Weekend in Fergus

My husband and I decided to celebrate my birthday with a Weekend in Fergus. We had a fabulous time.

Initially, I had chosen Elora as a destination. I wanted something close to Guelph since we planned to drop off a cell phone for our son. The Elora Gorge is said to be "one of the most beautiful and spectacular natural areas in the Grand River valley".

Elora hosts a music festival which started Saturday, so all the places I checked were fully booked. I expanded my search to nearby Fergus where I found a room at Breadalbane Inn (pronounced "bruh-DAHL-bun"). 

Looking for things to do in Fergus, I discovered a map for the Elora Cataract Trailway a 47 km trail which follows an old railway line joining two major watersheds, the Credit River and the Grand River. Perfect - we packed our overnight bags and bikes before heading to Guelph late Saturday morning.

We ate a quick lunch at Tim Horton's on the way to our son's place where we changed into cycling gear before heading to nearby Fergus. We were on the trail by 1:30 p.m. It was a hot day, but nice on the trail with some shade. The trail was very smooth and flat. The only challenge included having to slow down and accelerate at regular intervals to pass through narrow gates and cross roadways. 

We rode 40 km from Fergus to Cataract before turning around. I was tired by then, but managed to make it back with only a few stretch breaks and a Gatorade stop. My low back was sore too, so I convinced my husband to apply pressure (push me) some of the way which helped a bit.

On the way back, we stopped for a rest and some photos at Lake Bellwood. Can you see how tired I look? Only 5 km to go, thank goodness!

Dinner at Breadalbane Inn was amazing. On the patio, a stone water feature surrounded by pretty gardens created the perfect ambiance.

Appetizers - a warm beet salad for me and squid for my husband - both excellent choices. I enjoyed the special white wine sangria while my husband drank white wine with dinner.

The duck was delicious. I would recommend it. My husband had margarita pizza which was also very tasty.

After dinner, we strolled around town crossing over bridges where we watched the water rushing past. It was a lovely evening.

Back at the Inn, we had been moved to a larger, more luxurious room because the room we booked was too hot. It was 30 C when we first checked in and not cooling down. We liked the first room, but this room was really spectacular. We were very happy with it. 

Breakfast was included with the room and delicious. We chose to have breakfast on the patio where we chatted with the gardener who was planting begonias. Before he retired, he worked in management in Florida. He retired and moved back to Fergus where he now lives in a residence owned by the Inn and maintains the gardens beautifully.

This stone in the garden caught my attention. I love this verse written by St. Frances of Assissi.

The kiss of the sun

for pardon

The song of the birds

for mirth

You are nearer God's heart

in a garden

Than anywhere else

on earth

After breakfast, we took photos of Breadalbane Inn and gardens before heading to Elora.

Elora is also a pretty town with views of the river and rushing water. We checked out some of the cute little shops and boutiques, but didn't have long to explore as we had massages booked in London for 3 p.m.

This building reminded me of the triangular Gooderham Building in Toronto. We'll have to come back again soon. I still want to hike the Elora Gorge and perhaps cycle another section of trail. 

Although my husband and I celebrated my birthday with a Weekend in Fergus, my actual birthday was yesterday. My parents invited my in-laws and us for dinner and cake. In our family, birthdays always include cake, candles and making a wish - a family tradition I adore. 

Thanks to my family for a lovely birthday party and to my friends for sending birthday greetings on Facebook. I loved reading all of them.

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Our Summer Staycation

Last week we took a week off to spend time with our daughter and her family who flew in from Boulder and our son and his girlfriend who joined us from Guelph. I've chronicled our Summer Staycation with photos and day-by-day descriptions capturing the hi-lights. It was a fun-filled week spent with family. 

Day 1 - Saturday

Our Staycation started with a drive in the pouring rain to Detroit Airport to meet our daughter and her family. We crossed the border at Bluewater Bridge in Sarnia. When my husband talked to the Border Crossing Guard, I had to chuckle.

We were driving our Audi TT which is basically a two seater. When the border crossing guard asked where we were going, my husband said we were meeting our daughter at the airport. He probably wondered where we planned to put her which prompted further questioning. When he found out she was arriving with her family and they would be driving separately, he then questioned our logic/sanity, but eventually let us pass. Next time, we should just say we're shopping. 

We stopped at Costco and a couple other places before arriving at the airport, so we didn't have long to wait.

It was so good to see them again. Our son-in-law headed to the car rental place while we helped collect luggage before taking a shuttle to join him still waiting in line. 

We managed to coordinate meeting at a nearby Biggby's for coffee followed by dinner at Thumb Coast Brewing Company in Port Huron. It was a good plan as everybody was hungry by the time we got there.

