robsargeant's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member robsargeant on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/robsargeant en-us Copyright ©2012 TravelPod.com Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:35:46 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Pies, and more pies. — London, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248660349/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248660349/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248660349/tpod.html Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:35:46 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
London, Canada

(London hotels)


We were running late coming into London due to the slow traffic on the 401, but it didn't matter because my younger brother, John, and his fiance, Sabine, were caught in it too, so no one had started to eat the turkey feast, and the spread of desserts my parents had laid out for us. My parents, my older brother, Noel, and his girlfriend warmly greeted us after we rang the doorbell. They hadn't changed as much as the city. I noticed heavy development as we drove through south London. More condominium housing and strip malls - all the big box stores you can think of. With all the development taking place I wondered how long the city could hold on to its title as The Forest City.

We shared a time of great food, and conversation, talking until after 10:00 p.m., when we decided it was best to check into our hotel to get some sleep, since we had such a long journey waiting for us the following day.
]]> Give me a kiss! — Barrie, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248575057/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248575057/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248575057/tpod.html Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:33:16 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
Barrie, Canada

(Barrie hotels)


Visit with fourteen relatives in one day. Can it be done? That was the question lingering in my mind as we drove into Barrie, Ontario, around 6 pm on the July, 23rd.

We had a hard time finding our Holiday Inn Express Hotel. Incorrect directions, given by a variety store clerk, had us spending the first hour in Barrie driving around lost. I luckily spotted the hotel from hwy 400 as we zoomed past it at 100 km an hour. Did a quick turn around on a side street, and ten minutes later, we were there.

Soon after checking in I phoned a couple of relatives to confirm our meeting the next morning. We were going to Aurora, Ontario, to visit my Grandma at a home for the elderly. The plan was that other relatives from the area would meet us there as well since we were so limited for time.

I wondered if my grandmother would still recognize me, if she would look the same. It had been five years since our last meeting.

The evening weather was hot and humid. After catching up on my on-line travel blog, my first destination in the hotel was the pool to cool off and get refreshed.

Later, Olivia caught up on the laundry, while I went to buy some Harvey’s Hamburgers for Andre and myself. It had been years since I had had a Harvey’s Hamburger, a chain that seems to only do business in the province of Ontario (I found out later Quebec has them too). Good greasy grub.

Sleep came quickly. I dreamed about climbing a mountain, and flying with just my arms. Upon waking, I felt revived, like the dream was a promise of good things to come. I went to the hotel gym for a quick workout.

Olivia and I were the first to arrive at the home for the elderly. This was great because I could visit my grandmother alone. I went to her room, where two single beds, with a curtain separating them were arranged. She was asleep, resting on the bed nearest the window.

"Grandma!" I called out to her, breaking the silence of the room.

She sat up, looked to me, and immediately said, “Give me a kiss!”

I laughed, reached down to her, hugged her, and gave her a kiss. She recognized who I was. What a joy. The long trip there, at that moment, felt all worthwhile. A tear came to my eye as I held her hand, asking her questions before the other relatives arrived.

The rest of the day we spent with other relatives. Fourteen in all. My Aunt hosted us for lunch in Mount Albert, and we were able to see their new home.

On the way to my parent's home in London, Ontario, we stopped so Googoo could have a lube job. I figured the van could use an oil change. We also needed a new windshield wiper blade.

Rain continued to chase us across Ontario. It was so strong, for almost an hour it slowed traffic to a crawl on the 401.

Rob Sargeant









]]> It's a long way to Sault Ste Marie — Sault Ste. Marie, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248395421/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248395421/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248395421/tpod.html Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:20:15 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
Sault Ste. Marie, Canada

(Sault Ste. Marie hotels)


Superior National Park offered great views of rocky escarpments, and Canadian Shield terrain. We stopped to hike down a short trail to take in the view of a water fall with fog shrouded Lake Superior off in the distance. Nice to get out of the car for a bit of exercise since the day was a long drive.

Googoo was low on gas at one point in Superior Provincial Park so I pulled into a trading post, tackle shop where a first nations lady had to unlock her above ground tank to serve me gas. Not used to full service, I instinctively opened the door to serve myself. The other stops for gas in north of Sudbury were full service too.

