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Sunday 20 November 2022

Tobermory Ferries

Tobermory Ferries Over The Years.
 
Location: Tobermory, Ontario, Canada
Address:  8 Eliza St
Date:  September 2022
Website:  www.ontarioferries.com

  There have been ferries travelling between Tobermory and South Baymouth, Ontario for over 100 years.  Tobermory is at the top of the Bruce Penninsula and sits between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.  If you wish to travel further from here you will have to either take a boat or else head back and go the long way around.  On a trip from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario we travelled south by ferry to Tobermory.

Burns Wharf Manitowaning Ontario

   The ferry service started in the 1920s with the SS Hibou.  Later came the MS Normac which could hold up to 16 cars.  There were a couple of other ships before the SS Norisle came along in 1946.  You can still find the Norisle docked at Burns Wharf in Manitowaning on Manitoulin Island.

Norisle Docked In Manitowaning.

     The Norisle was capable of holding up to 46 cars as it made its journey from Manitoulin Island to Tobermory and back again.  In 1958 the Normac returned to help share the work load. When the Normac retired, the MS Norgoma joined the Norisle in making the 46 km voyage.

Chi-Cheemaun Tobermory Ferry

     In 1974 the Chi-Cheemaun arrived and replaced both the Norisle and the Norgoma.  The Chi-Cheemaun can hold 143 vehicles and over 600 passengers and it is still running to this day. 
 
Chi-Cheemaun Arrives in South Baymouth

   The Chi-Cheemaun can also hold large transport trucks like the truck full of livestock in the photo above.  You can get an idea of the size of the Chi-Cheemaun as it prepares to dock.

Collingwood Ship Builders.

  Like the Norisle and Norgoma that came before it, the Chi-Cheemaun was built in Collingwood, Ontario.

Indigenous Turtle Artwork Chi Cheemaun, Tobermory.

     The beautiful indigenous art, like the turtle pictured above, gives the Chi-Cheemaun a bright colourful look. 

Chi Cheemaun Ferry Indigenous Artwork.

    The sides of the ship also feature birds and fish. 

Cars Enter Stern Of The Chi-Cheemaun South Baymouth.

    In South Baymouth we entered the ship through the stern.  We first had to wait for the vehicles that had arrived from Tobermory to leave from the same opening at the back of the ship.

The Bow Of The Chi-Cheemaun Flips Up In Tobermory Ontario

    Upon arrival in Tobermory, the bow of the ship flips up to allow the vehicles to exit and a new group to enter.  If you see the Chi-Cheemaun in the harbour with its front flipped up you have not yet missed your ferry, but you better hurry.

South Baymouth Ferry Terminal.

    It was a beautiful, clear day when our ferry left South Baymouth to head south to Tobermory.

 View From The Front Of The Chi-Cheemaun Tobermory.

    The Ontario flag at the front of the ship blew in the breeze as we started our one hour and 45 minute journey.

Flowerpot Island Mural.

    The Chi-Cheemaun passses by the famous Flowerpot Island.  The flowerpot formations made from the rocks are shown in the mural above. Unfortunately as the Chi-Cheemaun passes, these rocks are on the other side of the island.

Cove Island Lighthouse.

    The ferry does pass Cove Island and you can get a good view of its lighthouse.

Chi-Cheemaun Ferry View.

    At some points during the journey you can see nothing but water as you look from the deck of the Chi-Cheemaun.

Chi-Cheemaun Approaches Tobermory.
 
   Before we knew it, the time came for us to head back down to our vehicles and get ready to drive through the Chi-Cheemaun and out into the town of Tobermory.  Just like the artwork that graces the sides of the ship, a voyage on the Chi-Cheemaun will brighten your day.


Map of Our World
Chi-Cheemaun Ferry
SS Norisle

Post # 317

Thursday 20 October 2022

Rise Of The Jack O'Lanterns

Rise Of The Jack O'Lanterns New York
 
Location: Wheatley Heights, New York, USA
Address:  185 Colonial Springs Rd.
Date:  September 2022
Website:  jackolanterns.com

  As Halloween season approaches, all sorts of creatures prepare for October 31st to arrive.  Nothing represents Halloween quite like a carved pumpkin or Jack O'Lantern.  While we were in New York City we visited the Rise Of The Jack O'Lanterns.  The Rise Of The Jack O'Lanterns is a winding trail through the woods and is filled with hundreds of pumpkins.  There were pumpkins from all sorts of movies from animated Disney to Pulp Fiction.  This blog is going to focus on some of the spoookier carvings.  We followed the trail into the woods towards the glowing orange lights.

The Scream Carved In Pumpkins.

