Rained last night and still a little damp this morning. Of course it is!! We're moving on down the road. How about that sunset last night? What a way to end our stay here at Southport RV Park. Getting lined up and out was a little difficult this morning because of the narrow exit from the park. Eventually, everything worked out and away we went. Found all the right roads and rolled into the Shubie Park Campground in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. This is a city park with lots of activities going on. After parking and a little individual rig cleaning, we commenced with happy hour and, a little later, a pot luck supper. Can't beat the culinary expertise of this crowd!
A long day of sight seeing tomorrow going south along the coast below Halifax.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday June 27, 2007
A warm sunny day. A hang out day for the crowd. Nothing going on until the "Anne of Green Gables" play tonight. The caravaners spent their day doing odd jobs on their rigs; some went sight seeing on the east end of the island; 2 couples got in some golf on the championship course; some of the ladies got their nails done; and others went shopping. The musical at the Confederation Center was pretty entertaining. Lots of songs and dancing. This play is the longest running on PEI.
Our stay here has been quite an experience. There is so much to do and see on this island that it really takes another visit or a longer stay. The scenery is beautiful and the people are more than friendly. Great food and entertainment! Things are a little pricey, but hey, you have to spend it somewhere. Tomorrow we head for Dartmouth in Nova Scotia and another set of adventures.
Our stay here has been quite an experience. There is so much to do and see on this island that it really takes another visit or a longer stay. The scenery is beautiful and the people are more than friendly. Great food and entertainment! Things are a little pricey, but hey, you have to spend it somewhere. Tomorrow we head for Dartmouth in Nova Scotia and another set of adventures.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Tuesday June 26, 2007
What a wet and rainy day to wake up to! 24 hours really can make a difference. Oh well, we'll get by. After the announcements and weather report, the carpool was formed and loaded. Off to Woodleigh Replicas and Gardens near Burlington, PEI. Along with the host, the mosquitos were waiting for us. But at least the rain stopped. The premise of the grounds is that a WWI veteran, Ernest Johnstone, wanted to bring the some of the fanscinating buildings of England back to his native Prince Edward Island. He found and cleared the land. Finally, after WWII he started to build scaled replicas of various castles and houses of England. Examples of his work are: York Minster Castle, The Tower Of London, Penn Manor House, St Chiles Church, St Paul's Cathedral, and many others. Through research and visits to England, he made the replicas as accurate as possible. Scales ranged from 1:20 on York Minster to 1/3 scale on the Tower of London (big enough to walk around in). It took over fifty years of work to achieve his dream. The grounds were opened to the public in 1958. A gift shop offered many souveiners of the gardens.
As it was close to lunch time, eating versus visiting the next stop was put to vote. The growling stomachs won over the curious. We drove up to North Cape which is the western most tip of PEI. After overwhelming the resturant staff with our masses, we all got seated. After lunch, we spread out and looked over the area. There is an operating lighthouse on the Cape that has been around for well over a hundred years. Also, a working wind generator farm is on the point. The winds coming from three different bodies of water provide more than enough energy to run the farm. The Interpretive Center gave a good accounting of the history of the area and its inhabitants.
Our next stop was the Potato Museum sixty miles down the road in O'Leary. The farmers in the group were kinda salivating over the historical equipment display. The museum had a good presentation on the history of the development of the potato and how it was introduced to the different continents. Unfortuneatly, the display also talked about the various deseases that have plaqued the potato industry. I for one will take a closer look at potato chips in the future.
This ended the activites for the day. Some drove back to the campground while others went shopping at local shops. An on-our-own day is in store for us tomorrow.
As it was close to lunch time, eating versus visiting the next stop was put to vote. The growling stomachs won over the curious. We drove up to North Cape which is the western most tip of PEI. After overwhelming the resturant staff with our masses, we all got seated. After lunch, we spread out and looked over the area. There is an operating lighthouse on the Cape that has been around for well over a hundred years. Also, a working wind generator farm is on the point. The winds coming from three different bodies of water provide more than enough energy to run the farm. The Interpretive Center gave a good accounting of the history of the area and its inhabitants.
