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Woodside National Historic Site

September 5, 2018 admin0

Woodside National Historic Site

The house and the park located on 11.5 acre property covered with mature trees. The park offers perfect place for walks and picnincs, beautiful shaded lawns and paths during the summer. The house opens for visitors from October till Chrismas.

Mackenzie King House

The house dates back to Victorian period, was built by James Colquhoun. After his death in 1877 varuois tenants occupied the house. One of them was the Kings family. They lived in this house from 1886 till 1893. The house was a home for a boy who later became Canada’s tenth Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King. The family had four children, and while visiting the house we can see their rooms and well kept personal items. His father John King was a lawyer, and he taught his kids English, French, math and science. There is a large collection of boks, many of them are rare originals…

Woodside National Historic SIte, house of William Lyon Mackenzie King

The house has a spacious living room with piano. The room was filing up with various guests during many holidays…

Living room in William Lyon Mackenzie King House

Travel at that time was a challenge, so the house has a nice guest bedroom with all the necessary items…

Guest bedroom in William Lyon Mackenzie King House, Kitchener

The sisters were sharing the bedroom, we can see some of the clothing and original furniture.

We had a chance to enter the room of William, quite small and with very modest furnishings. The bedrooms are all on the second floor and interestingly, there is no heating – only the first floor of the house is heated, so in the winter the heavy blanket and the hot water bottle did the job!

Woodside National Historic SIte, house of William Lyon Mackenzie King

The most important item of the kitchen is the original wood-buning stove. It is fully operational and if you visit the place during Christmas Holidays you may be lucky to try fresh baked cookies or bread! They say tastes amazing!

The House is not just a museum, there are different events and workshops offered for students.

To learn more visit https://www.explorewaterlooregion.com/listing/woodside-national-historic-site-kitchener/ and https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/woodside

Canada, Lanark County, Ontario, Ottawa, Perth, Places to Travel

Perth Delectable Cuisine and 100 year old scandals

September 15, 2017 admin0

It is not the first time we visit Perth and have lunch there, but the first time we had a chance to not just try the best foods in town, but learn some history of the architecture and get insight of top local scandals. The tour begins at the Matheson House Museum at 11 Gore St. East downtown Perth. The Museum is worth a separate visit – it is filled with numerous household items and furniture from the past. The Walking Food Tour is the first in its kind in Lanark County, and as we heard attracted a lot of guests since its debut last year when Perth celebrated 200th Anniversary. To get most of the tour make sure to have active start of the day and come hungry – you will have six-to-seven samples of local flavours varying from European cuisine to fancy desserts…

The tour is not a fast paced one, so you will have time to enjoy all the foods offered, and it is always a surprise – there is no menu!

While walking from one restaurant to next one we were trying to guess what is coming – something sweet or spicy?!Perth Walking Food Tour

Every tasty dish comes with a piece of local history in a short story or anecdote form! We visited a lot of well established places and some that just recently opened – one of them is “Rocky River” well worth to mention here. They have beautiful shaded patio at the back that would be great on a summer day, but when we got there it started to rain, so we went inside.

Perth Walking Food Tour, "Rocky River" — Perth Walking Food Tour, “Rocky River”

And even it was almost the end of our tour the table was set for a feast!

Perth Walking Food Tour, table is loaded at “Rocky River”…

It took us a while there, the food was excellent, the rain was pouring, so we relaxed and enjoyed… Next stop was at the local brewery – what a busy place it was! We got a table by the window and waited for the rest of the rain to stop…

We eat so much of good food that decided that we didn’t want to have dinner!

If you are interested:
“The Perth Walking Food Tour” runs Saturdays from mid-May to the end of June, cost of $35 per person; beginning at 1 p.m. at the historic Matheson House Museum, at 11 Gore St. E. Perth, Ontario.

