Day 6: Peggy's Cove & Halifax

From: Halifax, NS

To: Halifax, NS

Total KMs: ZERO

Steps: 13,400

Power Outage: 3 hrs

Sim’s Iced Cap Tally: 4 – seriously Sim…you have been put on alert

Today was amazing!!!  We woke up and I again ate my weight in fried potatoes and oatmeal.  (Hint, it will probably happen again tomorrow as well). After a filling breakfast we packed up and headed out for a trip down the coast to Peggy’s Cove.  I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say it is my favourite place in Canada.  You can just sit on the rocks and take it all in.  I had forgotten if you had to park at the visitor’s centre of if you could drive all the way up.  We drove as far as the entrance to the parking lot but uncertain of where the road would lead we turned around and drove back to the visitor centre.  But it was a nice walk up the windy road to get back to the rocks.  Sim had asked earlier if we could swim at the cove which I replied NO.  And she quickly realized why that was.  We posed for a bunch of photos with the lighthouse, and then explored the rocks for a while.  Sim made an effort to find the camera lens cap I lost there 7 years ago but was unsuccessful.  But A for Effort.  Then we just sat in tranquility for a while.  The view is just so peaceful, and the crashing waves just wash over you with a calming serenity.  It was hard to leave, because really you could stay there all day.  And it’s the kind of site that you can go back to over and over again and never get bored.  But there were more places to visit, so we were on our way.

Just a click or two down the way we stopped in to see the memorial set up for the Swiss Air Flight 111.  229 people perished in a horribly tragic plane crash in 1998 just 12km off the shore.  It’s terribly sad to think about.  It was just a quick stop but we were glad to have done it.

And then, and then, and then……it was off to the White Sail Bakery!!! As suggested by Dee Em.  And boy what a suggestion it was.  We ordered the Newfie Poutine just as we were instructed.  Basically it was a poutine mixed with giant stuffing pieces.  I. Just. Can’t. Even.  We split it between the two of us and it was more than enough.  We found two chairs set out of the way and chilled out for a little bit and just took it all in.  The weather today was just stunning.  Clear blue skies, bright sun, not too hot.  To die for.  After we filled up with delicious poutine we departed for a nearby beach that Sim found online.  It was absolutely the most perfect beach we could have possibly found.  Not too crowded.  Clear crisp water.  It was absolutely sub zero but it was fantastic.  We played a few games of backgammon and then headed in for some fun in waves.  We each tried to get the perfect snap of the other as the waves broke in near the shore.  But since the water was so cold, we could only stand a few waves at a time before we’d have to run back into shore.  And then we’d play a set of BG and then back out in the waves.  When Sim finally decided she’d captured the best possible shot she could of me, I took once last big wave and it knocked my on my ass.  Totally figures, but we got some great photos.

After we were all sunned and funned out it was back to the hotel for a quick shower and out for dinner.  We actually went back to the Bicycle Thief.  It was that good.  And Sim….got the Lobster again.  And I got something very similar to my first night.  And I also ordered a Mojito, light on the sugar.  It was high on mint and it was delicious.  We learned our lesson from last night and instead of going straight to a bar afterwards we came home.  Completely satiated, slightly bloated, and 2oz into a good buzz we hoofed our way back to the hotel.  If you’ve ever been to Halifax you know the struggle of the incline.  From the Harbourfront up to Sackville and Brunswick is our current struggle.  We ended up behind an older lady.  She had to be 75 years old.  And she was getting it done, one step at a time, with no complaining.  I turned to Sim two blocks in and said, if she can do it I can do it.  About halfway up we saw some police and firetrucks down Barrington St.  I turned to Sim and said “Good thing our next pub is up on the next street.”  Someone on foot tried unsuccessfully to get information from the police officer.  Really, he just stood there and basically ignored him.  Whatever.  Stopping only once at a stop light we made our way to the top in record time.  When we got to the top we turned across the parking lot to our hotel and….no lights.  A hotel employee was standing at the stairwell with a flashlight.  Stairwell, flashlight, cops & fire trucks.  It’s a blackout people.  It’s a blackout.  In good news, I am a stair pro now.  And in even better news, we are staying on the 2^nd Floor!!!!  Not much of a hassle at all.  We would have been taking the stairs regularly if they didn’t keep the door locked most of the time. 

Wasted and dead to the world we decided to take a nap.  Alarms were set for 8:30pm and I had all intention of getting up when it went off.  I probably could have stayed in bed all night from that point, but Sim was up and about so I got my butt out of bed and joined her.  Once I was up I felt like a million bucks.  Ready to face the world.  We headed back down towards Argyle St. to our final destination, Lot Six.  We had done some googling at dinner and found a place with killer cocktails.  My sugar levels had been under control this week so I splurged a little.  I was sugar conscious with my drink choices.  With use of their WiFi we were keeping our eye on the resolution of the power outage.  ETA of lights back on went from 10pm to 1:15am to 4:15am.  My level of annoyance was going from amber to orange to red, next stop hot fuchsia.  Will we be able to charge our phones?  Will we be able to get online?  Will the alarms work?  Will the fire alarm system be fully functional?  All questions we were starting to ponder.  After we reached limit, we packed in and headed for home.  A few extra lights were illuminated on the street as we headed towards home which was a good sign.  We rounded the corner and more and more lights could be seen.  I was holding my breath until the hotel rooms were in sight and we could see them all lit up.  So here we are.  Our last night in Halifax.  The power does work but we can’t get online.  Sim is fast asleep, so I got a small data pass to update with a non-update.  Tomorrow is our second last day.  We have a few more tricks up our sleeves.  Destination is Quebec City.  I haven’t been since I was 12 and Sim has never been.  We won’t get in until late, but I’m looking forward to some meals with hot cheese, and a nice walk down the boardwalk.

Day 5: Bonus Feature

Sim was setting up a shot and pointed her camera at me and said "Don't make a face."  I heard, "Make a face."

