Zach LarkinsVACATION (Part 2)
I have to preface this installment with a bit of a change. Wifey doesn't like being called ‘wifey' so to keep the peace she will be referred to herein after as TBH (the better half). She's strange that way, but I have to live with her. You don't.
Now, where were we? Oh yes, we left our intrepid couple on the dock waiting for the ferry.
We'd arrived about an hour and a half early and so had some time to explore the gift shops, visit the restrooms and do some tourist gazing. This is better than going to the mall. We went to the Tourist Information booth and checked our reservations, got some terrible coffee from the vending machine and headed back to the car to doctor the coffee and have a smoke while we waited. Bailey's for her, Kaluha for me and it was perfecto. We then walked around the dock a bit to stretch our legs and take a look to see if we could see the boat coming yet.
As we sat on a guard rail, a mom with two kids in tow walked in front of us. The kids were about 20 years old so I don't know if the term really applies, but when you're with your mom, you are a kid again. They stopped in front of us and the girl ‘accidently' dropped something. She bent over to retrieve it, making sure to point her ass at my face. TBH looked at me and I looked at her and it was all we could do to keep from laughing. This girl had spent way too much time in a tanning booth getting ready for this trip and I guess the Daisy Dukes she was wearing were meant to convey the idea of no tan lines. They moved on a minute later and TBH and I couldn't hold it in anymore. We laughed loud and hard.
A couple of minutes later, daddy showed up with a coke in one hand and a burger in the other. Now, everyone knows that docks attract sea gulls and they can be pretty persistent. This chap ran into one that was downright belligerent. The gull got one look at that burger and decided he needed it for himself. He dive bombed the fellow relentlessly and even smacked him in the head a couple of times with his wings. The man finally gave up and ran back to the cafe, trying to eat and drink as he fled. We all cracked up at this exhibition as we watched the gull follow him almost through the front doors.
Having eaten his fill, the fellow got his camera out of the car and wanted to take pictures of the family at this historic point of their voyage. Now normally I just aim and point a camera. Not him. He wanted posed shots and set up his tripod for each shot. We thought it was a bit much, but it was funny. He wanted just the right shot with the family in position. I think a shot of TBH with a sign saying ‘The Big Tub Gift Shop and Pizza Parlour' behind her gets the message across just as well.
We went back to watching all the pet owners giving their dogs and cats a last chance to relieve themselves before boarding the ferry. We saw big dogs, small dogs, yappy dogs and well behaved dogs. We saw the cat lovers carting their little treasures around in carry-along-crates, take them out, snap a leash on them and them try to convince them that the bush the dog had just peed on was exactly the same as the litter box they left behind at home. Not a lot of cats bought into this. I imagine they exploded somewhere between Tobermory and South Baymouth.
The bikers started showing up and they get to board first as they're no trouble to get off at the other end. The Chi-Cheemaun (Big Canoe in Ojibwe) is a passenger/car ferry that opens at both ends so you can drive on and drive off. It holds 715 passengers and 240 vehicles which could include buses or semi trucks. It's powered by 4 Caterpillar engines and travels at 30 mph on a good day. Costing $12 million to build, she is 365 feet long with a 62 foot beam, and was commissioned Sept. 10, 1974 to make 4 crossings a day. It is a 25 mile journey that takes about 1 3/4 hrs to complete, one way.
The bikers all seem to drive Harleys, but they have forsaken the loud pipes we have all come to know and hate. They're all friendly folks too. You get no idea if they're in a club or not and they don't get rowdy. They know that we're all in this together and going to Manitoulin for a nice, relaxing time. We ended up parking on the upper level of the side holds and this is somewhat scary as, when you go up the ramp, you can't see the car in front of you. You have to trust that the guy in front isn't going to jam on the binders, ‘cause you'll do a search and destroy of his trunk before you know it. Car parked, we locked it and headed up to the maindecks.
I'll tell you about the voyage and arrival at camp in the next installment.
(To be cont'd)
Now, where were we? Oh yes, we left our intrepid couple on the dock waiting for the ferry.
