Road Trip '16 -- There.....

On June 24th, we headed off to visit grandkids in Aurora.  Glen loves the drive down through Montana and Wyoming but he didn't feel our 2007 Saab would make it so, we bought a new-to-us 2013 Santa Fe SUV.  It has all the creature comforts like air conditioning which the Saab lacked.

We left Calgary, stopping in Claresholm for a break.  We'd been there before but the old railway station museum had been closed.  We did a brief tour of some of their artifacts then headed to Lethbridge.  It's always neat going under the longest and highest railway trestle in the world.  However, the city road meanders through town so travel time is slowed.  Too late, I learned that the truck route was the way to go.

Upon reaching the border we reminisced about our last trip through Coutts/Sweetgrass when Officer Hastings had issues with us bring a load of furniture down for Geoff (see Helena, Herc, Helena).  This time there seemed to be no issues although the officer asked if our grandsons cheered for the Broncos.  Duh!  His computer then told him to look under our hood which he did, then declared, yes, there was an engine in there.  Good to know!

We gassed up in Shelby, Montana then headed to Great Falls.  We stopped for lunch near the Whoop Up trail stop where we had lunch on our first trip south (see Road Trip 2010).  At Great Falls, we headed east, leaving the Interstate behind.  The idea was to cut across Montana and shorten our trip to Billings.

Ten hours later, we arrived at our hotel so the trip Goggle said would take 8 hours took much longer.  In part due to weather issues.  The first storm we hit was torrential rain.  Water sluiced across the highway.  Glen had wondered why the Santa Fe had 19 inch tires but during this, he was glad to have extra rubber on the road.  We were just drying off when strong winds buffeted the car. It's pretty bad when a passenger can tell how hard it is to keep the car on the road.

Then came the hail.  No, we didn't have to worry about our sun roof because the wind was blowing it horizontally across the highway.  We could barely see in front of us but there was no shoulder so we crept along.  Finally, as we crested a hill, we came upon an access road that allowed us to pull over.  We weren't the only ones.  Being hammered by hail was like having a metal cocktail mixer full of ice shaken beside your ear.  Very scary!!  The hail landing on the ground around us appeared to be about pea sized.

When the storm had eased, we headed to Roundup for gas, then came at Billings from the north.  We didn't realize that there was a route 90 and an Interstate 90 and we took the wrong road.  This spit us out west of the city which meant our journey was longer as we backtracked.  We were hungry and tired which didn't help with navigation.  However, we finally reached our hotel, Hilton's Hampton Inn, dumped our luggage and went next door to the Fiddler's Green Pub.  We'd been there before.  They make great pizza so we had that, washing it down with Bozone Amber Ale made by the Bozeman Brewing Company

The next day we headed to Little Bighorn.  On our first road trip, we stopped here (see Where the Deer and the Antelope Play) and did the museum and cemetery.  It was then we learned the Crow tribe stages an enactment on the anniversary of the Battle.  Glen wanted to this happen so we arrived at 10:00 on June 25th (140th anniversary of the battle). See the next post for a description of what we experienced.

After the enactment, we headed to Sheridan,Wyoming.  It was just before 4pm so plenty of time to get caught up on emails, etc.  The Hampton Inn didn't have a restaurant so we asked for a recommendation and ended up at Sanford's Grub and Pub.  What an unique place!  Ever inch of space was filled with old license plates, posters, and memorabilia of all kinds.  There was even a giant alligator!  Beer, served in quart mason jars, was a local ale made by the Black Tooth Brewery called Bomber Mountain Amber.

The food had a definite southern spin.  We had a plate of Buffalo Wing a Ding Dings then were served on the biggest plate I've ever seen Southern Fried Catfish with Crawfish sauce.  Too much food!

A trick we've learned when travelling is to buy your lunch first thing in the morning then you aren't caught somewhere without food, especially when that somewhere is Wyoming (see Oh yes, Wyoming).  It seems most gas stations we stopped at had a Subway restaurant next door.  So, while other customers were buying breakfast sandwiches, I ordered lunch.  We had an insulated bag that kept the drinks cool so it worked out well.

Sunday, we drove through some spectacular landscapes and even at 130 km/hr, the beauty could be savoured.  I experimented with taking photos from the car window which can be seen on my Shutterfly site.  We stopped for lunch in Douglas.  We had no idea why Douglas was there in the middle of nowhere but it was a going concern.  The information centre is well off the highway and Glen almost gave up trying to find it.  An old railway station houses a small gift shop and it is surrounded by an old engine, dining and sleeper cars.  A small park had two picnic tables in the shade.  Very welcoming!  We chatted with the older couple manning the place and learned all about Jackalopes.  This strange creature is a cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope.  We had our photo taken next to one (see photo above) and received a hunting license should we wish to shoot one ourselves (assuming we had a gun).  Hunting season is June 31 (check a calendar).

Originally, Douglas was a stop on the railroad that functioned as a supply depot for surrounding ranchers.  The station was built in 1886 and named for a US senator.  It continues to be home to cowboys although there are oilfields outside of town.

Glen was enamoured with the restored dining car as it was exactly like the one his family enjoyed as they travelled from Ottawa to Colorado Springs 50 years ago.  Etched in his memory is the time he had his first bowl of cream of wheat while sitting in Union Station in Denver.  Little did he know then that his son would live there and his two grandkids would be Denverites.

As soon as you hit the Wyoming/Colorado border, traffic triples and it is slow going as you pass through Fort Collins and its satellite communities.  We took the toll road that goes from the airport to Geoff's place in Aurora.  It was nice to be settled and enjoy home cooking.

See photos here.

