|
September 16th
|
|
Le Chateau Frontenac - the most photographed hotel in the world
|
Cannons everywhere in Old Quebec City inside the walls
|
The Train Station - amazing old buildings
|
One of the old sections of the wall that surrounded Old Quebec
|
|
There were restoration projects all over town
|
One of the gates to get inside the walls of Old Quebec
|
OK ...you never know what you might see in Quebec
|
Inside the footings of the Chateau - an archeological dig
|
|
The view from the Plains of Abraham - our ship and our hotel
|
The walls that surrounded the Citadel
|
Nice to see this; fat and healthy horses, the shade roof and the water
|
Jim and Karen with Kathy meeting folks at the airport
|
|
September 17th
|
|
Erabliere (Sugar Shack) le Chemin du Roy - our first group outing!!
|
Lunch inside le Chemin du Roy ... food & beverage made with maple syrup
|
front to back (L) Karen, Kathy, Billie, Hugh (saying Grace :-) (R) - Corky, Jean, Gwen and Mike
|
Entertainment through lunch (we miss Don & his fiddle this year)
|
|
Richard Preston ... the percussion section :-)
|
The fiddle player taught this group a dance - Glenna & Coralee Bonham leading
|
Now on the Adventure of the Seas ... Chateau Frontenac in the distance
|
The view from the ship ... the Plains of Abraham and the Citadel
|
|
Our first happy hour on the Adventure of the Seas
|
First birthday on the ship ... Marilyn Leonard (Olds AB)
|
The welcome reception ... slide show and next cruise announcement
|
2nd year crusiers get a denim shirt - this is Annette & Steen Jochumsen (Airdrie AB)
|
|
Bob Gowans (Kamloops BC) with his 2nd year jean shirt
|
Shirley & Harold Turner (Pritchard BC) 2nd year shirts
|
Hugh & Marion Kennedy (Turner Valley AB) 2nd time cruisers
|
Hugh making the annoucement as to where next year's cruise is going ...
|
|
The 2019 Spirit of the West Cruise
Join in on the 18th Annual Cruise
Book now - Call Toll Free 1-800-530-0131
The 2019 cruise destination .... Ireland & the British Isles
See the Cruise page for details
|
|
September 17th & 18th
|
|
... Ireland and the British Isles !!! Wow !!!
|
Au revoir Le Chateau Frontenac and Vieux Quebec
|
The first jam ... too windy and cold for under the stars so we moved ...
|
... to the skating rink ... an awesome venue with great sound ...
|
|
September 18th, 19th & 20th
|
|
... and a great audience!! Over 150 of our group.
|
Kathy and Bill Reimer (Anola MN) with the 2019 cruise flyer :-)
|
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Jim Dibben
|
Hello Charlottetown PEI ... nice green farm land & red beaches
|
|
September 20th
|
|
the only thing that could have been better is the weather ...
|
... but it was still great - note the red beaches
|
Lyn and Billie pose by one of the local artist's sculptures.
|
Its not hard to get everyone to smile when you're in a winery :-)
|
|
Panmure Island Lighthouse - the oldest wooden lighthouse on PEI (1853)
|
A view from the lighthouse back along the beach we had walked earlier
|
Jim and Karen checking out the solar light in the lighthouse
|
We stopped at Red's for a pre-ordered lunch, Newfie Fries and Taco Fries ...
|
|
... plus other yummy food ... despite the weather (Lyn & Doug bundled up)
|
Hugh reciting a poem for Gus as we head to the riding stables
|
Hugh on Archie & Kathy on Cody looking between Mark's Bertha's ears
|
Hugh warming Archie up for the beach race later in the day :-)
|
|
Lyn on Lexi warming up before the ride.
|
(L - R) Lyn, Hugh, Billie, Doug, Kathy, Jim & Mark (where are you Karen?)
|
Everyone on the beach and riding on the sand and in the water
|
A great day on horseback even in the rain (which wasn't too bad)
|
|
To see a short video of the beach race click here. Thanks Ambyr!!
|
|
Hugh trying to catch Mark ... Mark on a Ferrari & Hugh on a dump truck
|
Mike, Hugh & Ed at the sing-a-long by the pool
|
Look at the smile on Morgan (centre) and the winter hat !!
|
The diehards out by the pool despite the cold ocean air!!
