Category: travel

Posted on in entertainment, Food and drink, lifestyle, travel

Six winter cures to get you through the rest of January and February

My friend looking at a shark

It’s deep in the heart of January. I look out my window and see dullish grey skies, and a heavy blanket of melting snow and ice from a week of ice storms and rain. It’s the very definition of blah.

If you’re one of the lucky ones, you have a trip booked south to some spectacular warm destination with sandy white beaches, crystal azure waters and breathtaking blue skies.

If you’re one of the unlucky ones staring down another two solid months of cold and grey, I offer you these winter cures guaranteed to lift your spirts.

  1. Grab your swimsuit and the kids, and spend the afternoon at your local indoor pool. If you have some money to splurge, find one with an indoor waterpark or slides—we used to take the kids to Great Wolf Lodge and always found an afternoon inside the warm, balmy swim park as the snow gently fell on the domed glass the ultimate cure for the winter blahs
  2. Have a hot toddy or specialty coffee, the perfect COVID cure. Our “go to” in the winter months is an Irish coffee with Bushmills and Baileys—the perfect combo
  3. Channel your inner Scandinavian and have a spa or sauna day. Check out Nordik spa in Gatineau or Stoked Sauna Co., a new sauna experience in Kingston on the patio of the Frontenac Club that offers sauna and outdoor firepits for cooling off
  4. Plan a day at an indoor garden, conservatory or aquarium. The Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara, Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto or Aquatarium in Brockville are all excellent options (read my blog posts Discover an undersea world and Play tourist in your own town for more)
  5. Get creative and sign up for a local arts workshop. We are very fortunate to have a world-class arts facility right in the heart of Kingston, the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning. Check out their line-up of winter workshops with offerings like this one “Make a live edge charcuterie board” with local wood artist Nick Allinson
  6. Splurge on a scrumptious night out. Kingstonlicious is on now and features signature and tableau d’hote meals at some of Kingston finest restaurants. Check out the $60 tableau d’hote menu at Chez PIggy featuring roasted dry-brined chicken with peasant salad or the three-course meal for two for $60 at Harper’s Burger Bar featuring nan’za, lamb curry, and coconut alfajores. 

This week’s #HappyAct is to choose your ultimate winter cure. Be sure to check in next week for #7 on the list!

Girls looking at fish from a porthole

Clare and her friends looking at fish from the porthole at the Aquatarium in Brockville

Posted on in arts, holidays, inspiration, pop culture, travel

Lessons on life and happiness from It’s a Wonderful Life

Me and Leslie with Beford Falls sign

This summer, my best friend Leslie and I toured the “It’s a Wonderful Life” Museum in Seneca Falls, New York. I fell in love immediately with this wonderful little museum said to be the inspiration for the town of Bedford Falls in the Christmas classic.

As the story goes, Frank Capra, the film’s director visited Seneca Falls in 1946 after returning from the war. He loved the town with its beautiful bridges so much, he based Bedford Falls on it.

While in town, Capra no doubt also heard the story of Antonio Varacalli, a young 19-year old Italian man who jumped off one of the town’s bridges in 1917 to rescue a woman from drowning. While Varacalli successfully saved her life, he drowned, sacrificing his own life for another.

There is a plaque dedicated to Varacalli on the bridge and today people from around the world place bells on the bridge helping to give angels their wings in tribute to the film and its message of hope, friendship, love and self-worth.

Plaque on bridge in honour of Antonio Varacalli

The museum, which is currently in a temporary location on the main street as the main building undergoes renovations has photos, memorabilia and quotes from the film and the actors. Every year, the museum hosts a “It’s a Wonderful Life” Festival weekend on the second weekend of December with gala dinners, the chance to meet cast members and people associated with the film, special screenings, parties and more. The dates are Dec 8-10 this year and you can see the full list of events here.

What struck me the most as I was wandering around the exhibits and listening to the marvelous old songs from that era was the lessons on life and happiness from the film, both woven into the dialogue of the movie itself, but that has also become part of the lore and culture surrounding It’s a Wonderful Life.

