New England, NB, PEI, NS, Quebec City, Niagara Falls and a MOOSE!
Jul 30th, 2011, 08:59 PM
#21
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A different start to the next day.... we woke to no power and whilst DH was having his shower the water stopped as well, obviously linked somehow.
A trip to the very dark basement didn't reveal anything obvious so we eventually rang the people that caretake the cottage.
Tris came over and had spoken to the power crew who were working nearby, they weren't aware of a fault (which only seemed to involve a few houses) and didn't know how long it would be off.
Tris very kindly offered to unlock the owners actual personal cottage a few doors down for me to have a shower and said she would return in an hour to lock it up.
Only because my hair was due for a wash and stank of smoke from last night, we piled in and drove a few doors down.
However, Tris was obviously unaware that whilst they are not in residence they must turn the hot water off (!) so several boiled kettles later and an assortment of plastic bowls saw me ready for action. What a great husband I have, he can now add hairdresser to his skill set!
We eventually headed off, north toward the Gasperau Valley and the wineries we had decided to tour today.
The set up at cellar doors was different for the three we visited - at the first, Sainte Famille, you were shown the wine list and could choose only 4 to taste, after that you were charged per taste.
At the second, Luckett (who had a red phone box in the middle of the about to be planted vineyard), it was $7 for a tasting of four wines and at the third, Gasperau, it was like Australia where you could taste anything for nothing.
Very interesting, the first two places there were no tasting notes and the person serving clearly was reading off a script with no real personal opinion.
At Gasperau we had a lovely young lady (Melissa) who was a delight and very knowledgeable.
Apparently wine is a burgeoning industry in NS and they have 15 wineries as of last week. The varieties I particularly liked were the Seyval and L'Acadie and we bought a couple of bottles as well as some Icewine.
At Gasperau, you could try the icewine (for $7) and it was served in a dark chocolate cup - very tasty idea!
We had reserved lunch at the restaurant of Grand Pré Winery, probably one of the most well known and respected in the region. It was absolutely delicious, served outside under a vine covered pergola with a lovely Rosé for me and a light red for DH to go with our duck.
We then continued on toward Digby, a fishing town further west. Didn't really realize how far west actually and arrived there at about 5pm where we had a coffee and the best lemon meringue pie. Took some photos of this picturesque Harbour and bought a couple of lobsters for our last night in NS dinner.
I had thought we would cut some time off return trip by coming home a more direct route but according to Charlene and the iPad, the way we had come was quickest and still 3 hours! Whoops!
We arrived home at 9 and tucked into those lobsters and the L'Acadie white, mmm.
A trip to the very dark basement didn't reveal anything obvious so we eventually rang the people that caretake the cottage.
Tris came over and had spoken to the power crew who were working nearby, they weren't aware of a fault (which only seemed to involve a few houses) and didn't know how long it would be off.
Tris very kindly offered to unlock the owners actual personal cottage a few doors down for me to have a shower and said she would return in an hour to lock it up.
Only because my hair was due for a wash and stank of smoke from last night, we piled in and drove a few doors down.
However, Tris was obviously unaware that whilst they are not in residence they must turn the hot water off (!) so several boiled kettles later and an assortment of plastic bowls saw me ready for action. What a great husband I have, he can now add hairdresser to his skill set!
We eventually headed off, north toward the Gasperau Valley and the wineries we had decided to tour today.
The set up at cellar doors was different for the three we visited - at the first, Sainte Famille, you were shown the wine list and could choose only 4 to taste, after that you were charged per taste.
At the second, Luckett (who had a red phone box in the middle of the about to be planted vineyard), it was $7 for a tasting of four wines and at the third, Gasperau, it was like Australia where you could taste anything for nothing.
Very interesting, the first two places there were no tasting notes and the person serving clearly was reading off a script with no real personal opinion.
At Gasperau we had a lovely young lady (Melissa) who was a delight and very knowledgeable.
Apparently wine is a burgeoning industry in NS and they have 15 wineries as of last week. The varieties I particularly liked were the Seyval and L'Acadie and we bought a couple of bottles as well as some Icewine.
At Gasperau, you could try the icewine (for $7) and it was served in a dark chocolate cup - very tasty idea!
We had reserved lunch at the restaurant of Grand Pré Winery, probably one of the most well known and respected in the region. It was absolutely delicious, served outside under a vine covered pergola with a lovely Rosé for me and a light red for DH to go with our duck.
