Tag: traveling

Vancouver, BC

Place 72 – Day 462: Vancouver, BC – A New Work Laptop!

Kim & Curtis Hale

Curtis’ Day

Curtis woke up and his ear was blocked again, so no hearing for him!

Curtis had a few meetings today. One of them was a 1 on 1 and then after that he had done lunch.

Once lunch was done, he had a strategic meeting with his team to discuss some plans over the next month or so.

After that, Curtis did some tickets and then the day was done.

Kim’s Day

Kim did a few little admin things before having a chat with a department head to get their thoughts on the facilities project. He agreed with the general plan and is on the same page, which is great. He also mentioned to maybe run a survey to get other peoples opnion. So after the meeting Kim started a survey and she wanted to send it out right away, but she wasn’t 100% happy with it. So she will think about things that should be included and make some changes before she sends it out.

For the rest of the morning Kim did a few small tasks like update a new starter and send over new job descriptions for people to review ahead of tomorrows meeting. Kim and her colleague agreed that they would set up Kim’s current laptop for the new starter and get that sent off in the afternoon. So Kim wiped the laptop and then made the new profiles, added some apps to the laptop and got it set up and ready to ship over.

Kim then went to Apple to pick up a new laptop for herself and then went to Fedex to ship the older laptop to the new starter. Once she got home Kim started to set up her new laptop.

Once it was up and running Kim sent out invites for the first round of the connect four tournament. She wrote up instructions on how it works and then sent out all the invites. As the winter party is fast approaching Kim decided to get started on the quiz part. She would like to make a 20-25 question quiz about winter celebrations, facts and sports.

Just before she finished for the day Kim had a call about the facilities project. They went over the new requirements and made plans for meetings tomorrow.

Evening

Kim worked fairly late this evening but once she was done, we watched some TV together and had the remaining stew from yesterday.

Curtis tried a few more things to unblock his ear which seemed to work a little, but he has an appointment tomorrow evening to get it checked out.

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

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San Antonio,TX

Place 80 – San Antonio,TX 🇺🇸 – Old Meets New

Kim & Curtis Hale

San Antonio

We actually got up on time today, got ready and drove out to San Antonio.

We had been told that it was a must see multiple times by different people, so we had to check it out.

We drove for around an hour, found some parking and went for a walk around!

We started with a walk around the river as it was the top thing to do there.

The river was beautiful. It felt very European, especially Italian. It was more of an urban river walk, than a traditional green river walk.

The city is a very interesting combination of old meets new as the majority of it is old but there are hints of new areas around. From each place we have visited in the US so far, we’ve not seen anything like it.

We walked up to the main plaza which has a cathedral on it also. The Spanish wanted to make it similar to Spain, so they made the cathedral the centre point and built a square around it, which is the Main Plaza.

We got hungry when we left this area and found a sandwich shop which we got a Banh Mi from and it was surprisingly good.

We were feeling refreshed after some food so we went to check out The Alamo which is a old military fort area from the 1700s.

The Alamo wasn’t very interesting so we left and had a brief walk down the other side of the river walk before heading to the car and driving home.

Once we got home, Curtis watched the Leafs game and Kim got some packing done. We then ate a pizza and went to get a hot chocolate from Starbucks with the hope it will make us sleep tonight!

We fly again tomorrow…it’ll be a fun time for the next week or so.

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Austin,TX

Place 79 – Day 5: Austin,TX – Chicken Sh*t Bingo & Black’s BBQ

Kim & Curtis Hale

Crazy Lady

We had a very relaxed morning as we weren’t able to get much sleep due to lady going crazy, setting off a car alarm & shouting at 03:00 this morning!

We had plans to be up at a good time as well as go somewhere, but we changed our minds and got a good amount of sleep tomorrow.

Brunch

We went out early afternoon for a spot of brunch and we were hungry! We went to a well recommended diner called Magnolia Cafe.

We waited for 20 minutes for the table and once we got one it wasn’t all that great.

The coffee was tremendous, but the food was just ok. Kim got a pancake, which was burned and the house fries were cold.

We each had eggs and Curtis had bacon and a muffin also.

All in all it was just OK.

Magnolia Cafe | Austin,TX

Rating:- 6/10

Chicken Sh*t Bingo

A weird name, huh? Well, it was exactly what it sounded like.

We did some laundry briefly and then we drove out to the ‘saloon’ that was putting on the event.

We got there and got in line to buy some tickets. We eventually got our tickets and then it was a waiting game.

