Friday, May 1, 2009

All booked!

We're officially off to the East Coast in August! Pene just got confirmation from her work that the two weeks vacation request for August has been approved and I've just finished booking the last hotels along the route.

It's going to be a fun trip - there's 7 of us, including Pene's sister (yes, the one who lost her husband in January) so we'll have a full van. I think the trip will do wonders for her to actually get out and see things instead of hanging out at home all the time.

It's strange. Pene and her sister have been to Prince Edward Island (PEI) a dozen times or so, but they've never actually explored the Island. Their dad is a native Islander, but his idea of a family trip is to lock everyone in the car and drive non-stop for 18 hours until they get there, bathroom and hunger be damned until there's a need to stop for gas, and then they only have so much time to shoot some poop out and load up on food before he finishes refueling! Plenty of other horror stories to go around, with the topper being the day the family drove down to Niagara Falls for the day when Pene was a young gal, stopped along the parkway in front of the Falls, then after about five minutes, dad said "Okay it's time to go home!" Oy.

So anyway, Pene has since been to PEI a couple times with me where we actually got to get around and see some places, including Green Gables (believe it or not, Pene had never been there). It's time for her sister to actually experience walking around on the red soil there and see some sights, so I'm looking forward to that experience. Ever been to a place about 30 or 40 times in your life then it starts to get really old to you... then you meet someone and all of a sudden, that place starts to be exciting to you again as you get to show the way around? That's what it is like for me.

On this trip, we'll spend two nights in Quebec City, three days in a cottage on PEI, a week at my dad's place in Halifax, a night in Moncton on the way back (so we can see the Hopewell Rocks - go check it out here if you've never heard of it, it's one of a kind: www.thehopewellrocks.ca ), and finally a final night in Quebec before we arrive home. The annual Busker Festival will be in full swing in Halifax while we're there, so the timing is perfect. Always fun to check out the street performers.

Only three months to go...


5 comments:

Tummy said...

Pepe - that sounds like a wonderful vacation!

And I know exactly that renewed interest in something when you're experiencing thru someone else that's never seen or done it.

I'm glad Pene's sister is going with you, but I'm sending good thoughts your way for the 7 people in a van thing. Been there :).

Swami said...

I have always wanted to see the Bay of Fundy. Always! It just sound so spectacular.

And *boggle* on the Niagara Falls driveby, lol.

maroonclown said...

OMG - Your heading to my stompin' grounds!

I grew up in PEI, went to Uni in Halifax, been to Cape Breton (loved it).

But you must veer away from Cavendish and check out the Singing Sands near Souris, and visit the many little dirt roads that offshoot the main highway (#2). That's the way to see the Island.

The Gouda Lady is a must - she makes cheese from llamas she raises. There is the Island Jam Company that is to die for.

And there is a beautiful beach - Thunder Cove - that is incredible.

Cabot Beach is where we used to hang out because it was far less touristy than Cavendish. And they were very friendly when it came to "May 24 weekend".

macgyver13 said...

Oh I know, MC... I'd be happy to explore off the beaten track, but I've got a young teenage girl and a sis-in-law who has missed out on Green Gables all these years, so it's a given we'll drop in at Cavendish at some time.

Thanks for the tips, I'll see what I can do about visiting these sites on the side!

Seana said...

Oh, that sounds wonderful! I love Old Quebec City.

You're right, too, about seeing something in the company of someone who is new to it. It's like seeing it with fresh eyes yourself.

Looking forward to hearing about it. You must all be so excited!