Summer Vacation 2008

Kim and I went to Montreal, took a short jaunt over to New York City, and then went to Halifax.  A coast-to-coast trip.  It was nothing short of FANTASTIC. We had perfect weather, our friends and family were very generous and accommodating, our hotels and side trips were excellent!

These photos are the property of Karen Tripp and are NOT to be reprinted or posted ANYWHERE ever, without my express permission.  If I find these photos on anyone's website without my permission, I will pursue it legally.

First stop:  Montreal

Next stop:  New Jersey & New York City

   
Our hotel:  Sheraton Suites on the Hudson in Weehawken, NJ - last photo is our view

      
Friend A.R. goes over the NYC maps with Kim

 
Waiting for the bus - then stop for lunch at the Port Authority Bus Terminal

     
Wanda was our tour guide on the double-decker Hop-On-Hop-Off tour

        
Ground Zero was boarded up, but St. Paul's Chapel holds the memorial tributes to the victims of 9-11. The spirits of thousands of souls rest here, and the silence in this chapel is deafening. You just walk around it in awe.  That day, a group of young adults was singing and when they sang Amazing Grace, there was not a dry eye in the place.

       
For me, the most moving tribute was seeing all those badges of the police officers and firefighters.  Outside, the Bell of Hope brings you back to reality, and helps you to cope.

   
And next was the Statue of Liberty, wasn't that fitting.  Freedom lives.

     
First photo above - South Street Seaport (Pier 17 juts into the river), second is the Brooklyn Bridge.

     
After the tour, we met A.R. and his girlfriend A.M. and we had dinner at El Quijote, in the Chelsea Hotel, then went back to their place.

 
Waiting at the bus stop for the NJ Transit to take us through the Lincoln Tunnel to the NYC side.  Fare was only $2.55 - cheaper than the ferry which was $7.75 per person one way.

 
In the subway with A.R.  En route to Central Park.

       
Yoko Ono dedicated "Strawberry Fields" portion of Central Park to the memory of John Lennon.  Here, we are at the John Lennon memorial called "Imagine".

     
If you've seen Sex and the City, this white building is the famous library.  In the last photo, here we are in front of the theatre for Mama Mia - which was hilariously funny.

Next stop:  From Montreal we went to Halifax

         
Our hotel was the Marriott Harbourfront.

   
From the hotel you can walk the "Pedway" which is a corridor above ground level that takes you to many buildings without having to go outdoors. 

     
The Harbour Hopper tour goes around the city core, then into the water.

      
Back at the hotel, we have cocktails with acquaintances.

I couldn't leave Halifax without having a lobster feast!

And the last trek home was on Air Canada Jazz, a small plane that took me from Vancouver to home.  What a long day it was flying from Halifax, to Toronto, to Vancouver, to home.  Sigh.  But I got home in time for popcorn, and that is all that matters.