2020…the Year of Limited Adventure

27 Tuesday Oct 2020

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Ahhh, 2020. There year we were supposed to go back to Cozumel, California, and possibly eastern Canada. The year we actually walked more hours than we drove and explored the world much closer to home.

This blog has been very quiet this year. Not that I intended it to be, but there just didn’t seem to be many adventures worth putting into words. As I looked back through photos from the past 10 months, I realized we’ve not exactly been doing nothing. Our adventures just look different this year than in the past.

We were scheduled to spend a week in Cozumel, Mexico in late March, two weeks after I began working from home. As the pandemic spiked in the US and across the world, we decided to postpone that trip until June…then September…now maybe 2021? The beach is my happy place, and being able to walk down 2 steps and into warm sand is heaven. Whenever that trip happens, I know it will be exactly what I need at exactly the right time.

Our explorations this year have been much closer to home, and many of them on foot. We’ve explored many trails and state parks in our local area. It was fun watching the leaves bud in March and April, followed by enjoying the shade of the leaf canopy through the summer months. Now we’re watching them turn color and float to the ground. I found a fun, easy app, AllTrails, that has provided us with an ever growing number of local hikes to check out.

Our local creek from the bridge overcrossing — Our first local hike

We did venture a little further to The Guideposts in rural northeast Georgia, (followed by a picnic and visits to two breweries in Athens, GA just because we could). The Guideposts are rather interesting, but not sure it’s somewhere we’ll venture to again or take visitors. It’s a bit of a drive for roughly 20 – 30 minutes to take in everything there is to see. It is near the Ty Cobb Museum for anyone who’s a fan of baseball.

In September we decided to do an out of town trip, and we hit Nashville for a long weekend. We did a bit of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail on our drive there, stopping at Chattanooga Whiskey and George Dickel Distilleries. We stayed at a hotel near Music Row and joined the crowd on Friday night to hear live music. We didn’t stay out long as it was getting crowded, and neither of us were feeling really comfortable. Saturday we opted to walk over toward Vanderbilt University and the Parthenon. Centennial Park, where the Parthenon is located, is undergoing a major renovation, and it appeared to be closed. We were rather happy to find as we walked around the last side of the building that it was open. And we beat the crowd for the day! The Parthenon is the only full size replica in the world, including the statue of Athena.

From there we walked back toward the hotel and explored Marathon Village. Nashville was once home to Marathon Motors Company. The building is now converted to a series of small shops, but old machinery from the factory is displayed along the hallways. Really worth checking out if you like nostalgia and old cars.

We may have driven to Nashville and home, but we walked everywhere until it was time to leave!

We’ve (mostly me) made several trips to east central Illinois to check in on Mom. Not sure these count as adventures, but it’s always a fun visit. We’ve ‘walked’ down memory lane many times during each visit. And I’m not sure whether it’s a good thing or not that I pretty much know every rest area between here and there on both sides of the highway. We’ll be taking one final trip north for 2020, then the weather will keep us home for a few months.

Here’s hoping the world becomes safer and saner, and travel becomes more possible in the coming year. I miss the open road and discovering new places along the way. Until then, I guess my feet will need to have to continue to help me explore new places close to home.

(And note to self, every now and then when you feel you haven’t done enough exploring, scroll through your photos for a reminder of all you have done in the craziness that is 2020.)

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Vacation2016

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A Little Fall of Rain…

28 Monday Jan 2019

…can hardly hurt us now. Unless it puts a damper on the entire day! Today dawned overcast and drizzly. On our way to breakfast a few blocks away it changed from a mist to a downpour. We didn’t let that stop us from enjoying Chocobar for breafast. Daughter tried the Grilled Cheese and Chocolate sandwich, and allowed me a bite. I am a fan! We made a few purchases which she ran to the flat while I waited for the car. We set off for Playa Mar Chiquita beach hoping to spend some time in the sand, sun and surf. There was a small craft adivisory in effect, and the rain never really let up. We did walk the beach collecting beach glass and shells, and enjoyed watching the waves roll in.

It was a little too overcast and rainy to really enjoy the beach, and both port-a-potties (our last choice for a restroom, but it will do when desperate!) were locked. The next logical option seemed to us to be be the Bacardi Factory. Neither of us really wanted to spend the money to do the actual tour, but we did opt for the welcome cocktail. It was fun, but a lot of folks seemed to have the same idea.