Old Man Potter in the film says, “I am an old man, and most people hate me. But I don’t like them either so that makes it all even.” Lionel Barrymore, the actor who played Mr. Potter was quoted as saying, “The older you get, the more you realize that kindness is synonymous with happiness.”

From Angel Clarence: “Remember, no man is a failure who has friends” and “Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”

George Lassos the Moon drawing

In an interview of the film, Capra once said, “It’s a Wonderful Life sums up my philosophy of filmmaking. First, to exalt the worth of the individual. Second, to champion man, plead his causes, protest any degradation of his dignity, spirit or divinity. And third, to dramatize the viability of the individual, as in the theme of the film itself. There is a radiance and glory in the darkness, could we but see, and to see we only have to look. I beseech you to look.”

This week’s #HappyAct is to watch this holiday classic in the next month and make plans to visit the museum in Seneca Falls (you won’t want to miss the National Women’s Hall of Fame and Women’s Rights Museum which are also undergoing renovations).

I’ll leave you with a famous interview Capra did in 1976 that beautifully summarized the meaning and appeal of the film.

“I like people. I think that people are just wonderful. I also think people are equal in the sense of their dignity, their divinity; there’s no such thing as a common man or uncommon man.

To me, each one is actually unique. Never before has there been anyone like you. Never again will there be anyone like you.

You are something that never existed before and will never exist again. Isn’t that wonderful? Isn’t that something pretty exciting? So I look at you as something that plays part of a great whole, an equal part of everything, or else you wouldn’t be here.” – Frank Capra

piano in museum
Leslie on the bridge
Author in front of museum entrance
bell on bridge
Posted on in environment, nature, travel

Be on the lookout for fall colours

Red maple leaf and fall colours

I went to bed the other night dreaming of red and orange mosaics. It was as if the brilliant fall colours we’d seen on the weekend had been imprinted on my mind, like a patchwork quilt, lulling me to sleep.

I can’t remember a year where the colours have been so brilliant or the weather so spectacular, but this is the first year we also ventured further afar, seeking scenic lookouts.

Our first scenic lookout was the Eagle’s Nest in Bancroft, Ontario. Located on Highway 62 on the north end of town, this popular vantage point is known for its spectacular views of the Madawaska Highlands and for spotting eagles. In the winter, you can sometimes see adventure seekers ice climbing the rock face. Grace, Dave and I walked the easy trail to the lookout. The sun wasn’t out yet, but the view was still incredible—dappled greens, yellows and entire swaths of red and orange.

Scenic view of fall colours

Views from the Eagle’s Nest in Bancroft

Our next lookout was Skyline Park in Haliburton. By the time we arrived, the sun had broken through the clouds, illuminating the reddish and orange hues surrounding beautiful Head Lake.

View from Skyline Park
colourful trees beside a lake
scenic view from lookout

Views from Skyline Park in Haliburton

On Sunday, we hiked the Lookout Trail in Algonquin Park, just off the Highway 60 corridor. This 2 km loop meanders through old hardwood forest until it reaches the summit, with drop-dead gorgeous views west over the park. It was a perfect morning and we sat watching the colours unfurl with each ray of sunshine.

Three spectacular lookouts with three spectacular views. I think the mosaics will be forever emblazoned in my mind.

This week’s #HappyAct is to find a lookout in your region and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the magnificent fall we’re having. Here are some more great lookouts in eastern Ontario:

algonquin park in fall
scenic lookout and fall colours in Algonquin Park
colourful trees on a trail
Author and her husband at the summit
Posted on in dogs, family, Food and drink, travel

Visit a Farm

water buffalo in a big puddle

Last one in is a smelly Buffalo!

Yesterday, Dave and I visited the Ontario Water Buffalo Company farm and store in Stirling, Ontario.

We were greeted in the farm store by a young girl, who handed us a self-guided map and invited us to take a tour of this working farm.

