Expedia Travel Deals for the Week of August 30th
Posted August 30, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Travel Deals
Here are special travel deals from Expedia starting on August 30th, 2007. Enjoy!
Hawaii: Flight + 4 nights from only $603 - Expires 9/30/07.
San Francisco: Up to 30% off hotels. Expires 9/10/07.
Las Vegas sale: Hotels from only $40. Expires 9/11/07.
Save $200 instantly on select hotels in the Bahamas! Use coupon code: GB200 - Expires 9/30/07
Technorati Tags: Expedia, travel, hawaii, las vegas, coupons, coupon code, hotels
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Total Eclipse of the Moon on August 28th
Posted August 12, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under News
A total eclipse of the Moon will occur during the early morning of Tuesday, August 28, 2007, and from start to finish, will last about three hours and thirty-three minutes.
The lunar eclipse will be widely visible from Canada, the United States, the Pacific Ocean, western Asia and Australia. In North America, only observers to the west of the Rockies will be able to witness the entire event. All phases of the eclipse will also be visible from Pacific Ocean islands, eastern Australia and New Zealand, while no portion of the eclipse will be visible from Europe, Africa and western Asia.
An eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through some portion of Earth’s shadow, and a total lunar eclipse occurs only when the moon is full. For more information about this and other eclipses, visit NASA’s site.
Lunar eclipses are completely safe to watch, and neither protective filters nor telescopes are required to watch them. You’ll be able to see the lunar eclipse with nothing more than the naked eye, but a standard pair of 7×35 or 7×50 binoculars binoculars (or better) will magnify your view of the event and make the red coloration brighter and easier to see. To photograph the lunar eclipse nicely, you’ll require a 400 mm or larger telephoto lens. If need equipment to see the lunar eclipse better or photograph it, check out Ritz Camera’s no sales & tax free shipping deals.
Ed and I will be out watching equipped with a telescope, camera and binoculars to cover all the bases. Clear skies and happy watching!
Goodies for eclipse junkies and star-gazers are available in astonomical numbers at CafePress.com, where you’ll find t-shirts and gifts about every topic under the sun (or moon) and where you can create your own personalized products.
Technorati Tags: lunar eclipse, eclipse, binoculars, camera, eclipse of the moon
A Room with a View at the Banff Park Lodge
When checking into the Banff Park Lodge, I specifically asked the girl at the front desk in which direction the room faced. She pointed to the west. Being somewhat claustrophobic and knowing that the west-facing rooms had unobstructed views, I was relieved.
I knew she had misled us however as we toted our baggage southwards down the first hall and then made an abrubt right turn to end up at a north-facing room. My fears were realized when I went to the window to see that the view was almost completely obliterated by a wall, as shown in the photograph at the top left.
I promptly phoned the desk to request a room change and was informed that there were no rooms available and that we could change to another room in the morning.
“The sign outside indicates that there are still vacancies”, I asserted, to which she responded that the currently available rooms were allocated to a group arriving the following day.
“I’m here now and would like a room with a view, you can give them this room”, I told her. She responded that she would see what she could do and would call me back in 5 minutes. Having heard nothing by fifteen minutes later, I went to the front desk to see how the matter was progressing.
The nasty little fraulein rolled her eyes when she saw Ed and I approach the desk. She had a list of room numbers written down on a sheet of paper and it was obvious that their reservation system was a nightmare. We however stood patiently waiting until they sorted things out and finally got a room with a south-facing view towards Rundle mountain.
The point is - don’t accept the room with the bad view or take front desk clerks at face value. They will lie to you, and if you’re lucky enough to catch them, you will eventually get the room that you want.
Technorati Tags: Banff Park Lodge, hotel room, view, front desk
2007 Penticton Peachfest Parade
Posted August 11, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures
At just before 10AM this morning Ed and I tripped down the hill to the corner of Eckhardt Avenue and Main Streets to watch the 60th Annual Penticton Peachfest Parade.
Touted as one of the largest parades in British Columbia, there were floats from cities and towns around BC, Alberta and Washington State.
Best Summer Offers from Expedia
Posted August 10, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Travel Deals
#1 - Fare sale: U.S., Canada and Mexico from only $93+ roundtrip!
Whether it’s back to school or a late vacation, now’s the time to score great airfares on fall flights. For a limited time, fly to popular destinations in North America and Latin America from just $93+ roundtrip on Expedia.
* Book by August 20, 2007
* Travel dates vary by destination
#2 - Caribbean Islands Sale: Air + 4 nights from $412!
Surrender—immediately—to the hypnotic rhythm of steel drums and the rolling surf of the Caribbean Islands. Let the tropics soothe your days and revitalize your nights.
Book by September 14; travel by November 30, 2007.
#3 - Cancun and Riviera Maya deals: Hotels from $99, Air + 4 nts from $499
Get great rates for travel to Mexico’s glorious Yucatan beaches. See Mayan ruins or laze by pool or sea, cooled by fresh ocean breezes.
