East Coast Trip 2015: June 2015

Monday, June 29, 2015

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia - June 29 - June 30, 2015

June 29, 2015

The morning started with a drivers meeting at 8:30. We got all of the information for the trip to Peggy’s Cove. It is only a 61 mile drive, which should take 1 ½ hours. We sure don’t have to rush, because the park does not want us in until between 12:00 and 2:00 pm. They have another group arriving at 2:00 pm. We finally left for the park at about 10:00 am, we had some time to kill, so we stopped at the Atlantic Superstore, to see what they had that was different from in the US. We spent an hour and $140, so I guess we did well.

We got to the park at about 1:00 pm. It’s a good thing that we didn’t waste any more time, because the next tour group arrived at about 1:15 pm. There was a huge bunch of coaches, but it is amazing how well the moved everyone around and got us all settled without any accidents or fights. The area is rather close. We originally thought that we would have a great view, but that didn’t last long as they pulled five coaches in front of us. Oh well, at least it is a sunny day.

One of the first people that we met from the park was from British Columbia. The next person that we met, was a Zephyr owner, from Florida. He used to live in Bellingham and worked for the Bellingham Herald. His deceased wife used to work for a bank in Bellingham. Oh my, small world.

Even though we are going to Peggy’s Lighthouse tomorrow for lunch, we decided to check it out on our own. It is a beautiful place. Pictures attached. There are several gift shops and busloads of people. It was so windy, we didn’t linger.

We continued on to the Swissair Flight 111 Memorial. What a very sad event that happened on September 2, 1998. A Swissair Flight had a fire in the cockpit and it crashed head first into the ocean just outside of Peggy’s Cove. All 229 people on board were killed. A man at the lighthouse told us that the nose of the plane hit bottom before the tail went into the water. Wow.

Back to the coach for a quiet evening.

Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

View from Peggy's Cove

Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

Stan at Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

Bev at Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

Bev & Stan at Peggy's Lighthouse

Swissair Flight 111 Memorial

Stan at Swissair Flight 111 Memorial

Peggy's Cove Lighthouse from the Memorial

June 30, 2015

We woke up to a VERY foggy morning. We could hardly see the lighthouse. That was pretty disappointing, but luckily the fog lifted by about noon time. We were glad that we had spent more time at the lighthouse yesterday.

The schedule today is to return to Peggy’s Cove for lunch at Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. We had a few choices. Bev opted for a Lobster Roll and Stan ordered Haddock and chips. We traded part of our lunch, so we got to taste it all. Yummy.

Before we went to lunch, we had a group picture taken by the Lighthouse. While we were wandering around, there was a Bag Piper performing for the crowd. Bev was especially pleased, because he was playing yesterday, but stopped before she could take pictures.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - June 27 - June 28, 2015

June 27, 2015

Road construction that caused the slow drive

We arrived in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia from Annapolis Royal about mid-day. The trip was only 96 miles but it took over two hours since it was bad roads. With the slower speeds, it allows us to appreciate the beautiful country.

Bev & Stan in Lunenburg

We had a tour of the Atlantic Fisheries Museum and were able to walk along the docks. Lunenburg is referred to, by some, as the Rainbow town. From the pictures, you can see why. All of the buildings are brightly colored in about every color under the rainbow.

Lobster

Our tour guide Lorna took us through the museum, telling us about the history of the museum, which had been a working fish processing plant. She also told us how the lobster molts it shell, sometime as often as once a year. She also explained the need for the rubber bands around their claws. This is to keep the lobsters from eating each other when they are confined and molting. Another interesting fact is that their two claws have different purposes and are different sizes. The larger claw is the crusher, to crush the shells of clams, etc. The other one is used to shred their food. Lobster are scavenger that will eat the remains of food other fish leave behind. We were able to see a blue lobster. This is rare, almost like an albino in other animals.

After the museum, we went to the dock and took pictures of the ship Bluenose II. Bluenose II is a replica of the fishing schooner Bluenose. The harbor is beautiful, with a golf course on the other side.

Since we were not on a bus tour, but doing the tour in our car, we left the harbor, and drove to the other side of the bay. We were able to get a great shot of Lunenburg with the rainbow colors.

Bluenose II

June 28, 2015

It is Sunday, and we have a day of rest. We have no tours planned for today, so are planning to watch some Nascar, wash clothes and work on the blog some more. With the weather being rainy and nasty it seemed like a nice day to just stay in.