Our next stop was the Potato Museum sixty miles down the road in O'Leary. The farmers in the group were kinda salivating over the historical equipment display. The museum had a good presentation on the history of the development of the potato and how it was introduced to the different continents. Unfortuneatly, the display also talked about the various deseases that have plaqued the potato industry. I for one will take a closer look at potato chips in the future.
This ended the activites for the day. Some drove back to the campground while others went shopping at local shops. An on-our-own day is in store for us tomorrow.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Monday June 25, 2007
What a warm beautiful day to wake up to!! Sunshine, blue sky, blue water, green grass, and a great view of Charlottetown. A busy day it was! Started out at the Gouda Cheese Farm after a series of wrong turns, detours, and changed routes. At the farm we got a short video on the cheese making process and a history of the farm. Of course there was cheese tasting and the opportunity to buy their products, which was done by many.
Back into the autos and off to New Glasgow to the Prince Edward Preserve Company. Here there were several samples of their jams, jellies, salsas, etc. to taste. Could have made a meal out of all the samples but a severe case of the guilties set in and lunch wasn't far away. Lunch was eated at the Preseve's resturant. The owner, as seen below, gave a brief history of how he got started in the business. A very delightful person. (No, no one asked what was under his kilts!) As we were getting ready to leave, a busload of band members from Alonquin University out of Ottawa stopped by the Preserve. Somehow they were talked in to giving a performance so we put off departing until they played several numbers. Eventually, we had to move on to the next stop.
On our way to Anne of Green Gables territory, we took a side trip to North Rustico Harbour, a little fishing village on the north side of the island. Although Wayne did not have room in his car for a lobster pot for Barbara, he did have room for one for Joe and Bonnie (see below). Me thinks Wayne is going to hear about this for quite some time. We wanted to drive the coast out of this village but the toll per car was little steep, so back to the traditional route. We arrived at a farm where Lucy Maud Montgomery spent many a days with her favorite grandfather. Her books contained many references to her stay at this farm. Our time spent here included a buggy ride, a tour of the farm house, tea and cookies, and, of course, a gift shop. From here we went almost across the street to where Lucy officially resided with her other grandfather. A tour of this farm house was also given.
Stomachs could be heard growling so it was time to head to the New Glasgow Lobster Suppers resturaunt at New Glasgow. On the way, a lobster pot was spotted lying next to some trash cans, but do you think Wayne would stop? No way! Our eatery was a very busy place but big enough to handle approximately 400 hungry diners. Mussles were a favorite appetizer and if you could have seen Chuck Pond putting them away, you would think he had stock in the mussle industry. The meals were great, the service was great, and the comraderie was even better as depicted in the photo below. After everyone was full, the desserts came out and it seems that nobody declined. As with all good things, they must come to an end. The vehicles were loaded up and off to camp we went. Another busy day tomorrow.
Back into the autos and off to New Glasgow to the Prince Edward Preserve Company. Here there were several samples of their jams, jellies, salsas, etc. to taste. Could have made a meal out of all the samples but a severe case of the guilties set in and lunch wasn't far away. Lunch was eated at the Preseve's resturant. The owner, as seen below, gave a brief history of how he got started in the business. A very delightful person. (No, no one asked what was under his kilts!) As we were getting ready to leave, a busload of band members from Alonquin University out of Ottawa stopped by the Preserve. Somehow they were talked in to giving a performance so we put off departing until they played several numbers. Eventually, we had to move on to the next stop.
On our way to Anne of Green Gables territory, we took a side trip to North Rustico Harbour, a little fishing village on the north side of the island. Although Wayne did not have room in his car for a lobster pot for Barbara, he did have room for one for Joe and Bonnie (see below). Me thinks Wayne is going to hear about this for quite some time. We wanted to drive the coast out of this village but the toll per car was little steep, so back to the traditional route. We arrived at a farm where Lucy Maud Montgomery spent many a days with her favorite grandfather. Her books contained many references to her stay at this farm. Our time spent here included a buggy ride, a tour of the farm house, tea and cookies, and, of course, a gift shop. From here we went almost across the street to where Lucy officially resided with her other grandfather. A tour of this farm house was also given.
