plans for tomorrow –just rest & relax. The weather is supposed to be great: mid-70’s and sunny.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Olympic Park
Everyone slept in a bit this morning after so much walking yesterday. Some of us more than others… Brandon & I were up around 8am. Justin fell out of bed and kept right on sleeping on the floor --we woke Justin up around 9. At 9:30, I couldn’t wait any longer, so the boys & I went downstairs & got some breakfast. We finally heard from everyone else around 10:30!
So, while everyone else had brunch(?), the boys & I went for a walk. This time, we headed toward the newer section of town and the main shopping street, which had a distinct big-city feel to it. We stopped in a big electronic store to drool over phones & other gadgets for a while. We also found a spot where they were setting up for a big, free outdoor comedy festival later this evening.
By the time we rounded a few more blocks and got back to the hotel, everybody was ready to go. We jumped in 2 cabs and headed for the Olympic Stadium complex. Michele, Sandy, Megan, & Cameron went in the first cab while the rest of us were in the 2nd. We tried to coordinate the exact drop off point via telephone on the way, but Michele’s driver was new and didn’t know the area very well. Instead of dropping them off by the observation tower near us, they ended up in a parking garage somewhere. There were quite a few frustrating minutes as Michele tried to lead her group to us. She described her location to me on the phone while I looked at a map and talked her in.
As it turns out, they weren’t very far away, so in 10-15 minutes, we were all reunited again. Our first stop was the observation tower. We bought tickets in the lobby and then boarded the funicular (inclined elevator on the outside of the building) for the ride to the top. The view was great up there. Plus, it was enclosed, so it wasn’t too hot, sunny, or windy. We spent a while looking around & taking photos, then came back down.
Due to a city worker labor strike, the “bio-dome” and “insectariums” were closed, but the nearby botanical gardens were open. We walked about 10 minutes uphill, found the entrance, and went in. By now, it was about 1:30 and quite warm & sunny out. We kept look for shade, but there was not very much of it to be found. To make matters worse, the trails & roads were all criss-crossed, curved, and poorly marked. It was very difficult to follow along with the map. We finally managed to find the Chinese garden where we stopped for a break.
The gardens were OK, but everyone was kind of bored, so we decided to try the free train that goes around the entire park. After some more searching, we found out way to the boarding area and got on. This turned out to be a much better way to see the garden since we were in the shade and we were sitting down! A loop around the park took about 20 minutes.
After the train ride, we decided to head back down the hill to the observation tower to get a snack in the lobby café. Michele & I tried Poutine, a local dish of French fries smothered with gravy and cheese curds on top. Yummy! The boys got mini-cheese pizza’s. Brandon took one bite of his and then said his tooth felt loose. After closer inspection, Dr. Michele decided it was time to come out. I held Brandon’s hand while Michele grabbed it and pulled. It came out with little resistance, so I guess the tooth fairy will be coming to the hotel tonight.
We finished up our snack and then grabbed cabs back to the hotel. We got in around 4pm and took a quick power nap. At 5:30pm, we went back out. Our mission was to find the pharmacy to buy more diapers for Megan. After we got that sorted out, we strolled down the main shopping street while Michele darted in and out of a few interesting stores. We ended up at the Baton Rouge restaurant near the Bell Centre for dinner and it was great. Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel.
We enjoyed out visit to Montreal, but I must say that I liked Quebec City better. Our next stop is the Deerhurst Resort, which is on a lake several hours (by car) North of Toronto. Our plan there is to relax and recuperate from all our big city walking tours. No specific plans –just play, swim, and have fun. I hope the weather cooperates.
So, while everyone else had brunch(?), the boys & I went for a walk. This time, we headed toward the newer section of town and the main shopping street, which had a distinct big-city feel to it. We stopped in a big electronic store to drool over phones & other gadgets for a while. We also found a spot where they were setting up for a big, free outdoor comedy festival later this evening.
By the time we rounded a few more blocks and got back to the hotel, everybody was ready to go. We jumped in 2 cabs and headed for the Olympic Stadium complex. Michele, Sandy, Megan, & Cameron went in the first cab while the rest of us were in the 2nd. We tried to coordinate the exact drop off point via telephone on the way, but Michele’s driver was new and didn’t know the area very well. Instead of dropping them off by the observation tower near us, they ended up in a parking garage somewhere. There were quite a few frustrating minutes as Michele tried to lead her group to us. She described her location to me on the phone while I looked at a map and talked her in.
As it turns out, they weren’t very far away, so in 10-15 minutes, we were all reunited again. Our first stop was the observation tower. We bought tickets in the lobby and then boarded the funicular (inclined elevator on the outside of the building) for the ride to the top. The view was great up there. Plus, it was enclosed, so it wasn’t too hot, sunny, or windy. We spent a while looking around & taking photos, then came back down.
Due to a city worker labor strike, the “bio-dome” and “insectariums” were closed, but the nearby botanical gardens were open. We walked about 10 minutes uphill, found the entrance, and went in. By now, it was about 1:30 and quite warm & sunny out. We kept look for shade, but there was not very much of it to be found. To make matters worse, the trails & roads were all criss-crossed, curved, and poorly marked. It was very difficult to follow along with the map. We finally managed to find the Chinese garden where we stopped for a break.
