Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Parting is such sweet sorrow


Our friends left for Toronto this morning and we already miss them. It was wonderful being able to spend some time with Dina, Gavin and Elie. Too bad we didn't have enough time to hit the beaches and more of the Island attractions. I think I made the mistake of trying to cram in too much in too short a time. We went to the Bridal Veil Falls and walked around Kagawong, and we drove by the beach at Providence Bay.

I think next time I take friends sightseeing, I should split up the trips and spend more time in each spot. One day we should see Michael's Bay and spend time on the beach at either Carter Bay or Providence Bay. The next day, we could see the Bridal Veil Falls in Kagawong and walk the hiking trails up to the bay. We could even check out some of the lighthouses around the island. Another day would be reserved for beach time in South Bay and checking out the little shops near the ferry terminal. We could even take the boat across to Tobermory and spend the day there. On the Tobermory side, there are many things to see and do: scuba diving, glass bottom boat tours, shops, pubs, restaurants, and all kinds of neat things.

Dina, sorry I didn't think of splitting up the sightseeing a bit. We ended up doing a lot of driving around the island (and it's not that small of an island!). I guess I just get so excited about the island and how beautiful it is, that I try to cram everything in.

We dined at the Garden's Gate last night and enjoyed a good meal. Unfortunately, we were all so full that none of us were able to eat one of the Garden's Gate's signature desserts! John was even too full to eat his favourite "Mad About Chocolate Cheesecake"!

Curiosity Killer, Canine and Lotus: Our table ordered the White Fish with risotto cakes, the Chicken Schnitzel with risotto cakes, the Fettucini Alfredo with chicken, and the Sun-dried tomato and garlic crusted chicken with mashed potato. The dishes all came with veggies (garlic scapes and cauliflower) and either soup or salad and homemade dinner rolls with homemade butter. Sorry, I totally forgot to take pics for you!

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a sweet little family they have!

You are such a fabulous hostess, Christine!

Great pictures, too!

Anonymous said...

Looks like everyone had a great time. Are you prepared for all the friends and family who are coming to visit you this summer! MUHAHAHAHAHA!

Anonymous said...

OH~ I want to go to Manatoulin Island too!

Cherry said...

Your little island sounds like a great place to visit!

You're such a good hostess and such a fan of your home. It's great to be in a place you love so much that you want to share it with everyone you love.

And um... the description of your dinner sounds fabulous!

Anonymous said...

Glad you had so much fun...time for Dina to come back to ME!

Hopefully we'll be able to get in a visit, though I must admit just the thought of the drive giveds me hives (I drive about 2000k a month for work, and really try hard to avoid long drives whenever I can!)

Anonymous said...

OOPs. not sure why that said anonymous...it was me...Jill!

Unknown said...

Doggy Mama:
Thank you! Oh, and yes...they do have a sweet little family! It was such a fun time! Maybe you and Steve can come for a visit sometime. I know Biz is not well right now, but maybe if he feels strong enough someday, Ryder and Biz and you guys can come up here. Wishful thinking? Probably :) I'm an optimist though! ;) Have a good evening and I'll catch up with you soon!

T:
We've got heaps of friends and family coming up for a visit this summer. July and August are going to be crazy busy. We'll also have students coming then, so I'm not sure where we're going to put everybody! LOL!

Unknown said...

Hot Mommy:
Yeah! You guys should come up this summer!!!

Cherry:
It is a beautiful place to visit. Check out www.ourmanitoulin.com and you can see more info on the island! :)

Jill:
I was going to get you something from the Soap Factory, but ran out of time. They've got this really nice brown sugar scrub. I gave Dina one. When you see her, try some and if you like it, I'll get you some too :)

Yeah, it's 6 hrs from Toronto. It's kind of a long-ish drive, but I've been going road trippin' since I was a baby. We used to go from Toronto to Montreal and back all the time. We even used to drive to Florida, Virginia, and NY all the time for vacation. I guess 6 hrs doesn't seem tooooooo long to me now :) If you want to cut the trip into smaller driving chunks, you can drive from Toronto to Tobermory in 3.5 hrs and then take the boat for a 1 hr 45 min boat ride. It's a bit pricey, but so is gas...and if you take the boat, you save on mileage and wear and tear on your vehicle. LOL...at least that's how I justify it :) We drive around the long way most of the time, but occasionally we take the boat.

