July 31 - St. Alexandre de Kamouraska QC

The point on the map to see today was the Hartland covered bridge which is the longest covered bridge in the world at 1,282 feet.  We were going to go through it but we didn’t know for sure if the bridge was tall enough for us (especially when there was no indication of the height) so we stopped literally feet from the entrance.  Probably a very wise move.

We then travelled on to Florenceville-Bristol, the French Fry Capital of the World.  It is called this because one in every three French fry eaten in the world today is produced by McCain Foods, a company that started in Florenceville.  We found out this interesting little fact when we went through Potato World.  This museum was exceptionally well kept and informative – we enjoyed going through it.

As we were driving along we saw a sign advertising ziplining a gorge so we had to stop and try to find that.  We saw the waterfalls in Grand Falls and some of the gorge where they do the training for the real thing but when we tried to get to the gorge itself we were told there were 250 steps down so that immediately put the kibosh on that.  It would have been great to get some photos of the training and there were people there as we were driving up but by the time we got there they had all gone away – rats!

All the signs in New Brunswick are bilingual (French and English) and we noticed that the further west and north we went in the province the move prevalent French became in signage and in speech.  As soon as we crossed the border into Quebec, however, the bilingual signage disappeared and everything is in French.  I don’t know what it is about us but we are immediately identified as non-French.  We’ll have to do some serious brushing up on our French! 

 It was a real thrill to drive along the St. Lawrence Seaway and we should be beside it all the way to Quebec City tomorrow!

When we stopped at the Visitor's Center in Quebec we realized we had forgotten to change our time back an hour days ago and now we needed to go back an additional hour - good thing time doesn't really matter much to us right now.

July 30 - Woodstock NB

The highlight today is our visit to the Hopewell Rocks where you can see the highest tides in the world and where you can walk on the ocean floor at low tide.  Just a phenomenal experience!

We had another not so terrific experience,  As we were driving along we saw this huge black cloud and were cringing as we got closer expecting the rain to hit.  Not so.  We drove under this dark cloud and could see bright sky ahead.  When we passed the dark cloud and hit the bright sky it looked like fog ahead but instead it was a torrential downpour which was very scary as we literally could not see 2 feet in front of us.  I don’t know how long this lasted but it certainly felt like a very long, nail-biting time driving at 10 mph.  Eventually it eased up somewhat so that we could see in front of us.  When I checked the radar on my phone it said there was a watch on for severe thunderstorms with hail, damaging winds and torrential downpours.  Great!  We were planning where we would stop if this actually started to happen.  Seems like the weather changes quite quickly so we knew we could stop and ride it out and then continue on our way.

 However, as we continued on to where we thought we might stop for the night, everything changed dramatically and we stopped at this fantastic campground on the Saint River – blue skies, warm temps, terrific views – couldn’t have found anything more perfect.

July 29 - Hopewell Cape NB

Today seemed like one of those days where all we do is sit in the RV – not true, but it feels like it.

This morning was heavy fog and rain so we drove around Charlottetown and when the rain subsided, we walked around the downtown area.  We went into Province House which is where the Prince Edward Island Legislature, known as the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, has met since 1847.

We were going to stay on PEI another day but then after lunch we decided we’d head toward Hopewell Rocks which is close to where we are tonight.  Tomorrow we’ll go see the Rocks and then start heading toward Quebec City.

July 28 - Cornwall PEI

Great drive this morning to Summerside where we had breakfast and toured around the town.  We discovered this lovely little shopping area in the harbor.  We walked by the life boat training area and I saw the two types of lifeboats – can’t say I’ve ever seen a lifeboat with a top!

A lovely spot on our continued drive along the coast was Victoria By The Sea – here we saw the largest tree on PEI, as well as a number of shops along a small wharf and I couldn’t resist putting on the Anne of Green Gables headgear.

Our last stop of the day was at Port-La-Joye-Fort Amherst National Historic Site which commemorates the first permanent European settlement on Prince Edward Island.