We'd arrived about an hour and a half early and so had some time to explore the gift shops, visit the restrooms and do some tourist gazing. This is better than going to the mall. We went to the Tourist Information booth and checked our reservations, got some terrible coffee from the vending machine and headed back to the car to doctor the coffee and have a smoke while we waited. Bailey's for her, Kaluha for me and it was perfecto. We then walked around the dock a bit to stretch our legs and take a look to see if we could see the boat coming yet.
As we sat on a guard rail, a mom with two kids in tow walked in front of us. The kids were about 20 years old so I don't know if the term really applies, but when you're with your mom, you are a kid again. They stopped in front of us and the girl ‘accidently' dropped something. She bent over to retrieve it, making sure to point her ass at my face. TBH looked at me and I looked at her and it was all we could do to keep from laughing. This girl had spent way too much time in a tanning booth getting ready for this trip and I guess the Daisy Dukes she was wearing were meant to convey the idea of no tan lines. They moved on a minute later and TBH and I couldn't hold it in anymore. We laughed loud and hard.
A couple of minutes later, daddy showed up with a coke in one hand and a burger in the other. Now, everyone knows that docks attract sea gulls and they can be pretty persistent. This chap ran into one that was downright belligerent. The gull got one look at that burger and decided he needed it for himself. He dive bombed the fellow relentlessly and even smacked him in the head a couple of times with his wings. The man finally gave up and ran back to the cafe, trying to eat and drink as he fled. We all cracked up at this exhibition as we watched the gull follow him almost through the front doors.
Having eaten his fill, the fellow got his camera out of the car and wanted to take pictures of the family at this historic point of their voyage. Now normally I just aim and point a camera. Not him. He wanted posed shots and set up his tripod for each shot. We thought it was a bit much, but it was funny. He wanted just the right shot with the family in position. I think a shot of TBH with a sign saying ‘The Big Tub Gift Shop and Pizza Parlour' behind her gets the message across just as well.
We went back to watching all the pet owners giving their dogs and cats a last chance to relieve themselves before boarding the ferry. We saw big dogs, small dogs, yappy dogs and well behaved dogs. We saw the cat lovers carting their little treasures around in carry-along-crates, take them out, snap a leash on them and them try to convince them that the bush the dog had just peed on was exactly the same as the litter box they left behind at home. Not a lot of cats bought into this. I imagine they exploded somewhere between Tobermory and South Baymouth.
The bikers started showing up and they get to board first as they're no trouble to get off at the other end. The Chi-Cheemaun (Big Canoe in Ojibwe) is a passenger/car ferry that opens at both ends so you can drive on and drive off. It holds 715 passengers and 240 vehicles which could include buses or semi trucks. It's powered by 4 Caterpillar engines and travels at 30 mph on a good day. Costing $12 million to build, she is 365 feet long with a 62 foot beam, and was commissioned Sept. 10, 1974 to make 4 crossings a day. It is a 25 mile journey that takes about 1 3/4 hrs to complete, one way.
The bikers all seem to drive Harleys, but they have forsaken the loud pipes we have all come to know and hate. They're all friendly folks too. You get no idea if they're in a club or not and they don't get rowdy. They know that we're all in this together and going to Manitoulin for a nice, relaxing time. We ended up parking on the upper level of the side holds and this is somewhat scary as, when you go up the ramp, you can't see the car in front of you. You have to trust that the guy in front isn't going to jam on the binders, ‘cause you'll do a search and destroy of his trunk before you know it. Car parked, we locked it and headed up to the maindecks.
I'll tell you about the voyage and arrival at camp in the next installment.
(To be cont'd)
uh ok...hi TBH!!! hehehe hope that helps
*Snicker*
Sounds as if the two of you had a wonderful time of it...That's one thing I hada get used to livin near the coast...I HATE friggin seagulls! They even come 70 miles inland if it gets foggy enough and then ewww...they're right in my back yard...
Personally I call them "rats with wings". lol but glad you and TBH had fun with em!
Great read!
Take care buddy
Nick
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glad she'll agree lolol
Take care buddy,
Nick
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In all fairness, you have to let TBH call you "huzzy" a few times now....
Waiting for the next instalment!
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