Cheltenham Badlands

Location: Caledon, Ontario, Canada
Address: 1501-1901Olde Base Line Road
Date: Aug 2008
Website:  www.ontariotrails.on.ca

  You don't have to go to Alberta or Utah to get a taste of the badlands.  Less than an hour outside of Toronto is a smaller version created by the same process.  Badlands are created by wind or water erosion exposing the colourful layers of soil and giving the land a strange sloping look.  We had previously been to Alberta to see the badlands there.  When we heard about the smaller Ontario version we were intrigued.  Finally, one beautiful summer's day we headed out for a visit.  As we drove along Olde Base Line Road we suddenly saw the badlands appear on the south side of the road.  We pulled the car over to the side of the road and got out to take a closer look.  There are signs asking you to please stay off of the hills as they are getting damaged by too many people climbing and sliding down them.  Just stand at the top of the trail and let us all enjoy this unusual landscape for years to come.

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Map of Our World
Cheltenham Badlands

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Post # 19

Penn & Teller

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Address: 3700 W Flamingo Rd.
Date: March 2003
Website:  www.riolasvegas.com/shows/penn-and-teller.html

  During our first visit to Las Vegas we purchased tickets to see Penn & Teller at the Rio casino.   Penn & Teller are illusionists who always mix their magic with a little comedy, brains and danger.  Penn is the big, talkative one and Teller is the smaller one who never says a word.  You may have seen them perform together on Saturday Night Live or in one of their various specials throughout the years.  Penn once appeared on an episode of Friends and sells Joey one volume from an encyclopedia set.
  Our evening began when we decided to walk from the Bally's casino to the Rio.  The Rio is off of the main strip but, like everything in Vegas, looks closer because of the sheer size of it.  As we walked along Flamingo Road we left the crowds of Las Vegas Blvd. and soon we were the only pedestrians on the street.  As the sidewalk crosses the Las Vegas Freeway it becomes entirely enclosed by a cage, and fortunately we did not come across anyone else as we felt just a little bit trapped.  Not put in a clear box and then locked into a wooden box trapped, but a bit uneasy.

  We did eventually arrive at the show and took our seats.  On stage was a clear box and a wooden box which the audience was welcomed  to come up and inspect.  Later Teller was placed in the clear box and then locked into the wooden box.  Penn gives the audience an option to either close their eyes and be amazed or keep them open and see how it is done.  Anyway Teller's escape is not so much an illusion as it is purposefully constructed boxes.
  Another highlight of the show is when two audience members write something onto bullets.   One bullet is put into a gun and given to Teller, the other handed to Penn.  Pieces of glass are placed in the middle of the stage between them.  The two illusionists line up their shots from opposite sides of the stage and fire.  They both flinch back a little bit, then reveal that they have the opposite bullet between their teeth.  The glass in between has shattered and has holes through it to prove something passed through.  How did they do it?  While Penn & Teller are known to often reveal how they do a trick, this one they kept a secret. 

  After the show there was a meet and greet with the two performers.  One of us had their ticket signed by and picture taken with Penn and the other did the same with Teller.  We are sort of a mix of their stage personas as one of us is tall and quiet and the other is small and talkative.  We paired up based on height.

  We really enjoyed the show and now it was time for us to perform one final daring escape act of our own.  We headed back into our sidewalk cage in a darker, later, Las Vegas night.

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Map of Our World
Penn & Teller

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Post # 18

Boston Olive Oil Company

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Address: 262 Newbury Street
Date: Sept 2013
Website:  bostonoliveoilcompany.com

Most people are familiar with wine tastings, but the Boston Olive Oil Company offers oil and vinegar tastings.  As we were walking along Newbury Street we came upon their shop and could not resist the chance to give it a try.  We use oil and vinegar daily atop our salads and appreciate the noticeable differences in quality and taste.
The staff explained to us the scale of the olive oil and how it goes from 1 to10.  The oil is kept in stainless steel kegs from Italy called fustis. You get a little paper cup and turn the tap on one of the kegs to release some oil from inside.  You then decide if you want to dip some bread into it, or mix it with some vinegar, or just take a shot.  You can really notice a difference as you go up or down the scale.  The oil higher up the scale tended to have a grittier taste  We preferred something around the middle range.  What we were most interested in was the flavoured vinegars, and we sampled a few before deciding on a Pomegranate White Balsamic Vinegar for ourselves.
We left with our purchase and headed over to the Prudential Center for some ice cream and shopping.   We were looking for some gifts for family and friends but nothing seemed quite right.  Then we realized we were holding the perfect gift.  It worked as a Boston souvenir since the green bottle says Boston Olive Oil Company.  It was also healthy and from our earlier sampling experience, very tasty.  So we headed back and picked up a couple more bottles.
We know that the next time we are in Boston we will be having another taste.

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Map of Our World
Boston Olive Oil Company

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Post # 17