Summer Trip 2012 - Choices, Choices

How would you like to help us choose our next summer vacation? We are in the process of creating a short list of countries from among the countries below. Once we've created our short list, we will need your help!

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Aug 3 – Journey Home

Today our Voyage to Canada came to an end.   Our return home was pretty uneventful, with a stopover in Calgary, Alberta, for a couple hours, making our total number of provinces visited:  FOUR.

Thank-you to everyone who came distances both long and short, and rearranged their schedules to visit with us, or host us at their home.  Thank-you for the wonderful events organized for us or those we were included in.  It was all of these people and things that made our trip full of fond memories and great experiences.

And for those that followed along on the blog, I hope you enjoyed our adventure as much as we did.

Aug 2 – LAST DAY

Tomorrow we fly home!  I can’t believe how fast time has passed. 

Although we just stayed close to Tanya’s home today, the kids were busy - jumping with the members of their frog sanctuary on the trampoline,

creating static electricity,

eating icecream, feeding crickets to their frog sanctuary members, and many other crucial summer childhood things.

In the evening, Isaac and Jasmin performed a duet for us. 

It was a great finale to a wonderful day.

Once the kids were settled for the night, Tanya, Paul, and I went out for an exceptional dinner  - the encore to a wonderful day and fantastic visit.

Aug 1 – Tunnels under Moose Jaw

This morning we said our good-byes to Tanya’s parents.  We will surely miss their hospitality, the beautiful lake, and I’m sure Lukas will miss the butterflies.  He has become a master catcher of at least 15 or more every day (catch and release, of course).

After our departure, we had to make a stop for our Mounties to enjoy the awesome Prairie landscape.

On our way back to Saskatoon we took a detour to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.  Home of the giant Moose, Mack, among some other interesting things…

After a trolley ride depicting points of interest in the city, we went underground. 

In 1985, a massive tunnel network was discovered under the city after a truck fell into one that had collapsed.  These tunnels are believed to have two very intriguing histories. 

Initially, they were dug by and housed Chinese immigrants, in the late 19^th century, to connect building basements in order to access the buildings’ boilers. Once the tunnels were completed, the immigrants continued to live in them and worked under squalid conditions as laundry workers and other menial labour.  In addition to exploring these tunnels, we also learned about the injustices imposed on these people by the Canadian government.  It is awful that these people suffered such treatment, but amazing that they persevered. 

In the more recent past, the tunnels were used as smuggling and get-away routes for bootleggers and, most famously, Al Capone.  It is rumoured that he came up from Chicago to oversee the production and smuggling of wisky during prohibition in the US.  Who knew Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan was so notorious?

Both tours were depicted in an interesting and uniquely interactive presentation by character actors guiding us through the tunnels and their history.

July 31 – Family Reunion

Today we had the privilege of going to Paul’s family reunion. 

We spent a wonderful day on his uncle’s acreage.   Besides meeting many of Paul’s wonderful relations (including Paul’s 96 year old Grandma), there was plenty to keep us occupied.  There was a tractor ride (or drive), cherry spitting contest, “potato gun” shooting (potatoes from a gun), and a splash pool to cool off in, among other things.

They have four horses that captivated the kids.  Our Mounties took the horse riding opportunity to show off their skills.

Paul’s cousins organized an “Amazing Race” that required participants in teams of four.  It entailed a family trivia quiz, freezie eating contest, shoe toss, 3-legged egg race, plus song writing and performance.  The entire time we had to keep our egg with us and ensure that it stayed intact during the activities.  I’m not sure which team won, but we all had a lot of fun!

Throughout the day our dinner was cooking on the spit.  When all the planned activities were finished, we all enjoyed the pig roast and many other scrumptious treats.

It was nice to be an honourary member of Paul's family for the day.

July 30 – Go Riders Go!

Today is Tanya and Paul’s 17^th Wedding Anniversary! Happy Anniversary!

To celebrate the big event, we all went to see a Saskatchewan Roughrider Football game (much to the girls’ chagrin…).

Before we went to the game, we went to Tanya’s brother’s home, to celebrate his younger daughter’s first birthday!  Happy Birthday, Meredith!  It was nice to be included in the celebration and to meet some of Tanya’s extended family.

And even before that, we went to a neighbour’s farm to see and hold his pheasants.  It was exciting to get a close up experience and learn some interesting  facts about the birds.

But the high point of the day was the football game.  I think the girls even enjoyed themselves!

Although the game was close and we had some exciting moments when the Riders scored, the Calgary Stampeders won the game…maybe next time…

July 29 – Tubing and Beach

This morning Tanya’s dad took the four older kids out on the lake to “tube”.  He pulled them behind his speed boat on an inflatable 3-seater chair.  They had a blast bouncing along going in and out the wake.  Even Tanya and I got a turn.

