This morning I reluctantly left the lovely place I had in Barre and headed towards Burlington, Vermont. On the way I had a couple of stops. One I found, the other I didn't, though I tried really hard!
Ben and Jerry's Ice cream has a plant and offices in Waterbury and they have really fun tours. For only 3 bucks you can see the plant in operation, a movie on the origins of Ben and Jerry's and get a sample of the latest flavour they have. Everything is cow themed (natch) and the tour guides are a hoot! There is even a graveyard for the "dead flavours" and they have very funny tombstone epitaphs on each one.
The ice cream we got to sample was "Late Night Snack" which is vanilla icecream with chocolate covered potato chips and peanuts in it. Not what you think... it was AWESOME!
The tour was lots of fun and the whole place is fun to wander around. As the rain was starting I moved it along and saw everything I wanted to.
I wanted to go to the Green Mountain Coffee Roastery and Cafe and from the map it was just down the road from Ben and Jerry's. Even the address I had in the map didn't come up on the nav system. Hmmmm. I drove through Waterbury twice to look for it but not even a sign so I guess it wasn't meant to be.
Off to Route 2 which is the "scenic route" and not the Interstate as per my rule of travelling around.
I arrived in Burlington to find a very busy place. This is a university town and classes are starting on Monday so the frosh and everyone else for that matter is starting to move in. Top that off with the rain and some construction at the main interstection of town and this is what you get but I wasn't in a rush to find anything and was just roving around.
I drove out to the north of the city and found a lovely place to have a lunch/dinner and it was overlooking Mallets Harbor and the rest of the lake. I got out my puzzle and relaxed infront of the lake. Storm clouds gathering a little while later it was time to pack up.
The Ethan Allen Inn is the location of my lodging for the next two nights, the last nights in the States. Honestly I'm ready to come back to Ontario. That is home. I kind of miss home. I'm fine with the nomadic life but it's been quite a while since I've unpacked for real and cooked a meal for myself and not had to get dressed up for breakfast. It's the small things I guess.
The inn is like one of those old "motor motels" with everything on one level. The guest cards in the little vertical slots in the office and the old guy behind the desk. The room is clean enough but is tired and needs some freshening up but there is a nice bench outside to read at and the outdoor pool has some long chairs around it. Pool a little chilly to jump in today so I passed but it was nice to sit around for a bit. I think the toilet is an antique! Really a total reversal from last night's accommodations but then the price is significantly different too. There's a little TV and a fridge so it's not all rustic. There is Wi-Fi and that's okay but I'm still having the problem with my computer kicking me out of the Wi-Fi for no reason, this started in the States. Could be computer but who knows. I'll have to get that checked out later....ho hum.
I'll leave this for now...hopefully I'll be able to upload some pictures in the future.
Cheers all
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wednesday Aug 24-Vermont
Hi all
No pictures today as it was a driving day and there wasn't much to take pictures of as I was really trying to hold the good old Equinox on the winding roads of New Hampshire then Vermont.
The roads in this state seem to be so much narrower than the others I've been in and it's even more challenging to drive around. Or I'm tired of driving, who knows. Today I knew my destination but I didn't really know how to get there. Maps were a great help but didn't help in finding a lunch spot so the good old Koolatron had lunch packed in it and I snacked at a lookout spot that wasn't much to look out at. Anyway I made it to my destination, Montpelier.
The address I had for the Comfort Inn was "exit 7 I 89" Hmmm I guess I'll just go to that exit, even though I had to go to an Interstate and I had vowed that I wouldn't be doing that. Alas. Found it!
The hotel is one of those suites ones and I have a 1 bedroom apartment! Little kitchenette (no stove but a microwave so I can cook my own dinner!) and get this.... fresh cookies and milk available at 3 pm on! Oh yeah baby! AND there are phones in the lobby that I can phone Canada for free! Yahoo! A call to The Man might be in order.
This place doesn't have that many amenities (like a pool, that I haven't been using anyway) but the advertised Vermont maple syrup with waffles in the morning is enticing.
I seemed to be tired of driving today or maybe it was the stress of finding this place in the maze of Montpelier and Barre and what ever other towns have been annexed in to the area or maybe it was the speed that everyone was travelling and it was much more hectic. Don't know but I'm here in a lovely suite and the grocery store trip was fun and now it's time to plan tomorrow.
I am heading to Burlington which is about 50 miles away but on the way are two tours I want to do. Ben and Jerry's Ice cream and Green Mountain roastery. Both about 20 miles from here. That will take up most of the day I think.
The Green mountains are such because they have trees on them and the White mountains, for most of the year have snow on them. Ha. That makes sense. This is a college town too and there are lots of students here already. I made a swing of the main drag in Montpelier and it was jammed with all sorts of folks. Shopped out I kept on my way today and after settling in to the hotel did some tidying up of some papers, maps and try and make headway through the things in the truck. I'm glad I have a big vehicle!
So, that's it for this post.
I'm noticing that I'm lacking in Canadian news, there isn't any down here.
I'm lacking in vegetables, that's why I bought salad stuff for dinner (I even have plates and cutlery supplied! Yeeee)
This place is a great place and I'm loving my "home" for the night!
Cheers all.
No pictures today as it was a driving day and there wasn't much to take pictures of as I was really trying to hold the good old Equinox on the winding roads of New Hampshire then Vermont.
The roads in this state seem to be so much narrower than the others I've been in and it's even more challenging to drive around. Or I'm tired of driving, who knows. Today I knew my destination but I didn't really know how to get there. Maps were a great help but didn't help in finding a lunch spot so the good old Koolatron had lunch packed in it and I snacked at a lookout spot that wasn't much to look out at. Anyway I made it to my destination, Montpelier.
The address I had for the Comfort Inn was "exit 7 I 89" Hmmm I guess I'll just go to that exit, even though I had to go to an Interstate and I had vowed that I wouldn't be doing that. Alas. Found it!
The hotel is one of those suites ones and I have a 1 bedroom apartment! Little kitchenette (no stove but a microwave so I can cook my own dinner!) and get this.... fresh cookies and milk available at 3 pm on! Oh yeah baby! AND there are phones in the lobby that I can phone Canada for free! Yahoo! A call to The Man might be in order.
This place doesn't have that many amenities (like a pool, that I haven't been using anyway) but the advertised Vermont maple syrup with waffles in the morning is enticing.
I seemed to be tired of driving today or maybe it was the stress of finding this place in the maze of Montpelier and Barre and what ever other towns have been annexed in to the area or maybe it was the speed that everyone was travelling and it was much more hectic. Don't know but I'm here in a lovely suite and the grocery store trip was fun and now it's time to plan tomorrow.
I am heading to Burlington which is about 50 miles away but on the way are two tours I want to do. Ben and Jerry's Ice cream and Green Mountain roastery. Both about 20 miles from here. That will take up most of the day I think.
The Green mountains are such because they have trees on them and the White mountains, for most of the year have snow on them. Ha. That makes sense. This is a college town too and there are lots of students here already. I made a swing of the main drag in Montpelier and it was jammed with all sorts of folks. Shopped out I kept on my way today and after settling in to the hotel did some tidying up of some papers, maps and try and make headway through the things in the truck. I'm glad I have a big vehicle!
So, that's it for this post.
I'm noticing that I'm lacking in Canadian news, there isn't any down here.
I'm lacking in vegetables, that's why I bought salad stuff for dinner (I even have plates and cutlery supplied! Yeeee)
This place is a great place and I'm loving my "home" for the night!
Cheers all.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Mount Washington
Today I experienced the awe and wonder of the White Mountains and the true beauty and power of nature at it's best.
I travelled up the historical Mt. Washington Cog Railway to the summit of Mount Washington. This is a trip never to be missed. I highly recommend it.
There is the drive up Mt. Washington (where you get a sticker to put on the back of your car to say that your car climbed it) but being a solo traveller and the summit was in the clouds I decided early on to spend a little more (oh yeah, it costs you $25 to drive up) and take the century old cog railway (which was $62 and worth every penny).
What an experience!!
Dressed for the summit, where I knew it would be much colder than the base, I was ready to go exploring.
Wearing shores AND socks, pants, heavy sweater, wind jacket and hat I was prepared for the -4 C wind chill. I'm so glad I had so much on when I reached the summit. There was a 50 mile per hour wind, wind chill and the whole summit was shrouded in fog (cloud??) for the most part but for a few minutes it cleared. What a view! It was truly breathtaking (the temperature helped that too).
Some people didn't think and were wearing really inappropriate clothing for up there and were really feeling it.
I loved every second I was there.
The 50 minute ride up the mountain was at one point on a 35% grade. It was fun to try and stand up during that part of the ride. As I look at my pictures I see that they are all at an angle. I thought I was sitting straight when I took them but the horizon is all askew in all of them.
Can you believe this?? Above the clouds (actually in them) above the trees, above everything. The mountains in the distance are the Presidential ridge, I believe it's Jefferson, Adams and.....I think my brain froze when I was up there but what an outstanding view.
After an hour at the summit we were transported down the mountain by the cog railway again and it was so strange to come back "down" to the trees and the warmer temperatures.
We started at 2700 feet and the summit is 6299 feet.
It was nearly 4 pm when we completed our journey and I headed off to the Red Parka Pub in the heart of ski country. I had seen it on the way to the cog railway and decided that looked like fun. In side the walls are covered in licence plates, the ceilings and posts with skis and poles and the fence outside is made solely of skis. What a fantastic idea!!!
Little league ball game on the TV (Canada was playing Japan in elimination round) and the food awesome. What a great place! Tucked away in the middle of New Hampshire. Fun!