We then continued on toward Digby, a fishing town further west. Didn't really realize how far west actually and arrived there at about 5pm where we had a coffee and the best lemon meringue pie. Took some photos of this picturesque Harbour and bought a couple of lobsters for our last night in NS dinner.
I had thought we would cut some time off return trip by coming home a more direct route but according to Charlene and the iPad, the way we had come was quickest and still 3 hours! Whoops!
We arrived home at 9 and tucked into those lobsters and the L'Acadie white, mmm.
Jul 30th, 2011, 09:27 PM
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SEABRIGHT TO GRAND FALLS
Leaving the cottage this morning was made a little easier due to persistent rain which only got worse as we headed northwest.
It probably rained for the first 4 hours and only started to improve after lunchtime when the highway skirted around Fredericton, New Brunswick's capital.
The road traverses forest after forest, fairly easy but monotonous driving and we decided to stop for a break in Hartland.
Hartland's claim to fame is that it is home to the worlds longest covered bridge.
It is actually very impressive and has an interesting history, it was completed in 1901 and 'covered' in 1922. When we saw covered bridges in New England the information posted about them indicated that the reasons for the cover were unclear, possibly to stop the bridge becoming icy and therefore dangerous to horse and carriages.
The info on this bridge however, said it was to prevent the wooden trusses used on long spans from rotting.
Apparently when the discussion about covering it began, there were sermons about the dangers to the morals of young people (which were heard but unheeded) and indeed it was said that young men trained their horses to stop half way so that couples could exchange a few kisses before continuing on. Never let it be said that we would ignore a local tradition!
In 1982 a car struck a steel strain rod, causing the bridge to drop and break the main beam on the western most span.
The car received an estimated $400.00 damage, while the bill for repairing the bridge was $140,000.00. The bridge finally reopened for traffic, on February 10, 1983.
Eventually we continued on to our destination for this 'overnighter' - Grand Falls. Grand Falls is notable for quite a spectacular waterfall where the St. John River falls some 23 metres over a rocky ledge in the middle of town.
A good nights sleep and a pleasant continental breakfast from the Grand Falls Best Western saw us on the road early enough to take some more nice shots of the falls, with the sun in the right place!
Then it was back to highway 2 for the last 400 odd kms to Quebec City.
When we reached Rivière du Loup the Gulf of St.Lawrence opened up in front of us and we decided to take the scenic route that follows the coast for awhile.
We found a lovely little cafe in St.Andre housed in an old school house and refreshed ourselves with coffee and rhubarb muffins before continuing on for the last leg.
At this stage we headed back to the faster Highway 20 and plugged our eventual destination into Charlene, anticipating a need for her help to get through Quebec. We hoped that it wouldn't be too busy being a Sunday.
I was driving and DH map and GPS watching when we eventually hit the suburbs and it seemed that she had us heading for a ferry to cross the river- oh well we thought, that will be another adventure....
First of all it was an adventure reaching the terminal. There were major detours in place for roadworks and Charlene was beside herself .. "recalculating, recalculating" but eventually a huge ferry loomed up ahead and whilst I parked illegally, DH raced off to get us a ticket. $7 later and I was driving through the unusual side entrance and parking on deck with dozens of other cars, many more pushbikes and lots of pedestrians.
The 1km crossing only takes 10 mins but affords an excellent view of Quebec from the water, especially the beautiful Château Frontenac where will be attending the conference dinner on Tuesday night.
But, the fun had only just begun.... disembarking on the other side Charlene indicated we were only 5 minutes from our destination (great, we thought)and off I drove.
Sunday in old Quebec City when the Quebec Summer Festival is on ..... people absolutely everywhere and worst of all, our street closed to traffic!!!
There were signs that looked like they could POSSIBLY have said 'local traffic only' (everything here in French) so I bravely pushed thru, scattering unsuspecting tourists left and right.
We reached the next intersection and there was definitely no going any further with a car so we went down a little sidestreet (hoping it was 'one way' the way we were going) and eventually stopped (in another no parking zone) to catch our breath. We were pretty confident that we very close to our building ( located in rue St. Jean, the closed street) but DH went off on foot to check street numbers and I decided to ring the lady who would be meeting us.
In heavily accented English, always harder to comprehend over the phone, she explained that we had actually passed the parking lot for our apartment, (it was down that little side street) and that yes, we should plough through those pedestrians again and collect the key from the parking lot man.
Taking a deep breath, off I went - through the pedestrians again around the corner, down the one way and into a little parking lot. The toothless old parking attendant spoke no English but when we mentioned Madame's name, happily handed over the keys.
