tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-353264362024-03-19T02:32:17.477-07:00Ed Out And AboutAfter 18 years of service my 1998 Jeep has taken a rest. In its place is a 2016 Ford Edge. My love of exploring has not changed, and at the root of all my travels is the love of finding something new.
It's on these pages I've written travel logs to describe my wanderings.
I hope you enjoy the stories ... Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-29976647370244171542024-03-18T23:03:00.000-07:002024-03-18T23:04:54.750-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Day Tripping to Hope BC</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span>All of the fabulous pictures from the day</span> can be found</span> <span style="color: red;"><b><a href="https://flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72177720315530012" target="_blank">here</a></b></span> <span style="color: #ff00fe;">on my Flickr web site. Go ahead and click on the link to see the full day's sights, you know you want to! </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Winter was almost over and Spring was just around the corner, a warm weekend was the perfect time to go out and explore some local history.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We picked the city of Hope, which is inland from Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean by 100 miles. Hope is a transportation hub, sitting at the crossroads of three routes. West takes you back to the city of Vancouver, north takes you along Hwy #5 to the Interior of BC via the infamous Coquihalla Canyon. The lakeside playgrounds of Kelowna and Penticton in the Southern Interior are favourite destinations for Vancouverites. Heading east will take you to the Southern Interior towns of Osoyoos and Grand Forks on historic Hwy #3 also known as the Crows Nest Highway.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hope is also the location of Fort Hope, one of the original Hudson Bay Trading Company's trading post established in 1849. The Sto:lo First Nations people have been here for more than 8,000 years, far preceding European traders and settlers. The 1,375 km Fraser River was a natural route for First Nations and later for French voyagers and British trappers hunting furs for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) to send back to England </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today our crew consisted of myself, wife Annette, grand daughter Adalyn, brother Ken and his wife Linda. First order of the day - BRUNCH !</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">From home to Hope is a 1.5 hour drive, we agreed to rendezvous at a Hope restaurant and see where the day's plans took us. As it turns out, both parties were a bit early into town and we met up at a local bookstore where Adalyn picked out four books for herself and Grampa picked up three local interest books. Ken picked up a bunch of magazines which the owner had been holding for him as Ken is a semi-regular there.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ya-7aehNzn23AxhDxYqIMZhIuvAadGDmEO3E-JWUjxSPj5J0mMdVZ9uvd0NUXddTgxp1cUxFgD7KA6L10TbUW3y3VOg-PE9msOATweshrhHTsBDfJGYic7XQZswHjVaf6DQ7oO_nzhLLuTKweiCqE08E1lAQ1kiC4-j975u7IxxYu33O5w-gSw/s4032/20240316_122109.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ya-7aehNzn23AxhDxYqIMZhIuvAadGDmEO3E-JWUjxSPj5J0mMdVZ9uvd0NUXddTgxp1cUxFgD7KA6L10TbUW3y3VOg-PE9msOATweshrhHTsBDfJGYic7XQZswHjVaf6DQ7oO_nzhLLuTKweiCqE08E1lAQ1kiC4-j975u7IxxYu33O5w-gSw/s320/20240316_122109.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our first stop of interest was the Hope Slide, located 15 minutes east of Hope. The Hope Slide occurred in 1965 after an earthquake shook the area. Several people were killed when the slide occurred, and the original road is buried under more than 200 feet of rock.</span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a fair bit cooler at the slide area, as we had gained 2400 feet in elevation and snow was still on the sides of the road and parking area. We all got out to have a look at the slide area, which is marvel to look at as half the side of the mountain had come down and we were now standing on it. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Adalyn had fun playing on the rocks while the adults conversed about adult stuff and grumbled about how cold we were. 😀</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgPaJs5vrEaJLXO2d77kM7cIcEcI28vjKg9wNNsz88IrLI0M8JkjtuvYSKY0vRih4p-G3KVK5txrZ1-fJrOhKTjO_fgglT6MVJu6L0JGb95_3a9OVzmylAN4Y5ZENV0CnTCXGTL7tmxc0z7JJGsx_cie29Op2iKlWd4Bpf4mH4nc5vrrmvsPTZg/s4032/20240316_125113.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgPaJs5vrEaJLXO2d77kM7cIcEcI28vjKg9wNNsz88IrLI0M8JkjtuvYSKY0vRih4p-G3KVK5txrZ1-fJrOhKTjO_fgglT6MVJu6L0JGb95_3a9OVzmylAN4Y5ZENV0CnTCXGTL7tmxc0z7JJGsx_cie29Op2iKlWd4Bpf4mH4nc5vrrmvsPTZg/s320/20240316_125113.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Back in the cars we headed for the main street of Hope to look at the chain saw carvings which make Hope the self proclaimed "Chainsaw Carving Capital of Canada." </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What started out as a way to save a beloved, dying city tree turned into a tourist attraction for the town and a new industry for the local people. More than 80 carvings can now be found around the town; Maps can be found at the local tourism bureau to use for your self guided walking tour.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSUlPcU9v3kzRHeTCHXJi10NgvYOh-NfW6UVzbHmIFklskOuwHTLYj9hilBy3oHj_BRMO9mH00h1JH4wKq817wVaFDHUjurUMF_hK_cKfLYFAPuUl73xBVD3PbMJFfEI5P6h8pFyI2fIPZg3cX2R5Fw_ciylXFAhWDijbGzzJ8Y1aovxkjL4FCQ/s4032/20240316_125338.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSUlPcU9v3kzRHeTCHXJi10NgvYOh-NfW6UVzbHmIFklskOuwHTLYj9hilBy3oHj_BRMO9mH00h1JH4wKq817wVaFDHUjurUMF_hK_cKfLYFAPuUl73xBVD3PbMJFfEI5P6h8pFyI2fIPZg3cX2R5Fw_ciylXFAhWDijbGzzJ8Y1aovxkjL4FCQ/s320/20240316_125338.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After looking at some of the carvings and Adalyn playing on the playground, we headed a few blocks to the north side of town to loom for a geocache on the banks of the Coquihalla River where it meets the Fraser River. We did not find the geocache, but the Fraser River is very wide here and the once flooded shoreline forests are a stark reminder of the furies of a river during the Spring freshet as well as when the winter storms come calling. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQTOjQI2DOdlARYw7NKV2rQSdPgcwlyOZdI8RIV3Nsntsg6Pj4jrzQ82VlKeofIh1Zub7kfDHWPrrSRPw2-jZSODPnY-2xPBCo6MFDUNWsTxE4lRt__8a-zskKM88CxFzwsF09dd1C1hiIMLzpbsJhG-jdrCghJFAyx7xRX2Y6cKk4kawmcLCdw/s4032/20240316_134845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQTOjQI2DOdlARYw7NKV2rQSdPgcwlyOZdI8RIV3Nsntsg6Pj4jrzQ82VlKeofIh1Zub7kfDHWPrrSRPw2-jZSODPnY-2xPBCo6MFDUNWsTxE4lRt__8a-zskKM88CxFzwsF09dd1C1hiIMLzpbsJhG-jdrCghJFAyx7xRX2Y6cKk4kawmcLCdw/s320/20240316_134845.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After our playtime at the river and our disappointing defeat of failing to find the geocache, ice cream was in order ! The local Dairy Queen as just what a 10 year girl (and the adults) needed to recuperate and feel better about ourselves. And so it came to be, continuing the tradition of visiting the DQ in Hope BC, a tradition which has been carried on through four generations of family !</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ice cream in our tummies and our pride restored, we headed west along Hwy #7 for our next point of interest. We stopped a couple of times along the way to find geocaches as Adalyn loves "treasure hunting" and Ken and myself kinda like it too. No day's outing is complete if we don't look for a few geocaches. :)</span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was the first day the Kilby Museum was open for the season, at least that is what their website said. Apparently things did not work out for them as the museum was still closed for the season when we arrived in the afternoon. (No pictures to tease you with, will save that visit for a future day)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With the museum closed, we visited nearby Kilby Park located on the Harrison River. The parking lot was full but we managed to stop and grab a cache in the bush near the parking lot. Adalyn had the sharp eyes here and found the cache for the team. Which made us feel good as Ken's ego (well, maybe mine as well) is easily shattered if we can't find an easy-to-find geocache right under our feet.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYaO3vP11PpxqKeZg7c0eK3xB69kY6ivjnLGnK9D-mjOaHk2_wC6xYWqELQUfflQNlxIdQKjgxjEvJ-etYS-QP4aEeUXUZGTwIP3BvWGT4bSFLkEcn256GSXIL3wb1owXKdjJa0a4EwJy1QkvReV4rT-UqLnvHh3-sAsfxmRYi1aQVQ56UchR-w/s4032/20240316_154150.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYaO3vP11PpxqKeZg7c0eK3xB69kY6ivjnLGnK9D-mjOaHk2_wC6xYWqELQUfflQNlxIdQKjgxjEvJ-etYS-QP4aEeUXUZGTwIP3BvWGT4bSFLkEcn256GSXIL3wb1owXKdjJa0a4EwJy1QkvReV4rT-UqLnvHh3-sAsfxmRYi1aQVQ56UchR-w/s320/20240316_154150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We headed west a bit further and stopped off at a local slough which is a haven for the endangered Western Painted Turtle and found two more caches in the area. Ken spotted the cache and Adalyn made the grab. The cache was hidden on the back of a sign advising the area is a nature reserve for the turtles, and attached to the cache container was a plastic turtle - how fitting.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With the latest two caches found and the day winding down, we said our goodbyes to Ken and Linda, and headed west still on Hwy #7 which would bring us to Adalyn's house. We stopped in for a short visit with our daughter Samantha and the other grandkids Rowan and Camden before continuing on another 30 minutes to home. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once home Annette's first order of business was to entertain the cat, while I downloaded the pictures from the camera and logged the geocache finds for the day. Now, where can we go next week ?</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Thanks for sharing the trip with us, please leave a comment down below if you enjoyed the story.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-4169559281447897872023-12-27T02:38:00.000-08:002024-03-04T12:33:06.218-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Five Corners, the Heart of Old Chilliwack BC</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9ZJefwZEHsVAW60Pq4SQ4SHCnxlwuYE4qApmnY0QnlTo7Eq36FjUEmV8gTAp6VmFr45gjJUqKEcxbVQWK1ewyk6cEvR47UVLzzyO5cd331iyNH2YJtemg913xuybdvcT2gs66M2hVzrhjwVg9WQC97ALAs25ilnP5RgVHRG8Rgyyx1mlvleLVQ/s4032/20231226_145629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9ZJefwZEHsVAW60Pq4SQ4SHCnxlwuYE4qApmnY0QnlTo7Eq36FjUEmV8gTAp6VmFr45gjJUqKEcxbVQWK1ewyk6cEvR47UVLzzyO5cd331iyNH2YJtemg913xuybdvcT2gs66M2hVzrhjwVg9WQC97ALAs25ilnP5RgVHRG8Rgyyx1mlvleLVQ/s320/20231226_145629.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the usual Christmas Day rain, Boxing Day was sunny and a balmy 10 Celsius. Annette and I took advantage of the good weather and drove to Chilliwack BC to visit the old section of the town. Five Corners is so named as three roads intersect here. One of the roads was originally known as Landing Road, which was the road leading to the original settlement named Chilliwack Landing located on the banks of the Fraser River. At some point Landing Road is renamed Wellington and appears as such at the junction. The second is Old Yale Road, which was is the original road created to join New Westminster BC to Yale BC, which is located in the Fraser River Canyon. The remaining street name is Young Road, all of these are major thorough fares in the north part of the city.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7TpIEZ09TP3NIz7tSa9qREsQFHbXA_Ah1uAWXEC37KUux7dV9bnprMbUg9OZwPh4F_ZvSf7o-Bx5PXdxwyCU4ELkJYHF-OtqtOvwXmJUbu6E9SaGqK7HUeluMFUC4hLHQRS7p3LBPAaNJANhO0FU6uDmwFFdff2HPj9UiHuTaE5cWf5k1RSv9Q/s4032/20231226_145734.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7TpIEZ09TP3NIz7tSa9qREsQFHbXA_Ah1uAWXEC37KUux7dV9bnprMbUg9OZwPh4F_ZvSf7o-Bx5PXdxwyCU4ELkJYHF-OtqtOvwXmJUbu6E9SaGqK7HUeluMFUC4hLHQRS7p3LBPAaNJANhO0FU6uDmwFFdff2HPj9UiHuTaE5cWf5k1RSv9Q/s320/20231226_145734.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For many years this important crossroads area has been neglected and was showing its age as evidenced by the rundown state of the buildings and the closed businesses. Visiting the area today it is obvious the city has spent time and money on revitalization and as part of that process has allowed a new residential-shopping area named District 1881 to be built. The project re-creates narrow pedestrian only streets, with numerous shops on the bottom and one and two story condos above.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3x8x_bkx6erfthZum7EG_khBAeBXijisZSJCdWnijEvrxufZhaE0NYRpaqbe0ijCA6kBqN6Z4yTCqFLy7h4LaGz_5GWqKtlROGrV1yCbtlj2hCkWKF_YWV9Ap_eIfirsRlTflhpOYGHRa8Tw13qal5jgmYWjuKwUxEfZFzn8ULjVkfx1No-m8A/s4032/20231226_145815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3x8x_bkx6erfthZum7EG_khBAeBXijisZSJCdWnijEvrxufZhaE0NYRpaqbe0ijCA6kBqN6Z4yTCqFLy7h4LaGz_5GWqKtlROGrV1yCbtlj2hCkWKF_YWV9Ap_eIfirsRlTflhpOYGHRa8Tw13qal5jgmYWjuKwUxEfZFzn8ULjVkfx1No-m8A/s320/20231226_145815.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrLdcy_vOnBD0yRpcE5-F8dEij9U1f7Q-So8cqoIjzhcmD9olwclwNrbOzqx7apIcf4lc_pWAaw2q4XdSsqNqRdPkDpUO08edEMlJcqhGZFXIiqnz5QjjtavWNtsNhm-DTIha_F-KWSAkpIXMEjeWaWEMUijtZbjK6NxFTenZYRO4RKvuDjXPvQ/s4032/20231226_150028.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrLdcy_vOnBD0yRpcE5-F8dEij9U1f7Q-So8cqoIjzhcmD9olwclwNrbOzqx7apIcf4lc_pWAaw2q4XdSsqNqRdPkDpUO08edEMlJcqhGZFXIiqnz5QjjtavWNtsNhm-DTIha_F-KWSAkpIXMEjeWaWEMUijtZbjK6NxFTenZYRO4RKvuDjXPvQ/s320/20231226_150028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">The buildings are lovely, and they are doing a great job of re-creating an old style shopping environment with what will be popular stores, restaurants, and pubs on the mall, right in the centre of the small downtown area. Within a two block radius in any direction are all the larger stores, services, and grocery stores you need.</span></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMWRx5dofqTEyQIeRiusdkJYTUVkFX09oXYBp9RYjh6KyWJ2q-Z7_x4vZtWuQJBGTnpoWBirl1ky6rX24yJ8fiRJk0cU7GlygCheXv4BI1WbDrOIgNtNElU431YVzHgsQCT-_qqMMhqy-yfnYU_eMT7q3-sUj_NBMB_gPlk1qlaUI3O3fzdG1sg/s4032/20231226_151915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMWRx5dofqTEyQIeRiusdkJYTUVkFX09oXYBp9RYjh6KyWJ2q-Z7_x4vZtWuQJBGTnpoWBirl1ky6rX24yJ8fiRJk0cU7GlygCheXv4BI1WbDrOIgNtNElU431YVzHgsQCT-_qqMMhqy-yfnYU_eMT7q3-sUj_NBMB_gPlk1qlaUI3O3fzdG1sg/s320/20231226_151915.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm1QTktSgFNfj2vzS8C4zr1aJV1m2_8ZzJ4BlBZBAwNhL5a-uz_gnjF8l4GJmlV80uTvVYkdAt0mzMTR4oxwmC-x2Gn2qHfhyphenhyphenSj0QMLHDtViaVJpDd2APLyrfPDVYgVYrNw4KnsnvBqI5cyZJa7FE14vJNOuVKVXcjqnfJoGofZwgrlDKfe7mrw/s4032/20231226_152601.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm1QTktSgFNfj2vzS8C4zr1aJV1m2_8ZzJ4BlBZBAwNhL5a-uz_gnjF8l4GJmlV80uTvVYkdAt0mzMTR4oxwmC-x2Gn2qHfhyphenhyphenSj0QMLHDtViaVJpDd2APLyrfPDVYgVYrNw4KnsnvBqI5cyZJa7FE14vJNOuVKVXcjqnfJoGofZwgrlDKfe7mrw/s320/20231226_152601.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio81UXaUllDulkXo0HMLz2PBSxv6tKYLsBSdlVOSqj7ldijFNaFelC1_I8cLYJPpqBILAknqpffBJfyo0ewwslNFPP1WWnXJvuLrB1hhNfQp5RMz6KchRQosMJF1smJiHDO_1gG1BYdG_SX_i85s1CC7n1z6BwxnVp-igNpKa-c4Zs4xWY4LWZOQ/s4032/20231226_151843.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio81UXaUllDulkXo0HMLz2PBSxv6tKYLsBSdlVOSqj7ldijFNaFelC1_I8cLYJPpqBILAknqpffBJfyo0ewwslNFPP1WWnXJvuLrB1hhNfQp5RMz6KchRQosMJF1smJiHDO_1gG1BYdG_SX_i85s1CC7n1z6BwxnVp-igNpKa-c4Zs4xWY4LWZOQ/s320/20231226_151843.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><span style="font-size: medium;">We also spent some time and walked around the blocks adjacent to the 5 Corner intersection and were pleased to see the progress in re-vamping the older buildings on the streets. Some of the stores had historic newspaper articles detailing the history of the street itself which made for interesting reading. </span><p></p></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After spending a couple of hours wandering the neighbourhood, we headed with the setting sun and were rewarded with a full moon rising over the local mountains.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Pictures of that wonderful moon and the rest of the day's pictures can be found </span><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72177720313632685/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a><span style="color: red;"> </span></span><span style="color: #0b5394;">on my Flickr web site</span>. </b> </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">. . </span></p>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-6153646914546110132023-08-02T00:13:00.013-07:002023-08-02T00:52:04.009-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">Maple Ridge Nightly Bear Visits</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Since the warmer weather has come we have had several
bears using our front yard as a walkway.<o:p></o:p></p><p> Same pattern every time, the bears come
out of the ravine across the street, check out the neighbour's on the
left, walk across our yard or porch, then check out the other neighbour's yard.
With this being summer, the bears seem to think a diversion to our side yard is in order to check out
our blueberry bushes. Pity for the bears, between our grandkids and the racoons,
the bushes are now barren. <o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;">
</p><p>Three short videos for you to see, all from the same visit, just different camera angles. In the second
video the window on the house is open and I watched the bear walk past the open
window only six feet away from where I was sitting. </p><p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6vQt25S5qus" width="320" youtube-src-id="6vQt25S5qus"></iframe></div><br /><p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Vq6O88MXew" width="320" youtube-src-id="1Vq6O88MXew"></iframe></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BoZN2_6JhrI" width="320" youtube-src-id="BoZN2_6JhrI"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-76692351700091563932021-01-16T23:36:00.001-08:002021-01-16T23:38:05.699-08:00A Nomad in North Vancouver<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RaNA3iD59qcXNRkkK8oPLOH8WBi87_zmaxZmhcQGfbaNFRtbxVTtlpoiwzaEZ7LbMP4FjVkLqViIQhXphsqnOfwp0B_Oaq_m4udnjk_OLPOaNKfq4D0Y1HELZGWcOUFTVhedSw/s4608/NVAN+A.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RaNA3iD59qcXNRkkK8oPLOH8WBi87_zmaxZmhcQGfbaNFRtbxVTtlpoiwzaEZ7LbMP4FjVkLqViIQhXphsqnOfwp0B_Oaq_m4udnjk_OLPOaNKfq4D0Y1HELZGWcOUFTVhedSw/s320/NVAN+A.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><div><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b>CLICK ON ME TO SEE ME IN REAL LIFE SIZE </b></span><br /><p></p><p>This Saturday dawned slightly overcast with a promise of clearing skies for later in the day. That was enough of a tease for me to prompt me to check the charge on one of my camcorders and one of my cameras and ponder where we should go for a drive today. The "we" changed into a "me" as Annette was not up to a day of wandering aimlessly in the car. Funny, that sounds exactly like something I would like to do!</p><p>With the crew dwindling to a singular person I decide to return to one of my favourite haunts as a young man - North Vancouver.</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>NOTE - ONLY A FEW PICTURES ARE POSTED HERE. SEE THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAVELOG FOR ALL THE PICTURES ON THE DAY</b></span></p><p>North Vancouver is located on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, across the water from Vancouver, hence the name of North Vancouver. My love of exploring the forest on a rainy day was enforced by many a rainy fall day wandering around the older original communities like Dundarave, Dollarton and Edgemont Village. Linear parks encompass major rivers which run down off the flanks of the Coastal Mountains and empty into Burrard Inlet. These parks provide the public access to what is, for many of them, an awe inspiring experience. No other experience fills the senses like the sounds of a heavy rain falling on the ancient trees comprising the temperate rainforest of South Coastal BC. All the water falling from the skies continues its trip by flowing from the forest floor into creeks, streams and eventually raging rivers carving deep canyons through the local mountains. And we get to experience all that on those rainy days if you have the will to get Out and About</p><p>Strolling along a riverside forest trail surrounded by enormous trees it is hard to believe most of North Vancouver was practically cleared of trees in the 1800s and early 1900s to supply wood for the fast growing Vancouver city and fledgling suburbs At the turn of the century most of these outlying suburbs required a tram ride or even a train ride on the Inter Urban BC Electric Railway to be reached.</p><p>Red Cedars, Douglas Firs, Western Hemlock and Pacific Yews all grow to incredible heights in the mild and rainy environment. Sadly, you have to look hard to find a few remnants of these 500-800 year old legends.</p><p>I started my day visiting the sleepy village of Edgemont located in the upper realms of North Vancouver near the Capilano River. As with any area you have not visited for a long time, things change. The sleepy village was no longer so sleepy - new grocery stores had been built, along with a few medium size condo blocks. There was now even two stop lights in the three block long village!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh420zOiVZbuTJFZlaNcywXJq-i25G4dn2omiIpn6P8k0F4m4gHXvCgm-k9JkSW3tz7GsYrKTOtLrYNO_Bg0n78T_keMeXn19fGvE5sAd_7KzfpOaotS_a1uEnNX2UxMSNP6nDpPw/s4608/NVAN+C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh420zOiVZbuTJFZlaNcywXJq-i25G4dn2omiIpn6P8k0F4m4gHXvCgm-k9JkSW3tz7GsYrKTOtLrYNO_Bg0n78T_keMeXn19fGvE5sAd_7KzfpOaotS_a1uEnNX2UxMSNP6nDpPw/s320/NVAN+C.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Even with the new buildings and obvious growth you could see the municipality was taking pains to maintain the integrity of the small communal village which was rewarding to see. I snapped a few pics off main street but the original small town charm I remembered could not be captured on camera as the lens always tells the truth.</p><p>I left the village and headed a mile or two away to enter Capilano River Regional Park, which is the location of the Capilano Fish Hatchery. The hatchery complex has excellent sheltered self guiding information boards complete with a viewing section where you can watch the salmon jump up as they travel along a man made fish ladder back into the hatchery complex. The fish ladder is chest high enclosed behind thick glass which allows the public to experience the actual size of the salmon just inches from their face. Needless to say it is a huge hit with the kids.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl865cmsN9QbiEF5FFFvJOlZ_uo6IPy8vuAApYWdA9pC2xNzBpd-P_kuJA9nPGxEGFhnOAFiwElm_jfDpZcVXfc5it2Ee_uU_pMJqzyuNnpXupwmmfKj-oIdDJWIlvkkl4LR0sJQ/s4608/NVAN+G.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl865cmsN9QbiEF5FFFvJOlZ_uo6IPy8vuAApYWdA9pC2xNzBpd-P_kuJA9nPGxEGFhnOAFiwElm_jfDpZcVXfc5it2Ee_uU_pMJqzyuNnpXupwmmfKj-oIdDJWIlvkkl4LR0sJQ/s320/NVAN+G.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Unfortunately, like many locations the facility was closed due to Covid concerns - the good news is the wild river was right there to enjoy. I snapped off a few pictures of the small dam built to moderate the water flow for the benefit of the salmon as they approach the fish ladder. In the distance of the above picture notice the tell tale mist along the river surface and the canyon-like terrain. We'll talk about that in a minute </p><p>I wandered around the immediate area but not wanting to be diverted by the beckoning forest trails I pondered my next moves. I formulated a haphazard itinerary for the next couple of hours and decided my next obvious tour stop was half a mile upstream.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq06aTMNmDP2NerRxqmOQG1fQP9XYDdArdrK_cVV1SzbfFF4uK_5HYDxEYydLdW4S7xnuCVXmtr05ky1qYClAqb_QXIcWpuczfknSVwm-KATD175nHsgfljqIiYDjtsGhXTc03VA/s4608/NVAN+K.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq06aTMNmDP2NerRxqmOQG1fQP9XYDdArdrK_cVV1SzbfFF4uK_5HYDxEYydLdW4S7xnuCVXmtr05ky1qYClAqb_QXIcWpuczfknSVwm-KATD175nHsgfljqIiYDjtsGhXTc03VA/s320/NVAN+K.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Capilano Watershed area provides 1/3rd of Metro Vancouver's drinking water and the 91 metre (300 feet) high dam built in the natural river gorge is an excellent place to visit on any day. Apparently 100 other people thought so as well as it took me 10 minutes to score a parking spot in the small parking area.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-MPKd-VCjGAMO0TjVU-6sg9csjnQu1kIIHVycG0XaWKKmmUgBLsfE9TaNRo1XrqCPAvmsVsoMac3xbtrw7m9Sr53sNxGhzxnsysFoVMG46d4O9wU0MybKBXQiA97Obplb9Y1fw/s4608/NVAN+L.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-MPKd-VCjGAMO0TjVU-6sg9csjnQu1kIIHVycG0XaWKKmmUgBLsfE9TaNRo1XrqCPAvmsVsoMac3xbtrw7m9Sr53sNxGhzxnsysFoVMG46d4O9wU0MybKBXQiA97Obplb9Y1fw/s320/NVAN+L.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Staring directly down a spillway's 300 foot drop is mesmerizing and has the effect of a magnet just holding you in place watching the water cascade down to the bottom lip of the spillway and exploding into a mist in the canyon below.</p><p>During this tour stop a few drops of rain had started to land on me, forecasting an end to any future photo ops I had planned. I made my way to the lower slopes of North Vancouver closer to the water of Burrard Inlet. The lower slopes around the Lonsdale Avenue corridor is where the rich moved from the common neighborhoods near the water. As North Vancouver prospered, there was a demand for prestigious neighbourhoods where the newly rich could showcase their wealth. </p><p>Grand Boulevard running north-south to the east of Lonsdale Avenue, is a garden subdivision built in 1906 as the premier neighbourhood for those newly rich folks. The one mile long Garden Avenue is highlighted by a 345 feet wide grass area between the east and west legs of the street. This provided the wealthy residents the best sight lines down to the water front and to Vancouver City across the water. The wide boulevard also acted as a fire break, which was a major consideration as the same year as Grand Boulevard was coming into existence, there was a disastrous fire in San Francisco as a result of an earthquake.</p><p>Keith Road acts as the southern terminus of Grand Boulevard, and just a few blocks west on Keith Road we can see this wide boulevard idea repeated in what must have been a neighbouring garden subdivion for the wealthy.</p><p>My last tour stop was to be high up the mountain in West Vancouver - there is a lookout on Cypress Road which leads up into the Cypress Mountain ski area. Sadly, while I was wandering around the old timey rich neighbourhoods, the clouds had descended down the mountains blocking out any views to be had of Vancouver City from on high. And minutes later the rain started in earnest, putting a definite end to my day tripping. As much as I enjoy playing in the rain, my ambitions for my photo taking required clear vistas, and my open window to enjoy the break in the rains was now over.</p><p>I stated the journey home, happy that I had another chance to go out and explore and only slightly disappointed the day was not longer. There is always a next time and plenty of beautiful parts of our local to visit, so I'm not concerned with an abbreviated day - you roll with the flow !</p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">ALL PICTURES ON THE DAY CAN BE SEE ON MY FLICKR PAGE</span></b> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157717920785083" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157717920785083" target="_blank"> </a></b></span> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">If you enjoyed this travelog drop me a comment either on this page or by email. Thanks for coming along on my day Out and About.</span></b></span> </p>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-15021365911192602832021-01-10T21:50:00.005-08:002021-01-10T21:51:39.160-08:00Aimless in Abbotsford<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEOfJT52RSxJs1LeMlrDez9Eq-Tf0GgmOG90d0-MGZTtCWvzalCkXP1xT6kvAeUconx7WJ0jWl-VUTE1pwlMeyN7YGCeEyqAOmT-yt3B01tGveKGJFdbYwqebc0dYQyqJUP5YCQ/s4608/DSC03229.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEOfJT52RSxJs1LeMlrDez9Eq-Tf0GgmOG90d0-MGZTtCWvzalCkXP1xT6kvAeUconx7WJ0jWl-VUTE1pwlMeyN7YGCeEyqAOmT-yt3B01tGveKGJFdbYwqebc0dYQyqJUP5YCQ/s320/DSC03229.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Been a while since I have been Out and About, as the saying goes. Between Covid restrictions and the onset of the poor weather, I have been doing a lot of staring at my collection of video and photography equipment hoping I get a chance to use it again.</p><p>This Sunday was an unexpected day where we had nothing on the agenda, and pretty well all the chores were up to date. An break in the non-stop chain of rain storms meant a few hours of dry time for me to be out wandering around.</p><p>I kept it simple, I picked my trusty point and shoot camera, and headed to the Fraser Valley town of Abbotsford. I knew of a few eye worthy places to snap some pics, and thought I would explore some of the little sides streets I had not been down before.</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>To see these pictures in a larger format, click on any photo.</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Go ahead, you know you want to !</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0sqQjhQ4ASLCwu3mts5Bseq1yewtU6NklMCOGNDutkeAnhtRC3OuVQ7zMzT-BgM4jsp105NEhx9aJQOJgCn1pUwBwRWHTdqiQNzH35gQQ6kJxp7tGmxA7juDd4NAKpjU2Hsekw/s4608/DSC03217.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0sqQjhQ4ASLCwu3mts5Bseq1yewtU6NklMCOGNDutkeAnhtRC3OuVQ7zMzT-BgM4jsp105NEhx9aJQOJgCn1pUwBwRWHTdqiQNzH35gQQ6kJxp7tGmxA7juDd4NAKpjU2Hsekw/s320/DSC03217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>My first side excursion of the day was to poke around Matsqui, a farming community on the north side of the Fraser River. Straight roadways lined with trees planted as windbreaks is a hallmark of farming areas and there were plenty examples to be seen here.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPdOn0OoXZKa67lvQqm9M-RkReu_X4Rm19EqcygdYWtPnjjSUuMaUmiW738o_H_9eBzHbbRTwtrJ-wgnPMbpSQ-by5SoVQdOCZ-riy51E8esgFLF9wWQ14Ddc9FoOjeMyWmTSJw/s4608/DSC03218.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPdOn0OoXZKa67lvQqm9M-RkReu_X4Rm19EqcygdYWtPnjjSUuMaUmiW738o_H_9eBzHbbRTwtrJ-wgnPMbpSQ-by5SoVQdOCZ-riy51E8esgFLF9wWQ14Ddc9FoOjeMyWmTSJw/s320/DSC03218.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>The flat farming terrain also provided views of the low clouds enveloping the low mountains forming the ridge of the Fraser Valley. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiWINxm-JNIbg_MUKsb2hReMHHfh7yZtMCCi8lLsEUUQ-B1HzEWyoDnzdKzf-0cM29vKwVUzU1nwcqTo2omEyi1VGUNkGkIbbQ1Is1ir7q3HXj1_A3kn8HxxMXJBvf2YEId17Ew/s4608/DSC03220.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiWINxm-JNIbg_MUKsb2hReMHHfh7yZtMCCi8lLsEUUQ-B1HzEWyoDnzdKzf-0cM29vKwVUzU1nwcqTo2omEyi1VGUNkGkIbbQ1Is1ir7q3HXj1_A3kn8HxxMXJBvf2YEId17Ew/s320/DSC03220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> The clouds clung to the higher mountains on the northside of the valley even more so, blocking out any scenic shots to be had in that direction.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKMp6wmn9xTZ_QCFyXhRtsf9FTh0xxDlL-fVYnBIoT8N2WD7J7JWh9o02jUBNc1e7Z90WGNGmrVXbMTVLxSKmLkvPRgTXqesTgBclf2zfgSmrCePZYo4K1vxpBFu8vzoTW4glqQ/s4608/DSC03225.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKMp6wmn9xTZ_QCFyXhRtsf9FTh0xxDlL-fVYnBIoT8N2WD7J7JWh9o02jUBNc1e7Z90WGNGmrVXbMTVLxSKmLkvPRgTXqesTgBclf2zfgSmrCePZYo4K1vxpBFu8vzoTW4glqQ/s320/DSC03225.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>After dawdling in Matsqui I headed over to main main objective for the day, the Township of Abbotsford. And now you are wondering, <i>what's so special about these two buildings in the picture above</i>? Well, if you have ever watched those Hallmark TV movies you would have seen these two buildings in many of those movies. At least, that is what my wife tells me .. yeah ....</p><p>Vancouver is called Hollywood North and it is not uncommon to have two dozen TV/movies shoots ongoing at any given time. One of the most common movie channels to shoot in the area is Hallmark. For some reason they seem to love this two buildings - they are either using the older white building or the larger brick building as a main movie location. Seeing as I was already here exploring Abbotsford, I naturally had to see for myself where these were actually located.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXSY6_ihkJGpdWI4THspLV3WDzygsJnbkeYn8XwaxU8HM9WNVfG4pyOtXPfPCXKw76DWabYaUDYJB_WTaDKhyafCCFHJLV_SvC-SyrD3ZbADYNiaKF07L02FWIEomDoMzTPs3Mw/s4608/DSC03226.