The Travelling Ookpik in Ontario!

author's note: my apologies! While I wrote this post almost two weeks go somehow it was saved as an unpublished draft and not a public post! Oh well, better late than never, I suppose!

Chimo has returned from his trip to the centre of the world Central Canada! And like every good travelling ookpik, he's come back with plenty of photographs to document his adventure!

After flying across the country with Air Canada (the patriotic ookpik's airline of choice), Chimo arrived at Toronto international airport- which was kind enough to have large posters informing everyone as to where they were.


After negotiating Toronto's public transit, Chimo arrived in the heart of the centre of the universecity and headed straight to Gretzky's- the restaurant/sports bar owned by the Great One himself. Appropriately (if not somewhat predictably), Chimo sat under Luongo's Team Canada jersey.


After a restful night's sleep Chimo awoke and headed off on further Toronto adventures. (It must be noted that there is no better proof of being in Toronto than the CN Tower.)


To start his second day in Toronto Chimo went to the St. Lawrence Market, where he enjoyed the best back bacon sandwich in the world.


Back bacon on a bun is arguably Chimo's spirit animal.


After Chimo had eaten his fill of back bacon, the little ookpik headed over to the happiest place in Canada- The Hockey Hall of Fame.


Chimo began his hockey pilgrimage by admiring the 2010 Winter Olympic medals from Vancouver (set up right next to a Sedin jersey!).


Afterwards Chimo stopped to pose in front of a relatively unknown minor trophy called the Stanley Cup.


And then it was on to the Montreal Canadien's dressing room to pose next to the plaque for Chimo's namesake- the famed number 9, Maurice Richard.


Chimo could not leave without a picture in front of The Rocket's jersey.


Did we mention that Chimo was at the Hockey Hall of Fame? The Hockey Hall of Fame. It was awesome.


After two days of the best Toronto had to offer, Chimo finally ventured to places further afield. On an afternoon stroll in Hamilton, Chimo stopped to admire the industrial shores of Lake Ontario.


Then, on a day-long road trip that was probably not as exciting for the blogging world as it was for Chimo, our ookpik made it to Nanticoke!


Nanticoke is home to the Nanticoke generating station (and not much else). Admittedly it was a trip only a generating station enthusiast (such as Chimo) could've enjoyed.


Chimo thanks his family for putting up with the sheer amount of Nanticoke that was photographed and admired that day.


On the drive back from Nanticoke Chimo passed Niagara Falls (one of the most incredible sights in the natural world) and drove up Clifton Hill (one of the most incredible sights in the supremely tacky tourist world).



Sadly there was no time to visit the overwhelming number of wax museums, freak shows, comic book themed roller coasters, and haunted houses of Clifton Hill, but one can only hope that some day Chimo will return and be able to fully enjoy Dracula's Haunted Castle and the Great Canadian Midway.


After nearly a week of adventuring it was almost time for Chimo to fly home- However, before leaving Ontario there was time for one final stop, and that was at the very first Tim Hortons.


Store #1 even had a plaque. It was a proud, patriotic, double-double-and-a-box-of-Timbits moment for everyone.


The final photo of our Ookpik's adventure- Chimo posing in front of the original Tim Hortons sign.

As always Chimo very much enjoyed Ontario and cannot wait to return. Perhaps next time he will bring his toque and attempt some ice fishing? We'll have to wait for the ice to freeze to find out!

The Travelling Ookpik is going to Ontario!

The Travelling Ookpik returns!

This time on a foray across the soil of his home and native land, Chimo travelled east to spend the Easter weekend in the great province of Ontario!



Since Yours Truly didn't have an entirely reliable internet connection while they were away, Chimo's adventures won't be delivered on a daily basis, but in a two (possibly three) part summary. Prepare for all the best Ontario has to offer: Hockey! Generating stations! The world's very first Tim Hortons! All this and more- coming soon to an ookpik near you!

The Travelling Ookpik - Day Fifteen!

Day fifteen- after 7200 kilometres, the travelling ookpik has finally returned home!

The final leg of Chimo's adventures took him from Richland, Washington all the way back to his snug little home in Vancouver, British Columbia.


The day dawned with a view of the Columbia River and plenty of rain- it should be noted that nothing makes Chimo feel more at home than an everlasting overcast rainfall. It's good to be back, West Coast!


Back on the road, Chimo stopped at a rest-stop for free coffee and took advantage of a chance to be photographed with a 1000+ year old tree stump!


In Bellingham, Chimo stopped for delicious pizza at his favourite Washington-based pizza place (and got carded one last time in order to enjoy a local Bellingham beer)!


Walking back to the car after lunch, Chimo decided to hitch a ride on a goatcart. (HA HA, GET IT?)


Back on the road one last time. Home was nearly at hand when "Vancouver" started appearing on road signs!


Welcome back to Canada, Chimo! Immediately after crossing the border Chimo paused to pose beside the welcome sign to his fair province.


However, no return to Canada would be complete without a Tim's run.


Welcome back to the True North Strong and Free, Chimo!