Day 5: Halifax

From: Halifax, NS
To: Halifax, NS
Total KMs: ZERO
Steps: 14,500 (10km)
Sim's Iced Cap Tally: 4 (what? no sugar juice today?)

We got to sleep in today!!!  But not wanting to be lazy gussies so our alarms were set for 8:00am.  When did that become a sleep-in time?  We're all growed up.

Breakfast downstairs was awesome.  It was almost a disappointment when we got the last two hashbrowns (to split between us).  But then they brought out a fresh batch which was like, authorization for me to eat my weight in fried potato.  The plan was to go upstairs and make a plan for the day.  But all we could really decide on was to head out and wing it.  Sim had some recommendations in her back pocket, and we had a few museums in mind, and the rest was just going with the flow.  I actually eavesdropped on a couple beside us at breakfast for the second museum we went to.  Thank you strangers.

We are at the perfect location, city-wise.  Even if it's a pain in the butt semi-vertical hike just to get home.  It helps burns off the beer calories.  We headed out this morning and took a slight detour across Market St so Sim could see Pizza Corner.  It's not much to see at 10 in the morning with all of the stores closed.  And now I can't even have pizza so, a walk-by was good enough.  We stopped at a really sweet yarn shop called The Loop.  I almost picked up a few amazing skeins but decided against it.  Maybe I'll go back tomorrow.  But I really shouldn't.  But I want to.  Simoonnnaaaa, don't let me buy any more yarn.

So we basically went down to the Halifax Harbour and hung out ALL day.  Our first stop was the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.  They had a really interesting exhibit on the Halifax Harbour Explosion.  Perhaps something we all know about, but not something we think about.  The explosion, caused by a Norwegian vessel, caused an explosion moving at more than 1500m per second.  We figured that out to be something like 5400km/hr.  One story reported a person being propelled half a kilometre during the explosion.  The devastation was massive.  And of course we all know about the telegraph operator that helped save the day by running to his station and alerting the country of the impending explosion, which facilitated a faster emergency response time from neighbouring regions.  There was a Canadian Heritage moment made for that fellow.  A lot of interesting stuff to be learned.  And we also got to witness a woodworker who was diligently carving away at a display piece.  Perhaps part of a hull?  It was pretty cool.

Then it was off to the Stubborn Goat.  A neat outdoor bar, with a patio on top of a shipping container.  Their specialty is providing local beers and food.  Sim had the Garrison Raspberry Ale and I had something also delicious.  The waitress let us know that the Garrison brewery was just a few blocks down the way so we meandered in that direction.  We got the royal sampler (my name for two trays of 5 samples each that covered the whole spread of available drinks).  My favourite was Pucker Up which is a fruity sour beer (yeeee-ummmmm).  Sim was partial to a beer marked only with an X inside of an O.  Not sure which one it was but it got two thumbs way up.  Before we left Simona snuck inside and came out bearing gifts, a button marked with a G!!!  Just for me :D  Ty Sim.

(Sim with our tasters)

After some sufficient chilling we decided to head across the Harbour to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.  We took the guided tour and it was really interesting.  There was a woman on our tour that took a boat over to Canada when she was 5 and she confirmed all of the details being told to us.  Even down to small facts like, there was an abundance of food on the ship ride over, and
in some cases people coming from countries experiencing famine or food rationing were not used to such amounts of food.  But some people were too sea sick to even eat.  Afterwards we went down to the archives and I asked them to look up my great grand-dad and his brother.  Their names were on the registry as coming into the country in 1905 when they were 19 and 21.  I got a few documents printed and if my dad doesn't have them he can have them added to our family history.  We do know that the older brother died less than a year later, and my great grand father carried on to create....our family!

Back across the boardwalk, we came across one of Sim's recommended stops which was the Bicycle Thief.  I just can't even.  It was one of the most delicious meals I have in a very long time.  I also tried some of Sim's Lobster Thermidor and it was just to die for.  If I'm ever here again I will definitely definitely definitely be going back.  And then ordering some to go.  *DROOL*  And the last stop was back across the harbour and beyond our starting point to The Lower Deck.  We got the perfect seat outside and ordered some drinks.  It started to rain and we crossed our fingers, and then it started to pour so we headed inside.  Both of us were milking our drinks for the longest time.  We decided it was time to call it a day but I couldn't let a drink go to waste so I threw them both back and we squared up and headed for home.

Back at the hotel, I ran a load of mid-trip laundry and Sim and I just got back from a dip in the hotel hot tub.  Life is good right now.

 Much love from Halifax.  More to come tomorrow.

Day 4: Bonus Feature

DON'T MESS WITH THE COWS

Day 4: Prince Edward Island & Halifax

From: Summerside, PE
To: Halifax, NS
Total KMs:
Sim's Iced Cap Tally: 4

We survived the night, so in terms of accomplishments we started the day absolute winners.  There was a free buffet breakfast in the main building, so that was alright.  We headed straight to Simona's friend's parents' farm, just 15 minutes down the way.  They welcomed us with open arms and gave us a tour of the barn and the fields where their exclusive Wagyu cows are raised.  He said we could actually climb into their pasture area and they wouldn't charge.  We did join them, and they didn't charge, but they were not overly thrilled to have two unknown visitors invading their space.  They were such lovely people, it was just a real pleasure getting to speak with them.  Afterwards they gave us keys to their cottage, and carte blanche to go spend the day there.  Sim's friends had already offered this up, but it was nice to have it come from the parents as well.  