Stomachs could be heard growling so it was time to head to the New Glasgow Lobster Suppers resturaunt at New Glasgow. On the way, a lobster pot was spotted lying next to some trash cans, but do you think Wayne would stop? No way! Our eatery was a very busy place but big enough to handle approximately 400 hungry diners. Mussles were a favorite appetizer and if you could have seen Chuck Pond putting them away, you would think he had stock in the mussle industry. The meals were great, the service was great, and the comraderie was even better as depicted in the photo below. After everyone was full, the desserts came out and it seems that nobody declined. As with all good things, they must come to an end. The vehicles were loaded up and off to camp we went. Another busy day tomorrow.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Sunday June 25, 2007
Woke up to not really a rain, more like very wet air. Due a scheduled fuel stop in Aulac, departure time for the first wave is 0800 at 30 minute intervals. As expected, the lineup and departures went without a hitch. Stopped for fuel and met up with Don and Joan Johnson. Now we have a full caravan. Off to Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island and Southport RV Park. Big wide open spaces with a great view of the city across the bay. All the rigs were parked by 1:30. Bill has a seal viewing boat trip scheduled for those that wanted to go. Others took a tour of downtown Charlottetown in a doubledecker bus. Someothers just walked the downtown area. Everybody returned for happy hour and dinner on their own. It was reported that altho no seals were spotted, they had a great boat ride viewing the waterfront and several waterfront homes.
Saturday June 23, 2007
Another rainy day greets us upon waking up. Kinda getting used to it but things are bound to change. Today we visit the center piece of Hopewell Cape, The Flowerpots. This is a section of eroded shoreline that has left some interesting rock formations. Our tour started at the visitor center with an introduction to the area and how it was formed. (rain started again). The beach area at low tide is shown in the photo below. These formations, and many others, show the effect of the tides, wind , and rain. The aveage tide in this area is 36 feet. The highest recorded is 46 feet. When the tide comes in, everyone is kicked off the beach 3 hours before high tide. Most of the caravaners walked on the beach (still raining). Those are not drowned rats in the photo, they are real people; crazy, but real. While walking back up the hill (in the rain) one could only think about the dry change of clothes back at the rig.
Plans were changed from happy hour and dinner at the beach to the campground store. This decision was greeted with cheers from the crowd. Dinner was fried chicken (KFC style) and all the trimmings. After dinner, several of us went back to the beach to view the same area at high tide (still raining). As can be seen in Jerry's photo, it is not the place to be standing when the tide comes in.
Plans were changed from happy hour and dinner at the beach to the campground store. This decision was greeted with cheers from the crowd. Dinner was fried chicken (KFC style) and all the trimmings. After dinner, several of us went back to the beach to view the same area at high tide (still raining). As can be seen in Jerry's photo, it is not the place to be standing when the tide comes in.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Friday June 22,2007
Rained most of the night and still a llittle damp in the morning. Janet and Russ put on a wonderful breakfast of SOS. This was not the same as I remember from my military days. Hooking up and getting in line is becoming second nature to us by now. Bill gets them started and Wayne is the last one out. It should be noted that if Russ were the Tail Gunner, he would be a Payne in the rear.
The trip to Hopewell Cape was pretty good for have the way on Route 1 but 114 leaft a lot to be desired. Needs a little bit of work. All in all, it was a pretty drive. Arrival at the Ponderrosa Pines Campground was an experience in itself. The sites are small and wooded but our elite parking crew fit us in like a foot in a sock. A free day, what was left of it, allowed shopping in Alma, a Cosco run to Muncton, mosquito swatting at the campground, a liquor store run, and just hanging out. With the rain off and on most of the day, happy hour was spent under awnings. A Frogmore dinner was served by the Paynes and Millers. Shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes, onions, and sausage. And of course desserts. Delicious! Good time was had by all. JeanAnn announced that the Johnsons are in Conneticut and heading north. Probably will catch up with us on PEI. Looking forward to the Flower Pot Rocks tomorrow.
