Well, we've been in Yellowknife for 2 full days now and in that time we've accomplished quite a bit. I'll break it down into segments so that I don't start to ramble.
A few people asked why my posts were always so short... click on the words, 'Read More' at the bottom right- there's usually a lot more to read. Also, if you see some purple words in the body of the text try clicking on them... it'll usually be a link to whatever I'm talking about.
Our Hotel
Well, as with any move, our first few nights have been spent in a hotel. Ours is The Explorer Hotel on 49th. If you've ever asked mum about hotels in YK (aka Yellowknife) she'll tell you about beef dips in the restaurant with the round fireplace... that'd be the one in the picture on the left. While it's no longer wood burning it's still almost always lit... and the food's still pretty good. The garlic in my wild mushroom linguine was slightly overpowering but rob's braised beef ravioli in sage brown butter sauce was delicious. Oh- and they serve tea that's NOT Red Rose. All over Canada they give you Red Rose if you ask for tea and we're both pretty sick of it at this point.
Oh- and yes, I do like the view from our room.
A few people asked why my posts were always so short... click on the words, 'Read More' at the bottom right- there's usually a lot more to read. Also, if you see some purple words in the body of the text try clicking on them... it'll usually be a link to whatever I'm talking about.
Our Hotel
Well, as with any move, our first few nights have been spent in a hotel. Ours is The Explorer Hotel on 49th. If you've ever asked mum about hotels in YK (aka Yellowknife) she'll tell you about beef dips in the restaurant with the round fireplace... that'd be the one in the picture on the left. While it's no longer wood burning it's still almost always lit... and the food's still pretty good. The garlic in my wild mushroom linguine was slightly overpowering but rob's braised beef ravioli in sage brown butter sauce was delicious. Oh- and they serve tea that's NOT Red Rose. All over Canada they give you Red Rose if you ask for tea and we're both pretty sick of it at this point.
Oh- and yes, I do like the view from our room.
House Hunting
We've viewed a few places and we think we've found a home! We saw this place within 4 hours of arriving, viewed a few more and came to the conclusion that it wouldn't get any better than this. We're waiting for the landlord to run some final checks but as soon as we know more I'll walk y'all through it in another post. (P.S. There's a spare room for anyone who'd like to visit!
Grocery Stores
Long story short... there are three. Two Independants- one of which is within walking distance of the apartment we hope to call ours, the other two are on Old Airport Road which is a short drive away. As soon as we have a permanent address (hopefully on Tuesday) we'll apply for a membership at the Co-op. One of the many benefits that comes with said membership is a savings of $0.09/litre on gas... so it'll pay for itself fairly quickly. That's also the place that flies in fresh meat and produce all winter long... and apparently that's the best place to get a birthday cake.
Anyways! On my quick walk through the store that's within walking distance I found that fresh produce was marginally more expensive, (fresh hot house tomatoes were $1.49/lb, red grapes were $2.39/lb, cucumbers were $1.09/lb) dairy products were roughly the same although certain things varied greatly (500mL of sour cream was $2.29, a brick of black diamond cheddar was $10.49, a large jug of whole milk was $3.39... sorry, I forgot to check the actual volume), poultry products were exactly the same (2 chicken breasts ranged from $7.40-$8.50) and most dry goods and non perishables were actually cheaper. The normal price on a bag of Tostitos scoops was less than $3! I know I'm used to higher Guelph prices but still... It's nice to know groceries won't cost an arm and a leg.
Phone Number
Got that changed earlier today, when I have confirmation that it's gone through I'll be sending out a number of text messages and emails. If you don't get an update from me and you'd like one, please let me know and I'll get back to you asap.
We've viewed a few places and we think we've found a home! We saw this place within 4 hours of arriving, viewed a few more and came to the conclusion that it wouldn't get any better than this. We're waiting for the landlord to run some final checks but as soon as we know more I'll walk y'all through it in another post. (P.S. There's a spare room for anyone who'd like to visit!
Grocery Stores
Long story short... there are three. Two Independants- one of which is within walking distance of the apartment we hope to call ours, the other two are on Old Airport Road which is a short drive away. As soon as we have a permanent address (hopefully on Tuesday) we'll apply for a membership at the Co-op. One of the many benefits that comes with said membership is a savings of $0.09/litre on gas... so it'll pay for itself fairly quickly. That's also the place that flies in fresh meat and produce all winter long... and apparently that's the best place to get a birthday cake.
