Posts from the road

The urban side of Arizona

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(Glendale, Arizona, U.S.A.)

After our hike in Cave Creek Regional Park, we went to the nearby town of Cave Creek for lunch. There seem to be two distinct parts of town: the tourist-oriented section (see the photos immediately above and below), and the more “local” section slightly to the east. Seeking an authentic experience, we headed east after exploring the tourist shops.

This seems to be the epicentre of the touristy part of Cave Creek, Arizona.

And what could be more authentic than going to a saloon? And so it was that we found ourselves entering Cave Creek’s Buffalo Chip Saloon.

Front door of the Buffalo Chip Saloon – Cave Creek, Arizona

The food was solid and plentiful. And the saloon seemed to be quite a haven for fans of the Green Bay Packers. But it looked like this place really comes alive in the evenings and on weekends…as I guess one would expect from a saloon. They have live bull-riding two evenings/week in a large enclosure behind the saloon. They also have line-dancing, a mechanical bull, and lots of live country music (at lunch, it was “canned”).

Outdoor seating area behind the Buffalo Chip Saloon

Unique restaurants continued to be hard to find closer to our hotel. Most were chains, and often served bloated portions of uninspired food. But I did find something a little out of the ordinary, about 20 minutes south of our hotel in a nondescript strip mall.

A very impressive prickly pear cactus, in downtown Cave Creek

One of my most memorable trips was my 2014 journey through Bosnia & Herzegovina. I stayed for multiple days in each of Sarajevo, Mostar, and Trebinje. Since then, I don’t think I’ve encountered a single Bosnian restaurant. So I was very surprised to find a place in Phoenix called “Old Town Sarajevo”.

The wildlife in downtown Cave Creek is kind of prehistoric.

Eating at “Old Town Sarajevo” really did feel like being back in Bosnia again. The decor: 100% Bosnian. The food offerings made few concessions: the menu was in Bosnian first, and then English. But it was exactly the kind of food you would find in a local restaurant in Sarajevo.  

Our table at Old Town Sarajevo (Phoenix, Arizona)

My wife and I opted for “Punjena Pljeskavica”, which is a large meat patty topped with cheese and mushrooms…and served inside fried bread. My teammate chose “Ćevapi” (a.k.a. Ćevapčići), which is basically a lot of small beef sausages…once again inside a traditional bread, and served with ajvar (a red pepper and eggplant condiment).

View from our table, at the Old Town Sarajevo restaurant (Phoenix, Arizona)

While this was rather heavy food, the desserts from this part of Europe are impossible to pass up. Bosnia has had a tumultuous history, but the food has had the resulting benefit of influences from (among other places) Austria, Hungary, Greece, and Turkey. I found myself having some Bosnian baklava, with walnuts. But my dining companions went for something more strudelesque. I think we all won.

View outside our hotel in Glendale, Arizona.

As it turned out, this evening was our last chance to be tourists in Arizona. My final two bowling events were quite successful – as a result, I was on the green all day for the final four days of our trip. It just means that I still have some things to explore if I’m able to return again in the future.

Posts from the road

Hiking in the Arizona Desert

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(Cave Creek, Arizona, U.S.A.)

While Sun City is filled with palm trees, we took a short drive north to experience a place filled with cactuses (or cacti – apparently, both plural forms are acceptable). Our destination: Cave Creek Regional Park. Our mission: a hike in the desert.

The U.S. and Arizona flags at the entrance to Cave Creek Regional Park

Armed with sunscreen, water, Gatorade, and maps, we set out on a loop that looked manageable. While the air temperature seemed rather cool, the late-morning desert sun made it relatively warm once we started moving. Somewhat alarmingly, we saw warnings about rattlesnakes.

The “Go John” trailhead at Cave Creek Regional Park

In the end, the only wildlife we saw were some really tiny lizards. And since the hiking trails were shared with horseback riders, the biggest hazards were the occasional piles left behind by those large animals.

Cave Creek Regional Park

The terrain was dry, rocky, and uneven. You wouldn’t want to hike these trails while multitasking, as you would eventually find yourself doing a faceplant. Even so, we saw more than one person texting while walking the trails. Just like texting while walking in a big city, this is just asking for trouble.

