Fall Balloon Ride ~ Experience Your City From Above!

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For years my husband has wanted to go up in a balloon. He offers every anniversary, birthday or special occasion but I always suggest something else. I’m not sure what it was about a balloon ride that didn’t appeal to me but I just didn’t have any interest in experiencing it. That all changed after he won a ‘closest to the pin’ contest at a golf tournament he played in this Summer. The prize ~ a ride for 2 with Sundance Balloons. Two weeks ago we booked our spot and crossed our fingers that the weather would co-operate. Balloon rides are famous for being cancelled due to imperfect weather. In fact a couple that were in our basket told us they had been cancelled 7 times. We watched the weather in the days leading up to our flight and were happy when we called the night before and were informed that it was a go. As instructed we arrived at our take off spot at 7am and were able to watch the crew set the balloon up. Two balloons were going on our morning – a 12 person (ours) and a 4 person. After a quick safety briefing and a demonstration on landing procedures, the crew started to inflate the enormous airship. Once full of air, the balloon starts to rise, which in turn flips the basket up so we can get it. Everyone jumped in and held on. The crew untethered it and we were off. Before I knew it we were well above the trees and heading towards the city. It was pretty amazing and cool to see the view from above. For our trip we traveled through the country and then just floated above some of the subdivisions outside of town rather than going through the city like out counterpart did. It was really nice to see areas of the city you didn’t even know existed and get some beautiful photos of the Grand River, which meanders through Kitchener Waterloo. Our pilot, Mark, even dropped the balloon down just a bit so we could get some really nice photos of the river and the country side. Two hundred pictures later, we were being reminded of the landing position and shown where the balloon would end it’s trip. Thankfully our landing was perfect and some of the guys got out to help maneuver the basket to the back of the lot so that the balloon wouldn’t rip when it came down. What seemed like minutes was actually an hour. The trip was incredible and so was our crew.  As we stood off to the side talking with the other passengers about our favorite moments they worked to fold the balloon up and pack everything back into the truck. We all then loaded into the truck and headed back to our take off point where we celebrated a great morning. Riding in a balloon was definitely not on my bucket list but it should have been.  It was not only a nice way to start the day but it was the perfect way to experience our city from above!

Carnival Cruise Lines Unveils Fun Ship 2.0 Initiative

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This week Carnival Cruise Lines unveiled Fun Ship 2.0, a program that will dramatically transform its on-board guest experience to offer guests mouth-watering new dining choices, more exciting bars and lounges, and captivating entertainment options through innovative partnerships and new branded spaces.

At an event in New York City, the cruise giant announced partnerships with entertainer George Lopez, who will become Carnival’s creative director for comedy and enhance its fleetwide comedy clubs; Food Network star Guy Fieri, who will develop a burger venue called Guy’s Burger Joint; leading video game manufacturer EA SPORTS to create the first-ever EA SPORTS Bar at sea, and Hasbro for new larger-than-life game shows featuring iconic games and brands. The company also worked with leading production talent to create a high-energy musical showcase and announced that celebrity song master DJ IRIE was named Official DJ of Carnival Cruise Lines. Plus, Carnival announced more of its unique branded spaces with the RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar and three other fun themed bars and lounges, as well as a new complimentary BlueIguana Cantina casual dining option.

“Fun Ship 2.0 is the largest and most ambitious initiative that our company has ever undertaken and it will serve to significantly transform the Carnival vacation experience for our guests,” said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines. “Through breakthrough partnerships with some of today’s biggest talents and most popular entertainment brands, plus our very own new branded experiences and on-board destinations, Carnival fans and those new to our cruises are destined for an incredible vacation experience.”

The Carnival Liberty will be the first ship to feature many of the new dining and bar venues when it returns from a scheduled refurbishment later this month. Fourteen ships are scheduled to receive many of the Fun Ship 2.0 enhancements through 2015.