The gardens were OK, but everyone was kind of bored, so we decided to try the free train that goes around the entire park. After some more searching, we found out way to the boarding area and got on. This turned out to be a much better way to see the garden since we were in the shade and we were sitting down! A loop around the park took about 20 minutes.
After the train ride, we decided to head back down the hill to the observation tower to get a snack in the lobby café. Michele & I tried Poutine, a local dish of French fries smothered with gravy and cheese curds on top. Yummy! The boys got mini-cheese pizza’s. Brandon took one bite of his and then said his tooth felt loose. After closer inspection, Dr. Michele decided it was time to come out. I held Brandon’s hand while Michele grabbed it and pulled. It came out with little resistance, so I guess the tooth fairy will be coming to the hotel tonight.
We finished up our snack and then grabbed cabs back to the hotel. We got in around 4pm and took a quick power nap. At 5:30pm, we went back out. Our mission was to find the pharmacy to buy more diapers for Megan. After we got that sorted out, we strolled down the main shopping street while Michele darted in and out of a few interesting stores. We ended up at the Baton Rouge restaurant near the Bell Centre for dinner and it was great. Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel.
We enjoyed out visit to Montreal, but I must say that I liked Quebec City better. Our next stop is the Deerhurst Resort, which is on a lake several hours (by car) North of Toronto. Our plan there is to relax and recuperate from all our big city walking tours. No specific plans –just play, swim, and have fun. I hope the weather cooperates.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Quebec City -> Montreal
We’re keeping the bad weather flying streak alive. It was grey & rainy today when we woke up with light rain forecast all along our route to Montreal. Bummer! There was nothing dangerous in the forecast (like thunderstorms or icing), so we went ahead as planned. I called in our fuel order and then we had breakfast, checked out, piled into 2 taxis and headed to the airport.
The drivers had a little trouble finding the right hanger / FBO, but we were very pleasantly surprised when we got there to find they had backed the plane into a hanger so we wouldn’t get soaked as we were loading up. Very thoughtful! We got the bags loaded and then the most unpleasant of my pilot jobs: Emptying the potty. I did this and pre-flighted the plane while Michele paid for the fuel. We all got in and then they towed us out of the hanger onto the ramp. We didn’t get wet at all –very nice!
We took off in the light rain and soon climbed into the clouds. It was cloudy and a little bumpy the whole way –we didn’t see land again until about an hour later when we were about to land in Montreal. After securing the plane, we took taxis to our hotel, The Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth, got checked in, and got some lunch.
After a quick visit to the room to freshen up & grab jackets, we headed out for a walking tour of the city. Sandy stayed back with Megan to rest and the rest of us left the hotel about 2pm and walked a few blocks to our first stop: Notre Dame Cathedral. WOW! I have visited a lot of churches in our travels and I think this is the most beautiful I have ever seen. I especially liked the blue glow all around the top of the altar. Stunning!
Next, we headed downhill to the riverfront, where we stopped at a café for a quick rest and drink. Then, it was only a block or two to the Museum of History & Archeology. We started with a 20 minute movie about the history of Montreal and then went to the basement to see a large underground display of excavations. I though the kids might enjoy being down there, but they were kind of bored. The most exciting part was when Cameron dropped his flip-flop over the side of the catwalk into one of the excavations and I had to help lower Brandon down to retrieve it!
When we went back outside, the sun was out and the rain had stopped. It turned into a beautiful afternoon. We walked along the river front checking out sights along the way. The troops were getting more & more tired and at one point, Michele sat down and I didn’t think I was going to get her back up. I had to deliver a stirring motivational speech to keep everyone walking.
Our next stop turned out to be a winner: The Labyrinth at Hanger 16 was at the far end of the waterfront area in an old building above the docks. The hotel concierge recommended it for the kids, but I didn’t really know what it was. We soon found out that it was a huge maze with walls made of big sheets of plastic and all kinds of obstacles, riddles, slides, bridges, towers, and more. The kids had a BLAST!
We finally found the exit after about an hour and headed to dinner. We had reservations at an Italian restaurant a few blocks away. Sandy & Megan took a cab from the hotel and met us there. Dinner was good and we were all happy to sit down for a while after 4+ hours of walking. After dinner, we got dessert at Dairy Queen (yes, they have DQ in Canada) and then started making our way back to the hotel.
I noticed a spot on the map where the concierge had circled. He said there was a little park there with some sort of display, but I couldn’t remember what, exactly. Something to do with fog? We stopped at the park and sat down to rest a few minutes. Sure enough, we started to see some fog coming up through the fountain. The boys took off their shoes and walked around in it until security came by and told them to get out because it was about to be lit up with fire. Coolest fountain ever!
