Family and Falls

This weekend saw the first school-term time trip after the summer break, so we did a long one, to Niagara Falls, just for the hell of it! Well, actually it wasn't for the hell of it all, but to make up part of a small family reunion, which is something I don't often get a chance to do.


My uncles Roger and Mike, and Aunt Cynthia, were visiting the Falls on the US side to celebrate Roger's birthday. Whilst all three had flown up from Tennessee, Mike and Cynthia were over from the UK so I felt it would be too good a gathering to miss out on so we'd arranged to meet to see the Canadian side of the falls; cue a trip in Towed Haul, Tadpoles and all, to that centre of good taste and culture, Niagara Falls. That's irony by the way.


We had a good run up from Chatham, stopping briefly at CanAm RV for trailer-type supplies (JW was on hand and said that the dent on Towed Haul was simply "patina" - love it!) then continued on via Brantford and Hamilton. This being the toads' camping weekend, we did get a bit of rain on the journey and the forecast wasn't good, but heck, we expect rain every trip these days. It was a clear run and we arrived in good spirits because our gas mileage was showing as 18.2 litres per 100 kms, which was a good 1.5 litres better than usual. I was bemused, but more of that later. We had arrived at the Niagara KOA ($74 a night!) just as the light went so we had to set up in the dark; it wasn't so bad, though, as we had a perfectly level site and the benefit of being able to drive right into it, despite it not being a pull-thru. The Tadpoles were not ever so pleased that we arrived with no time for them to swim in the indoor pool, but Mrs T's homemade chicken casserole sorted them out.


Saturday dawned, bright and sunny, but we all took quite a while to get going, even with the likelihood of visitors arriving. We'd promised ourselves a big brekkie at the Flying Saucer Restaurant and ended up missing the cheap deal and had to stump up a total of $63 to feed the starving toads. By the time we'd started back to the KOA, our visitors were at the gate and busily engaged in negotiation with the office staff about why they should pay $27 just to get in to see their nephew; it was only a campground after all. A bit of jiggery-pokery and a seven-seater Toadmobile and we'd circumvented the guards; $27 indeed.


After showing off Towed Haul, we made our way into Niagara Falls proper, dropped the rellies at a Subway and motored off to go and see the falls again. $20 to park is a tad steep but I consoled myself with the thought that it was way cheaper than Disneyland and the Canadian National Parks Service were the main beneficiaries, and that tweaked my public service glands a bit.


The Falls were lovely, as ever, and I fancy had a bit more water going over the crest than the last time we visited. Even with the death of a tourist a few weeks ago, dozy people were still clambering over the railings to get "good" photos; they won't be good photos from the bottom of the gorge, I can tell you! We had intended a wander over to Clifton Hill, that's Blackpool-On-The-Falls for those who don't know, but the weather, far from being horrid as forecast, was sunny and hot. We made it as far as the ice cream shop and went no further.


Given that it was a nice day, we then took the rellies down the Parkway to Niagara-On-The-Lake, a well to do town at the mouth of the Niagara River where it flows into Lake Ontario. It was quite windy down there (and very busy, too) but it was good to see the sailboats on the choppy water and to get a very clear view of Toronto on the other side of the lake. On the subject of being busy, it's interesting to note that the Parks Service, which owns most of the Canadian side of the gorge, had scaled back operations after Labour Day last week, meaning parking and shuttle buses were in limited supply. Now forgive me an observation here, but all around the region it was as busy as any Summer Saturday; Mr Parks Service, you are losing money here!


After a brief run back to the KAO, we set off to a little, new and untried (by us) Hungarian Restaurant in Chippewa called Sweet and Savoury. It was a nice little place that had an unusual menu (Hungarian dishes, strangely) and some interesting Gypsy Music playing. The waiter, the owner I think, was very pleasant and dealt with all our questions with patience. The delivery of the food to the table took a while, though, and wasn't always as ordered, but we got there in the end. The Restaurant had been booked for a party later in the evening and I think they had half an eye on the rest of the evening. Still, it was a good meal, even with the cold pasta, and was quite inexpensive. I'd have liked a sweet but they'd taken so long to serve the main meal, we were in danger of crashing the party, so we paid up and left; next time, maybe.