   The first pumpkins we encountered were based on famous works of art.  There was American Gothic, Mona Lisa and this more Halloween appropriate, The Scream.

Rise Of The Jack O'Lanterns Marge Simpson Carving.

     The next section featured all the Simpsons characters.  While not normally spooky, the animated show does a special Treehouse Of Horror episode at Halloween.  This year they will have made more than 32 of them.  Also Marge's hair reminds us of Bride of Frankenstein.

Venom Pumpkin Carving.

     There was no shortage of comic book heroes and villains.  We have pictured Venom above, as we find him to be the creepiest.
 
Jack O'Lantern With Fangs.

  While all the character carvings were made out of groups of pumpkins, there were still more traditional carvings scattered along the trail.

Uncle Fester Pumpkin Carving.

  The next group of carvings were from the creepy and kooky Addam's Family.  The Uncle Fester above appears to be from the movie version with Christopher Lloyd.  Further down the trail was also Christopher's most famous character of Doc Brown from Back to The Future.

Skeleton Biker Carved Into Pumpkins.

    This skeleton biker reveals a bit of the secrets behind how these intricate carvings are made..

Pee Wee Herman Pumpkin Carving.

    A Pee-Wee Herman carving was the next we encountered.  Pee-Wee's Big Adventure was Tim Burton's first feature film.  Pee-Wee himself is not very scary. 

Large Marge Pumpkin Carving.

    But Large Marge is!

Beetlejuice Pumpkin Carving.

    Tim Burton's movies have always had a darker feel to them.  They have been associated with ghosts and strange creatures and Halloween.  He is responsible for Beetlejuice.

Jack Skellington Pumpkin Carving

    Burton created the stop motion classic The Nightmare Before Christmas.  Jack Skellington has become both a symbol of Halloween and Christmas.

Mars Attacks Martian Carved In Pumpkins.

     There were also some carvings from the hilarious Mars Attacks!
 
Crying Carved Pumkin.

    We headed further into the woods to see what else awaited us.

Linus Pumpkin Carving.

    There was a section for Peanuts characters.  Each Halloween, Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin to appear.  This year a great pumpkin carving of Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin.

Flowers & Skeletons.

    There was a section dedicated to artwork made up of flowers and skeletons.

Nightmare On Elm Street Pumpkin Carving.

   There were some classic horror film villains such as Freddy Krueger and the clown from It.

Darth Vader Pumpkin Carving.

    In the Star Wars section there were lots of carvings.  Sorry Rebel forces but Halloween belongs to Darth Vader.

Happy Halloween Pumpkin Carving.

    There were so many more pumpkin creations along the Rise Of The Jack O'Lanterns trail.   We were impressed by the amount of work that went into the carvings.  If you need to get some costume ideas or enjoy a fall evening walk, these type of events can be found in many cities across North America.   Happy Halloween!


Map of Our World
Rise Of The Jack O'Lanterns

Post # 316

Tuesday 20 September 2022

Queen Elizabeth II

Statue of Queen Elizabeth II Outside Manitoba Legislative Building

 Location:
London, England
Address:  Kensington Gardens
Date:  August 2015
Website:  www.hrp.org.uk

  Queen Elizabeth II lived to be 96 years old and was Queen for just over 70 years.  She was not only the Queen of England but also other Commonwealth countries such as Canada.  Her reign was the longest of any British monarch.  Most of us have only been alive during her reign.  Sadly, she passed away on Sept 8 2022 and will now be succeeded by her son Charles.  In this post we look at a few of the places we have visited where the Queen was honoured.

 
Queen Elizabeth II statue in  Winnipeg Manitoba.

    This statue of the Queen above can be found outside of the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnpeg, Manitoba, Canada.  We wrote a short blog about it during the Queen's 90th birthday.
 
Queen Elizabeth II Riding A Horse Outside Saskatchewan Legislative Building.

   In the next province over we found yet another statue of the Queen.  This time she was riding a horse outside the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.  The name of the horse is Burmese.  Burmese was born in Fort Walsh, Saskatchewan.

Queen Elizabeth II Statue Riding Her Horse Burmese.

    Burmese was given to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1969.  The Queen rode Burmese every year in the annual Trooping of Colour ceremony until 1987.  The Trooping of Colour happens each June and is also known as the Queen's Birthday Parade.  It involves over a thousand officers and hundreds of horses on parade during the ceremonies.

Queen Elizabeth II Leaves Secret Garden Inn In Kingston Ontario.
 
   In Kingston, Ontario, Canada we once had afternoon tea in a place called the Secret Garden Inn.  After our tea, as we were leaving, we noticed a photograph in the front room.  The photo is of Queen Elizabeth II and was taken right in front of the inn.

