First Day in Ottawa

Well, today was the last day in July and our first day in Ottawa. We took the bus into Parliament Hill and had a tour of the Royal Canadian Mint first. There we all got to try and lift a real gold bar. It was chained and had an armed guard, so we had to leave it there! heehee

We did alot of walking today and it is now quite late so please forgive any spelling or grammar mistakes and for the rushed blog.

We saw the War Monument with the guards (pic) and the tomb of the unknown soldier. We also saw the Byward Market. It was packed with people and performers! We had lunch there. We saw the locks on the Rideau Canal, the Chateau Laurier, the Bank of Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada and of course the Parliament Buildings themselves. Like I said, we did a lot of walking. Thankfully the weather was beautiful.

After the sights we caught the bus back to the RV which was parked at a Walmart outside of the city. We went in and did some shopping. Tomorrow is Landon's 6th birthday, so we had to get a few things. Tomorrow we are going to see the War Museum and then head to Bourget where the Paiva family lives. We will be spending the night visiting and camping with them. I hope to post some pics of our time with the Paiva's and of Landon's birthday. Good night for now.

Peterborough

We got to Peterborough on Thursday evening. We set up camp and Beavermead Campground. It was a beautiful campground right on the shore of Little Lake. The children were not happy that it was too late to swim, but they did wade around in the water for a while and play in the sand. We had a campfire and roasted marshmellows until it started to rain.

The next morning we went to see the Peterborough Lift Locks. They are the highest lift locks in the world, well I think it was the world, maybe it was just in Canada....oh well....they are quite high. (around 78feet) We got to see them in action. It was quite something. We ate a quick lunch in the parking lot and headed off to Ottawa.
See next post for Ottawa pics and info.

One More Day in Niagara

These are a few pics of our last day in Niagara Falls. We headed down to the Falls a little later in the day. The first thing we did was the White Water Walk. It is a boardwalk down by the whirlpool rapids. Truly amazing how much water is moving through there! While we were there a thunderstorm rolled in and we got drenched. We walked up Clifton Hill and went into the Wax Museum. We spent enough time in there to dry off and for the storm to blow by. From there we went to Kelsey's for supper.

After supper the sky was clear and it was a beautiful night. We went back down to see the Falls lit up and night and was surprised to see a firework display as well. We thought the fireworks over the Falls was only on Friday and Sunday nights, but I guess we were wrong. It was beautiful although Nathan didn't enjoy it as much as the rest of us.

The next morning we left for Peterborough. We drove through Toronto on the way and saw the CN Tower. I'll post this blog now and put on the Peterborough pics next.

Niagara Falls

Well we arrived in Niagara Falls on the 25th of July. We took the first day to relax and enjoy all the activities of the campground. We are at another KOA and they always have lots to do.

Today we caught the bus down to all the attractions. We went on the Maid of the Mist first. It is well worth the money. AWESOME!!! It is really beyond words. After the boat ride, we walked up Clifton Hill. That is where all the roadside attractions are. It is a little Las Vegasey. There was the Guiness Museum of World Records, Haunted Houses, MGM studios, WWF Pile Drive ride, the large ferris wheel (SkyWheel), Ripley's Believe it or Not, and countless other carnival like places. We went to Wendy's and had lunch and then caught the bus to Table Rock where you can go the the Journey Behind the Falls and see the 4D show called The Fury.

The Fury was quite something. The show was 360 around us and the wind blew, it snowed, it rained, the floor shook and dropped down. There was thunder and lightning....was very good. We all enjoyed it except Nathan. He was sleeping when we first got in there, but will all the noise and movement, he woke up and was scared. Poor guy.

The Journey Behind the Falls was excellent...again really beyond words. You can look through portals behind the actual Falls and then go down to an observation deck right beside the horsehoe falls. The size and power of it is really overwhelming.

After all the excitement, we walked back up Clifton Street and had our pic taken at the Guiness Museum next to the world's tallest man and his chair (see pic below) and headed to Dairy Queen for some ice cream. When we had devoured that we caught the bus back to the campground, exhausted and full.

Tomorrow we hope to see the Whirlpool Rapids, the wax museum (happy Dad?!) and the butterfly conservatory, oh and the Falls lit up at night. We were too tired to stay that long today. We will start later tomorrow. It's supposed to be hotter tomorrow, so a later start might be better anyway.