Anyways! On my quick walk through the store that's within walking distance I found that fresh produce was marginally more expensive, (fresh hot house tomatoes were $1.49/lb, red grapes were $2.39/lb, cucumbers were $1.09/lb) dairy products were roughly the same although certain things varied greatly (500mL of sour cream was $2.29, a brick of black diamond cheddar was $10.49, a large jug of whole milk was $3.39... sorry, I forgot to check the actual volume), poultry products were exactly the same (2 chicken breasts ranged from $7.40-$8.50) and most dry goods and non perishables were actually cheaper. The normal price on a bag of Tostitos scoops was less than $3! I know I'm used to higher Guelph prices but still... It's nice to know groceries won't cost an arm and a leg.
Phone Number
Got that changed earlier today, when I have confirmation that it's gone through I'll be sending out a number of text messages and emails. If you don't get an update from me and you'd like one, please let me know and I'll get back to you asap.
Bookstore
This one was shocking... while there is only one relatively small bookstore here in YK, book prices are actually CHEAPER than they are in Ontario. We both picked up books today, both were a few cents cheaper than the prices marked on the books by the publisher and when you remember that tax here is only 5% we're kind of laughing. And there I was ready to become a master Amazon-orderer. HA! I have a feeling the Book Cellar is going to be one of our favourite places to visit
This one was shocking... while there is only one relatively small bookstore here in YK, book prices are actually CHEAPER than they are in Ontario. We both picked up books today, both were a few cents cheaper than the prices marked on the books by the publisher and when you remember that tax here is only 5% we're kind of laughing. And there I was ready to become a master Amazon-orderer. HA! I have a feeling the Book Cellar is going to be one of our favourite places to visit
A Local Pub
We always used to visit a place called McCabe's in Guelph. It was a place with a good atmosphere, good food, great burgers and a decent pint. Finding a place like that here in YK was kind of a priority and I'm fairly sure we've done it. The Black Knight Pub is within walking distance of our potential new home, the burgers are great and the pints are cold and properly poured. The prices are also very reasonable. So far we've had the BK Burger and the Black Jack Burger... and I'm sure more will be tasted in the future.
We always used to visit a place called McCabe's in Guelph. It was a place with a good atmosphere, good food, great burgers and a decent pint. Finding a place like that here in YK was kind of a priority and I'm fairly sure we've done it. The Black Knight Pub is within walking distance of our potential new home, the burgers are great and the pints are cold and properly poured. The prices are also very reasonable. So far we've had the BK Burger and the Black Jack Burger... and I'm sure more will be tasted in the future.
A Little of This and That
Some other random things we've seen and done...
- Visited my elementary school. Hasn't changed a bit
- Saw the old Con Mine... most of that's gone but the tower's still there. Anyone remember our old address?
- Had a tour of the city provided by... our potential new landlord! He sells explosives for a living. Slightly terrifying.
- Saw Old Town while on the tour of the city. There are a couple cute little shops that I want to check out (including Old Town Glassworks and Weaver & Devore Trading)
- Saw the local weather broadcast. The weatherman scares me. He hovers on a digital pink cloud and I'm pretty sure he's a hippie... talked about inner peace and love.
- Saw the Wildcat Cafe... And I fully intend to have lunch there when it opens again in the spring
Aaaaand I think that's it for today!
Some other random things we've seen and done...
- Visited my elementary school. Hasn't changed a bit
- Saw the old Con Mine... most of that's gone but the tower's still there. Anyone remember our old address?
- Had a tour of the city provided by... our potential new landlord! He sells explosives for a living. Slightly terrifying.
- Saw Old Town while on the tour of the city. There are a couple cute little shops that I want to check out (including Old Town Glassworks and Weaver & Devore Trading)
- Saw the local weather broadcast. The weatherman scares me. He hovers on a digital pink cloud and I'm pretty sure he's a hippie... talked about inner peace and love.
- Saw the Wildcat Cafe... And I fully intend to have lunch there when it opens again in the spring
Aaaaand I think that's it for today!