Hidden Waterfalls
Friday - July 27, 2007
Today was a lovely day, sunny and quite warm but there was a nice breeze so it made it very pleasant. We drove the Port au Port Peninsula today and what a beautiful drive and scenery. We crossed the Gravels, which is the isthmus connecting the peninsula with the mainland. We stopped at Our Lady of Mercy Church at Port au Port, it is the largest wooden structure in Newfoundland and a beautiful church. The Waterloo Region Police Choir is singing in this church next Tuesday night, too bad we won’t be here.
We drove along the Gulf of St. Lawrence through picturesque fishing villages with funny names, we stopped at Sheaves Cove to see the hidden waterfalls and traveled through places like Cape St. George, Mainland, Red Island, Black Duck Brook and Picadilly. The scenery was incredible, unfortunately there are no good places to stop so we got very few pictures. This area is very French and they are trying to maintain their heritage and language. We stopped at Picadilly and had an ice cream cone and there was a beach there with people in swimming – the first time we have seen anyone in the water. Mind you this was on the St. George Bay side and not on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
When we got back to Gravels we took the road up to Point au Mal and Fox Island River, another scenic drive.
Some of the things we have noticed so far:
- the houses are very nice and there are some really beautiful homes out in the middle of nowhere
- most of the houses do not have garages, especially the older ones, garages are mainly seen on the newer homes
- there are beautiful wildflowers everywhere
- a lot of the shoreline we have seen so far reminds us of the Bruce Peninsula with the cliffs and rocky beaches
- there are very few scenic outlooks – very disappointing and the roads are narrow and without shoulders so it is hard to just pull over and stop
- although it is prime tourist season so far it has been quiet and without a lot of traffic, at one place we stopped today we talked to a couple from Brampton and they said they had noticed the same thing
- most of the cemeteries we have seen have been built on hills overlooking water
- we can’t believe the number of children running around on ATV’s – it seems like every house has an ATV
- I have never seen so many clothes hung out and blowing in the breeze
We are thoroughly enjoying the trip and the scenery is incredible.
We drove along the Gulf of St. Lawrence through picturesque fishing villages with funny names, we stopped at Sheaves Cove to see the hidden waterfalls and traveled through places like Cape St. George, Mainland, Red Island, Black Duck Brook and Picadilly. The scenery was incredible, unfortunately there are no good places to stop so we got very few pictures. This area is very French and they are trying to maintain their heritage and language. We stopped at Picadilly and had an ice cream cone and there was a beach there with people in swimming – the first time we have seen anyone in the water. Mind you this was on the St. George Bay side and not on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
When we got back to Gravels we took the road up to Point au Mal and Fox Island River, another scenic drive.
Some of the things we have noticed so far:
- the houses are very nice and there are some really beautiful homes out in the middle of nowhere
- most of the houses do not have garages, especially the older ones, garages are mainly seen on the newer homes
- there are beautiful wildflowers everywhere
- a lot of the shoreline we have seen so far reminds us of the Bruce Peninsula with the cliffs and rocky beaches
- there are very few scenic outlooks – very disappointing and the roads are narrow and without shoulders so it is hard to just pull over and stop
- although it is prime tourist season so far it has been quiet and without a lot of traffic, at one place we stopped today we talked to a couple from Brampton and they said they had noticed the same thing
- most of the cemeteries we have seen have been built on hills overlooking water
- we can’t believe the number of children running around on ATV’s – it seems like every house has an ATV
- I have never seen so many clothes hung out and blowing in the breeze
We are thoroughly enjoying the trip and the scenery is incredible.
Thursday - July 26, 2007
We woke up to an overcast sky this morning but fortunately John was able to get us hooked up and on the road before it started to rain. We drove, in the rain, to Stephenville which was about 135 km and checked into Zenzville RV Park, this is a real family type park so very busy and all the full hook ups are taken by seasonals, so we have water and electric.
After we got settled we drove into Stephenville and toured around a bit then stopped at the Wal Mart to pick up a couple of things. The U.S. set up an air force base in Stephenville from about the 1940’s to the 60’s so it has army type housing everywhere. We drove by a real pretty golf course right along the bay, it was raining but there were a lot of diehards golfing! Stephenville apparently has a very good theatre but we will wait till Gros Morne to do a show as we’ve heard they have a good one there.
After we got settled we drove into Stephenville and toured around a bit then stopped at the Wal Mart to pick up a couple of things. The U.S. set up an air force base in Stephenville from about the 1940’s to the 60’s so it has army type housing everywhere. We drove by a real pretty golf course right along the bay, it was raining but there were a lot of diehards golfing! Stephenville apparently has a very good theatre but we will wait till Gros Morne to do a show as we’ve heard they have a good one there.
