Calgary Zoo

When Pacey was 3 we decided to go to the Calgary Zoo, as Pacey was a huge dinosaur fanatic we thought the dinosaur area at the zoo would be very intriguing for him.

Well, the day we planned for the zoo it was scorching hot and walking all day in the heat with a 3 year old who wants to be carried the entire time and the heat was over bearing for him, plus pulling a wagon with snacks, water, etc. it became more of a dreadful day for me that a great memorable one.  

I think we made the mistake of touring through the dinosaur area first and Pacey was all super excited and thought it was fantastic and then the rest of the zoo just seemed like a bore to him which made him uninterested and cranky basically the remainder of the day.

The zoo is fantastic, but I strongly feel that once you’ve seen it once you are pretty much good.  And big recommendation - don’t take your kids until they are old enough to be able to walk all day without needing to be carried or pushed or pulled.

Don’t let my one bad experience detour you from taking in this amazing experience, I did go as a kid and it was fantastic - I loved it.  You get to discover Africa, the Canadian Wilds, Australia, the Dinosaur Prehistoric Park, South America, Eurasia and the Botanical Gardens.

I’ve heard that the zoo is an amazing place to go see close to Christmas with all the zoo lights, I may still make one more attempt with Pacey and I hope you will take at least one opportunity to go discover life on earth at the zoo!

Calaway Park

As a kid I can remember going out to visit family in Calgary almost every summer and when we were there that meant going to Calaway Park!  When Pacey was 3 we were on route to Calgary and I thought what better than to let his Calaway Park experiences begin.

With everything from kiddy rides to thrill-seeker rides, live entertainment and anything in between, Calaway is Western Canada’s largest outdoor family amusement park.   There’s the ferris wheel, the infamous log ride, which Pacey completely freaked out on the first time on it and now its his favorite ride, the carousal, the big boat one of my favorites, driving the antique cars, a kid roller coaster, the adult roller coaster, bumper cars for all ages and so much more.  

Calaway is all about fun for the whole family!

Tips:

• plan for a full day to take in all the fun
• bring your own picnick lunch
• get a 2 for 1 pass or family pas savings (they usually come in the mail every year or you can get them at most gas stations in Alberta)
• wear clothes that if they get wet are still comfortable/non-see through
• Have Fun!

Drumheller, AB

On our nearly once a year road trips to Calgary we usually take the scenic detour through Drumheller a.k.a. Dinosaur Valley.  My son, Pacey, and me of course love the drive through all the magnificent hills.

Depending on what time of year it is that we are going through there is always lots of things to check out and do.

In the warmer months we go:

• trek up the Hoodoo’s - huge sandstone pillars which take millions of years to form

• doing a little racing (where I always kick butt) at the Badlands Go-Kart Park

• putt a round of mini golf 
• bump around in the bumper boats
• cool off at the spray park that has several water fountains and water cannons
• take a walk across the historic Rosedale Suspension Bridge
• let’s not forget about climbing up the 86’ World’s Largest Dinosaur that weighs over 145,000lbs and is 151’ long and standing in it’s mouth we look out over the beautiful Badlands
• And as we tour around the town we stop a some of the different dino’s on the all the corner’s of the streets and do some riding of dinosaurs

In the colder months we visit:

• The Royal Tyrrell Museum where we walk through and marvel over the amazing life size dinosaurs, exhibits and there are always tons of fun things to do and learn

• all the exotic reptiles at Reptile World and the test is on to see who has the least amount of fear and will put a snake around there neck (let’s just say it’s never been me), even Pacey when he was 2 was all over having one of the snake’s ‘cuddle’ him - eww, I thinking I was doing all the freaking out for him

• tour through and check out all the kewl fossils at Fossil World

On your next trip from Sask to Alberta or vice versa, I highly recommend a short detour through Drumheller - even if you don’t have time to stop the scenic drive is well worth the 30 minute detour!!

Jamaica - Part II

We did have one day where we pushed our holiday  R&R time aside and actually got a bit of exercise - we had to walk in 4’ deep water against the current, up a hill and around some corners to fetch ourselves some tubes to float around the lazy river on.  I think with that and my snorkeling my exercise for week was completed, plus let’s not forget that lifting those drinks continually to one’s mouth is also a workout on the biceps, just don’t forget to being switching arms.  To make up for all this strenuous exercise we did book ourselves in for a massage at the spa - yah man - soo worth it.  The masseuse knew how to use her hands!

Fine dining in the Italian Restaurant

One afternoon I had considered doing the nudey beach to work on getting rid of my hideous tan lines and then realized that when I wasn’t going to be the scariest one there I decided it better that I not scar my eyes for life and besides who is going to see my ridiculous tan lines in the winter anyways.