(oh yeah, Canada lost but played a good game....)
I've had it all in this trip. Sea level and playing in the ocean and now playing on the highest peak in the east. Really something!
The rocks at the ocean were so smooth they felt like velvet and the rocks at the summit of Mt. Washington are rough, jagged and very sharp to the touch.
I've been in the peacefull waters of an inland lake of New Brunswick and the roaring shores of Cape Breton and the gale force winds of the mountain summit.
This has been a great experience. Truly a once in a lifetime thing to do.
New Hampshire has been a fantastic change to everything I've been seeing...
Off to Vermont tomorrow.....
I travelled up the historical Mt. Washington Cog Railway to the summit of Mount Washington. This is a trip never to be missed. I highly recommend it.
There is the drive up Mt. Washington (where you get a sticker to put on the back of your car to say that your car climbed it) but being a solo traveller and the summit was in the clouds I decided early on to spend a little more (oh yeah, it costs you $25 to drive up) and take the century old cog railway (which was $62 and worth every penny).
What an experience!!
Dressed for the summit, where I knew it would be much colder than the base, I was ready to go exploring.
Wearing shores AND socks, pants, heavy sweater, wind jacket and hat I was prepared for the -4 C wind chill. I'm so glad I had so much on when I reached the summit. There was a 50 mile per hour wind, wind chill and the whole summit was shrouded in fog (cloud??) for the most part but for a few minutes it cleared. What a view! It was truly breathtaking (the temperature helped that too).
Some people didn't think and were wearing really inappropriate clothing for up there and were really feeling it.
I loved every second I was there.
The 50 minute ride up the mountain was at one point on a 35% grade. It was fun to try and stand up during that part of the ride. As I look at my pictures I see that they are all at an angle. I thought I was sitting straight when I took them but the horizon is all askew in all of them.
I'm sitting on the summit, the rails and cog of the railway behind me, the edge of the cloud is above me to the left. The wind was just howling!!!
The cloud is just coming over the summit and the valley below is showing up. I am facing south east towards North Conway where I'm staying. How cool is this????
After an hour at the summit we were transported down the mountain by the cog railway again and it was so strange to come back "down" to the trees and the warmer temperatures.
We started at 2700 feet and the summit is 6299 feet.
It was nearly 4 pm when we completed our journey and I headed off to the Red Parka Pub in the heart of ski country. I had seen it on the way to the cog railway and decided that looked like fun. In side the walls are covered in licence plates, the ceilings and posts with skis and poles and the fence outside is made solely of skis. What a fantastic idea!!!
Little league ball game on the TV (Canada was playing Japan in elimination round) and the food awesome. What a great place! Tucked away in the middle of New Hampshire. Fun!
(oh yeah, Canada lost but played a good game....)
I've had it all in this trip. Sea level and playing in the ocean and now playing on the highest peak in the east. Really something!
The rocks at the ocean were so smooth they felt like velvet and the rocks at the summit of Mt. Washington are rough, jagged and very sharp to the touch.
I've been in the peacefull waters of an inland lake of New Brunswick and the roaring shores of Cape Breton and the gale force winds of the mountain summit.
This has been a great experience. Truly a once in a lifetime thing to do.
New Hampshire has been a fantastic change to everything I've been seeing...
Off to Vermont tomorrow.....
Monday, August 22, 2011
Monday is shopping day in New Hampshire
Hey there campers.
I'm in outlet store heaven here in North Conway and I think every mother and family is here with their kids going back to school shopping.
It's insane out here!
There was a line up at Applebee's at lunch hour (I went in right at noon hour) when I left and everyone was talking about their strategy for the next purchases.
As I glance out my window right now I see the two mini putt courses are JAMMED! It's 5:30 pm. Shouldn't these folks be going home...
Hmmm
By the look of the licence plates in the parking lot they all have a long drive home.
So, feet tired (I walked the 2 mile strip up and back, back with a load of stuff!) and Little League World Series on the tube I'm happily typing away and listening to the waterfall from the miniputt (yeah, they do shut it off at night, 10 pm to be precise) and the "aaaalllll rriiiggghhhttttt" when someone gets a hole in one on what ever challenging hole their trying.
This is a very comfy place to stay and in my wanderings it looks like just about anywhere on the White Mountain highway is just fine.
One thing I've noticed here is the clean air. Really, it smells clean. I guess I've been near the ocean for 4 of the last 5 weeks and the smell is destinctive. Briney I guess, which makes sense but this is so clean! It's supposed to go down to 40 F tonight "in the valley" which is where we are. The Mount Washington Valley is this whole area and there are a few ski resorts and lots of shopping and restaurants. The winter is equally as busy I'm told.
So much fun in the L.L. Bean outlet and a couple of other stores but I just couldn't bring myself to get to the Corningware store (across the road actually) and I'll do that tomorrow. Sales everywhere but I maxed out in L.L. Bean with some nice shirts and got me an L.L. Bean back pack. I've always wanted one of those. My trusty red one is getting a little tired and this will be good to travel with too. It was on sale. Hey, come to think of it, everything I got today was on sale. Nice.
Tomorrow I'll head to Mt. Washington and might take the cog railway to the summit. Looks like a nice day but it'll be chilly up there. Might actually have to put socks on, and maybe pants! Horrors! I get to wear my new Bar Harbor sweatshirt (with the lobster pattern on the inside) Yay!
Unfortunately due to some technical problems with the Wi-Fi here I have been unable to post the 1 picture I wanted to show you, really only of trees and mountains but technology is always a challenge!
Later!
I'm in outlet store heaven here in North Conway and I think every mother and family is here with their kids going back to school shopping.
It's insane out here!
There was a line up at Applebee's at lunch hour (I went in right at noon hour) when I left and everyone was talking about their strategy for the next purchases.
As I glance out my window right now I see the two mini putt courses are JAMMED! It's 5:30 pm. Shouldn't these folks be going home...
Hmmm
By the look of the licence plates in the parking lot they all have a long drive home.
So, feet tired (I walked the 2 mile strip up and back, back with a load of stuff!) and Little League World Series on the tube I'm happily typing away and listening to the waterfall from the miniputt (yeah, they do shut it off at night, 10 pm to be precise) and the "aaaalllll rriiiggghhhttttt" when someone gets a hole in one on what ever challenging hole their trying.
This is a very comfy place to stay and in my wanderings it looks like just about anywhere on the White Mountain highway is just fine.
One thing I've noticed here is the clean air. Really, it smells clean. I guess I've been near the ocean for 4 of the last 5 weeks and the smell is destinctive. Briney I guess, which makes sense but this is so clean! It's supposed to go down to 40 F tonight "in the valley" which is where we are. The Mount Washington Valley is this whole area and there are a few ski resorts and lots of shopping and restaurants. The winter is equally as busy I'm told.
So much fun in the L.L. Bean outlet and a couple of other stores but I just couldn't bring myself to get to the Corningware store (across the road actually) and I'll do that tomorrow. Sales everywhere but I maxed out in L.L. Bean with some nice shirts and got me an L.L. Bean back pack. I've always wanted one of those. My trusty red one is getting a little tired and this will be good to travel with too. It was on sale. Hey, come to think of it, everything I got today was on sale. Nice.
Tomorrow I'll head to Mt. Washington and might take the cog railway to the summit. Looks like a nice day but it'll be chilly up there. Might actually have to put socks on, and maybe pants! Horrors! I get to wear my new Bar Harbor sweatshirt (with the lobster pattern on the inside) Yay!
Unfortunately due to some technical problems with the Wi-Fi here I have been unable to post the 1 picture I wanted to show you, really only of trees and mountains but technology is always a challenge!
Later!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sunday Aug 21-Bye Bye Ocean, Hello Mountains!
Today was a driving day across Maine and into New Hampshire. As per usual I did not take the quickest way but the way that would take me through some small towns and areas I might not see if I scooted across the state.
All packed up and ready to go around 9:45 am I headed north from Bar Harbor to Route 1. The fog was thick and flowing across the road at times but the drive was fine. Along Route 1 there are some small towns that seemed to have more "for sale" signs than it did any other type of sign. It was kind of sad to see. I wasn't near any of the fishing villages so that probably had something to do with it. Again, if there wasn't anything to keep the village going, it died.
I actually had to put the air conditioning on because it got to 89 F at one point (nice that my vehicle has a US or metric setting, very handy) and I decided it was time. The traffic started to get heavier and heavier and slower. Hmmm what's going on?
Aha! Freeport Maine, the home of L.L. Bean (all things sports and nice clothes) and other outlet stores. Tons of people and so many things to see. To stop or not to stop....
I decided not to stop because I still had a ways to go and the town I am heading to has all sorts of shopping too. I pressed on.
The landscape changed once I turned away from the ocean and the tall pine trees that the east coast is known for started to become more frequent. I really didn't see anything different, at times, from northern Ontario. Very nice countryside.
Lacking a New Hampshire map I stopped at the tourist info place (even though it was in Maine, it was very close to the state border so they had to have a map) and the lady there helped me a lot in finding the location of my hotel. I had been driving for over 4 hours and was getting a little bleary eyed. The storm clouds weren't helping in my anxiousness to get to my lodging. On the road for a short drive into North Conway and the Comfort Inn.
The humidity was really building and there were rumbles of thunder coming from the north and west. Better get moving!
I checked in just in time as the heavens opened and the storm hit. It was quite something and the rain was just streaming off the roof (I'm on the 3rd floor and near the eaves!)
