Day 3- Our California Vacation

Lots of driving today!

We started our day with a drive from Clovis, Ca,( 10 minutes outside of Fresno), and headed towards Yosemite National Park.

4 miles south of the entrance however, is the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, located in the Sierra National Forest. Quick stop- for a train ride on Logger Steam Train. Also to be enjoyed if you miss the scheduled time of the Logger Steam Train ride, is the also popular Jenny Rail car ride.A shorter, 30 minute ride.

Great hospitality and the chance to see the sights and sounds of steam powered railroading of the past.

Enjoyed a one hour narrated excursion over tracks once used for logging trains at the turn of the century.

A must see and do before you visit the park!

After our train ride we headed to the Marisposa Grove of the Giant Sequoia.  Located near the park's south entrance, a few of the trees are visible in the parking area for those not wishing to do any hiking further into the park. A tram is also available to take you to the Mariposa Grove.

After our stop at Mariposa Grove we headed to points of the park such as Glacier Point, Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall ,(bad time of the year to see though. Just a trickle of water was flowing due to it being late in the season for our visit, as well as a below average snowfall this winter past). Ideal time to see a full downpour of water from the Falls is April/May we were told.

Although there was more of Yosemite to see, the day got away on us and as well, with big fire burning parts of the park and roads were closed.

End to a long day was a stop at Miller's Landing Resort at Bass Lake. Although we got in late, we had some wonderful girls at the store there get us all settled away and were most polite and helpful.
We have a wonderfully comfortable resort cabin here and can't wait to see the area at first day light. Didn't arrive till after 8 pm so dark when we got here. 

Here are some photos of our 2 bedroom cabin:

Quite late though.. so must head to bed but hope you enjoyed reading about our day in the Yosemite and area.

Day 2- Our Vacation To California

We've arrived in Fresno! Were here late last night and settled. Unfortunately it got too late for me to do much blogging, or any blogging for that matter, but will share some photos from yesterday:

                                                    Fresno Airport!

                                                                

       I'm sure these were the Colorado Rockies as we flew over from our layover in Denver, and on our way to California.

                                        Gerry-Denver.

                                        Just arriving at the airport- short layover before we headed to Fresno.

                                        

Day 1- Heading Out

Well, today we headed out  to Saskatoon, stopping in Prince Albert, to drop Jakey off at the kennels. Always tough to leave the little guy.

It's a 5 hour drive south for us and we had to make pit stops for him and for us, so takes a bit longer. At one stop we had let a yellow jacket in the truck,and then it disappeared under the seat and we couldn't find it, so could only hope it wouldn't pop out and sting one of us. Finally saw it crawling up near my window, out of the corner of my eye and was able to quickly put my window down and let it out. Felt much better after that!

Once we dropped Jake off, and got him settled, we headed to Saskatoon, and will be flying out tomorrow afternoon for Fresno. 

We have a very nice view from our room at the Radisson here in Saskatoon. A view of the Saskatchewan River and one of the bridges in the city.Nice to settle in. Room is clean, roomy and the bed is oh so comfy! If your staying be sure to get the King bed room- such a treat!

Tomorrow we fly out in the early afternoon, and won't be in Fresno till late evening- may or may not blog tomorrow evening once we get in.


** For more information about the hotel, including driving directions go to:
Radisson Hotel Saskatoon

Today's Winner!

Our giveaway for today:

http://www.oneincomedollar.com/2013/08/kellogg-canada-is-debuting-new-products.html

and the winner was:

jentam777@gmail.com

** Winner has been contacted and has 7 days to reply before a new winner is selected.

Thank you for those who took time to enter.

Review for Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers for PS3 PLUS a Giveaway (USA only)

Review By: Jon

Air Conflicts Pacific Carriers

Maximum Games (MG) has announced the arrival of Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers, a new arcade-style flight simulation available exclusively on PlayStation® 3 today, and later this month on PlayStation® Network. The game is centered on events that took place during World War II, featuring the aircraft and ships of the period, and historically inspired missions. Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers is available now, and is rated T for Teens by the ESRB. 

 I started off playing the tutorial and found it very helpful with the early stages of learning to fly in the game.  It's quite easy to learn the controls and fly each of the different types of planes.  After a few runs at the tutorial I started up the Campaign mode to get a feel for the combat.  I started with the US side (nobody wants to be the bad guys off the start, ha ha) and was instantly dropped into the Pearl Harbor conflict.  It's a lot of fun being able to switch between aircraft to get a better angle on an enemy while dog fighting and when your bombing, once you run out of bombs you send the plane back and switch to a new one that is full of bombs. No time lost flying back to base to reload! I finished that battle then switched to the Japanese side to try it out and it was just as good!  Being able to fly the different kinds of planes each side has to offer is a good challenge to get used to but very fun once you get the hang of each type!  The ability to change the flight rosters is a good feature I found when the pilots start gaining experience in battle and getting their talents.  The Instant Battle and Survive! modes are lots of fun as well. Once and a while you just want to bomb something, do some dog fighting or just blast away at enemy planes from a carrier based anti-aircraft gun to let off some steam!

Overall the game is lots of fun to play!  Game play is good and the story line sucks you in making you want to sit there and play for hours.  Controls are very easy to get the hang of although I never did try out the Play station Motion controllers so I can't say how that would be. Only complaint I have about the game is the environment graphics but with the plane graphics being good and the fact you are always in combat, you hardly notice the graphics outside the plane!

Maximum Games would love to give away one of these games featured above to one lucky US winner. A random draw will be held by Random.org on September 13, 2013 from all entries received.


To Enter:

Leave your email and a comment for Maximum Games on who you would like to win this game for and why.