So, as the name suggests, you purchase a ticket and each ticket is numbered between 1 & 60. A chicken is put in a cage with numbers on the floor in squares and wherever it poops is the number that wins.

People got very passionate, but we were there for the show really.

Wierdly, it ended up being Curtis’ lucky number 13, but our numbers were 18,19,20 & 44, so we didn’t win.

We left right after that as there were just too many people.

Black’s BBQ

We got in the car and drove to a BBQ place had heard was good and it clearly was, judging by the line!

We had to queue for over an hour, so were hoping it was delicious.

We got inside and saw the sides and the meat and it all looked incredible.

We got 3 sides, green beans, mac & cheese and coleslaw.

We then got to the meat section and got a few slices of brisket and a rib each, which was more than enough. We also got some cornbread which we didn’t like.

The meat and sides were outstanding. Delicious and a pretty good price.

Terry Black’s BBQ | Austin,TX

Rating:- 9/10

Wine

We got back home and drank some wine which our Airbnb host had given us earlier today, which he gave along with chocolate covered strawberries, which was very nice to receive!

We chilled out for the evening and are having a good early night due to heading out for the day tomorrow.

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Austin,TX

Place 79 – Day 4: Austin,TX – Axe Throwing & Monster Jam!

Kim & Curtis Hale

Axe Throwing

We slept in and had about 10 hours sleep, which was excellent!We left the house and went to Urban Axes, which is an indoor axe throwing place.We booked in for 15:15 and went for a coffee at a coffee shop nearby.We got back to Urban Axes, filled in our waivers and threw some axes! It was an hour of axe throwing but this was shared with 6 of us in total, as we joined in with a family.

We did a small tournament at the end and we both did alright!

We left the axe place and drove back home to relax briefly before heading back out again.

Monster Jam

We went out for some food before we went into the Monster Jam. We got to the event centre but as we needed food we stopped to see what food there was around.We found a German pub to go to, so we took the short walk down to that. It was very busy in here, but we got a table.Curtis ordered a Bratwurst and Kim got a pulled pork sandwich.

The food here was just OK, but it filled us up a bit.We ate up and then headed back to the event centre and into Monster Jam.We had pretty good seats and the show started shortly after we entered.There was first a monster truck parade, which was loud!

We then saw the first event which was racing. This was alright, but ended a bit too quick.

There was then some ATV racing involved and then monster truck two wheel challenges, donut challenges, more ATV racing and monster truck freestyle.

We left the event having had a pretty good time, but it wasn’t as good as we thought it would have been.

Monster Jam

Rating:- 7/10

Downtown At Night

We walked for 20 minutes to get to the main party area to check it out. There were a lot of bars but they went all that great, so we left. It did look cool at night, though.

We got a Lyft home, watched something when we got back and then headed to bed.Another busy day but good fun!

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Austin,TX

Place 79 – Day 3: Austin,TX – Horse Riding, Shooting & Barton Springs Pool

Kim & Curtis Hale

Ranch Experience!

Horse Riding

We got up with plenty of time to get ready, but someone else was in the bathroom, so this meant we really had to rush when it was available.We hopped in the car and drove to a ranch called Lone Star Ranch. We got there, were welcomed really nicely and signed some forms.We got led out by our wrangler to meet our horses and get helmets.Curtis got a white horse called West and Kim got a dark brown horse called Julian.We were shown what to do and how to control the horses and off we went!We walked though creeks, up steep hills, down steep hills, through jungle areas and beautiful fields. We even got to trot a little bit, which was exciting!

Ranch Animals

After our horse ride, we had some time to kill, so we had a snack and said hi to the other animals on the ranch. There are some sheep and goats, as well as some cats, so we said hi to those.

Washers

We played the game washers for a bit, which is similar to cornhole. Both of us got much better at this as time went on.

Shootin’

We were next taken by Robert to do some clay pigeon shooting. We were using military style pump action shotguns and it turned out Curtis was pretty good at shooting but we both had a great time, if not a bruised shoulder.

We shot for a while and it was great fun!After we finished shooting, we olayed some washers with Robert, and Kim beat everyone!We then went leave but bumped into the owner who was very lovely. We got talking and she was interested in our blog, too, which is great! We thanked everyone again and headed to the car.

