Category — Travel

Yikes……… where has the year gone and why is it every time I haven’t blogged for a long time I start the post with “Yikes”!

So, since our spring getaway to the Rockies the year has flown by.

Summer came and with it the worst forest fire season in B.C.’s history. The skies in Kamloops were smoky for weeks on end. To give you some idea, the smoke index scale goes from 1 to 10. Beijing on a bad day is at 22 on the index. Kamloops’ worst day during the summer of 2017 was 48. We could just barely see 6 blocks down the hill. It was awful.

The fires really picked up momentum the weekend of July 8th and 9th. We were down in Princeton looking after Sage and Conrad while Kevin and Tamara headed to a concert in Penticton. We had a great weekend with the kids but the road north of Princeton was blocked and we had to take the long route home. It was a Luau weekend, lots of games, contest, drinks and just fun.

Well we weren’t home too long and the forest fire situation continued to worsen so we decided to pick up Sage and Conrad and give them a break from the smokey weather. We headed to Vancouver and chance to do some different activities that they just do not get in a small town. We headed off and on the way down stopped at the Othello Tunnels and our first night was at the Hampton Inn in Chilliwack, which is a beautiful hotel, the kids had lots of fun in the pool/waterslide and of course they really enjoyed the Hampton breakfast. The next day we headed to White Rock for some beach time and then over to Mike and Rose’s for a family dinner. It was so great to see everyone and the kids had so much fun hanging out, playing video games and playing with the dog. The final day was spent shopping and then a fun activity at play centre in Langley where there was video games, pinball, skee ball, tunnels and tubes to climb through, etc. etc. The kids had a great time.

While were away in Vancouver, Brenda’s Dad had a fall and ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. He spent 4 week in the hospital before being moved to Ponderosa Lodge where he remains today waiting for a transfer to a residential care home. So a lot of our time has been spent supporting her Mom and visiting her Dad.

The last week of August was Namma and Pops summer camp in Kamloops. Zach and Oliver came for a visit while their Mom and Dad worked. We did lots of activities like the Wildlife Park and Prince Charles Park and tried to keep them busy. Unfortunately the smoke persisted so we did not spend as much time outside as we would have normally. We did find time for some handicrafts, which they always enjoy.

September arrived and we were back to Kelowna to help out with getting the kids off to the first week of school. Then right after that we were off to Princeton to look after the kids while Kevin and Tamara headed to Las Vegas.

October was a breather month trying to get caught up and still lots on the go around here. On October 1st I officially resigned from being a School Bus Driver. I only drove 2 days in the whole year and kept finding reasons not to drive. So, it was time to quit. I have made a few new friends who I know will be there for years to come.

November arrived and we headed to Kelowna and Princeton for a quick visit and to drop off some birthday presents.

This was also the month when we finally were able to get our Reunion Friends together. We met in Vancouver at the Rosedale on Robson in Yaletown, it’s a great location and lots to see and do in the area. We had a great couple days visiting, going out for dinner and we even took in the musical Jersey Boys at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.  

We finally made it to December. We were so fortunate again this year as our entire family was together for Christmas. Both families arrived on Dec 23rd and it was wonderful mayhem in the house until they all left on Dec 26th and then “The Silence was Deafening”. Somewhere in the middle we celebrated Lindsay’s 38th birthday on December 24th and had a Christmas Luncheon with GGPA at Ponderosa. Unfortunately Tamara was very sick on Dec 24th and ended up in Emergency for a few hours. However, she recovered well for Christmas Day.

Now we look forward to the year ahead – 2018 !

On Friday May 26th we headed off on our Spring Getaway. We planned this trip a few months ago as a way to use our Parks Canada 100 year anniversary free pass.

First night and first stop was Revelstoke. We stayed at the new Best Western Plus which was a really nice property; one neat feature they had was 6 recharging stations for electric cars. 4 alone were dedicated for Tesla Cars, they are really thinking ahead. Revelstoke is quite beautiful surrounded by the mountains and glaciers.