Our tour guide was an Australian shepherd who led the way from paddock to pen to the various barns and milking stations.

dog in calf barn

The farm has a massive herd of 800 water buffalo and the paddocks are organized by age, with the adults, tweens and babies separated in the calf barn.

I was very taken by these interesting creatures. The babies in the calf barn were either very curious and friendly, eager for a pet or very shy, backing away from the stall when you went to touch them.

The adults were HUGE with massive teats, broad girths and some with devil horns that twisted around their head.

baby water buffalo

The farm operation was very modernized, with robotics in the milking barn that steered the cows into their stalls and automatic milkers that disconnected immediately as soon as the cows gave their 8-10 litres per day of milk.

We learned 15% of the world’s milk comes from water buffalo and an adult water buffalo can reach weights up to 2600 pounds.

milking stalls on farm

After our tour, we shopped in the farm’s Buff Stuff Store which carries every type of buffalo meat you can imagine from testicles (limit one per customer!), to liver, to beef patties and steaks and cheeses made from the buffalo milk, their most popular being their mozzarella di bufala, as well as jewelry and steins made out of buffalo horns.

After buying some buffalo burgers for the barbecue, we chatted with owners Martin Littkemanna and Lori Smith, whose young daughter was selling lemonade and homemade cookies to raise money for a friend whose mother was fighting cancer.

adult water buffalo

Dave asked about the different species of water buffalo, since when we were in Tanzania we had been warned that they could be aggressive. Martin explained there are two main types of water buffalo, river buffalo and swamp buffalo and the ones found on their farm are domesticated with a much more docile personality than the ones we saw in Africa.

Fall is a great time to tour a farm and many local communities host farm events. If you live in eastern Ontario, Open Farm Days in Frontenac County run from September 1 to October 15 and offer a huge array of back-to-the-farm experiences, some free for the whole family. For more information, see openfarms.ca.

water buffalo in pond
author kissing a water buffalo
Posted on in entertainment, pop culture, travel

Bravo for local theatre

Thousand Island Playhouse building in Gananoque

We’re very fortunate to have a true gem in Canada right here in our backyard: the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque.

I fell in love with the Thousand Islands Playhouse the first time I ever laid eyes on it. A former canoe club, it’s situated at water’s edge on the shores of the St. Lawrence River. CBC Radio once called Canada’s dockside theatre “the most charming theatre in Canada”.

Dave and I went last week to The Sound of Music at the playhouse. We arrived early to enjoy a glass of wine and a beer on the wooden benches overlooking the river and watch the sunset.

The building itself has a wonderful, relaxed vibe. The lobby has swinging screen doors and old wooden floors with boards that creak. As we sat watching the boats on the river, we chatted with people from Gananoque whose neighbours’ kids were some of the Von Trapp children in the play. It is one of the most idyllic venues in Canada.

people on the deck of the playhouse looking at the water

I’ve seen many plays at the playhouse, but I was blown away by the quality of this particular production. I saw the Mirvish production of The Sound of Music in Toronto many years ago and enjoyed this one much more.

There is something about local regional theatre that is so intimate and engaging. You are up close and personal with the actors (there isn’t a bad seat in the house), and you become immersed in the performance.

It was an ambitious production with a cast of more than 40 actors and executed flawlessly. They even had two sets of children who must have alternated nights.

The leads were phenomenal with superb voices. I could have listened to the Mother Superior, Maria and Captain Von Trapp sing all night. The scenes with Maria and the children were simply enchanting. The costumes were impeccable and since you’re so up close, you can see every embroidered detail in the traditional Austrian dirndl and leather lederhosen.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it is one of the most well-known, beloved stories of all time. Audience members were smiling, swaying in their seats and singing to their favourite songs, entranced by the performances.

Often with local theatre, you need to suspend your imagination to make the set design work, but this production was brilliant in its design. It featured majestic mountains as a backdrop and floor-to-ceiling porticos that transported you through the various scenes, making you feel like you were in the abbey, dancing at the Von Trapp estate and attending the famous music festival where the family makes their escape at the end of the play.