For lunch we went to a local Fish and Chip restaurant where we met some of Paul’s family.  We all sat on the steps of the restaurant to enjoy our meal.  The large group of us took up a lot of space, much to the chagrin of a CBC news crew who were there to take footage for their report that patronage was down in small town establishments – which is true, but we were giving it a boost today.

Afterwards, we all went to the main beach on the lake to relax and visit while the kids swam and constructed in the sand.  We could see more effects of the flooding, as the water has far from receded to its natural state. Pathways disappeared into the surf and permanent benches were situated in the waves – making a nice cool place to sit on a hot day.

After dinner, Tanya’s dad took Ben and Lukas out for their chance at tubing.  Ben had a blast and wanted to “Go Extreme!”.  Lukas was a little less enthusiastic, but still had a fun time.  Me??…I had fun…really…

While they were tubing the older kids went to the main street to play Bingo.  They didn't win, but had a lot of fun.

As a finale to our day, the kids made s’mores around the fire and played Secret Telephone.  It was a great summer day.

July 28 – Red Serge

Today we drove into Regina, Saskatchewan, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Centre.  We learned about the history of the RCMP from their roots as the North-West Mounted Police in 1873 to present day.  There were many interesting exhibits highlighting the police history and honouring some of the heroes that died in service.  There was also a modern forensics display and costumes for the kids to dress up.  Unfortunately, we did not get to see a live Musical Parade, but saw a short movie describing it.

When we toured the campus, we saw some cadets marching on their way to class and toured the oldest building in Regina.  It was built in 1885 as a mess hall, but was converted into a chapel in 1895.

When we left, we came home with two new sergeants.

After the RCMP Heritage Centre, we went to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and viewed exhibits and displays depicting the geology, plants, and animals indigenous to Saskatchewan, as well as more First Nations culture. It was very interesting.

Before heading back to Regina Beach, we stopped at the Milky Way, a popular ice cream parlour .

     

July 27 – Regina Beach

This morning we packed up the van and SUV and drove to Tanya’s parent’s home in Regina Beach.  They have a beautiful lakefront home located on Last Mountain Lake.

The kids were quick to settle in.  After dinner we went for a bike ride to the main beach.

The lake suffered from flooding in the spring.  The effects of the flooding are still apparent on the shore line where we could see trees now submerged in water; in some cases with only the tops poking out.  The kids didn’t mind the presence of the trees and enjoyed a sunset dip.

 After our bike ride back, they all jumped in the hot tub for a little bit warmer dip before bed.  

The girls and I set up our beds in the main house, but the boys get to sleep in the trailer (or “The Man Cave”) with Paul and his boys.  They are very excited.

July 26 – We Survived!

Our night in the Tipi was quite comfortable.  Tanya’s boys believe there was some sort of animal, perhaps a badger or porcupine, which rambled near our tent in the night, but it is unconfirmed.  The kids slept well and had to be woken up at 8am to complete the rest of our adventure at Wanuskewin.

After a hardy breakfast of pancakes and sausages, our guide told everyone a story about dream catchers and taught them how to make them.  It was a fun ending to our visit in this other time and culture.

We stopped off at Paul’s sister’s home for lunch.  Afterwards we went to Cranberry Flats, where, although there were no cranberries in sight, the kids had a great time catching many frogs, a toad, snake and a fish.

Back at Tanya’s home, we had a delicious dinner, a quiet evening, and a return to modern sleeping arrangements.

July 25 – A Night in a Tipi

Today we went on a unique adventure.  But before we started, we picked up Tanya’s niece and nephew to take along on our trip.

Then we entered another time at the Wanuskewin Heritage Park.  This is a fabulous museum and surrounding land dedicated to the culture and history of Plains Indians.  When we first arrived we witnessed a Grass Dancer, from Manitoba, dance some of his traditional dances in his bright regalia.  One of the interpreters showed us how tipis were erected, explaining the significance of the different poles used to support the structure.  We also heard about the importance of the Bison and their co-existence with the people of the land.  And we viewed some of the unique and beautiful artwork on display.  

But our real adventure didn’t begin until we met our guide, George.  George recounted the tradition of a Buffalo Jump and took us on a Bison hunt.  Some of the hunters in our group were successful (including the youngest) at hitting the targets, so we were fortunate to have Bison burgers for dinner (although the kids opted for hamburgers…).

After dinner our guide led us on a hike on the nature trails, describing the native plants and their medicinal (or not-so-medicinal) attributes.

As the sun set over the prairies, we retired to our tipi, where we were to spend the night.