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXSY6_ihkJGpdWI4THspLV3WDzygsJnbkeYn8XwaxU8HM9WNVfG4pyOtXPfPCXKw76DWabYaUDYJB_WTaDKhyafCCFHJLV_SvC-SyrD3ZbADYNiaKF07L02FWIEomDoMzTPs3Mw/s320/DSC03226.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Hallmark buildings are located in the old section of Abbotsford, which is roughly five blocks squared. I parked the car and meandered around the side streets and alleys looking for worthy subjects and came across the murals seen here. They encompass the back of the Hemmingway's book store, a very large and popular used bookstore in town. A lot of time was spent by the artists painting these vibrant murals and they look great and add life to a forgotten back alley.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhBIlZByxAqorqz0GYZyNkd8GSglowNcb_l2ptgBH8O96zQbOS3ORdTTtMx76NYsP8w5GSfiZA7DSB9zwi7LtBXXhYjHgEWbCemPonu3gHrHlIrmXRoLT5JKAB_DYE9kmFxrwgA/s4608/DSC03229.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhBIlZByxAqorqz0GYZyNkd8GSglowNcb_l2ptgBH8O96zQbOS3ORdTTtMx76NYsP8w5GSfiZA7DSB9zwi7LtBXXhYjHgEWbCemPonu3gHrHlIrmXRoLT5JKAB_DYE9kmFxrwgA/s320/DSC03229.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />A few years ago the Downtown association commissioned several sculptures to add to the visuals of the area. These three guys are very lifelike and have been in many a tourist photo. I also have snapped them a few times over the years.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83NH0FMD1ANkCbSyn5DGf8aOwclYWF-pBbRlu6BN9DFUI5TVoY-2RbZJdymTOo3A5rMj8GOFs9O9cRQgK43bde3eed8FfyTMA_gZUo0APwFx9UPmc-M0PSutcYjVWXiEUoT9BWg/s4608/DSC03230.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83NH0FMD1ANkCbSyn5DGf8aOwclYWF-pBbRlu6BN9DFUI5TVoY-2RbZJdymTOo3A5rMj8GOFs9O9cRQgK43bde3eed8FfyTMA_gZUo0APwFx9UPmc-M0PSutcYjVWXiEUoT9BWg/s320/DSC03230.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Goose in the Truck adds a touch of whimsy to the scenery, I have to admit, this Goose looks like he has real attitude! I can just imagine him leaning on the horn yelling for people to get out of his way! Must have received his license in downtown Vancouver :)<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyd0UsbyOVRjFzwiGTuUsQPWOeo6tsyPi9QEEyu6NT81Rvl4JKDx8Ptec31RhM40FADtdqvAyb75g8mdJs2lg06OuU7JXDzSk4CAfz7_olB3670Tefz0vsHETZZ_iTLv2776S-Q/s4608/DSC03231.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyd0UsbyOVRjFzwiGTuUsQPWOeo6tsyPi9QEEyu6NT81Rvl4JKDx8Ptec31RhM40FADtdqvAyb75g8mdJs2lg06OuU7JXDzSk4CAfz7_olB3670Tefz0vsHETZZ_iTLv2776S-Q/s320/DSC03231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The "art" scene is represented as well with a bench in the form of a large easel complete with dripping brush, all supported by a squeezed out tube of paint. Sadly the surface of this bench is in need of some TLC. Would look so much more vibrant if it was cleaned up and resurfaced.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRn7sRlrLKd9iUj_CGLY8SJPqeaToB0wIqeDJaF4wNp0XfLlvDIn3OR6XpsYENt-_7t8njZyWV3GvNIAEECaczz8Ps1hU3K7IlglBx8bpkc2g8-luQ0WOJRp610D_Pya5JZEdOQg/s4608/DSC03233.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRn7sRlrLKd9iUj_CGLY8SJPqeaToB0wIqeDJaF4wNp0XfLlvDIn3OR6XpsYENt-_7t8njZyWV3GvNIAEECaczz8Ps1hU3K7IlglBx8bpkc2g8-luQ0WOJRp610D_Pya5JZEdOQg/s320/DSC03233.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> After exploring more of the downtown side streets, I decided to head towards another historic section of the general Abbotsford area, in the village of Clayburn. As I drifted in that general direction I kept my eye out for anything that caught my eye. And this sure did - Snoopy flying a Sopwith Camel airplane! I spotted this in someone's backyard mounted high for all to see from the street. That was definitely worth a stop to snap a picture - great job by the resident ! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-6cpu496SH2Rb5C3RWTixTeZBbzBsSVW74fJ7c2NinSgji3ezHK4MzxSgMWT3BLmwa9AthWrFMsctwXIc6ZtU98qC_e30UGP7bhxq0tDw4GsAA4kjain3miy4mDtQ9LzRxt6Qw/s4608/DSC03234.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-6cpu496SH2Rb5C3RWTixTeZBbzBsSVW74fJ7c2NinSgji3ezHK4MzxSgMWT3BLmwa9AthWrFMsctwXIc6ZtU98qC_e30UGP7bhxq0tDw4GsAA4kjain3miy4mDtQ9LzRxt6Qw/s320/DSC03234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I took the long way around as I headed into Clayburn as I wanted to reach higher ground to obtain an aerial view of the surrounding area. I had circled back towards the Fraser River and was getting close to the Matsui farmlands again. Clayburn is nestled against those low mountains seen in the first scenic picture of this post. These low mountains have something needed for building construction at the turn of the century - clay. Perfect for molding into bricks and when heated and fired, perfect for building brick buildings.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWDw48ON874-h8cEbZlyEut0ml_kJinbbBJr67XJOZA4WzIg4YoW9Ps3q37ZoMRy_-DvsmExi41miC6K9LZQVQNMG26iOr-R39HFzhV4b3OnDgvDfnARs3iyiUYcgFbFLFJCbdA/s4608/DSC03237.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWDw48ON874-h8cEbZlyEut0ml_kJinbbBJr67XJOZA4WzIg4YoW9Ps3q37ZoMRy_-DvsmExi41miC6K9LZQVQNMG26iOr-R39HFzhV4b3OnDgvDfnARs3iyiUYcgFbFLFJCbdA/s320/DSC03237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcY02fBlJsYIxlvVVYgvKPvhuHmnIOGsnpgHfQneHeGpeyY6PyiBKogb4ufyqL0MO6GfFgZ8W4aETkQgRolz8PcRHE9OoAVE9MyVPZwTgNElTcWS-aL7AWxyXZrjLn0zxvTSgKQ/s4608/DSC03239.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcY02fBlJsYIxlvVVYgvKPvhuHmnIOGsnpgHfQneHeGpeyY6PyiBKogb4ufyqL0MO6GfFgZ8W4aETkQgRolz8PcRHE9OoAVE9MyVPZwTgNElTcWS-aL7AWxyXZrjLn0zxvTSgKQ/s320/DSC03239.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I have been to the village of Clayburn several times over the years but only to look at the old General Store and the ruins of the brick ovens in the nearby bush. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpicIcNKMXuT-NQJQas1_9Y0942MS-s3x_IMWzX_9EtdV_elz54481WHsxkWFjGhCIjn2jQPNOuH0PAIRVm6gzNYSBVApzuVZ6LyKKy2CfmanfgD-miDaGN4G0gt84siY2YbqOg/s4608/DSC03240.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpicIcNKMXuT-NQJQas1_9Y0942MS-s3x_IMWzX_9EtdV_elz54481WHsxkWFjGhCIjn2jQPNOuH0PAIRVm6gzNYSBVApzuVZ6LyKKy2CfmanfgD-miDaGN4G0gt84siY2YbqOg/s320/DSC03240.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVG7As95A2ojeg0lvBPt5QCIgtfvibuWRi1bAVKnfUj0KO3xCsOzwIXJ3onOFl-nQFst8c8gEPSd_r8_EEFzdacjD-7-J5DktN1cWyffF89wKlh_ZSo5XfhTVmOcJLCOWX93rtA/s4608/DSC03241.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVG7As95A2ojeg0lvBPt5QCIgtfvibuWRi1bAVKnfUj0KO3xCsOzwIXJ3onOFl-nQFst8c8gEPSd_r8_EEFzdacjD-7-J5DktN1cWyffF89wKlh_ZSo5XfhTVmOcJLCOWX93rtA/s320/DSC03241.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Today very little remains of the original town buildings. A few brick bungalows that were workmen cottages, and the General store. The land where the original factory buildings stood seems to have been cleared and is now a soccer field. It is quite possible they have bulldozed away the old kiln ovens. In the past, when I have walked through the bush, you would stumble upon a pile of brick rejects that broke during the firing process, so they were just dumped outside in a pile. I have retrieved a few bricks from those piles, all bearing the Clayburn name. So popular were the bricks, it was not uncommon for me to discover historic buildings in other cities in Southern BC built by bricks bearing the Clayburn name.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp00PlkgFKy-gTcCecjWdN9hyphenhyphenaKbXUh84f9vwRPdj8rwQpqKEt3X8TMTRNy2IBnslorcL4JlbeKsE1ARH_nTxqw9NQcCUFtNEvciq64Ot8kZyrMdwnJ1iWKeuoNsLx7MtBYKeDIQ/s4608/DSC03243.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp00PlkgFKy-gTcCecjWdN9hyphenhyphenaKbXUh84f9vwRPdj8rwQpqKEt3X8TMTRNy2IBnslorcL4JlbeKsE1ARH_nTxqw9NQcCUFtNEvciq64Ot8kZyrMdwnJ1iWKeuoNsLx7MtBYKeDIQ/s320/DSC03243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_7u9z-pIVPQJ2eZaz7xUsFH3Xx2o983PVPc-Hk7y3MIIEAc9nTVU0Kk2ZPf6-fsQVajQSpmgDHPacuWZwRDDSVoMiSwNgLOWoK6eAKDKHwiVtc0NP0U6KoS9jD9d3b0Aar06MA/s4608/DSC03245.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_7u9z-pIVPQJ2eZaz7xUsFH3Xx2o983PVPc-Hk7y3MIIEAc9nTVU0Kk2ZPf6-fsQVajQSpmgDHPacuWZwRDDSVoMiSwNgLOWoK6eAKDKHwiVtc0NP0U6KoS9jD9d3b0Aar06MA/s320/DSC03245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Today I spent an hour or so walking the side streets and discovered the original Clayburn School, and the Clayburn Church, which were new to me. These two building were only a block off the main street, but I had yet to see them in all my travels in the area. Thus proving one of my favourite adages - "<i>take the road less travelled, for there is more to see"</i> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0MHsu5533eZmzd3YRvWHF-SMSdvfAJR1T7cKbMs0CRWOT-dV68BSb7WN96HEjSlayskYvYQaVGPwI4qRJLXBs65P6QhFrs2MY5MTd2fr1pL5HReskzt6Za3Mk8HYgdI4bRWpEQ/s4608/DSC03252.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2592" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0MHsu5533eZmzd3YRvWHF-SMSdvfAJR1T7cKbMs0CRWOT-dV68BSb7WN96HEjSlayskYvYQaVGPwI4qRJLXBs65P6QhFrs2MY5MTd2fr1pL5HReskzt6Za3Mk8HYgdI4bRWpEQ/s320/DSC03252.JPG" /></a></div><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMEL5VO8eG_b3BI3ksIv0UNowK2jyZOExvm9jRhwsMIVGinQ6hBcqg3ZsFLCKrDtYj0eskUf7aq7aJjx5cRq-u5AX5eXGERGGFrSBeh69pNCLWGlr2AmfY9knf0nuUGF7lkfhWA/s4608/DSC03249.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMEL5VO8eG_b3BI3ksIv0UNowK2jyZOExvm9jRhwsMIVGinQ6hBcqg3ZsFLCKrDtYj0eskUf7aq7aJjx5cRq-u5AX5eXGERGGFrSBeh69pNCLWGlr2AmfY9knf0nuUGF7lkfhWA/s320/DSC03249.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>These two buildings leant an air of charm to the small village and you could imagine the town folk of the day actively using the buildings as part of their daily lives. While the visible remaining structures from the original Clayburn townsite are small, they still allow you envision a time when the brick factory and the local community compromised the entire world for the work force. Vancouver probably seemed a long ways away. In the day, a trip to Vancouver was an all day event using the B.C. Electric train that ran from Chilliwack to Vancouver, with stops at various Fraser Valley communities along the way.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcis2Oq2JfpYtn-CbGV05OAspPpnhNJfJP42FXFR3hkvULxAfrNDvacHvj1T7TdIz3VxH-LwRO9F_WVANVi2OBzaBcN8-IyMla9G3aCHokFLFnLKPgO-Ts-FrD365esnVOycD_Zw/s4608/DSC03255.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcis2Oq2JfpYtn-CbGV05OAspPpnhNJfJP42FXFR3hkvULxAfrNDvacHvj1T7TdIz3VxH-LwRO9F_WVANVi2OBzaBcN8-IyMla9G3aCHokFLFnLKPgO-Ts-FrD365esnVOycD_Zw/s320/DSC03255.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><div>My last stop of the day was back across to the north side of the Fraser River into the town of Mission. Originally a major First Nations community, the first Europeans were Oblate priests whom established a mission high on the hill above the river.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDSahUoEPAeb__ahkMZB5JGsnkhk_maR6ylveKlcnjqomDlTgbYmoVTJ3tgjSPw-dROsrPY28Rd8QHQ-LmZz0vWYk0d3gVAA4nM-VNB5c-SPXYPR6REEObzd155Yd2bchsb-iEg/s4608/DSC03257.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDSahUoEPAeb__ahkMZB5JGsnkhk_maR6ylveKlcnjqomDlTgbYmoVTJ3tgjSPw-dROsrPY28Rd8QHQ-LmZz0vWYk0d3gVAA4nM-VNB5c-SPXYPR6REEObzd155Yd2bchsb-iEg/s320/DSC03257.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>With the coming of the CPR railroad, the city itself was created through a land auction by the stake holders of the railroad. Farming was the original economy of the area, however the salmon industry soon became a driving force as well. Five species of salmon inhabit the Fraser River, providing a large industry to exploit. White Sturgeon are found from the Mission Bridge, upstream to the town of Yale in the Fraser Canyon. The White Sturgeon live for over 100 years and grow up to 20 feet long. The sturgeon are true dinosaurs, as they have not changed much in millions of years. </div><div>Supplementing the fishery industry was the boat and net repair companies. While many of these businesses have died off, the small industrial riverfront area shows its heritage by the businesses along the side streets </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTApCAm2ODFNU7X2Za8xxTneJiwuuQoDuqCHpOVVX2a7IkBsQ6c6c5arIgpid0PTWbvQA1nQAzkWAdvKUWSjtmO-wW1nshqcoTydLR6kwx_NKzqB4tQxOITQPBx5dDdbXH_lp9Qg/s4608/DSC03259.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTApCAm2ODFNU7X2Za8xxTneJiwuuQoDuqCHpOVVX2a7IkBsQ6c6c5arIgpid0PTWbvQA1nQAzkWAdvKUWSjtmO-wW1nshqcoTydLR6kwx_NKzqB4tQxOITQPBx5dDdbXH_lp9Qg/s320/DSC03259.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The shore front has been cleaned up allowing for pedestrian access. A large viewing platform has been created for the locals to rest and sit on the benches while they enjoy their coffee watching the comings and goings of the local ship traffic. The local mountains complement the view by providing a scenic backdrop for daily life on the river. Like Abbotsford, Mission City has begun to install pieces of art around the city. With its large First Nations presence, some of the pieces have been created by local native artists. The Bald Eagle sculpture shown here represents the importance of the eagle in First Nations history. The statue also serves as a reminder of when the Bald Eagle congregate in the area each Winter. Just to the east of Mission is the Harrison River. Each winter thousands of Bald Eagles migrate south from their summer grounds in Alaska and spend the winter feasting on the salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. The primary winter feeding grounds are; just north of Squamish in the town of Brackendale; in the Harrison River area of the Fraser Valley; and in the U.S. south of the border in the upper Skagit River Valley. I've been to all three locations during the winter feeding times, and by far the Harrison River offers the most accessible viewing of the eagles. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNypWhjwnb4VIyHoBWOeTZDiy-3kL_UuMCaNtFWgfcin1vnYb7gNssbO-_iHFHsDxU51ef4MdLBYrlljY_N2NOzNy-EJZIv8kOL8Ykr4FXue1ZJ_4SMTHeMyhn6J9fn4luaPnHqw/s4608/DSC03260.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNypWhjwnb4VIyHoBWOeTZDiy-3kL_UuMCaNtFWgfcin1vnYb7gNssbO-_iHFHsDxU51ef4MdLBYrlljY_N2NOzNy-EJZIv8kOL8Ykr4FXue1ZJ_4SMTHeMyhn6J9fn4luaPnHqw/s320/DSC03260.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> By now the day was coming to an end, as daylight was beginning to wane, and the small bits of open skies were being replaced by darker clouds. Another round of rain storms are on the way, but at least I enjoyed a long overdue day of being Out & About in my extended "backyard" compromised of the 100 mile long Fraser Valley. Time to head home, download my pictures and see what I captured of the day.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">If you liked the write up please leave a comment below.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A more complete set of the day's pictures can be viewed on my Flickr site </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157717828081971" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span><span style="color: #073763;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #073763;"> </span><br /> <br /></div></div>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-20319450161846271062019-09-06T01:14:00.002-07:002020-11-29T15:12:53.758-08:00Story Of A Trip About "Vs' And "Ks" and One "M"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2if_Fyh8EDi2pd0kxfoe7SCv6xw-cvM9Oc71OfwxLNu8DBoWGtKKOjaFWfMm0TFlpQOZnpog6DW9ZkG1xo0eUFXQyiMfhyBcNKFWaa2YMGO_yygWYuxWdirUC29_DIza_nr17A/s1600/DSC03137.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2if_Fyh8EDi2pd0kxfoe7SCv6xw-cvM9Oc71OfwxLNu8DBoWGtKKOjaFWfMm0TFlpQOZnpog6DW9ZkG1xo0eUFXQyiMfhyBcNKFWaa2YMGO_yygWYuxWdirUC29_DIza_nr17A/s320/DSC03137.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i><b>Click on any of the pictures to make them full size for your viewing enjoyment!</b></i></span><br />
<br />
Once again I had the dubious pleasure of going on a geocaching road trip with two of my brothers where we spend an extended weekend touring cities and geocaching and acting like teenagers rather than grown men. It was a blast !<br />
<br />
Brother Al and Brother Ken and myself headed to the Interior of BC looking to visit Al's son in Kelowna and another of our brothers and his wife in Vernon.<br />
<br />
The trip took us from Vancouver through the cities of Mission, Kelowna and Vernon. Hence the name of this episode called V's and Ks and one M<br />
<br />
We cruised out through Mission BC where we spent some time looking for a few caches in the city. The big "M" you see in the picture above is an art piece celebrating the town of Mission and its industrial heritage. We did a few easy city caches, just enough to start the weekend on a positive note with successful hunts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RsPhal2MRWYkTz2ay0kiwrTkS4gET6JwKEPWAIAbAENOrvb70SCqqvswiOCmVMmXUZrqxD0YWiXZNnxy4WwNkdxVj2Ke81vw8ac5YLz1tbjeAZmzdX3TDa5yevvPLHvo9IZ1LA/s1600/DSC03141.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RsPhal2MRWYkTz2ay0kiwrTkS4gET6JwKEPWAIAbAENOrvb70SCqqvswiOCmVMmXUZrqxD0YWiXZNnxy4WwNkdxVj2Ke81vw8ac5YLz1tbjeAZmzdX3TDa5yevvPLHvo9IZ1LA/s320/DSC03141.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
After Mission we crossed over the mighty Fraser River and headed to the Upper Fraser Valley city of Chilliwack. Once in Chilliwack we crossed over to the north side of the river and took some scenic farm roads as we followed a geocache series that wound it's way east with the landscape alternating between fields of summer time corn almost ready for harvesting, and quiet enclaves where livestock grazed the fields.<br />
The nice thing about taking the back roads is you see more scenery than if travelling the highways and you come across unexpected treasures.<br />
<br />
In this case the small village of Rosedale provided a stellar surprise in the form of an antiques shop housed in an old garage. Outside scattered around the garage property were old trucks. I have to admit my brothers are more into old cars than I am, but even I was impressed with a couple of vintage trucks that are rare to find. And to have two of them on the same lot was even rarer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgjZm8kR8nbroMHjCjSUQlF10E0uAjpmWBv41vZRpMlRMxEGTr-BcWCA-ANnvcaKe8ELBCze5FFo71-883Pkt5jQd_QRObcGCt2QIzp-53Meojdyv3UvirNTH19ND0eI1YQDzvA/s1600/DSC03147.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgjZm8kR8nbroMHjCjSUQlF10E0uAjpmWBv41vZRpMlRMxEGTr-BcWCA-ANnvcaKe8ELBCze5FFo71-883Pkt5jQd_QRObcGCt2QIzp-53Meojdyv3UvirNTH19ND0eI1YQDzvA/s320/DSC03147.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A red Diamond T flatbed was prettied up and parked waiting for admirers to come along. Diamond T trucks were built as luxury trucks of the times, if you had one of these you had serious money.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vbKmEvCZ0QexIiI6lAMsKopgb2e0lYkeMG6Tr_2iKjFwLOn4haIOooa86gy333F5jSdyFjZSTr9PfGPrHNoQQbFSMoKDTIi-tfaSInsWweD8yUDek1EESZIDmEnnFp93VMEFHA/s1600/DSC03146.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vbKmEvCZ0QexIiI6lAMsKopgb2e0lYkeMG6Tr_2iKjFwLOn4haIOooa86gy333F5jSdyFjZSTr9PfGPrHNoQQbFSMoKDTIi-tfaSInsWweD8yUDek1EESZIDmEnnFp93VMEFHA/s320/DSC03146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The other pretty boy on display was a Federal truck. I have seen a lot of old Fords and Chevies and Dodges but not often you see a Federal parked nonchalantly among the other old trucks.<br />
<br />
After finishing our caching around Chilliwack we stopped for a quick bite to eat in Hope, then hotfooted it to Merritt and beyond to make up for time spent.<br />
The three brothers arrange a geocaching road trip 2 - 3 times a year. The downside to frequent caching and road tripping is you tend to have to go through the same towns to get outside of your normal range. As a result of this, we have done many of the caches on the main roads that run to and through those towns.<br />
<br />
Just east of Merritt we pulled into a natural grasslands reserve and found two Gold Country caches. The Gold Country series were created by multiple towns in the Thompson area of BC getting together drum up tourist business for their dying towns. And they scored big.<br />
Over 200 hundred geocaches stretching from Merritt to Lytton and Lilloeet and all the way north to Clinton ensure there is a steady stream of folks running around the towns and areas looking for hidden treasure. Those same people overnight in the small towns, buying meals, gas, groceries and filling motel rooms and campsites which is a tremendous boost to the local economy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dsEoYvLg7U_2O4xOjtKhpV7uFxHfjNx4fhNpvZLos54olO6tCJC4tHK6wo0gF9VgqCGlHEfit2yFnfeQZbDpjfZxurKW269p3_pKx8DUUa6y8Lz59yXmeTW0Y1ZZu1syqQw20g/s1600/DSC03155.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dsEoYvLg7U_2O4xOjtKhpV7uFxHfjNx4fhNpvZLos54olO6tCJC4tHK6wo0gF9VgqCGlHEfit2yFnfeQZbDpjfZxurKW269p3_pKx8DUUa6y8Lz59yXmeTW0Y1ZZu1syqQw20g/s320/DSC03155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As we had crossed over the Coast Mountains we were now on the leeward dry side of the mountains and the coastal rain forests of the coast had been replaced with dry grasslands and rolling hills.This is prime cattle and horse land, and many ranchers enjoy a good life living the cowboy way.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprZRMoMTylpwpxrc-Swy7pRCs48oryby5SfUO2WLo-3TW0hfnBePuLFUhbLC92UvDZ_g8uWhKelplxi_6bdoIlLhSjB0qJUJNy-wznLhcfZHpUiLa4OM9B_dJk8vWRGigtnDD6A/s1600/DSC03157.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprZRMoMTylpwpxrc-Swy7pRCs48oryby5SfUO2WLo-3TW0hfnBePuLFUhbLC92UvDZ_g8uWhKelplxi_6bdoIlLhSjB0qJUJNy-wznLhcfZHpUiLa4OM9B_dJk8vWRGigtnDD6A/s320/DSC03157.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
After finding the Gold Country caches we were back in the truck and on our way to Kelowna. Al's son Chris was expecting us and as Chris was out caching himself we sent him a hail to let him know we were in town and where to meet us.<br />
Chris met up with us a city cache at a local farmer's market where we collectively found a geocache hidden on an old tractor.<br />
It was good to see Chris as Ken and I had not seen him for months, and dad Al was happy to see his son as well. Family grows and move apart from each other, so you treasure those moments when you can get back together, even for a little while.<br />
<br />
We managed to sneak in a few caches before the sun went down, and at that point we decided dinner and a beer were high on our list of things to find next..<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfvGberusANkNcUvBFqQhekT12KvlFhUNiEUiUY6gM_dpyhhInQyHtwrFBWeZQcgu-_KHcBQSfhuctv8u4D5ScQhYGJEUxDOqAKGa8ehvZe8j5r5sFrWkAKewlwjmPbMORShBtA/s1600/DSC03168.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfvGberusANkNcUvBFqQhekT12KvlFhUNiEUiUY6gM_dpyhhInQyHtwrFBWeZQcgu-_KHcBQSfhuctv8u4D5ScQhYGJEUxDOqAKGa8ehvZe8j5r5sFrWkAKewlwjmPbMORShBtA/s320/DSC03168.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>ABOVE = Al and Ken AKA Bowser98 and MrTJ</b></div>
<br />
Saturday we were out caching in the sunshine again with Chris along as a local tour guide. We did some downtown caches, some neighbourhood caches, and few caches on the outskirts of the city that brought us up into the hills for a good view of Kelowna.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-HPh6tpoNi7JDzZWrW53U90oZ0m6vx2COapvyVM3m-cVzPmXaHtE22uz-5_0TyDszr0rgj51NjmFEnoMSLOoQGUQcUgZbnlzPzRuQ_Ivptg-BYoilDShDmoLut5a-zsrEacQ1A/s1600/DSC03174.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-HPh6tpoNi7JDzZWrW53U90oZ0m6vx2COapvyVM3m-cVzPmXaHtE22uz-5_0TyDszr0rgj51NjmFEnoMSLOoQGUQcUgZbnlzPzRuQ_Ivptg-BYoilDShDmoLut5a-zsrEacQ1A/s320/DSC03174.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The houses in the picture have lovely views but are sitting atop a rock, so chances of having a backyard to play is is limited. But you have what you want and what you can pay for. I guess if you don't have kids you don't have to worry about them falling off the cliff in your back yard.<br />
<br />
We spent the day puttering around Kelowna and as the afternoon wore on we started working our way north towards Vernon. We had a dinner engagement lined up with another brother and his wife, so we had to keep on the move and be conscious of the time, all the while trying to get "one more cache" squeezed into the drive.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzB8sbFi0-SBwIMT6azJ1WwUVeBESMjsDdKpWckuP5G7lwarvvxwpgAUh4qWzuiYCBfw_Z1fDRN_e4YC5C5cfy8w-dmCqdLJ8NshR70PLMvcb1tRAE85kdg-tCRLmpmJHi0PnZQ/s1600/DSC03175.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzB8sbFi0-SBwIMT6azJ1WwUVeBESMjsDdKpWckuP5G7lwarvvxwpgAUh4qWzuiYCBfw_Z1fDRN_e4YC5C5cfy8w-dmCqdLJ8NshR70PLMvcb1tRAE85kdg-tCRLmpmJHi0PnZQ/s320/DSC03175.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The Okanagan area of BC is lined up in a north-south orientation which follows the path of a glacier more than 10,000 years ago.<br />
From Osoyoos in the south, which is located right on the Canada - U.S. border, to Vernon in the north, the Okanagan Valley is one long valley blessed with perfect weather for harvesting wines and fruit.<br />
The wide valley also presented generous views along our route as we traveled to Vernon.<br />
<br />
We made it into Vernon just a few minutes late, but then we found out there were two hotels of the same name just blocks from each other. One has the proper name, the other one doesn't advertise that name and the signs on the hotel use some other name. After wasting some time going back and forth we finally guessed at the right hotel and found our brother Wayne and his wife Inga waiting for us. Wayne has been having a medically tough time the past few years, so the visit meant all that much more. We would have loved to continue the visit after dinner but the whole exercise of getting out of the house and going out for dinner was too much of a strain for Wayne's health so we said our goodbyes for the night.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg4X7O78f8GPM4zGH3f1bixnWAh01S4rNyTz7CgoYHbcu1GdJqV_dU9JpfgDU3aGWjC_VPDRr2yjZpWgKN89gNmclMMxxAxCud3pw3t4nvpMEiK5i4K8MnVEoRvATzcIUUiheXA/s1600/DSC03180.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg4X7O78f8GPM4zGH3f1bixnWAh01S4rNyTz7CgoYHbcu1GdJqV_dU9JpfgDU3aGWjC_VPDRr2yjZpWgKN89gNmclMMxxAxCud3pw3t4nvpMEiK5i4K8MnVEoRvATzcIUUiheXA/s320/DSC03180.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Sunday morning brought the threat of rain for the day. We didn't mind that too much as Wayne and Inga had told us in conversation the temperature for the past three weeks had been hovering in the 40C degree mark. Way too hot to geocache as the heat just saps the strength out of you, and a fun day of geocaching quickly turns into sunburn, heat stroke, and a visit to the Dairy Queen instead of geocaching.<br />
<br />
We cached in the morning in and around Vernon, one of the fun and pleasant things we seen was the community book exchange in some of the neighbourhoods. The city, or neighbours even, build these small elevated boxes and the residents donate books they have read. Other residents will visit, bring their own books, and exchange them for books which are in the box. This sort of idea brings the community together and as a visitor it is gratifying to see a positive vibe in the community.<br />
<br />
We stopped for lunch and made that the break away point from our geocaching in Vernon, as we now had to start heading back towards Vancouver and we had a lot more caches to find on the way home. Chris, Al's son whom had driven back from Kelowna that morning, joined us for lunch. As we were chowing down on our fine cuisine as presented by the local fast food chain, the rain started coming down in buckets.<br />
Just as well, as we had an hour and half drive ahead of us to the next series of caches a couple of hundred miles away, so let it rain all it want.<br />
We said our goodbyes to Chris, jumped in the truck, turned on the windshield wipers, and began the trip southward towards the Coast<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjussGUDjzjxbtT-uPOWUj39jqaGCDdb4z_ZJ5QVrkEr0VH63iIE43jutrfdAGAXtlCa_lQ1wtlQ1gjHBQGowVrW6uUESIDNl70EeJZJkesK-Y7db_wmod3fWGRHzhkfcTeGEcV4Q/s1600/DSC03187.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjussGUDjzjxbtT-uPOWUj39jqaGCDdb4z_ZJ5QVrkEr0VH63iIE43jutrfdAGAXtlCa_lQ1wtlQ1gjHBQGowVrW6uUESIDNl70EeJZJkesK-Y7db_wmod3fWGRHzhkfcTeGEcV4Q/s320/DSC03187.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The rain was just letting up as we reached our first stop on the new route of caches. We were now back in the range grasslands not too far from Merritt, with an old barn on a farm the location of our first cache.<br />
<br />
A narrow glacier carved valley studded with low lands and intermittent small lakes and ponds headed south from the small community of Aspen Grove to Princeton. Along this valley were a series of caches amounting to 18 or more that would provide a few more notches on the belt for cache finds, as well as provide an alternative route home rather than the standard fast speed highways.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6RzrKQ4WAaR065k4PDuy_bDN8D4x65AGXDhPkkEk8pyfVsYgqgSZBAKBSTPz376oKKlxJVWab9K3gBC2bYECV3PUWiX6AcykGF0lVGAoVqFRijbT3g4qEysvZTpjx2H50YjfGA/s1600/DSC03188.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6RzrKQ4WAaR065k4PDuy_bDN8D4x65AGXDhPkkEk8pyfVsYgqgSZBAKBSTPz376oKKlxJVWab9K3gBC2bYECV3PUWiX6AcykGF0lVGAoVqFRijbT3g4qEysvZTpjx2H50YjfGA/s320/DSC03188.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Many of the caches we were to find were located at roadside pullouts either along side on of the multitude of lakes, or they were on rises in the land which provided unspoiled views of the narrow valley.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjgRXq285SH_3oRDv6sd6yjsUIJjHdbhszIMtGz-qJWCmDIwxQw4FOzDIoy3wpMKxEyhWF0YofCgMHjd33kX0Ki0HBpZWDrjtYoSy4l_Suv5eBu3d1-yuob2gsdHNu1kv_hBCwg/s1600/DSC03189.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjgRXq285SH_3oRDv6sd6yjsUIJjHdbhszIMtGz-qJWCmDIwxQw4FOzDIoy3wpMKxEyhWF0YofCgMHjd33kX0Ki0HBpZWDrjtYoSy4l_Suv5eBu3d1-yuob2gsdHNu1kv_hBCwg/s320/DSC03189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Make no mistake, we were back in Cowboy land and if you forgot that for a minute, signs for dude ranches and country crafts helped you remember. So did the cow patties when you stepped away from the main roads and ventured on the side roads past the cattle guards.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikt28sOMMvHqhn9ga4edJ04mj9DGXMIvNGqSde-zNwKy_dL4SkbodVr8ahyphenhyphenPq8rhQ9DMv1WrymTJzwmwTEEgVKCpkPa7mK_zj4qbUyIiqoxya5lw5PnSwl8cq7-pXNjI37wJqjLg/s1600/DSC03191.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikt28sOMMvHqhn9ga4edJ04mj9DGXMIvNGqSde-zNwKy_dL4SkbodVr8ahyphenhyphenPq8rhQ9DMv1WrymTJzwmwTEEgVKCpkPa7mK_zj4qbUyIiqoxya5lw5PnSwl8cq7-pXNjI37wJqjLg/s320/DSC03191.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It's surprising on how much time is taken up looking for geocaches, even if you have picked the ones close to parking so you can turn them into "park and grabs".<br />
Between the miles to travel to Princeton and finding the caches along the route, it was dinner time when we rolled into Princeton.<br />
A quick tailgate dinner was on the menu as we had another 135 miles to go and a 90 minute drive to our last few caches.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydQiJZHRwUXA1863h5f1eQiNFlXVm7bEfejEME1-UEl_ff7N_Y4oOINx-ACuf2HedEfRrnUgX7YbF-O83_xDN_fuGgBJIJMhu-zGkunrqsW0Wt6sOm3C9giAJIlM18BD89AbDFQ/s1600/DSC03192.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydQiJZHRwUXA1863h5f1eQiNFlXVm7bEfejEME1-UEl_ff7N_Y4oOINx-ACuf2HedEfRrnUgX7YbF-O83_xDN_fuGgBJIJMhu-zGkunrqsW0Wt6sOm3C9giAJIlM18BD89AbDFQ/s320/DSC03192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Our last cache to find was in Sunshine Valley just east of Hope.While the area is becoming increasingly popular as a weekend cabin area or year round out of the way home, it's original purpose was much darker.<br />
This was the site of one of the internment camps for Japanese citizens during World War II.<br />
It was wrongly assumed that if you were of Japanese heritage, you would turn against your own country and betray them during the war. Many families were rounded up, stripped of their monies, homes, business, and sent inland away from the coast to live in cold cabins more befitting a war criminal or POW.<br />
<br />
Kudos to the local heritage society for keeping the memory of this painful part of history alive and in plain view of travelers lest we forget our mistakes of the past.<br />
<br />
By now it was 7.30 PM and we still had a two hour drive to get to my house were Al had left his truck. Al still had another hour drive home after that while Ken's trip was considerably shorter.<br />
We arrived home in the dark, emptied our gear out of the truck, had a chat about the weekend and when we should go again, then it was time to head into the house and get ready to head back to work in the morning.<br />
<br />