Ok, breathing a big sigh of relief, we start the arduous task of dragging our assorted accumulated luggage from the car to the apartment. Supposedly the large key opened the door into the building and then another the actual apartment on the second floor. No luck.
Neither (similar sized) key looked like opening the door, perhaps I had misunderstood her instructions and we were supposed to be at the front of the building? Trudged around there (rue St.Jean, where the party was in full swing), no luck.
Admitting defeat, we rang Madame again and she now thinks we may not have the right keys! She will be over in 10 mins. Sitting on the doorstep we were almost knocked over by someone coming out so we grabbed the opportunity and went in. The key we did have opened our apartment door and we were in! And it was worth the effort of getting here, a lovely loft apartment beautifully outfitted and excellent location ( now that we were here!)http://www.imcha.com/rental/page-1
Great company to work with, prompt replies to email and immaculate, well appointed apartment.
As we were exploring, Madame arrived apologizing profusely that we had been left the wrong set of keys.
She gave us a brief run down of the appliances etc. and left us to settle in.
Heading out for a quick bite we had time for a quick shower before the conference started at 5.30.
Yes, the conference - the real reason for this trip!?
The conference centre is not far way but up a short steep hill so, gasping for breath (me anyway), we found the registration desk and collected our paperwork before heading in to the opening plenary.
Afterwards at the welcome drinks we caught up with quite a few Australian colleagues before heading off on our own for some dinner.
The street was still buzzing with music happening on the stage, impromptu street performers and also some sort of small noisy protest as well. Our French wasn't good enough to work out what they were on about.
The festival runs for 10 days and there are lots of events happening all over the city at various stages - the one near us has the free entertainment, every night whilst we are here- but other sites will host bigger acts such as Metallica and last night Elton John (100,000 people apparently.) We hope to catch Cirque du Soleil one night.
We were too tired to search far for restaurants so had a fairly ordinary pizza (during a great thunderstorm that produced a downpour requiring a change of table) and headed home to bed.
Leaving the cottage this morning was made a little easier due to persistent rain which only got worse as we headed northwest.
It probably rained for the first 4 hours and only started to improve after lunchtime when the highway skirted around Fredericton, New Brunswick's capital.
The road traverses forest after forest, fairly easy but monotonous driving and we decided to stop for a break in Hartland.
Hartland's claim to fame is that it is home to the worlds longest covered bridge.
It is actually very impressive and has an interesting history, it was completed in 1901 and 'covered' in 1922. When we saw covered bridges in New England the information posted about them indicated that the reasons for the cover were unclear, possibly to stop the bridge becoming icy and therefore dangerous to horse and carriages.
The info on this bridge however, said it was to prevent the wooden trusses used on long spans from rotting.
Apparently when the discussion about covering it began, there were sermons about the dangers to the morals of young people (which were heard but unheeded) and indeed it was said that young men trained their horses to stop half way so that couples could exchange a few kisses before continuing on. Never let it be said that we would ignore a local tradition!
In 1982 a car struck a steel strain rod, causing the bridge to drop and break the main beam on the western most span.
The car received an estimated $400.00 damage, while the bill for repairing the bridge was $140,000.00. The bridge finally reopened for traffic, on February 10, 1983.
Eventually we continued on to our destination for this 'overnighter' - Grand Falls. Grand Falls is notable for quite a spectacular waterfall where the St. John River falls some 23 metres over a rocky ledge in the middle of town.
A good nights sleep and a pleasant continental breakfast from the Grand Falls Best Western saw us on the road early enough to take some more nice shots of the falls, with the sun in the right place!
Then it was back to highway 2 for the last 400 odd kms to Quebec City.
When we reached Rivière du Loup the Gulf of St.Lawrence opened up in front of us and we decided to take the scenic route that follows the coast for awhile.
We found a lovely little cafe in St.Andre housed in an old school house and refreshed ourselves with coffee and rhubarb muffins before continuing on for the last leg.
At this stage we headed back to the faster Highway 20 and plugged our eventual destination into Charlene, anticipating a need for her help to get through Quebec. We hoped that it wouldn't be too busy being a Sunday.
I was driving and DH map and GPS watching when we eventually hit the suburbs and it seemed that she had us heading for a ferry to cross the river- oh well we thought, that will be another adventure....
First of all it was an adventure reaching the terminal. There were major detours in place for roadworks and Charlene was beside herself .. "recalculating, recalculating" but eventually a huge ferry loomed up ahead and whilst I parked illegally, DH raced off to get us a ticket. $7 later and I was driving through the unusual side entrance and parking on deck with dozens of other cars, many more pushbikes and lots of pedestrians.
