2017 In Review


JANUARY



We started the year in Kissimmee Florida with heat and sunshine.We moved to another resort  Wyndham Cypress Palms Resort after lunch at Joe's Crab Shack.
The resort had crazy squirrels making nests outside our screened in balcony.
We enjoyed an afternoon at Disney Springs, formerly known as Downtown Disney.
We spent an incredible afternoon at Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens which also featured a chapel fodder for my church collection.
John played Championsgate Course Omni Resort in Davenport, game 1 of 2017.
He also played Falcon's Fire - 2 games in 2017.
Great gluten free meal at P.F. Chang's.



Week 2 was the start of our westward trip to Las Vegas. The weather just got cooler as we went. We spent the first night in Panama City Beach and it was freezing for the two days we were there. We stayed at Wyndham Panama City Beach timeshare.
From there we drove to LaFayette Louisiana. It was 41 F or 5 C when we headed out.



After Louisiana we spent a few nights in Texas, first stop was two nights in San Antonio.
Check it out here. And of course there would be a church or two...
San Fernando
St. Joseph


Still in Texas we stop for the night in Van Horn.Then we cross into New Mexico and Arizona where we spend a night in Tucson.




WEEK 3  sees us heading to Las Vegas for 15 days at the Wyndham Grand Desert.
We checked out the Chinese New Year decorations at Bellagio, always a must-see for me.




Caught a few movies Hidden Figures and Sleepless.
John golfed at Stallion Mountain game 3 in 2017.
And of course we went to lunch at Gordon Ramsay's Pub and Grill.

WEEK 4
Trippin' the Light Fantastic
More Vegas Opulance

Checked out a new casino Lucky Dragon, not very impressive and location isn't great.
It was a gorgeous day so we went downtown to find some murals.
Some Vegas murals.



Some interesting junk.  memorabilia.
It was the day of the Women's March and it was crowded. We had a drink at the Container Park and enjoyed the sunshine.
In honour of the parade the High Roller, which normally changes colour, stayed pink all night.
Some more movies at $5 who can resist, Live by Night and XXX The Return of Xander.
Dinner at Mon Bon Ami in Paris, dinner at P.F. Chang's in Planet Hollywood.
John golfed with a buddy at Tuscany game 4/2017.
He also lunch with 2 buddies and I went to Gordon Ramsey's new fish and chip shop as well as In N Out Burger, both at the Linq.
Several walks along the Strip and checked out Wynn and Palazzo Chinese New Year decorations.
Several factory outlet shopping sprees.
Dinner at Ellis Island Casino where we actually spent and lost $5 each but it got us our drinks.




FEBRUARY

WEEK 1 we ended January in Las Vegas where we visited some old haunts on the Strip and found a new one, The Park.


On January 29 we checked out of Wyndham in Vegas and drove to Los Angeles where we stayed overnight at the Hilton, our usual stop.
On the 30th we flew to Mazatlan for six weeks.






We were booked for 4 weeks at Royal Villas in the Golden Zone. Once we checked in we changed that to 2 weeks as we didn't want to do 4 weeks of all-inclusive.

We've been to Mazatlan a few times so we relaxed quite a bit. But I went for a haircut and we both had pedicures.

We walked to town, took several walks on the beach.

What we ate! And that was only 5 days!



Week 2 lots more food as we continue our all inclusive meal plan and Jose continued to surprise us.

We caught up with Carol and Bill, blogger friends we first met in 2013 and had lunch at Beach Burger.
We spent time downtown, admiring the Carnaval statues.


We went over to Deer Island, for part of a day.



And we ate lots!



Week 3 
A Mexican walk in El Quelite



Mazatlan Meanderings




Another weekly recap we are certainly settled into this easy life. We found a couple of new restaurants and visited some museums.

A Mexican wedding



Weekly recap.
There is a monthly Art Walk that we always go to.


We had dinner after with Bill and Carol at Topolo.