Andre and my wife got in a long argument about how Canadians and Americans differ. I listened on in amusement. What I garnered from the discussion was this: Americans are much more patriotic, while Canadians don't seem to care. My wife is a dual citizen, born and raised in America, so she had some strong opinions.

There was time in the evening to take in some of the sights along the Sault Ste Marie boardwalk near our hotel. I was short on time so I pulled on my runners and went for a jog with my video camera to capture some evening views of the river, and the people strolling along the boardwalk, old men fishing, crowds watching a live orchestra at an open air amphitheater.

Around 10 p.m. Andre and I went to see the late show at the multiplex cinema across the road from the hotel, stuffed ourselves with popcorn, chocolates, and soda. After getting back to my room, I drifted off to sleep near 1 a.m..
]]> Inside a dinasaur's mouth — Drumheller, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248015660/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248015660/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248015660/tpod.html Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:10:34 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
Drumheller, Canada

Where I stayed
Drumheller Travelodge
(Drumheller hotels)


Inside a dinosaur's mouth in Drumheller, Alberta we met a lady from Toronto. She was traveling with a child and asked us if we could take a photo of her and her niece, standing in front of the huge Tyrannosaurus Rex teeth. Olivia and I obliged. It turns out that her niece had family in the same town where my grandmother now lives.

The day had started off in Revelstoke National Park. I took a walk in the morning, taking in the amazing views around our hotel. And I photographed one of the famous landmarks of Revelstoke. The largest carved wooden head. Seems like every place in Alberta needs the largest something or other as a claim to fame. Drumheller has the largest Tyrannosaurus statue. Revelstoke has the largest wooden head. Edmonton, the largest indoor mall (when it was built in the 80's it was the largest. Now it ranks 4th).

We entered Alberta around lunch time and stopped in Banff to look around, and find a place to eat. Andre and I chose Mc Donalds on the main street. I had the crispy chicken Caesar salad. We walked over the main street bridge, which crosses a green colored river, and took some photos of the awesome scenery. Again the weather was perfect. The white clouds above looked like chunks of cotton swabs, placed artistically by God on a blue sky collage.

We waved farewell to the rocky mountains as we neared Calgary. Olivia drove us around the city, just to get a sense of the area. She stopped for a Taco, at Taco Bell, and drove along the park, beside the river, where bikers, skate boarders, and runners, exercised on this majestic day.

We entered Drumheller, late evening. The long shadows cast across the yellow fields of canola just before it added extra contrast to the gray, brown, badland canyon, we descended into. There was just enough light for Olivia and I to scan the horizon and get a great view of the town of Drumheller as we stood inside the mouth of the world's largest Tyrannosaurus Rex. What a site.
]]> A visit to my childhood home — Chilliwack, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1247758404/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1247758404/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1247758404/tpod.html Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:07:26 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
Chilliwack, Canada

(Chilliwack hotels)


Early morning, before breakfast, I went for a drive to the Chilliwack neighborhood where I had lived aged 2-7. Memories of fresh cut grass on summer nights, distant sounds of buzzing chain saws, rainy days spent puddle jumping, came back to me as I stopped outside the old house. Landscaping renovations had been done around the property, but the building hadn't changed much at all. Same green trim, it seemed. The long backyard was gone, now filled with condominiums crammed together in rows. One of the tall pine trees I used to climb remained. I recognized a tall maple in a neighbors yard I remembered climbing to the top of it on windy summer days, getting a thrill from the swaying branches. The school I attended nearby, where I was hit by a car at age six, was modernized but still had the same layout. The accident outside of Bernard Elementary school had left me unconscious for about a week, I lost most of my memory, and had to go back to kindergarten. My head was split, cracked open, and the injury left me with chronic headaches for years after-wards. It all worked out for good, because the insurance money I received at age 18, provided enough money for me to enter studies at The London Film School, in London, England, at age 19, and also for a six month trip to Cairo, Egypt, which drastically changed my life.
]]> A taste of France in Canada — Edmundston, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248822675/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248822675/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248822675/tpod.html Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:02:48 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
Edmundston, Canada

Where I stayed
Edmundston Days Inn
(Edmundston hotels)


Two hours is just enough time to get a taste of Old Quebec city, especially if you're like us and you arrive there on a Sunday, when there isn't much traffic.