We stopped into a PEI Liquor Store (LCBP?) to see if we could grab some local brews and headed to the cottage.  Just about 10 minutes further out of town and we were at the cottage and at the Northern coast of PEI.  The cottage was an absolute dream.  It smelled like a cedar cabinet inside.  We popped the caps to our beers and brought out a newly purchased backgammon board, and took in the warm PEI breeze.  A breeze we had been told that is missed if you ever leave the island.  After a set of BG and much rumination on which route to take, we headed down to the sand dune filled beach.  The view from the top of the dune was breath-taking.  We decided to head back to the cottage and get changed and come back for a dip.  A turn in the weather on the short walk back made us delay the plans.  We heard it was going to dump but possibly not for too long.  We changed into our suits and decided it was time to face the ocean.  Towels in tow, and crocs on feet we set back out for the beach.  Sim took some nice scenic shots, and then we set up the Go Pro to capture our inaugural Ocean Polar Dip.  And yes, I'm calling the body of water North of PEI the Ocean, and YES it was a polar dip!!!!  There was no ice but there might as well have been.  I almost turned around and ran straight out of the water when Sim reminded me, "We have to dip first!"  As we ran back to the towel and the camera, the rain started.  A spit at first and then a pour.  By the time we walked back across the field to the cottage it was a full on dump.  We changed back, left our host a small note & present, and departed.



Just down the road in a small area called Malpeque.  Originally pronounced in our car was Maple-Que until we opened our eyes fully and un-inverted the L and the P.  Mal-peque.  Sim's friend had recommended a small café for lunch.  And we were not disappointed.  We sat on a quiet patio while the resident artist painted.  The food was absolutely delicious.  Sim had a Lobster roll and I had a pound of mussels and a salad.  The ciabatta bun that came with my meal was heavenly.  We took a pass on the Land & Sea museum next door because really, that's just offensive to leave Air out.

For once we were having such a super chill day, we didn't want it to end.  But alas, we had one last push to get to Halifax.  Before we left, we rather expertly located a public shore location where we could take a snap of the Confederation Bridge.  I hate to be a broken record but it really is a masterpiece.  I joked to Sim that I was surprised we were alone, but two more cars showed up before we left.  If you look closely you can see the bridge in the background of our picture.  Faint, but it's there.  It was a rather uneventful drive.  Last time I was driving to Halifax I ended up unintentionally detouring through Tatamagouche, so I skipped a highway road toll altogether.  I didn't realize the booth operator was only there to make change and we had to throw our payment into the payment funnel.  I tried to drive away (blocked by the still lowered bar) when I heard "Excuse me miss, you have to pay the loonie."  Fail.  The main bridge into Halifax was closed, apparently, so we made some hasty decisions and ended up taking a secondary route.  We ended up on this rather tight traffic circle and I couldn't take my eyes off the road long enough to read the navigation instructions.  I was frozen stiff.  "Help me Sim, help me, I can't decide where to turn off.  We're going to be stuck on this forever!"  We did take about 5 or 6 rotations before we ended up on the best possible route.  Double Fail.  We ended up being really close and arrived at the hotel not too long after.

I had a quick shower and we headed down to Barrington St to get a bite to eat at The Press Gang.  And a bite to eat is extremely understated because it was an extremely fancy restaurant.  Sim had the most amazing seared scallops.  I had the lamb which was ok.   I don't order fancy food enough to know how to do it properly.  And being a little brain numb from a day of activity and driving I kind of blanked when it came to finishing my order.  "How would you like the lamb?"  ".............ummmm, mild?"  "Well we would suggest medium rare."  It was near 10:30pm by the time we finished so decided to call it a night and come back home to finish our report.  It has been a long day, so we might make slight adjustments later.

Hello Halifax.  Nice to see you again.  Be seeing you tomorrow ;)

Day 3: New Brunswick & Summerside

From: Edmundston, NB
To: Summerside, PE
Total KMs: 675.6
Sim's Iced Cap Tally: 3

I would like to start by saying, all photos from this adventure are care of Sim and her amazing photography skills.  I feel like a pro having these photos to post along with the stories.  Thank you thank you thank you.  Also, you rock.

We have arrived on the island!!!  Today has been a really good day.  We gave ourselves a good two hours to get up and out this morning and it was a good idea.  We took our time packing up, had a nice breakfast in the restaurant downstairs.  We knew we had to get out and on the road by 9am to make it to Hopewell Cape in time to see the end of low tide.  It was about 5 hrs to get over to Moncton and down to the Bay.  It was a really really beautiful drive.  The lush green countryside of New Brunswick made it an incredibly enjoyable drive. 

We were hoping to get a time lapse of the tide eroding but that was a pipe dream.  Time caught up with us, and after a few unplanned stops, an abundance of traffic (really NB?), and the walk down to the Bay from the parking lot, we had time to play on the Bay floor but not stick around for a time lapse.  Sim set up some really stunning photos that I had the privilege of pressing the capture button for.  After some fun in the mud it was back up the stairs and inclined ramp back to the car.  Honestly, my resolve to take the stairs at home had a lot to do with mentally preparing to escape from Hopewell rock with my lungs intact.  I made it back to the parking lot with only one or two breaks, and very minimal complaining, win!  The Flowerpot rocks are really just stunning.  And now Sim and I have two flower pot trips under our belts.  Hopewell Cape and Tobermorey.

I have to post the above mentioned Sim set-up to be taken of herself.  She actually envisioned it en route and tried to explain it to me but I couldn't see exactly what she meant.  As you can see, it was pure genius:

After the Cape we stopped at a roadside diner.  I don't think Sim or I want to comment further about that.  Sim took a stab at a half Lobster and I had the fried scallops.  Don't fry scallops, just don't.  The view was great, and the drinking water was alright, and moving on.

Our next stop was another Canadian favourite, Magnetic Hill.  We decided to use the Go Pro to document the moment.  At one point I got out of the car to show a bottle of water rolling back towards the car.  And I almost fell on my ass, because it felt like I should be walking downhill but it was uphill.  My brain could not comprehend.  We had the hill to ourselves for a few runs.  Someone showed up just as we were finishing so we hit the road and buckled up for one of the coolest 12km of the whole trip, the Confederation Bridge.

