Back in Ontario

I've gotten a little behind as we've spend so much time driving in the past few days. We made it back to the Midland area and will be here for at least a few weeks. It's not as much fun travelling when the goal is to just put in the miles but we did manage to enjoy the last few days. We stopped back in and spent the night in Montebello where we had stayed a month ago where we had woken up to water surrounding the bus. It turns out we had been very lucky! The waters continued to rise so much after we left that our bus where we had parked that night would have been entirely covered. Now the waters were receded leaving a giant mess to be cleaned up. In Montebello we took the dogs for a walk through Manoir Papineau National Historic Site. The grounds were beautiful and filled with forest trails unfortunately they were also filled with blood sucking mosquitoes that couldn't get enough of me! It wasn't too bad as long as we kept moving but the second I stopped for anything the mosquitoes were biting. The estate was impressive and had a three hundred year old oak tree that was so old that they had added a few supports to help the largest limbs stay up (a technique successfully used in Europe to keep old trees alive). They had also taken twenty of its acorns and planted them all over the east coast but so far only one has taken. We made a very brief stop in Ottawa and ended up in Arnprior for a night before driving through Algonquin Park. We saw a moose! A cute little guy that wasn't even scared off when our dogs started barking like crazy. Actually I was surprised that Melkie didn't seem bothered (on the AT he chased a moose), Cooper was the noisy one. Anyway, we pulled into town late last night and will regroup and make sure the bus is ready for the west coast.

I love Gaspe!

Again we woke up early, Michael actually woke up and saw the sunrise. It was nice having use of the deck this morning. I shook out our blankets and mats and hung them over the side of the deck for a bit while I got our little house clean. Soon we were rolling down the coast again. Almost as soon as we were on the road Michael spotted two bald eagles but by the time I had the camera ready they were too far away and there was nowhere to turn around. We stopped at a rest area for a mid morning break up on a cliff top that had a path down to the beach. So down to the beach we went and we found a pillar of rock in the water that had been water worn with a honeycomb pattern. It has been so nice to go for a walk in a new place to explore each day! We took our time along the beach before heading up the steep path up the side of the cliff. Back on the bus we had something to eat before rolling down the road. There have been windmills everywhere out east but today we noticed even more of them as well as this tall, round looking thing that we couldn't identify. As we got closer we realized that it belonged with the wind farm but we still couldn't figure it out. It turned out to be the worlds tallest vertical axis wind turbine. We drove right up to it and there were signs suggesting that we could tour the place but there was no one in sight. It was still cool to see and think about ways of adding wind power in everyday life. Most of the interesting places we have found we have just happened across as we have driven by. Today was full of these places! We drove by this really cool house that had tile pictures cemented into it and then we noticed the "people" coming out of the sea. We quickly turned around and found ourselves at a restaurant/hostel/ art centre. The place was amazing! The artist had used driftwood and covered it with cement to look like people. There were lots of them! He had placed them to look like they were coming out of the water in a procession and had continued the procession down a path across his property. It was a neat idea I'm glad we stopped! The landscape was changing again and as we approached Bic National Park (really a provincial park) we noticed the funky shapes mountains and the cool rocky islands in the water. We pulled into the park but with it being the long weekend it was busy so we moved on. The road took us away from the water so we turned down a quiet road that took us up over a mountain and then down the other side with crazy hairpin turns on a deteriorating road . By the time we reached the water the road was so narrow I worried about oncoming traffic. We had found the equivalent to our cottage country. Lots of nice cottages way too close together. We made it back over the mountain safely and believe it or not we ended up in a Walmart parking lot along with eight over RV's for the night. I much prefer finding a secluded spot with a nice view but I have to admit that especially when entering a town we aren't familiar with it is nice to know that we can stay at a Walmart. In tonight's case it was starting to get dark and I didn't want Michael to have to search for a place in the dark. Good night World!

A Perfect Day

Gaspe

It was so early when we woke up this morning. The sun was shining and we pulled away a good hour earlier than our usual. Everything was perfect about today! It was hard to know where to look or to try to take it all in as we drove along. Everything was so beautiful and around every curve in the road was a new amazing sight to take in. We stopped so many times along the way. There were really funky looking islands that had high cliffs but were completely flat on top with green grass growing only on the top. It looked like the perfect golfing green. There were tiny villages is the coves with small little houses painted in all different colours and always a big church by the water. The mini Appalachians were the background to everything well almost everything, the gulf of St. Lawrence was on one side and spread out as far as you could see. Michael kept thinking it was the ocean. After several stops to take pictures of lighthouses and islands and mountains and pretty little towns we made it to the end of the Gaspe peninsula and stopped at Forillon National Park. Wait, I'm forgetting stuff already! The drive had tighter hairpin turns than the Cabot trail and at times I was hanging on to the poles on the bus telling Michael to go slow (even though he already had the bus in the lowest gear). The mountains were amazing and it was really windy. Michael pointed out a waterfall high on one of the mountains except that it didn't look like a waterfall at all! It looked like smoke coming out of a chimney! He was right though it was a waterfall and the wind was blowing all of the water up into the sky! I couldn't believe it! Anyway, we arrived at the park and took the dogs down to the beach. There was a really nice boardwalk but we could explore more on the sandy shore. The shoreline was covered in driftwood of all shapes and of course crab shells, clam shells and lots of seaweed. The dogs loved it! After our walk we drove further into the park and found tons of porquipines! Never together but we probably saw six within minutes of one another. Most were eating the clover but one was high up in a tree looking precariously like he was about to fall. I'm glad the dogs were in the bus! There are so many good hiking trails here! This is another place we will definitely come back to explore! We continued around the peninsula stopping often to take pictures or get a closer view of something. The day just flew by and soon we were looking for a place to park for the night. We found another village park! This one has little decks that you pull right up to so tonight it looks like we have a deck overlooking water attached to the bus! Good night from a beautiful spot along Gaspe peninsula!

