The Carson House

I’d heard before that the drive around Georgian Bay was gorgeous, but it ended up being a bit disappointing for two reasons: 1) rain and 2) we didn’t actually see the bay while we were driving. It wasn’t like the spectacular drive through Lake Superior Provincial Park. Bummer.

But despite the weather, Chele and I decided to continue with our plans for a side trip to Manitoulin Island. We didn’t take much time there, but I really wanted to say that I’d been to the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. It’s all about the superlatives.

I can imagine how beautiful the island must be on a nice day, but with the crummy weather, we decided not to spend the afternoon driving around it. We just crossed over into Little Current, the first town on the island over a really terrifying and ancient swing bridge (on which they were doing construction), had some ice cream at Farquhar’s, known as the best ice cream on the island, and then headed back to the drive.

Since I’m a great planner, we rolled into Parry Sound without the address of the B&B where we were staying, and it took a good 20 minutes before we found somewhere with free wi-fi. I had to register at the Parry Sound Public Library for the internet password (which was printed on a clearly visible card at the counter), and the librarian wasn’t sure that I was over 18 and could register without parent permission, so she had to ask. Just when I thought I finally looked at least 21…

The good news was that once we finally arrived at The Carson House, we were greeted by its pleasant owners, the Maddefords, who set us up in a charming room on the second floor, where I promptly passed out for a power nap. After a nap, I was ready to hit the stores for essentials—Starbucks for coffee, Sobey’s for snacks—before we turned in for an early night, hoping that the weather would clear up in the morning.

With a great sleep and breakfast and a fairly nice morning, Chele and I headed to the waterfront for scenic photography at a pilgrimage to the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame. Chele, a native Bostonian, knew she couldn’t come home without at least entering the hometown shrine of Bobby Orr #4. I admit, I was mostly in it for the photography, but it looked like a nice tribute to a legendary hockey hero.

Speaking of legendary hockey heroes, the Carson House B&B is the former home of the Carson family, which included three NHL players in the 1920’s and 30’s. All three boys that played in the NHL were Stanley Cup winners. Frank Carson, the middle brother of the three, scored the first goal ever for the Detroit Red Wings in 1932, and the Red Wings happen to be my favourite hockey team. Not a bad hockey history for a town like Parry Sound!

Though we didn’t have enough time this trip, I’d love to go back sometime and take the 30,000 Islands cruise that weaves around the islands in Georgian Bay. It sounds lovely and on a summer day with blue skies, I can only imagine how beautiful it must be. I bet it’s pretty in the fall, too. Anyone want to send me on a research trip to find out?

Photo Post: Mostly Alberta

To get to Alberta, I had to drive through the rest of BC first. Here’s Three Valley Lake, a spot so gorgeous that I had to backtrack after I originally passed the turnoff.

Rogers Pass, in Glacier National Park in BC. Glaciers above me, and I was wearing short sleeves!

Quick stop in Field, BC.

BC snacks: roasted seaweed (delish, I had no idea!), dried apples, and Tori’s chocolate chip cookies

Welcome to Calgary! It’s a bit rainy, but Stephen St. is picturesque.

When it’s finished, this building will be the tallest building in Western Canada at 58 stories.

The Calgary Tower

Palisser Hotel detail

Remember when I said that I found a hill to climb for skyline photos in Calgary? Here’s one of the results.

Bay of Thunder

This past Sunday was a lot of driving. We crossed back into familiar territory, and the green roof at the Ontario tourist information center welcomed us warmly (as did the employees there) when we left Manitoba and entered province #5.

Our first stop was Kenora, hometown of our dear friend Erin (my host in Calgary). She’s always spoken highly of her town, and both Chele and I found it to be quite a charming place! We loved the pierogies at lunch and the walk through downtown and along the waterfront. I was dorkily excited to see Lake of the Woods, where the United States’ northernmost point in the Lower 48 is located. We didn’t actually see that point, of course, but Lake of the Woods was a lovely view.

The drive along Highway 17 (part of the Trans-Canada Highway system) was so pleasant and the weather was good, too. We saw more lakes than I could count and I had to resist the urge to pull over and photograph every one. We never would have made it to Thunder Bay if I’d done that.

