Day 2 - April 22 - OLD FRIENDS ARE STILL THE BEST FRIENDS

Last night's sunset was remarkably mediocre but it did provide a nice welcome to Edmonton and the Hampton Inn.

The title of today's blog reminds me of the Simon and Garfunkle song “Old Friends”. A line in that song laments, “How very strange to be 70”. Wow. Even that milestone is behind many of us now.

Simon & Garfunkel - Old Friends - YouTube

The forecast was accurate and we got a wet day...but we also got to visit with our high school friend Steve and his wife Mary.

We picked up our SUV but having driven it for a few hours we'll be back tomorrow in hopes of exchanging it. It's a Mazda CX30 and it's small. I think it's a compact SUV not a midsize as I ordered. Here's hoping they'll swap it with no hassle!   

😎

 

Day 1 – April 21 – WHEN FLYING, GETTING THERE IS NEVER HALF THE FUN

I hate flying but I almost hate the waiting more. We were picked up at 4:30AM for our 8AM flight to Edmonton. That's lots of time making the waiting almost as long as the flying. Karen even laid down in the boarding lounge. I don't believe she's ever done that before.

Given the amount of time we had, of course we arrived at the airport in 45 minutes. Normally that would take an hour to an hour and a half dependent on traffic and/or weather. We were pretty much first in line for everything we had to do; baggage check in (which we had done on line but still needed to weigh in) and security, so that didn't waste much time. Our gate was even close to security, almost unheard of when we're involved. Bottom line, sitting in the boarding lounge with 2 hours and 15 minutes to wait!

We took off right on time, exactly 8AM. This is the part that stresses me the most so a window seat is imperative – a welcome distraction indeed.  It was a good flight but 4 hours is longer than I can appreciate. A lengthy game of Scrabble (about 2 hours) certainly helped and the landscape outside was the icing on the cake...like a ski resort in northern Wisconsin.

Landing, the second most stressful part of flying, was quite lovely. It's a nice spring day in Edmonton at about 17 degrees with intermittent sunshine.

Safely on the ground, we entered the airport and made our way to baggage claim, always an exercise in futility as you stand like cattle at a trough searching for a bag amongst hundreds of identical black suitcases. Nice welcome though.

Finding the hotel shuttle was the next challenge. Fortunately Karen had called yesterday to learn where to wait and who to call for assistance. The bus showed up in orderly fashion and there was only us and one other passenger on board.

We were very early, it was still not noon, so it was no surprise our room was not ready. The Hampton Inn offered us an alternate but we said no we would wait until check in at 3PM. I guess the young lady felt sorry for us because she stepped into an office and shortly emerged with the news that she had taken a room reserved for someone else who was not yet here and gave it to us. Love it, a woman after my own heart.

I swear I've seen this room before, May 2024 to be exact. It hasn't changed at all; hopefully the sheets have been.

Hampton Inn identifies their rooms with a number, that number in Braille and a graphic that anyone could find in a hallway of identical doors. This one's for Trump; they're not a scourge on all of mankind.

The next couple of days are forecast to be wet but we pick up our vehicle tomorrow so there's a glimmer of hope.   😎

EPIC CANADIAN NORTH ADVENTURE

 

This time we’ll be flying to Edmonton, renting a vehicle, driving through central Alberta and BC, then heading north to the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Once we reach Yellowknife we’ll be flying to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut for three days – that’s likely where the snow and ice will be. I expect some cold temperatures throughout. This is not a time of year that most people travel but I’ve never considered myself particularly normal in that regard. The weather may not be great and there will be a lot of things not yet operating but we will be ahead of the cursed insect infestation that plagues the north come late May.

I don’t expect too many crowds as we head into some pretty isolated areas. I also don’t expect reliable internet services, if any, some of the time. The blog is launching now and I’ll let you know when postings are made. So join us and discover some parts of Canada not visited by everyone.