That was the plan. However, as the day wore on closer to race time, the DirecTV went out and NO Nascar. That changed Stan’s plans for the day. Bev still washed clothes and worked on the Blog. In addition, the grout in the tile was driving Bev crazy, so she started scrubbing the tile. The only thing that would have been better, is having Nascar. Bummer.

Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia - June 25 - June 26, 2015

June 25, 2015

Today is a big day of driving. We go 162 miles, which should take about 4 hours. We will have dinner on our own and can go on our own to Digby to check on scallops. Since we are not big scallop eaters, we decided not to try that, but those that went, loved the scallops.

We broke up the drive by stopping at Grande Pre National Historical Site. This museum was VERY informative. Grande Pre was a farming settlement created in the 1680’s by the Acadians. The Acadians came from France. The lived in harmony with the Mi’kmaq people, Native Americans referred to as the First Nation. The English wanted the Acadians to make a pact to fight with the English against the French. Acadians were a very nonviolent people that would not engage in fighting. Therefore, the English had the Acadians deported.

Wally the tour guide for the Cemetery Tour

Though Stan wasn’t interest, Bev decided to hitch a ride with one of the other couples and go to the Cemetery “Ghost Tour”. We all carried lanterns, and Wally, our guide, told many stories of the history of the area. Wally is a multi-generational Acadian, and is very instrumental in keeping the history alive.

Bev with her lantern at the Cemetery Ghost Tour

Wally told of the many Acadians that were buried there, that had not had any headstones. A memorial was placed there to mark the area – even though it is not known how many there actually are. The Acadians, as we have found out, were treated very poorly by the English.

We were amazed at how many people were on the tour, including children. There were 62 in total. Many of the people could just walk over from the many Bed & Breakfasts in the area.

We didn’t get back to the RV Park until 11:30 p.m. Stan and the boys (Monte & Max) were sound asleep.

June 26, 2015

Over the door at the Fort

The School Bus arrived at 8:45 and we were off for the Annapolis Royal Bus Tour. We started out at Fort Anne. This is the same location that the cemetery tour took place the night before. We were told more about the history of the fort and the Acadian people.

Guides at Fort Anne

View from Fort Anne

Bev & Stan at Fort Anne

The guides at the fort had wooden shoes. They told us that the only people in the fort were men. We were able to see the various level of sleeping accommodations. The enlisted men had to sleep on a mat on the floor on the second floor. The officers had cots in another section. The Governor had the best section of the fort. Keeping warm in the winter was an issue. They put the sick soldiers in a cot that had a door that would close. It was near the fires to keep it warmer for them.

The highlight of the tour was viewing the Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry. Over 100 volunteers crafted this colorful 8 foot x 18 foot work using some three million stitches.

Panel I of the Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry

Panel II of the Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry

Panel III of the Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry

Panel IV of the Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry

We were then taken to the German Bakery for lunch. Lunch started with a tasty soup, followed by a sandwich, then dessert. Stan had a roast beef sandwich and Bev had salami sandwich. The salami was more like a liverwurst. Everything was great.

The final stop of the bus tour was the Annapolis Royal Gardens. It was a little early in the season for the flowers to be in full bloom. They had a very hard winter and a late start for the plants.

We finished the day going to the market and ordering two lobsters for dinner. Bev also had her picture taken with a 13 pound lobster. We didn’t buy that one.

Stan waiting for the tour to be OVER

The Oldest Home in Annapolis Royal

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Elm River, Nova Scotia - June 24, 2015

June 24, 2015

Off to Elm River Campground, in Glenholme, Nova Scotia. We start another new Province.
It was about a 120 mile drive, with a stop at a shopping area to break up the trip. We didn’t even get lost today, which is always a nice thing. Bev gets so uptight when we get lost – which doesn’t help Stan at all.

We arrived at the park about 2:00 and had time to relax. Stan watched some TV and Bev explored the park then ironed. Later in the day Connie came over to help Bev with Picasa and the blog.

In the evening, Fantasy hosted a BBQ. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, beans, chips and a yummy dessert. Following the meal we had our drivers meeting for tomorrow, ending with several games of Bingo.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, Canada - June 22 - June 23, 2015

June 22, 2015

We are on our way to Hopewell Cape, NB today. Actually, the directions were not too bad and we didn’t even have to turn around once. Yippee. A real bonus – we have 50 amp power and good Wi-Fi. The spot where we are parked is looking over the Bay of Fundy. Unfortunately, it is still raining.

