Sandbanks Provincial Park

It's been two decades (TWO DECADES!) since the last time I camped at Sandbanks. I honestly don't remember it being soooo crowded then, but I guess the world has changed a lot.

Beach was just as gorgeous as I remembered...

The lack of flush toilets in our particular campground was a little off-putting to the bits, but at least we weren't packed in like sardines, like they were in the spots closer to the main beach. Yipes!

And it was an easy walk to watch the sunset.

Watkins Glen

This year we spent Canadian Thanksgiving at Watkins Glen, in NY state.



It was insanely beautiful.



We spent a day walking the gorge, and wandering the town (and joy oh bliss, there was a Ben and Jerry's!)



Highly, highly recommend both the state park, and the gorge, there was really nothing that we didn't absolutely adore about this trip!

Camping in the Adirondacks

A Canadian Thanksgiving getaway to Lake Eaton in the Adirondacks, all 5 of us.



It was phenomenally beautiful there, the fall leaves were at peak colour, the campground was mostly empty so it was super quiet.



We had to make a trip out to Tail of the Pup while we were in the area, and it didn't disappoint. Even with my ongoing stomach issues I was able to enjoy an amazing seafood meal (though I had to share the platter with James because I need to keep my fat intake to a bare minimum until the surgery).



Lake Saranac, on our return trip to the park after dinner.



I definitely want to come back here, such a beautiful place...

The Happiest Place on Earth

Disney - it's been on the bucket list for years, and this year we finally made it happen.



We drove out, road trip adventures are something we both enjoyed as kids and were excited to share with the bits, and it turned out wonderfully! They were perfect travellers. We took two days to drive down, arriving in Orlando in time for a late dinner and swim. We stayed at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside resort, and I can't recommend it enough, it was really special, not over the top 'themed' like many of the other Disney properties, focussing instead on just gorgeous grounds, perfect little pools dotted among the lodges which were set into wooded and landscaped areas with walking paths and bridges. Our plan was to spend two days in the parks, a day poking around Orlando, then two days with C's parents who have a condo in Fort Lauderdale before driving back home.



The next morning we boarded the shuttle for Magic Kingdom. C had been there as a kid, and we'd both been to Disneyland in California 12 years ago with big J, but this was the bits first experience. They were amazed, and overwhelmed (and frankly so was I!) The day flew by, and it was incredible to watch my almost teenager turn back into a little girl.



Day two was Epcot, and this was a first for all 4 of us. I loved Epcot! It really works for the older people, and the nerds, and I'm definitely both. Epcot was substantially larger than we thought, and we were substantially more tired than we anticipated, so we saw only about half of what the park had to offer. We did, however, enjoy two spectacular meals there, a buffet breakfast where princesses visited each child at the table (worth.every.penny) and an Oktoberfest-inspired German buffet dinner with communal seating and a polka band (the friendly people in our group had a wonderful time chatting!)



In retrospect, 2 days at Disney isn't enough. We tried so hard to see as much as possible that we were just exhausted, legs aching, brain fogged. But oh so worth it! If we do it again (and I hope we'll go back!) we'll spend 4. Plus C really wants to see Animal Kingdom, and the bits are sad to have missed Hollywood Studios.

Day 3 we had a leisurely breakfast, then hit the pool. It was the first hot non-rainy day of our trip (25C and full sun). The kids were in heaven.



We packed our things and loaded up the van, then took the water taxi from the resort to Downtown Disney, what a cool ride and a cool place. C started feeling unwell, so he went back to the resort while the kids and I shopped and explored.



Dinner back at the resort, then off to Ft Lauderdale. The rain, sadly, followed us, but we didn't let that deter us from a beach visit. It was the bits first experience with the ocean (they loved the waves, but didn't care for the saltiness of the water).



It was the perfect denouement to our trip, relaxing, comfortable, warm.



The drive home was fine, if quieter. We were compelled to take an extra day because of storms back home, but we had perfect driving weather.

I can't wait for our next adventure!

In the big house...

The United Way was selling tours of the recently decommissioned Kingston Penitentiary. C lived down the street from KP briefly as a child and has been curious about it ever since. We were incredibly fortunate to get tickets, they sold out super fast.

We took the kids out of school so that they could experience the tour too. We were guided by a current corrections officer who worked at KP right up until the end (and has since transferred to another facility), he was a little light on the history of the amazing old place, but the picture he painted of life there just prior to the decommissioning was incredible, vivid and thought-provoking.

The 'main entrance' as viewed from the inside.

Little J in a standard general population cell, incredibly tiny!

Beautiful architecture in the 'shop dome', where inmates could learn a trade or complete an apprenticeship.

Razor wire. This stuff was EVERYWHERE. I never knew what razor wire was until this tour, it actually has double sided razors all along the coils. Creepy.

After our tour we spent some time in the penitentiary museum, across the street in the original warden's house, then lunch together at 5 Guys. Such an interesting, educational but still cool day.