The motel is fully outfitted and very comfy! Nice couch, huge king sized bed, windows over looking the "Pirates Cove" mini putt outfit and the waterfall in the centre of it is really lovely sounding. (The Mini putt is supposed to be the most challenging in the state but then I don't know how many there are in the state.) I may be a complete geek and play the 2 different courses while I'm here. I get a free round with my accommodations!
With a fridge and microwave and lots of supplies I couldn't face going out in the rain for dinner so I had dinner in. Nice to have that option. As that storm cleared the mountains to the west showed themselves and the clouds gathered again. I had to take a picture because it was really pretty.
So, not much else going on tonight because I'm a little road weary and the sightseeing bug isn't quite as strong as it once was but then I'm nearing the end of my travels. Maybe I'm just tired of seeing the ocean (really? can't be...) and now I have the mountains to look at.... something new now.
I am heading to the stores and things along the main street here tomorrow. Everything I saw in Freeport is here! Yay! Lots to see so I better rest my eyes and get geared up! Okay I know I don't NEED anything but it's still fun to look and there might be something out there for me.
Cheers all!
All packed up and ready to go around 9:45 am I headed north from Bar Harbor to Route 1. The fog was thick and flowing across the road at times but the drive was fine. Along Route 1 there are some small towns that seemed to have more "for sale" signs than it did any other type of sign. It was kind of sad to see. I wasn't near any of the fishing villages so that probably had something to do with it. Again, if there wasn't anything to keep the village going, it died.
I actually had to put the air conditioning on because it got to 89 F at one point (nice that my vehicle has a US or metric setting, very handy) and I decided it was time. The traffic started to get heavier and heavier and slower. Hmmm what's going on?
Aha! Freeport Maine, the home of L.L. Bean (all things sports and nice clothes) and other outlet stores. Tons of people and so many things to see. To stop or not to stop....
I decided not to stop because I still had a ways to go and the town I am heading to has all sorts of shopping too. I pressed on.
The landscape changed once I turned away from the ocean and the tall pine trees that the east coast is known for started to become more frequent. I really didn't see anything different, at times, from northern Ontario. Very nice countryside.
Lacking a New Hampshire map I stopped at the tourist info place (even though it was in Maine, it was very close to the state border so they had to have a map) and the lady there helped me a lot in finding the location of my hotel. I had been driving for over 4 hours and was getting a little bleary eyed. The storm clouds weren't helping in my anxiousness to get to my lodging. On the road for a short drive into North Conway and the Comfort Inn.
The humidity was really building and there were rumbles of thunder coming from the north and west. Better get moving!
I checked in just in time as the heavens opened and the storm hit. It was quite something and the rain was just streaming off the roof (I'm on the 3rd floor and near the eaves!)
The motel is fully outfitted and very comfy! Nice couch, huge king sized bed, windows over looking the "Pirates Cove" mini putt outfit and the waterfall in the centre of it is really lovely sounding. (The Mini putt is supposed to be the most challenging in the state but then I don't know how many there are in the state.) I may be a complete geek and play the 2 different courses while I'm here. I get a free round with my accommodations!
With a fridge and microwave and lots of supplies I couldn't face going out in the rain for dinner so I had dinner in. Nice to have that option. As that storm cleared the mountains to the west showed themselves and the clouds gathered again. I had to take a picture because it was really pretty.
So, not much else going on tonight because I'm a little road weary and the sightseeing bug isn't quite as strong as it once was but then I'm nearing the end of my travels. Maybe I'm just tired of seeing the ocean (really? can't be...) and now I have the mountains to look at.... something new now.
I am heading to the stores and things along the main street here tomorrow. Everything I saw in Freeport is here! Yay! Lots to see so I better rest my eyes and get geared up! Okay I know I don't NEED anything but it's still fun to look and there might be something out there for me.
Cheers all!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Saturday 20th of August-Last full day in Maine
Foggy start to the day, which I think is the norm around here in August. I took my time this morning organizing all the maps I have and bags and what did I need for my last week on the road. I reviewed my route again for tomorrow and I think there are some sights to see while I'm on the road to New Hampshire and I'll have plenty of time to see them.
Travelling alone means I have to really learn the route as I don't have a navigator. Yeah, I have the nav system in the truck but that doesn't really give me things that I might see if I go one way or another. When I was chatting with a woman yesterday when I was sitting out overlooking the bay she said that I had to go to Rockland and check out the pier and lighthouse. It's very beautiful. Okay, sounds like a plan. Put that on the list...
Decided to walk downtown again, it's a nice walk and the little bus will bring me back up to the motel.
I sat at the harbour for a while and watched the fog come and go and look at the people wandering around, it was nice. There were some really big sail boats in the harbor. Something always changing in the scene.
There seemed to be less people around compared to the week days which is not what I expected so the stores were pretty empty which made shopping fun. I hit a couple of stores I hadn't been able to move in a few days ago. Purchases in hand I landed myself in the Bar Harbor Kitchen and had a lovely western omelet. I have been craving one of those things. Great food, super friendly service (the waiter actually helped me finish my cross word puzzle!) and no rush to do anything. Nice!
I wandered back to Village Green and to St. Saviour's Anglican Church which is the first permanent structure in what would have been called Eden Town (now Bar Harbor) it was built in the early 1800's. What is interesting is the windows designed by Tiffany. They are very distinctive in their appearance and the wooden church walls set them off perfectly.
Travelling alone means I have to really learn the route as I don't have a navigator. Yeah, I have the nav system in the truck but that doesn't really give me things that I might see if I go one way or another. When I was chatting with a woman yesterday when I was sitting out overlooking the bay she said that I had to go to Rockland and check out the pier and lighthouse. It's very beautiful. Okay, sounds like a plan. Put that on the list...
Decided to walk downtown again, it's a nice walk and the little bus will bring me back up to the motel.
I sat at the harbour for a while and watched the fog come and go and look at the people wandering around, it was nice. There were some really big sail boats in the harbor. Something always changing in the scene.
There seemed to be less people around compared to the week days which is not what I expected so the stores were pretty empty which made shopping fun. I hit a couple of stores I hadn't been able to move in a few days ago. Purchases in hand I landed myself in the Bar Harbor Kitchen and had a lovely western omelet. I have been craving one of those things. Great food, super friendly service (the waiter actually helped me finish my cross word puzzle!) and no rush to do anything. Nice!
I wandered back to Village Green and to St. Saviour's Anglican Church which is the first permanent structure in what would have been called Eden Town (now Bar Harbor) it was built in the early 1800's. What is interesting is the windows designed by Tiffany. They are very distinctive in their appearance and the wooden church walls set them off perfectly.
The church was a quiet, cool place to wander around and I thoroughly enjoyed my time. With the humidity building I decided to head back to the motel and cool down a bit. An hour and a half later I woke up! Guess I needed a snooze!
I had found the laundromat earlier in the week and that's where I was heading for some processing of clothes for my last week! With the grocery store next door it was a handy way to fill up with some fruit (which I feel is lacking) and get some of the local ginger beer which is supposed to be very spicy. (Oh yeah is it ever good!!) I'm shying away from the blueberry beer though. I just can't bring myself to try it.... Ewwwwwww.
So tonight's task is repack the bags for the last week of travel and try and fit everything into the Equinox! I'm sure I'll make it somehow...
Off to New Hampshire tomorrow along Route 1 then head north on some side route that will get me through the White mountains. Looking forward to it!!
Bye Maine! It's been a lobstery good time.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Friday August 19-The Seawall and lobster hatchery
This morning I got on the phone and started to call the places I will be staying on the final week of this leg of my journey. It was kind of weird to do that but it's time to get on the road again I guess.
But not so fast.
Yesterday as I was tooling around on the buses I found a couple of places I wanted to go back to today and spend some time.
The Seawall is a natural boulder and stone wall that has been created by thousands of years of wave action.
The sun was out, the tide was out and so was my chair. Sitting on one of the large flat rocks to watch boats of all kinds manoever around in the lifting fog and listen to the waves and little birds playing around in the drying kelp.
The fog lifted and the sun came out and it was an awesome visit.
Right, so nearly 2 hours later (gee time flies around here).
I packed up my stuff and headed out before the tide came back in and swamped me.
One part of the island, (which I've found out is really called Mount Desert Island but is pronounced "dessert" island and the signs around saying "MDI" have nothing to do with a meter dosed inhaler as I'm used to saying MDI in my job but about initials of the island. Got that figured out. Ha!) isn't covered by the buses so I decided to check it out.
It follows the western side of the island and weaves around small hamlets. Surprisingly it looks very similar to parts of Nova Scotia that I drove around. Man, that seems so long ago!
My next visit was to the Oceanarium which is really a lobster hatchery. Very cool.
I started my visit right in the hatchery! This place takes 2 weeks to bring the eggs to 4th stage babies which are 4-10 mm (yes, millimetres) long then released into the wilds of the ocean. The lecturer (all are students of ocean sciences which includes the biology part of things all the way to ethics) was super at explaining the process of how the eggs are hatched and nurtured. The babies live in huge cylinders of water where air is bubbled through. Interesting.
This is to keep the babies floating around, grabbing food and not their brothers and sisters. There is a fair amount of cannibalism that goes on. They are fed brine shrimp even smaller than they are. The temperature is monitored (made warmer than the ocean) and fed regularly.
The release is quite interesting too!
The baby lobsters are placed in a large cooler with a hose attached to the drainage port. The bottom of the hose is weighted so it goes right to the bottom of the ocean. The babies pour out of this hose and land where ever they land. The whole process moves along the floor so that there isn't a concentration of babies all in one place. This would attract predators (fish) and the little ones would eat all the food in one area. They are released in a similar area where the female who's eggs were ready to be naturally hatched was captured.
Very ingeneous. We saw all of this on a video! The staff were releasing the latest batch of hatchlings today.