The trip to Hopewell Cape was pretty good for have the way on Route 1 but 114 leaft a lot to be desired. Needs a little bit of work. All in all, it was a pretty drive. Arrival at the Ponderrosa Pines Campground was an experience in itself. The sites are small and wooded but our elite parking crew fit us in like a foot in a sock. A free day, what was left of it, allowed shopping in Alma, a Cosco run to Muncton, mosquito swatting at the campground, a liquor store run, and just hanging out. With the rain off and on most of the day, happy hour was spent under awnings. A Frogmore dinner was served by the Paynes and Millers. Shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes, onions, and sausage. And of course desserts. Delicious! Good time was had by all. JeanAnn announced that the Johnsons are in Conneticut and heading north. Probably will catch up with us on PEI. Looking forward to the Flower Pot Rocks tomorrow.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Thursday June 21,2007
A full day is ahead for the crew. Bill Miller arranged for a bus tour of the city of Saint John. Staring out we drove thru a residential section where the Irving family has their abode. Irving is the big name in oil and many other enterprises. We drove by many stately manors built in the 1800's. A stop was made at the Reversing Falls during low tide. This is an area where the Saint John river runs into Saint John Harbor over some rapids. As the tide comes in, the ocean water level goes above the river water level and creates rapids in the opposite direction. 180 miles upstream, the force of the rising tide raises the river level about 1 foot. We also stopped at an old fortification built by the British during the War of 1812. Its purpose was to defend against any ground invasion that might occur. None did. A concrete structure was added during WWII to coordinate defenses against any German incursion. None did. We continued thru a section of vintage houses that belonged to ship builders on up to an old section of Saint John. A stop at City Market for souviners, food, trinkets, or whatever and then back to the RVs.
The afternoon was free time for sightseeing, shopping, or hanging out. Several of the group took the jet boat ride at the Reversing Falls. The idea was to see the Falls from water level and to get a little wet. John Boulton wasn't going to be fooled so he donned his brand new yellow raingear and waited for the drenching. Unfortuneately, when he took his raingear off, it disintegrated and the remains clung to his clothes like a new set of underwear. Some of the local sites visted included the Angelican Church, the old courthouse, and the NB Museum.
When the tide came in, several of the group went back to the Falls to see the reverse. Not as impressive as the outward flow but still quite a sight. Happy hour and and another great dinner created by Janet Payne and her army of helpers. For those of us taking the 4 week New Foundland extended trip are trying to figure out how to kidnap Janet without Russ getting wise. Off to Hopewell Cape tomorrow.
The Johnson's were south of Washington DC and trying to catch up.
The afternoon was free time for sightseeing, shopping, or hanging out. Several of the group took the jet boat ride at the Reversing Falls. The idea was to see the Falls from water level and to get a little wet. John Boulton wasn't going to be fooled so he donned his brand new yellow raingear and waited for the drenching. Unfortuneately, when he took his raingear off, it disintegrated and the remains clung to his clothes like a new set of underwear. Some of the local sites visted included the Angelican Church, the old courthouse, and the NB Museum.
When the tide came in, several of the group went back to the Falls to see the reverse. Not as impressive as the outward flow but still quite a sight. Happy hour and and another great dinner created by Janet Payne and her army of helpers. For those of us taking the 4 week New Foundland extended trip are trying to figure out how to kidnap Janet without Russ getting wise. Off to Hopewell Cape tomorrow.
The Johnson's were south of Washington DC and trying to catch up.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Wednesday, June 21, 2007
Well, we have to leave this beautiful park and move up the road to another adventure. The waves left in a timely manner and in good order. The weather is a little overcast and a little cool. All the waves, except Wave #3, made it without incident. Our leader decided to explore new territory when making the u-turn at exit 129. Then, in looking for a turn-around to get us back on the right track, he got into a driveway where he couldn't get out of and had to unhook to turn around. Meanwhile, the other 3 sheep, were helped out by a passing New Brunswickian whom recognized our plight and set us out on the correct road. Finally, we ALL got settled into our new trappings.
After getting set up, it was time to see the sights. Janet and JeanAnn set off on a 200 mile trek to acquire some grub for Janet's fabulous meals. Peter Kirn had to find some transmission fluid to replace what was lost (or not put in) at his last oil change. Most everybody else wound up at the Market Square or the City Market. Good food and lots of shopping. Carole and I had to run down a fax machine to get our new RV insurance taken care of.
After another successful happy hour, a large part of the group wound up at Billy's Seafood Market for dinner. Great food at great prices. Its raining now so time for lights out. Big day tomorrow.