The Spire Kingston Ontario.

      Had the Queen visited the Secret Garden Inn for tea?  Perhaps.  The photo was most likely taken as she visited the Sydenham Street United Church across the street.  This church is more commonly known as The Spire due to its long pointy top that can be seen all across Kingston.

Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip Photos Royal York Hotel Toronto

    At the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada there is a special book that can be found in the lobby area along the far wall.  The Queen has stayed at the Royal York many times and stays on her own floor in the Royal Suite.  The photos above are of the Queen and her husband Prince Philip.  Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died one year before the Queen in April 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II 7 Prince Philip Signatures In The Royal York Hotel

  In a glass case sitting below the photographs is a book signed by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when they visited during the Golden Jubilee in October 2002.  They both signed using just their first names.

Queen Elizabeth Attends the 114th Queen's Plate.

    The Queen's Plate at Woodbine racetrack in Toronto was started with Queen Victoria's involvement in 1860.  Queen Elizabeth II has attended the event 4 times.  In 1973 she watched the horse races in a bright yellow dress.  The winning horse that year was named Royal Chocolate. 
 
Queen Elizabeth II Car Window Decal.
 
     We once thought we spotted the Queen sitting in a car outside a Toronto store.  It turned out it was just a fun window decal.
 
Toronto's First Post Office Stamps

    In Canada we are used to seeing the Queen's face everywhere we go.  She is on our money, our stamps and more.  The stamp pictured above is from a display on Adelaide Street East near Toronto's First Post Office.

Queen Elizabeth II Million Dollar Coin At The ROM in Toronto Ontario

    At the Royal Ontario Museum is a giant example of the Queen appearing on Canadian currency.  This million dollar gold coin weighs 100 kg and is made from 99.999% pure gold buillon.  The Royal Canadian Mint only ever made five of these in 2007.  At the time of release it held the Guiness world's record for largest gold coin.  Now that the Queen has passed we wonder what the coin's value is today.  Any new coins produced by the Royal Canadian Mint will now feature King Charles on them.

The Queen's Cypher Over A Doorway In Windsor Castle.

    Aside from all the currency changes around the world there will also be changes to many structures throughout England and abroad.  This doorway at Windsor Castle has the Queen's Cypher hanging over it.  The letters stand for Elizabeth Regina.
 
The Queen's Cypher At Windsor Castle.
 
   Normally the letters in the cypher are shown as E II R for Elizabeth the second.  This wall at the Tower of London is only one of the thousands of places which will now be changed to C III R for Charles the third.
 
Guard Station With The Queen's Cypher.
  
   All of the guard stations will need to be repainted.  The Royal Guards are known to stand still and hold their post despite distractions or extreme heat.  Perhaps the painters will just set up a ladder and do their work around the stationed guard.

Post Box With The Queen's Cypher.

      Post boxes across the country will need to be changed.  Some of these marked for Queen Elizabeth II may have been around for 70 years.  We are not sure how quickly or if these changes will even be made.  King Charles is already 73 years old so he will be very lucky if he can serve as Head of the Commonwealth for even a quarter of the time that his mother served.
 
Souvenir Post Box Filled With Candy.

     Even souvenirs such as this post box shaped candy tin will see changes.  You will be able to tell from the cypher if your souvenir represents the Queen or the new King.  We predict that anything with the Queen's cypher on it will become highly sought after.
 
Solar Powered Waving Queen Elizabeth II.

    We also predict that souvenirs of the Queen will be around for many years to come just because she was so well loved.  Good news if you don't yet have your very own solar-powered, waving Queen figurine.

Queen Elizabeth II made out of Lego In Hamley's London.

     A Queen made completely out of Lego was once at Hamley's toy store in London, England.  It's too bad that this was not sold as a kit.  It might take a bit of time to build, but would be well worth it.
 
Mayflower Dinner Gown Worn By Queen Elizabeth II.

    In Kensington Palace we saw some more personal items belonging to the Queen.  This flowered dinner gown was worn by the Queen during a visit to Nova Scotia, Canada in 1959.  The mayflower is the provincial flower of Nova Scotia.
 
Dresses Worn By The Queen On Display At Kensington Palace.

    These two other dresses are a formal gown with beaded embroidery worn for the opening of the New Zealand parliament in 1963 and a yellow evening gown worn at the 1961 premiere of The Guns of Nazarene at the Odeon Leicester Square.
 
Memorial To The Queen Oakville Ontario

       These are just a few of the things and places that remind us of the Queen.  Memorials like this one at a British Grocery store in Oakville, Ontario will be showing up everywhere.  She will long be remembered by many people around the world.



Post # 315