Discovering a classic.

I am usually open to trying new things and recommendations or suggestion from friends or acquaintances play a role in trying a new place, a lot more then online reviews....However on this trip I was set against trying one of the suggestions my husband received. Not because I didn't believe it would be good, it was more because our youngest was not with us and I was looking forward to enjoy a more "fine dinning" experience then a diner.

When we drove by the diner 2-3 times on our way to and from the mall and it was on our way to a different store so I agreed to have lunch there....at Bob Evans (you can only see a place so many times before you take it as a sign...right?)

The place was almost empty as we arrived after the lunch rush and we were seated immediately...by this time my knee was acting up very badly and I was happy not to have to wait at all for a table, unfortunately the pain also put a damper in my mood and I found it almost impossible to concentrate on the menu in front of me. I was almost getting angry when I had to ask for a second time for more time before ordering and since they do not serve alcohol or pepsi product what to drink was also an issue...

The waitress was a very kind woman and always came back with a smile, which made me feel bad that I was in such a bad mood and must have looked angry even if I was really trying not to act like a brat....I finally decided on a fried chicken with mash potatoes and green beans and my husband suggested we try the new strawberry lemonades. (you can spot the lemonade in the burger photo...in the upper right corner)

I always tell my children that a poor attitude will prevent them from enjoying what could turn out to be a wonderful adventure...it was something I had to remind myself on this trip. Between not being able to find a flower girl dress for my daughter and spending 2 days in search of what almost turned out to be the impossible color shoes (royal blue), not to mention the sharp pain in knee it was close to impossible to put up a decent attitude even if I knew my daughter was watching me.

 We had to wait for some time for our meals to arrive, but that is always to be expected when food is cooked to order. (If your food arrives fast it may just have been cooked by Chef Microwave)

When the plates arrived I noticed that my mashed potatoes had a pool of gravy (like grandma used to plate it)....but I have never enjoyed gravy and I always ask not to be on my plate....except now, when I was too busy being in a bad mood and in pain. My husband asked me if I want to send it back...should I? It wasn't the waitresses fault or the chefs that I forgot to mention that I have something against gravy (I grew up in Europe, we do not eat gravy)...so I decided that I should do what I tell my kids, try it. WOW, if this is what gravy is supposed to taste like then I will definitely never ask for it to be left of the plate.

My husband was very happy with his burger and so was my daughter...but I was over the moon with my plate. The chicken was actually a version of a schnitzel that took me back to my childhood, and the mashed potatoes with gravy and green beans were delicious. By the time I finished my meal I was in a very good mood and my knee pain even if it was not gone had no effect on my mood anymore.

We finished our meal with a slice of apple pie with ice cream, there is no better dessert than apple pie for a classic meal...just my opinion.

We thanked our waitress for the great service and very good food and left behind a tip ...I will admit that I am one of those people that tips based on the service level and food quality (more on the service...since it is not the waitresses fault if the cook is bad).

When I got in the car I could not stop thinking about how mood affects our experiences, but more importantly how food affects our mood...I am convinced that if the food would not have been as good as it was I would have ended up in a bad mood, hungry, and with a horrible memory.

I should mention that we now look forward to our next trip to Bob Evans for some delicious, simple meals full great flavours....not to mention that the diner setting makes it a great place to have a relaxed meal with family (even with small kids) or friends.....and I would even go there on a date night since the food is that good.

Happy travels
D.

Itchy...just itchy

If we travel to the Buffalo area for shopping during the week we rarely book a hotel in advance...well this week this really backfired on us.

After shopping until almost closing time we decided to find a hotel room in the area...our first option had no vacancy and when the only motel in the area with vacancy was one that had very bad reviews....so we decided to drive back from Amherst to Niagara (US). 

On the way I called a Best Western that we had stayed at before and had a pleasant experience, unfortunately the price I got quoted made my jaw drop $900USD...please understand that I was trying to avoid paying $170 at one of the larger hotel chains so this price left me speechless. I certainly hope there was some misunderstanding in what I asked of how the price was given to me, but I was so caught of guard that all I could do was ask if it was per night and then say good night. 

Still we decided to drive in that direction just because there are many more motels and hotels close to the boarder then they are in Amherst.

On the way we saw a Super 8 (Kenmore) and since we had a very good opinion about the area we decided to try it out.

I was very conflicted when we pulled in. The parking area is not in the greatest shapes and it does not get much better when you walk in. 

The lobby is very small and the decor is old, they serve breakfast but there is only place for 4 people to eat on the various chairs while watching a TV mounted on the wall.

The check-in agent was very warm and friendly and the price was decent ($98) so reminding myself that we will not be sleeping in the parking lot or in the lobby I asked to see the room before giving my card, it is something I tend to do when I am not convinced about the place...and is a good practice that can avoid the hassle of changing rooms or checking out after a hold was placed on your card.

