Quick Summer of 2018

The summer of 2018 has come and gone.  It always amazes me to see eight weeks just fly by in a flash.  Maybe it’s because I kept myself busy and didn’t spend the entire summer looking at the clock.  When the First Air plane lifted off into the sky in June and flew down to Iqaluit, I already knew “the clock was ticking”.  I only had a limited amount of time to do a certain number of things before it was time to pack up and head north.  Thanks to early long-term planning, I had a summer schedule ready to go when my vacation began.

            

Yes, that's the actual length!

I stayed on the North American continent this time and travelled to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA for the first time.  I flew Air Canada Business Class.  Naturally, I booked a hotel room along The Strip for a week.  I made sure to bring a hat & lots of sunscreen because the city is baking in the sun in mid-June.  I have enough material to write a separate, dedicated blog about my Las Vegas Trip, but I’ll be giving you the short version here.  Sorry.

            

I explored most of the hotels along The Strip, walking through the casinos and checking out the various stores.  The main issue I have with the casinos is that smoking is allowed.  The awful stench of nicotine is always present despite the hotels’ best ventilation efforts.  It was the main reason why I only gambled once and for 20 minutes.  I lost $45USD on slot machines.  If the hotels want more of my money then ban smoking indoors.

            

Finding a place to eat wasn’t a problem.  I particularly enjoyed the buffet at the Golden Nugget Hotel and In-N-Out Burger.  I had heard of the successful burger chain and wanted to see if the rumours about their excellent burgers were true.  They were.  Now I know what all the fuss is about. 

While I was roaming through Fremont Street, I discovered a restaurant called Heart Attack Grill where anyone over 350lbs eats for free.  I stayed away from that place.  The food is probably good but there was a long line and I didn’t feel like waiting.  Speaking of Fremont Street, the open mall has a zipline attraction called SlotZilla.  I did the Zoomline; “11 stories up [&] fly[ing] Super Hero style.”  I waved at all the pedestrians below.  My only gripe is that the staff do not let you film the experience with a GoPro.

Downtown Container Park, an outdoor shopping center near Fremont Street, features a large praying mantis that shoots fire out of its antennae.  I happened to be walking by when the large bug started shooting fire set to recorded music.  I’m glad I had my camera at the ready.

I didn’t see any shows.  I was more interested in exploring the city on foot and trying other things.  I really enjoyed shooting a variety of weapons – including a minigun! - at Battlefield Vegas.  The whole package cost $500USD but it was so worth it!  I’ll definitely visit this indoor range again in the future.

        

I found the Pawn Stars shop by accident while I was walking along The Strip.  The place looks a lot bigger on tv.  The store is actually really small.  Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to take pictures inside.  I didn’t buy nor pawn anything. 

              

Bottom of the Hoover Dam.

I rented a car to get to the Hoover Dam.  Driving to the landmark wasn’t a problem.  There are a lot of tourists who frequent the megastructure so finding a parking spot is a challenge.  There also isn’t enough shade space so you need to wear a hat, wear sunscreen, and bring plenty of water.  Besides the hot sun, I took great pictures & videos of the structure.

            

The height of my Las Vegas trip was successfully completing my fourth tandem skydive at the Jean Sport Aviation Centre.  I did it through the Vegas Extreme Skydiving company.  Falling towards the earth from 15,000 feet at terminal velocity in a controlled environment is an experience unlike any other.  The adrenaline-fueled fall is a feeling you never forget.  You feel free & living on the edge.  Just don’t let go of your bowels.

            

Whoever on staff did this, I
hope you got a raise!

The two last places I want to mention are the Las Vegas Sign and the Mob Museum.  It wouldn’t be a true Las Vegas trip unless I went to the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” sign.  So many tourists come to the iconic sign that the city had to build a large parking lot to accommodate all the cars and hire guides to manage the take-a-photograph-of-me line.  The Mob Museum is located in Downtown and is a great place for anyone interested in the history of American organized crime.  I was able to get a ticket discount because I’m in the Canadian military.  And you’re allowed to take photographs of the exhibits!

            

I had an amazing time in Las Vegas.  I’ll definitely visit the city again in the future.