Of course, in Thunder Bay, we saw the best lake of all: Superior. It really does live up to the name. It had been two years since I’d seen it last and it was just as incredible as I remembered it. Its vastness makes you think you’re looking out at the ocean, but it’s so much more vivid of a blue than the ocean. Our drive to the hostel in Thunder Bay took us past a hilltop park, so we spent a few minutes there, taking photos of the lake and we also saw the Sleeping Giant, Thunder Bay’s famous rock formation just outside of town. I still don’t think it looks much like a giant, sleeping or otherwise, but it’s part of the folklore.

We didn’t see much of Thunder Bay that night, since we took more than 10 hours to get to there with all of our (mostly my) stops, However, we did take time to explore the area around Bay & Algoma the next morning. And by “explore,” I mostly mean that we feasted on fabulous Finnish-style pancakes at the Hoito, the restaurant located underneath the Finlandia Club. The Hoito has been in business since 1918, when it began providing affordable meals for Finnish labourers in the city. It’s still a bargain—three pancakes, two eggs, and a coffee cost me less than $7. I’ll take one of those in every city on my trip, please.

W-itchy-peg

I suppose I went into Manitoba without any expectations. Well, I was hoping that I would like Winnipeg because both my guidebook and a local friend had made comparisons between it and Chicago. I thought that since I didn’t have high expectations, it might surprise me like Calgary did.

The drive from Regina to Winnipeg was probably the least eventful drive yet. Aside from another empty fuel tank scare (I’m not used to gas stations being so sparse along major highways), it was a dull drive. I was thankful to have Chele to keep me alert and to play DJ with my CD collection. Once we arrived in Winnipeg, we navigated ourselves fairly easily to downtown, where we made a stop at the Manitoba Legislature first, a beautiful old building with lovely grounds. I thought it was even prettier than the Legislature building in Edmonton. Of course, there was one problem: mosquitoes. As soon as we got out of the car and started wandering across the lawn, we got attacked.

The attacks worsened when we got closer to the rivers at The Forks, a national historic site where fur traders and natives used to gather. Now, it’s a developed area with spaces for outdoor events (we walked through part of the Aboriginal Day festivities), a skateboard park, shopping, and restaurants. A new museum is also under construction on the grounds. With a ton of free parking and such a variety of things to do, the area was packed with both tourists and locals on such a pleasant Saturday evening.

Chele and I wandered past the Aboriginal Day music and dancing and headed for the Esplanade, a pedestrian bridge that connects The Forks to St. Boniface, the French area of Winnipeg. As soon as we crossed the river, it was like being in a Québecois city! The main street was cute and lined with shops, but most were closed already, so we had to settle for just a cup of gelato at a café and pizzeria. I had banana, chocolate hazelnut, and coconut. I know, I know…my life is so tough.

We were too exhausted from the drive and Chele’s flight delay the night before to stick around downtown any longer, so we just went to go check in at our bed & breakfast and stayed in for the night. When we arrived at the house near the university, we were greeted with the most intense swarm of mosquitoes yet. I think I got bitten at least 10 times just getting my bags from the car to the house! I guess I’m spoiled, living in Chicago. There were mosquitoes in the suburbs while I was growing up (and I’m sure there still are), but I have yet to see a mosquito in the city.

So although I left Winnipeg a lot itchier than I arrived, I still have a positive impression overall. Though we didn’t make it to the Exchange District, which is apparently the part of the city that is most like Chicago, I could see how parallels can be drawn between Winnipeg and my hometown. I just wish that the bug populations weren’t such polar opposites.

Tick Magnet

So I am still behind, but I have big plans to make some progress on getting caught up while in Ottawa over the next couple of days. Of course, these plans, like most of the ones I make, will likely blow up in my face, but it’s nice to dream.

After Edmonton, I pressed onward into my third province: Saskatchewan! Close readers of my blog might recall that I was having trouble finding anything to look forward to in the great Saskatchewanian prairie. So because I wasn’t expecting anything but farmland, I was pleasantly surprised by the drive from Edmonton to Regina!