We headed back to the flat in what looked to be clearing weather. A snooze (afternoon naps should be manadtory work breaks in my opinion), a shower and we were ready for dinner. Tonight’s restaurant, El Jibarito, was literally around the corner. We shared an entree of chicken in garlic sauce, and she had beans and rice while I indulged in mofongo de yuca – basically deep fried cassaba. It was delicious!

We ended the evening listening to live music just down the street, and across the street when we got home. Neither of us said a lot tonight…I think we are lost in our own thoughts and trying not to leave too much of our hearts here in Puerto Rico. That last part is nearly impossible.

I did have to chuckle tonight as the two ‘mainlanders’ thought 72 degrees was chilly, and one of us actually wrapped herself in the blanket before coming outside. I don’t know how we’ll get through the rest of winter, but now that I know summer exists somewhere before it hits Georgia, I think I can survive.

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Bacardi Factory, beach, Chocobar Cafe, Exploring, ocean, Old San Juan, Playa Mar Chiquita, Puerto Rico, Vacation 2019

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Exploring Old San Juan

26 Saturday Jan 2019

When you wake up and the first thing you see outside the bedroom window is a rainbow, you just know it’s going to be a great day.

We had no agenda for the day, so we woke up leisurely and headed to breakfast at the cafe on the corner. Literally less than 100 steps from our door. Delicious latte and omelette for me, and coffee and breakfast sandwich for the young one. You really couldn’t beat the view – until it started to sprinkle!

From there we set out to explore the entire city. We started at Fort Cristobal, then walked to the Castillo San Felipe del Morro San Juan. Daughter indulged my fascination with cemeteries and let me explore Cemeterio Sant Maria Magdalena De Pazzis. We spoke with a groundskeeper at the cemetery as we were leaving. He gave us a brief history and explained the city government no longer paid for upkeep of the cemetery, only cutting the grass. They used to get funding from some U.S. organization or grant, but the “money was hidden” and never used as intended. What I originally thought was hurricane damage was a fair amount of vandalism due to a lack of security in the cemetery after dark.

Behind the arches is the columbarium. There were several niches open. I’m not sure if it was storm related damage or not.

From here we headed more towards the center of town beginning with Casa Blanca. This was the original Governor’s mansion for Ponce De Leon. Past US Presidents have stayed here when visiting Puerto Rico. It was closed for lunch/siesta time when we arrived, so we didn’t get to see inside.

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant tucked back and away from the beaten path. We finally got our mofongo!

We stimulated the economy as best we could while being mindful of the weight of our suitcases to get home. Once we were sure the cruise ship passengers had left port, we headed to the Paseo de Sombrillas. An incredible sight!

We rested a bit (it may have involved an adult beverage) before heading back to the four flights of stairs to our flat. Dinner was take-out from a restaurant at the end of the street. Too much food, but such fun to sample it all. We were enjoying a bottle of wine on our patio when we were treated to a fireworks display. Not sure what the occasion was, but we were happy to participate and enjoyed the show!

We went to bed trying very hard to figure out how we could extend our stay, and how to squeeze as much as possible into our last day.

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Mofongo, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, rainbows, Travel, Vacation 2019

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We were in Old San Juan…and the room where it happened

25 Friday Jan 2019

Wednesday dawned somewhat overcast, but it didn’t dampen our spirit or sense of adventure. We checked out of the hotel, loaded the bags in the car, then did a short walk for coffee. The hotel had recommended Pinkies, a cafe and coffee shop a few blocks away. We got almost to it, turned around thinking we’d missed it, asked a local for directions, and finally found it. A very cool, hip place with limited seating (maybe 10 or 12 people, tops?). The menu looked good, but Daughter had somewhere else in mind for breakfast.

Once back to the car and on our way, we attempted to locate the box office to pick up our tickets to the evening’s show. We didn’t realize there was a matinee performance, so traffic was horrible (easy compared to Atlanta, but still bad for the area!) We elected to bypass picking up our tickets until later in the day, and we set off for Musa for brunch. I had an omelette stuffed with meat and cheese, and Daughter had Tres Leches French toast. Neither of us finished our meal. Delicious, but definitely more than we could eat!

