Topic: Vacations 2015

[Ex-airbalancer]

Off to Midland Ont. for the next week starting Sunday. (Have my parents checking on 18yr old while away, he's has work commitments and making sure cat lives.)

     

My parents use to have a cottage at Cawaja Beach
Spend many a night killing little  grey cells

[mlin32]

Spent a lovely 5 days in Morzine total. Sad to leave......some more pictures. Nice scenery on the drive west towards Lyon.....but god it's pretty much péage, péage, péage and 110km/h in the rain. 185km cost me 19 €.

[Hannibalsmith]

Paradise in PEI

That looks like the place chef Michael Smith did his show.

So I was chatting with our neighbours that are renting the house beside ours (see picture below) and in fact their house was the one where Chef at Home was filmed. Apparently that was not the house he actually lived in.

[KD]

Michael Smith now owns an inn on PEI and not surprisingly the food is supposed to be incredible.

http://innatbayfortune.com/

[Ex-airbalancer]

Last trip to Italy we spent 2 days on Capri (Anacapri to be more precise).  Absolutely our favorite place we've ever been to.
Been to Rome 3x, so that day could be a day to just stroll around a bit.  Also been to Venice 3x, but arrived either via air or rail.  Would be great to arrive on the boat.

Other plus for the Oceania is it avoids other areas of Italy we've already been to (eg. Florence & Pisa - seeing them once is plenty).

I like Florence could go there a number of times
Here something to do in Rome
http://regevelya.com/path-of-illumination/

[Railton]

Mrs. Railton and I took a little 3 day trip last week. We had been meaning to travel to the Buffalo area for a couple of years now. One of the reasons was to view one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s residential homes to get some inspiration for the new house we plan on  building.
The house we visited in known as the Martin House and was built around 1902 to 1905 in Wright’s popular Prairie School House style. I believe that Wright had a blank check in building this house and that the cost was in the area of $300K in 1902 dollars. The bricks came from Italy and some of the rooms inside used the same bricks and the mortar was overlaid with gold leaf. To see this house is to marvel at the creativity of one man (FLW) and the deep pockets of another (Martin). The $50M in renovations are on-going with impeccable attention to detail. I have been interested by this architect and his designs and his quirkiness since high school. The Pergola and the view of Winged Victory from the entrance foyer is truly impressive for the first time visitor and the house really is a must-see for anyone visiting the area.
Railton

[Railton]

Another place Mrs. Railton and I visited I Buffalo last week was the Pierce-Arrow museum. P-A was an automobile manufacturer in Buffalo between the years of 1901 and 1938.
It’s a very nice, clean museum with focus on P-A cars made in Buffalo Ny as well as another manufacturer in Buffalo named the the Playboy. There's also great displays of Cord’s, Auburn's, Bugatti’s and many more. The biggest feature was the Frank Lloyd Wright's 1927 TYDOL Filling Station that was never built but the drawing existed so it was recreated in the museum. If you have seen any one of the many houses that he designed you will certainly appreciate the filling station. He was really ahead of his time. His orange 1929 Cord is also on display.
They have room to display more cars and I understand that there are expansion plans to make this one of the largest auto museums in the world. Not sure of the time frame though for that.
Railton

[KD]

Mrs. Railton and I took a little 3 day trip last week. We had been meaning to travel to the Buffalo area for a couple of years now. One of the reasons was to view one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s residential homes to get some inspiration for the new house we plan on  building.
The house we visited in known as the Martin House and was built around 1902 to 1905 in Wright’s popular Prairie School House style. I believe that Wright had a blank check in building this house and that the cost was in the area of $300K in 1902 dollars. The bricks came from Italy and some of the rooms inside used the same bricks and the mortar was overlaid with gold leaf. To see this house is to marvel at the creativity of one man (FLW) and the deep pockets of another (Martin). The $50M in renovations are on-going with impeccable attention to detail. I have been interested by this architect and his designs and his quirkiness since high school. The Pergola and the view of Winged Victory from the entrance foyer is truly impressive for the first time visitor and the house really is a must-see for anyone visiting the area.

Cool!    I've been a fan of FLW since I was a kid and credit him with my interest in architecture.  Falling Water was probably my favorite of his home designs. 

I assume you brought the most dapper P-Arrow with you to the P-Arrow Museum? 

[Railton]

Mrs. Railton and I took a little 3 day trip last week. We had been meaning to travel to the Buffalo area for a couple of years now. One of the reasons was to view one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s residential homes to get some inspiration for the new house we plan on  building.
The house we visited in known as the Martin House and was built around 1902 to 1905 in Wright’s popular Prairie School House style. I believe that Wright had a blank check in building this house and that the cost was in the area of $300K in 1902 dollars. The bricks came from Italy and some of the rooms inside used the same bricks and the mortar was overlaid with gold leaf. To see this house is to marvel at the creativity of one man (FLW) and the deep pockets of another (Martin). The $50M in renovations are on-going with impeccable attention to detail. I have been interested by this architect and his designs and his quirkiness since high school. The Pergola and the view of Winged Victory from the entrance foyer is truly impressive for the first time visitor and the house really is a must-see for anyone visiting the area.

Cool!    I've been a fan of FLW since I was a kid and credit him with my interest in architecture.  Falling Water was probably my favorite of his home designs. 

I assume you brought the most dapper P-Arrow with you to the P-Arrow Museum? 