The 1km crossing only takes 10 mins but affords an excellent view of Quebec from the water, especially the beautiful Château Frontenac where will be attending the conference dinner on Tuesday night.
But, the fun had only just begun.... disembarking on the other side Charlene indicated we were only 5 minutes from our destination (great, we thought)and off I drove.
Sunday in old Quebec City when the Quebec Summer Festival is on ..... people absolutely everywhere and worst of all, our street closed to traffic!!!
There were signs that looked like they could POSSIBLY have said 'local traffic only' (everything here in French) so I bravely pushed thru, scattering unsuspecting tourists left and right.
We reached the next intersection and there was definitely no going any further with a car so we went down a little sidestreet (hoping it was 'one way' the way we were going) and eventually stopped (in another no parking zone) to catch our breath. We were pretty confident that we very close to our building ( located in rue St. Jean, the closed street) but DH went off on foot to check street numbers and I decided to ring the lady who would be meeting us.
In heavily accented English, always harder to comprehend over the phone, she explained that we had actually passed the parking lot for our apartment, (it was down that little side street) and that yes, we should plough through those pedestrians again and collect the key from the parking lot man.
Taking a deep breath, off I went - through the pedestrians again around the corner, down the one way and into a little parking lot. The toothless old parking attendant spoke no English but when we mentioned Madame's name, happily handed over the keys.
Ok, breathing a big sigh of relief, we start the arduous task of dragging our assorted accumulated luggage from the car to the apartment. Supposedly the large key opened the door into the building and then another the actual apartment on the second floor. No luck.
Neither (similar sized) key looked like opening the door, perhaps I had misunderstood her instructions and we were supposed to be at the front of the building? Trudged around there (rue St.Jean, where the party was in full swing), no luck.
Admitting defeat, we rang Madame again and she now thinks we may not have the right keys! She will be over in 10 mins. Sitting on the doorstep we were almost knocked over by someone coming out so we grabbed the opportunity and went in. The key we did have opened our apartment door and we were in! And it was worth the effort of getting here, a lovely loft apartment beautifully outfitted and excellent location ( now that we were here!)http://www.imcha.com/rental/page-1
Great company to work with, prompt replies to email and immaculate, well appointed apartment.
As we were exploring, Madame arrived apologizing profusely that we had been left the wrong set of keys.
She gave us a brief run down of the appliances etc. and left us to settle in.
Heading out for a quick bite we had time for a quick shower before the conference started at 5.30.
Yes, the conference - the real reason for this trip!?
The conference centre is not far way but up a short steep hill so, gasping for breath (me anyway), we found the registration desk and collected our paperwork before heading in to the opening plenary.
Afterwards at the welcome drinks we caught up with quite a few Australian colleagues before heading off on our own for some dinner.
The street was still buzzing with music happening on the stage, impromptu street performers and also some sort of small noisy protest as well. Our French wasn't good enough to work out what they were on about.
The festival runs for 10 days and there are lots of events happening all over the city at various stages - the one near us has the free entertainment, every night whilst we are here- but other sites will host bigger acts such as Metallica and last night Elton John (100,000 people apparently.) We hope to catch Cirque du Soleil one night.
We were too tired to search far for restaurants so had a fairly ordinary pizza (during a great thunderstorm that produced a downpour requiring a change of table) and headed home to bed.
Jul 30th, 2011, 09:31 PM
#23
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MORE ON QUEBEC CITY
The next evening, after the conference, we were intending to go down to the lower old (port) part of Quebec but the heavens opened on the way so we decided to stop at the nearest restaurant to eat and shelter. It was quite a nice Italian restaurant (prices here in the city more like Australian prices) and we took our time, waiting for the thunderstorm to move on.
It did eventually and we strolled up to Le Château where we caught the funicular down the escarpment for $2 each.
Lots of lovely eateries and boutiques down there and we managed to kill an hour or so strolling around before heading back for an earlyish night.
On the last day of the conference we managed to slip out of the afternoon session for a bit of sunshine and sightseeing.
Fodorites had recommended the Paillard Bakery and we discovered it was literally down the road from our apartment so stopped there for lunch- duck salad (delicious) and gelato.
Continued down to lower old Quebec and found another Fodorites restaurant suggestion, Le Lapin Sauté which we booked for dinner.