Wednesday, - July 25, 2007
We woke up to sunshine this morning which was nice for a change, a good day for touring. We headed out to Rose Blanche, which is a small community on the southwest coast about 45 km from Port aux Basque and what a pretty drive it was, very hilly with fantastic views of the ocean. The whole way there was very mountainous and I can’t believe how many lakes, ponds and rivers there are – water, water everywhere!!
Rose Blanche is noted for its lighthouse which was built in 1871 out of granite from a nearby quarry – very quaint and different. It was used as a lighthouse until the 1940’s when it was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The lighthouse had stone steps within the tower wall and these steps kept the building from completely collapsing, it was restored and reopened to the public in 1999 and we had a very interesting tour with lots of information and stories and a lovely view of the town and ocean.
After touring the lighthouse we went into town and what a riot that was, the streets are not named, are only about one car width wide and climb up and down and twist and turn like crazy, at one point we crested the top of a hill and couldn’t see down the other side!! We finally found the Friendly Fisherman’s Café, which had been recommended to us by quite a few people, and we had an excellent meal - I had fish and chips (cod) and John had fish cakes, and what huge portions they serve.
On the way back we stopped into the little harbour towns of Burnt Islands, Isle aux Morts and Margaree/Fox Roost. All these towns are built around a harbour and the houses cling to the side of the hills and the roads go up, down and all around. We simply cannot understand how they can drive these roads in winter, it would certainly be a challenge!
We stopped at Price Chopper on the way home and picked up a few groceries and at Port aux Basque we ran into fog and it was foggy all the way back, so we were glad it had been so nice where we were.
When we got back there was an Airstream like our old ’88 beside us and the people came over for a chat, they are from Trois Riviere and have been touring the island for about 3 weeks so had lots of places to tell us about and things to see. We have yet to hear anyone say anything bad about Newfoundland, everyone has just loved it and are so enthusiastic about telling others what to see and do and certainly from the little bit we have seen we can understand why everyone loves it.
I did some laundry and we had a very light dinner – a couple of crackers and cheese and John finished the rye bread from Louisbourg, and it is now the end of another great day.
Rose Blanche is noted for its lighthouse which was built in 1871 out of granite from a nearby quarry – very quaint and different. It was used as a lighthouse until the 1940’s when it was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The lighthouse had stone steps within the tower wall and these steps kept the building from completely collapsing, it was restored and reopened to the public in 1999 and we had a very interesting tour with lots of information and stories and a lovely view of the town and ocean.
After touring the lighthouse we went into town and what a riot that was, the streets are not named, are only about one car width wide and climb up and down and twist and turn like crazy, at one point we crested the top of a hill and couldn’t see down the other side!! We finally found the Friendly Fisherman’s Café, which had been recommended to us by quite a few people, and we had an excellent meal - I had fish and chips (cod) and John had fish cakes, and what huge portions they serve.
On the way back we stopped into the little harbour towns of Burnt Islands, Isle aux Morts and Margaree/Fox Roost. All these towns are built around a harbour and the houses cling to the side of the hills and the roads go up, down and all around. We simply cannot understand how they can drive these roads in winter, it would certainly be a challenge!
We stopped at Price Chopper on the way home and picked up a few groceries and at Port aux Basque we ran into fog and it was foggy all the way back, so we were glad it had been so nice where we were.
When we got back there was an Airstream like our old ’88 beside us and the people came over for a chat, they are from Trois Riviere and have been touring the island for about 3 weeks so had lots of places to tell us about and things to see. We have yet to hear anyone say anything bad about Newfoundland, everyone has just loved it and are so enthusiastic about telling others what to see and do and certainly from the little bit we have seen we can understand why everyone loves it.
I did some laundry and we had a very light dinner – a couple of crackers and cheese and John finished the rye bread from Louisbourg, and it is now the end of another great day.
Tuesday - July 24, 2007
The sun was shining at 5:30 this morning but by about 8 it was clouded over and remained like that the rest of the day. We decided to tour Codroy Valley today and had a nice day and enjoyed touring around. We drove out to the lighthouse at Cape Anguille (our pictures of it weren’t good) then drove down to Cape Ray and back into Port aux Basques.
We went into the general store here at Codroy, and it was quite interesting as it had a little bit of everything from souvenirs, to groceries to a liquor store but the prices were quite high and there wasn’t one bit of fresh fruit or veggies. We found a Price Chopper in Port aux Basques so will stop tomorrow and stock up before heading on to Stephenville on Thursday.
