Eerie, PA

We are currently taking a morning break at a Starbucks (where else?) in Eerie, PA.

Late yesterday afternoon Paula (Margaret) and I visited with my dad (Dusty) in Buffalo, NY.
It was a short but good visit.

I think that we might be back in Brevard, NC sometime this week and I will be closing this chapter of my blogg until our next travel adventures. However I plan on posting an occasional kayak, fishing or hiking adventure.

Bangor, Maine

After traveling 11 hours from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia we arrived in Bangor, ME.

This is the first leg of our trip to Buffalo, NY where we will be visiting "Dusty" my dad.

Fortress of Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, NS

Instead of repeating the Cabot Trail today I decided that we would visit the Fortress of Louisbourg.

It is the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortified town in North America. The original fortress, constructed mainly between 1720 and 1740, was one of the most extensive (and expensive) European fortifications constructed.

Because of its size and how it was laid out, photographing the grounds and buildings that make up this fortress was easy.

Our plans have changed a bit and instead of going onto Deep River, Ontario (as we originally planned) we will be traveling to Buffalo, NY to visit with my dad.

Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island, NS

We started out from our campground this morning a little after 8 AM to travel the Cabot Trail here on Cape Breton Island. The weather was extremely overcast and I was not sure it would be a good photo day. However, we did get a few descent photos and I thought Paula's (Margaret) shots were the best.

It is truly a beautiful drive winding along the Cape Breton shoreline and through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. There are many spots to pull off to enjoy the views and to gain access to the many hiking trails.

Tomorrow we will be taking a second look at the western side of the Cabot Trail.

Cape Breton Island, NS

We are on Cape Breton Island and have been enjoying the day visiting the village of Baddeck.

Baddeck is the beginning and end of the famous Cabot Trail, a world famous scenic drive noted for its spectacular vistas of rolling terrain and seascapes. It also has the summer home of Alexander Graham Bell which overlooks the Baddeck Bay.

For some history about Baddeck see the following website:
http://baddeck.com/history_L.html

Tomorrow we will be traveling up the west side of Cape Breton Island.

Halifax II, NS

It was a relaxing day today and the weather was mostly sunny with just a few clouds in the distance.

Tomorrow we will be traveling to Cape Breton, NS and will be staying for about 3 days before traveling to the province of Ontario.

For some info about Cape Breton see the following website:
http://capebretonisland.com/

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

Peggy's Cove is in the South Shore region of Nova Scotia and considered to be one of the most
visited and photographed small fishing villages in all of Canada.

While we were visiting Peggy's Cove one of the locals had told us that a cruise ship
had come into Halifax, NS and several tour buses would be coming to the cove. It was like ants
when they came. The lighthouse was covered with folks and it was impossible to get a good photograph.

Tomorrow we will probably just take a break and stay close to the RV.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Cloudy skies and some fog was over Halifax, NS today.

Despite the weather we visited the Halifax Citadel, Halifax Harbour and the Public Gardens.

The Citadel is located on an imposing elevation overlooking the town of Halifax and harbour. Completed in 1856, it is the fourth in a series of forts since 1749 to occupy the hill.

Officially opened in 1867 the Halifax Public Gardens are an example of a formal Victorian public garden surviving intact and relatively unspoiled in the heart of a modern city. The gardens were designated as a National Historic Site in 1984.

Tomorrow we will be visiting Peggy's Cove.

In Nova Scotia

It rained heavily last night and all through today while driving from P.E.I. to Nova Scotia (NS).

Tonight's campground is located near the village of Truro, NS.

Tomorrow we are going to Halifax, NS and hopefully the weather will clear.

Cavendish and Green Gables, P.E.I.

It was a short 55 minute drive from Cornwall to Cavendish, P.E.I. today.

Cavendish is near the birthplace of Lucy Maud Montgomery a Canadian author, best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. We visited the site of her cousin's farm known as Green Gables which was the inspiration for her books.

Tomorrow we will be traveling to Nova Scotia.

North Cape Coastal Drive, P.E.I.

Today we drove the North Cape Coastal Drive of P.E.I. and enjoyed the it very much.

P.E.I. has over 800 km of sandy shoreline that is filled with red cliffs and pink beaches. But why does P.E.I. have red sand instead of the usual white or brown? Prince Edward Island was formed a long time ago on sedimentary bedrock of soft, red sandstone, which produces rich, red soil. The soil is red because it has a lot of rust in it.

At the northern most tip of P.E.I. is the North Cape Wind Farm which has windmills generating an expected 16.6 million kilowatt-hours per year of electrical power.

Tomorrow we will be driving to Cavendish, P.E.I.

Points East Coastal Drive P.E.I.