Ottawa Reunion

In the fall, my mother (92) fell.  She required knee surgery that led to several months in the hospital.  My sister, Lynda, became her primary advocate with my baby sister, Nancy, helping out.  Both visited as much as they could.

I had been in the habit of calling my mom but with moves from hospital to rehab to a care facility, this became impossible so I began writing weekly letters.  My sisters kept me informed of Mom's progress but it wasn't the same as being there.

Once Mom had settled into the AltaVista Manor, I made plans to fly to Ottawa and visit her and the rest of the family.  Lynda took time off work and hosted Glen and me in her lovely townhouse.  She created some wonderful meals and we enjoyed relaxing with her after busy days of visiting.

I'm a bit of a worrywart and when I saw the booking reference for our flights, I grew concerned.  Doesn't PERBLM resemble 'problem' to you?  However, the flight east was uneventful and we didn't have to get up early to catch it (always a bonus).  Lynda and her boyfriend, Chris, picked us up -- it's always nice to be met at the airport.

We couldn't believe the amount of snow in Ottawa.  Two weeks before, they endured dumps of 50 and 25 centimetres.  Lynda's garden was buried.  But, over the course of the week, it melted enough to reveal daffodils and tulips growing.

With Lynda

Lynda and Chris acted as chauffeurs during our stay so Glen got a break from driving.  And Lynda is the queen of breakfast dining!  I told Glen not to get used to such pampering.

After Lynda's delicious suppers, we'd watch movies or TV.  The first film we saw was "Steve Jobs".  It affirmed what we knew--Jobs was not a nice person.  The second movie was "Across the Universe", a 2007 musical set in New York featuring Beatle's music.  It was very well done.  Chris's favourite animation is "Frozen" and we'd never seen it (comes from having grandsons and no granddaughters).  The final movie we saw was "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel".  It was excellent and had us wanting to travel to India.  We also watched several episodes of MASH.

Monday (Day 3 of our visit) was Lynda's yoga day so she convinced me to join her.  I've let my yoga sessions slip over the last 6 months but she assured me it was yin yoga and I'd be fine.  I wasn't.  I've never used pillows, blocks or bolsters while doing yoga so.  I also wasn't used to holding my positions for so long.  Suffice to say, I hobbled around moaning and groaning for two days afterward.

Lynda is famous for her teas so on Wednesday (Day 5), she invited some of her friends over to meet us and enjoy sandwiches, sweeties, tea, and wine.  It was nice to put faces to the names I'd heard over years.  What a nice bunch!  Some were retired, some semi-retired but all seemed busy working on various projects.  It inspired us to think over our own retirement plans.

Thursday (Day 6), Lynda wanted to check out another care facility for Mom so she and I went to see what the Garry Armstrong (had the right name) had to offer.  Owned by the city of Ottawa, it has 180 rooms and a lovely open dining room on each floor.  Even the semi-private rooms had windows.

Friday (Day 7), we went to Beechwood Cemetery to view the grave of Glen's mom, dad, aunt, grandfather, grandmother and older brother (very much a family reunion) as well as the one belonging to his Grandfather Armstrong and grandmother.  The snow had melted enough so we could reach the graves and pay our respects.  We also found one of two letterboxes hidden nearby.  We had lunch at the Clocktower Pub and Craft Brewery in New Edinburgh.  Its unique pub menu had an Asian flare so I ordered the Korean Beef Sandwich and Glen had Cheddar and Bacon Grilled Cheese while Lynda ordered their Classic Burger.  She and I enjoyed their Bytown Brown Ale while Glen had their Bitters.  Very tasty!

Saturday night (Day 8), I made my 'famous' pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw and Lynda bought an apple pie.  We had a great dinner with Chris joining us.  I had made a mistake while mixing the pork rub spices but the sandwiches were still good.

Sunday (Day 9), I spent the morning packing then we went for a walk to Lynda's grocery store.  Chris arrived around 3:00 and we headed to the airport.  After supper in the Bytown Taps Pub (too much arugula!) we boarded the plane.  We were 30 minutes late leaving due to a computer problem but the pilot made up the time.  We were home within a half hour which is some kind of record.  The taxi driver forgot to set his meter (the first time I've heard a driver swear) but we knew what we usually pay and he was happy with that.

With Nancy

Sunday (Day 2) morning we headed out to Lanark County to visit Nancy and her husband, Andy.  We were to meet at Wheelers for a pancake breakfast.  It is a family business begun by Vernon and Judy Wheeler in 1978 with a sugar shack selling maple syrup products.  They opened their pancake house in 1996 having built it with logs and lumber from their sugar bush and derelict barns in the area.  At first it only served customers when the sap was running but after the ice storm of 1998, they decided to open year round.  They developed several hiking trails and in 2000, opened a museum using Vernon's collection of maple syrup artifacts (it holds a Guinness world record).

Over 200 kilometres of tubing bring the sap from 15,000 maple trees to the sugar shack making the Wheelers' 600 acres of forest look like a giant cat's cradle.  The sap is boiled down in huge evaporators.  Forty litres of sap creates 1 litre of syrup for those who love numbers.

Apparently, it is tradition that families head to Wheelers for Sunday breakfast during spring break.  We hadn't realized this but the change to daylight savings time, gave us a leg up on getting there before the crowds.  Or so we thought.  The place was packed but they were well-organized.  A parking attendant showed us where to park and we put our names on the list for a table.  I ducked into the bathroom and when I came out, everyone was sitting at a table.

I ordered the Sugar Bush Special which was two pancakes and three maple flavoured pork sausages.  The cakes were huge but so fluffy I had no problems gobbling them down.  Glen had the Canadian which was french toast, pancakes and sausages.  Chris and Andy had the same while Lynda had French Toast and sausage.  Wheelers also makes gluten-free pancakes so Nancy could enjoy them as well.  No one worried about running out of maple syrup!