WINDING DOWN - October 20 and 21

All good things come to an end, even short vacations. We bid a fond farewell to Manitoulin Island on Monday. After three days of rain while there, it was understandably gorgeous as we prepared to leave. I loved it at the Mountain View Resort even though there's no mountain and it's certainly not what I'd call a resort. I would definitely return. 

Because the weather was so much better stopped in Little Current on the way off the island to take a walk on the boardwalk. Even the rolling approach to the town was pretty. I guess those are the "mountains" they refer to on the island.

A rather old swing bridge that closes on the hour leads you off the island onto the highway to Espanola. I guess it really is time to leave.

We made a quick stop in Espanola to visit my book printer then headed east with no sure destination arranged. Passing Sudbury we dialed in the direction of Huntsville. Around 4PM we opted to stop for the night in Parry Sound settling on a hotel offering us a stunning sunset view of the local Walmart.

Yesterday the drive to Huntsville was pleasant but again the rain played a part, a bit drizzly so the fall colour was fading fast. A drive through Algonquin Park once again had us lamenting the questionable weather. Nevertheless a hike was imperative. I love how the people who rate the trails have obviously never set foot on them personally. I found it difficult to understand an easy rating on a trail that did not go ten feet without huge roots, rocks and slippery wet fallen leaves, all on hills.

We were lucky again. Just as we got back to the car about two hours later it started to rain. Perfect timing!

We spent last night, our final stop on this voyage, in Gravenhurst. It's a pretty little Muskoka town and we settled on a Howard Johnson by Wyndam. I thought all the HoJos were long gone. They used to be such a wonderful chain. I remember them well travelling with my parents 60 years ago. I loved them. The colour orange remains in my mind and an upgraded version of that exists today. 

Our drive home today will include a stop at friends in Victoria Harbour. Thank you all for joining us on this short escape from reality. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, stay well and keep smiling.

😎

MANITOULIN ISLAND - October 17, 18 and 19

Because checkout at our Tobermory motel was at 11am we got to the ferry dock (5 minutes away) about 2 hours before sailing. It’s a dull kinda crappy day so I don’t anticipate a very interesting ride. The Chi-Cheemaun is larger than I expected and is beautifully painted. Loading was quick and easy…of course we were first in line having arrived two hours early. 

We had no idea of the layout of the ship and the signage was not overly descriptive so we ended up in the gift shop. Once we found one of the lounges we sat down and stayed there for the duration. Dogs are allowed onboard and as passengers filtered in it was beginning to look like we were on the doggie deck. As I said in an email home “place is a bloody zoo”.

                             

My first impression of Manitoulin Island WIK was wonderful. It was very peaceful right from the start, despite a boat load of yahoos being release enmasse. The gentle winding roads made their way through somewhat typical northern Ontario landscapes displaying glorious fall colours! It figures, it's overcast and raining so the colour does not look particularly stunning but it certainly would be if the sun were out. 

The Mountain View Resort (I defy anyone to find anything resembling a mountain in any view on Earth) is wonderful. Our cabin was a welcome delight. Even though there are some restrictive rules here (only one roll of toilet paper per visit issued and fines if garbage and recyclables are mixed) it was a warm embrace the moment we stepped inside.

Yesterday the sunrise was respectable but I caught it too late. 

Our day of exploration left us with the realization that this is a beautiful spot so we must return sometime with hopes of better weather. You can bet that's not going to be in the summer. This whole island would be an asylum then. A drive up the hill outside Gore Bay was wonderful. Again, it really needed some sunshine. The fall colours were respectable and there were not many people around. I suppose had it been a nice day that would likely have been another scenario.

Providence Bay, on the south side of the island, is awesome. It's a beach resort town which normally makes me want to leave but they have put such care into making it enjoyable for all who pass through. We were indeed fortunate that the rain let up for the near hour we were there. The beach is gorgeous with a Cape Cod grass fringe, clean sand, lots of picnic facilities and swings and other park favourites for the kids but the highlight is most certainly the kilometre long boardwalk. Let that sink in for a moment. Thousands of wooden pilings, tens of thousands of wooden boards and hundreds of thousands of nails. All this translates to millions of dollars invested and countless man hours to build. My most sincere kudos to Providence Bay – you have made millions of people happy. 