It has been great to be here on Prince Edward Island (PEI) and today we enjoyed driving the Points East Coastal Drive.

There are few towns of any size in this mostly rural place. Potatoes and grain are the two crops we've seen everywhere, and the fields go right down to the water. The cliffs at water's edge are red, so the color here is beautiful. Lots of wildflowers are on the sides of the roads, and the houses, usually modest in size, are surrounded by huge manicured lawns with nice flower gardens.

Tomorrow we are driving the North Cape Coastal Drive.

Just a note to let you all know that our internet and phone communication has been very much reduced and because of that issue I am only able to upload a image or two if any at all. Hopefully it will get better when we return to the Canadian mainland.

Cape Jourimain, NB and Prince Edward Island

Our drive today took us to Prince Edward island. First we had to cross the 8 mile long Confederation Bridge which joins Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

There are 5 touring regions on the island and they are Charlotte Town, Points East Coastal Drive, Red Sands Shore Drive, North Cape Coastal Drive and Green Gables Shore. Today we visited Charlottetown for a short time and tomorrow we plan to take the Points East Coastal Drive.

Because of the island's very irregular shape I'm not sure how long these regional drives will take but we hope to sample as much of the islands offerings as possible.

Hopewell Rocks II

I visited Hopewell Rocks again this morning and walked along the red colored beach during low tide. The photos above are from this morning.

Prince Edward Island is our destination tomorrow. Hopefully we will have better internet capability.

Fundy National Park, Alma and Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick

It rained pretty heavy last night while we were at our last campground near Fredericton, NB and remained very overcast and foggy during the earlier hours of our travel today.

This weather pretty much spoiled our plans for visiting Fundy National Park. However, we did drive through the park and I snapped two images of Bennett Lake. For information about the park see the website at: http://www.greatcanadianparks.com/nbrunswick/fundynp/index.htm

After leaving the park the weather started to clear some as we entered the village of Alma. Originally a village dedicated to ship building and lumber export Alma now hosts local fishermen who fish lobster and scallops, and the many tourists who visit each year.

Not to far from Alma is the Hopewell Rocks. The Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpot Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations caused by tidal erosion and due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the rock formations are covered in water twice a day.
To see more about Hopewell Rocks see the website: http://www.thehopewellrocks.ca/English/index.htm

Our campground tonight is a Ponderosa Pines Park. It is located about 1 mile from Hopewell Rocks and we will be visiting the rocks again early tomorrow morning at low tide.

Fredericton, New Brunswick Canada

Today we visited Fredericton. It is the capital of New Brunswick and is considered one of Canada's cultural capitals as well.

Paula (Margaret) and I took a self guided tour of the city. We toured the Historic Garrison and watched a changing of the guard ceremony on Officers Square.

Tomorrow our destination is Fundy National Park of Canada.

Leaving Maine and Arriving New Brunswick

We crossed the border into New Brunswick, Canada at Houlton, ME early this afternoon.

The trip from Bar (Bah) Harbor (Hahbah) was via Rt 1a into Bangor, ME then I-95 into Canada. The drive along this stretch of I-95 is quite scenic. The only photo that I shot today was that of Mount Katahdin located in Baxter State Park.

The northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is Baxter Peak on Katahdin, Maine’s highest mountain.

Our campground for tonight is Woolastook Park just outside New Brunswick's capital city Fredericton.

Tomorrow we plan on visiting Frederickton hopefully to see the changing of the guard at Officer's Square in the historic Garrison District. After that we will be traveling to the city of Sussex.

Acadia NP Coastline and North Bubble Mount

Today's Island Explorer shuttle took us along the coastline of Acadia NP. Large pink granite slabs of rock and boulders line the coast of Acadia NP and the ocean today was quite gentle and very clear.

Sand Beach was a stop along our route where swimmers enjoy the cool refreshing waters of the Atlantic. We, instead, elected to take a walk along the coastal trail to another spot called Thunder Hole. Thunder Hole is a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, where the waves roll into. At the end of this inlet, down low, is a small cavern where, when the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like a clap of distant thunder.

From Thunder Hole we boarded another shuttle to the North Bubble Mount parking lot where I got off to take a short hike to the summit of North Bubble. Paula (Margaret) remained on the shuttle and returned to our campground.

It was a good hike to the summit of North Bubble and the views were wonderful. This summit overlooks Jordan Pond and Eagle Lake.

Tomorrow we will be traveling into New Brunswick, Canada. Hopefully we will continue to have internet capability so I can keep up the blogg.

Jordan Pond, Acadia NP Maine

After our breakfast and necessary cups of coffee we boarded one of the free Island Explorer shuttles to Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park. At one end of Jordan Pond is the Jordan Pond House/Restaurant which serves lunch, tea and dinner. They say that it is best known for its popovers and Paula (Margaret) and I would agree. They are deee...licious.