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Group of Seven, stone Cellar, Perth, Ontario

September 8, 2017 admin0

Every summer we try to make a few local trips to explore our province and one of the regions we love to visit is Lanark County, which offers perfect combination of small towns, cottages on the beach and wild life. And after spending couple days in the cottage (“The Dancing Bass” Lodge cottage) we went to Perth for some shopping and lunch.

That lunch was a very special treat for us! Based on the art of Famous Canadian Group of Seven Chef Jamie Troutman from “The Stone Cellar” created the menu that interprets various elements present in paintings in “edible art”. Hours of research made it possible to reflect the famous Canadian art in the fine Canadian cuisine. In his creations Jamie is using the true Canadian ingredients coming from local farms. Chef Troutman, as per his own words, using the “deconstruction of the elements” from art into cuisine.

Lawren Harris, Icebergs by Chef Jamie Troutman

The shot glasses made of clear ice represent the art of Lawren Stewart Harris, who was criticized as being cold, but in fact deeply spiritual and one of the skilled abstract painters.

From ice and cold we suddenly surrounded by flowers and greenery of “Tangled Garden” by J. E. H. MacDonald – Jamie Troutman’s sunflower salad full of summer colours and fresh herbs… MacDonald’s art is distinguished by dark palette, tough, rich and at the same time elegant design. And Jamie is using the dark of the stone slab as background for the splash of colours…

Group of Seven MacDonald Tangled Garden — “Tangled Garden” in sunflower salad by Chef Jamie Troutman

From flowers and greenery of the garden we travel to Nova Scotia with help of another Jamie’s culinary creation based on “Nova Scotia Cove” again by J. E.H. MacDonald. Scallops and wild rice combined in a beautiful setting with shells to represent seashore…

Group of Seven, edible art — Chef Jamie Troutman, Scallops served with Wild Rice – “Nova Scotia Cove” by J. MacDonald

We keep our taste buds tuned as next we get served Canadian beef – so tender! …accompanied by some root vegetables… chef’s creation based on the painting by Arthur Lismer “Habitant Farm”…

"Habitant Farm" Lismer and Chef Troutman — “Habitant Farm” by Arthur Lismer and Chef Troutman

Lanark County is well known for Maple Syrup producers and it would be logical to find this unique Canadian product in local cuisine and famous art.

J. Troutman “Maple Glazed Cheese” based on “The Red Maple” by A. Jackson.

Our experience would not be complete without the dessert!Apple dessert based on “Asters and Apples” by J. MacDonald

If you decide to indulge in creativity and fine cuisine make sure to make a 48 hours reservation, and if so, you may need to find a fine place to stay. Luckily the area offers a good variety of hotels – one of our favourites is “Perth Manor” which offers classic architecture, cozy rooms, beautiful garden and friendly atmosphere.

The Stone Cellar Restaurant Address: 71 Gore St E, Perth, ON K7H 1H Menu: thestonecellar.com Reservations: opentable.com Phone: (613) 267-0200

Perth Manor Hotel Address: 23 Drummond St. West, Perth, ON Phone: (613) 264-0050 and if this one is not available –

Best Western Plus Perth Parkside Inn & Spa Address: 82 Peter St, Perth, ON Phone: (613) 326-0082.

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BLUE HEN FARM – TRUE experience

August 28, 2017 admin0

After the four and a half hour drive from downtown Toronto we arrived at the Blue Hen Farm. Right at the turn we saw an old cupboard filled with jars of homemade preserves and a sign “Honk for Service”… And we saw the farmhouse in the opening between trees.

Farmers Jeff and Leslie greeted us and as we entered the house we were amazed by the old fashioned setting of the rooms – furniture, chandelier and even the old upright piano that produced some wonderful melodies after our evening meals…

Executive Chef, Costas preparing dinner for Farmstead Blue Hen Farm in Lanark County

Leslie and Jeff used to live in Ottawa and have jobs as many of us do… The idea of farming came up after some changes in jobs and also as a result of research of the food industry, commercial farming and agriculture.

