So Close to Downtown

One of my favorite things about living in downtown Edmonton is how easy it is to feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.  I took a walk for a few minutes today, and found myself on the river trail.  Instead of hearing loud sirens and motorcycles, I heard chirping birds and rustling leaves. 

 

Because we are leaving in less than a month, I am trying to document some of the things I really enjoy about this place.

So far, I have decided that summer here is bliss, it almost makes winter worth it.  It stays light until eleven which gives me so much energy.  There are tons of events, Farmers' Markets, and fun to be had everywhere.

This final view is a little reminder that I didn't stray too far from downtown.

Jerry's Second Visit to Maine

The best part of our recent trip was going to Maine for a couple of days.  We didn't have a lot of time, but it was nice.  The first day was rainy so we went to Freeport for some outlet shopping.  Jerry doesn't understand what is so wonderful about L.L. Bean, but he still allowed me to take photos of him there.

Perhaps, he isn't impressed by L.L. Bean because the prices shock him.

On our second day, we went to the Portland Headlight.  It was a gorgeous day and the perfect temperature to visit the coast.

We also went to Spring Light to walk the breakwater.  I feel like I have done this dozens of times, but it doesn't get old.

Like Keukenhof, But Free

We managed to visit Ottawa at the perfect time of year. The tulips were in full bloom. Every year Ottawa has a tulip festival to commemorate their connection with the Netherlands. Canadian forces saved the Dutch people from the Hunger Winter (1944-1945).  The Canadians also protected Princess Juliana after the German occupation.  As a token of gratitude, the Dutch gave Canada 100,000 tulip bulbs, and every year they give them 10,000 more.  There is even a variety called the Canadian Liberator.

Thus, in early May, the flowers bloom and people flock to see them.  It really was gorgeous.  But then again I am partial to these spring flowers.

I like the specks on this one.

They had many varieties that you don't typically see.

This even had a different shape.

Did I mention that tulips are my favorite flower?

Montreal

Jerry and I took our second trip to Montreal since we have been married.  To describe the purpose of this visit would be rather boring, but suffice it to say that it in no way resembled any recent romantic comedies.  Our trip to the east was about a week long.  We spent the first day and last day and a half in the city.  Mostly, we ate and slept.  The food was good.

We both really like french onion soup and had it more than once.

In seventh grade French class, I learned the word croque-monsieur, and I finally ate one.  Yes, it is simply an open faced ham and cheese sandwich.

Jerry chose crepes with goat sausage.  Slightly more exotic and delicious.

On our last day we had some more time to do the touristy stuff.  First we went to Mount Royal, the highest point in Montreal.  It's not that high and was more of a stroll than even a walk, but gave us a nice view of the city.

Before heading to the airport, we went to the Oratorio, a huge church with hundreds of steps leading to the Basilica.

Devout members from any Christian denomination come here to pray, but what is truly impressive is that at each step they kneel and pray as they climb the stairs.  At this time of year, there are not too many, but we witnessed both young and old climbing the steps on their knees to show their devotion to God.

West Edmonton Mall

Edmonton has a couple claims to fame.  First, the Edmonton Oilers, the hockey team currently at the bottom of the NHL.  Second, Edmonton boasts the largest mall in the world.  More than just a collection of generic stores and multiple food courts, it houses things like a hotel, miniature golf course, shooting range and casino. 

Today, I went to the mall on a quest for spring clothing and was again impressed with this place.  I exited the H&M only to stumble upon a sea lion show.  I enjoyed my ice cream from the Marble Slab while young figure skaters practiced their sit spins. 

Not only can you enjoy the flavors of Chinatown, you can take the escalator down and discover Bourbon Street.  (Really it's just a bunch of chain restaurants and has little to no New Orleans flavor.)  There is also a European wing, but I tend to get lost in this place and couldn't find it.

Really, no mall is complete without an exact replica of the Santa Maria, the boat that Columbus traveled in when he discovered the New World.  It sits in real water.  Beneath the surface are submarines which are no longer in use.  The mall is selling them for 1 Canadian dollar, but the buyer must remove it from the mall themselves.  This is an apparently impossible task, because they are all still there. 

After eating at one of the approximately 70 McDonald's in the mall, you can always go for a ride in Galaxyland, the indoor amusement park.  It seems small, but there are plenty of rides to make your stomach do the tilt-a-whirl.

And finally, this is the closest thing that Edmonton has to a beach.  Put your sunblock on and get ready to ride the waves.

A final note:  Just because this mall has some over-the-top attractions does not make the shopping experience any more pleasant.  Shopping was a frustrating experience.  Like at any mall the clothes seemed to be too shear, too tight, or just too ugly.  I hope you enjoyed this little tour of the mall.

Views of Jasper

Last weekend, I went to Jasper with Jerry's family. Unfortunately, Jerry could not make it, but I still had a good time. The main purpose of the trip for the others was to ski. My main purpose was to enjoy the natural beauty of the Canadian Rockies.

The concierge showed me a map and drew me a path around the frozen lake that would be an easy walk. He kindly told me which trails to avoid if I did not want to be attacked by a cougar. Then he sent me on my way.

I promptly got lost. Apparently snow covered trails are hard to follow even if it is only circling the lake. At this point I would like to mention that I found other lost folk on my search to reunite with the trail.


The advantage to getting lost was, of course, seeing some gorgeous outlooks. I saw oodles of animal prints, but no animals. I wouldn't have minded seeing an elk but I wasn't disappointed that I did not find any wild cats.


The weather was perfect for a weekend in the mountains. The skies were perfectly clear and the weather was just warm enough to enjoy being outdoors.

Genealogy - Look What I Found

When Jerry and I first met with our bishop, he asked what I was going to do with all my free time. I told him I wanted to work on genealogy. Sure enough, the next week, Jerry and I were called to be family history consultants. I have had a chance to do a lot of research and this morning I made two great finds.

This is a photo from a book about Oil City, Pennsylvania where some of my ancestors lived. I chose this page because it tells about St. Joseph's Church were the Quinn family attended. The entire book can be found here.
After I learned about this church, I was prompted to see if I could find online cemetery records. I actually found where a number of my ancestors are buried. This is St. Joseph's cemetery.

I found photos of gravestones and other information that I have been looking for at findagrave.com. Here is a little of what I found.

Eugene Quinn is my grandfather's great grandfather.

Rebecca is Eugene's wife.

Laura is one of their children and my grandfather's great aunt. I like how moss covered this one is.

It was very exciting to find this information and I am still looking for information on this family. I can't wait to find more!