Saturday, August 27, 2016

Friday, August 26, 2016, Lubec, ME
Day 90

Well our next trip to Canada was today as we went to Campobello Island, NB, site of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park. A unique park that is supported equally by the U.S. and Canadian governments. The island is part of New Brunswick but the only road access is from Lubec, Maine, via the FDR Memorial Bridge. Access from Canada is by ferry only. The park has the summer home of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt. Built in 1897, the Roosevelts spent the summers there from 1909 through 1921. August of 1921 is when FDR was stricken with polio and he took his last steps (unassisted steps) in the house. The furnishings are as the Roosevelts left them. FDR only returned 3 times after 1921 with the last in 1939. We had a guided tour of the house and grounds which explained much of the history of the island as well as the home. At 11:00, we had “Tea with Eleanor” which was limited to the first 20 people to enter the park (which of course, when tea is involved, Rosemary will be there early to assure us a spot). The tea and ginger cookies were complimentary. The bottomless cup resulted in 5 cups for Rosemary. At the tea, we learned much about the life of Eleanor from two very good guides who were serving us. Lunch was good fish and chips at the Fireside Restaurant in the park.  The park contains 2800 acres with “carriage drives” and many trails. We drove the carriage trails and stopped at all of the lookouts. Some spectacular scenery and Rosemary spotted a whale. Some fog was rolling in and out while we were there making the weather from cold and dark to bright and sunny often only minutes apart. We left the park and drove to the end of the island to view the Head Harbor Light Station. While there we saw another whale and some porpoises. Back to Lubec to visit the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, the eastern most spot in the U.S. We also stopped in to Monica’s Chocolates for some samples just in case we did not get our fill of chocolate yesterday. A tour of Lubec’s main street ended at the wharf where we watched the seals playing in the water. Another fun filled day.



















Thursday, August 25, 2016, Lubec, ME
Day 89

We departed our home for 3 nights, the St. John Walmart (a fairly quiet place) and headed to St. Andrews about 60 miles away for a very visit to the Kingsbrae Garden. The Garden is 27 acres of themed displays including rose, perennial, wildflower, butterfly, herb, ornamental grass, edible and many others. A beautiful garden and my favorite was the edible in which eating is allowed. The blackberries and partridge berries were ripe and tasty. Next we headed to St. Stephen about a half hour away. St. Stephen is on the St. Croix River which is the boundary with the U.S. St. Stephen is also the chocolate capital of Canada being home to the Ganong chocolate factory since 1873. The Ganong company also has a Chocolate Museum housed in its old factory building downtown. A great museum with about a dozen different chocolate stations in the museum along the way. Piles of the candies for the taking including my favorite, dark chocolate cherries, of which I had at least 4.  Rosemary claimed to have eaten about 3 pieces. Me at least a dozen but who’s counting! The diet will start in Tampa. The museum is connected to a confectionary gift shop of course. This is the only place to buy the hand dipped chocolates which have a thicker chocolate coating than the air dried machine candies. We each sampled one of the hand dipped pieces and could not refuse the chance to take some home. Rosemary got 6 of her favorite, dark chocolate coconut. I got 1 dark coffee and 1 dark key lime. We then drove across the river into Calais, Maine (believe it or not they pronounce it “KAL-is”). We were the only ones going through customs at that time and it went smoothly except we lost our limes and tomatoes. We stopped at the IGA grocery and replaced our limes and tomatoes and picked up a few other items. We drove about an hour and checked into Sunset Point RV Park in Lubec, ME. Eleven weeks and 2 days outside the U.S. is a new record for me. Although we had a great time in Canada, it feels good to be back in the U.S. But can’t wait for our next trip to Canada.