After the fiery fountain, we limped a few more blocks back to the hotel. I don’t think any of us will have trouble sleeping tonight! We have all day to explore the city tomorrow, and I have a few ideas…
The drivers had a little trouble finding the right hanger / FBO, but we were very pleasantly surprised when we got there to find they had backed the plane into a hanger so we wouldn’t get soaked as we were loading up. Very thoughtful! We got the bags loaded and then the most unpleasant of my pilot jobs: Emptying the potty. I did this and pre-flighted the plane while Michele paid for the fuel. We all got in and then they towed us out of the hanger onto the ramp. We didn’t get wet at all –very nice!
We took off in the light rain and soon climbed into the clouds. It was cloudy and a little bumpy the whole way –we didn’t see land again until about an hour later when we were about to land in Montreal. After securing the plane, we took taxis to our hotel, The Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth, got checked in, and got some lunch.
After a quick visit to the room to freshen up & grab jackets, we headed out for a walking tour of the city. Sandy stayed back with Megan to rest and the rest of us left the hotel about 2pm and walked a few blocks to our first stop: Notre Dame Cathedral. WOW! I have visited a lot of churches in our travels and I think this is the most beautiful I have ever seen. I especially liked the blue glow all around the top of the altar. Stunning!
Next, we headed downhill to the riverfront, where we stopped at a café for a quick rest and drink. Then, it was only a block or two to the Museum of History & Archeology. We started with a 20 minute movie about the history of Montreal and then went to the basement to see a large underground display of excavations. I though the kids might enjoy being down there, but they were kind of bored. The most exciting part was when Cameron dropped his flip-flop over the side of the catwalk into one of the excavations and I had to help lower Brandon down to retrieve it!
When we went back outside, the sun was out and the rain had stopped. It turned into a beautiful afternoon. We walked along the river front checking out sights along the way. The troops were getting more & more tired and at one point, Michele sat down and I didn’t think I was going to get her back up. I had to deliver a stirring motivational speech to keep everyone walking.
Our next stop turned out to be a winner: The Labyrinth at Hanger 16 was at the far end of the waterfront area in an old building above the docks. The hotel concierge recommended it for the kids, but I didn’t really know what it was. We soon found out that it was a huge maze with walls made of big sheets of plastic and all kinds of obstacles, riddles, slides, bridges, towers, and more. The kids had a BLAST!
We finally found the exit after about an hour and headed to dinner. We had reservations at an Italian restaurant a few blocks away. Sandy & Megan took a cab from the hotel and met us there. Dinner was good and we were all happy to sit down for a while after 4+ hours of walking. After dinner, we got dessert at Dairy Queen (yes, they have DQ in Canada) and then started making our way back to the hotel.
I noticed a spot on the map where the concierge had circled. He said there was a little park there with some sort of display, but I couldn’t remember what, exactly. Something to do with fog? We stopped at the park and sat down to rest a few minutes. Sure enough, we started to see some fog coming up through the fountain. The boys took off their shoes and walked around in it until security came by and told them to get out because it was about to be lit up with fire. Coolest fountain ever!
After the fiery fountain, we limped a few more blocks back to the hotel. I don’t think any of us will have trouble sleeping tonight! We have all day to explore the city tomorrow, and I have a few ideas…
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Another day of walking.
This morning, I was up a bit early, so I spent some time on-line checking out Frommer’s guide to Quebec City for sightseeing ideas. We had seen many of the recommended sights yesterday, but there were still some things to check out today –starting with the changing of the guard at the Citadel @ 10:00am. The book said that we could start at our hotel, walk along the terrace, up some stairs, and to a grassy area to see the changing of the guard. It sounded like a great way to begin our day.
It was almost 9am, so I rushed us down to the breakfast buffet and out the door to the terrace (boardwalk) behind the hotel. Roland & Sandy kept Megan for us since there were stairs involved, and that turned out to be a great decision, since there were many, many stairs! We kept going and going until I thought maybe we had missed a turn and passed the Citadel completely. It was nearly 10 when we popped out near the corner of the Citadel and, guess where we were? Almost exactly in the same spot where we stood during the Black Eyed Peas concert on Friday night! The park was empty of course, but they had lots of fencing up around the perimeter, which prevented us from getting closer to the Citadel. So, our first big idea didn’t work out so well.
No matter, there were still plenty of other things to see. We coordinated with Roland on the phone and met up with them just outside the park near the main gate. Cameron has been begging us to ride the “horse taxi” the past few days and we keep putting him off. Well, I saw two of them sitting idle just across the street, so we decided to go for a ride. It was very relaxing and I think everyone enjoyed it.
Next, we followed the city wall to a nice playground we had seen while on the carriage ride. We let the kids play there for a while, then we continued following the wall toward the next gate. The boys & I walked along the top while everyone else was down on the sidewalk with Megan & the stroller.
We went through the St. Jean gate and into a big plaza. It was almost noon, so we stopped at a sidewalk café and got lunch and listened to a band performing nearby. After lunch, we went back out the gate and to the nearby Artillery Park (military history) for a while. Finally, we walked down St. Jean Street, which was very busy and lined with shops on both sides –the boys got cool new baseball caps.
Everyone was getting pretty tired by now, so we stopped by an ice cream shop for a quick energy burst and then made our way back to the hotel for a quick power nap. Later, I took to boys back down the Funicular and walked around the lower city. Then, we met up with the rest of the family for dinner. Before we came in, we stopped by the square just outside the hotel so the boys could watch the street performers again.