We followed two giant trucks for about 30km leading up to the Bridge.  They turned off at literally the last turn before the bridge and we zipped past them to make sure we were out front and had a clear view.  The crossing was gorgeous and serene.  I want to read up on the bridge a bit more because I've heard some interesting facts about the engineering feats involved in the construction.  As soon as we got off the bridge we were surrounded by gorgeous red clay coloured fields.    Sim made a quick call into the fam.  And then we continued on to our current hotel.  I picked a place I thought was a middle tier stay.  We have both stayed in some questionable hotels/motels before.  I'm not happy with this place.  The AC is loud and obnoxious.  The parking lot is shit.  I have double bolted the door, and I mean it.  The good news is, after tonight every place we're staying at is going to be ni-ice.

Before checking in we did a drive by of downtown Summerside.  We kind of fell for a cute little collection of multi-coloured businesses on a wharf structure, called Spinnaker's Landing.  We decided to check-in and head back over for a quick dinner and a beer.  It was 7:30 and we were quickly learning that everywhere closes at 9pm.  On our way Sim quickly looked up the bar recommended by her PEI friends.  The Silver Fox.  At first it was uncertain from the road what we were getting ourselves into but we decided to forgo Spinnaker's.  As we pulled up we saw that it was the bar for the Curling and Yacht club.  The location was amazing.  The patio overlooked the yacht club, and when it got too chilly out we went inside.  Sim ordered a PEI Brewing Co. Blueberry Wheat Ale and it was a stunning beer.  I'm not a fan of wheat beers and it had me won over.  I had the Island Red and it was really really good.  We each tried one of their house chowders.  It was the best meal we've had yet.  Along with the ambience, it was a winning stop.

We're back at the hotel.  Hunkering down for a doozy.  Tomorrow we zip around the island and then pay our way off the island and head to Halifax!!  If the Go Pro ever finishes offloading we might be able to upload some cute snaps.

Day 2: Edmundston

From: Cobourg, ON
To: Edmundston, NB
Total KMs: 1016.7
Sim's Iced Cap Tally: 2

Today was definitely and almost exclusively a driving day.  It is a push to get across QC and into NB and there are few places to stop and hunker down.  Edmundston is just one of those stopover places.  If you want to make it into NB you're going to be staying here or Grand Falls, depending on your will power.  And tomorrow we are well-situated for a stop at the Potato museum.  Not really but, maybe?

Sim and I almost witnessed a major major major accident in the rear view mirror.  We were zipping down the highway, two lanes divided, positioned in the fast lane.  We came up around a corner and boom, there was a turtle just on the other side of the dividing line.  The car in front of me dipped to the left, and I followed suit.  Behind us was a 52' tractor trailer, in the slow lane.  This guy swerved so far to the right he almost went straight into the ditch.  And then he jack-knifed and fish-tailed and I think he started to tip.  He kicked up a huge dust cloud, and we honestly thought he was going to tip over do some major damage.  All for the sake of avoiding hitting a turtle.  Sim casually mentioned later we were lucky to be 30 seconds in front of him instead of 30 second behind.  BIG TIME LUCKY.  We noticed the driver depart the hwy at the next available exit.  Traumatic.

We had a big big accomplishment today.  We had been struggling with keeping all electronics charged at all times.  And if the Go Pro runs out of batteries you have to recharge it to a certain level before you can access the menu.  And when it's plugged into the USB port to charge the car tries to read it, and again the menu cannot be accessed.  We pulled into a small town called Montmagny to get some food.  My dad set us up well with some tuna sandwiches and veggies for lunch but our tummies were grumbling.  After a quick bite, we tried to set up the GP and couldn't get passed our charging conundrum.  I suggested to Sim we turn off the media console and maybe it would stop trying to read the USB port.  That didn't work so I asked her to get out the owner's manual.  After the manual search was fruitless Sim went to return the manual to its home and pulled out a car lighter USB charger  "Did you know you had this?"  *Shrug* "Do you have a car lighter jack?" "No."  "What's this? *pointing to the car lighter jack*" "That's my car lighter jack." And so we plugged the camera into the car lighter jack, eliminating the attempt for the car's console to constantly try to read read read.  And we could access the settings menu while charging.  And as this particular charger had two USB ports, in addition to my car's USB port this gives us enough power to keep everyone charged and happy at all times.  I'm super glad this was all figured out on DAY TWO!!!!

Other that than that, it was a pretty low key day.  A bag flew in front of me and at the last minute I saw that there were feathers and I jumped out of my seat.  Sim was like, "What?"  And I told her in my head I was screaming "A CHICKEN, it's a chicken!!!"  Good thing I keep some things to myself. We also stopped next to a cool bird house collection, and Sim snapped some awesome photos.  We had talked about a few other stops along the way but it turned out the timing was not in our favour.  And losing an hour driving into NB also came into play.  We pulled up to the hotel at 9:30.  And we ditched our bags at the front office so we could grab a drink before the bar closed.  Priorities people, priorities.

Tomorrow we have our third early morning.  We have to have breakfast and get out of here by 9am to make it to Fundy in time to see the end of the tides.  And we'll be crossing over to the grand old Island of Prince Edward.  So so so so so much to do.  We leave you with two awesome hotel pub mugshots.  We out.

Day 1: Prince Edward County/Cobourg

F
From: Mississauga, ON
To: Prince Edward County/Cobourg, ON
Total KMs: 402.6
Sim's Iced Cap Tally: 1

Day one of the most excellent East coast adventure.  Though our travels didn't take us far from Toronto it was a jam packed day of driving and fun.  We set out from East York at around 8:30.  Stopped to gas up and set my new toy, the awesomely fancy GoPro.  I've wanted one for a while but the timing never worked out.  It turned out the suction cup mounting frame was a total bust but we made a quick detour into Sports Chek and got a flat mount that worked out very nicely.  Very nicely indeed.