The room was small, but looked very clean, and so did the bathroom. When the check-in agent told me the bed covers are new I knew she was right as the pattern on them is much newer then the old flowery covers found in all old motels. 

It was only when we tried to go to bed that I started to be bothered by the room. There was a screw hole in the wall next to the bed and with the lights of it looked like a bug (I hate bugs), but the biggest issue and the one that I can not get over was the sheets. There are cheep sheets and that there are the ones on this bed...itchy, there was a thin itch sheet with an itchy army style blanket to cover yourself with...it was like you were sleeping in a sandpaper sandwich....and the pillow was just as itchy, but it was also lumpy ....lets just say I slept about 1 hour the whole night.

The only saving...was the Olympic restaurant that was only a walking distance from this hotel.

Happy travels

Explore the Bruce Adventure Pass

When it comes to travel I always try to find the positive in every unexpected turn of events and take it as an adventure not a horrible experience...so this review was not the easiest to write.

Weather in Bruce County changes quite fast -
 this torrential rain lasted 15 min

10 years ago the +ExploretheBruce started as a school project and it promises to take any participant on a County wide scavenger hunt in search of 12 different attraction points. The Passport is supposed to provide directions to 12 "passport points" where a clue is located. figuring out the clue gets you to a box in which a hole puncher is placed. Each point has a different shaped hole punch to prevent cheating and each year the attractions are changed.

In theory it sound like a great thing, especially when you add the fact that the completion of the passport (7 or more locations) qualify you to a draw for different prizes. Unfortunately, this years adventure came with quite a few issues.

There are a few ways to get a copy of the passport. You can get one from any point on the map, from past or present sponsors, from visitor information areas or print one from your computer. 

After looking over this year's Passport Stops I decided that we can hit at least one before reaching Tobermory (which is where the first stopt is located), so I tried to print the passport out...this turned into a huge frustration.

The PDF is not sized to a regular sheet of paper and this causes huge problems when printing (if you use Windows), you either end up with a portion of the page or a small rectangular image going from the top of the page to the bottom (too small to read and no way it can be hole-punched). So, on to option two, find an Explore the Bruce box and get the needed copies from there. I did download a copy of the passport onto my phone (just in case)

With the exception of Point # 3 there are no actual directions to any of the points, just a general location. The maps that are attached are also very general not providing the exact spot of the clues. Ok, so we all use GPSs these days so why not just enter the coordinates provided and get to the clues...but to me this is the first missed opportunity. This could be a perfect opportunity to teach kids to read a map and follow directions...and keep them from asking the beloved question " Are we there yet?". 

You could enter the coordinates in your computer and write down your own directions or print out a google map with directions for the kids to follow from the back seat (we will try that for the rest of the stops next time).

The directions to stop #3 (Skinners Bluff) are provided from Wiarton, however if you are on your way to Tobermory from Toronto the GPS will take you on a different road, DO NOT listen to your GPS (wow that is the first time I ever said that), you want to make sure that you enter Colpoy's Range Road from Concession 24 and not from the other side, which is the way we did. The GPS took us on a scenic road from Owen Sound using Gray Road 1 then Coles Side Road and finally Colpoy's Range Road. 

This is when the puddles started with the first of the big puddles
in the distance (once the road got worst taking photos was the last
thing on my mind)

When you enter Colpoy's Range Road from Coles Side Rd you will notice a sign warning you that this is an unmaintained road, this did not mean much to us because we used unmaintained roads in the area before and they were just gravel roads, which is what the first 500m of this road looked like, however this road should have said "if you drive a sedan turn around NOW". The road itself is only wide for one car so if there is any incoming traffic there is nowhere to go, and this is not even the scary part.

After 500m we found the first puddle, and then another...and another,and..you get the idea...the road started to climb a bit and the puddles got wider and longer. Learned a new thing, how to gage the depth of a body of water. When the puddles got wider then the car and longer the half of the car length my husband started getting out in front of every one and tossing a stone in the middle, this told him the approximate depth of the water (cool trick to know). The last puddle was the entire width of the road and longer then our sedan, the water was deep enough to make a wave when we drove into it and for a moment I was certain the engine would choke, but we got out. I was just starting to be enjoy the dry road when we saw that the road suddenly became very rough and to top it off it was climbing again. We drove 3km on this road and had 800m left to get to the clue the only thing between us and the end of this nightmare was a 300m 15degree incline, if you are in a SUV or a truck this is no problem, but if you drive a sedan this is not something you want to try for fun. We are lucky, my husband is a good driver with extensive car knowledge, so if it is technically possible he can drive thru/over it, but even he was extremely reluctant and if it would not have been for the 3km of road full of puddles including the last huge one. So, up and over we went. It was the most terrifying part of the road with a cliff on one side and a huge drop on the other, a 15 degree incline and no cell signal...perfect.