Three brothers got to spend a weekend together, got to visit an ailing brother, and visit a son/nephew all on the same trip. And no band aids and gauze were required like one of our previous trips. (That's on another travelog report) 😉<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>The complete set of pictures can be found <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157710280521867">here</a> on my Flickr photo web site.</i></b></span><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">If you liked the story drop me a comment </span> </i></b>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-42754644510071752332019-01-31T00:51:00.000-08:002019-01-31T00:51:04.845-08:00Victoria Rambling - Another Geocaching Trip To Vancouver Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigouUJYOA_35lTOtjnwkrzye4ToCv7qKJBG1haNfkkZh7yYrE5kUIJ2auuEHLkRGerILLpn0b0YjW_Cr4xCHAFSU2sCuYFdEHx66_DjiNCf82DyC0_zVcNPHETt-VS7L18uC1fXQ/s1600/DSC01524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigouUJYOA_35lTOtjnwkrzye4ToCv7qKJBG1haNfkkZh7yYrE5kUIJ2auuEHLkRGerILLpn0b0YjW_Cr4xCHAFSU2sCuYFdEHx66_DjiNCf82DyC0_zVcNPHETt-VS7L18uC1fXQ/s320/DSC01524.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Once more the three amigos, actually three brothers, caught one of the BC Ferries and floated across the Straight of Georgia to Vancouver Island to cache in the general Victoria BC region.<br />
Ken, Alan, and Ed (myself), known in the geocaching world as MrTJ, Bowser98, and TJGUY98, were on a boys-only long weekend of geocaching and just plain having fun.<br />
<br />
Every year there is an automotive swap meet in the Saanich area and Ken and Alan are big on going to the event to meet up with old buddies and see if they can pick up a few old car manuals which they resell through their online business.<br />
For myself the swap meet was a necessary evil to endure as part of the weekend trip<br />
No, not really LOL It's only 2-3 hours out of the weekend and while those two are meandering around the piles of treasure I usually take the time to prep for the geocaching day ahead.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO SEE THEM FULL SIZE !!</b></span><br />
<br />
Each time we visit the Victoria region we pick a different area to geocache in, that way we don't trip over caches already found, and we get to see new sights and vistas on our travels.<br />
<br />
This visit could almost be called "The Ocean Tour" as most of the caches we picked were along the shoreline or beaches of Georgia Straight. This presented us with continually changing ocean views and scenic vistas. The pictures I took are almost all great to look at and I had a hard time picking just a few for the Blog. All the other picture are on my Flickr page and deserve a view.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5aGLjJgpideRI4BZxleN-4FBBH8wwovDDsVK-aDhbKYkUd1d9ikUTOP_aJQDpFkpngHgUzVgnw1nONPSMRrjY3HQYBfDDk7WntMKMDxeq82d6pyUJqSqYDDQtBl5uy02LUVg2Q/s1600/DSC01468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5aGLjJgpideRI4BZxleN-4FBBH8wwovDDsVK-aDhbKYkUd1d9ikUTOP_aJQDpFkpngHgUzVgnw1nONPSMRrjY3HQYBfDDk7WntMKMDxeq82d6pyUJqSqYDDQtBl5uy02LUVg2Q/s320/DSC01468.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We started our adventure just as soon as we disembarked the ferry in Swartz Bay by heading to a small cove hosting a local marina and houses along the shoreline. Boats at moor in the bay were to be a common sight on this trip, as the protected bays provide perfect anchor for those weekend sailors whom love the boating life style.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUnqPhr8VD4JIycpbCCaK8xB9gj-irBqxDXHDNZO21gFgLnBgAqopnI34AHPTYsCtmTcp5u49gE8aAScDEjHtGdkhlrXCbdjmE1X1JKL7tiHl7NLKM_u2faNXPHUpYCZooI9-hQ/s1600/DSC01481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUnqPhr8VD4JIycpbCCaK8xB9gj-irBqxDXHDNZO21gFgLnBgAqopnI34AHPTYsCtmTcp5u49gE8aAScDEjHtGdkhlrXCbdjmE1X1JKL7tiHl7NLKM_u2faNXPHUpYCZooI9-hQ/s320/DSC01481.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Want a house on the water? How's this, close enough? Maybe too close huh .. ?<br />
What a fantastic view these people have, but look at the size of the logs on the beach right in front of the house. Can you just imagine a winter storm's powerful waves throwing those logs up against your retaining wall all the while the waves are crashing over your upper deck? <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6yYw9B_Ig0Vesnb5YBdK3HGV4nxarchjY2Rm36SXy0eJl51Ozub15JJbMVkVfby75Xqh4hIjSOhJIiANkfWvusJMUKZOyXeELYf6mqxn39-XQ7nfLZqpJTRz1vh1EooDw0GKwA/s1600/DSC01482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6yYw9B_Ig0Vesnb5YBdK3HGV4nxarchjY2Rm36SXy0eJl51Ozub15JJbMVkVfby75Xqh4hIjSOhJIiANkfWvusJMUKZOyXeELYf6mqxn39-XQ7nfLZqpJTRz1vh1EooDw0GKwA/s320/DSC01482.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Yeah, their railing on the lower deck looks pretty bashed up to the point of almost not being there.And look at that tree root sitting ominously by the retaining wall .. Yikes!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibb-XUTnERnzsxs5n2WKCqWCprUi7hJp2R5icTvRG0RgABOAjXEMhd3fc7cAsRAOQa-41na1ZNpJwWlzuBoVp98VAIa1VsD_KQURrlShgkPEUrPVblDmS6ainw1SioUxnJHU5NKw/s1600/DSC01484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibb-XUTnERnzsxs5n2WKCqWCprUi7hJp2R5icTvRG0RgABOAjXEMhd3fc7cAsRAOQa-41na1ZNpJwWlzuBoVp98VAIa1VsD_KQURrlShgkPEUrPVblDmS6ainw1SioUxnJHU5NKw/s320/DSC01484.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was already late in the day as this was our "travel" day so we headed over to the small town of Sydney for an early dinner. This is a lovely little town and we always enjoy stopping in when ever we visit the Island. There is always a good place to have either a light meal or a full meal, depending on your appetite, and all at a fair price. Plus, a stop at the Sydney Bakery for dessert sure helps the attitude as well. 😋<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0G6rt2qNyYDJHMVDaRANNG_lDj_3XQ8DYQka8FKlN06ELdDrTpmoiTyRSWHSjBSMLW0Adcds-rXu_44DV7B9qMxywVQsUnZU9Z0UUy36gP9BcAyGQ_6MERaOwcmuv4G6-OMqenw/s1600/DSC01486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0G6rt2qNyYDJHMVDaRANNG_lDj_3XQ8DYQka8FKlN06ELdDrTpmoiTyRSWHSjBSMLW0Adcds-rXu_44DV7B9qMxywVQsUnZU9Z0UUy36gP9BcAyGQ_6MERaOwcmuv4G6-OMqenw/s320/DSC01486.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Sydney has half a dozen bench/statues on the main drag and these are great conversation pieces and cool art works, plus having a place to sit down to eat your ice cream is always handy.<br />
The local Legion has a jet fighter, an artillery gun, and a tank on display, so there is more yet to see for the visitors<b> (<span style="color: blue;">Check my Flickr page for those pictures - link at the bottom of the page)</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFLUEnSEJy2vCE-uaSb_XTXEMtoRpzlG4c0w1_W7fgYlJI5ZpKhB6b81iRCddex9u0HbObyo2n9u-quAk3oVsOJxkyVGaz4zVqV3i_7m0EQ0hG4Xx49UTrHqBVeZHahJLVjtOfA/s1600/DSC01500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFLUEnSEJy2vCE-uaSb_XTXEMtoRpzlG4c0w1_W7fgYlJI5ZpKhB6b81iRCddex9u0HbObyo2n9u-quAk3oVsOJxkyVGaz4zVqV3i_7m0EQ0hG4Xx49UTrHqBVeZHahJLVjtOfA/s320/DSC01500.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We always love doing the geocaches that highlight local historical locations and this was one of them. Back before the highways were built for commerce, the water was often the highway of choice. The farms of the area relied on the water to get much of their produce to market. We visited the former site of the Newman Farm which highlighted the importance the ocean shoreline played for them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQo8sYYYbODr9kKurt6Nm1et7talcPVv0M2DCPfCNdC7WASrTtg-NisDdR9VdnjMVTFs9mPlQFFau5_-vOYR251nK9KGWuzNHnkinPjdoaCuJdFp4-Dun_iMrlhIcJ8PpqIyanQ/s1600/DSC01499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQo8sYYYbODr9kKurt6Nm1et7talcPVv0M2DCPfCNdC7WASrTtg-NisDdR9VdnjMVTFs9mPlQFFau5_-vOYR251nK9KGWuzNHnkinPjdoaCuJdFp4-Dun_iMrlhIcJ8PpqIyanQ/s320/DSC01499.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAD0zSzNBHOOu3-Ba3MTlzYR9JpdWwwr3-9sXqjrjPbIo2LGd-obOJBFJr_6N3QozYdS2oxAlUPJ9GQ5QjBSm2-h8A_qXXEgP2u5-nr49EsiLKkAlESUjVc39R0gPeUnsAHTFPA/s1600/DSC01501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAD0zSzNBHOOu3-Ba3MTlzYR9JpdWwwr3-9sXqjrjPbIo2LGd-obOJBFJr_6N3QozYdS2oxAlUPJ9GQ5QjBSm2-h8A_qXXEgP2u5-nr49EsiLKkAlESUjVc39R0gPeUnsAHTFPA/s320/DSC01501.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Straight from the fields you take the steps down to the water and find the farm's boathouses housing the farm transport of the time, the boats to take your goods to market.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DAY 2</span> </b></span> <br />
<br />
We headed down the Patricia Bay Highway south from our hotel and continued picking up caches along the shoreline.Some caches had us on bluffs overlooking the ocean, others had us down in the tidal zone in parks or nature reserves which preserved the ocean side habitat for fish, fauna, and flora alike.<br />
One of the caches was located on a hillside in the middle of a small subdivision. We had to take 3 flights of stairs to get down to the landing where the cache was located. We passed a swarm of small flies on the way down the stairs and I was last in line so I could tell they were stirred up by the time we all went past. We found the cache, enjoyed the view, and then trudged back up the stairs back to the truck. As we past the flies again they were even more agitated and as I was last in line again they took their displeasure out on me. No biggies, they are just flies. OUCH, Jesus H Christ those aren't flies, they are small black wasps and they were given me the what-for! I got 4-5 stings before I could get far enough away from the nest before they left me alone. And of course those other two clowns thought that was all pretty funny! I would too if it was one of them 😎<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoifP1MbKSPtLNyo9qTE8mdDC0tJM75LQsHvDGdoWxHaMAxRnxEsXoSC2Owyc2-EYPWl5HmwkfLMvJqI7ZVzgblaTxo0Sc7R4u99ENXTjqeGG5ydUeW3_z9dta9bAMA99Tk1hEw/s1600/DSC01528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoifP1MbKSPtLNyo9qTE8mdDC0tJM75LQsHvDGdoWxHaMAxRnxEsXoSC2Owyc2-EYPWl5HmwkfLMvJqI7ZVzgblaTxo0Sc7R4u99ENXTjqeGG5ydUeW3_z9dta9bAMA99Tk1hEw/s320/DSC01528.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Another historical cache we came across highlighted the history of the First Nations in the area. It has been determined there has been a summer encampment on this location as far back as 500 AD by the Peoples who called themselves Lekwungen. They are part of the larger Songhee First Nation family which inhabit this part of the south Island.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSBTRMkFnCLTjXY_Q1qDmS59mhsXyQQyycEZAsd01nuMVa7mcsO-5jxufEvGhJlw_nzrIU6f6_4bKDHjNKnHgqzsDIVzOhddKoqMYHwvnKmPmNUD7T7hq0A1wST_NWQJOOgJKBQ/s1600/DSC01530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSBTRMkFnCLTjXY_Q1qDmS59mhsXyQQyycEZAsd01nuMVa7mcsO-5jxufEvGhJlw_nzrIU6f6_4bKDHjNKnHgqzsDIVzOhddKoqMYHwvnKmPmNUD7T7hq0A1wST_NWQJOOgJKBQ/s320/DSC01530.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The low lying headlands here provide easy access to the shore for fishing and capture of crabs and other sea foods that made up their diet. The moderate climate and a rain shadow environment all contributed to this being a perfect place for the summer days.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8ThunKHU13RkXJRf_0-Et4XqLShv1q8Yl6eVpkGMfRO_eFux0CELHZVkMNyzW0Gudz9y-jqhoMCftjliO5dM4kQr55HxeCndzcVvayinmBWN7ofSrKYwpMnZKqS4twFm5TJB8w/s1600/DSC01533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8ThunKHU13RkXJRf_0-Et4XqLShv1q8Yl6eVpkGMfRO_eFux0CELHZVkMNyzW0Gudz9y-jqhoMCftjliO5dM4kQr55HxeCndzcVvayinmBWN7ofSrKYwpMnZKqS4twFm5TJB8w/s320/DSC01533.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Black Tail deer are a common sight in the region, and they have no fear of humans. The one thing I did notice was the lack of dogs in the area. In Metro Vancouver, if a deer was walking through your yard five neighbourhood dogs would know about it and would be going crazy. Here, not a single bark was heard. The natural predator of the deer are cougars, and there is a healthy population of cougars in the Victoria area. Every now and then a lost cougar is spotted running through the downtown Victoria area, which gives all concerned quite a startle!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DAY 3</span> </b></span> <br />
<br />
This was a shorter day of caching as that dreaded automotive swap meet happened this morning, and we had to catch an early afternoon ferry back to the mainland.<br />
Undeterred we crammed as many geocache finds as we could into the day and carried on doing our thing.<br />
<br />
We aimed for the easier caches today which meant we concentrated on urban caches which provided shorter distances from the truck. While these caches were not quite as "scenic" as the ocean side caches, they none the less brought us to some pretty locations and provided a driving tour of Metro Victoria.<br />
I guided us over to the the Mt. Douglas Park area which is a high mountainous spit of land ocean side. While we were on the wrong side of the mountain to see the ocean, the goal of the route I picked was to get us out of the city and start geocaching back towards Saanich and the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzbUiAJGl1sNabJ0DG4iyg3fBlBg3uGEA93TrLB2KMhJb4PzvOEJTndMmFjhHCCvE7WVmKWFltU9KJl6KMWO8DI9mde5LR4sDJrHNT6Jb6lxMwzAaICvZDagVqlnwkGq_2Q6sqg/s1600/DSC01536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzbUiAJGl1sNabJ0DG4iyg3fBlBg3uGEA93TrLB2KMhJb4PzvOEJTndMmFjhHCCvE7WVmKWFltU9KJl6KMWO8DI9mde5LR4sDJrHNT6Jb6lxMwzAaICvZDagVqlnwkGq_2Q6sqg/s320/DSC01536.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvVwoICD86l4v313fLpIrab5KFYO9Psp2GQ0rj3068wY3xxfsJdqZdj33-ZApLZNiqBOg0NjCu-CKAIXIJpVuS_iyrnYEW2EmIh5Tx83YEpr7Xds9WyDfeqbGD7w-uHQ8UqRV2w/s1600/DSC01538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvVwoICD86l4v313fLpIrab5KFYO9Psp2GQ0rj3068wY3xxfsJdqZdj33-ZApLZNiqBOg0NjCu-CKAIXIJpVuS_iyrnYEW2EmIh5Tx83YEpr7Xds9WyDfeqbGD7w-uHQ8UqRV2w/s320/DSC01538.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
One of our last locations was Brentwood Bay, a long time Victoria favourite area of local Victorians. <br />
The houses in the picture are actually one large complex, hence the uniformity of the housing designs and the lack of space and privacy between residences. While I'm sure all the residents appreciate the ocean views, this was the one place on the tour where we looked and all agreed - "nope, I don't want to live there" ! .<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbmtb2-e8bg3eGFYTsqDNkwU-eZQ8qYhI6oHk3KM9FFS0ydtUWCBhj2GFoQ5tEpMBh9nfEIqQFAJS3sk1aw8ewa75mCbN5McHmh60o9AmK7L8gRq_9vrTdSYqmhiu6zrVqgi6vw/s1600/DSC01544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbmtb2-e8bg3eGFYTsqDNkwU-eZQ8qYhI6oHk3KM9FFS0ydtUWCBhj2GFoQ5tEpMBh9nfEIqQFAJS3sk1aw8ewa75mCbN5McHmh60o9AmK7L8gRq_9vrTdSYqmhiu6zrVqgi6vw/s320/DSC01544.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Our very last cache was shore side in Brentwood Bay, and this was one of our favourite scenic caches. We loved the view of Brentwood Bay from this spot, and the rough shoreline itself was dramatic with the rock terrain of the island battling back the ever pounding waves at high tide, all overseen by a Gary Oak tree clinging to the edge of the hill.<br />
<br />
After this cache it was a dash up island to Swartz Bay to catch our ferry back to Vancouver. The weekend consisted of three days, a couple of ferry rides, 70 geocaches found, and a lot of tom foolery between brothers enjoying a road trip during which time we were "unmanaged" by our Life Partners. (If I say "wives" they will know I am talking about them .. shhh ... 😁 )<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">THE COMPLETE SET OF PICTURES, AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THEM, ARE LOCATED</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157704811210821"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span></a> O<span style="color: blue;">N MY FLICKER WEB SITE </span></span><span style="color: blue;"> </span>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-17067345192302525982019-01-28T22:27:00.001-08:002019-01-28T22:27:42.665-08:00East Coast Cruising - Montreal<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q7lwRk-Z_Dk_MgbHPFp3S_TnlzUVi9GoUQzt79ZDcwOts5mETxJN48ezBUKy3IWvLj99KEiLZcSoICdBrZ5eNbGZrmOfYA6ZeXL7qRQQ4L78GsXHsMwz8hZH6_VyzwOtYi10IQ/s1600/DSC02961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q7lwRk-Z_Dk_MgbHPFp3S_TnlzUVi9GoUQzt79ZDcwOts5mETxJN48ezBUKy3IWvLj99KEiLZcSoICdBrZ5eNbGZrmOfYA6ZeXL7qRQQ4L78GsXHsMwz8hZH6_VyzwOtYi10IQ/s320/DSC02961.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">S</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">eptember brought a cruise to the East Coast for Annette and I. We started in New York, visited two cities in Maine, then sailed over the International Boundary into Canada and visited several cities in the Maritime region. The cruise ended in Quebec City and we ended our holidays after spending time in Montreal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i>CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO SEE ALL THE PICTURES FULL SIZE - YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! </i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Montreal </b><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">was our last stop on our East Coast adventure. We took the train from Quebec City to Montreal as it was a new type of transportation for us. Mostly we have flown or rented a car and driven between locales - traveling by rail was one more new experience for us.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Via runs a regular service between the cities and the four hour ride was an easy way to watch the scenery go by and not have to worry about driving. It didn't hurt that we went through several bouts of rain and we were secure in our coach seats having a nap while some one else did the driving.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiSTz9wLCL9JDaYXhXQqTkAQhRUJ5m7dZ9b6pAVsvQFJNn5LC0GxXkyn_EBA1jZQIZLUp_WdlLTXoG0TgGwi1QEjrOSBtRYkDw-hCqjV9nYUBf93_KaBApz9KkVtXWgN3DjgN3A/s1600/DSC02969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiSTz9wLCL9JDaYXhXQqTkAQhRUJ5m7dZ9b6pAVsvQFJNn5LC0GxXkyn_EBA1jZQIZLUp_WdlLTXoG0TgGwi1QEjrOSBtRYkDw-hCqjV9nYUBf93_KaBApz9KkVtXWgN3DjgN3A/s320/DSC02969.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Montreal</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"> is the second largest city in Canada, and like many cities it sprawls over the landscape. Our hotel was out in the suburbs to north, but the Metro station one block away made the downtown and tourist areas easily accessible.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVu-bI08owCYz8aPxM6KnHEX7inoV5BQqNTUtICV4f9ROvMS6b-rhqrZTkOrdDNiyT9v_5oSiJN3RA3Ehh403ndIsjsbKhKo7soy2Z1J2nPSLctZd8RbCKtECSUZS57xn_Reu9A/s1600/DSC02977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVu-bI08owCYz8aPxM6KnHEX7inoV5BQqNTUtICV4f9ROvMS6b-rhqrZTkOrdDNiyT9v_5oSiJN3RA3Ehh403ndIsjsbKhKo7soy2Z1J2nPSLctZd8RbCKtECSUZS57xn_Reu9A/s320/DSC02977.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Our first stop was </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Old Montreal </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">near the waterfront where just about all cities have their oldest neighbourhoods. The French explorer Jacques Cartier was the first European to visit the area on October 2 1535, but it wasn't until 1642 that Fort Ville-Marie (Montreal's original name) was built that the area became a solid colony.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">If you know your Canadian history, many of the names like Jacques Cartier, Samuel de Champlain, and Paul Chomedy de Maisonneuve stir up memories of your old Social Studies lessons from high school. Standing in the in the real geographic locations from those school lessons bring's the history to life. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0_vtKoazGHreycEpcm2Pi5urSz_tsWJJQOlV0CTwKCgFt4VXmdaGl_m4A81a-kUhhzNl71e_mecL6kaOCO4bTmhNE0rdpMUdetLCbq75yuHfHVC_X0YFClb7ebOX0p4yyZHQqQ/s1600/DSC02986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0_vtKoazGHreycEpcm2Pi5urSz_tsWJJQOlV0CTwKCgFt4VXmdaGl_m4A81a-kUhhzNl71e_mecL6kaOCO4bTmhNE0rdpMUdetLCbq75yuHfHVC_X0YFClb7ebOX0p4yyZHQqQ/s320/DSC02986.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">The architecture of the city is old but subtly so, not like the obvious aged buildings in Quebec City. In all fairness to Montreal, if we have visited Montreal first and _then_ Quebec City we probably would have been more impressed with Montreal's heritage. As it was, visiting Montreal second downplayed the city's beauty and caused our group to be under whelmed by the city.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Here and there the older parts of the city shone through, but it was disappointing to see that much of the older buildings had been replaced by newer buildings as the city grew.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrWzg1ZHTuQc8yAKiU8-ziGOw4WslB7F1j6Yxcp86-mvF255QGgE_PIayyUo1S_Q9q_pN7QZXU83h9cNmhzmWsAfjxfXhcdjQ7JB7hNrxo6wJ0FnGb6Lg7gU3askpVNlwbrBtKg/s1600/DSC02988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrWzg1ZHTuQc8yAKiU8-ziGOw4WslB7F1j6Yxcp86-mvF255QGgE_PIayyUo1S_Q9q_pN7QZXU83h9cNmhzmWsAfjxfXhcdjQ7JB7hNrxo6wJ0FnGb6Lg7gU3askpVNlwbrBtKg/s320/DSC02988.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z1AG5YZfI77n98wOecudcoCvScgDbmw9HnOf8L75NKlfighDU1wipKIIamKv76kqAjPXHTacs9bmFhVlkZ0CDPHoaAQXIo49fn4edc-seUTYxu5_4t1Svf3j5q_gafrnItdinw/s1600/DSC02989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z1AG5YZfI77n98wOecudcoCvScgDbmw9HnOf8L75NKlfighDU1wipKIIamKv76kqAjPXHTacs9bmFhVlkZ0CDPHoaAQXIo49fn4edc-seUTYxu5_4t1Svf3j5q_gafrnItdinw/s320/DSC02989.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Still, the history was there to see if you took the time to walk around and sight see with open eyes.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">This nondescript plaque told a story of one of the first gathering places in Montreal when the city was still young. More than likely the square was much larger before the street intruded but I can still imagine people 350 years ago meeting and discussing the events of the day, or haggle over local politics which never seems to go out of style.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh9iePcMPtRfZ18Q5-iSAAPQ5ELecTTLNoK031WyfmE2-__nAAhQhwOVvsVDn6_8JsSHyoIhKTieBvUuocVlOT0uz7euVwSy2zH_IbQxg6VlDKCEWfjRlLesFdZma0AGgXolnKQ/s1600/DSC02994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh9iePcMPtRfZ18Q5-iSAAPQ5ELecTTLNoK031WyfmE2-__nAAhQhwOVvsVDn6_8JsSHyoIhKTieBvUuocVlOT0uz7euVwSy2zH_IbQxg6VlDKCEWfjRlLesFdZma0AGgXolnKQ/s320/DSC02994.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">The Notre-Dame Basilica and the fronting Place d'Armes Square was one of the major tourist draws in the city and we seen more tourists here than anywhere else. Those damn tourists are everywhere ! :)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Sad to say we passed up the opportunity to tour the church as there was a line up and to be honest, we had already seen enough churches on this East Coast tour.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Just a day or two before we had been in the Basilica of St-Anne-de-Beaupre on the outskirts of Quebec City, so seeing one more basilica got moved down the list.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wZtOph5ZRoO3Own7mKOqoOIcEDTjIzlC2dm2HDIOQg7RwfpF8-Toi9vknH4wQViepysWVAyyEWmoSbisIAvESKMFsoXn5oku0IBfG0NQTtTkLPgaYFkuXBM7PFKtDSbg-0JpWA/s1600/DSC03000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wZtOph5ZRoO3Own7mKOqoOIcEDTjIzlC2dm2HDIOQg7RwfpF8-Toi9vknH4wQViepysWVAyyEWmoSbisIAvESKMFsoXn5oku0IBfG0NQTtTkLPgaYFkuXBM7PFKtDSbg-0JpWA/s320/DSC03000.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXO5UIw2hxfD66OOunCai78TcB4op_ClqeQNFzyBDWtnZWe2gUIJk9nx_OhzFp14yofBCyxIO3zBlCampqC7s08ANyVmb7RlK2UD5JR4T6xjqtfwSJA6S9Mg1m6aKVYy6yFcn9A/s1600/DSC03005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXO5UIw2hxfD66OOunCai78TcB4op_ClqeQNFzyBDWtnZWe2gUIJk9nx_OhzFp14yofBCyxIO3zBlCampqC7s08ANyVmb7RlK2UD5JR4T6xjqtfwSJA6S9Mg1m6aKVYy6yFcn9A/s320/DSC03005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">We also toured Chinatown and were surprised to see that the area mainly comprised of 3-4 blocks of pedestrian-turned streets. I'm sure the area spread out in all directions to some extent, but it seemed like a very contained space. In our home town of Vancouver, Canada, the Chinatown extends outwards for blocks in all directions. Vancouver has the second largest Chinatown in North America, after San Francisco, so it was a bit of a surprise to see such a small part of the city dedicated as an Asian nighbourhood..</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMlxpKz73N9kqe5DBX5j1qOws-Qj9KJssLXyGSooR_v8KHD_0rYurjR0bAR2JOovdvhnrXBKIqVWJUD9hvZj9vF8LK2ClyFFbKDY_IpBIZwES0N5AVZiu1jmtcQuN-rxB0tQdag/s1600/DSC03006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMlxpKz73N9kqe5DBX5j1qOws-Qj9KJssLXyGSooR_v8KHD_0rYurjR0bAR2JOovdvhnrXBKIqVWJUD9hvZj9vF8LK2ClyFFbKDY_IpBIZwES0N5AVZiu1jmtcQuN-rxB0tQdag/s320/DSC03006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">However, we also know the bakers in any Chinatown are first rate and we hopped into one of the local bakeries for a warm pork bun for lunch and a cute Angry Bird pastry as a decadent dessert.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLi6wtvUWm4c1uWrq94bt3rBY_I0JiLnn_0-uVBt5-LZSAeOuuypXB-AkV5bOPmM4uwuDC2jxP_yaElvvn-PMdJRC_fqowS-7t7gNzvZ4sX0Y0ACOp4HiB68VQLu-ITt5solNYaQ/s1600/DSC03012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLi6wtvUWm4c1uWrq94bt3rBY_I0JiLnn_0-uVBt5-LZSAeOuuypXB-AkV5bOPmM4uwuDC2jxP_yaElvvn-PMdJRC_fqowS-7t7gNzvZ4sX0Y0ACOp4HiB68VQLu-ITt5solNYaQ/s320/DSC03012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">On Day 2 or our Montreal exploring we ventured further afield and took the Metro to the prestigious area of Mont-Royal. This is west of downtown Montreal but at one time was one of the wealthy suburbs of young Montreal. The park pictured above is a nice expanse of greenery in an expensive part of the city, but you have to wonder why this green belt was not developed years ago.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjcBQPkiV-A8ToeJ_6Sd97auqYtQ-DK66fyue9js3uuWlMBa2wbYOM7PLguyvPnojkLq9a_a2tl5154v4a7vg0AMinNJa2M6JUmlffQjGIjSNLIvrXjDey9dDcdeGwax8oLCZ7w/s1600/DSC03011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjcBQPkiV-A8ToeJ_6Sd97auqYtQ-DK66fyue9js3uuWlMBa2wbYOM7PLguyvPnojkLq9a_a2tl5154v4a7vg0AMinNJa2M6JUmlffQjGIjSNLIvrXjDey9dDcdeGwax8oLCZ7w/s320/DSC03011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">A Historical placard advises that there was an exhibition grounds and a horse racing track here in the late 1800s. Seems like the city kept the historical land as a park rather than sell off the land. Good on them !</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKc6UUEQe430WtIlqizbmjUTXCwbBhy3e2lYH0Ze_uTZRjtz1e9hLBvetHfPmA_M-YSjpNDFj-gkST46xnaegARNBknOBFViDkfNGxptZLEeMPGquUTn7bvWIMVn5nuAi2UTZ9Q/s1600/DSC03014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKc6UUEQe430WtIlqizbmjUTXCwbBhy3e2lYH0Ze_uTZRjtz1e9hLBvetHfPmA_M-YSjpNDFj-gkST46xnaegARNBknOBFViDkfNGxptZLEeMPGquUTn7bvWIMVn5nuAi2UTZ9Q/s320/DSC03014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Mont-Royal is still a desired area of the city to live in but it looks like time is starting to take hold of the neighbourhood. For such a treasured part of the city, one that I have heard of for many years, the infrastructure of the area is suffering and takes away from the charm of the community. Sidewalks with big chunks missing making it a hazard to walk along, and streets that require TLC to once again become appealing to residents and tourists were evidence of a part of the city that needs more attention to live up to it's prestige.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRCe1RH7BMNSTn9NgGwWJTN2zLpYGHYpqXjM9xU5IJoMM3tZiskK5J9glcm6nBxjbCD5xBdRUpByxrcAZ4ebW3N_CHJrqayDgDYHew6R5XbSXSrqu6OuUJKqXxL5bvNm1ahA-XQ/s1600/DSC03017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRCe1RH7BMNSTn9NgGwWJTN2zLpYGHYpqXjM9xU5IJoMM3tZiskK5J9glcm6nBxjbCD5xBdRUpByxrcAZ4ebW3N_CHJrqayDgDYHew6R5XbSXSrqu6OuUJKqXxL5bvNm1ahA-XQ/s320/DSC03017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">On the plus side, many store windows boasted views like this, so it was easy to overlook the slow decay of the area. Except if you were walking and eating and twisted your ankle in one of those sidewalk pot holes. Grrrrr</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRU36RokixcbM0ITlJriXFXRyROU3QMeqc4UcQnVjOdCaPRq1HyNwh5VPN1SVnbwCKzE2G2AT-g_pRpCPKaRnK7-racmtVzg5HCKWR-9qXjMTDO2o1J3VcfGyXhdYLEXEAWFjfkg/s1600/DSC03021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRU36RokixcbM0ITlJriXFXRyROU3QMeqc4UcQnVjOdCaPRq1HyNwh5VPN1SVnbwCKzE2G2AT-g_pRpCPKaRnK7-racmtVzg5HCKWR-9qXjMTDO2o1J3VcfGyXhdYLEXEAWFjfkg/s320/DSC03021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Our last visit was to Montreal Olympic Park built for the 1976 Summer Olympics. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">The park is smaller than I thought it would be but it still held a surprising number of stadiums designed for specific venues.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75jNj15c42Jjp1t841uPKZhalXRzKBnxRHH34e-57_29ZfGt8i-A3RR6hM2gTPgCaPSjHKo-Y6apId4Rb8UDe2GmkMLyGKJEC-0aweqNihMtsYSwUr32MMT6SIxBaj_jHkWbzzw/s1600/DSC03025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75jNj15c42Jjp1t841uPKZhalXRzKBnxRHH34e-57_29ZfGt8i-A3RR6hM2gTPgCaPSjHKo-Y6apId4Rb8UDe2GmkMLyGKJEC-0aweqNihMtsYSwUr32MMT6SIxBaj_jHkWbzzw/s320/DSC03025.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">While many of the venues are closed and are only open for specific events, we still wanted to visit the park to see what it was like. One of the things I wanted to do was ascend the Observation Tower which provided a spectacular view of Metro Montreal. While the weather did not look bad, just slightly overcast, the admissions personnel advised us that there was fog cover over much of Montreal, including the downtown core. That meant even if we had paid for the fare to go up the tower, we wouldn't see anything. So .. sadly, we crossed that off our bucket list of things to do.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjED7ZBn9cXF0D-BbZ52Je0ewF6iA2p_DSuQHSvAj6YSGuZUmjnlGPQvY_tv-4A_kzqUE2tFLMyVS13AcrXJCABpHH2n28qb5v5-1kD42JlD090BZ8LZKvWr-MqXDB7R-nhv7d2uQ/s1600/DSC03027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjED7ZBn9cXF0D-BbZ52Je0ewF6iA2p_DSuQHSvAj6YSGuZUmjnlGPQvY_tv-4A_kzqUE2tFLMyVS13AcrXJCABpHH2n28qb5v5-1kD42JlD090BZ8LZKvWr-MqXDB7R-nhv7d2uQ/s320/DSC03027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Also on our to-see list was the Biodome located in the Olympic Park. In the Biodome they have recreated 4 ecosystems found in North America. But alas, the Biodome was closed for renovations. not to re-open until late 2019.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">We ran out of places to visit at the Olympic Park, still we were glad we took the time to come and visit the area as we had all watched the 1976 Summer Games on TV and cheered for our own Canadian teams. It was a bit of history relived for us.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQoUxGa8zAceZ-vTOSTCbRq2LBSWcwABLNF7V34WWKpn6NVWQ_ORXaoZT6a09clNw6DijAHeA-OOEyWDMhDxVDEiTmYRUep7Mlvmg4IpUfUBrwCoChNL5GaSx9QRK52iexGYK7w/s1600/DSC03031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQoUxGa8zAceZ-vTOSTCbRq2LBSWcwABLNF7V34WWKpn6NVWQ_ORXaoZT6a09clNw6DijAHeA-OOEyWDMhDxVDEiTmYRUep7Mlvmg4IpUfUBrwCoChNL5GaSx9QRK52iexGYK7w/s320/DSC03031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">T</span>his is the last picture of our East Coast Adventure - catching the Metro under the Olympic Village to head back to our hotel.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Tomorrow we would be up an some ungodly hour and on our way to the airport to hop on a plane and head back home to Vancouver.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">This was an 18 day trip for us and while it seemed long, the time went fast and we packed a lot of travel and a lot of sight seeing into those 18 days.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">We started in New York, hopped a cruise ship and visited Bar Harbor in Maine, Portland in Maine, then crossed over into Canadian waters and visited St. John, New Brunswick, then Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown, and ended our sea voyage in Quebec City.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">A train ride to Montreal brought us to our last city on the itinerary.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Except for New York, which Ken and Linda had visited previously, this was new territory for us and I think we all enjoyed the easy pace of the trip. A few hectic days in New York, then a relaxing 11 day cruise with one city per day, then a brief spurt in Montreal at the end was a good way to stretch out the vacation.