Later, after getting settled in our rooms we headed down for dinner made by Chef Kostas who came out to tell us about the ingredients he used in his cooking, the dinner was amazing and filling.

As farmers do every day after dinner, we went into the barnyard to help with evening chores.

We found all the work surprisingly entertaining; we unloaded some 20 stacks of straw that will be used as bedding for the animals, fed the calves and pigs, brought the sheep and goats back to the barn and herded the chickens into their coop.

Farmstead Blue Hen Farm in Lanark County

There was a special place where hens lay eggs, so we picked our breakfast! The eggs were dark and light brown, white and even light blue…

Once the chores were done, tired we went to our bedrooms; may be the mattresses were so comfortable or the day was long – falling asleep was no problem at all.

In the morning we woke up around half past six to the mouthwatering smell of bacon and eggs…

Breakfast during Farmstead Blue Hen Farm in Lanark County

And after breakfast we went to the yard to do morning chores which repeats the evening in the back order – letting the sheep and chickens out, showering and feeding pigs… and saying hello to all of the farm animals.

Evening chores during Farmstead Blue Hen Farm in Lanark County

The goats are very young and new to the farm and don’t know the barn yard, so they we carried to the pasture like babies!

Calf is sucking a finger, Farmstead Blue Hen Farm in Lanark County

Although all of the chores seem like quite a lot to do, they were our favourite part of the day. We also found that doing chores and waking up that early in the morning was very refreshing which was useful since we had a long day ahead of us. We found all of the animals so cute… and especially the three kittens that roam around the barnyard. There are also two dogs that help farmers by guarding the barn yard from foxes and other invaders.

Leslie and Jeff ask that visitors do not bring or wear any fragrances on the farm including mosquito spray, however they do supply their own free of charge so that you do not get bitten by pesky flies. Leslie makes her own natural soap – I found it very smooth and took a little piece home as a souvenir. Around the house we also found natural fragrances, bug spray and soap – all handmade from natural ingredients that smell like summer fields…

Their mission statement is free range thinking, meaning all of the animals are free to roam the field and raised with no antibiotics or chemical supplements at all. “Being a novice in such a tedious business as farming should be challenging for city folks” – I asked… yes, and they learn every day.

We also had a chance to learn – about how to feed pigs and chickens and how to take care of sheep and goats; we would join Leslie to let the animals out of the barn with the first rays of sun and get them all back in the evening…

For us it was just two days – but these days were filled with smiles and laughter, delicious homemade meals and that feeling of love and happiness…

We took a lot of pictures that will remind us about this wonderful place and people that are so enthusiastic about what they do. Thank you Jeff and Leslie for teaching us some very basic skills that we miss in our city life!

So, time to leave The Blue Hen Farm… I think I saw tears in some eyes…, we hope to come again.

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Family trip to African Lion Safari, Hamilton, Ontario

August 12, 2017 admin0

African Lion Safari, Hamilton, Ontario

African Lion Safari first opened its doors to the visitors in 1969 and since then went through a lot expansions and animal additions… About 6,000 visitors come here daily to see the exotic animals that are roaming free in the fields or just enjoying the warm summer day in their artfully created habitats on land and water.

To start our visit we boarded the “African Queen” boat that took us around the island where we saw monkeys jumping in the ropes and multiple birds such as vultures and pelicans. One of the spots was taken by two lemur families. The boat operators told us about animals routine and some funny life stories…

A day with Family in African Lion Safari, Ontario, Canada

The boat came back to the pierce and we decided to take a bus that goes to African savanna . We had to enter through the specially designed gate system that allows buses and cars to safely go in and out of that area. “Keep your arms and heads inside, no windows opening”…. The bus tour goes through multiple enclosures each housing different wild animals. We are surrounded by lions, then we pass by cheetahs… We got to see many mountain goats as well as rhinos and many giraffes…

The best part of the bus tour was visiting the giraffes, they came up very closely so we had around four of them circling around the bus, one of them even licked the bus mirrors. It is quite a spectacular view – one of them gracefully approaching our window, the other is in the front of the bus… oh, one more is in the front!

