ozgirl

Many thanks to the various Fodorites who gave comprehensive and generous advice throughout our planning for this month long road trip.

We are two Aussies who have visited western Canada previously and have had a wander through New England but decided this time to spend some more time in Maine (Mount Desert Island particularly) and then travel up through the Maritimes.
We were committed to a medical conference in Quebec City for four days and therefore planned accordingly.

We are very keen photographers, more into country than city and VERY keen to spot a moose as Fodorites who have answered my previous threads will know!

We aren't really foodies but have made a few comments here and there re restaurants if they stood out.
I apologise in advance if there are any particularly 'Australian' comments - this report is being modified from my blog which was largely intended for family and friends at home and may occasionally exclaim over differences between OZ and North America. (The toilets/washrooms being one!) The differences that of course make travelling the adventure that it is.

I also apologise in advance for being unable to tell a short story but will split it up as I go!
I have received so much help from reading other reports and I hope that others planning to visit this beautiful part of the world will find something of interest.

ozgirl

Mid Air Somewhere Between Australia And LAX

Who would have thought that travel plans originating in Adelaide, South Australia could be so drastically impacted by a Chilean volcano and the subsequent ash travelling around the world?

Airport closures in Melbourne and subsequently Adelaide in the last few days prior to our scheduled departure resulted in a very nerve-wracking time and led to us ultimately deciding to fly out of Adelaide a day early, given that our connection time in Melbourne was a bare 1 hour and 45 mins.

A good and bad decision.

We departed Adelaide on time at 1940 and had a very bumpy flight to Melbourne resulting in everyone in business being served dinner except DH when the captain ordered crew to be seated- very nice lamb shanks they were too.
After experiencing a late aborted landing due to a busy runway, we disembarked and hurried along to collect our brand new suitcases, fondly nicknamed 'Champagne' and 'Aubergine' as their respective colours suggest.
Aubergine brightly flowed along the luggage carousel but alas, no sign of Champagne. A trip to lost luggage left us dealing with two very uninterested ground staff who filled out paperwork and sent us off with nary a toothbrush!
Holiday excitement slightly dimmed, we checked into the Airport Parkroyal and tried to sleep.

Morning saw us back at the Domestic Lost Luggage counter and speaking with a very helpful young lady, Fiona. Unfortunately Champagne was still missing - as my daughter (via phone) helpfully pointed out "possibly alone and cold somewhere" but Fiona was confident he would be on the first flight arriving from Adelaide, due any minute.
So, armed with a coffee (courtesy of a voucher from the lovely Fiona) we sat down to wait. Luggage came and went but Champagne remained MIA.
Fiona now conceded defeat and began new paperwork which would “definitely see the luggage follow us to the States TODAY” and also to start filling out the emergency funds docket - $400.
However, just as the signature was about to be applied, DHs phone rang...... What? Champagne had decided to go straight to the International Terminal and was awaiting us at Qantas First Class check in!
Mmmm, First Class Check In hey? (We were booked in business.)
Off we go, wheeling Aubergine along and there was Champagne in all his beige glory.
"Now, we have you in First Class today so here are your boarding passes, have a lovely flight."

OMG!! First on the A380! So glad I had checked out the first class menu episode on Masterchef last week!

So, onto the plane.... As I write this I am seated in DHs 'suite' as we are dining together and I will return to my seat/bed for a nap afterwards, having changed into my (first class) pajamas first.
We will be having the tasting menu ( a mere 8 courses) including yellow fin tuna, WA lobster, lamb, cheesecake, cheese and hand made chocolates.

So glad we skipped breakfast.
The tv screen is so far from my seat I need my glasses to read the print (and it's about a 20 inch screen I think.)
Beautiful toiletries (Payot) and Tattinger champagne complete the picture.

ozgirl

We passed the 5 hour layover in LAX (horrible airport) in the lounge and eventually boarded our American Airlines flight to Boston.

It was an uneventful flight from LA to Boston until we landed and the captain asked us all to remain seated whilst the family of a deceased serviceman disembarked first.
A couple from further back in the plane (not looking particularly distressed) left and then we followed. At the end of the airbridge there was a large guard of honor consisting of police, emergency services etc.

Later at the luggage carousel, I overheard the lady saying that a relative of hers missing since 1942 and his remains had just been recovered from New Guinea! Amazing story.

Anyway, enough for now- a couple of sleeping tabs are in order and a sleep in a real bed before the real adventure begins..... tomorrow, driving out of Boston!

ozgirl

The Hilton provided quite a nice breakfast ($25 each) and we then proceeded to wait for the Thrifty shuttlebus kindly summoned by the concierge.
Gerald arrived shortly after and drove us and another gentleman to the Thrifty car lot- about a 20 minute drive in fairly light traffic at 0830.

A very helpful tip from a fellow Fodorite had pointed me in the direction of looking at UK rental car sites for cars in North America as they include all of the insurance that we non-Americans require as inclusions in the rental – CDW etc.
I hadn’t realised that American’s car insurance covers them for rental cars as well and therefore always seem very cost effective to Aussies until you read the small print!

I usually use driveaway.com.au (if not leasing in Europe) but found that Thrifty UK were about $800 cheaper over the month for our rental so had booked relatively easily with them online. However, after congratulating myself about the great deal I had gotten many months ago with Thrifty UK, I was mortified to read a pile of terrible reviews about Thrifty at Logan only a week before we left so it was with some trepidation that we climbed out of the shuttle....

Despite trying to charge us for the GPS (included in my price, which he readily agreed with when I pointed it out) all seemed to be ok. We did take out the premium insurance which included additional cover if we hit a pedestrian - not sure if we needed that or not, time will tell I guess!
We were given the keys to a Ford Escape and looked out of the window to see the one in lot 12, coloured ... You guessed it - Champagne!'
All seemed in order, we took copious photos of every scratch and dent, (were not given any graphic showing existing damage - apparently they 'don't do that anymore') and then spent some time reacquainting ourselves with motoring from the opposite side to normal.

GPS christened - Sharlene, we decided to head north on the local roads (1A) rather than tackling the highway and Boston tunnels, luckily Sharlene agreed.
DH did a sterling job and we were on I95 within a half an hour or so, motoring along legally at 65mph whilst virtually everyone else sped past including a motorcyclist without a helmet who must have been clocking 80mph.

