Explore Canada Archives - Operation Relocation: West 2 East Coast, Canada

Our First 2 Weeks…

FIRST IMPRESSIONS…

How do I express waking up in our new place? Blissful, peaceful, exciting. How is all of the above and so much more.

We awoke around 10am ready to start our day. The first thing I did was open the doors to our private balcony. As I stepped outside and got my first real look at the Atlantic Ocean, I just stood there for minutes. Taking in the view, the air and the breeze. It was a bright and sunny day outside. I must have been grinning ear to ear, while also in disbelief. This was where we would spend the next 6 months. The risk, at this moment, was worth the reward!

I headed downstairs where the kids were also awake, but not functional. Whilst laying in their beds on their phones, in their jammies. I left them to it, as they’ve earned the space and the downtime after our big journey and close quarters. Chris and I just relaxed for the morning, then of to the Atlantic Superstore to get groceries and basic kitchen needs.

Later in the afternoon I gathered our crew so we could check out our new beach. There is a private access off to the left of the yard, a little lane shared by all the neighbours. It is a small hill less than 2 minutes from the front door. I could hardly contain my excitement as we walked down and the ocean became visible. It is so quiet on this beach, there was noone about, just us and the many oysters! Although we did meet a neighbour. We were taking in the damage to his property, and so was he.

He told us how his kayak shed had blown about 50 feet from its home on the beach, the bench swing he had built for others to use had blown right off the base, landing next to the kayak shed and we could see at least 100 trees had been uprooted or blown over…not to mention the dock that came from ACROSS the straight! He was a lovely fellow, who despite the wreckage, gave us tips on what areas in NS he recommended. Moose offered to help out clean up if he needed it and we all chatted for a while until we made our way back up the hill…down was much easier haha.

THE NEXT FEW DAYS…

This year Thanksgiving was celebrated on Monday by us, with a big ham and mashed potatoes. A little different though, as we were missing family back home and the loudness and laughter that comes with it.

Our first couple of days were fairly mellow. The kids practically stayed in their rooms and relaxed. Everyone slept in daily and woke up when they wanted. At some point we headed up to Highland Square Mall to see what stores it had to offer and we were pleasantly surprised! Some shopping is in order. We also checked out some of the stores around town like the Giant Tiger, Sobeys, and Atlantic Superstore and the NSLC, where we picked up some local beers, ciders and a very specific whiskey, Keepers, which Chris had his eye before we had even arrived.

We got both kids registered for school by Tuesday, Bowie was even invited to stay the rest of the day. So Moose, Chris and I went to the Swiss Chalet for lunch and finished Moose’s paperwork. Wednesday came and both kids were off to school, just like that. And by Thursday they were riding the bus as well.

Weekend at the Pumpkin Patch..

Saturday is here!! 1 week down…what should we do? Well it’s OCTOBER…duh Pumpkin Patch time! Now at home I absolutely loved going to Coastal Black Estate Winery. They have an incredible Pumpkin Fest, hay rides, Corn Husk Launchers! So I was hoping we would find something similar at least…and did we ever! Chris drove us out to Riverbreeze Farms in Truro and OMG !!! Fan-freakin-tastic! From the moment we walked in the main gate I knew we were in for a seriously fun afternoon. I couldn’t have guessed HOW MUCH there was to do. Though it was partially blown over and a wee bit easier to navigate, we started in the corn maze…BUT it was sooo hot…in OCTOBER. So in our flannels, boots and jeans…we turned around from the blazing sun and gave up. The corn maze was not happening lol. Talk about Hotober, it was 20 degrees celsius!

We decided there was so many activities we could enjoy on this incredible sunny day and so we moved on and found The Holey Goats. Where goats are literally popping their heads out of holes in a wall looking for food. Absolutely hilarious and surprising haha. There is so much to do at Riverbreeze Farms that we didn’t even get to it all. From Tug-o-War, Shotgun Express (SUPER Slide), Build a Buddy Farm, The Hamster Wheel, Hillbilly Shooting (paintball), Tetherball and so much more. But there is even more…there is the animals: Pigs (Chris’s favourite), kangaroos, a baby llama, bunny pen and of course the Holey Goats.

My favourite moment of the silly games had to be watching Moose and Bowie in the Hamster Wheels. They’ve rigged these up using 2 very large ditch drainage tubes on a couple of tracks. As they ran Bowie tried to keep up, and Moose went ass over tea kettle in his twice, extremely comical to watch.

We hopped on the tractor to the pumpkin patch. Riding with us was the Owner who told side-splitting Dad jokes for the 5 minute journey. Not only did we pick out some fabulous pumpkins, but Riverbreeze Farms had the forethought to put up “selfie” stands at each decorated station there. That way the whole family could be in the picture! Genius. After we rode back on the tractor with our pumpkins it was time to head home. What a great day, not one I will forget soon.