Saturday morning we headed off to the Revelstoke Farmers Market, which was really interesting. Lots of local arts and crafts and one organic produce provider from the Mara Lake area. After the market we hit the road to hike in Revelstoke National Park. Since it is early in the year and the weather has been cooler we could only go up to about kilometre 12 on the road before it was blocked off. So we headed back down the road and found a hike route of about an hour which was perfect. Then we we got back on the Trans-Canada Highway headed for Golden. On the way we stopped at Craigellachie where the last spike in the C.P. rail was driven. After that we stopped for a couple hikes in Glacier Park before stopping in Golden for the evening.

In Golden we did a city hike and then headed for Emerald Lake to do a hike. Emerald Lake parking lot was jammed since there were so few hikes open due to the late spring weather. We did get to hike across the snow and debris from a winter avalanche and almost all the way around the lake before the trail got too muddy.

From here we headed to Banff AB for 4 nights. It was neat to spend a few days in Banff. Lots of tourists, lots of shops and stores and lots to see. We shopped and hiked and toured the town of Banff and saw an Elk Running down one of the main streets. The hotel we were staying at also provided fee bus passes so one day we caught the local bus up to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and spent a couple hours touring the hotel, the shops and the grounds before walking back to downtown Banff.

During our stay in Banff we did a day side trip to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. We expected to see the lakes open and the glaciers feeding right into both of them.  However, since it has been such a long cool spring both lakes were still 95% frozen over. But the glaciers were still very impressive and it was a spectacular day and a fun side trip.

Finally the one real cool thing about our hotel (Fox Hotel and Suites) was that it had a cave/grotto carved out of the rock on the basement of the hotel where they piped in hot springs to the pools that they made in the rocks.

From Banff we headed up the Columbia Icefields to Jasper. We left early in the morning so we could catch one of the early tours of the icefields. The icefield tour consisted of a ride onto the glacier in one of the large bus type vehicles and also a chance to take the new “skywalk” out over a 900′ Canyon. It was all pretty impressive.We had to get our picture taken in the pair of Parks Canada Andirondack Chairs, since we have a similar picture taken at Cape Spear from last years Newfoundland trip.  Probably one of the most surprising thing about the icefields is the size of them. The glacier we were on was called the Athabasca Glacier and as large as it is, this glacier accounts for only 2% of the overall Columbia Icefields.

The first thing you notice when driving the Columbia Icefields is the size and beauty of the glaciers, especially on a clear day like we had. The second thing you see is all of a sudden vehicle brake lights coming on and people stopping cars and jumping out to see the wildlife. Early in our trip up the icefields we saw vehicles brake lights coming on and we spotted a mother Grizzly Bear and her cub just off the side of the road. It was so crazy to see stupid people jump out of their vehicle and run after the bear to get pictures with their cellphones. The closest we were and still in the car was about 150 yards away”……. that’s close enough to see a bear that size. I think in total we saw about 5 black bears and they were all just off the road or in one case a small black bear was sleeping in a tree.

Once in Jasper we toured the town saw the sights and did a day excursion to Maligne Lake, Mailgne Canyon and Falls and stoped at the Farimont Jasper Park Lodge.

From Jasper we head home to Kamloops……… it was a great short Spring Getaway!

By week #2 we were getting very settled in at the Villa and we had a bit of a regular routine going in the morning after breakfast which was to hike to hill to the top of Grand Fond and then down towards Lorient and then back over the top again back to our Villa. The hike took 45 minutes to an hour and was a good workout. When we got back the dip in the pool felt amazing.

After that we would head into Gustavia to walk around town or sit and have a drink at Le Select and just watch the activities going on. Between cruise-ship tourists, luxury yacht owners and residents of St. Bart’s there was always lots to see. Le Select is famous and was made famous by Jimmy Buffet because it is where he got the idea for the song “Cheeseburger in Paradise”.