Before settling down for the night, we played games, listened to stories, and cooked bannock (a type of bread dough) over the camp fire.

We were all ready for a good night sleep in our Tipi!

July 24 – Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan

This morning Paul’s sister and children came over for breakfast.  The kids had fun playing together on the trampoline.

Afterwards Tanya dropped the kids and me off at an art gallery for a quick perusal before meeting them in the park next to it for Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan.

We sat under a tent and watched a great rendition of Love’s Lobour’s Lost.  The kids really enjoyed the antics of the comedy.

After dinner we attended an evening mass at Holy Spirit Church.

July 23 – River Bike Ride

Today was a relaxing day.

We hung around the house in the morning and went for a bike ride in the afternoon along the Saskatchewan River.

We stopped at the Biology building of the University of Saskatchewan to view the creatures and displays. Then we rode on to a field with many different types of sculptures.  The kids had fun honing their climbing skills.

We made periodic stops along the river to check out the views and even did some "Mountain" biking (I think they call it "trail riding" here).  It was a great day for a bike ride.

After dinner, Tanya, Paul, and I went to listen to a band that their neighbour is a member of.  It was really loud, but really fun.  The band was quite good.

July 22 – Back to Batoche

Today we went to a Métis festival.  On the way we stopped to pose on a wagon next to some giant sheaves of wheat.

The Métis are a Canadian Aboriginal people descended from a mix of European (French or Scottish) and First Nations parentage.

We viewed Métis art and crafts, watched some of a square dance competition, and chariot races. There were also some activities for the kids.

We took a horse drawn wagon to the Batoche historical site where we learned about the conflict between the Métis provincial government and the Canadian government in 1885.  The kids explored remnants of the battlements, inspected the graveyard, pumped water from a well and watered the garden at an old homestead, and learned to write with quill pens.

Despite the cool weather, the kids had fun walking the trails, catching frogs and grasshoppers, and picking wild Saskatoon berries.

For a finale we watched the chuck wagon races.

In the evening, Tanya and I went to a BBQ for her Women’s Hockey team.  It was fun to meet everyone.

July 21 – Phase 4: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

This morning for our last breakfast in Ontario, we went out with Mark and Irene for delicious pancakes and French toast.  Afterwards, we said our good-byes to Mark and Irene and headed to the airport.

We had a very smooth flight to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Our friends, Tanya and Viviana, met us at the airport to commence Phase 4 of our trip.

First stop, even before dropping off our suitcases, was for a “Taste of Saskatchewan”.  Nothing says Saskatchewan than Bison on a Bun and Saskatoon Berry Pie! Yum!

After sampling some of the delicacies Saskatchewan has to offer, we headed to our friends’ home.  The kids were more than exuberant to find that their home comes complete with a mini synthetic ice rink in the basement.  They settled right in…

July 20 – Back to Toronto

This morning after packing up our things and double checking that we hadn’t forgotten anything...

 And making one last check on the chickens…

And gathering one last egg…

And giving the rabbit one last hug…

And making a triple check that we hadn’t forgotten anything… (but I’m sure we did…)

...We said good-bye to our Chelsea Cousins.

The drive back to Toronto was uneventful.  We made a quick stop at the Big Apple to pick up a pie to take for dessert at Dave’s brother’s home.

As a surprise bonus, Dave’s aunt, who lives close by, and cousin, visiting from Michigan, joined us for dinner.

July 19 – Ottawa, Canada

Today we went to the visit Canada’s Capital.  Probably our first real “educational” excursion on this trip…other than the Hockey Hall of Fame, of course.

A mere drive across the bridge over the Ottawa River from Gatineau, Quebec, and we were in Ottawa, Ontario.

We watched some boats move through the Rideau Canal.  A waterway constructed in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States, is now used for recreational boats.  The locks are still operated by hand cranks.

Outside the Parliament buildings we conveyed secrets at the “whispering wall” – a curved pedestal under the monument of Baldwin and Lafontaine, two key architects of the Canadian Government.  We viewed and posed on many other statues representing Canadian Historical Greats (such as Queen Victoria and Sir Robert Borden (8^th Prime Minister)).

We also met a real life RCMP (actually mounted), made wishes at the Centennial Flame (ignited January 1, 1967) and paused for a quick lunch of “Street Meat” – sausages and hotdogs.

After lunch we had a tour of some of the rooms of the Centre Block building, including the House of Commons, where the Members of Parliament debate; the Library of Parliament (no photos allowed); and the Senate.

Before we headed home for the day, we indulged in a Canadian delicacy – Beavertails –of course. Yum!

We had another fabulous meal at my brother’s and the kids settled down for their last night here, while I stayed up with my brothers and sister-in-law to squeeze in one last moment of the visit.