More information available at Carnival.com/funship2

Kiva’s Winning Equation

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I’d like to introduce you to Baz. His full first name is Bazarragchaa, but I can’t pronounce that, so I call him Baz. He’s 51 years old and he lives with his wife and two children in the slum district of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Baz has worked his whole career as a welder. But working standards in Mongolia are not what they are in North America, and a lifetime of welding has caused his eyesight to fail. Baz recently had to hang up his torch; a hard financial pill to swallow. His family still needs an income, so Baz is changing course and diving into small scale farming. He experimented this year, growing vegetables on his land and had success. He found himself some customers too. It seems Baz and his family are heading down an exciting new road. Now, you may justifiably ask why I have so much intimate information about a man who lives so far from me and whose life is so very different from mine. Well, Baz owes me money. I, and over 100 other lenders, pooled our resources and advanced Baz nearly $3,000 through Kiva. He plans to use the loan to purchase materials to build a grocery store, next to his house, from which to sell his vegetables. He will make monthly payments on the loan and, in time, I’ll be able to lend the money to help someone else. From the moment I learned about Kiva I felt a sense of relief. Finally, I can help people living in poverty, in a way that feels good to me and gives me confidence that the help I extend will actually be helpful and not end up paving a well-intentioned road to hell. The subject of aid to the developing world is problematic for me. This is not a criticism of people who give to various charities; I think most people give of their resources from a pure place and a genuine desire to be helpful. But, we need to question the way needy people, in other parts of the globe, are presented to us because we have very little means to confirm the impressions, of the developing world, that we’re given. To secure our charitable dollars, organisations present impoverished people in a flat, two-dimensional way. They are victims, we’re told; unable to help themselves and so they need our generous donations. So we give to agencies that hand out a western solution when western solutions have failed over and over again. I wouldn’t expect an agency from Africa or Latin America to know the best ways to improve my life. Why would a Canadian or American or European organisation know the best ways to improve the lives of people in Africa or Latin America? Shouldn’t they know, better than we do, what areas of their lives need improving and what the priorities should be? Jessica Jackley, the founder of Kiva, spoke to a TEDGlobal audience in 2010. She reminisced about her realisation that “the poor” were not who she’d been told they were, when she was growing up. Through exploration she discovered, “strong, smart, hardworking entrepreneurs who woke up every day and were doing things to make their lives and their families lives better.” Jessica travelled through the developing world and met and talked with countless individuals. She learned about the changes they implemented for themselves (the “beautiful details” she called them) as a result of increased living standards precipitated by a microfinance loan.
Jessica says, “It was very humbling to see for the first time; to really understand that, even if I could have taken a magic wand and fixed everything, I probably would have gotten a lot wrong. Because, the best way for people to change their lives is for them to have control and to do that in a way that they believe is best for them.”
Aid transfers often come with ethnocentric strings attached. In other words, religions and governments give money, but attach conditions based on their own moral ideals and political agendas – in Zambian economist, Dambisa Moyo’s words, “despite the obvious lack of relevance to a local context.” But by extending small loans to individuals or collectives, people maintain control and autonomy over their businesses and over their lives. Self-determination is key to self-actualisation, and isn’t that our hope for people, as we extend a helping hand? The next question is – why am I banging on about this on a family website? Well, Kiva does more than offer microfinance products to the developing world, it offers learning opportunities for my son that I could not pass up; opportunities that you may be interested in for your children too. This project is far from passive and I’m choosing to involve my son in every aspect that I can. He was involved in selecting the parts of the world we would take an interest in. He wanted to help someone in Mongolia, because his interest in dinosaurs has put Mongolia on his four-year-old radar and he wanted to help a group in the Dominican Republic, because of the fun he had on vacation there last winter. He’s connecting with places that interest him and improving his understanding of these countries in relation to the rest of the globe. We read through lots of stories and got to choose the borrowers ourselves. It was like armchair travel, giving insight into life in other parts of the world. We don’t often get access to the stories, culture and lifestyle of people in the developing world. Even when we travel to these countries, we’re often ushered back and forth from resorts, and leave with no more insight into the country than we came with. These stories are addictive, for young and old alike. Even after we had chosen all our borrowers, we kept reading the stories. There are financial lessons for children too. They can learn about lending, borrowing, loan terms, risk and repayment schedules. These are important concepts that many of us don’t figure out until we’re in a mess. So, through Kiva, I’m giving some ambitious entrepreneurs a leg up, and I’m teaching my son, micro-economics, personal finance, geography, and cultural anthropology. I’m not sure who’s getting more out of this transaction, but I’m pretty sure it’s win:win. – Jen R, Staff Writer Watch Jessica speak about her experience at TEDGlobal

