Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada - Cold Lake's not too shabby. The town is separated into two parts--North Cold Lake and South Cold Lake. North Cold Lake (further from the base) is right next to the lake itself (which offers some incredible fishing), while South Cold Lake has the majority of shops, restaurants, etc. The Lakeland Inn is in South Cold Lake and is within walking distance to the movie theater, coffee shops, and car rental place. There's a bar attached to the hotel called Taps that serves good food. Try some Canadian grub like Poutine (french fries drenched in gravy and cheese). Just a walk away we had a phenomenal meal at a place called The Chameleon Bistro. Incredible gourmet meals, desserts, and fine wines are offered along with impeccable service. Try the buffalo steak or pepper steak along with the cheese cake! Prices are very reasonable considering the quality of food. A great lunch spot is Clarke's General Store located in North Cold Lake right next to the marina. They have world class milk shakes and fish and chips (nice and greasy). Of course being Canada, the beer flows and is pretty cheap. Kokanee Gold on tap was the premium stuff. For higher class accommodations, you may want to check on some bed and breakfast-type places next to the lake. The gym on base rocks and the people on base are very friendly and helpful. ~Cold Lake sucks. If you are going to a Maple Flag, MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE that your WHOLE crew stays off base. Or don't go. MF will direct that your enlisted will stay in their 'special quarters', which are big trailer houses divided into 10'X12' bunk bedded, no TV, no Radio, NO Air conditioned, piss smelling rooms. You WILL have crew rest issues if your people are billeted here. MF will try to sell you some bullshit about how they have policies and that's how ACC does it, but if you're not ACC then why play by their rules? Get Off base somehow and your life will be much better. The El Lobo is fine, standard hotel, walking distance to both bars ==> the girls at the Kaos Club (bar, not strip joint) are cool and friendly. Cold lake has nothing to do except drink. So bring something, somehow. Edmonton is 3 hour to the south for the weekend, great time, go for sure. The flying is fun.
CFB Bagotville (CYBG) Stayed at Hôtel Le Montagnais which was roughly 20 minutes from the flight line in winter. Bring someone who speaks French on your TDY if able because many of the residents will only respond to French; hotel staff all spoke some English though. Bathrooms and rooms were clean if only in need of a little maintenance. Very little was open, on a Monday night, other than the hotel club and restaurant although they did keep the hotel restaurant/bar open until we were ready to leave. Several restaurants, Tim Hortons, fast food etc... in close proximity (walking if necessary). If you're a crewed jet, you can arrange through rental car agencies to have the cars ready for you on base when you land. Nice to have when having to arrange 11 cars for the 40 folks we brought.
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada - Delta Fredericton 506.451.7914 is a nice hotel. Nice stop on return from the desert. Airport is small. Use PLH fuel for DoD contract. Use Capital Airways for FBO services. The Delta hotel is on the level of a Hyatt or Hilton.
Goose Bay, Canada - Goose Bay is a hole. They have one or two clubs that are sausage fests on Ladies night. Trappers has good 'cook-your-own steaks' and good beer. (Hope you like Molson or Labatt) The Aurora isn't much but its the best thing in town (better than the Labrador and British Barracks). If your get a day and a rental car, Muskrat Falls is a descent way to kill time. Every place takes US dollars but get Canadian or they'll screw you with the exchange rate. First off, the billeting office ONLY TAKES CASH!!! Plus you must pay upfront. The rooms aren't the greatest but in case you're bored or snowed in there are tons of TV channels. The chow hall is expensive ($13) but it is all you can eat and the food is good. If you go off base a cab will run $15 Canadian. Food-wise there is a good pizza place (like Pizza Hut) across the street from a pub, a supermarket, and a sports bar. ~Hotel North (709) 896-9301 / (709) 896-9302 is the newest hotel in town and far better than the Labrador or Aurora. This is also the only place that has a free continental breakfast and is conveniently located next to Subway.Woodward Aviation is an excellent FBO with new facilities. Long distance phone calls and icecream are both free. If you are there in the winter, be sure to rent some snowmobiles (Candians call them skidoos just like we call all sodas Coke). Don't waste money renting off base. Contact the Brits in hanger eight (896-6897). It costs $35 Canadian for a half day or $50 