Cave Creek Regional Park

As you can see, I took a lot of cactus pictures. This is partly because I just don’t see them very often. They aren’t well-suited for the relatively humid Ontario climate. But it is also because this harsh environment doesn’t let much else survive.

Cave Creek Regional Park

We ended up covering a lot more territory than we thought we would. We decided to supplement our loop route with a spur line to an abandoned clay mine.

Cave Creek Regional Park

The spur route featured more cactuses and more views of distant mountains. We found the clay mine, but it was completely fenced off and we couldn’t enter it. That was probably a good thing, as the mine has been abandoned for a long time and likely wasn’t very stable.

Rent your horses here, to explore Cave Creek Regional Park

We also saw the horse enclosure, where people can rent a horse (and a guide) to experience the desert in a different way. This wasn’t an option for me, due to a a severe horse allergy, but the horses seemed sure-footed and happy in this environment.

Cave Creek Regional Park

See if you can spot the additional passenger on the lead horse above!

Looking north from Cave Creek Regional Park

After about 2 hours in the desert, we returned to our car and discovered that we had worked up quite an appetite. I was even craving more liquids, despite sipping water almost continuously throughout our hike. I don’t think it is possible to bring too much water along on a trip into the desert.

Cave Creek Regional Park

Stay tuned for another Arizona post…this time, in a slightly less harsh environment!

Posts from the road

Here we are in Sun City, Arizona

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(Sun City, Arizona, U.S.A.)

Some trips are predictable. For example, I knew it was only a matter of time before I made it to Chile. But other trips can’t be foreseen. I certainly never thought I’d be in Sun City, Arizona, to play in the US Open lawn bowling tournament. And yet, here I am.

Bell Lawn Bowls Club, in Sun City, Arizona

From a bowling perspective, this place is amazing. There are 5 clubs within perhaps a 15 minute drive of each other. The greens are true, quick, and aesthetically appealing. I can see why so many of my bowling friends have raved about it. I can’t wait for play to begin – for now, we have a couple of days of practice. But, for travel blog purposes, I will try to focus on all aspects of the trip…not just the lawn bowling ones.

US Open Opening Ceremonies – Lakeview Lawn Bowling Club, in Sun City, Arizona

Sun City is essentially a suburb to the northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix currently is the 5th largest city in the U.S.A. Who knew? But Phoenix is not a typical city, and Sun City is hardly a typical suburb. For starters, home ownership in Sun City is limited to those 55 and older. So, there are a LOT of recreational activities available. And also a lot of “Snowbirds” (retired Canadians who spend the winters in the southern U.S.A.). After only a day here, I can understand why it is so popular.

The gazebo overlooking Viewpoint Lake in Sun City, Arizona

While Phoenix summers are brutally hot, the winters here are very comfortable. It is now early November, and today’s high temperature was a balmy 27’C. But it isn’t like 27’C in Canada, as there seems to be little or no humidity. I might even find it a little too dry: my nose and throat have felt a little dried out since we arrived. We’ll see how I adapt to this over the next few days.

Viewpoint Lake in Sun City, Arizona

The car reigns supreme in many parts of Canada, especially outside of urban Ontario and Quebec. But this part of the U.S.A. takes it to a new level. At Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport, the train that zips passengers between terminals actually has a station dedicated to car rentals! It is like an entire airport terminal in itself, and just for rental cars.

Viewpoint Lake at Sun City, Arizona

There’s a good reason for all the cars: Phoenix and its suburbs are really spread out. It’s not surprising – practically every building outside of the downtown core seems to be a one-level bungalow. The trend towards urban densification does not seem to have reached Phoenix yet.

Looking towards the Lakeview Lawn Bowling Club – Sun City, Arizona

Regular readers of this blog will know that I make a point of finding independent and unique restaurants wherever I travel. That will be a little more challenging on this trip. Near our hotel in Glendale (another northwestern suburb), pretty much everything is a chain…whether it’s a restaurant or a retail store. But I have put together a short list of places that still hold some promise. We’ll just have to drive to get to them.