After brunch we headed to Old San Juan which we will call home for the next three nights. We had a few hours to kill before we could check into our AirBnB. We drove around a bit, somewhat on purpose, somewhat trying to find a place to park close to our intended location. The streets are one way with parking one side of the road. We were headed down one street and came upon a cargo van which was blocking a portion of the driving lane. Knowing I couldn’t possibly pass the van, I attempted to back up from whence I’d come to the cross street and turn down a different street. I backed up far enough to realize the cross street was one-way that dead-ended into the street we were on. There was no way to go but forward, and I now had another car coming up behind me. The voice in the passenger seat advised I would need to ‘jump the curb’ and keep going. Uh, we’re in a compact car and you want me to do what? Needless to say, I jumped my first curb, managed to get around the van without damage to anything moving or stationary, and we found a place to park.

We set off on a path to who knows where, and explored a portion of Old San Juan until it was time to check in to our flat. There are a lot of statues throughout Old San Juan which make exploring that much more fun.

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We never saw a sign describing this art installation. Wish I knew what it was intended to depict.

One of many statues throughout Old San Juan

If I could get these home, I’m sure ‘El Gato’ chairs would be a perfect addition to our deck.

After exploring Paseo De La Princessa and the surrounding area (perhaps including a refreshing beverage), we started walking back toward the center of town. We walked through the cathedral where Ponce De Leon is buried and explored many of the streets.

This brought back many memories of La Posada at St Stephen’s in San Jose

We got the OK to check in about 2PM, and shortly after made our way up to our 4th floor flat. I was grateful the stairs were what I consider “European flights” where you have 6 or 7 stairs that make a U -turn so it doesn’t quite feel like a full flight of 12 or 13 stairs. We defintely enjoyed the view from our rooftop patio!

As much as we tried to rest a bit and unwind before getting ready, excitement was building. The reason we came to Puerto Rico was a few hours away. We Uber’d to the theater, picked up our tickets and took a short walk to Lote 23. The fun think about letting the younger generation pick locations for food is you try places you would likely never go on your own. I enjoyed an incredible poke bowl made to order, and Daughter had a ‘pastelillo con carne y alcapurria con jueyes’ (per her Instagram account.) She shared a bite, and it was delicious! Lote 23 is a bit like a food truck gathering spot, but all of the kitchens are permanent. The choices were varied and multiple, and it was a fun spot to people watch. My pashmina provided adequate cover mid-meal as a rain shower blew over.

A short walk back to the theater, a shorter wait in line, and we were soon “in the room where it happened.” The show was more relaxed than what we’d seen in San Francisco. There was more ‘give and take’ between the characters, and the rap/hip-hop sections were more spoken than the rapid fire we were used to. Potentially due to the number of non-English speakers in the audience? It didn’t matter to us, the subtle and not so subtle differences were noted and greatly appreciated. And kudos and God bless Lin Manuel-Miranda for doing every performance. He’d performed a matinee earlier in the day. I don’t know how he managed to do a second show (although we are very glad he did!) His stamina was amazing, and the audience clearly appreciated it. As the spotlight hit him on his stage entrance, there was a spontaneous standing ovation for about 30 seconds. The cast has gotten to know where the applause will be longer than usual, and they held poses and notes as needed. I wondered several times if the applause and admiration from the audience ever gets old. It sure didn’t feel like it did. We got home and were really unable to speak as our brains and hearts attempted to process the evening. In days, weeks, and months to come we’ll likely find more words.

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, Travel, Vacation 2019

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Island Fever, Puerto Rican style

23 Wednesday Jan 2019

In July 2017, my daughter and I saw the musical Hamilton in San Francisco. I am confident in saying we both know 90% of the soundtrack by heart (she’s probably at 100%, but with my less than stellar rap skills we average about 90%.) When they announced in early 2018 the show would be produced in Puerto Rico, we didn’t hesitate to start making plans – whether we got tickets to the show or not.

We (well, mostly daughter) found a hotel and AirBnB in San Juan, and we finalized our dates. On November 10th we (mostly me) got 2 tickets to #HamPR. Vacation was officially a dream come true trip.

We left Atlanta, GA in a balmy 24 degrees fahrenheit. Because of the US government shut down, we were at the airport a good 3 hours before our flight. A huge shout out to the TSA agents who were friendly and polite despite not receiving a paycheck. We breezed through security and managed to kill the 2 hours we had left. Once onboard, we learned the flight was nowhere near full. I jumped back a row to give us each a full row (3 seats) to stretch out and snooze.