Wednesday, August 24, 2016, St. John, NB
Day 88

We began the day at the reversing rapids just before low tide. It was quite a show with violent rapids coming from the river into the bay. Rocks in between the river and the bay which we saw at slack tide were much taller at low tide. Violent whirlpools were everywhere. Fittingly, no boats were anywhere to be seen. Next we headed to the Fundy Trail, a National Park along 13 miles of the coast of the Bay of Fundy. On the way we passed St. Martins at low tide and stopped at a beach where the water had carved caves into the cliff. After walking on the sea floor and into the caves we continued to the Fundy Trail. The Trail had many scenic sites including a flower pot formation, water falls, beaches and cliffs. Spent the afternoon there and headed back through St. Martins where we stopped to see the caves at high tide. No hiking on the sea floor or into the caves was possible now. Amazing that just a few hours earlier the water was quite a ways out and now there was almost no more beach. Back to St. John and the reversible rapids to view them at high tide. Rapids were now going in the opposite direction than they were at low tide. After a very full day, we retired to the coach for our last night in Canada giving rise to mixed feelings.























Tuesday, August 23, 2016, St. John, NB
Day 87

Began the day at the City Market in Uptown St. John. Lunch at Kim’s Korean followed by 3 flavors of gelato piled high. We walked all over Uptown including the pedway which connects several buildings without going outside. Visited the Jewish Museum and Synagogue serving all of the 150 Jewish residents of St. John. Visited the Carleton Mortello Tower the inside of which is closed for renovations. It had a small museum with info on the War of 1812 which surprisingly did blame the British for starting the war given the apparent reverence for the Loyalists who fled the U.S. after the revolutionary war. We ended the day at the Reversing Rapids at the junction of the St. John River and the Bay of Fundy. With a tidal change of 28 feet, the Bay is higher than the river when the tide is high and at low tide the river is higher. This causes violent rapids going different directions at different times depending on the tides. We watched the slack tide which is when the river and the bay are at equal levels (at mid-tide). This causes the water to be very still, ie., no rapids. We will try to return tomorrow to catch low tide and high tide.









Monday, August 22, 2016, St. John, NB
Day 86

Departed Hopewell Cape and headed west to the Fundy National Park. We walked the Dickson Falls trail which lead us to a creek which had carved a very narrow valley. The sunlight cannot get into the valley much so the valley walls are covered with a green moss. The falls were beautiful and the valley seemed almost surreal. Next we left the coach at the park while we backtracked in the car about 20 minutes to Fundy’s Cape Enrage, a lighthouse on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Fundy with Nova Scotia in the distance. Worth the drive. Back to the park through the town of Alma and we could not avoid a stop at the Alma Lobster Shop. We bought 3 pounds of shelled lobster meat, 2 frozen and 1 fresh. Each pound of meat is the equivalent of 3 pound and a half lobsters. At $35/pound, it was a bargain. Shortly after we left Alma Lobster Shop, we came upon Collins Lobster Shop where we stopped and bought another frozen pound plus 3 shelled lobster tails. I figured Rosemary can’t ever have enough lobster and we have room in the freezer. Back to the coach and we continue east to St. John, NB, and pull into Walmart for the night and of course, a lobster dinner without the hassle of the shell.











Sunday, August 21, 2016, Hopewell Cape, NB
Day 85

We departed PEI today, a bright, sunny day which allowed us to see the entire Confederation Bridge and the coast of New Brunswick. The bridge is not so scary when you can see it. After lunch and grocery shopping in Moncton, we arrived at Ponderosa Pines Campground. After a quick dinner, we visited the Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park along the Bay of Fundy and arrived at 6:50 p.m. just before the 7:00 closing time. We had been informed that although the park closes at 7:00, if one parks outside the gate which is locked at 7:00, one can then enter the park as the best viewing at the park is dependent on the tide schedule. We parked outside the gate as did a slew of others. The Bay of Fundy is the location of the largest tidal variations in the world, up to 53 feet. We hiked the half mile trail to the steps. At the top of the steps and looking down, we could hardly believe the sight. People walking on the ocean floor among incredible rock formations caused by the tidal erosion. We hiked the sea floor for over an hour and a half. The return hike to the car was just as it was getting dark. An absolutely incredible spot and a must see.