Then there was the discovery pool where various sea creatures were in it. Sea cucumber (really gross to hold), horseshoe crabs (truly a cool thing), moon snails, star fish, sea urchins and scallops were all picked up, handled, investigated and the lecturer, again, was awesome. Here she is holding (upside down to show the underside) a huge female horseshoe crab which is more of a cousin of the spider than a crab.
This was so interesting!
But not so fast.
Yesterday as I was tooling around on the buses I found a couple of places I wanted to go back to today and spend some time.
The Seawall is a natural boulder and stone wall that has been created by thousands of years of wave action.
The sun was out, the tide was out and so was my chair. Sitting on one of the large flat rocks to watch boats of all kinds manoever around in the lifting fog and listen to the waves and little birds playing around in the drying kelp.
The fog lifted and the sun came out and it was an awesome visit.
Right, so nearly 2 hours later (gee time flies around here).
I packed up my stuff and headed out before the tide came back in and swamped me.
One part of the island, (which I've found out is really called Mount Desert Island but is pronounced "dessert" island and the signs around saying "MDI" have nothing to do with a meter dosed inhaler as I'm used to saying MDI in my job but about initials of the island. Got that figured out. Ha!) isn't covered by the buses so I decided to check it out.
It follows the western side of the island and weaves around small hamlets. Surprisingly it looks very similar to parts of Nova Scotia that I drove around. Man, that seems so long ago!
My next visit was to the Oceanarium which is really a lobster hatchery. Very cool.
I started my visit right in the hatchery! This place takes 2 weeks to bring the eggs to 4th stage babies which are 4-10 mm (yes, millimetres) long then released into the wilds of the ocean. The lecturer (all are students of ocean sciences which includes the biology part of things all the way to ethics) was super at explaining the process of how the eggs are hatched and nurtured. The babies live in huge cylinders of water where air is bubbled through. Interesting.
This is to keep the babies floating around, grabbing food and not their brothers and sisters. There is a fair amount of cannibalism that goes on. They are fed brine shrimp even smaller than they are. The temperature is monitored (made warmer than the ocean) and fed regularly.
The release is quite interesting too!
The baby lobsters are placed in a large cooler with a hose attached to the drainage port. The bottom of the hose is weighted so it goes right to the bottom of the ocean. The babies pour out of this hose and land where ever they land. The whole process moves along the floor so that there isn't a concentration of babies all in one place. This would attract predators (fish) and the little ones would eat all the food in one area. They are released in a similar area where the female who's eggs were ready to be naturally hatched was captured.
Very ingeneous. We saw all of this on a video! The staff were releasing the latest batch of hatchlings today.
Then there was the discovery pool where various sea creatures were in it. Sea cucumber (really gross to hold), horseshoe crabs (truly a cool thing), moon snails, star fish, sea urchins and scallops were all picked up, handled, investigated and the lecturer, again, was awesome. Here she is holding (upside down to show the underside) a huge female horseshoe crab which is more of a cousin of the spider than a crab.
This was so interesting!
The final lecture was on lobster fishing and how it all works. It was equally as interesting and I learned that soft shell lobster are actually ones that have recently molted and then they fill themselves with water to expland the hardening shell. They are cheaper to buy but they will be full of water. Hmmm Good to know.
Hungry it's time for my later lunch and it was, you guessed it. LOBSTER!
Off to another lobster pound that I had seen in Trenton up the road.
I got to pick my own crustacean and they cooked it perfectly (natch) over a boiling cauldron fueled by a wood fire. Perfect!
I was sitting in a screened in porch area having a grand time going through the beast. When I looked up after picking away at a claw who was sitting outside under an umbrella with her entourage? Martha Stewart! Holy Cow!
I overheard that she had flown her gang in and they are staying on part of the island. Guess having your own jet has it's advantages.
They were all leaving as I was so as I walked by I smiled and said "Hi" and she just smiled and one of the entourage said hi back. As we were all kind of in the same area it's only polite to acknowledge each other's presence. She seemed rather focussed on her chow dog (who was panting his fool head off in the humidity) and I gave him a pet as he sniffed me.
My brush with celebrity over I headed out to the hotel to park the vehicle and head over to the shoreline at the Regency across the road and maybe go for a swim there in the pool.
Pool was full of kids so I let that go and found a lovely spot to sit in the shade and watch the world go by. So spectactular!
So, another day gone by. Don't know where it went... Oh yes I do! I was having a great time in the out of doors enjoying beautiful weather, getting educated and enjoying a lovely lobster lunch/dinner. This is living! (Oh dear, does Martha Stewart say that??)
Plans for tomorrow is to try to stay out of the village core with my vehicle because Saturday is supposed to be just crazy around here. Aha! The bus! That's always an alternative.
As I type the clouds are starting to gather and the fog is rolling in a bit. It's been humid all day and about 85 F. I really have no idea what that is in Celcius but it was nice in the shade.
Last full day in Maine tomorrow. Then off to New Hampshire and the White mountains...more to see!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Thursday Aug 18- Bus ride day
Today I didn't really know what I was going to do! There were a few options on the table.
Rent a scooter to buzz around the area, but I needed to research that to figure out if I really want to do it.
Or
Walk into town and hang out and check things out that I didn't before.
Or
Go to the Oceanarium to see what that's all about.
Particularly didn't want to drive today as the traffic yesterday was challenging enough and it's only a mile into town and I can leave the Equinox behind to have a rest day.
The fog outside my window early in the morning was so thick I really couldn't see across the road so that makes the driving part a little hard when I really don't know where I'm going so walking sounded like a good idea! The weather report here includes a fog grading. If it's a 0 then there's nothing but fog out there. If it's1/4 then you can see a quarter mile, if it's a 10 then it's clear but patchy. I'm learning something new every day here.
I also learned, via the radio, that there are free buses that are supported by L.L. Bean to transport folks around FOR FREE! Oh, that must be the buses I saw at the Village Green yesterday. Aha! A new plan! I wonder where they go....
So after my great breakfast I alerted the office staff I was leaving my vehicle and they said it was wise and that the buses will take me where ever I want to go. There's even one going past the motel every 15 minutes in the evening and every 30 in the morning. Hmmm.
I opted for the walk and as I entered town I located the scooter rental place. Hmmm $500 deposit (refundable on return of the scooter), $90 for the day plus gas. More Hmmm
None available at 9:30 this morning and I'd have to wait until the half day rate. Which was just as well so I could think about it. I left my name for tomorrow instead.
Off to the harbour where I sat overlooking the foggy boats, most I couldn't see for the first little bit, doing some crossword puzzles and sudukos and enjoying the atmosphere.
Fog enshrouded, it was eerie to see the harbour so different than yesterday. Much less people too. No cruise ship in the bay.
There is a harbour walk that goes for a mile along the coastline from the town. I decided to take it and it was phenomenal! So pretty. Get a load of that balancing rock! Cool!
What a great walk that was...The homes shrouded in fog too but they were something to look at let me tell you.
Back into town for a look see again.
I stopped by the bus drop off area and asked a driver if their routes were round trips. Aha! they are!
Super. So I hopped on the "Sand Beach" route which would be about an hour long and take me through the Acadia National Park on the loop road which is a great way to see the park. It's a one way road that literally loops through the park. I was going to ride the scooter this way but after being on the bus I realized that this was way better. Someone else was doing the driving! We went into all the picturesque parts and it was sooo awesome! Really pictures were hard to take because I was so focussed on what I was seeing out the window and the fog made it a little difficult to get a good shot. But the drive was so amazing, up and down and around and whee! It was a ride!
I left my donation in the box (it's all free but they like donations to help out) and headed off to a sushi bar I had seen fleetingly yesterday. Found it! yum! I had a California roll with REAL crab meat in it, not the fakey stuff. Oh yeah....
I decided to take a longer bus trip this afternoon all the way down to Southwest harbour. Round trip 3 hours.
What a great way to see the lower part of the island (Bar Harbor is technically on Desert Island) and some of the sights without worrying about traffic and crazy drivers. Awesome ride.
If the weather holds tomorrow I will head to The Breakwall and play around on the shore.
I highly recommend this way of travelling in this area. Parking is nasty ($15.00 for a parking ticket, at least that was the charge on a ticket I snooped at) and chaotic. This is just what this area needed!
This bus took me back to my Days Inn Motel! Perfect!
So the weather totally held today and that was a surprise and I found things that I can investigate more tomorrow!
I still have the Oceanarium I want to visit and I need to have lobster again (I took a day off from it). Plenty of time. I have two full days here left and I think this is great timing to get what I want to done. Oh yeah, there's a very historical Anglican (sorry, Episcopal) church that I need to investigate too.
Maybe I'll take the bus back in to town tomorrow, or walk and do that.
I like staying in a town for a few days because you can figure out how things work here and what can be taken advantage of.
Day is done, feet up, a bowl of fruit beside me to watch pre season NFL football! Tomorrow is another day of adventure!
Rent a scooter to buzz around the area, but I needed to research that to figure out if I really want to do it.
Or
Walk into town and hang out and check things out that I didn't before.
Or
Go to the Oceanarium to see what that's all about.
Particularly didn't want to drive today as the traffic yesterday was challenging enough and it's only a mile into town and I can leave the Equinox behind to have a rest day.
The fog outside my window early in the morning was so thick I really couldn't see across the road so that makes the driving part a little hard when I really don't know where I'm going so walking sounded like a good idea! The weather report here includes a fog grading. If it's a 0 then there's nothing but fog out there. If it's1/4 then you can see a quarter mile, if it's a 10 then it's clear but patchy. I'm learning something new every day here.