To top things off there is a marvelous mural in town. 

A barbecue makes even a crappy weather day great...especially when it's steak, some veggies, rice and a glass of Australian red wine! Perfect!

Today is our final day on the island and it rained pretty much the whole day. It was a long, lonely road as we headed east and north to the top of the island, reminding me of northern Ontario yet again. There were rocks in some areas making me feel I was driving from Gravenhurst to Bracebridge in the fifties. Once again the fall colour left me wishing “if only it were a sunny day”.

High Falls is not that high and if the truth be known, not that much of a falls but the atmosphere was perfect and the bridge is what drew me off the highway in the first place. 

The town of Little Current is a perfect small town. Resting on the North Channel at the top of Manitoulin Island the rain gave it even more ambience though preventing us from walking along the waterfront as much as we would have liked. As mentioned earlier, we really need to return when we can be assured better weather.

It was still raining on and off when we got back to the cabin but we managed a quick walk along the cottage road nearby. A laid back lifestyle for all those who live there, even if it is seasonal for some.

The deer in the fields surrounding us have been here all along. They're very skittish and take off into the woods as soon as they hear a car pass by and even quicker when they hear it stop and shut off the engine. White tails up, flags high, run boys and girls. Managed a few shots of varying quality. This one's not bad. Nothing compared to Gayle's in Nova Scotia where they seem to come to her door and ask to be photographed but it was a fitting conclusion to our stay on Manitoulin Island.

We'll be leaving the island tomorrow morning, heading toward home, we're just not sure where we may land. Stay tuned; I'll wrap things up in a couple of days.

😎

TOBERMORY - October 14, 15 and 16, 2025

My purpose for this short trip was primarily just to get away, after all it's been all of four months since Nunavut. I also hoped but knew we were a little late, to see some fall colour. There is virtually none at home. A lot of leaves down.

The continued lack of colour on the drive was astounding. It got a little better as we stopped to eat our lunch in a church parking lot in Shallow Lake, a small village just west of Owen Sound. Some pretty orange but still nothing close to what I had expected.

From there we turned north through Wiarton. You absolutely have to stop for a photo op with Willie at the welcome sign. Only in Canada could a waving rodent prove so adorable and welcoming.

Karen and I have been to Tobermory once before...in 1976. Just a short while ago. We did our SCUBA diving certification open water dive there. Lots of wrecks and clear, freezing cold water in August. Perfect.

The 15th was our 48th anniversary. The weather forecast for the upcoming weekend is for rain, all three days, the three days we'll be on Manitoulin Island. Therefore, we decided we better get some hiking in while the weather is good. With that in mind we headed out to explore Tobermory. The Big Tub lighthouse was our destination involving about a 10 kilometre trek through cottage country and back roads. 

The lighthouse itself was off a short wooded path at the end of the road and stood right on the rocks at the opening of the harbour. It took a bit of maneuvering to get the whole thing in one photo from so close a vantage point.

I was determined to have fish and chips for dinner and there was quite a selection...if it had still been summer. The town is in its last week of activity so a lot of places were closed. Fortunately we still had a couple places to choose from.

All in all it was a great day. Well except for that inhaling the burning, acidic juices from a lemon but that's another story.

Today, the 16th, was a gorgeous day. Being in Tobermory the first thing that comes to mind when you think about hiking is the Bruce Trail. It all sounds so simple but is far from it. All the "good" trails, the ones you've heard of, the most interesting like The Grotto, Lion's Head and Overhanging Rock are in the proper Bruce Peninsula National Park. They are therefore governed by the Federal Government and as I have seen so many times in the past, carry an absolutely obscene entry fee. $33! and everything is still open so the rangers are very visible everywhere, no chance to skip by.