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">For me, the takeaway was a chance to see and experience a lot of the name places which had only been in Social Study and geography books when we talked about the early days of North America and in particular Canada. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">The West Coast of Canada is the youngest part of Canada, it was good to visit the older provinces where much of Canada's history resides.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Thanks for coming along on our East Coast Adventure, more adventures to come I'm sure !</b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">The complete set of Montreal pictures can be seen </span><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157705487401425">here </a></span><span style="color: blue;">on my Flickr web site.</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Do pay the web site a visit, all my complete sets of this and previous adventures reside there </b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-17602191213474695232018-11-27T21:28:00.002-08:002022-09-08T14:51:28.593-07:00East Coast Cruising - Quebec City<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AtkTHsG9bttUsOh4q5lzpTqzf5WjiZ_sEE1Osn8GXigXIDT8KiPSo9WncF6tKtOWv-8URlE8XHYhJFJ2onFbb9KiFDZ9OOmOpVy74gPloa949adpESp9wislxA59jfiQa5i_0g/s1600/DSC02821.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AtkTHsG9bttUsOh4q5lzpTqzf5WjiZ_sEE1Osn8GXigXIDT8KiPSo9WncF6tKtOWv-8URlE8XHYhJFJ2onFbb9KiFDZ9OOmOpVy74gPloa949adpESp9wislxA59jfiQa5i_0g/s320/DSC02821.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 14.85px;">S</span><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">eptember brought a cruise to the East Coast for Annette and I. We started in New York, visited two cities in Maine, then sailed over the International Boundary into Canada and visited several cities in the Maritime region. The cruise ended in Quebec City and we ended our holidays after spending time in Montreal.</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><b>Quebec City</b> is one of the gems of Canada. In the old section of town located by the St. Lawrence River many of the old buildings are still standing. These buildings date back 200 - 350 years and are built in the European style. This lends an aura of Old Europe to the Lower and Upper Town sections.</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Standing on the bluff above the river, Chateau Frontenac opened its doors in 1893 and has commanded the scene ever since.</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Built by Canadian Pacific Railway as one of their destination resort hotels for the rich and famous, she retains her majestic look to this day.</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">As CPR built the railway across Canada they were awarded huge land grants as incentive to build the railway. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">On the prime land they constructed mega hotels and marketed the resorts to the rich adventurer whom loved discovering the "rougher" side of the world. The elite class could travel from a "chateau" in Toronto, to Montreal, to Banff National Park in Alberta to Victoria on thew West Coast, enjoying the scenery while ensconced in the luxurious train cars as you travelled between Grand Hotels.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Ahh, there's nothing like being rich. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Quebec City was the last port of call for our cruise but in a bit of a rare move the cruise line had us booked for the night on the ship and we were to disembark the next day. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">This allowed us two full days to tour the historic Lower Town and Upper Town, as well as visit the the Quebec Citadel. a functioning Canadian military fort.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRNqsVdtybyP2KlLTwZoH-J7vwQNZaCEpqathiWQ7VwH02C16Xaff5HP75Uw7EjNr1Ahd8-8FAFJR9GrjFoRHaPXmGc5MnjJL9hNRI0vq_rHpP61exGwI7G7RsZNiCFxsfLs3Bw/s1600/DSC02838.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRNqsVdtybyP2KlLTwZoH-J7vwQNZaCEpqathiWQ7VwH02C16Xaff5HP75Uw7EjNr1Ahd8-8FAFJR9GrjFoRHaPXmGc5MnjJL9hNRI0vq_rHpP61exGwI7G7RsZNiCFxsfLs3Bw/s320/DSC02838.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Right across the street from our ship was Lower Town, so we didn't have far to go to start our tourist thing.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Samuel de Champlain founded the city in 1608 as a fortified city surrounded by fortress walls. de Champlain was an accomplished individual. Known as the Father of New France, to his credit he was an explorer, a cartographer, a drafts man, a soldier, a geographer, an ethnologist, a diplomat and a chronicler. He explored and settled the Quebec area,as well as charted the Great Lakes.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT94QvGNRW11OzxucdqO5A3M16o_jDfWTDbcAc4ekAtqpZMaFn86LI9PXnnM0HpbWuMpPEYdU8eiOdHLQOBagj6VTtgPM3lDgBBnkDXSIUW80is1byli0EZZ6G81jzOMFAOSGfew/s1600/DSC02827.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT94QvGNRW11OzxucdqO5A3M16o_jDfWTDbcAc4ekAtqpZMaFn86LI9PXnnM0HpbWuMpPEYdU8eiOdHLQOBagj6VTtgPM3lDgBBnkDXSIUW80is1byli0EZZ6G81jzOMFAOSGfew/s320/DSC02827.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYylSW0_ig1RDf_FuVo7PiiOhr3gpMBChYta6mG2EvPCGBlh2vw1TD5KW-t8c9vNqlTxzJ3eJkRgKabjJ287lAH3N7pnbeb4xfiGgZXdcGVxX70JYoxCJ_thVR-NAo-B71RvHgw/s1600/DSC02826.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYylSW0_ig1RDf_FuVo7PiiOhr3gpMBChYta6mG2EvPCGBlh2vw1TD5KW-t8c9vNqlTxzJ3eJkRgKabjJ287lAH3N7pnbeb4xfiGgZXdcGVxX70JYoxCJ_thVR-NAo-B71RvHgw/s320/DSC02826.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">As I mentioned earlier, Quebec has done a fantastic job of keeping their stock of heritage buildings, and the future generations are rewarded by the forefather's foresight. In the picture above is the foundation and location of the oldest know building. While the building itself was torn down many years ago, the location is one of the early hubs of the Quebec.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAAZH3yiiMejFuW3QOpNxLbjO9A3OWJgoWJLn6gH0QcwZdB5z2tBaE2KUtIbdSZ0uphJ7Efmu35_42OdSNbwUOkYqiHCpBNsNsUvKwfsTeOCvorVeAalTc6ZacPvFdLgRqFSoqQ/s1600/DSC02838.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAAZH3yiiMejFuW3QOpNxLbjO9A3OWJgoWJLn6gH0QcwZdB5z2tBaE2KUtIbdSZ0uphJ7Efmu35_42OdSNbwUOkYqiHCpBNsNsUvKwfsTeOCvorVeAalTc6ZacPvFdLgRqFSoqQ/s320/DSC02838.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">All of the tourists shops are located in Lower Town, while Upper Town holds the restaurants, hotels, Chateau Frontenac and The Quebec Citadel </span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We made the rounds of the shops and then opted to take the set of stairs that leads from one level to another. I wanted to try the funicular for a couple of bucks, but NOHHH, someone said we had to walk up the stairs. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhYTl_pb5CM_iMW3nKIl4M_og5OQfSL0z67el43X_JKk0xUhsxzoVkoP8qYsA6Y1oW17DGB54oeX3Cmq7Fnh0acMtMm2ECtrXGI-9uRNuwYjm86k-AuCyG1lI_fXZ5KWw5WtCQw/s1600/DSC02859.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhYTl_pb5CM_iMW3nKIl4M_og5OQfSL0z67el43X_JKk0xUhsxzoVkoP8qYsA6Y1oW17DGB54oeX3Cmq7Fnh0acMtMm2ECtrXGI-9uRNuwYjm86k-AuCyG1lI_fXZ5KWw5WtCQw/s320/DSC02859.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This was our hotel and indicative of the old buildings that still permeate the top of the bluff that holds Upper Town.</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We walked around the edge of the city and came across the outer wall of the fortress city beyond which we could see the modern city complete with office towers crowned with radio and TV antennae.</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We use the wall as a turn around point and meandered back through the city stopping enjoy the scents coming from the restaurant doors. </span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We spent the day just winding our way through side streets and back alleys enjoying the Europe flavour of it all.</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Before long it was time to point our way back to the ship to have our own wonderful meal</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The next morning was a bit more chaotic as it was time to disembark from the boat and catch a cab to our hotel. Although the distance was not overly far, carting suitcases, overnight cases, backpacks, and assorted other packs was not high on the list of things I wanted to do.</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It was late morning by the time we got to our hotel room and dropped off the bags in the storage area. After that, Annette and I wandered down the street and found a small cafe tucked under the corner wall of the Chateau Frontenac. The late breakfast was wonderful and inexpensive for the location, so we made a date to come back again tomorrow.</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In the afternoon Annette and I explored the Quebec Citadel. The citadel is star shaped to be able to protect itself from any angle, and it is buried into the ground, so there is very little for the enemy to shoot at. Consequently obtaining pictures was a bit harder to do. There are some surface buildings of which I used my phone to capture pictures, as my camera battery had died, but they are not as good as I would have hoped for, so ... sorry, no pictures.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdtYElWUBztlm1DAxJjaAwQkvq7EQrRIZoaMBMSOKNOHGpBqDI30WbqWFSpOrK5YmxsH5NDINUojLmmjSpynBaGkZpG3Ni2j67wIlEsyOKkOPSCEpvvmeJO3__BCiNs-Xtbe5_Q/s1600/DSC02868.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdtYElWUBztlm1DAxJjaAwQkvq7EQrRIZoaMBMSOKNOHGpBqDI30WbqWFSpOrK5YmxsH5NDINUojLmmjSpynBaGkZpG3Ni2j67wIlEsyOKkOPSCEpvvmeJO3__BCiNs-Xtbe5_Q/s320/DSC02868.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Turning our attention to the Grand Dame of the hotelier world, the Chateau Frontenac has built a wide boardwalk along the top of the bluff for their guests to "stroll" and be seen by each other, and by the paparazzi of the day. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZX7WTCeQm4gbzzLTAMtz7js5L03ffkg3QBDTy_37lDnLhve7-c3Xr3jlhjLuzaceXi42BgH9ks36qXwuRJbFaW-GQYk24C3AxMHlb-jDEkJwB4QEXZhK5naK8V48_qLCFYrCWtA/s1600/DSC02872.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZX7WTCeQm4gbzzLTAMtz7js5L03ffkg3QBDTy_37lDnLhve7-c3Xr3jlhjLuzaceXi42BgH9ks36qXwuRJbFaW-GQYk24C3AxMHlb-jDEkJwB4QEXZhK5naK8V48_qLCFYrCWtA/s320/DSC02872.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It also afforded a Grand view of our ship and really puts into perspective the size of the ship. The Adventure Of The Seas is the one in front, it is one of Royal Caribbean's mid-size ships. Samuel de Champlain's ships had nothing on modern ocean going vessels !</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9iNXUQjMB9mcawcjWQTCPX67tR1CfEpwmgmrVHgWdw3rhF0DOdb7RCEdEqhuCqorp-WvYgvvaoCwaNkp4FZZfsC0BUMRO5KyafRZGIIoW7N_rVpsRG_Q4Fuc7zRwDj1Cv4pmqw/s1600/DSC02879.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9iNXUQjMB9mcawcjWQTCPX67tR1CfEpwmgmrVHgWdw3rhF0DOdb7RCEdEqhuCqorp-WvYgvvaoCwaNkp4FZZfsC0BUMRO5KyafRZGIIoW7N_rVpsRG_Q4Fuc7zRwDj1Cv4pmqw/s320/DSC02879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Our day trip for this port of call took us out of town to Montmorrency Falls and to The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cqGtxhfZq6GiHtjI_fJwPDNVv0kBhC9a_w4iFn80NcJRpkds7YrjNyeQmpcIwApcQuhfuKcAWuaLwMeD9lothMsuOk5E4j0g1W7RR08AiDB7TIEclD3J7WJ6mGbdmZ-sYB3wnQ/s1600/DSC02884.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cqGtxhfZq6GiHtjI_fJwPDNVv0kBhC9a_w4iFn80NcJRpkds7YrjNyeQmpcIwApcQuhfuKcAWuaLwMeD9lothMsuOk5E4j0g1W7RR08AiDB7TIEclD3J7WJ6mGbdmZ-sYB3wnQ/s320/DSC02884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Do you know the difference between a church and a basilica? Neither did I until it was explained. A Basilica is a church with certain privileges conferred by the Pope. In modern terms it is a Vatican approved place of pilgrimage. Hence the royal name of a Basilica.</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">To be honest, coming from the West Coast I have seen plenty of waterfalls, and after touring Europe several times, a church has been ticked off the must-see box many times, so no cavalcade of pictures of the basilica here.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXvkm8a-Eym0ilRqoSaHd3Tz_3ifQjpBDfVZpEtSNhGt-Dr0FTUpjLeBe75KzaEgMXodBtO8yLmGOkPyaDDCxufGBaCSfvLaGTwCtDxl8IFxfEWgswESfR4DG5q_KL3oixmVIng/s1600/DSC02939.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXvkm8a-Eym0ilRqoSaHd3Tz_3ifQjpBDfVZpEtSNhGt-Dr0FTUpjLeBe75KzaEgMXodBtO8yLmGOkPyaDDCxufGBaCSfvLaGTwCtDxl8IFxfEWgswESfR4DG5q_KL3oixmVIng/s320/DSC02939.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Back in town we spent our last morning wandering around the Chateau Frontenac lobbies and the inner art store and the fancy gift store. Many beautiful articles of clothing could be purchased in the gift store, and many expensive pieces of modern art could be purchased in the art store.</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I opted to be a big spender myself and paid $3.00 for a bottle of water. Hey, I was on Holidays!</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By noontime we had caught a taxi down to the train station and were waiting for our 12.30 PM train to take us on our last leg of our journey.</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The bustling metropolis of Montreal awaited us, complete with rides on the Metro and a visit to Montreal Olympic Park, built for the 1976 Summer Olympics.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">As you may have expected, I posted only a few pictures on this</span> <span style="color: blue;">page - the complete set can be found</span> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157697701257060"><span style="color: red;">here </span></a><span style="color: blue;">on my Flickr web site.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">After your read, drop me a line and comment on the travelog. </span> </span><br />
<br />
Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-72962859509972042512018-11-12T23:08:00.003-08:002021-07-05T19:01:29.855-07:00East Coast Cruising - Charlottetown, P.E.I.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HVq5cj4kX5R4clmT06laCF3wkF7wp0KrnTeraMUpHJjtPKPJOOABUgJIhs5t7DKRUFukKaHAQw3Cnm3TuAWSpLnGleGpnVt1vo36HsNrR3w1f1V5fdpdeerkuaKt5WYyADL8ow/s1600/DSC02765.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HVq5cj4kX5R4clmT06laCF3wkF7wp0KrnTeraMUpHJjtPKPJOOABUgJIhs5t7DKRUFukKaHAQw3Cnm3TuAWSpLnGleGpnVt1vo36HsNrR3w1f1V5fdpdeerkuaKt5WYyADL8ow/s320/DSC02765.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">September brought a cruise to the East Coast for Annette and I. We started in New York, visited two cities in Maine, then sailed over the International Boundary into Canada and visited several cities in the Maritime region. The cruise ended in Quebec City and we ended our holidays after spending time in Montreal.</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i><b>Click on any picture to see all the pictures full size</b></i></span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="background-color: white;">Our port of call today is Charlottetown, Price Edward Island, or PEI as it is commonly called.</span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="background-color: white;">The agenda for today was a bus tour of Charlottetown itself, with the tour then moving into the countryside on the east coast of the island.</span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="background-color: white;">The highlights would be "Anne Of Green Gables" and "Cavendish Bay", augmented by the beauty of the rolling hills of PEI.</span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Charlottetown<span style="background-color: white;"> was incorporated in 1855 with a population of 6,500 under British rule but the history of European settlement goes back to 1720 when French personnel from Fortress Louisburg on Cape Breton Island were ferried to the island which at the time was know as St. John Island.</span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="background-color: white;">Occupation swung back and forth between French and British until the British eventually prevailed and Charlottetown became a British city.</span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="background-color: white;">Between September 1-8 1864 Charlottetown hosted what is now known as the Charlottetown Conference. Many of the meetings and negotiations held that week wold lead to Canadian Confederation and the birth of Canada as a country.</span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="background-color: white;">This information was part of the tour guide's information voice over but to be honest I had to look it up again to get my facts straight. :)</span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">We toured the city of 36,500 seeing the main historical locations before the bus rolled out of town and onto our island coastline tour. </span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">First stop - lunch ! And when you are in the Maritimes the lunch of choice is - lobster !</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">The Prince Edward Island Preserve Company makes all their own preserves and jams onsite, and they have a storefront where you can purchase small jars of an infinite variety of mouth watering condiments.</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">For us, something else was on the agenda. The company had a large banquet hall next to the main building. The sort of place where you could sit at plain tables and just get messy as you let out your inner meanness and grabbed a fresh, large lobster, ripping off it's claws and cracking open its stomach to rip out the meat with a small fork which you then dipped in melted butter and reveled in the taste of the warm smooth meat in your mouth.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2aY8kTsTQqoxCnEmwDS_HGnPXfF5qTtJcdbTLPhyC82qLLN3HteTYiW1Bh0BnYcq9FOILfQn6u4bw-EK7pN8HYlG4p32SZDUhT9Xi0rnNHvoz8xjepep35rr7g6n1hyphenhyphenj2NISNQ/s1600/DSC02767.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2aY8kTsTQqoxCnEmwDS_HGnPXfF5qTtJcdbTLPhyC82qLLN3HteTYiW1Bh0BnYcq9FOILfQn6u4bw-EK7pN8HYlG4p32SZDUhT9Xi0rnNHvoz8xjepep35rr7g6n1hyphenhyphenj2NISNQ/s320/DSC02767.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Yeah, </span><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">doesn't</span><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"> sound pretty, or even very nice, but to eat lobster you basically throw away your daintiness and manners and your civilized nature and just start ripping and shredding your food like uncouth barbarians. But hey, at least we have those cool white plastic bibs with the lobster on them to show we still have our concerns about getting stains on our clothes. :)</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Funny story, one of those "it's a small world" stories.</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">The tables held six chairs, we found a table with four chairs open and sat with a couple from the cruise ship whom we had not yet met. As usual; conversation turned to "where are you from" and the other couple stated they were from a small town outside of Toronto. We said we know lots of small towns in Ontario, what's the name? They say Guelph.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">We say, one of our son in law comes from Guelph and he lives in Vancouver now. Conversation continues and they ask our son-in-laws name, we tell them, but they do not recognize the name. But they think they recognize his sister's name as it is not a common name. Possibly their sons' cousins might know them.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Jump forward a few hours and YES, Tom's sister knows the boy's cousins from high school! Ain't that a kick in the head.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">We finished off lunch and had a walk around the large area garden on the property the owner maintains as an area of peace for anyone in need, regardless of whether it is a family situation, or a military vet, or a family with a special needs child. The owner goes out of his way to show that someone cares for you. Good stuff !</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Back on the bus we cut overland through the island farmland and are treated to rolling hills reminiscent of undulation of the South Prairie regions. Hilltop scenery provided far ranging views over the green of the farm produce, underscored by the red dirt of the island.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XcZplZ8HMcdI5sI91zEN27Ppcn8kBQnnh-Th23hXw98MHceEGs8lbrOFJD9Xde2ZP2eHmclOZVLqKQ-xboSLaBomLphOWmBllQ6__rM_y2PFLKPrYJq4Y-JXOBjCwFhp62gsxw/s1600/DSC02781.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XcZplZ8HMcdI5sI91zEN27Ppcn8kBQnnh-Th23hXw98MHceEGs8lbrOFJD9Xde2ZP2eHmclOZVLqKQ-xboSLaBomLphOWmBllQ6__rM_y2PFLKPrYJq4Y-JXOBjCwFhp62gsxw/s320/DSC02781.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Eventually we made our way to the pride and joy of PEI, the Anne of Green Gables </span><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Museum</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">. Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote the novel Anne of Green Gables in 1908 while living in this building and it has become an international sensation to this day.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">The site is now a Canadian Historic site with much money spent on the upkeep of the house and outbuildings, with a large visitor centre being constructed to help handle the hundreds of people who come here daily.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Oversea visitors have a special fondness for the book and are excited to visit this piece of original Canadiana they have only read about. The view a visit with an almost reverence like quality which for us Canadians is a bit hard to fathom but appreciate the quality of the moment on their "pilgrimage".</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXMYa0t-1AYdXVuPtxv5dgeoXGe7OvG8JQSvf-u8bUqKvCU1qsgEL3OBz9sO4JNanUZCjI80HxN8W1HX9YADcwGuTKmGSwTnNvocfDs-2dlxiEftpz48F5EY_MjlvFA2i3z6ZQQ/s1600/DSC02784.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXMYa0t-1AYdXVuPtxv5dgeoXGe7OvG8JQSvf-u8bUqKvCU1qsgEL3OBz9sO4JNanUZCjI80HxN8W1HX9YADcwGuTKmGSwTnNvocfDs-2dlxiEftpz48F5EY_MjlvFA2i3z6ZQQ/s320/DSC02784.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrJCwKsSmYrO-4GeRqAqfRSn2f3VYXypMu_9GeiE4TfcaO9aYka_tAj09NttaEkuumsqUPRWXfof3IVeb0VXqvhUXjf4FPMeNNlqjEjnMl6Y195-OZHb3WGixmdtAmAUSQwqr8g/s1600/DSC02792.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrJCwKsSmYrO-4GeRqAqfRSn2f3VYXypMu_9GeiE4TfcaO9aYka_tAj09NttaEkuumsqUPRWXfof3IVeb0VXqvhUXjf4FPMeNNlqjEjnMl6Y195-OZHb3WGixmdtAmAUSQwqr8g/s320/DSC02792.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Here are a couple of pictures of the interior of the house, many more can be found on my Flickr site.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Surprisingly the house was fairly large and had many rooms, some with small dimensions but more rooms that I thought there would be.It would seem a large family would not feel cramped during the dreary days of winter.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">We wandered through the house and the barn, and enjoyed the sunshine of the sloping front grass area as it reached down towards a creek 300 feet or so at the end of the property. All the while we were thinking - "could I live here, like this"? Probably not, us big city folks are too used to our current day luxury. But back then, this was a pretty darn nice house to live in ....</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">As a bonus part on the day, Ken and I found a geocache in the woods a few hundred feet away from the House, so we can now add the province of PEI to our list of regions where we have found caches.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVlcS9sH8hORJqfHlb_bMnAMNJqfCPRXbf0Nz_9Rdy3hFTkjuZGradH0nB9YAGq6d4Q7PymLqXv6HWuamA5RiaAwK39dUVnuKpxpmlpcy8rTQaBXFC0Rza27pTj9B36ERekU5kA/s1600/DSC02806.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVlcS9sH8hORJqfHlb_bMnAMNJqfCPRXbf0Nz_9Rdy3hFTkjuZGradH0nB9YAGq6d4Q7PymLqXv6HWuamA5RiaAwK39dUVnuKpxpmlpcy8rTQaBXFC0Rza27pTj9B36ERekU5kA/s320/DSC02806.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">If you click on this picture to enlarge it, you will see the red cliffs of Cavendish Bay in stark contrast to the ocean blue. In the distance is famed Cavendish Beach which we unfortunately did not have time to visit.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KqyytjGyAdeUSREi0qvIbJlUa8bvg2NVjExO-mq53faa33fJz79SpXBFPE5pODCW80v6ocIbZaGjs3isAt7QluBbHpNdQgp1tHKQXlczF7rpmUQ_eqyWxm4TnkVTymWOIHdIpw/s1600/DSC02810.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KqyytjGyAdeUSREi0qvIbJlUa8bvg2NVjExO-mq53faa33fJz79SpXBFPE5pODCW80v6ocIbZaGjs3isAt7QluBbHpNdQgp1tHKQXlczF7rpmUQ_eqyWxm4TnkVTymWOIHdIpw/s320/DSC02810.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">The red dirt is really just like sand and crumbles easily - each year the winter seas cause a fair amount of erosion of the island's coastline. The locals tell us the best year for them is a cold year as then the bay freezes over and the ice protects the shoreline from the winter storms. More than once the province has had to move highways inland from the coastline as erosion has come to close to the current roadway.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">The Cavendish area of PEI is known for the beaches and the farm produce as the sandy soil makes an ideal environment to grow a wide variety of food.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">The best known produce to the rest of Canada are the Cavendish potatoes, the other main crops are wheat, oats, barley, and oilseeds. And because I know you just asked yourself "that" question, I will tell you. </span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Oilseeds are any plant grown primarily for the oil content of the seed. Soyabeans, sun flowers, and canola are just some of the edible seeds grown. Other seeds like castor and flax are used for industrial purposes.</span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b;">Back on the bus we had to get along and hurry back to Charlottetown as we were running behind schedule and we would be cutting it very close to sailing time. As it was we ended up being the last bus back and the ship had to wait a few minutes extra for us to get aboard. I swear if we were any slower getting up the ramp to the ship the gangway would have smacked us in the ass as we got on board. :) </span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnhAGmmdMkCzavA8dCSKUPrDZJrpZuEo2_vO5vBTdw4F7dULHZMtIEjxHL8UZuwUOsV307uI5C3ZQsudPVdsNJ4YX4jfrxaRtqVI5RQYujrqM1oJNHc0Z5K4qQ6AjLDv_Gwouqg/s1600/DSC02817.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnhAGmmdMkCzavA8dCSKUPrDZJrpZuEo2_vO5vBTdw4F7dULHZMtIEjxHL8UZuwUOsV307uI5C3ZQsudPVdsNJ4YX4jfrxaRtqVI5RQYujrqM1oJNHc0Z5K4qQ6AjLDv_Gwouqg/s320/DSC02817.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Once back on the ship we had just enough time to clean up and change before we headed down to the main dining room where a 5 star meal awaited us. For this meal we needed to bring back our daintiness that we disposed of at the lobster lunch and once again be the suave world travelers that the occasion demanded. Yeah, as if... LOL</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Tomorrow is a day at sea as we traverse the Gulf Of St. Lawrence and enter the St. Lawrence Seaway as it narrows into the St. Lawrence River all the while heading for our final port of call - Quebec City.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;">Quebec City, or as the locals say, Quebec, has the most old buildings that we would see on the trip, and definitely is the one city that provides a taste of Europe in it's architecture and heritage.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>If you liked what you read drop me a line and let me know ...</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #4b4b4b;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">The rest of the PEI pictures, including the PEI Preserve farm and the Anne of Green Gables Museum can be found </span><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157675553868768">here</a> </span><span style="color: blue;">on my Flickr site </span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-55410409626372183732018-11-04T21:02:00.000-08:002018-11-04T21:19:02.271-08:00East Coast Cruising - Sydney, Nova Scotia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ5yxAtxlcCAaxUEqI4aaGnOxQ0dxzet2VQ2YprXCbEun5DkxAYzul-Dio5OihzXcHAtwWdqAeOMj_G1UoLOScrYi6qzOD_8da5Z0fXJY9_YCikAAWT_jvYnkeYWcXdP9vGCEqQ/s1600/DSC02714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ5yxAtxlcCAaxUEqI4aaGnOxQ0dxzet2VQ2YprXCbEun5DkxAYzul-Dio5OihzXcHAtwWdqAeOMj_G1UoLOScrYi6qzOD_8da5Z0fXJY9_YCikAAWT_jvYnkeYWcXdP9vGCEqQ/s320/DSC02714.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">September brought a cruise to the East Coast for Annette and I. We started in New York, visited two cities in Maine, then sailed over the International Boundary into Canada and visited several cities in the Maritime region. The cruise ended in Quebec City and we ended our holidays after spending time in Montreal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">Click on an picture to see it full size, of course, all the pictures can be seen on my Flickr site. Link is at the end of the story</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Day 6 finds us in Sydney, Nova Scotia, one of the oldest provinces in Canada and one of the earliest settled. First, a little background about Nova Scotia, which is Latin for "New Scotland"</span></span><br />
<div class="comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html" id="mntl-sc-block_1-0-3" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; counter-reset: section 0; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0.625rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Founded in 1621 by <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="1" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" href="http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Heritage/FSCNS/Scots_NS/New_Scotland/Scotland_New_Scotland_Menstrie.html" rel="nofollow noopener" style="box-shadow: rgb(0, 163, 201) 0px -2px 0px inset; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0086a6; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Sir William Alexander of Menstrier</a>, who appealed to King James of Scotland that a "New Scotland" was needed to expand national interests alongside New England, New France, and New Spain, Nova Scotia became an ideal territory for early Scottish settlers.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-adslot mntl-block" id="mntl-sc-block_1-0-4" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="comp mntl-block" id="mntl-block_6-0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="comp billboard2-sticky billboard-sticky scads-to-load right-rail__item scads-stick-in-parent scads-ad-placed" data-height="600" data-parent="" id="billboard2-sticky_1-0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: -320px; top: 1325px;">
<div class="spacer" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="comp billboard2-dynamic mntl-gpt-dynamic-adunit mntl-gpt-adunit gpt billboard dynamic" data-ad-height="600" data-ad-width="160" id="billboard2-dynamic_1-0" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; margin: 0px; max-width: none; min-height: 250px; min-width: 300px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<div class="wrapper" data-google-query-id="CKubvcGvvN4CFWsCrQYdXUcMgg" data-pos="btf1" data-priority="3" data-rtb="true" data-sizes="[[300, 250], [300, 600], [300, 601], [160, 600], [300, 251], [2, 1], "fluid"]" data-targeting="null" data-type="billboard" id="billboard2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; width: 160px;">