We had noticed two RV’s from Ontario come in this morning about 10 and set up just behind us a bit. When we got back this afternoon one of the trucks came by and the fellow waved and I thought both he and the truck license looked familiar (the license is personalized), then a couple of minutes later he came back and said your Carolyn aren’t you. It turned out to be Frank McColeman from the Elora area and he and Nancy were here with another couple, Bob & Bonnie Daigle from Guelph/Eramosa. Frank asked us over for a drink so we had a great visit and got lots of helpful hints for things to see and do. They have been on the island for 3 weeks and are taking the ferry back tomorrow morning so had lots to tell us. It was great seeing them, small world. I hadn’t seen Nancy and Frank in quite a number of years, then ran into them last summer at Green Acres so it was nice to meet up with them again.
We went into the general store here at Codroy, and it was quite interesting as it had a little bit of everything from souvenirs, to groceries to a liquor store but the prices were quite high and there wasn’t one bit of fresh fruit or veggies. We found a Price Chopper in Port aux Basques so will stop tomorrow and stock up before heading on to Stephenville on Thursday.
We had noticed two RV’s from Ontario come in this morning about 10 and set up just behind us a bit. When we got back this afternoon one of the trucks came by and the fellow waved and I thought both he and the truck license looked familiar (the license is personalized), then a couple of minutes later he came back and said your Carolyn aren’t you. It turned out to be Frank McColeman from the Elora area and he and Nancy were here with another couple, Bob & Bonnie Daigle from Guelph/Eramosa. Frank asked us over for a drink so we had a great visit and got lots of helpful hints for things to see and do. They have been on the island for 3 weeks and are taking the ferry back tomorrow morning so had lots to tell us. It was great seeing them, small world. I hadn’t seen Nancy and Frank in quite a number of years, then ran into them last summer at Green Acres so it was nice to meet up with them again.
Monday - July 23, 2007
We are now in Newfoundland and what little we have seen is beautiful. We are set up at a really nice campground about 45 km from Port aux Basques, on one side is a river and the other side is mountains - so pretty. It seems weird to be1-1/2 hours ahead of home, the half hour is so strange! Bonus, there is wi-fi here and she gave us a spot where we could be sure to hook up with no problem. John has just got the satellite TV up and working so we are all set.
Today was a nice warm sunny day and it is supposed to be like this for a couple of days at least so here’s hoping.
The ferry ride was good but seemed long, this was only 6 hours so can't wait for the 14 hour one coming back! It was really hot in the sun on deck and cool in the shade so we took turns sitting inside and out. After lunch we found a couple of nice comfortable chairs and dozed for a bit and I bought a book and read to help pass the time.
We were at the front of the boat going on so we were the first one off which was a bonus. Getting the trailer parked on the ferry was fun, the first thing they did when we got on was push in our mirrors, then John couldn't see the trailer behind and where it was in relation to the obstacles on either side so we put them out again. We were parking between a wall and a transport truck, with about a foot clearance on either side, then when we got to the front John had to turn a bit to miss a large post, lots of fun but he did very well and we managed to get off and on without any scratches. There was a fellow directing us but he could only see one side of the trailer at a time so when he was watching one side we were worrying about the other!
Today was a nice warm sunny day and it is supposed to be like this for a couple of days at least so here’s hoping.
The ferry ride was good but seemed long, this was only 6 hours so can't wait for the 14 hour one coming back! It was really hot in the sun on deck and cool in the shade so we took turns sitting inside and out. After lunch we found a couple of nice comfortable chairs and dozed for a bit and I bought a book and read to help pass the time.
We were at the front of the boat going on so we were the first one off which was a bonus. Getting the trailer parked on the ferry was fun, the first thing they did when we got on was push in our mirrors, then John couldn't see the trailer behind and where it was in relation to the obstacles on either side so we put them out again. We were parking between a wall and a transport truck, with about a foot clearance on either side, then when we got to the front John had to turn a bit to miss a large post, lots of fun but he did very well and we managed to get off and on without any scratches. There was a fellow directing us but he could only see one side of the trailer at a time so when he was watching one side we were worrying about the other!
Sunday - July 22, 2007
Wow, we haven’t seen so much rain in a long time. It rained all evening and all night then it was off and on for most of this morning. We finally decided that we wouldn’t melt if we got wet so headed for Fortress Louisbourg and lo and behold the rain stopped shortly before we got there, and then about 2 the sun came out and it got quite warm. It was only about 15C when we left here but it was about 22C when we got through at the fortress, so we were happy that it had turned into such a nice afternoon.
When we got to the Visitors Centre we found out that you have to take a bus to the fortress as the centre is quite a long ways from the actual fortress. They had interesting displays in the Visitors Centre that you could look at on the way to the bus. We took a quick look on the way there then spent longer looking at them on the way out. The fortress was very interesting and surprisingly enough it really wasn’t very busy so we didn’t have to battle any crowds to see things. We bought a loaf of rye bread at the bakery so it will be interesting to see what it tastes like – it is very heavy so I don’t know what it will be like, we were thankful we didn’t buy it until on the way out.