Back to the conference for the final session and then home to start tidying up for departure tomorrow. We could have left Quebec this afternoon but had stayed around for the free performance of Cirque de Soleil which runs from Wed to Sat whilst the festival is on. Sooo glad we did - more later!
Dinner fulfilled all expectations, lovely setting outside on the terrace and a great waitress who was very knowledgeable about wine, had spent a year in Australia and wants to marry my son!
We ordered a Rosé from France and had the duck and rabbit platter for two, spectacular - rabbit sausage, duck foie grois, rabbit rillettes, smoked duck, caramelized carrots (different but nice) and much more!
We then walked back via our apartment and then another 10 minutes down the hill to the venue for Cirque de Soleil. The venue for this show is actually under a major highway in the city - really clever.
As it is free, it's basically first in best situated- it is standing only as the show is an hour long. We got great positions very close to the stage although there were performances happening in a number of separate locations around us from time to time.
It was, quite simply, stunning. Music, choreography, lighting, back drops and of course the performers were absolutely brilliant and we were so glad we stayed in town for this. I took pics and some video, neither of which do it justice but are better than nothing I guess.
Afterward, we trudged up many stairs along with many people, tired but elated.
Tomorrow, on the road to Kingston, Ontario ......
The next evening, after the conference, we were intending to go down to the lower old (port) part of Quebec but the heavens opened on the way so we decided to stop at the nearest restaurant to eat and shelter. It was quite a nice Italian restaurant (prices here in the city more like Australian prices) and we took our time, waiting for the thunderstorm to move on.
It did eventually and we strolled up to Le Château where we caught the funicular down the escarpment for $2 each.
Lots of lovely eateries and boutiques down there and we managed to kill an hour or so strolling around before heading back for an earlyish night.
On the last day of the conference we managed to slip out of the afternoon session for a bit of sunshine and sightseeing.
Fodorites had recommended the Paillard Bakery and we discovered it was literally down the road from our apartment so stopped there for lunch- duck salad (delicious) and gelato.
Continued down to lower old Quebec and found another Fodorites restaurant suggestion, Le Lapin Sauté which we booked for dinner.
Back to the conference for the final session and then home to start tidying up for departure tomorrow. We could have left Quebec this afternoon but had stayed around for the free performance of Cirque de Soleil which runs from Wed to Sat whilst the festival is on. Sooo glad we did - more later!
Dinner fulfilled all expectations, lovely setting outside on the terrace and a great waitress who was very knowledgeable about wine, had spent a year in Australia and wants to marry my son!
We ordered a Rosé from France and had the duck and rabbit platter for two, spectacular - rabbit sausage, duck foie grois, rabbit rillettes, smoked duck, caramelized carrots (different but nice) and much more!
We then walked back via our apartment and then another 10 minutes down the hill to the venue for Cirque de Soleil. The venue for this show is actually under a major highway in the city - really clever.
As it is free, it's basically first in best situated- it is standing only as the show is an hour long. We got great positions very close to the stage although there were performances happening in a number of separate locations around us from time to time.
It was, quite simply, stunning. Music, choreography, lighting, back drops and of course the performers were absolutely brilliant and we were so glad we stayed in town for this. I took pics and some video, neither of which do it justice but are better than nothing I guess.
Afterward, we trudged up many stairs along with many people, tired but elated.
Tomorrow, on the road to Kingston, Ontario ......
Jul 30th, 2011, 09:42 PM
#24
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ON TO KINGSTON
A long reasonably uneventful drive saw us reaching our overnight destination of Kingston at about 4.45 and checked into the lake (river) side Marriott Hotel.
Thanks kodi, mat54, Utour and BAK for the suggestion of Kingston!
Located midway between Toronto and Montreal, Kingston was named the first capital of the Province of Canada on February 15, 1841. While its time as a political centre was short, Kingston remained an important military installation and remains home to Fort Henry both an historic fort and a Canadian Forces Base.
Kingston is in the midst of it's own festival (of Buskers!) and there was quite a party atmosphere down at the water front. We took a few photos, looked through an old bookstore and then stumbled on to Chez Piggy for dinner.
Chez Piggy turned out to be a real find - we had a lovely 3 course meal and half a pitcher of sangria for $100 pre tip.
ON TO NIAGARA FALLS
Leaving Kingston just before 9 am the next day saw us tackling the outskirts of Toronto around midday. Toronto and environs seemed to go on for ever but Sharlene was up to the task and we eventually made the very colourful Niagara-on-the-Lake in time for a late lunch.