Well, I'm exhausted so good night for now and God bless.

Last Day in Essex

Well today started, surprise....hot and humid!!!! Yesterday was 111 F with the humidex!!!! I think today was 2 degrees less....whooppee!!! We have had very wild thunderstorms and wind. A tornado came down not far from here.

Today we went to see my friend (Kim)s horse. The kids really enjoyed brushing and riding her. They also got to feed Ginger some mints after the riding. After the barn Kim and her husband, Paul drove us all to the Dairy Freeze for some supper and icecream. It is quite a popular stop here. I think you can even find them on Facebook. We had a lovely visit and some great food. We also ate with Kim and her family yesterday at her house. They bbqed chicken and had corn on the cob....yum yum! The kids loved their basement because it was full of Wii games, DVD's and an air hockey table. They didn't want to leave the basement!!

When we got back to grandma's house, Gary and Linda Bellemore were there waiting for us. We saw pics of their vacation and Gary's wood carvings. We tried to Skype my parents, but they weren't home yet and the Bellemores had to leave. Oh well, they are in the pic below with all of us and grandma.

We would like to say a special hello and Happy Birthday to Hannah! We wish we could have been there, but we love and miss you Hannah!!!! HAPPY (LATE) BIRTHDAY!!!!

Well it is late and we have to pack up to leave for Niagara Falls in the morning. We are stopping in London, Ont. at my grandma Wuerch's for lunch and then on to the falls. Gotta run for now....lots to do. Hope to type at you all later. Miss you all!!!!!!

Leamington

Today we all packed up and headed to Leamington. (About 30 mins away) We dropped Grandma off at Uncle Les and Aunt Edie's house and went to Point Pelee Park. On the way to the park we stopped off at A&W for some lunch and drove past Uncle Les's old house on Erie Street. On the way into the park we saw all the broken trees from the recent tornado. It was amazing to see so many trees just ripped apart.

At the park we went to the visitor's centre first and then caught the shuttle to the tip. It is the most southern point of Canada mainland. We didn't catch the ferry to Pelee Island. There is a pic of us standing on the sandy point and a pic of the big sign just before the actual tip.

After enjoying the breezy, sandy beach at the tip we caught the shuttle back to the visitor's centre, got into the RV and drove to the marsh boardwalk. We walked the 1 km floating boardwalk through the marsh and saw lots of birds, lily pads, cattails and a frog.

After the park we went back to Uncle Les and Aunt Edie's house for supper. When we arrived we were surprised to see my cousin Allison and her family there as well. We had a lovely dinner and a great visit. We enjoyed some birthday cake for Allison's birthday too. We didn't all leave until around 9:30 - 10 pm. There is a pic of all of us in front of their house.

On the way out of Leamington we had to stop and have our pic taken in front of the big tomato! It is an information booth (which of course was closed), but a must see if in Leamington! LOL! We also stopped and took a pic of the Heinz factory. Ketchup is a very important food you know!!

Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday. Well, Dave woke up to a wet bed! No, it wasn't him....we had had a very heavy rain and we found out that the window leaked. So most of the day was spent resealing the window. That is after Dave found an RV place to buy the things he needed. Oh well, all fixed for now (we hope!!!) We will see when it rains next!

Well, it is late again and I am pooped! Good night!

"Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. Lamentations 3:40 and 41

The Cottage to Essex

Well, all good things must come to an end, so we packed up and left the cottage on Saturday.

The day before we left we managed to get the RV down a narrow gravel road to see the Cabot Head Lighthouse. It was very beautiful. You could see forever across the water. There is a pic of all of us on the picnic table in front of the lighthouse.

Well, Saturday morning we pulled out of the cottage around 11 or 11:30 am. We made a few stops. One of them was in Wiarton. We had to stop and see Wiarton Willie. For those who don't know who that is, he is an albino groundhog that the town of Wiarton brings out every groundhog day to see his shadow. There have been many Willies through the years. They have a statue in the park of him (see pic with kids) and the current Willie is in a pen that you can go and see. We tried to find him but he was probably in his hole. It was very hot, so he was most likely trying to keep cool.