I must admit that there was one thing that did disappoint us dearly and that was the fact that the entire week there and neither one of us seen any nice eye candy - isn’t that something one always expects or maybe just enjoys to see when somewhere hot - either on the beach or by the pool, seeing some nice looking oiled up, ripped up, tanned up eye candy is like a treat (one can not touchy, but can still have a looky).  But no, we saw a lot of hairy beer bellies all week or big busted women who felt no need in wearing anything on their upper halves.  Although one day while at the beach there were 4 backs facing us and Manda shrieked and said look Krystal I think we might have something to look at and then they turned around and they were 12 (I say they were 12, but Manda thinks they were probably closer to 18, but either way - ewww) - oops - so we moved chairs and suppressed that memory.

No idea how, but somehow we ended up having our daily rituals for the week which consisted of breakfast at 10, pool side for the remainder of the morning (pool with the swim-up bar of course, because it did open at 10), lunch around 1, then either to the beach or the main pool for the afternoon and then we couldn’t miss our daily  routine of the lazy river by 4, supper at 6:30 and then wherever the evenings took us.  One night we thought we would be risky and attempt to go for a dip in the jacquizzi which was by our room, only problem being it was in the middle of the lazy river by the pirate ship and we would have to go by tube through the cold water to get to it.  I’m not sure who voted, but apparently I got to be the guinea pig to float across the cold waters to see if the hot tub was even on for the night and nope, nope it was not brrr.  So we headed to the hot tub that was by the lobby which turned out to be alright because there was a live band playing right there on the beach that night.

Wasting away in MargaritaVille

MargaritaVille - our resort offered free bus rides daily to MargaritaVille so one night we hopped on the shuttle to see about ‘wasting away in MargaritaVille’.  The shuttle picked us up at 10 and Manda had been to MV before and when we walked in there were tables all over and guys watching the UFC fight on tv’s, Manda said oh dear it’s changed in here because this whole floor used to be a kick ass dance floor.  So we had huge disappointment and I think so did all the others that had caught the shuttle to.  We went upstairs ordered ourselves a margarita, took in the scenery and people watched down on the street.  The view was amazing from upstairs being on the edge of the sea with a waterslide going down into the ocean and a huge trampoline out in the middle of the sea.  We sat upstairs moping for over an hour and then all of a sudden Manda thought she could hear music coming from downstairs and we mossied downstairs to find that like the flick of a switch the entire main floor was packed with people dancing and a live dj was rocking out the tunes - there were no table or chairs to be seen anywhere and it was sweet!  

Pier 1 - another hot spot in Montego Bay - we took a free shuttle to Pier 1 one night for supper and tried some Jamaican lobster which was delicious and one of the largest lobster tails I’ve ever had.  A scenic view at Pier 1, as the setting is all the tables are out on a long pier in the middle of the sea.

Catamaran

A note to anyone planning on traveling to Jamaica... we had exchanged our cash into Jamaican money at the currency exchange place in the airport upon arrival there, but found that majority of all the places we went had everything price in US$ and having the Jamaican currency was confusing on everyone’s part.  There were also a couple of instances where we noted it was cheaper if you used Jamaican money versus US$, but then also vice versa.   

Something I learned... the average working Jamaican makes about $50USD/week and yet their living expenses are no cheaper than ours and their gas is even more costly than ours is.  They also all work 6 out of 7 days a week.  Most of the men seem to want to find a Canadian gal to marry them and bring them back to Canada.

Kayaking

The last we were there I asked Richie for his ‘Richie’s Special’ recipe and he grabbed my paper and pen and said here I’ll write it out for you - and he wrote the word ‘love’ and said that that’s all you need to make a great drink.  I tipped him a $5 and kept guessing at the ingredients and as I guessed the right ones he told me yes, but would not say how much of each and then after I thought I had them all he said he would never give out the secret ingredient, which was love.  

Richie’s Special

• Strawberry Daquiri
• Pina Colada
• Rum Cream
• A Banana
• Strawberry Syrup
• Coconut Rum

Our rating of Sunset Beach Resort

• Overall 41/2*
• Staff 5*
• Rooms 4* (satellite tv was great, bathrooms need upgrading)
• Amenities 41/2*
• Cleanliness 41/2*
• Food/Restaurants 4*
• Beaches 41/2*
• Pools 41/2*
• Swim-up Bar 5*
• Bars 41/2*
• Spa 4* (expensive)
• Activities 41/2* (large variety of free things to do)

Would I recommend this resort - in a heartbeat, especially for families - it has it all!

And P.S. we completed all our tasks - yah man!!!

Jamaica - Part I

Yah Man...

Me and a girlfriend, Manda, took the direct flight from Regina to Montego Bay, we left Regina at midnight and arrived at our resort, Sunset Beach Resort at 7 a.m.  It was perfect!