I have really enjoyed our visit to Quebec City, but it is time to move on. Tomorrow, we will make a short flight to Montreal (about 1 hour).
It was almost 9am, so I rushed us down to the breakfast buffet and out the door to the terrace (boardwalk) behind the hotel. Roland & Sandy kept Megan for us since there were stairs involved, and that turned out to be a great decision, since there were many, many stairs! We kept going and going until I thought maybe we had missed a turn and passed the Citadel completely. It was nearly 10 when we popped out near the corner of the Citadel and, guess where we were? Almost exactly in the same spot where we stood during the Black Eyed Peas concert on Friday night! The park was empty of course, but they had lots of fencing up around the perimeter, which prevented us from getting closer to the Citadel. So, our first big idea didn’t work out so well.
No matter, there were still plenty of other things to see. We coordinated with Roland on the phone and met up with them just outside the park near the main gate. Cameron has been begging us to ride the “horse taxi” the past few days and we keep putting him off. Well, I saw two of them sitting idle just across the street, so we decided to go for a ride. It was very relaxing and I think everyone enjoyed it.
Next, we followed the city wall to a nice playground we had seen while on the carriage ride. We let the kids play there for a while, then we continued following the wall toward the next gate. The boys & I walked along the top while everyone else was down on the sidewalk with Megan & the stroller.
We went through the St. Jean gate and into a big plaza. It was almost noon, so we stopped at a sidewalk café and got lunch and listened to a band performing nearby. After lunch, we went back out the gate and to the nearby Artillery Park (military history) for a while. Finally, we walked down St. Jean Street, which was very busy and lined with shops on both sides –the boys got cool new baseball caps.
Everyone was getting pretty tired by now, so we stopped by an ice cream shop for a quick energy burst and then made our way back to the hotel for a quick power nap. Later, I took to boys back down the Funicular and walked around the lower city. Then, we met up with the rest of the family for dinner. Before we came in, we stopped by the square just outside the hotel so the boys could watch the street performers again.
I have really enjoyed our visit to Quebec City, but it is time to move on. Tomorrow, we will make a short flight to Montreal (about 1 hour).
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Walking Tour
We all slept in a bit after the big concert last night. It was almost 10am by the time we went downstairs for breakfast. Good thing there is a coffee pot in the room! Afterwards, I visited the concierge and got some recommendations for sightseeing around the city and then we headed out.
We started by heading across the nearby park and then down a very narrow street lined on both sides with local artwork for sale. Some of them were quite nice, but we didn’t buy anything since we didn’t want to carry it around all day. Maybe later. We stopped into the Notre Dame cathedral for a few minutes. Next, we strolled through the Latin quarter (which didn’t seem particularly Latin to me) and ended up near the city wall. We followed the wall for a few blocks until the end. Then we were outside the wall, heading downhill to the old town and riverfront below.
Our first stop on the river was the farmer’s market. I thought it might be fun to visit with the kids, but it was too hot & too crowded. We didn’t stay long. Next, we walked next door to a large carnival-type festival set up in the park. There was a stage show, a moon-bounce, mini-train rides, and lots of other stuff going on. We stayed a while and let the kids play, then it was time to move on.
We were going to pop in and see the Titanic exhibit next door, but we realized that we had already seen the same thing (it’s a traveling exhibition) in Halifax last year, so we skipped it. Instead, we headed away from the water 1 block and walked down St. Paul street. Roland & Sandy enjoyed checking out the many antique stores while the boys and I moved from bench to bench.
Next, we ended up near a fountain where we let the kids play and splash a little bit. It was almost 1pm and the kids were getting pretty hungry since they didn’t enjoy the breakfast buffet very much at the hotel. We stopped into a Subway restaurant and grabbed a quick bite.
After lunch, the kids were recharged and we headed to the Museum of Civilization. They had several exhibits that were very interesting & hands-on for the kids. My favorite was “Riff”, a large section devoted to music of all kinds. They had a great audio-guide system that somehow knew where we were in the exhibit and would seamlessly change the soundtrack to match our position. Toward the end, there was a big theater with comfy chairs with concert videos of various artists such as Carlos Santana, Ray Charles, Beyonce, & more. The kids & I could have stayed there all afternoon, but there was lots more to see. Before leaving we also visited an area about volcanoes, earthquakes and other geological stuff and an exhibit on Egypt and mummies.
Sandy hasn’t been feeling well the past day or two and she scheduled an appointment with a doctor at the hotel @ 3:30, so she & Roland had to head back a little early. I thought the rest of us might go for a boat ride, but Michele & the kids were fading fast, so we decided to skip it and head back toward the hotel. It was only a few blocks to the funicular, which is a like a big elevator that runs up the side of the cliff, depositing us right in front of our hotel. Perfect!
Michele took Megan inside to rest while the boys & I stayed outside to watch one of the street performers juggle flaming torches and knives while lying on a bed of nails. The kids loved it! It kind of reminded me of Mallory Square in Key West. Lots of build up with little action.