After the fortress we toured around the town of Louisbourg then drove out to the lighthouse. The ocean was rolling in real good so it was quite pretty and the fog horn was blaring away so it was also noisy. We then went into Sydney to Swiss Chalet for dinner – thanks Kel, Tim and kids, we really enjoyed it.
John is now hooking up the trailer as we have to be out of here about 7:30 tomorrow morning and I have got as much done inside as I can so we can be ready to roll quite quickly in the morning. We will probably wait and have breakfast when we get to the dock as we will have at least an hour to wait before boarding. This morning I went online to check our reservation and it kept rejecting my reservation number and password so I got a little panicky and called Marine Atlantic. All was well, they still have our reservation for the morning and she said the reservation program was giving them problems, so I got panicky for nothing.
Tonight we had a nice sunset, the first we have seen in quite a while.
When we got to the Visitors Centre we found out that you have to take a bus to the fortress as the centre is quite a long ways from the actual fortress. They had interesting displays in the Visitors Centre that you could look at on the way to the bus. We took a quick look on the way there then spent longer looking at them on the way out. The fortress was very interesting and surprisingly enough it really wasn’t very busy so we didn’t have to battle any crowds to see things. We bought a loaf of rye bread at the bakery so it will be interesting to see what it tastes like – it is very heavy so I don’t know what it will be like, we were thankful we didn’t buy it until on the way out.
After the fortress we toured around the town of Louisbourg then drove out to the lighthouse. The ocean was rolling in real good so it was quite pretty and the fog horn was blaring away so it was also noisy. We then went into Sydney to Swiss Chalet for dinner – thanks Kel, Tim and kids, we really enjoyed it.
John is now hooking up the trailer as we have to be out of here about 7:30 tomorrow morning and I have got as much done inside as I can so we can be ready to roll quite quickly in the morning. We will probably wait and have breakfast when we get to the dock as we will have at least an hour to wait before boarding. This morning I went online to check our reservation and it kept rejecting my reservation number and password so I got a little panicky and called Marine Atlantic. All was well, they still have our reservation for the morning and she said the reservation program was giving them problems, so I got panicky for nothing.
Tonight we had a nice sunset, the first we have seen in quite a while.
Saturday - July 21, 2007
Today was another wet, rainy day but at least it was warm. It rained most of the night and continued off and on all day, not much of a day for touring or doing outdoor things.
We drove to Baddeck and toured the Alexander Graham Bell Museum which was very interesting, I hadn’t realized how much he had done and in so many varied areas – a very interesting person.
We took the scenic route back but it was only scenic if you like fog, trees and bad roads!! When we got back we stopped and picked up a few groceries then came home and had dinner. It wasn’t raining when we had finished dinner so we went for a nice walk around the park and down to the river then came back and did dishes. It has now started to rain again!
A couple of business signs we have seen in North Sydney – Curl Up and Dye (wonder how much business they do!) and Lick-A-Chick (I am leaving that one alone!!).
We drove to Baddeck and toured the Alexander Graham Bell Museum which was very interesting, I hadn’t realized how much he had done and in so many varied areas – a very interesting person.
We took the scenic route back but it was only scenic if you like fog, trees and bad roads!! When we got back we stopped and picked up a few groceries then came home and had dinner. It wasn’t raining when we had finished dinner so we went for a nice walk around the park and down to the river then came back and did dishes. It has now started to rain again!
A couple of business signs we have seen in North Sydney – Curl Up and Dye (wonder how much business they do!) and Lick-A-Chick (I am leaving that one alone!!).
Friday - July 20, 2007
Well, our luck ran out and did we get rain this morning, it poured all morning! It finally stopped shortly after noon so I went over and did some laundry, managed to sneak in between other people so I didn’t have to wait at all. It has also been very windy today, the river here is quite rough looking.
When I got through with the laundry we decided to take a drive into North Sydney and check the ferry dock out, there were two ferries in dock and lots of cars, trucks and RV’s waiting to board. We drove around North Sydney for a bit then drove over to Sydney and bonus – we got to see the Bluenose II. We were just driving along the waterfront and saw what at first we thought were two of the Tall Ships coming into the harbour but it turned out the first one in was the Bluenose II and the other was a tall ship - the Pride of Baltimore II. We got parked right where they tied up and got a good look at both of them, I was really happy as I had been quite disappointed when the Bluenose wasn’t at Lunenburg as I have always wanted to see it.
We took the back roads back to North Sydney and one of the ferries was gone and the parking lot was empty. We had no rain all the time we were gone so that was good as it looked like it had rained here again when we got back. I’m not sure but I think the barbequer could get wet tonight as well as having a challenge with the wind, I’m glad it was his decision to do a barbecue.
It sure is nice to have internet again and have e-mail, I have “talked” to all our children which is a bonus.