This very pretty little tourist village is virtually on the lake about a half an hours drive from Niagara Falls. We had lunch at the Prince of Wales (lobster poutine, not the best choice) and then a brief horse and carriage ride around the leafy green streets lined by spectacular houses and immaculate gardens.
We (I) limited ourselves to having a relatively quick look at the shops but did still contribute a little to the local economy. Between NOTL and the actual Falls there is an extensive wine trail but unfortunately we didn't have time to explore on this trip.
Getting to our hotel (Embassy Suites, pricey but couldn't argue with the location) proved to be relatively painless and our first view of the falls (from room 3803) took our breath away. Well worth the detour on our way back to Boston. From our room we could see both the Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls as well as the slightly less spectacular American Falls.
Took a few pics and then made our way down to the 'must do' Maid of the Mist boat tour.
For $16.50 each we boarded the boat for the 20 min ride along to the base of the falls, clothed in the very fashionable blue plastic ponchos. This was definitely an experience not to be missed- you really did get to experience the awesome power of the falls (and get drenched!)
By the time we returned to the room ( about 8.30) the restaurant on site (Kegs) had a 45-60 minute wait for dinner and we had a date with the Firework display at 10pm. So, with some trepidation we went to the TGIF fast food place - not a chain we were familiar with.
DH decided to finally try the great north American tradition of spare ribs and I had the chicken and strawberry salad. Chez Piggy it was not but my salad was enjoyable and DH's meal could have fed 5 people!
Back to the room and it was all lights out (so there wasn't any reflection) and tripod up, ready for the fireworks. They started at 10pm and went for 10-15 minutes and were well worth watching, especially from our 'box seat!'
Exhausted from a long day, we fell into bed with the window open and the ever present roar of the falls to send us off to sleep.
A long reasonably uneventful drive saw us reaching our overnight destination of Kingston at about 4.45 and checked into the lake (river) side Marriott Hotel.
Thanks kodi, mat54, Utour and BAK for the suggestion of Kingston!
Located midway between Toronto and Montreal, Kingston was named the first capital of the Province of Canada on February 15, 1841. While its time as a political centre was short, Kingston remained an important military installation and remains home to Fort Henry both an historic fort and a Canadian Forces Base.
Kingston is in the midst of it's own festival (of Buskers!) and there was quite a party atmosphere down at the water front. We took a few photos, looked through an old bookstore and then stumbled on to Chez Piggy for dinner.
Chez Piggy turned out to be a real find - we had a lovely 3 course meal and half a pitcher of sangria for $100 pre tip.
ON TO NIAGARA FALLS
Leaving Kingston just before 9 am the next day saw us tackling the outskirts of Toronto around midday. Toronto and environs seemed to go on for ever but Sharlene was up to the task and we eventually made the very colourful Niagara-on-the-Lake in time for a late lunch.
This very pretty little tourist village is virtually on the lake about a half an hours drive from Niagara Falls. We had lunch at the Prince of Wales (lobster poutine, not the best choice) and then a brief horse and carriage ride around the leafy green streets lined by spectacular houses and immaculate gardens.
We (I) limited ourselves to having a relatively quick look at the shops but did still contribute a little to the local economy. Between NOTL and the actual Falls there is an extensive wine trail but unfortunately we didn't have time to explore on this trip.
Getting to our hotel (Embassy Suites, pricey but couldn't argue with the location) proved to be relatively painless and our first view of the falls (from room 3803) took our breath away. Well worth the detour on our way back to Boston. From our room we could see both the Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls as well as the slightly less spectacular American Falls.
Took a few pics and then made our way down to the 'must do' Maid of the Mist boat tour.
For $16.50 each we boarded the boat for the 20 min ride along to the base of the falls, clothed in the very fashionable blue plastic ponchos. This was definitely an experience not to be missed- you really did get to experience the awesome power of the falls (and get drenched!)
By the time we returned to the room ( about 8.30) the restaurant on site (Kegs) had a 45-60 minute wait for dinner and we had a date with the Firework display at 10pm. So, with some trepidation we went to the TGIF fast food place - not a chain we were familiar with.
DH decided to finally try the great north American tradition of spare ribs and I had the chicken and strawberry salad. Chez Piggy it was not but my salad was enjoyable and DH's meal could have fed 5 people!
Back to the room and it was all lights out (so there wasn't any reflection) and tripod up, ready for the fireworks. They started at 10pm and went for 10-15 minutes and were well worth watching, especially from our 'box seat!'
Exhausted from a long day, we fell into bed with the window open and the ever present roar of the falls to send us off to sleep.