A rainbow when landing seems like a good omen to me!

We landed in San Juan early, and caught the shuttle to pick up our rental car. (The major US rental companies are onsite the airport. We rented through a European company which was a short 5 minute ride away.)

Suitcases loaded into the trunk, GPS set to the hotel, and we were on our way. We soon learned the “rules of the road” in Puerto Rico seem to be “there are no rules.” Fortunately (depending on how you look at it), daughter opted not to be a driver, so it is all up to me. I live and drive in Atlanta – I am good with ‘no rules’ rules!

Our first two nights are at Acacia Boutique Hotel in the Condado area of San Juan. There is on street parking only, which was difficult when we arrived. We opted to drop daughter and bags off to check in while I searched for a nearby parking space. When that failed, we headed to the DoubleTree Hotel parking garage, maybe a half mile walk or so from our hotel. We opted to find a spot for dinner directly from there as we’d had very little in the way of food for the day. We started at Cocino Abierta where we shared tuna tataki, ceviche and emanadillas. This took the edge off the impending ‘hangry’ and was quite delicious.

My internal GPS led us back to the car where we gathered our remaining items, verified the car was good for overnight parking, and walked back to the hotel. It was still too early to call it a night, so we opted to check out another area near the hotel. We had no location in mind, and were happy to stumble on Tresbe, a fun, hip location. A few mojitos, empanadillas and fried plantains, and we were full, relaxed, and ready for bed…but not before a quick dip in the heated pool literally outside our room.

Tuesday morning dawned early as we had reservations on East Island Excursions for a catamaran tour to Culebra. We stopped at the sister boutique hotel for coffee, grabbed the car and headed out for our roughly hour drive to Fajardo. We were among the first to arrive, and enjoyed people watching for the next hour or so. The ride out to Culebra took about 50 minutes, and was rather choppy. We stopped first near a large reef and snorkeled for about 30 minutes before heading back on board to stake a claim on the roof area. Lots of yellow tail snapper, coral and several other species of tropical fish. It felt like we were swimming in am extra large fish tank. Unfortunately I forgot the underwater camera cover, so we only have our memories.

Once lunch and adult beverages were complete, we took a short 20 minute ride or so to Flamenco Beach where we had about an hour to enjoy one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Daughter swam the wetbag overhead from the boat to the shore (and back!) I did offer to carry it as long as my feet could touch the bottom!

The heart shaped cloud on the return to Fajardo seemed appropriate as I believe a piece of mine remained on Culebra.

A parking spot directly in front of the hotel was open when we returned, a good omen after a wonderful day! We took a quick stroll to the beach and watched the wind surfers and beach volleyball game before heading back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool.

Dinner was at Jose Enrique’s restaurant. He was the chef with Jose Andreas who fed Puerto Ricans in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. To say the food was incredible would be an understatement. Words really cant describe the flavors.

The menu is on white boards as it changes daily, and is updated as items run out during dinner. There were so many things we wanted to try!

We wandered the square a bit after dinner. Lots of music streaming from restaurants and bars, and locals out enjoying the cool breeze, some rum, cigars and conversation. We had a fun conversation with an older gentleman on the square. He probably had had a few, but he was sweet, enjoyed telling us about Peru (where he was born) and his international travels, and he complimented the young one on her Spanish.

We opted for an Uber back, another dip in the pool, and it was lights out!

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Candado, Culebra, Fajardo, Jose Enrique, Puerto Rico, Santorce, Vacation 2019

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Weekend in New England

28 Sunday Oct 2018

About a month ago one of my cousin’s texted me “Come North.” I must have been in the mood for a trip, because I texted my brother to see if he was interested in a road trip with me. Less than 12 hours later I had my tickets to Philadelphia, and hotel reservations.

An easy flight from Atlanta to Philly, and we hit the road. Bro was in charge of the route and stops along the way. I should mention he’s also an amazing homebrewer, and I have learned to like beer more than I thought I would. An easy drive up the NJ Turnpike, over the George Washington Bridge, and onto I-95. We spent 13 years growing up in southeastern CT, so it was a familiar route. As much as things have changed, I was still able to tap the memory bank for people, places and events.