<div style="border: 0pt none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 600px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 160px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><iframe data-google-container-id="3" data-is-safeframe="true" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="google_ads_iframe_/479/thoughtco/tho_canadian-government/billboard2_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="" sandbox="allow-forms allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-30/html/container.html" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="160"></iframe></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html" id="mntl-sc-block_1-0-5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; counter-reset: section 0; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0.625rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nearly a century later, after the United Kingdom gained control over the area, there was a massive Scottish immigration spark. Adventurous Highlanders rushed to emigrate from all over Scotland to settle throughout Nova Scotia.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; margin-top: 0.625rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the mid-1700s, British military officer, general and acting governor of Nova Scotia, Charles Lawrence, invited American New England residents to relocate to Nova Scotia. This was largely due to the expulsion of the Acadians that left large land vacancies and created yet another Scottish population surge.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-adslot mntl-block" id="mntl-sc-block_1-0-8" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828;">The new settlers were comprised of Scots that had fled to New England in the last century to gain religious freedom. These descendants formed a major part of the life and development of Nova Scotia and many early residents remain there to this day.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sydney is a relatively small town, with a population of 30,000 or so. The downtown core located a city block up the hillside from the harbour only a few blocks X a few blocks wide. You can easily walk around the old part of town and see the historic buildings that have survived. A few churches and an original Bank Of Montreal building is what we took in on our stroll in the afternoon.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF1Cjz_QTxANgbhmhsCzCW98kUamAgqu3Ae572oKwWZSEjCFj0lJjyrKoMNxaWrB_2pQcFu7oMaabxW8M8UC9-Uq_ICMexzdMbLmSXQU5mDo7omyWU2hzQhkHdo9UxqP94aiuCQ/s1600/DSC02716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF1Cjz_QTxANgbhmhsCzCW98kUamAgqu3Ae572oKwWZSEjCFj0lJjyrKoMNxaWrB_2pQcFu7oMaabxW8M8UC9-Uq_ICMexzdMbLmSXQU5mDo7omyWU2hzQhkHdo9UxqP94aiuCQ/s320/DSC02716.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First part of the day was a bus tour of the city and it's outskirts, which took no time at all. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">To make up time we were taking to the Jost House Museum, a museum located in a small heritage house built in 1786.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The house originally belonged to a prominent merchant, today is a catch all museum of local history representing everything from local life to the mining industry to the war efforts in WW2 </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioqWATcJEcWYkR2TDMJgprGediqZ8_dsFqd6yMjGTVTG3LkdWd7EXdulCjJD3lcAiJP54hrhE2HzDB_EVPT_Iu9r4PLUcHRfqLe-HC6lt3qe3i_PSVYHUbKvzoAgTwR3GuEBahA/s1600/DSC02717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioqWATcJEcWYkR2TDMJgprGediqZ8_dsFqd6yMjGTVTG3LkdWd7EXdulCjJD3lcAiJP54hrhE2HzDB_EVPT_Iu9r4PLUcHRfqLe-HC6lt3qe3i_PSVYHUbKvzoAgTwR3GuEBahA/s320/DSC02717.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The small museum was chockablock crammed with everything the locals could gather in their effort to show the public of times gone past.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-JYBEQI0sLfCKvG3QECtkmTuYKHFLEIeYKaHUtIs7_M04Z3s0TpblgvLd_8JOLVF38u57-X6bRewvl77GCo1M5ZHToIjFWaKMMRYsowUBc1lqxh38bgDkR4v6o_MKxMyR2Nr_w/s1600/DSC02721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-JYBEQI0sLfCKvG3QECtkmTuYKHFLEIeYKaHUtIs7_M04Z3s0TpblgvLd_8JOLVF38u57-X6bRewvl77GCo1M5ZHToIjFWaKMMRYsowUBc1lqxh38bgDkR4v6o_MKxMyR2Nr_w/s320/DSC02721.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVo8IWVjxB60NppwvxYswW_xtsKzmd7iTuVHE1YbzNeLBvai-94b_rvGf8Dd25vH7dy7Kq7lNAHfndQUj1ANf0GtrYGtzJ12CsXQZFjxvvxrlKNM2kPIXU6YJq6ZoyXlx3t_PeRQ/s1600/DSC02722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVo8IWVjxB60NppwvxYswW_xtsKzmd7iTuVHE1YbzNeLBvai-94b_rvGf8Dd25vH7dy7Kq7lNAHfndQUj1ANf0GtrYGtzJ12CsXQZFjxvvxrlKNM2kPIXU6YJq6ZoyXlx3t_PeRQ/s320/DSC02722.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Even the new Easy automatic washer was here to show the great strides technology had made through the years. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The company's name was changed from the Syracuse Washing Machine Corporation to the Easy Washing Machine Corporation in 1932, so this washer must be 1932 or newer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkI2iD8Xo_QjVD4T5_lEE8EbnSySIcU_kb8n14QenNLQdtLB0ET3-Sm1EGGKsGpf8G6Ey0aIoCv2qt1EyRu1J6MmR1N4wJwKZ5E3HDYQeXBpDNbbtdVVvm6b5-OwkP9rC32K_aJA/s1600/DSC02729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkI2iD8Xo_QjVD4T5_lEE8EbnSySIcU_kb8n14QenNLQdtLB0ET3-Sm1EGGKsGpf8G6Ey0aIoCv2qt1EyRu1J6MmR1N4wJwKZ5E3HDYQeXBpDNbbtdVVvm6b5-OwkP9rC32K_aJA/s320/DSC02729.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After an hour or so spent touring the museum, we were back on the bus for further touring of the city. One of the high points of the city is near one of the cemeteries, which provides a rare overview of the city and suburbs.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfUP3NhKZffNoTclu9I7bJBJSwR6_oz0ZRTJixW5wisv5yrar0se41hLneHXvVwjwKU_5DA4KE4hq9VHa7bYKzCKJpON8uvEQhGkxd7Xp4rNODW-RO098_n7WcNUWmvbbqNwVXQ/s1600/DSC02737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfUP3NhKZffNoTclu9I7bJBJSwR6_oz0ZRTJixW5wisv5yrar0se41hLneHXvVwjwKU_5DA4KE4hq9VHa7bYKzCKJpON8uvEQhGkxd7Xp4rNODW-RO098_n7WcNUWmvbbqNwVXQ/s320/DSC02737.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of our stops was a rejuvenated local park where one of the natural waterways was spruced up to make an inviting neighbourhood park designed for strolling or picnicking.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seemed like a good place for picture of the two lovebirds. :)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the tour we went back on board the ship for a break and to drop off some gear, the we exited the ship and did a walking tour of the downtown area. We did not see a lot of heritage buildings on our walk,perhaps we did not cover enough territory to see more of them. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGV5XIPV7WEjGjWw8KDiuDVef_N0JOcYIJNi9hAiFrVQiBnGKFvroXkfT1uYURNo-K5k3plkcNIO_TvsMF9YI5jWA5xqZF-r9smUhb18MUScpgDtYn_bbONCU9-ahEVIY21HtSQ/s1600/DSC02743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGV5XIPV7WEjGjWw8KDiuDVef_N0JOcYIJNi9hAiFrVQiBnGKFvroXkfT1uYURNo-K5k3plkcNIO_TvsMF9YI5jWA5xqZF-r9smUhb18MUScpgDtYn_bbONCU9-ahEVIY21HtSQ/s320/DSC02743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Canada, in any old part of town you will find two buildings</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. One is the train station, the other</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> is a Bank Of Montreal</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> building.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We found the Bank Of Montreal building right in the middle of town. Encouraged by the industrial economic boom created by large steel plants fed by local coal money, the BOM building was built in 1901 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are always grand building, and when ever I see them in various cities they still carry their sense of class to this day.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lGk1y39ztPuJ6alSYHPvkm0pMUxAlrUvJF9WUw4Q3U3NqWYnluYXDfb0CbEGE85zFkbZD7P8bxKXN3Bb5XjxVQTpqtoOYCLG4ESSGyWRnf1Xh-hB4miXd1H5BNKhp3vmZLqoLw/s1600/DSC02756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lGk1y39ztPuJ6alSYHPvkm0pMUxAlrUvJF9WUw4Q3U3NqWYnluYXDfb0CbEGE85zFkbZD7P8bxKXN3Bb5XjxVQTpqtoOYCLG4ESSGyWRnf1Xh-hB4miXd1H5BNKhp3vmZLqoLw/s320/DSC02756.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back on board in time for our dinner time departure, we went up to the top deck which provided a commanding view of Sydney, both the downtown area and the surrounding areas. This was the highest place we found, higher than the buildings in the downtown core.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Time to set sail for our next port of Call, which tomorrow will be <b>Charlottetown, PEI.</b> Included will be a tour of Anne Of Green Gables, for those of you whom are devotees, stick around. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">To see all of the pictures for Sydney and a few cruise ship photos click on the link </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157701516340841/with/45607495042/"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> to go to my Flickr web site.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>You will even get to see <i>Annette going down the outdoor water slides on the ship ! </i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-19195975131203288762018-10-28T23:22:00.001-07:002018-10-28T23:38:09.070-07:00East Coast Cruising - Halifax, Nova Scotia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfV2C7NNNYKXOb2iKIRc96U3nDMPdvypjJWsN7G7DEVBu31u8yocVkUA3IA3VOHoOuByJLGs7AIOQS2YA6lkaM4t6qM-ht729dA9aaTbtojszNejXWiZCNOtBUCJadd6WC7tqjg/s1600/DSC02705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfV2C7NNNYKXOb2iKIRc96U3nDMPdvypjJWsN7G7DEVBu31u8yocVkUA3IA3VOHoOuByJLGs7AIOQS2YA6lkaM4t6qM-ht729dA9aaTbtojszNejXWiZCNOtBUCJadd6WC7tqjg/s320/DSC02705.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">September brought a cruise to the East Coast for Annette and I. We started in New York, visited two cities in Maine, then sailed over the International Boundary into Canada and visited several cities in the Maritime region. The cruise ended in Quebec City and we ended our holidays after spending time in Montreal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Click on an picture to see it full size, of course, all the pictures can be seen on my Flickr site. Link is at the end of the story</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Today is a fun day; we are in Halifax, Nova Scotia and we not only get to visit one of the oldest cities in Canada, but I get to meet a guy named John Drake. "Who is this guy" you ask? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">John works for the same company as myself, and has been the manager of the Halifax branch for 15 years or more. I have talked to John for all those years on the phone and have yet to meet him in person..</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">When I announced months ago that I was coming out that way on a cruise John said "let me know when and I'll be your guide for they day". What a great offer!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">True to his word John was waiting dockside when we got off the boat, whisked us into his car and we set out for world famous Peggy's Cove.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">John is a true East Coaster, born on Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which is a French owned archipelago just south of Newfoundland, and has lived on the East Coast all his life.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">John had a ton of local stories to tell us as we took the 45 minute ride out to Peggy's Cove. The stories were neat to hear as they helped us colour in the life of a Maritimer. Definitely a different flavour of life compared to the West Coast. But I think our view is already tinged by living in the big city of Vancouver, which adds another layer to the West Coast vs East Coast dichotomy. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B2rJBakWEjanCRY2Ah5kwyUqsPfSU2XW2EwzEa-HwMLZl4BvSLXh1J6a9jLqScyD7Qnj9DYmwqXTjKpeea9Gy2i1ABRIECXTkEOBlR_ouhsWPSSBkYLWf6440VEHEDDD2F9KYQ/s1600/DSC02668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B2rJBakWEjanCRY2Ah5kwyUqsPfSU2XW2EwzEa-HwMLZl4BvSLXh1J6a9jLqScyD7Qnj9DYmwqXTjKpeea9Gy2i1ABRIECXTkEOBlR_ouhsWPSSBkYLWf6440VEHEDDD2F9KYQ/s320/DSC02668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">I have heard of Peggy's Cove, and see the pictures of the light house on the rocks and John has sent me pictures of storm waves crashing over top of the light house, but I did not know that there was a beautiful village in the tiny cove as well.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">It was a tiny fishing village of which I'm sure there were dozens of them up and down the coast in the old days. I'm just as sure many of those have died out as the fishing did but for some reason Peggy's Cove has survived and become a "must see' tourist destination. Much to the chagrin of the few locals I'm sure. There are approx 700 people in Peggy's Cove, (incorporated 1811), and there has to be a few hundred tourists every day wandering around the small hamlet. 500,000 visit yearly, you do the math.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Two huge parking lots serve the hundreds of people that come here daily to enjoy the village and the rugged coastline.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">You have to walk through the tiny village to get up and over a rise of land before you see the light house and the coast line. But we were spell bound by the beauty of the village itself so it took us 30 minutes to walk the 400 hundred feet or so to the coastline.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdbUABJVrvq3M10LXoTZyRGtia2dtxkrfU-wxf1IOoDBFdEJW_p01ILpbFUKuZmOwmMzt-2sZ67JDC-xYwXPniqRfSpXADtfg7nykolCmIlm3KP8BuuVTu6v4hzfQQ7n7_yMr5Q/s1600/DSC02676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdbUABJVrvq3M10LXoTZyRGtia2dtxkrfU-wxf1IOoDBFdEJW_p01ILpbFUKuZmOwmMzt-2sZ67JDC-xYwXPniqRfSpXADtfg7nykolCmIlm3KP8BuuVTu6v4hzfQQ7n7_yMr5Q/s320/DSC02676.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The old fishing boats stranded on the shore, the net shacks and their associated gear, and the small fisherman's houses in their bright colours of blue and yellow or white washed with bright red roofs were just a feast for the eyes. The tourists with cameras among us, (myself, Annette, and Linda), took tons of photos of the village and the fishing vessels as we meandered along the road closed to the rugged shoreline.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRXfhD6feFh0VgY1MQ1Dm-Tctit58vuIAyHYJiuJQ1NVcSjDfqjvrCkUk2Poztlg0wm38-GvFzrbP7hDucenSpDd3eDL1SZLmwdmtnHUrmwUIlOi81c-iH_AoDgqnSl46YIGG-A/s1600/DSC02682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRXfhD6feFh0VgY1MQ1Dm-Tctit58vuIAyHYJiuJQ1NVcSjDfqjvrCkUk2Poztlg0wm38-GvFzrbP7hDucenSpDd3eDL1SZLmwdmtnHUrmwUIlOi81c-iH_AoDgqnSl46YIGG-A/s320/DSC02682.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">We crested the rise and there it was, the Peggy's Cove lighthouse ! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">For a West Coaster this was the epitome of reaching the other side of Canada. Looking on a map there is much more of Canada past this point on the map, but none is as well known or defined as Peggy's Cove. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">The rocky coast line around the light house was awash with people, so much so that they resembled ants scrambling over the rocks.A look at the license plates in the parking lot showed many were from other parts of Canada, and a healthy showing of East Coast states were represented as well.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Standing on the rocks on a warm, calm day it was hard to imagine the storm waves crashing so hard that they washed over the top of the light house. But John says this is one of his favourite places to come storm watching. And I have seen the pictures John has taken, so seeing is believing </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">We hung about for a while, snapping many more pictures before we headed back to the car and took up our wanderings again.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">On the way out of Peggy's Cove I had John pull over so we could find a geocache. John is a geocacher as well, so he had the benefit of signing his name in the log book for a "QEF" (Quick Easy Find).</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbRFlP6yKseI790BXJhuzF5-M7XOzHuPlTf72piu58x8PXhLwiwgNP_4cuvY0yhAZ8mW3zILzaAntvKWHXILxPIGESdNio-Mdo8C34XEXMpqN9yDACZdHaljPNvKYsh5kSzu8Qw/s1600/DSC02703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbRFlP6yKseI790BXJhuzF5-M7XOzHuPlTf72piu58x8PXhLwiwgNP_4cuvY0yhAZ8mW3zILzaAntvKWHXILxPIGESdNio-Mdo8C34XEXMpqN9yDACZdHaljPNvKYsh5kSzu8Qw/s320/DSC02703.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">We went for just a half mile down the road before John pulled into small roadside parking lot. This was the somber site of the Swiss Air Flight 111 memorial which crashed September 2 1998.. The stones are pointed 8 kms out into the Atlantic Ocean; matching memorial stones in nearby Baywswater also point out to sea. The two memorials and the crash site forming a larger triangular memorial area.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">John told us that a wiring fire caused the plane to lose control, and they estimate the plane crashed nose first into the water at a speed of 555 kmh</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">The sonic boom of the plane striking the water was easily heard in Halifax and surrounding areas.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Many of the local residents were involved with the search for survivors that night, and for the recovery operations the next day and the days that followed. Many of these residents are still affected by that night and many, like John, will never forget it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">By the now the morning was gone and lunch time was nearing. John took us back into town and found us a spur of the moment restaurant which turned out to be Greek where we had a great meal and learned so more local history for our guide.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">After lunch we did a time check and realized we only had three hours before the ship set sail. Not enough time to visit our next "must see' on the agenda, which was the Halifax Citadel Historic Sight built by the British in 1869 in a star shape pattern.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Ken, Linda, and Annette wanted to walk the boardwalk that stretches the length of the downtown area and ultimately leads back to where our ship was docked.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">That worked out well for all concerned, as I had told John I wanted to visit the store which was located over the water in the Dartmouth area, and I had promised to say hello to Lyndsay whom is another person I have spoken to for years and not yet met. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">We dropped the other tourists off at the far end of the promenade, and John and I headed over the bridge to Dartmouth.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">As we were going over the bridge John pointed out that right below us is where the French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with a Belgian relief vessel in December of 1917. The resulting explosion killed 2,000 people and injured 9,000 more. It was the largest pre-nuclear explosion the world had seen and it was devastating to the Halifax and Dartmouth cities.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wwms_RemyCiQ95ek33tYishOl1CCDJgjf2zvW4cjca0hTqgp16upfIn8q85MBa_iB-kJEd0tJqEUjd06xqZis5Ew4MvAZRyh-x1hDRc7NpzT80jt5Jg_moku_rjBJJHB9eNfXQ/s1600/DSC02705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wwms_RemyCiQ95ek33tYishOl1CCDJgjf2zvW4cjca0hTqgp16upfIn8q85MBa_iB-kJEd0tJqEUjd06xqZis5Ew4MvAZRyh-x1hDRc7NpzT80jt5Jg_moku_rjBJJHB9eNfXQ/s320/DSC02705.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">By 4.30 PM we were back on board and by 5.00 PM we were under way steaming our way out of the harbour like so many ships have done since Halifax's birth as a city in 1749. Even before then in the 1400s and 1500s European ships were docking here to set up fisheries. We were just many of the thousands of ships passing through the harbour on our way from somewhere and going to somewhere else. <span style="font-size: 14.85px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">On our way out of the harbour we passed a small island that has obviously been a military stronghold and researching the island brought some confirmation of facts and a surprise as well.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">George's Island is a glacial drumlin and the largest island that is situated within Halifax Harbour.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">It has been used as a military base for 200 years and it's infrastructure has been upgraded multiple times over the two hundred year service </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">George's Island is the site of Fort Charlotte, named after King George's wife Charlotte. Bet you didn't know that, did you?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I would have like some more time in Halifax to explore more of the history of one of Canada's "original" cities, and would have liked more time with John and Lyndsay. These are friends I've had for years but just now met - kinda like old fashioned pen pals. :)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Halifax is definitely on the "return to" list of places to go to in </span>the future.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Now, as usual I only posted a few pictures, many more of gorgeous Peggy's Cove an be found on my Flickr site.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Click</span> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157672734138797"><span style="color: red;">here</span> </a><span style="color: #4b4b4b;">t</span><span style="color: blue;">o see the beauty of a small Maritime village</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></span>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-58198719029565445662018-10-20T21:20:00.003-07:002018-10-21T21:32:45.566-07:00East Coast Cruising - Saint John, New Brunswick<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZtwXygY-jxOrFON27kurcsVBzEWuM3aZi_31uz1VaMpRuU11Op9Uez6KR1BaxUFZBdToAdQK-ZPnw-AQC-qETPZJS13giF-7tRfhfxAc6AuTW13A6UzFEuyM9lxMGpvrwVqatw/s1600/DSC02653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZtwXygY-jxOrFON27kurcsVBzEWuM3aZi_31uz1VaMpRuU11Op9Uez6KR1BaxUFZBdToAdQK-ZPnw-AQC-qETPZJS13giF-7tRfhfxAc6AuTW13A6UzFEuyM9lxMGpvrwVqatw/s320/DSC02653.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">September brought a cruise to the East Coast for Annette and I. We started in New York, visited two cities in Maine, then sailed over the International Boundary into Canada and visited several cities in the Maritime region. The cruise ended in Quebec City and we ended our holidays after spending time in Montreal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Today we are in Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, the city was incorporated in 1875. Saint John is on the Bay of Fundy which has the worlds highest tides.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">The agenda for today is a bus tour of the city, then we head out to the small village of St. Martin were there are sea caves recognized by Unesco as a conservation site.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO SEE THAT PICTURE AND THE OTHERS FULL SIZE</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbXt4f972T8SaJL9LnXCfNx3qAcxk0PdGMEOzhvOojaniP4z6wTzW1jzSIHCZtot0Z3k1F83ilojtDQHhYea_OmIczgcsBOAFoTE5NI4zq5JPSOycxoegCdeNdQg2Jxq_iKFccw/s1600/DSC02617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbXt4f972T8SaJL9LnXCfNx3qAcxk0PdGMEOzhvOojaniP4z6wTzW1jzSIHCZtot0Z3k1F83ilojtDQHhYea_OmIczgcsBOAFoTE5NI4zq5JPSOycxoegCdeNdQg2Jxq_iKFccw/s320/DSC02617.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">The first stop of the day is on the Saint John River at the Reversing Rapids. At low tide the Saint John River flows out into the Bay of Fundy. At high tide the water in the bay rises 28 feet and the ocean now flows into the Saint John River basin.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">It is early in the day, and the tide is out, so in the picture above the water is running to the sea. Later in the day we will come back to this same spot and you will now see the water is almost covering the dark rock on the small island </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">I took a lot of photos here so we could compare later - even better Ken and I found a geocache here so we can now add another province to our list of "Found" geocaches.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05tpioTVSyWph4aMICXUtfydmVDLtkxchjELJzhhNoYi2lZQF7g0mcf6gvEL0gszEgTwN2PvAlRvEwRGeWSTcp7VTxt-yly5bFgP14xRQDiAqLPNNnRGJoLUhuPkaE8pcAbABFA/s1600/DSC02626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05tpioTVSyWph4aMICXUtfydmVDLtkxchjELJzhhNoYi2lZQF7g0mcf6gvEL0gszEgTwN2PvAlRvEwRGeWSTcp7VTxt-yly5bFgP14xRQDiAqLPNNnRGJoLUhuPkaE8pcAbABFA/s320/DSC02626.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Back on the bus and we head north along the coastline for 30 minutes to the small village of St. Martin. Founded in 1783 by soldiers from the disbanded loyalist King's Orange Rovers. These were British soldiers raised in 1776 to protect British interests in Orange County, Province of New York, and generally around the colony of New York. They also seen action in Nova Scotia protecting Liverpool in the Nova Scotia colony.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">A couple of small tourist businesses and a covered bridge were the highlights at this stop. New Brunswick has the most covered bridges in North America, which was a surprise to us. Common thought would have been New England or Main, but nope.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkkFJkqCm7G1Lc1i2iZ_8UA-pJYJimp1zGSofhLL4uMyLvmrcmTmeD_-LB8i4_7SQ3e_7uHLgRGAv4Hpe-JS78Q4FV_cDeZasPNUzWGhLykHGoaw6Ao-cW47SX53CvG9SgiT4qw/s1600/DSC02634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkkFJkqCm7G1Lc1i2iZ_8UA-pJYJimp1zGSofhLL4uMyLvmrcmTmeD_-LB8i4_7SQ3e_7uHLgRGAv4Hpe-JS78Q4FV_cDeZasPNUzWGhLykHGoaw6Ao-cW47SX53CvG9SgiT4qw/s320/DSC02634.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Up the road a short ways was a section of the bay were there are the Unesco recognized sea caves. There are several in the area, but we did not have time to explore them. Instead, as the rain moved in, we sat in a diner and had a wonderful bowl of clam chowder and biscuits and gulped down some coffee to help warm up.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Outside there was another tourist shop, this one with locally hand made art, everything from earrings to smooth flat rocks with folksy sayings on them. Annette bought some earrings which is a must almost every time we travel. It's her way of remembering places we have visited.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Back in Saint John we had an hour to wander the Saint John indoor market in a building built in 1876. The building is a long city block in length and as the town is built on a hill the building slopes down as you walk the length of the building. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">We purchased a couple of snacks to have later on the boat. This is also a farmers market but having a 5 star floating restaurant on the shape of our cruise ship it didn't make sense to buy any other food.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKd5U7VTnfp8Vk5O3vIxIwDwU7q4YP2gvvCW1DjB3omyvNDqfWfeZkG1GoAmPvMFOr_ebenkV4uO3b_f_NXW0lTCOw2OBGr03zQPkNzGOFBWdPA1w7FHfz8Z2yfLVyUgF5mNpw1w/s1600/DSC02652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKd5U7VTnfp8Vk5O3vIxIwDwU7q4YP2gvvCW1DjB3omyvNDqfWfeZkG1GoAmPvMFOr_ebenkV4uO3b_f_NXW0lTCOw2OBGr03zQPkNzGOFBWdPA1w7FHfz8Z2yfLVyUgF5mNpw1w/s320/DSC02652.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Last stop on the tour was at an authentic Irish Pub were we were treated to free samples of Moosehead Beer.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Moosehead Brewery is Canada's oldest independent brewery in Canada. Founded in 1867 it is owned by a sixth generation of the Oland family.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">And the beer was fairly good and worth a stop on a rainy day. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">This was the end of our visit to Saint John as we were back on the boat and set sail by 5.00 PM.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">This was the way most of our ports of call would go - arrive in the morning and set sail by dinner time. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As usual I just gave you just a peek of Saint John and the surrounding area, but you can see more of Saint John by </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">clicking</span><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/sets/72157699381815852"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a> </span><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">t</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">o see all the photos.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Go ahead - CLICK - CLICK !!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-55872629276892228862018-10-15T21:19:00.000-07:002018-10-15T21:19:02.396-07:00East Coast Cruising - Kennebunkport Maine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWN0F9S4xqIpZDhU2PWxHbRKevvbaoid9KspbZ9jNH1_0KwjVc0LC8_ayFd2qLHSKhMyrsWjQ0NEng8rLhlbwZWxNjTCzJREieuAsMO-y2mrAnOEOnSJ6glUF-Yo79zR0YrWBwQ/s1600/DSC02583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWN0F9S4xqIpZDhU2PWxHbRKevvbaoid9KspbZ9jNH1_0KwjVc0LC8_ayFd2qLHSKhMyrsWjQ0NEng8rLhlbwZWxNjTCzJREieuAsMO-y2mrAnOEOnSJ6glUF-Yo79zR0YrWBwQ/s320/DSC02583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This portion of the shore excursion was titled "Portland and Kennebunkport Maine". In reality it was a fly by of an ordinary mid size town called Portland with a stop at picturesque Fort Williams Park to see the lighthouse and military battery, and then off we went down the road to Kennebunkport.<br />
<br />
Kennebunkport is a name that sticks in your mind as it is an odd name to start with, it also associated with American President's names as it is a fave recreation place of many presidents.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTnpTp0CoLHcvPGm3eeIX8Snb2jiasTEiUKvUEwlNe3OdiJblhyupJdTyoyrxsvovB6TjYnwXr8Ot-34pLp9oosFQQQKI_IhC3d6xYjqDmPkJhNHKFOHhm2Qa3Pjp1X7BbYXkLQ/s1600/DSC02601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTnpTp0CoLHcvPGm3eeIX8Snb2jiasTEiUKvUEwlNe3OdiJblhyupJdTyoyrxsvovB6TjYnwXr8Ot-34pLp9oosFQQQKI_IhC3d6xYjqDmPkJhNHKFOHhm2Qa3Pjp1X7BbYXkLQ/s320/DSC02601.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It is a very pretty town, kept pretty I'm sure for the hordes that come here every day aboard cruise ships like our own, and from the wealth of the local citizens.<br />
<br />
The houses on the edge of town are well tended, and many houses hint at their original function as true summer houses for the well to do. Two story wooden houses sit on an acre or two of land, old trees front the yard with swings hanging from a lower branch were possible. You can still imagine kids playing on the swings while adults picnic in the grassy front yard.<br />
<br />
The tour bus dropped us off in a back lot off Main Street and we were free to wander for an hour to spend as much money as we could to help the local economy.<br />
As I stated, the town is pretty and you can see the amount of money spent on buildings and paint and sidewalks and lighting and everything else that goes into making a town tourist friendly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMZoM-YgrhPw_HtB4wffiW0CKOWhVZWpdXdDokI-IdN9Z55-8Tp-r310UGWnblRUyAXMkJZQuH-fg7ZP-ksMP2yegAy49cakdnLW8yJWElX2CDn5Qg9obQVtqqYLE01phQcwK9A/s1600/DSC02598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMZoM-YgrhPw_HtB4wffiW0CKOWhVZWpdXdDokI-IdN9Z55-8Tp-r310UGWnblRUyAXMkJZQuH-fg7ZP-ksMP2yegAy49cakdnLW8yJWElX2CDn5Qg9obQVtqqYLE01phQcwK9A/s320/DSC02598.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The town is a typical tourist trap but we still enjoyed wandering in and out of the shops, and we found some good kid stuff to buy for the grand kids as things Grandma and Grandpa brought back from their "boat cruise"<br />
Soft lobster stuffies and sea side hats were the items that were purchased and stuffed into the back pack to be carted back to the cabin for packing into suitcases.<br />
<br />
The hour went fast and soon enough were were back on the bus for the 45 minute trip back to the ship.<br />
<br />
On the way out of town we took the sea shore route and passed a beach where Barbara Bush walked every day. It's said that she would have her Secret Service men walk up on the sidewalk so that the towns folk would not be afraid to stop to talk to her. And they did regularly - the town loves the Bush family and vice versa.<br />
<br />
Barbara Bush would often sneak into the local area hospitals in Portland to read books to the kids in the hospital. There was no fan fare involved, no photo ops, most of the time no one knew she was there. She would just come in to read to the kids to brighten their day.<br />
<br />
We went past the Bush family compound which sits on a small peninsula on its own. George H and George W, as well as Jeb and other family members. The Secret Service enforce the "no stopping" policy on the road that winds around the compound. It took all of 30 seconds for a couple of tourists whom stopped to take a picture to have a big black Suburban leave the compound and make it's way over to them to move them along.<br />
<br />
So, a short spin around Portland, a trip to Kennebunkport for a bit of shopping and sightseeing, then we were back on the point in time for dinner.<br />