Having plenty of time today, we decided to detour along the coast and arrived at Hampton Beach as they were in full preparation for the annual sandcastle building contest which starts tomorrow.
Skies were stormy but the sprinkling of rain didn't deter many beach goers whose numbers grew as we drank our freshly squeezed lemonade on the boardwalk.
Leaving via the coastal route saw us passing beautiful (and clearly affluent) communities of enormous dwellings surrounded by pristine lawns and the ocean in the backyard.
At around about 1pm we were reminded by growls from our stomachs that we had eaten breakfast at 6.30 so decided to look for somewhere to stop for lunch.

This turned out to be a stunning spot called Perkins Cove, just south of Ogunquit. A tiny community situated around a small fishing cove, parking was expensive and limited - $10.
Lunch came in the form of a lobster roll (accompanied by chips, I mean crisps for any Aussies reading this, not fries and the ubiquitous pickles) from Barnacle Billy’s. Very tasty.
We wandered around this small village taking lots of photos and of course contributing a little to the local tourist shops as we (I) went.

By three pm, I was starting to hit a wall jetlag wise but DH was holding up well so we pushed on to the small town of Freeport, home of L.L.Bean and where we had stayed previously at a great Inn in 2004. We were devastated to see a no vacancy sign hanging out front and eventually booked in to the White Cedar Inn across the road where 'Rock' told us that the other Inn had suffered major water damage when frozen water burst their upstairs pipes during winter. It is still only partially habitable.

So, it is now 6.15, I am feeling very weary and must go outside in the fresh air and thence to dinner before falling asleep onto my iPad.
Goodnight for now

kodi

Ozgirl what a delight to read your report! I love your writing. What luck to end up in First Class and all because of Champagne.

I hope Sharlene continues to behave. Have a good trip. I'll look forward to reading more. As you get near Niagara Falls,you will be passing through my city.

ozgirl

Hi kodi, this is all retrospective, we are actually home (loved Niagara Falls!) but I am cutting and pasting this from my blog written along the way.
Hope you continue to enjoy.
Thanks
ozgirl

kodi

Oh! Well I'm sure you did drive through my city... I'm glad you enjoyed Niagara and glad you are home safe and sound

ozgirl

Saturday morning saw us up at 0500 again (wonder how many days that will last..) and breakfasting (much later) on blueberry pancakes and Canadian bacon. Mmmm.

We spent the morning wandering around the Freeport outlet stores and the L.L.Bean flagship store (took a photo of the stuffed moose in case it was the only one we saw) and contributing to the local economy.

Eventually got on the road about lunchtime to find that although we didn't have a great distance to go it was fairly slow going and quite heavy traffic, meaning we pulled into Ellsworth (last decent town for grocery shopping before we crossed on to Mt.Desert Island (MDI) at about 4.45pm.
We stocked up with the basics eg. wine and Roquefort cheese, (lol) plus the other staples whilst marveling at the differences in the language/culture of two English speaking colonies:
Cookies/biscuits, no spray on female deodorant because of damage to the Ozone layer (which apparently the men's doesn't do???), prime steak for about $11/kg and many other little anomalies. DH is a keen cook and we love checking out foreign supermarkets!

We had visited Bar Harbor back in 2004 on a fleeting stopover as part of a foliage tour and regretted not having had longer to explore MDI, hence our return this year. We decided that staying on the ‘Quiet Side’ might best suit our purposes this trip and hence had booked Seal Ledges Cottage http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p263991

It was absolutely gorgeous, perfect for a week-long stay to recover from jet lag, explore MDI and bake scones to have in front of the open fire. Highly recommend this lovely spot and its owner, Helen, was a delight to work with. (Only disadvantage for us Aussies was the payment method, she doesn’t take credit cards or have paypal so we had to an international bank draft which cost a few $.)
Armed with enough to move in, we continued on toward our cottage near Seal Cove, MDI arriving about 6pm.

We ran around in the failing light to check out the shoreline (tide way out) and then back to wearily unpack, very glad to have picked up the rotisseried chook for a quick dinner.

Fell in to bed about 9, the latest we've lasted so far!

dunrunnin

Hi Ozgirl! Love you trip report so far and look forward to hearing all bout NS, NB and PEI and QC. P.S. I'm thinking a chook is a chicken? LOL

kodi

Great stuff. I'm very anxuious to find out if you saw a moose.

ozgirl

yes, dunrunnin chook = chicken lol

Sunday saw us awake at 0500 and by 0830 on the road to Bar Harbor (about 30 mins drive away) en route to the weekly farmers market.

It was very interesting as we drove in to Bar Harbor to find that each of us had remembered different landmarks from our short visit here in 2004. Whilst familiar, it was much more of a commercial hub than we remembered – partly a seasonal factor as when we were here last it was 'fall' and stores were closing or indeed closed for the winter, now they are all powering up for a busy summer.

We parked the car and asked for directions to the market as it wasn't immediately obvious. I should mention that skies were blue, quite breezy but about 19C I should think.
Eventually we found the farmers market , allegedly the largest on the island - if so we won't be bothering with the rest. Never mind, the shops had begun to open by now and there was plenty to keep me busy.

Me and three cruise ships worth of tourists as it soon became obvious! Wow, the sidewalks were almost impassable as the town was invaded by large numbers of resort -wear wearing tourists wielding an assortment of heavy duty cameras (and plastic I suspect.)
Obviously the town relies almost exclusively on tourism but we kind of wished we hadn't come in on cruise day! Anyway, picked up a couple of knickknacks, including the obligatory picnic set and thermos for the remainder of the trip and booked a puffin and whale watching trip for the next morning before heading back toward home.

We decided to check out Southwest Harbor for lunch and had a fairly forgettable meal consisting of a shrimp basket and scallop basket on the dock. Location great but tiny little shrimp (that we would only use in a cocktail or fried rice) were battered and therefore mostly batter. Probably not on our list for a return visit.