Sunset over the Lakeview Lawn Bowling Club – Sun City, Arizona

At least some of the chains are quirky. “Trader Joe’s” is a grocery chain that sells mostly its own products (usually made secretly by other manufacturers). But its prices are quite competitive compared to other stores, and they manage this despite also offering a lot of unique products (many of which are organic). For example, I didn’t know that prickly pear wheat beer was a thing.

Trader Joe’s in Glendale, Arizona

My focus on this trip is obviously on competing in the US Open. But I will do my best to post some more blog entries about this interesting corner of the United States. Stay tuned!

Posts from Base Camp

Travel Flashback: Yukon and Alaska (2003)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

In the summer of 2003, we visited a friend from Hinton, Alberta, who had recently moved to Whitehorse, Yukon. It was my first, and so far only, visit to this northern Canadian territory.

The Yukon River, near Whitehorse, Yukon. It’s big, of course.

The strongest impression I had from the Yukon was the space. It wasn’t completely isolated (the Alaska Highway passes through Whitehorse), but I never had the feeling of being crowded either. The streets were wide and everything just seemed…big. Despite not being on a sea, ocean, or even a lake, even the boats were big (see the SS Klondike photo at the top of this post).

Our train on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, on the way to Skagway, Alaska.

The most “touristy” part of our trip (and thus the most photographed) was our journey on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad to Skagway, Alaska. This railway originally ran from Whitehorse to Skagway, and it was the main route to the Yukon interior during the Klondike Gold Rush. The railway closed in 1982, but then reopened again in 1988 as a summer heritage railway.

Bleak terrain on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad,

During our visit, the first part of our trip was by bus: only the portion from Bennett (B.C.) to Skagway was operational. It now runs from Carcross (Yukon) to Skagway, and there are plans to have it once again run the entire length from Whitehorse to Skagway. There were some anxious moments en route…this is not easy terrain! But we made it to Skagway safe and sound. In fact, the line ends right on the docks where cruise ships stop in Skagway.

Hiking in the Dewey Lakes area, just above Skagway, Alaska.

Skagway is a small town, with only about 1,200 residents. You’re never far from nature, so it is easy to find appropriate hiking trails close to town. As we didn’t have a lot of specialized equipment, we limited ourselves to the Dewey Lakes area.

Hiking in the Dewey Lakes area, just above Skagway, Alaska.

Even though this was close to town, we really felt like we were “off the beaten track”. In some ways, the terrain (and tricky footing) was similar to our hiking adventure on Vancouver Island in 2023.

A saloon in downtown Skagway, Alaska.

Back in town, the local tourist industry really plays up the gold rush days. And with good reason: those were Skagway’s glory days, when the population was around 12,000! We found an old-fashioned saloon, and many other buildings that haven’t really changed in more than a century.

Jefferson Smith’s Parlor, in downtown Skagway, Alaska.

Given the small population, and the popularity of summer cruises along the Alaska coastline, Skagway is really transformed when a ship arrives. The inlet that ends at Skagway is quite narrow, but we still saw some fairly large ships sailing into port.

Between the docks and downtown Skagway, Alaska.

After a couple of nights in Skagway, we returned to Whitehorse. However, our “return” tickets on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad were actually for a bus on the return leg of our journey. I presume that this is to maximize the benefits from the short summer tourist season.

Exploring the coastline on the Taiya Inlet at Skagway, Alaska.

I think our two nights in Skagway were just right for us at the time. One full day of hiking and exploring the town felt appropriate. Since few of the cruise passengers actually stay overnight here, the evenings were very quite and peaceful.

I went through a phase where I would dramatically scale steep rocks.

Coming up – another international adventure!

Posts from the road

Highway 31 (and Murray Street) Revisited

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(Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

When I travel, I crave new adventures. However, sometimes it is fun to revisit previous experiences and even tie them together. That’s exactly what I did when I recently drove the length of Highway 31 from Morrisburg to Ottawa.

The St. Lawrence River shoreline in Morrisburg, Ontario

Morrisburg is a small Ontario town that remains very special to me. In December 2009, I was a torchbearer for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Torch Relay…and my assigned segment was in Morrisburg. It was such a unique and vivid experience: I’ll never forget the feeling of floating with the flame. You can read all about it by clicking here. However, when I retraced the route I ran on Ottawa Street 15 years ago, that supercharged feeling was gone. No snow, no festivities, no anticipation…and no cheering crowd! It is amazing how context can transform the routine into something truly extraordinary. I even had to go back to my old blog post about it and confirm that I was looking at the right street. But sure enough…it was indeed Ottawa Street where I did most of my Olympic run.