And Then…

Early the next week we celebrated Chris’s Birthday. We made steak sandwiches for dinner and shared gifts and cake. Most the rest of the week was just like a normal week for us. School, grocery shopping, Bowie doing art and us walking the beach. Although; Chris did give himself a birthday present…new tattoos with Brian MacKenzie, owner of Vintage Tattoos. Brian’s portfolio speaks for itself as a traditional tattooist, but he also apprenticed under Sailor Jerry. A pioneer in the tattoo industry. Chris learned this AFTER he had booked with Brian, so he was even more stoked! Within the week, Chris even found his new barber James, at The Good Company Barbershop. A pretty cool and modern shop that you can book online with, which Chris really likes too.

By Thursday we had a pretty crazy storm, lots of rain and decent winds. I was a bit worried that we may have some of the precarious trees knock over, but all that we got was an already damaged limb on a tree by the house. Phewf.

I would say that was a successful first couple of weeks. Lots more new places to explore and towns to visit yet.

Cheers Everyone! Next Blog…Lunenburg. Xo Mel

Day 18: Today’s the day, West Coast meets East Coast…

October 8th, 2022. Today’s the day!

We woke up today refreshed and ready for the days travels. It’s a bit of a jaunt, being just over 7 hours and a time change ahead as well. But we all know we will be getting into our temporary home tonight!

We hit up some McDonalds for the road and got to it. The day was glorious. Not only because we would finally arrive at our road trip destination, but because it was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was shining, the skies were blue and the energy in the car was restored. Although the temperature outside was cold, only 4 degrees celsius, our coldest morning yet. After 1 hour of driving, we were already in New Brunswick! Woohoo our 1st Maritime Province!

Though we would only be driving through New Brunswick today, we took note of the places we want to visit when we return. These travels to another province will be so much simpler since we won’t have to take a ferry. High five to a $200 savings alone! Sorry BC Ferries, but I’ve paid for you for far too long. I know, I know, what about PEI…well fine, I know I have the option to take a bridge, but I am willing to take that ferry to visit. And I can hardly wait.

Travelling along hwy 2 is a treat. New Brunswick has an abundance of trees as far as you can see. Continuous views of yellow, orange and gold, just hills upon hills with deep enclosed vales. It is so incredibly beautiful. So much so that, New Brunswick nearly stole my heart and we thought maybe we should also be looking here. Plus…it boasts the Worlds Largest Axe, in Nackawic, NB standing at 49ft tall. Did I see it, you ask? NO, at this point Chris would stop for no one haha. He was done with sightseeing and driving location to location! And so, Onward we go, mere hours from home.

As we passed Sackville, and made our way to the Nova Scotia border, finally seeing our first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean. Here; the waters we are seeing is through a branch off the Bay of Fundy, unsure of this ones official name, but there it was just off in the distance! We have waited for this moment since we set off nearly 3 weeks ago! Though it was fleeting, as the hwy carried us on, but I didn’t care. As our new home was right on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Atlantic would be on my doorstep for months to come.

It was just after 5:30pm when we finally crossed into our new Province of Nova Scotia! We zipped straight up to the Welcome Centre where the flags were flying and the sun was shining. We parked the Jeep and went right over to the Nova Scotia sign and took the family pics. We even met a couple from Minnesota who were getting ready to explore the province for the next 5 days. I was disappointed that the Welcome Centre itself was closed, meaning I wouldn’t be able to grab my postcards to send home and lapel pins…and then it hit me…I can grab these anytime. We are actually here…to stay!

From here; we still had another hour and 45 minutes until we would be home. So we carried on, now on the 104 of the Trans-Canada Hwy. Taking notice of the different county signs with their individual slogans and the wildlife. What was really paramount, was the devastation from Hurricane Fiona. Large sections of trees uprooted, trees blown over, others broken in half. And this was what we could see from the hwy. As we passed some homes, it changed to missing shingles, buildings blown over, trees blown down in front yards, and broken fences. Keep in mind; our arrival is now 2 weeks after the the hurricane hit. The aftermath we can currently see is still very evident, saddening and extreme.

We did notice as we left New Brunswick however, a convoy of military personnel was leaving Nova Scotia. And shortly after our arrival into Nova Scotia a convoy of linesmen from Quebec was now leaving, as well. A good sign that Nova Scotia, though a long way to go, was on the mend. But now, it was getting dark and we were getting closer to home. So how our area faired would have to wait until morning.