|
|
September 21st
|
|
Ed and Diane Peake heading for town in Sydney, NS
|
Lyn Deleeuw & Doug Halliday head for town as well
|
Like a lot of others Kerri Clarke & her mom Irene Wasylik head ashore
|
This is one big ship!! We were so lost when we first boarded
|
|
September 21st & 22nd
|
|
The floor manager hamming it up with Larry Speer's hat. Rick & Anna Paquin (Sherwood Park, AB) behind
|
Rhonda and Greg Curry (Buffalo, AB) socializing after another awesome dinner!
|
Halifax, NS ... Brenda and Roger Watters with the S of the W sign
|
Over 150 in the group being herded to four buses that wait for us
|
|
One of four buses that took our group to Oulton's Farm
|
Novadawn (daughter-in-law) and Mike Oulton (owner).
|
Bob and Colleen Gowan talking to Mike - all hereford breeders
|
A pen of yearlings - the cows were out a little too far to see
|
|
Listen for this interview on an upcoming Spirit of the West radio show
|
The King and Queen of this particular rock - an irresistible picture
|
They had 3 kinds of deer as well as elk (and a ton of other animals, too)
|
The buses then dropped us all off at the Hant's County Fair (oldest in Canada)
|
|
The cattle barn was one of the biggest exhibits on the whole fair grounds
|
A great variety of breeds and lots of animals - impressive!!
|
and then there were the steam engines and working machinery displays
|
Brenda Watters enjoying the view as we sail away from Nova Scotia
|
|
Billie & Hugh, Renie & Ron Hanson, Lorraine Miller, and Jay Goin ...
|
Gay Goin, Gary & Vicki Hetrick - all 5th year with S of the W ... and ...
|
Jim & Karen, Larry Speers, Brian & Rhonda Roberts, & Bonnie Speers ...
|
Kathy & Bill Reimer, Doug Halliday, Lyn Deleeuw, Kathy & Mark McMillan
|
|
September 23rd
|
|
St John, New Brunswick on the Bay of Fundy - and sunny skies!
|
6 of us took a taxi tour & look who's photo we saw in a window!
|
Rockwood Park - 860 hectares. Jack (taxi driver) drove us through
|
A beautiful park with lakes, forest, and recreational sections
|
|
Through one stretch in the park there was a site for each of Canada's Provinces
|
Hugh reading up on Fort Howe, a great lookout over the Bay of Fundy
|
The view of the Bay of Fundy and the Adventure of the Seas
|
Jack took us to the lookout, and explained the Reversing Rapids - awesome!
|
|
Wolastoq Park ... carved wooden statues of all their famous people
|
Carleton Martello Tower was built as a defence tower during the war 1812
|
The Bay of Fundy ... the ferry coming in is from Digby, NS
|
Jack talking to Kathy, Lyn and Doug. Billie and Hugh walking off
|
|
September 23rd & 24th
|
|
Jack dropped us off at 236 yr old St John City Market - a great lunch!
|
Bar Harbor, Maine ... a very nice and very historic town
|
Every street was lined with really nice old heritage buildings
|
This waterfront house had amazing views in the back yard
|
|
Another one of the many beautifully restored old houses
|
and another view through someone's yard to their back yard view
|
Even downtown was clean and tidy and nicely showed off it's history
|
The waterfront view from the other side as we tendered back to the ship
|
|
the left side
|
the center section of the 178 folks in our group photo!
|
the right side
|
Karen & Kathy stretch out the banner and we're almost ready!
|
|
Way up in the ship's bridge the photographer got some great shots
|
Another anniversary ... congrats Les & Ruth Pfahl from Hanna, AB
|
After the photo, shirts on for a sea of orange, in the dining room
|
after the photo & dinner the next sing-a-long followed at the poolside stage
|
|
September 24th & 25th
|
|
Morgan dancing with Gene Leonard, Dave & Ellen Brown and Larry & Bonnie Speers behind
|
Billie, Annette Jochumsen, Renie & Ron Hanson enjoying the sing-a-long
|
South Station, main bus & rail terminal in Boston, MA
|
Huge historic buildings lined the streets in Boston
|
|
September 25th
|
|
Some of the first of the fall colours starting to appear
|
One of the main walking tours in Boston is the Freedom Trail
|
and another anniversary - congrats Connie & Bryan Matson
|
Byron & Laura Palmer with Mark & Kathy (taken by the waiter)
|
|
September 26th
|
|
Lots of boats of all sizes in the harbour as we pull into Portland, Maine
|
Once alongside in Portland, Maine the crew did a life boat drill
|
Some of our group took in the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co & Museum
|
It looked liked there were 1000 people on this schooner tour
|
|
These are photos from Jim that span the past week
|
|
Jim got this selfie back in PEI at the top of the old lighthouse
|
Hugh with Lisa Hines, President of the Hants County Exhibition
|
Everyone's happy for Billie & Hugh that Hugh didn't have to use this!!