Miguasha

Quebec!

Because we woke up in a town, we started our day with a few chores before driving away. The next big town was about an hour away and I was driving. Even though I was on a main highway the drive was incredible! Rolling hills mixed in with funky shapes little mountains mostly covered in birch and pine. There was every shade of Green imaginable! As we approached Cambellton (the last big town in New Brunswick) I regretted driving. The view of the town along the waterfront surrounded by mountains was amazing and I had nowhere to stop to take a picture. I eventually parked in town along the waterfront and we had our second coffees and took the dogs for a walk along a perfectly groomed waterfront path. Michael made a friend with a local before we headed back to the bus to move on. Next stop Quebec! We crossed the bridge into Quebec and found ourselves on the perfect road to see water and hills. Soon we arrived at Miguasha National Park )it's not really a national park but in Quebec provincial parks are called national parks. This park is unique in that they have found some amazing fossils here and are continuing to find even more! We went to the museum first and watched a short movie about their latest find before touring through the displays. The exhibits were amazing and we couldn't wait to go out to the beach and cliffs to see what we could find. At first we only found the most common fossils the ones that indicate weather patterns or the direction of the waves but soon we came across several large rocks that had multiple wood and plant fossils in them. We also found a giant skeleton of we what we aren't sure. After playing on the beach I headed back up to the bus to make dinner while Michael continued playing palaeontology down below. He arrived just as dinner was ready and soon we were on the road again. I thought we were heading into no mans land and was totally surprised by the constant little hamlets and tiny villages along the coast. We stopped to take pictures several times before deciding to stop for the night. We started looking for a place in Paspebiac. There was a huge fishing port there so we headed in that direction and found an empty campground right next to it. There was no one around, it was kind of creepy and it totally smelled like rotten fish. Not staying! On our way out Michael noticed the date on a cool looking building (1767) down at the harbour. Cool! We drove through several small hamlets before pulling into a town park. Every little community here has a park for visitors. This one was exceptional! It had showers as well! Needless to say we quickly decided to stay here tonight and we are both clean! Good night world!

Miramichi and Bathurst

I woke up to the sounds of the birds as the sun was just starting to rise. It was so gorgeous outside that even though I was still sleepy I got up and sat out on the rocks by the water for awhile. When I went back to the bus I expected Michael to be up but even the dogs were still sound asleep. I climbed back into bed and stole an extra hour of sleep before finally sitting up and having coffee in bed with a view of the the waters edge. As I cleaned up Michael took the dogs out along the beach and then we were off up the road to find a nice hiking trail. We stopped at one that looked promising alongside a river. At first we stuck to the wide trail that I'm sure was the designated one us tourists were supposed to use. The smell of the pines put a smile on my face immediately and Melkie raced ahead happy to be on an adventure again. We were a little disappointed when the trail didn't follow the river like we had thought as so we turned around to head down the trail in the opposite direction. This time the trail stayed too close to the road for comfort but I had spotted a narrow pine needle path (the kind that I like best) and soon we were racing down the path towards the river. The dogs were in heaven and were soon both swimming around. As we followed the narrow trail it took us out to a grassy area and within seconds Michael had found a tick on him. We turned around but it was too late, for the rest of the day we kept finding ticks. We spray our dogs with a natural tick deterrent but one of the disadvantages of this is that instead of the ticks latching onto the dogs, they use our dogs as carriers and end up crawling on us. It is gross but I've dealt with worse on the Appalachian Trail. Michael on the other hand has not ever had to deal with this and is totally creeped out by the nasty little bugs. It's hard not to laugh at him shaking everything out and checking some part of his body every couple of minutes like he has fleas or something. Anyway, we piled back on the bus and made one last stop in the park for Michael to try his hand at fishing again. He didn't catch anything but it gave me a chance to get a few things done on the bus before continuing along the coast to Miramichi. By chance we found the entrance to Middle Island Historical Park and decided to check it out. Not knowing any of the history of the place as we drove up it just looked like the perfect island park with lots of paths, perfect for taking the dogs for a walk. It turns out that this island was used as a detainment camp for some of the Irish immigrants fleeing from the potato famine in the 1840's. Sometimes there was so much sickness on the ships that captains would look for the closest port to let people off at. This is how the Irish ended up on Middle Island sick and badly in need of help. They had to stay on the island until they were healthy enough to leave. The park displayed information about specific incidents and of a doctor who went to help on the island and ended up getting sick and dying there. Today Miramichi is proud of its Irish heritage and its water tower claims that it is "Canada's Irish Capitol." I enjoyed stopping at the park but I feel like the historical facts presented were a little white washed compared to what the reality probably was (we looked up a few things online as we left Miramichi and found a few different historical facts). Maybe the story about all those families being forced out of their homes back at Kouchibouguac is making me question the information displayed at the park today. I was questioning things a little more as we picked up a hitchhiker on our way to Bathurst who told us about Brunswick Mines and what happened after the mines closed. I can't verify his story because I couldn't find anything online to back it up but that doesn't mean that what he told us isn't true. He said that after the mine closed someone who was into garbage disposal bought the mine and used it to store garbage. He warned us not to drink the water as it is contaminated. The mine closed in 2013, you would think that by now people would know better than to throw garbage into a mineshaft, wouldn't you? Anyway the drive to Bathurst was nice (I was driving) and although there were still hills they are more rounded out with more flat sections than we have seen in days. The trees don't grow quite as tall and there were huge sections of forest that entirely consisted of birch trees. I have never seen so many birch in the same place in all my life! It was pretty! As we dropped off our guest, he told us where we could park for the night and his suggestion was great! Bathurst is the last big town we will be in for awhile and maybe we should have taken advantage of the restaurants or the laundromat (we decided we didn't want our clothes washed in potentially contaminated water) but instead we went for a long walk along the waterfront through the good and bad parts of town and made it back to the bus in time to beat the amazing wind/rain and thunderstorm that hit. As we are updating our journals now lightning is lighting up the sky. Good night World!