Bill & Donna Hale from Florida asked us to ride into Hillsboro to check out a café and bakery. While we were there we also checked the Railroad Museum. We brought the information back for all that we might be interested in visiting tomorrow.

Tonight, was the Clam Chowder potluck. We had the clams left from the lobster dinner on the welcoming party and Karen, from Cle Elum, WA, offered to make Clam Chowder. We had a great meal and a lot of good salads, breads, & desserts.

After the dinner, Bev walked back to the RV to take things home and get a bowl for left over chowder. When she got there, she could not get the keyless entry to work. So, she walked back to the club house. Stan came back to help get it open. No luck. We had quite a crowd gather to try to give us ideas on how to get in the rig. Unfortunately, Bev left her key in the coach, and there was no extra key in the jeep. Stan’s key fob wouldn’t work either.

Some of the others on the tour offered for us to stay with them. Everyone is SO nice. Finally, after at least 30 minutes or more of stress, Howard came over and pushed on the door, which released the latch. Yippee we were in. Now we have ”Howard the Hero”.

We will sleep good tonight!!!!

June 23, 2015

Our morning started with a walk on the ocean floor at low tide. We drove to the parking lot and we were greeted by Meaghan, a very knowledgeable young woman that would be conducting our tour.

When Stan heard that there were 100 stairs to the ocean floor, he decided to view it from the top. Bev, however, not wanting to miss a thing, ventured down. The rock formations were fantastic. We were told about the way to tell if there has been a new rock fall, by the sharpness of the rock edges.

Flower Pot Rock

We saw Flower Pot Rock. It is when there is a rock standing unattached, with vegetation on the top. It was named that by Mr. Ripley of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. It was originally Flower Vase but he changed it to flower pot and that has stuck.

There are many other for formations with names as well, i.e. lovers rock, mother-in-law rock, witches rock, etc..

Witches Rock

When the tide is out there is a lot of reddish brown sediment that is on the ocean floor. The tidal action stirs it up. When you see the water it looks very murky. One of the waterways has the name the Chocolate River because of the color.

Seaweed - Bev actually ate some

We could tell how far the water comes up in high tide by the seaweed that is attached to the rocks. It is green with little pod type of attachment. It is edible. Of course, Bev needed to try it. Not bad – salty.

Our shoes were pretty much caked in mud. The smart one brought boots. I heard two men that were not with our group say in passing – “I can’t believe someone would come out here in shoes.” On the way back, there was a kid with shoes off and mud up to his knees.

We went back to the top and greeted those that didn’t want to venture to the ocean floor. We then continued to the Visitor’s Center and saw a video of crashing one of the rock formations. A visitor caught it on his phone and recorded the whole thing.

Meaghan also told us about the flocks of Sandpiper birds that come to the area in July and August. They come from Alaska and other areas north and feed on the small Mud Shrimp that come to the surface to mate. The beach is covered with birds. They will eat non-stop and double their weight. From there they will fly on to South American and Africa and by the time they get there, they have lost all of the excess weight.

Rock Formation at Low Tide

Same Rock Formation at High Tide

Rock Formation at Low Tide

Bev & Stan at Cape Enrage Lighthouse

After leaving the Visitor Center, we decided to go to the Cape Enrage Lighthouse. We were able to visit the area and see the view, however, not able to get into the actual light house. It is no longer in operations, but does still have a light on the top.

Bank of New Brunswick Museum

Vault Door

On our way back to the coach, we stopped at the Bank of New Brunswick Museum. The gentleman that showed us
around was so cute and informative.

He was so please to have someone taking a bunch of pictures. There were two young people that were in training to be guides as well. They had currency displayed that was actually printed by Bank of New Brunswick. We went into the vault and saw the safes.

Bank of New Brunswick Currency

The Museum Volunteers

We went back to the coach for a bit in the afternoon, to await the visit back to the ocean for High Tide.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada - June 20 - June 21, 2015

June 20, 2015

This morning we left St. Andrews By-The-Bay, NB heading to St. John, New Brunswick. That is a total of a whole 73 miles. It took about 2 hours by the time we got lost and had to go around town to get back to the park. Thank goodness for GPS.