Parking in Gustavia is at a premium. There are a couple pay lots which are quite reasonable and if you serach around enough you can always find a spot to park on the street. It’s just that their idea of parking on the street and what we accept for parking on the street is totally different. See the vehicle is parked…….. who cares you had to climb the sidewalk to do it!

Look at some of these Super Luxury Yachts that are tied up the the main pier in Gustavia. The small ones are about 80′ long and couple of these are 200′ in length. Check out this rental link for “Excellence V” the first yacht pictured http://www.charterbrochure.com/excellencev . By the way the rental price is 650,000 USD/week + expenses!

Also in week #2 we had a couple more animal visits to the pool area. First off was an Iguana and he/she was a big one; close to three feet long tip to tail. He/she decided to come to the pool for a drink.

Then late in the week we heard a clacking sound on the deck and looked around and there was a crab scurrying across the deck. Now, Villa Apiano is at least 1/2 a kilometre from the ocean “as the crow flies” and it is forest/bush, open field and cactus between the ocean and the villa. This one was big. Take a look at the pictures, the deck board are just under 5″ in width and stretched out the crab was probably 18″ wide.

So the 2nd week flew by and before we knew it, it was time to leave. So Sunday morning we board our Winair Flight back to St. Maarten to stay overnight at The Turquoise Shell Inn. Monday afternoon we flew to Atlanta and Tuesday morning back to Vancouver.

So, that’s it for our winter vacation this year.

Well after Dean and Judy left it was very lonely and very quiet at the Villa, we missed their companionship

So, much room and such great accommodations. It is hard to explain the layout, so here are a few pictures to give some idea.

However, we still had 12 days left so we were going to make the most of it and enjoy every minute……… because who knows when we will get a chance to come back.

Near the end of the first week we were walking in downtown Gustavia and stopped to talk to a couple from Ohio. They mentioned that the Anglican Church had a Sunday service that was not to be missed.

So, on Sunday morning we headed off to Church and what an experience. Much of the service was similar to a Sunday service here in an Anglican Church in Canada. However, some of it was quite different. For example the music was provided by a group that included a guitar player, a violinist and a piano player; all were very talented. Then part way through the service a gentlemen got up and sang “Moon River” accompanied by the musicians; what a voice he had and you would never know it but he was 90 years old.

The service started with about 30 people in the congregation and by the end there was probably 50 in attendance. The Church in on one of the main streets in Gustavia.

Also in the first week we had a daily visit from a Tortoise. Judy had warned us that we would be getting a daily visit and that he/she liked strawberries. Well sure enough we are sitting by the pool in the afternoon and guess who comes along looking for a treat. So we peeled part of a mango that we were having for dinner and he ate that as his treat.Guess who returned every day right around the same time. We mixed up his/her diet by adding orange rind along with mango…….. and he/she ate every piece.

On Sunday morning we met Dean and Judy near the airport and then drove towards an area called Lorient to have a lunch and then buy some supplies/groceries for our move to Villa Apiano for the next 2 weeks.

In the early afternoon we met the Villa Company representative at the Villa and he showed us our accommodations for the next 2 weeks. WOW! Dean and Judy have stayed here before and often talk about how beautiful it is; very private yet lots of open areas and it is a large 4 bedroom villa.

We were given first choice of rooms and we selected one of the bedrooms on the main living area.

After emptying our suitcases and loading the fridge with food and the cupboards with the necessary supplies it was later into the afternoon so instead of the beach we opted for an afternoon and early evening around the pool. Pretty hard to take:)

Dean and Judy served a delicious dinner this evening with the proper wine pairings and followed it up with chilled Vanilla Rum…… yummy!

However, this is where our St Bart’s adventure takes a bit of a turn. Prior to flying out to the Caribbean Judy’s mom Betty had a medical incident and was hospitalized. All through the early part of their vacation the daily calls back home said she seemed to be getting better one day and then she would have a relapse the next day. Well about day #2 at Villa Apiano Betty really took a turn for the worse and it was then that Judy and Dean decided to fly back to Kamloops to be there for her mom. It was a very tough decision and we certainly missed them when they left.

