The Road Trip
Between November 12 and 22 I travelled this great country of ours by plane and car on behalf of my employer. I was mostly meeting with stakeholders to discuss our directions and new research we've produced. I discussed Regina previously; here are some reflections on the rest of the trip.
Vancouver - November 15
I flew in and out of Vancouver in the same day. Normally, I would discourage anyone considering this approach from doing it because a) Vancouver is a great city and worth exploring, b) it makes for a hella long day. However, on the fifteenth of November 2006, getting out of Vancouver fast was all I could think about. The city was getting flooded (pretty literally) by rain and pounded with high winds. Vancouverites, lovely people that they are, are pretty much incapable of driving when any form of precipitation is falling from the sky. It was taking 2-3 times as long as normal to drive anywhere, which led to the anulment of one face-to-face meeting in favour of me stopping at a coffee shop and conducting the meeting by phone. I did however have a good meal with some old friends at a very nice veggie restaurant The Foundation (2301 Main St.). I don't often dine on plants only, but the food was very good adn the price was great for the portion. Otherwise, this was a lost trip to Van City, which is sad because it might be my favourite Canadian city.
Edmonton-Calgary - November 16
I've always been a big fan of the run down a long straight highway to make it in time for an occassion in another city. I think it's really a quintessential Canadian experience. Our country is so big and yet has so much empty space and we are an automobile society all of which adds up to some great long distance drives. I loved Saskatoon to Regina (minus an unintended pit stop in a ditch) and I loved Edmonton-Calgary too.
Having arrived in Edmonton very late from Vancouver I didn't spend long there on this visit. I had a sunny day though, which made the short trip across the high level bridge, over the river valleyquite beautiful. I was, sadly, driving a PT Cruiser (a curse that followed through a lot of this trip) so I did feel like a dork as I dropped Weaselmania in the CD player and listened to the greatest hits of Screeching Weasel while cruising to C-town. The drive was smooth and the meetings went well, which left me in Calgary with a bit of time on my hands.
I stayed at the Westin Hotel in downtown Calgary, which besides some ugly construction, was quite nice. I also ran into one of the best concierges I've ever encountered. She was pleasant, funny, and knew her business. She's only been in Calgary a short time, but gave me bang on directions out of the city.
I was able to have dinner with two of my favourite women in the world in Calgary on the sixteenth. We ate at the Red Door Bistro and had a truly great meal. Well, I say that, but to be honest the food is less memorable than the cocktails (I'm embarrassed to say so) - I would recommend the Bee's Knees. Dynomite. I ate the Cassoulet, which was delicious. Just make sure to bring your appetite.
Lethbridge-Calgary-Ottawa-Montreal-Fredericton - November 17-18
Look at that list of cities...now look at the dates...this was a two period I would prefer to never live again. It involved speeding through Alberta and getting a stern a warning from an RCMP officer, a missed flight, minimal sleep, getting harrassed for not using someone's pillow all for the sake of talking to a group of doe eyed youngsters. I love this job.
Fredericton - November 18-20
Fredericton is a nice city. It reminds me of my home town of Ottawa. I think that's exactly why I can only stay for a limited period of time before I get the willies. It's a clean, quiet, government town. Nothing too garish. Nothing too stylish. Nothing too scary.
Anyway, I hung out at the Delta Fredericton for a couple of days between meetings and got caught up with a couple of folks I hadn't seen in a while. The Delta is pretty...meh, I guess is the best way to describe it. I had a pretty good dinner one night at BrewBakers though. I was surprised and impressed. Otherwise, not too much to report. Good times with friends.
Halifax - November 20-22
After meeting someone in Fredericton on Monday morning I once again did the blast down the highway en route to Halifax. Halifax makes me long for the maritimes. It's one of my favourite cities - one part old port city, one part university town (there are four unis within the city limits), one part government town, with just a splash of boozy party town. The Citadel, commons and waterfront are all spectacular for a walk or late night stumble and you can eat remarkably well in Halifax for a smallish urban centre.
I had the occassion to eat with Wayne and Joann McKay (who I don't think will mind me naming them here) at The Wooden Monkey downtown. Wayne was, once upon a time, the President of Mount Allison University where I was, for too long a time, a student. He and his wife Joann really meant a lot to the community and his departure remains a black mark on the era of my peers and I. However, they are both spectacular, and they know how to pick a restaurant. The Wooden Monkey is a great little spot on what might described as restaurant row in Halifax (sharing Argyle St. with The Economy Shoe Shop et al). It has an eclectic menu that "is based on organic, macrobiotic, and locally grown fresh ingredients," which means it attracts quite a group most nights. When The Rolling Stones played in Halifax in the fall they had blueberry pie from TWM delivered to their dressing room. I ate it. It's good.
The staff is also very friendly when you insist on ordering things that they are out of, over and over. Like, three times.
Moncton - November 22
This was the last stop of my trip after an aborted attempt to get to Acadia University, which was foiled by some car trouble. Moncton is a place where I get to socialize more than usual because some good friends from university have (re-)settled there. They're a bad influence however and I don't think they'll be upset about me saying that. We ate, as we often do, at St. James Gate. "The Gate" is a nice British/Irish style pub that has been designed a bit like an old library in that its dark, poorly lit, and there are books lining the walls. (Unlike some other bars I've been to where they have books all over the place, the ones at The Gate actually have writing in them.) Evidently, The Gate is a chain, but I've never had a bad meal there and they always have fresh Stella Artois waiting, so I have no complaints.
I was pretty happy to return home at the end of this trip. I had slept pretty badly over the last few days so my memory foam bed seemed to envelop me as I recovered my sleep and my brain. It was, all in all, a good if hectic trip. Good for business is how I would describe it. I had some good eats and caught up with some important people in my life. Hard to ask for much more.