We then took our leave of the rellies. It was great to meet up again and I now have an appointment to visit Weston-super-Mud on my next visit to the UK. Of course I should have visited before, but better late than never, eh?


Repairing to Towed Haul, after another ice cream of course, we settled in to watch Joseph Cotten and Marilyn Munroe in Niagara; well, we had to, didn't we? The director plays fast and loose with which side of the river the action was supposed to be with the USA pretending to Canada and vice-versa all through the film; even the dialogue was confused on the issue sometimes. Anyway, we collapsed into bed having had a great day with great people in great weather. And the Tadpoles still didn't get to swim!


The KOA decided that we had to be out by 11am on the Sunday so it was up and out, really. We did have a chance to mooch around the site, which was OK. If anyone says to you that it would be a great idea to get a KOA cabin, though, say no. They are no more than wooden tents with electricity and bunk beds, not even a toilet as you have to use the camping facilities; buy a tent as it will be bigger, cheaper and more comfortable!


Our trip back was as easy, too, if a little busier on the road. I discovered the secret of a the excellent gas mileage on the way down when I realised that from Hamilton to London, it's all uphill (or down hill when going, London to Hamilton), so the Toadmobile was coasting down and stressing out on the way back. We still managed 19.4 litres per 100 kms, which is OK, so the average was 18.8; really rather good!


We're thinking we may do one more trip this year, before putting Towed Haul into hibernation. Whatever we do it'll be local and nowhere near Ontario's rip-off capital. Ribbit.

The Toads Are (Not) On The Road Again

Well, here we are back from our travels, for a few days at least.


We really are expert at the slow start in the mornings. The campground is coming to life around us and we sit serenely in our little aluminium cocoon and watch the world go by, fortified with only an egg sarnie and can of pop. This morning we eventually did get moving and, as the Tadpoles were not present, it was all done in a matter of minutes. I did get waylaid by a man who wanted to know if our Toadmobile could really pull a 7,000lb trailer but, in my new and understated way I just said "sure". Well, sort of. I did blather a little but, whilst I just love to asked about why we don't have a monster tow vehicle, I've decided to play it cool now and will utter little in future and just look all knowing. 


The KOA was OK but for the density of trailers, the rubbish WiFi and the fact the power went off a couple of times. We could have used the heated, indoor pool but chose not to (that dolphin is still upsetting me) and we didn't really feel like parting with $8 for firewood, a price that makes the Provincial Park's daylight robbery ($6) look positively cheap. The tap water on site definitely smelled odd, too, but as my teeth haven't gone green and started to drop out I'm guessing it was OK to clean my teeth with. We're at another KOA next weekend but I'm guessing that it won't be such a busy weekend so there's hope for a lovely view and a bit of usable WiFi.


On the way home, Mrs T had a brainwave and suggested we pull off the highway and visit our RV Dealers CanAm, on the other side of London. We did need some RV Boss for the poo tank so I thought it a good idea but wished we had thought of it some seconds earlier because bringing the Toadmobile and Towed Haul down from 100 km/h to about 40 in the space of a few yards so we could safely traverse the off ramp was, erm, challenging. Still, we managed it, and without too much smoke from the trailer brakes. What we didn't appreciate, though, was that CanAm is closed on Sunday; so that was why there were so few cars out front! Ho hum.


We made it home without further incident, or at least an incident I was aware of. For some strange reason, both Mrs T and I decided that today was the day that we would get the trailer lined up properly on the drive, so half a million attempts later we finally realised that to line up with the grass was not to line up with the garage; it's only taken us all summer to realise that the drive is out of whack as it isn't quite lined up square with the garages. Doh! Towed Haul is almost square with the garage now, but most definitely not with the edge of the drive. C'est la vie I suppose.


Next weekend we're set for the delights of Niagara Falls and a small family reunion with the Stevens clan, formerly of Torquay. We're fully equipped with Tadpoles, too, so that should be an eye opener!

The Toads Are On The Road Again - Day 4

Ah, the luxury of not having to do anything or be anywhere. Day 4 dawned, sunny and warm and all we needed to do was set the lawn chairs up and watch the world go by. We had promised ourselves a run into London but that could wait; first there was some lounging about to be enjoyed. 


