stubsadventures

It’s that time of year, cookie baking, crazy amount of visiting, this year was crazy amounts of hosting and then the icing on the cake, my annual birthday trip to the west coast. I have spend my birthday the last few years exploring as many nooks and crannies as possible in southern BC anywhere that is next to the ocean.

The Christmas season was filled with a lot of relaxing, eating, hanging out, being made fun of and making fun of others, all of the important holiday elements. I must admit that I was really spoiled this year. I don’t think I will ever get used to the thoughtfulness of the people around me. Between the folks who work for me, my coworkers and friends and family, I received some of the most thoughtful gifts this year. Besides the fact that they were great presents, everyone had put so much thought into them and all had a story of why they chose that gift for me. I was humbled to say the least. I was also pretty proud of the gifts that I had gotten other people, so each time I gave one, I was so excited for the person to open it. I have smiled a lot in the last few weeks.

I was pretty excited to head to Kelowna and explore that area. I have never really spent time there but was there for work last month and decided it was time to check it out. Some of my best friends live there as well, so it was pretty win-win. During the day I was there, Caper and I did a 5km hike in Maya Bellevue PP. I can honestly say the drive to the top of the hill to begin that hike was one of the craziest I have ever done in my life. I was without a doubt actually white knuckling it. Then, I finally got to the top of this mountain and the last 1.5km were the scariest. I was just glad get to the end and still be alive. The hike itself was actually kind of brutal without snowshoes. The snow was deep enough to make you work through it and there was a crust of ice on top you crashed through every time. It was a pretty long 5km. The trail is just a small part of a system that runs along a mountain where an old railway used to run. Despite the less than perfect conditions, the views were well worth all the effort.

Usually, during this trip, I will stop at a Gulf Island (between Vancouver and Van Island). This year, I decided to head to White Rock, which is in very southern BC, almost right on the border with the US. The city here is adorable. Although pretty high end, I actually like the area. The shops downtown are full of character and it’s hard to argue any city next to the ocean isn’t awesome. The people all seems really friendly and I’m staying at The Ocean Promenade Hotel, which was one of the most helpful places I have ever stopped. The rooms are really clean (mine is huge but it is a suite) and the staff are awesome. Highly recommend this place.

Tomorrow, ferry ride to the island, then four nights at my second favorite cottage in the world. I’m headed back to Point No Point Resort for the third time, which is basically unheard of for me. The thought alone of this place just makes me smile and I can’t believe I’m going to be there tomorrow!

Also included some pictures of my recent hiking around Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park where is close to my place.

Stubs.

Anyone who has heard me talk about Cape Breton Island knows what that place means to me. Cape Breton is a feeling and the people there make it that much better.

On my recent trip home, it was a priority to spend some quality time with my grandfather. He is an amazing man and probably, the other only family member besides my brother who can relate to a life in a process facility. There is nothing like it, or the dangers related to it. My grandfather worked at the Sydney Steel Plant in the years following WW2, until his retirement. After recently reading a book about the plant covering its inception to the announcement of closure, I was eager to spend time with him because (of course) I had a million questions about his time there and how it differed and paralleled what my experience has been like working in the oil patch.

The cherry on the cake was when he took me for a tour of what the area looks like today and described to me what used to be where I stood. There is nothing left of the plant now, nothing at all but some piles of slag that are still in the process of being recycled. It’s hard to imagine, multiple plants of that size, making everything from steel, to nails and wires, is now gone. Nothing but fields, sports fields, children’s playgrounds and a small canal. All this, where a plant the size of a small city used to reside.

The steel plant has an amazing legacy and played an important role in NS and more specifically Cape Breton history. It’s amazing to look back and the conditions that existed, the danger that was common place and the incidents that occurred on sometimes a daily basis.

On my way home, I took the milk run and stopped in to explore Sydney Mines, Cape Breton. And, while there I happened upon an old battery which absolutely made my day. As a young kid and even now when I go home, I find these old batteries on the coast of NS some of the most fascinating places I have ever explored, world wide. Real history just sitting there out in the open, standing the test of time. Build to defend Sydney harbour during WWII, I really enjoyed my time roaming around the structures.

Stubs.

I have had the pleasure of owning my dream home for one year now. Looking back, I couldn’t have imagined the path buying this house would take me down but now I can’t imagine my life without it. I can honestly say that I have only scratched the surface of this properties potential and the fact that it will take me years to achieve that, actually makes me happier. Living here is very much like living on the east coast, nothing is rushed, everything will get done eventually.

In general, I don’t consider myself to be a very artistic person. My singing I’m sure keeps the bears away and I cannot draw a straight line. Where I do enjoy exploring that side of my brain is in decorating my home. Luckily, I’m able to have lots of cool things from my travels around, which makes life easier but I have also collected a lot of cool pieces over the years, many of them Canadian ones.

My home is a story, filled with my favorite pictures from all of my adventures. It’s the kind of place that can only make a person feel happy and for some reasons, most of my guests feel sleepy haha. I’m proud to show it off and share my little piece of paradise with my friends and family!

Stubs.

I’ve had the opportunity over the last few months to take some cool animal shots. These pictures range from the Yukon, to northern BC, to my back yard.