Checked out the shops that were open in SW Harbor, noted a couple of restaurants on the recommended list in the cottage and stored them away for future reference.
We looked through the window of a specialty wine store that had a large display of rosé in the window (a favourite of ours and not particularly evident in our travels up to this point) but it was unfortunately closed. Saved that one for a return visit!

Basically just lounged around for the rest of the day, reading, went for a stroll along the shore and took a few photos before coming back for a barbie on the deck.

This cottage shares 8 acres of woods/lawned area with two other properties but so far neither occupied so blissfully quiet. I am glad I allowed us a week here as it means we have downtime between 'activities' - something that doesn't always happen on holidays.... lol.

Daniel_Williams

Seems like you had fun; thanks for coming back to tell your story! Look forward to more! Daniel

ozgirl

Murphy's law - of course because we had to be in BH at 0800, I was actually still sleeping when the alarm went off at 0630!
Had breakfast, dressed warmly as instructed, downed a prophylactic Dramamine and off we went. Beautiful morning, less wind and estimated max 23C.

By 0835 we were loaded on to the Friendship V - the 'newest, fastest and most luxurious active catamaran whale watcher in the US.' Designed and built in Australia in 1996, she is a twin hulled, jet propelled vessel 112 feet long and 31 feet wide that travels at speeds of up to 40mph. Interestingly, she is one of only a few vessels approved by the US Coast Guard to be able to go more than 20 miles past a harbor of 'safe refuge' with passengers aboard and indeed we were headed for a spot 30 miles offshore today.

First though, we visited Petit Manan Island to view the comical looking puffin birds. With a naturalist aboard giving a running commentary, we learnt that puffins are only found in the northern hemisphere and that penguins (their 'equivalent') which we are much more familiar with, are only found in the Southern hemisphere.

Anyway, despite renting binoculars onboard, the puffins ( of which there were many) were a little too far away for me to see them really well, waiting to see what DHs photos are like but a postcard of these cute and comical looking characters may have to suffice!
Next, we opened the throttle and headed out to hunt (figuratively speaking of course) whales. This was where the 'dress warmly' bit came in - sitting outside (in an effort to minimize the risk of sea sickness) and doing 40mph, it was FREEZING!

It was, however, worth it. Saw a total of six whales, mostly fin backs - about 50 feet long it was estimated - lots of seals and apparently a couple of porpoises who chose to grace the other side of the boat with their presence.
I hadn't heard of the fin back whale which sticks more to the northern hemisphere and is apparently the only animal in the world with asymmetrical colouring, one side of its jaw being light/white coloured and the other dark/mottled. Due to its 'submarine' shaped body it doesn't use its tail in the same way as other whales and therefore when it dives you don't see the big 'tail out of water' that is common in the Southern Right for example.
Managed to get some reasonable shots (we were actually quite close to the action) and eventually turned for the (cold) trip home. Well worth it we decided.

Dropped in to SW Harbor for a visit to the wine shop (d'Arrys Laughing Magpie $33 and Coppermine Road $65 both from just down the road from our home in Oz!) and grabbed a bottle of French rosé before lunching at the Dry Dock Inn. Had a nice chicken and cranberry 'salad' served on a sweet type of croissant and accompanied by the ubiquitous crisps on the side. DH went for the crab roll (minus the mayo) which was also nice.
Headed home where we both seemed to 'hit the wall' fatigue wise and succumbed to a Nanna nap, maybe due to the Dramamine and the 'fresh sea air' we decided???

ozgirl

A slow start the next morning- that's what holidays are for, but lunchtime saw us on the road in search of the famous Thurstons Lobster Pound. For you southerners, lobster (crayfish, almost) is everywhere (I may have mentioned that before I think) and indeed I think is one of Maine's state emblems. A pound is a place on the coast where they have literally come off the boat, had their pincers taped and await your selection, yumm!

They do not look the same as our crayfish, smaller overall but have HUGE main pincers much bigger than the ones we see. At Thurstons you can order lobster rolls, salads, mussels, clams, etc etc.
We both ordered lobster salad which turned out to be an entreé sized serve of lobster meat, some greens, crisps and lemon wedges. Very nice but not enough so DH extended with a serve of clams (basically large cockles) and I went for raspberry pie which was delicious.

We then wandered around taking photos before driving on to North East Harbor for some retail therapy - a huge awesome shop called Kimballs which sold everything and then some.

Moving on to the actual harbor, we booked our passage for Thursday night- we are catching the ferry out to Little Cranberry Island for dinner out there on Islesford Dock We headed home via Thurstons again where we purchased two lobsters and waited whilst they were steamed. I should point out here that we calculated that the lobster was about the equivalent of $AUD34/kg – at home at Christmas time (when we have our crayfish), they usually top $100/kg, so we were in lobster heaven!

The next day, another blue sky punctuated by wispy white feather clouds greeted us.
A change is forecast for tomorrow so decided to visit Acadia National Park today.
First stop, the visitors centre for a $20 pass which is good for seven days. We asked about where to see beavers (because we have never seen one) and were shown a couple of spots on the map but advised dusk would be the most favorable time.
We started out along the (one way) park loop that is dotted with scenic stops along the way.

Acadia National Park was established in 1916 and was the first national park in the US to have its land donated entirely by private citizens. It encompasses more than 47,000 acres and one of its highlights are the many miles of paved 'carriage roads', an initiative of John D. Rockefeller which comprise paved 'broken stone' roads developed for carriages so that the park would not become overrun by automobiles in 1913! These are now exclusively for hikers, cyclists and horse drawn carriages which operate tourist rides.
We had done a quick trip to the park back in 2004 but hadn't had much time so wanted a more leisurely look this time. Our first stop was Sand Beach - the only beach on the Island that actually has sand (coarse though it is) and today it was packed with beachgoers. Very beautiful but not worth braving the 9C water temperature!!!

We meandered along the coastline and eventually reached Jordan Pond, a very scenic spot which is also the location of the Jordan Pond House, an eating institution since the late 1800s. This establishment is famous for it's 'popovers' - a kind of cross between Yorkshire pudding and profiteroles I think?
They are made by mixing flour, water and eggs, leaving the batter overnight and then baking on a very high heat. The result is an enormous softish crust with nothing inside. They are served with jam and cream, ice-cream and choc sauce and virtually anything else.