Kouchibouguac National Park

Since we were in town this morning I had the chance to get a few more chores done before we headed back towards New Brunswick. At Pictou we got off the big highway and started following the coastline again. It's so much more enjoyable and we get to see how the locals really live. We made a few stops along the way, once at a French bakery for cinnamon rolls and once at a park with an amazing view to stretch our legs. What we really wanted was to stop driving so much. There was a national park up ahead and we couldn't get there fast enough. It was a relief when we pulled into a trailhead at Kouchibouguac National Park. Soon a local fisherman arrived and Michael ended up fishing with him for a bit while I set up the bed and had a nap. While Michael was out making friends he learned about the place. The Canadian government had forced the the families out paying them minimally for their land. 250 families (about 1200 people) were displaced and to make it worse they were forced to give up their fishing rights as well. Even though decades have passed it obviously still bothers the locals here now. Everyone we spoke to while we were here told us about one individual "Jackie Vautour" whose home was bulldozed even though he never accepted the payout. He is in his 80's now but rumour has it that he never left the park and is in a trailer somewhere on the property. Its sad to think that our country who has been a refuge to so many would treat its own this way. When Michael came back we took the dogs for a walk on the loop trail. There were lots of downed trees and trees that were almost sideways from an ice storm this past winter but the rest of the trail was nice! There were boardwalk sections that went over the marshy areas and there were grassy areas with gigantic ant hills. We were surprised when a section of the trail was closed due to poison ivy. Really! How bad could it be? Anyway, back at the bus Michael went fishing (and making a new friend) one last time before giving up for the night. We drove up the road to find a more secluded spot (this spot was too close to the road even though I bet it would have been quiet) and found a big dock at the end of a deserted road. We weren't sure if it was private property or part of the park and I had just finished saying "I think we should turn around" when out nowhere a guy was next to the driver side window. He startled me but he asked if we could boost his car. We hadn't even noticed his car but sure enough it was there. While Michael helped give him a boost he found out as much about the place as he could. The locals said the dock belonged to National Fisheries and we could stay here without being harassed. They also warned us not to venture too far into the woods as there is a momma bear with tiny bear cubs that was seen right on the dock the other day. We found an amazing spot to park with water on three sides of us, the woods on the fourth and hope of getting some excellent wildlife pictures! It doesn't get much better than this! As I sit here now I can here frogs, birds and who knows how many other creatures out there right now. I love it!

The Cabot and Ceilidh Trails

We woke up in a beautiful place but it was still raining. The visibility was better than yesterday and the fog was gone so we continued along the trail stopping at as many of the lookout points as we could. There were so many times where the view was breathtaking (even in the rain) but there was just nowhere to stop. As we drove higher and higher we were into the clouds and could only see the shapes of the steep cliffs above and below the road. It's too bad that we didn't have a better day but at the same time this had a beauty of its own and it reminded me of hiking in the clouds. Again it reminded us of how tiny we are compared to the world we live in. As the day progressed the rain stopped and we took the dogs for a walk at MacIntosh Brook where the original land owner had donated his land to the park provided that the park build and maintain bothran (a small thatched roof building that was traditionally used by shepherds in Scotland Highlands in the summers). Now it's called The Lone Shieling and there is a plaque with information about the place. It was a neat spot to check out and the trails made me wish we had more time to explore. We will definitely come back to this place again although we both admit that we can't imagine driving the windy, steep, narrow road with any traffic behind us and I bet this is a hot spot in the summer. I'm glad we are here now while there are few other vehicles to share the road with. We were about to leave the coast when we decided to take the Ceilidh Trail that continues along the coast. One of the first things we noticed was the amazing hiking trails here, we are definitely coming back here one day! We turned into Glenora Distillery but arrived just as they were about to close so we continued on. We weren't paying attention to the maps and were completely caught off guard when we arrived back at the roundabout that we had been on when we first entered Cape Breton. It was sad to leave this beautiful place and there is so much left for us to explore here. We had originally intended to head to Sydney next and from there take a ferry to Newfoundland. Unfortunately we need to be back in Ontario on a certain date and have to cut this portion of the trip short. Technically there is still time but that would mean rushing everything for the next ten days. We will come back! Back on the mainland we stayed on the TransCanada highway for a little bit and actually made it back to New Glasgow where we are calling it quits for the day. It has been a long day and Michael has done all of the driving in the past few days. I think tomorrow I need to take a turn. Good night world!

Alexander Graham Bell

I woke up ready to go this morning, I slept so good last night. Michael on the other hand looked like he needed an extra coffee. Sure enough as soon as he started listening to the radio it became apparent that we were going to have a rough start. By the time we got to Cape Breton he was back to his normal self and we decided to check out the Alexander Graham Bell museum. It was closed but they let us in anyway to explore the place. Thank you! The place was worth stopping at, we ended up spending several hours there. They really placed the emphasis on what his life was like and not just his inventions. He seemed like an amazing person who wanted to make the world a better place. After the museum we drove as far as we could along the Cabot trail. By the time we found a place to stop for the night it was dark and I was worried about the twisty roads and the fog but we made it to the entrance of Cape Breton Highlands National Park where we parked for the night. The weather isn't ideal for a Cabot trail drive it was rainy and overcast most of the day. To be honest I was a little disappointed but the raw beauty of the place still shone through even in the rain (or maybe especially in the rain). 

