2006 Edmonton Grand Prix

Last weekend (July 21-23) I had the chance to work at the Edmonton Grand Prix again. I basically did the same thing as last year, Event Managment. I looked after the Winner's Circle Closing Ceremonies for all three series, Cascar, Toyota Atlantics and Champ Car. Good times. Admitedly, although last year was a blast, anyone who was around to see me when I worked that race can attest that I was a wreck by the end of the weekend. The work days were really long and stress was pretty severe leading up to the race yes, but the race weekend itself pretty much beat me to a pulp haha... If I remember I lost something like 10 or 11 pounds that month... Ugh.

This year though, with the Oilers playing so late in the year, I wasn't able to go over the Champ Car so early. Instead I just got to show up race week and help out a bit here and there. Then, come race weekend, I only had to oversee on-track events. It was much more relaxed. Thanks to Ken, who once again volunteered his time to come and help out on Sunday, I actully even got see a bit of racing this year.









All in all it was another HUGE success for the GPE again. The crowds, though a bit smaller than last year, were still massive and the media reveiws were glowing, which is exciting beause the race is here in Edmonton for up to another 8 years. If we can improve it a bit each and every year, it could end up being the best ChampCar race in the series. Really, the only downside of the weekend was the incredible heat. Saturday, on track, it was +34. Sunday, on track was a relentless +37. There wasn't so much as a breeze that day. Not being used to this at all, it's a funny thing (sorta) to watch northern Albertans try and deal with that kind of heat. The event went through over 2X the amount of estimated water. We even set up "Misting" tents so people could cool off. I guess it just further goes to show that when it comes to Alberta weather, you really never know what you're going to get.



Can't wait for 2007!

Hoisting the Jolly Rogers in Halifax Harbour

Our last stop on this trip before heading home again was Halifax, Nova Scotia. Neither Kirsten nor I had ever been there before. And, I don't mind saying it's a fantastic little place. It's just a great combination of old and new, and being right there on the coast, you can't beat it. We could definitely see ourselves living in a place like that.

We didn't have a lot of time scheduled for sightseeing in Halifax. We pretty much just planned to drive in mid-morning, tour around and then catch our 5 p.m. flight back to Edmonton. Mom and Merrill had better ideas though. Having been there before, they knew that you could go on these 1-2 hour sailing tours in the harbour. Well, they had me at 'sailing'. We used to have a sailboat, a small two-person racing boat called a Force 5. Merrill, Darryl and I took sailing lessons and used to get out to the South Cooking Lake sailing club now and then. A sailing club in land-locked Alberta you say? Yes, it's true. It really was a good time! But, we all got too busy to keep it up, and eventually we just stopped altogether, sadly. So an opportunity to go sailing on a full-sized schooner in Halifax harbour wasn't a chance we wanted to pass up.

We left the cottage in P.E.I. at 5 a.m. and drove the 4+ hours to Halifax, arriving near 10 a.m. and booked ourselves on the "Mar".





Fortunately for us, the conditions that day were ideal, sunny and not too cool out on the water, with a healthy amount of wind. Once we were onboard and taxied out of dock, the Jolly Rogers were raised and Darryl and I got to hoist both the massive main sail and the jib. I have to admit, although I know the crew probably love having passengers do the hard work (and it was hard), I was almost giddy at the chance ;-)




The tour was about 1 and 1/2 hours, taking us out around the original island fortifications built by the British in the 1800s and then back into port. It was short but sweet and admittedly more than enough to get me daydreaming about moving to the coast, buying a boat and sailing to Cuba!




So that's it. Our 2006 Canadiana summer vacation comes to an end on a very high note.

Home of Moosehead Beer and Red Sand Beaches

After the great time we had in Quebec City, we made our way further east to the Maritimes. Ahhh.. Atlantic Canada. I have been there a good number of times now, and each time I go I like it more and more. And it's not just any one thing. It's more than just the fact that I think it's the most beautiful part of the country, next to the Rockies. It's more than the fresh sea air, the kind, friendly people, the great Canadian history, and the relaxed pace of life. It's all of it. They say Maritimers may roam, but their hearts never do.

