2009 Holidays Niagara and More

Saturday August 22nd
We leave on holidays today. Jennifer has been home from Ottawa since the 10th and now Louise and I are flying back with her to Hamilton. We are then going to tour around taking in Niagara Falls and other attractions before returning her to Ottawa and another year of law school. We decide to go the USA route through Syracuse, New York as I want to stay away from Toronto and the dreaded highway 401. In the wisdom of WestJet, we first have to fly to Calgary, sit around the airport for six hours and then fly back east to Hamilton. Its kind of a bittersweet day for me. I like holidays to be sure, but I have to kennel my little dog Diego for twelve days, something I hate doing.
We arrive in Hamilton at midnight, having left Saskatoon at noon, so its been a long day. Will get the rental car tomorrow and then head for Niagara Falls







Sunday August 23
Niagara Falls. What can you say to top this? Spectacular, powerful, one of the true wonders of the world. Very crowded but just an awesome place. We walk around for awhile and then take the "Maid of the Mist" which is exactly that. This tough little boat sails right up to the falls where you hear the power and get a first hand look at nature in its rawest form. I shot a couple of pictures from the Maid of the Mist but it was really hard to keep the camera dry. Just an overwhelming spectacle and to think some people actually think there was some sort of a big bang and all this just happened. They can have their view but I prefer to think that there was and is a God who created all of this.
We also stop along the St. Lawrence Seaway and watch all the activity at the locks.
The Welland Canal etc. Our timing seems to be pretty good as we watch at least three large ships make their way though the series of locks. I'll be posting some of those pictures on Smilebox later along with all the others. My camera was pretty busy shooting around 325 pictures.






Monday August 24 and Tuesday August 25th
We arrive in Buffalo mid afternoon on Monday, almost by accident. I had booked a hotel in a place called Tonawanda, not realizing it was a suburb of Buffalo.
Only fifteen minutes away is downtown Buffalo. The shopping is good, so say Louise and Jennifer, so we decide to stay two nights instead of one. While they shop in the daytime, I explore Buffalo. (Handy GPS again). Found the Buffalo Bills facility but they are not practising till late in the day. Some players are around but not the infamous Terrell Owens. Didn't really expect him to be on time for practise. Also went to the University of Buffalo Bulls facility which is probably better than most CFL teams have. In the late afternoon we tour Buffalo abit including the harbor and shops.



Wednesday August 26th
We leave Buffalo today. Jennifer wants to take us through the Thousand Islands on the way back to Ottawa. She had been there before and it is worth the trip.
Very beautiful and unique scenery. We stay at a motel in a little tourist town called Gananoque.





Thursday August 27th
A nice sunshiny day to wake up to today in Gananoque so we decide to take a boat cruise of the Thousand Islands before heading to Ottawa so Jennifer can get ready for her trip. The scenery is fantastic. Thousands of islands in the St. Lawrence seaway with cabins on them. Some very large islands and ofcourse wealthy and some islands very small with not much more than a cabin. This is well worth seeing and I think as impressive as Niagara Falls. The most spectacular is the Boldt Castle, built by the owner of the Waldorf Astoria for his wife. Unfortunately she died before it was finished and the heart broken owner never set foot in it. There is one island in Canadian waters connected to another little island in USA waters by a little bridge, billed the shortest international bridge in the world. After a great day we head back to Ottawa.





Friday August 28th
Jenn leaves us today. She is joining a large group of friends and going to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for about ten days. She has really fit into the Ottawa scene well with lots of friends and seems to be enjoying it. Her apartment is only a five minute walk to the University of Ottawa and about fifteen minutes to downtown.
Louise and I decide to drive to Montreal. A beautiful city but oh the traffic and people conjestion. Backed up freeways and crowds. We start in Old Montreal, take in the shops, the street performers and walk to as many attractions as we can including the Basilica. Later we drive to St. Josephs, up on a mountain (large hill really) where you can look down at the city. They have an interesting display called the Walk of the Cross which we tour. Then a drive to Mount Royal and its time to join the freeway traffic back to Ottawa. Heavy traffic until about half an hour out of Montreal and then its more normal.

Saturday August 29th
Pouring rain today. Looks like a shopping day. I drop Louise off at the Bayshore Mall and then decide to just drive around Ottawa. My trusty GPS leads the way and we go all over. Gets a little better later in the day so we walk down the the famous Byward Market. Browse around, have supper etc. The market is always an interesting place.



Sunday August 30th
A better looking day today. Sun is trying to break through so we decide to drive out to the Gatineau Hills, in Quebec but really just across the bridge from Ottawa.
Jennifer and her friend had taken me out here in June so I want to try and find the same attractions for Louise. We tour McKenzie King's estate. The groundskeeping is immaculate. Beautiful yellow home, guest house, boat house and more. Being a political junkie, I enjoy the caricatures on the wall. Driving on we find the place where the infamous Meech Lake accord was signed. The cabin overlooking Meech Lake.
The scenery is beautiful with lakes and parks. On the way back we stop in a quaint little town, Chelsea, Quebec and enjoy ice cream and deserts. Our lack of french is no problem. Everyone speaks English and very friendly.






Monday August 31st and Tuesday September 1st
We are kind of tired of the car plus I have to do the layout of the paper so we decide to just stay in Ottawa for a couple of days. We were going to drive to Kingston and look around but there is so much to do in Ottawa and area. We decide to rent bikes and ride the canal both days. Miles and miles of bike routes with beautiful scenery. We find Hogs Back Falls, Mooney Bay and watch the boats going through the canal locks. Not as spectacular as the St. Lawrence seaway locks but interesting. Both days we find a Tim Horton's (they aren't hard to find) and the coffee fix is taken care of as well.
Wednesday September 2nd
Alas all good things must come to an end and its time to head home. Flying back with Air Canada this time so at least we don't have to do the fly to Calgary, sit in the airport, and then fly back to Saskatoon. I know its all about money but never can figure out WestJet's disregard for Saskatchewan on that one.
Its been a great holiday. Niagara Falls, Buffalo, The Thousand Islands, Montreal.
I don't think we could have packed much more into twelve days. This was only the second time in thirty years with the paper that I have actually taken off two weeks in a row. Did the design and layout of the paper from Jenn's apartment with the aid of technology, cell phones, email and fax. I wonder sometimes how we ever got along before without those things.