Saturday, August 20, 2016, Charlotteville, PEI
Day 84

Perhaps the photos reveal that it has been 3 months since my last haircut. At this point, I figured might as well wait until I get home in another month. But Rosemary could stand to look at it no more so the deal was I would get a haircut while she shopped for baby stuff. A deal I could not refuse! The hairdresser started out with the razor and after 3 or 4 swipes I realized I was getting a Marine cut but she didn’t even ask me which side I wanted the part on. I stopped her and then she got out the scissors and insisted it would be alright. Worst haircut in my life! I had to finish the job at the coach. Well, at least it will grow back eventually. And another thing, the haircut did not last as long as the baby shopping! After shopping, I was rewarded with a trip to the Deep Roots Distillery. The proprietor, Mike, was very friendly and told us this was a hobby after he retired from IT. We sampled 4 different spirits including a “moon shine” rum which had a bit of a bite. We did make a purchase of a maple liqueur which we both thought was quite good (we seem to be suckers for maple). A casual walk downtown and dinner at Buono Mangia, a small Italian restaurant. Rosemary had chicken parm and I had the lasagna, both very good. After dinner we saw “Anne of Green Gables - The Musical” at the Confederation Centre. Now in its 52nd year, it holds the Guinness Record for longest running musical. The show was fantastic, lots of singing and acrobatic dancing. A definite must see!

Friday, August 19, 2016, Charlotteville, PEI
Day 83

Checked into the Cornwall KOA, ten minutes from Charlottetown, for a 2 day stay. In Charlottetown, first stop was to Cows Creamery for a factory tour and an ice cream cone, coffee flavor. It claims to be the world’s best but I don’t buy that claim. Good, but not the best. Next we visited the Province House which unfortunately is closed for a 5 year conservation project. But right next door is the Confederation Centre of the Arts which houses a replica of the Confederation Chamber with the original furnishings. The Chamber was the place of the meeting in 1864 of the delegations of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI. Ontario and Quebec were seeking to form a confederation and convinced New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to form the country “Canada”. PEI refused at that time and did not join until 1873 after several budgeting mishaps left it in debt. Interestingly, one of the main arguments to form the confederation was the fear the U.S. would invade and claim it for part of the U.S. This is what they teach in school as Canadian history according to one of the guides we spoke to. I don’t remember any mention in the U.S. of the U.S. being interested in annexing Canada. I told the guide that if PEI was part of the U.S., there would be several bridges to the island, each with six lanes plus breakdown lanes! We hiked all over the city and made a stop at the Lieutenant Governor’s residence which was closed but the gardens were open. Dinner at Pho Hung Vietnamese was very good.







Thursday, August 18, 2016, Cavendish, PEI
Day 82

First stop was to the Green Gables Heritage Place, a National Park. The park includes the Green Gables House and farm that was the inspiration for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s story “Anne of Green Gables”. Montgomery was an native of PEI and lived nearby. The Green Gables house belonged to cousins of hers. The house is decorated as described in her book, written in 1905 but not published until 1908. She tried to get it published in 1905 but found nothing but rejections. In 1908, she tried a publisher in Boston and it was accepted. The book became an immediate success and has sold over 50 million copies in dozens of languages. She wrote over 20 books, most of them about her character, Anne Shirley. We hiked the “Haunted Woods Trail” at the park and then ran into Anne Shirley with her red hair and freckles. It is hard to underestimate the pride and impact that Anne of Green Gables has brought to PEI. Next we visited the Prince Edward Island National Park, a long, thin coastal park. The park has many beaches and each was jammed pack with swimmers as the weather was in the 70's and PEI claims the warmest waters north of North Carolina. But the best feature of the park was the red sandstone rocks and cliffs. After climbing many of rock, we ended the day at Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Suppers. Rosemary had a two pounder and I a one pounder so as to save room for the all you can eat 60 foot long salad bar including steamed PEI mussels. The mussels were as good as advertised. After stuffing myself, I swore off any more buffets.