After a touring the museums, we headed to Nancy's place.  She has a beautiful home off the grid in the hills of Lanark.  We did a tour of the new work they've done then enjoyed cheese, prosciutto and sweeties with wine, beer and tea.  Oh, and lots of laughs.

With Aunty Mabel

On Monday (Day 3), after a visit with Mom, Lynda drove us to my aunt's apartment.  It was good to get caught up on her news.  She leads a very busy life and everyone in the building seems to know her.  She told us a few funny stories about them.

With Victor

Tuesday (Day 4) we entertained my cousin (Mabel's son), Victor, his wife Wendy and their two kids, Colin and Valerie.  I was shocked to learn Colin had started searching for universities to attend.  Wasn't it yesterday that he was born?  He's tall and into science.  Victor is dealing with some health issues but he didn't come to discuss them.  We had lots of fun enjoying his 'joie de vivre'.  Wendy even got a few words in.  Valerie got bored so watched the movie "In and Out" while the adults chatted.  We ordered two pizzas from Gabriel's for lunch.

Founded by Michael Hanna in 1977, Gabe's is a successful immigrant story of how one determined man made a place for himself and his family in Canada.  Michael landed in Ottawa with little money and no English.  He began his career as a bus-boy.  After bringing his brothers and parents to Canada, they opened a pizzeria in the town of Orleans, just outside Ottawa.  There are now 23 franchises throughout the region.  Their pizza was delicious!


With Mom

Our plans for Saturday (Day 1) was a visit with Mom.  We had a nice lunch in the manor dining room  (see photo) although I believe my veal stew came from a can and Glen's eggs benedict had only one poached egg.  The soup was good and Mom's chicken sandwich looked tasty.  She couldn't eat it all so Glen polished it off.  Dessert was a date bar or honeydew.  I explained this to Mom calling it a honeydew melon.  According to the server there is only one melon and that's watermelon.

We also had a short visit with Mom before seeing Mabel on Monday (Day 3).  Lynda played pool with Mom's new boyfriend and the rest of us watched.  Mom loves playing pool but has to be careful not to push herself as her knee is still painful.  Lynda did get her walking with her walker down the hall and was happy with her progress.

Our next visit was to enjoy St. Patrick's Day celebrations on Thursday (Day 6).  The manor had a quartet of gospel singers playing Irish tunes in the lobby.  We had bought some head-decor at the dollar store so were ready to party.  Nancy and Andy arrived first and Chris drove us there so we were quite the group.  Other than someone's medical alarm sounding, the concert was pretty low-key. Glen said if they played Danny Boy, he would leave but when the woman sang this song, I think everyone wanted to leave.  It isn't an easy song and she had problems.

Afterwards, we were supposed to go upstairs for green beer.  Only three groups made the trek to the second floor where our family commandeered the biggest table.  Lynda and Chris played pool while the rest of us chatted.  Two small plates of pretzels vanished and several small glasses of beer also disappeared.  When the cookies came around, all the menfolk indulged.  As we were leaving, the entertainment director brought us the rest as she was throwing them out.  Glen, Andy and Chris did not complain.  As I'm not a big fan of green beer, I drank some Guinness when we got back to Lynda's place.

Our final visit with Mom, on Saturday (Day 8), we found her sitting in the lobby watching the flag blowing.  She liked the shapes it created.  I showed her pictures of our time in Victoria and she loved the ones I'd taken of the mergansers.  Lynda ran some errands and when she came to pick us up, discovered Mom's hearing aid was missing.  I hadn't noticed because Mom seemed to be responding well to our conversation.  Lynda has a gift for finding the aid when no one else can and true to form, she found it in the bathroom I thought I had searched well.

It was good seeing Mom in high spirits despite the pain of her knee surgery and recovery.  We enjoyed lots of laughs.  Growing old is hard; watching someone you love age, even more difficult but our visit showed us Mom was still feisty and embracing life.

Visit to the Big, Wet Thing

Anyone who knows me, knows I have always mixed my metaphors.  I don't do this on purpose but for some reason, my brain tangles them up.  Perhaps it comes from working alone and my socializing brain can't think and talk at the same time.  Who knows?  However as I get older, I am also losing my 'noun' recall.  We were in Victoria for a month and one day after buying fish at Finest-at-Sea, I told Glen I want to drive by the ocean on the way home.  It came out of my mouth as driving by the big, wet thing.  Of course, it became an embarrassing standing joke that apparently never 'got old'.

So yes, we began the year enjoying our condo in Victoria next to the big, wet thing.  I had had a pretty stressful December--I always devote too much energy to Christmas (note to self--not next year).  Christmas was fun but on Boxing Day, we had to pack up all our Christmas decorations, put away our gifts, and pack for Victoria.  We were up very early the next day, flew out of Calgary and were in our condo by 8:30am.  We unpacked, bought groceries, napped then went to Christie's for supper.  After sharing chicken wings, I had gyoza and Glen had fish and chips.  Tip: Christie's gyoza dipping sauce mixed with malt vinegar is a taste sensation.

Rather than bore you with five weeks of 'we did this on this day then that on the next', I'm organizing this blog into activities.

Birthdays:

There are many family birthdays in January but the ones we celebrated in Victoria were mine at the beginning of the month and Glen's in the middle.  I had been ill a few days before mine suffering some sort of stomach flu so the thought of a fancy dinner didn't sit well with me.  All I felt like was dinner out at Christie's (I had a veggie pizza while Glen indulged in their yorkies stuffed with roast beef). However, we began the day with a session at the driving range (the golf courses were closed due to frost) then drove out to Tillicum Centre to see the new Star Wars movie in the afternoon.