Our first official stop was at Trillium Brewing Co. We were at their second location, not the one in Boston. This was a quick run in, purchase, go stop. It looks like a really fun place, and I definitely want to go back and really experience the tasting room, and the beers. Next stop was Bissell Brothers in Portland, ME. We had spent the day listening to a particular US Senate confirmation hearing, so I insisted we taste something. The tasting room staff were friendly and very helpful. She gave us some suggestions for other breweries to consider, and some good ideas for food along our way.

We set out in search of food as it was nearing 8:00PM. By the time we reached our first choice, their kitchen had closed for the evening. They pointed us toward another tap room/pub whose kitchen was open later. While it was open later, it was only open until 9:30, and it was already later than that. Google searches ensued as we looked for options at our final destination for the night. We found one restaurant with a kitchen open until 10:30. I called at just after 10PM to confirm, and placed our order by phone. Our food was delivered to our table when we arrived, and it was just what we needed. They had a good selection of beer on tap, which we enjoyed with our salads and pizza. Next stop, our hotel for the night and some sleep. We had an ocean view room, which was a nice treat to see when we woke up Friday morning. I knew I was near the water Thursday night because I could smell it, but it was too dark to see just how close we were. We learned later the QM2 had been moored in the harbor earlier in the week. I am glad we avoided the throng of cruise ship tourists.

A very short drive, and we enjoyed a visit with family I haven’t seen in several years. We took a walk down to the waterfront on the north end of town and explored a bit before heading back to the house and enjoying an afternoon nap. We went out for dinner, where I thoroughly enjoyed a Maine lobster. I couldn’t visit Maine and leave without having one. Prices are a bit higher than they were 36 years ago, but the lobster is still as good!

After dinner we indulged in the traditional family card game, and I went to bed happy as I did not lose. I didn’t win, but I didn’t lose, either. A restful night’s sleep, a yummy bowl of oatmeal and cup of coffee in the morning, and we were off.

Our first stop Saturday was in Freeport, Maine. Home of L.L. Bean main store and the Maine Beer Company. Bro asked me on Thursday to check when the release of ‘Dinner’ was. He thought it was coming up, but likely in another week or two. He was very happy to find out it was Saturday Sept 29, and even happier when I was able to purchase a ticket so we could get a case. So we backtracked just a little bit, expected a huge line, and were very pleasantly surprised to find very few people there. We shared a bottle later Saturday night, and it was absolutely worth the trip. One of the best beers I have had.

We began heading west toward Vermont. The fall foliage was a bit more colorful through western Maine and New Hampshire. In another week it will be stunning. We made a little detour to Franconia Notch, NH and drove through/around the Presidential Mountain Range. I reminisced about the times we drove to the top of Mt. Washington, and how much fun it was to get the sign on the bumper that said “This car climbed Mt. Washington.” We also stopped for a photo at the former location of Old Man in the Mountain. There was an outcropping of rock at the top of mountain that looked like a man’s profile. Despite efforts to save it, it feel several years ago. New Hampshire still has some of the prettiest scenery in the US, in my opinion. Especially in the fall.

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We stopped at Hills Farmstead Brewing and The Alchemist in Stowe. Both were purchase only stops, sample later. We passed a few others that Bro recommended, but time was of the essence as we were meeting family for dinner. The Alchemist is a fun, funky place, and definitely somewhere to return to.

A quick stop for some maple syrup, then on to Burlington. We had time to check in to our hotel before heading to dinner, and the sun was just starting to set. The farms in Vermont are so pretty.

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A fabulous dinner, a great visit with family, and a round of CAH with the cousin who sent the text that started the trip. After breakfast and final ‘see you soon’ to our aunt and uncle, we headed south on VT Route 7. Of course, it wouldn’t be proper to not stop at a brewery. A stop at Foley Bros Brewing, a few more beers added to the trunk of the car, and we were off to our last family visit of the trip. We traveled Route 7 many times as kids – traveling to/from VT for family visits, and during summer vacation when we would spend a few weeks without the parents bouncing between relatives and being carefree.

We hit the road back to Philly around 3PM. Weekend traffic was a bit heavier than we’d hoped, but we pulled into the driveway at Bro’s about 9:30PM. I got to enjoy some of his incredible homebrew before calling it a night.