Our tasks to complete during our 8 nights/7 days in Montego Bay:

• Explore the entire resort
• Try all the a la cartes
• Work on our tans
• Float around the lazy river daily
• Test out the waterslides
• Taste Jamaican beer, Red Stripe
• Snorkel in the Caribbean Sea
• Learn to kayak
• Swim up to the swim up bar
• Sample new foods
• Take a ride on the catamaran
• Do an excursion
• Relax in the spa
• Sample at least 10 different fruity drinks
• Learn a new saying
• Try our luck in the casino
• Visit MargaritaVille
• Read lots of books
• Boost self esteem

The resort was quite large with 430 rooms, a long shimmering beach, a nude beach, 3 rock piers, a pirate’s paradise waterpark with waterslides, water falls, a lazy river, pools and a jacuzzi, and tropical gardens.  There was free snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boating, tennis, beach volleyball, 3 large pools (2 with swim-up bars).  A disco club, casino, pool bars, beach bar, 3 a la carte restaurants along with the buffet restaurant and the beach grill.

The staff at the resort were superb - courteous, always full of great compliments with a splash of flirtation and very helpful.  I don’t believe anyone could ever get tired of being called beautiful or continually being complimented daily, which is how all the Jamaican’s were - it sure does boost ones ego!

We definitely lucked out and had the most perfect sunny hot weather in the low 30’s all week with only a few minutes of misty showers 2 days, which was actually quite refreshing.

Within an hour of being checked into our room we were already smoldering hot so we thought what better way to cool down than taken a ride on the wild waterslide... well it was wild alright I lost not only our room key but also our towel key.  I pleaded with the front desk for new ones and they gave me one and only warning not to get our cards wet or lost them again, but they did say it happens quite regularly which made me feel a tad bit better.

On our first day we were overly excited about lounging and working on our tans we (and when I say we I mean I) forgot (or refused) to put sunscreen on regularly and by 3 in the afternoon our base tans had given us awful tan lines and actually may have made us look a bit too much like lobsters.  So we learned our lesson quick and pulled out the 45 SPF sunscreen and did hourly lotion downs for the next couple of days until the red areas turned more into brown and our lines started to blend then we took it down a notch to 15 SPF hourly.

Richie's Special

The first breakfast I fell in love with the Jamaican bacon - bizarre I know, but it was so delicious and I ate a heap of it every day for breaky.  This day we were introduced by fellow travelers to an amazing drink known only as ‘The Richie’s Special’ it was secret recipe of Richie (the swim-up bar bartender) - it was strawberry-banana flavor, smooth and creamy and went down like a milkshake every time.  We became hooked on this drink as our daily fruit intake (as there was 1 banana in each drink *wink wink*).  It was a shame one day when we found out it was Richie’s day off (down in Jamaica they only get 1 day off per week), but he was back the next day and everyone was happy once again.

A little ‘birdy’ (I won’t name her/his name) had told me prior to leaving on this trip that not only were there no bugs in Jamaica the last time they were there, but there were also no birds.  Well... first day there and not only were there a few bugs (very unnoticeable, but still noticeable) and birds, but there were also a hell of a lot of stray cats everywhere.  I didn’t see many bugs, but when I walked up to the beach grill that day there had been one bird perched on the back of each chair at the grill, I would say there had to be over 50 chairs there, yah man.

The scenery and views from everywhere at the resort was immaculate!  The swim-up bars were great, especially while lounging around in the pool on a tube and one could just float right up to the bar and grab a drink and keep on relaxin’ - now that’s service.  Although I would like to suggest to any resort that does have a swim-up bar that at the swim-up bar there should be a sign that reads ‘While sitting here enjoying your drinks please keep in mind that though your lower half is nice and kewl your upper half is being baked to a crisp and you will probably be able to fry some eggs on it later!’ - this is from experience.

One day we ventured off and attempted to do some shopping on the Hip Strip, prices are very much like they are here if not more expensive and each store has basically the same touristy stuff so it wasn’t much fun, but did get a couple of little knick knacks.

I would have to say the most strenuous part of the week was trying to decide which excursion we wanted to do and which day to do it.  We debated between going to Negril and walking the 7 mile beach, driving dunn buggies or ATVing - well the dunn buggies were broken so that narrowed it down for us, then after careful consideration we thought walking 7 miles all day in the smoldering heat seemed a bit like work and we were on vacation and so opted for the ATVing up one of the Jamaican mountains.  It was an exciting ATV adventure up a very steep and rocky mountain a.k.a. a very large hill and once at the top it was a spectacular view.  The top was some farmers land with lots of different kinds of fruit tress, we got to sample 2 different kinds of fresh oranges right off the trees.