Lone Star Ranch | Austin,TX

Rating:- 10/10

Barton Springs Pool

We got into some shorts as it had gotten warm and we drove to Barton Springs pool.Before we paid our $9 entry fee and entered, we sat outside and ate our chicken wraps we bought.This pool is a natural pool which has been created in the middle of a large river/creek.The water was incredibly cold, but it was beautiful and the sun was in the perfect spot.

There was a diving board there, too, which Kim took full advantage of!

We spent a couple of hours here and then drove back home, but it took a while due to rush hour traffic.

Accidental Nap & Dinner

We had been out non-stop for over 8 hours, so we were very tired.We showered and then watched one video and before we were having dinner, we had an accidental nap! It felt amazing to get some solid sleep for an hour.We then had dinner, which was the exact same as yesterday.We have another fun day planned tomorrow, but just a bit less hectic.

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Austin,TX

Place 79 – Day 2: Austin,TX – Jacob’s Well

Kim & Curtis Hale

Jacob’s Well

The weather wasn’t as warm today, but still plenty warm enough.

We planned to head out pretty early today, but we slept in a bit and then the bathroom was being used this morning so we couldn’t get showered, so we left around 12:00.

We headed out of Austin for 1 hour to a town called Wimberley. This town is home to Jacob’s Well, which is a large underwater cave which, during summer, people jump into.

The dark part of the water here is the well

This was named a well because it resembled one, back in the 1800s.

We were not here during the swimming season, but wanted to take a look.

We walked down some stairs which went through a nice tree covered walkway, which looked awesome.

We got down to the well and instantly noticed how tiny it was. On the photos the area looks large, but in actuality it was very small.

There were another couple there who were taking photos, so we had to work around them, but we got some pretty cool shots.

Jacob’s Well | Wimberley,TX

Rating:- 6/10

We left here after only 30 minutes, but did have a go on the swings they had there before we went.

Coffee, A Muffin & Big Tacos

We went for a coffee and a muffin in a really nice coffee shop called Blanco Brew in Wimberley.

We were really happy with the coffee shop. Incredible coffee, nice staff and a tasty muffin, which we got warmed up.

Blanco Brew | Winberley,TX

Rating:- 10/10

We left here and went for a taco each in a gas station, which apparently had really good tacos.

We thought they were alright, a little big and not enough meat, but the meat was good. Probably around a 7/10.

Playoff Hockey

We drove back home and then Curtis watched the first game of the Leafs playoff first round.

Whilst Curtis did this, Kim booked something really exciting for tomorrow, which will be fun! She then had to go out and get some lunch items for tomorrow.

Throwback Dinner

We had chicken pesto pasta for dinner, which is a travelling throwback dinner, but we went fancy and had red pesto instead, with a side of salad.

We watched the latest episode of Jane The Virgin and then went to sleep. Up at a decent time tomorrow!

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Austin,TX

Place 79 – Day 1: Austin,TX 🇺🇸 – Stupid Heat & Downtown Austin

Kim & Curtis Hale

The Flight

You may remember, if you read yesterday’s blog, that we were flying from Vegas to Austin.

Well, that flight was odd.

Firstly, it was not assigned seating, but everyone was in boarding sections and were boarded that way.

We were in the last section, so we had to wait until the end, which meant we were left with middle seats.

The takeoff and start of the flight was incredibly bumpy but after that was ok. We got free drinks and snacks, which was good, but the flight way just around 2 hours.

Austin!

We landed, got through and got our bags and got an Uber to our Airbnb.

We are in a very comfy room in a house. So much so we came in and went right to sleep.

Car Pickup

We picked the car up this morning, so had to be up at a relatively good time.

We got down to the airport via an Uber and went to pickup the car.

It turns out, we weren’t meant to get it until tomorrow! Luckily, a car was available and we paid the extra to get it today, so that was a win.

We were able to go to the lot and just pick our car and we chose a Ford Focus because why not.

We left the lot and headed to the supermarket to get some things.

Downtown Austin

We headed to downtown Austin and found some free parking just across the river where there was also a really nice park.

We walked around the park and then took the 30 minute walk across to the city. There was a great skyline, though! It reminded us of Brisbane.

Once we got into the centre, we just walked around in the unbearable 35°C heat.

We got to the State Capitol, which is actually taller than the US Capitol and a very cool building.

We left here and noticed our parking was almost up and it was too far to walk, so we got scooters and scooted to the car.

We got caught in traffic on the way back home, but got home at a good time.

We cooled off and then went to a shopping mall for Kim to find some clothes she was looking for.