North of Saskatoon, I made my first scenic stop, near the North Saskatchewan River, an important avenue in exploration and trade routes of western Canada. The lush green hills rolled right into the river valley, and just as I walked down a gravel road toward the river, a freight train sounded its horn. I was more concerned with getting some shots of the train against the valley than with crossing the tracks, so I ended up having to wait for the train to pass before I could continue. The stop was a bit longer than I’d originally planned, but it was nice timing, so I thought it was worth it.

I also stopped just northwest of Moose Jaw, in the Qu’Appelle Valley. As I drove down the hill into the valley, I couldn’t believe how lovely it was. Clearly all of the people that complained about how boring Saskatchewan was had missed this spot! I waded through some tall grass by a lake to get shots of the lake and blue sky against the bright green hills and hide a nice breather before I continued into Moose Jaw.

In Moose Jaw, I had planned to stop, explore the historic downtown area, and maybe even take the tour of the rum-runner tunnels that were allegedly used by Al Capone and his gang during the Prohibition era. A nice Chicago connection, right? Unfortunately, Moose Jaw was having some sort of Friday night block party downtown. Local girls in plaid shirts and shorts were singing karaoke in the middle of the main street, which was blocked off, and I couldn’t find a parking spot anywhere close. My window was down and as the karaoke grew unbearably out of tune, I rolled up the window and rolled out of town. Moose Jaw looked nice, but I couldn’t have gotten close enough to the historic buildings to get photos that didn’t have cotton candy stands in the foreground, so my visit will have to wait for another time.

I checked into the Dragon’s Nest Bed & Breakfast in Regina, a feng shui haven, and waited for news about Chele’s delayed connection out of Chicago. My hometown was experiencing some particularly nasty weather on Friday night, so she ended up being delayed by almost 6 hours, touching down in Regina just after midnight. This ended up being a good thing, because remember those tall grasses by the lake that I waded through in Qu’Appelle Valley? I am blaming them for the acquisition of three ticks, which I pulled off my back and out of my clothes in the washroom at the B&B. These ticks outnumber the ticks I found on me in eight years of summer camps in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, so I am fairly impressed by the prairie. What can I say? I guess I am just a tick magnet.

Chele and I were exhausted when we got back to the Wealth Room, but had enough time for some photos of us throwing cash around, since the Wealth Room, of course, made us feel pretty wealthy. I also made her check my hair for ticks. Fortunately, no more ticks.

So it wasn’t until the next morning that we got to see some of downtown Regina. It was busy, for a Saturday morning, due to a market in one of the plazas just a few blocks from our B&B. We walked for a few blocks, took some photos, and decided that Regina and Saskatchewan really don’t deserve the bad rep that they get. Memo to Skate Canada: I know I skipped Saskatoon nationals in 2009, but I would definitely go to a Canadians in Regina, especially since I now know that there are direct flights from Chicago.

In conclusion: Thanks, Saskatchewan! Ticks aside, you were a lovely surprise.

Alberta Disappointments

Well, I knew that my entire trip wouldn’t be perfect. I knew that I would run into bad weather some days, and I knew that some places wouldn’t live up to my expectations. However, I wasn’t expecting Alberta to be the first big downer—I had pegged the prairies for that.

In Alberta’s defense, it wasn’t all Alberta’s fault. The southern part of the province has been getting unseasonably high rainfalls this spring. When I got to Calgary, it had apparently already been raining for about a week. Everyone was sick of it, not just me. So I did my best. I went ahead with my plan to explore the Rockies on Wednesday, despite the bad weather. I put on a smile and a sweatshirt, and tucked an umbrella into my bag. I brought a plastic bag and a towel to keep my camera dry. I was determined to have a good time.

I did not anticipate that I would not actually be able to see the mountains, due to fog. Rainy, sticky, wet, grey fog.

So I tried to shoot artsy, mysterious photos with the fog, and I bought postcards featuring what the mountains looked like on sunny days with blue skies. I found a coffee shop in Canmore that brewed Illy coffee, my absolute favourite espresso, and sipped out of giant ceramic mug while I wrote in my travel journal. A cheery woman in a souvenir shop gave me a sample of her fudge, and then I bought some for Erin & Kyle, my Calgary hosts. I followed a twisty mountain road up to the park where the cross-country skiing events were held during the 1988 Calgary Olympics. It was a decent day.