The main intersection in downtown Winchester, Ontario.

Heading north, I stopped in the similarly-sized town of Winchester. Although it is not that far from Kingston, I somehow had never made it to Winchester before. It has a strong agricultural history, and all the utility posts have a “cow” pattern on the bottom. I took a couple of pictures before returning to Highway 31. Before long, all the signs were referring to Bank Street, a major Ottawa thoroughfare, instead of Highway 31.

The Town Hall in Winchester, Ontario.

Bank Street was a mixed bag. The neighbourhood known as “The Glebe” was doing well…perhaps a little too well, as the new development at the south end seemed a little out of scale. But much sadder was the decay on Bank Street near Parliament Hill. So many vacant storefronts, and real human suffering. It was nothing like the vibrant street I remembered from 30-40 years ago.

Kerala (Red) Rice and Kodanadu Chicken at Kochin Kitchen (Ottawa, Ontario)

But on the plus side, I also had a chance to revisit Murray Street…which I visited just 3 months ago. In fact, I ate out twice on Murray Street: once at each of the restaurants that I wrote about this spring. The first evening, I went back to Kochin Kitchen for some Keralan food. I had the Kodanadu Chicken again, but this time I paired it with Kerala rice…which has a red tinge!

Dimly lit but brilliantly flavoured Gaeng Panang Curry at Khao Thai (Ottawa, Ontario)

The second night, I went to Khao Thai…which was full when I tried to go there in June. It was still fairly busy, but I was able to get a table. I had a spicy Gaeng Panang curry with some jasmine rice. It was excellent. It was a perfect blend of (most of) my favourite Thai elements: red curry, peanuts, coconut milk, and green and red peppers. And some peas! Yes, it was a little more expensive than the Thai restaurants in Kingston, but I’d have to say it was worth it.

Entering Gatineau, Quebec, after crossing the bridge from Ottawa

And finally, as has become my Ottawa tradition, I included a “walk through Quebec”. Using two of the bridges that connect Ottawa and Gatineau, I saw many of downtown Ottawa’s highlights (including the Chateau Laurier – see photo at the very top of this post) in a whirlwind tour. Even though I have advised against ultra-brief visits to places just to say I’ve been there, I must admit that I still do like the idea of crossing borders. That’s good: in about a month, I’ll be visiting another country. More details to come!

Posts from Base Camp

Travel Flashback: My most northern destinations

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

The summer is a great time to head north. With the long hours of daylight, there is so much more to see! On that note, here are some of my most northern destinations…

Overlooking Iqaluit’s harbour

In Canada, the farthest north I’ve been is to Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut (Canada’s largest territory). After getting over the sticker shock, I developed a much deeper appreciation for the differences between the various parts of Canada. As I wrote in this post about my 2013 trip to Iqaluit, you should take advantage of any opportunity you might have to visit Nunavut. You will never forget it!

“Welcome to Iqaluit”, in the 4 languages of Nunavut

2013 was a great year to go north. Later that summer, I found myself in Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories. Yellowknife is still connected by road (albeit a very long road) to the rest of Canada, which meant that it had some superficial similarities to other Canadian cities. But, as with Nunavut, I felt that a true Northern experience would require a trip to one of the smaller outlying communities. That remains a travel goal of mine.

Floating houses in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

And yes, I’ve been to the Yukon Territory (and Alaska) too! However, so far, I haven’t converted that experience to a post on this blog. It’s a rainy day project of mine to track down some pictures and make it happen. The same goes for my 1999 trip to Harrington Harbour, Quebec, a remote village on the north shore of St. Lawrence River (near Labrador).

Downtown Grímsey, right beside the Arctic Circle

Despite living in Canada, the farthest north I’ve ever been was in…Iceland! In 2008, we spent a remarkable two weeks there. We even made it to Grimsey, an island north of the Arctic Circle. Sure, the journey by boat made us sick, but once again it was an experience that we’ll never forget.