The meals were consistently good, at times really good, and we were beginning to look forward to dinner times.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vTFg9937FbgR9BTe3w7_JLpmhgsYjP0rZ2vC91_X6ktNLBnKA6EZASKzDuR0ARZmIF-PH8LRB3aBUfe3W5B0f50i95uZ2EG219uRS3u8vgddmsJ3Bqmq7goD7XIyo28_4VIE-A/s1600/DSC02609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vTFg9937FbgR9BTe3w7_JLpmhgsYjP0rZ2vC91_X6ktNLBnKA6EZASKzDuR0ARZmIF-PH8LRB3aBUfe3W5B0f50i95uZ2EG219uRS3u8vgddmsJ3Bqmq7goD7XIyo28_4VIE-A/s320/DSC02609.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvd7aLnWPmQ8tUYQo4IUB151cTqr6D1RdBwn1PTkCjdkLt0AuVXMlewkSZUxLXEcaDAF5wAdvzTi6x9uRM-tDqHL3eQc27Fh7ZzgKBH6k_Wwf0GRs8VihgUdLFuPTPuIluwPSSQ/s1600/DSC02606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvd7aLnWPmQ8tUYQo4IUB151cTqr6D1RdBwn1PTkCjdkLt0AuVXMlewkSZUxLXEcaDAF5wAdvzTi6x9uRM-tDqHL3eQc27Fh7ZzgKBH6k_Wwf0GRs8VihgUdLFuPTPuIluwPSSQ/s320/DSC02606.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was Ken and Linda's 41st wedding anniversary, so Annette and I bought them a bottle of champagne to celebrate their happy day, as well as a fun cruise with family.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLYdwA7QyIkcnI6FNQl3w6Lw0aM3ouZbeot1MSaPQRSHoL3O2OcU3YnLJ5E4Cb5P-439YX6eB19gEBK5xSKHaSeXKj4CvSETqahZC9llimlNe4Gqo6jmABSTm_oCz9RHeIkHJuA/s1600/DSC02607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLYdwA7QyIkcnI6FNQl3w6Lw0aM3ouZbeot1MSaPQRSHoL3O2OcU3YnLJ5E4Cb5P-439YX6eB19gEBK5xSKHaSeXKj4CvSETqahZC9llimlNe4Gqo6jmABSTm_oCz9RHeIkHJuA/s320/DSC02607.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
For Annette and I, every day is a wonderful day that we are together. <i>Yeah, right she says</i> :)<br />
<br />
And you are right as well if you just said "not many pictures here"<br />
I only gave a couple of teasers.I know, what a pain I am. :)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">All of the pictures of Kennebunkport can be found </span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157672382205917">here</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: large;">on my Flickr site. </span></span> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-9259243523808407702018-10-05T22:13:00.001-07:002018-10-05T22:18:32.582-07:00East Coast Cruising - Bar Harbor Maine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTnHe4mpvztnLrOZZ-8UeV0evbBWRl1mFyrBoCBA9rG1p2YDQwK1finyK3zuged5knjf3FaLcJroByPfCohrh5PSAGI4u9u94_OPpZWX8MPlgKrLsHBihJ-V_DbMgAOuaqbtDQw/s1600/DSC02562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTnHe4mpvztnLrOZZ-8UeV0evbBWRl1mFyrBoCBA9rG1p2YDQwK1finyK3zuged5knjf3FaLcJroByPfCohrh5PSAGI4u9u94_OPpZWX8MPlgKrLsHBihJ-V_DbMgAOuaqbtDQw/s320/DSC02562.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">September brought a cruise to the East Coast for Annette and I. We started in New York, visited two cities in Maine, then sailed over the International Boundary into Canada and visited several cities in the Maritime region. The cruise ended in Quebec City and we ended our holidays after spending time in Montreal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO SEE THE FULL SIZE VERSION</b></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Our second port of call on our East Coast cruise was Bar Harbor, Maine.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">The coast line of Maine is one of the playgrounds of the rich folks from the New York and Boston areas and has been for over 100 years.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">By 1880 there were 30 destination resorts in the Bar Harbor area. These were very large buildings and were designed to house their guests for the entire summer. It was an adventure in itself just to get to Bar Harbor as the only way is by boat as the town is on an island..</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij97FwoK0E0TiXfik5OWQXrp5Ad8K2D9_z9gKqfo9y5GuFuX_GQEGsEGNsGNBpoSR_WwTv96ZxczwUQvepoFczE7B4UbODfK40jGix7rRmZSU16XyWOENFFZedVBfznrqtIA6ubg/s1600/DSC02556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij97FwoK0E0TiXfik5OWQXrp5Ad8K2D9_z9gKqfo9y5GuFuX_GQEGsEGNsGNBpoSR_WwTv96ZxczwUQvepoFczE7B4UbODfK40jGix7rRmZSU16XyWOENFFZedVBfznrqtIA6ubg/s320/DSC02556.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">We chose to come by boat as well but I think we had it a bit more luxurious than days of old. Where the old wooden boats may have brought 100 or so people at a time, we had 3200 tourists from many countries descend on the small town from our ship alone. The Rotterdam was shadowing us from port to port and it has 1500 passengers aboard. That was 5,000 tourists in a small town of only 5,000 residents. I can't help but think us tourists are a blessing and a PITA at the same time for the townsfolk.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">We jumped on a tour bus to take us on a tour of Acadia National Park which is a large park occupying much of Mt. Desert Island on which Bar Harbor is located. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">There was a large fire in 1947 that wiped out most of the forest and destroyed 9 towns on the island, nearly destroying the town of Bar Harbor as well. As a result the forest has large spaces between trees and little underbrush to impede sight lines. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9SWrZpEEQGlQDvmz3tTLGu4mpjaVU7me8bA4mUv0naIA7-8AvaL0FfG5WS_RlV8ZX9qTKr1doWZlVFVIpxYnOwjX9tGwF2FfWwxWBXsrOVf295TUsc5x-5FKHSwdVEyDaN_66Q/s1600/DSC02566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9SWrZpEEQGlQDvmz3tTLGu4mpjaVU7me8bA4mUv0naIA7-8AvaL0FfG5WS_RlV8ZX9qTKr1doWZlVFVIpxYnOwjX9tGwF2FfWwxWBXsrOVf295TUsc5x-5FKHSwdVEyDaN_66Q/s320/DSC02566.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">The National Park is encouraging regrowth of native species and have created a small garden area to aid in plant growth and small animals and reptiles. This provided a break for the passengers and a chance to stretch our legs. The rest rooms were a hit with the bus passengers - use them when ever you get the chance. :)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">At the end of the tour was our first East Coast lobster lunch, I got a couple of great pictures of the bright red lobsters on the plates, but you have to go to my Flickr site to see the pictures. :)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<b><span style="color: blue;">YOU CAN VIEW ALL OF THE PICTURES FROM BAR HARBOR </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157701885091714"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> ON MY FLICKR SITE</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8AavuPuTKJXC9r95SR09eImfnhaxMR0n8NvQDk23qdfAhs1dGmRZIyLBn206CuP8SiKQnvY6nDy2i4-spOakViVfO-wYDCY2Qg-t37uTqDspx4YhDhP1DJRlaexVCA2KhoQBNQ/s1600/DSC02579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8AavuPuTKJXC9r95SR09eImfnhaxMR0n8NvQDk23qdfAhs1dGmRZIyLBn206CuP8SiKQnvY6nDy2i4-spOakViVfO-wYDCY2Qg-t37uTqDspx4YhDhP1DJRlaexVCA2KhoQBNQ/s320/DSC02579.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
T<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his picture captures almost all of the shopping district close to the harbor area. A couple more blocks behind me, and a block or so to the left and you have the entire town in your hand.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was a cute town, being on an island helped to keep the population growth down, plus the residents are not inclined to let the larger chain stores or coffee chains onto the island which helps keep the town's "local" feel.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We picked up a few souvenirs for the folks back home and caught a late afternoon tender back to the ship in preparation for a dinner time sailing and a diner time, well, dinner ....in our fancy three story dining room I might add (Pictures of the cruise ship to come on a later post)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our next port of call is Portland, Maine and the famed Kennebunkport, playground of America's political powerhouses with names like Kennedy and Bush. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Watch for the upcoming post with more pictures to enjoy</span>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> . </span></span></div>
Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-47066949216751988872018-10-04T00:43:00.001-07:002018-10-09T19:08:32.455-07:00East Coast Cruising - New York City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJO-UoRa9DtQJBK2chyHOpRopCH9E3MISjt7mrRNOUuwrpVU1JYYZn8fERuws7012hkKxHua6W7v89lkZNBLID2_A_XUpSBkfiG_yb28dUR7yaSeoq7bfMOwY98lThb4Bq8gXLOg/s1600/DSC02457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJO-UoRa9DtQJBK2chyHOpRopCH9E3MISjt7mrRNOUuwrpVU1JYYZn8fERuws7012hkKxHua6W7v89lkZNBLID2_A_XUpSBkfiG_yb28dUR7yaSeoq7bfMOwY98lThb4Bq8gXLOg/s320/DSC02457.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
September brought a cruise to the East Coast for Annette and I. We started in New York, visited two cities in Maine, then sailed over the International Boundary into Canada and visited several cities in the Maritime region. The cruise ended in Quebec City and we ended our holidays after spending time in Montreal.<br />
I'll divulge the full itinerary over several posts - today we'll just talk about New York city with a few pictures to back up the tale.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">ALL PICTURES OF NEW YORK CAN BE FOUND </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157700235905821"><span style="color: #cc0000;">HERE</span> </a><span style="color: blue;">ON MY FLICKR PAGE </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b>
We had one of those early morning flights were you have to be at the airport even before the Starbuck baristas wake up. In the past we have stayed at a local hotel to save some time as it is an hour from our house to the airport as long as there are no traffic problems.<br />
Better to spend the night close to the airport and safe some time and stress in the early hours.<br />
We checked the airport hotels and they were all almost double what they typically cost - oh yeah, it is the September long weekend and every one us travelling.<br />
<br />
The Fairmont Hotel at the Vancouver Airport is pricey, but today it was only $40.00 more than a Best Western room, so deluxe accommodations here we come.<br />
We were able to get a room overlooking the airport terminal which was just ideal for Annette as she is an air plane junkie - she just loves flying.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlyWaoYKO8g0NCWfdri9dr2ageaz-aM19ETyh1tfQBFtZOlJbtSNMSovCHq0oc4kZ8-CFMoYLN7N7keYRtQNu8WuDrw6HtBqZnceC83Vi2mqEqL8c65btKFUo7wrdVrDXYR1-vQ/s1600/Annette+YVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlyWaoYKO8g0NCWfdri9dr2ageaz-aM19ETyh1tfQBFtZOlJbtSNMSovCHq0oc4kZ8-CFMoYLN7N7keYRtQNu8WuDrw6HtBqZnceC83Vi2mqEqL8c65btKFUo7wrdVrDXYR1-vQ/s320/Annette+YVR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I think this is one of the sweetest photos I have of Annette - seeing her spell bound like a little kid with the airport at her feet melts my heart. Annette sat for hours at the window watching the coming and goings of the various planes until it was time to go to bed.<br />
<br />
Up early, we got dressed, checked out, took the escalator down to the check in gates and we were there! 8 minutes from hotel room to the check in counter, that even includes checking out of the hotel - that was an awesome commute. :)<br />
<br />
We stayed in Newark across the water from New York city. As luck would have it our hotel room had a view of the Newark runways so I lost Annette to another night of her watching jumbo air planes take off on their way to somewhere only she could imagine.<br />
<br />
We took a 25 minute train ride into New York and found ourselves at Penn Station. This put us in good walking distance of the Empire State Building which was the only must-do on my list of things to see.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieewxbHU8s7dgWkbdRO02cZ6t9fYdvirFYBwlS03Uhd4GucdSe-vMxq_8CxSgcVRbhJ7nK2eOt7JmyED3WCxJyxzmhJQZNc5PcBAffo3QvyMu15LZ9fiD9XdMdRF-vziluptA6Zg/s1600/DSC02460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieewxbHU8s7dgWkbdRO02cZ6t9fYdvirFYBwlS03Uhd4GucdSe-vMxq_8CxSgcVRbhJ7nK2eOt7JmyED3WCxJyxzmhJQZNc5PcBAffo3QvyMu15LZ9fiD9XdMdRF-vziluptA6Zg/s320/DSC02460.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO SEE IT AND THE OTHERS FULL SIZE</b></span><br />
<br />
The view provided from the outdoor viewing area on the 86th floor is amazing, you can walk around the perimeter and see in all directions. The skylines of the buildings below, and in some cases above, was varied and you could almost see the generation of buildings as they progressed from the 1940s right through until today which includes the new ones that are currently being built.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgRFOSIxXkubTxQU5Gt6rSXf9PhFuFVp3VzsWHX81LHJgzbfRJpg6PeRkqV4cED4HSIQOQk5Qe3ALNpfTGyK_hVSbickdGE3Lbspmii3ul4EtlHUQmJeqJOICwIfNAFzXX0AUQw/s1600/DSC02466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgRFOSIxXkubTxQU5Gt6rSXf9PhFuFVp3VzsWHX81LHJgzbfRJpg6PeRkqV4cED4HSIQOQk5Qe3ALNpfTGyK_hVSbickdGE3Lbspmii3ul4EtlHUQmJeqJOICwIfNAFzXX0AUQw/s320/DSC02466.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
To provide a rough idea of the island, we were on the west side about 1/3 of the way up the island. The collection of tall buildings in the distance is the south end of the island. This is where the twin World Trade Centers stood. As well, Wall Street stock market with it's large bull statue is located in the area.<br />
After a trip up to the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building we wound our want back to ground level and tackled the subway system.<br />
Surprising, during our days in New York we had several people randomly stop to help us traverse the ins and outs of the system as well as suggest subway stops to get off at to put us closest to our destination.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCKHA-8kFg0p3hGhVGJrWl9wUxsqp-xvZh1pCJ3gyHTdfqbU3vLJcN5Sya5J6AYgwYzr_Dtr8o08BImhEfq2PGb0mp8Jtc-Frhgvm4jkjQ4F_JDaDeEbXkY3flml9ONQXp88Uww/s1600/DSC02476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCKHA-8kFg0p3hGhVGJrWl9wUxsqp-xvZh1pCJ3gyHTdfqbU3vLJcN5Sya5J6AYgwYzr_Dtr8o08BImhEfq2PGb0mp8Jtc-Frhgvm4jkjQ4F_JDaDeEbXkY3flml9ONQXp88Uww/s320/DSC02476.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-G4fw-KAg0Fhl2Rl6FyPI2vJcXgqfE3Lo199gV4HEO-iKSsKWzQwnUE6C01lCu6vUJEHQnzh11ZmBNxbtlXL6aYadcAiJTudfliEcDQOC5l9kNTmM3WbCekIqFIV7Lwq7YU-gaQ/s1600/DSC02477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-G4fw-KAg0Fhl2Rl6FyPI2vJcXgqfE3Lo199gV4HEO-iKSsKWzQwnUE6C01lCu6vUJEHQnzh11ZmBNxbtlXL6aYadcAiJTudfliEcDQOC5l9kNTmM3WbCekIqFIV7Lwq7YU-gaQ/s320/DSC02477.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We headed south to the 9-11 memorial which consists of two large fountains that now take up the footprints of the original towers It's still surreal to think at one time there were two sky scrapers here and over 3,000 people lost their lives on this spot.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLOJywpjOI159WVPDrCLERhwtj9b6qwmmLEy4zKxwmBdoXQT5XQVDtKY9M7rJdLKiv0PU85pfO7IYX8onE0RAy7DNmbcaKuIsW878f9gFz4m5PhlmHPP9CCfCzmVBB15br55WKg/s1600/DSC02487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLOJywpjOI159WVPDrCLERhwtj9b6qwmmLEy4zKxwmBdoXQT5XQVDtKY9M7rJdLKiv0PU85pfO7IYX8onE0RAy7DNmbcaKuIsW878f9gFz4m5PhlmHPP9CCfCzmVBB15br55WKg/s320/DSC02487.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
.<br />
On day two in New York we were joined by my brother Ken and his wife Linda who would be joining us on the 10 day cruise to the East Coast, as well as joining us on our travels in Quebec City and Montreal.<br />
Linda has visited New York several times, for the rest of us it was our first time in town. Our first stop of the day was Grand Central Station. For many years we have all seen the train station in movies, films, and on TV shows - so naturally we had to see it in person.<br />
<br />
First thing you think is - it's smaller than I thought.<br />
The "grandness" is there, if somewhat overshadowed by your unmet expectations of the scale of the building.<br />
Still, had to come see it after hearing about it for so long.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuL3SGrE6Hub6j5BKfBZAfwNMaOhLC21yxGt5hJdR_gO3PnU9AWJ9AwSuL7onAAtFIfmro3uioOcdGDAq5lgRb6g3SLmoajbwtBGJVmXvnHYhkaYavgk7LrDgBS2f0pWuAIo3Zvw/s1600/DSC02498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuL3SGrE6Hub6j5BKfBZAfwNMaOhLC21yxGt5hJdR_gO3PnU9AWJ9AwSuL7onAAtFIfmro3uioOcdGDAq5lgRb6g3SLmoajbwtBGJVmXvnHYhkaYavgk7LrDgBS2f0pWuAIo3Zvw/s320/DSC02498.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The Rockefeller Center with all of it's associated attractions of Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Tower, NBC News studio, Radio City Music Hall, and more was high on the "must see" list.<br />
We went up the Rockefeller Tower to the 70th floor open air observation deck and were rewarded with more stunning views of New York City. "chic-chich" went the cameras non stop as we all took loads of pictures from our vantage point on top of the building up on the roof with the antennae and satellite dishes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKTGXmLquva2xOUEEpn_1lCao37JORScfLDhTcxLbS9-8BY_qY7UBueKH6VXIErGZgw8gIoMK89cBQpFHkRsVhQUrO_6u6oiHpeUcW4gjpEqCYm4hkvcYFBTeJuhyoz_CmZOt-A/s1600/DSC02526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKTGXmLquva2xOUEEpn_1lCao37JORScfLDhTcxLbS9-8BY_qY7UBueKH6VXIErGZgw8gIoMK89cBQpFHkRsVhQUrO_6u6oiHpeUcW4gjpEqCYm4hkvcYFBTeJuhyoz_CmZOt-A/s320/DSC02526.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
Back on the ground we visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, wandered past the British Empire Building with it's gold plated figurines, past the Waldorf Astoria, which surprisingly was closed as it was being renovated, and found ourselves at Tiffany's and Company. A dangerous place to go shopping for sure.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvh_nKI5nG18sjOWTDAbpuKTN2VG_iN4I5d3LXCOe6-2OJlsKSt5a7Gi83k0naSjQxdD4Ac_1MQF8wYvz5OOd8Brpw7rVl6oH35U8sAKI3k-Bulnhd1ma0Gazx0SnX_mJbpObH_Q/s1600/DSC02549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvh_nKI5nG18sjOWTDAbpuKTN2VG_iN4I5d3LXCOe6-2OJlsKSt5a7Gi83k0naSjQxdD4Ac_1MQF8wYvz5OOd8Brpw7rVl6oH35U8sAKI3k-Bulnhd1ma0Gazx0SnX_mJbpObH_Q/s320/DSC02549.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
That was the end of day 2 in New York. We took the train back to our hotel in Newark for the night. The next morning we would be a 20 minute cab ride from joining another 3,200 people on the next part of our journey.<br />
<br />
First point of call on the cruise - Bar Harbor, Maine.<br />
Picture and story for Bar Harbor are on tap next time.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>I</b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b> PROVIDED JUST A TEASER OF THE NEW YORK PICTURES, THE TOTAL SET, COMPLETE WITH COMMENTARY, CAN BE FOUND</b></span> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157700235905821"><span style="color: red;"><b>HERE </b></span></a><br />
<br />
Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-49552654835170788202018-09-29T23:04:00.001-07:002018-09-30T15:19:21.617-07:00Day 3 Geocaching Merritt Area June 5Day 3 of the geocaching weekend seen us leave Cache Creek in the morning, cache around Ashcroft on the way down, then hit the Fraser Canyon as our pathway home to the Coast.<br />
<br />
In Ashcroft we did some city caches, and a few on the outskirts of the city, one was at a small farm outlet store on the bench land above Ashcroft. They sold their own brand of jams and preserves, as well as other locally produced items.<br />
Always happy to see these small enterprises and we bought a few things to take home as a way of helping them and as a way to say "thanks" for letting a geocacher put a cache in the antique farm tractor on your property.<br />
<br />
Another cool stop of interest was in just outside of Lytton. There was an yard artist whom welded all kinds of junk together to make life size art pieces that were easily recognizable. Every thing from eagles to motorcycles to people had been created, you have to watch the video to see how creative this guy was.<br />
<br />
The last clip on the video shows an old mile signboard located in the Fraser Canyon. It's a bit faded now and somewhat hidden, however it's heritage goes back to the motor crazy days and hot summers of years gone by.<br />
<br />
Many years ago, before there was the Coquihalla Highway, the only route to the Interior of BC was the Fraser Canyon. During the heat of the summer, it heats to 100 degrees in the canyon, and long lines of traffic would flow like snakes around the bends and turns in the Canyon. Very little support services except at Boston Bar, and little in the way to tell how much further to go to your destination.<br />
<br />
After a long hot drive on the road you knew you were getting somewhat close to home in Vancouver when you seen the wooden mileage sign telling you the distance to Vancouver, Seattle, and even San Francisco should that be your ultimate destination.<br />
<br />
As a young lad driving my first car with many free weekends at my leisure, quite often I could be found doing long day drives to points north of Vancouver. That sign is etched in my mind as a mental signpost to how much further and how much longer to home<br />
<br />
I had forgotten all about that signpost until a geocacher placed a cache there as part of the Gold Country series which incorporates story telling of the Gold Rush days in the Interior with geocacches placed at historical locations to help spotlight the area for visitors.<br />
<br />
Enjoy the video, it's a short one but shows the never changing scenery of the dry interior and the rivers that carve their way along plateaus that are remnants of mountains ground down by glaciers.<br />
The sharp eyed geologists will pick out the vast glacial tills of sand that the train tracks cut through. One look and you know a land slide is just waiting to happen .<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V9NlUU81K6Q" width="560"></iframe>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-91434386758072319532018-07-19T21:24:00.001-07:002018-07-19T22:59:13.732-07:00Day 2 Geocaching Merritt Area June 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_wey7xcJgw1ecLUMBOJBuZ41sxThF18It47ut7rDsv7XwmUMREFvU4_nWQIDYGyc0FsDFEIJzJiz9RCEj7eP5k7f0LHrqBHTLjp-CvOlZN_kWqiz1LDl9eRsHzpJkELmciyahQ/s1600/Mine+1.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="720" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_wey7xcJgw1ecLUMBOJBuZ41sxThF18It47ut7rDsv7XwmUMREFvU4_nWQIDYGyc0FsDFEIJzJiz9RCEj7eP5k7f0LHrqBHTLjp-CvOlZN_kWqiz1LDl9eRsHzpJkELmciyahQ/s320/Mine+1.mp4" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
PS - Don't worry if the pictures appear as video. It's a result of exporting a screen snip from the video software tool.<br />
<br />
Day2 of the Geocaching adventure would take us from Merritt north through Logan Lake and then west to Ashcroft. This path would take us along a string of caches that paralleled the large Highland Valley Copper Mine, one of the largest open pit mines in Canada.<br />
<br />
This string of caches could be considered a "power trail" where the emphasis is on finding as many caches in a row as possible. On the one hand it was fun to grab so many caches so close together. On the other hand we were jumping out of the truck every 600 feet or so. The poor truck would barely get up to speed before you had to pull over again.<br />
And the caches were boring, just small containers hanging in trees or stuck behind a rock.<br />
Having said that, as a cache owner, I know how much work it is to put out 50 or so caches in a row, create the cache pages on geocaching.com, and have to maintain them when one got damaged or went missing.<br />
That is a huge amount of work and kudos to the cache owner for spending that much time so his fellow geocachers could enjoy the day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3GO7MKujy4rTfhjDhFbQipM4_5t8sd62LASeoqKdsPLONIRhqss2nB6iiOrsBey3-chvNm0ofbYrym-LrUlhGsnX2wOSn0KN3FL1YI2K1KU0K26BL4NCOTf4553gEVqDpx9Dyw/s1600/Cabin.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="720" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3GO7MKujy4rTfhjDhFbQipM4_5t8sd62LASeoqKdsPLONIRhqss2nB6iiOrsBey3-chvNm0ofbYrym-LrUlhGsnX2wOSn0KN3FL1YI2K1KU0K26BL4NCOTf4553gEVqDpx9Dyw/s320/Cabin.mp4" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The one cache that we really enjoyed finding on this stretch of the way was an old miner's cabin up in the woods. The logging operations had pushed roads close to the cabin so the access to the cabin was made easier. To top it off this was a Gold Country geocache, one where you could gather a sticker from the geocache and count it towards your "collection" of Gold Country caches you need to find to to work towards gettin a "gold" bar geocoin to show you had visited 24 of these historic locations.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This was the highlight of the day, if not the weekend. We were really glad to have taken the time to get off the beaten path and find this tidbit of history. The mosquitoes and biting things were really happy we stopped by as well as they were getting pretty hungry.!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWuu75ihPA294HcCiifjBzNmm7sBfc2gfKDQrtX3__-xdm_qcsn1dn60vXDZNEBcOleZLs2mjYjHK9pPLs8FmHvbPtOpZzknjDa7Se9Pi1RPZUiIqZpuLwGIbHKjxZ8ueDpSRyA/s1600/Black+Canyon+View.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="720" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWuu75ihPA294HcCiifjBzNmm7sBfc2gfKDQrtX3__-xdm_qcsn1dn60vXDZNEBcOleZLs2mjYjHK9pPLs8FmHvbPtOpZzknjDa7Se9Pi1RPZUiIqZpuLwGIbHKjxZ8ueDpSRyA/s320/Black+Canyon+View.mp4" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Another one of my favourite caches was another Gold Country cache at Black Canyon. An old farm was on the end butte of the arid hills overlooking the Thompson River. With the sun shining bright on the land below, the greens of the valley stood out in contrast to the arid landscape in the area.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Not a lot to talk about for the caches themselves, the real treat was in the scenery and a chance to explore a bit more of Super Natural BC</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Enjoy the video below, you will see what we seen as we traveled through the beauty of the Thompson Plateau region of BC</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Winx2r3fhKs" width="560"></iframe>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-19404952134368733522018-07-07T22:30:00.000-07:002018-07-08T16:29:41.951-07:00Day 1 Geocaching Merritt Area June 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFg6kye55iKAoQoWtgQ4D4B3BFw_2Sl-C-aIR1th8_gwu_mwUmKHulfF7AGnEYYQ0XkzbvJtTvaTXmcY1ynM7PU9uRCwSnmIiPfvrSGq2OEC7QCaaOctudjgCHcgLS7kxoTV2KA/s1600/Vancouver+To+Merritt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="1468" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFg6kye55iKAoQoWtgQ4D4B3BFw_2Sl-C-aIR1th8_gwu_mwUmKHulfF7AGnEYYQ0XkzbvJtTvaTXmcY1ynM7PU9uRCwSnmIiPfvrSGq2OEC7QCaaOctudjgCHcgLS7kxoTV2KA/s320/Vancouver+To+Merritt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
At least once or twice a year two of my brothers and I wander up to the Merritt area for a three day weekend of geocaching from dawn to dusk, or so it seems.<br />
In reality, we typically find our first cache around 9.00 AM and continue straight through the day having a late lunch and an even later dinner well after the sun goes down.<br />
It's not unusual for us to break out the BFRs (big frigging flashlights) and continue for a couple of hours after dark. A 10.00 PM dinner at the local Boston Pizza seems to be the routine for us boys.<br />
<br />
It's a fun weekend for us to be just ourselves and be as carefree as we want with dirty pants, dirty hands, and dirty mouths - well, boys will be boys.<br />
I always find it interesting when siblings get together, they immediately fall into the family dynamics of "first born, second born, last born", etc harking back to their younger years in the family home.<br />
Even though two of us are retired, and the youngest of the bunch just a couple years away himself, it seems like we are all suddenly teenagers for the weekend. There is a certain comfort of the soul that is felt with being back in the family environment of our youth.<br />
<br />
So, Day 1 - here we are heading up from Vancouver to Merritt, a route we have taken many times and pretty well cached out the area on our various times through.<br />
On this trip there were a few new caches along the Coquihalla Highway, mostly at the Coldwater Rd junction.<br />
As we had previously found all the caches in Merritt that would interest us, it was time to start getting off the beaten path and take some of the forest service roads that would lead us in an indirect way to Merritt and our hotel room.<br />
<br />
We took the Coldwater Road exit and headed back east along Brookmere Road. Our aim was to follow Brookmere Rd through the small village of Brookmere, an old Kettle Valley Railway stop, and then follow the Voight Valley Rd to meet up with Kane Valley Rd, then follow a trail of geocaches that would lead us out to Hwy 5A and then cruise into Merritt for the night.<br />
<br />
These are all easy ranch type roads which wind through high country suitable for cattle and horse grazing. While there were no fantastic views to be had like rushing rivers and snow capped mountains, there was a certain serenity to the open grasslands where you had the feeling time had not changed the landscape much and the local people still worked and lived the same as the generation before them, and probably the one before that as well. <br />
<br />
Considering we left Vancouver around lunchtime, we had enjoyed a full day of caching, picking up the last of the caches just to the west of Merritt in Lower Nicola which was one of the major First Nations population centres in the Nicola Valley in the early days.<br />
<br />
Keeping to our established habits, it was now 9.00 PM, sun was going done, caches were done for the day, and Boston Pizza was calling us with promises of a large pizza and a large pitcher of cool beer to share.<br />
<br />
Enjoy the video below; it shows Day One as we roamed the ranch land roads south east of Merritt.<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zTCMQ8DOAaM" width="560"></iframe>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com2Merritt, BC, Canada50.1113079 -120.786222250.0298519 -120.9475837 50.1927639 -120.6248607tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-76452269688285171922018-06-16T22:42:00.001-07:002018-06-17T23:23:54.673-07:00Quick Geocaching Trip To Kamloops Area <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpof2hu_20Jwd9K-Mpfg1VeEE0q4AZbqB14J6stYtNWG-Giz0yLUc8ePlBmEF4fz51C-Tesf5wLFWrZFaES5dj3-AP59xBhGb8Or5xGBPWqmc6YTH5JMVzkhxsa13GX13u6bY0Q/s1600/DSC02337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpof2hu_20Jwd9K-Mpfg1VeEE0q4AZbqB14J6stYtNWG-Giz0yLUc8ePlBmEF4fz51C-Tesf5wLFWrZFaES5dj3-AP59xBhGb8Or5xGBPWqmc6YTH5JMVzkhxsa13GX13u6bY0Q/s320/DSC02337.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
British Columbia on the West Coast of Canada is a mountainous region and if you drive on almost any highway in the province you will see these warning signs for truck drivers. To the rest of us, this just means a steep road and spectacular scenic views the mountains afford.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #e06666;">CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO SEE THE PICTURE FULL SIZE IN THE PHOTO ALBUM</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #e06666;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJHKw8NNYjmCal9GC4ED6gQMlIakZtjDy4uSR-nCOmlGJIzKtBZ6wxk5erjrk088CbYvBdDz2yNAaiEdbFARHc1qILN7GD0Hl7xgo9p-lIXqkAheIQebpSmAGKU4pzAVA1mKeEw/s1600/Trip+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1372" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJHKw8NNYjmCal9GC4ED6gQMlIakZtjDy4uSR-nCOmlGJIzKtBZ6wxk5erjrk088CbYvBdDz2yNAaiEdbFARHc1qILN7GD0Hl7xgo9p-lIXqkAheIQebpSmAGKU4pzAVA1mKeEw/s320/Trip+Map.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Brothers Ken and Al had to make a business trip to Blind Bay on Shuswap Lake, approx. 45 minutes east of Kamloops. While pondering whether the trip was worthwhile, they decided to turn it into a geocaching trip and that made all the difference in the world.<br />
<br />
A quick call to myself, and a couple of days later we were leaving Vancouver on the South West Coast and heading up country to Kamloops.<br />
<b>Bowser98, MrTJ, and TJGUY98 were on the road again ....</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPnliYDSV4vGH54WQVdM-H_M7FPqq3JEZsIO28Oen80RzVKovp_GNZXExQcJEHExOUzTvgVmX6EprD23U-fry1xgPrQGD-lm3zpjsdfndvI7hDGDuf4dU4j6gixpIyp8zEBPQRA/s1600/DSC02339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPnliYDSV4vGH54WQVdM-H_M7FPqq3JEZsIO28Oen80RzVKovp_GNZXExQcJEHExOUzTvgVmX6EprD23U-fry1xgPrQGD-lm3zpjsdfndvI7hDGDuf4dU4j6gixpIyp8zEBPQRA/s320/DSC02339.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was to be just an overnight trip so I researched around 80 caches, assuming we would be lucky if we hit 50 of them with all the traveling to do.<br />