Once we got over that "hill" the road got better, no more inclines or puddles. We were very happy to have made it an now all we wanted to see is that parking lot the pamphlet mentioned. We drove all the way to Centre Road and found no clue, no yellow marker.

As happy I was when I saw the paved road I was just as angry at the time waisted with no result...but we were all in one piece and the car did not suffer any damages (just looked like she rolled in mud). 

We decided to stop in Wiarton to stretch our legs and relax a bit before trying any more of this...adventure.  We parked near the visitor centre and while my son ran for the playground followed closely by my husband, my daughter and I decided to try to see if Willy the groundhog is out in his little observation area. Even with the hot summer day he was not interested in all the curious faces waiting for him outside, but if you wonder inside there is pakedermy of the previous Willy standing proud in a case on the corner of the counter. The good news was that between the information pamphlets on the wall next to him we found copies of the Explore the Bruce passport. 

Giant kites being launched on the Wiarton beach

After my daughter took a photo next to the Wiarton Willy's statue we reunited with the boys and while we enjoyed the country music the kids played in the pirate ship shaped playground. Because it was 1st of July there was a concert going on and different food vendors as well as arts and crafts stalls. We wondered around a bit when the kids got bored and came across a stall that was selling popcorn ( Prancing Pachyderms Kettle Corn Co) and got a bag of maple popcorn for only $7. Delicious!

It was getting close to lunch time so we took off for Tobermory and Passport Stop #1.

We parked the car across from the Princess Hotel since the parking lot by the dock was full and we were walking back to the dock when my daughter spotter the Explore the Bruce box (we never did go to see the clue since we spotted the box first). After this mornings disappointment we were glad to find this one so easy. For those that are planning to do this scavenger hunt I will not divulge the exact location, but I will say that it is by a landmark.

For lunch we decided to try the Crowsnest Pub, they have the best view of the dock. and a nice patio that can be enjoyed on sunny days. We opted for a booth inside since it would be easier to handle our 3 year old son. The pub was packed as we arrived at the end of the Argentinian game and there were plenty of fans glued to the big screens. A booth became available next to a big group of fans and we were able to sit down and ordered. 

local art

historic images of the area are displayed as you go up to the pub

kids meal

There is one dish that you can not go wrong with in Tobermory and that is Fish and Chips...and that is exactly what we had, white fish and chips. 

I know that not everyone is a soccer fan but we are and there is something contagious and exiting about watching a good game side by side with fans of the winning team. By the time our food arrived the game was over and the fans paid and left. The food was very good (4.5 stars). If I had one complaint or suggestion for this place would be for them to invest in a few high chairs with seatbelts. 

After lunch we left in search of Stop #4 Fen, Oliphant. Now, Oliphant is a town between Lion's Head and Sauble Falls, the direction to the next clue simply says "located at northern entrance to the Fen" there is no mention if this Fen is a town, a street...or what?...Turns out what we were actually looking for is a wetland area boardwalk called "The Fen". We only figured this one out because some locals pointed us in the right direction. The clue itself is easy on this one so I will not give it out at all.

Stop #5 Sauble Sand Dune was selfexplenatory once we actually found it but, because we are not from the area we took a few wrong turns. The directions simply said "located in the parking area" so we drove to Sauble Beach and looked around the Sauble Beach sign, we showed the pamphlet to a few locals, that sent us to the parking lot where the public washrooms are, then to a different Sauble Beach Dunes which is a few km away. I was getting frustrated when a local pointed out that the photo on the pamphlet is of the sand dunes next to the highway. So back we went towards Oliphant and found the huge dune that we drove by on the way to Sauble Beach and for the first time noticed what they called the parking lot. The clue sent us up to the top...I did mention this as the climb to the top starts as fun and by the time you are half way up you realize it is not as easy as it looks (unless you are in shape) and if it is a hot sunny day it may not be such a bad idea to take your water bottle with you.

On the positive note, in 11 years of driving by this dune we never considered to climb...we did it now.

With so much time waisted on looking in the wrong spots we decided it is time to return home and return on a different day.

Since we had to fill up on gas we ended up in Mildmay where the gas attendant told me that we were only 2 blocks away from the Artesian Well (Stop #9). I convinced my husband to drive up to it with the excuse of needing water and why buy when we are just a skip away from "the most delicious water in the County". The well was not hard to find, but when it comes to the clue I will tell you only that you do not need get back in the car.

With our passports stamped and fresh water...and a few mosquito bites we were finally on our way home.

So with mixed feelings we finished this adventure only to contemplate how will we complete the remainder or stops.

Until next time 

happy travels