The Sound of Music is now officially the most popular production in the Thousand Islands Playhouse’s 40-year history. They’ve extended the run for another three weeks, so if you want tickets, get them fast.

This week’s #HappyAct is to support local theatre and enjoy a local production in your area.

view from the playhouse overlooking the river
author and her husband on the benches at the playhouse
Sound of Music Playbill
Posted on in community, family, travel

How to Not Spend Money and Still Have Fun

Brockville Railway Tunnel

With groceries, hotel and restaurant prices through the roof these days, it can be a challenge to find things to do without spending an arm and a leg. 

But as I recently discovered, there are still lots of things you can do for free and still have fun. Here are some fun events and things to do that don’t cost a dime coming up:

  • Fantasy in the Forest, July 15-16: if you’ve never been to Jamie Brick’s art show, you’re missing a real treat. Set on the shores of his beautiful property on Draper Lake, this unique local artist invites other fantasy artists to showcase their wares. One of the most interesting and unique shows you’ll ever attend in a drop-dead gorgeous setting.
  • Music in the Park: Thursday and Friday nights in Kingston. My favourite night is country music night on Thursdays when you can catch live music in the park, then head over for Movies in the Square. South Frontenac Township also hosts live music at a different beach each month in the summer. On July 29 it’s Dewy Roadkill at Gilmour Point Beach and on August 19 it’s Tyler Brett Forkes at The Point in Sydenham.
  • Brockville Railway Tunnel: Walk the 1km long old railway tunnel and marvel at the magical lights. Still one of the coolest, free tourist attractions in Eastern Ontario.
  • Princess Street Promenade in Kingston: it’s always a fun day when the main street in Kingston becomes a big pedestrian walkway. The next promenade is August 5, 2023.
  • Movies in the Square: grab a lawn chair, popcorn and beverage of choice and watch a favourite flick under the stars in Kingston’s beautiful market square. Every Thursday night throughout the summer. Read my post “Watch a movie under a starry sky”.
  • Jones Falls Stone Arch Dam: Park the car at the top parking lot and hike the trail, from the magnificent stone dam, down along the locks of the Rideau Canal. Bring your bathing suit and a picnic and make a day of it.
  • Elbow Lake Environment Educational Centre offers free presentations on Thursday nights throughout the summer. Upcoming talks include Nocturnal Animals on July 27, What Lurks Beneath: Aquatic Species Study on July 3 and a viewing of the Perseid meteor shower on August 10. You can even stay overnight (for a fee) in one of their cabins. Clare and I did this one summer.

For more ideas on fun, inexpensive things to do in this region, see 25 Things to Do in South Frontenac. Everything with an asterisk is free.

Kingston city hall at night

Kingston is a great place to catch music in the park followed by movies in the square on Thursday nights

Posted on in dogs, environment, family, health and wellness, lifestyle, nature, travel

Watch the world go by

boy on beach

My mother-in-law once said the biggest change she had seen in her lifetime was no one just sits anymore.

On my last sunny beach day in South Carolina a few weeks ago, I just sat on the beach and watched the world go by.

There were families who lugged their beach carts to the same spot they had the day before, filled to the brim with plastic sand shovels, coolers, colourful beach chairs and umbrellas. Before the adults could set up even one chair, the kids would grab the beach toys and run with glee towards the water and furiously start digging in the sand.

There were surf fisherman who sat close to shore, the water lapping up on their toes as their lines bounced in the white-flecked waves.

There were lots and lots of dogs, since it was a pet friendly beach. German shepherds, labs, a grizzled old golden retriever that lay beside its owners in a small patch of shade beside their chair, and breeds I never even knew existed like the German Elo (who was named Murphy, by the way, just like our old dog Murph).

There were osprey soaring in the brilliant blue skies, splashing into the surf to catch their lunch, then lifting slowly and wobbily, a fresh catch in their talons. There were pelican armies flying in formation patrolling the picturesque shoreline, and gulls, terns and sandpipers tiptoeing in the grainy sands.