Since we’ve landed on PEI, the song Bud The Spud keeps running through our minds and causing multiple giggles.  For those unfamiliar with Stompin’ Tom Connors, here’s a 2 minute video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNEg65rlnu4

The chorus is:

Well it's Bud the Spud, from the bright red mud,

Rollin' down the highway smilin'

The spuds are big on the back of Bud's rig,

They're from Prince Edward Island,

They're from Prince Edward Island.

PEI potatoes growing in the red soil

July 27 - Tyne Valley PEI

Stopped to visit the fishing village at North Rustico – we were amazed at the number of boats there offering fishing but they must have the business to have so many.  Of course, it was very early and a little chilly when we were there.

Then we moved through Cavendish which is very definitely a tourist area but of course, we had to do our bit for Anne of Green Gables so we did stop at the Green Gables Heritage Center and at Avonlea.

After a series of mishaps we got to the Canadian Potato Museum fully prepared to be cynics but were pleasantly surprised to find it very interesting and Norm had potato skins and I had potato soup both of which were very good, albeit quite different from what we were expecting.

July 26 - New Glasgow PEI

We made a stop at Fort Bousejour National Historic Site in Aulac, New Brunswick but it was a very short stop as they charged just to enter the visitor’s center.  Still, quite a view from the site extending to the Bay of Fundy.

Then the experience of a lifetime when we first saw, and then crossed the Confederation Bridge.  This is the longest bridge over ice covered waters in the world, joining Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island and Cape Jourimain, New-Brunswick.  The bridge is 8.02 miles long and opened on May 31, 1997.   WOW! 

We had a bit of a drive to the campsite I had chosen based on reviews I read and have to say again, WOW!  We’ve never experienced a campground like this one.  Here’s what their paperwork says when you check in:

“We specialize in relaxing, quiet, individual site camping.  Combined sites creating a group camping atmosphere or with frequent visitors will be discouraged.”

It is gorgeous and very private, very quiet, very relaxing.

July 25 - Halifax NS

Hallelujah!  We got the RV back!  Sounds crazy but after a couple of days in a hotel, we’re really antsy to get back in the RV and what feels like total freedom.

Today was primarily laundry and shopping day but we still got to the harbor for a walk along the waterfront.  It was very foggy and rainy so it all looked quite surreal but then a big cruise ship, the Carnival Glory, started unloading its passengers (felt like all 3,000 of them) so we escaped and toured around Dalhousie University and went to the Halifax Shopping Centre.

Looks like a ghost ship in the harbor this morning

Then we had a nice walk through the public gardens – they are so beautiful!  Tomorrow we head for Prince Edward Island.

July 23 & 24 - Halifax NS

Yesterday was cool and rainy and today was cool, overcast with periods of sun – what a treat to not have to deal with heat!!

Yesterday we took another Lighthouse Tour route, this time to Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This town was formally established in 1753 as the first British Colonial settlement in Nova Scotia outside of Halifax. These early settlers were from various parts of Germany, Switzerland, and the Montbeliard region of France.   

Interestingly we found that Mahone Bay was much more appealing to us, perhaps because it was a smaller town in a smaller bay with well-maintained Victorian homes.  We followed the coast through many small villages and thoroughly enjoyed the drive, even in the rain.

Today we followed the Gloostrap Trail to and around Parrsboro which is home to the world’s highest tides – today the tide rose to 44.5 feet and we were there to see it (a 17 year high)!!

We had a stop at That Dutchman Cheese Farm (Animal and Nature Park as well) which was a hoot then stopped to see the Five Islands Provincial Park and Lighthouse.  We did a large loop around and so appreciated that the weather was very comfortable and enjoyable.

Now, that's an interesting looking chicken!

July 22 - Halifax NS

Dropped off the RV this morning and when we called after lunch to see what the verdict was the man told us he forgot his employee who would be doing the work was on vacation this week so he was going to have to take the RV to the Dartmouth location – duh!  At 5 pm he hadn’t had a chance to take it to Dartmouth so hopefully it will be looked at tomorrow morning.  Does not engender a lot of faith!   

We got a rental car that picked us up at the repair place and we went back to the harbor front in Halifax to walk those areas we didn’t get to yesterday.  Saw an interesting brewery but decided not to pay the price for a tour so just walked and looked at what we could from the outside.