After the show, we came back to the room for a quick power nap and then it was time to meet up for dinner. We walked a few blocks to a cozy pub where we enjoyed a good meal. The food was good, but the service was slow. It started raining while we were inside, so we were not in a big hurry to leave, anyway. The rain subsided by the time we left, so it worked out great.
On the way back to the hotel, the boys started playing in another fountain. We told them they could go ahead and get wet and they had the best time running & splashing all around. They were all totally soaked! Michele took them up to the room to shower & change while I took a walk down the boardwalk near our hotel to try to get a photo of the Chateau. I could hear another band playing the festival in the distance.
All-in-all, a great day. We are going to sleep in again tomorrow and then we’ll see what else we can get into.
We started by heading across the nearby park and then down a very narrow street lined on both sides with local artwork for sale. Some of them were quite nice, but we didn’t buy anything since we didn’t want to carry it around all day. Maybe later. We stopped into the Notre Dame cathedral for a few minutes. Next, we strolled through the Latin quarter (which didn’t seem particularly Latin to me) and ended up near the city wall. We followed the wall for a few blocks until the end. Then we were outside the wall, heading downhill to the old town and riverfront below.
Our first stop on the river was the farmer’s market. I thought it might be fun to visit with the kids, but it was too hot & too crowded. We didn’t stay long. Next, we walked next door to a large carnival-type festival set up in the park. There was a stage show, a moon-bounce, mini-train rides, and lots of other stuff going on. We stayed a while and let the kids play, then it was time to move on.
We were going to pop in and see the Titanic exhibit next door, but we realized that we had already seen the same thing (it’s a traveling exhibition) in Halifax last year, so we skipped it. Instead, we headed away from the water 1 block and walked down St. Paul street. Roland & Sandy enjoyed checking out the many antique stores while the boys and I moved from bench to bench.
Next, we ended up near a fountain where we let the kids play and splash a little bit. It was almost 1pm and the kids were getting pretty hungry since they didn’t enjoy the breakfast buffet very much at the hotel. We stopped into a Subway restaurant and grabbed a quick bite.
After lunch, the kids were recharged and we headed to the Museum of Civilization. They had several exhibits that were very interesting & hands-on for the kids. My favorite was “Riff”, a large section devoted to music of all kinds. They had a great audio-guide system that somehow knew where we were in the exhibit and would seamlessly change the soundtrack to match our position. Toward the end, there was a big theater with comfy chairs with concert videos of various artists such as Carlos Santana, Ray Charles, Beyonce, & more. The kids & I could have stayed there all afternoon, but there was lots more to see. Before leaving we also visited an area about volcanoes, earthquakes and other geological stuff and an exhibit on Egypt and mummies.
Sandy hasn’t been feeling well the past day or two and she scheduled an appointment with a doctor at the hotel @ 3:30, so she & Roland had to head back a little early. I thought the rest of us might go for a boat ride, but Michele & the kids were fading fast, so we decided to skip it and head back toward the hotel. It was only a few blocks to the funicular, which is a like a big elevator that runs up the side of the cliff, depositing us right in front of our hotel. Perfect!
Michele took Megan inside to rest while the boys & I stayed outside to watch one of the street performers juggle flaming torches and knives while lying on a bed of nails. The kids loved it! It kind of reminded me of Mallory Square in Key West. Lots of build up with little action.
After the show, we came back to the room for a quick power nap and then it was time to meet up for dinner. We walked a few blocks to a cozy pub where we enjoyed a good meal. The food was good, but the service was slow. It started raining while we were inside, so we were not in a big hurry to leave, anyway. The rain subsided by the time we left, so it worked out great.
On the way back to the hotel, the boys started playing in another fountain. We told them they could go ahead and get wet and they had the best time running & splashing all around. They were all totally soaked! Michele took them up to the room to shower & change while I took a walk down the boardwalk near our hotel to try to get a photo of the Chateau. I could hear another band playing the festival in the distance.
All-in-all, a great day. We are going to sleep in again tomorrow and then we’ll see what else we can get into.
Friday, July 16, 2010
New Bedford, MA -> Quebec City, Canada
Another city, another free airplane wash on the way in. The weather was nice for most of our 2 ½ hour flight, but there was a large band of heavy rain & thunderstorms sitting right on the US / Canada border as we approached. We had to deviate about 40 miles East of our course to get around the worst of the rain, but we finally made it in around 1pm.
Canadian customs was a breeze –we cleared without seeing anyone. We just called the 800 number and reported our arrival. We had to split up into two cabs for the 30 minute ride to the hotel. None of us had lunch yet and we were getting hungrier & grumpier by the minute.
While I was getting us checked in, Michele went to find the restaurant, so we could get a late lunch. Justin came back and said they had a table, so we followed him into the elevator, but he couldn’t remember what floor. While we were thinking about it, the elevator went up, so we had to get off and catch another one down. Meanwhile, Michele was calling me saying she was back in the lobby, but Roland had disappeared. It was like some weird comedy routine getting our group back together again!
