For future postings, go to Here And There (link provided).
Thank you.
Clark.
I like it even better than Canada’s Wonderland.
The Canadian National Exhibition, aka C.N.E., aka The EX, is an annual tradition running from the last two weeks in August until Labour Day, which for most Torontonians, marks the unofficial end of summer.
The east coast of Canada is really something else.
I’m not sure why I wanted to go do this road trip this year or even at all. It wasn’t like my west coast road trip in 2003, which was much longer. But it was something I really wanted to do probably because I’ve heard so many things growing up about cities like Vancouver, Banff, Calgary, and Winnipeg (ok, not Winnipeg but I was there).
I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
After eight days on the road from Toronto to Cape Breton with stops at Quebec City, Fredericton, Fundy, Halifax, Cape Breton, Cheticamp, Charlottetown, and finally today, the final stop, in Montreal, I am ready to go home.
First time in days since I’ve had Internet access but I can tell you that it’s been a whirlwind of a vacation.
I’m currently checked in at the Super 8 motel in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, overlooking the harbour with a great sight of Halifax just beyond the bridge.
The plan was to leave for Quebec City at 7 a.m. We left an hour-and-a-half later.
That’s not bad considering my friend’s van this morning was generally unsuitable for travel with two of the back seats missing, garbage on the floor everywhere, and his clothes taking up most of the space we needed for the trip.
Why does Hurricane Bill gotta rain on my parade?
Alright, I haven’t left for the Maritimes yet but we’re leaving in a couple of days. And the trajectory of this Category 3 hurricane (or is it Category 4 now?) seems to be heading in the same general direction as we are.
I’m looking forward to going to church basements in P.E.I. (ie. St. Ann’s) where they serve fresh lobster dinners, taking out a zodiac boat in Cape Breton to hopefully see whales up close, and hiking on the numerous trails at Fundy National Park offering great scenic views.
I know these things because I’ve been told by friends and friends of friends who have recently gone to the east coast and come back to share their adventures.
Now that my friends and I (really it’s just the two of us doing most of the planning) are discussing the trip more in depth, plans are changing here and there.
Hence, the new map above with destinations that are pretty much the same but in a slightly different order. I promise, there is a reason behind this madness. Let me explain.
Less than two weeks now until we head out east and things are coming together nicely.
I just mapped out (click map above) what looks like our final itinerary and I think it’s doable. We’ve limited our long drive days (ie. about 10 hours) to two and have kept the rest of the trip to driving on average three to five hours between cities.
The return of Jane Pitfield? - Posted to City Hall by David Nickle
Jane Pitfield, who represented the communities in Ward 26 for eight years before running an unsuccessful mayoral campaign against David Miller, is attempting a comeback this year - and this afternoon, she'll make it official. Pitfield said she'll be filing her nomination papers to run in Ward 29 - the East York ward that will be left vacant when current councillor Case Ootes retires this year. “In the past three years, I’ve had the ability to watch from the outside and although I have had the opportunity to participate in a variety of projects and a lot of volunteer work, I remain committed to the City of Toronto,” said Pitfield in an interview from her home in Leaside. “It is my great.. (Read More)
New Blogsite - Posted to Going Places! by Clark Kim
For future postings, go to Here And There (link provided). Thank you. Clark. .. (Read More)
Canadian National Exhibition - Posted to Going Places! by Clark Kim
I like it even better than Canada's Wonderland. The Canadian National Exhibition, aka C.N.E., aka The EX, is an annual tradition running from the last two weeks in August until Labour Day, which for most Torontonians, marks the unofficial end of summer. Of the 175 years that the C.N.E. has provided an endless array of events, activities, entertainment, games, rides, and concerts to residents near and far, I've faithfully gone to The EX for the past decade. Maybe it's the carnival atmosphere I like so much where people of all ages come to gather for fun with the whole family. The Air Show is a good draw as well as the international vendors offering their goods. Or it could just be the food. Speaking of which, I tried the deep-fried Mars bar for the first time and it was...okay... (Read More)
East Coast Reflections - Posted to Going Places! by Clark Kim
The east coast of Canada is really something else. I'm not sure why I wanted to go do this road trip this year or even at all. It wasn't like my west coast road trip in 2003, which was much longer. But it was something I really wanted to do probably because I've heard so many things growing up about cities like Vancouver, Banff, Calgary, and Winnipeg (ok, not Winnipeg but I was there). But no one really talked that much with the same level of great detail about Charlottetown, Moncton, or even Halifax. Yet each of those cities in their respective Maritime provinces were definitely just as beautiful as the ones aforementioned. As usual, in these cases, photos do a much better job in describing what I've just seen and experienced. So click the photo above to see a small sample.. (Read More)
Long Road Home - Posted to Going Places! by Clark Kim
I see the light at the end of the tunnel. After eight days on the road from Toronto to Cape Breton with stops at Quebec City, Fredericton, Fundy, Halifax, Cape Breton, Cheticamp, Charlottetown, and finally today, the final stop, in Montreal, I am ready to go home. Ok, not quite yet. My friends and I are going to go out one last time to enjoy this lovely French-Canadian "ville" and check out a couple of places this guy from Montreal who I met during my European trip earlier this year had recommended through Facebook. But yeah, after tonight, I'm looking forward to sleeping on my own comfortable bed. Mostly because a couple of guys here are loud snorers and I've slept in the van (instead of the tent) a couple of nights just to get at least four consecutive hours of sleep. Other than that, this trip has been nothing short of amazing. The.. (Read More)