Anonymous said...

I google searched the Garden's Gate restaurant and it looks like a marvelous place to dine.

Anonymous said...

Bloody hell! I just noticed those bales of hay (?) in your photos! You weren't lying when you said you lived on a farm!

-0-0-
*
P

Anonymous said...

I've been to Manitoulin Island and we just LOVE it there! If I'm not mistaken, June is still quiet there. Perhaps your friends would have enjoyed it more in July or August or even September! It's much busier in the summer season and they could go swimming in the beautiful beaches. Our kids really enjoyed Providence Bay.

You are very blessed to live where you do. It's such a beautiful, magial place. For now, we're still in the city for work purposes, but we are considering Manitoulin Island for when we get older.

We found your blog when we did a search on the net for Manitoulin Island. We'll be checking the blog out again!

Anonymous said...

I love the Garden's Gate! Have they still got their Pecan Pie and their Keylime Pie? OHHHH their desserts are to die for!

Anonymous said...

what a cute baby

caninecologne said...

hi
dinner sounded delicious! take pix next time! still in boston but we leave for nyc tomorrow. our train leaves at 9:30 am. we'll be staying with our friend in astoria (queens) for the weekend but we plan to stay in a hotel the next 3 days before flying back to good ole san diego. it's actually raining right now

Unknown said...

Pete:
Yes, yes and yes! The Garden's Gate is a great place to dine and we do have round bales in front of our house and in our fields! LOL!

Anon:
Thanks for popping by my blog. Funny how you found it! I figured this was just a small and insignificant blog intended for friends and family, so it amazes me that it can actually be found out in cyberspace! LOL!
Thank you for your comments. I know a lot of people who have purchased land and homes/cottages on the island in the last few years. I've met a lot of Americans who have purchased real estate here.

Unknown said...

Claire:
Hi! Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. How did you find this blog? Do we know each other?
Anyway, YES...they still have their pecan pie and their keylime pie! My MIL loves the pecan pie! I'm quite partial to the keylime pie and Hubby loves the 'mad about chocolate cheesecake'!

T:
Yes, he is an adorable baby, isn't he?

Canine:
I was about to take pics of the food for you!! LOL! I completely forgot about the pics as soon as the food arrived though! I will do a better job of remembering next time! ;)
Enjoy your stay in NY! My grandmother lives in NY (well, actually in Flushing, NY). When we go to NYC, we always have to visit people we know in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and downtown. LOL...I know what you're thinking. "You have friends in the Bronx and in Brooklyn???" ;)

CandleWix said...

I love Manitoulin! You are so lucky to have to opportunity to live there all year round. I have family from Manitoulin, my great grandfather came across on a boat with his wife from Cockburn Island with a baby in tow. Most of my great relatives from Manitoulin are now buried in the Silver Lake Cemetary. I just came back from staying in Kagawong for a week. I will say after 10 years it has definately changed on the far part of the island and it's sad to see all the small business's gone on as people get old, sell and family move on. It hurts to see people that don't know the beauty of the island and only worry about the big dollar that comes with it. I stayed at a horrible resort which we will never go back to. This was a case where the family got old, family moved away and could no longer look after their land. So some people from Toronto bought it up in hopes to make the big bucks. They do not have repeat clients and there is a reason for that. Lakeview Resort is the name of the place and I am sorry to the past family who owned it because it has been poorly taken over. All in all I was just happy to be there and see all the sites I haven't seen in years. I would love to have the opportunity to move there and enjoy the countryside with my Children all year round.

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City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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