We were starving (having missed lunch) and it was now 4.30 and luckily lunch was still being served.
Crab cakes to start (which were divine,) followed by baked scallops and the popover with ice-cream and choc sauce for dessert.
We rolled out of there just as they started the dinner menu.

Just after leaving the park we were very excited when a large grey wolf crossed the road in front of us. Neither of us had seen a wolf before so it was a blogworthy event! (we were later told that wolves probably don’t exist anymore on MDI but it was huge and we are sticking to our story – it was the most ‘wolflike’ looking thing we’ve ever seen anyway!)

As we passed Eagle Lake on the way back to the cottage I spied a couple of people sitting overlooking the beaver dam .
We pulled into the parking lot and crept quietly out to the spot. The couple that were there motioned us to be quiet (we already were, duh!) and then pointed out to a spot some 30 metres away where we could see a beaver rapidly swimming into the distance. VERY excited we were, well I was anyway. Hung around here for quite a while hoping for a better ( more camera worthy) appearance but apart from a very brief viewing we eventually called it quits. Returned to the cottage where we lit the fire, ran a bath and decided to forego dinner for wine, cheese and bread..... It’s a hard life.

The next night was the night we were supposed to go out to Little Cranberry Island but apparently the boat is out 'for maintenance,' whatever that means, so we were cancelled.
Plan B was the Burning Tree, supposedly the best food on the island over in Otter Creek according the owner of our cottage.
Well, we have to agree - I had a sensational strawberry salad for starter followed by grilled swordfish and DH had scallop/prawn/crab cakes followed by rabbit. Rustic setting but superior food.

ozgirl

MOVING ON TO NEW BRUNSWICK


Prior to leaving in the morning we had a surprise visit from our landlady who had just arrived into the 'big house' for her holidays. We had a chat about the history of the property and she told us that back in the 70's our cottage was twice it's current size and half had been moved down the road to another spot to make the 20 acre property more saleable by having two residences!
Dismantling and moving houses even now is not uncommon in this part of the world as they are mostly timber. We have seen a couple being prepared for moving.

She also said that local legend has it that the guy who adapted the novel ET from the screenplay, lived in our house! I knew there was a reason I felt those literary juices flowing whilst we were there.

we woke to heavy grey skies and fog and decided if it was going to rain, the traveling day would be best. And rain it did, from Seal Cove to Saint John a slow trip due to weather (very foggy) and roadworks as soon as we crossed the border at Calais to enter New Brunswick (NB.)

NB is the only officially bilingual province in Canada and almost all signs were written in English and French. The gentleman on the border was very interested in our plans and when told about the conference asked if were getting any financial compensation to attend - we said if only! He seemed happy with us and after about ten minutes we were through.

The weather conditions made the decision about the fastest versus most scenic route an easy one and we took the most direct National Route 1 until the turn off to Alma.

Arrived at our destination, Alma, at around 5pm and checked in to Cliffside Suites which offers three self-contained suites - we are in Mathews Head suite and it is very well appointed. Beautiful views over the village and bay below (shrouded in fog at present), lovely bathroom, kitchen etc. We would highly recommend Alma and Cliffside Suites http://cliffsidesuites.com/ for a stopover or longer.

So, about Alma's claim to fame.....
Alma is situated in the Bay of Fundy which experiences the highest tides in the world. Spring tides are in the order of a 50 foot variation between low and high tide and currently it's about 39 foot. That means that when the tide is out even large fishing boats are sitting on the mud well below the jetty (wharf) and when the tide comes in, it comes at a rate of about 18 inches per 15 minutes.

We plan to spend tomorrow checking out this coastline and nearby national park where we are hoping to see the elusive moose!

Once the storm settled tonight we headed down to the Tides Restaurant and had some gorgeous scallops wrapped in crispy bacon and then DH had chicken stuffed with lobster and I had breaded (crumbed) prawns. Even worse than the other night, the only Australian wine was Yellowtail!
So sad to think that North Americans may think this is the best we can offer.

Next day the relentless moose search begins in earnest.

Last time in Canada we saw plenty of 'moose crossing' signs but never the real thing, prompting DH to deduce that they are actually mythical beasts used as a publicity stunt to attract tourists!

We started out late (again) but really we were waiting to see what the weather decided-it was extremely foggy when we first looked out so decided that perhaps coastal touring may be wasted and settled on the Fundy National Park.

On the way through town however, we took the obligatory stroll along the shore at (almost) low tide before heading to the visitor centre. We picked up some maps, asked where moose had been seen (many locations!) and off we went.
To be fair, they are mostly seen at dawn and dusk so we figured we would spend as much time in the park as possible, hopefully lasting until dusk.

We visited many attractions- Point Wolfe (old logging station), Dixon Falls, Caribou Plain, Bennett Lake and Wolfe Lake - Canadian geese, squirrels, hares and millions of very annoying BUGS! (Despite the DEET.) Beautiful scenery, great opportunities for hiking and photography, well worth the visit.
We drove of some on the 'moose sighting' roads twice, very slowly....
No moose
That's OK, we have other possible locations up our sleeve to come, on Nova Scotia .....

A little weary, we headed home to a bath, a home cooked meal of pasta and a very nice bottle of Californian merlot .... Three Blind Moose.

ozgirl

NB to PEI

Monday morning saw us setting off in very foggy conditions and probably hoping this wasn't the day we would see a moose.
Forecast was for the sky to clear later in the day (which it had yesterday) so we decided to go via the coastal route and take our chances. First stop was Cape Enrage which allegedly has a great lighthouse - well, we could hear the foghorn but visibility was down to a few meters so we moved on.

By the time we arrived at Hopewell the sky was grey but fog largely gone so we decided to visit the National Park containing the Flowerpot Rocks.
These are huge rock stacks with vegetation remaining on top which are surrounded by sea at high tide and where you can 'walk on the ocean floor' at low tide.
It was a few hours before low tide when we arrived but due to the huge variance in tides, we were able to walk around them along with a couple of bus loads of tourists. (The trouble with being a tourist is that you have to deal with other tourists

It was quite a unique sight, kind of like the twelve apostles on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria except greener and browner! After the trek back up (many stairs) we decided to have an early lunch here and then pushed on toward Prince Edward Island (PEI.)