Aulani Disney Resort & Spa Offers Something for Everybody

Holiday makers looking for a family friendly resort in Hawaii need look no further than the brand new Aulani Disney Resort & Spa. Aulani’s grand opening, on September 22nd was celebrated with a ceremonial mixing of sand and pixi dust.
“Aulani is a stunning resort that offers something unique in the vacation industry,” says Bob Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “It’s an incredible family paradise that combines the beauty and culture of Hawaii with a touch of Disney magic and we are confident that guests from around the world will continue to enjoy it for many years to come.”
Aulani sits on 21 acres of gorgeous Hawaiian ocean front property in Ko Olina. Honolulu International Airport is only 17 miles away and the fun of Waikiki is 30 minutes down the road.
“Aulani truly has something for everyone,” according to Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. “With specific spaces and experiences created for kids, teens and adults, as well as places where families can relax and make memories together, Aulani is just the answer for families who want to experience the incredible storytelling and great guest service of Disney while enjoying all that Hawaii has to offer.”
The resort boasts a huge spa, two restaurants (one buffet and one a la carte) and a seven acre water play area. The water play area features several waterslides, each more exhilarating than the last, and a 3,800 square-foot snorkel lagoon called Rainbow Reef. There, guests can interact with native Hawaiian fish like angelfish, butterfly fish and tangs. The snorkel lagoon is the only facility of its kind on Oahu. Kids will enjoy Disney’s magic over breakfast in the buffet, as they dine with their favourite characters. Parents and kids will love to take advantage of the kids club, Aunty’s Beach House, where children will be introduced to Hawaiian culture and enjoy some of their favourite movies, while Mom and Dad share some time together. The resort also offers excursions to the nearby rainforest, mountain hikes, sailing on catamarans, swimming with dolphins, cooking classes with local chefs, and a ghost tour. Aulani offers accommodation for conventions with 50,000-square-feet of meeting space that can be reconfigured for functionality. Aulani is a great option for couples planning a destination wedding, with three event lawns, one being an oceanfront wedding lawn for Disney Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons. Imagine being married on the beach in Hawaii and then continuing to enjoy the resort throughout your honeymoon. Aulani is the ideal experience for families. It offers a little Disney for the kids and a little Hawaii for everybody. It’s the perfect marriage of fun and adventure. – Jen R, Staff Writer

Feature Review: phil&teds traveller

If you’re a parent then you’ve likely had a least a handful of situations when you’re going to be away from your home over night and you now need to figure out where you’re wee one will sleep.  My husband and I have done a number of overnight trips and holidays with our son and in the past 18 months we’ve tried out a variety of different sleep solutions. While my son does like his playpen it’s not always convenient to cart around and when you’re already taking a ton of other items with you, a big playpen isn’t a great space saving option.  We’ve also had tiny fold up beds that were great when he was really little but now that he’s bigger (and can stand up) they are basically rendered useless.  Then I discovered the phil & teds traveller – a sturdy, full size cot that fold ups up so small and is so light weight that you can easily travel with it in your stroller, luggage, or car! Out of the box the traveller comes in a handy travel bag with a shoulder strap for easy carrying.   Once you open the bag you’ll notice that the traveller comes in pieces like a tent.  The first time I tried to assemble it, it took me nearly 25minutes and I had to call in my hubby to use some muscle to get a few of the pieces together.  Some of the pieces attach to each other using a simple “insert and twist until the pin pops through the hole and clicks system”.  If I could change one thing about the traveller I would adapt this to be a metal piece like you find on tents rather than plastic – it would function exactly the same but would be slightly easier to manipulate.  That being said, as time has gone on the assembly has become much easier and significantly faster – likely because the equipment isn’t as “stiff” and I’m now a seasoned pro at using it. The mattress is a mostly self-inflating air mattress that fits into a pocket at the bottom of the cot.  Note- you can’t use a sheet with this system as the mattress is actually placed under the nylon floor.  I wasn’t sure how my son would sleep on an “air mattress” but I simply placed a folded single sheet down, and my son seemed very comfortable and slept as he normally would, through the night. Looking at the traveller the first thing you’ll notice is that it doesn’t look like most travel sleep systems.  The cot has two zippered openings – one on the top and the other on the side. The first time we used the cot I didn’t use the side flap as I didn’t want to draw too much attention to it with my son – my hope was that if I could convince him that it was just like his crib it would be an easier transition.  Now that he’s a little bigger we do use the side flap which makes it easy for him to get in and out on his own and I don’t have to bend over to pick him up.  Plus my son seems to like that it has a “tent like” feel when we use the side flap.   Plus, similar to a tent you can also secure the traveler to the ground with stakes so that you can use it while outdoors in the park or at the beach but it also features rubber feat that will protect your floors indoors. Like with the first time I assembled it,  the first time I tried to disassemble, it was a little tricky.  Taking the poles apart wasn’t the challenging part but trying to figure out how to fold everything back up neatly and get it to fit into the travel bag was the issue.  My hubby and I have since mastered the fold by simply rolling the material pieces of the cot around poles (with feet all facing the same direction) and doing a tight roll. A feature I like about the traveller is it’s size.  When it’s open it measures 51″ x 24.8″ x 31″ making it long enough that my son has plenty of room to move around and grow, but it is also high enough that he can’t climb out and escape!  When closed it’s a mere 24.8″ x 8.6″ square packed in its carrying case and weighs only 8lbs! I also love that is is durable, sturdy, waterproof and features breathable mesh panels.  Plus, parents can use it for newborns up to 3 years old making it a bed that can grow with your child. Having had the opportunity to use the traveller for a while now I can see why it’s won several awards including best travel product (Junior Design Awards 2011) and best portable crib/infant bed (Babble.com 2011).  It’s functional, practical, stylish and affordable all wrapped in a light weight package. Thank you phil&teds for sending us the traveller for review!