When I got through with the laundry we decided to take a drive into North Sydney and check the ferry dock out, there were two ferries in dock and lots of cars, trucks and RV’s waiting to board. We drove around North Sydney for a bit then drove over to Sydney and bonus – we got to see the Bluenose II. We were just driving along the waterfront and saw what at first we thought were two of the Tall Ships coming into the harbour but it turned out the first one in was the Bluenose II and the other was a tall ship - the Pride of Baltimore II. We got parked right where they tied up and got a good look at both of them, I was really happy as I had been quite disappointed when the Bluenose wasn’t at Lunenburg as I have always wanted to see it.
We took the back roads back to North Sydney and one of the ferries was gone and the parking lot was empty. We had no rain all the time we were gone so that was good as it looked like it had rained here again when we got back. I’m not sure but I think the barbequer could get wet tonight as well as having a challenge with the wind, I’m glad it was his decision to do a barbecue.
It sure is nice to have internet again and have e-mail, I have “talked” to all our children which is a bonus.
Thursday - July 19, 2007
John was glad he had hooked up last night as it started to rain about the time we went to bed and rained on and off all night. It finally quit about 7:30 and the rest of the day has been much better than was forecasted. We didn’t have any more rain and have had sun off and on all day so we can’t complain.
We left about 9 this morning and are now at Arm of Gold RV Park at Sydney, it is about 5 minutes to the ferry so will be a short run on Monday morning. We have to be there by 8:30 so will probably leave here about 7:45 just to give us lots of extra time and be there a bit earlier than suggested. I guess we can sit in the trailer and wait so it shouldn’t be too bad. There was some lovely scenery on the drive here and we are hoping the weather won’t be too bad the next couple of days so we can do Fortress Louisburg, some of the Cabot Trail etc.
We finally have wi-fi so I have been getting caught up while John has been getting us set-up and now he is washing off the front of the trailer as it is absolutely filthy. You aren’t supposed to wash trailers here but the car/trailer wash isn’t working so I guess it won’t be too big a problem to wash it on our site as he is only using a bucket, not the hose.
When we checked in I wanted to pay with Visa and the fellow was having trouble putting it through so told me to come back in a while when the owners were there and would be able to do it, so back I went and it still wouldn’t go through. I used their phone as visa is an 800 number and called to see what the problem was. After answering numerous questions to identify myself they said there had been a number of fuel charges on our bill and they had been trying to call us to see if our card had been lost or stolen. To make a long story short I told them where we are, where we are going and approximately how long we would be away and the fellow said he would make a note on our account of that. I also gave him our cell phone number in case they want to get in touch with us again. It is nice to know that they check up on unusual items and put a stop on the card in case there is anything wrong. I told him that there would be many fuel bills as we are doing a lot of traveling and pulling a 35’ trailer to boot!!
We left about 9 this morning and are now at Arm of Gold RV Park at Sydney, it is about 5 minutes to the ferry so will be a short run on Monday morning. We have to be there by 8:30 so will probably leave here about 7:45 just to give us lots of extra time and be there a bit earlier than suggested. I guess we can sit in the trailer and wait so it shouldn’t be too bad. There was some lovely scenery on the drive here and we are hoping the weather won’t be too bad the next couple of days so we can do Fortress Louisburg, some of the Cabot Trail etc.
We finally have wi-fi so I have been getting caught up while John has been getting us set-up and now he is washing off the front of the trailer as it is absolutely filthy. You aren’t supposed to wash trailers here but the car/trailer wash isn’t working so I guess it won’t be too big a problem to wash it on our site as he is only using a bucket, not the hose.
When we checked in I wanted to pay with Visa and the fellow was having trouble putting it through so told me to come back in a while when the owners were there and would be able to do it, so back I went and it still wouldn’t go through. I used their phone as visa is an 800 number and called to see what the problem was. After answering numerous questions to identify myself they said there had been a number of fuel charges on our bill and they had been trying to call us to see if our card had been lost or stolen. To make a long story short I told them where we are, where we are going and approximately how long we would be away and the fellow said he would make a note on our account of that. I also gave him our cell phone number in case they want to get in touch with us again. It is nice to know that they check up on unusual items and put a stop on the card in case there is anything wrong. I told him that there would be many fuel bills as we are doing a lot of traveling and pulling a 35’ trailer to boot!!
Wednesday, - July 18, 2007
Well, another day without wi-fi, sure do hope we can get connected tomorrow night at our new park, they say they have free wi-fi so here’s hoping.