I also learned, via the radio, that there are free buses that are supported by L.L. Bean to transport folks around FOR FREE! Oh, that must be the buses I saw at the Village Green yesterday. Aha! A new plan! I wonder where they go....
So after my great breakfast I alerted the office staff I was leaving my vehicle and they said it was wise and that the buses will take me where ever I want to go. There's even one going past the motel every 15 minutes in the evening and every 30 in the morning. Hmmm.
I opted for the walk and as I entered town I located the scooter rental place. Hmmm $500 deposit (refundable on return of the scooter), $90 for the day plus gas. More Hmmm
None available at 9:30 this morning and I'd have to wait until the half day rate. Which was just as well so I could think about it. I left my name for tomorrow instead.
Off to the harbour where I sat overlooking the foggy boats, most I couldn't see for the first little bit, doing some crossword puzzles and sudukos and enjoying the atmosphere.
Fog enshrouded, it was eerie to see the harbour so different than yesterday. Much less people too. No cruise ship in the bay.
There is a harbour walk that goes for a mile along the coastline from the town. I decided to take it and it was phenomenal! So pretty. Get a load of that balancing rock! Cool!
What a great walk that was...The homes shrouded in fog too but they were something to look at let me tell you.
Back into town for a look see again.
I stopped by the bus drop off area and asked a driver if their routes were round trips. Aha! they are!
Super. So I hopped on the "Sand Beach" route which would be about an hour long and take me through the Acadia National Park on the loop road which is a great way to see the park. It's a one way road that literally loops through the park. I was going to ride the scooter this way but after being on the bus I realized that this was way better. Someone else was doing the driving! We went into all the picturesque parts and it was sooo awesome! Really pictures were hard to take because I was so focussed on what I was seeing out the window and the fog made it a little difficult to get a good shot. But the drive was so amazing, up and down and around and whee! It was a ride!
I left my donation in the box (it's all free but they like donations to help out) and headed off to a sushi bar I had seen fleetingly yesterday. Found it! yum! I had a California roll with REAL crab meat in it, not the fakey stuff. Oh yeah....
I decided to take a longer bus trip this afternoon all the way down to Southwest harbour. Round trip 3 hours.
What a great way to see the lower part of the island (Bar Harbor is technically on Desert Island) and some of the sights without worrying about traffic and crazy drivers. Awesome ride.
If the weather holds tomorrow I will head to The Breakwall and play around on the shore.
I highly recommend this way of travelling in this area. Parking is nasty ($15.00 for a parking ticket, at least that was the charge on a ticket I snooped at) and chaotic. This is just what this area needed!
This bus took me back to my Days Inn Motel! Perfect!
So the weather totally held today and that was a surprise and I found things that I can investigate more tomorrow!
I still have the Oceanarium I want to visit and I need to have lobster again (I took a day off from it). Plenty of time. I have two full days here left and I think this is great timing to get what I want to done. Oh yeah, there's a very historical Anglican (sorry, Episcopal) church that I need to investigate too.
Maybe I'll take the bus back in to town tomorrow, or walk and do that.
I like staying in a town for a few days because you can figure out how things work here and what can be taken advantage of.
Day is done, feet up, a bowl of fruit beside me to watch pre season NFL football! Tomorrow is another day of adventure!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Wednesday August 17, 2011 in Bar Harbor Maine
After the solitude and quiet (somewhat) of P's camp this day is certainly a switch let me tell you.
A great day dawned and I didn't want to waste it so off and running early this morning.
A great continental breakfast is held here and there are even little trays to take it back to the chair and table outside my room. I had breakfast in the early morning sunshine and it was just a great way to start the day.
If I remembered correctly Bar Harbor is really two streets that intersect and one ends at the main harbor. Perfect I found a parking space on one of the side streets and there is 2 hour parking so I figured I could stretch it a bit for a while.
The day was beginning for many of the shop owners so I did my tour to orient myself first then off to the harbor.
Wow! A huge cruise ship was just off shore! Neat!
I found out it is the Caribbean Princess and the passengers were starting to come on shore. It looked like it was going to be a busy day.
The harbour was something to see with huge yachts docked.
This truly is a fantastic area to come to and I can see why so many people come here. The parking lot is full of so many different plates. So great!
I leave you with a Maritime picture!
Lobster floats at Northeast harbor, Maine.
A great day dawned and I didn't want to waste it so off and running early this morning.
A great continental breakfast is held here and there are even little trays to take it back to the chair and table outside my room. I had breakfast in the early morning sunshine and it was just a great way to start the day.
If I remembered correctly Bar Harbor is really two streets that intersect and one ends at the main harbor. Perfect I found a parking space on one of the side streets and there is 2 hour parking so I figured I could stretch it a bit for a while.
The day was beginning for many of the shop owners so I did my tour to orient myself first then off to the harbor.
Wow! A huge cruise ship was just off shore! Neat!
I found out it is the Caribbean Princess and the passengers were starting to come on shore. It looked like it was going to be a busy day.
The harbour was something to see with huge yachts docked.
I then started to walk along the streets and check things out. So much fun shopping. There were so many fun things to buy! There were also lots of stores to check things out and compare. So, yeah, I bought canned lobster bisque, a couple of shirts and some other goofy stuff.
I had a blast! Oh dear, there is an ice cream shop and I have been walking for a while soooo a Pina colada smoothy was just the ticket! Sitting overlooking the Village Green and watching people go by it was awesome.
Since I've been having some problems with the Wi-Fi at the motel I decided to check out the internet cafe and see what it was all about if I had to write my blog from there. $2.50 for 25 minutes. Lots of computers and an espresso bar attached. Nice. There's plan B if I need it.
Needed to find a laundromat too, there's got to be one here and it's got to be cheaper than the $2.50 for a wash and the same for a dry. Aha! found one! open 24 hours too! Not that I'd do that but much cheaper and much bigger than the hotel across the way. All things are coming together.
The downtown core was getting more and more congested with folks and it was time to move the Equinox so off I went. Didn't really know where I was heading but it was following a sign to Northeast Harbor along route 3. What a fun drive! Weaving and dipping and following along to the harbor.
This is what greeted me.
Way too good to leave so I sat for a good half hour and watched the activity of the harbor. This place is where folks leave their boats to head off to the island that surround the whole Acadian peninsula. It is such a beautiful area and if you look at some of the boats there isn't a lack of cash around. Some of the yachts are HUGE!
After witnessing some of the poverty and really just plain low income this whole area is really a total flip of the coin. The homes are massive and beautifully kept. There isn't anything that isn't perfectly appointed and painted and the lovely gardens.
Another tour finished it was time for my early dinner and the Lundy's Lobster Pound was the perfect spot. A beautifully cooked little lobster with some salad while sitting in a screened in porch was the perfect conclusion to a great day. Lovely service and homemade pie to make the whole experience a lovely time.
Who knows what tomorrow may bring but there is an Ocean education centre down the road that looks really interesting!
This truly is a fantastic area to come to and I can see why so many people come here. The parking lot is full of so many different plates. So great!
I leave you with a Maritime picture!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
August 16th-Bar Harbor Maine
Greetings folks!
It's been a while since I've been in civilization so I finally have a chance to blog.
I am currently just outside Bar Harbor Maine but for the past 6 days I have been at my friend P's camp in McAdam New Brunswick on Wauklahagan Lake.
This family camp is without power (except solar) and running water (except for a hand pump) and propane is the fuel of choice for the stove and fridges.
This place is truly amazing and after a few hour drive from St. John where I had arrived from the ferry from Digby Nova Scotia I was met by P and my other friends the W's who were visiting from Toronto too!
What a blast!
The camp, as they call them here, is great cottage type building with 4 sleeping areas and a large living room and huge screened in porch. Many couches and lots of space for everyone to hang out in. There is a beach area and the water is calm and clean.
We had such a great time and really the lack of technology or power really wasn't that big a heart ache. It was actually a joy at times not to worry about what was on TV or who might want to watch what. We had good old conversation!
The camp has been in P's family for over 60 years and it is on a rocky island so there is little even land for the buildings and walkways. The trees make a beautiful canopy over everything and there is moss and pine needles to walk on.
The facilities or "going up the hill" is a lovely outhouse that overlooks the trees to the lake. You don't close the door because there isn't anyone to see in anyway. It's all very private and secluded.
To get to this peaceful spot in Canada I took the Princess of Acadia ferry from Digby Nova Scotia on a very rainy wavy day to land in St. John for the night then drive from there to McAdam New Brunswick via St. George, St. Stephen and St. Andrew by the sea.
St Andrew is a very historical fishing village and the mainstreet really is it's main street and there happened to be a farmer's market going on that day. It was quaint and laid back. Like all of the maritimes and I enjoyed my stop there.
When I arrived at the dock area to meet P and the gang I had a chance just to sit and watch the world go by. Not much goes on here but this dock is the main landing departure strip for the folks that live "up lake". There is terminology that is required for this area. Camps are cottages, Up lake is literally up lake, lobster pounds are lobster restaurants or places to buy lobster and a moose shed is not a building but a place where the moose shed their antlers in the winter after their year's growth. Sometimes it can be confusing!
Once they arrived from the camp we headed to Harvey to pick up lobsters and have lunch. I had offered to provide a lobster dinner for everyone, kind of my hostess gift to the camp and all there. We had a blast trying to fit in the huge cooler of lobsters in the back of P's SUV but it fit and all was well. A trip to the grocery and liquor stores and we were set. Off to Quinsigamond Island and the Camp.