The boat we took back to Balestrand, Norway

On mainland Europe, I’ve been to each of the Scandinavian countries. But within those countries, my most northerly destination was Fjærland, Norway (see photo at the very top of this post). You can find the details in this post about our 2010 adventure in the Norwegian fjords. Interestingly, I wasn’t particularly struck by the “northernness” of this area. It was beautiful, to be sure, but in an Alpine way! Sometimes, it felt like we were in Switzerland rather than Scandinavia.

Broch of Gurness, Orkney

Another northern destination that left an impact on me was Orkney, a cluster of islands off the northern coast of Scotland. Like many other northern destinations, there weren’t a whole lot of trees in Orkney. But, as you can see from these two posts (one about ancient Orkney, the other about “relatively more recent” aspects of Orkney), you don’t need a lot of trees to be a captivating place. We haven’t returned yet, but one day we will.

Kirkwall Bowling Green, Orkney – I hope to play here for real someday!

As I reviewed my blog posts about these northern destinations, two common themes emerged: (1) the north is unforgettable, and (2) we’ll return someday and dig even deeper!

Posts from the road

Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains

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(Tannersville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)

My lawn bowling competition was being held at the Skytop Lodge in the Pocono Mountains – you can see the lodge in the photo at the very top of this post. It reminds me of the massive and ancient hotels in Canadian resort areas: the Banff Springs Hotel and the Manoir Richelieu in particular. They are like huge sports camps…albeit at a price. And that price hit especially hard with the strong American dollar.

“Taste of Susan’s Grill House” in Tannersville, Pennsylvania.

So, even though it would have been more convenient to stay at the resort itself, we decided to stay at a nondescript hotel in Tannersville for economic reasons. It’s about 30 minutes away (on narrow and winding mountain roads) and, strangely, home to a massive “outlet” mall with 100+ stores. The scope of that mall is a little odd because Tannersville itself is little more than the intersection of two local highways near an Interstate highway. But it was very busy, even just before closing time.

My tarragon soda at “Taste of Susan’s Grill House”

Anyway, the Pocono Mountains are dotted with unique restaurants that you don’t typically find in such small communities. On our first night, we went to “Taste of Susan’s Grill House”. It specialized in food from the former Soviet republics. For my beverage, I had a shockingly luminescent green soft drink based on…tarragon!

Uzbek Pilaf (#1) at “Taste of Susan’s Grill House:

For my main course, there was no doubt: I had to try the Uzbek Pilaf. How often does one get the chance to eat Uzbek food, particularly in rural America? I really liked the meal. In fact, we went back to Susan’s the next evening and I had the Uzbek Pilaf again. For a drink, though, I switched it up on the second night and had pear-flavoured “Georgian Lemonade” instead. And we also learned that the proprietor was from Armenia.

Main entrance to the Skytop Lodge (Skytop, Pennsylvania)

I’d like to tell you more about the Poconos but, to be fair, I spent most of my time practicing and playing at the Skytop Lodge. The grounds are beautiful and it is situated on a high plateau with nice views of the surrounding hills. The lawn bowling green was impressively manicured – maybe just a tad too lush (it wasn’t quite as fast as my favourite Ontario greens), but still a pleasure to play on. With the tranquil surroundings, it felt like being transported back in time about a hundred years.

The lawn bowling green, behind Skytop Lodge (photo credit: R. Hastu)

As I really enjoyed the event, I will likely return in the future. And I *might* consider a splurge and stay at the Lodge itself (if only for a night or two). There are a lot of other sports activities available…and if you check the link, you will see that some of them (“Arrow Tag” and “Intro to Shotgun” come to mind) are likely not available at Canadian resorts such as Chateau Montebello.

Part of the main lobby at Skytop Lodge (Skytop, Pennsylvania)

We self-catered our lunches during the tournament, so we stocked up in a local supermarket. I know that grocery prices have been a real pain point for Canadians over the past couple of years. But prices seemed just as high in the U.S., and that was before accounting for the 30+% exchange rate. Canadians used to do a lot of cross-border shopping in the U.S., but (except perhaps for gas) I don’t think it is much of a deal anymore.