Glen's birthday began with a round of golf (you see a pattern here?) then lunch at the clubhouse (with our friends, Janet and Iain).  We had pea soup and half pastrami sandwich special since we knew we'd be dining at the Marina Restaurant that evening.  You only turn 65 once and that is a cause to celebrate (Glen learned he got a discount on his BC car insurance so was chortling all day about that).    He had his favourite liver paté while I had oysters then we both had the catch of the day, ling cod for Glen and trout for me.

As we were being seated, I told the hostess that because it was Glen's birthday, he should have the better view of the harbour.  When we finished eating our fish, the server brought Glen a plate on which the chef had written Happy Birthday.  It had a single candle and three chocolate truffles. Very sweet of them!  It didn't stop Glen from ordering a creme brulée for dessert.

We were up early the next day to continue his celebration with breakfast at The Shine Café.  We had planned to do this on New Years Day but they didn't open until 9:00 and we couldn't wait that long.  Glen had their signature Eggs Benedict with roasted potatoes while I had their Nemo which featured smoked salmon rather than ham.  I asked for Scottish potato scones which looked more like pancakes than biscuits.

Walking:

There were a few days of solid rain but mostly the weather was cloudy with showers and an occasional jolt of sunshine.  This made walking a treat although we didn't get in as much as we'd planned.  However, we did go down Fort Street so Glen could buy some cigars and several times made our way to the MokaHouse coffee shop via the grocery store.  We also did the trip to Hillside Mall, checking out all the new townhouses being build along Shelbourne Rd.  One day, Monica, a Calgary friend, invited us to coffee at her favourite place, Serious Coffee on Oak Bay Ave and we walked there to meet her.

We also strolled along the beach at Cadboro Bay.  Originally we planned going to Willows Beach but took the scenic route and ended up on the wrong beach.  There were two sailboat wrecks, one of which created controversy as its owners had abandoned it.  It was rather unsightly but made for interesting photos.

Our only garden trek was to Beacon Hill Park.  I wanted to re-plant a lost letterbox and see what was blooming (roses, primroses, and early rhododendrons).  The peacocks were pairing up so we saw several tails displayed.  On our way back to the car, Glen and a Iroquois native began chatting.  He told us of his spirit animals and how he had spit at the feet of the Queen of England.  He had fought in Vietnam and met more dignitaries than I can list.  I began to think he was a bit like Forrest Gump.  He probably thought we were gullible white guys and was laughing at us inside.

Golfing:

We wanted to experience winter golf this year and had the chance to do so several times. The Ridge at Cordova Bay is a well-drained and maintained course so playing there was fun although I had to bundle up.  At one point, I had on 5 layers of clothing.  Janet and Iain joined us and we had lots of laughs over the frustrations of the game.  Twice we went to lunch with them at Bill Mattick's Restaurant in the clubhouse of the Cordova Bay Golf Course.

We also played Cedar Hill Golf course twice.  The first time was a slog but we pretty much had the same score as in the summer.  The second time, the conditions were worse.  We had had a deluge of rain a couple of days before and it did not improve the course.  I was up to my ankles in water in places and hitting from the fairway meant getting a muddy shower.  We played with an older gent called Geoff who said we must create winter golf rules to make play enjoyable.  He often drove his cart partway down the fairway to tee off and he'd move his ball to higher ground if it landed in a muddy patch.  If there is a next time, I will not keep score, that's for sure!

Birding:

Diane and Tony often do a birding trip around the Gulf Islands on a BC Ferry and invited us to join their group.  The first Sunday trip was cancelled due to high winds and rain.  The second one was a go so we awoke at 5:15am to get to the ferry in time to join the rest, picking up Diane and Tony along the way.  Glen was determined to get a senior's discount so told the ticket seller that he was 65.  The man replied, well, I'm 60.  After a moment's silence, I started to laugh.  There are no discounts for seniors on the ferries on the weekend and rightly so.  Our group consisted of 38 birders and I was the only one without binoculars.  Glen had borrowed Tony's old pair.  I figured I'd use my camera if I needed to see anything.  It was a great day for the trip with no rain and little wind but cool enough for gloves.  And we did see lots of birds, mostly in the harbour areas.

The ferry we caught, the Bowen Queen, does a circle route and we remained on board the entire time.  First stop was Pender Island where we saw Pelagic Cormorants whose feathers were iridescent in the sun.  Most of the cars left the ferry here.  Our next stop was Village Bay on Mayne Island (we often buy Village Bay oysters here in Calgary).

As we were going into the narrows between Mayne and Galiano Islands, I wandered off to take photos of the ferry.  A young crew member asked me if I'd like to see the bridge.  He had two men in tow so I guess I was the token woman.  He told us that only a few were invited up to the bridge so I had no time to alert the others of my luck (big mistake).  It was an amazing experience where I talked charts (which they don't use anymore) and sailing with the captain.  He had been in the Canadian Navy and since my Dad had sailed with the British Navy during the war, I felt a strong bond with him.  I also learned a lot about the currents between the islands and how ferry system works.

As we approached the Galiano ferry dock, another ferry came up behind us.  'Traffic control' told the captain he must wait and let the Mayne Queen pick up a dangerous goods truck.  This ferry does a dangerous goods run every Sunday and carries no passengers.  The first mate took the Bowen Queen out into the main channel then brought her around.  Then the captain took over to bring the boat into the dock.  As he did so, I went out on the wheelhouse deck.

I saw Glen on the main deck and called down to him.  If looks could kill!  Turns out he had hunted the ferry for me calling my cellphone several times (for some reason my phone was acting up so I never received the calls).  He was just about to alert the crew I was missing when I called to him.  I spent a bit more time on the deck checking out the birds (remember that's why I was there), then went below to have a picnic lunch with Glen, Diane and Tony.  I was so excited about my adventure that I think Glen forgave me.  Not so sure about the others, though.  I behaved myself on the trip back.  Gotta love the magic of travel experiences!!