Forbes Lists America’s Top 25 Most Popular Destinations 2011

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Forbes Magazine has ranked the Top 25 destinations in the United States based on the number of annual visitors. They took numbers from a variety of source agencies to compile the most accurate list possible. There were a couple of surprises in the Top 10 this year. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your next trip, this is a good starting point. The top five maintained their positions from the 2010 list. Nearly 130 million people visited just those five destinations last year. They were: 1. Times Square, NYC 2. The Strip, Las Vegas, NV 3. National Mall/Memorial parks, Washington, D.C. 4. Feneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, Mass 5. Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, Fla Disneyland in Anaheim, California jumped up to the number six spot with 14.9 million visitors; while Golden Gate National Recreation Area slumped to hang out with Fisherman’s Wharf in the number seven spot, with only 14.1 million visitors combined. Great Smokey Mountains National Park was up from number ten to number nine. Cracking the Top Ten this year were Niagara Falls, New York and Navy Pier, Chicago, in the number eight and number ten positions, respectively. Noticeably absent this year was the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Last year, it held the number eight spot while, this year, it didn’t make the Top 25 at all. So some cities had some disappointment, while others are laughing all the way to the bank. The rest of us have a few new vacation spots to consider. To see the full list and details, visit forbes.com – Jen R, Staff Writer

Four Seasons to Build Resort in Disney World

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There is exciting news in the world of luxury family travel, specifically as it pertains to accommodation in Disney World. High-end hotel chain Four Seasons has announced that they have secured financing to proceed with building a $360 million dollar resort in Disney’s Golden Oaks community.

Four Seasons acquired the property in August 2008. They have partnered with Silverstein Properties to design the resort and organise its construction. New York based Dune Real Estate Partners is the majority investor. Grupo Financiero Inbursa, out of Mexico City, has fronted a 190 million dollar construction loan. The fact that the project has found financial backing in such an inhospitable economic climate, speaks to the excitement being generated by what will be the largest resort under the Four Seasons banner and the most upscale accommodation offered at Disney World. Up to this point, the high end option at Disney World has been the Grand Floridian. Slated to open in 2014, the new resort will feature 444 luxurious rooms, 40 Four Seasons Residence Club units, and may have as many as 90 private residences. Amenities will include a spa with 18 treatment rooms, several dining options including a rooftop restaurant with spectacular views of Disney, three pools and a “lazy river.” The fitness facilities will include tennis and basketball courts, a climbing wall, and recreation centers for children, teens and adults. Four Seasons will also assume management of the Osprey Ridge 18-hole championship golf course, which is scheduled to be renovated. Exciting times lay ahead. But, can the Disney World market sustain such a high end resort, with nightly rates possibly starting in the $600 range? Industry analyst Bjorn Hanson, dean of New York University’s hospitality school, told USA Today, “It’s not just Middle America that goes to Disney. It’s a very diverse market.”
Stacy Small, president of Elite Travel International sees the demand already. “We will have a lot of clients wanting to stay at Four Seasons Disney. It will be the only true luxury resort option in a family friendly destination that hasn’t specifically catered to this market.”
The Four Seasons has had quite a ride from their humble beginnings as a single motor motel in an undesirable area of Toronto, to the upper echelons of sophisticated hospitality. This project stands to be the next jewel in their crown. It will be exciting to watch it progress. – Jen R, Staff Writer