Jul 30th, 2011, 09:53 PM
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NIAGARA FALLS TO STOCKBRIDGE MASS.
We chose Stockbridge for our destination because we had actually stayed the first night of our road trip in 2004 there and thought it would be kind of nostalgic to stay the last night there this time. It was also recommended by BAK before I actually realised we had been there previously!
Stockbridge is about a 6 hour drive and would leave us about 3 hours on Sunday prior to our 4.25pm flight.
We made good time and arrived about 4pm to find that the Inn that we stayed at last time was for sale and not in business. The iconic Red Lion Inn in town ( in business as an Inn for about 300 years continuously) had two suites left - their priciest I think, so we declined and left to try other options.
Unfortunately, Stockbridge is a very popular 'weekend away' destination and this being Saturday night we didn't have much luck. Eventually we headed back to Red Lion and decided that the fact that it was a ground floor cottage with it's own kitchen and plenty of room for us to sort out suitcases (and accumulated luggage from nearly 5 weeks) was worth the price and we checked in to the Porch Suite at around 5.
A quick trip through town and then booked in to the Red Lion Terrace for dinner which was actually really good - roasted wild turkey.
Went back to our cottage and surveyed the mess spread about the room and decided to leave it until tomorrow morning....
STOCKBRIDGE TO BOSTON AND HOME
Our last day dawned bright and sunny and we began the mammoth task of sorting out our luggage, food, picnic set, purchases, travel info, maps and other collected detritus ready to travel home.
We had two bottles of wine left from Nova Scotia that I donated to a very surprised gentleman in the car park and then we headed off to Lee, 10 minutes down the road and home to the Lee Premium Outlet Stores.
We were there waiting for the doors to open, looking for, you guessed it, another bag!
On first inspection there were no actual luggage stores but whilst I was off in one direction DH had found the Tommy Hilfiger store and purchased a suitcase the same size as Champagne and Aubergine!
What was a girl to do but find a couple of pairs of shoes to help fill Tommy up??? One can't go by Nine West sandals for $19.99?
On the road, it was a straight run on the I90 into Boston and Sharlene successfully directed us through the tunnel and fairly simply to the Thrifty parking lot.
With no problem checking in our combined 72kg of luggage (thank god for Platinum allowances!!!) we wandered up to the lounge to wait for our flight to LA.
Left on time, flight uneventful (except I ate too much Ben and Jerry's ice-cream) and we landed in LA to wait out the 4+ hours before our Melbourne flight left. A shower revived us nicely but the lounge was not quite the same standard of Australian lounges and, worst of all, the wifi wasn't working!
On to our Qantas flight (no upgrade this time
) at 11.30 pm (2.30am Boston time so we were fading badly) and we were on our way.
If anyone has stayed with me (sorry it's SO long!) thanks again to all Fodorites whose help with the planning made it a great trip.
THE END
We chose Stockbridge for our destination because we had actually stayed the first night of our road trip in 2004 there and thought it would be kind of nostalgic to stay the last night there this time. It was also recommended by BAK before I actually realised we had been there previously!
Stockbridge is about a 6 hour drive and would leave us about 3 hours on Sunday prior to our 4.25pm flight.
We made good time and arrived about 4pm to find that the Inn that we stayed at last time was for sale and not in business. The iconic Red Lion Inn in town ( in business as an Inn for about 300 years continuously) had two suites left - their priciest I think, so we declined and left to try other options.
Unfortunately, Stockbridge is a very popular 'weekend away' destination and this being Saturday night we didn't have much luck. Eventually we headed back to Red Lion and decided that the fact that it was a ground floor cottage with it's own kitchen and plenty of room for us to sort out suitcases (and accumulated luggage from nearly 5 weeks) was worth the price and we checked in to the Porch Suite at around 5.
A quick trip through town and then booked in to the Red Lion Terrace for dinner which was actually really good - roasted wild turkey.
Went back to our cottage and surveyed the mess spread about the room and decided to leave it until tomorrow morning....
STOCKBRIDGE TO BOSTON AND HOME
Our last day dawned bright and sunny and we began the mammoth task of sorting out our luggage, food, picnic set, purchases, travel info, maps and other collected detritus ready to travel home.
We had two bottles of wine left from Nova Scotia that I donated to a very surprised gentleman in the car park and then we headed off to Lee, 10 minutes down the road and home to the Lee Premium Outlet Stores.
We were there waiting for the doors to open, looking for, you guessed it, another bag!
