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Category: Road Trip

Hitting the spot on Christmas Day

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Hitting the spot on Christmas Day

We arrived at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal with plenty of time to spare before we boarded the Queen of New Westminster to Nanaimo. We only had snacks on our journey so far. It being Christmas Day, lots of things were closed in the terminal area. Vending machines were not a wanted option. So I headed over to the Tsawwassen Quay Market to check it out, fingers crossed. The air was fresh and the wind was brisk. Tsawwassen market is a small retail market that showcases a West Coast theme and lifestyle, featuring fashion and crafts. There are usually plenty of food options but today, only three were open. The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was immediately ruled out by me. Two options were in the running: Salsa, a Mexican joint offering tacos, quesadillas nachos, enchiladas and burritos. And Frankie’s Barbecue Grill, featuring hot dogs, hot sandwiches, beef dip, pulled pork and…

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‘Twas the day before the day before the day before Christmas

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‘Twas the day before the day before the day before Christmas

‘Tis the season for road trips and lunches on the go. And the young Waffles had been bugging us for a stop at Tim Hortons for weeks now. Despite my strong will, Ms. Waffle joined the fray as we headed out for Frontenac County for the Noël festivities. I had other helpful suggestions along the way. But it seemed there was no way around it. We would have to stop around 12:30 in Carleton Place, since it would coincide with my car’s need to be fed too. I was dreading the arrival. It is the Holidays. It would be packed. It would be loud. It would smell like bad coffee and candy canes. Neither the McDonald’s next door nor the A&W across the street could sway them. In they went into the Timmies. The thought occured to me that I could just fill up and keep driving. All the presents…

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To bee or not to bee, that is the question.

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I was driving back from Toronto after a conference and some business meetings. I was swallowing kilometers on the 401 when I realised I was really hungry. Lunch time! I stopped at the Trenton South OnRoute. My choices were Tim Hortons and A&W. As usual, the line-up at Tims was illogically long, so I elected to get some burgers. I hadn’t had A&W onion rings in quite some time, so I thought it would be a good idea to get some to go along with my burgers. Once my order was ready, I ask for some honey, as one is bound to do when getting ready to eat theses delicious golden circles. “We don’t have any honey, sorry.” GASP! – “You don’t have honey???” – “We don’t carry it.” – “You used to.” – “Yes, we used to.” What was I going to do? I sat down and looked at…

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Spécial saucisse!

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Regular wafflers will know that when I go to Québec City, I often make sure to drop by Chez Ashton. And this Thanksgiving week-end was no different. After a morning shopping at Les Galeries de la Capitale, we made our way to Chez Ashton on 1st Avenue for lunch. It might have been the influence of the Waffle Jr., or it might have been the picture, but I ended up ordering a regular poutine with sausage. “Poutine régulière, spécial saucisses!” the cashier announced in her microphone. Ashton has 3 formats of Poutine. Small, Medium and Large would make sense. Nope: Bébé, Mini and Régulière. Go figure. Quickly, the tray was filled with our orders and we made our way to a quiet corner of the location. The poutine saucisse would not resist our assault! Ashton’s fries are really what makes me come back, I think. The potatoes they use are…

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Pit stop at Herb’s

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In 1977, Herb Vink Sr. bought property on the new highway 417 linking Ottawa to Montreal. There, he built a restaurant, a gas station, and a towing business at the intersection of Highway 34. Since there was no other business nearby, travelers and truckers started to make regular pit stops. Herb’s Travel Plaza is still a thriving business in Vankleek Hill, and was fully renovated a few years ago. You can not only get gas and food, but also buy souvenirs, St-Albert cheese, take a shower, do your laundry and get a haircut. Herb’s is hard to miss, with gigantic signs announcing its presence and its iconic red roof. There is lots of room to move around and a handful of old Cessnas are in the field, not far from the old airstrip. I don’t come here very often, though, but from time to time I do make a stop.…

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