Then we drove to one of the cemeteries for victims of the Titanic; there were a total of 150 victims who were laid to rest here in Halifax.  It’s amazing how many graves just have a number and no name.  Some were eventually identified so their names were added to the memorial stone and some families choose to add a monument. 

A monument was made to the “unknown child” who was finally identified through DNA in 2011 and the actual name was added to a stone at the monument.  Quite a somber atmosphere when you look at the graves, understand what happened and how many poor souls have never been identified.

Today and tonight the temperature is perfect – of course, now that we don’t have the RV and a great campground beside water.  Tomorrow we hope to head to Lunenberg and to hear positive things about the RV!

July 21 - Halifax NS

We finally got going this morning after some Keystone Kops routines – Set the GPS, no, don’t set it; oops meant to go to the ferry crossing but am now on the toll bridge going across to Halifax; oops, didn’t realize the phone had no battery left and left the cables in the motel room; oops left the sunscreen in the motel room – you get the picture.

We spent the day at the Halifax waterfront and had a terrific day!  It is definitely a beehive of activity!  We spent hours in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and could have spent more time but had to be concerned with the parking meter as well as the feet.  We initially figured the museum and waterfront wouldn’t take more than a couple of hours – how nuts is that?  A personal thrill was seeing items that had been recovered on Sable Island (of course, since my brother has been on Sable Island for many years.)

Figurehead from LOTA discovered on Sable Island in 1916

We saw a couple of tall ships – the Athos and the Eagle (US Coast Guard) and Norm was able to tour the Eagle.  There were several different types of tour boats available – fun!

Theodore Too

One of the many amazing things we saw was the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, known under the project name PlanetSolar, which is the largest solar-powered boat in the world and arrived a couple of days ago as part of an expedition across the Atlantic Ocean and along the Gulf Stream.

July 20 - Halifax NS

Not sure why but we were up at 6 am today – go figure!  We did watch the Truro tidal bore and actually would have liked to have seen the opposite scenario tonight but it was not to be.  Very interesting phenomenon to watch and we’re thinking we may get to see this phenomenon again when we go to the Hopewell Rocks.

We walked around again in downtown Truro and saw two more elm tree sculptures (bearcat and the lumberjack).  We figured out that the sculptures are on the trees that died so they are in random places and not necessarily in a particular area.  There was a farmer’s market that we walked through and thoroughly enjoyed.  Down the street there was a lady with a table of preserves she had made and we had to buy some – rhubarb preserve, blueberry/rhubarb preserve and something called “chow” which we are told can be put on just about anything but she suggested hamburgers or hot dogs as examples.

This is the lumberjack.

Then we went to Murphy’s Fish and Chips which is touted as Canada’s #1 English style fish and chips for lunch.  When we saw the advertisement yesterday as the #1 English style fish and chips place we knew we had to try it out so planned our day to have lunch there – it lived up to its reputation!!

On the way back to the Halifax area we stopped at the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum for quick visit.  

We stopped at the local KOA but they were booked solid today and since we knew we were coming to Dartmouth tomorrow anyway, we decided we would just come straight to the hotel rather than trying to find another campground.  We’ll stay here for at least a couple of days as the RV gets serviced and we’ll rent a car so we can continue our exploration of the Halifax area.

July 19 - Truro NS

Didn’t get very far or do very much today as Norm wrenched his back this morning.  We stayed at the campsite an extra 3 hours so he could rest.  Yesterday we had decided we would only go as far as Truro today because there were several things we wanted to see there.

Well, we did get to Truro (a whole hour away from where we camped yesterday) and the day has been overcast and raining off and on.  We decided we would go to Victoria Park (1,000 acre natural park in the middle of town) and I put two addresses in the GPS and there was no park at either address.  Then I found GPS coordinates and we started to follow that when we decided we just weren’t meant to go to Victoria Park and instead went downtown for a walk around.

The downtown has 43 individual sculptures created from diseased elm trees as a way to make the most out of the bad situation of having Dutch elm disease for which there is a no cure.

We also saw St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church whose parish was established in 1835.  Quite a striking church!