Following the bus tour we went on the ”Nature Boy” scenic railway, the tour lasts around fifteen minutes. On the way we got to see the elephants habitat, a donkey and many turtles that came out of the pond for summer sun. It was a nice way to give our feet some rest and enjoy the fresh air coming from the lake and trees…

Elephants Bath time was now up, so we headed to the lake to see them coming gracefully – leading was a large male elephant and then smaller ones – females and young siblings. Elephants got in the water, it looked like they are walking on the bottom of the lake – but no, some places are deep and they do have to swim, sometimes we could only see the very top of the head and the trunk… they had some fun time splashing and spraying each other; later rangers came and started throwing apples to the elephants – which was a lot of fun for all!!

It was a hot day – we would not mind to go for a plunge too – and we could at the Safari’s water park area – however, we were quite hungry and went to the café to have lunch…. We had to say goodbye to all the animals big and small before heading of to our next destination.

African Lion Safari – more info here: https://lionsafari.com/

By Jonathan K.

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Schedule of Events in Laurentians Region

June 21, 2017 admin0

JUNE 30 and july 1
Festival brassicole des Laurentides
Parc de la gare
420, rue de la Gare, Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré
819 688-2161, extn. 234
festivalbrassicoledeslaurentides.com
The Laurentian Beer Festival invites all fans of microbreweries
to discover and taste craft beers and
meet the artisans behind these products. Product
presentations, entertainment, shows, music and
booths serving local and regional food.

july 1 to 29
Nostalgia evenings in Sainte-Adèle – Concerts
Parc de la famille
Corner of Morin and Émile-Cochand, Sainte-Adèle
450 229-2921 | ville.sainte-adele.qc.ca
Series of free outdoor musical concerts, on Saturday
nights, at Parc de la famille. 8 p.m. First part at
7:30 p.m.
• July 1: A tribute to Peter Gabriel
• July 8: All Access Showband – Songs from the 50s
• July 15: Nicolas Pellerin et les Grands Hurleurs –
Moderne traditional music
• July 22: Lobster Country Band – Country
• July 29: Gregory Charles

july 1 to 9
Lac Masson en fête in
Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson
Ville de Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson
1 855 228-2545 | ste-marguerite.qc.ca
• July 1 and 2: great annual bazaar in favour of the
church, on the parish grounds. Rain or shine.
• July 8 and 9: local products fair and sailing festival,
in the heart of the village, SUP tryouts with Echo
Aloha, big BBQ, pontoon rides, animation, storytelling
and concert.

july 1 to december 3
Série Ça Me Dit Concerts Rona Dagenais
Parc Georges-Filion – Saint-Sauveur
1 877 528-2553 | valleesaintsauveur.com
The Rona Dagenais «Ça me dit» concerts (concert
series) has really changed since its beginnings. Now
it offers much more than concerts: exhibitions, circus
performances, thematic weekends, open-air cinema,
an urban dance competition, two sidewalk sales and
many free outdoor concerts.

july 2 to august 27
Les dimanches sur la promenade
Sunday Concerts
Promenade Paul-Sauvé – Saint-Eustache
450 974-2787 | saint-eustache.ca
Free concerts, Sunday afternoons, on Promenade
Paul-Sauvé, behind the Saint-Eustache church, on the
shores of Rivière des Mille Îles.

