On the Road…Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

On the Road…Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

And so we did!!

Thursday dawned a picture perfect day for us to tour Charlottetown, the largest town of 37,000 on PEI. Martha and Charles, new friends from North Carolina, and I took the trolley from the Target parking lot straight into downtown. (Nice to have friends who do the research)

 Right off the trolley we found the memorial for those who served in WW1, WW2, and the Korean War. This was majestically placed in front of the Confederation Building. 

War Memorial

Big beautiful homes with full
blooming gardens.

Oohing and ahhhing over the trees
with Martha and Charles.

We strolled through the neighborhood enjoying the houses and huge trees!

Victoria Row is a small pedestrian mall with cute little shops and enticing restaurants. But we had already decided we wanted to eat overlooking the harbor. 

I imagine this place
comes alive at night!

Harbor view from the lunch deck.

The businesses adopt street corners to beautify, so there were these pretty little gardens everywhere.

This fish is made from stainless steel
spoons!

Bank adoption-so pretty!!

While I didn’t fully explore the inside of Beaconsfield House, we certainly enjoyed the grounds and view. It is a beautifully preserved 1877 home filled with the gorgeous items of the time. It had been built with all the latest conveniences of the times, too. I had my eye on the carriage house. I’ve always had this romantic idea of living in one.

Beacon House backyard

Entry way

Just a small portion of
the gorgeous blooming gardens.

After a yummy lunch we strolled around some, making room for some Cows ice cream! We stumbled upon this show in the civic center plaza that was a lot of fun to watch. It reminded me of Up with People. It seemed to be part of the year-long celebration for the 150^th anniversary of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference that paved the way to the forming of the confederation.

At the end of the day I noticed he had become so formal and distant. As I gazed into his dark, mysterious eyes I knew it was time…to say goodbye and return to the U.S.

Farewell, Mr. Canada

On the Road...Cape Breton, Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia

Dear All,

I am in civilization for a bit, so thought I had better check in. On one hand it is really nice to have no technology, but in reality, not so much. Tim Horton’s has been recommended for fresh food and internet use-so here I am!!

I started my exploring of Cape Breton at Fort Louisbourg, a living history 18^th century fort. It is quite spectacular. When the coal and train industry died here, the government retrained people to be builders, carpenters and such. Much of the fort has been reconstructed over the last 20 years. It is a huge complex and beautiful! I had fun learning how to start a fire, watching the village kids play hot potato, following a convicted woman down the street to see her put in shackles (only to be released because the guard felt sorry for her), and having some bread and cheese with a pint in the local eatery. Oh and yes, I did learn some history too! I sat next to a couple who had been there 42 years ago!! They were quite impressed with the reconstruction. They told me about the Ruins Walk, so I went out to explore. There is a full time archeologist uncovering the history. They dig to learn and gather information and then recover the items. The area seems to be where the village people of the fort lived. I like the idea of keeping some of the ruins in their place, using it for learning and the history, yet continuing to preserve it.

"Bonjour!", says the local fisherman.
"Come in for some salted cod
and fresh bread!"

The main gate
The guards warn that they close at 5:00. Don't miss the 4:45 cannon, the walls
are 40 feet high, the only way to get out.

Barracks, these soldiers must have
been no taller than 5'! Fifteen men
fit in here.

What do you think this is? Yes.

The Dauphin Gate. Very royal
ready for his arrival.

The villagers playing Alouettte.
Looked like the 'chicken dance'.

The Dauphin's game room.

Convicted of stealing from her master!
Her 7 children are behind her shouting,
"Banish her!" Her husband is hanging out of the
pub drunk. The guard feels sorry for her and lets
her go. It was all pretty funny!

I have been driving around Cape Breton on the Cabot Trail. It is full of wonder at each curve; tundra like scapes, striking ocean views, rolling and curving roads, all along with cyclists and bikers! (I was glad to have Colorado driving skills.) The cliffs are breathtakingly dramatic. I spent one night at Corney Brook camp overlooking the ocean. We saw some pilot whales peeking out once in awhile and many dive bombing sea bombing sea gulls. I have been hoping for a clear night for stars, but no luck yet. The moon was stunning when it was full recently. I could have read by it. Here are a few pictures, but really nothing does it justice.

Broad Cove Campground
This little guy just waited for me
to take his pic. He is a squirrel but hardly
bigger than a chipmunk!

Corney Bay Campground

I am in the town of Cheticamp right now taking care of some business and finding some groceries. Then I head to Prince Edward Island. I will “fight the good fight” to get on the ferry today. I have some stops planned for that leg of the trip and plan to spend quite a bit of time in the National Park. I had met a couple from South Carolina in a campground in Fundy National Park, all that time ago!! We just happened upon each other again in the camp before the trek around the Cape. It has been fun to touch base with someone every once in awhile. This time we planned and met in the Cheticamp campground. Charles made a delicious lunch with fresh bay scallops and we just sat and talked all day until the evening moved in. I will see them again to catch up in PEI National Park. It is fun to ‘travel’ with someone this way.

To come: pictures of Anne of Green Gables gardens!!

On the Road... Five Islands, Fundy Bay, Nova Scotia

On the Road…Five Islands Provincial Park, Minas Basin, Fundy Bay, NS

Five Islands

Mucking Around in the muck of the Bay of Fundy

As I have said, the Bay of Fundy has the most extreme tides in the world. Many places feature crazy experiences to have fun with the tides: ride the waves in a rubber raft, drive dune buggies miles out on the shore, kayaking the tide in, to name just a few.

This is a miniature of the nets
they use. The outer reaches a
mile across!

No hooks needed for Bay of Fundy fishermen, they pick their fish up! They have these large nets that funnel the fish into a trap as the tide goes out. They have to be there to sort the fish in time to put the ‘rejects’ out in the retreating tide. Fast work!

Five Islands is known for a truly crazy yearly event for when the tide is out. Run the Islands!!   5 minute race video  I had no desire to run in this muck, but I had to go out and explore. After all, it is only mud. HAHAHAHAHAHA!! I had great plans to go out to this big island that’s only about a mile out.  But there is no way to walk ON the muck, so this is actually hard work!!  

SLURP!!SLURP!!

 

But I found little snails, evidence of clams, little tiny fish in the streams, and razor clam shells. Clammers were way far out-for hours of bending over and digging in this clinging clay mud. I heard they supply the fresh clams to the local restaurants. Most of the time I walked in the streams that are left behind, it made the going easy and progress was made. 

Now I know people are out there all the time, but all of a sudden I got this conscious concern about the things I was stepping on and squishing into the muck. Yes, they live in the muck, but at just the right depth to manage a life. That’s what made me turn back. What can I say? Some people use the mud as a skin cleanser, but I’ll take the Dead Sea mud any day over this!!                                                

View out to the 'big' island.

    

Enough mud for me!

On the Road...Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Peggy's Cove is one of the most famous lighthouses in Nova Scotia. The most photographed, visited, and climbed. It is quite dramatic and beautiful. I saw it on a very foggy day, the drama was elusive but the beauty still there. The town is very cute, quite touristy but still full of local ambiance. I did some store browsing but mostly stayed outside. I did have ice cream at Dee Dee's of course! Enjoy the photos!

Peggy's Cove: pictures and information

Brightly colored houses pop even on
s foggy foggy day!

anchors

Cove with fish houses

The colors of the buoys identify
the owner

Cute church

Fish houses

garden flowers

Lucky fisherman :-)

Peggy of the Cove
carved in granite rock

Welcome!

Peggy Cove's Lighthouse

art from lobster trap
rope