Thanksgiving camping

A return trip to Cedar Point Park in New York state to camp for Thanksgiving weekend. In contrast to last year, the weather was absolutely spectacular, warm and sunny (except for a little rain overnight Sunday and early Monday morning).

The park had tons of programming for the kids, costumes, hay rides, trick or treating around the campground to name a few.

We also took a little trip into Watertown for shopping and Olive Garden, but mostly we just enjoyed being together in the beautiful surroundings.

I love Thanksgiving camping!

Hello Fall

A quiet stroll through Mer Bleue, all by myself, to enjoy the peace and quiet, and spectacular fall colours.

NYSF 2013

In what has become an annual tradition, we again spent a week of summer vacation in the Syracuse area, camping, shopping and visiting the New York State Fair.

As always the trip wasn't without its, uh, challenges (our car getting hit in the mall parking lot by a woman driving her new car for the first time, a kid singing the most forlorn version of 'Crazy Train' over and over at an ungodly hour right outside our tent, heatstroke and torrential rain on the same day...) but it was a great trip and we all enjoy camping together and poking around the fair too. Just being together.

Camping on the beach

We enjoyed a quick weekend getaway in our new-to-us tent trailer, staying at Golden Lake campground, in a site right on the water.

The weather was decent, the lake was lovely, the campground was, well, a bit close and a bit crowded, but it was fun.

We took a day trip to Bonnechere caves. It wasn't really what I was expecting, the caves were neat, but you couldn't explore or even walk through without a tour guide who talked incessantly, mostly about the 'adventures' of the caves' owner, and who really rather rushed the process (plus our tour group was around 25 people, which is a lot for tight subterranean caves). That said, Katie LOVED it. And Jonah HATED it. LOL, on the plus side, helping Jonah deal with his abject terror kept my mind away from any claustrophobic thoughts!

(Don't let that smile fool you - he was miserable).

All too soon it was time to bid the beach good bye. Can't wait for our next adventure!

Roll out the barrel...

We trekked out to VanKleek Hill for Oktoberfest on a cold and rainy Sunday. It was still a good time, despite the wet, the cold, and the whining by the short people in our contingent (I'm looking at you Katie and Jonah!) Katie assisted on stage with DooDoo the clown, C sampled microbrewed beers, we all had pretzels and sausages and schnitzel, it was fun. Hopefully next year the weather will be better...

McMaze

We had a Groupon, so we decided to check out the corn maze and other attractions at McMaze. In addition to a LARGE corn maze there was animals, a playground, lots of fun exhibits, a barn full of cats to cuddle, home made ice cream and tons more. We'll definitely go back!

Princess in the back country

Princess and Papa took an overnight canoe camping trip together, to Joeperry Lake at Bon Echo Provincial Park. By all accounts they had a wonderful time together, paddling, tenting, cooking over a fire and playing yahtzee. I have a feeling this is the beginning of a tradition :)

Museum of Nature

Mother's Day trip to the Canadian Museum of Nature.

Gas

I spent awhile two and a half years ago taking pictures of the gas prices every other day as they plunged ever lower.

Those days are over my friends. This was the gas price tonight in Montreal. Holy cannoli!!!

(You might need to click to make it large enough to read...)

The Diefenbunker

C and I have been wanting to check out the Diefenbunker for a long time. Finally this rainy, quiet Saturday was the perfect time (plus we borrowed the pass from the library, so it was perfect AND free!)

We took a 1 hour guided tour, which was incredibly helpful because we knew squat about the Diefenbunker. Afterwards we spent another hour poking through the self-guided exhibits. Fascinating stuff, moreso because C and I are old enough to remember some of the cold war (there was an air raid siren on the school grounds at my middle school, but that's perhaps a story for another day). The kids enjoyed that the museum is very hands on, and they were encouraged to try dialing a rotary dial phone or pushing the keys of a manual typewriter.

Girls Weekend

For the 4th year in a row the girls have come together in New Hampshire at Purity Spring Resort for a long weekend of scrapbooking, chatting, laughing, drinking, eating way too much and shopping.

I look forward to this weekend all year long, it's truly wonderful, I enjoy every aspect of it (OK, I'm not that enamoured with the 6+ hour drive each way, but everything else :) )

And now it's over again for another year. Sigh.

2011-01-04

Elvis Stojko, at the Rock the Ice show in Peterborough. The tickets were my Christmas gift from James (who even came with me, what a great kid!)

(I had such a crush on Elvis in the early 90's. He's totally still got it!)

Mini-vacation

We stayed in a hotel this trip, one that featured a pool and a hot tub. The hot tub *almost* made up for how uncomfortable the bed was :)

The last bit of fall

Fall came swiftly, and damply this year. It's been so cold and so wet that it's been near impossible to enjoy the changing of the leaves... until today anyway. Dry and brilliantly sunny, we drove out to pick little J up from Beaver Camp and arrived too early (they were still eating lunch), so Katie, C and I wandered the walking trails and enjoyed the sights.