until august 6
It’s peak season at la maison lavande
La Maison Lavande – Culture et parfumerie
902, chemin Fresnière, Saint-Eustache
1 877 780-3009 | maisonlavande.ca
It’s finally peak season at La Maison Lavande. The
summer activities resume with a bunch of little extras:
bistro, entertainment, guided tours, picnic area,
new terrace, a family area and more. You can bring
your own picnic. Open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(the fields are open until 4:30 p.m.). Applicable entry
fees.
july 4 to august 1
Place du Village en spectacle in Sainte-Thérèse
free outdoor concerts
Place du Village
6, rue de l’Église, Sainte-Thérèse
450 434-1440 | sainte-therese.ca
Various outdoor music concerts presented on Tuesdays
at Place du village. 7:30 p.m. Animation at 6:30
p.m.
• July 4: Fanny Bloom – Pop
• July 11: Riot and The Blues Devils – Blues rockabilly
• July 18: Jojo et les Sixtease – Retro
• July 25: A tribute to Bob Dylan, with Alain Lépine –
Folk-rock

• August 1: Frédéric Lapierre, Angèle Courville and
the Alternatim Vocal Ensemble – Francophone

july 6 to august 6
Festival International Hautes-Laurentides
1 855 776-4080 | concertshautes-laurentides.com
Music festival. Artistic director: Alexandre Da Costa.
This year, festival organizers have decided to modify
the event and innovate by having more of a presence
on the regional cultural scene, thus creating a more
significant impact than the last 18 years. This 19th edition
will mark the beginning of the new «international»
era, with its new name: Festival International HautesLaurentides.

july 7 to august 13
1001 pots
2435, rue de l’Église, Val-David
1 888 322-7030, extn. 4235 | 1001pots.com
The largest exhibition of ceramics in North America.
25,000 original pieces. Workshops and special
activities. Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission $2.

july 7 to 16
Tremblant international blues festival
Tremblant Resort
1000, chemin des Voyageurs, Mont-Tremblant
819 681-3000, extn. 46643 | tremblantblues.com
More than 100 concerts, mostly free, on multiple
indoor and outdoor stages. Ten days of blues,
ranging from its purest roots to R&B, soul, funk,
country, folk and rock influences. More varied than
ever, this year’s program will be presented in a series
of intimate settings so you can get up close and
personal with all the performers.
july 8 to august 26
Outdoor musical concerts in
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
Place Lagny
2, rue Saint-Louis, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
1 888 326-0457 | ville.sainte-agathe-des-monts.qc.ca
Free outdoor concerts at Place Lagny on Saturday
nights. 8:30 p.m., first part 7:30 p.m.
• July 8: A tribute to Les Colocs
• July 15: Cherry Chérie
• July 22: Annie Blanchard
• July 29: Loco Locass
• August 5: Qw4rtz
• August 12: Marco Calliari
• August 19: Pierre Kwenders
• August 26: Raphaël Torr – A tribute to Joe Dassin
july 13 to 16
Lachute fair
Lachute Fairgrounds
399, chemin Gougeon, Lachute
450 562-3741 | expolachutefair.com
The oldest agricultural fair in Québec! Agricultural
exhibits, rides, demolition derby, various shows,
diverse contests, exhibition of farm equipment.

july 14 to 16
AIM Electronic Music Festival
Parc Carillon
Rue du Plein-Air, Saint-André-d’Argenteuil
aimexperience.com
AIM is a new, outdoor electronic music festival presenting
over 50 artists on 3 stages (techno, house,
deep house, pop electronic and chill out) held at Parc
Carillon in Saint-André d’Argenteuil. With a focus on
live and DJ performances, interactive multimedia
art, sound and digital technology, AIM proposes an
ultimate and intimate set design in a festival environment.