For a little more about the Jordan Pond House see the following websites:
http://www.thejordanpondhouse.com/
http://www.portocallme.com/articles_jordanhouse.htm

Jordan Pond's water is so clean that submerged granite boulders near the shore are clearly visible. Because the 150-foot deep reservoir is a source of drinking water for nearby Bar Harbor, swimming is prohibited, Kayaking and canoeing, however, are allowed.

We also hiked the Jordan Pond Shore Trail which is 3.3 miles in length and circumvents the pond. It is an easy to moderate trail depending on which side you start from. Both of us enjoyed the walk very much.

Today was a great day.

Bar (Bah) Harbor, ME

It was raining when we left Balsam Cove Campground this morning but quit before arriving on the beautiful Mount Desert Island, ME. After checking into the Hadley Point Campground we rode one of the free Island Explorer buses into Bar (Bah) Harbor, ME.

Like so many other tourist destinations, Bar (Bah) Harbor has many nice shops, restaurants, night spots and other amenities that cater to the traveler. The thing we like best about the town is its proximity to Acadia National Park.

As I mentioned above we traveled by one of the Island Explorer buses into Bar (Bah) Harbor). These buses are free and LL Bean provides a great deal of the funding for this excellent service. They also travel into the park and you can hop on and off at a number of locations within the park. So that is exactly what we plan on doing over the next couple of days. Tomorrow we will be visiting Jordan Pond.

For information about Mount Desert Island see: http://www.acadiamagic.com/MountDesert.html

For information about early Bar (Bah) Harbor history see: http://www.barharborhistorical.org/bhhistory.html

For information about Acadia National Park see: http://www.acadia.national-park.com/

Balsam Cove Campground on Toddy Pond

Today in Bangor, ME we watched the movie 'Salt' starring Angelina Jolie. It is a contemporary espionage thriller about a CIA agent who is accused of being a Russian spy and becomes a federal fugitive. I expect a sequel to this one.

After returning to the campground we took a walk along the pond and around the campground. Right now we are both checking our e-mails and watching a little TV in the RV.

The next 3 days we will be in Bar (Bah) Harbor, ME.

Camden, Maine

We started the day off with a great breakfast at The Boynton McKay Food Company in Camden, ME.

Camden is one of our favorite spots in Maine and we always make a point to stop here. The harbor is filled with many fishing vessels and numerous yachts. Boat building is a big part of Camden's economy as well as commercial fishing, tourism and the its creative economy in the arts and crafts.

After leaving Camden we took a coffee break in the village of Belfast, ME. It rained while in Belfast and the coolness of the rain was welcomed.

We are staying at Balsam Cove Campground tonight. It borders a Toddy Pond which is an elongated body of water app. 8 miles in length.

Daramiscotta-New Harbor-Pemaquid Lighthouse-Blueberries

Our travels today took us through Daramiscotta, New Harbor and Pemaquid Point Lighthouse as well as other villages.

One of today's highlights was eating lunch at Moody's Diner in Waldoboro, ME. We had some of the best blueberry pancakes ever with real wild Maine blueberries and for desert, of course, blueberry pie. If you are ever in Maine you have got to stop by. The link to Moody's: http://www.moodysdiner.com/

Maine's coastline is, by far, a photographers dream with its many harbors, inlets, lighthouses and coastal villages.

Tomorrow we will be visiting Camden, Belfast and Bucksport, ME.

Wiscasset & Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Paula (Margaret) and I visited the villages of Wiscasset & Boothbay Harbor, ME today.

In Wiscasset we ate lobster rolls at Red's and each one contains all the meat from a one-pound lobster, and then some. You can get them served with melted butter (or mayo) on the side. We also visited a number of little village shops that were very nice.

After leaving Wiscasset we traveled just a few miles up the road to the seaside village of Boothbay Harbor.
It was not easy finding a parking spot for the RV but we did finally end up parking at a local bakery that was owned and operated by Vietnamese. They were very, very nice and after purchasing 2 cups of coffee and a very large apple fritter from them they told us we could park at their bakery all day if we wanted to.

We walked around Boothbay Harbor for about 2 hours and enjoyed visiting the many art/craft galleries and other shops. It is extremely picturesque and great for shooting photos. The sky was overcast but we got a few decent shots.

Tomorrow we will continue our travels to "who knows ?"

Freeport, Maine Pt II

Today we shopped at LL Bean's and other stores in Freeport, ME.

Sure there were other things to do while on vacation but it is LL Bean after all. There is the LL Bean main retail store which is surrounded by the LL Bean outlet store, LL Bean Bike, Boat and Ski store, LL Bean Home store and the LL Bean Fishing and Hunting store. All temptations to spend your hard earned dollars.