We finally arrived at 8:00pm after one missed turn, thanks to the dark. Unloaded our luggage and quickly explored the house before setting out again….this time for to outfit ourselves with blankets, towels and a few staples. We were back home by 9:00pm, and wouldn’t be heading again tonight.

Though it is late, and we are all tired, we are all happy to be here. Arriving safely, with all of our things, and my trusty Jeep still running well, even after many bumpy roads and potholes.

After 18 days, I am so proud and ecstatic to say that the four of us have now travelled 5,442.0 kms together. Gone through 8 Provinces. Experienced incredible wildlife moments. Visited so many of Canada’s great cities. Stayed in crappy hotels to luxurious ones. And were fortunate enough to also experience some of the Great White North’s greatest natural attractions, tourist attractions and heritage attractions!

So, I say goodnight as a traveller and with thanks for following along with us.

And this isn’t the end. This blog is called Operation Relocation…we may have moved, but we are not really relocated. We have much more exploring to do!!!

Cheers and xo.

Melanie

Day 15: What can you do with a day at Niagara Falls?…

How do you start off the day in Niagara Falls…head over to IHOP for pancakes! We had the sweetest waitress who had only been there for 4 days. She met us with a friendly greeting, engaged with our table and sent us off ready and willing to explore. Below IHOP is a huge arcade, straight out of an 80’s kids dream, but with modern games. Chris killed Aliens, Mason played Guitar Hero and Chloe, Dance Dance Revolution.

From there we headed down Clifton Hill to the falls. Today we weren’t just looking at them, we were experiencing them…right close up. We put on the cool plastic poncho’s and boarded a boat that was going right into them! Our boat was a double decker full of happy and excited tourists. We all shared the experience with smiles and offers to take pictures for one and other. Now, I knew we would get wet…but I really didn’t think HOW WET! As we drove close to the “American Side” (the first set of falls, 3 in total located in Niagara County, New York) the mist from the falls was really fun and we took lots of pictures, everyone shuffled around a fair bit to get ‘the picture’. The boat pushes on to the “Canadian Side”, the Horseshoe Falls. While we drove towards this set of falls, the mist becomes greater. Near everyone on the boat began pulling their plastic hoods over their heads. I tucked my camera under my poncho and actually spun around, as my bum and legs got soaked. The mist turned into a torrential downpour, all the while we are laughing, mainly because I think it was so much greater and more powerful than we expected! We stayed in this hilarious sopping wet position for a few minutes and then the boat spun around. Allowing the super mist to move from our side to the other and for me to take ‘the picture’ with the Horseshoe Falls. Bowie and Mason were sopping wet, but grinning ear to ear. Moose had made some new buddies he was helping with pictures and chatting with. Chris and I were elated. We experienced Niagara Falls…and we shared this unforgettable day with our kids.

Since we were soaking wet and had the convenience of a hotel less than 10 minutes away, we went back and changed. Quickly heading back out and straight to the Zombie Attack…a 6D zombie thrill ride. We get strapped into the weirdest chair wearing 3D glasses and I made sure to have my gun ready! The game starts and so did my chair, jostling us around to mimic the movements of our character…including crashing through trees and zombies and careening off a cliff…all the while hitting zombies with our car or shooting them with our gun. Not everyone’s cup of tea I know, but Chris…he loves his zombies. So, we had a good time. Plus Moose and Chris had the top 2 kills of the theatre.

After that was Ripley’s Believe It or Not gallery…there was some pretty strange things here from: shrunken heads, bone necklaces, 2 headed animals and vampire killing kits. But also: the worlds largest man, fattest man, shadow art, candy art, and megalodon jaws. There is something for everyone here….and somethings that are just to weird for others. Near the end is a grated walkway with a spacey coloured spinning tunnel…can you walk straight across? None of us can, the spinning tunnel messes with your equilibrium tricking your brain that you are losing your balance.

We stopped at a few shops to browse and pick up souvenirs on our way up to Louis Tussaud’s Wax Works. OK, the wax works…how to begin. These are interesting sculptures, these pieces of art. Using the likeness of celebrities, politicians and historical figures seems to be a welcomed challenge, as there are wax museums all over the world. I find them…a wee bit scary. I continuously felt like there were people all around me as I entered new rooms. Some scultpures had a very close likeness to their intended, while others…not so much. But that’s all in the fun of it I guess. We ran into Marty McFly and the Delorean, Jimmy Fallon, Brittany Spears, Tom Hanks and The Rock. Delving further into the gallery we were transported to Star Wars, Hogwarts, into the Hall of Horror and skipped down the Yellow Brick Road right into the Marvel Universe.

We continued to explore Clifton Hill and grabbed a quick lunch at Starbucks and grabbed some Vintage Candy before heading back to the hotel again for laundry and a nap…5 hours goes by fast!