Dining:

My mother always says reading my blogs makes her hungry so having a section on food seems appropriate.  To me travel is all about experiencing the food a region offers.  I've already described a few of our meals but others are worth mentioning, too.

It's been several years since we had a meal at The Swans Brewpub.  Diane suggested we meet them there so we walked down.  It built up our appetite (Glen had prawn linguine while I enjoyed their veggie panini) and excellent beer (I had oatmeal stout).  We ate on their covered, glassed-in patio under a very good heater.  I actually removed my outer layers!  Diane wanted to make us shepherd's pie (she is a fantastic cook) so we made plans to meet for lunch at their house in Gordon Head.

This seemed to be a theme for while dining with Janet and Iain after golf (chowder and smoked salmon bagel at Bill Mattick's), Janet invited us to lunch at their place.  She served a wonderful seafood dish that still has my mouth watering.  The reason for the visit was to meet her sister.  Apparently, Grace thought we were 'invisible friends'.  Although born in Scotland, Grace came to Canada to teach and met her husband, a native Victorian, and settled in BC.

The Beagle Pub has become a favourite haunt of ours in Cook Street Village.  It's a cozy place to dine after a walk in Beacon Hill park.  Glen had fish and chips while I ate a halibut wrap.  The table next to us seemed to be a group of older gentlemen enjoying stories and laughs.  One ordered apple crisp for dessert and reluctantly shared it with his companions.  Glen decided he wanted one, too.  Well it wasn't long before the old men kidded him about sharing with them.  As we lingered over coffee, the group left.  One had propped his cane near my chair and when he came over, explained they were all ex-RCAF, the oldest being 97, the youngest 80.  They met once a week but had to have a walk beforehand (some had walkers in tow).  He and Glen talked planes for a bit before his comrades called him over to re-join them.

What would a trip to Victoria be without a meal at Don Mee's?  As usual, we filled our table with dim sum goodness, getting all our favourites and adding ginger beef and BBQ pork to the mix.  We had enough leftovers for dinner and lunch the next day.  Which was just as well as I spent the day preparing a lunch for Diane and Tony, making the base for sausage soup, the meat sauce for lasagna, and baking Italian lemon cakes.

Since I didn't feel like cooking supper, we planned an evening at Christie's with our floor neighbours, Ray and Cynthia.  They keep an eye on our place while we are away and are very sweet people.  We walked over to Christie's and thoroughly enjoyed our meal together.  Glen and Ray had meatloaf while Cynthia had fish and chips and I enjoyed chicken quesadillas.  During dinner we made plans to meet up with their daughters at Sue's new townhouse.  We hope to move into a townhouse when Glen retires so were anxious to see an example of the newer ones.  We fell in love with it!!  So much room and so much light.  Exactly what we need.

Tradition has it that we dine at airport The White Spot when we fly out of Victoria.  Glen contends they have the best burgers anywhere and I love the light batter of their fish and chips.  We had plenty of time before our flight so instead of sitting in our living room waiting to leave, we left.  When we hit the restaurant it was very busy but we got a nice booth where I could easily stash our hand luggage.  Just as we finished eating, the whole place emptied out.  Glen asked the waiter if it were something we said.  Turns out the young man was a native Islander and also served tables at a golf course which he said we should play.

Work:

It wasn't all fun, games and eating, of course as Glen had scientific papers to review, media interviews to give, lectures to create, and a conference to organize.  I also did work on the conference website, knitted, and spun.  Added to the normal tasks involved with running a household, Glen also re-grouted the master bath's tub.  One day, I hope to lay a tiled floor in there.  We keep promising ourselves this but the whirlwind that is Victoria sweeps away our best intentions.

Better Late Than Never

I'm pretty sure I've used this title before as sometimes life gets in the way of blogging.  This time I was forced from procrastination mode by a good friend.  She knew I'd been to visit the grandkids in November and when she didn't see my blog post, was worried about me.  A fan and a friend.  Thanks, Jennifer!!  The reason I didn't write was because we had more of a 'family' experience than a 'travel' one but that's really not a good excuse.

As readers of these pages know, I love Thanksgiving (see Another Wonderful Thanksgiving) and a bonus of having an American arm to our family tree is I can sometimes squeeze two thanksgivings into a year.  The Canadian holiday is the second Monday in October whereas the US celebrates the last Thursday in November.  Both enjoy the same foods (turkey, stuffing/dressing, potatoes, root veggies, and pies) and the same sense of thankfulness for a good harvest and a loving family.

We enjoyed our Canadian feast with our daughter, Meg and her husband, Mike.  They had just returned from a holiday in Victoria so we had fun hearing about their adventures (the strata had changed the lock on our condo while they were out being tourists).

Our flight to Denver began with my leaving my camera bag at the gate.  Our seats were at the very back (that's where you end up when using airline points) so I had to 'swim upstream' to reach the gangway to retrieve it.  I don't think the flight attendant was going to let me leave but I just brushed passed her in good 'old lady' fashion.  The gate attendant didn't stop me as I bustled past her and grabbed my bag.  It looked very lonely on the empty bench and I was glad someone hadn't reported it abandoned or had blown it up!

Back on board, I made friends with those around me as they sympathized with my plight.  Glen and I were not sitting together so I made friends with a woman from Grande Prairie and a man from Colorado Springs.  Both were hockey fans with children involved in the sport so I learned what I had missed (not much).