july 14 to 16
Festival Manitou: Celebrating indigenous
cultures
Domaine Saint-Bernard
539, chemin Saint-Bernard, Mont-Tremblant
819 425-3588 | domainesaintbernard.org
First edition of the event Festival Manitou: Celebrating
indigenous cultures. The event is part of the
celebrations planned for the 150th anniversary of the
Canadian Confederation, and aims at the demystification
and reconciliation of past and present Aboriginal
and Canadian cultures. Musical and dance performances,
culinary discoveries, forest walks, stories
and legends will be among the highlights of the day.
july 15 to 23
Route des Arts
Southwestern Lower Laurentians
450 533-6360 | routedesarts.ca
An open doors event in the workshops and ateliers.
Come and admire the artists’ beautiful creations
and learn about their techniques in the intimate setting
of their studios and, perhaps, find a high quality
work of art to suit your taste. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
july 21 to 30
Festival Nuits Blues Laurentides
Parc Adolphe-Jodoin – Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard
450 745-3212 | nuitsblues.ca
Festival for blues aficionados presented in
the enchanting atmosphere of Saint-Adolphed’Howard
village, on sponsored stages and at
Parc Adolphe-Jodoin.

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Yamaska National Park, Quebec

June 15, 2017 admin0

To have a complete travel experience in Montreal area we decided to visit the Yamaska National Park, well known as a wonderful family escape whether you are camping, just came to enjoy the beach, like to hike or bike.
That morning weather outlook promised some rain and cloudy, so the beach option was not on the list, so we opted for a bike ride.

We did not bring our bikes, so had to rent – you know that feeling when you take someone’s else bike – I hope it’s good… – well, the bikes were not just good, they were great – all in perfect condition, had all the proper gear installed and ready to roll!

Parc National de la Yamaska,Granby, Quebec

The Yamaska National Park is located on the Choiniere Reservoir, is represented by great variety of trees, small animals and birds. The park was created in 1983 and is a perfect for all kinds of activities combined in one great location – boating, paddling, fishing for those who prefers to be on the water and hiking, biking, camping as an addition and for those staying on land. The water is very clear, we saw a lot of small fishes close to the shore.

The beach is well equipped with water bikes, kayaks and paddle boards… we would be very happy to try them all, however at that time decided to go for a bike ride to explore the trail which is about 19 km and runs through he forest for some distance along the shore and later through the woods.

As navigation help we also got i-pods with map, detailed information about the location and some interesting facts about where we were in real time!

Yamaska National Park
Address: 1780 boulevard David-Bouchard, Roxton Pond, QC J0E 1Z0
Phone: (450) 776-7182

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Granby Zoo, Quebec

June 9, 2017 admin0

During the last couple of years the topic of visiting Quebec was coming up several times in our discussions. Kids were asking if there is a zoo there, so we found out that Granby Zoo is not too far… Finally in May 2017 we booked a hotel and planned out the itinerary that would include some of the places that we thought would be interesting for everyone in the family and the zoo was one of those.

The main destination was Quebec City and its beautiful downtown was so well preserved and such a distinct French heritage. We spent most of our time just strolling the streets, window shopping and watching the street performers who really amazed us with their skills – fire jugglers, drama characters and musicians…

Granby Zoo is about 3 hours drive from the downtown Quebec, and about an hour from Montreal. We were welcomed in the nice reception hall, got our tickets and went to explore the animal world.

Right as we entered there was a gigantic size dinosaur’s head and a line up of kids willing to climb inside of it! No matter how big or small – they were very about the opportunity to see the real size dinosaurs! And there 21 of them right in front of you, so be very careful – but don’t try to feed or pat these creatures! Even in the Zoo!

Enough of the dinosaurs – the kids forgot about dinosaurs right at the sight of the farm animals. And there were lots of them – pigs, sheep, and goats – so friendly and ready to make friends!

After some hugs exchange with farm inhabitants we decided to go see some of the exotic creatures on display.

Oceania seemed to be a good place to start – first the stingrays and the variety of tropical fish and then all way around the Australian continent to see black swans, parrots, emus, and kangaroos. Stingrays seem to be attracted to the hand emerged in the water – some of them will come and allow us to gently touch their backs…
The Kangaroos were too busy to discuss any matters of their life, so the visit to the Oceania Garden was quite interesting as it is extremely rare you get to see kangaroos that close and with no fence!.

