A Loooooooong Trip...

Well, after 4500 km, nine days, eight nights, Erin and I finally arrived at our new home in Cochrane.

It was the first time either of us had driven across Canada, and as expected, it had its moments of excitement as well as its times of utter boredom. I thought that, instead of doing a step-by-step account of the whole trip (which might at points be as boring as northern Ontario) I would instead share some of the highlights of the trip.

1) Old Quebec City

I had been here before, during my college days with the Royal Military College Band for a performance. I had enjoyed the visit, for the history, the quaintness of the city and its architecture, and the cultural experience, and so I wanted to show Erin around a bit. And as expected, she enjoyed it too - she really loved window shopping in the Old City (guys, if you're ever in Quebec with your ladies, take them there!) To the left is a picture of me in the Old City during Erin's shopping rampage, and at right is Erin in front of the world-famous Chateau Frontenac hotel.

2) Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario

RMC is my alma mater, and so I'd always wanted to show my little girl around my old stomping grounds. RMC is quite old, having been founded in 1876, and is Canada's only military academy. It's situated on a beautiful peninsula across from downtown Kingston, jutting out into Lake Ontario. I've included pictures of the College from its website, as Erin and I didn't take any while we were there, but we both really enjoyed the stop.

3) The Algoma Water Tower Inn, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

The Water Tower Inn was probably the best part of our whole trip! My buddy Kevin Laffin recommended the place to us from his previous excursions across the country, and so Erin and I stopped here. And we were glad we did. As you can see at the left, our bedroom had its own old-fashioned gas fireplace; the hotel was right across the road from a Taco Bell (I'm a Tex-Mex addict) and, better yet, has its own Lonestar restaurant! All for a regular hotel price (Her Majesty paid, but that's all right.)

The best part, though, was the pool / spa. They have a great indoor swimming pool, indoor waterfall, sauna, TWO hot tubs, heat lamps, exercise, room... And one of the hot tubs (which are huge, by the way) is outside! Erin and I would relax out in the tub, snow falling around us, clouds of steam rising from the hot water, our hair freezing as we admired the beautiful garden built around the tub.... Trust me - if you're ever in "the Sault," stop at this place. You will not regret it. Click on the title above for the link...

4) Snow Squall Off Lake Superior, Wawa, Ontario

The scariest moment of the trip was when we were caught in a storm sweeping in off Lake Superior. The lake was terrifying to look at - at times, it seemed the water was trying to jump out and grab you! Erin managed to get a picture of the Lake, seen at left; you can see it boiling and frothing. I kept thinking of the awesome power of God, as shown through nature. It's great having Him on your side, that's for sure. In a matter of minutes, visibility went down to zero - I could not even tell where the edges of the road were, or see obstacles. Oncoming traffic could only be seen about 20 feet away or so.... Still, by the grace of God, we made it through. And we had good weather for the rest of the trip.
There's Erin's look of mild concern during the storm.


5) The Manitoba Border

We took our sweet time going through Ontario - four days, to be exact. And three of those were spent in Northern Ontario - Sudbury, the Sault, Thunder Bay, Kenora, etc. By day four, we were SICK of it - I just kept thinking of that Arrogant Worms song: "There's..... rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and.... WATER!!!" Needless to say, we were overjoyed to see the sign for Manitoba. At right is one reaction: tears of joy...

6) Mother of All Breakfast Cereals, Saskatchewan

The Praries can be a dull drive. It's flat, there's few significant landmarks, the roads are straight to the horizon, and the scenery just doesn't change. Be that as it may, I thought I'd share a couple of photos...

You know how a farmer can make a pumpkin grow to immense proportions? The farmers of Saskatchewan have done much the same thing, but not with pumpkins. I give you... the world's largest Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats!!!

Yeah, I was bored.

7) West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Alberta

We stopped in Edmonton to visit Erin's sister Holly, who works at the WEM. It was a fun visit, and a great chance to finish our Christmas shopping! The world's second-largest shopping mall (I think it's been surpassed by the Mall of America) is truly a sight to behold. An indoor amusement park, indoor waterpark, indoor minigolf, skating rink, aquarium, pirate ship, hotel, and, of course, hundreds of stores... Now, I like visiting the place simply because of the waterpark. I'm a sucker for waterslides, and the gigantic wave pool's something to see... I've included a picture from the mall's website.

We stayed in the Fantasyland Hotel, in a theme room. Ours was a Roman room, and the picture speaks for itself. A big jacuzzi, pillars, mirrors everywhere... We loved it!

So, those were some of the high points of the trip...


Posts Coming Soon...

1) Our New Home - I'll have pictures!

2) To Answer Some Concerns - a couple posts to reassure some friends who have raised concerns about my choice of seminary.