The Polar Bear & The Frog

Location: Churchill, Manitoba,Canada 
Address: Kelsey Blvd.
Date: Oct 2014
Website:  www.everythingchurchill.com

  Churchill, Manitoba is the polar bear capital of the world.  This means that occasionally you may see one walk right down the main street and you should always be on alert.  While we were in Churchill we didn't encounter any bears in town, we did however have this very unusual experience.
  We had just exited the Parks Canada Visitor Centre when we spotted something big and white walking down the street.  It was someone dressed up in a polar bear costume.  We wondered where could they be going?  We hurried up to the main street to see what was going on.  As we turned the corner what should be headed our way but a frog driving an ATV.  Of course. The frog waved to the polar bear.

And the polar bear waved back  We got the impression that they knew each other.

 The bear continued up the road and as he walked along he waved at everyone he saw.  When we recounted this story to one of our tour guides, they were quick to point out that it is against the law to impersonate a polar bear in Churchill.  Even if it is a cute, big headed one that walks upright.  As we mentioned before the real bears often end up in the middle of town.   You run the risk of being tranquilized and hauled off to Polar Bear Jail.  Our guide was unaware of any penalty for impersonating a frog.

  By the time we caught up to the action the bear had headed into Gypsy's Bakery & Restaurant.  The frog had parked his ATV and joined the bear inside.  As we walked up to the restaurant we noticed the camera crew that had been filming the entire event.  We also noticed the Japanese flags on their vehicles.  We are not sure how they obtained their vehicles, but we do know that there are no roads to Churchill.  Anything that arrives in town comes either by train or by plane, so vehicles are usually hard to come by.

  When we finally entered the restaurant,  the polar bear and the frog were with another woman who had grabbed a few people and they were holding a sign that said "Happy Birthday Peace The 15th Anniversary".  As the woman tried to explain that she wanted everyone to sing Happy Birthday, more people crowded into the doorway of the restaurant.  As everyone was just standing around, the restaurant owner asked if we would either come in or go out.  We chose out, and made our way back out onto the street.
  Seeing a polar bear in Churchill is a common sight indeed, but this bear lead us on an unusual journey that may never be explained.

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Map of Our World
The Polar Bear & The Frog

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Post # 42

Toronto's Little House

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 128 Day Ave.
Date: Sept 2014

  Wedged in between two normal sized homes is this little house in Toronto.  It seems out of place next to its neighbours.  At about 300 square feet it is one of the smallest homes around.  According to its website it is only 2.2m wide and 14.3m long.  It doesn't leave very much room to move around in, but it does have all the important things required from a modern home.

• A place to eat and prepare food.
• A place to sleep.
• An escape from the elements.
• Electricity and plumbing. 

  We didn't see who currently lived there but they must not be claustrophobic, or very big.  The truck parked out front seemed equally as large as the home.  The story behind the house is that back in 1912 the city intended the land to be an alleyway.   They never finished the alleyway so the clever land owner decided to build on it.  There it has sat for over one hundred years like something out of a storybook.

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Map of Our World
The Little House

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Post # 41

General Hospital

Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Address: 1983 Marengo St.
Date: Feb 2014
Website:  www.lacusc.org

  As you head north through Los Angeles on the I-5, just after the exit to the I-10 to San Bernadino, and as you continue north towards Sacramento, there is a familiar sight for soap opera fans.  Get into the right hand lane, roll down your windows and get your cameras ready.  Then as the traffic coming off of the I-10 merges with the I-5 point your cameras north-east and fire away.  This is how it worked for us, but if you are lucky enough to be stuck in a Los Angeles highway traffic jam then you may have plenty of time to view General Hospital.   
  General Hospital is currently the third longest running soap opera on television.  Only Guiding Light and As The World Turns have had more episodes, but both are no longer on the air.  General Hospital first aired in 1963 and recently celebrated 50 years.  The show takes place in the fictional town of Port Charles and never actually filmed inside of the hospital, (pictured above) but the hospital was featured in the opening credits.  In reality it is the LAC + USC Medical Center which is short for Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center.  The show is filmed at The Prospect Studios in the Los Feliz neighbourhood of LA.  Most of the characters on the show either work at General Hospital or have been a patient there for one reason or another.  They have given birth, emerged from comas, or recovered from numerous shootings, poisonings and car accidents.
  Even though the Medical Center is only seen in the opening credits, it has still been part of the show almost every weekday for the past few decades.  It is always fun to see the real world location.  On a previous trip to Los Angeles we also spotted actor Michael Easton in a North Hollywood Rite-Aid looking for help buying bottled water.  He played both John McBain and more recently Dr. Silas Clay on the show.  So always have your camera ready while you are in LA as there is either a television star or a filming location just up ahead.

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Map of Our World
General Hospital

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Post # 40