And thus concludes the (first) adventure of the Travelling Ookpik!
Chimo hopes you have enjoyed following along his epic road trip that took him over 7200 kilometres and through seven states! Chimo also thanks you for your comments and compliments (especially the email from Don Cherry- wink wink).

However, this is not the last you will hear from this little ookpik! Surely there are more adventures in Chimo's future! Chimo will keep you posted, and hopes you will be there to follow along the next time he sets out on the open road!

As we say in Canada- thanks a lot, and chimo*!

* author's note: okay, I know saying "chimo" is a thing of the past, but if ookpiks can make a return, so can outdated Canadian expressions from the 60s! C'mon Canada, we can do it!

The Travelling Ookpik - Day Fourteen!

We are on day fourteen of the Travelling Ookpik- which means today was the second-to-last day of Chimo's journey! The day's drive was an adventure that took him from Twin Falls, Idaho, through a portion of the state of Oregon and all the way to Richland, Washington.


Before setting out on the open road, Chimo went to find the Shoshone falls (which the city of Twin Falls is named after). Chimo had to be held tightly for his photoshoot, because balancing on the icy railings above the falls ran too great a risk of him tumbling down into the water, and it's safe to say we'd never see our little ookpik again if that were to happen.


Getting back on the road, Chimo posed next to the 6000th kilometre of his road trip adventure!


Stopping for gas and fresh coffee, Chimo finally decided to sample some American candy bars.


Further down the road Chimo paused to contemplate the Big Blowout Sale on rifles and shotgun shells.


Also: a field of used military vehicles (and tanks!) for sale.


Later, on a slight detour (aka: he got a bit lost), Chimo drifted through Imbler- the grass seed capital of the world.


Instead of stopping for lunch, Chimo merely ate his way through entirely too much angel food cake and delicious California strawberries.


Somewhere in the indistinct (but very picturesque) area that might have been Oregon and might have been Washington, there were a lot of aged grain elevators that made Chimo feel like he was in an episode of Corner Gas.

Tomorrow Chimo will return to the great white north from whence he came (hopefully in time to watch the Canadian men's ice hockey semi-finals) and that will mark the end of the Travelling Ookpik's (first) adventure! Exciting times!

The Travelling Ookpik- Day Thirteen!

Day thirteen of the Travelling Ookpik!

Today was a ridiculously long driving day for Chimo- all the way from Monument Valley, Utah to Twin Falls, Idaho.


The day started at 6am with the sunrise over Monument Valley. It photographed poorly (Chimo is incredibly blurry before dawn), but it was very beautiful.


Returning to the road- The drive through the southern part of Utah wound through some of the most beautiful scenery Chimo had ever seen. Our little ookpik was impressed.


Passing through the tiny town of Mexican Hat, Chimo stopped to pose with the rock formation shaped like... a Mexican hat.


Further on down the road, Chimo stopped in front of the Twin Rocks.


And even further: Wilson Arch! It should be noted that southern Utah is jam-packed with notable rock formations just ripe for potential ookpik photoshoots.


Many hours (and kilometres) later, Chimo pulled off the highway in Green River. He was hoping to reenact some of the key scenes from 'Fievel Goes West,' only to discover that there is not much going on in Green River, Utah, these days. (It was kind of disappointing.)


Unfortunately, after lunch all the beautiful scenery of Southern Utah turned into dismal mountains and overcast grey and eventually rainy-snow that lasted for most of the rest of the day. On either side of the car it was impossible to tell where the snowy ground ended and the snowy sky began. Chimo blended in perfectly.

Eventually the mountains petered out and the roads straightened, and many kilometres later Chimo crossed the state line into Idaho! By then it was dark, so as of this moment Chimo has very little good or bad to say about Idaho, but after just over 1000 kilometres and nearly 10 hours of driving our little ookpik was just glad to get off the road!

Tomorrow: a much shorter drive- from Idaho back into Washington State! The travelling ookpik is almost home!

The Travelling Ookpik - Day Twelve!

Day twelve of the Travelling Ookpik's adventures! Today Chimo drove all the way from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Monument Valley, Utah.


After the evening's snowstorm, Chimo woke up to (and began driving in) a New Mexico winter wonderland.


However, immediately outside of Santa Fe the snow disappeared (as did any and all curves in the road) and the rest of the day was nothing but mile after mile (or rather: kilometre after kilometre) of painfully beautiful scenery.


The day's highlight was supposed to be a mid-afternoon visit to the famed Four Corners, where the states of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado meet- however, after driving a decent way down a rinky-dink road into the absolute middle of nowhere, Chimo arrived at Four Corners to learn that it was closed for construction. Disappointment reigned supreme.


There was very little consolation to be had in crossing the state line into Utah.


However, to its credit: Utah did make an effort to be absolu-friggin'-lutely gorgeous, which almost made up for the crushing disappointment that was the Four Corners debacle.


And with plenty of daylight hours to spare, Chimo arrived at his destination of Monument Valley!


Perched between the two "mittens," Chimo paused for his final photo of the day.

Now Chimo is preparing to partake in some serious star-gazing before he tucks in for the night in order to wake up bright and early and head for Twin Falls, Idaho tomorrow!