Old Quebec city with its cobblestone street side cafes, horse drawn carriages, fine restaurants will please most romantics. We were able to squeeze in many bronze statues (historical figures on horseback), and centuries old buildings since there are so many of them within a short walking distance. We also had time to stop for a coffee, baguette sandwich, and an ice cream cone before we left.

Driving across Quebec I felt that the province had such a European feel. Maybe it was the language, the food, or the architecture. Whatever it was, it was nice to taste. While passing along the freeway beside the Saint Lawrence Seaway there are some magnificent views to take in, showing how vast this waterway is, and why it is an engineering marvel.

Rob Sargeant

]]> Coast to coast across Canada... We made it. — Halifax, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248823248/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248823248/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248823248/tpod.html Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:46:54 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
Halifax, Canada

(Halifax hotels)


In New Brunswick we had an early start to our last leg of travel. Andre woke us up early, having stayed up all night, and wanted to leave at 5:30 a.m. . He was ready to drive. Since it was foggy and he was sleep deprived I encouraged my wife to take on the driving duties instead, and I curled up in the Googoo's back seat and went back to sleep for two hours. It was still foggy when I awoke.

We stopped at a Tim Horton's to get breakfast as the morning sunlight started to burn off the fog. I could see the evergreen forests; the surrounding distant hills still shrouded in mist. Later in Moncton, we took a short detour to check out Magnetic Hill, which unfortunately had turned into an amusement park, cluttered with rides, a tourist trap. Sadly, it had lost the charm I remembered from my travels there as a youth. Back then, Magnetic Hill was just a country road surrounded by farmland. We passed on paying an entry fee to experience this.

Two hours later we were in the Halifax region, greeted with hot, humid, weather. Familiar with many of the places from our house hunting trip in June, I easily found our hotel, and tiredly parked in the lot next to it. I felt weary from the days of travel, but was saddened in a way because the journey was coming to an end. I like the excitement that discovering new places brings, and the explorer inside of me wanted it to continue.

I knew the days ahead would be filled with manual labor carrying heavy boxes and unpacking things. Administrative things with the lawyer, for the house, and the in-routine at CFB Halifax. But all good things must come to an end.

July 31/09

With many belongings still stuffed in boxes we have settled into our new home, and as I look back on the journey across Canada I am so thankful we made it without any serious problems, considering the age of our vehicle, Googoo, and the tight schedule we had kept. The weather posed some challenges, especially across Northern Ontario, but other than that I can't complain. Googoo had run well, for a fourteen year old car, only requiring an oil change, a new, right, windshield wiper and an new oil pan plug.

Our youngest son Colt, and our two cats, arrived by Westjet air, on July 29th, an hour later than scheduled, due to weather problems. This gave Olivia and I a chance to relax in the Airport food court, where we browsed through some of the shops. I bought her and new wrist watch.

My son and the cats were all healthy. A warmth filled our new home that night, as we were back together again as a complete family.

Rob Sargeant
]]> Vancouver Island Final Camping Tour - Part 1 — Cumberland, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1246984601/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1246984601/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1246984601/tpod.html Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:50:13 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
Cumberland, Canada

Where I stayed
Cumberland Lake, Camp Ground
(Cumberland hotels)


For the past five years we've camped at Comox Lake for a couple of days the first week of July, so it was only fitting that we scheduled in a trip before our long drive across Canada to Halifax, to say farewell.

The weather co-operated, providing perfect kayaking and camping weather. My youngest son, Colt, and his friend, Ira, led me on a power hike up the lakeside mountain the first day. I was winded as I tried to keep up with them, ascending the steep slopes, carefully stepping across an area that had recently experienced a landslide. Huge boulders had collapsed from the mountain face, crushing the old growth fir trees below like tooth picks. The view, once we reached the top, was spectacular.

The next day we kayaked to a cliff face named, devil's ladder, popular among cliff jumpers, who get a thrill by leaping off its 40-50 foot ledges (there was an 80 foot one too) into the lake. I did not jump, however, Colt, had the courage to leap from the 50 foot precipice.