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Best of Luck to All!

12 Tips for Healthy Fall Foods

Summer may have been the season for outdoor grilling and popsicles, but now that school is back, it’s time to refocus your family meal strategy. Use these food tips and recipe ideas from Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD, BetterForYou.com’s mom blogger, to keep your kids nourished while saving yourself time, money, and energy! BetterForYou.com published by Linkwell Health.

 

De-stress breakfast

 

1.       Go portable: When everyone is rushing out the door, you need a meal on the go. Try whole wheat English muffins with peanut butter and sliced bananas, and milk in a to-go cup. Cook hard-boiled eggs and peel them the night before, then serve with whole grain rolls and fruit. Or whip up a smoothie with Greek yogurt, milk, and fruit.

2.       Jazz up oatmeal: Oatmeal, which is low in fat and high in heart-healthy fiber, is a nutritious, affordable breakfast staple. Make it more appealing by adding a spoonful of natural peanut butter and a sprinkle of chocolate chips, a bit of almond butter with a dollop of jam, or a tablespoon each of nuts and fruit. 

3.       Choose a better cereal: There’s nothing wrong with a bowl of cereal with milk—you just need a good cereal. When choosing cereal, look for 8 grams of sugar or less per serving. You can also buy unsweetened cereal, like plain O’s or shredded wheat, and add just a touch of sweeteners at home.

 

Pack smart for lunch

 

4.       Don’t over stuff: Pack small portions of main items, and include fruits and veggies as sides. You’ll cut down on wasted food and eat healthier.

5.       Make juice a treat: Juice is healthier than soda, but it often still has lots of sugar and can put a dent in your wallet. Instead of packing juice every day, make it a treat. Pack water to three times a week, and 100% juice or milk the other days.

6.       Roll it up: Use a tortilla as your base, add on whatever your child likes—lean deli meat and cheese, or apple slices and peanut butter—and roll it up. Cut in half if you need to.

 

Simplify dinnertime

 

7.       Take some shortcuts: It’s okay to buy packaged mac and cheese—just look for whole wheat pasta and no artificial flavors. Add broccoli, diced tomatoes, or sweet peas for extra fiber and nutrients. Only use half or three-quarters of the cheese powder to reduce the sodium content.

8.       Pick frozen: Shrimp and fish are low-calorie sources of lean protein and brain-healthy fats. Save money by choosing frozen shrimp and frozen fish that’s farm-raised, or water-packed salmon and tuna. Use on salads, sandwiches, pastas, and more!

9.       Scope fast food menus: Sometimes, it’s just not possible to cook a homemade meal. Skip the guilt about going through the drive-through by looking up fast food menus online so you can pre-select healthier options. In general, choose grilled foods instead of fried, small fries instead of large, and water instead of soda.

 

Serve healthier snacks

10.   Satisfy a sweet tooth: Kids and adults can agree that living in a world without cookies is no fun. For better options, scan the ingredient list: If you see “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated oils,” put it back. It means they may have hidden trans fats.

11.   Keep chips basic: There are so many chips that claim to be healthy by putting “multigrain” or “all natural” on the package. The truth is plain tortilla chips made with just corn, oil, and salt are your healthiest bets for when you need some crunch. Serve with a little salsa for extra flavor.

12.   Feed your body: A banana, some yogurt, or a handful of nuts and natural dried fruit will energize you for your workout. After the gym, a combo of protein and carbs will help repair muscles. Try an apple with peanut butter or some hummus with whole grain crackers.

Today's Winner!

Today's giveaway:

http://www.oneincomedollar.com/2013/08/review-and-giveaway-enjoy-life-foods.html

and our winner:

mommakoala@cogeco.ca

** Winner has been contacted and has replied.

Thank you to all who entered!

Visalia, California

We are in the final stages of preparation for our Californian adventure. While there we will be stopping in Visalia, which is a picturesque town located close to the Sequoia National Park. Not only is the scenery beautiful, so is the architecture, and we cannot wait to stop by.

While in Visalia, we will be staying at Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center. It is really centrally located to everything there is to see and do in the area including King's Canyon, Sequoia National Park, Crystal Cave, and Lake Kaweah.

The hotel is filled with free services that any traveler loves, such as complimentary parking as well as free WiFi. The hotel features a heated outdoor pool, a whirlpool, a fitness center and is very closely located to all sort of great activities such as golf courses, or hiking trails.There is also a great Californian style restaurant located in the hotel so that guests do not have to travel very far in search of a good meal. However, most people get really, really excited about hotel beds. They just see, extra comfortable, and the Marriott is among the very best. The beds feature luxurious bedding including down comforters, custom duvets and cotton rich linen. With great TV services, free internet and a wet bar, hotel guests may be tempted just to stay in the hotel instead of exploring around it. 

Whatever, we choose to do in Visalia, you can bet that the Marriott will be a great place to rest!

Today's Winners

Today's 2 winners:

owen.darlene@gmail.com - USA
brendawitherspoon at hotmail.com-Canada

Each winner will receive a prize pack as per the giveaway here:
http://www.oneincomedollar.com/2013/08/review-and-giveaway-blender-boyz-canada.html

** Thank you to all who entered.
Winners have been contacted, and have 7 days to reply before a new winner is chosen.

Today's Giveaway!

Our giveaway:
http://www.oneincomedollar.com/2013/08/review-and-giveaway-purex-plus-oxi.html

Today's 2 Winners:
bandkgram (at) hotmail (dot) ca
jentam777 at gmail dot com

** Winners have been contacted and have 7 days to reply before a new winner is selected.
Thank you to all who entered!