for a full day. Price includes skidoo, guide and all necessary gear including snow suits. Mulligan's is the best pub in town. It has friendly girls behind the bar, great food, and the Guinness flows like water. After midnight on Friday or Saturday catch a ride or take a cab to Maxwell's. ~Northland Hotel was decent compared to the Labrador Inn. We stayed at both the Lab Inn and the Northland and thought that the Northland was better, primarily because it's a lot quieter. It's also a lot newer. The big plus to the Lab Inn is that they have a pretty decent restaurant in the hotel. We ate at Trapper's one night and did the "grill your own steaks" thing. It was decent but not great. We had a better time at "Mulligans" pub down the street from the Lab Inn. We had great Caribou burgers and Poutain and the people there were extremely friendly. The bartender tried really hard to find someone who could get us "screeched" but no one was available. The biggest plus about Goose Bay is the FBO, Woodward Aviation. What an awesome FBO! They provided everything we needed (WX, flight plans, calls to TACC, fuel, hangar coordination, crew trans, etc.) without us even having to ask. Rod and Nicole are both very friendly and will take great care of you. Give them a call @ 1-800-563-5202 or e-mail them @ woodcyyr@hvgb.net One last thing that we saw but didn't get to try were the Skidoos that the Brits have to rent. For 35$/day it looks like you can have lots of fun. Overall, Goose is not a garden spot but it's definitely not the hole that most people say it is. ~I am not sure about Woodward Aviation, but Irving Aviation really takes care of you. Right as we got in, there were employees greeting us and welcoming us to Goose Bay, Canada. Nadine was so very helpful during our stay. She had us Ice Cream and drinks waiting for us right as we walked through the door. She was also very helpful in giving us the intel on the night life of booming Goose Bay. She went well out of her way to make everything go smoothly. I definitely recommend Irving Aviation in Goose Bay and anywhere else they are located. ~The El Greco is a $12 CDN taxi ride from the North Hotel. They have excellent food there. Anything from pizza (which is the best I have ever had) to Caribou (that the owner made especially for our crew). The owner is very hospitable. Prices on food were very reasonable.
~Great North Hotel was a nice hotel. Just outside the base perimeter in Goosebay, it doesn't look like a hotel from the outside. It looks more like a warehouse but the accommodations are nice. There is a meeting / breakfast room very nicely maintained by the staff (wide variety of juices, coffees, breakfast cereal etc). It is included with your room charge. Subway and A&W Resturants are appx 100 yrs down the street. There is also a place called Trapper's Cabin that is a bar and grille. The selling point about Trapper's is you cook your own cut of meat. The chops, steaks, and chicken breasts are quality cuts and there are plenty of fixins to perk up the taste. The only downside to the hotel? It is next to a bar called Shooters (I think) and when it's closin time you can hear the drunks as they stagger to their cars or home (not conducive to an early show). All in all not a bad place to go.
Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Canada - On-base Billeting (aka The Shacks) sucked. Goods: The Base Ops/Terminal folks take good care of you. They have fuel. Others: 'The Shacks' as they were referred to by the folks on base as well as the locals in town were simply that. The were noisy, rickety, and overall piss poor! The billeting office is open only 1200-1600 on the weekends, so late arrival and early departures are not convenient at all. No servicing available if your ride is equipped with crappers and sinks...no lav dumping, no potable water. My advice...avoid the place...say you just couldn't make that extra 75 miles across the peninsula from Halifax and stay over there!
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - Sheraton was a nice hotel. Try to stay downtown if time and rooms permits. The town has a great waterfront with lots to do. Much nicer town than staying at St. Johns. The airport is well out of town so expect 30-45 min trip between the airport and downtown. Taxi to downtown was about $40Cnd. Due to a large number of tourist this time of year (June), we were not able to get rooms downtown on Friday night & moved to the Airport Hotel. That hotel was decent but very isolated. There is an aviation museum near the hotel but that's about it. Before you leave, stop by the airport terminal & get live lobsters. ~Casino Hotel ( https://www.casinonovascotia.com ) was an excellent hotel for both the refined and the gamblers. Right on the waterfront. Near great seafood and traditional restaurants. A 20 minute ride from the airport.