Some memories I took away from this camp-out included: swimming at the invigorating, glacial fed beach, camp fires, poutine fries (fries with gravy and cheese curds) from the coal miners snack shack, and several monopoly games (which I lost).

Sunday morning we broke camp at 10:00 a.m. and prepared for the two hour drive to our next camping destination at Scout Camp. The directions to it were hand drawn on a sheet of paper. A place somewhere near Port Albirni.

Rob Sargeant
]]> 4th largest indoor mall in the world impressive — Edmonton, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248055407/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248055407/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248055407/tpod.html Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:00:24 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
Edmonton, Canada

Where I stayed
Travelodge Edmonton West
(Edmonton hotels)


I woke early to photograph the streets of Drumheller. In the center of town I found a clothing shop with cowgirl dresses and tops, something my wife had mentioned she was interested in buying. Since it was her birthday, I made a mental note to bring her back there later to see if she could find anything of interest.

We had breakfast at a cozy roadside cafe in the badlands called Whiff-it, where they make great waffles, and hungry man platers - eggs, bacon, sausage, potato wedges and toast. Lots of locals were there. A novelty toy train set ran above us while we were eating, following a track which passed above the diner's tables.

With bellies filled we made our way to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. The dinosaur bone exhibit was interesting, but I found it annoying how they push Darwinism so heavily, as if it is fact. His theory of evolution is just that, a theory. Not fact, and so it should not be presented as fact. I think there is part of man that wants to explain away God because man does not want to be held accountable for his actions.

After the trip to the museum I took Olivia to the dress shop in town, to see if she might like anything. Wasn't a thing there in her style, so we left empty-handed.

"Maybe the West Edmonton Mall will have something." I thought as we drove away from Drumheller heading north towards Edmonton.

We spotted a fox at the side of the road coming out of Three Hills. The rest of the wildlife consisted of roadkill, a gopher and a porcupine.

West Edmonton Mall was impressive. The indoor wave pool and water slides were interesting. The most memorable part for me was an en-caged sloth, who got all energetic as we came near his pad. He climbed up a vine in about twenty minutes, moving like the Six Million Dollar Man in slow motion. He was in such contrast to us racing around the mall, looking for good deals, and the latest fashions. We could all learn a lesson from him.

My wife did find a gift for herself. A bathing suit.

As we left the mall, a severe thunder storm hit the city. Wind, whipped down the street. My son and I had to fight tornado like winds to get the laptop computer, forgotten in the car a we rushed to the hotel. The next day we learned that cars were blown off the road on the nearby Yellow Head Trail. Large limbs and branches could be seen on some of the city streets the next morning as we drove east, from Edmonton, towards Saskatoon.
]]> Ramada Inn, Cornwall, Highly Recommended — Cornwall, Canada http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248660819/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248660819/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robsargeant/1/1248660819/tpod.html Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:38:25 +0000 Canada - Coast To Coast
Cornwall, Canada

(Cornwall hotels)


My parents made us a hearty breakfast before we left London, Ontario, around 9:30 a.m.. A great way to start off the day with home cooked scrambled eggs, toast and coffee.

My brother, John, met with us in Toronto, close to the International Airport at a cafe, where he showed us some of his film production work on his Apple laptop. I had given him some feedback on the script in its early stages, and had seen some of the rehearsal shots, but never the final production. It came out great. Casting was right on.

The longest leg of our journey lay between Toronto and Cornwall. Around 5:30 p.m. we stopped to dine in Kingston, for supper, at the Keg, downtown, where we had a table at the street side patio. Olivia chose the steak, Andre and I, the sauteed chicken breast with mashed potato. A block away from the shores of eastern Lake Ontario, this was the place to be on a hot summer evening. We were lucky to get a table in the dinner rush.

Near 8:30 p.m. we pulled into Cornwall's Ramada Inn. A huge wedding party spilled out of the lobby into the parking lot as I found a parking space for Googoo and went in to get our room keys. They were taking photos of the bride in the decorative hotel lobby.

There was still time for Olivia and I to enjoy the large, indoor swimming pool, and a light snack before bed.

Overall, a very satisfying day.

Rob Sargeant
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