Then I got to Banff, which was more touristy and commercialized than I had anticipated. I wandered Main Street for a bit, but the Lululemon and the designer shops caught me off-guard. The light, misty rain turned into a steady shower. A friend of mine had recommended Evelyn’s Coffee in Banff, so I found one of the shops on Main and tried to enjoy a latte while I wrote, but a sour young British couple sitting at the counter next to me kept complaining about the friendly Australian girl working the counter. I waited for the rain to stop, but it didn’t, and I waited for my disappointment to fade, but it didn’t. I went back to my car and checked my GPS. Lake Louise was an hour away, and then it would be two hours back to Calgary. I sighed, erased Lake Louise from my GPS, and set it to take me back to Erin’s in Calgary. Lake Louise would have to wait for another trip. I didn’t want to ruin my experience of it with dismal weather.

And it rained all the way back to Calgary.

On Thursday, I got up early and left for Edmonton at the same time that Erin & Kyle left for work. Well, I left for Edmonton via a stop at Second Cup. The Second Cup that I picked on my GPS just happened to be near the Stampede Grounds, and I drove right by the Saddledome on Thursday morning.

Hello, bright spot. For those readers that aren’t part of my skating family, here’s a brief explanation: I love figure skating. I currently work in skating media as a photographer and writer, but I loved skating for a long time before I got involved with it. Although my first concrete memories of falling in love with skating are tied to the 1992 Olympics, I like to think that I vaguely remember watching some of the skating during the ’88 Olympics with my mom. The figure skating at the ’88 Olympics was in the Saddledome. In 2000, one of my favourite pair teams won their first national title in the Saddledome. That same year, my two favourite dance teams both qualified for their first World Championships in the Saddledome. And in 2006, one of those favourite dance teams stood on the World podium in the Saddledome. It’s been a good rink to me, and I’ve never been inside it, but just driving by it cheered me up considerably.

So I turned north from Calgary, stopped in Red Deer for a visit to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, and pressed on toward Edmonton. Sometime between Red Deer and Edmonton, the rain stopped. I spotted a bright section of the clouds…could it have been the sun? The people in the tourist information hut just south of Edmonton were friendly and funny. They gave me some tips on where to go in the city for scenic photos, and I was excited about Alberta again. That is, until I actually got downtown.

I expected another city like Calgary. I wanted to feel at home again, but Edmonton seems to be a much younger city. The Legislature building is stately and historic, but it’s separate from the rest of the downtown core. Downtown, I was disappointed by the drab beige colour and awkward 1960’s architecture. I guess Edmonton, although it’s the capital, really started growing a lot more recently than Calgary, so it doesn’t have the same grand feeling. It felt faded and dated, more like shag carpeting than Van Der Rohe sleek or Victorian charm.

I stayed near the West Edmonton Mall, so I went to the mall in the evening, expecting to be wowed, but I felt let down again. The mall was big, clearly, since it is the largest in the world, but it didn’t feel as large as the Mall of America in Minneapolis, and it wasn’t nearly as busy, even for a weeknight. Since the amusement park and the water park are in their own wings, separate from the shopping corridors, it didn’t have the same hysteric quality as Mall of America, with Camp Snoopy in a central four-story atrium.

Overall, I realize that I probably need to give Alberta another chance, hopefully with better weather involved, but I think I’d rather spend more time in Calgary and the mountains than in Edmonton. We’ll see, though—both cities have skating history, so I expect to have reasons to visit both places again in the future.

Photo Post: Kelowna

I loved Kelowna and the surrounding area. Here’s why:

Father Pandosy Mission, established 1859

Summerhill Winery

Panoramic view of Okanagan Lake from Summerhill Winery; click to see it larger

Part of Okanagan Lake Park was destroyed by wildfires in 2003. Most of the area was saved, but about 300 homes were lost.

Merlot vines at Cedar Creek Winery, Okanagan Lake Park in the background

Aerial view of Kelowna from Knox Mountain

Kalamalka Lake — absolutely breathtaking!