Australian Pavillion, Granby Zoo, Quebec

We entered the aviary and right away we were surrounded by many colorful parrots! For $1 you can buy a special nectar – just hold the cup tight and they will sit on your hand and drink it!

We spend some good time there – the parrots are so colorful and it is such a great experience to see them so close.

But there was a lot see and the time was limited.
Our next destination was Africa! Who doesn’t like to observe the grace of big cats, see elephants shower using trunks, slowly moving zebras and giraffes, and the hilarious monkeys?

One of our major observations was the design of the areas, nice fences that imitate greenery and well maintained grounds. We later learned that Granby Zoo received an Award for the Energy Consumption Reduction Efforts project that was implemented during the renovation of 2005-2010.

The Zoo is well mapped and organized – it was no problem to find any continent or animal of interest. And yes, the zookeepers definitely speak many languages, no worries if you don’t speak French!
After Africa we had just a bit of time to make a short tour of South America. We stopped by llamas who stretched out their necks asking for treat… Sure!

it was a lot of fun to feed them some green leaves that we found on the trees around; we were impressed by the spread of the wings of the Andean Condor and spent some time waiting for the alligators to wake up from the afternoon nap; finally one of them yawned and slowly moved towards the water… at the end of the South American trail we saw a powerful jaguar, at the moment it was quite relaxed and not interested in any aggression.

Taking an afternoon nap.... — Taking an afternoon nap….

On our way to South American continent we made a snack stop at “Le Marcher”. The restaurant offers a variety of foods and drinks and nice dining area; there is also a large area outside with tables under umbrellas.
Next to the Restaurant there is an Amusement Park – where kids found some free rides while we were resting our feet; there is also an Amazoo Water park that offers quite the variety of water rides, not now however… we may visit it some other time when the day will be hot enough for water fun…so long for now, the Zoo is closing and we are tired enough to get to our hotel and have some dinner.

For more information about the zoo and their hours: https://zoodegranby.com/en/

If you wish to spend a great overnight time in Granby here is the hotel that we really loved: https://www.hotelstchristophe.com/

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‘Green light’ for St Patrick’s celebrations around the world!

March 16, 2017 admin0

16 March 2017: Over 250 iconic landmarks and sites around the world will be illuminated green over the coming days – as part of Tourism Ireland’s 2017 Global Greening initiative to celebrate the island of Ireland and St Patrick.

The annual initiative, now in its eighth year, which sees a host of major landmarks around the world turn green for St Patrick’s Day, has grown from strength to strength, with many new landmarks signing up to take part this year.

Stadiums, statues, castles and towers will go green to celebrate our national day (17 March) with exciting additions for 2017 including the One World Trade Center in New York – the main building of the re-built World Trade Center in New York and the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

Canadian landmarks going green this year include the Toronto Sign, Casa Loma, Whistler Ski Resort, Calgary Tower, Cabot Tower, The Big Fiddle, the Museum of Nature, the Big Nickel, the Distillery District, the Sails of Lights, the Futalognkosaurus (dinosaur) in the Royal Ontario Museum, Montreal City Hall, Complexe Desjardins, and La Tour McGill.
Click Tourism Ireland’s Global Greenings for footage of the world turning green.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “This is the eighth year of Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative and each year I am delighted to see even more well-known attractions and landmark sites wishing to get involved. The eagerness of cities and countries everywhere to take part underlines the strength of the deep connection that people all over the world feel to Ireland. More than 70 million people around the world claim links to the island of Ireland and St Patrick’s Day is a truly unique opportunity to reconnect them with their heritage.”

Of course, the ‘greenings’ are just one part of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations. The place to be on 17^th March is Ireland where there are two festivals which shouldn’t be missed.

In Dublin, Ireland’s capital city, the ‘St Patrick’s Festival’ will last for four great days, taking in the weekend and running from 16-19 March. The city will be alive with music, film, arts, dance, culture, fun and even international rugby.