The weather gradually improved as we moved northwards and was quite pleasant by the time we arrived at Confederation Bridge (Pont de Confederation) which links New Brunswick with PEI. It is 12.9 km long and is quite spectacular. It was completed in 1997 and is the longest bridge over ice in winter.
Once on the Island it was about 45 mins to Charlottetown, the capital, and our accommodation in Elmwood Inn. http://www.elmwoodinn.pe.ca/

We had reserved the Peake Suite which turned out to be a lovely self-contained suite at the top of the house. Getting Aubergine and Champagne up the narrow winding stairs was a challenge but one that DH was up to!
After checking in and having the tour of the house and it's various artifacts from Jay, our host, we decided to stroll downtown for a look around.

It's about a twenty minute walk to the main commercial centre and then a picturesque wharf area. By then it was around 6.30, the sun was shining and we decided to make the most of this opportunity and eat outside at Peakes with a lovely view of the yachts sailing around the harbour.

I ordered the chicken ribs (?) which turned out to be a small piece of chicken breast accompanied by spare ribs and doused in a smoky bacon sauce - went down a treat!

Afterward, we walked to the local Cows outlet. Cows is an ice-cream brand that originated in 1983 on PEI and has turned into an empire. The ice cream itself was delicious but the merchandise also very amusing - my favorite was a T Shirt with 'Justin Beefer' complete with haircut, there was also Cows in the City and Moo Tube - great fun.

Tuesday morning we were awoken by SUN streaming in the window! Beautiful blue sky and sunshine promised a great day for coastal exploring.
First though, breakfast...

Downstairs the breakfast room was set with the most beautiful crockery, silverware and napery complimented by fresh flowers and an open fire.
We ate our way through a fruit bowl and then orange French toast accompanied by thick cut bacon with a grand marnier sauce, maple syrup or both! Luckily it was all low cal(!!)
Over breakfast we chatted with our fellow guests, a newly married couple from Toronto and a newly married couple from Michigan. Interesting conversation about the education system of both countries mainly as three out of four of them were teachers.

Eventually, about 11.00 I think, we headed off with a few recommendations from Carol, our hostess, and hit the road. We drove up to Red Head Harbour where they were unloading the last load of lobsters (see pics) but oysters and mussels are also harvested here and are one of the biggest industries in PEI.
Many photo stops later we visited the national park at Greenwich where a fragile dune system is being preserved and they have quite an interesting interpretive centre. We then walked over the boardwalk to the beach which was quite pretty and a slow trickle of day trippers were heading in with their chairs and umbrellas as returned to our car.

We were slightly underwhelmed by the beach but decided it is all relative to what you have at home - we can't get enough of the waterways and greenery here; for the two young couples at breakfast from basically land locked areas, they thought the beach fantastic.

That evening we had reservations at Dunes Restaurant for that evening so after a shower and powdering the nose we caught a taxi out to Brackley Beach and this highly regarded restaurant.

We had a very chatty (born and bred Islander) cabbie who told us that the whole Island only has a population of about 150,000, the smallest province in Canada. It is however, a very significant province because it was here in 1864 that the Canadian 'founding fathers' met and from which confederation eventuated.

Dunes Restaurant is a combined restaurant /gallery/ garden which we had time to wander through prior to dinner. The owner spends 6 months of the year in Bali and the garden was dotted with Balinese artifacts as was part of the extensive gallery. No doubt quite a novelty for people in this part if the world but we were more interested in the local pottery and jewellery.

Dinner turned out to be the highlight of the day though as we ordered cold lobster rolls and roast chicken stuffed with cranberry couscous (me) and steamed mussels and lobster pad Thai (DH) It was probably the best meal we've had so far and we managed to shovel in a shared serve of berry bread pudding to finish.
The accompanying wine was a French Sauvignon blanc/Viognier which was delightful and we were glad of the taxi waiting to take us home!



Next day saw us tucking in to a mixed fruit plate followed by eggs Benedict and apple cake ( for breakfast?? It would have been rude not to eat it..) at a very civilized 9 am.
Our hostess advised that if we needed any washing done just to leave it on the bed, so we did. I could get used to this way of life.

We also found a Rogers store and eventually managed to get ourselves signed up for the pre-paid iPad option so we now have 3G, very handy when on the road. For any Aussies reading this, the key is to have a pre-paid Canadian VISA card to activate the account. We just used the address and phone number of the Rogers store - $35 for the month.

We wandered up to Cavendish beach and paid the national Park entrance fee to visit this lovely long sandy beach.
By now it was 4.45 and we really had no hope of seeing Ann's house (had really been a bit ambivalent about it anyway) and we started thinking about our stomachs again.

I don't want to give the impression that all we have done is eat - the problem is that we have such a big breakfast that we skip lunch and are then peckish at 5!
Fortunately, we were not far from The Pearl, voted PEIs best restaurant last year so we rang and secured the last table for 6pm.

After traversing a fairly ugly little strip that has grown up around the Green Gables attraction (including Ripleys Believe It Or Not, themed adventure parks etc.) we drove in to a very unassuming cottage type building with a wooden moose 'sculpture' out the front. "Mo" we were told was his name (by the gardener) and 'he was the only moose we would ever see on the Island.' Too right! (There aren't any here.)
Anyway, the hunt was worth it- DH had what was apparently the best steak of his life (positively orgasmic was how he described it) and mine was also very enjoyable.

ozgirl

ON TO NOVA SCOTIA

Our last morning at Elmwood Inn. A berry compote followed by pancakes and apple sausages .... Mmm. Lively chat with a couple who work in a coal mine in BC about how she came face to face with a brown bear at work!
And I thought I had issues at work!

Managed to get away about 10.00 and had been told the ferry was about 35 mins drive away - had to be there 30mins before and it left at 11.15, sweet.

Except for the roadworks and the fact that you are supposed to be there 45 mins before! Pulled in to the queue at 10.45 on the dot (OK as we had booked online) and were directed to line 10. The journey takes about 75 minutes and today the weather was quite warm, humid even with very calm seas.
We took the obligatory photos, had a hot chocolate, passed on a Cows ice cream and before we knew it we were being directed to return to our vehicles and prepare to disembark.