|
Billie & Hugh greet folks as we are about to line up for the group photo
|
|
September 27th
|
|
A little mini Vegas strip ... right on the ship!
|
Hard to believe this is on a ship ... note the car, too.
|
Lorraine & Dean Miller & Renie & Ron Hanson saw me point the camera
|
Pubs, lounges, restaurants, stores of all sorts ... and on & on
|
|
Ed talked to Hugh and bingo! - another sing-a-long
|
At the farewell party Ed Curry got up and did a poem
|
The Spirit of the West Cruise Band's last performance ...
|
... to a very dedicated audience of close to 178 people
|
|
Billie draws a name for one of the prizes at the farewell party
|
Hugh, sitting after an interview, with Byron Palmer and Ron Warner
|
Surprise, surprise, - Happy 80th birthday to Ed Dupuis!!!
|
and another happy BD to Matthew Pfahl celebrating with his family
|
|
The station manager in the restaurant talking to Lyn, Doug, Colleen & Bob
|
and posing with Karen and Flossie Bodell after dinner
|
Jersey City is where we disembarked and got on the bus
|
Heading towards New York on the bus we passed this golf course
|
|
In NYC one bus load gathered to listen to the tour guide
|
The American Express building & a memorial for employees killed on 9/11
|
The World Trade Center, Ground Zero ... amazing!!!
|
The Survival Tree, dug from under the rubble of 9/11
|
|
One side of this bridge over the street in Brookfield Place survived
|
A massive city on one side of the road & Central Park on the other
|
Radio City and Music Hall ... in New York City!!
|
Arriving at our hotel, The Sheraton New York ... an awesome experience
|
|
The whole group had vouchers for breakfast at Applebees every morning
|
A big part of our group had dinner at Rosie's the first night
|
and most of us went to the Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway ...
|
where we saw the Broadway Show "Come From Away" ...
|
|
from amazing mezzanine seats in this 1080 seat theatre
|
A Braodway Show ... a super evening that everyone enjoyed
|
Then a walk through Times Square in a city that never sleeps!
|
At the morning Applebees breakfast Audrey was joined by family
|
|
We also had tickets good for 24 hours on the Hop On - Hop Off Bus
|
From the upper deck we had a super view of New York City!
|
One of the many museums, and historic buildings in New York City
|
Back at the Sheraton New York before another walk into town
|
|
A view of the Hudson River from the High Line footpath ...
|
... and the subway yard with the city towering behind
|
The High Line footpath was an old elevated railroad bed
|
One of the tunnels through Central Park, barely big enough for a bus!
|
|
On our way to the ball game we passed miles and miles of grave sites
|
At the ball game we saw folks eating dinner out of their trunks & tailgates
|
Citi Field ... home of the NY Mets baseball team - a 50,000 seat stadium
|
Our group in our orange tee shirts ... turns out it was Met's colours :-)
|
|
We were lucky - David Wright came back after 2 years to play his last game
|
The third baseman had been off for two years with back problems
|
Never made a run, got walked, but the crowd went crazy just because he was there!
|
Good and comfortable seats despite the fact we were with 50,000 people!
|
|
The Empire State Building backed by a blue sky and a 70 F degree day
|
The view from the ESB gave a whole new perspective of NYC and it's metropolis
|
On our way up to the 86th floor (OK ... we started the stairs on floor 80)
|
Jim and Karen taking in the breath taking view from the 86th floor
|
|
The Hop On Hop Off top deck was a great way to see NYC - note the congestion
|
Jim and Karen at the back of the bus ... they were full and busy all day
|
Apartments starting at $1,100,000.00 (that's the no view floors 1st & 2nd)
|
Morgan, dressed for dinner, with Billie & Hugh ... she always has a big smile!!
|
|
Hugh & Marion Kennedy join Hugh singing in the lobby before we head out to dinner
|
The tail end of the line of our 86 people heading in to Del Frisco's steak house
|
One of the 10 tables that our 86 person group filled for dinner
|
We all enjoyed a super steak dinner and a great visit at last night together!
|