As we started to go back to the campsite we saw signs for Victoria Park so I went back to the GPS coordinates and we found it!  Because of the weather, plus Norm’s back and my foot, we didn’t get too far but at least we got to see some of it so we were pleased with that.  Tomorrow we hope to get to the tidal bore at 10:25 am (considering that these days we don’t seem to get moving until 9:30 or 10 am we’ll see).

July 18 - Lyons Brooke NS

Big rainstorm overnight – sounded lovely on the roof.  Woke up to a light drizzle.  

Our site in St, Mary's Riverside Campground

Did some touring around going west today.  Asked the GPS to get us to a provincial park for lunch and it took us to some obscure place with a dead-end road!  As we continued to drive along we saw a sign for the actual park we were looking for, some miles away!  We decided we would just continue on the road as we saw a sign for Pictou Landing and although we couldn’t find it on a map we figured it had to be close to Pictou which was an area we wanted to see.

We went into this small town (no idea what it was called or exactly where it was) and stopped in front of a church to have lunch.  There were no people on the street and maybe two cars drove by while we were there.  As we left we noticed that all the street signs were in English and some other language which we eventually figured out was an Indian language – we were obviously in a reservation.

Finally got to Pictou and we had a little walk around the downtown.  This is a Scottish place for sure.  There are banners on the street which depict all the different Scottish Clans.  There are stores that sell Scottish tartans and gifts; restaurants that serve tea and crumpets; multiple sculptures, plaques and monuments depicting the Scottish heritage.  In fact, this place is labeled “birthplace of New Scotland.”

Don't know what happened to our route map - some of the lines went wonky and we don't know why so now it looks like we drove through lakes in some places!  Have to assume there's something we're doing wrong but don't know what.

July 17 - Sherbrooke NS

We continued on the second half of the Lighthouse Tour road this morning.  What a lovely picturesque road it is!

Then we crossed the bridge to Dartmouth and enjoyed walking around the ferry landing.  My brother Gerald has often told us that when he is in Halifax, he picks up a coffee, walks the harbor then takes the ferry to work in Dartmouth.  We saw that his work building is less than a block from the ferry landing.  How neat to be able to picture the scenario!  When touring around Dartmouth we saw this lovely little parkland area with geese, lighthouse, totem pole and fountain in the middle so had to stop and take some photos.  As we carried on we stopped just up the road at the Senabe Aquatic Club to watch hundreds of children having the time of their life in and out of the water – swimming, canoeing, kayaking, building sand castles, etc.  It was very colorful.

We took the coast road north towards Cape Breton Island which was an interesting road full of small villages, inlets, bays, etc. but virtually no commercial places.  We decided we were going to stop in Sheet Harbor for a lunch and were amazed to stop at the Henley House Pub and Restaurant.  This is an English restaurant that serves tea every day from 2 pm to 4 pm with biscuits and English clotted cream – who knew!  We had a fabulous steak and ale pie and homemade apple pie plus, of course, the Canadian Poutine side dish.

Again, today we have found a lovely campground (beside a river in Sherbrooke.)

July 16 - Indian Harbor NS

We’re set to get the RV serviced next Monday in Halifax so we’re going to start exploring Nova Scotia and on Monday we’ll rent a car and continue the exploration.

We did try to go downtown today but with the RV it was impossible to park anywhere so we’re going to have to put that off until we have a rental car next week.  We decided to take the Lighthouse Tour road to Peggy’s Cove (a place everyone told us was a “must see.”  No kidding!

Amazingly unique spot on the planet.  Of course, from our perspective, it would have been perfect had there been no tourists, no tour buses, no-one except us.  The area is well known for its artists and there are many galleries along the Lighthouse Tour road.  In fact, I stopped on the road in Peggy’s Cove to take a photo of the town and there were 3 artists on the side painting.  It was lovely!

July 15 - Hubbards NS

We made it - 5,684 miles!!!

We're here now for a little while.  We need to get the RV serviced so we'll put it in the shop, then rent a car and hotel it for as long as it takes.

We want to explore all of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and figure we'll explore a little more of New Brunswick when we leave here to start the trek home.