Halifax

We woke up to the wind pushing against the bus. It was cold but not unbearable just windy. As we sipped our coffee we watched the boats move slowly around the rocks probably checking (or setting) their lobster traps. Poor lobsters! We made one last stop up near the lighthouse and then headed to Halifax enjoying the ocean view along the way. In Halifax we made a few stops to get our chores done. One of the stops was at Costco to get more propane and we couldn't believe the line up. At one point there were twenty people in line to get propane! It is less than half price at Costco and we've noticed that people rely a lot more on propane here than at home. Anyway, after filling the tank and grabbing a few more groceries we headed down to the waterfront to Alexander Keith's Brewery. They put on a really good tour of one of the oldest breweries in North America. We tried several of the beers and at the end they let you choose two different half pints to enjoy. Michael and I both only took one and by the end I still felt like I needed to sober up. After we sat at the waterfront looking out at St. George's Island that at times was used as a jail island for criminals. It was really cute though with a lighthouse and a couple of small, simple cottage style homes on it. The waterfront was nice and I couldn't believe how many big ships were there or the massive size of a freight liner we saw being guided in but neither of us are city people so it was time to move on. We left the city in the direction of Cape Breton and after a few interesting stops (in an area that Michael had a bad feeling about) we made it as far as New Glasgow before calling it a night. Good night World!

Lunenburg, Mahone Bay & Peggy's Cove!

I woke up to the sun shining through the front window. I had intended on waking up to try to catch the sunrise but I missed it. After a round of coffees and a walk along the docks with the dogs we set off towards Mahone Bay stopping at a giant garage sale that had the coolest bronze bell from 1776. If I didn't live in an 80sq ft bus I would have bought it. I still contemplated buying it but quickly realized we have no extra space and what would I really use it for within the next year anyway. Anyway, Mahone Bay looked gorgeous as we drove in but we made a last minute decision to continue on to Lunenburg. It was a great decision! Lunenburg is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designated World Heritage Site because it is the best example of British planned colonialism. This designation helps protect the towns unique architecture and design. The place was a very interesting mix of old and new. There were so many streets filled with homes that were easily over two hundred years old! The oldest house we found as we strolled through town was from 1753 but there may have been older! It was kind of odd to see such old houses with new cars pulled up in front or downtown where all the stores were to see a Foodland in what looked like it was once an old barn. At the waterfront I was surprised to find the Bluenose 2 at at the museum docks looking like it had seen better days. Upon closer inspection I realized that it was there for repairs and there was actually someone way up high on the mast re-staining it. I'm assuming getting it all ready for Canada's 150th birthday. Across the harbour I could see a golf course up on a hill overlooking the town. It was finally time for Michael to get a round of golf in or so I thought. We drove over to check it out but Michael decided today wasn't the day. While we were at the golf course I could see this huge Bavarian looking building (well from afar it looked more like a castle) and wanted to investigate. We drove back through the town and I can't believe I missed it the first time, I had walked within a block of it before turning around earlier. Anyway it turned out to be an elementary school surrounded by a graveyard. How cool would it be to go to a school like that as a kid! After Lunenburg we stopped at Mahone Bay and walked around for a bit. I was looking for a sign that had a friends name on it. We found it! It was a big sign with all of the families who founded Mahone Bay in 1754, my friend is a direct descendant and sure enough we found the Westhaver name! Next stop was for lobster dinner. The first place we tried was closed to the public because they were hosting a wedding. We seriously contemplated crashing the wedding, especially when we saw the meal they were going to be served. Needless to say we moved on. We were on our way to Peggy's Cove and there was a seafood restaurant there too. It was sad thinking about the Swiss Air crash as we passed the memorial site just before turning into the tiny Peggy's Cove community but seeing the lighthouse out on the rocks changed our frame of thoughts. We ate first. I can't eat shellfish so my food options were extremely limited at a seafood place and it was kind of disturbing watching Michael eat his lobster but soon we were climbing over rocks to check out the lighthouse and see just how close we could get to the ocean without falling in. The water was exceptionally calm today. Not that I have been here lots but I have never seen it this calm and peaceful. It made climbing out on the black slippery rocks all that more tempting but I resisted. Back at the bus we decided that we wanted to stay the night here but not exactly where we were parked so we moved out to the parking lot near the tourist information centre where we had a good view of the ocean (but not the lighthouse). Good night from Peggy's Cove!

Cape D'Or to Chester, Nova Scotia

By the time we woke up this morning the water had receded again leaving the perfect shoreline for a walk. Instead we just gazed out at the foggy, misty coastline listening to the waves lap the shore as we silently sipped our coffees waking up slowly. It's funny how much we've slowed down in just a short span of time. There's a whole world out there to explore and yet we don't have to be anywhere at the moment so we just take our time enjoying everything as we go. This is new to me as I've spent most of my life being impatient and rushing from one thing to the next. When we were ready we headed back the way we came stopping mid road whenever we could to try to capture the the beauty we were seeing. We briefly stopped back in at the boat museum before heading on to new territory. Most of our day was spent driving as close to the shoreline as we could stopping wherever we could. We stopped at Five Island Park and Walton's Lighthouse and I don't know how many other scenic spots but by the time we were done most of the day was gone. At Truro we headed south and as evening approached we found ourselves in the most beautiful little town ever! We are parked so that we can see water out both sides of the bus windows. This place is seems too good to be true! It seems like a sleepy town with lots of history. The homes are older but stately with gorgeous manicured land and mature trees. The waterfront view here is stunning! It's the kind of place where we wonder if we can actually get away with staying here tonight! We took the dogs for a walk trough a portion of the town and went through an old cemetery with dates that we could read on them from the 1870's (there were many more that were too worn to even read). Back at the bus we set up for the night and just before we went to bed We noticed the giant orange moon over the water. What a perfect end to a perfect day!