Tomorrow we will be traveling to the village of Boothbay Harbor, ME.

Freeport, Maine

We left Quechee, VT today and drove to Concord, NH for a movie. The movie we watched was Inception. It was what I expected and that is good enough.

After leaving Concord, NH we traveled along US 202 into Maine. This route passes through numerous towns and along side many small beautiful lakes and ponds. Plenty of cars and trucks had their roof racks full of kayaks and canoes.

We arrived in Freeport, ME about 6 PM and plan on visiting LL Bean's main store after breakfast in the morning.

Quechee, VT Pt. II

We went into Hanover, NH for breakfast at Lou's Restaurant and it was delicious. There was a Street Fest going on during our visit with lots of street vendors, food and music.

Today's weather was very warm with temps in the high 80s to lower 90s and expected to remain so the rest of the weekend.

Tomorrow we plan on traveling to Maine probably stopping just outside of Portland, ME for the night.
My guess is that we will probably be spending about a week in Maine.

Quechee, VT

Today we traveled from Lake George, NY to Quechee, VT. We will be spending two nights here before traveling further.

Quechee is very close to the NH state line and just a few miles from Dartmouth College and Hanover. There are lots of things to see in this area but we have been here several times before and probably will use it just for a rest stop.

We did go to the King Arthur Flour Company in Norwich, VT today before we settled into our camp site. Tomorrow we will be eating breakfast at Hanover's well known Lou's Restaurant which is famous for it's breakfast and baked goods. Lou's usually has a waiting line and we expect one tomorrow morning.

Lake George, New York Pt II

Paula (Margaret) was feeling a little better this morning so we took a trolley from our campground to the village of Lake George.

While there we visited a local coffee shop for an iced coffee drink. The coffee shop was once a bank and named "The Bank Cafe". After that we walked for awhile and I snapped a few photos of the village.

We returned to our campground early to relax and have lunch.

Lake George, New York

We traveled from Dalton, Pennsylvania to Lake George, New York today. Our plan is to stay here for two days before traveling to Vermont.

Lake George is located in the foothills of the Adirondacks and is approximately 32 miles long and is nearly 3 miles wide. Much of the shoreline is unsettled, and through federal and state conservation efforts, will remain so. We have been here several times before and it is quite a beautiful area.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to shoot some photos of the surrounding area or at least the village of Lake George.

Paula (Margaret) still has some back pain but not as much as yesterday.

Traveling through Pennsylvania

Today we left Ashburn, VA and traveled along highway 15 through Maryland farm country and southern Pennsylvania until we reached interstate 81 in Harrisburg. Took a break in Harrisburg and I tried my luck at the PA lottery. First time doing this but I actually won ! Doubled my money on a $1.00 ticket and won $2.00.
Took my winnings and fled the revenuers !

We are now in the countryside just outside Dalton, PA. The sign says Welcome to Dalton "A Friendly Place to Live". Dalton is a Safe, Quiet, Family oriented place to live yet only minutes away from everything. I think Paula (Margaret) would have worded it "only minutes from nothing".

Paula (Margaret) must have strained her back either yesterday or this morning because she is in real pain right now. Hopefully she will get a good nights sleep and feel better in the morning.

Talk to you later tomorrow.

Visiting Jennifer

Today we are visiting with our wonderful daughter-in-law Jennifer.
Paula (Margaret) had finished the curtains for the nursery and we got them hung today. After that we had a great dinner with Jenn and a nice talk.
Jenn will be working tomorrow and we will be heading further north. There is no planned destination.

Walnut Hills KOA

After a great breakfast at Panera Bread we started out on the first day of our vacation. Our travel day was a short 345 miles to our Walnut Hills KOA destination.

We arrived at Walnut Hills in the late afternoon and the weather here is a warm 89 degrees with clear skies. Paula (Margaret) is preparing dinner at this time and I have just enough time to send this travel update.

Tomorrow we will continue onto to Ashburn, Va to visit with our daughter-in-law Jennifer. Tim is going to be out of town for the next two days so it will just be the three of us.

Heading Out on Vacation Sunday Morning

It is Friday evening and we are finally getting the last of our things ready to put into our RV.

Sunday morning we will be traveling to Walnut Hills KOA campground near Staunton, Va where we will be spending one night before traveling onto Ashburn, Va.

Tim and Jenn live in Ashburn but, we will not be seeing them because Tim will be at a training conference in Connecticut and Jenn will be working at her job in DC. Our purpose for going there anyway is to hang some curtains that Paula (Margaret) made for our future grandson's nursery.

My First Blog

Just created my first Blog Spot. I will be sharing photos and videos of our trips on this Blog with family and friends.