Each year the festival has a different theme with this year’s ‘Ireland We Are’ giving the city a chance to showcase all that Ireland stands for today. Festival favourites include the world’s largest outdoor céilí, world-class museums hosting free workshops and guided historic walks including famous sites such as the Guinness Storehouse. The main event, the St Patrick’s Festival parade, is held on Friday 17 March in Dublin’s city centre.

In Northern Ireland, the newly curated ‘Home of St Patrick Festival’ celebrates St Patrick, the man and the saint, as one of the world’s most inspiring and loved saints of all time. Taking place in the beautiful landscape of Counties Armagh and Down, which was once Patrick’s home, the festival will culminate on Sunday 19 March with ‘The Voice of the Irish’ closing concert in spectacular Newry Cathedral.

Canada, Events, Hamilton, Humour, Ideas for Traveling with Children, London, ON, Norfolk County, Ontario, Places to Travel, Toronto, Travel Savings, Travel SMART, Waterloo, weekend ideas

Add Some Light to Your Holiday

November 2, 2016 admin0

KITCHENER, Ont. — Get ready to pack the whole family into the car and drive through a Christmas
wonderland this season as Bingemans gears up to bring some spark and light to the holidays by hosting
the very first Gift of Lights exhibit in Southwestern Ontario.
Gift of Lights is a drive-thru holiday light display that has attracted many people to several cities across
the United States. This year for the first time, Gifts of Lights is coming to Southwestern Ontario and
Bingemans is proud to be the first to present and bring the luminous spectacle to Waterloo Region.
“Christmas is one of the best times of the year, and we are excited to bring this spectacular holiday
experience to the people of Waterloo Region and surrounding area. We’re excited to be hosting Gift of
Lights first-ever appearance in Southwestern Ontario,” says Mark Bingeman, President of Bingemans.
“We’re looking at this as the kick-off to many more new and exciting holiday experiences in future years.”
The display will stretch two kilometers through the Bingemans campground, featuring a combination of
30 static and animated displays and close to one million sparkling lights. Another prominent component
of the light extravaganza will be a 200-foot twinkling light tunnel.
“This will be a display of holiday lights unlike any other,” says Bingeman. “Best of all, you enjoy the lights
without ever having to leave the warmth and comfort of your car.”
Admission prices are $20 for cars, $40 for limos and $100 for buses and limo buses.
The grand opening of Bingemans’ Gift of Lights will be the weekend of November 18th from 5-10 pm. Preholiday
opening dates will include November 24th-27th and November 1st – December 4th. Regular holiday
hours begin December 8th.
For more information, please visit bingemans.com/gift-of-lights.php. Join the conversation on social
media; follow Bingemans on Instagram and Twitter @Bingemans, Like it on Facebook and watch exclusive
video on YouTube.
About Bingemans:
Waterloo Region’s leader in entertainment and hospitality, Bingemans is a multi-use amusement park and
campground located in Kitchener, Ont.,that provides the very best in family fun, recreation and family
camping. Explore FunworX all year long, a three-level indoor playground for children of all ages, boasting
an arcade, climbing wall, ropes course and more. Bingemans is also home to Canada’s largest Boston
Pizza, 28 lanes of 10-pin bowling at Kingpin Bowling, billiards, ping pong, outdoor beach volleyball and
outstanding banquet and catering facilities. And don’t miss Bingemans this winter season at their Annual
Holiday Gala, Christmas Day Buffet, Kids New Year’s Eve at FunworX and Gift of Lights – an absolute must-
Media Release FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY – Not for Distribution Page 2 of 2
see this holiday. The camping resort features sites for tents, trailers and RVs, seasonal camping, yurts and
cabins. With a heated wave pool, Spray “n” Play for kids and huge waterslides, Big Splash Waterpark is a
great spot to cool down in summer’s heat.

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Add Some Light to Your Holiday

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