On the way, we also stopped in Pine River to get cheese and noticed that one of the dual wheels in the back of the RV was flat. Not something you can just jack up and change yourself. We managed to get to a gas station and pumped it back up and it seemed to hold the air so we determined that it must be a slow leak. So every time we stopped for gas we topped up the air as well. Tomorrow we are going to a shop to see if they can fix it for us.

We pulled into Essex around midnight. We turned a 6hour drive into a 13hr. Oh well, we got here.

Today was very hot and humid. It was 32 C in the shade by lunchtime and we had some thunder and lightning. Dave and I and the children explored the town and went down my old street and saw my old house. Awww, memories.

Aunt Aileen and Uncle John invited us over for supper and we headed over around 4:00pm. We had a lovely visit with them and my cousin Amber. There is a pic of all of us on Uncle John and Aunt Aileen's back deck. We walked home around 9 pm (much cooler - 27C - than the walk over there!!) and talked to Mom and Dad on the phone.

Well, it's 12:15 am and it is time for a midnight snack and bed, so good night for now.

We made it to the Cottage!

Yeah, we have internet tonight! We even got to Skype my parents. Now where were we when I last typed....I think we were in Sault Ste. Marie. From there we headed to Southbay Mouth on Manitoulin Island where we caught the ferry over to Tobermory. We caught the last ferry at 10 pm and arrived in Tobermory around 11:30. From there, we drove to Dyer's Bay where my grandmother and uncle have a cottage. They were waiting up for us. We pulled in around 12:15 am. By the time we set up and visited it was quite late. Needless to say we slept in the next morning.

We had a relaxing day around the cottage. The children enjoyed the beach and I finally got to do some more laundry! We have been here now for 3 days.

Today we went to Tobermory and did some shopping and sightseeing. We enjoyed a great fish dinner at Craigie's, an 80 yr. old fish and chip shop. Very filling!! We also hit the bakery and the Sweet Shop for some fudge. Now, we didn't just eat, we also went to the museum and walked around the harbour. The weather has been great for the beach until today. We got some thunder and rain. When we got back to the cottage we played games and watched a DVD.

Tomorrow we are hoping to see the Cabot Head Lighthouse and spend some more time on the beach. We will be leaving for Essex on Saturday the 17th.

Our Fun Day in Thunder Bay

Our outing day in Thunder Bay was a busy one. Our first stop was Fort William. This is a huge fort with many, many, many people working there. They are all in costume and are always in character. When we arrived they were celebrating the arrival of voyageurs. They canoed up the river to music and dancing and canon and gun fire. It was very exciting. You got to go in most of the buildings where there was usually a staff member (in costume and character) explaining who they were and what building you were in. It was very educational as well as fun. They dragged Sarah into one of their line dances. (see pic)

Next stop was Kakabeka Falls. It is the 'Niagara of the North'. It is breathtaking. We walked the boardwalk over the falls which you can see in the pic. Nathan donated one of his suckies to the falls. He was in the buggy, but leaning right up to the bars and he spat his suckie out. Bye bye suckie!

The next stop was the Terry Fox Memorial Statue. They have one in Thunder Bay because that is where he had to stop his run due to the reoccurrence of his cancer. Our camp was on the Terry Fox Highway of Hope.

Tonight we are in Sault Ste. Marie. Today was another driving day. The highway followed along with Lake Superior and the view was spectacular. Today's weather was a mixed bag. We had sun and rain and thunderstorms. One thing stayed the same and that was the heat. It was warm and humid.

Well tomorrow we are off to the ferry on Manitoulin Island. The ferry will take us to Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula and from there we will drive to Dyer's Bay to meet my grandmother and my uncle at the cottage. The kids and myself are very excited about that! I'm not sure what kind of internet we will get at the cottage, but will try to blog as soon as we can.

Winnipeg Pics

Here are the Winnipeg pics that were suppose to go with the last post, but for some reason they wouldn't upload for me.

They are pics of the Royal Canadian Mint and of the Riel House.

Today we are in Thunder Bay, ON. We spent all of yesterday driving and we pulled in here around 8:30 pm EST. After a full day of driving we like to take it easy so we are just hanging around the camp. This campground has plenty for children to do. They have a gamesroom with arcade games, pool table, air hockey, ping pong, etc. Outside they have a playground, mini golf, horseshoes, a giant chess game and an inground pool. Tomorrow we are planning to go to Fort William and Kakabeka Falls.

"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee" Isaiah 54:10