the Traveler

Canadian breakfast in Vancouver

2011-07-02T15:10:00.000-04:00

Welcome to a great Canadian morning!!

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Japadog in Vancouver

2011-07-02T15:09:00.000-04:00

Hautedogs jn Vancouver

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Bubble tea in Vancouver

2011-07-02T15:08:00.000-04:00

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Prepping for AK

2011-05-15T08:05:00.001-04:00

Kenai Peninsula - Photo Story NYT

The final day of the trip should take us to Seward, AK.

Seward is located at the southern end of the Seward Highway, approx. 125 miles from Anchorage. The trip is breath-taking and the roadway has federal designation as one of the nation's scenic byways. The drive takes approximately 2.5 hours and is definitely worth the time spent winding along Turnagain Arm, past numerous glaciers, up into the snow-capped mountain passes, through the spruce forests, and finally back down to the ocean in Seward

Old Québec

2010-08-12T08:10:00.001-04:00

After passing through le Porte Saint Jean we entered the old walled town of Québec. The Chateau Frontenac dominated the skyline, amidst historical buildings which housed many interesting restaurants and shops.

The Marché Marche du Vieux-Port had a large selection of foods from locals, such as berries, maple products, emu and goose pates, pastries, and meats. We found one stand that sold blood sausage, c’est delicieux.

Emus, Pigs and Ferries

2010-08-11T08:43:00.001-04:00

We went to a Emu farm outside of Quebec. There we were able to feed and taste emu on the farm. We got some Emu Terrine and Maple wood smoked Emu. We could also feed the Emu grass from off the ground.

That night we went to a restaurant that specialized in pig, called the Le Cochon Dingue it was very good.

Ferries!

I have never been on a Ferry now I have been on a 90 minute Ferry crossing of the St Lawrence River.

Québec

2010-08-08T09:13:00.001-04:00

The hotel is across from the Porte Saint Jean.

The old town is completely surrounded by a wall and had many interesting shops and restaurants. Along the way we ran into some people from the 17th century.

Montreal 2010

2010-08-08T08:05:00.001-04:00

A Great stay at the hotel d’Institute.

Crepes and Smokes meat, and another croissant.

Montreal has Bixi stands. You just take a bike and leave it at another stand somewhere in town.

St Joseph Oratorio. Alot of steps (and a few escalators)

Ottawa

2010-08-06T20:18:00.002-04:00

We had poutine at a chip wagon, the best in Ottawa. Poutine is french fries covered in cheese curds and gravy. We also went to the parliment to watch the changing of the guards, and the war museum. We also saw a lot of bike trails.

Canada’s War Memorial. The building is neat the layout is well done and the collection of artifacts is extensive.

The was a whole section of tanks and things at the end of the tour

The selection of chips is fun. We had ketchup chips and we will have bacon chips next, then buffalo wing chips.

The changing of the guards at Parliament Hill. Very interesting. The hats are funny.

And of course Beaver Tails, this was the first stop after being picked up at the airport. There are too many varieties to try them all at once.

Newark

2010-08-04T12:08:00.001-04:00

We landed in Newark. It is a old airport. We will be leaving at 1:05pm

We will be in a small airplane. We had hotdogs and Chocolate Croissants.

That is the plane we’re flying.

Away we go

2010-08-04T12:01:00.001-04:00

First Stop: Newark, NJ

The flight was enjoyable, we saw New York and the Bayonne Bridge, which is seen in the War of the Worlds, upon landing. Our plane was a Boeing 737.

l’entrecote saint jean

2009-10-04T21:46:00.001-04:00

good steak and frites restaurant 1080 rue saint jean 418 694 0234

le pain beni in Auberge Place d’Armes 24 ste anne, quebec city (near chateau frontenac)

toast restaurant

L’echaude 73 rue sault au matelot 418 692 1299 (near musee de la civilsation)

le patriarche lunch: wed, thurs, friday 11:30 to 2 pm 17 saint stanislas 418 692 5488 near chateau fontenac (game

Ile d’Orleans

2009-08-20T10:05:00.000-04:00

Île d'Orléans is a large (34 km) Island in the Saint Lawrence River just north of Quebec City. I suggest driving the road that circles the island in a counter clockwise direction.

The first stop is at the Southwesterly end of the island and the Chocolate Store.

There is a place to grab regular food. There are better dining establishments on the island. You should stick with trying the chocolate. The maple syrup ones are their specialty.

Le Moulin de St Laurent is a good place to stop. You can sit outside by the slough used for the mill during it’s operation. The interior is quite nice. The food is good and the service is good. The prices were cheap considering the location.

Continue your drive and enjoy the sites.