Book by August 15, travel by September 30, 2007.
#4 - Carnival cruises from only $229, plus free upgrades and more!
You know you’re in for a great vacation when you choose a Carnival cruise. And when you book on Expedia, you’ll get a free upgrade*—up to two categories! Book a 4A or higher cabin and get upgraded to the best available cabin within the category (inside to inside, oceanview to oceanview, and balcony to balcony). Upgrades are available on most sailings departing between Aug 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008—but space is limited, so book now on Expedia. Along with great rates and upgrades, you’ll receive a free Entertainment on Vacation Travel Pack, giving you easy online access to valuable travel coupons that can be used in most vacation destinations (U.S. cities only).
Book your vacation by August 31; begin travel by Sept. 30, 2007. Book now on Expedia—sale ends soon!
Technorati Tags: travel deals, Expedia, Carnival cruises, Caribbean, Mexico, Canada
Sandcastle Competition at 2007 Penticton Peachfest
Posted August 9, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Adventures
2007 marked the 24th Annual Sandcastle Competition hosted by the Skaha Rotary and its sponsors during Penticton’s Peachfest and I’m glad that I finally attended my first one. 
Family, youth, kids and corporate teams vied for prizes ranging from 100 to 300 bucks, although fame and fun were more likely incentives to participate.
Got Maps?
Posted August 3, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Maps & Globes
I literally pack a bag of maps for each of our road trips, and as I write this, Ed is intently studying a map of Spokane, Washington, to determine our route and plans for tommorow.
Do you need maps? If so, you’ll be glad to know that each month, Maps.com features a few products from their Best Seller list, with great discounts.
This month, Desk Maps by Maps.com, Desk Globes by CRAM and Global Games by A Broader View are all 7% off with coupon code 7DESK.
This offer expires on August 31.
Technorati Tags: maps, globes, coupon codes
You Can’t Go Back… for Borscht
Posted August 2, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner · Filed Under Food
I have fond memories of working and living in Castlegar, British Columbia from January until October 1990 (at which time the air traffic control tower closed and they sent us all packing.)
One of those memories includes taking lunchtime breaks to enjoy bowls of borscht at a little restaurant kitty-corner to the library.
So when we were passing through Castlegar on our way to Cranbrook, I suddenly had an overwhelming craving for borscht, so we went to Cafe Friends.
The waitress informed me that the restaurant, which had changed little in appearance in 17 years, had come under new ownership 8 years before. She also said that according to their patrons, the borscht was even better than it had been before.
Well, I have to disagree. It’s rare that either Ed or I salt our food, but that bowl of borscht was so lacking in taste that we had to apply the sodium quite liberally to make it palatable.
Oh well, lesson learned. You can’t go back hoping or expecting things (even the food) to be the same… so embrace change and try something new.
Technorati Tags: borscht, Castlegar, British Columbia
The Snowgoose Grill and Curly Bear Cafe
Posted August 1, 2007 by Ed Szajniak · Filed Under Food
The Snowgoose Grill and Curly Bear Cafe at the St. Mary Lodge & Resort slogan is that “They always go that extra step to ensure you have an unforgettable dining experience”.
Well forget it…
We were looking forward to having breakfast at the Snowgoose Grill at the lodge. After being seated quickly, things began to go wrong.
15 minutes after being seated, we hadn’t received even an acknowledgment that we had been seen by the wait staff. Ros hailed down a passing staff member who said he was “only a busboy” but he would get the waiter. He just carried on clearing tables.
Ros went to the desk to ask for some service and after 5 more minutes we were offered coffee and the excuse that they were busy. The coffee then took a while to arrive.
Once ordered, the food arrived quickly, but the food was pretty standard. The potatoes that came with the bacon and eggs were cubed, deep fat fried and relatively tastless.
But on a positive note, the coffee was very good.
On the whole, we’d say that the Snowgoose Grill and Curly Bear Cafe is best forgotten.
Technorati Tags: Snowgoose Grill and Curly Bear Cafe, St. Mary Lodge & Resort
Air Museum - Nanton Lancaster Society
Posted August 1, 2007 by Ed Szajniak · Filed Under Adventures
We were on Highway 2 south of Calgary and passing through the town of Nanton when we spotted a sigh for the The Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum. Being aviation buffs a visit was required.
The Museum is dedicated to Bomber Command during World War II and there is a memorial outside that lists the names of the 10,000 Canadians who died while serving.
Admission to the museum is by donation. There are displays of uniforms, equipment and training manuals. Several displays recount the exploits of some of the Canadians that served.
There are several aircraft on display with the Avro Lancaster being the center piece exhibit.
I learned more about the the contribution made by Canadians and had another chance to see the the planes and equipment used. It is well worth your time to pay a visit. Visit the website, www.lancastermuseum.ca