We woke up to a gorgeous sunny morning so headed out to Lunenburg, it was about a 1-1/4 hour drive but all through the country so not too busy. We drove through Mahone Bay which is very pretty, I can see why Jane has a home here as well as at Whipporwill! Lunenberg was very busy, there were 3 Tall Ships there so not a parking spot to be found and I had visions of walking 3 or 4 blocks down to the harbour then having to walk back up, but fortunately we found the information centre and the gal there said to park at the community centre and there was a free shuttle bus to the harbour front, sounded good to us. We took the shuttle bus in and wandered around for a while then stopped for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the harbour.
From there we went to Peggy’s Cove but by the time we got there it was quite overcast, still it is very pretty. We stopped at the memorial to Swiss Air 111, it is a very nice memorial and very sad to think of all those people (229) losing their lives. We walked around the harbour at Peggy’s Cove then out to the lighthouse, I mailed a couple of post cards from there so the recipients should have a special cancellation stamp on their postcards.
We came back and John got us hooked up as it is supposed to be raining in the morning, so better to hook up when it is dry. I had put a pot roast in the slow cooker this morning so dinner was ready when we got back – nice and easy.
We are on the 45th parallel here, the same as Lions Head, which surprised me. John seems to think Bannister Hill is the 45th parallel but if not it is right around there, I know the sign at Clark’s Corners says half way to the North Pole so we are definitely on the same latitude.
We woke up to a gorgeous sunny morning so headed out to Lunenburg, it was about a 1-1/4 hour drive but all through the country so not too busy. We drove through Mahone Bay which is very pretty, I can see why Jane has a home here as well as at Whipporwill! Lunenberg was very busy, there were 3 Tall Ships there so not a parking spot to be found and I had visions of walking 3 or 4 blocks down to the harbour then having to walk back up, but fortunately we found the information centre and the gal there said to park at the community centre and there was a free shuttle bus to the harbour front, sounded good to us. We took the shuttle bus in and wandered around for a while then stopped for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the harbour.
From there we went to Peggy’s Cove but by the time we got there it was quite overcast, still it is very pretty. We stopped at the memorial to Swiss Air 111, it is a very nice memorial and very sad to think of all those people (229) losing their lives. We walked around the harbour at Peggy’s Cove then out to the lighthouse, I mailed a couple of post cards from there so the recipients should have a special cancellation stamp on their postcards.
We came back and John got us hooked up as it is supposed to be raining in the morning, so better to hook up when it is dry. I had put a pot roast in the slow cooker this morning so dinner was ready when we got back – nice and easy.
We are on the 45th parallel here, the same as Lions Head, which surprised me. John seems to think Bannister Hill is the 45th parallel but if not it is right around there, I know the sign at Clark’s Corners says half way to the North Pole so we are definitely on the same latitude.
Tuesday - July 17, 2007
Today is our grandson Brent’s 15th birthday – Happy Birthday Brent, it was good to talk to you a while ago.
Today was a gorgeous day, very sunny and hot. We drove into Dartmouth and took the ferry over to Halifax, a nice ferry ride with a good view of the Halifax waterfront going over and Dartmouth coming back, and no hassle with having to drive into Halifax and try to find a place to park.
We walked up to the Citadel, oh my aching hip, and got there in plenty of time to hear them fire the noon canon and watch the display in the courtyard with the bagpipes and drums – very nice. We visited the military museum there, wandered around then headed back down to the harbour area. We stopped at an old cemetery on the way back down to the harbour – it had a lot of very old, fancy stones in it. There was a large cruise ship in the harbour so lots of people off the cruise boat wandering around. I chatted for a couple of minutes with a couple off the ship and it is a Carnival Cruise out of New York – 5 days with stops at St. John’s and Halifax. We just took our time walking along the harbour enjoying the view and all the boats and stopped at a restaurant and had a lobster sandwich and salad for lunch – very good!
On the way home we hit a couple of hotels hoping to get onto the internet but no luck so I am way behind with my blog – hopefully tomorrow we will find a hot spot so I can check my e-mail, post my blog etc.
We are now all closed up for the evening in the hopes of avoiding all those nasty little critters!!
Today was a gorgeous day, very sunny and hot. We drove into Dartmouth and took the ferry over to Halifax, a nice ferry ride with a good view of the Halifax waterfront going over and Dartmouth coming back, and no hassle with having to drive into Halifax and try to find a place to park.
We walked up to the Citadel, oh my aching hip, and got there in plenty of time to hear them fire the noon canon and watch the display in the courtyard with the bagpipes and drums – very nice. We visited the military museum there, wandered around then headed back down to the harbour area. We stopped at an old cemetery on the way back down to the harbour – it had a lot of very old, fancy stones in it. There was a large cruise ship in the harbour so lots of people off the cruise boat wandering around. I chatted for a couple of minutes with a couple off the ship and it is a Carnival Cruise out of New York – 5 days with stops at St. John’s and Halifax. We just took our time walking along the harbour enjoying the view and all the boats and stopped at a restaurant and had a lobster sandwich and salad for lunch – very good!
