Saturday, June 18, 2016

Saturday, June 18:

We wake up early because our schedule says the conference breakfast starts at 7:30. We get there only to find out that breakfast is only for members, despite the fact that we paid hundreds of dollars to attend this conference. We are pissed because a) we woke up early for this and b) some advance notice would have been nice. We debate whether or not to tell Katie because she also woke up early to drive us to the Delta.

Monique's Lab Potato drawing says it all.


We stumble into the only thing that's open, and it's Linda's Coffee Shop. We see other patrons wearing the conference badges. Looks like we weren't the only ones who were tricked into waking up early.

The conference is held at the Delta, which is basically the only big, fancy hotel in Charlottetown. It's pretty centrally located, and it's right by the water. The view is pretty nice, and I was told you could see jellyfish in the water. I only saw a dead one. If you look at the side of the wall of the dock during low tide, you can see just how much the water rises.



 There's even a Cow's around the back of the Delta.

Jo arrives to town, picks up our trusty Buick rental, and our immediate goal is to go to New Glasgow Lobster Suppers for lobster and all-you-can-eat mussels (and salad and chowder). 

Jo brings a GPS, and her iPhone has data, so we think we are so smart and prepared; however, as the GPS tells us that we have arrived, we are in the middle of a long road with nothing around. Good thing I told her to print out paper Google maps to EVERYTHING on this trip. I am so smart. :D 

The view in the back of the restaurant is pretty nice.

Oh, hello full moon. Everything on this trip is and will be nature enhanced.


Since we only have about two days left in Charlottetown, we decide to check out Cavendish after dinner. Bonus for us: because it's after hours, it's toll-free to get into the area. We will find that this is the case for most national nature-y sites in the maritimes. Yay! Works out for us because we mostly operate after hours, and hitting the sunset at these locations make them crazy nice.

We watched the sun go down as we are driving to Cavendish.

We park quickly, and literally run out of the car to try to catch some just after sunset pictures of the scene, running across flimsy rope fences and warnings and all.

Obligatory Cavendish photos:

Red rocks!
 



Swirly rock formations!

 I don't think I would have liked the view as much without the sun setting. No desire to see Cavendish beach in daylight, lol.


There's that awesome full moon again. One side beach and full moon.

 One side cool rocks and after sunset over ocean.




Pushing friend into ocean.

Even the drive back to Glendenning is giving us fancy moonlight reflection over water.

At one point while the car windows are open, Monique tries to take a photo and sticks her hands out the window to do so. Jo, being unaware of the situation, starts to close all the windows from her driver seat controls. Katie starts laughing maniacally, and she tells us what's happening, and wonders why Monique doesn't say anything as the windows were slowly closing on her hands. 

We start talking about Pokémon (this is before Pokémon Go, mind you), and the conversation leads to the evolved form of Magikarp, the Pokémon with splash as its only attack. I guess that it turns into King Splash, possibly because I remember it wearing a crown. I ignore Monique correcting me ("Gyrados... you mean Gyrados... Gyrados"), and continue to call it King Splash. This will be important later. Monique makes fun of me and asks why a Pokémon would be named after its attack move. I suggest King Shock for Pikachu. Jo laughs at the whole conversation and wonders what kind of a name King Splash is. I argue that Prince Royce is a name, and she stands corrected.

And that concludes day two. So far, so scenic. The rush of getting to Cavendish before sunset might've made it more exciting than it was, but it was still very beautiful, and we had lots of fun and laughs.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

I am writing this about a week after the fact, so details may be hazy, but this is what I remember.

June 17, 2016:

I get to the airport gate area. There is no seat number on my boarding pass. I realize the last name that the airline people called over the PA system to come to the desk was mine. It's a common last name; they should've included a first name. They issue me a boarding pass with an actual seat number, and I'm good to go. Maybe this is why people check-in online 24 hours in advance.

I get to my aisle seat and a shoeless man is sitting there. Fine, I shove myself in the window seat because maybe the view will be nice. Someone else comes along and also thinks that shoeless man is in their seat. Wait... what? Turns out we were all thinking that the gate number was our seat number. Forgive me, I'm human, and do not function in the morning. I get to my real seat: back of the bus next to the washrooms, aisle seat. My neighbour asks me if I am allergic to cat hair. I am not, and think nothing of the question.

Increasing elevation in the air, and I think I hear miaowing?  Holy shit, there's a cat in my seat neighbour's bag. Surprising, but since I am not allergic, nothing to do with me. Somehow during the flight, the cat is out of the bag. *badum che* Neighbour and neighbour's partner desperately try to fit cat back into bag, and there is scratching. I subtly lean towards the aisle. I am in my office work clothes, and I'd rather not have to get more clothes for the office I do not work in. Then I wonder why water isn't allowed on planes, but scratchy cats are. The cat is put back into the bag, and all is well.

Neighbour is from Charlottetown and gets me to look out the window at the Confederation bridge. It's pretty cool to see from the sky, and I appreciate that neighbour got me to look. She is a nice lady, and I hope that all the East coasters are just as nice and friendly.

Landing in Charlottetown, and the first thing I notice outside the plane is that the air is fresh. Fresh AF is the term I kept using during the whole trip. I was afraid of continuing torrential storms from the previous week/days, but the weather is absolutely amazing. The airport seems like the size of maybe two Denny's with one baggage carousel. The closest washroom to the entrance only has two stalls, but the hidden washroom behind the car rental people has more. Oh, and there's a large cow statue just standing around.

I check-in to the Glendenning, and they are so friendly there. It is an apartment-style residence of Holland College. It is clean, spacious, and reminds me of my own rez days but with way more space. And they provide Pantene, pots, pans, and utensils. Free parking is a bonus.

Pantene!



Dinner time, and I want lobster. It's basically what I came here for. We try to go to Water Prince, but they are full. So Dave's Lobster it is. It is lobster chunks ahoy delicious!


Dessert is Cow's, and head back to our modified hotel/dorm residence. There is a common room with a ping pong table so we have at it. Monique and Katie are kind enough to share their beer and snacks with me.

My notes only say "decent, wheaty, brown". I think I liked it, lol. 

And that beer, accompanied by good people and Netflix ends day one. So far so good.

Random pictures out and about town:
Old school firetruck.

Ex-lax board in a bookstore.

Totoro lighthouse in a mall.