I picked mostly city caches for the first day as we got into Kamloops after dinner, so our caching time would be limited on Day 1.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLz2jzL7fCK2NVSJ57tIdYHlbZW6fT6ZmtA9GV3mvhBagJ9EuVDgktILw63HvGZW796qbYoUDsBPQwAH0euKYaRzQHLyq4twNwu_6Y_270W1fORXVZi0KaqbKG6I0MsxjLVCAoUw/s1600/DSC02340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLz2jzL7fCK2NVSJ57tIdYHlbZW6fT6ZmtA9GV3mvhBagJ9EuVDgktILw63HvGZW796qbYoUDsBPQwAH0euKYaRzQHLyq4twNwu_6Y_270W1fORXVZi0KaqbKG6I0MsxjLVCAoUw/s320/DSC02340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
.<br />
There is a lot of history in BC but often it is tucked away rather than being on full display. On the south side of Kamloops, on the steep hillside above the city core, we found a cache at a weathered historical sign board. The back alley we just drove down was once part of the Nicola Wagon Road that connected Merritt in the south with Kamloops where the last remaining Hudson's Bay Trading Company outpost was located. The route itself probably followed an ancient trail used by the Shuswap People prior to the arrival of the first fur traders in 1812.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0zVnrWKrGmShfDf7KPGO52YTSU5HvGFIu7V0TGObKz05szwuiatmoVFGYH_fNV7-IQRzqZMwNeJpvJEETFs62EACuQ_xP_e9FiLomQbKMpgjtvk9ma5fvNJW16kTUSh_bm4HOg/s1600/DSC02341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0zVnrWKrGmShfDf7KPGO52YTSU5HvGFIu7V0TGObKz05szwuiatmoVFGYH_fNV7-IQRzqZMwNeJpvJEETFs62EACuQ_xP_e9FiLomQbKMpgjtvk9ma5fvNJW16kTUSh_bm4HOg/s320/DSC02341.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We make an annual geocaching trip to the Kamloops area so this offers us the chance to go back and find some of those caches we could not find last time. We looked for a micro cache in the rock wall for over an hour last year and came up empty. This year we came back and within 7 minutes had the cache in hand - go figure!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6goSf8YutpC7W7KrVCotuwfhlmf0CUz_2ElXtWehisihMv5a-KFs-lo_lx2-X2Cq1nXXkUGFdXQ4oguNH1wDASvZO099O4UEw0ur_2IiZU1HmoJZm41hVqEbMeKF4CbVouGXRA/s1600/DSC02342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6goSf8YutpC7W7KrVCotuwfhlmf0CUz_2ElXtWehisihMv5a-KFs-lo_lx2-X2Cq1nXXkUGFdXQ4oguNH1wDASvZO099O4UEw0ur_2IiZU1HmoJZm41hVqEbMeKF4CbVouGXRA/s320/DSC02342.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On Day 2 we had to get the business part of the trip done, which was to pick up some business materials east of Kamloops in Blind Bay. But that doesn't mean we had to drive straight there; taking the scenic route is always an option.Blind Bay Village is one of the many that line the shore of multi-branched Shuswap Lake. Blind Bay has a small population that swells in summertime when the tourists arrive dragging their boats over the mountains from Vancouver and Alberta to play in the sun.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwzvAJV2zrm7wqAMvkQLr83JlGdNF9WJfpvzZexDV6CkEWkTjeq-x10kJqroOTEt1IaAQq-kOUbP57-RwhMTmmDlp7hGjInQOe8pI7CPAijuyxfJKePlUKmOaK5frxtd9d8p6jA/s1600/DSC02344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwzvAJV2zrm7wqAMvkQLr83JlGdNF9WJfpvzZexDV6CkEWkTjeq-x10kJqroOTEt1IaAQq-kOUbP57-RwhMTmmDlp7hGjInQOe8pI7CPAijuyxfJKePlUKmOaK5frxtd9d8p6jA/s320/DSC02344.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But in this part of the country all roads eventually lead you back to the Trans Canada Highway. Adventurous tourists with time on their hands can dip their toes in either the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast, or the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast, and then drive the entire 7,821 kilometres to the other ocean to repeat the feat at the conclusion of their adventure. In doing so they would have driven right down this stretch of highway - "hey, there they go !!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGSaSCr3VzEmfrvQwRak6gUyH4WPFpHebJs-QgNpBb6SG4UWuI12vQMHPWbNTwVGOQGPl-j0BcpxsVdaSGybD0hwooY6X0bf1hvb8cobpIeNb_nPNney4FfgFq_wARpqazOI5ZA/s1600/DSC02345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGSaSCr3VzEmfrvQwRak6gUyH4WPFpHebJs-QgNpBb6SG4UWuI12vQMHPWbNTwVGOQGPl-j0BcpxsVdaSGybD0hwooY6X0bf1hvb8cobpIeNb_nPNney4FfgFq_wARpqazOI5ZA/s320/DSC02345.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
To prove that geocaching is not all hustle and bustle, Bowser98 took a moment in time to hold up a Stop sign for MrTJ while he found and signed a geocache. Teamwork - it makes everything easy. "What was I doing you ask"? Well, taking pictures and chronicling our road trip of course.! Psst - you can't trust either one of those guys with a camera! 👎<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SIUZ_HcLMRveHgWaokEb14_UJjoWRRmuhARnQOTAq6G2SHSfsBgBhlzYzAzkHE2DCdMQKpLaG0JsYqE7qidDSwVfUG-O-wb8zpO7ZKsLUhmkAJ4swWT-il_FODu5N1IyY6MlJg/s1600/DSC02352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SIUZ_HcLMRveHgWaokEb14_UJjoWRRmuhARnQOTAq6G2SHSfsBgBhlzYzAzkHE2DCdMQKpLaG0JsYqE7qidDSwVfUG-O-wb8zpO7ZKsLUhmkAJ4swWT-il_FODu5N1IyY6MlJg/s320/DSC02352.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfo0nTwXfQ3p5GEoRqaYRD3TUEJOdH8hGqCackUJwsnOA1yin_L-d_oEA9IN4tHneTeZ-ciSeKP9zS9fRjg-HGXmikApt1SADd4Oqz-yOz5g_dinZcKcyaFulxcnpjecGIZUR0A/s1600/DSC02354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfo0nTwXfQ3p5GEoRqaYRD3TUEJOdH8hGqCackUJwsnOA1yin_L-d_oEA9IN4tHneTeZ-ciSeKP9zS9fRjg-HGXmikApt1SADd4Oqz-yOz5g_dinZcKcyaFulxcnpjecGIZUR0A/s320/DSC02354.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Near the highway in a shopping complex on the outskirts of Blind Bay is an old Case Steam tractor and a small wooden covered chuck wagon. Remnants of two different eras of work vehicles used 100 years apart but both an integral part of the work force.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjZhWB8jGJ5LsxelYyubIeN-0oWe5FhoEgF8NgLfi9akG5VHXgyXWQAfk4H2-dFQyob019S_J1rY-HEitfkeAGcIHDLxqpsSBfzH_wq2_WadR68zDT5_9yIZCl81i6rAOuLSHCA/s1600/DSC02360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjZhWB8jGJ5LsxelYyubIeN-0oWe5FhoEgF8NgLfi9akG5VHXgyXWQAfk4H2-dFQyob019S_J1rY-HEitfkeAGcIHDLxqpsSBfzH_wq2_WadR68zDT5_9yIZCl81i6rAOuLSHCA/s320/DSC02360.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Boating is what Shuswap Lake is all about. The multi pronged lake forms the letter "H" which offers endless boating opportunities for all kinds of boats. The lake is usually calm so houseboats are a big hit on the lake, as are speed boats pulling water skiers and assorted inflatable ride along rafts.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL__nK3D70R3n1UnTYlI91HVyh-RpvTZn_sCiaIjt333ZbbdXNFMaaWy0n7AIBiBfqgxtV8Pg_bMFfXUMdWu4LYi1OU29p5i7N7adYuQqeIwvlaWbn2Daud3KUhB5uJ2CaMC5ZMw/s1600/DSC02365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL__nK3D70R3n1UnTYlI91HVyh-RpvTZn_sCiaIjt333ZbbdXNFMaaWy0n7AIBiBfqgxtV8Pg_bMFfXUMdWu4LYi1OU29p5i7N7adYuQqeIwvlaWbn2Daud3KUhB5uJ2CaMC5ZMw/s320/DSC02365.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
With the warm spring, vegetation had a good head start on the growing season and many of the caches we would look for would be covered over with this year's growth. That's MrTJ in the bush in case you are wondering. Hidden under the bush was the high water level of the lake and MrTJ had to balance on a semi-submerged log to retrieve the cache.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPQVynjhESGMuYlshKK7-ipEwBS4nLVn-SbQZl_b7NfJa7y8C6lZ8QB7Hjup-hQXA2BPIUZb8O760CLV844Grt2eb7nTilyo_hytWfpskbUcVdNQmyB6y0W05EDDicR18dwXv9g/s1600/DSC02362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPQVynjhESGMuYlshKK7-ipEwBS4nLVn-SbQZl_b7NfJa7y8C6lZ8QB7Hjup-hQXA2BPIUZb8O760CLV844Grt2eb7nTilyo_hytWfpskbUcVdNQmyB6y0W05EDDicR18dwXv9g/s320/DSC02362.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuC_ll-nVXUiiL8SJFuNBqQsZuh2HT1eA9u4mOudxAdyoW_2emQXz_AWiikBKwp7cRxw5AuhtOqAXiyVxsZ6FYnTFr0_rMhyphenhyphenQMDOEEgs1crj6dp3wvhC8iaM97545eQ2DMaJ6GA/s1600/DSC02363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuC_ll-nVXUiiL8SJFuNBqQsZuh2HT1eA9u4mOudxAdyoW_2emQXz_AWiikBKwp7cRxw5AuhtOqAXiyVxsZ6FYnTFr0_rMhyphenhyphenQMDOEEgs1crj6dp3wvhC8iaM97545eQ2DMaJ6GA/s320/DSC02363.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The semi arid landscape of the BC Interior provides good land for growing fruit, with apples being the traditional crop.<br />
I can still see this old pair of work partners working in tandem in an orchard. The McCormick Farmall tractor and it's flat bed trailer would haul the boxes of apples out of the orchards to an access road, then the old Fargo truck would take the load into town. Synchronicity in team work gets the job done. Just like us three geocachers - Bowser98 guides us to the cache site, MrTJ gets all dirty and covered in leaves while he retrieves the cache, and I take the pictures and write up a story to regale our friends of the fun we had while out and about. Like I said "Synchronicity" !!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogFu_f5l38QNbLUy8FVcYnL0RvWjxGWWpnj-ww3SdwR2HGTuWn4b5MUvKHIyBPluqTm-nlHCUTED6OCJ7sQK9bZTkuLSltjkys_z5jvGJqk4nLG51x1v8ymRzdh0NDv35t9gPYw/s1600/DSC02372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogFu_f5l38QNbLUy8FVcYnL0RvWjxGWWpnj-ww3SdwR2HGTuWn4b5MUvKHIyBPluqTm-nlHCUTED6OCJ7sQK9bZTkuLSltjkys_z5jvGJqk4nLG51x1v8ymRzdh0NDv35t9gPYw/s320/DSC02372.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We only had time for a few more caches near Sorrento and Chase before we had to head back down to the Coast and our homes in the Vancouver area.<br />
The Coquihalla Highway is one of those mountain pass highways mentioned at the beginning of the story. Average winter snow pack at roadside is 8 feet. The snow that falls during the winter is not measured in inches but in dozens of feet. The highest summit the road crosses is 4,738 feet, which is only 500 feet short of a mile high.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNgASJ0UGBDn0mf6hdY0K6VzXtypw_B6lbkNbwIupMxgNPMl5JKcJ0tBAb2KitO0o_1nrq8JlNkXVtUe-jeGFqBf4BqFp7iNLYxtmqFkxcPDZCar4t17NHOBDgIDexbDLGp8lSw/s1600/DSC02376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNgASJ0UGBDn0mf6hdY0K6VzXtypw_B6lbkNbwIupMxgNPMl5JKcJ0tBAb2KitO0o_1nrq8JlNkXVtUe-jeGFqBf4BqFp7iNLYxtmqFkxcPDZCar4t17NHOBDgIDexbDLGp8lSw/s320/DSC02376.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTiNSOLzkIkcziXJCHr0nqxDwEsmFhEzBYln-kMHp6-XlEOtKIolr8KdaaQJTBW5rpEv_bG-uFD-_6inGu7Ny5677y7MoRitTouHnDWWkMECSn9f7kNAnroEFqn60iYMg5RNcew/s1600/DSC02377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTiNSOLzkIkcziXJCHr0nqxDwEsmFhEzBYln-kMHp6-XlEOtKIolr8KdaaQJTBW5rpEv_bG-uFD-_6inGu7Ny5677y7MoRitTouHnDWWkMECSn9f7kNAnroEFqn60iYMg5RNcew/s320/DSC02377.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Even in late spring and early summer there is still plenty of snow to be seen. There were patches of snow at the edge of the road 3-4 feet deep in places.The 22 degree weather we enjoyed all day dropped down to 8 degrees as we crossed through the mountains.<br />
<br />
Before we knew it Day 2 was over and we were back home late in the evening. Although it was a quick trip we still manged to find 51 caches and seen a lot more of Super Natural BC.<br />
On top of all that, the three brothers got to act like teenagers again instead of respectful husbands and fathers - good times! :)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">ALL PICTURES ON THIS TRIP CAN BE FOUND</span> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157696949698834"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span> </a><span style="color: blue;">ON MY FLICKR WEBSITE</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">MANY MORE PICTURES FROM PREVIOUS TRIPS CAN BE</span> <span style="color: blue;">FOUND </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums"><span style="color: red;">HERE </span></a><span style="color: blue;">ON AT MY MAIN FLICKR PAGE</span></span><br />
<br />Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-35328056457580172822018-03-27T21:47:00.000-07:002018-03-27T21:59:23.162-07:00Last Day On Maui<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdjpehLnZc-VqAsEtUet5n5zGTjhyPwfXOPZ7QaOQWbIQbLHbDHgUOQ1x44zUHyemcKJZ0aH91rsWqNdXUua85C86abhSbtlHUdNTMFOtzmUla1wlqb05dVYxptVtDCVrIA3dxg/s1600/DSC02231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdjpehLnZc-VqAsEtUet5n5zGTjhyPwfXOPZ7QaOQWbIQbLHbDHgUOQ1x44zUHyemcKJZ0aH91rsWqNdXUua85C86abhSbtlHUdNTMFOtzmUla1wlqb05dVYxptVtDCVrIA3dxg/s320/DSC02231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Last day on Maui and a less hectic day to wrap up the holiday. Flight time was 7.30 PM so we spent the day by doing a bit of site seeing and hitting a couple of spots that we had not yet visited during the week.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFiacxKSs-xYlb0vMkGWGgqju0m5kC5oP-BgyWizlIMmKiwzmesfFOpYQBDrwwkzA5o5GKrqqNvkTZpEljYKRvsOH618XZ0OzSGobME7RnD9vHI9UuHo9qvjZrH3nVSkgD1OkxQ/s1600/DSC02228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFiacxKSs-xYlb0vMkGWGgqju0m5kC5oP-BgyWizlIMmKiwzmesfFOpYQBDrwwkzA5o5GKrqqNvkTZpEljYKRvsOH618XZ0OzSGobME7RnD9vHI9UuHo9qvjZrH3nVSkgD1OkxQ/s320/DSC02228.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
First stop was the old Lahaina Jailhouse where there was a geocache hidden in a 1923 Model "T" Ford touring car. Not much left of the car but there was enough metal to hide a cache so I was happy.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Click on any picture to see a full size version of them</span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3DHz0eOwN95VQRH3DNBDdD-Z8ozzedJMlpsxoIyjiyHTLSawSfGQBwzxrAQQTRPF95SsimdBkyDoHNjDRiKftpS43BiUzpw4XoyQmRMQ1QN54W8-HG80YLPpQpyGoaNbPLgVSg/s1600/DSC02240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3DHz0eOwN95VQRH3DNBDdD-Z8ozzedJMlpsxoIyjiyHTLSawSfGQBwzxrAQQTRPF95SsimdBkyDoHNjDRiKftpS43BiUzpw4XoyQmRMQ1QN54W8-HG80YLPpQpyGoaNbPLgVSg/s320/DSC02240.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The afternoon was spent at the Maui Ocean Centre, an average ocean aquarium but with an awesome walk through tank that had sharks and Manta Rays gliding over your head.<br />
Various free standing tanks or small buildings housed indoor tanks where you could see everything from reef and coral inhabitants, to the more delicate creatures like seahorses.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemov1T2jRRmRaj3m1-znIdlYS2PkUSCtBIvoZOSdNlC5KWzXibPAuCEpcWY7qqPugS3_OFmqYS8zfE3L1z1vX1NP3Mxjav57jc7Tr8yZ3oieEbokC7YiaQNVuAuyXn9SidFt0gw/s1600/DSC02252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemov1T2jRRmRaj3m1-znIdlYS2PkUSCtBIvoZOSdNlC5KWzXibPAuCEpcWY7qqPugS3_OFmqYS8zfE3L1z1vX1NP3Mxjav57jc7Tr8yZ3oieEbokC7YiaQNVuAuyXn9SidFt0gw/s320/DSC02252.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2clzhLStiflC1eEYZkPkK13u5YJEK-_-uPr6vVMvSFyd4gfO26ODobpIHB4A_uReCkBPhMQd7Yw7FBAQmyDTnFdhBfJ9L4odwsDs9l23QZJb6BP05LYSPxSzDbV9MOblPSHIofw/s1600/DSC02266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2clzhLStiflC1eEYZkPkK13u5YJEK-_-uPr6vVMvSFyd4gfO26ODobpIHB4A_uReCkBPhMQd7Yw7FBAQmyDTnFdhBfJ9L4odwsDs9l23QZJb6BP05LYSPxSzDbV9MOblPSHIofw/s320/DSC02266.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Sadly this was the only good picture I was able to get inside the walk through tunnel. This exhibit alone was worth the price of admission<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-OXB9h1WVitgEmk2O_U6vPErCXgA3mHlt5qzej0iwvXiedDHJbfNPW343VtFPcdhdL3kVpzM2QYIDqtDh1dYa-uKRHyIYK4SfhSxpXieUDu-9fstpXz5aDDUhBhFJ4RZ1__gPA/s1600/DSC02260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-OXB9h1WVitgEmk2O_U6vPErCXgA3mHlt5qzej0iwvXiedDHJbfNPW343VtFPcdhdL3kVpzM2QYIDqtDh1dYa-uKRHyIYK4SfhSxpXieUDu-9fstpXz5aDDUhBhFJ4RZ1__gPA/s320/DSC02260.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Annette looks menacingly at Ed who is wandering around muttering "pretty sure there is a lever some where around here that operates the shark head"......<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw94BDdIAwSiLCiN2PpRf8mezVINoN8eG02LfhCzMo94ihjllZX_-frjP4uBYIXJOVCQEgnAZqx9hRIMCjMaibLhbE6e0_VzLBWg0Dj5AdCG_lfrciHkhBdqeInDL_696HBjQC1w/s1600/DSC02271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw94BDdIAwSiLCiN2PpRf8mezVINoN8eG02LfhCzMo94ihjllZX_-frjP4uBYIXJOVCQEgnAZqx9hRIMCjMaibLhbE6e0_VzLBWg0Dj5AdCG_lfrciHkhBdqeInDL_696HBjQC1w/s320/DSC02271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
While we still had the rental car we ran up the North Coast of the island to Ho'okipa Beach where we could see Green Sea Turtles. Funny thing is, we where here 3 days ago and did not know the turtles where here. If we had walked 30 feet to the edge of the small hill and looked over we would have seen them.<br />
But here we are back again and glad we came to see them and spend some time watching them. Well, they are turtles after all so they don't move too fast, but we watched 5-6 arrive and take up residence on the beach. This is an active beach with surfers constantly going in and coming out of the water but the turtles and the surfers seem to avoid each other and we did not see any conflicts while we were there. The beach goers are allowed to walk around the turtles as long as they keep their distance, but the public like ourselves had to keep their distance to allow the turtles their quiet time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdeXWaAi2kLaHVC-rRa7siwoViuboRSqN_BcxN31QQdZEUnVyBDzIfAzfEwOVN-oTrWKAJyBic6bpEn6np3k_WP8szq3deAJrkQ07Ky8D5Yt_CibWYo6Vb7P4CGLN5SBilg346Q/s1600/DSC02270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdeXWaAi2kLaHVC-rRa7siwoViuboRSqN_BcxN31QQdZEUnVyBDzIfAzfEwOVN-oTrWKAJyBic6bpEn6np3k_WP8szq3deAJrkQ07Ky8D5Yt_CibWYo6Vb7P4CGLN5SBilg346Q/s320/DSC02270.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
There were approximately 50 Green Sea turtles on the beach, the turtles get their name from the colour of their skin. The turtles have a long life span of 80 years and grow to five feet when adults and can weigh up to 700 lbs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNhMnoFPq5A6o309T2S7kSuVLIaiIxxmW-9GOJ-Fac3e7IhlHBLwkWbV9bba1R5dbuTxOq42NW9qWVFnVypfsot7Vtdpgt0dYLnP_EuwYvip9fVJX_k7K-21tJaC3X33Fx-y1Ag/s1600/DSC02276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNhMnoFPq5A6o309T2S7kSuVLIaiIxxmW-9GOJ-Fac3e7IhlHBLwkWbV9bba1R5dbuTxOq42NW9qWVFnVypfsot7Vtdpgt0dYLnP_EuwYvip9fVJX_k7K-21tJaC3X33Fx-y1Ag/s320/DSC02276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlQ6nmisH0CLizZUvimJ03xIZT-T4zIzS5T44PdGDBlTXaLuv5dFjah4Ie2qoJV09b_H32dbMMlyIoXNLxYQsHAYfwm-aVvdbTnnazozjkVSC3B3qLU5r4f2MduDaNJNMMaglRg/s1600/DSC02274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlQ6nmisH0CLizZUvimJ03xIZT-T4zIzS5T44PdGDBlTXaLuv5dFjah4Ie2qoJV09b_H32dbMMlyIoXNLxYQsHAYfwm-aVvdbTnnazozjkVSC3B3qLU5r4f2MduDaNJNMMaglRg/s320/DSC02274.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8c9oSHlRxDT3GcVPnq1l6JcdEdxGSe1JhI43kWlB5yW-ae2RW5Z9hBmR1x0Uu30NawFsK7o_ddTknCuuOifoUX0deEpSv4zaJWJr3toTnfpyPHB9vig1IjK3BIO_o_PrKz1Swmw/s1600/DSC02268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8c9oSHlRxDT3GcVPnq1l6JcdEdxGSe1JhI43kWlB5yW-ae2RW5Z9hBmR1x0Uu30NawFsK7o_ddTknCuuOifoUX0deEpSv4zaJWJr3toTnfpyPHB9vig1IjK3BIO_o_PrKz1Swmw/s320/DSC02268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The Gathering - Green Sea Turtles resting on the beach, many of them covering themselves with sand to keep them from dehydrating in the sun.<br />
All in all a pretty cool sight to see and we were glad we made the drive out to catch this bit of Maui nature.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">All pictures from our last day can be see <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157694982718725">here</a> on my Flickr site</span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvR7Eu0IHOLEwAS_utpWmc6tY27rguKeLnnbYhHYkPiRpsfltCucgVe5Dv_W9cu13pvM0rWdb2MS85Q048xROLyFobgznxjI4I4bkO1vrfI9QL1szZeniEFMqiIy9qJDn5yUqunQ/s1600/DSC02277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvR7Eu0IHOLEwAS_utpWmc6tY27rguKeLnnbYhHYkPiRpsfltCucgVe5Dv_W9cu13pvM0rWdb2MS85Q048xROLyFobgznxjI4I4bkO1vrfI9QL1szZeniEFMqiIy9qJDn5yUqunQ/s320/DSC02277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Last look at the beach for my Baby before we jump in the car and head to the airport to await our flight.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jSeoHjDRyHJso8yGBh1j7W-K3GQgoYaqpu84eJKLTS5tYyeamCy5UBrMBy4PyfsX0NK-1jWbXYwFv6aUMzzzca8SzFbuRLKYQ_074ybecogOS6mdFjl-a2TOKNSeX6RVF_IBxQ/s1600/DSC02282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jSeoHjDRyHJso8yGBh1j7W-K3GQgoYaqpu84eJKLTS5tYyeamCy5UBrMBy4PyfsX0NK-1jWbXYwFv6aUMzzzca8SzFbuRLKYQ_074ybecogOS6mdFjl-a2TOKNSeX6RVF_IBxQ/s320/DSC02282.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Saddest picture of the whole trip - bags are packed and just waiting for our plane to arrive so we can board that old jet plane that takes us away from paradise and back to our day-to-day world.<br />
BUT - we will be back to enjoy the Sun and Surf again.<br />
<br />Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-90042816119358135332017-12-10T20:18:00.004-08:002017-12-10T20:19:26.477-08:00Maui Day 5 Helicopter Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCFmjZiQsmy1vk0fmyMeBayr5yw4kcQsHA_FbYlpmkIx8ma2I6mehcJY-SQQP13kBXokpT0JUXChhyphenhyphenYul03wJbk0DMRNhI-gANv-5FDg10TH4C0cNuZvtQ4iKWDopLNP-ZsAS-Q/s1600/DSC02113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCFmjZiQsmy1vk0fmyMeBayr5yw4kcQsHA_FbYlpmkIx8ma2I6mehcJY-SQQP13kBXokpT0JUXChhyphenhyphenYul03wJbk0DMRNhI-gANv-5FDg10TH4C0cNuZvtQ4iKWDopLNP-ZsAS-Q/s320/DSC02113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Maui Day 5 had an early morning helicopter tour on the itinerary. It took a 12 hour tour yesterday to see the island of Maui from the ground. Today we would see the same territory and much more in only an hour.Two tours providing very different points of view of the same scenery, both of them worth the money. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i>CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO SEE THE PICTURES FULL SIZE</i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmCDXCJYnltgzM005hrkwnPjlEdBho8FzY0gupejXCV9oXVOCT9wxxxozvxHYPTwAgmlR1S03xFVYz2SU4viKNNYmFTNfyPHya-2jTeIhnKyb0mR_i_J7ceLx0pFcZZN_Ub9IlQ/s1600/DSC02114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmCDXCJYnltgzM005hrkwnPjlEdBho8FzY0gupejXCV9oXVOCT9wxxxozvxHYPTwAgmlR1S03xFVYz2SU4viKNNYmFTNfyPHya-2jTeIhnKyb0mR_i_J7ceLx0pFcZZN_Ub9IlQ/s320/DSC02114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was the first time in a helicopter for me, although I have been in small two seat planes many times, even flown them on the sly, but that is another story. :)<br />
Annette had been on a very memorable doors-off helicopter tour around the mountains north of Maple Ridge flying over the twin peaks of Mt. Blanshard, known locally as "Golden Ears". Fantastic views of the tops of the mountains, small tarns (alpine lakes), glaciers, and vistas in the back country mountains not usually seen by man due to the impossible terrain. She was a lucky girl to get to go on that private tour, today would be another highly memorable sight seeing trip from up high.<br />
<br />
We splurged on the more expensive tour as we wanted to ensure ourselves of the better views the more expensive tour brought as they employed newer helicopters with the wide glass windows which afforded better views for the occupants.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdzfI9iuZwFRExZhNAvUFzsuNtgDCaoa-9QBoQd04c5U-BlMqQT1cHJ_0Kv02YlUrrAhVE-Esd2vYq0KK0h7Y8Vcqwgxv4ji91UMipFo6EJaKEvAHM7aIoE4igUwDwzH50R4eYw/s1600/DSC02117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdzfI9iuZwFRExZhNAvUFzsuNtgDCaoa-9QBoQd04c5U-BlMqQT1cHJ_0Kv02YlUrrAhVE-Esd2vYq0KK0h7Y8Vcqwgxv4ji91UMipFo6EJaKEvAHM7aIoE4igUwDwzH50R4eYw/s320/DSC02117.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Besides, the tour brought huge smiles to Annette's face, and I'm a sucker to do anything that makes her smile.That's why we have cats even though I am allergic to them. When people ask me "why did I agree to bring home a cat, let alone two"? My answer is simple. "Cause they make her smile"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJBe9jSl0OjFFP2cWuwkYr1uWMpXZ9-iT9ThftI7k4dxym2Dyb29A2gkBpJtR3EVYAJ3bUjr1tB9DmAd-IBgSpmqHsdkvkFVvHgKBvoBa9pC09_msEJdCrvnmnlvkE_X7jEAj4w/s1600/DSC02120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJBe9jSl0OjFFP2cWuwkYr1uWMpXZ9-iT9ThftI7k4dxym2Dyb29A2gkBpJtR3EVYAJ3bUjr1tB9DmAd-IBgSpmqHsdkvkFVvHgKBvoBa9pC09_msEJdCrvnmnlvkE_X7jEAj4w/s320/DSC02120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkajLZl0Y7UNZqMIZtHShyphenhyphenCsLIbTBRUkedzNB9djtHnqnJju_cpNmAd39hBHc51R2nso35v2imO9Kegx4o6_fVSA1Hdmn7hfeyqjaa9rMzcSKR58SNXU4oLpnICP_YoFE1Vkscw/s1600/DSC02121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkajLZl0Y7UNZqMIZtHShyphenhyphenCsLIbTBRUkedzNB9djtHnqnJju_cpNmAd39hBHc51R2nso35v2imO9Kegx4o6_fVSA1Hdmn7hfeyqjaa9rMzcSKR58SNXU4oLpnICP_YoFE1Vkscw/s320/DSC02121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Within a few short minutes our view of the island changed from a land based flat earth view to one of a soaring eagle Green smooth hills revealed themselves to be full of ripples and mini canyons. Our average speed was around 120 MPH but as the view was so expansive it seemed like we were only doing 30 MPH.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlMj5sfa3d2XDL-DLfGLTLU6SqgDRHVqSOHWyOkSHKhpLXgp7Pe56AM-JyP5iMQarFkoG5qn122-TDWU4eeOtkKE-hp2oehhZ4sJbNYCaciuzOya8WLzSp7XFvqFTDicOuQXZ1g/s1600/DSC02138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlMj5sfa3d2XDL-DLfGLTLU6SqgDRHVqSOHWyOkSHKhpLXgp7Pe56AM-JyP5iMQarFkoG5qn122-TDWU4eeOtkKE-hp2oehhZ4sJbNYCaciuzOya8WLzSp7XFvqFTDicOuQXZ1g/s320/DSC02138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We rose to 10,000 feet to get above the clouds to be able to view the Haleakala Observatory operated by the U.S. Air Force as part of the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing site (AMOS0 whatever that is.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtdCUx2Ezj0d6HDDGK7RITBxpZPFiiez2uzQrRadW_y6Sm3FMqlELzHgIsd51QzXmjoYnEeSeGqd_oDnJuwP3n2VYLipyPWq1DEc3sAnf4T15exEmexvw1c0ruqEoHSsYiaJD4Q/s1600/DSC02146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtdCUx2Ezj0d6HDDGK7RITBxpZPFiiez2uzQrRadW_y6Sm3FMqlELzHgIsd51QzXmjoYnEeSeGqd_oDnJuwP3n2VYLipyPWq1DEc3sAnf4T15exEmexvw1c0ruqEoHSsYiaJD4Q/s320/DSC02146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
When you drive by car around the island you lose track of the fact that the Hawaiian Islands are products of volcanic activity and are in reality all large volcanoes themselves. From the air it is easier to see the truth. In this picture alone there are 4 mini-craters through which the lava flowed when the main chimney was plugged.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUA11mFBDSaagwaEy3GyJj3gXRZG0a08A24cNu-qnGm3LbgAL4RsIztqAuFYx3GCSLPOLWpxZKqmsGwjre9m-HXPwCtQjfVZou1w7HvlZ3He8F3g6WVOzeiiMwrIGpug_SbVl3Sg/s1600/DSC02159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUA11mFBDSaagwaEy3GyJj3gXRZG0a08A24cNu-qnGm3LbgAL4RsIztqAuFYx3GCSLPOLWpxZKqmsGwjre9m-HXPwCtQjfVZou1w7HvlZ3He8F3g6WVOzeiiMwrIGpug_SbVl3Sg/s320/DSC02159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCxSfszNwlglZO4HhorRImR_asoc1ASZJ_DFZGXTVVXVAmZr7sz1Y_vXLik622VuwrKmmpM-NPQEa2zFIIXXzMTDVHDpIa1TZ74EbHMlcFX33NLiKxQz-WrdoSijQJiIIulVnXA/s1600/DSC02168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCxSfszNwlglZO4HhorRImR_asoc1ASZJ_DFZGXTVVXVAmZr7sz1Y_vXLik622VuwrKmmpM-NPQEa2zFIIXXzMTDVHDpIa1TZ74EbHMlcFX33NLiKxQz-WrdoSijQJiIIulVnXA/s320/DSC02168.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We circled Maui in a counter clockwise fashion, opposite of yesterday, so we seen the sights in reverse order. Even so it was pretty easy to know when we were over the wetter north coast of the island. This is the "tropical jungle" side of the island; much more lush vegetation and greenery to show for the extra rain fall. On the north-east coast dryer land has the mini craters all brown in their appearance. On this coast the mini-craters blended into the greenery of the jungle.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMJugbxg8d6P5KM2DuVvfx6YcMug7-DV_p0kiQAVLt1Ui0LcyodbIXa87DaPJzTRMPFkaQLYdLQjYaETVmlYsEc6OEC5dR-2MbGpsXfb1fome9T2CnrkvJEUVKAeKXqFbHgqA9A/s1600/DSC02180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMJugbxg8d6P5KM2DuVvfx6YcMug7-DV_p0kiQAVLt1Ui0LcyodbIXa87DaPJzTRMPFkaQLYdLQjYaETVmlYsEc6OEC5dR-2MbGpsXfb1fome9T2CnrkvJEUVKAeKXqFbHgqA9A/s320/DSC02180.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In North America, especially our home province of B.C., Ice Age glaciers and melt water runoff are responsible for most of the topography. In Hawaii, volcanoes and lava and rain have created all the land formations we surveyed from the comfort of our flying ship.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCO3iDWYwZCqdLoWzP5RRq7PqKlzjRi4Sv-bgUtWAcar6bFTuS-fQ2C1ZpDwACDtReTL9Bd5_Ammx7ys9BynbePXOh3b4Jq97AHygbNniVKZIt9zV-O5x4rT8HpFTu3f_ZdQyfZA/s1600/DSC02192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCO3iDWYwZCqdLoWzP5RRq7PqKlzjRi4Sv-bgUtWAcar6bFTuS-fQ2C1ZpDwACDtReTL9Bd5_Ammx7ys9BynbePXOh3b4Jq97AHygbNniVKZIt9zV-O5x4rT8HpFTu3f_ZdQyfZA/s320/DSC02192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u9Dpvb8rA56E_OTkZtiL9SwWj-GuG7gHN9t9DUvBLfhm-Scltvk9CSFrqvEYOJ52NnW2JSp2tCv7MxPO6EaNRa0b0D0jQ2BnKEcDyamEABLLiut8Q-A-5b5FWvyqfWUG1K8FLg/s1600/DSC02196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u9Dpvb8rA56E_OTkZtiL9SwWj-GuG7gHN9t9DUvBLfhm-Scltvk9CSFrqvEYOJ52NnW2JSp2tCv7MxPO6EaNRa0b0D0jQ2BnKEcDyamEABLLiut8Q-A-5b5FWvyqfWUG1K8FLg/s320/DSC02196.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Flying lower at 5,000 feet the rugged coast lines of the west shore were brought into close view for a treat for the eyes and the senses. Pity that pictures never can show the full beauty that the human eye can capture. It was a treat to know that were were seeing parts of the island that we would never have known about had we stuck with the car exploring on our own.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQgMOZnpGr0ktuftH-XU94iOQjlX4G3ZEz5Djpr9OBSdN0mNH36NHODzGuIkj8cLjB6TAPjwQfJIC09FZE8sru38XaQvNeNyWB9AsNB51Lf9Zgq35cVid6Do6v7lB3sF88A0f3g/s1600/DSC02202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQgMOZnpGr0ktuftH-XU94iOQjlX4G3ZEz5Djpr9OBSdN0mNH36NHODzGuIkj8cLjB6TAPjwQfJIC09FZE8sru38XaQvNeNyWB9AsNB51Lf9Zgq35cVid6Do6v7lB3sF88A0f3g/s320/DSC02202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Before too long we knew we were getting close to the end of the tour as civilization started to appear on the landscape in the form of small farms which edged all the way to the cliffs. I hope the farm animals are smart enough not to take that last step. !!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzKquG0Ru8Zu2LPIXZeR8rlNE8sotoPiW0-KCAH8W577BAdbCSfcTZHDade_F0i4LNn8aGe7iZKHQ0Fezuhy26Nn5hjFXKcIHBCnSwoU4XfmQTAiU9p6pA9-sj2iQIDrAURXFZw/s1600/DSC02208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzKquG0Ru8Zu2LPIXZeR8rlNE8sotoPiW0-KCAH8W577BAdbCSfcTZHDade_F0i4LNn8aGe7iZKHQ0Fezuhy26Nn5hjFXKcIHBCnSwoU4XfmQTAiU9p6pA9-sj2iQIDrAURXFZw/s320/DSC02208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A last pose in front of our whirlybird before we went inside to take off our bright yellow personal flotation devices and grabbed our souvenir recording of the flight. I thought it was pretty cool that the entire time we were on the flight a camera was recording your sight seeing and they made that available to you at the end of the tour. It was $25.00 which I thought was a pretty cheap memento to take home to be able to relive our really fun tour of paradise as seen from 10,000 feet.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;">The complete set of pictures highlighting Maui from 10,000 feet can be</span></i> <i><span style="color: blue;">seen</span> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157663524873718"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a> <span style="color: blue;">on my Flickr web site </span> </i></span><br />
.<br />
.<br />
Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-90509858790289112922017-11-27T22:37:00.000-08:002017-11-27T22:38:24.375-08:00Maui Days 2 - 3 - 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiXw68hXtSn7MAk-pQ4tnVfTpfm5AhrFtBCBjfn2JT4nVliTDEHnyepLiFd14KaIpsTkmOwbAoRzlQVbi8NNT1rwy18PN0MMyJ0ooCBrpQ8l8vyHLUdFp8DSYXzQhQwX7AYoHWQ/s1600/DSC01973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiXw68hXtSn7MAk-pQ4tnVfTpfm5AhrFtBCBjfn2JT4nVliTDEHnyepLiFd14KaIpsTkmOwbAoRzlQVbi8NNT1rwy18PN0MMyJ0ooCBrpQ8l8vyHLUdFp8DSYXzQhQwX7AYoHWQ/s320/DSC01973.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">DAY 2</span></u></b><br />
<br />
Day 2 was a quick skip to the north central coast to check out Ho'okipa Beach Park. We had heard it was pretty cool place to see, so we did the drive and had a look around the area. Unknown to us, we were only a hundred yards away from where the Green Sea Turtles pull themselves onto the beach to rest. We wold find out a few days later and return here on our last day on which we spent the day touring the island before we turned in the rental car and caught our flight home.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i>Click on any picture to see larger versions of them. The scenery deserves nothing less </i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCBnafWOZRRTT2khXC_6yTCZfL5gFqWVnkrgzEsf6pdAbs99rTYzHvWeg9pR5GPJJSrrKcQ-M31zg3Ksxnxp8KaYoS_vKiI-55FRZW3Xxt0FLVCTSF7gXFMkpRrtwE1zTz9rZ9w/s1600/DSC01977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCBnafWOZRRTT2khXC_6yTCZfL5gFqWVnkrgzEsf6pdAbs99rTYzHvWeg9pR5GPJJSrrKcQ-M31zg3Ksxnxp8KaYoS_vKiI-55FRZW3Xxt0FLVCTSF7gXFMkpRrtwE1zTz9rZ9w/s320/DSC01977.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">DAY 3</span></u></b><br />