On the way home we hit a couple of hotels hoping to get onto the internet but no luck so I am way behind with my blog – hopefully tomorrow we will find a hot spot so I can check my e-mail, post my blog etc.
We are now all closed up for the evening in the hopes of avoiding all those nasty little critters!!
Monday - July 16, 2007
Well, I didn’t get lucky – no wif-fi again. Today was quite a nice day, mostly sunny and at one point the temperature on the truck was 81, so quite warm. The drive was good but not much in the way of scenery, mostly trees, but we must say the Trans Canada is a good highway and we sure by-passed Fredericton, Moncton etc, without seeing a thing. The traffic was quite light today so all in all a good drive.
We are now at Elmsdale, NS which is about 40 minutes from Halifax, a nice park and Passport America so quite cheap, but no wi-fi. We are here until Thursday so plan on doing Halifax tomorrow and then on Wednesday doing Peggy’s Cove etc. so we hope the weather continues to co-operate. It is supposed to rain tonight but tomorrow it is supposed to be sunny with some clouds, so here’s hoping. The fellow in the trailer beside us, who is a local, said that there are black flies and no-seeums here so we are making sure that we are closed up tight before dark!
When we got here I made reservations at Arms of Gold Park near the ferry for 4 nights, then we can tour out from there, so we are now all set for camping spots until we get on the ferry next Monday morning.
We are now at Elmsdale, NS which is about 40 minutes from Halifax, a nice park and Passport America so quite cheap, but no wi-fi. We are here until Thursday so plan on doing Halifax tomorrow and then on Wednesday doing Peggy’s Cove etc. so we hope the weather continues to co-operate. It is supposed to rain tonight but tomorrow it is supposed to be sunny with some clouds, so here’s hoping. The fellow in the trailer beside us, who is a local, said that there are black flies and no-seeums here so we are making sure that we are closed up tight before dark!
When we got here I made reservations at Arms of Gold Park near the ferry for 4 nights, then we can tour out from there, so we are now all set for camping spots until we get on the ferry next Monday morning.
Sunday - July 15, 2007
Well, yesterday’s internet was short lived – I couldn’t get my pictures posted last night so thought I would try to do it this morning before we left and no internet again – very frustrating.
It rained pretty well all night last night but thankfully stopped about 7 this morning so we were able to get away without getting wet. It was cloudy all morning driving but we didn’t get rain until we crossed into New Brunswick and just when we stopped at the Welcome Centre it started to pour, but by the time we had lunch it had stopped again so we didn’t get wet going into the Welcome Centre. Today’s drive was pretty, very hilly and nice scenery, just too bad it wasn’t sunny. We stopped for the night at Woodstock, NB and are at a park right on the St. John River and it is a Passport America Park so only cost $16.50. After we got set up we took our chairs down by the water and sat for a while before dinner, it was very pretty and relaxing. Of course there is no wi-fi here so I won’t be doing any posting tonight. Could I be lucky and get it tomorrow night?
It rained pretty well all night last night but thankfully stopped about 7 this morning so we were able to get away without getting wet. It was cloudy all morning driving but we didn’t get rain until we crossed into New Brunswick and just when we stopped at the Welcome Centre it started to pour, but by the time we had lunch it had stopped again so we didn’t get wet going into the Welcome Centre. Today’s drive was pretty, very hilly and nice scenery, just too bad it wasn’t sunny. We stopped for the night at Woodstock, NB and are at a park right on the St. John River and it is a Passport America Park so only cost $16.50. After we got set up we took our chairs down by the water and sat for a while before dinner, it was very pretty and relaxing. Of course there is no wi-fi here so I won’t be doing any posting tonight. Could I be lucky and get it tomorrow night?
Saturday - July 14, 2007
Saturday – July 14 - We woke up to sun this morning and it stayed sunny until mid afternoon when it clouded over, but it hasn’t rained, so that is a bonus.
I did some laundry this morning then this afternoon we went into town and got some groceries, fuel, found a motel to get internet then drove down by the St. Lawrence and enjoyed the view across the river – actually it was a wonderful view of Montmorency Falls.
We are really impressed with the people here, everyone goes out of their way to try to speak English and we try to use our little bit of French. It was a riot at the grocery store with the check out clerk and I trying to get it straight that I wanted some cash back but we did get it straight. She called over a young fellow who spoke English and he had a lot of questions about where we lived etc. It is interesting here, the cost of fuel is the same at every gas station - $1.14/litre for gas and $1.039/litre for diesel, no bargains to be had anywhere!!
When we got back I went to download some pictures and lo and behold we had internet so I guess they have it working again. Hopefully I will be able to get today’s diary and a couple of pictures posted tonight. After dinner we sat out for quite a while but it finally got too damp so I had to come in and do dishes – what a bummer. They are calling for rain tomorrow so John got us all hooked up and ready to go in the morning so if it is raining it won’t be much to do to get on the road.