We arrived at our park at about 11:15. We had time to get settled and take the cats for a walk. We are having some power issues – since there is only 30 amp power. We are luckier than one of the other rigs. They are a fifth wheel that had some major problems on the road – they still have not arrived at the park.

Our first activity was a Saint John City Bus Tour at 1:45 pm. First, we went to the Historic Old City Market. This market is a bit like the Pike Place Market at home. When we first go into the market, there is a young boy that was selling Beef Jerky – for $10 a bag no less. But he was such a salesman (telling us the best place to get a great picture of the market) that we went back and bought a bag. Actually, it is pretty good jerky.

After the market Ken, the driver, took us around St. John to show us Reversing Falls, Fort Howe, and many homes in the area. We may have to go back tomorrow to get more pictures. The architecture is so old and cool back here.

We got back to the coach and now we have time off until dinner tomorrow.

June 21, 2015

Rain, rain, go away. It has been pouring down rain part of the night and ALL day. We stepped out of the RV on the rug and found that it was floating on about 2 – 3 inches of water.

The rug floating in the water

Luckily, we don’t have any official plans for today. The Optional Boat Ride was cancelled – just as well, we are wet enough.

We played lazy for the first part of the day, the ventured out for a little shopping at our favorite store, Costco. We found a lot of the items the same, but many different in the area. The one thing that was different was that they do not take American Express (even the Costco Am Ex) or Visa. They only take Master Card, which we don’t have. Luckily, we had old fashioned CASH.

From there we went on the grocery store. We shopped at Sobeys. A very nice store. Again, it was fun to see the different brands and types of foods here in Canada. One thing that we were looking for was oyster crackers for the Clam Chowder feed tomorrow. Unfortunately, they don’t have them up here. I guess Saltine Crackers will have to do.

We slogged back to the rig – after using two GPS’s to get us there.

Dinner was hosted by Fantasy at the Lily Lake Pavilion. It was a nice time and good food. It is nice to have dinner with other tour members, to get to know them better.

St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada - June 18 - June 19, 2015

June 18, 2015

We are heading to Canada today. This is our first day traveling as a caravan. There are very detailed directions and we had a meeting yesterday afternoon to review the border crossing etc. We will see how well we follow directions.

We made it through the boarder – however, not without having to pay some duty for the alcohol that we left Washington with and didn’t have time to drink.

At Minister's Island

When we arrived at the campground, we had the opportunity to go on an Optional Tour to Ministers Island. This is an island that you can drive to only at low tide. It was named Ministers Island, because in 1790 Reverend Samuel Andrews built a stone house there. That house is still standing. We were only able to see his house from the outside.

But the real story was when the island was discovered by Sir William Van Horne in 1890. Van Horne built the Canadian coast-to-coast railway. He build his summer “cottage” and farm here.

Interesting Door Knob Location

In addition to the house, there is a barn, bath house, “swimming pool” (which was a part of the ocean front that had been dug out. When the tide would come in, it would fill with water, and be warmed by the sun).Van Horne was an artist as well as a businessman. There are some of his original paintings in the house.

He was also an amazing forward thinker – i.e. the swimming pool. He also had a pump house that pumped water to the main house, and another building for making a gas to heat the house.

June 19, 2015

Today was a St. Andrews Bus Tour. Jeff was the driver, who has lived in St. Andrews his entire life. He is a fifth generation of family living in St. Andrews. He was assisted by Jennifer, who loves the history of the area. There are only about 1,900 people living in the area, but it is quite a tourist attraction.

We drove down to the town, and were able to walk around and visit the shops. From there we went to the Court House and jail. The jail is what many of us thought the current jails should be more like. The tour guide told us that the elementary school students are brought to the jail for a tour. Sure do hope it has an impression on them.

Stained Glass Window in the Church

The town of St. Andrews has many beautiful churches. We are told that when there was a lull in ship building, many of the workers turned to building churches. We were able to visit and tour the All Saints Church. The wood work and stained glass was absolutely amazing. Prince Charles & Princess Diana attended this church when they visited St. Andrews.

From the tour, were taken to the Kingsbrae Gardens. We started with lunch, which was yummy, including Carrot Cake for dessert, which is Stan’s favorite. While we were having lunch, they brought five Alpaca out to lunch on the grass in front of the restaurant. We were able to take a bunch of pictures, which was a real hit for Bev.