Laura and I were welcomed at the airport with royal waves and smiles by Mo and Jo. Our visit was short as we made the car exchange, then Laura and I were off to tackle traffic across the Burrard Street Bridge to Horseshoe Bay. David had given us great directions and we did a little sightseeing along the way. We caught the 3:30 ferry and found ourselves crossing the Salish Seas with blue skies and calm waters towards paradise! Continue reading
Today was our best weather yet. We awoke to warm sun and clear breezes today. Our hotel has been filled to capacity by cheerleaders from across the country that are attending some national championship event. Add to that: Can-Am Days, assorted St Patrick’s Day revelry, and about 300 hotrodders attending the Run To the Sun Car Show and Myrtle Beach was rocking all day today. Martha and Laura spent the morning basting on the beach while I enjoyed watching the girls practice their cheerleading stunts near the pool area. Continue reading
With an overcast morning and showers in the forecast we headed out on the morning shuttle down to an area called Broadway at the Beach. It’s basically a tourist trap shopping area built around a man-made lake (map). The girls had fun teasing the carp and ducks with some food they got from the feeding stations. The water boiled with fish, their mouths reaching up and wide open, all competing for a fish pellet. It all seemed so surreal and disturbing to me. Continue reading
It’s 7am and the girls are just starting to stir awake. They must have heard me come back up with a breakfast plate and coffee. Laura joined Martha and they are cuddled up in the big bed with the patio doors slid wide open so they can watch the early morning joggers on the beach and hear the waves crashing on the shore. I hope they don’t always expect to awaken to views like this while on holidays. Jackie I’m missing you already and wish you could have joined us.
We hopped on the bus around 4pm so we could catch all the happy hour specials up and down the strip. We ended up at a place on 21st called Dirty Don’s Oyster Bar and proceeded to consume a pitcher of lime Margaritas, 1½ dozen raw oysters, 1½ dozen hot wings, ½ dozen jumbo shrimp, and an order of chicken planks. They even gave me a free t-shirt! By the time I got out of there my lips were burning and my speech was slightly slurred. We had a great time and then decided to cross the street and try our hand at mini-golf. I think Tom and I played our best game ever and Laura was ticked she couldn’t beat her inebriated parents.
Well March Break has officially started for me. We left Detroit today about 7:45am and by 9:30 we had our luggage and were waiting outside in the warm sunshine for our hotel shuttle. Tom had arranged for early checking at our hotel and we went right up to our room and changed into our bathing suits. Continue reading
Our most recent trip to the Czech Republic with the Port Credit Hockey team was very successful, 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie. We survived the trip responsible for eighteen – 16yr olds. They certainly tried all the tricks in the book to exercise their freedom away from home. For some it was the first time on an airplane, let alone a trip to Europe. We arrived to one of the biggest snow storms to hit the continent. I’m glad that we packed our boots. Nick got the players HBC red Canada scarves to wear as an off ice wardrobe and they were definitely a big hit with everyone. Prague (aka “City of a Hundred Spires”) was fantastic and we walked all over the city. We packed alot into the week that we were there, playing hockey and touring the countryside of Bohemia and Moravia. Czech Beer is certainly one of the world’s finest and sampled by all. :cheers: You can Czech-out our pictures in our family photo album.
Tom and I packed up the bike and headed off for a 3 day motorcycle trip through cottage country this week. The weather was warm so we wore shorts under our protective riding gear. We followed along Lake Huron and decided to stop for a lunch break in Goderich. We then cut across the Bruce Peninsula at Owen Sound and made a rest stop at a shady park along the Meaford River. Later in the afternoon we stopped in Collingwood for gas and I slipped next door and bought a pastry from the Swiss bakery. We sat at their streetside cafe table and enjoyed the people watching while we consumed our coffee and pastry.
We stopped for the night at a bed and breakfast in the Horseshoe Valley area called the Heigh Head B&B. Our accommodations were very comfortable including a king size feather bed, the whole lower floor entertainment room, library, and small dinette. After we unpacked and changed out of our clothes, we relaxed in the hot tub on the lower patio. Around 8 pm we searched out a local eatery called Abbott?s of Craighurst and enjoyed pints of beer from Creemore Brewery and then had a delicious meal.
Yesterday we experienced the fun at Fort Henry National Historic Site. It is a living museum of military life in the 1800’s with tours, artillery demos and parade of guards. We explored the fort and museums til 1:30. It was very interesting and the students re-enacting the roles did a great job. They even did not mind answering my 101 questions. The weather was very comfortable and perfect for walking about. More pictures start here…
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We left Eileen’s around 1pm today packing a picnic lunch she gratuitously made for us to enjoy. It was nice to finally clear the GTA traffic and enjoy the scenery. We ventured off 401 and took a bunch of backroads along the lake front and happened upon a desolate dead end road that took us to Willow Beach (near Port Hope) for our picnic. [Pictures] Laura was concerned due to the no trespassing sign but by the time any cop could locate us we would be fed and long gone.
We arrived in Kingston around 5pm and checked into the Holiday Inn Waterfront, got unpacked, and broke open the box of Caesar cocktails that Martha had brought from home. We’re heading out now to check out some restaurants for supper.
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