Three Provinces in One Day!

This morning we made the decision to leave PEI. It was sad because I would have loved to hike part of the Confederation Trail and I'm sure Michael would have loved a round of golf but it was calling for rain for the next few days and Nova Scotia had the promise of sun. We stopped one last time for pictures before heading back across the Confederation Bridge and re-entering New Brunswick. Back in New Brunswick we took the road less travelled to find a good spot to let the dogs out and ended up on a pot hole filled dirt out in the middle of nowhere. We did see some really neat, old houses and the the dogs found a big, green field so I guess it all worked out. We stopped at the big information centre as we crossed into Nova Scotia and then decided to head to Parrsboro to check out Fundy Geological Museum. We arrived an hour before it was to close for the day so we weren't sure whether it would be worth paying the admission but the lady at the counter said we could just go on in anyway. Thank you! The place was interesting and gave a great history of the area. Geologists love this area because as the red cliffs erode and the tides clean the shores fossils and rocks appear. Both the oldest Canadian dinosaur and the tiniest dinosaur in the world have been found here. While we were wandering through the museum there was a woman working on cleaning a really tiny dinosaur jaw bone in a rock and was about to seal it with some type of acetone and wax that preserves it. It was neat to see someone actually working on the fossils. The gift shop at the end had some really nice stuff, (stone pictures and copper/ stone trees) natural art along with the typical bag of polished rocks and magnetic stones. As we were leaving there was a lady who needed a boost so Michael came to the rescue. Next we headed along the cape on a windy road full of hairpin turns with the most incredible views. We both love the combination of the hills and the bay here and I've decided that this just might be where we come back to when we retire. I absolutely love it here! We stopped at a rest area that turned out to be a boat museum. The lady said we were welcome to stay the night and the washrooms would lad be unlocked for us all night. We planned on coming back this way so I though it might have worked out. As we continued up the road the views just kept getting better! We were surrounded by beautiful landscapes! One minute we would be looking at rounded, tree covered mountain tops with quaint old houses and/ barns and the next we would be looking out over the bay with red cliffs and rocky islands and peaceful looking waves. Of course the roads were so narrow and windy that there was never a safe place to just stop and pull over to take pictures but the place will be ingrained in my memory forever. We pulled the bus up right beside a lighthouse (Cape D'Or) and went for a long walk on the ocean floor. Being surrounded by water and cliffs makes you feel so tiny compared to what's around you. It's strange because you would think that would be a frightening feeling but really it was comforting to think of how tiny we are in this giant place. I feel so at home here. By the time we were back at the bus it was getting dark and this was such an awesome spot. We moved the bus over so that we weren't right next to the lighthouse and had a nice relaxing night watching the tide come in. At high tide we were only about twenty feet away from the waves! Good night World!

PEI

The sky was grey but it wasn't raining when we woke up. I thought for sure Michael would want to try to get a round of golf in so I was surprised when he didn't seem that interested. Instead we chose to take the Central Coastal Drive and immediately fell in love with the red cliff coastlines. We stopped several times to take pictures in Prince Edward Island National Park. It was too bad the dogs weren't allowed to go on the beach (for ecological reasons) because it looked like the perfect place for a long walk. I did take my scandals off and at least go in the water and I found some cool shells and parts of eaten crabs. The day was full of stops as we would head up the road only to stop at the next look out point or lighthouse. As it started to rain we were entering the Cavendish area filled with everything Anne of Green gables including the village of Avonlea, the house that Lucy Maud Montgomery was born and of course the house she was raised in that became the Anne of Green Gable house. As we finished the Central Coastal Dive we made a detour into Summerside the only other substantial town on the island and ended up deciding to stay the night. Good night world!

Prince Edward Island

Moncton and a New Province!

Last night I set the alarm because we had parked somewhere questionable. It was entirely unnecessary as I woke up a good hour earlier than I needed to and even contemplated a walk in the pines before Michael woke up but decided against it and updated my blog and started the coffee ritual instead. We pulled out just as the first cars were arriving and soon we were on our way to Moncton. We had a few chores to do one of them was a tiny leak in our gas line and we wanted it fixed before it potentially left us stranded somewhere. Remember this is our home so any lengthy repair could be a big problem for us especially with two big dogs. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to find anyone who could fix it right away and in the back of my mind had thought maybe if we can at least buy the part we need so that if there is a problem we won't be delayed too much in the next town. After a few calls we were recommended to a place called Multi Radiator Services. As soon as we arrived I knew we had come to the right place! The mechanic who came out to look at the bus had three golden retrievers! I quickly packed up my backpack with snacks and a picnic lunch and soon we were walking away from the bus and looking for somewhere other than the side of the road to take the dogs. We headed in the direction of the most trees and came across an awesome set of intertwining trails! It was called Irishtown Nature Park and had one main wide trail that had smaller woodchip covered trails that headed off in different directions. We took the main trail to the end and and then took the last trail back through the woods, alongside a lake before it returned to the main trail. It was a great find! The mosquitoes were out in full force though and they kept us moving. We were happy for the wind as we were crossing the lake at a bridge on our way back and decided to stop there for a snack. We were on our way back when I got a call saying the bus was ready. How perfect was that! It was even sweeter when the bill was less than I imagined and within minutes of being back in the bus it started raining. Perfect timing! Thank you to the staff at Multi Radiator Services! For awhile now I had been telling Michael about this place in New Brunswick called Magnetic Hill (and I don't think he believed me) but today was Magnetic Hill day. It was funny to watch Michaels reaction to the bus rolling up the hill in neutral! We actually did it three times backwards and forwards. As we drove away he was still trying to figure it out! Looking at the map I clued in to just how close we were to Confederation Bridge (the big bridge built in the 90's that connects Prince Edward Island with New Brunswick) and decided that we should go there next! Michael needed a break from driving so I took over and soon we were on the 12km bridge to PEI. Even though the sky was grey and it was pouring rain it was still exciting to be in a new province! We stopped for a coffee break, to gas up and to switch drivers and then we were off again. It was raining so hard we decided to find a place to stop for the night. We found a rec centre sign and followed it to a parking lot that was jam packed. We couldn't believe it, even in the pouring rain there were at least four soccer fields full of kids playing soccer! We parked by the coolest wooden playground it was called Elliot River Dream Park, it was built to look like a kid sized castle. Anyway, we stopped and had dinner but the soccer players played on and we wanted more privacy than that so we continued on to Charlottetown and and found a decent place to park. Good night world!