And best of all there were dolphins. Spied first far, far out in the ocean. Their fins cresting out of the water in graceful intervals. Then closer to shore, coming near my two teenagers splashing in the waves. I try to yell at them to look, but they just wave back, oblivious of the magnificent creatures sharing the ocean’s expanse.

I couldn’t believe how many dolphins I spied that day. There were multiple pods, some playing in the waves, leaping in the white crests of the surf and blowing and chuffing as they came up for air. They must have known the weather was about to change and decided to enjoy their final day on the beach frolicking in the waves.

Yes, spending a day watching the world go by is a bit of a luxury in today’s world, but I highly recommend it…especially at the beach.

Ed. note: The photos below were all taken in the evening since I didn’t bring my phone to the beach during the day so they don’t capture the images I’ve described above, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.

terns and pipers on beach
deserted beach
Grace and Clare swimming in the ocean at sunset
Woman and her daughter on the beach
Posted on in travel

Take a bite out of the Big Apple

Special guest blog by Ray Dorey

New York city skyline

I don’t really maintain a “bucket list,” although last fall I finally followed through on something I’ve always wanted to do–a trip to visit New York City.

The 4-day bus excursion was my first foreign departure since the beginning of the pandemic. My package included city tours, meals, and a Broadway play, along with other group activities. Perfect for a newbie like me. And the best part is that I didn’t have to worry about driving. 

We approached from New Jersey, through what I like to call “Sopranos territory,” thinking of the hit HBO show from a few years ago.

Though I’ve seen it countless times on television and in film, my first in-person view of the Manhattan skyline was truly breathtaking. We then dipped below the Hudson River into the darkness of the Lincoln Tunnel on our way to our hotel in the heart of Times Square.

When I wasn’t with my group, I ventured out on my own into the sea of tall buildings and bright lights. I wanted to take everything in while not standing out as an obvious tourist. And although not necessarily recommended, I even joined the locals and crossed intersections against the lights. Otherwise, I likely would have been trampled. 

As amazing as the experience was, it was difficult to walk very far without someone less fortunate asking for money. Heartbreaking poverty was abundantly evident and in stark contrast to the surrounding wealth. 

One evening, our group attended a Broadway performance of & Juliet. It was so well done–two hours of pure energy. And I learned the following day that comic actor Will Ferrell had been sitting just a few rows in front of me. Just imagine how much cowbell the two of us could muster together. 

Broadway production of Juliet

My personal highlight was the bus tours through Manhattan, each led by a local guide, whose knowledge and pride in their communities was clearly evident. 

The first tour was a fascinating journey which included a stop in Central Park to visit “Strawberry Fields,” an area dedicated in tribute to John Lennon, and concluded near the 9/11 Memorial and in between, countless stories of historical and pop culture significance. My only complaint was that it went by far too quickly. There was barely enough time to absorb one experience before you were on top of the next. 

Strawberry fields monument Imagine to John Lennon in Central Park

On the second tour, our guide led us through Harlem, while proudly discussing restoration efforts in her community. Our tour concluded with a unique experience where we briefly participated in a Baptist church service. 

Hopefully, sometime soon, I’ll get a chance to go back, perhaps during baseball season to take in a Yankees game. Though I was busy from dusk to dawn, I barely scratched the surface of everything that New York has to offer. My brief visit has stoked countless ideas to further experience the big apple to its core. 

Ed. note: Like Ray, I’ve only been to New York once. Our trip was cut short by Hurricane Irene. We packed as much as we could into our 36 hours before having to evacuate before the hurricane hit. It was still an amazing trip, and seeing downtown Manhatten shuttered up like a ghost town with sandbags in the store windows was an experience I’ll never forget. Guess I’ll need to go back to take a second bite out of the big apple.

New York city street
Manhattan skyscrapers
Posted on in community, Historical, nature, travel

Stop and read the signs

Gillies Bridge, Carleton Place

If you look around, there are signs everywhere but sadly, not many people stop and read them.

I do, I always have. I’m not sure if it’s the historian in me, or just an innate curiousity–I figure if someone thought it was important enough to erect a sign in a certain place, then it’s worth reading. It’s a trait that drives my family crazy.