Not long on the road Sim and I decided to pull over and check out the infamous Big Apple.  Many a times both of us have driven past, but never have either of us stopped to check it out.  They actually have a nice big mini putt course, and a little train ride you can.  And of course (I say of course without actually having known this before) you can climb to the top of the big apple on the inside and get an awesome view of Canada's favourite highway, the 4-oh-1.  The oh stands for oh how I hate you.

Back on the road, and off we were.  Destination Wellington Ontario.  My mom went to the Drake Devonshire in Wellington two years ago when my Aunt and Uncle were in town visiting and I've been itching to go check it out ever since.  We got an a-ma-zing seat on the patio.  It literally backs onto Lake Ontario.  You walk down a set of steps (beside a set of bigger steps that include yoga mats for increased relaxation).  There are lawn chairs set up, and it's just....perfection.  The parking lot was full but I used my parking-fu and snagged us the ideal main street spot.  The place was literally ram-jammed and I got big time boss lucky.  The meal was so delicious I wanted to lick the plate (Eggs Benny for me, and a less than appealing Chicken & Waffles for Sim - the Waffles were a bust), the service was delightful, and it was just...perfect!  We hopped back in the car and were on our way to downtown Picton.

I warned Sim we would be passing the "infamous" traffic circle, which apparently caused quite the stir when it was installed, so says an old co-worker with a vacation home in PEC.  Traffic circles are actually fun when no one is coming and you don't have to yield (weeeeee).  The main reason to stop in Picton was to grab a snap in front of the Regent Theatre.  Doubly for me.  First I went there with my parents when we were on a family vacation and my brother and I were embarrassed to tears witnessing our first taste of Vaudeville.  We did NOT get it.  And secondly because of the Hip reference (All Canadian Surf Club - it's a staple).  And actually right next to the theatre was my other interest which was of a statue of Sir John A MacDonald.  If there was ever a posing contest Sim would be the absolute hands down winner.

From Picton we headed to the far corner of the island to check out the County Cider Company.  Sim sampled a full spread of ciders.  I chose my most favourite, Peach Cider, and stole a quick sampling of the Pear Cider as well.  They charge an arm and a leg, but they make dang good cider.  It was about this time that the Go Pro battery died.  And of course hilarity ensued following that moment.  We passed a massive farm machine, we drove behind a dog in a motorcycle passenger car, and a woman running across the road in front of us lost her hat and she freaked out for half a second before realizing it was tethered to her head.  But oh what a glorious half a second that was.

After the cider tasting we decided to take the long way around back towards Picton, and stopped in at the Lake on the Mountain for a look-around.  A fantastic lake, situated at the top of a mountain.  You look down and see a bay off of Lake Ontario, and you look across the street and there's a lake, on a mountain (the name is really quick self-explanatory).  But the mystery of how in the heck, is anything but.  The water was so clear and crisp.  There was a strong wind creating some waves, but it looked so swimmable.  We did wonder if at any point around the lake there was a beach.  That would have been niiiice.

Back in the car, and the most horrible horrendous earth shattering thing occurred.  My change engine oil light came on.  I pretty much had a meltdown/fit.  We decided to find a nearby dealership with a service centre.  We showed up 15 minutes before closing but they were.....closed, shocker.  At that point I tested the dip stick, but realized I had no idea at which point on the stick it should cover.  I did learn eventually that the tip with a cross-check pattern represents a full tank. The stick was much fancier than any of the previous ones I've had.  Schfancy. We googled the nearest Jiffy Lube and drove straight over.  They were closing in 30 minutes, and after 5pm in the country good luck finding anything that's open.  As we approached I said to Sim, "Should I explain that I'm only 2000km in or just ask for an oil change."  We decided just get the oil change.  Well I roll down the window and ask for a change and the guy says, "We might be out of filters."  "Well," I said, "in fact, I don't need a new filter, I just had it changed but my oil light is on."  He directed me into the bay, he checked my oil and said it was fine, and he searched on his computer the manual process to reset the change oil light (key in the ignition, on without starting, tap the gas three times).  Pristo Presto, the notice went away and we were safely back on the road.  I am eternally grateful to him for his kindness.

We arrived back at Cobourg just in time for my parents to serve us a delicious shish-kebab meal with rice and salad.  We sat and chatted a while and then hit the town while the sun was still out.  We walked down thru Victoria Park to Cobourg Beach and experienced the tail end of the Highlanders Festival (celtic music playing, men walking around in kilts, etc).  We carried on down the beach and across where the farmer's market is held and over to the old Cobourg Jail.  There was a bar/inn that had been operating there forever.  They would also give tours of the old cells if it wasn't too busy.  Sadly it was sold and shut down.  Slated for condo developments.  The front path was overgrown which was a pretty clear indication that it was a no-go.  We doubled back and went up to a little side street with a tiny little pub, with an awesomely sized enclosed patio (fenced in - private like the Green Room).  We sat down and unwound with a....cider!  (This day has been brought to you by the letter Cider and the number Awesome).  It was a quick walk home, where Sim fancied up some photos, and I started up this beaut.  Tomorrow we will be treated to a breakfast of champions care of my dad.  He is kind of the breakfast king.  And then we depart.  Destination New Brunswick.  With a few stops along the way.  But not too many.  We have a LONG way to go.  Good night!

Omg We're Back A-gain

Well.....well well well.  It wasn't long after I first started this blog in 2010 that I went on my first driving tour of the East coast.  And the time has come for East Coast Road Trip II.  And this time it's a road trip for two!  (Woot woot Sim).

It has been so long since I've kept up this blog on a regular basis.  I randomly pulled up a post from 2010 and had a chuckle about locking myself out of my apartment and TTCing to Sim's to pick up my keys.  And I sweetly reminisced about skipping stones down at Cherry beach with Adam.  And I was quickly reminded of the benefits of actually legitimately keeping track of my life in a meaningful way (what-what blogger).