We were now hemmed in by some big trailers on this KOA campground, making Towed Haul look miniature by comparison. Next to us is a six wheeled monster, known here as a Fifth Wheeler because they connect up to the back of a pickup truck just like an articulated lorry. If I could load photos through this lovely KOA WiFi I'd show you, but I can't so I won't. Anyway, it's a beast with its slide outs and whatnot. It isn't silver, though, and doesn't have the name Airstream on it so it's not a proper travel trailer.


Eventually we decided to mooch into London, look for some lunch and then ride our bikes through one of the many riverside parks there. Downtown London isn't the most affluent of places; it's a bit like Swindon, having relied on the railway for its prosperity, only where the decline has set in, a lot of buildings have been torn down so now it's a sort of semi-Swindon with the backs and sides of buildings exposed and quite a lot of impromptu parking lots. It wasn't very attractive and, given that it was Saturday lunchtime, there were precious few people about. Anyway, we rambled up Richmond street, admired the lovely old Post Office (thankfully not torn down) and rambled back down again, finding our way into the Covent Garden Market and Sebastian's for lunch. Veggie samosas for Mrs T and an egg sarnie for me; slurp on both counts I think. 


Then it was off to Springbank Park and the scenic river trail along the banks of the Thames. It took me a while to extract the bikes from the back of the Toadmobile and then make a ton of adjustments to get seats and handlebars correct, and to put the chains back on after they had mysteriously come off both bikes. Setting off for the trail, we managed to go in completely the wrong direction and ran out of pathway very quickly. However, a quick run across some grass and down a steep hill (you never want to go down hill at the start of your ride, really) and there we were, on an asphalt road by the river in a broad but wooded valley, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It was nice to note that there were a lot more geese on the trail than people and we cycled for a kilometer or so before the heat and Mrs T's saddle forced a halt to our expedition. Yes, it was very warm and yes, the saddle on Mrs T's bike was falling apart, so we gave up the unequal struggle and headed back to the car. It was really very nice down there, even if the river was very stinky in places; I think this is a place where the bikes will be pressed into service again, although I may do the maintenance before we leave home next time.


And that, dear reader, is about the sum of the day's activities. We did stop on the way back to the campground to buy a couple of DVDs for later viewing and the least said about the fist full of chocolate that accompanied the DVDs the better! I did get the awning out, strung it with lights, then put it all away again after a couple of hours as the weather was threatening again. Sure enough, the rain that has followed us all over North America this season turned up at around midnight, with the usual thunder and lightning. My hectic day had, however, rendered me near comatose halfway through the second DVD so when I did go to bed I heard nothing of the storm, and a good job, too.

Tomorrow we head home, although Monday is a bank holiday so we have a day to recuperate from our exertions because, as you know, glamping is very hard work indeed. I shall leave the awning stowed away so that it won't rain, 'cos I'm clever like that.

The Toads Are On The Road Again. Day 3

Day three and a lovely late start. Nowhere to be in the morning so I thought I'd check out the KOA's facilities and see if they held up to the brochure's claim of "sparkling washrooms"; these are the things you do when you're camping, folks.

Yes, they were clean, if not particularly private, although the water smelled a trifle odd in the shower; I'm not sure why. The indoor, heated pool looked quite inviting, apart from the big black dolphin painted on its floor which gave me quite a turn, I can tell you. Not having our cossies, we thought about skinny dipping but really didn't want to frighten any children. I did check the long list of rules and it didn't say that we couldn't skinny dip but I suspect we may have caused a bit of a stir had we tried. Shame.

Then we indulged in a bit of camper watching, which involves sitting in your lawn chair out side your trailer, drink in hand, watching the other campers arrive and set up. Even with the limited experience we toads have, we can see when people people are struggling to set up, or not struggle of course, so we sat back and enjoyed the show. This was the Friday of the long weekend so from about midday, people started to arrive. First we had a guess as to which site they may be been sent to then, if it was close by, we'd watch the backing in process. Actually this sounds a bit cruel when I analyse it, but we've had it done to us so all's fair in the camping game.