Until next trip...
Vancouver - November 15
I flew in and out of Vancouver in the same day. Normally, I would discourage anyone considering this approach from doing it because a) Vancouver is a great city and worth exploring, b) it makes for a hella long day. However, on the fifteenth of November 2006, getting out of Vancouver fast was all I could think about. The city was getting flooded (pretty literally) by rain and pounded with high winds. Vancouverites, lovely people that they are, are pretty much incapable of driving when any form of precipitation is falling from the sky. It was taking 2-3 times as long as normal to drive anywhere, which led to the anulment of one face-to-face meeting in favour of me stopping at a coffee shop and conducting the meeting by phone. I did however have a good meal with some old friends at a very nice veggie restaurant The Foundation (2301 Main St.). I don't often dine on plants only, but the food was very good adn the price was great for the portion. Otherwise, this was a lost trip to Van City, which is sad because it might be my favourite Canadian city.
Edmonton-Calgary - November 16
I've always been a big fan of the run down a long straight highway to make it in time for an occassion in another city. I think it's really a quintessential Canadian experience. Our country is so big and yet has so much empty space and we are an automobile society all of which adds up to some great long distance drives. I loved Saskatoon to Regina (minus an unintended pit stop in a ditch) and I loved Edmonton-Calgary too.
Having arrived in Edmonton very late from Vancouver I didn't spend long there on this visit. I had a sunny day though, which made the short trip across the high level bridge, over the river valleyquite beautiful. I was, sadly, driving a PT Cruiser (a curse that followed through a lot of this trip) so I did feel like a dork as I dropped Weaselmania in the CD player and listened to the greatest hits of Screeching Weasel while cruising to C-town. The drive was smooth and the meetings went well, which left me in Calgary with a bit of time on my hands.
I stayed at the Westin Hotel in downtown Calgary, which besides some ugly construction, was quite nice. I also ran into one of the best concierges I've ever encountered. She was pleasant, funny, and knew her business. She's only been in Calgary a short time, but gave me bang on directions out of the city.
I was able to have dinner with two of my favourite women in the world in Calgary on the sixteenth. We ate at the Red Door Bistro and had a truly great meal. Well, I say that, but to be honest the food is less memorable than the cocktails (I'm embarrassed to say so) - I would recommend the Bee's Knees. Dynomite. I ate the Cassoulet, which was delicious. Just make sure to bring your appetite.
Lethbridge-Calgary-Ottawa-Montreal-Fredericton - November 17-18
Look at that list of cities...now look at the dates...this was a two period I would prefer to never live again. It involved speeding through Alberta and getting a stern a warning from an RCMP officer, a missed flight, minimal sleep, getting harrassed for not using someone's pillow all for the sake of talking to a group of doe eyed youngsters. I love this job.
Fredericton - November 18-20
Fredericton is a nice city. It reminds me of my home town of Ottawa. I think that's exactly why I can only stay for a limited period of time before I get the willies. It's a clean, quiet, government town. Nothing too garish. Nothing too stylish. Nothing too scary.
Anyway, I hung out at the Delta Fredericton for a couple of days between meetings and got caught up with a couple of folks I hadn't seen in a while. The Delta is pretty...meh, I guess is the best way to describe it. I had a pretty good dinner one night at BrewBakers though. I was surprised and impressed. Otherwise, not too much to report. Good times with friends.
Halifax - November 20-22
After meeting someone in Fredericton on Monday morning I once again did the blast down the highway en route to Halifax. Halifax makes me long for the maritimes. It's one of my favourite cities - one part old port city, one part university town (there are four unis within the city limits), one part government town, with just a splash of boozy party town. The Citadel, commons and waterfront are all spectacular for a walk or late night stumble and you can eat remarkably well in Halifax for a smallish urban centre.
I had the occassion to eat with Wayne and Joann McKay (who I don't think will mind me naming them here) at The Wooden Monkey downtown. Wayne was, once upon a time, the President of Mount Allison University where I was, for too long a time, a student. He and his wife Joann really meant a lot to the community and his departure remains a black mark on the era of my peers and I. However, they are both spectacular, and they know how to pick a restaurant. The Wooden Monkey is a great little spot on what might described as restaurant row in Halifax (sharing Argyle St. with The Economy Shoe Shop et al). It has an eclectic menu that "is based on organic, macrobiotic, and locally grown fresh ingredients," which means it attracts quite a group most nights. When The Rolling Stones played in Halifax in the fall they had blueberry pie from TWM delivered to their dressing room. I ate it. It's good.
The staff is also very friendly when you insist on ordering things that they are out of, over and over. Like, three times.
Moncton - November 22
This was the last stop of my trip after an aborted attempt to get to Acadia University, which was foiled by some car trouble. Moncton is a place where I get to socialize more than usual because some good friends from university have (re-)settled there. They're a bad influence however and I don't think they'll be upset about me saying that. We ate, as we often do, at St. James Gate. "The Gate" is a nice British/Irish style pub that has been designed a bit like an old library in that its dark, poorly lit, and there are books lining the walls. (Unlike some other bars I've been to where they have books all over the place, the ones at The Gate actually have writing in them.) Evidently, The Gate is a chain, but I've never had a bad meal there and they always have fresh Stella Artois waiting, so I have no complaints.
I was pretty happy to return home at the end of this trip. I had slept pretty badly over the last few days so my memory foam bed seemed to envelop me as I recovered my sleep and my brain. It was, all in all, a good if hectic trip. Good for business is how I would describe it. I had some good eats and caught up with some important people in my life. Hard to ask for much more.
Until next trip...
posted by Ballzov at 8:52 PM
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