<br />
Ensuring I looked like the tacky tourist I picked up an Hawaiian shirt and wore my Canucks hat for the day to hang around the beach. Sandals and long khaki shorts completed the picture of the snow white tourist from the world of cold.<br />
<br />
Annette and I organised a few tours/outings starting on Day 3, Annette had a stand up paddle board lesson scheduled in the morning and I was free to take the pictures.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTA8LmH5-ucTALOMF4Q9jAUxx487Kkyy-L16qQa70LJy-EzBbPIwkxtOnp19F_s1CdKwaYPsxsJJeYjTMUD3sS8V089poUdN_QIIKWvE6VoOkdjZ5wT65IP35IvEZRuwL5QGkhog/s1600/DSC01981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTA8LmH5-ucTALOMF4Q9jAUxx487Kkyy-L16qQa70LJy-EzBbPIwkxtOnp19F_s1CdKwaYPsxsJJeYjTMUD3sS8V089poUdN_QIIKWvE6VoOkdjZ5wT65IP35IvEZRuwL5QGkhog/s320/DSC01981.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwwQd8FFBNNqbSLj0UwDXt8GiSrv1YWlVRTH669F5g0aTzdhb8Lzdg4kScjKu_eTHRPHjxb2IsAtoSVi4OyJ2QLTBL57y6pOEFtMVnY-nD-QqMolA5iRilRUlMY3NTg7DRHQc2A/s1600/DSC01986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwwQd8FFBNNqbSLj0UwDXt8GiSrv1YWlVRTH669F5g0aTzdhb8Lzdg4kScjKu_eTHRPHjxb2IsAtoSVi4OyJ2QLTBL57y6pOEFtMVnY-nD-QqMolA5iRilRUlMY3NTg7DRHQc2A/s320/DSC01986.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
With instructions from their instructor the small group headed off down the shore for practice near the shoreline. Annette later said it was difficult to get the hang of the standing on the board as the waves kept pushing her off balance.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9k8looJld6r5wN-8RJ6HzKPu71ERayBb0bBBe5PG5T37h1z8k8t2JT1OXcG9cLjhyH_uS7ANTxlgHU4Zc9FXUrEy9AYkgI_cI8NK0VqWsugP7PtxcxTOySehmfpD8kib5eAsgQ/s1600/DSC01993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9k8looJld6r5wN-8RJ6HzKPu71ERayBb0bBBe5PG5T37h1z8k8t2JT1OXcG9cLjhyH_uS7ANTxlgHU4Zc9FXUrEy9AYkgI_cI8NK0VqWsugP7PtxcxTOySehmfpD8kib5eAsgQ/s320/DSC01993.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
When they got back to the launch area Annette had managed to stand up a few times but it was as clearly not as easy as you think it should be.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3CCl1U1rCLGADcTEK-Zt2yc1-h6j309PV2rH92fXhfnD_sH7oZuw_zksthnHBBKjSpRT9VLb01UqPnGMOqgIB1_Q5HSWRcQzJ3u2DpTeNg41LHONaJUc0kFBVUaw1pCxBgYZXw/s1600/DSC01997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3CCl1U1rCLGADcTEK-Zt2yc1-h6j309PV2rH92fXhfnD_sH7oZuw_zksthnHBBKjSpRT9VLb01UqPnGMOqgIB1_Q5HSWRcQzJ3u2DpTeNg41LHONaJUc0kFBVUaw1pCxBgYZXw/s320/DSC01997.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0rwU_xsq92zWHthcgN9m3flQXiqiDbyG7W88kamtMSpVLMpMXqFejqxjjJCL9Ic0ReE_lNWRWrLrQIpF6MRKHO9wBEl2fkg9h8UJOrZhqUvG5iKLhdcSdUlh26zYo6GtLtUyZg/s1600/DSC01999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0rwU_xsq92zWHthcgN9m3flQXiqiDbyG7W88kamtMSpVLMpMXqFejqxjjJCL9Ic0ReE_lNWRWrLrQIpF6MRKHO9wBEl2fkg9h8UJOrZhqUvG5iKLhdcSdUlh26zYo6GtLtUyZg/s320/DSC01999.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The morning work out was rewarded with a great plate of fish tacos at the Paia Fish Market in Lahaina.. Annette's reward seems to have been a great deal of sun on her body. Something she wold pay for in the coming days.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfAt79TxAY5bs7umOIkiHrZOb-rulNhoSbZwzNJ1OjF-3lOtPkoMjr3UawOVXnrKWbWPoo_HhyQ5jyo7eg73HKfmloCIbpg8DlbWM1nXb_5YmBaP0dYwhfV2ZavspM_Nt02wmIw/s1600/DSC02006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfAt79TxAY5bs7umOIkiHrZOb-rulNhoSbZwzNJ1OjF-3lOtPkoMjr3UawOVXnrKWbWPoo_HhyQ5jyo7eg73HKfmloCIbpg8DlbWM1nXb_5YmBaP0dYwhfV2ZavspM_Nt02wmIw/s320/DSC02006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc00Px55DkPWpShOtbc3nMkvEkwLtBg3kpD5P0Wpq8sxXDLRkvfn77Cgz5FBU2LSJlWBIQ1G7YKTobyNCWX5M_b1Eqh6lFZsAkfeeiSRxrldFKG_UG_nAeNZWkgf2yQuCmpEVuw/s1600/DSC02008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc00Px55DkPWpShOtbc3nMkvEkwLtBg3kpD5P0Wpq8sxXDLRkvfn77Cgz5FBU2LSJlWBIQ1G7YKTobyNCWX5M_b1Eqh6lFZsAkfeeiSRxrldFKG_UG_nAeNZWkgf2yQuCmpEVuw/s320/DSC02008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">DAY 4</span></u></b><br />
<br />
Day 4 was a very long day indeed - we took a bus tour around the island. Pick up time was 6.30 AM, (it was still dark), drop off time turned out to be 6.30 PM (in the dark). That was a long day to be on a 15 passenger bus but it was worth taking the guided tour.<br />
<br />
The Road To Hanna as it is commonly referred to, is a 64 mile long stretch of narrow two lane road cutting through the tropical forest side of the island. The road boasts of over 600 turns and 51 one lane bridges. Many of the turns are blind corners and they suggest you honk your horn in case a larger vehicle is trying to squeeze around the corner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVd72uzwk3jqn0Cuaoci9eO01N7FXV9Sa-VIOksg6m4TUMVStoq2A48pnzwwUCFER7ELPWfjxW86OyDR_m79YsDEZ4jX9XYYsG2Zl2fvUaanTTuJ6LyMPsglQG3pIdFHgsUC-Rkw/s1600/DSC02019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVd72uzwk3jqn0Cuaoci9eO01N7FXV9Sa-VIOksg6m4TUMVStoq2A48pnzwwUCFER7ELPWfjxW86OyDR_m79YsDEZ4jX9XYYsG2Zl2fvUaanTTuJ6LyMPsglQG3pIdFHgsUC-Rkw/s320/DSC02019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The road is a very busy land connection for both the locals and the tourists. Doesn't take long for a backup to form once you have a stoppage in the traffic. The views are spectacular and I couldn't possibly try to do the drive justice on this write up. Instead I'll post a few pictures here and you can see all the other pictures by clicking <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157688976909451"><span style="color: red;"><b>here </b></span></a>for the link for Days 2 - 3 - 4 on my Flickr site.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWJX4WaLAfJTc5sUAh24Xtdv3IQW3Vkwa0ndg247DHgDxxrnzvUluIu4QdW0lNCfKVQO7eTcnJA4KA-CCwgf_JcBeaUGldpOdONmchOF9ti5gH0-MRq_92a2LPxTGqWk7OnAezQ/s1600/DSC02027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWJX4WaLAfJTc5sUAh24Xtdv3IQW3Vkwa0ndg247DHgDxxrnzvUluIu4QdW0lNCfKVQO7eTcnJA4KA-CCwgf_JcBeaUGldpOdONmchOF9ti5gH0-MRq_92a2LPxTGqWk7OnAezQ/s320/DSC02027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7UklLhJchl94R3kMTZuoW_cMqb0pAJms9_Vf9lVwP-5jX3uk4EDobhxmvpWUJMtxXo2mL7G2kta1dMrF-Y1vLN8PJKkfSn8-XfVSYGKrJ79icImGDQcKLrVm_mgFvuZZqKrdFA/s1600/DSC02029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7UklLhJchl94R3kMTZuoW_cMqb0pAJms9_Vf9lVwP-5jX3uk4EDobhxmvpWUJMtxXo2mL7G2kta1dMrF-Y1vLN8PJKkfSn8-XfVSYGKrJ79icImGDQcKLrVm_mgFvuZZqKrdFA/s320/DSC02029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As the chain of islands are volcanic in nature, in many places historically recent lava flows dominate the landscape. This leads to dramatic seascapes where the harsh jut of land causes the waves to crash over the rough shore.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9Ggja4Ijsr0bTHzyeDulFPRXrlTBFhBSdoQMbHRS8bGYIR34jiuyMwk085dPI6-AGHdEKWzDyBLwWJwZrLYFdr0qSSXzUxne8g1NXbQQD3Ckci3qgtK7h1E5o0WfLd91wMgsVg/s1600/DSC02035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9Ggja4Ijsr0bTHzyeDulFPRXrlTBFhBSdoQMbHRS8bGYIR34jiuyMwk085dPI6-AGHdEKWzDyBLwWJwZrLYFdr0qSSXzUxne8g1NXbQQD3Ckci3qgtK7h1E5o0WfLd91wMgsVg/s320/DSC02035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZQw7cLK5SQRxxQLb_I5QEpwAAP6yFqKCGjZWmU5_0ttEO0QaNaRcBlmu9UZ8jYHKYfQnJYXA7Dha-QGg6SXhC1E0tpkFp2u7f6wFHa8z1ziRO8nN17pPNrGbWLUmIkDkJSjGDg/s1600/DSC02057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZQw7cLK5SQRxxQLb_I5QEpwAAP6yFqKCGjZWmU5_0ttEO0QaNaRcBlmu9UZ8jYHKYfQnJYXA7Dha-QGg6SXhC1E0tpkFp2u7f6wFHa8z1ziRO8nN17pPNrGbWLUmIkDkJSjGDg/s320/DSC02057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Where the road rises on the side of the mountains it affords beautiful views of the lush vegetation and of the always present seashore.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfRVjMHJjW3LHJDCZbS9ZzIw45Otof5gcT0XvFXAw-Epc2AUGad9cp4-20UK4-TxEmf8HyooGaPTS4BFN3Nno27sik2MZl46aGJK7D5YIdtBDUw7Prd7U437lpRwnLoVUk5Z8xg/s1600/DSC02086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfRVjMHJjW3LHJDCZbS9ZzIw45Otof5gcT0XvFXAw-Epc2AUGad9cp4-20UK4-TxEmf8HyooGaPTS4BFN3Nno27sik2MZl46aGJK7D5YIdtBDUw7Prd7U437lpRwnLoVUk5Z8xg/s320/DSC02086.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5iCJP3pgsb2A-qWbtZWb5PnJgtyjU9og-ogOtsy8A3fHiBMsQN2BoitPGzz2xTz6eoc24zs2kvXSbPCcPouRbhJtL1dZCU6dzNuuBMcykD20rj8GdLZ3Y19mvQEdYZ9UtZ70Uw/s1600/DSC02090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5iCJP3pgsb2A-qWbtZWb5PnJgtyjU9og-ogOtsy8A3fHiBMsQN2BoitPGzz2xTz6eoc24zs2kvXSbPCcPouRbhJtL1dZCU6dzNuuBMcykD20rj8GdLZ3Y19mvQEdYZ9UtZ70Uw/s320/DSC02090.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The islands have always attracted people to the warm climates, both famous and non-famous. One of the surprises on the day was visiting the small graveyard where Charles Lindbergh is buried.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifobiqqVhwtARG8DYQoMyCzf-YbWgDLorPK_UBXlOKuifgdM9AadCsnX56YTKDm58NtVI0KvBoVUArEkU6coDZU5mo74f5EAs-V3ZDx-WujrA0pQgrUbl-plM0OZwgqNgdhN8qTA/s1600/DSC02105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifobiqqVhwtARG8DYQoMyCzf-YbWgDLorPK_UBXlOKuifgdM9AadCsnX56YTKDm58NtVI0KvBoVUArEkU6coDZU5mo74f5EAs-V3ZDx-WujrA0pQgrUbl-plM0OZwgqNgdhN8qTA/s320/DSC02105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhNANot994fH4MI3FOyI_WYQGm0EyXGAk3WkMtCr0pSaOptt-rb_OguOCudg1tQf_jT2sn8O11lJsepRWlS451BniBl1syxTPyhYsDSDaCVwIkUWzjpTIMOlw3ewe0O7U4jsmYA/s1600/DSC02110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhNANot994fH4MI3FOyI_WYQGm0EyXGAk3WkMtCr0pSaOptt-rb_OguOCudg1tQf_jT2sn8O11lJsepRWlS451BniBl1syxTPyhYsDSDaCVwIkUWzjpTIMOlw3ewe0O7U4jsmYA/s320/DSC02110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
"Lava, lava everywhere" sums up the north east coast of Maui. This has had the most recent volcanic eruptions and it shows. For many miles the road cuts across a barren lava flow that has just recently allowed vegetation to gain a foot hold.<br />
The first picture shows the road descending through a cut in a lava wall. The second picture shows a small crater, one of the many where the lava pushed up through the land when the main chimney was blocked.<br />
<br />
This was the end of the most scenic part of the drive, more pictures of the trip can be seen <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157688976909451"><span style="color: red;"><b>here.</b></span></a><br />
Day 4 would find us on a helicopter tour over the same land path we took on Day 3, only it would take just one hour to cover the same land and we would do it from 10,000 feet. <br />
Watch for that story shortly ...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Check out more pictures from our many travels</span> <b><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a> </span></b><span style="color: blue;">at my main Flickr page</span></i></span>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-52050699119415351702017-10-15T23:27:00.000-07:002017-10-16T00:12:59.056-07:00Maui Day One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjyYWozjHF-LF-H6HE9OSIphMJUTU4hQ0_z4KeV0fIyWmnhV9iZGCwvb9J60QcAKuHzw8v4MiBy20unKTiWu6uNfaKzAZKlk72cdj62LBlDvH1suh1hTWhfOh9Q8Rr7ni1HTz5Q/s1600/DSC01910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjyYWozjHF-LF-H6HE9OSIphMJUTU4hQ0_z4KeV0fIyWmnhV9iZGCwvb9J60QcAKuHzw8v4MiBy20unKTiWu6uNfaKzAZKlk72cdj62LBlDvH1suh1hTWhfOh9Q8Rr7ni1HTz5Q/s320/DSC01910.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Annette and I had a week in Maui recently, our second time to Hawaii but the first was so long ago that we were just kids it seems.<br />
With both our work lives hectic and demanding with projects tasking our brains we knew we had to take a break and what better place to recharge the body then some where in the sun.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">All of Day One's pictures can be seen on my Flickr web site </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjguy98/albums/72157687385257860"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a></i></span><br />
<br />
So a trip to the travel agent had three choices in our hands in a couple of days, and a week or so later we were on a plane to Maui.<br />
<br />
The first day was a day to just chill as we had one of those late night flights that had us getting to our hotel at 3.00 AM our time, so we were pretty beat the next morning.<br />
We awoke to the view you see in the picture above - not a bad view to wake up to at all.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTUszr75M-h6L9DSnDto4KoDsMJOOkz8dNEH4J0WQQ_vAM89w_kiwhWXm4oIVfbibsFjGEiwKi-3FXrYNTgB0W6ZJ_M86tyFSSCegiBcfB4M0pE9j6Mlux5-NyrZ2KwxMQw-C_A/s1600/DSC01916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTUszr75M-h6L9DSnDto4KoDsMJOOkz8dNEH4J0WQQ_vAM89w_kiwhWXm4oIVfbibsFjGEiwKi-3FXrYNTgB0W6ZJ_M86tyFSSCegiBcfB4M0pE9j6Mlux5-NyrZ2KwxMQw-C_A/s320/DSC01916.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
We toured the local town of Lahaina which was a whaling town and before that was one of the Hawaiian King's residences.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pnUJrLKO6uocjLU-LnjMGppg8YQ8zeMP4gPl49CWd9qx63PvJOn-SW1A7lFkCzcAwD318Kjwle_ol3b1qcjuBvGufgERgScQFJu2uB2ZoHo_AMzZU2uiCGhNyT6GDSB1Y_WIgw/s1600/DSC01929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pnUJrLKO6uocjLU-LnjMGppg8YQ8zeMP4gPl49CWd9qx63PvJOn-SW1A7lFkCzcAwD318Kjwle_ol3b1qcjuBvGufgERgScQFJu2uB2ZoHo_AMzZU2uiCGhNyT6GDSB1Y_WIgw/s320/DSC01929.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVCetbt-uuF5GqolgDb0VKtBfSqXKOaGOm9o0Bp9RC3fmlzTdmpUSw_Od3XQzVqs_LFf5UffmkP7J16r9A9gnfyAtpxQkUe_umpjgA4lbpzi0f9uU-maKeq_CW-519_sXsSGZAg/s1600/DSC01923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVCetbt-uuF5GqolgDb0VKtBfSqXKOaGOm9o0Bp9RC3fmlzTdmpUSw_Od3XQzVqs_LFf5UffmkP7J16r9A9gnfyAtpxQkUe_umpjgA4lbpzi0f9uU-maKeq_CW-519_sXsSGZAg/s320/DSC01923.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In the central courtyard at the Old Courthouse is a banyan tree that has been nurtured and helped to grow to provide shade from the tropical sun for the local residents. 134 years of growing has created one of the largest banyan trees in the world.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7E0T5H-VDM8cSGwbZY_K0WaUZdrZuv7sfqHL4GCsPtP6v6A-Io0LAnin0o4vpvqkIIoBH8IS4POxfBmed26zkm5lH-FxqWVFNKkzXAbmkRQpwM4mC6xb4HptvI0RcvdAZbOBZxA/s1600/DSC01936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7E0T5H-VDM8cSGwbZY_K0WaUZdrZuv7sfqHL4GCsPtP6v6A-Io0LAnin0o4vpvqkIIoBH8IS4POxfBmed26zkm5lH-FxqWVFNKkzXAbmkRQpwM4mC6xb4HptvI0RcvdAZbOBZxA/s320/DSC01936.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Many celebrities have made a home or started a business on Maui: above is a sign for Mick Fleetwood's restaurant (of Fleetwood Mac fame). Among other names we would here were Woody Harrelson, Oprah Winfrey, and Weird Al Yankovic<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRnR83Fin196o4PutVZ4H3vmUxMSc-zpWpYcKplY1ZSwAvMxpnobj0lIv4Ja7dht4f1C1GlJ6M2T_WHtCF6botcFD-pxq5Zs-H6X0dgF2apuA-u75MeXspL8sa-p5ZkEuoJTxNw/s1600/DSC01943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRnR83Fin196o4PutVZ4H3vmUxMSc-zpWpYcKplY1ZSwAvMxpnobj0lIv4Ja7dht4f1C1GlJ6M2T_WHtCF6botcFD-pxq5Zs-H6X0dgF2apuA-u75MeXspL8sa-p5ZkEuoJTxNw/s320/DSC01943.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
By late afternoon we were back in our hotel room with the necessities of a a tropical holiday laid out on our balcony table. A cold beer, a glass of wine, some brie and bread to spread it on.<br />
A little downtime to rest up and then we were off to tour the north side of the island.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiI02o7fojG9QIPcdK8GfrPw6SenMT6C3p-glgUjHLUigQG748MoKG1Rwwzz29KWy4O4UhqG5jucA3kXOSEFVJhFpmlT_elycjRbVsvP-90GL5kU8TtXkeBfJ_SBjGvquplWg6vw/s1600/DSC01948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiI02o7fojG9QIPcdK8GfrPw6SenMT6C3p-glgUjHLUigQG748MoKG1Rwwzz29KWy4O4UhqG5jucA3kXOSEFVJhFpmlT_elycjRbVsvP-90GL5kU8TtXkeBfJ_SBjGvquplWg6vw/s320/DSC01948.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As we were already close to the north end of the island we did not have to go far before the climate changed and we went from the dry west side to the wet north side and the tropical jungle began to appear.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1GrJYdaMoOc87OYbxd9H6HT_ptHxacJxNdA5c6DsCTt6ETobbw13azqpoBabb3KqTDAgxtTKzeSYm-ICCM29xXMm4Qa_maa7lFqAL3VQrM_cgamw3aRSW1i1LA8Rmcrq8Nr5nA/s1600/DSC01957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1GrJYdaMoOc87OYbxd9H6HT_ptHxacJxNdA5c6DsCTt6ETobbw13azqpoBabb3KqTDAgxtTKzeSYm-ICCM29xXMm4Qa_maa7lFqAL3VQrM_cgamw3aRSW1i1LA8Rmcrq8Nr5nA/s320/DSC01957.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The winding topography created sheltered lagoons that only the locals seemed to know about. Large houses take up prime real estate for the fantastic views, have to say I'm kinda jealous.<br />
<br />
The sun begins to set around 6.00 PM and by 6.30 it's already dark. Not like home where you can track the sun for the last couple hours of the day. In Maui it's like 20 minutes and then it's dark.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0otZqA2oBBuOzC5MPupzPODCvw5SmVjjTQcHcJLNYP-9UAODYaczbgQ_jkpmwbiDG9-QxIAAab1Z2qkVYg8kZFZNPUUcp4W_21f8tiXr_YymDiNh71BVRBCWv1LlX9H09eB8qQ/s1600/DSC01959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0otZqA2oBBuOzC5MPupzPODCvw5SmVjjTQcHcJLNYP-9UAODYaczbgQ_jkpmwbiDG9-QxIAAab1Z2qkVYg8kZFZNPUUcp4W_21f8tiXr_YymDiNh71BVRBCWv1LlX9H09eB8qQ/s320/DSC01959.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Our hotel room faced west so every night we had great views of the sunset. By the time you got seated on the balcony with a glass of wine and a book to read, the sun was already beginning to dip into the ocean.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSTo-rxXNTtjcjW68ZBZ8IegspVWTvw2Wzs2SPYeHve7aDI95vOMeQy6WirgZkq_dIzYI7N2lhO2pDyAyIRd8UmO2jdfLlHFBikOkBlNH_oWrrUIwz4-l0cUQ7qn8cKo8p5e6Yw/s1600/DSC01963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSTo-rxXNTtjcjW68ZBZ8IegspVWTvw2Wzs2SPYeHve7aDI95vOMeQy6WirgZkq_dIzYI7N2lhO2pDyAyIRd8UmO2jdfLlHFBikOkBlNH_oWrrUIwz4-l0cUQ7qn8cKo8p5e6Yw/s320/DSC01963.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SgeqvG3ME5Ny79PTuw1tLbJN1-KJch6oJZhSwYl3aU4fh9pBRF494EB0KA8eNMomlofIgE2wQFCQbKX4B02VdFF7Q_w5wd7iZ78Db6jB1N4YfHWG87j4SqgDjEHIvtVYXd9rxA/s1600/DSC01965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SgeqvG3ME5Ny79PTuw1tLbJN1-KJch6oJZhSwYl3aU4fh9pBRF494EB0KA8eNMomlofIgE2wQFCQbKX4B02VdFF7Q_w5wd7iZ78Db6jB1N4YfHWG87j4SqgDjEHIvtVYXd9rxA/s320/DSC01965.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Just like watching the sand run out of the hourglass, you can watch the sun hide it's bright face behind the ocean. The quickness of the approaching night makes watching the sun set a spectator sport.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMrY9UHiOQKF3qmD6xLvT3Rhrn7QkHPlyfL7wJt4mde8BDvg6wuvoSuKYcy0LCmN0Mt7n0CzIIyG_yScoCCvi32x3wtJr_kWC-dRIjtTcUm92rUc7q9FjLC0Fkp0LUD7agnTFeA/s1600/DSC01969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMrY9UHiOQKF3qmD6xLvT3Rhrn7QkHPlyfL7wJt4mde8BDvg6wuvoSuKYcy0LCmN0Mt7n0CzIIyG_yScoCCvi32x3wtJr_kWC-dRIjtTcUm92rUc7q9FjLC0Fkp0LUD7agnTFeA/s320/DSC01969.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The last rays of sunshine creep over the horizon to light up the distant sky but the light is already too far away to highlight the clouds. Every minute the light changes enough to have a true photographer's heart all aflutter.<br />
No more sight seeing for this day, what should we do now to end the day honey?Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326436.post-85984673890835214642016-06-15T23:10:00.000-07:002016-06-15T23:12:19.877-07:00B.C. Geocaching Road Trip - Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHW4PffEZxxhf-R337HVf-tv3QPnI9YGqUA1aNSXHfLLFqGbcyxDHFCBnzlOmxemFKWPInyWAuEFjMSKCcG2aDu2LfydIxLXfxf3ZqL_D3Afy_W-i4HMETZOLR7FXhXjf8Hjmqw/s1600/Kam+Snap+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHW4PffEZxxhf-R337HVf-tv3QPnI9YGqUA1aNSXHfLLFqGbcyxDHFCBnzlOmxemFKWPInyWAuEFjMSKCcG2aDu2LfydIxLXfxf3ZqL_D3Afy_W-i4HMETZOLR7FXhXjf8Hjmqw/s320/Kam+Snap+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The long awaited part 2 of the write up of our late summer geocaching road trip to Merritt - Kamloops - Vernon.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Click on any of the pictures to see the full size version</span><br />
<br />
Day 3 we awoke in Kamloops and cached in the city for a while as we picked off a few in the south part of the city near our hotel. Eventually we headed north towards the Thompson River area and then east as we followed the river out of town towards our next destination of Vernon.<br />
<br />
We have cached several time sin Kamloops and I have many photos and enough video already so I opted to not repeat material from past posts and instead will pick up the storytelling in Westwold.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UrprIFfuPsp-VwLzzi5mtcDcTTqubqcnxHDlQc_H7zYw5CVzcoVePLbNdWzogBnl7-m-VwGpMGrD8JNWqGekfG3ErU6VLDV0oOouTdgtKWqD06R7cijpR3oWKDft30IvtDDesg/s1600/Kam+Snap+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UrprIFfuPsp-VwLzzi5mtcDcTTqubqcnxHDlQc_H7zYw5CVzcoVePLbNdWzogBnl7-m-VwGpMGrD8JNWqGekfG3ErU6VLDV0oOouTdgtKWqD06R7cijpR3oWKDft30IvtDDesg/s320/Kam+Snap+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Westwold is a small community on Highway 97 as you run south from Kamloops down to Vernon.<br />
Our first memorable geocache was located at a business named Wildrides Hotrods. It is a combination garage/car servicing and restoration business, as well as having some old cars and trucks out front to entice folks to stop by for a view and a bite to eat from the small cafe the have on site.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeCcqjngk4bNv7SaT2bv-mSwz1oVb6cuvNMtXGks0VmLIsQ0bpt8ecu6YmHdRwtPYXTJMzqbwHC4a1Y141tQiu8JU6KwmangSM51_myM_bcxETUBK_1fCP8BcR5uLmqCEJYmmMQ/s1600/Kam+Snap+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeCcqjngk4bNv7SaT2bv-mSwz1oVb6cuvNMtXGks0VmLIsQ0bpt8ecu6YmHdRwtPYXTJMzqbwHC4a1Y141tQiu8JU6KwmangSM51_myM_bcxETUBK_1fCP8BcR5uLmqCEJYmmMQ/s320/Kam+Snap+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We got to have a look around at the old cars and find a cache at the same time, not a bad two for one stop on the road.<br />
<br />
We cached our way steadily south through small communities with the highlight of Falkland being the "big" city on this highway. I had planned a route that was heavy in Kamloops and lighter on the road so we could make time as we headed to Vernon to visit another brother and his wife As the day wore on we realized that we had to stop caching and start making time if we were to keep our "dinner" date with Wayne and Inga so we put aside the GPS and put the pedal down so we could spend some time visiting family.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPmhxFW0OTaSzzszM3QpZFlw-S9YEL4sXGgsHGVvV9SGsZ0bVZJ_K4ec0vxNVU7X6dMbasF3-ETE97q9ut-4dw0TcxwFDIioTa-sBn0TnEy-Mz7_Mj2yV-y1KtD4kGwUFvbb_BQ/s1600/Kam+Snap+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPmhxFW0OTaSzzszM3QpZFlw-S9YEL4sXGgsHGVvV9SGsZ0bVZJ_K4ec0vxNVU7X6dMbasF3-ETE97q9ut-4dw0TcxwFDIioTa-sBn0TnEy-Mz7_Mj2yV-y1KtD4kGwUFvbb_BQ/s320/Kam+Snap+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVrJr0ysERST7GmRIDqRczidYEVtjmXuPTMSGawLaOx66ewof7jKr9fR9ezT1kNT6VqPdAbUd1cypielr2aKxVjh_NGpM8W-I24hTpgoB_a-32oUD2JbOfFyENGSqdayEp_VFpQ/s1600/Kam+Snap+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVrJr0ysERST7GmRIDqRczidYEVtjmXuPTMSGawLaOx66ewof7jKr9fR9ezT1kNT6VqPdAbUd1cypielr2aKxVjh_NGpM8W-I24hTpgoB_a-32oUD2JbOfFyENGSqdayEp_VFpQ/s320/Kam+Snap+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Day 4 and the last day of the road trip we spent the morning caching in urban Vernon enjoying the downtown core on an early Sunday morning before the crowds woke up.<br />
This gave us the opportunity to see some of the murals in the core area representing the history of Vernon. Transportation seemed to be the theme with multiple murals depicting some sort of travel method.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiPL5u48wwkJIlrElyUBBTMmUiqCLUdmrWauEvAWi5cv_1XkuztiRkV0K8v7krKcAq-FLGsrN6DyExAeQ1tPT5E-4xyfwzBZXboEbJ6eb4xfwTByj7iRkxRqjpHkhW6HYDmS5CA/s1600/Kam+Snap+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiPL5u48wwkJIlrElyUBBTMmUiqCLUdmrWauEvAWi5cv_1XkuztiRkV0K8v7krKcAq-FLGsrN6DyExAeQ1tPT5E-4xyfwzBZXboEbJ6eb4xfwTByj7iRkxRqjpHkhW6HYDmS5CA/s320/Kam+Snap+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Seems like where ever you are in Vernon you are not far from a lake...whether it be Okanagan Lake or Woods Lake or Kalamalka Lake one of them is always in your view.<br />
<br />
As we headed south out of Vernon back down towards home on the Coast we opted to take the scenic route and cached along a back road named Commonage Road that straddled the high ground between the big waters of Okanagan Lake and some of the smaller lakes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgm9TICsU1oMvmMR9UG8nufPKuD8g971zZhU4UlAJhGyUUkiXuAmRv1Z4MKlfi0RJGiY0k2MG2FoY_-H723FpSa5V0VSZg62RgghEevYGNOSdx_3zuq4zdjgl79U1-XTD_UDg24g/s1600/Kam+Snap+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgm9TICsU1oMvmMR9UG8nufPKuD8g971zZhU4UlAJhGyUUkiXuAmRv1Z4MKlfi0RJGiY0k2MG2FoY_-H723FpSa5V0VSZg62RgghEevYGNOSdx_3zuq4zdjgl79U1-XTD_UDg24g/s320/Kam+Snap+7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Here you see a good division of work between brothers...sorta like the well oiled caching machine we are. MrTJ works on some potato chips, tjguy98 runs the video camera, and Bowser98 does the work of finding the cache and signing the log book. Works like a charm! :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykoSjvRyuGb77QIUc6UPjathLlYnxKhMUO0FgDNDTWx8V5V4iB0_Gslq-gR2MISoIKBAXOseBBq1TfouuuRFI6vh8zXekLPo_OXldN2Y2_YPBV0Cp7sk3LUKgtZWbu38DtVWsTA/s1600/Kam+Snap+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykoSjvRyuGb77QIUc6UPjathLlYnxKhMUO0FgDNDTWx8V5V4iB0_Gslq-gR2MISoIKBAXOseBBq1TfouuuRFI6vh8zXekLPo_OXldN2Y2_YPBV0Cp7sk3LUKgtZWbu38DtVWsTA/s320/Kam+Snap+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Further south you are back on the shores of Okanagan Lake in aptly named <br />
"Lake Country". This is one of those areas where every driveway has a boat and/or seadoos to go with it. A truck to tow the boat is the typical family wheels, no travel trailers or RVs to be seen here. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zmF9pE8GmCgwslGRsGdLL1LCNrAMD7slm4sBRSWc9wbErGjJBT2J_b35yGdqdu4ckWldLm7Jof6KDUcWoOuEXVb2tLbJjfKz3TNEzOQJNGXRUDtAP8xdxKrweo8fzuvqzcNDSA/s1600/Kam+Snap+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zmF9pE8GmCgwslGRsGdLL1LCNrAMD7slm4sBRSWc9wbErGjJBT2J_b35yGdqdu4ckWldLm7Jof6KDUcWoOuEXVb2tLbJjfKz3TNEzOQJNGXRUDtAP8xdxKrweo8fzuvqzcNDSA/s320/Kam+Snap+9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgpRsH2bhOFH35JN9uR0h9CI2l5JIWFfuLo7ozRcle_yoJ4UFitnNWvqw4AHMFVk7XTqeweEaYAHczUgi-GaaI9TgTeshZwxTmfHR3PMw4oPJWUS6oCw4Tf2sNJjEOPZypxjTYg/s1600/Kam+Snap+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgpRsH2bhOFH35JN9uR0h9CI2l5JIWFfuLo7ozRcle_yoJ4UFitnNWvqw4AHMFVk7XTqeweEaYAHczUgi-GaaI9TgTeshZwxTmfHR3PMw4oPJWUS6oCw4Tf2sNJjEOPZypxjTYg/s320/Kam+Snap+10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Lake views and cool breezes from the lakes are the normal experience when you are in Lake Country. We were a bit late in the year for the crowds but a few die hards were still out enjoying the last days of an Indian Summer before they had to put the boats away for the winter.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D9HKhQOaA0QHsIGIb9oHRHSFty46j25TXhioGSG0gFk6IeQfyBqOk4Irjf3nE0b31Yq5ssD2g6VoNaFJ1CC4aKKg_guqX5ezoh2p9hquF30nykPnCS_lRnD3nIvHtalCZgyqQA/s1600/Kam+Snap+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D9HKhQOaA0QHsIGIb9oHRHSFty46j25TXhioGSG0gFk6IeQfyBqOk4Irjf3nE0b31Yq5ssD2g6VoNaFJ1CC4aKKg_guqX5ezoh2p9hquF30nykPnCS_lRnD3nIvHtalCZgyqQA/s320/Kam+Snap+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9CDsdMxkWs0SR6sc3tUkuHh9mqrYFJZudrtHf2ppslms_SUXvxvDKp7IGBau_zWBXml7s4xONDAiDE878uGIyEoAAVfWrfTm6nqdslaUa9n03DEfVoLzMmVxZ4WQHHu26ZPkuw/s1600/Kam+Snap+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9CDsdMxkWs0SR6sc3tUkuHh9mqrYFJZudrtHf2ppslms_SUXvxvDKp7IGBau_zWBXml7s4xONDAiDE878uGIyEoAAVfWrfTm6nqdslaUa9n03DEfVoLzMmVxZ4WQHHu26ZPkuw/s320/Kam+Snap+12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Into Kelowna we sailed picking up a roadside cache here and there as we continued our return trip home. One of the caches we stopped for was in West Bank at Paynter's Fruit Market where a local farming enterprise had a large market-type operation that was obviously well appreciated by the local residents. Many types of fruit and vegetables were sold outside and inside many locally produced food items were available...tempting enough that we grabbed a few items off the shelf for the long lonely drive home. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmJZb8frMIbUlxbpdWHW7-t4_y02fz8Bj_Lfz4-C3me0cv4D5Q3U6ZrlD3Mg_1iNu1gKqWhKcCQ6_N-utupm36EkHG5LtvAr72cLu0vahh7BSHHqwR4fpLMPuwHlQejxBBU2ZLg/s1600/Kam+Snap+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmJZb8frMIbUlxbpdWHW7-t4_y02fz8Bj_Lfz4-C3me0cv4D5Q3U6ZrlD3Mg_1iNu1gKqWhKcCQ6_N-utupm36EkHG5LtvAr72cLu0vahh7BSHHqwR4fpLMPuwHlQejxBBU2ZLg/s320/Kam+Snap+13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But I digress...we were here on a mission to find a geocache and the old tractor on display made a convenient location to place a magnetic cache box hidden from muggles but a quick find for cachers.<br />
<br />
On our last leg of our journey we headed along the Coquihalla Connector, which joins West Bank to Merritt, picking up new caches since our last run down the highway. We were now in "make-up-time" mode as we grabbed a few caches right off the on ramps/off ramps of the highway never straying far from the main thorough fare.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiurgEM3ai3BpZaJyk3Xf46r2is2eUxQ1SJcEw1Rjrsy136d6EmmmGF63BZgkz3gMkPUS1xa-t02b_PQQ8g9oKYxclmjUU1SiDnKnf3gxPxF99K_kfsnvouyHnuxFRPOE8Z-_Ww/s1600/Kam+Snap+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiurgEM3ai3BpZaJyk3Xf46r2is2eUxQ1SJcEw1Rjrsy136d6EmmmGF63BZgkz3gMkPUS1xa-t02b_PQQ8g9oKYxclmjUU1SiDnKnf3gxPxF99K_kfsnvouyHnuxFRPOE8Z-_Ww/s320/Kam+Snap+14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The last three caches were all along the same short spur road, which was actually part of the old Highway 5A. A yellow middle line on the pavement and an old brake check sign told us we were standing on an outdated piece of motor car history.<br />
<br />
The very last cache we found was jsut east of Merritt on the long downhill stretch into Merritt . Some joker has left an old toilet as if they came here to use the open air facilities while enjoying a magnificent view of the Nicola Valley with Merritt as it's centre piece.<br />
<br />
This was also the place where, after 4 days of crashing through bush and scrambling up and down hill sides, MrTJ decided to gash his leg open on the old potty...ewwwww....<br />
<br />
Watch the video and you will see that MrTJ, trooper that he is, found the cache first and then tended to the gash on his leg. Bowser98 and myself had the same geocaching dedication so we signed the log book and then tucked the cache back away in it's hiding place before we went back to the truck to render first aid to MrTJ.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pw0ohUlazBy71Zrmuslh5-11u_jVT4_bBYcbgcwoVFX-M2SOUg0fF4weh6r5pn53pzt50paAY5nHsKu6mSo44CViJWdWMwwoHNB4JqzFIoCvGgxRhRJ2_fCo9VG_bkMS2f2zrA/s1600/Kam+Snap+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pw0ohUlazBy71Zrmuslh5-11u_jVT4_bBYcbgcwoVFX-M2SOUg0fF4weh6r5pn53pzt50paAY5nHsKu6mSo44CViJWdWMwwoHNB4JqzFIoCvGgxRhRJ2_fCo9VG_bkMS2f2zrA/s320/Kam+Snap+15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This was the last cache of the day, the last cache of the 4 day road trip through the Interior of BC, and my very last video shot of the trip.<br />
The sun came out from under a dark cloud and bathed Merritt in a blast of sunlight. The scene was so pretty I expected to hear angels singing.<br />
<br />
I realized the video shoot was something I couldn't top so I put the camera away and we jumped into the truck to make a run for the Coast and back to our home sweet homes.<br />
<br />
Four days on the road netted us 160 caches, a visit with a brother and his wife, and a load of new memories for the memory banks. A pretty satisfying road trip for the Jeep Brothers once again.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Watch the video below by clicking on it or by visiting my YouTube page </b></span><span style="color: red;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/tjguy98">here.</a></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AcsDdUUYFyU" width="560"></iframe>Eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03970305223745966643noreply@blogger.com0