Roadtrip 2005 Gallery Thu, 01 Sept 2005 10:00:00 From August 12 to August 21, 2005 my father and I went on a road trip to Ontario. These photos more or less chronicle that journey. It all began by crossing the border into New Brunswick from Nova Scotia. We played the role of tourists who haven't been out of the province much :) We spent two nights at my grandparents place on the Long Reach. This scene awaited out their patio door the morning we left. The longest covered bridge in the world is in Hartland, NB. We stopped like many others to take the requisite photos. And while Dad got ice, I took some perspective shots of the bridge. Dogs beware, you will be fined. This place is where we stopped for lunch on the 14th. And then we entered Quebec. And stopped for supper along the highway at a rest stop. Boiled hot dogs are the meal of champion road trippers. The night of the 14th we spent outside Drummondville, Quebec. In the morning we headed in to Ontario after a brief stop in Montreal at the Spanish Consulate. Like the good tourists that we are, we made sure not to miss the parliment buildings. Dad's camera was out of batteries so I had to make up for it by taking 30 photos myself. It was a nice day in Ottawa. We called Chris and arranged to meet him at his place after he got off work. Chris was a gracious host who put us up for a night on his floor. Ottawa is the home of friends who let friends sleep on their floor. :) The two Road Trip 2003 alumni -- Chris and I lost no time geeking out. A nice sunrise seen on an early morning trip to the bathroom prompted me to crack out the camera. Once we left Ottawa we headed toward Wasaga Beach on Route 7. This General Store en-route was amazingly well stocked for being in the middle of nowhere. Aggressive beach gulls were abound in the Wasaga Beach area. Although we didn't break out the tent like other families, we did mark our territory with a folding chair. We were quite lucky that the beach wasn't as crowded where we were. A brief rain that happened just before we arrived might have been to thank. After many hours swimming and sun bathing, Dad and I brought out the cameras and took photos of the sunset. And we took a lot of photos. I think I might have taken 100 photos in a 30 minute period. The evening was so peaceful. Most of this was a trial to play with my new camera. And play I did. I played with various focal lengths and effects. Dad was also getting used to his new camera. We met the windsurfer when we were swimming. I think that a sunset has to be one of the more popular photography settings. The sun continued to drop. At last it started to sink below the horizon. Then we got back in the car and drove to Toronto where we were staying with my aunt Kate. The next morning we made the compulsory visit to the CN Tower. And again played around with our cameras. The view from the top is fantastic, and it had been 14 years since I was up the tower. The glass floor was a new addition since I'd been there before. I fought hard against my fear of heights and managed to get a slot of my feet over the unnerving drop. This fellow was on the outside of the pedway leading out of the CN Tower. And just to prove these weren't stock shots. Later that night, Mike and I had dinner at a pub close to his place and then returned to his place so I could see what working for IBM provides. The next morning we left Toronto and stopped at a service center for a brief hornet infested lunch. We stopped in Brockville, Ontario to take photos of a long dead relative. Dad is on a genealogy fix and photos help round out his collection. This is the home of said relative when he had been alive in the 1800s. 32 Apple Street. I like it. I also took the opportunity to play with a lens flare. That night we stayed at Glengarry Park which is a provincial park. Again the sunset was beautiful. Fire it turns out is a lot of fun to experiment with using a nice camera. Our campsite wasn't as secluded as some others we stayed at, but the view over the water was nice. This time I was playing with the moonrise. And provoking the fire to capture the spark trails. Later the moon was even cooler as it was almost full. This one helps promote a sense of isolation. I exposed this one for a full 30 seconds. In the morning I chased a black squirrel around our campsite. All packed up and ready to take down the tent. A sunrise this time caught my eye. God I hate driving through Montreal. Especially if it means spending a few hours in the Greek Consulate waiting to see someone about a visa. This old-school traffic light was in Sorel-Tracy along the 132 outside of Montreal. We camped again in Quebec - this time outside Montmagny. Our site was smaller this time but more private. And closer to the washrooms. :) Again playing with my camera while Dad made supper that blur you see is me walking around the table after opening the shutter. More fire playing as I try to get a cool shot. Roughing it Mac style. I even brought my controller and was playing Final Fantasy 3. My bandana provided a convenient way to hold my flashlight while I was reading and geeking. Finally back into New Brunswick and more familiar territory. Unfortunately we weren't free and clear until we were out of moose country, but we didn't see one, or there would be a photo. Back at my grandparents for the last night on the road I caught a photo of some flowers. My grandmother spends a fair bit of time beautifying the property. Written by Colin Bate