The Childfree Life

Off to Montreal in a week! So excited!

I was going to spend two weeks there, and rent a motorcycle after my comp and go for a ride through the Eastern Townships and out to the Gaspe Peninsula. But work is so freaking crazy right now, that my boss asked me if I'd defer my vacation and come back to help sort everything out, and I'm OK with that. It saves me a chunk of money anyway ... plus the house goes on the market this week, and I still have some niggly things I have to fix/clean up. So it will be good to get on to that. I've written this summer off anyway. By next summer I will be in the condo with nothing house related to do, there's no major competitions to plan for next year, and hopefully I'll have my camper van to work on ... next summer will be better

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Some people meditate. Some people caffeinate and vegetate.

Very best of luck Alicorn, we're all rooting for you!!

I hope you get a quick and painless sale on the house too

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Too bright to breed

Good luck, Alicorn!

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"There is no bad weather, only bad clothes." - Unknown

Good luck Alicorn! I’m sure you’re gonna rock it!

I’m in Quebec next week at well, but we’re going to be camping at Mont-Tremblant National Park. I’m looking forward to it, I’m really feeling the need to “get away from it all” for a bit.

Can I say how much I loved Montreal? Completely different to anywhere I've been in Western Canada, but in the best way.

After the competition was over I spent four days pretty much riding around the city on a BIxi, which is their $5 a day town bike rental program. The city main is small, and also flat, so the Bixi was great for getting around. Great food, good cocktail bars, spectacular street art, the largest cemetery in Canada (my cemetery geek self was in heaven, shame I had my coach with me for the day or I'd likely have spent the whole day in there, instead of just a couple of hours). Old buildings, new buildings, beautiful parks, gardens and green spaces, and wonderful late summer weather. If I every have an excuse to go back, I will do so quite happily.

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Some people meditate. Some people caffeinate and vegetate.

It’s taken me a while to get around to updating this thread.

In mid-August, I did a bike trip around the Simcoe County Loop Trail in Ontario. It’s a bunch of old rail trails/multi-use paths stitched together to create a 160 km loop. I rode it over 2 days (back-to-back 80 km days). I did it solo. My mom found out the day before I left that I was doing it alone, and accordingly freaked right out, because apparently riding an off-road path within my home province is a super-dangerous trip.

Anyway, on the first day, my husband drove me up to the start of the trail (he really is awesome), and off I went. I rode through some nice forest, some beautiful wetlands, and some scenic farmers’ fields. I rode until a little town called Elmvale, and stopped in there at a pub for lunch. After a leisurely lunch, I hopped back on the trail and continued. Since it’s mostly rail trail, this trail was parallel to a highway and nice and flat. Gave the feeling of never really being too far from civilization, while still riding off-road. After a brief detour (stupid unannounced trail closures...I made it up to Georgian Bay. This was the prettiest part of the trail, riding by the water. I got a flat tire about 1 km from the Bed and Breakfast where I’d reserved a room, so I walked the rest of the way there.

I B&B owners were so nice - the guy helped me fix my flat and he even had a spare tube! After a quick shower, they invited me for a glass of wine on the deck. I had a nice chat with the owners and two other guests. I actually ended up going for dinner with the other guests so I wouldn’t have to eat alone, which was super nice of them. After dinner, I had a quick soak in the B&B’s hot tub to ward off sore muscles, then we all ended up sitting around the kitchen table, chatting and drinking scotch (I mentioned to the owners how much I loved scotch after I saw some at the bar in my room).

I woke up the next morning, had a delicious breakfast, and then headed back out to the trail. Continued riding along the lake, which was still gorgeous. After the trail turns away from the lake, it actually got a little dull - long, straight, flat rail trail, as far as the eye can see. Easy to ride, but not super exciting. I arrived in Orillia and stopped for lunch at a really nice wood oven pizza place. Got a little lost finding the trail again, but made good time on the final leg and made it back to lake Simcoe ahead of schedule. Again, when the trail follows the shoreline of a lake - absolutely gorgeous.

I met up with a friend from high school who I haven’t seen in a billion years who lives near there for a coffee and caught up with her, which was really nice. Husband arrived to pick me up a couple hours later, and I called my parents on the way home to inform them that I was still alive.

It was a lot of fun, and I’m glad I did I on my own - it was a bit of a new experience for me (I don’t usually travel alone), but wholly positive. Everyone I met along the way was super nice and friendly!

That said - I think if I were to do it again (and I’d like to, it was fun), I think I’d like to go with a friend or two. It would have been nice to have someone to chat to along the flat, straight parts of the trail.

^^^That sounds like a fun adventure. I'm glad you had such a good time.

I'm traveling to Seattle in a couple weeks to visit a friend and be part of a live show of a podcast I listen to. It's going to be on a boat. Well, technically on the Argosy Cruise Line. I'm looking forward to the trip and a few days off. I'll have to think of places to go to that I didn't get to the last time I was in Seattle. Direct flights from here on Alaska Airlines are quite reasonable. I could see myself making more trips out to the Pacific Northwest.