It was quite a long drive once we landed on Nova Scotia (at Caribou) up to our cottage in the Margaree Valley and we arrived here at about 5pm after collecting some supplies in New Glasgow en route.
From what we saw on the way, the countryside is very green and forested and civilization is few and far between.
This area marks the beginning of the Cabot Trail which winds around the top end of Cape Breton Island in a similar fashion to our Great Ocean Road with various lookouts and trails branching off.
Looking forward to that in the coming days, the Skyline trail boasts wildlife such as MOOSE so will be checking that out.
Fog is quite common here so apparently if the weather is clear you make a beeline for the trail.


Tomorrow of course is Canada Day so there may be various celebrations happening for the day.
The cottage is rustic but well equipped and owned by a couple of artists (a potter and a photographer) who have a gallery here on the same property.
http://www.homeaway.com.au/holiday-rental/p236071

The next morning the weather was overcast again with fog on the mountains so decided not to try the Cabot Trail this morning but instead headed for Baddeck (pronounced Beddeck) which is the nearest sizable town near us, about 30 mins away.

On arrival into Baddeck, a nice little village lakeside in the Bras d'Or Lake region, celebrations for Canada Day were evident. People were beginning to line the streets ready for the Parade and many people were sporting the red and white, as well as their dogs.
We had a look through the stores where the stand out was our hostess, Cape Breton Clay, and then parked ourselves in a cafe with a good view of the street.
They take Parades very seriously here and it was great fun, everyone involved from the local fire truck to the local recycling truck!
Following the parade we wandered around the shore front where bean bag throwing, lucky dip, slip and sides and sausage sizzles were the order of the day.

By now the sun was shining and it was quite warm.
Sunny enough we decided to head for the Cabot Trail further north.
Following the scenic coast through Margaree Harbor and eventually Cheticamp (lobster all the way) alas, the fog descended....
We were not far from the entrance to the National Park and hence the 'real' scenery so decided to call in there and check out weather forecast for the next couple of days and pick up maps and things. It looked like Sunday was going indeed going to be Sun day but the helpful lady said weather was very changeable here. She also told us entry to the park was free on Canada Day and a permit from today was good until 4pm tomorrow.
Lo and behold when we walked outside the sun was shining again! Given that we didn't have to pay entry we decided to push on into the park and see what the weather up the road was like - our aim had been to hike the Skyline Trail which reputedly has a good chance of moose sightings and ends in a spectacular cliff top lookout of the coast.

Sun shining, blue sky above we stopped at a couple of beautiful scenic lookouts for photos and then the road climbed abruptly toward the head of the Skyline Trail. Alas, by the time we had put hiking boots on and packed the backpack in the carpark, in came the fog/cloud.
We decided that if it came in that quickly it may blow on that quickly and headed off.

About 50 meters into the main trail I spotted something dark moving in the very dense forest about 30 meters in front of me ...... My first though was black bear (also seen here) but no, it was a MOOSE!!! At last! A female we think (couldn't see any antlers) and she wasn't hanging around, moving through the trees quite purposefully and not very obligingly for our cameras.
Nevertheless, we had seen one and can cross that off the bucket list!

Thanks Tanya, Erick_L, rhawkes,mat54 and others for great moose tips many months ago!!!

The rest of the walk was foggy, with visibility down to about 100 metres in places and although we pushed on to the end where we could hear the sea, the spectacular view would have to wait for another day.

Walking back, the atmosphere was quite eerie really, thick fog, forest either side punctuated by more open meadow type scenes and no more moose. We were nearly at the end when suddenly we saw a large dark shape ahead and through the fog came two enormous bikers(clad in leathers and apparently "Fuelled by Christ") who were up from New Jersey on a moose hunt!
We told them of our experiences and they went off cameras in hand.

Back on the road,the fog cleared again as we descended allowing a few more photo stops before we decided to break the one and a half trip home by having dinner in Cheticamp. (It was now 7.45pm)

ozgirl

The next morning we were just about to step out the door when we notice movement and noise on the road out the front and along comes another Canada Day Parade! As we are in the middle of nowhere, we have no idea where it would have started or finished?

Our little audience of three (including the girl minding the pottery shop next door) were rewarded with lollies and bubble gum thrown from the floats by the kids - isn't it supposed to be the other way around??? Good fun had by everyone. The whole parade phenomena is much bigger in North America than in Australia and we really enjoyed being part of the celebrations.

Setting off later than expected we headed toward Louisbourg.
Louisbourg is about 2 hours away and situated on the far north east coast of Cape Breton Island.
It was settled by the French in the early 1700s after territorial losses to the English in Newfoundland and Acadia. Due to a thriving fishing industry and therefore trade, it became the most important French stronghold and seaport in Atlantic Canada.
The fortress endured two sieges by the English but eventually fell into English hands by 1760 and it's fortifications were destroyed.
Today, it has been completely rebuilt and is managed by costumed staff who rather than just standing around are actually performing daily tasks as they would have in the 18th century. We ate lunch in the tavern and it was served with just a spoon which we were told was the only utensil we would get, a huge white napkin to tie around our neck and chipped crockery and metal plates. It was really authentic and we spent 3 hours wandering around here witnessing firearms demonstrations, looking into various houses/displays etc. and which culminated in the dramatic cannon firing. Well worth the drive and the $36.50 entrance fee.

On the way home we witnessed the dramatic rolling in of the fog over water, despite blue skies above - a very unAustralian phenomena! Couldn't resist lots of photos again and happened to be on the shore when a mink came ashore and posed for us very cheekily.
Just as we were discussing what to for dinner we came across the Lobster Gallery Restaurant situated at the eastern entrance to the Cabot Trail perfectly positioned right on the water where the fog was hovering atmospherically.
Lobster cocktail (well I hadn't tried it that way yet!) and chicken club sandwich for me and cheese bread and Digby scallops for DH. Quite nice but overshadowed by the perfect view.