After getting set up, it was time to see the sights. Janet and JeanAnn set off on a 200 mile trek to acquire some grub for Janet's fabulous meals. Peter Kirn had to find some transmission fluid to replace what was lost (or not put in) at his last oil change. Most everybody else wound up at the Market Square or the City Market. Good food and lots of shopping. Carole and I had to run down a fax machine to get our new RV insurance taken care of.
After another successful happy hour, a large part of the group wound up at Billy's Seafood Market for dinner. Great food at great prices. Its raining now so time for lights out. Big day tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
First day of travel
Due to internet connection problems, this posting is one day late.
Thanx to Bill Miller's excellent planning, getting lined up at the park in Bar Harbor was a cinch. The waves were all in order, the route was planned and AWAY WE WENT. The trip up to the border crossing was uneventful except for a somewhat lumpy road.
The border crossing went quite well for 16 of the 17 coaches, and as with any large group, there had to be a sacrificial lamb. Guess who it was. We got the white slip and had the coach inspected inside and out. Nothing serious, they were just doing their job. However, When the Simonis' came thru, Bob didn't feel obligated to stop on the white line. Talk about loud sirens and scurrying border gaurds. Well, nobody went to jail and on to the campground.
As far as ratings go, the Kiwanis Oeanfront Camping park is top of the line. Beautiful ocean view (the tide was in); wideopen sites; and sunny weather. By the time everybody arrived, Bill and his parking crew had the sites lined up and we slipped right in. Happy hour commenced. The potluck dinner was at the pavillion and talk about good food! With full bellies, we all waddled back to the rigs to enjoy the rest of the day. At 9:30 it was still light out so we are getting the full benefits of long days.
Thanx to Bill Miller's excellent planning, getting lined up at the park in Bar Harbor was a cinch. The waves were all in order, the route was planned and AWAY WE WENT. The trip up to the border crossing was uneventful except for a somewhat lumpy road.
The border crossing went quite well for 16 of the 17 coaches, and as with any large group, there had to be a sacrificial lamb. Guess who it was. We got the white slip and had the coach inspected inside and out. Nothing serious, they were just doing their job. However, When the Simonis' came thru, Bob didn't feel obligated to stop on the white line. Talk about loud sirens and scurrying border gaurds. Well, nobody went to jail and on to the campground.
As far as ratings go, the Kiwanis Oeanfront Camping park is top of the line. Beautiful ocean view (the tide was in); wideopen sites; and sunny weather. By the time everybody arrived, Bill and his parking crew had the sites lined up and we slipped right in. Happy hour commenced. The potluck dinner was at the pavillion and talk about good food! With full bellies, we all waddled back to the rigs to enjoy the rest of the day. At 9:30 it was still light out so we are getting the full benefits of long days.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Gearing up for the big day
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The eve of the big trip is upon us. The caravaners were busy stocking up, last minute sight seeing, golfing, and just hanging out. Some of the group took in the Lumberjack Show in the local area. Quite a show, with all the activities (albeit on a smaller scale) one would see at a national show. During happy hour, last minute instructions were given out by Bill Miller on what will be taking place tomorrow when we leave the park and head for Canada. Everybody is fitted with a family talk-about for communications in conjunction with CBs while traveling.
The eve of the big trip is upon us. The caravaners were busy stocking up, last minute sight seeing, golfing, and just hanging out. Some of the group took in the Lumberjack Show in the local area. Quite a show, with all the activities (albeit on a smaller scale) one would see at a national show. During happy hour, last minute instructions were given out by Bill Miller on what will be taking place tomorrow when we leave the park and head for Canada. Everybody is fitted with a family talk-about for communications in conjunction with CBs while traveling.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Free Day for Exploring and Fun
Today was a free day for the group since the oficial start of the caravan is tomorrow. The Paynes and Millers headed up to Campobello Island to visit the Roosevelt summer home and also to Quoddy Point and lighthouse - the eastern most location in the USA. The Jones and McCray carload explored Arcadia National Park as did others in the group and most gathered for another camp fire after some more consuming of a few more Maine lobsters! We remain 10 coaches in the campground until the others arrive tomorrow. The Johnsons are still in Wildwood awaiting some brake calipers. A phone call late this afternoon was encouraging in that the parts just might be on their way for a Monday installation.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
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