Travel Archives • A Story About A Girl

Camping in PEI

April 12, 2019 ● Travel ● 4

I’ve really wanted to go camping in PEI for a while now and on a bit of a road trip. In fact, it’s in my 2019 Bucket List post below. I haven’t been camping in PEI in years. I think I was a teen or in my early 20’s when I last went with my parents. Well, we will be going in July! Over my birthday weekend, I have booked us 4 nights at Cedar Dunes Provincial Park! $150 for 4 nights I figured why not! So we will be spending a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. I am excited about visiting the West Point Lighthouse and maybe some other lighthouses and walk the beautiful beaches.

West Point Lighthouse. Photo credit: Welcome PEI

We’ll be driving up Thursday morning, roughly a 6-hour drive, July 4th and crossing the Confederation Bridge and then through Summerside to visit family then on to the provincial park and then back again on the 8th. That will leave us all day the 5th, 6th, and 7th to explore the island. I have been across Confederation Bridge before in someone else’s vehicle but this will be my first time driving over the bridge myself. Little apprehensive of that not a fan of heights but the sides are pretty high. I did go across once in Dad’s 18 wheeler and was able to see over the sides. I remember it being both scary and beautiful!

The Confederation Bridge. Photo credit: The Star

I am so excited about this trip and camping. We haven’t gone camping since our honeymoon almost 3 years ago. We got a new tent for Christmas last year but with me getting hurt last summer we never got to use it. I can’t wait! We plan to do some picture taking, hiking, geocaching and drive around western PEI as well as swim and enjoy the beaches and maybe do some beachcombing. We will come back another year and do Charlottetown and eastern PEI if we don’t get a chance. I am really unsure time wise if we will get there this trip but if I can we will. I have to research it a bit more.

So the countdown to PEI is on! 83 days and counting!

Europa Park

May 26, 2018 ● Travel ● 2

When I was 5 my Dad was posted to CFB Baden Söllingen in Germany. One of our favorite places to visit when were were there was an amusement park called Europa Park in Rust, Germany. We went a few times a year each year that we were there, which was 6 years in total from January 1985 to July 1991. Every year I would look forward to our trips to Europa Park and to going on the rides. I am a huge amusement park fan and fan of roller coasters, flume rides and most other rides with the exception of ferris wheels or anything similar.

My mom told me today that one of my favorite rides Piraten in Batvia which was built in 1987 is on fire. I remember going on it when it first opened. It was a large water ride with big pirate ships that you get into and ride through a large building through a pirate themed land. Apparently the fire has completely destroyed the ride as well as apparently a large section of the park and damaged other rides as well. I was really sad to hear this. It was one of my favorite rides and I was looking forward to visiting again someday and seeing all the old rides I used to enjoy as well as the newer ones.

Europa Park is the most popular amusement park in Germany and second most after Disneyland Paris (formerly Euro Disney Resort) in Europe. From the media it says that no one was injured. Which is really a miracle since the park was full of people and from what I understand the ride was in use and people were on it when the fire sparked. A large section of the park the Scandanavian section was badly damaged or destroyed. I’m not sure if any other sections were destroyed or damaged.

Below is a video of the ride:

I remember other rides and sections of the park as well. I remember a flume ride and roller coaster that went through part of the same building as well as a bobsled themed roller coaster as well. It was always a part of our summer traveling while we were there to go to Europa Park with friends of the family and some of my school friends. I think I even went on school events there as well.

I am sad to here that such a big part of my childhood is gone and may never get to be enjoyed by future generations (including my own kids someday I hope) in the way that I got to enjoy it. Hopefully they will be able to rebuild it exactly as it was but they may not. Only time will tell. I am just glad to hear that no one got seriously hurt though terrified locals and tourists alike had to run away from the fire, heat and smoke. That would have been truly terrifying. I know every time I get on a ride from here on out it will be in the back of my mind.

Quebec City & St. Lawrence River in August!

May 25, 2018 ● Photography, Travel ● 3

I have a week of vacation booked from August 26th to the 30th and I don’t work the 24th and 25th or the 31st and 1st of September either (weekend before and after vacation) so that is 9 days in a row off. I mention this to my Mom as I wanted to see about borrowing their camper for the week to go camping somewhere close by. Instead my Mom came up with the idea that her, my father, Edward and I go camping along the St. Lawrence River in New Brunswick & Quebec all the way to Quebec City.

I have been through Quebec City before mostly just driving through it or around it or going through it on a train but I have never really walked around in Quebec City or seen any of the sights. I am really excited to go. My parents have been before buy my husband has never been near there. Neither of us have been along the St. Lawrence river, though my parents have.

Last real vacation I had for a week at a time that I went anywhere was 2 years ago when Edward and I got married and we went camping for a week at Falls Lake. Last year I took a week but stayed at home and Edward worked so I pretty much just watched tv at home. This will be a lot more fun

I plan to bring my camera obviously and take lots and lots of pictures. We will all be going in my parents van together and leaving our car home. My brother also likely will not be able to come as he will need to work. I also forgot to mention Mary Ellen who is a family friend who was here for a few months in 2016 when Eddie and I got married is back for two months this summer. She arrived on Tuesday last week. She will already have gone back home to Ontario by the time we go though.