Liquid Death, now at your local supermarket

The grocery price pain was offset a little by the entertainment value on the shelves. Canadian grocery stores have more variety than ever, but this was at a different level altogether. Maybe I shop at the wrong stores, but I don’t recall seeing products such as “Liquid Death” flavoured water in Canada. While flavours such as “Cherry Obituary” and “Berry it Alive” were tempting, I decided to give them a pass.

The Friendly’s restaurant in Cortland, New York.

As I had to play in a playoff match, the last day of the tournament ended a little later than anticipated . We had to drive all the way home that evening, which meant that we (1) couldn’t spent a lot of time looking for restaurants, (2) weren’t looking for an extended dining experience, and (3) would eat when it made the most sense from a driving perspective. And that is how we ended up at the “Friendly’s” restaurant in Cortland, New York! This American chain specializes in food like burgers…and dessert. My spicy grilled cheese was fine.

Posts from the road

Sightseeing in Scranton, Pennsylvania!

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(Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)

I continue to embrace the random travel that my sports competitions create. This time, I was heading to a competition in Skytop, Pennsylvania. I had never heard of it before, but decided to add a little bit of time to the trip so I could see the local sights.

Looking toward Pennsylvania, just inside New York state.

When I looked at what we’d pass before getting to Skytop, I saw…Scranton, Pennsylvania. Not too many obvious sights came to mind. In such cases, I start with looking for interesting restaurants and record shops (I found a record shop in nearby Dickson City). And I remembered that Scranton earned a kind of fame by being the site of a TV cringe comedy called “The Office”.

And now we’re in Pennsylvania!

For lunch, I found a highly rated Scranton institution called Abe’s Kosher Deli. It seemed like everybody knew everybody else. I had a BBQ beef brisket sandwich and it was very good. It was served with a pickle unlike any other I’ve had: it was very green, very crunchy, and very salty. There were a lot of interesting items on the menu; I would like to go back one day and try some more of them. But there’s also a nice Thai restaurant around the corner…

Abe’s Kosher Deli, in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania.

After lunch, we walked around downtown Scranton and snapped a few photos. Urban decay is a problem in many parts of North America, but downtown Scranton seemed to be OK. This may be because people still have a reason to go downtown. In addition to the Lackawanna County Courthouse, there was a mall…and there were sights from “The Office”!

Lackawanna County Courthouse, in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The “cover photo” for today’s post is an actual mural in downtown Scranton. Apparently, it has been authorized by all of “The Office” actors portrayed on it. At City Hall, you can pick up a self-guided walking tour that visits many of the Scranton locations made famous on “The Office”. And I don’t want to get your hopes up, but I’m told that Brian Baumgartner (who played “Kevin” on “The Office”) has been known to appear at a couple of the local bars from time to time.

The Scranton Electric Building, in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania. The sign lights up at night.

So Scranton, also known as the “Electric City”, does have something to offer the traveler. (In case you’re wondering, it was one of the first cities in North America to be electrified.) Stay tuned for more from our trip to Pennsylvania!

Posts from the road

Don’t forget to stop and look around!

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(Grafton, Ontario, Canada)

Every once in a while, I am reminded that “it’s the journey, not the destination.” Today’s brief post is about how that can apply to even routine travel.

The Grafton Village Inn, in Grafton, Ontario.

I play a lot of tournaments in Cobourg, Ontario. It’s less than 90 minutes away by the 401 “autobahn”, and exactly 2 hours away by the slower and more interesting Highway 2. But even when I take Highway 2, I tend to “press on” when I get close to Cobourg. Similarly, when I return from Cobourg, I want to get some distance out of town before stopping.

The Alnwick-Haldimand Municipal Building in Grafton, Ontario.

On a recent long trip home from a tournament in Woodstock, the timing was right for a stretch in Grafton. Grafton is only 12 km from Cobourg. As Cobourg is such a nice place to visit, we tend to overlook the much smaller community of Grafton. Over many years of travel on this route, I don’t think we’ve ever stopped the car there.

The Lass & Ladle Bakery in Grafton, Ontario.