Finally, we found the restaurant –actually, it was the bar. The kids weren’t allowed to sit in the bar, so we sat outside on the terrace. We were just about on our last nerve by the time we got the chairs shuffled around and sat down. After sitting for a few minutes and getting a drink, everyone started to feel more relaxed. We had a lovely view of our magnificent hotel, the Chateau Frontenac and the river below. And then, it started to rain…
I wondered where we going to eat now? Maybe take the food up to the room? But, the server was very nice and opened up a private room just off the bar where we could sit and have lunch with the kids. I thought the food was good (club sandwich), but Brandon & Justin’s pizza had a meat & tomato sauce. Justin loved it, but Brandon & Cameron said it tasted like chili and didn’t eat.
After lunch, we got the bellman to bring our bags up to our rooms. He mentioned that there was a music festival this weekend and that the Black Eyed Peas would be performing tonight. The kids would love that, for sure! Sandy went down to check with the concierge to see if we could get some tickets.
Meanwhile, there were some street performers in the square just outside our window and the boys enjoyed watching them dance & do stunts like sword swallowing & fire eating. We put on our swimsuits and headed to the pool for a little while and then came back to the room for a quick power-nap. The phone rang after we got in and the concierge scored 4 tickets for the big show.
About 6:30pm, we went out to dinner and had a great meal at an Italian restaurant. Brandon was especially happy that the pizza didn’t taste like chili. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and then came the tough part: deciding who was going to the show. After discussing it a bit, Justin decided he was too tired and didn’t want to stand around all night, so he stayed with Roland, Sandy, & Megan, while Michele, Brandon, Cameron & I went to the show.
It was a short walk uphill to the citadel area. The crowds thickened as we got closer until we finally were herded through the security & ticket check and got inside. It was PACKED! They said that over 200,000 people were there and I believe it . We walked and walked until we finally found a little spot where we could stand behind some folks in chairs so the kids could see the stage & big TV screens. The opening act was finishing up and we had to wait about 45 minutes for the Black Eyed Peas to start. It was a fun show and Cameron & Brandon were having a great time dancing and singing along to all their hits.
We left a little early to beat the crowds, walked back to the hotel, and fell into bed. We have no firm plans for tomorrow. I think we will just walk around the city and see what we find.
Canadian customs was a breeze –we cleared without seeing anyone. We just called the 800 number and reported our arrival. We had to split up into two cabs for the 30 minute ride to the hotel. None of us had lunch yet and we were getting hungrier & grumpier by the minute.
While I was getting us checked in, Michele went to find the restaurant, so we could get a late lunch. Justin came back and said they had a table, so we followed him into the elevator, but he couldn’t remember what floor. While we were thinking about it, the elevator went up, so we had to get off and catch another one down. Meanwhile, Michele was calling me saying she was back in the lobby, but Roland had disappeared. It was like some weird comedy routine getting our group back together again!
Finally, we found the restaurant –actually, it was the bar. The kids weren’t allowed to sit in the bar, so we sat outside on the terrace. We were just about on our last nerve by the time we got the chairs shuffled around and sat down. After sitting for a few minutes and getting a drink, everyone started to feel more relaxed. We had a lovely view of our magnificent hotel, the Chateau Frontenac and the river below. And then, it started to rain…
I wondered where we going to eat now? Maybe take the food up to the room? But, the server was very nice and opened up a private room just off the bar where we could sit and have lunch with the kids. I thought the food was good (club sandwich), but Brandon & Justin’s pizza had a meat & tomato sauce. Justin loved it, but Brandon & Cameron said it tasted like chili and didn’t eat.
After lunch, we got the bellman to bring our bags up to our rooms. He mentioned that there was a music festival this weekend and that the Black Eyed Peas would be performing tonight. The kids would love that, for sure! Sandy went down to check with the concierge to see if we could get some tickets.
Meanwhile, there were some street performers in the square just outside our window and the boys enjoyed watching them dance & do stunts like sword swallowing & fire eating. We put on our swimsuits and headed to the pool for a little while and then came back to the room for a quick power-nap. The phone rang after we got in and the concierge scored 4 tickets for the big show.
About 6:30pm, we went out to dinner and had a great meal at an Italian restaurant. Brandon was especially happy that the pizza didn’t taste like chili. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and then came the tough part: deciding who was going to the show. After discussing it a bit, Justin decided he was too tired and didn’t want to stand around all night, so he stayed with Roland, Sandy, & Megan, while Michele, Brandon, Cameron & I went to the show.
It was a short walk uphill to the citadel area. The crowds thickened as we got closer until we finally were herded through the security & ticket check and got inside. It was PACKED! They said that over 200,000 people were there and I believe it . We walked and walked until we finally found a little spot where we could stand behind some folks in chairs so the kids could see the stage & big TV screens. The opening act was finishing up and we had to wait about 45 minutes for the Black Eyed Peas to start. It was a fun show and Cameron & Brandon were having a great time dancing and singing along to all their hits.
