Monday, July 3, 2017

A vacation in NOTL... and Canada150

The boys experienced their first trip out of the country last week when Grandma and Grandpa took us all to southern Ontario. I won't bore everyone with an exhaustive vacation post, but here are a few highlights.

Day 1, Saturday: We arrived in Sarnia for our first night in Canada.

The boys in front of the Ontario travel information centre.
Welcome to Canada!
Day 2, Sunday: We arrived in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where we stayed in the penthouse at the Moffat Inn, a delightful inn right on the main street. Our furthest walk while in town was 4 blocks to the grocery store and post office. 

Moffat Inn
Moffat Inn

Day 3, Monday: The theaters are dark on Monday, so we spent the day at Niagara Falls, Ontario. We saw the floral clock, toured behind the falls and sailed on the Hornblower, a boat that goes near the falls. Wil wanted to cross the bridge to New York to add another state to his tally, but that wasn't in the plans.

The four of us with the horseshoe falls behind us.
At Niagara Falls
Day 4, Tuesday: The boys decided they really wanted to try the WildPlay Whirlpool Adventure Course they had seen at Niagara Falls. In the afternoon, Chris and I saw our first play of the week, Me and My Girl, a delightful musical comedy. And a raccoon visited the penthouse that evening.

Wil and Sam on a platform of the ropes course
20' can be awfully high
Day 5, Wednesday: Plays, plays, plays! All 6 of us saw Wilde Tales, fairy tales from Oscar Wilde, then Chris and I saw Dancing at Lughnasa in the afternoon, and Grandma and Grandpa had an evening out for dinner and a play while the boys showed us the way to Lake Ontario, about 4 blocks from the Moffat Inn.

Chris standing in a gazebo looking at Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario just before sunset
Day 6, Thursday: We took a short trip to St. Catherine's to Chapters Bookstore, then watched a ship go downstream through Lock 3 of the Welland Canal, and Chris got to see Dunbar Bagpipe Maker's workshop, where he made their day with his enthusiasm for their work. That afternoon, Debi (Grandma) and I had afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel.

Whitefish Bay cargo ship entering the lock
Whitefish Bay entering Lock 3
Day 7, Friday: We drove to Stratford, with a stop at the outlet mall in St. Jacob. Grandma, the boys and I walked along the Avon River in the evening, where the boys were enthralled by all the ducks, ducklings, and swans.

The boys looking at ducks on the bank of the Avon River.
Duck alert!
Day 8, Saturday: We spent the morning at the Embro Highland Games, the oldest Highland games in Ontario. The boys loved watching the sheep dog demonstration, Chris watched the pipers, we saw some Scottish dancers. Then we drove to Sarnia for our last night in Canada, where we joined some of the Canada Day festivities along the harbour front, including fireworks. Happy Canada 150!

6 sheep in a group
Sheep waiting for the sheep dog
Day 9, Sunday: And home again. A long day of driving brought us back home with wonderful memories and a few souvenirs. The boys had missed the cats and the cats had missed their people, so it was a happy homecoming all around.