Walking back to the car we saw an eagle flying over and scrambled to get cameras out as he landed in a nearby tree. He sat very nicely for us for ages but then wouldn't move for the action shot!
We gave up eventually and continued on home, hopefully to get an early night and an early start tomorrow for another attempt on the Cabot Trail.

The next day clear skies convinced us that this was the day to tackle the famous Cabot Trail.
This trail largely follows the coastline around Cape Breton Island and most of it traverses National Park. There are limited facilities and it is truly a wilderness preserved. It has been voted one of the top ten cycling trails in the world and THE top motorcycling road as voted by the Harley group. (We can attest to this popularity, numerous Harley riders and cyclists as well.)

The aforementioned fog can make or break the trip but today the weather was perfect, reaching about 26c we think at the warmest part if the day.

The first highlight was Joe's scarecrows, a scarecrow village just off the Trail before Cheticamp.

"In the 1980s, Joe Delaney tried to plant a garden in Cap le Moine, Cape Breton, just down the road from Chéticamp in Nova Scotia. As the story goes, Joe planted his garden and hoped for the best, but crows pillaged his vegetables time and time again. Joe's neighbors didn't believe he could grow anything in the rocky, salty soil of his seaside backyard, or fight the scavenging crows, so they joked he should grow scarecrows instead.

Inspired by his interest in traditional Mi-Careme, the francophone mid-Lent celebration where revelers eat, drink, dance, and dress in grotesque, elaborate costumes, Joe placed two gaudy scarecrows in his garden. He was surprised the next day when some travelers stopped to admire his creations."

The rest - including 50 or more new scarecrows made by Joe and his son - is legend and indeed DH had seen it on TV back in Oz.
We thought this great fun and took lots of pics, met Joe and left a donation before pushing on to more natural attractions!

Entering the National Park ( we had to pay this time) we basically drove through all stopovers that we had covered Friday but did take a picture of the Skyline Trail that we had hiked in the fog just to show where we had been! Didn't think we would tackle the 7.9 km again today, there were too many tourists around for us to see another moose!

Many photo stops later we arrived at the small coastal community of Pleasant Bay where we had a 'pleasant' lunch at the Rusty Anchor Restaurant. Entertainment was provided by the gentleman sitting behind us sporadically muttering to himself and anyone else who caught his eye and playing his chanter ( the musical 'recorder' part of bagpipes.)

We had now completed the western part of the trail and the road took us across the top of the island and over to the east coast through dense green forests. Winding our way down to the little fishing village of Dingwell we dropped in to the bakery and purchased rhubarb pie and cinnamon scrolls. They were a delightful accompaniment to our cup of tea at a lovely (waterside) picnic spot a bit further on at Neil's Brook.

The eastern coastline proved to be every bit as photogenic as the west and it was about 3.30 by the time we reached Ingonish which is the eastern entrance to the park and quite spectacular. We set out to hike Middle Head, a 4km walk which traverses beautiful forest punctuated by dramatic shoreline views and culminates in a very windy (today anyway) point from which Cape Smoky lies to the south and Ingonish Island to the north.

After completing this, we thought we had earned an ice-cream and the maple and walnut on offer down at Ingonish Beach hit the spot!
According to the map, a small detour to the Englishtown ferry (seen yesterday from the other side in heavy fog) should be the shortest route back to national highway 105 and thence Baddeck and home. Mmmm, shortest perhaps but not necessarily quickest - as we drove out along the narrow spit of land we were greeted by the sight of a queue of about 20 cars in front of us!

But hey, we're on holidays - the ferry itself only traverses a very small distance taking just 6 minutes so after waiting for a couple of crossings, maybe 20 mins?, we were on our way again.

The Normaway Inn in the Margaree Valley (5 minutes from our cottage) is very well known for both culinary and musical reasons and after being unable to get a reservation last night, we rang ahead and booked in for dinner.
Arriving home with 15 mins to shower and change, we did just that and somewhat wearily headed out to dinner!

Dinner was nice, not spectacular, and afterwards we moved up to the living room (the Inn also offers accommodation) to hear a local father and daughter play traditional Cape Breton music for an hour or so. They were very good, the young girl played the fiddle and also gave us a demonstration of step dancing. Unfortunately, there were only two other couples so it never became 'rollicking entertainment' - the Saturday night that we missed is a much larger concern held down in the Barn and attended by large numbers from the community. Still, it was a taste of this very popular (even amongst the Cape Breton youth) and enduring local culture which we enjoyed as well.

4th of July - big celebrations in the US today, a recuperative one for us Aussies in Canada!

We put the washing machine into action before we left for Baddeck and decision making about the pottery crafted by our hostess Bell Fraser.
We explained the dilemma re shipping costs and she very kindly packaged up our 'wish list' and took it up to the post office for an estimate. Happily it was much less than anticipated so we signed on the dotted line and now await it's (hopefully intact) arrival in OZ!
We came back to the cottage to attend to the washer and dryer and sorted out packing and car, ready for our departure tomorrow.
Having not had any real lunch we decided to try the Duck Cove Inn at Margaree Harbour for an early dinner.
The very family friendly dining room (whose decor was unchanged since establishment in the 60s I suspect), was surprisingly the setting for a very nice pan fried haddock which we both enjoyed immensely.
Skipping dessert, we headed home to finish packing and tidying up for the long drive (400 + kms) to Seabright tomorrow.

ozgirl

Due to the fact that neither of us slept well, we were up early and on the road at 0748, unheard of for us!

Leaving in the thick fog which was soon accompanied by rain, we decided we had used up our weather luck on Cape Breton Island.
Morning tea saw us finding a small civic park in Antigonish and after swapping drivers, heading on toward Halifax. Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia and boasts a population of around 400,000 including it's urban areas.
We arrived about lunchtime, found a pub (The Loose Cannon) and a couple of lovely chicken salads before strolling down to the wharf area. Once again we had struck a cruise ship day and it was quite busy and also quite warm, maybe 25c again.

We got back on the road for the last 30 odd miles to our cottage at Seabright on beautiful St. Margaret’s Bay, at around 3.45 and eventually arrived (via the long way, my fault) at about 4.30 pm.
We were met by Ray, the caretaker who showed us the ins and outs and then left us to marvel at this GREAT find. Absolutely perfect location, right on the ocean, beautifully appointed, I want to live here!!!
http://www.vrbo.com/252951 highly recommended.