First stop was St. John, New Brunswick (not to be mistaken for St. John's, Newfoundland). We weren't able to spend too long here. And on top of that, we got a lesson in what a good "Maritime Fog" is like. Consequently, we didn't get to fully appreciate the scope of the town. It was still very cool to be there nevertheless. Thick fog and cool temperatures didn't seem to dampen anyone's spirits. Right downtown, at the harbour, they had a pretty elaborate car show going on. There was even a beach volleyball tournament complete with players suited up in winter parkas... Only in Canada, I say, eh...
As an added bonus, St. John is the home of Moosehead beer, and I got to hang off one of the great beast's antlers.









The next day we sped out of the fog off toward the sunny red sand beaches of P.E.I.! Last fall my parents bought a cottage and had it put up on the property. This being the first full summer that we could enjoy it, we were all pretty excited to get there. Tucked away in Fortune Cove along the tidal Mill River is where we spent the next five relaxed days.



I have to admit it really is a beautiful little spot, tucked away and hidden from any main roads or large towns. And the water is especially quiet. Although it could be a little heaven for motor boating, sea-dooing, etc., the elbow of the river we're on is removed from all of that, so it stays really peaceful by the shore.



So, although I was really keen on getting busy with things like building decks and landscaping the yard, I was informed that this was a holiday. So, we merrily spent the next five days sleeping in, playing botchy ball, frisbee, spending time around the campfire and playing late-night games of cards, Yuker mainly. Thanks to Darryl, we now have another highly addictive card game to keep us up way too late ;-) We did manage to do a good deal of touring around the island as well. I think people have a misconception that P.E.I. is a small island when it really isn't at all. It is at least 5-6 hours end-to-end, never mind if you wanted to tour all the way around it. That said, during this trip there were a few places we didn't have time to visit. But I think we took in the best of the best. We went to the West Point Light House beach where Merrill's great, great grandfather was the very first Lighthouse Keeper. I always thought that was pretty cool.








We also went to the Anne of Green Gables site that inspired the novels, and subsequent movies and television shows. I remember seeing the show on TV when I was younger and, you know, I always find it strange to visit a place that, before, only existed on TV, or in my imagination. Going here was one of those weird moments where reality and fiction rub right up against one another.










We ate at the island's famous Shaw Hotel. And despite having had some amazing dinners in both Montreal, and Quebec City, the one at the Shaw might have inched out all the others for the top prize? It would be a tough call... Though I think there was that one dinner in Montreal that still takes the cake!

And of course, no visit to the island is truly complete without a good lobster feast. It was Kirsten's first experience facing a whole lobster served on a plate. And, I wonder if it might have been her last ;-) She mentioned something about those beaty little black eyes staring back out at her as she ate... hehe...







P.E.I is truly a beautiful place. We can't wait to get back...

Next stop, Halifax, Nova Scotia!

QUEBEC CITY

After making a pilgrimage-like stop at Schwartz's, one of Montreal's most famous (Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich) delis, Kirsten and I, along with my parents and brother, drove to Quebec City. Oh yeah, the cat, Fezzywig, was there too ;-)

Both K and I had been there before, both on school trips, me in grade 6 and K in grade 10. It was funny how different the place looked to me now as an adult. I don't think that as a child I was able to understand the full scope of Old Quebec. This time, it seemed both larger than I recalled and yet smaller at the same time. But it was still every bit as beautiful as I remembered.

We stayed at the Château Bellevue, only a stone throw away from the Château Frontenac right in the heart of Vieux Quebec.


The staff there were excellent. Because we had our cat with us, and the hotel didn't allow pets inside, we had to leave the cat inside the van. This would have been totally fine but it was really hot out. So, to avoid baking the kitty, during the day while we were out wondering the crooked narrow streets, the vallet actually checked in on the cat, moving the van into the shade when he could. We all thought that was pretty great service on their part.