Lobsters cooked for dinner and some left to cool for the next day's lobster rolls this was a happy day! Now we just waited for the weather to get nicer.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday were all "beach days" and we enjoyed our time sitting on the deck chairs enjoying books puzzles or what ever we decided to do. No chores, no pressure, lots of fun and lots of sun.
This is true cottage life!
It was so nice to have familiar faces to talk to and a familiar place to be! I was last here in 1998!
I'll fill in more details later. There's much to tell and I just have to figure out where to really start but you get the idea.
All is well and tomorrow's weather here in Bar Harbor is supposed to be nice so I'll have to blog about too!
Cheers all!
It's been a while since I've been in civilization so I finally have a chance to blog.
I am currently just outside Bar Harbor Maine but for the past 6 days I have been at my friend P's camp in McAdam New Brunswick on Wauklahagan Lake.
This family camp is without power (except solar) and running water (except for a hand pump) and propane is the fuel of choice for the stove and fridges.
This place is truly amazing and after a few hour drive from St. John where I had arrived from the ferry from Digby Nova Scotia I was met by P and my other friends the W's who were visiting from Toronto too!
What a blast!
The camp, as they call them here, is great cottage type building with 4 sleeping areas and a large living room and huge screened in porch. Many couches and lots of space for everyone to hang out in. There is a beach area and the water is calm and clean.
We had such a great time and really the lack of technology or power really wasn't that big a heart ache. It was actually a joy at times not to worry about what was on TV or who might want to watch what. We had good old conversation!
The camp has been in P's family for over 60 years and it is on a rocky island so there is little even land for the buildings and walkways. The trees make a beautiful canopy over everything and there is moss and pine needles to walk on.
The facilities or "going up the hill" is a lovely outhouse that overlooks the trees to the lake. You don't close the door because there isn't anyone to see in anyway. It's all very private and secluded.
When I arrived at the dock area to meet P and the gang I had a chance just to sit and watch the world go by. Not much goes on here but this dock is the main landing departure strip for the folks that live "up lake". There is terminology that is required for this area. Camps are cottages, Up lake is literally up lake, lobster pounds are lobster restaurants or places to buy lobster and a moose shed is not a building but a place where the moose shed their antlers in the winter after their year's growth. Sometimes it can be confusing!
Once they arrived from the camp we headed to Harvey to pick up lobsters and have lunch. I had offered to provide a lobster dinner for everyone, kind of my hostess gift to the camp and all there. We had a blast trying to fit in the huge cooler of lobsters in the back of P's SUV but it fit and all was well. A trip to the grocery and liquor stores and we were set. Off to Quinsigamond Island and the Camp.
Lobsters cooked for dinner and some left to cool for the next day's lobster rolls this was a happy day! Now we just waited for the weather to get nicer.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday were all "beach days" and we enjoyed our time sitting on the deck chairs enjoying books puzzles or what ever we decided to do. No chores, no pressure, lots of fun and lots of sun.
This is true cottage life!
It was so nice to have familiar faces to talk to and a familiar place to be! I was last here in 1998!
I'll fill in more details later. There's much to tell and I just have to figure out where to really start but you get the idea.
All is well and tomorrow's weather here in Bar Harbor is supposed to be nice so I'll have to blog about too!
Cheers all!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Day 27-Digby to St. John New Brunswick
No real plans today. Just to pack up my bags so that I can take the minimum to P's camp in McAdam. I took my time as there was really no rush to check out. There were about 4 people left in the hotel. Seems everyone uses the Admiral Digby Inn to hang their head for the night before heading to the early (8 am) ferry to St. John. Not being in a real rush for anything I had already decided to take the later ferry then spend the night in St. John.
After breakfast and packing I decided to head along the coast away from Digby to the Fundy Coast and see what's what. I looked at the map and decided Margaretsville (or Margaretville depending on what sign you look at). It was a bit of a drive but I figured I'd take the main highway there and then the minor highway on the way back.
This part of the Fundy coast is really high cliffs and homes perched on the side of them. Again I noticed that many of them were up for sale but with the weather the way it is today I can only imagine why they are for sale.
The sun actually came out over the Annapolis Basin before I left and it was a pretty sight. But it was short lived. I drove through the Annapolis valley with just a drizzle.
At. Margaretsville there was a grand total of 8 people I counted, no stores, three churches and a beat up wharf.
After breakfast and packing I decided to head along the coast away from Digby to the Fundy Coast and see what's what. I looked at the map and decided Margaretsville (or Margaretville depending on what sign you look at). It was a bit of a drive but I figured I'd take the main highway there and then the minor highway on the way back.
This part of the Fundy coast is really high cliffs and homes perched on the side of them. Again I noticed that many of them were up for sale but with the weather the way it is today I can only imagine why they are for sale.
The sun actually came out over the Annapolis Basin before I left and it was a pretty sight. But it was short lived. I drove through the Annapolis valley with just a drizzle.
At. Margaretsville there was a grand total of 8 people I counted, no stores, three churches and a beat up wharf.
I headed back to Digby as the clouds were gathering and looking a lot darker than they were about an hour earlier so I took route 1 back through the Annapolis valley.
This area is known for it's fertile land and it struck me as so strange that only a few miles away there are fishing fleets getting what they can and here there are fields of crops and dairy farms. All very different looking too. Flat with a river running through it all.
The two small towns, Bridgetown and Middleton are prosperous (appearing) small towns with all the amenities that would be nice to live in. Some are even gearing up for their upcoming fairs and I think the agricultural side of things reigns supreme in this valley.
As I reached Digby the skies really opened up and after a snack for a late lunch I checked out a couple of stores for something that would be neat. Found a nice fleece vest with a whale tail on it. I'm still determined to see a whale or something whale like before I leave the east coast!
I arrived at the ferry dock early but there were already cars and trucks there. No problem. The wind was howling and the rain pounding but I was snug in my car and I had a magazine to read.
Beside my car there were 4 full sized transports with seafood in them. Ha! That's how they get them to the west so fresh. The ferry saves 4 hours of travel time. We all were sorted out into the bottom of the ferry and I am always in awe when the ship can take so much weight on it and it stays level. That's an art.
So, 4 transports full of lobsters, clams, scallops and fish and a whole bunch of other vehicles in a hold of a ship. I cannot describe in enough detail that would make any kind of sense the odour of that cargo hold. Yikes!
Keeping the windows shut in the vehicle was the key in keeping the fishy smell out and it all tolerable.
I escaped up top. Yick.
With the crappy weather outside there wasn't a chance for any pictures as the deck was quite awash!
On the second deck there was a museum interpreter explaining more about the Bay of Fundy and how it was formed and the tides and fishy things. There was a 15 minute talk every hour and the first one was interesting but then I got really tired. I had been on the go for quite a while.
Up to the top deck where there were long benches around the outside of the room and the smell of freshly brewed coffee from the Starbucks there. I found a spot (there were lots as the ferry was probably 1/2 full) and nodded off for about an hour. It was great! The gentle rocking of the boat, protected from the elements it was really nice.
We arrived in St. John early because of a following wind and we all dove down into the vehicle hold (yikes it really stunk now) and I dove in the car as fast as I could. Phew! It didn't stink! Yippee!
The navigation system was worth the money today. I had preprogrammed the motel location when I was waiting for the ferry in Digby. This proved invaluable because it was getting dark (huh? it was just about 7 pm) and raining hard when we disembarked. Once the GPS found me (I guess it couldn't while the vehicle was in the cargo hold) I was directed perfectly to where I was staying. I know I would never have found it on my own without some back tracking and u-turns. Yay!!
The Econo-lodge is nice and will do fine for one night. Big room, fridge and microwave so I could nuke a soup that I had in my supply as I didn't want to search for somewhere to eat at this hour. Certain supplies I travel with include a spoon (or two) and my swiss army knife. I can prepare anything with those two utensils.
Dinner done I started to work on my blog but got kicked out because Blogger was reformatting itself! GRRRR.
So, as you can see, blog is done now and tomorrow I head out to meet my friend P in McAdam to stay at her camp for a few days. There are other friends from Toronto there too so it will be really nice to see some familiar folk and hang with them for a while. It's been a number of weeks since I've done any goofing off!
P's camp doesn't have power (so keeping the pilot light going on the beer fridge is a really good idea) so I won't be blogging until I get to Bar Harbour next week.
I'll have lots of pictures and stories to share then.
So, have a blast everyone and I'll see ya all later!
Cheers all....
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Day 26-Digby Neck and Digby Town
Woohoo! It's not raining this morning! Right on! Plan worked out. Today was planned to be an outdoor sight seeing day. Perfect.
After the bus load of folks headed out for the ferry at 7:30 this morning I got a little bit more sleep. Surprising how much noise a bunch of golden agers could be that excited in the morning. Holy cow!
I packed for any contingency between the weather and things that I might do. I planned to drive along Digby Neck. This is a 60 kilometer spit of land that forms St. Margaret's Bay to the west from Digby. It is narrow and even has a fresh water lake in the middle of it. There are two ferrys that will take you to the farthest part of the Neck. Following the signs I headed to East Ferry which is the last point before the first ferry to Tiverton! No, not the Tiverton near the cottage but another one that hugs the side of a rocky cliff overlooking a very deep, very fast current filled break in the land.
The geography here is really dramatic with rock heading right to the water. I thought the seaweed made a neat picture.
I did find this little fellow (gal?) and he was so well hidden at the surf line that I didn't even see him until he moved.
I thought he needed an extreme close up. But I'm not sure he was thrilled with me.
Other than that one encounter with wild life there really wasn't anything else on the beach. It was a good work out walking on the beach though.
Off I went to the next cove which advertised as having a little more action.
Well, at least that's what the brochure said.