We left a little early to beat the crowds, walked back to the hotel, and fell into bed. We have no firm plans for tomorrow. I think we will just walk around the city and see what we find.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Baptism / BBQ
This morning, we headed to church in nearby Dartmouth to attend Jasmine’s baptism. We arrived just a couple minutes late, but easily found a seat and settled in for Mass. Afterwards, the priest performed the baptism, which went very smoothly. Afterwards, we went over to Marc & Beth’s house for a few minutes to relax for a few minutes, and then we headed to “Not your average Joe’s” for an early lunch. I split a BBQ chicken pizza with Nick –it was great!
After lunch, we went back to the hotel to change clothes and relax for a while. I got some change from the front desk and used the coin-op laundry to clean my jeans & shirt from Megan’s big blowout yesterday. I caught a short nap while the clothes were in the dryer.
About 4:30pm, we piled in the van and headed back over to Marc & Beth’s for dinner. They have a big, beautiful back yard right on a golf course, so there was plenty of room for the kids to run & play. Even some of the adults got in on a game of whiffle ball.
Marc & Beth are gourmet cooks, and they whipped up a great BBQ dinner with pulled pork, burgers, roast chicken, hot dogs, and all the fixin’s, including Palmagranite Margarita’s –yummy! After dinner, we took turns going inside and talking with Andrew using Skype video on Nick’s laptop. Andrew is working on a special research project this summer in NY state.
We sat out back and visited while we watched the sun go down. It was really a pleasant evening. They built a small fire in a pit and the kids had fun roasting marshmallows. We would have stayed longer, but we were getting tired and we have a big day tomorrow. We’ll be flying out of the US and landing at our first destination in Canada: Quebec City. It is forecast to rain there tomorrow. What a surprise!
After lunch, we went back to the hotel to change clothes and relax for a while. I got some change from the front desk and used the coin-op laundry to clean my jeans & shirt from Megan’s big blowout yesterday. I caught a short nap while the clothes were in the dryer.
About 4:30pm, we piled in the van and headed back over to Marc & Beth’s for dinner. They have a big, beautiful back yard right on a golf course, so there was plenty of room for the kids to run & play. Even some of the adults got in on a game of whiffle ball.
Marc & Beth are gourmet cooks, and they whipped up a great BBQ dinner with pulled pork, burgers, roast chicken, hot dogs, and all the fixin’s, including Palmagranite Margarita’s –yummy! After dinner, we took turns going inside and talking with Andrew using Skype video on Nick’s laptop. Andrew is working on a special research project this summer in NY state.
We sat out back and visited while we watched the sun go down. It was really a pleasant evening. They built a small fire in a pit and the kids had fun roasting marshmallows. We would have stayed longer, but we were getting tired and we have a big day tomorrow. We’ll be flying out of the US and landing at our first destination in Canada: Quebec City. It is forecast to rain there tomorrow. What a surprise!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Asheville, NC -> New Bedford, MA
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me… We checked out this morning and headed to the airport for our flight to Massachusetts. We stopped by Subway on the way to the airport and got some lunch to eat on the flight, so we were running a little behind schedule. We finally took off around 10:45am.
Asheville departure cleared us “direct” to New Bedford, which would have taken us right over Washington DC. I figured that wouldn’t happen, but I was happy to get the plane pointed in the right direction without a lot of deviations. Sure enough, as we approached Richmond, we got a “amendment to our routing” which took us East of the city. As we were handed off from one controller to another, we got more reroutes. I was scribbling clearances and flipping charts like crazy to keep up!
All the rerouting actually worked out just fine. There was a lot of bad weather with thunderstorms and heavy rain over most of the East coast north of DC. We ended up passing East of Washington and then going a little offshore and enjoyed a pleasant flight in nice weather. It wasn’t until we began our descent into New Bedford that we encountered some light rain. We flew another instrument approach and were soon pulling up the terminal. They had a big 12-pax van waiting for us, which worked out perfectly for our family + luggage.
We drove to the hotel, got checked in, and Roland & I took the boys down to the pool for a while to relax. After 4+ hours in the pilot seat, it felt great to sit in the hot tub for a while! The boys discovered that they could shoot bubbles up their swimshirts and make them puff up really big –they had a lot of fun with that.
We spent about half an hour at the pool and then it was time to get cleaned up and head to Great-Grandma Cardin’s house. We picked her up and went to Chili’s for dinner. The food & service were good and we had a nice time. Great-Grandma really enjoyed meeting Megan for the first time. Everything went real well until the end of the meal when things were winding down. I was holding Megan on my lap and Justin asked to hold her. When I stood up and gave her to him, I noticed that she had done a gigantic #2 and it was all over her back, her dress, my jeans, my shirt, pretty much everywhere. What a nice birthday present!
Michele & Sandy got Megan cleaned up in the bathroom and then we headed back to Great Grandma’s house to visit for a while. Aunt Denise and her family (Marvin & Jasmine) were there and the kids had a fun time playing together.
Tomorrow morning, we are going to church for Jasmine’s baptism and then I think we are all going to lunch somewhere. The weather is supposed to be cloudy, but no more rain –we’ll see…
Asheville departure cleared us “direct” to New Bedford, which would have taken us right over Washington DC. I figured that wouldn’t happen, but I was happy to get the plane pointed in the right direction without a lot of deviations. Sure enough, as we approached Richmond, we got a “amendment to our routing” which took us East of the city. As we were handed off from one controller to another, we got more reroutes. I was scribbling clearances and flipping charts like crazy to keep up!