So this is a new beginning.  Starting on Saturday this blog is going to be full of all sorts of hijinx.  And once I have an operational mouse I'm going to settle on a new background.  A fresh look for a fresh start.

And apparently, by threat of physical harm, Simona and I will be, WILL BE, stopping at the White Sails Bakery by Peggy's Cove.  @_@

PS - does anyone still read this? lol

A Gobble Gobble

I'm at my parents' place right now.  We celebrated Thanksgiving last night and today my mom and I went for a drive up to Peterborough to get some wool from a yarn shop up that way.  I'm going to attempt to crochet a blanket.  I've kind of picked out some possible patterns but I'm going to do just a bit more research before I jump in.  Following that we headed over to Warkworth to look at some seatbelt bags I've had my eye on forever.  It was finally time to put up or shut up.  The bags were even more magnificent than I had remembered.  And the store itself I found them in was AMAZING.  I also ended up picking up an area rug that really caught my fancy.  But adulting is exhausting so we finished that with a nice lunch at a local deli and a quick drive back to the house.  I have to finish my socks (sigh) before I move on, but I'm almost almost done.  I also picked up some micro needles to use on my next attempt (the hot pink and black yarn).  So, here is the bag I got.  And with that I end this short but extremely necessary post.

2nd Annual End of Summer Road Trip Extravaganza

Alright!  Well skipping all of the sorries and I'll never leave for this long agains, let's just say I'm interested in posting again and I'm starting with a recap from a recent adventure Sim and I had.

Last year it was Tobermory, and this year Sim and I decided to hit the road and visit two kind of bucket list locations: Grand Bend and Penetanguishene.  It was Saturday morning, and I headed out at about 8:30am to pick up Sim, and then we hit the open road.  I spent Friday night compiling what I would hope to be an epic playlist.  I think it did the trick.

We pulled into Grand Bend at around 1:30pm?  There was a sweet parking spot on the opposite side of the street.  I have, on occasion, been known to U-ey into a spot but it didn't feel right so I did a quick side road turn around.  Honestly for the Labour day weekend Saturday I was surprised to find any sort of parking.  It really was the perfect spot.  It was at the top of the main strip and we walked down towards Lake Huron.  It's a typical tourist town.  Almost reminiscent of Tobermory itself.  French fries, ice cream, salt water taffy, a tattoo shop, and a few local bars to choose from.

At the end of the street we found the perfect place to sit for lunch.  We shared this amaaaazing Jambalaya and a mediocre poutine.  I had about 3 pints of water because I was dying of thirst for some reason.  After lunch we climbed up the lookout perch to see what was going on.  The beach was fairly full but not packed beyond belief.  And there weren't a ton of people in the water.  There were a few people puttering around like some paddle boarders and a few boats kicking around the border of the swimming area.  We headed back up to the car and on the way knocked out a quick 18 holes at the local mini putt (which was an awesome idea, Sim).  Sim kicked my butt, as expected.  On our way out we were going to hit up the local surplus store but we missed it by minutes.  We also ended up not even finding it as we drove past.  Then I suggested we detour through Listowel to go to the massive yarn shop.  We also missed those store hours by mere minutes.  A disaster of timing.   We wrapped up the day with a night at Twin Ponds.  We (I) had a beer by the pond and then at 8:30 I checked out for the night.  Sim caught a second wind and went to visit the neighbours but I was done in.

Day two!  A scenic and curvy drive up the Bay took us to Penetanguishene which I shall call Penetang going forward.  We happened upon an awesome shoe tree on the way.  Definitely worth a quick turn around to come back and take a few snaps.  We came up on the city around 11:00am?  We did a quick drive around to see what was going on.  Stopped in on a museum that was unfortunately closed on Sundays.  Then back into the car to find a place to eat.  At the bottom of the main street is the dock area and we grabbed a bunch of gyros at Dock Lunch.  Sim masterfully noted a tourist centre and suggested we look up if they had a cruise tour.  And they did!  And the cruise was departing in 45 minutes, and it was the only cruise all week that even had any availability.  Timing success!!!  We were saving our luck up for the most important moment. 

We kicked around for a bit and then boarded the cruise.  Sitting up on the top it was boiling hot until we started moving, and even then the sun was starting to do a number on me.  The tour was very informative.  The area is rich with history.  After the cruise we called it a day and headed back to Sim's for some BBQ steaks.  Spence and Steve were finishing up construction on their back deck, which is phenomenal by the way.  We arrived just in time to get some proper lazing in.  Belly full and skin red I called it a night after dinner and back home I went.  I cleverly took the Tuesday after labour day off so it was like I got two weekend back to back.  Bonus.

That's all for now.  Hopefully.....hopefully I can keep this up.

Almost Evil

I cut this from a university paper ages ago.  It survived all this time and it still tickles me.

D'ja Miss Me?

Ok, ok, ok.....ok..........ok so there's really no excuse for my absence.  I can't even remember most of what's gone down in the past few months.  Not with any specificity.  But I want to start writing here again on the reg.

Sim and I did the first ever Mississauga Neighbourhood walk up in Streetsville.  It was cute.  It felt like maybe we were missing part of it.  It ended with us wandering aimlessly up Queen St trying to decide at what point we should turn around and head back South.  Is there really only one cafe in the entire Streetsville downtown?  No wonder Port Credit has won out as the premier destination in the city.  And I'm not saying that because I grew up and lived in PC for almost 20 years.  It was a good stroll.  Maybe we'll get another one in sometimes soon.  Either here or back in TO.  There are still soooo many to do.

What else.  A few trips to TP, a few trips to see my parents.  A full and total breakdown in communication with someone who is no longer apart of my life, and I'm so much better for it.  I finally got my passport.  Good for 10 years, so I won't have to think about it for a while.  And next time I will get it renewed and not let it lapse.  Planning my great escape in just less than three weeks.  Euro Trip III.  But this time I'm on my own.  I'm scared but I'm all booked so no backing out now.