I will not pay that ransom to take a hike so we found a few smaller trails, known by no one. Having said that, all were fairly busy given the time of year. The Little Cove trail was a little shorter than we wanted but worthy nonetheless.

The reward was just as the cove was very pretty. The water looks so clear and inviting but I, for one, know that is not even close to a reality this time of year.

The Cape Hurd Reserves Nature Trail was difficult to find and had not much to offer when we did. The beautiful day and solitude made it well worthwhile.

The best part of the day was most certainly the drive in to the Halfway Log Dump (obviously whoever named this one failed Marketing epically) only to find it was another $33 attempted robbery. A 13 kilometre dirt road pothole it was a wonderful trip. Finally saw what autumn should look like!

Tomorrow we board the 2 hour Chi-Cheemaun cruise to Manitoulin Island. The forecast promises 3 days of rain so we can only hope for a break. Stay with us - we'll be in touch in a few days.

Stay well and keep smiling.

😎

Nunavut - finale

Another wonderful vacation comes to an end. Nunavut was a marvelous learning and enjoyable experience and we are so happy to be able to say we have visited and spent time in all 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada. We're not done with this nation by any means...there is still an unlimited amount of territory to be explored.

The last three days were not without a few bumps, more blemishes and incompetence in our transit systems than anything. Our stay in Ottawa was short but sweet. The highlight was certainly the Aviation and Space Museum. Getting there was not easy and it certainly was expensive but well worth it. We had to take a cab because public transit does not go there...at least not from the hotel where we were staying.

The following morning we headed by Via Rail to Toronto. Riding facing backwards for five hours, what else can I say?

We arrived around 5PM and were totally bagged by the heat and the weight of our backpacks. We were quite happy with the zero degrees and perfect days we had in Iqaluit so this 25 plus stuff was killing us.

The subway trip from Union Station to St Clair West was our worst nightmare. A full assault by the peak rush hour hordes made my head spin. I could not and would not do this every day. There is something wrong with these people...and we get to do it again going back in the morning.

We spent the night at Gavin's, got to play with the kids and had a great visit all around. After a quick breakfast in the morning we saw the kids off to school with Adrienne then trekked back to the subway station to head to Union Station. This time we left our large, heavy backpacks at Gavin's. We'll get them in a few weeks time.

Here's where some of the incompetence built into the system arises. Our mission back at Union Station was to find the Go Train that went to Barrie South, the closest we could get to our house but still about 25 kilometres away. The signs are not overly clear or helpful and we discovered last night the website is absolutely useless. According to it we had to get to Barrie by way of Brampton and Mississauga. Anyway, that's another story. The piece de resistance was that the platform for the train was not posted until ten minutes prior to its departure. Trust me, there are plenty of people who would not be able to make that train in 10 minutes.

Once on board I had to laugh at the seating. The entire car (all three levels) was in groups of 4 seats, 2 and 2 facing one another. That may be great for families but 80% of people travelling do not want that. Thankfully it was not busy so was not a problem.

Getting from Barrie to our home is not easy in any way. There is an Uber-related service called Go Go Grandparent. The name alone begs failure. It's very inexpensive but, as it turns out, that doesn't matter. We called for a pick up, poked our way through automated hell and were told we were second in line for an operator. Half an hour later, after being asked to press three different numbers, we were still on unanswered hold. Go Go no go go. I can sell you eggs for 3 cents a dozen...but I don't have any eggs. We called a regular taxi and arrived home around 1PM. Travel is wonderful but as I have said many times, getting there (and back) is NOT always half the fun.

Keeping this experience in mind you can imagine my feeling as we sat on the Go Train and flew by this...could you just slow down and let us hop off. This is about one kilometre from our house.

Thank you again for joining us on our travels. 

We'll let you know when we're ready to hit the road again.

😎