Hopewell Rocks

We woke up and could see the fog coming in from the bay. We should have gone to the edge of the cliff and taken a few more pictures because by the time we had our coffees the fog was all around us. It wasn't raining though and soon the sun was shining! It turned out to be a beautiful day! It was a little sad to be leaving Fundy National Park, there was so much more to explore here and I would have loved to hike all of the trails and lakes here. We drove through tiny little coastal towns stopping whenever something caught our eye. Soon we were at Hopewell Rocks, the park was closed but we could still walk through and see everything. Even at high tide the place was amazing to see! We walked through a gorgeous pine trail to get down the side of the cliffs and the smell of the pines made me never want to leave! It reminded me so much of living on the trail. We took as many pictures as we could at high tide and vowed to come back later at low tide. In the meantime we were getting low on water and headed to the next little town to top up. There we found a train museum (again it was closed) but it was a great place to walk the dogs and check out the different train cars. I had never seen a snow plough car before. Cool! After enough time had passed we headed back to Hopewell Rocks to check out the ocean (well Bay of Fundy) floor. It was awesome! The last time I was here it was too muddy even at low tide to explore too much but today was different! We were probably down there for over an hour checking all of the rock formations out before heading Back up to check on the dogs. We had dinner and then took the dogs for a walk along the extended beach floor. We parked for the night with a view of the tide coming in and the shores of Nova Scotia calling us from across the bay. With the dark came the wind and the cold so we ended up moving to a more sheltered spot for the night with a view of pine trees instead. It was late anyway and warmth seemed more important than an ocean view.

Bay of Fundy

All of the Saints

St. Martins and Fundy National Park

We slept in and it isn't raining! After refilling our propane tank we left Saint John and got back on the Fundy Coastal Drive. The whole day was amazing! The drive was scenic whether we were along the coast or in the mountains! I was a little nervous going down the windy, steep roads in the bus but so far so good. We stopped at St. Martins to walk the dogs and take lots of pictures at the beach along the Bay of Fundy. Michael finally got a bowl of seafood chowder, he has been talking about it for days now. It was late afternoon by the time we arrived at Fundy National Park. This place is amazing! We took a break at Wolf Lake before heading to the coast within the park. There are some awesome trails here too but my dog hasn't been feeling well for a few days and These trails are actually technical (they look like a lot of fun). I can't leave Melkie on the bus though so I won't be exploring too much. We did go down to the "beach" it was low tide and the stairs up the side of the hill were enough of a workout for me. The views here are stunning with pine covered mountains on one side and cliffs down to the water on the other. Good night world!

St. George and Saint John

It rained most of the night and it looked like it would rain again today. By the time we were ready to take the dogs out it had already started. Just a light mist but it was enough to get us wet within minutes. We headed out following Fundy Coastal Drive and made a stop at St. George for a bite to eat. We drove past a really old cemetery and decided to check it out. There were headstones dating back to 1784. The really old ones were so worn and faded that they were mostly illegible. Next we thought about going to Grand Manan Island but as we approached the ferry we realized that it was so rainy and foggy that we wouldn't be able to see anything and decided to turn around and head to Saint John. Our first stop in Saint John was to the Reversing Falls. I've been here before and knew not to get my hopes up but seeing them this time made me realize how often I expect everything to be spectacular. Okay the Reversing Falls doesn't look that impressive but when I thought about the process that made the water change directions (basically we are looking at an old waterfall where the water has risen so much that the pressure of the water falling is forcing waves in the opposite direction from underneath) it is an impressive thing. It was raining on and off and we ended up spending a few hours there updating our blogs inside the bus with another waterfront view outside. Next we headed downtown to investigate the Market Square. It was a cross between a mall and a municipal building. The town library was upstairs looking down on the square and you could take a bridge to walk to city hall from inside the building. On the main floor was the entrance to the New Brunswick Museum and a gift shop and a few other stores and restaurants. It was really tastefully done. The last time I was in Saint John I was with my son and didn't really get a chance to appreciate any of the downtown area. We spend so much time there that missed our chance to refill our propane tank by minutes at Costco and decided to just grab something simple for dinner and call it a night. First stop tomorrow Costco. 

Follow the Barking Bus!

You can follow the dogs journey across Canada at:
http://barkingbusadventures.blogspot.ca/

International Historic Site

The longest covered bridge in the world!