Unfortunately Betty passed away around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday January 18th and Judy and Dean never arrived till 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. So, sad:( Betty was such a good person with a kind heart and a gentle soul. We all miss her.

Wednesday morning we headed back to St. Maarten airport to meet up with Dean and Judy and to fly over to the French island of St Bart’s.

The flight into St Bart’s is sooooo much fun. We flew with Winair which uses Twin Otter Aircraft. 

You generally approach from the west with the Capital of Gustavia off to your righthand side. Then as you near the airport there is a hill that the pilot aims for and then when the plane flys over the traffic circle at the top the pilot dives the plane downwards and lands on a very short runway! Yahoo!

Once we landed, cleared immigration and picked up our luggage we got our rental car.

Dean and Judy headed for the hotel they were staying at called L’Petit Morne located at the top of Colombier.

Meanwhile we headed for our accommodation in Corrosol for the next four days at L’Etoile du Marin. We have stayed here in the past and really enjoy the location and especially the view from the deck. The property is owned by Marie-Flore and Arnaud Questel. Arnaud built the addition to their main house about 10 years ago. It is absolutely perfect for  few days in St Bart’s.

We started each morning with a walk and when you live in St Bart’s there are very few flat spots. So, you are either climbing a hill or going down a hill which means you have to climb to get back home. Fortunately the steepest climb and walk we took peaked  near a local bakery that had chocolate croissants. After a morning walk, breakfast, etc our days were mostly spent at the beach or touring around the island and discovering many changes since our last visit.

After four nights we said goodbye to Marie-Flore and Arnaud. When we checked out they informed us that they were no longer going to be renting out “L’Etoile du Marin as they were both retiring and planning on traveling to see their families in France.

So, it was off to Villa Apiano with Dean and Judy

After leaving the airport Dean and Judy drove us to our accommodations at The Turquoise Shell Inn. We have stayed here on other visits and it’s an old time 2 level motel; certainly not the fanciest, but it’s clean and in a convenient location. The Turquoise Shell Inn is under new ownership and they are modernizing the rooms, so even though it is looking a little “travel weary” we are hopeful on our next visit to get one of the newly renovated rooms.

Once we signed in and dropped off our luggage we headed to a local bar for a drink and some appetizers. We arrived at the bar that is right next to where the main road bridge lifts to allow the sailboats and luxury private yachts enter Simpson Bay Lagoon. The bridge is only open at set times in the day and with all the boats coming and going it’s St Maarten’s version of the 5 o’clock rush traffic jam. Also while we were at the bar a small flotilla of a sailing school went by being pulled by a Zodiac.

Dean and Judy headed back to their hotel and we made plans to meet in a couple days for a trip to Phillipsburg.

The next morning we woke up to wonderful warm sunshine and went for a long beach walk.

Our first day we just chilled out, acclimatized and didn’t do a lot of anything except enjoy the beach and the warmth… Oh and the occasional cool beverage. 

The day before we headed to St Bart’s Dean and Judy picked us up in the morning and we headed to Phillipsburg for lunch and some shopping.

Phillipsburg was very busy as there were 5 cruise ships in port. So, lots going on with all the duty free shops, beach activities, tours, etc. After walking the boardwalk for a while and stopping in at a Holland Cheese Shop we found a great restaurant on the water to have lunch.

Then we headed back to Simpson Bay via the causeway bridge and over to the Summit Hotel to see Dean and Judy’s accommodations. They had a great view from their room of Simpson Bay Lagoon with the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in the distance.

Tomorrow we are all off to St. Bart’s.

Wow! 2017 has arrived.

That must mean it is time for us to head to a warmer climate. So, that’s what we did and in early January we headed for St Maarten and then over to St. Bart’s.

Since we were flying out of Vancouver and the weather was looking good for driving to the coast we headed down a day early and spent a night in downtown Vancouver, prior to heading to our airport hotel.