Ah, alas, not so much.
Gulliver's Cove is supposedly where Captain Gulliver and his band of pirates hung out and waited for unsuspecting ships to seek safe haven then pillage them. It is legend that Captain Gulliver was killed by his own wife because he wouldn't let her go home to the West Indies.
Right, that's one tough Mamma. I guess she was part pirate herself!
The cove was incredibly quiet and only the sound of the waves and the waterfall in the distance there wasn't any human sounds what so ever. It was actually kind of eerie!
No one but me.
Oh yeah and the farm of emus down the road.
What??
Yup, emus in the middle of no where.
Strange place.
Off to Digby for lunch at the Fundy Restaurant. Nice view, fresh scallops and a lobster tank inside. I'm in.
Awesome overload of scallops in a chowder then sautee'd on top of a caesar salad. Right on! Support the local economy I always say. Lovely waitress gave me today's paper to read while I ate. Very nice! The view was great and the place was quite busy for 2 pm on a Tuesday.
Stuffed, it was time for a long walk. Off to the wharf for a look see.
Digby is a working port and the scallop industry will keep it going for a long time to come. I hope.
The boats, when I was visiting, were about 30 feet down from the level of the wharf. The tide makes doing even basic chores on your ship a challenge. I watched one scallop boat prepare to go out by loading on ice. The dock worker brings over a modified, beat up, pick up truck with a huge hopper on the back filled with ice. There is a sluice that is lowered from the back of the truck and hopefully the drop is perfect to get it into the hold. The noise you hear in the video below is the captain of the ship keeping the throttle up to hold the boat so the stream of ice goes in the right spot. Oh yeah, and there are two guys in the back of the truck shovelling the ice out. Unfortunately I did video this but I couldn't seem to download it onto the blog. Even after 3 tries... grrrrrr technology.
I'll give it a try at another time. Oh well.
I wandered back to my vehicle that I had parked at the other side of town and needed to find the fruit and veggie stand I had seen on my way back from Digby Neck. I needed BLUEBERRIES!
There is little local fruit but blueberries are quite abundant. Yum! The little stand was unmanned and a little lock box for change was there so I put in the proper amount for the best looking, biggest blueberries I have seen. I also picked up some yellow plums too. These were AWESOME. Wow. Fruit and salad all in one day. What will my body do?
As I write I have finished the plums and most of the blueberries. Oh dear. I'm hoping to get some more before I leave the area tomorrow.
Interesting things learned today:
Gee, I hope the weather is good for the ride.
Who knows around here.
Until later!
After the bus load of folks headed out for the ferry at 7:30 this morning I got a little bit more sleep. Surprising how much noise a bunch of golden agers could be that excited in the morning. Holy cow!
I packed for any contingency between the weather and things that I might do. I planned to drive along Digby Neck. This is a 60 kilometer spit of land that forms St. Margaret's Bay to the west from Digby. It is narrow and even has a fresh water lake in the middle of it. There are two ferrys that will take you to the farthest part of the Neck. Following the signs I headed to East Ferry which is the last point before the first ferry to Tiverton! No, not the Tiverton near the cottage but another one that hugs the side of a rocky cliff overlooking a very deep, very fast current filled break in the land.
The geography here is really dramatic with rock heading right to the water. I thought the seaweed made a neat picture.
The Tiverton ferry moved back and forth across the channel and actually went sideways just to handle the current. This shows just how strong the current is when the ferry has two transports as well as a handful of cars and it still is struggling.
I met a fellow traveller from South Carolina and she was commenting on the fact that it was so cold up here. I was wearing a sweat shirt and shorts and sandals. I think she would have had a winter jacket on if she had one. I said it was actually quite refreshing and pleasant. We laughed at what you can get used to! They headed over to the next island and I decided that what I had seen already on the trip there I didn't need to see any more so I headed back to take some of the side roads I had seen.
There is one lighthouse marking the entrance to the channel for Tiverton and East Ferry and I thought it looked really "east coast".
One of the side roads took me to Sandy Cove Beach. With the tide out the beach was huge! There wasn't really sand but very fine gravel of all different colours. It was tough to walk on but really neat to see how much stuff gets thrown up on the beach. There were miles and miles of rope and bits of lobster and crab traps and fish nets. This cove is a catching ground for all that floats through the bay of Fundy. I'm sure, again, that there was a time that this place was filled with boats and actions. Now, not so much.
Beach combing is fun and you never know what you might find. I did find this little fellow (gal?) and he was so well hidden at the surf line that I didn't even see him until he moved.
Off I went to the next cove which advertised as having a little more action.
Well, at least that's what the brochure said.
Ah, alas, not so much.
Gulliver's Cove is supposedly where Captain Gulliver and his band of pirates hung out and waited for unsuspecting ships to seek safe haven then pillage them. It is legend that Captain Gulliver was killed by his own wife because he wouldn't let her go home to the West Indies.
Right, that's one tough Mamma. I guess she was part pirate herself!
No one but me.
Oh yeah and the farm of emus down the road.
What??
Yup, emus in the middle of no where.
Off to Digby for lunch at the Fundy Restaurant. Nice view, fresh scallops and a lobster tank inside. I'm in.
Awesome overload of scallops in a chowder then sautee'd on top of a caesar salad. Right on! Support the local economy I always say. Lovely waitress gave me today's paper to read while I ate. Very nice! The view was great and the place was quite busy for 2 pm on a Tuesday.
Stuffed, it was time for a long walk. Off to the wharf for a look see.
Digby is a working port and the scallop industry will keep it going for a long time to come. I hope.
The boats, when I was visiting, were about 30 feet down from the level of the wharf. The tide makes doing even basic chores on your ship a challenge. I watched one scallop boat prepare to go out by loading on ice. The dock worker brings over a modified, beat up, pick up truck with a huge hopper on the back filled with ice. There is a sluice that is lowered from the back of the truck and hopefully the drop is perfect to get it into the hold. The noise you hear in the video below is the captain of the ship keeping the throttle up to hold the boat so the stream of ice goes in the right spot. Oh yeah, and there are two guys in the back of the truck shovelling the ice out. Unfortunately I did video this but I couldn't seem to download it onto the blog. Even after 3 tries... grrrrrr technology.
I'll give it a try at another time. Oh well.
There is little local fruit but blueberries are quite abundant. Yum! The little stand was unmanned and a little lock box for change was there so I put in the proper amount for the best looking, biggest blueberries I have seen. I also picked up some yellow plums too. These were AWESOME. Wow. Fruit and salad all in one day. What will my body do?
As I write I have finished the plums and most of the blueberries. Oh dear. I'm hoping to get some more before I leave the area tomorrow.
Interesting things learned today:
- The 20 huge "cages" suspended in the Basin just to the left of the Admiral Digby Inn where I'm staying are salmon farm cages. So if you see farmed Atlantic Salmon on a package it might have come from here.
- The Digby Scallop Rake is a patented invention just made to harvest the scallop beds around here and was created in the 1920's.
- Populations will ebb and flow as need arises. I feel that this is a down turn for this area and in another generation it might just pick up. How? I don't know but it might just.
- Scallop and all fisherpeople have a very hard life. When it's good it's good, when it isn't it sucks.
- Native born Canadians are able to handle the "cooler" temperatures of a Canadian summer. (I hear everyone in Ontario laughing at me right now). Hey, it got up to a whopping 20 degrees Celcius today in Digby.
Gee, I hope the weather is good for the ride.
Who knows around here.
Until later!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Day 25-Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Rain gear test day!
The weather network really does try it's best in this province but really, it doesn't have a chance. What they predict rarely is reality but for part of the day they were right.
After breakfast in the lovely dining room here, overlooking the whole Annapolis Basin, I packed up my day travelling gear and set out for Annapolis Royal. This is one of the oldest settlements in Canada and switched "ownership" 7 times between French, English and Mi'kmac.
Again, I took the scenic route to get there and went through what was a booming naval academy area in Cornwallis. This base is still used for training Cadets but only in the summer months by the look of things. Again, I can see how it made a major impact on the economy of the area. The views of the basin are equally stunning from here and I must be a picture in the fall.
Highway 1 took me through some salt flats and then pow! Right in the middle of Annapolis Royal. No warning but there was the town. Just a few streets and then the water and wharfs and the oldest National Park in Canada, Fort Anne. I set out to wander around.
As my fascination with the tides here I had the opportunity here to get up close and personal with the lowered water. These are scallop boats and by the time I left Annapolis Royal all three were completely out of the water. It takes some special type of mooring tactics to make sure the ship stays were it is when it goes dry and when the waters come back up.
The town is ancient with the first English folks arriving in the early 1600's. Then the French came along and blew them up, then the English fought back all the while there were the Mi'kmac Indians having their fair share of battling for the area. Naturally a fort was built and with the now garrisoned town it had a fighting chance but it too fell back and forth between French and English. There seemed to be so many times that a family would build a house then leave again because the other country had taken over then come back again, to the same house, when the other country won the town back. Just crazy!
One place with this history is the Sinclair Inn. I had to take the picture because of my friend L, who's last name is Sinclair!
This building is being restored by the museum society in town and boy do they have their hands full. The building is constructed of huge beams that go up to build a 3 story structure and the walls are insulated with a mud and straw combination. They have uncovered original wainscotting and some of the tin roof that was applied in the 1700's but with the building being so many different things they are challenged as to find the best thing to highlight it's history. As one of the first buildings still standing in Canada it will be a long process. The young lady who explained all of this was really great and so enthusiastic. I've found this all across the maritimes.
The town is full of interpretive plaques and are very informative. I spent 2 1/2 hours just wandering around reading the plaques and looking at stuff. Some of the plaques had lots of reading on them.