Grand Falls to St. Andrew

We headed to the Falls first thing this morning and were disappointed to see the perfect place that we could have spent the night with a view of the falls. Oh well that's what happens when you arrive somewhere as it is getting dark- you miss out! We did sleep good though and we still got to enjoy the Falls so I guess it all worked out. The Falls were a bit over powering. The water was moving so fast that I was dizzy most of the time we were there. We were lucky to be here this time of year because other than during the spring the water gets diverted to the dam. Today we were seeing almost the same amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls flow over a much smaller space. It was impressive. We crossed a bridge and walked along the falls on the opposite side from where we parked and noticed a few guys working on a zip line that went over the Falls. Now that would be the zip line to do! It wasn't open to the public today but it was still fun to watch the workers zip across. We met a traveler from Switzerland who had brought his really cool looking adventure mobile with him and was traveling first across Canada and then heading south, planning on going all the way to Argentina! How cool is that! Soon we were on our way back down the TransCanada highway to avoid the bumpy, pothole filled roads (I secretly think this is making Michael appreciate our roads back at home that he used to complain about a lot more) as long as we can. I saw a sign for Hartford and (even though I've been there a few times) realized that Michael might want to see the longest covered bridge in the world. Of course we made the detour into town and parked the bus because we were afraid the bus might get stuck in the bridge. We did walk across it though and it gave us a chance to stretch our legs. Next stop was for gas and a sundae (the kind you get to make yourself and add as many toppings as you want)! Our goal was the coastline but again I saw another sign reminding me of another place Michael might want to see. King's Landing, it's a historical settlement where a typical town has been reconstructed using surviving buildings from different locations and brought to form this "fake" town so we can learn about how the early settlers lived. The last time I was here I think I was in grade 3 but I remember it vividly. There was a huge building with a giant water mill that powered a big saw to cut lumber inside. I vaguely remember a flour mill as well but unfortunately it doesn't open until June so we continued on our way to the coast. We stopped at Saint Croix Island International historic site for dinner and we even contemplated staying there but there was no where flat to park and that would have made for an uncomfortable sleep. The view of the island and Maine on the other side was beautiful though. Oh I forgot to mention that I got as close to Katahdin (the last mountain I climbed on the Appalachian Trail) as I can get from Canada today. In general being in the mountains again has reminded me so much of hiking the trail but getting this close to it tempts me into thinking about a southbound hike. Not right now though I've got too many other places to explore! We made it as far as St. Andrew and quickly stopped at one more historic site the St. Andrews Blockhouse. It's a small square fortified building used for defence. I'm not usually into war time history at all but the information was referring to the war of 1812 and this building got virtually no use because the Americans on the other side or the river (Maine) weren't interested in war (one of the reasons I love people from Maine so much)! Anyway, it was in a beautiful spot on the waterfront and why not learn about the area and its history while I'm here. We headed back to the quaint looking Tim Hortons before checking out the Main Street of the town and finally ending up at a gorgeous waterfront park for the night! It's a little windy and starting to rain but it's so beautiful here! Good night world!

Grand Falls, New Brunswick

New Brunswick!

We woke up early this morning and when I used my GPS to map out our route it redirected me away from the ferry to a bridge up the road. If I had checked last night we could have stayed on the other side of the river. Anyway, we were soon crossing the bridge and once past Levi's we got off the highway and took the road less travelled along the river. The views were amazing! Along the river we saw tons of birds that looked like a cross between a duck and a goose. On the other side we saw the hills dotted with homes along the shore. We drove through tiny little quaint communities and every single one of them had a silver church. Not sure why they were all silver but it was fun to look out for as we entered each hamlet. I couldn't believe how many farms we saw along the way! Farming is still alive in Quebec and New Brunswick! The closer we got to New Brunswick the more the hills reminded me of the Appalachian Trail. At one point even Michael even said that it would be fun to go hike one of the hills and he isn't even into hiking. It just looked so inviting! I really like taking the less travelled roads that way I get to see how people in the area actually live as opposed to taking a highway where everything looks the same. However the road we were on was full of pot holes and Michael was grumbling. The funny thing was that as soon as we reached New Brunswick the road got even worse! I'm not sure how Michael is going to handle Nova Scotia (I remember Nova Scotia roads being "fun" but that was on a motorcycle six years ago). We saw snow today starting in Quebec and more in New Brunswick and not just snow but whole lakes that were still frozen over! We stopped for gas in Edmundston and and headed to the big highway arriving at Grand Falls just as it was getting dark. We found an awesome spot to stay where I could see the TransCanada Trail from the bus but Michael didn't have a good feeling about it so we switched to the trusty Walmart parking lot where we could already see another RV set up for the night. Gotta go with your gut feeling! Today was a lot of driving and I am exhausted. Good night world!

Montmorency Falls

I woke up abruptly this morning wondering what time it was. We had parked at the harbour front and our parking ticket was only good until 8am. Thankfully it was only 5:45am so I relaxed for a little longer before getting up. Michael made us coffees and soon we were on our way to Chutes Montemorency. The short drive there was surprisingly pleasant (we were driving in what should have been rush hour traffic). We were surprised to see the low water levels were when up until this point everything was flooded. It wasn't until later in the day that we realized that we are getting close enough to the ocean that the tides are affecting the river. As we approached the falls there was a beautiful bridge connecting the mainland to an island out in the middle of the St. Lawrence. We initially thought the park was closed because we didn't have to pay for parking but it turns out that we just beat the employees to work and our reward was free parking. The place was beautiful! The falls are huge, ninety eight feet higher than Niagara Falls! There was a tram ride to the top, a zip line across the front of the falls and rock climbing. Yet with all those activities the land retained its natural beauty. There were trails from the bottom to the top but they were closed so we walked back towards town and took the first road that headed up. At the top there were several lookout points to view the Falls and a giant suspended bridge hanging over the falls. There were also trails through wooded areas and an open field that connected with the town. We spent the entire day there and contemplated staying the night. After the park closed several locals arrived to walk their dogs. One guy brought a drone and took it for a spin over the Falls. I bet he got some amazing footage. As it got dark we noticed that a parks vehicle and a police car seemed to be taking turns making the rounds through the parking lot so we decided to move on before we were asked to leave. We need to get on the ferry to cross to Levis next but when we arrived back in Quebec City the ferry was closed for the night. Off to find a free place to park for the night and we will be back in the morning. Good night World!