Our first biggie was a huge, and I mean huge, motor home. Probably 35 feet long and easily 12 feet tall, this monster had been allocated the site to the rear of ours so we had ringside seats. I'd been ruminating on how a reasonably sized trailer would get in under the large but quite low bough of the tree on the site and now this behemoth was going to show us. We were a little concerned that all the paraphernalia on the roof of the motor home, air conditioners, aerials and the like, was going to get get swept off but the driver was obviously very experienced and expertly jigged and rejigged the beast until he was in safely; we even offered some additional eyes in addition to his backup camera and mirrors. Then the driver (from Saskatchewan according to his licence plate) set to and had all his services hooked up in minutes and we were most impressed. OK, so the barbecue that slid out on and rolling frame from the one of the panels on the side of the bus was impressive, but so was the guy's effortless set up.

We'd had half an eye on a pop up trailer being popped up, which was interesting, but then came the young family with their long, boxy trailer, setting up just a few feet away. The trailer looked quite new, as did their pick up truck, but the man of the family backed it in to the space quite easily, or so we thought. Initially he backed too far in and wanted to connect his services to the wrong site, which his wife and he disputed for a while, then they let the kids and the dog out, which was a big mistake. Having established the site boundaries (wifey won) he pulled forward but then realised that he was too close to the tree to allow his "slide out" to work. A slide out, for those non-North Americans amongst you is a section of the trailer wall that slides out in bay window fashion and gives the trailer a much wider interior; I think that's the principle Dr Who's Tardis works on. Anyway, more backing in and out didn't get them suitably positioned and now the kids were getting in the way, so tempers were fraying. Wifey climbed in the the truck and did  some more backing in and out (Mrs T was most impressed) but it took her husband to finally place the trailer so that the slide out would work and they weren't encroaching on the other sites. Phew! We watched them set up, marveling at the array of wooden blocks they carried to help with the leveling process, and the swanky bricklayers spirit level they used to attain a level nirvana; I'll bet you could play billiards in that trailer when they'd finished. No sooner had their truck been emptied of bikes, barbecues and boxes, they all piled back into the truck and headed out somewhere, obviously they had no time to spare for billiards!

Curiously, the campground's maintenance team chose this time to start cutting the grass on some of the sites, including ours. Given that the place had been all but empty the day before, it seemed odd that the guy on the mower felt the need to whiz in and out of trailers and cars but maybe that's how he keeps his day interesting? 


Trailers were arriving thick and fast but it was time for us to scrub up and head out for our theatre appointment in Stratford, so our voyeurism was going to have to be put away for the evening. Stratford Ontario is famed for its theatres and every summer puts on a festival where the paying public is treated to a number of Shakespeare's finest plays plus a few others; Mrs T can give you the full history of the Festival and how it's made the town what it is today. Last year we went to see West Side Story at the Festival Theatre, this year it was Jesus Christ Superstar at the Avon. Eagle eyed readers will spot that neither of these productions is Shakespearean but heck, we're in it for the entertainment. Besides, JCS had excellent reviews, even from old Lloyd Webber himself, so we knew it would be good.  

Once we'd established where the Avon Theatre actually was (it wasn't where I though it was!) we parked up just yards from the place (on a meter that I made Mrs T stump up a $2 coin for, even though we only needed to pay 40 cents - I'm made of money, me) and instantly made a booking for dinner at Renee's Bistro because tables timed for the theatre are quite hard to get if you don't book ahead. We then mooched about for a while, looking in the shops and moaning about how hot it was, before returning to Renee's for our grub. The food at Renee's is very good and we left replete with only a short stagger to the theatre and the climb to very nearly the back row of the balcony; the only seats we could get at a price we could reasonably manage. Tut. There wasn't an empty seat in the place and most of the audience were bright young things; us oldies were in the minority as far as I could see. The last time I'd seen this production was in 1978 at the Cambridge Theatre in London's West End. At that time it had been playing there since 1972 and was looking a bit tired, but it was still great to see; obviously I was ready for some comparisons, or at least I would have been if I could remember that far back! As it happened, the production here at Stratford was excellent, taking much from the 1973 film but updating the dancing and costumes to make it a great show. The actors playing Judas and Mary Magdalene stood out as the best on the night but all the cast and orchestra were wonderful, even viewed from the back of the theatre! I have yet to get used to North American audiences; this one wanted to clap at the end of every song but, as the show moves along at a fair old pace, it didn't really help. Still, I'm just a crusty old Englishman so what do I know?