We landed in a snow storm--a harbinger of the week ahead.  It took us 3 hours to drive to Geoff's house, a trip that usually takes 30 minutes.  We had the grandsons Elijah and Miles with us as Melissa was at a concert.  They finally fell asleep at 11:00 pm, just before we got home.

Normally the weather of Denver at this time of year mimics Calgary's in October so we brought our polar fleeces and rain jackets and not our winter coats.  There were some shivery days and the traditional Thanksgiving football game played by the Armstrong males was abandoned although Miles and Glen did spend some time outside-Miles making snow angels while Grampy shoveled.

Since the kids had the day before Thanksgiving off, Melissa suggested we see the Poisons and Sherlock Holmes exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.  She used to work as a volunteer at this wonderful place and so it has a soft spot in our hearts.  It also has the best view of the city!

We spent most of the morning going through the exhibits and doing all the interactive aspects of the Sherlock Holmes display.  It was very well done.  Glen and Miles solved the crime!  I don't want to give away any spoilers as the exhibit goes to Edmonton's Telus World of Science in March and I know some Albertans read this blog.  Go see it, if you can, it is so worth the money.

We were all famished afterwards so Melissa suggested we go to Fat Sully's for lunch.  It was close to one of her concert venues, a dive bar that looked like it had seen better days but I gather that's the definition of a good dive bar.  At the restaurant, Melissa assured us one slice of pizza was all we needed and she was so right.  The boy's slices were almost as big as they were (see above photo).  Due to its popularity, we had to wait for a table but as luck would have it, two became available.  We wisely chose the booth.

Other than a take-home meal of Jim 'N Nicks BBQ, we enjoyed the great cooking of Melissa and Geoff and the wonderful beer one can drink in Denver.  We had great fun playing with the kids building things with Lego and creating our own card games (who knew there was such a thing as 2 person, collaborative solitaire?)

The only downside of such a late Thanksgiving holiday is Christmas comes up much faster.  I had to hit the ground running when we arrived back in Calgary.  What with hosting an open house and getting six packages of gifts ready to send off to points across Canada, I had no time to write this blog.  Now I'm glad Jennifer 'twisted my arm' as I could re-live that fun time!

Walkabout

As you know from previous posts, when Glen attends a conference, I do a walkabout.  Curiosity drives me and who wants to spend the whole day inside when there are new things to experience.  Breakfast was included in the conference fees so Glen and I enjoyed it with a grad student and post-doc from University of British Columbia.  Glen is at the point in his career where he's a magnet for young academics who want to tap his knowledge.  He is always willing to share.

We were to meet for lunch so I organized my Monday walkabout with that in mind.  My plan was to hunt for another letterbox.  It had been planted in the spring but the last few attempts at finding it had failed.  I hoped I'd be luckier.  The box was hidden in the middle of the financial district but first I stopped at a artistic display we had passed on Saturday.  Turns out it was the work of the winners of Design Biennial Boston which recognizes emerging architects and designers.  These were modern art concepts set in a small park for the city to enjoy.

The letterbox was a tribute to George Thorndike Angell who helped found the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and brought about the state's first anti-cruelty legislation.  He was also an advocate for public health and safeguarding food.  The fountain in the memorial plaza was originally designed to provide water for carriage horses.  In 1982, a dry pond created using bronze marked the 125th anniversary of the humane society.  One of Angell's quotes inscribes the base of the pond:  "Our humane societies are now sowing the seed of a harvest which will one of these days protect not only the birds of the air and beasts of the fold but also human beings as well."

I also didn't find the letterbox but did enjoy the park next door in Post Office Square.  It had a wonderful vine-laced pergola which beckoned people from the surrounding office buildings to come and enjoy a moment of peace in their hectic lives.  It was dedicated to Norman B Leventhal, a prominent Boston businessman and philanthropist (died in April 2015) who oversaw the park's creation.  Built on the top of a parking garage, the parking fees pay for the park's upkeep.  Home to 125 species of plants, it's an unique oasis in this concrete jungle.

I happen to love concrete jungles and Boston's financial district is a treat for anyone who enjoys startling architecture (see photo).  There was an exciting mix of old and new with lovely art deco highlighting the steel and glass.  I couldn't linger as I had to return to the Westin where I enjoyed a quick bag lunch with Glen.  Afterwards, I waited while he and his colleagues made their presentation to the committee.  I spent the afternoon knitting while watching the comings and goings of the harbour view from our room's window.

The supper provided by the conference were light canapés which didn't appeal to us so we returned to MJ O'Connor to enjoy fish and chips (Glen) and onion soup and ahi tuna salad (me).  Both were excellent.  It also gave Glen a break from the science and politics of the conference.

My walkabout on Tuesday was to see the working side of the harbour.  Instead of heading into town, I explored the Seaport district.  I also wanted to check out the boat where we'd be having our Harbour Cruise/Dining experience on that evening.  After having fun photographing fishing boats at the Boston Fish Pier (celebrated its 100 anniversary last year), I ended up at Harpoon Brewery (see previous post).  In between, I checked out the World Trade Center Boston and Liberty Wharf.  The latter was the dream of Jimmy Doulos, a young Greek immigrant, who opened Liberty Café in 1924 at the Boston Fish Pier selling seafood to his patrons.  Five years later, he moved to a nearby wharf and built a restaurant that catered to all, even the famous Kennedy family.  Now, it is an upscale dining experience with modern office spaces above the restaurants.  Jimmy was known as the 'Chowder King' and died a wealthy man in 1981.  Not bad for a someone who arrived in Boston with $13 in his pocket and speaking no English.

Glen and I shunned the bus provided and walked down to Commonwealth pier where the newly-renovated Spirit of Boston waited.  The cruiser had two floors of dining and an observation deck.  Since we were early, we got a window seat but because the boat didn't depart until after we had eaten, this made little difference.  We spent most of the cruise on the upper deck enjoying the harbour lights.