And I guess lastly, I got a new sofa.  It was quite an ordeal.  Almost didn't make it into my place.  Almost didn't make it out of the elevator.  Almost didn't make it into the elevator.  Almost didn't make it into the delivery truck, but not for size reasons.  For reasons of stupidity that I don't want to rehash.

Was that really six months in three paragraphs?  A taste perhaps.  I hope to be back more regularly.

Neighbourhood #17 - West Danforth

This is really going to be a pathetic attempt to summarize a neighbourhood adventure almost 8 months ago.  It was April, I know that it was April.  I think it was April, I think.  Sim and I bundled up and headed out from her place to the nearby West Danforth.  We skipped a few blocks that seemed less than inspiring.  It was just around Pape that we decided to park it and start our walk.

Danforth, Greektown, is not an unfamiliar neighbourhood to me.  I had been on a few different occasions.  Enough to know where I wanted to eat, but not often enough to specifically know any other destinations.  We came across a few really cool interior stores (iQ Living, Moss), and I actually picked up a wooden spoon for my mom, and Sim got something too....I remember her buying something.  There was almost definitely a purchase there....(how am I doing so far??).  We stopped into a used bookstore/music store, but it didn't catch our fancies.  On we walked to Leonidas, an amazing chocolate shop.  Of course sugar was a big NO for Sim so we just looked and drooled and left.

We stopped in for a spectacular meal at Astoria.  We split a plate of fries and a dinner plate and we we both stufffffed.  The servings were huge and the food was delicious.  I would definitely return again.  I recalled the fried cheese from the first trip but it didn't work into our splits, next time I would consider trying that. Across the street we went into a nice cheese shop.  Everything looked super yummy.  I picked up some phyllo dough that I have yet to use (hint hint to myself).  Then it was a stop into Treasure Island Toys were Sim scooped a gift for a friend, and spied on a few possible toys for herself and the little one to be.

Finally our last stop was at a cafe for some coffee and BG.  I got the most amazingly delicious maple latte.  I don't have a note on what the name of the place was, but it was on a corner on the south side of the street, and it was....an Italian Sports bar??  It was a bizarre place, and other than the jaw droppingly good latte, it kind of felt like we were out of place.

And that's all she wrote, about Danforth.  It was one of the more anticipated neighbourhoods for me, but it ended up falling a bit short.  Bloor separates North from South, and creates quite literally a great divide.  All other hoods thus far has been just a bit more quaint, and contained.  But I don't hold that against you Danforth, you're still alright.

Restarting All Over Again

It's Reboot Time!!!  It lines up oddly with Sim sharing a story from Wil Wheaton rebooting his own life, but I had been thinking about my own for a while.  There are a lot of things I want to be doing but I opt for lazing around instead.  I've actually had a really busy summer, and it's time to hunker down for the winter and get some shit in my life in order.  I figured I would start with another 2 or 3 weeks of juicing.  But only for breakfast and lunch.  I've just made up 10 mason jars worth of juice and soup.  It can be slightly annoying how much effort goes into the prep.  At least I'll be good for two days.  We'll see how long I'm able to keep that going.

A summer's worth and no posts to show for it.  I guess the only really amazing news is the new car.  I still love love love it.  More posts to come in the near future.  Including an outstanding neighbourhood write-up.  It has not been forgotten.  Maybe slightly forgotten but hopefully I can do it justice.

I guess in short, I'd like to start my fake new year by doing the following:
1) Finish cleaning my place, and keep it clean.
2) Manage my laundry folding better (a large subsection of part one).
3) Eat healthier.
4) Work out more...or at all.
5) Watch less TV/Netflix
6) Read more.
7) Write more.
8) Play more guitar, and listen to more music.
9) Paint a self portrait and build a house.....just kidding, but maybe knit more.
10) Get back to budgeting.  I've already started over again with my budgeting program with today's receipts.  I feel like I've lost control of my spending.  Not that I ever buy much non-essential stuff, but I need to get a better handle on it all.  I need to focus on building up my savings again, and maybe get back to making more prepayments on the 'gage.

I should track my progress on these ten points and see how I'm doing even a month from now.  Perhaps?  I'm having a follow-up fire inspection on Wednesday to replace my smoke detector.  They are going to charge for it, and I could have replaced it myself but I'm honestly too lazy.  I couldn't be bothered to figure out if it's hardwired or what exactly I would need to screw into the ceiling if I bought a replacement.  For $40 I'll let the fire safety company take care of that.  It's actually a company that we distribute to.  I haven't yet decided if that's weird or awesome.

Doodle-Foo

More doodles and on-the-road journalism.  I take on the tough issues like, omg how much do you LOVE Bill Murray.......ME TOO!!!

And another doodle of Jackie's brother.  I've been meaning to clean it up and send him a copy.

Adventures While On Hold & The Road

On hold with Bell for the second time I got a bit bored.  A crescent inspired a Toad doodle.

And then on the way home....this.  I feel their car decorations a bit schizophrenic.  Including the Jesus Fish, and the Demonic Nissan emblem (somewhat hidden but you can see the horns showing through), and the Transformer?

A Danforth post is in the works.  I'm the worst, I know.

Diary of a 7 Year Old

Thurs, May 24, 1990
Dear Diary,
Today is the day people did skip onthon
i sponsered $1:00 for lois cuase i now her and she is a realy nice person to be with.

Neighbourhood #16 - North Roncesvalles

Ok!  A few months ago Sim and I visited Ronces but decided to cut the neighbourhood in half.  And let me start by saying the Northern half was just as good as the Southern half.  As a whole, it might be just one of the most interesting neighbourhoods in the city!  This has taken me a bit of time to catch up. Because of the rampant increase in local tourism, it has sadly almost become a burden to get in all written up.  But here we are, last one.