We decided it was far too nice to go out for dinner so went to the local supermarket for supplies to eat in.
Anyway, have just finished dinner watching the sunset and a couple of cheeky squirrels from our deck - life is good - or was until the mossies arrived. Maybe we'll light the chiminea tomorrow.

We were a bit sluggish the next day after the long day yesterday but had slept very well.
Spent sometime deliberating on where to go today, it was already too late to see (and photograph) Peggy's Cove as the tour buses would have already invaded laden with day trippers. With this in mind we decided to head further down south to the very popular and photogenic towns of Mahone Bay and Lunenburg.

On the way there were frequent photo stops, especially at the best beach in the area, ironically called Queensland! This was extremely popular even though it was blowing a gale and I reckon the temp on the beach was about 22C. In more sheltered coves and inlets it was quite warm, more like 26c I guess?

A brief stop in Mahone Bay revealed lots of enticing shops and the famous three churches but we decided to drive the further 11kms to Lunenburg for lunch.

Lunenburg is steeped in history, it was the first British settlement in Nova Scotia outside of Halifax, in 1753. A vibrant and stable economy was built on farming, fishing, ship building and ocean-based commerce, particularly in the West Indies trade.
Today it is picturesque community that still relies on the ocean (and tourism) and is well worth the visit. Lunch was fairly forgettable unfortunately but afterwards we had a 40 min horse and carriage tour of Lunenburg which was delightful. Alice, the young driver and Frank the horse were both very entertaining. Frank was very noisy, he neighed quite often and when we stopped at the top of the hill for him to have a drink, I thought he was not the type I would like to be drinking in a bar with – very slurpy!
Alice said he could do the tour himself but was not very good at stopping at the (many) stop signs and I suspect his commentary may have been somewhat lacking. (Although when I mentioned this to Alice, he neighed indignantly right on cue!)

After this little diversion, DH and I parted company for awhile, him to take photos and me to hit the shops.
We then drove on to Blue Rocks, a tiny fishing village, recommended by photographers (thanks emyou!) as very scenic. It was quite nice, (we did see a deer bound across the road here) took a few pics and then headed back via the quicker Highway 103 route.

On the way home we decided to eat in again and enjoy our view so stopped at the local Sobeys for some supplies - I am going to try and recreate my famous seafood sauce.
Also grabbed a couple of bottles of wine including a nice Spanish Tempranillo Rosé from Rioja Sam.
Mmmm, lucky we took our sunset photos last night, fog rolling in from the sea as I type ..... very romantic.....

ozgirl

MORE ST. MARGARET'S BAY AREA

At this point I have to apologise to Northwest Male who gave such great advice on my previous posts - we HAD intended to go back to Halifax for a day but we were absolutely entranced by the coastal scenery and photo ops (you may have guessed) so just never made it back - maybe next trip. I did feel guilty though ... lol

The plan today was an early start to beat the tourist buses that arrive in Peggy's Cove full of day trippers from Halifax and the cruise ships.
It mostly worked. I woke with a splitting headache (it may have been the Tempranillo Rosé??) and our start time was slightly delayed.

Nevertheless we left Seabright in beautiful sunshine at about 8.15 and drove for 20 minutes to find Peggy's Cove empty but shrouded in fog.
We didn't mind this at all as it created very atmospherical shots and we happily snapped away.
This lighthouse and nearby tiny fishing wharf are iconic in Maritime Canada, a bit like Sydney Harbour Bridge in terms of landmarks, the lighthouse is THE most photographed in all of Canada.
Anyway, got some nice foggy shots and then wandered down to the wharf for same. Local people were already setting up stalls for the day trippers but there was one very nice quality shop where we found something to remind us of the spot.

We headed back to the lighthouse where the Sou'wester Restaurant apparently does a good breakfast. At this stage we fully realized why we had dragged ourselves out of bed early, it was SWARMING with people, crawling like ants over the rocks, at least half a dozen huge buses in the car park and more pulling in as we ate breakfast.
Worst of all, an old lady in a garish orange skirt and a ridiculous hat was sitting at the base of the lighthouse playing a piano accordion with her suitcase open for donations and another woman (at least back on the path a bit) playing the bagpipes! I was speechless. So glad we had come early.

On the way home we stopped at the Swissair Flight 111 memorial. For fellow Australians, you may remember that this flight went down in 1998 killing all 229 on board whilst en route from New York to Geneva, Switzerland. It crashed about 6 kms off shore from here as it was trying to land in nearby Halifax with a fire in the cabin. The local community was integral to the recovery effort.
It too was crawling with people but as we got closer we realized they were all young people (high school?) in very smart uniforms, accompanied by some parents. There was also a cameraman and someone interviewing various students for Canada TV.

I asked a gentleman what it was all about and he said that they were a band from Geneva who were here to perform in a local Tattoo later today but were visiting their countrymen's memorial.
It was a very poignant spot, particularly with fog swirling around.

Next stop was another little fishing village called Indian Harbour. We were strolling around taking photos ( no tour buses here) when a gentleman came out of his place and started chatting. He knew someone who lived in Adelaide and his daughter was in NZ.
He invited us down to his place (which we had been photographing ) and told us it's very interesting history - it was once a 'fish factory' as many of these picturesque structures overhanging the water were/are.
He was very informative and also directed us to his you tube video of when Hurricane Bill hit this area in 2009 and a neighboring structure was destroyed and floated past his house! It's great viewing - check out "Peter Dodge, hurricane" if you're interested. Thanks very much Peter, it made our day!

Arriving back home (bright sunshine back here) we spent a couple of hours checking out our photographic handiwork and planning tomorrow.
Late afternoon we headed back down the coast for the (hopefully) fog free, sunset shots of Peggy's Cove and surrounds.
We spent ages (and I mean ages) trying to get a shot without people in it- it was 8pm and people were still swarming around and worse, sitting to watch the sunset! (LOL)
Anyway, eventually we were happy with what we had and drove home for pasta on the deck.
I lit the chiminea (which kept the mossies away) and we sat and watched the moon on the water and listened to the seabirds on the island settling down to roost for the night......