And yet, all four pictures in today’s post were taken within one minute at one intersection in Grafton. The antique store (see photo at the very top of this post) used to be a barbershop, where the same barber carried on business for more than 50 years! I have also learned that Grafton was where Bob Homme (“The Friendly Giant”) retired. He is buried in the Fairview Cemetery there.

When you’re on the road, don’t forget to stop and look around!

Posts from the road

More non-traditional Ontario destinations

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(Pickering, Dresden, Campbellford, and other places in Ontario, Canada)

While my last post focused on Cambridge, Ontario, this one covers a whole bunch of non-traditional Ontario destinations. Once again, the unifying theme is “places I went for lawn bowling competitions”! And, of course, food plays a role.

Pollo con mole, at Cielito Lindo (Pickering, Ontario)

In late June, I had a qualifying tournament in Pickering, Ontario. We had a strong first day of competition, so our team decided to celebrate at dinner that evening. We settled on Cielito Lindo, which looked like a family-run Mexican restaurant. And it was! I went for the pollo con mole (pictured above), and the sauce was excellent. Just the right amount of chocolate and heat.

Yeck’s Smokehouse Grill, in Ridgetown, Ontario

Suburban communities like Pickering are sometimes overrun by chain restaurants, serving a very corporate kind of “McFood”. While there are exceptions (The Owl of Minerva – a Korean restaurant – being one of those exceptions), I really try to seek out independent alternatives whenever possible. Often, restaurants are the only truly “local” experience we have when I play in particularly intense tournaments. Such was the case in Pickering – there was no time to explore hidden nooks and crannies during that visit.

Solid diner food at Yeck’s in Ridgetown, Ontario

As the qualifying event in Pickering went well, two weeks later we headed much farther west for the Provincial event in…Dresden, Ontario. Dresden is a very small community (less than 3000 people), but it happens to have a good bowling facility. Before my first practice session, we stopped in the nearby town of Ridgetown for lunch. Ridgetown is only slightly larger than Dresden, and is clearly an important agricultural centre.

My grilled Reuben sandwich, and sides, at Yeck’s Smokehouse Grill in Ridgetown

I figured that Yeck’s Smokehouse Grill would be a solid choice. We did indeed enjoy our “homestyle” lunches – my grilled Reuben sandwich was particularly well done and the fries met our exacting standards. The restaurant was very popular with Ridgetown residents…we had to wait a little while for a table.

Cashew chicken, at the Thai Kitchen & Bar in Chatham, Ontario

After the competition in Dresden was over, I had an intense craving for Thai food. Alas, Dresden had little to offer in that regard. We returned instead to the nearby city of Chatham and the sensibly named “Thai Kitchen & Bar”. The menu was extensive, with a lot of unfamiliar options, so it was very difficult to decide on what to have. I settled on the not-at-all-unknown cashew chicken, but would have loved to try some other dishes too.

Exterior of the Thai Kitchen & Bar in Chatham, Ontario

I have the feeling that the Thai Kitchen & Bar’s facility used to be a very different type of restaurant…probably something Mediterranean. No matter – we were happy with the food and will undoubtedly return there someday. Chatham is a very long way from home, but we have been on the road again several times since. There was another trip to Pickering, and of course the “Preston” trip from my previous blog entry.

A small piece of regular Gouda (top), and a small piece of lavender Gouda (bottom)

On the way back from Preston, we took a break in Whitby to stock up on Dutch delicacies at the Village Bakeshop. Regular blog readers know that I am a big fan of Gouda cheese. So I decided to buy a couple of less common varieties. First up was goat milk Gouda – almost pure white in colour. And I also picked up a piece of lavender Gouda! Yes, it is very purple (see picture). To complement the lavender, the cheese also contains rosemary and thyme.

Municipal office for the Township of Stone Mills – Centreville, Ontario

Lastly, we went to Campbellford for another provincial qualifier. On the way back home, we stopped in Stirling for ice cream at a candy store and a brief walk along the main street (see photo at the top of this post). We returned to Kingston along a lot of back roads, passing through many small villages such as Moira, Roslin, Croydon, Centreville (pictured) and Camden East. It was a nice way to unwind after a day of competition.

Stay tuned for more non-traditional Ontario destinations…and an intriguing international tournament!

The Odyssey Continues…