I did some laundry this morning then this afternoon we went into town and got some groceries, fuel, found a motel to get internet then drove down by the St. Lawrence and enjoyed the view across the river – actually it was a wonderful view of Montmorency Falls.
We are really impressed with the people here, everyone goes out of their way to try to speak English and we try to use our little bit of French. It was a riot at the grocery store with the check out clerk and I trying to get it straight that I wanted some cash back but we did get it straight. She called over a young fellow who spoke English and he had a lot of questions about where we lived etc. It is interesting here, the cost of fuel is the same at every gas station - $1.14/litre for gas and $1.039/litre for diesel, no bargains to be had anywhere!!
When we got back I went to download some pictures and lo and behold we had internet so I guess they have it working again. Hopefully I will be able to get today’s diary and a couple of pictures posted tonight. After dinner we sat out for quite a while but it finally got too damp so I had to come in and do dishes – what a bummer. They are calling for rain tomorrow so John got us all hooked up and ready to go in the morning so if it is raining it won’t be much to do to get on the road.
Friday - July 13, 2007
Today was funny weather wise, it was sunny when we got up then it rained for a bit before we left the park and rained for about the first half hour then the sun came out and it was mainly sunny all the way to Levis. We got here about 2 and within an hour it was overcast and had started to rain again and is suddenly quite windy.
We got here and found out their internet isn’t working – grrrr, she said they are trying to get it going but have been having a lot of problems with it. Hopefully they will get it going as it appears that there is no one around us with an internet dish.
Tonight we went out and had a pizza for dinner, we haven’t been out for pizza since before Christmas at Casa Grande so decided it was time. It was a very busy restaurant but we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table and the pizza was very good. We came back and went for a walk around but had to cut it short as it started to rain.
We got here and found out their internet isn’t working – grrrr, she said they are trying to get it going but have been having a lot of problems with it. Hopefully they will get it going as it appears that there is no one around us with an internet dish.
Tonight we went out and had a pizza for dinner, we haven’t been out for pizza since before Christmas at Casa Grande so decided it was time. It was a very busy restaurant but we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table and the pizza was very good. We came back and went for a walk around but had to cut it short as it started to rain.
Thursday - July 12, 2007
Today our oldest grandson is 19 – Happy Birthday Kevin! It was a nice day today, sunny with some clouds and not too hot. Taking the lesser highways is certainly slower than the 401 etc. but much nicer and more relaxing. We enjoyed the drive from Marmora and saw lots of places where we have never been before, we are now at Alfred, which is on Hwy.17, about 20 km west of Hawkesville, where we will cross over into Quebec.
We are at Evergreen Camping which is much nicer than last night and cheaper, I really think KOA’s are way over priced! (Have I mentioned that before!). All the trailers here are quite new and very nicely set up, most of the permanent ones have nice add-a-rooms and they are all very well kept. There is no wi-fi here so I won’t be able to post this until tomorrow as I know the park we are going to has internet.
We are at Evergreen Camping which is much nicer than last night and cheaper, I really think KOA’s are way over priced! (Have I mentioned that before!). All the trailers here are quite new and very nicely set up, most of the permanent ones have nice add-a-rooms and they are all very well kept. There is no wi-fi here so I won’t be able to post this until tomorrow as I know the park we are going to has internet.
Wednesday, - July 11, 2007
Well, here we are, on the road again! We got away from Green Acres about 9:30 and had good weather, some sun and some cloud but no rain, so we were happy. We called Kel on the way through Port Perry but there was no place to park and meet her for lunch so we kept going and then found a school at the turn from Hwy. 35 to 7A so pulled in there and had lunch.
We decided to stop in Marmora as the KOA advertised pull thrus that we could fit in without having to unhook. We take up the whole site and we really do dislike these old KOA’s, you pay top dollar for so so facilities and sites, but sometimes they are the only place to stop. They didn’t advertise WiFi but I did get hooked on so that is one bonus, I can at least get this posted today. If we didn’t stop here it would be about another 2 hours before we could find another park with long enough sites so decided to call it a day early. We have reservations in Levis for Friday and Saturday nights so we will have a couple of easy days to get there.
We decided to stop in Marmora as the KOA advertised pull thrus that we could fit in without having to unhook. We take up the whole site and we really do dislike these old KOA’s, you pay top dollar for so so facilities and sites, but sometimes they are the only place to stop. They didn’t advertise WiFi but I did get hooked on so that is one bonus, I can at least get this posted today. If we didn’t stop here it would be about another 2 hours before we could find another park with long enough sites so decided to call it a day early. We have reservations in Levis for Friday and Saturday nights so we will have a couple of easy days to get there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