Back at the now almost full campsite, armed with chocolate bars and a funny DVD (Bill Maher's Religulous, a sure antidote to the evening's earlier religious theme), we wound down the night and settled down very late, tired but happy campers, just as we should be.

Saturday is a free day so maybe we'll see a movie or maybe a mooch around London's parks; it's days like these that make me realise that I do like this camping lark!

The Toads Are On The Road Again. Day 2

Groan. After what felt like just five minutes sleep, I levered myself out of bed this morning expecting us to be surrounded by the newly formed Lake London, or a field of smashed and bashed trees, given the storm we'd had the night before. But no, all was benign and tranquil, apart from a few puddles and some leaves stuck to Towed Haul's skin. Well, it sounded like a dreadful storm but maybe being in a trailer is a bit like being in a metal drum. Ho Hum.

Anyway, today's excursion was to the Farmer's Market in St Jacobs, about 100 Kms north east of us. It sounds like a long way to go and get some cucumbers but this market is well known in this part of Ontario and is well used by both local farmers and the buying public. Proof, if proof were needed, was in the unseemly scramble for a parking spot in the very large lot provided. I have to say that neither Mrs T or I had high hopes for this trip and we made it probably so that we could get a look at some of the Mennonites that live in the area and see how they used the market as a means of boosting their farm income. As it turned out we saw plenty of Mennonites offering their wares at the market, and even saw one of their horse drawn vehicles being driven down the road; it was a scene right out of Witness. Mennonites are like the Amish of Pennsylvania (and other places), eschewing motorized transport and farm machinery in favour of doing most mechanical things with the use of horses. I'll admit to a fair bit of morbid fascination with this sect, especially as they are oft to be seen in South Western Ontario. I certainly appreciate that Canada and Canadians work hard to preserve the religious freedom of most of its people but I do struggle, though, with the fact that the Mennonite women have to wear a kind of uniform; something on their heads, plain and modest clothing and no kind of enhancements in the shape of hair styles or makeup. The men don't seem to have such restrictions and that doesn't seem quite fair to me, but each to their own I guess.

Quite apart from the Mennonite interest, the market was actually very good. Masses, and I mean masses, of fruit and vegetable stalls all displaying amazing produce, and so colourful, too. There were also plenty of food stalls, cooked or otherwise, clothing stalls and, of course, lots of what my mum refers to as “Tat”, ranging from flags of the world to leather goods to counterfeit sports clothing. There were huge numbers of people there, hence the parking, and so many of them seemed to be sitting down eating. Naturally we didn't want to look out of place, so we bought some pastries from the British Bakery stall and enjoyed pasties and sausage rolls in the open air, as you do.

We ended up buying corn, tomatoes, fruit, more pastries, bread and a couple of bits for an upcoming Tadpole birthday, which was not only a fair haul but a relatively inexpensive one, too. Also, there was no rain!

We then decided on a quick spin around St Jacobs “village”, although as most of it's on a long, straight road it's not easy to go around; more through than anything else. It was heaving with visitors so we called only at the “Mill & Silo Shops”, a collection of expensive outlets in guess what? An old mill and its silos. There was a place there called A Taste of Scotland (or something similar) where I was tempted by a Tam O'Shanter with attached ginger wig and a leather sporran. Fortunately I saw sense and left with neither, scared off by the $10 pack of Heinz baked beans, the same item which retails in Chatham at $4.99. Wee Jock McRipoff indeed.

Then it was off to Tim Hortons for a coffee and to enjoy some of the sweet pastries we'd bought at the market; Bienenstich, a Mennonite favourite apparently and Strudel, to reflect of the German influence in this part of Ontario. See how culture aware we are?