…and here it is a month later and I realized I hadn’t published this post. I guess that’s what happens when life is crazy busy! But here it is. It was a much needed trip on so many levels – a reminder that making time, even if brief, to spend with family is always wonderful, and that travel is good for the soul. Almost time to start the count down for the next trip. I have some fun ones planned, especially in January!

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Autumn, Beer, Bissell Bros Brewing, Connecticut, Craft Beer, Fall Foliage, Franconia Notch, Green Mountains, Maine, Maine Beer Co, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Presidential Range, Trillium Brewing, Vacation2016, Vermont, White Mountains

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The last 48 hours – or back to reality.

17 Tuesday Jul 2018

Sunday started with a quick trip to the grocery store for water and a few other items. We opted for the All Canadian grocery store across the street from the hotel. It was enormous, good prices, and a huge selection. It reminded us of a classier Wal-Mart. We got in the checkout line, and the total was $23 Canadian and change. Mom hands the cashier $25 US. She had to punch a few more keys to have the machine convert to US$ total, which was about $17. The cashier is still holding Mom’s $25. When she keyed in the amount of money tendered, she keyed in $40, not $25. I quickly let her know we’d given her $25, not $40. It then took 2 store managers to try to figure out how to correct the mistake without voiding the transaction. Long story short – the transaction was voided and redone, and we were on our way south.

The sky looked a bit overcast and gray as we started, but soon cleared. Could we be so lucky as to avoid rain yet another day? We crossed back into the US a little after 11AM. A quick stop for gas as I’d forgotten to check the fuel level before we left Thunder Bay, changed the settings from metric to US, and we drove the short distance to our first stop, the Grand Portage National Monument. An incredible historic fur trading site that has live demonstrations and docents to answer any and all questions.

We had no cell phone signal for the GPS, so we reverted to good old fashioned map reading for about an hour. Beautiful views of Lake Superior all along the drive.

It felt like there was more traffic, but we were on a 2 lane state highway, and the North Shore area of Lake Superior is a vacation destination. It thinned out a bit the further south we went. The scenery changed from lake views to vast rolling hills of farmland as we entered Wisconsin. We checked into the hotel in Eau Clair about 6:30PM, and took a short drive to an area restaurant that sounded good. Unfortunately, they weren’t open, so back to the restaurant near the hotel, Shoeless Joe’s Sports Grill. It worked for two ladies who were probably a little more road weary than they thought or would admit!

Monday dawned sunny and bright. Our last day on the road. We were both glad we’d opted to bring in the bare minimum the night before as the elevator was being serviced. Two trips down the stairs and we were loaded and ready to go. First stop was The Paul Bunyan Logging Camp and Museum. Another fun, educational and interactive museum. We learned a lot about the early days of logging, and I learned my paternal great-grandfather was a logger in New Hampshire. The museum is supported and run by the local Kiwanis Club. They do an excellent job, and really bring the story of Paul Bunyan to life. I read the book many times growing up, and now need to reread it with the background information I now have.

It was time to hit the road for the final leg of Road Trip 2018. A quick stop at a local liquor store to purchase some New Glarus Brewing Spotted Cow. This beer and brewing company have a cult-like following, and you can only buy it in Wisconsin. No, I didn’t plan the trip through WI just so I could bring some home, but it was a happy coincidence. You also can’t be in Wisconsin and not stop for cheese! (Although my travel partner this trip would disagree.) We saw the sign for Humbird along the freeway, and we needed to fill the gas tank anyway. A great little place with a really nice gift shop.

The terrain continued to flatten out, and we were soon in very familiar surroundings. We realized that other than the last 5 or so miles of the drive, we had avoided duplicating roads and freeways. One BIG loop around the US and Canada!

Had to add the miles I accidentally cleared when we stopped in the Rockies!

I still have a little over 600 miles to go tomorrow to get home. If I include the miles that I drove to get to the starting point, I will log in excess of 6,600 miles in a three week period. I think I will stay close to home for a few months! At least until October, anyway, when the next big adventure begins…

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Canada, cheese, Eau Clair, Gichi Gami, Grand Portage National Monument, Lake Superior, living history, Minnesota, New Glarus Brewing, Ontario, Pau Bunyan Logging Camp and Museum, Paul Bunyan, Road Trip 2018, Roadtrip, Wisconsin

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Au revoir, Canada.