We ran into a fellow in the laundry room who was from Abbotsford, BC. He and his wife have been travelling for the past 2 months from Abbotsford to Newfoundland/Labrador and were now making their way back! What a cool coincidence. They had visited Nova Scotia already and said we would love it and that three of their friends have made the same move that we’re making. Silver Linings all along the way.

Once everyone was chillaxed and rested we headed out for evening part of Niagara Falls. Everything is all lit up. Most of Clifton Hill stays open until midnight, so we wanted to take some of that energy in. First things first…race cars! Moose and Bowie suited up and hoped into their Go Karts. The track is HUGE! and they send out about 20 people at a time, so Bowie was scared. But she went for it after a couple minutes.

Next up, Wizards Golf…mini golf in a psychedelic setting. Fantasy fun for 18 holes complete with dragons, magic spells and mythical creatures. We continued to stroll the streets until we stopped for dinner, beside the Karaoke. I tried to convince Moose to sing even though he’s underage…why not haha, but he didn’t go for it. Next up was The House of Frankenstein, where Bowie was screaming as they rode the roller coaster, which goes in and out of the building!

We grabbed some Ice Cream and headed back to the hotel around 10:30pm.

Fantastic day had by all.

xo Mel

Day 10: Visiting Vikings and watching for huldefolk…

New Iceland

Gimli has been on the top of my list of places to visit since day one of planning this cross country journey. However, Gimli has been on my radar for years. Why? My Nana had her “cuppa”(her all-day coffee) out of a Gimli, Manitoba mug on the regular right up until her passing. I grew up listening about stories of Iceland and hearing of the Viking settlement Gimli. Learning about the huldufolk or as she would say “The Little People” and of the Icelandic folk who loved making music, writing stories, and watching for faeries.

Gimli is known as New Iceland. Named by the first wave of Icelandic persons who immigrated there, as they were promised land by the Manitoba government to farm and build their lives. It wasn’t an easy transition. The journey across was treacherous and the winters were hard. Out of 300 who immigrated, only 50 stayed! Though they were great fisherman in Iceland, the new comers struggled on Lake Winnipeg. Fortunate for them, the First Nations were welcoming and willing to teach them how to fish these waters.

Now for the exploration of Gimli by our crew. We were welcomed to Gimli by a mighty Viking, standing tall near the harbour of Lake Winnipeg. To enter Viking Park you come through the concrete border, which has Gimli’s history etched on metal plaques. Gardens encompass the mighty statue. While Icelandic family plaques line the walkway presented by loved ones and those who donated to the park.

Next was the New Iceland Heritage Museum. A small museum but with great character. We began with a short film about the immigration to Manitoba and the new beginnings of those who braved the journey. Displays of poetry, tools, the homesteads, and clothing kept us busy. And then…then Moose and Bowie found the dress-up corner. Complete with swords, spears, furs and of course Viking helmet’s. We had our fun and visited the gift shop and away we went.

We enjoyed shopping and browsing for a little while until lunchtime. We all made our way to Europa. A small, kind of strange looking place covered with posters of food items everywhere. But a slamming busy restaurant, people coming and going nonstop, must be good. And it was, including the biggest poutine I’ve ever seen, not even Bowie could finish it.

After lunch we made our way to the waterfront and really took in how big Lake Winnipeg is! Looking in the distance you could see white caps from the wind, and big waves were crashing the shore. The breakwater protecting the harbour has murals painted along, some were in the process of being restored.

We hopped into the truck for one final stop…an important one: Sugar Me Cookie Boutique. A friend I met at work told me about them years ago and even shared a prairie treat with me. So I made sure to visit now that I am finally here. Vinarterta…ask any Icelander from the prairies and they’ll fill you in. Dates or Prunes and Icing vs No Icing…that is a long standing debate. I used to make one with my Nana around Christmas, and I still make mine every year, but Sugar Me Cookie’s Vinarterta is next level!

Treats ✅️ Souvenirs ✅️ Good times had ✅️

It was time to go. We made our way back to Winnipeg. Loaded up the jeep and said our goodbyes. Until next time Winnipeg.

Now unbeknownst to me…we had one more milestone to hit today.

The Centre of Canada 🇨🇦

At this point we have been travelling for 10 days! Then we see the Manitoba Stars. An attraction coming up…The Centre of Canada. We have officially made it half way across the incredible Great White North! 96° 48′ 35″ The Longitudinal Centre of Canada.

We pushed on after that crossing the border into Ontario, Chris’s home province. We had a hotel booked to stay the night in Kenora.

Until tmrw, cheers Mel xo 🤗