St. John's, New Foundland, Canada - Delta Hotel is a great hotel close to the bars where all the action is.. Esso Aeroflight (709-570-0765) is THE chart-toppin', booty-whoopin' FBO... Throughout many years, our squadron has had nothing but the finest service from Esso with their support of our countless deployments and re-deployments... These folks treat you like superstars and can hook you up with the finest of all your lodging and transportation needs... And if things aren't going so well on the MX side of the house while enjoying your stop-over in St John's, they are able to provide immediate and complete support in arranging for whatever equipment is needed to get you fixed up...Contact Linda or Stacie at (709) 570-0765 to set things up; they are the best! Linda, Stacie, Ray, and Mike will take good care of your crew! ~The Delta is a real treat. Less than a block away from the town's brand new hockey arena. Ask the front desk if they have any free tickets for that night's game/event. Ask for 9th floor rooms overlooking the harbor - it comes with free continental breakfast and late afternoon hors d'ouvres. (the other floors don't). Bring your swim trunks - heated indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, gym - NICE. Centrally located in the city, only 18 minutes from the airport (airport support and transport was outstanding). Check in for our 24 people took less than 10 minutes. The micro brews in the newly renovated bar are excellent. The breakfast buffet, while a little pricey, is very good. O'reilly's is within stumbling distance and is the best Irish pub in town. It's great any day of the week but it rocks on Thursdays. Bored? Check out the Avalon Mall. Big theater and shopping is cheap in Canada. Also, check out Signal Hill - site of Marconi's first trans-atlantic radio transmission. Yeah, so what... but the view is great! The Delta Hotel and the Newfoundland Fairmont are the high hook-up while you enjoy your stay... Both are close to the infamous George Street (Fairmont perhaps not so much, but cry me a river...) 1892 and Northern Light are the predominant brews in St John's as the Quidi Vidi Brewing Co is located here in St John's -- all fine choices! For the best meal you've had in a long while, try Django's near the Fairmont... Crooked Crab and Hungry Fisherman are also good choices... Typical bar food is available on George Street (Jungle Jim's is the place to hit if you just are just looking to fill up for a night at the Roxbury...)St john's is a great opportunity to enjoy wicked-good seafood, choice beer, and excellent hospitality overall! Have fun! ~One of the best restaurants in the downtown area is The Cellar. Great seafood and an outstanding wine selection at reasonable prices make this place a required stop every time I've passed through. I don't know the exact address, but everyone in town knows where it is. ~The name of the restaurant is the hungry fisherman. Great hotel in the same building - the Murray Premises next time you are there. Great rooms and a perfect location. Don't judge by the lobby. It is in the same building as a great restaurant and a coffee shop.
~If the ATM machine is not working, the front desk will make a cash advance on your gov card. Sometimes they charge 3%, most of the time they do not. Any leftover money can be put towards your hotel bill. Also, Esso Aviation rocks! Those clowns at Irving tried to hose our crew when we went to Esso (Military Contract Fuel). They (Irving) called the Delta and cancelled our hotel rooms when we did not purchase fuel from them. Call home for cheap - Canada Calling Cards
~Aiport Inn was a dump! During the summer months, St John's is a pretty big tourist attraction. If you want to stay downtown, make sure you make your reservation as far out in advance as you possibly can. If you wait, you end up staying at the Airport Inn. First, you will most likely get placed in a smoking room. Which smells like ass. You also get all the noise from the airport which is about a block or so away. The cab ride to downtown is about $15 (Canadian). Another thing was that the staff was less than cordial and certainly weren't the most efficient of workers. Check in didn't take all that long. But, check out was a nightmare. We got down there about 45 min before our bus time and finally left the hotel about 30 min AFTER bus time. We only had about 20 guys that needed to check out. The little bar at the hotel was nice, though. A good place to pre-game before heading downtown. There is no continental breakfast there, the prices at the hotel restaurant were pretty large for what you got, and there is NOTHING within walking distance. Again, make your reservations for downtown as soon as you know you are going there!
Update: 5/8/07 ~WOODWARD ESSO AVIATION , < MIL CON > 1-888-490-3776 or (709) 579 3776 is the FBO that handles DOD aircraft. WOODWARD ESSO AVIATION is THE chart-toppin', booty-whoopin' FBO ... Throughout many years, our squadron has had nothing but the finest service from ESSO with their support of our countless deployments and re-deployments ... These folks treat you like superstars and can hook you up with the finest of all lodging and transportation needs... And if things aren't going so well on the MX side of the house while enjoying your stop-over in St.John's, they are able to provide immediate and complete support in arranging for whatever equipment is needed to get you fixed up .. Contact Natalie at 1 888 490 3776 or 1 709 579 3776 or yytoperations@woodwardaviation.com to set things up, she is the best. Natalie, Tony, Ray and Mike will take good care of your crew.
Update: 8/2/07 ~Just got back from St. Johns and thought I'd offer this about the Fairmount hotel: While upscale and clean looking in the lobby, the rooms leave much to be desired. Unless you get the more expensive (beyond gov rate) rooms, all of Fairmounts rooms, regardless of non-smoking, smell like cigarettes. They also have thin walls and heat/air conditioning controls that you can't control. The Fairmount is almost beyond walking distance from George St. Finally, if you get lazy and eat at the hotel restaurant, don't get the Prime Rib--it's not bad, but not worth 45 dollars. My suggestion: stay at either the Murray Premise or Delta as they are much nicer and closer to the action.
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