On first inspection there were no actual luggage stores but whilst I was off in one direction DH had found the Tommy Hilfiger store and purchased a suitcase the same size as Champagne and Aubergine!
What was a girl to do but find a couple of pairs of shoes to help fill Tommy up??? One can't go by Nine West sandals for $19.99?
On the road, it was a straight run on the I90 into Boston and Sharlene successfully directed us through the tunnel and fairly simply to the Thrifty parking lot.
With no problem checking in our combined 72kg of luggage (thank god for Platinum allowances!!!) we wandered up to the lounge to wait for our flight to LA.
Left on time, flight uneventful (except I ate too much Ben and Jerry's ice-cream) and we landed in LA to wait out the 4+ hours before our Melbourne flight left. A shower revived us nicely but the lounge was not quite the same standard of Australian lounges and, worst of all, the wifi wasn't working!
On to our Qantas flight (no upgrade this time
) at 11.30 pm (2.30am Boston time so we were fading badly) and we were on our way.If anyone has stayed with me (sorry it's SO long!) thanks again to all Fodorites whose help with the planning made it a great trip.
THE END
Jul 31st, 2011, 03:29 AM
#26
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Thanks for your entertaining and informative report. We have been trying to decide what to do in the time we have blocked out for our fall vacation (late September/early October). Brussels is the most likely destination but we have also talked about going to Canada and this has given me some ideas. A summer intern at our office is from St. John and I had thought it might be worth spending some time in New Brunswick, so your report is helpful.
On the other hand, our brief trip to Quebec City in May made us think we need to go back there soon. The apartment you stayed in in Quebec City looks great.
On the other hand, our brief trip to Quebec City in May made us think we need to go back there soon. The apartment you stayed in in Quebec City looks great.
Aug 1st, 2011, 07:01 AM
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I enjoyed reading your report. We live in New England, and have travelled to all the places you went to except for PEI. So it's always fun to read about other travellers impressions and to read about what they saw & did.
Thanks!
Just curious, we've never been away for a month, but we hope to do so when we retire. Do you get homesick? As much as I love to travel & see new places, I do find myself getting homesick, too.
Thanks!
Just curious, we've never been away for a month, but we hope to do so when we retire. Do you get homesick? As much as I love to travel & see new places, I do find myself getting homesick, too.
Aug 2nd, 2011, 06:25 PM
#29
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Vttraveler and kwoo, thanks for staying with me!!
Vttraveler, you would love Canada, probably cheaper than Brussels too!
Kwoo, usually about a month - 5 weeks is my limit but this was such a relaxing trip I think I could have stayed another month. Having the iPad and being able to keep in touch with family for nothing is also very helpful
Vttraveler, you would love Canada, probably cheaper than Brussels too!
Kwoo, usually about a month - 5 weeks is my limit but this was such a relaxing trip I think I could have stayed another month. Having the iPad and being able to keep in touch with family for nothing is also very helpful
Aug 10th, 2011, 01:22 PM
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Hello,
I loved reading your report! We're leaving in a few weeks for Maine, PEI, and NS. We're staying in Lunenburg for 4 nights, and so I'm wondering where you had your "forgettable" lunch. Just want to make sure I avoid the place!
Loved hearing about your travels. I made a few notes, and I appreciate the fact that you shared your experience with others.
Thanks.
I loved reading your report! We're leaving in a few weeks for Maine, PEI, and NS. We're staying in Lunenburg for 4 nights, and so I'm wondering where you had your "forgettable" lunch. Just want to make sure I avoid the place!
Loved hearing about your travels. I made a few notes, and I appreciate the fact that you shared your experience with others.
Thanks.
Aug 11th, 2011, 02:46 AM
#31
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ozgirl--we decided on Brussels instead of Canada for our fall trip but I will keep your trip report in mind when we next head north.
We have friends from Oregon visiting here in VT and I am trying to convince them we should all spend some time in Quebec City and Montreal next year.
We have friends from Oregon visiting here in VT and I am trying to convince them we should all spend some time in Quebec City and Montreal next year.
Aug 11th, 2011, 03:20 AM
#32
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Modeen, can't even remember the name, it was opposiet the main car park. We chose it for the view and the meal was OK but not 'stand out' that's all. (It had a long balcony and we looked down on where the horse and carriages left.)
Vttraveler, have a great time! Have been to Bruges (passed through Brussels on the train!) and it was fantastic.
Vttraveler, have a great time! Have been to Bruges (passed through Brussels on the train!) and it was fantastic.
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