Dinner was buffet-style so perhaps it was just as well we didn't eat while underway.  We enjoyed salad and veggies as well as salmon, chicken and boneless ribs all washed down with Samuel Adams Boston Lager.  The cruise did a tour of Boston Inner Harbor and passed many landmarks which we knew from our walks.  When we turned around at Fort Independence, Glen and I watched the airplanes come and go.

Fort Independencce sits on Castle Island, a site that has been a key fortification in protecting the harbour since 1634.  Called Castle William by the British, it was first an earthen, then a timber fort.  They abandoned it, burning it to the ground, when George Washington's army attacked in 1776.  It was quickly rebuilt and named Fort Adams.  In 1797, it became Fort Independence and the present fort was erected in the 1830s.  It was an important military hub during the Civil War and World Wars I and II.  Edgar Allan Poe, who served there, took inspiration from a tale he heard and wrote, The Cask of Amontillado.

Due to a breakdown in communications, we thought the conference ended that evening so had booked to fly out the following morning.  Glen missed several key talks which was a shame.   The flights were good and we arrived on time.  We had supper at a local restaurant, ironically called, Boston Pizza.

Make Way for Ducklings!

When the children were younger, one of their favourite books was Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, published in 1941.  A mother duck takes her brood from the Charles River to the Boston Public Gardens.  Little did we know this book is the official children's book of Massachusetts or that there was a statue of the ducklings in the park.  I loved the duckling's names of Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack.

It was a misty morning on Sunday, a great day for ducks, when we began our walk to Boston Common and the nearby Public Gardens.  Boston Common, created in 1634, is the oldest city park in the United States.  The British camped there before marching to Lexington (see Paul Revere's Ride in the previous post) and until 1830 was often a cow pasture.

We headed north on Summer Street making a detour at the South Station.  This Amtrak depot had an ornate exterior (opened in 1898) which promised an equally antique look inside.  No such luck.  The building suffered several demolitions over the decades as train travel decreased.  It wasn't until the 1970s that it was finally named an historic site.  In 1984 (the year Samuel Adams beer was created--see previous post) renovations began.  It now houses Amtrak, subway, and bus stations.

As we left the station, it began to rain.  We continued on our way, passing along the edge of Chinatown and into an area called Downtown Crossing.  Just before the Common, Summer Street became Winter Street for some unknown reason other than whimsey.  Despite the wet weather, the Common was a popular spot for Bostonians on a Sunday.  We basically cut through the park on the way to the Public Gardens, pausing for a moment at the Central Burying Ground where William Billings is buried.  Billings is considered to be America's first choral composer although he wasn't inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame until 1970.

The Public Gardens, created in 1837, were the first botanical public gardens in the United States.   Once a salt marsh, it now has many stately trees and flower gardens.  And of course, lots of ducks and swans.  The famous Swan Boats (see photo) have been plying the pond since 1877.  Inspired by the opera, Lohengrin by Wagner, they are flat-bottomed boats that appear to be powered by elegant swans.

We'd walked for about an hour in the rain so decided not to linger in the gardens.  We retraced our steps, crossing Tremont Street at Edgar Allan Poe square which was really just an intersection.  Poe, best known for his macabre stories and the poem The Raven, was born in Boston in 1809.

We had spotted a pub on Chauncy Street but as it was only 11:30 on a Sunday, it was closed.  We continued down Summer Street to check out what was available in the train station.  Here, we had our cheapest meal at Tavern in the Square.  We drank pints of Yeungling bee and enjoyed a hearty lunch: a Cuban sandwich (Glen) and Chicken Quesadillas (me).  The restaurant is a local success story that began as an attempt to create a sports bar that appealed to those who wanted a place with good food and friendly staff.  Despite being in the centre of the railway station, we enjoyed a quiet meal where we could watch golf if we wanted.  Twice the manager asked if we were enjoying ourselves.

Back at the hotel, we registered for the meeting and attended the first lecture, an interesting study in how E. coli  O157:H7 was discovered in lettuce in Britain.  Surprising to no one, mostly older women (probably dieting) showed signs of infection.  Afterwards we had a lovely buffet dinner of clams, mussels (from Prince Edward Island), chicken and biscuits, chowder, corn bread, and salads.  To drink was a beer from the local Harpoon Brewery called Octoberfest.  Founded a couple of years after the Samuel Adams brewery opened, three friends wanted to create beer such as they had had in Europe.  It was the beginning of the craft beer trend when they opened their Boston brewery in 1986. I could see the brewery from the window of our hotel room, that's how local it was.

"One if by land, Two if by Sea"

Most Americans reading the above title will know this blog is about Boston.  We visited this city to present a bid for VTEC 2018 at the VTEC 2015 meeting.  I say 'we' because I helped Glen with some ideas he proposed to the international committee.  Unfortunately, we lost the bid to Florence, Italy so enjoying the city helped deal with our disappointment.

Boston was never on my 'bucket list' of must-see places.  I figured it was another large American city with little interest to me except that it was the site of the Boston Marathon.  I was glad to be proven wrong.  In our wanderings, I learned a little history but mostly I soaked in the city's vibes and its friendly people.

Boston is the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a name harkening back to its being a colony of Britain.  Originally called Three Hills, Boston was renamed in 1630 by Puritan settlers after a town in Lincolnshire, England.   Fresh water drew them to the Charles River which runs through the city.  As the town grew, the hills were used to fill in the marshy areas so only their names exist today, like Beacon Hill.  