Quebec City

After my grocery stop and coffees were doled out we headed over to Forges du Saint-Maurice. It's a national historic site because it is the remains of the first iron industry in Canada. The grounds were beautiful and even though the park was closed there were helpful employees who explained the layout of the park and allowed us to wander around and read all of the info around the outdoor exhibits. On one hand it was neat to imagine how the early settlers must have lived but on the other hand it was sad to read about how the land was abused and the water was polluted. I jokingly said that today's focus was going to be on Canada's first mistakes. Later in the day as I took pictures of the cannons on the wall of old Quebec City and saw the Fortifications of Quebec Artillery Park (another historical site in Quebec City) I sarcastically added my comments to that theme. But that's a story for another day. After Forges du Saint-Maurice we slowly made our way to Quebec City taking the riverside route and again saw more flooding. I felt bad for the home owners and wondered how often this happens here. We finally arrived at Quebec City, parked at the harbour front and started walking. Michael had never been here before so we took our time checking out the shops as we passed. The funicular (a rail tram that takes you up the hill) was too hard to pass up and soon we were at the top of the old city within the castle like walls. We stepped out to a view of Chateau Frontenac and the sounds of a saxophonist serenading us! We both started taking pictures before resuming the window shopping. I was tempted to buy a souvenir but realized that I can't buy something everywhere I go. There's no room on the bus! It kind of felt like we were on a date and so we decided to go out for dinner. After dinner at a place called Mike's we headed back to the bus and took the dogs out to explore the waterfront. We decided to stay parked right where we were with a view of the old city in front of us and a waterfront view behind us. Good night world!

Montebello, Laval and Trois Rivieres

Last night was rainy and cold so we turned our heater on before we went to bed as we have all winter long. We woke up to the sound of the carbon monoxide detector going off in the early hours of the morning. At least we know it works! Even though we had a window down a crack it was so calm outside that there wasn't enough airflow. It was warm and toasty inside so we turned off the heater, opened another window and went back to sleep. We woke up to so much more rain that the river had risen and was starting to surround the bus. We still had a way out though but it explains why we saw so many RV's at the top of the hill all parked in a parking lot. We were the only ones foolish (or brave enough depending on how you look at it) to park by the water. Hey, life's an adventure, we might as well live it! By the time we had our coffees and were ready to start the day all of the RV's up top were long gone. We continued east stopping for gas and at the gas station someone was delivering fresh homemade bread. Of course I couldn't resist and bought a loaf of chocolate bread. I had never had it before and it was amazing! We stopped for a coffee break and made the decision to check out the Cosmodome in Laval. The place was totally designed for kids with a space camp and training missions but it was still fun and we both learned something! We left Laval just as rush hour was starting and managed to escape most of the stop and go traffic. Up until this point we had taken the closest road to the river and followed it along but because we were trying to beat the traffic we took the highway. We were shocked that the water levels had almost made it to the highway and we could see houses and farms flooded. Michael was a bit annoyed that I wasn't catching the devastation on video but it didn't feel right. There were herons both white and blue at the edge of the water (lots of them spaced out about every 50 ft) just standing there waiting. It took us a minute to realize they were waiting for small escaping animals to prey upon. Our next stop was Parc Laviolette in Trois Rivieres. It was still pouring down rain but the dogs still needed to be taken out and there was a really cool bridge here I wanted to check out. The park was fairly small but had everything imaginable soccer fields, baseball diamond, outdoor fitness equipment (more machines than I've seen anywhere else), a splash pad for the kids and it was along the St. Laurence. Again it was flooded and pathways, park benches, picnic tables and street lamps were all submerged in water. Back at the bus we had dinner and started to relax for the night only to realize after we were all comfortable that we were out of cream. We are both coffee addicts and have our coffee routines last thing before bed and first thing in the morning so being out of cream was a bit of a disaster. We left the beautiful park and headed to McDonalds for our bedtime coffees and then parked in the adjacent Walmart parking lot where we knew we could get cream first thing in the morning. Walmart isn't as pretty and definitely not my first choice but it is nice to know that if we ever need a place to park it will be safe and no one will ask us to move. Goodnight World!

Hull to Montebello

I woke up early this morning and thought I was moving quickly. I had a few chores to do and we were headed to Hull to visit my son. I had also planned on taking the dogs back up that trail we had discovered last night but by the time I got things done it was already 9:30. Michael ended up just taking the dogs out for a short walk while I finished putting things away. We probably should have gone up the trail anyway though because Chris wasn't ready for us when we arrived and it ended up raining the rest of the day. It all worked out though and I got our laundry done while we were at Chris's. He ended up getting called in on his day off so we decided to continue on our way after a quick drive by 26 Sussex Drive. We crossed the bridge to Quebec again and headed east along the Ottawa River. The river is so swollen there were so many good picture spots if only we had stopped. We ended up in Montebello a beautiful little town along the river. We parked right along the river at a marina campsite just up the road from the Fairmont. I really wanted to try parking at the Fairmont but didn't like the thought of being forced to move in the middle of the night. We have an amazing waterfront view here anyway much better than the parking lot at Fairmont. Goodnight World!