Anyway, we only had a couple days to spend here before making the next leg of the trip to St. John, New Bruswick, but we did our best to see all the major sights and get our fill of Quebequois cuisine.









The photo here on the right is the Quebec City Notre Dame Basilica, and in the corner of the photo you can see a dark sign that reads "Dorsay". There's a quick story to go along with that. The first night we arrived we all went out to dinner. I had my first experience with Canard Confie, a traditional French dish that should probably have stopped my heart where I sat it was so decadently delicious! After dinner it was already late so Mom and Merrill both made their way back to the hotel, while Darryl, K and I decided to walk around a bit more in search of some live music and a bevy. We ended up at the Dorsey. We sat on the patio. It was a beautiful warm night out and we stayed listening to the music for about an hour before turning in. The next morning I woke up and as K and I were about to head out for the day, I realized I didn't have my satchel. We searched the room top to bottom with no luck. I have to say that there are few things that can put as much of a dent in your travel fun as losing your stuff. I had my wallet still, but I knew my iPod, notebook and digital camera were all in that bag.

Needless to say I was a bit put out ;-) Figuring that I had left it at the Dorsay, we went back there that morning. It was just opening when we arrived and the morning staff knew nothing about it... They checked around and said to come back later on when more staff shows up. So, with a sinking feeling in my stomach, we went for breakfast. Around 11am we went back. Still, none of the staff could help. The manager searched the place for me and came up empty-handed. She did suggest though that I come back again later on when the waitress who'd been working the night before would be back. Resigned to the fact that I had likely lost my bag, I waited, hopefully, till 5pm to check back one last time.

Fortunately though, when we returned our waitress was there, and she had dutifully stowed my bag safely in her locker overnight and had it waiting for me. Ahh... Sweet relief... Amazing how quickly my mood lightened. You can lose a lot of things when you're travelling, but next to losing your wallet, for a picture junkie like me, I find pictures to be the worst. Credit cards, ID and so on can be replaced, but pictures can't. Thankfully in this case there is a happy ending ;-)

MONTREAL!!!

As some, if not many will know, Kirsten and I were recently off spending some needed vacation time in Eastern Canada. My parents bought a cottage on the water of the tidal Mill River in P.E.I. We were really excited to get out there and spend some time but we wanted to make a few stops along the way. Montreal was first...
We couldn't have picked a more exciting time to be there with both La Fête St. Jean Baptiste and the F1 Grande Prix going on at the same time. This is Montreal's busiest time of year.


Planning the trip as far back as January we were lucky enough to get a room in central Montreal at a place simply called the "Montreal Guest House". It was a nice, quaint little place right in the heart of the Gay Quarter just one block from St. Catherine's Street, the main drag in Montreal. This was perfect because we were so close to great cafes, restaurants, shopping, and the major museums and art galleries as well. St. Catherine's is kind of like Montreal's version of our Whyte Ave, though not really... It's more like Jasper Ave, if Jasper Ave was a lot cooler.
Anyway, there was tons going on with La Fête St. Jean Baptiste like outdoor fashion shows and of course the F1, which takes over the city. Just off of St. Catherine's was a road called "Crescent Street" which was closed down for all the F1 street events.










Now although all of this was cool, it was hard to compete with beautiful Vieux Montreal. At first, we were so caught up with the St. Catherine's Street area that it wasn't until the 3rd day that we ventured in Old Montreal. Needless to say we were glad we finally did.

Montreal's Notre Dame Basilica.











Montreal's Old Market.
Montral at night along the Fleuve St. Laurent.


Montreal is a seriously fun city. Beautiful, full of art and culture, history and great friendly people. Between the restaurants, the music, the museums and art galleries, Kirsten and I had an amazingly great time. We walked a lot, saw a lot and ate a lot, so it kinda all balanced out nicely. For many reasons, Montreal is going to remain a very special place to both of us.