We arrived on Friday evening after an uneventful flight with a stopover in Toronto.  The Westin Boston Harbourfront was twenty minutes from the airport via a tunnel under the harbour.  There was an Irish pub (Irish immigrated to Boston during the Potato Famine) in the hotel that had good reviews so we tried it.  MJ O'Connors was quiet and the food was excellent.  We enjoyed grilled cod ( 2 inches/ 5cm thick) cooked to perfection and served with potatoes, spinach and lobster.  Glen declared the banana bread pudding 'to die for'.  The local beer was Samuel Adams Brewery, of course, so I indulged in their Brick Red Ale which came in a what I called a 'girlie' glass.  Glen had Smithwicks, his favourite Irish beer (they've been brewing beer since 1710), but switched to Brick Red after tasting mine.  

At one time, Boston was renown for its breweries but gradually they all folded.  The Boston Beer Company, founded in 1828, lasted until 1957.  But, the city saw a revival of craft brews begun in 1984 by Jim Koch who created Samuel Adams Boston Lager.  Harpoon Brewery (I'll write about this later) began a year later and now 72 breweries call Boston home.

Koch is a 6th generation brewer but he came to the business via Harvard University.  His grandfather had to give up their brewery in St. Louis, Missouri during Prohibition but kept the recipes.  Jim's father chose his favourite one for the new brewery.  Koch named the beer after one of America's founding fathers (patriots), Samuel Adams, whose business was making malt for beer (popular belief is he was a brewer, too but this isn't so). 

Saturday morning, we discovered how expensive it is to eat in Boston when we were told the breakfast buffet was $24 (not including tax) each (that's $30 CDN).  We ate at Starbucks which was across the lobby from the buffet and saved ourselves $30.

My plan for Saturday was to walk to Old North Church (see photo) to get two letterboxes hidden nearby.  My maps really didn't give me a good idea of distances so we headed out to explore as far as we could go.  Glen told me with his new orthotics, he could walk for miles which we did.  Boston has many nicknames: "The Cradle of Liberty" (because its role in the American Revolution), "Beantown" (refers to baked beans made with molasses, a favourite when the city traded with the West Indies), and "America's Walking City" (the city is compact).  We discovered that it was a great city for walking.  

The Westin is part of the Boston Convention Centre complex built in the Seaport District of South Boston.  Surrounding it are old warehouses that now house up-scale condos and lofts.  We crossed the Summer Street Bridge over Fort Point Channel and spotted The Boston Tea Party Museum in the middle of Congress Street Bridge.  We walked toward this as I had joked I would sprinkle tea into the harbour when I arrived.   We didn't go in but discovered the Harborwalk there.  Begun in 1984 (must have been an exciting year for Boston), it meanders along the waterfront using piers and access roads as its path, thus avoiding most of the car traffic.

We passed the New England Aquarium and took a detour through Columbus Park (Christopher of 1492 fame) with its Rose Kennedy rose garden.  All the wharfs had names like Rowes, India, Central, Long, Commercial, Lewis, Clark, Sargents, Union, Battery, and Constitution.  Some we explored, some we just looked at.  At Hanover Street, we headed inland to Old North Church passing a monument to Paul Revere.  That's when we realized the significance of the church.  Its steeple was where the lanterns flashed warnings to the patriots.

Built in 1723, Old North Church is still a viable congregation with the official name of Christ Church, an Episcopal (Anglican) denomination.  In 1775, Paul Revere asked the sexton, Robert Newman, and Captain John Pulling to signal, using lanterns, the patriots across the Charles River of the British Army's movements.  "One if by land, Two if by Sea" described the two different routes the enemy would take to move inland.  There were 30 riders who would deliver the message should Paul Revere be captured (he escaped Boston by rowing across the river before doing his famous ride).   His fellow patriot, William Dawes, also rode (via Boston Neck) to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock they were in danger.  The poem, Paul Revere's Ride by Henry W. Longfellow commemorates this event.

A feature of the church that appealed to Glen were the pew boxes, each sporting a brass plate informing us who had owned them.  Apparently each family decorated their own box and the closer to the altar, the wealthier the family.  Glen remarked that his mom would have loved the assigned seating as she didn't like others sitting in 'their' pew.

The letterbox we sought was close to the Copp's Hill Burying Ground.  If you've read my past blogs, you know I have an affinity for graveyards.  So I was thrilled to explore this one before finding the box.  Some of the graves were so eroded, all writing had been washed from their surface.  Founded in 1659, it was the city's second graveyard and is the final resting place of Robert Newman, the sexton.

It was noon (we'd been walking for 2 hours) when we left the church so we headed back to the harbour front where we'd spotted a restaurant we thought we'd enjoy.  We followed part of the Freedom Trail (red brick path in the sidewalk) past Paul Revere's house.  Built in 1680, it's the oldest house in the city of Boston and I almost walked passed it.  I did notice it had a hitching post which I thought unusual but it was only when a tour guide said it was Paul's house, I realized its significance.

By the time we reached Joe's American Bar and Grill, we were hot, hungry, thirsty, and tired of walking.  The wait for their huge patio on the wharf was 15 minutes but they seated us inside right away.  First up was beer, of course.  We ordered two pints of Yeugling Lager.  Established in 1829, it is the oldest, working brewery in America (see my blog entry, Golfing in Florida where I explore the history of this beer.)  Glen enjoyed an ahi tuna burger whereas I had a blackened fish sandwich.  

We returned to the hotel via Congress Street  which lead us through a highway system with no access to our hotel.  Finally, I spotted a bridge that, according to our maps, lead to the convention centre.  It had an interesting statue to Polish Partisans of World War II.  

We took it easy for the rest of the afternoon and walked no further than MJ O'Connor pub for supper.  I had a velvety clam chowder and an appetizer pizza.  Glen had meatloaf with mashed potatoes.  When my pizza came it was the size of a dinner plate--an entrée in Canada.