On Friday, I went for my usual pre-game walk in Carleton Place before Clare’s hockey game. I was familiar with Carleton Place because Clare had competed in regattas there many times, but the arena was in a different part of town.

I started walking on a section of the Trans Canada Trail and came across a bridge that spanned the Mississippi River. There were several interpretive signs on the bridge, so I stopped to read them. Directly across from me was another bridge named Gillies Bridge in honour of John Gillies who built it in 1884.

Interpretive sign

John Gillies was the name of my father. Not the same John Gillies who built the bridge, and no relation to my knowledge, but it immediately caught my interest.

According to the Lanark County tourism website, lumber was king in the Ottawa Valley in the nineteenth century and John Gillies “was one of the industry’s crown princes”. He acquired the first sawmill in Carleton Place in 1866 and built the operation to employ 200-300 men to produce more than 20 million feet of board lumber a year. His mills eventually covered 300 square miles and spanned the greater part of six townships.

His Gillies Machine Works was his retirement project. After selling his mill operation, he built the Machine Works in 1875, manufacturing steam engines, water wheels, gearing, shafting and boat engines.

I thought this was ironic given Dave’s and mine luck with boat motors.

I stopped to admire the old abandoned millworks on the island, and then kept strolling, taking pictures of the old stone buildings since it was such a gorgeous sunny morning.  

It was interesting to read about this famous namesake, and in a strange way, made me feel closer to my Dad, who has been gone for more than 20 years.

This week’s #HappyAct is to stop and read the signs some time. You never know what you’ll discover.

Abandoned mill
Mill property
Old sprinkler on Mill
Posted on in entertainment, Food and drink, travel

Ein prosit!

Oktoberfest beer hall in Bavaria

There’s nothing that says fall more than Oktoberfest.

Each year at this time, I start dreaming of swilling pints of beer from froth-filled glasses, eating warm, freshly-baked pretzels, and singing ein prosit by the hour with newfound friends.

While Oktoberfest is celebrated around the world, most local Oktoberfest celebrations can’t capture the magic and spirit of the authentic German festival, except Canada’s grand celebration in Kitchener-Waterloo.

I’ve been to Kitchener-Waterloo’s Oktoberfest many times and to the real Oktoberfest in Munchen, Germany. Many people don’t realize that in Germany, Oktoberfest actually kicks off in September. This year it runs from September 17 until October 3 and is expected to attract six million visitors.

In Germany, it is a national celebration with the whole country shutting down or taking vacation to celebrate for two weeks. In Munich, the festival is held on the Theresienwiese fairgrounds with dozens of beer tents, performance stages, carnival rides and attractions to keep festival-goers entertained between pints.

The first day of Oktoberfest in Munich, we arrived at the fairgrounds around 1 p.m. That’s another big difference between Germany and our Oktoberfest celebrations—in Germany, many of the events are in the afternoon, so you start drinking early. We sat down in one of the festival tents and quickly made friends with a group of German men who were visiting from out of town.

Fraulein servers in traditional colourful Bavarian costumes, their biceps bulging out of their costumes, wound their way through the crowded tables, carrying six gigantic beer steins in each hand. On stage an oom pah pah band played polka music. There was lots of toasting, singing and every hour, you’d sing ein prosit, and raise a hearty toast and chug to the cry of Oans, Zwoa, G’suffa! 

Truth be told, I don’t remember how we made it home that night, but I do remember the memories that have lasted a lifetime.

Here are three Oktoberfest celebrations in Ontario to check out:

  • Kingston-Waterloo: on now through to October 15. While the Concordia Club is generally considered the most authentic hall, both the Alpine Club and Transylvania Club provide authentic experiences. Bingeman’s used to be more the draw for the university students in town.
  • Prince Edward County Oktoberfest: September 30-October 1
  • Toronto Oktoberfest: September 30-October 1 at Ontario Place

This week’s #HappyAct is to get your leiderhosen on and raise a toast to fall. Ein prosit!