Passport Day in the USA

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Obtaining a passport is an unpleasant task; which is precisely why so many people put it off until the last minute. Some even turn down opportunities to travel, for lack of a valid passport. It seems like such a shame, to limit our options all because it’s a bit difficult to get the right documentation. Think of the pristine beaches, the swaying palm trees, the delicious food, and the beautiful people speaking romantic languages…we’re missing out on all of it because we need a passport. So, can we just agree that a bit of bureaucracy is worth the opportunity to explore the rest of the world? Good. In that case, if you are one of the countless Americans procrastinating on submitting your passport application, or renewing for a current one, I have good news for you. This Saturday, September 17th is Passport Day across the United States. Wait ‘til Hallmark gets their mitts on this one. Passport Day has been devised as a way to take some of the hassle out of applying for travel documentation. It takes place on Saturday which, for many, alleviates the need to take time off work. On that day, offices are offering walk-up service, so there is no need to book an appointment. A passport still costs the same, $110 plus a $25 processing fee for first timers. Passport cards and passports for children are among the services offered on Saturday. You can expect your freshly pressed document in 4-6 weeks, unless you pay the $60 fee to expedite the processing, in which case you’ll get it in 2-3 weeks. On Saturday, you’ll need to have a completed DS-11 passport application form, proof of citizenship, an additional piece of ID (like a driver’s license), photocopies of your documentation and a photo. So, bite the bullet and put the messy passport business behind you so you can get on with the fun of seeing the world. It will all be worth it, I promise. – Jen R, Staff Writer

Awesome People on Incredible Journeys

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Every time I get ready to congratulate myself on the cool things I’m doing, I look over and there’s someone else doing something much, much cooler. That’s one of the humbling things about travel, I guess. It doesn’t matter how far you’ve gone, or how adventurous you’ve been; there will always be another traveller, doing something that will make you stand back and say, “whoa…now that, right there…that is awesome!” Consider, for example, the Trans Canada cyclist. You see them regularly through the summer months, zipping along the Trans Canada Highway. They’re the ones with about five water bottles positioned strategically around their bikes and packs of equipment hanging down either side of their back wheel. I feel tired every time I see them, but how adventurous! To see the second largest country in the world, from coast to coast, under your own power, is an incredible goal. The entire Trans Canada journey can be completed in 73 days, averaging 126 km/day for 60 days. That leaves 13 days for rest and ferry travel to and from Newfoundland. Anybody who completes it has bragging rights for a lifetime. The Newfoundland ferries play an integral role in a lot of fantastic voyages. The Marine Atlantic ferry crosses between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador and North Sydney, Nova Scotia. A couple of weeks ago, my family was camping at the KOA just outside North Sydney, and let me tell you, minutes after the ferry arrives at the terminal, that KOA is awash with new arrivals. It’s a sort of hub that brings people together from all sorts of places, everyone on a unique journey. One night, around 11:00 o’clock, a pop-up trailer rolled in, one of many, and set up on the site behind ours. As they set up camp in the dark, without an irritated word passing between them I might add, we learned that they were a young couple who had come all the way from the North West Territories – and with an eight-month-old baby no less! I was impressed. It’s difficult to camp with an infant, but over the course of such a mammoth trip – that takes a special kind of patience. But, impressive as they were, even they were out-done when we stumbled across a motor home from Germany. A world map decal on the back window boasted that this couple had already toured a big chunk of Asia, part of Africa and had completed a Pan-American leg wherein they covered 30,000 kms through 16 countries in 180 days. We spotted them in Peggys Cove, N.S., but who knows where they’ll find themselves next. The logistics of traveling all over the world, with your own vehicle, seems daunting enough to me. But that pales in comparison to the journey the Davis family has embarked on. Many of us are already following them on their one-year, round the world family adventure at globetrottingmama.com This Toronto couple is giving their boys, Ethan 9 and Cameron 6, the adventure of a lifetime (or at least their childhood). What an incredible experience! They have already seen Western Canada, parts of the North West U.S., Argentina, Galapagos, and now they’re in China. And they just got started! It’s so inspiring to see people challenge themselves to trips like these. They’re not just geographic journeys; they’re spiritual, intellectual and emotional, as well. Undertaking travels like these means not passively visiting, but fully engaging in the experience. They are educating themselves, broadening their horizons and testing their limits…and having kids hasn’t stopped many of them at all. Here’s to the awesome people, taking awesome journeys all over the world. May the rest of us join them soon. – Jen R, Staff Writer