15 Sunday Jul 2018

Tonight is our last night in Canada…ça a été un merveilleux voyage. It has been a wonderful trip! I can now add driving almost completely across Canada to my completed travel list. It will take some time for the past week to settle in my mind and memories. We have had wonderful conversations with Canadians across the provinces, and we truly appreciated their hospitality and kindness.

The other thing I completed this trip was driving across all 4 time zones and back. We crossed into Eastern Daylight Time today a little after 7PM. It’s nice to be back in my “home” time zone, but tomorrow we’ll be back in CDT once we get back to the US.

Today we opted to pass on breakfast at the hotel and get a jump on the drive. We stopped for lunch in Kenora, ON. Lake Kenora is one of the largest lakes in the area, and a big vacation destination. Beautiful area, and when you’re essentially landlocked, this is a great spot to spend a hot, summer weekend! (The cooler temperatures we anticipated have eluded us. It has been in the upper 80’s – low 90’s every day.)

Scenic tours by seaplane

I took a break from driving for a bit and was able to get a few photos as we passed Lake Peggy.

The traffic was about typical for one of our roadtrips. Getting back to Atlanta traffic will be a shock!

We landed in Thunder Bay, Ontario a little after 8PM. We unwound, attempted to find a place other than the restaurant next door that was open, but ended up back at the hotel restaurant. Oh well! When it’s 9:30PM and you’ve been traveling for 8+ hours, just about anything will satisfy hunger.

Au revoir, Canada. Merci beaucoup. ‘Til we meet again…in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island if I plan things right!

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Canada, Exploring, Inland waterways, Lakes, Manitoba, Ontario, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg

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Momma and her babies – wildlife, part 2

14 Saturday Jul 2018

The wonderful thing about vacations is you can sleep until you feel like getting up…and if there are no big plans for the day, you may just sleep in a bit longer than you usually might. Welcome to my world for the last 2 weeks. I am beginning to dread having to wake up to an alarm clock again in 10 days. Needless to say, today was yet another leisurely start. We ate a “real” breakfast of eggs and all the fixings in the hotel restaurant, loaded the car and hit the road. Today was the start of a few long drive days as we make the final stretch across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and bit of Ontario. We started the day off visiting the Elizabeth II Gardens across from the Regina Legislature building. A lovely park with so much to see and do. There were walking/biking paths around the lake, beautiful gardens and lawns, and water sports (kayaking, sailing and crewing).

Nice too see Canadian geese in Canada, too!

It was in the upper 80’s today (about 29 C) so we didn’t meander for too long. As we ventured eastbound on Trans-Canadian Highway 1, I saw a few signs for “Scenic Route.” I passed a few of them, then looked over and asked “Are you game?” Off we went the next exit to explore the road less taken. If it wasn’t meant to be explored they wouldn’t have signs on the highway, right?

A two lane road that wove through field after field of canola. The color of these flowers is almost unnatural, yet it is clearly part of nature.

Lake Katepwa was the next highlight. A great vista point for photos, and a chance to throw away the week old cherries we’d been carrying with us.

GPS told us to make a right turn onto County Road 612, so we did. Seems we are destined for “off-roading” this trip! While the speed limit was 80 KPH, I kept it around 40 – we were not familiar with the area, I really didn’t want to change a flat tire, nor deal with a cracked windshield. My apologies to the few cars who passed us and clearly knew where they were going. It was worth every minute it added to today’s drive.

As we made our way back to the highway, we were treated to a moose crossing. Momma and two babies crossed the road in front of us. Unfortunately we were far enough away, and they were fast enough, that we couldn’t get a good photo. We did appreciate the fact that both times we’ve “off-roaded” this trip we got to see wildlife up close and personal. Sheep in Colorado, moose in Saskatchewan.

We crossed into Manitoba a little after 3PM. I was in need of a pit stop and stretch, so we stopped in a few little towns and drove right on through as they were really little, and we were playing tag with a Canadian Pacific train. In Virden we did stop and tried to find the visitor center. While we didn’t find it, we did find the old train station and Alexandra Hotel across the street. If you closed your eyes you could picture people of old disembarking from the train and heading across the street to the hotel.

We hit the western edge of Winnipeg about 7:30PM, and were checked into the hotel about 25 minutes later. We are right in the heart of the University of Winnipeg. Across the street is a Hudson Bay Traders store. We were going to check it out in the morning, but based on recent reviews, we’ll hit the road instead and settle for a photo.

