...But first, coffee (with Jen)

This past week my hubby and I had a staycation.  We love Fall - and it's for this reason that we always take a week or so off to enjoy it. During our week off we gorged on Little Caesars Stuffed Crazy Bread and Cinnamon rolls (nom nom nom carbs lol). Purchased a few new aquarium inhabitants, including 3 snails, 3 Odessa Barbs, 3 Skirt Tailed Tetra Glowfish, and a Kheli Loach. So far, one of the Tinfoil Barbs has tried to immediately pick up and eat the loach, and tried to pull a snail off the glass of the aquarium. We are doing fish counts daily until the Tinfoil Barbs lose interest. We also took a drive through Swift Current to Marystown to do some sightseeing. Along this route are a few lookouts.  We did stop at one of them, however, the binoculars that were stationed here were broken (maybe sandblasted by the wind sweeping over the area?)   There seems like there is nothing special about this area.  But, this is the only area of thi...

Alright kiddo's!  This was a day trip that took planning - and for outsiders of the community, it took some backtracking and exploring to find.  But, we made it.  We finally got to see the abandoned Glovertown Mill. I love abandoned sites!!  Exploring warms my cold, mystery-loving, horror-reading heart :) The story of the Glovertown Mill is pretty interesting. The massive mill was strategically built in Glovertown, near a large river as it was planed to be a thriving pulp and paper mill.  It was expected that this mill would be open and operational in 1922.  However, not all plans go as scheduled. And this mill is an example of plans changing. The owning company, Terra Nova Sulphite Company, ran into financial problems when the Newfoundland Government denied their loan guarantee - ultimately shutting down this project - full stop.  In 1921 the mill was purchased by Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company.  The new owners determined ...

My husband and I love going on road trips - and this post is about the trip we took to Fogo Island. Fogo Island is located in central Newfoundland, and you have to take a ferry to get there.  Fogo Island has been in the news over the past few years due to the new high-end hotel that has been built - the Fogo Island Inn .  Because of our great friends on the island, we managed to get in for a supper (as we call it, but also referred to dinner) during their tourist season. For our meal, we were fortunate enough to experience a visiting chef's creations for our multi-course meal.  I can't remember the name of the chef, and couldn't find it online, but I remember that they were visiting from Toronto. After our meal we were graciously offered a tour of the Inn, including the visiting art exibit.  I have to say, this place is amazing - the rooms, the details around the inn (right down to the room keys), the views, the pedal bike rentals and the evening bon...

September weather has me feeling refreshed and ready for Fall.  There is just something about that chill in the air that makes me want to grab a sweater and get outside.  After a trying, and super busy, week at work a night out was greatly needed.  So, what prompted this night out you ask?  It was one of my very close friends' birthday and we were meeting for drinks and apps. I live outside the city, so going into town for a walk around always brightens my day. After circling the area for free parking we settled on paying the parking garage fee.  Not ideal, but the parking garage is huge and well lit, there are stairwells that lead to both Water Street and Harbour Drive - both areas where we were going to be venturing, and in the same building is a well-known coffee location (see below) and a restaurant. First stop, as usual, is Starbucks.  Personally, I love this location.  Inside is cozy, the staff are friendly, and it's usually a quite place to ...

We did it!  We attended the Lantern Festival - finally!  Over the past few years I really wanted to get out to the festival and have take in this experience. We did not attend previous years due to the weather.  There is no way in July that I want to go stand in the cold (like single digit temps) and sometimes wet weather to see some lights.  But this year - this year they moved the festival from the usual last Saturday in July to the next weekend due to bad weather and I'm really glad that they did.  It was fantastic to get out and actually enjoy this event. The lantern display, which was up on the hill, was amazing and very well done.  There were a variety of lanterns on display - some large, small, and at various levels of detail.  I imagined that there would be more lanterns throughout the park, but they were all focused in this area.  And, we almost missed it!  Thankfully, I asked a friend if they knew where they would be and - to ...

The races were 'A Go!' for the 200th Royal St. John's Regatta - and we weren't going to miss the action. (from  @ StJohnsRegatta  on Twitter) Although, truth be told, we are not going with the intention to watch many of the races.  We go for the food, the games of chance, and the time spent with friends and family. This year, like the year before it, and the year before that, hubby checked out the Hindu Temple tent for his lunch - and he was not disappointed. I had a feed of chicken pierogi (not pictured because I ate most of the dish before thinking of getting a pic for my blog). I did, however, remember to get a pic of us before the heat of the day sunk in. I don't think that I have even been to the St. John's Regatta on a day like this before.  It was hot!  Like, reapply the sun screen and still get sun burned hot. Usually, on Regatta day we have mild temps, and sometimes a little rain.  Some years it is far too windy for the races and ...

