Sandra and I hit the road early Friday morning headed west on a 7ish hour drive to Corner Brook as Sandra was competing in a billiards tournament this weekend. Sandra began playing in the CPA NL East league late last summer and has put in a lot of time learning the game and has really enjoyed the sport.

With a snowfall warning in effect for Friday afternoon we were on the road at 7am to beat the weather that was forecast to encompass the east coast and west as far as least Grand Falls.

Our plan worked and we escaped the worst of the weather all the way across!

Even on a cloudy overcast day the scenery was breathtaking! Its been awhile since I drove across the island in winter, this was Sandra's first time across period.

Near Pasadena, our 2020 Nissan Murano rolled over 40k on the clock. This is our first extended road trip since purchasing it new and we're super happy with the vehicle, especially on the highway. Lots of room, comfy zero gravity seats and plenty of get up and go. Also respectable on fuel averaging 8-10L/100km on the highway with winter tires in an all wheel drive SUV.

Our Air B&B had a spectacular view of the Bay.

It was a beautiful, well appointed basement apartment, clean bright and quite comfortable for our two night stay.

Another benefit was the ability to prepare our own breakfasts and snacks which worked out great, most of which we took from home anyway.

Saturday, Sandra and her billiards partner Dennis played their doubles tournament at Union Bar & Billiards. This CPA event saw 23 teams complete from noon until after midnight for a prize trip to Las Vegas. Sandra and Dennis went undefeated all day, the finals came down to the last few balls on the last rack. A lot of great shots coupled with some luck & misfortune on both sides saw their opponent squeak out a win by the skin of their teeth. A well earned win after a well matched, nail biter final!

Congrats to Sully and Darren (right) on their win, two absolute gentlemen and sportsmen.

Sunday we awoke to beautiful sunny skies for our drive back across the island to Torbay.

We poked around the city for a bit before hitting the highway around noon.

The drive was uneventful, we hit some snow in Terra Nova that persisted sporadically for the rest of the drive, but not enough to accumulate on the road.

All in all it was a fantastic trip. Sandra always supports me in all my outdoor adventures without hesitation or complaint. It was an honour to be a part of this special trip, her first out of town tournament since joining the league!

Cheers, MIKE

Copyright © 2011 Michael Smith