Algonquin Park - Ontario

2009-08-17T08:19:00.001-04:00

Located in Northern Eastern Ontario, just below the Ottawa Rivers sit a pristine Provincial Park with miles and miles of canoe, hiking and biking trails. The primary mode of transportation is canoe or boat. The park is immense with myriad of lakes, rivers and tributaries.

We only had time to canoe on Canoe Lake. It is the primary point of entry for people using the lake system. So the 2 hours of canoeing were in the most populated sections of the lake. The shores of the lake was filled with private cabins.

There is a youth camp on an island there that seemed like a great place for a summer camp for teens. The girls camp is on one island the boys camp on another.

There is a good restaurant at the canoe lake drop in. The facility will rent you everything needed for a canoe and camping trip. They even rent you sleeping bags.

Below is a Spruce Grouse. They are very confident in their camouflage. So confident we nearly stepped on this one.

Charlevoix – Quebec

2009-08-17T08:13:00.001-04:00

Baie-Saint-Paul
While BSP promotes itself as artisan community, you need to head further north to experience the Charlevoix artisan. Main street in BSP is store after store of bric-brac an not local artisans. There is an abundance of statuary on display around town. However the drive into and out of BSP is itself worth the trip.

La Malbaie
The 362 path from BSP to La Malbaie offers one vista after another of the St Lawrence river. Expect delays due to road work. The wait for the road work allows the driver a chance to enjoy the vistas. There are plenty of passing lane sections so be patient of the faster and slower drivers. The road goes from sea level to 2000 feet a dozen times. Enjoy the travelling.

Donkeys and Whales – Quebec

2009-08-14T10:07:00.001-04:00

Where else can you have soap from Donkey milk and see Beluga Whales form your car window. I can’t think of anyplace.

Taking highway 138 from La Malbaie, QC to Baie St Catherine you see grand views of the St Lawrence and cute little towns.

The first stop was a Savonerie in Cap de Persil. My French is a work in progress but because of it’s Latin base and my knowledge of Spanish I can frequently make sense of signs it just takes some time. Maybe the picture of the Donkey in the sign helped too.

Next, we went all the way up 138 until the road ended and you had to take a ferry to continue. We passed the whale watching boats with busloads of other tourists getting on the. We were pressed for time so we opted to skip the whale tour. We stopped at an overlook of the confluence of the St Lawrence River and the Saquenay Fjord. There is a whale watching interpretive center there and skeptically decided to visit the center on the chance we might see a whale. Saving the 100.00 for the boat ride we were able to see and hear Minke Whales and a family of Beluga whales.

Orillia, Ontario

2009-08-13T07:20:00.001-04:00

Orillia, a quaint town on the upper coast of Lake Simco is the destination of many Toronto residents who need a trip to the outdoors.

Lucky for us we have relatives with a cabin on a lake and they were gracious enough to invite us to stay with them.

Lake Simcoe can be rough but their place is on a bay so boating is not so treacherous.

Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario

2009-08-10T08:20:00.001-04:00

The Art Gallery of Ontario is worth the trip and the price. The gallery contains a vast representation of Canadian artists. The building itself is a piece of art. Unlike the art hanging on it’s walls you can photograph the building inside and out.

The building received a make-over recently. The new look is the work of Frank Gehry Read about him.

There is a pub across the street with a great name!

The museum is located in China Town or at least one of the 3 china towns. Although they generally speak better English than I do Chinese there is still an occasional noteworthy loss in translation.

La Prunelle -Montreal

2009-08-08T07:05:00.000-04:00

Great Dining in Montreal. When our first choice was all booked up for the evening we happened upon a nice French restaurant.Bison Ribs, very good.

Eastern Townships – Montreal

2009-08-08T07:03:00.000-04:00

If you are into Cycling and wineries then this area east of Montreal and North of Vermont is definitely for you. Quebec has done a great job growing the winemaking industry. There is a well marked route that takes you past each of the areas wineries.

The wineries present themselves very well. The make the vines part of the experience. Each one has a designated unique type of art collection. Some have paintings others have sculptures. The oldest winery had the sculptures spread throughout the vines.

Maple syrup, fresh pick-your-own raspberries and quaint eateries dot the roadside.

Off to Canada

2009-07-25T10:13:00.001-04:00

Welcome

2008-11-17T11:53:00.000-05:00

trav⋅el

/ˈtrævəl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [trav-uhl] Show IPA verb, -eled, -el⋅ing or (especially British) -elled, -el⋅ling, noun, adjective

Use travel in a Sentence

–verb (used without object)

1.
to go from one place to another, as by car, train, plane, or ship; take a trip; journey: to travel for pleasure.

2.
to move or go from one place or point to another.