Conception Bay South has been working on projects to benefit their town's health - getting them out and moving if you will. The new stadium has a free indoor walking track, most of the old rail bed has been converted to a graded walking trail, and the Kiwanis national peace park is currently being created/greatly updated.  The new walking trail is only part of the a memorial park, and it can be seen from Peace Keepers Way highway. The Telegram wrote an article of history of this land where the Kiwanis resides and it's importance back in March. The trail is nicely groomed and leashed pet friendly. So far, it is about 3.7 km (total length) with more trail being developed.  There are several signs and trash bins along to trail for use - and to encourage the lazy people (yes, I went there - L A Z Y) to actually pick up after their dogs to keep the trail nice for all users.  This is a nice touch, because I really don't like carrying my dogs 'presents' for longer ...

This.  This is an AMAZING site to see.  There is a poorly marked hike up the side of a mountain to get to the plane crash - but it is well worth it. Pictured here is the memorial for the lives lost when this plane crashed. Here is a link for more information.   This is the FIRST crash of stormy March day. I first found out about the Burgoynes Cove plane crash about 10 years ago. It was featured in a copy of the local newspaper (The Telegram - online article is no longer available), that was sitting on the lunchroom table. I nabbed the article for future use - because this was something that I needed to see and I knew that my hubby would be totally interested in a hike like this. The cockpit was burned into aluminum ash and is not present to view.  But, you can see where it hit further into the woods, and that area has been reclaimed by Mother Nature.  The rest of the plane - the cabin, wings, electrical panels, and wheels are all view-able and in a...

Road trip to the Trinity Train Loop. This is an abandoned family park that I had visited when I was a kid, and a few times as an adult after it closed. From my childhood I remember the train, the train tracks, the Ferris wheel, the mini golf, and the bummer boats (I was not allowed to go on the bummer boats). Trinity is about a 3 hour drive from St. John's. Now that you have a happy little image of the park, here is what it looks like now: The park took a huge hit with Hurricane Igor.  And a majority of the tracks, the parts that not have been reclaimed by nature, were washed out.  As in, I can stand under the track, put my arms in the air, and *just* reach the track above my head. The cabins, trains, petting zoo, and other buildings have all been destroyed but vandals. The copper has been pulled from the walls, and signs have been tossed into the pond.  How's that for a shot right to the childhood? The Ferris Wheel had a mean lean on it when we visite...

Our road trip to Colliers did not disappoint. We're always on the hunt for abandoned, but view-able, sites - and this is one of them.  Here is the shipwrecked Hamilton Banker. It can be seen docked in Colliers, lopsided, and sitting on rocks in a shallow area. There is no hiking required, and you can drive your car right up to the boat itself. Colliers is about a 50 min drive from St. John's. This is my picture from last year's visit: This is a ship that sunk and was re-floated in June 2006. According to CBC , "The Hamilton Banker was built in Norway in 1977, and was refurbished in Newfoundland in 1987. It has been owned by a number of companies over the years, most recently by a consortium that includes a Labrador Inuit organization." We viewed the Hamilton Banker from a safe distance (note: I have a tendency to fall into shallow bodies of water).  You can walk right up next to the ship and see that it is heavily damaged from fire and sinking.  ...

This is it.  The first post.  I'll start this blog with a day trip. If myself and hubby have a day off together, and it's sunny, there is a good chance that we are planning a road trip.  Today's agenda - historical Brigus for lunch at Sea Salt and Thyme (gastropub & B&B), then to New Harbour/Trinity Bay to see Hopeall Falls. This was our fourth attempt to eat at Sea Salt and Thyme ( http://www.seasaltandthyme.ca/ ).  Living a little drive away, our schedules and their hours of operation kept clashing.  And, then there was that one time that the gastropub was closed for an event (sigh). But, finally!  Here we were, ordering their infamous touton burger. The burger patty itself was homemade, the bun was a touton, and it was served with fresh veggie toppings (not included on mine - onions) and homemade taters. It was delicious and certainly held up to it's reputation :) Hopeall Falls use to be a camping (tents only from what I can see) park...