First morning in Portage, we let the kids get some screen time in while I put some laundry through and Jonathan fixed the front brake on Oliver's bike. Then we got the bikes ready for a Koko Platz nostalgia tour of my childhood haunts. Dave and Sandra Falk (who live in the cul-de-sac across from Tony and Fran where were parked) came over to say hello. We had a nice little visit before we set off on our bikes, knowing we'd see them later in the evening.
Dave and Sandra lived a couple houses down from our family on Radisson Avenue back in the late 70's until we moved in 1983 when I was in grade 3. Our families are still close friends, and Mrs Falk was also my preschool teacher back when I was five!
The old outdoor rink where I learned how to skate! Looking a little worse for wear. Apparently the clubhouse had burned down a year to more ago... I remembered lacing up skates in there, and having hot chocolates from the concession. I think I had a bright red hockey helmet, and my friend Paul had a yellow one. We had to wear thick toques under them to to keep from freezing.
Kids enjoying the Koko Platz playground... huge upgrade from when I was a kid. This was beside the rink you can see in the background.
The Davis residence that I remember as a kid... backs onto Crescent Lake. Lots of fun times spent here.
Radisson Avenue!! my old street where the Falks, Davis's, Kowalczycks and the Holmes' lived when I was little.
Found my old house... very different looking now at 19 Radisson Ave. Chris' room was on the far right and mine was the left window. Behind us was all forest and undeveloped land back in the day. Our backyards all kind of flowed into one another's and lots of impromptu bbq's happened.
Riding along the side of Crescent Lake over to Island Park!
My old elementary school! still looked the same, but the grounds were quite different with new playground equipment and lots more gravel parking.
My kindergarten to half way through Grade 3 years were spent here!
Glad to see the old RCAF plane and the Windmill were still going strong on the Island!
Fascinated by the combine's we saw on the island park. They were wrapping up some kind of Agri consult for farmers by the sales reps for various brands of farming equipment.
After we got back from our bike ride, we hopped in Tony's Jeep TJ he so generously lent us, and we booted into town along the main drag and ended up driving past the old Portage Mall (very worn down) where I posted Oliver's postcard he wrote, then we zipped across and had a snap at the World's largest Coke Can.
After the photo op, we went to Sobey's for some groceries and back to the Davis house for another delicious bbq dinner followed by a dessert/coffee/whiskey visit from Dave and Sandra. Their daughter, Stephanie, popped by as well, which was an awesome surprise. It's been decades since I'd seen her and we all had a great visit chatting about old times, travel stories, and our future travel plans. Jonathan grilled Dave on the workings of combines and the basics of farming.
It came up earlier that it was our anniversary and that evening Sandra had brought over the MOST BEAUTIFUL quilt as an anniversary gift for Jonathan and I. She's always been an incredible seamstress and quilter and this was such thoughtful gift.
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