From Vancouver we flew to Sea-Tac and then on to Atlanta. The flight to Atlanta was delayed about 2 1/2 hrs as it was delayed getting out of Atlanta due to winter conditions. It was -11C when we landed in Atlanta and only -5C in Kamloops. Plus there is no way that City or Airport are equipped to handle winter conditions like that. Anyway we made it to Atlanta, spent about 4 hrs at our Atlanta airport hotel and then it was back to the airport to catch the flight to St Maarten.

If you have never flown through Atlanta Airport you need to do it once in your life so you can experience it. Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world, but having said that, they are very efficient at moving travellers as long as you get there well ahead of your flight time. For example to get from the International Terminal to the Main Terminal is either a 15 minute bus ride or a long walk and a 10 minute underground train ride with stops at 6 other terminals.

Anyway, even though we were slightly delayed on our departure due to crew scheduling the pilot made the time up in the air and once out of customs/immigration at the airport Dean and Judy were there to meet us:)

So, our St Maarten and St Bart’s adventure started.

Where did November go……… Who Knows. But it went and that’s – that.

What about December? Same story only faster.

The highlight of December was spending Christmas in Kelowna with Jeff, Lindsay, Zac and Oliver. Plus what even made it more special was the Kevin, Tamara, Sage and Conrad came over from Princeton. So that made 10 of us and then along with Lindsay’s Mom, Jackie and her step-dad Doug we had a full house of fun, laughs and love. Christmas is pretty great when everyone is together.

Unfortunately I cannot load anymore photos since I am doing this on Brenda’s iPad and there are not any Christmas photos loaded in the directory. Oh! and we are doing this update from St Bart’s

So, we guarantee January will be exciting.

So, after recovering from 4 1/2 hour time zone change and getting caught up on stuff around home August arrived and it was busy.

At the very start of August we headed to Princeton to spend a couple nights with Kevin, Tamara, Sage and Conrad. They have a very busy life and there is always lots going on in Princeton and it was good to spend time with them all. We had some fun times with the grand-kids, but somehow we forgot to take a picture of Sage. However, Conrad was really happy to show us the Robot that he had made.

Then on the first weekend of August it was Kamloops Rib Fest and Jeff, Lindsay, Zach and Oliver came to town for a visit. Lots of fun stuff going on for the kids with Rib Fest and the activities in the park. Plus it was the Car Show “Hot Night in the City” and Brenda’s Zumba/Exercise ladies did a street flash mob dance. Check this out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNWD3C7bm_U

Early in August at Music in the Park we danced and sang along with the Derina Harvey Band http://www.derinaharvey.com/  This was the band that played the opening set for The Fables when we were in St. John’s NFLD.

Then on the weekend of August 12th to 14th, we were up at Sun Peaks for the annual Retro Weekend. Friday night was Johnny Cash. Saturday was Pat Benatar, Heart, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith. Sunday morning was John Foggerty and Bob Seeger. The music was pretty good but overall it was not as good as last year.

The weekend of August 18th through to August 21st we were at Horne Lake for our annual friends reunion. It included a steam train ride up to the McLean Steam Sawmill, lots of very warm weather, a few dips in the lake and a few cool beverages. Fun times as always. Unfortunately Rick and Gayle could not make it this year as Gayle had just finished 2 rounds of surgery on her back.

August 23rd we had George and Eva (Brenda’s Cousin from Gabriola) stay with us so we hosted a large family dinner with GGMA, GGPA, George, Eva, Dean, Judy and Judy’s Mom. It was a great evening, George and I played the Ukulele and took turns singing a song while the other accompanied.

The weekend of August 27th to 29th we headed to Calgary (Airdrie) for Brenda’s Aunty Lou’s 90th birthday celebration.

Somewhere in the middle of all this we had all the other stuff going on like picking blackberries every other day during their peak production. It has been a record crop this year. Brenda’s keeps fit by spending her exercise time at the YWCA, I am golfing almost every day we are at home and then of course the Kamloops City Strummers have been busy practising and performing twice in August.

Whew……. that’s enough for this month.