Peggy of the Cove

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Three days, we drove, to take a picture of the dog by the ocean – true story. That’s not the whole story, but it is true. Back when we were hunting for our first house, a decent sized yard was non-negotiable. We needed it for the puppy we wanted to get. The plan was to find a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever with orange fur and bright blue eyes. The name had already been decided on; Peggy, as in Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia. After recovering from the staggering blow home ownership can level on your finances, I abandoned my aspiration for a purebred dog and instead acquired a little rescue puppy. She’s an odd cross between a beagle and a border collie. But, even though we didn’t end up with a Nova Scotia Duck Toller, the name stuck. We called her Peggy, after a fishing village with a population of 35 year-round residents. So, when we hauled our squeaky trailer around Saint Margaret’s Bay, a couple of weeks ago, it was with the express intent of taking the dog’s picture at the Peggys Cove lighthouse. The village of Peggys Cove has been hunkered into the granite shores of St. Margaret’s Bay for the past two hundred years. The photogenic community attracts visitors in droves, each on a mission to capture the lighthouse on camera. It has to be the most photographed lighthouse in Canada. And the village, with its quaint and colourful buildings, stacks of lobster traps and quintessential fishing boats, has to be the most photographed village, with a population under 40. We took some dramatic photos of the dog, looking wistfully out to sea, with the iconic lighthouse in the background. We ate fish and chips and meandered through the village, snapping more pictures, of every possible subject, from every possible vantage point. I had visited Peggys Cove once before. I believe, on that occasion, I was using a disposable film camera; that tells you how long ago it was. That trip produced 2, very grainy, pictures. This trip resulted in 64. Thank you technology, for making it possible to take zillions of pictures, some very silly, without a moment’s regret. Travelling, from Peggys Cove, back to our nearby campground, we passed countless wood sided homes, with bright, flowery gardens and courageously colourful paint jobs. But, even amidst the colour and the boldness, one house stood out from the rest. We felt obliged to stop and pay a visit. Ivan Fraser, a local artist and writer, used his family’s homestead as his canvas for an impressive mural. It depicts Peggys Cove at sunset. A similar image is the cover art for his book, Secrets: Peggy of the Cove. Ivan is a happy, high energy character, with an infectious enthusiasm for his character, Peggy. His book is a fictional account, based on the legend that gives the village its name. As the story, or one version of it, goes; Margaret (Peggy for short) was the only survivor of a shipwreck in the bay. She married a resident of the cove and lived there for the rest of her life. Locals started calling the place, Peggy’s Cove and eventually the name became official. The story is likely just that. But, in his book, Ivan has developed the legend, filled in the gaps and fleshed Peggy into a believable character, who comes to life on the page. Ivan has opened the Fraser home to passers-by. The house has been in his family for generations, and is furnished with artefacts and memorabilia from his childhood and before. During our walk through the house, he entertained us with stories of his family, friends, local characters and gave us a glimpse into life in the region. He sat with our son and played the organ in the parlour, and proudly showed us family photographs, wedding gowns and keepsakes. At the end of our visit, he autographed a copy of his book for us. We went to Peggy’s Cove, to snap a picture by a lighthouse, but we came away with so much more. Thanks for letting us visit, Ivan. – Jen R, Staff Writer