All the rerouting actually worked out just fine. There was a lot of bad weather with thunderstorms and heavy rain over most of the East coast north of DC. We ended up passing East of Washington and then going a little offshore and enjoyed a pleasant flight in nice weather. It wasn’t until we began our descent into New Bedford that we encountered some light rain. We flew another instrument approach and were soon pulling up the terminal. They had a big 12-pax van waiting for us, which worked out perfectly for our family + luggage.
We drove to the hotel, got checked in, and Roland & I took the boys down to the pool for a while to relax. After 4+ hours in the pilot seat, it felt great to sit in the hot tub for a while! The boys discovered that they could shoot bubbles up their swimshirts and make them puff up really big –they had a lot of fun with that.
We spent about half an hour at the pool and then it was time to get cleaned up and head to Great-Grandma Cardin’s house. We picked her up and went to Chili’s for dinner. The food & service were good and we had a nice time. Great-Grandma really enjoyed meeting Megan for the first time. Everything went real well until the end of the meal when things were winding down. I was holding Megan on my lap and Justin asked to hold her. When I stood up and gave her to him, I noticed that she had done a gigantic #2 and it was all over her back, her dress, my jeans, my shirt, pretty much everywhere. What a nice birthday present!
Michele & Sandy got Megan cleaned up in the bathroom and then we headed back to Great Grandma’s house to visit for a while. Aunt Denise and her family (Marvin & Jasmine) were there and the kids had a fun time playing together.
Tomorrow morning, we are going to church for Jasmine’s baptism and then I think we are all going to lunch somewhere. The weather is supposed to be cloudy, but no more rain –we’ll see…
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
River Rafting
Well, we lucked out again with the weather today! We got up around 7:30am and the sun was shining, so we proceeded as planned on our rafting trip. After breakfast, Roland & Sandy stayed in the hotel with Megan, while the rest of us got our swimsuits on and caught the shuttle down to the outdoor center. After signing the waivers, we jumped on another shuttle bus for the short ride to the put-in point, which was just a few miles upstream, still on the Biltmore Estate grounds.
The water was a little chilly, but it felt great as the morning heated up. There was a bag of toys in the raft, including a couple of water guns, so our first mission was to sneak up on the other raft and try to squirt them, which was a success. Later on, the other raft appeared to be stuck on a rock. As we passed by, the opened fire –it was an ambush!
Between skirmishes, there was plenty of time to enjoy a relaxing morning on the river. We saw tons of Canadian geese, but not many other animals. There were beautiful views of the Biltmore Mansion and surrounding estate. The water was only a couple feet deep most of the time, but there was a deeper area toward the end and we were allowed to jump in and swim. It felt great.
After the rafting trip, we decided to hit the pool and swim for a while. We ordered lunch and ate by the pool while the kids swam and played. Roland & Sandy came down to join us and we took Megan for her very first swim. I think she really enjoyed it!
When we were done swimming, it was time for a little nap in the room. Later, Brandon & I rode the shuttle bus over to the mansion to walk around and take some photos. It was almost closing time and we had the whole place to ourselves. We caught the last shuttle back at 5:30pm and met up with the rest of the family at a restaurant just down the hill from the Inn. We enjoyed a good meal and then went back up to the Inn to enjoy the sunset from the terrace.
We have really enjoyed our first stop and hate to leave already, but we must be on our way. Tomorrow morning, we will check out and fly our longest leg of the trip (about 4 hours) to New Bedford, MA.
The water was a little chilly, but it felt great as the morning heated up. There was a bag of toys in the raft, including a couple of water guns, so our first mission was to sneak up on the other raft and try to squirt them, which was a success. Later on, the other raft appeared to be stuck on a rock. As we passed by, the opened fire –it was an ambush!
Between skirmishes, there was plenty of time to enjoy a relaxing morning on the river. We saw tons of Canadian geese, but not many other animals. There were beautiful views of the Biltmore Mansion and surrounding estate. The water was only a couple feet deep most of the time, but there was a deeper area toward the end and we were allowed to jump in and swim. It felt great.
After the rafting trip, we decided to hit the pool and swim for a while. We ordered lunch and ate by the pool while the kids swam and played. Roland & Sandy came down to join us and we took Megan for her very first swim. I think she really enjoyed it!
When we were done swimming, it was time for a little nap in the room. Later, Brandon & I rode the shuttle bus over to the mansion to walk around and take some photos. It was almost closing time and we had the whole place to ourselves. We caught the last shuttle back at 5:30pm and met up with the rest of the family at a restaurant just down the hill from the Inn. We enjoyed a good meal and then went back up to the Inn to enjoy the sunset from the terrace.
We have really enjoyed our first stop and hate to leave already, but we must be on our way. Tomorrow morning, we will check out and fly our longest leg of the trip (about 4 hours) to New Bedford, MA.
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