It was a pleasant surprise to look out our window and see our second Canadian legistature building for the day.

Tomorrow is our longest drive day at about 7 1/2 hours. It is time to wrap up today’s adventure and rest so we make it safely to Ontario.

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Canada, Canola Fields, Lake Katepwa, Manitoba, Moose, Queen Elizabeth II Park, Regina, Saskatchewan, Virden, Wildlife, Winnipeg

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It’s not the yellow brick road or the yellow mustard road, Toto. It’s the canola road.

13 Friday Jul 2018

For two days we have felt like we were following the yellow brick road, but it was a beautiful crop of yellow something that stretched for acres. It looked remarkably like mustard, so that’s what we thought it was. We found out tonight from our wonderful waitress that it is canola. Yellow and blue canola is one of Alberta and Saskatchewan’s main crops. File that away in the memory bank for future reference! It was still a beautiful sight today on our way to Regina.

We started the day with a short walk through Medicine Hat. A quaint town with great shops, restaurants and public art work. It was a bit warmer than usual, so our walk was rather limited. We stumbled upon the Inspire Cafe for what we hoped would be a late breakfast, but it turned out to be an early lunch. Mom had tomato garlic soup and a curried egg salad sandwich on raisin bread. I had curried lentil soup and fried egg and cheese sandwich. We got there just before the lunch crowd arrived, and they were doing a very steady business when we left. Great art work on display and for sale around the cafe, and artists’ studios/work areas beyond the cafe.

We finally stopped at the stop light near this hotel so I could get a picture. We passed it at least 3 times on our back and forth to various places yesterday, and it made me smile. I can just picture the 1940’s – 1950’s, maybe even 1960’s, when this would have been one of the top spots in the area.

We crossed into Saskatchewan a little while later, and decided a stretch break was needed as we approached Swift Current. We parked the car and began walking down Center Avenue when I spotted a gift store. We meandered the store for a while, and I found perfect mementos for several on my list. It was early afternoon, and a rather warm day for these parts, so we opted to hit the car and continue our drive.

A bit west of Swift Current we spotted what initially loooked like a herd of goats on the side of the road. As we got closer, we both did double takes, and it took us a moment to realize it was a herd of alpacas. Given it was still 80+ degrees fahrenheit, we opted not to stop and check out the alpaca goods for sale. A short bit later as we approached Lake Chaplin, we saw what appeared to be mounds of snow. I knew in this heat it definitely was not snow, but neither of us had a clue what the piles of “white stuff” were. I surmised salt or lime as a small tractor to my left was making its way up a pile. Mark that down as something to research when we get to the room tonight…

We stopped at the Tourist Information location outside Moose Jaw for a rest stop and information on Regina. Canadian tourist/information stops are such fun. Each one we have stopped at has information about the surrounding area (think school project, state fair type displays), and a variety of local goods for sale. A great place to get a feel for the area, decide if you’ll stop and for how long, or just sample the local fare and keep going. We learned the piles of “white stuff” by Lake Chaplin were potash. Canda is the world’s largest potash producer and exporter, and the bulk of the industry is in Saskatchewan. Potash is one of the main ingredients of fertilizer.

We each picked up a few gift items, and decided it was time for a bit of local gelato. We both opted for Saskatoon berry. I still need to taste an actual Saskatoon berry before we leave – it looks a bit like a blueberry, but the gelato was definitely sweeter than that. Not sure if that was due to added sugar, or if it really is that sweet. I did buy a rather pricey jar of mustard believing that the yellow fields we were passing were, in fact, mustard. Oh well. I can make a lot of mustard sauces over the coming months if needed! A stop here is not complete without a photo of Mac the Moose.

We arrived in Regina early evening. The hotel had glasses and bottles of wine 50% off, so we opted for an elevator ride to dinner tonight. We shared a bottle of montepuliciano and a charcuterie plate, reminisced about the past 2 weeks and many decades, and had fabulous conversations with our waitress. Definitely a day and night for the memory books.

Before we head out of town tomorrow we plan to tour the Legislative Building and Queen Elizabeth II’s Gardens. We will cross into our 4th Canadian province sometime tomorrow.

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Alberta, Alpacas, Canada, Exploring, Medicine Hat, Mustard, Potash, Regina, Roadtrip, Saskatchewan, Swift Current, Travel

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