Kalamalka Lake, with Wood Lake just beyond it

Peanut says hi!

Okanagan Lake from downtown Kelowna, including a view of the Delta Grand resort on the right

Waterfront Park, Kelowna

Beautiful place!

The Suggestion Box: Ontario

I forgot to post this yesterday and we already crossed into Ontario this morning, but the good news is that I’m spending a week in the province that I visit most often. Lots of places to visit and people to see. But if you have any must-see sights in Ontario, especially ones that you think I might miss, let me know!

So far, planned stops include Thunder Bay (here now), Sault Ste. Marie, Parry Sound, Ottawa, Kingston, and Toronto. With a side trip to London to pick up Jules, but London is one of my least favourite cities and I’ve already been there quite a few times, so we’re not doing anything there besides breakfast at Cora’s.

Introduction to Calgary

On Tuesday, I drove from Kelowna to Calgary, again through mountains, quite obviously. I really enjoyed my drive through the Rockies, since the weather was nice through much of it and I wasn’t as scared of driving in the mountains anymore.

While looking for a gas station, I accidentally took a scenic detour to the waterfront in Sicamous, BC. I was told that this is the houseboating capital of the world, but I didn’t see any houseboats yet…perhaps a bit early in the summer for it, since it was fairly chilly when I got out of the car for a few quick photo ops. I also pulled over for photos at Three Valley Lake, west of Revelstoke, BC, near the “ghost town.” I didn’t stop there, as it looked like a cheesy tourist trap, but I did turn around in their parking lot so I could go back to the scenic lookout. Next stop was at the top of Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park, 1330 metres above sea level! The weather was perfect up there, so my photos turned out fantastically well; I can’t wait to post them!

By the time I got to Field, BC, near the Alberta border, the perfect weather had turned to drizzle, but it still wasn’t too bad. I went in and out of mist through the Alberta Rockies and the valley west of Calgary, but I made it to Calgary before it really started raining too much and got settled at Erin & Kyle’s place. Erin had a ballet class, so I drove her and she gave me a brief tour of Calgary on the way, and then I headed downtown to walk around and take some photos. Even though it was about 9 on a weeknight and downtown was pretty quiet, I really liked the city. It’s hard to explain, but something about it just felt familiar. I suppose I always feel most at home in big cities. Vancouver is wonderful, but it’s not possible to get lost downtown. No matter where you look, you’re always reminded that you’re in Vancouver. With Calgary, though, for a few seconds, it was easy to forget where I was. I could have been in any city. I could have been at home. So far, it’s been the only place that has felt like that to me, so I liked it.

Even if the Calgary “Tower” is shorter than some of the surrounding office buildings.

I had a stroke of luck when I made my way back to the neighbourhood where Erin was taking her ballet class. I had a few minutes before I was due to pick her up, and I drove past a big hill. I wasn’t sure what kind of view I would get from it, but I parked my car around the corner and hiked up it. I was treated to a fabulous dusky view of the entire skyline. What a great photographic moment!

Lessons Learned: British Columbia

To recap the beautiful province of BC and to throw in some amusing tidbits I might have forgotten to write about, let’s go over What I Learned in BC.

1. I love British Columbia. (Already known, but reiterated)
2. Big boats are less scary than small boats.
3. It’s not too difficult to work up the nerve to do something once. For an example, let’s use: “cross a creepy-high suspension bridge.” It’s working up the nerve to do it a second time (example: “return trip”), especially once you hated it the first time.
4. I now know what a croup cough sounds like.
5. I can nap anywhere when necessary, even for 30 minutes in my car in a Safeway parking lot.
6. There are many reasons why hotels are more popular than hostels.
7. Roasted seaweed is a delicious snack!
8. GPS is essential for navigating mountains.
9. National Parks are not known for clean washrooms.
10. Canadians really are super nice. (Known, but reiterated)

Vancouver-area hosts! L-R: Chris, Katarina, Maddie, Mark, and me. I did actually take this, since I set up the shot with a tripod and timer and then jumped in…

…however, I did not take this one, but we thought it would be amusing if I put my signature on it anyway. Ready to hit the road!