As the tide lowered I could hear, in the distance kind of a waterfall sound. This is the first tidal power generating plant. Neat! The turbines are always turning as there is a small dam that is blocking part of the Annapolis river as it flows into the basin but as the tide goes out (it drops about 30 feet here) there is more water let through the dam and the turbines go faster and faster. If you stand close enough to the plant at the lowest tide you can hear a high pitched whine of the turbines going nuts. It was raining too hard for me to hear that but I believe it.
Power in Nova Scotia is expensive because there isn't any real form of production. The tidal turbine is one way, there are a few wind turbines but they aren't consistent producers and there is more research being done on it. There are no nuclear plants and no solar fields as there isn't a whole lot of flat ground. So, the tidal turbine is really a unique option!
The major part of the town is Fort Anne. It is situated at the point of land that would best defend the rest of the basin and the river. It was at the "head" of the town and defended who ever was in possession of it at the time and their people. Some artifacts were displayed around the garrison and on the ramparts of the fort. Despite the rain I walked all along the ramparts outside of the fort. On the inside of the fort some cannons were on display. A French one caught my eye as it was so ornate!
Only the French could decorate a piece of armament like this. The date on the side was 1761. Wow!
Pretty much soaked from the knees down and hungry I headed off to Ye Olde Towne Pub. Yeah, it's really called that. Don't laugh.
Not knowing what to expect I hit the double swinging doors (love that) and found a small table near the window. (nice).
The waiter came over in about 2 minutes and offered me the menu and the specials. (nice again).
The special was a no brainier. Kind of a mash between a Reuben sandwich and a quesadilla. Now that can't be bad.
The appetizer that caught my eye was scallops "cooked" in vinegar. Huh??
I asked. What the heck? I'm from Ontario and this doesn't occur on a menu I've seen.
Hmmm.
Okay!
I'm in!
The scallops were harvested yesterday and brought to shore last night for processing (due to the tides the boats won't be able to come in during the early day) so they are as fresh as you're going to get.
Even more yummy!
There is my little pile of scallops, so fresh and tasty and my little pot of vinegar.
This was AWESOME! The acidity of the vinegar made the scallops nearly melt! It was sooo tasty.
Oh yeah the Reuben was awesome too.
Sean kept me amused with stories of different happenings and ghost stories and then with the "locals" that sat beside me I was having a blast listening to them talk about how to solve the problems of the world. I had such a great time that I bought a souvenir t-shirt. Love the hospitality here.
Despite the rain I headed to the Historical Gardens. These meticulously manicured gardens have samples of roses and flowers and pondscapes that were part of the town when it was first developed and also examples of what flowers were brought with the settlers (like Scottish heather and French tea roses). It was beautiful and everything was labeled! Any gardener (I'm thinking of my cousin M, who's garden in Southampton is incredible) would love to visit here and take in the whole experience.
Some of the roses in the garden date back to the 1500s! Awesome, just wish ]it wasn't pouring with rain. Oh well. Pretty none-the-less.
I have noticed here that the hydrangea plants are all blue. They are the big snowball looking plants that you see at Easter sometimes. Here, they can be massive and pretty much all blue in colour. I asked the girl at the garden entrance and she said it's because of the acidity of the earth. That's why they are blue.
The poor blooms in the picture below took a beating in the rain but I hope the colour shows through. They were really bright blue!
On the other side of the basin is Victoria Beach. I decided to drive over there.
The winding road took me through the base of a nice mountainy area and I got a completely different view of the basin. The road ended at the other side of Digby Gut which is the small break in the land that allows all the fishing boats, ferrys and others through to the Fundy side. Neat!
Tired now and the rain really increasing I decided to head back to the Inn and do my laundry. Nice to have the facilities here and I figured at 4 pm there wouldn't be anyone after the two washers or dryers.
Task completed (maybe the last time on the road) I settled in to watch the weather change (again!).
Rain drifting inland, clouds changing and the fog hovering at the entrance to the Basin. The scallop boats were heading home for the night and people were settling in here for the night.
Who knows what tomorrow's weather will bring. Now it's changed to being 20 degrees and sunny! Wait! Next hour it might change again!
I can tell you I can see the light on the green buoy out in the Basin and the flags are gently flapping.
I don't know what it means but that's what I see!
The weather network really does try it's best in this province but really, it doesn't have a chance. What they predict rarely is reality but for part of the day they were right.
After breakfast in the lovely dining room here, overlooking the whole Annapolis Basin, I packed up my day travelling gear and set out for Annapolis Royal. This is one of the oldest settlements in Canada and switched "ownership" 7 times between French, English and Mi'kmac.
Again, I took the scenic route to get there and went through what was a booming naval academy area in Cornwallis. This base is still used for training Cadets but only in the summer months by the look of things. Again, I can see how it made a major impact on the economy of the area. The views of the basin are equally stunning from here and I must be a picture in the fall.
Highway 1 took me through some salt flats and then pow! Right in the middle of Annapolis Royal. No warning but there was the town. Just a few streets and then the water and wharfs and the oldest National Park in Canada, Fort Anne. I set out to wander around.
The town is ancient with the first English folks arriving in the early 1600's. Then the French came along and blew them up, then the English fought back all the while there were the Mi'kmac Indians having their fair share of battling for the area. Naturally a fort was built and with the now garrisoned town it had a fighting chance but it too fell back and forth between French and English. There seemed to be so many times that a family would build a house then leave again because the other country had taken over then come back again, to the same house, when the other country won the town back. Just crazy!
One place with this history is the Sinclair Inn. I had to take the picture because of my friend L, who's last name is Sinclair!
The town is full of interpretive plaques and are very informative. I spent 2 1/2 hours just wandering around reading the plaques and looking at stuff. Some of the plaques had lots of reading on them.
As the tide lowered I could hear, in the distance kind of a waterfall sound. This is the first tidal power generating plant. Neat! The turbines are always turning as there is a small dam that is blocking part of the Annapolis river as it flows into the basin but as the tide goes out (it drops about 30 feet here) there is more water let through the dam and the turbines go faster and faster. If you stand close enough to the plant at the lowest tide you can hear a high pitched whine of the turbines going nuts. It was raining too hard for me to hear that but I believe it.
Power in Nova Scotia is expensive because there isn't any real form of production. The tidal turbine is one way, there are a few wind turbines but they aren't consistent producers and there is more research being done on it. There are no nuclear plants and no solar fields as there isn't a whole lot of flat ground. So, the tidal turbine is really a unique option!
The major part of the town is Fort Anne. It is situated at the point of land that would best defend the rest of the basin and the river. It was at the "head" of the town and defended who ever was in possession of it at the time and their people. Some artifacts were displayed around the garrison and on the ramparts of the fort. Despite the rain I walked all along the ramparts outside of the fort. On the inside of the fort some cannons were on display. A French one caught my eye as it was so ornate!
Pretty much soaked from the knees down and hungry I headed off to Ye Olde Towne Pub. Yeah, it's really called that. Don't laugh.
Not knowing what to expect I hit the double swinging doors (love that) and found a small table near the window. (nice).
The waiter came over in about 2 minutes and offered me the menu and the specials. (nice again).
The special was a no brainier. Kind of a mash between a Reuben sandwich and a quesadilla. Now that can't be bad.
The appetizer that caught my eye was scallops "cooked" in vinegar. Huh??
I asked. What the heck? I'm from Ontario and this doesn't occur on a menu I've seen.
Hmmm.
Okay!
I'm in!
The scallops were harvested yesterday and brought to shore last night for processing (due to the tides the boats won't be able to come in during the early day) so they are as fresh as you're going to get.
Even more yummy!
This was AWESOME! The acidity of the vinegar made the scallops nearly melt! It was sooo tasty.
Oh yeah the Reuben was awesome too.
Sean kept me amused with stories of different happenings and ghost stories and then with the "locals" that sat beside me I was having a blast listening to them talk about how to solve the problems of the world. I had such a great time that I bought a souvenir t-shirt. Love the hospitality here.
Despite the rain I headed to the Historical Gardens. These meticulously manicured gardens have samples of roses and flowers and pondscapes that were part of the town when it was first developed and also examples of what flowers were brought with the settlers (like Scottish heather and French tea roses). It was beautiful and everything was labeled! Any gardener (I'm thinking of my cousin M, who's garden in Southampton is incredible) would love to visit here and take in the whole experience.
I have noticed here that the hydrangea plants are all blue. They are the big snowball looking plants that you see at Easter sometimes. Here, they can be massive and pretty much all blue in colour. I asked the girl at the garden entrance and she said it's because of the acidity of the earth. That's why they are blue.
The poor blooms in the picture below took a beating in the rain but I hope the colour shows through. They were really bright blue!
The winding road took me through the base of a nice mountainy area and I got a completely different view of the basin. The road ended at the other side of Digby Gut which is the small break in the land that allows all the fishing boats, ferrys and others through to the Fundy side. Neat!
Tired now and the rain really increasing I decided to head back to the Inn and do my laundry. Nice to have the facilities here and I figured at 4 pm there wouldn't be anyone after the two washers or dryers.
Task completed (maybe the last time on the road) I settled in to watch the weather change (again!).
Rain drifting inland, clouds changing and the fog hovering at the entrance to the Basin. The scallop boats were heading home for the night and people were settling in here for the night.
Who knows what tomorrow's weather will bring. Now it's changed to being 20 degrees and sunny! Wait! Next hour it might change again!
I can tell you I can see the light on the green buoy out in the Basin and the flags are gently flapping.
I don't know what it means but that's what I see!
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