Wednesday, August 17, 2016, Cavendish, PEI
Day 81

Morning thunder showers canceled our planned hike to 2 waterfalls. We departed Truro about mid-day and headed to our sixth and final new Province on this trip, Prince Edward Island. Rain let up but when we started going over the Confederation Bridge (the one and only bridge to PEI from New Brunswick with a length of 8 miles - built in 1997; it has only 2 lanes and no breakdown lane) it was quite foggy. The coach indicated that the first 4 miles was uphill. With the fog, I could see the white caps below but I could only see a few hundred feet of the bridge in front of us. As the white caps seemed to get farther and farther away down below, it appeared as though we were driving to heaven! When we reached the island, the fog seemed to clear but it was still overcast. We checked into the Marco Polo Land Campground in Cavendish, PEI.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, Truro, NS
Day 80

About an hour drive to Pictou, NS. Visited the Hector Heritage Quay. This is a museum about the first Scottish immigrants to arrive in Nova Scotia. The ship that brought them was the Hector. The museum was well done giving the history of the defeat of the Scottish Highlanders by England in 1745 and thereafter, the poverty and starvation of the Highlanders due to their treatment by the English. Thus, in 1773, the first of the Scots decided to leave and follow an advertised promise of cheap land and provisions. 189 men, women and children were supposed to depart on the ship the “Hector” in May but delays resulted in a July 8 departure. Bad weather caused the trip to take much longer than planned. Rations were short and diseases caused many to die at sea, mostly the children. The ship finally arrived September 15, too late to plant a crop before winter. The promised starting shelters and provisions were non-existent. The tears of joy of landing soon turned to tears of despair. The Highlanders managed to survive the winter and the rest is history! The museum also includes a full size replica of the Hector. We went below deck in the ship’s hold to see what the 189 people had to live in for 12 weeks. It was cramped to say the least. Nothing I want to endure for even a day (note rat above my shoulder in photo). Next we visited the Northumberland Fisheries Museum. A small museum but one that displays live rare lobsters. They had blue lobsters (about one in two million). They had yellow lobsters (one in 30 million), yellow polka-dot lobsters, and an albino lobster (about one in 100 million). They even had a lobster whose right claw was actually three working claws on one arm. Not sure the photos do them justice but fascinating. A trip to Mrs. MacGregor’s Shortbread where we purchase a package of maple shortbread and a package of single malt (Glenora) shortbread. Yum! One last stop at Uncle Leo’s Brewery. A small brewery that makes only 4 different beers. Unfortunately, only 2 beers available, a wheat and an IPA. I sampled them but really disappointed that their smokey porter was not available. An hour drive to Truro, NS, and joined 7 other rv’s at Walmart.














Monday, August 15, 2016, Antigonish, NS
Day 79

The weather was still iffy but we decide to go to Louisbourg anyway. We arrived at the Fortress of Louisbourg about 11:00, just in time for the cannon firing. The weather improved and we soon folded the umbrellas. The Fortress was built by the French to protect the harbor and enclosed the entire city. The British defeated the French in 1745 and took control. A treaty gave the Fortress back to the French in 1748. In 1758, the British again defeated the French and this time destroyed the Fortress to avoid any possible return to the French. Today it is a replica of 1/4 of the structures on 1/5 of the land area of the original. All of the buildings were rebuilt on their original sites using the original plans–quite an undertaking.  There are some ruins that are visible and some have been lost to the sea. The recreated Fortress has period costumed people throughout the town going about their business as in the 1700's (think Williamsburg, Virginia). Our period lunch was a 1700's meal of pea soup, haddock and vegetables - carrots and turnips. This was a spoons only meal as forks and knives were too expensive at that time. The sun did come out and it was an enjoyable day. We then headed westward and spent the night in the Antigonish Walmart joining 8 other rv’s.