A day out in La Noria.



Mexican Resort Hopping

MARCH


March 2017 - Los Angeles to Las Vegas

We flew back to LA on March 18 and spent a couple of nights in LA.

Weekly Recap
Day 1 Los Angeles



Day 2 LA to Monterey



Day 3 Monterey and area Ramada Inn Monterey
17 Mile Drive



Mission at Carmel


Lunch in Carmel



Day 4 Monterey to Solvang including Hearst Castle





Day 5 Solvang



Day 6 Solvang to Bakersfield includes San Luis Obispo


SLO


SLO Mission

BAKERSFIELD


Day 7 Bakersfield to Las Vegas


APRIL


Week 1 Recap
Boron CA




Bloomin' Vegas




Week 2 on the road home to Toronto

We stayed in Gallup NM, Meteor, Route 66 Casino, Amarillo, TX, Shamrock, Groom and Fort Smith.



Week 5 recap Spring


MAY


 May was all about food and spring.



Week 4 recap


JUNE



Doors Open was on.
Fool's Paradise
R C Harris Water Treatment Plant
St. John the Baptist Norway


A friend and I visited the Textile Museum.




A drive to Aurora to see a mural. And then to Doors Open in Stouffville.



I began a four week yoga class at the AGO.






Week 4

Toronto shows its Pride.

Canadian art at the AGO







AUGUST

I continued on my scavenger hunt of sculptures University St. Sculptures and architecture. More University sculpture!



Some random sculptures around town!

I was busy wandering the streets downtown.

Week 1 recap.


Week 2  lunch at the Distillery and more wanderings.


Canoe Landing



Sculpture scavenging in Daviswille.


A mural


An historical stroll along King St. and sculptures on Front St.

Week 3 recap.
A trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington.

Lego display



More sculptures at the Gardens.


A lavender farm visit.


Underpass Park has hundreds of murals. And more here.


Week 4 recap
We started the week with a family wedding in Kitchener where we stayed for two nights.


We explored Stratford on Sunday.







A stop for a beer and stroll in Streetsville.




Bata Shoe Museum


Just strolling along King St.


Week 5 recap
A weekend in Montreal.


We meandered along Highway 1 on our way home.





Took a trip to African Lion Safari.




SEPTEMBER





We had been talking about this trip for a long time on and off. Then we said we'd do it in June but delayed it to September when the kids are back in school.
We always wanted to go to Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone.

We also wanted to drive across Canada, John has been to all the western provinces except Saskatchewan. I have only been to Vancover and Calgary.

We also wanted to go to the following states that we have never been to.

Bucket List
Nebraska
Colorado  we have been to Colorado!
South Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Wyoming
Iowa



The distance in hours does not include bathroom and lunch breaks nor sidetrips.
The time differences are nice going west, not so nice coming back.










Weekend Reflections

Day 3 - Rochester MN to Lincoln NB stops in Austin MN and Mason City IA

LINCOLN




AUSTIN


MASON CITY



Six Word Saturday SPAM Museum
Day 12 - Spokane WA to Port Angeles WA Snoqualime



Day 13 - Port Angeles WA to Victoria BC Sidney BC



Note - the Canadian portion is in kilometres not miles.





REVISED EASTBOUND MAP



Day 14 - Victoria BC
Butchart Gardens Victoria



Butchart Gardens part 2 Victoria

VICTORIA



CHINATOWN
















Thursday Doors Kamloops






Monday Mural Medicine Hat World's Largest
Day 21 - Medicine Hat AB to Regina SK
Shadow Shot Sunday Regina
Thursday Doors
Day 22 - Regina SK to Brandon MB
Day 23 - Brandon MB to Winnipeg MB
Day 24 - Winnipeg MB to Dryden ON
inSPIREd Sunday Steinbach Mennonite Village
Mennonite Quilting Steinbach Mennonite Village
Weekly Recap
Day 25 - Dryden ON to Nipigon ON
Nipigon Murals
Friday Finds
Day 26 - Nipigon ON to Sault Ste. Marie ON

OCTOBER
October 1 found us on Day 28 and our final leg from Sudbury to Toronto.