Day 2 - Sunday 

Our grandson loved the dinosaurs at the ROM when he visited in October and really wanted to see them again. Our daughter had two requests: visit the ROM and a beach. Since it was raining, this was our ROM day. 

We dropped off a vehicle for our son in Guelph, so he and his girl friend could drive to London after work then piled into our son-in-law's rental to drive to the ROM. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

For dinner, we traveled down memory lane eating at McSorley's, a restaurant our kids enjoyed when we lived in Toronto. Our grandchildren loved tossing peanut shells on the floor just as much as our kids did. 

After dinner, we walked to Maurice Cody, our daughter's old elementary school. It has changed quite a bit. There is an addition, new play equipment and a fancy Astro Turfed soccer field. We played a bit before the rain set in then headed home. It was a long day on the road for kids. I was surprised at how well they coped. 

Day 3 - Monday

Finally a beautiful, sunny day and perfect for Ipperwash Beach. The water was cold, but not too cold. We enjoyed splashing, wading and skipping stones while walking the length of the beach.

Wallygators was a perfect place for lunch after a morning on the beach.

After lunch, the kids enjoyed playing mini-golf beside the restaurant. It's a bit run down, but free, and just right for little ones.

Back at the beach, the Dads relaxed while the rest of us played. 

Day 4 - Tuesday

Another rainy morning, but the pool and hot tub were warm. The kids decided they liked swimming in the pool and jumping off the diving board. The hot tub became a favourite place to hang out and warm up.

We hosted a family barbecue and party to celebrate our son's 19th birthday. The kids were back in the pool as our guests arrived. Luckily the weather improved and we were able to eat outside.

Enough people in our family to justify two cakes for the occasion. 

Our grandchildren received beautiful customized "name" books from their Great Aunt, Uncle and cousin. Our grandson loves to listen to stories.

Day 5 - Canada Day

Morning cartoons after breakfast - Dinosaur Train - followed by a swim in the pool then lunch at 168 Sushi Buffet.

Keep eating and you can keep ordering using a handy dandy i-pad with each menu item displayed in pictures. It's a great deal, but oh-so-filling!! We rested after lunch before heading to my parents' house in Byron.

We joined in on Canada Day celebrations including a potluck barbecue dinner and evening fireworks on my parents' street. We had a great time, but really couldn't eat much after 168 Sushi.

My parents thoroughly enjoyed their neighbourhood Canada Day celebrations with the barbecues, tents and tables set up in their driveway. They look forward to this party every year. We didn't take photos, but the fireworks were spectacular. 

Day 6 - Thursday

Our son's actual birthday. The kids returned to 168 Sushi for lunch while we rested at home. We simply couldn't eat that much food two days in a row. The rest of the day was spent swimming and relaxing. We were all tired by day 6.

Late in the day, we drove our son and his girl friend back to Guelph, picked up their Guide Dog in training then took them out for dinner to celebrate his birthday one more time. This time with shots, not cake. It was a late night for us, but we had fun.

Day 7 - Friday

We woke up tired after getting home around midnight. We decided it would be a good day to relax. We ordered pizza and salad to have a backyard picnic for lunch and lazed about in the pool and hot tub. Later in the afternoon, the kids met their other grandparents and cousin for a bit of shopping and dinner. A quiet and relaxing day overall.

Day 8 (Departure Day)

Departure day is always a bit hectic. Grandparents visited for final good-byes. The kids enjoyed one last swim. Finally packing was done and the car was loaded. 

We drove together to Port Huron to enjoy lunch at the Thumb Coast Brewing Company one more time. It was a beautiful day, so we sat on the patio where we could watch the boats pass by and under the bridge.

Our granddaughter was covered in a rash she developed after having a fever for a couple days. Our grandson looked like he might be coming down with a fever. Still, it was nice to have lunch together then meet at Biggby's for coffee before saying our final good-byes.

We decided to take advantage of the weather and walk along the lake shore in New Baltimore before heading to Marine City to take in the sights and catch the ferry to Canada.

My husband took a few photos of the Audi TT and somebody commented that he must really like his car. That may be true, but it was the first time he took it on a ferry. 

The ferries are not very big. We'll have to cross here someday with our grandchildren. I think they would like it.

We enjoyed our Staycation and Family visit. It was fun and exhausting all at the same time. At least we didn't get sick like the kids. 

Our granddaughter was the first, then our grandson, then our son and now our son's girl friend. They all had a fever followed by a rash. Our son complained of headaches, nausea and dizziness. Thank goodness it only lasts about five days, so his girl friend should be feeling better by Monday. Let's hope nobody else in the family catches it.

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