Stubs.

My annual trip to the east was diverted to the fall this year because I realized that it had been a long time since I had been home in Nova Scotia when the leaves were changing. My trip started off with some time in Ontario with some friends and family.

Visiting with Josh is always an adventure. This time, I got to spend some time with my little cousins who are two of the funniest people in the world as far as I am concerned. A dinner with any of my cousins in the same room is never a dull time. The next day, we decided to take off to a place neither of us had been before, so we headed north to Wasaga Beach. Turns out Wasaga Beach is very much a beach town and when it’s too cold to hang out on the beach, it is pretty much a ghost town. We spent some time near the water, it was a really sunny day at least. We took Josh’s chair through some pretty sweet sand drifts and followed the board walk until it ended. We managed to find some time for shopping too (as always).

From there, I connected with Poncho and we headed to Blue Mountain, Ontario. Staying at the Blue Mountain Resort, it has been the perfect place to let stress melt away. The village here is adorable and almost everything you need is at your finger tips and very reasonably priced.

One of the highlights of the trip was the afternoon we spend at Scandinave Spa and Baths. The massage we had there was amazing and my therapist Tracey was one of the best I have ever visited. After that, we hung out in the baths, which are all different temperatures. You sit in the hot pools for so long, then take a dip in the freezing pools, then sit in a quiet room while your heart rate returns to normal. A few rounds of that after the incredible massage made for two melty girls!

Stubs.

In my quest to lay eyes on as much of Canada as possible is unfolding, I am finding that my favorite highways to travel are the ones most people haven’t heard of, the Steward Cassier is just one of those highways.

Turning north at Terrace, I knew I was in for an adventure, you can just tell. Usually, the sign that lets you know that there are few, if any emergency services along the highway and they are not to be counted on, is one of the best indicators I have come across. For me, that is the third time I’ve read such a sign and all have been in Canada.

There is something about the remoteness of the north that brings me a lot of peace. The only other time a place has given me that feeling is our cottage and going over the causeway to Cape Breton.

The highway is 828 km from Terrace, BC right up to Watson Lake, Yukon. Watson Lake was a big highlight for me in the trip to the arctic circle in 2008, so I was really excited to be able to revisit it.

The entire drive was remote and overall, I saw very few other people. Shortly into the drive I pulled into … and checked out some really old totems they had there. A few hours after that, I had one of my coolest experience (after of course my polar bear experiences) with a bear. He was a good sized black bear eating next to the road. It was so quiet and peaceful around, I could actually hearing him chewing. Of course, from the safety of my truck.

After having a very relaxing day of driving, I decided to stop early, ahead of my destination to be able to enjoy the beautiful summer evening. I pulled into a place called Bell II, and they had a few camp sites, so I paid for two nights. I was going to explore the north. That was, until I stepped out of my truck and into bug hell. They were everywhere instantly, I almost started to cry. I was out of the truck for only a few minutes before I was back inside wondering what I was going to do. For about three minutes at a time, I would spend running around like a maniac trying to get the tent up. These bugs seems to enjoy the bug spray and I’m sure I heard one of them laugh about the OFF fan thing I had clipped to my shorts. There I was, in the great outdoors, confined to my tent, held hostage by a vicious gang of black flies.

At Bell II, I hadn’t even put the fly on the tent, wasn’t worth it. At 0505am, a drop of rain hit my forehead and I was up and had the truck packed in less than ten minutes. That was quite enough of that. The journey continued.

Reaching the Yukon was cool. I felt so lucky to have been to it once already, to cross that border again put a smile on my face. At Watson Lake, there are over 65,000 street signs that have accumulated over the years and most are from peoples home towns. After crossing and camping north of the arctic circle in ’08, Poncho and I left a sign there with the date we crossed it. I looked and looked but wasn’t able to find it. I have a feeling I’ll be back to Watson Lake.

From there, I was eager to get to Liard River. This was also a stopping place for Poncho and I and one of the most special places I have ever come across in Canada. The hot springs here are so unique, and relatively used compared to others closer to cities.

After Liard, I was on a mission to get home. The trip was awesome, the north didn’t dissapoint but there is always a time when you’re ready for your own bed and to take some time away from behind the wheel.

Stubs.

The islands will be a place that I will return to one day. What I learned the most about my trip to the remote islands is that they require more planning than I had anticipated. Also, as awesome as it was to see her run all over the place, having Caper was a disadvantage in the sense that most of the more remote sites that I had hoped to visit required several days to get to and it wouldn’t be very fair to drag her along, as Caper hates boats of any kind. It’s not often while travelling in Canada that having Caper is a downfall but this was one of the few.

Haidi Gwaii is by far one of the most beautiful, spiritual and rewarding trips I have done to date. I can’t wait to get back.

Stubs.

The north island was more populated than the south. With the small towns like Masset and Queen Charlotte, there was lot of awesome shopping in these towns of art by local artists and books. For the size of the towns, there was enough to get a good flavor for local culture.

The Haidi culture is impressive and the pride amongst the Haidi people is apparent. Their art, customs and stories are known by people of all generations. The family ties are strong here.