Here's some of the logistics of the trip.

Total kilometers 12,000 or 7,200 miles and two oil changes.

Tolls 
$17 in MIchigan

Parking 
Denver CO $42
Vancouver V1 
Lincoln NB $20
Vancouver BC Stanley Park minimum $3.50 per hour per stop!!!!
Winnipeg MB Museum Human Rights 

FERRY
Return trip Port Angeles to Victoria

Only item lost/forgotten were the ice packs which were left in a fridge I think in Brandon MB.


HOTELS

In total we paid for 10 nights our of 27 nights. 
Our biggest splurge was a night at the Fairmont Jasper National Park.


MEALS
Breakfast
Lincoln NB as Marriot did not provide
Regina SK Sheraton not provided $30

Lunches
Rapid City SD 
Jackson Hole WY
Victoria BC  Sidney
Victoria BC Chinatown
Portage la Prairie SK
Steinbach SK Mennonite Village 


Dinners
Only restaurant splurge was in the Fairmont Jasper National Park
Nipigon ON Sue Chef
Pizza delivery twice
Room Service
Cornhusker Marriot $38 Lincoln NB
Vancouver Original Joe's
Victoria Fish and chips
Denver CO 
Spokane WA steak sandwiches
Regina SK salmon and steak
Sudbury ON Indian delivery

ATTRACTIONS cost for two
Cheyenne WY Frontier Days $18
Gothenburg  NB Museum FREE
Mount Rushmore $5 annual pass per car
Crazy Horse
Little Big Horn Montana $20 a car
Yellowstone and Tetons NP $50
Victoria BC Butchart Gardens $65.10
Victoria BC carriage ride $120
Victoria BC Castle $26.50
Seattle WA  Chihuly $41 
Drumheller AB Museum $28
Winnipeg Museum of Human Rights $28
Winnipeg Canadian Mint FREE
Steinbach SK Mennonite Village $16


Week 1 on the road and home.

Week 2  October is Canadian Thanksgiving and my BIL hosted everybody contributing a dish. We also had other family in for a Thanksgiving meal.


The third week of October merited a trip to the Textile Museum and some home cooking.




And October is over with lots of monsters at the AGO.


NOVEMBER

Week 1 recap

We drove to Florida for our anniversary.
Day 1 Toronto to Cranberry PA
Day 2 Cranberry PA to Wytheville VA
Day 3 Wytheville VA to Savannah GA
Weekly Review
Day 4 Savannah GA to Boca Raton FL
 Boca Raton Museum of Art Sculpture Garden
Boca Raton Museum of Art
Weekly Recap


Daytona Beach FL



Savannah GA
Mount Airy NC
Weekly Review





DECEMBER

The first week of December were busy with getting the condo painted.

We also went to the Christmas Market in the Distillery District.


Week two in December found us drinking mulled wine at City Hall, visiting the Gardiner Ceramics Museum and having family for dinner.


Week three was more Christmas decorations and lunch with friends. We also went to the Vikings Exhibit at the ROM and took in the Dior and Wildlife displays.

Week 4 was Christmas holidays.




TRAVELS RECAP

Google came up with this map based on my photos. It says we did 341 places but doesn't seem to have any pins on Canada?



My blog was featured in May by Nag On The lake.

Andrew in Australia mentioned me!



2017 Monthly City Themes



Dec – Gift
Nov - Rock ‘n’ Roll
Oct - Sensual
Sept - Photographing the Photographer
Aug - Young at Heart
July - Motion
June - Nature
May - Let’s Eat!
Apr - Wet
Mar - Black and white in color (images that look B+W but are really in color)
Feb - Loving life
Jan - Photo of the Year

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