Day 9 - Back to Ft. Lauderdale

Back to port in Fort Lauderdale, with lots of time to spare before our air shuttles would be taking us back home to reality, we decided to be adventurous and do an Everglades tour.  I felt like I was on CSI Miami, going out in the Everglades on airboats and getting within inches of alligators - wowsers - what a thrill.  I think a couple of people nearly shit themselves, I know I did!   And then we watched an alligator show afterwards where the host does many risky things, one such as putting his entire head into the alligators mouth.  There were also baby alligators that we got to hold, they had there mouths tapes shut of course!

As sad as I was for our trip to end, I was very grateful for the amazingly unforgettable experience I had that will be cherished for ever!!

If you ever have a chance to do a cruise I can't stress enough that you must at least try it once and you will be forever hooked!!  After this trip I added a new 'goal' to my 'bucket list' and that is when I retire I will be doing the World Cruise which is approximately 40 days and you cruise the world!!!

Day 8 - Arrival in Nassau

The first day of our cruise we went to book our most desired excursion - the trip to Atlantis and I nearly fainted when they said it was already sold out.  I was so upset and sad and disappointed, as this was the only reason I had planned this particular cruise for our wedding because a huge dream of mine has always been to go to Atlantis and this cruise was the only one that stopped in Nassau for a full day with time to venture over to Atlantis and explore.

After talking with some 'regular' cruisers we learned that a lot of people don't book their excursions through the cruise ship, as it is cheaper to go and do it on your, but by doing this you don't have the guarantee of the ship waiting for you if you are late for the departure.  As I am a rebel, we decided to wing it and hopped in a cab and took a 10 minute cab ride to Atlantis, which in the end we saved a decent amount of money by taking a taxi and just paying for a day pass at Atlantis.

Just nearing Atlantis was a sight worth seeing - the magnificent architectural buildings and structures are breathtaking.  Atlantis is its own paradise island - if you enjoy water parks or ancient history I must say this is a must see!

It was like I was in heaven - floating down the lazy rivers that goes for over a mile, sliding down the glass enclosed water slides through the shark tanks with sharks surrounding you as you slide through, watersliding through pyramids, watching the dolphins play (you can also swim with them there), swimming in the Paradise Lagoon, the beautiful white sandy beaches, tubing through caves.  Going through The Dig and learning and seeing a lot of the history and artifacts of the sunken Atlantis.

With only having less than 6 hours, it was not nearly enough time to discover all the amazing things Atlantis has to offer, but what I did discover was pure amazement and a yearning for more!

Day 7 - Sea Day

From swimming to suntanning to eatting to drinking and enjoying all the amazing things the ship had to offer made for a relaxing yet intriguing day!  The kids spent majority of they day in the kids club playing games with their new friends and also spent a good chunk of change in the arcade.  A few folks entered the Mardi Gras Slot Tournament, I spent a few hours in the Carnival Spa which was like heaven.  The evening was spent either at the adult karaoke party, the poker tournament or at the adult comedy show.

For lunch this day we tried out the Posh Restaurant - a fancier sit down restaurant for a more romantic touch!

Did I forget to mention that today's drink special was martini's and the famous apple martinis were delicious!

Day 6 - Tantalizing Tortola

A perfect day... with dolphins of course being an obsession of mine, and since I was beyond amazed having my dream come true with getting to experience swimming with these marvelous creatures in Mexico in 2006, I wanted my son to have this experience as well (or that was my 'cover story' for getting to  do it again)!  My son and I ventured to the discover the dolphins in Tortola with a few family members who tagged along to spectate.

It is an experience that is indescribable.  Along with the many dolphins there was also all types of exotic birds to check out and a beautiful beach to hang out on.

That night back on board a few of us took in a game of bingo and then attended one of the live theatre followed by the casino where some of us had better luck than others.  The kids spent the evening at a kids party in the Club O2 kids lounge for a disco dance/party.  And once again another fun-filled day never to be forgotten!

Day 5 - A day at Antigua

Upon porting in Antigua at 7 a.m. we were greeted by pirate ships in the port, argh har har!  A few of us had pre-booked an excursion for the Antigua Rainforest Canopy Tour.  Never having ziplined before, my first time over a rainforest was glorious!  Going over a suspension bridge, down 9 zip lines up to 300 feet long and as high as 350 feet over the Fig Tree Drive Rainforest it was an exhilarating sight worth seeing.  I did feel my stomach in my throat a couple of times with the thrill of launching myself off a small platform attached to a small rope attached to a zip line over a huge valley which looked so far down, but wow what a rush!

Back on the ship drinks were flowing, tattoo's were being given and an evening spent at the one pool side bar while the kids swam and watched a movie on the big screen, the adults drank and played games and then hit up the casino to try our luck, some were winners I was a loser.  

The best ships are friendships!