Shopping & Panda Express

We went shopping and Kim got exactly what she needed which was great.

We then headed to Panda Express to eat. We got orange chicken as always with chow mein and Beijing beef which was terrific.

Chill

We got home and chilled. Tomorrow is more of a fun packed day, we hope, and have a few plans. It’s warm again tomorrow!

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Las Vegas,NV

Place 77 – Day 9: Las Vegas,NV – Shazam! & Off To Texas!

Kim & Curtis Hale

Checkout

We had to checkout for 11:00 but accidentally missed out alarm and woke up at 10:00.

We got up, showered and had breakfast whilst also packing.

We were out of the room in time and relaxed for a bit whilst we ate breakfast.

We then took all of our things outside and waited for our Uber.

Shazam!

We got an Uber out to Mandalay Bay and check our bags in there.

We took off from here and walked across to Town Square, which is a shopping centre.

We got tickets to see Shazam! In IMAX for a really good price.

The film was really, really good! We weren’t sure what to expect but it was quite funny and a little different to most superhero films.

Shazam!

Rating:- 9/10

Shopping

We did a bit of shopping and Kim was able to get some shorts to replace her current ones.

We then got an Uber back to Mandalay Bay to get our bags and head to the airport.

Flying to Austin!

We are off to Austin!

We got to the airport, did all the usual things and then once through security, it was imperative we got food.

We went to Popeyes to give it another go and were pleasantly surprised!

Kim had chicken tenders with fries and Curtis had 3 chicken pieces with mac & cheese.

It was way better than it was previously.

We are now waiting to board the flight and will arrive late tonight, so if anything of interest happens on the flight or after, you’ll see about it here tomorrow!

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Las Vegas,NV

Place 77 – Day 8: Las Vegas,NV – Pool Day & Zipline

Kim & Curtis Hale

Pool #1

We organised to meet with a friend, Alice, who we met in Rome around 2 years ago. She lives here in Vegas, so we had to meet up!We got up, had breakfast and then Alice was coming to collect us, so we got ready quickly and headed out.

We stopped off at the supermarket to get some drinks and snacks and then continued the drive up to Alice’s apartment, where we got ready to head to the pool.We went down to the pool and relaxed there.

The weather was hot but the sun wasn’t out, so it wasn’t too bad. We had a drink and chatted for a couple of hours and then got back in the car to go to Mandalay Bay.

Pool #2

We got to Mandalay Bay and went through to their beach/pool area. They have an artificial beach equipped with a wave pool.

We got ourselves some deck chairs, some how, and then walked down to the wave pool and chilled in there for a while.

When we got cold we went and sat in the sun and fell asleep!

Lunch

We had a spot of lunch with Alice, which was at a Mexican place.

We had a pork taco each alongside some potato in a cheese sauce with jalapeños.

Zipline

We relaxed at home for a couple of hours and got showered before we headed back into downtown so Kim and Alice could do the zipline.The zipline goes through Fremont Street and it is done in the superman pose.

Whilst Kim was queueing, Curtis got a beer with Kenny, who joined us for the day.

Once Kim finished her zipline, we walked around Fremont Street for a bit and then got hungry so we all got in the car and drove to In & Out for a delicious burger!

We got a Lyft home and then slept. We are up at a decent time to check out tomorrow but don’t fly until the evening.

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale

Las Vegas,NV

Place 77 – Day 7: Las Vegas,NV – Goodbye Car, Flamingos & Wandering The Strip

Kim & Curtis Hale

Goodbye Car

We got rid of the car this morning, driving it down to the airport for 11:30.

We dropped the car off and grabbed a Lyft to take us down to Mandalay Bay.

Exploring The Strip

We hadn’t really explored the inside of all the big, main, hotels, so we thought we would do that as a nice easy, relaxed day.

We walked around Mandalay Bay, Excalabur, New York New York, Flamingo and a few others, spanning over a few hours!

In the flamingo we saw a few actual flamingos, too!

We walked for a while and then stopped for a nice Italian coffee at Illy.

We then went to look around in the mall at a few things and then got a Lyft back home.

Dinner

We had a jacket potato for dinner, covered in a chili con carne, and then watched some TV and the movie A Quiet Place. This movie was pretty good, but certainly made us sweaty!

A Quiet Place

Rating:- 9/10

That was our day. We were out for a while but didn’t really do much, but it was great. Nice and relaxed. Tomorrow is our final complete day in Vegas.

This Time Last Year!

Mr & Mrs Hale