The short ferry ride to Moresby Island is just as stunning as the ride from Prince Rupert. Upon a recommendation from the neighbour at the previous campsite, the destination this time was Gray Bay, where I was told is where all the locals camp. This place didn’t disappoint. Campsites right on the beach, if it was possible, even a nicer beach than North Beach.

Again, wandering the beaches and rainforest was the priority. The town closest to the campsite, Sandspit was little but had most of what was required. When it came time to refuel, no problem, just call the number on the door and the gas lady shows up a few minutes later on her bike to fill you up.

One of the cool spots that was discovered was Secret Cove. A short hike brought you to a small cove. In this cove, you felt like you were the only person on the planet. In a short time, eagles were soaring overhead and out of the woods popped a mother deer and her baby, who looked just as surprised to see me as I saw them.

Stubs

The drive to Prince Rupert is a long 18 + hours. Caper of course had been suspicious for weeks that something was brewing, ever since she spotted me filling her travel bag. My ever trusty companion slept for the entire trip, maybe minus three or so hours. The drive is beautiful though and there was lots to look at. During the trip, I saw the cutest baby bear cross the road and then a few feet later saw its mother and other sibling. I also spotted two coyotes and some deer but no moose this time.

After driving for 14 hours straight, I stopped for three hours sleep and then again shortly after for a twenty-minute snooze but that’s it. I don’t know if it was the excitement or the red bull but I was eager to get this adventure started.

The area around Prince Rupert is one of the nicest in Canada. Everywhere you look the landscape is beautiful. I’m sure you can imagine how fulfilling the ferry ride was.

The Haidi Gwaii islands are split between two main islands. I’ll blog about the north island, Graham Island first. Right off the ferry,I camped in a tiny campground out on a point. A lovely addition at no additional cost to this campground is that it is on the same piece of land as a cemetery. Yep, that was a first. The campsite was nice and amongst a forest of huge trees. All was good, even with the cemetery until the road maintenance started first thing in the morning. It was actually comical. I might have as well been in a city. Packed up and headed north, North Beach was the destination.

There are little towns on the island and I stopped at all of them. They all have amazing character and even more amazing people. The Haidi people are very welcoming and full of smiles. They are also very bored and really REALLY like to talk to new people. However, don’t mention pipelines or oil tankers or you might as well pull up a chair. North Beach is something out of a movie. When I first arrived, there was a great fog that had settled into the bay and at the end of the beach was an enormous cliff drapped in fog as well.

I literally could, and did, spend days wandering these beaches. The tide pools, hunting eagles, massive trees and mossy rainforest just didn’t get old. I just walked and walked and found a lot of peace spending so much time in the fresh air and next to the ocean.

Stubs

Although a trip is always an amazing opportunity, I have come to prefer travelling around, staying in multiple cities/towns in smaller hotels compared to staying at all inclusive. It only took one day for Poncho and I to figure out it was time to turn this trip into an adventure.

We got off the resort as much as possible and planned half day trips to take full advantage of the already paid for food (which was amazing). We again took a jaunt out of town but this time to a much quieter section and did some shopping and had drinks at Margaritaville.

One of my favourite things was when we hired a cab driver to take us into a different parish (like a province or state) to check out the Green Grotto Caves. Most of the things to do around the hotel were of course packed with people and the kind of thing you can do in any country. People were getting dropped off at these places by the bus load. Instead, we went a half hour out of town and had the time of our lives. At the Green Grotto, it was Poncho and I, and three other Jamaicans. The caves are just beautiful, and are a significant part of Jamaican history. Underground there is an amazing lake which will go down as one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been.

Our cab driver Rob was amazing. When you’re trying to figure things out in Jamaica and are asking questions, you will get a significantly different answer from person to person. One person will tell you a destination is fourty-five minutes away and another will tell you it’s four hours. Rob was the only person who was right about all of them and always took good care of us. He would show us where to get our tickets for things and be sure we got inside safely. I was able to learn a lot about Jamaican industries from him, it was cool. I believe I may have asked him in the ballpark of 350 questions.

Sticking with Rob, we went on his advice to check out a place that did rafting down a river on a bamboo raft, Poncho had her heart set on it. We were the only people there, which was awesome. The rafts are loaded into the river right before you get on it and that is a process in itself, the pictures don’t relay the sound of the huge crashing bamboo. Once going down the river, it’s amazing how much white water there really is. The raft through the jungle was an amazing way to spend an hour and watching him negotiate the white water was something in itself.

That evening, we had the great pleasure of experiencing the luminous Lagoon. An hour cab ride from our hotel, the lagoon is filled with an algae that “glows” when it’s agitated. Although at first, you could barely see anything and it seemed to be a bit of a tourist trap, as the sun went down, the lagoon got brighter and was actually a pretty amazing sight. The best thing to compare it to is the northern lights. Even when people got in to swim, their hands and feet lit it up because of the motion. although the pictures aren’t perfect, I was the only one on the boat to get any at all!

Jamaica was awesome but mostly because it was the first international adventure with Poncho. Sharing something like that with your best friend is something I will cherish for a long time.

Stubs.