Ha, ha...no, he was at the spa.
We did stay at a nice place though in Buffalo, called the Foundry. Two bedrooms, two baths, three TV's, complete kitchen with gas stove! More of an apartment then a hotel room. Got a mid week price of $150/night. See pics and web site.
http://foundrysuites.com/
Railton

[Scaerio]

Mrs. Railton and I took a little 3 day trip last week. We had been meaning to travel to the Buffalo area for a couple of years now. One of the reasons was to view one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s residential homes to get some inspiration for the new house we plan on  building.
The house we visited in known as the Martin House and was built around 1902 to 1905 in Wright’s popular Prairie School House style. I believe that Wright had a blank check in building this house and that the cost was in the area of $300K in 1902 dollars. The bricks came from Italy and some of the rooms inside used the same bricks and the mortar was overlaid with gold leaf. To see this house is to marvel at the creativity of one man (FLW) and the deep pockets of another (Martin). The $50M in renovations are on-going with impeccable attention to detail. I have been interested by this architect and his designs and his quirkiness since high school. The Pergola and the view of Winged Victory from the entrance foyer is truly impressive for the first time visitor and the house really is a must-see for anyone visiting the area.
Railton

Mmm - architecture porn!!!    BOSS! (To borrow your fave "kudos" term...   )

PS - the Pierce-Arrow museum is fantastic as well -- LOVE that Bugatti!

[OliverD]

Mrs. Railton and I took a little 3 day trip last week. We had been meaning to travel to the Buffalo area for a couple of years now. One of the reasons was to view one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s residential homes to get some inspiration for the new house we plan on  building.
The house we visited in known as the Martin House and was built around 1902 to 1905 in Wright’s popular Prairie School House style. I believe that Wright had a blank check in building this house and that the cost was in the area of $300K in 1902 dollars. The bricks came from Italy and some of the rooms inside used the same bricks and the mortar was overlaid with gold leaf. To see this house is to marvel at the creativity of one man (FLW) and the deep pockets of another (Martin). The $50M in renovations are on-going with impeccable attention to detail. I have been interested by this architect and his designs and his quirkiness since high school. The Pergola and the view of Winged Victory from the entrance foyer is truly impressive for the first time visitor and the house really is a must-see for anyone visiting the area.

Cool!    I've been a fan of FLW since I was a kid and credit him with my interest in architecture.  Falling Water was probably my favorite of his home designs. 

I assume you brought the most dapper P-Arrow with you to the P-Arrow Museum? 

I visited Fallingwater a couple of years ago. It was incredible seeing it in person. Would love to see some of his other work as well.

One of his houses (in Wisconsin) is actually on Airbnb https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/13783

[Hannibalsmith]

I love that style of architecture and one of my dreams is to build a modern house on a regime setting. One day, maybe.

[KD]

I love that style of architecture and one of my dreams is to build a modern house on a regime setting. One day, maybe.

Here you go!  Unbelievable price!  I remember when this house was being built.  All steel girder frame construction. You couldn't build this place for anywhere near this price today regardless of location.

http://katherinebacon.com/listing/minimalist-style-home-on-one-mile-of-bold-oceanfront/

More mies van der rohe than FLW, but still ultra cool imo.

  

[tenpenny]

My wife noticed that in the listings on Saturday.  We're not in that class.

One thing that I find interesting about many new houses.  The assumption is made that the washer will never ever leak or drip.  Because if this one does, you're looking at replacing all of the flooring if you hope to match it.

I look at those pictures and think:  60% of the time, that's going to be cold and foggy. 

[Hannibalsmith]

I love that style of architecture and one of my dreams is to build a modern house on a regime setting. One day, maybe.

Here you go!  Unbelievable price!  I remember when this house was being built.  All steel girder frame construction. You couldn't build this place for anywhere near this price today regardless of location.

http://katherinebacon.com/listing/minimalist-style-home-on-one-mile-of-bold-oceanfront/

More mies van der rohe than FLW, but still ultra cool imo.

  

Wow! Thanks for that, the house and landscape are beautiful. Price is not bad either, excellence actually. Damn now my head is spinning.

[Bubba]

Looking forward to more of this at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota this weekend.

[Noto]

The Buick has departed Toronto and is headed for Sault Ste Marie tonight.  I'll be flying out on Friday in the evening to meet up with the ol' girl in Edmonton, taking the U-P-Express from Bloor to Pearson - anyone taken it before?  (side note: I love the Presto card!!)

Time for some last minute shopping for clothes that will better match the weather as predicted.  Anyone have thoughts on the need for waterproof pants on a back country hiking expedition through Jasper, Banff, and Revelstoke?

[quadzilla]

Officially official now. Going back to the White Mountains (NH) in September. Only have 4 days and 7 possible mountains to summit planned so far but I can easily come up with ideas to fill in the time before/after the main part of the trip. Very excited.

[Solstice2006]

Just got back from our 2nd Annual Algonquin Canoe Trip.  This year it was a group of 11 of us.  Friday afternoon car camping at Tea Lake.  With many arriving at different times.  Saturday 8am at Canoe Lake getting 5 Kevlar Canoes.  14km of paddling, and 4 hours later (with only one Portage this time).  Made it to a large island that had 2 huge sites.  Only problem was the path between the two sites was very poor.  So we spent all the time at one, and just went to the other site at night.  Very lucky with the weather this year.  No rain, no sleeping bag needed Saturday or Sunday.  And Monday at lunch time for the Canoe ride home, it was overcast, but we were going against the wind! 

It was 4 Adults in the Odyssey.  Pulled out the 2nd row (which has my kids baby seats), and left them at home.  So the 3rd row occupants could put their feet up on the cooler and nap!  Pretty happy with the fuel economy. 4 adults, with each having a large backpack around 50lbs, and 1 50lbs cooler. Didn't even try to save gas.  Did 800km and got 10L/100km

[Noto]

Nice!

My long weekend consisted of sitting my fat a$s inside and watching TV.  I needed the staycation