July 14 - Hampton NB

An exciting day today.  We toured the Roosevelt Cottage (14 bedroom cottage) and toured the island from end to end.  We started with an exploration of the beach in Herring Cove Provincial Park and then drove up-island to the Head Harbor Lighthouse.  We didn’t get all the way to the lighthouse as it was quite a distance and required climbing up what looked like a stepladder (photo is included below and in the photo album). 

Then we had to take the ferry to Deer Island which landed at the south tip and we then had to drive to the north tip to take another ferry to the mainland of New Brunswick.  As we were waiting for the ferry we got chatting with a local Campobello Island resident of 30 years who had many stories to tell us about the island and the ferry.  We discovered that her granddaughter was the person who signed us into the campsite the night before.  The road on Deer Island was quite an experience as it was very lumpy and very narrow – our GPS even got confused!

After landing in Back Bay we couldn’t quite decide whether to stay in St. John, drive north, or take another ferry to Nova Scotia.  Since the ferry goes twice a day – noon and 8 pm – we decided to drive a little north of St. John and stay the night then get to Halifax tomorrow.

July 13 - Campobello Island NB

Maine.  Maine.  Maine.  Fantastic drive up the coast on Hwy 1.  It’s picturesque.  It’s quaint.  It’s charming.  We spent quite some time in a small town called Camden which is so gorgeous.  We were delighted that the whole day today we did NOT see a Walmart, just small boutiques in every town we passed, along with bay after bay on the Atlantic Ocean.

When we got to Sullivan ME we saw a small sign for a book and bake sale at the local library so stopped in and bought some books and some bakery goods; then we had lunch and some of the said bakery goods in the parking lot.  What a treat!

We were almost sad when the road ended in the easternmost town in the US – Lubec ME – and we crossed the FDR International Bridge to New Brunswick.  There was no line-up at the border and we just sailed through; all the border crossings should be so easy.  We are staying on Campobello Island tonight as we want to go to Roosevelt’s Cottage tomorrow and explore the island a little bit.  To get off the island we will have to take a ferry to Deer Island.

Here are two Canada Geese diving for their dinner.

July 12 - Rockport ME

Lovely drive through the rest of New Hampshire and up the Maine coast.  We didn't stop much today, not sure why.

This is the bridge at Portsmouth on the border of New Hampshire and Maine.  I think I'm developing a bridge fixation!


We thought we might be able to take the ferry from Bar Harbor ME to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia but apparently that ferry stopped running in 2009 and might start again in 2014.  Oh well, we'll just go north to New Brunswick tomorrow and go around.

July 11 - Swanzey NH

Beautiful drive today through Vermont and a part of New Hampshire.  It’s all so forested and green with curvy roads.

When we got to the border of Vermont and New Hampshire we saw an unusual store and of course, had to stop and check it out.  While I was waiting for Norm outside the store two cars collided in front of me.  No-one was hurt but both cars were damaged, one so much it couldn’t be driven.

When we got into Bennington VT we were intrigued to see all these cat sculptures on the street downtown and when we looked it up it was an art exhibit called Catamount Prowl 2013 and all the sculptures were created in fiberglass.

Leaving Bennington we reached an area called 100 Mile View where you can actually see for 100 miles – pretty impressive.

July 10 - Sylvan Beach NY

Crossed the Peace Bridge this morning to Niagara Falls NY after taking a scenic tour all along the gorge.

We did make a stop in Lockport NY to see the locks and Erie Canal.  Very quiet but it looked like a river cruise had gone out so there were lots of cars  and bikes parked but no-one was around when we were there.

Having lived in Philadelphia for three years I am very familiar with turnpikes but today was Norm’s first experience with a turnpike when we drove on the New York Thruway.  Good road and everything but very boring to drive.

July 9 - Niagara Falls Ont

Today was our day to visit Niagara Falls after 40 years.  It’s incredible how much it has changed – it used to be a fairly quiet little town.  Now it’s a major tourist mecca with folks from everywhere on the globe.  We did get to the Falls, however, and that was our goal.

We’ve had a good laugh today as this is where Norm had his first honeymoon with Joanne – he can’t remember where they stayed but I guess it’s understandable since it was 1972.  However, in 1982 he better not forget where he was and who he married then <grin>.