We decided it was best to drop our loot (I was going to use the word “booty” but it seems to have a quite a different meaning these days) at Towed Haul before heading into London to take advantage of Staples “Teacher Appreciation Day” and the 15% discount it offered (Teachers, eh? Tons of holidays and discounts in Staples. Tut). We came out with an electric pencil sharpener (can you get electric pencils?) and a calculator, although that doesn't tell the whole story, as you will see. Then it was off to Chapters to get some books for the Tadpoles, where we were engaged in conversation by a very excitable, though very pleasant, assistant called Jody who helped us with some choices. It was four for the price of three day (can you spot the theme?) so four books were duly purchased. Then it was off to another branch of Staples (for the rest of the story) where we left the store with a very swanky office chair (in a box) for Mrs T, bought with the benefit of the teacher's discount, so everyone was very happy.

Back at the campsite, two very tired Toads (remember last night's storm?), retired to their trailer, had a meal of fresh produce and pastries, then settled to reading and blogging. I say blogging but I spent a frustrating evening fighting with the KOA WiFi network that was being so slow that I could have gone out and bought a copy of the Daily Telegraph in the time it took the PC to load the front page. Tsk.

Tomorrow is culture day. An hour or two around the town of Stratford, which is a most agreeable place, then to the Avon Theatre for a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar, a production that has had rave reviews this year and, judging by the scarcity of tickets, is very popular. We are sitting up on the lighting gallery with the spotlight operators but I'm sure the view will be excellent! See tomorrow's entry for the Toad's Theatre Column.

Toads on the Road. Again.

You just can't keep a good toad down, or at home. The lure of the open road has been too much to bear and here we are, out in Towed Haul, listening to the rain on the roof once more.


To be fair, this trip wasn't on whim; we have an appointment at the Avon Theatre in Stratford on Friday evening so thought we'd make a weekend of it. It isn't quite the weekend we had planned, though, because being the slipshod toads that we are, we forgot that this is the Labour Day long weekend, the last hurrah of the summer. So, when I went to book the camp site near Stratford that is "never full", it was, and had been for months. We find ourselves, therefore, in the KOA London campground, 60 kms from Stratford but a mere 200 metres from the 401 Highway, which is convenient if a little noisy.


Kampgrounds of America (KOA) are family oriented campgrounds that offer quite a high standard for quite a high price, right across America (and Canada it would seem). Airstream folk have differing views of KOA, often based on the cost and the presence of snot-nosed kids, but we find this KOA to be quite nice. It's certainly clean and tidy, has precious few kids about (at the moment) and is not that busy, so it's looking good right now. We've also had lots of rain, something that we now demand for all camping trips, so top marks to KOA. We're off to another one next week so let's hope they can  satisfy all of our demands.


Anyway, back to the road. London (Ontario) is only about 100 kms from home but, strangely, is 100 Kms closer to Stratford than we would be at home and that, I'm sure you'll agree, is a bonus. The run up here was painless and, as mentioned above, as the campground is only 30 seconds from the highway, it was mighty easy to find; turn right at the London Husky is all we needed to know. It certainly made a change from the long days driving in the US, just a few short weeks ago, the car was hardly warmed up by the time we arrived.


Setting up without the Tadpoles presence was, er, smooth, and completed quickly. We put the awning out and, for once, weren't inundated with a monsoon grade rain storm, well not straight away, anyway. We settled down to a chicken casserole, put some music on and tried out the KOA's attempt at free WiFi. I say attempt because it isn't what I understand broadband access to be. However, connection was achieved, albeit very slow. As darkness fell, so did the rain but in a fit of unaccustomed foresight, we decided to bring the awning in, complete with Airstream fairy lights, just in case of further water events. As things turned out, it was a wise move.


Despite turning in at a reasonably early hour, reasonably and early are open to interpretation by the way, Mrs T was up and about at 3am, unable to sleep and intent on making toast. From my position in the back of the trailer it sounded like she was trying demolish the galley, although she did rush to assure me that she really was only making toast. Late night comestibles made and consumed (and duvet added to bed), we had another go at sleeping, only this time we were stopped by one of those thunderstorms that doesn't really want you to sleep. Rain hammered on the roof, thunder boomed and lightning illuminated Towed Haul's interior, ensuring a completely sleep free hour or so. As I lay there thinking that it had been a good idea to bring the awning in when we did, it occurred to me that I couldn't hear the road noise from the adjacent highway because of the din caused by the storm; see, every cloud has a silver lining. Boom, boom.


It was, dear reader, a struggle to surface in the morning. But we did, and those adventures will be in the next blog entry. Exciting, eh?