                 

Late June was spent on driving around Ottawa buying & collecting everything that I would need for the next school year.  I was doing another sealift and all my items had to be in by June 30^th.  The items were mostly liquids, dry goods, school supplies, and office stationary.  I found a company in Ottawa that would pack everything and transport it to the port in Montreal.  The entire endeavour cost me slightly less than $1000.

            

I spent Canada Day 151 in Ottawa, the nation’s capital.  The festivities were better organized than the previous year and the evening fireworks show is always a sight to behold.

            

The last big trip I took was to the island of Newfoundland in mid to late July.  This was my first time visiting the last province to join Canadian confederation.  Originally, I had planned to drive across the province in a rental car but realized I would be spending more time driving than exploring.  Instead, I chose to stay on west side of the island.  I saw a lot and experienced a lot.  Just like Las Vegas, I have more than enough photographs and stories to write a separate blog but I don’t have the time to do that.  Another short, condensed version is in order.

            

I landed in Deer Lake and drove north in a rental car.  I passed several large signs instructing me to be on the lookout for moose.  Vehicle collisions with moose is a serious problem in Newfoundland.  I did see one moose on the side of the road but it disappeared into the forest before I could take a picture.  I limited myself to driving no more than 4 hours per day.  I had planned to stop & overnight in several small towns to rest & regain my strength.

            

Norris Point

I drove the entire length of Route 430, a two-lane paved highway that stretches across the Great Northern Peninsula.  There are places where the highway expands to include passing lanes.  Unfortunately, the further north you go, the quality of the highway lessens.  There were some sections that were being repaved at the time of my visit, but much more needs to be done.  I visited almost all the towns along Route 430:  Norris Point, Rocky Harbour, Lobster Cove, St. Paul’s, Cow Head, Parson’s Pond, Hawke’s Bay, Port Au Choix, St. Barbe, and St.Anthony.  Driving through Gros Morne National Park reminded me of the mountainous landscape around Arctic Bay, except with trees.  If I had more time, I would have hiked a few trails.  There’s always a next time.

            

Roddickton

The one road that really needs paving is Route 432.  I lost count of the many potholes I had to slalom around while I was driving.  The two-lane highway snakes its way through the middle & eastern side of the northern peninsula.  I was glad there was enough asphalt on the ground to enable me to drive down to Roddickton, Englee, and back.

            

St. Anthony.

I stayed in St. Anthony for three nights.  The large town is located at the very top of the peninsula and is at the end of Route 430.  I explored much of the town on foot and visited the L’Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site to the north.  (You need a vehicle to get there from St. Anthony).  The Historic Site is a large expansive area that showcases remnants of a Viking settlement.  The remnants were discovered in 1960.  There’s even a Heritage Minutes commercial about it!  If you’re ever exploring this part of Newfoundland, you need to come to L’Anse Aux Meadows and spend the day there.  It’s worth the trip.

            

The highlight of my visit occurred when I was photographing the large Viking grass huts.  Several locals are employed to dress up as period Vikings and act as if they were from that area.  One actor, fully dressed in character, came out with a water hose and began spraying water on the roof.  “Vikings had water hoses back then?” I asked.  “They were quite ingenious,” remarked the actor.  If I had stayed longer, I could have photographed a “Viking” using a smartphone.

            

Arches Provincial Park.

Corner Brook

Near the end of my trip, I drove south of Deer Lake and explored the towns of Corner Brook, Stephenville, and Port au Port.  I was surprised to see an Alpaca farm near Port au Port.  Corner Brook reminds me of Iqaluit because the town is built on hillsides.  Stephenville to me is a quieter town.  During my visit, I learned that Stephenville played host to passengers on 37 planes that were diverted to the airport on September 11, 2001.  It was a tremendous undertaking for the community but they succeeded and forever earned the love & respect from the stranded passengers.          

            

Western Brook Pond.

And finally, I visited two Nunavut coworkers, originally from Newfoundland.  They both live on the west side of the island but in different towns.  The trip gave me the opportunity to pay them a visit and to catch up on what they’ve been doing since we last saw each other.  They took time out of their summer to give me tours of their towns and introduced me to their families and friends.  Thank you for your hospitality!  

            

Overall, I had a great summer.  I was able to do everything I set out to do in just 8 short weeks.