There is no good way to get from the East end to the West end, but we settled on cutting through the city on Bloor and away we went.  I always run my navigation decisions by Sim, and she always tells me she doesn't know why I ask her.  I guess I'm just the type to seek approval and affirmations.  Because I'm good enough, smart enough, and gosh darnit, people like me.

We were both hungry, and Sim was in her "food okay" zone, so we immediately gravitated to Sunrise Grill & Crepe.  We actually thought it was Grill & Cafe, but crepe was better, so much better.  It was really quite empty which was disappointing because it was soooooo good.  One of the more enjoyable coffees I've had, in the city (I can't believe I can say that now).  Maybe it was because I accidentally (on purpose) dumped a gallon of cream into it.  No pics, but we split a Berries & Custard crepe and Eggs Benny.  I think there was a twist to the bennies but I forget now!!  They were closing mid-afternoon, so we finished up and moved on.

We stopped into Maggie's Farm, which is this super awesome retro-modern-bohemian-hip kind of a store.  It felt like what I want every store in Kensington to feel like, but even better.  I picked something up that I cannot disclose just yet (secccreetttsssss).  Then it was on to a store called Scout which pretty much had anything you've ever wanted but didn't know you wanted, plus more amazing stuff.  Actually there were a few things they had that I already do have, including the CBC bag pictured above.  And my quote a day book (which I am failing at).  Loved it all, would go back tmrw.

And then it was the first used book store.  I took a bit of time to pick something out.  First of all, I need to kick start my reading.  I've been slacking, lazing, watching endless hours of netflix and not accomplishing anything useful.  I always plan on it, but then couch and pillow, and dozing in and out, etc and so on.  Anyways, picked up a book because I love book stores and I want them to exist forever and ever.  I think the next stop was the other book store where I ended up getting a button that said "Keep Calm and Read On".  I know it's kind of like an over-done over-popularized under-appreciated saying but I love sayings of the Keep Calm and...variety.  I love any good English saying.  When I was going crazy in Calgary at my first job my parents' friend said "Stiff upper lip" to me.  Loooove it.

We swooped into the local Chocolateria, which every neighbourhood seems to have.  Oh yum.  I love a good toffee or turtle like chocolate goodness.  But I resisted, and so did Sim.  She's saving up for the binge.

We almost swung East along Howard over to the Dundas.  But it was freaking cold out, and it was looking doomy and gloomy down that way so we snuck into Coffee And All That Jazz for a latte.  We both got the Maple Latte.  I wasn't a big fan, don't think Sim was writing home about it either, but super cute cafe.  And the obligatory BG match followed.  We were about to start a second when I recommended going home to cuddle with the pups and we folded up and headed out.  We were going to stop and get some cheap ice cream on the way home, but it's a Loblaws there, not a No Frills.  A-durrr.  So much for that business.  I did make a loop before we realized I was wrong.  Then came the long circuitous loopy drive home to explore (re-explore) potential neighbourhoods.

We may have one more weekend before Pips becomes supreme ruler of the H. household.  Maybe one more trip is in the cards before another neighbourhood intermission occurs.

Neighbourhood #15 - Mt Pleasant

I almost labelled this as "aka Davisville", but I'll tell you what.  I think there is more at Yonge and Davis for us to explore so lets mark this down as a separate.  Ironically on our way back from our last neighbourhood (I wonder what tense this is?  Future past?) Sim and I looped through a few hoods.  "Lets check out Davisville" I said enthusiastically.  Maybe we could get some ideas or inspirations for further adventures.  Going up Spadina Rd we turned right at Chaplin and took that past Yonge to Mt Pleasant.  As soon as I saw that intersection I knew we had been there just a few days before.  Which brings me to the present past.  Mt Pleasant adventure time.

It was a pretty gnarly day for me that Friday.  I had just heard news from my Aunt that my Great Aunt was preparing to go into palliative care.  She has since passed, RIP you amazing lady.  I was trying to coordinate with my brother to meet in the East end and travel up to Newmarket one last time.  Mid-afternoon my dad and Aunt called.  She was back to being responsive and they officially brought the warning from fire truck red to a cooler pumpkin orange.  We ended up postponing our visit to the next day.  In my haste there were no photos taken, and very poor record of what we actually got up to.  But here goes nothing.

We grabbed a quick and easy parking spot just North of Davisville on Mt Pleasant.  Our first stop was a cool furniture store, Manderley Fine Furniture.  They had some pretty fancy pieces that caught my eye.  Out of my league for sure but nice.  Sometimes I wonder if stores like that get bothered my a pair of looky-loos, but you never know when a look might turn into a buy.  In my case I'm fairly certain it's never but they don't need to know that.  Next we ducked into a cool shop called Jacaranda Tree & Co.  It's kind of an upscale kitch shop if that's not too much of an oxymoron.  Again I quite liked several things, but to be honest I felt like by the time we walked out the front door I hadn't really given it an honest look.

On we went.  We stopped into a candy store and picked up some Tahiti Treat for Spence.  Also a favourite vintage soda of mine.  Yummity yum yum.  It looks like Crush is coming back with a new berry punch type soda.  A quick stop into a Chocolatier but only to tease ourselves.  Just short of Eglinton we crossed back over and headed South. We toured Mabel's Fables in search of children's books about foxes, but those damn stores always sort by author instead of animabetically.

The last stop was into a cute little cafe called Hillside Cafe (Bakeshop & Delicatessen).  I can't remember if we played BG?  My mind was elsewhere I suppose.  We hurried back to the car before the rush hour traffic kicked in.  Or the ticket ran out.  I can't remember that either....woof.

Sim and I have vowed to return to the Longest Yard when we can have a proper beer and pub meal.  We both just loved the name.  We also skipped my namesake store, Jules Cafe and Patisserie, and a fancy looking gelato shop that would be nice in the summer time.  Looking back, it was a fairly good hood.  One more write-up and we'll be all up to date.