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Long Weekend - September 3-5, 2004(Make sure you scroll down the whole page, there are two photo galleries on this page!) Susan Simpson and Margaret Sterrett are visiting from Belfast (Marg's aunts). As part of their entertainment, Marg's Mum and Dad decided to go to Kingston for the weekend. At the very last minute, we decided to tag along. As this was the last minute, we had to enlist the services of my mother and sister in order to care for the dogs while we were away. This was going to be an adventure - the first time that we had taken any of the kids on a trip and slept overnight in a hotel with them. There were obvious concerns about how well this would work out. In the end, it was a trying time, but we coped and learned some lessons for the next time. DAY 1 We left Newmarket on Friday around noon. We decided to leave as early as possible as the start of the long weekend promised to have considerable traffic. We were not disappointed. The 401 was very busy. Ultimately, in a fit of pique, I exited the highway and we made our way to Kingston along Highway 2. This was the first time in a long time that either of us had driven along the road. The scenery was much more interesting than the highway. We went back to the highway only when my need for a bathroom overcame our desire for scenery. We arrived in Kingston around 4 and checked into the hotel. I was surprised that it was not that busy, but then the clerk told me that orientation week at Queen's did not start until the following day. The next day, I am sure, the hotels in Kingston would have been very busy as the new students and their parents arrived. When we checked in, they gave us a room on the ground floor with one queen bed and a pull out sofa. When Marg and I checked out the room, we decided that two double beds would be better suited. So we switched. This also provided us with the opportunity to move our room closer to the two rooms being used by Margaret, Susan, Linda and Jim. We settled into the room and fed Rhys. While doing so, MSLJ arrived and I took the kids down to greet them. Boy were they excited. After, we decided to drive around Kingston for awhile and to visit the waterfront. For the first time in many years, I had an opportunity to drive around my old stomping grounds. Wow, lots of changes at Queen's. My old residence (Gordon House) was intact, but is now co-ed and has a beach volleyball court at the lake end of the building. After walking around the waterfront, Marg and I took the kids back to the hotel to feed Rhys. MSLJ walked around downtown a bit more. We then met up for dinner at Denny's, across the road from the hotel. Sleeping that night was a challenge. We started with Marg in one bed with Sloane and me in another with Parker. But Parker was just too interested in the novelty of the situation and kept crawling from one bed to another. This stirred up Sloane and she started doing the same thing. To make things even more pleasant, the beds were, as is typical for hotels, hard as rocks and very uncomfortable. Finally, after about 2 hours of cajoling, crying and some anger, the kids fell asleep. Only to waken several times during the night as the kids moved around and as Parker fell out of bed. I recall that the ultimate sleeping arrangement was with me in one bed with both kids beside me. Parker was in the middle to prevent him from falling out of bed. In this configuration both kids actually slept, though I did not sleep very well. Oh well. We survived. Here are some pictures from the Kingston portion of our trip:
Click on thumbnails to enlarge pictures:
DAY 2 We woke relatively early since both Parker and Sloane are early risers. However, we have nothing on MSLJ, who were up and showered long before 7 am. So they all had to wait for us to get the kids in order and have our showers before we could check out and go to Denny's for breakfast (love that Denny's breakfast!). While waiting for a seat in the restaurant Parker remembered that there was a dish of suckers over the cash register. We tried to assure him that it was empty, but he saw that last yellow one sitting at the bottom of the bowl. So he had to have it. The result was Parker becoming unreasonably sticky and getting the sucker residue all over himself and his chair. It drove Marg to distraction as she wound up sitting in that chair after Parker moved to a high chair. We next drove to our hotel in Gananoque along Highway 2, which winds through the countryside and alongside the lake and eventually the St. Lawrence River. Not much to see except some farms and the like. But beat driving along the highway. We had made reservations at the 1000 Islands Motel. When we first drove by the place, I was stunned. For the price we were quoted for the room I was expecting something a bit more than a hovel. It was a rickety old drive in motel, just barely above a tenement. Clearly old, but at least it was clean. However, if it was possible, the beds were even harder. We once again tried to have MSLJ's rooms near ours, only to discover that to do so would require them paying nearly $60 more for their rooms! What a variation in a single motel - and the rooms weren't that different from each other. While we waited for MSLJ to arrive, we crossed the street to have DQ. We then met with the others and hung around the hotel long enough to feed the kids. We also had to take the kids for a swim. Once Sloane heard there was a pool there was no putting her off. So Marg and I braved the elements and took them for a dip. But boy was it cold. We finally convinced the kids to get out of the pool only as they were both shivering like crazy. 1000 Islands The whole reason for being in Gananoque, of course, is to take a cruise on the St. Lawrence River and through the 1000 Islands. There are two general types of cruises - a three hour one that sees all of the islands and lets you off to tour Boldt Castle; and the 1 hour variety, which just travels around a few islands and has no stops. Since Boldt Castle is on the U.S. side of the river, you need travel documents to go there. We don't have a birth certificate for Rhys yet (bureaucracy hasn't processed it yet) nor did Margaret and Susan have the necessary visas, so the longer tour was out. Just as well, as the kids barely stayed focused enough for the 1 hour tour. I have never been to the 1000 Islands (at least not within my memory, though my mother may correct me on this). It was beautiful. The cottages (if you can call some of the monster home that) were wonderful and the island settings would be paradise. We even saw one with a for sale sign on it. I later discovered it was listed for $575,000. When we win the lottery, I am determined to have a cottage on the river. And Boldt Castle is quite a sight. Built as a summer home! for some rich guy's wife and never used, because she died just before construction was finished. Must be nice to have more money than sense. The day ended with a KFC picnic in Nana's room and, thankfully, an earlier night. On Sunday, we drove home along Highway 2 and did something that Marg and I have always meant to do, but never go around to. Despite having driven past it hundreds of times, I had never gone into the Big Apple Amusement Park. Finally, we did. A big disappointment. Not only were the pies expensive ($10 for apple) but they were not very good. A three dollar special from Dominion is just as good. Their restaurant was expensive and mediocre. Their amusement area was old and required payment for the simplest of things. Wouldn't go back there. At last, we returned home and the kids, at last, had a good night's sleep in their own beds. Here are some pictures of Day 2:
Click on thumbnails to enlarge pictures:
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