2016 Trip to the Maritimes. Final Leg. Journey back home.

Time to turn this big boy toward home.
Our plans were to stop in Decatur, Indiana for some scheduled warranty work at the Fleetwood factory and then our plans are to hit Kansas City, Missouri for some ribs.  Need to watch out for tornados in Missouri and Kansas. 

This will be the first time we have visited these two states.....had to abort other planned visits due to tornados.  So if we can visit them, we will only have one more state in the lower 48 to visit; North Dakota.


 

It is odd to be without our other two rigs and buddies of 2 months.  No need to talk about stops, routes, etc. We are all by ourselves again...very quiet.

Lots of rain in Pennsylvania and other states,  thunderstorms really.  Every state from Massachusetts to Indiana had rain and lots of it.  Green grass and lots of rivers.  Wish California could get some of this. Walt was kept busy washing the rig and truck.

We made it to Decatur on time for our scheduled repairs. We have some roof leaks and all this rain is helping us to know if their work is complete. 

Got our closest experience yet with tornados in Decatur.  The probability for a tornado was only 1 on a scale of 5. 

However, we still drove to the storm cellar in town to locate the quickest route and got Smoke's travel carrier out and ready. 

Boy was that good planning. 

In the afternoon suddenly all "hell" broke loose.  The tornado and the NOAA alerts on the phones went off and the local TV station showed a series of tornados headed our way.  For the next two hours we watched as they traveled just north and south of us.  By the way, both apps are free and you should have them on your phones if you travel in the Midwest.

We were in Decatur. Red boxes are two tornados north and south of us

What a relief.  This area of Indiana had more tornados that day then they usually have in a year.  Great to have such fun!!!

So with that fun behind us, we are now headed to check out St. Louis, Kansas City and Oklahoma City on our way to catch Interstate 40 toward Lake Havasu.

Hot, Rain, Hot, Rain!!!   Oh, and Humid.  How do they live here???  At least no tornados!!

We went to the St. Louis arch and rode the little thingy up to the top. It is like riding in a coffin.  Quite a good view from the top though.


Pod for 5!!!

Walt in the pod...is that a halo?



St Louis Arch is the tallest monument in USA
 

This is the Cardinal's Stadium from top of arch

We also took the Budweiser tour.  The tour includes a tour of the horse stables where you can see them grooming the big guys.  Of course, beer tasting too.  The brewing room is fantastic.  It was built in 1891 and has large chandlers that hang down in the foyer for several stories.

Budweiser Brew House

Headed on to Kansas City and had to have the ribs at Joe's KC Bar b Que.  Yummy!!!

We also went to the World War One museum in Kansas City.  We didn't know that much about this war and found this museum very informative.  Go there if you get a chance.

Oklahoma City was uneventful weather wise.  We were parked a couple yards down from this ominous object.

Know what it is???  Looks more like a crypt than a shelter.

Note the sign, no animals allowed.  We planned on putting Smoke under our raincoat and look really fat.

Oops, our leak is back.  Change of plans.  Now headed up to the service center in Oregon to get it checked and fixed while on warranty for 90 days.  Whats another 1200 miles???  It could be just some residual water that was trapped in the roof before the repairs, but why take a chance?   Good excuse to see my sister in Salem, Oregon!

Oh well, going to miss a stop in Havasu and a boat ride!!!

Texas, New Mexico and Nevada uneventful and we got every thing fixed in Oregon Visit with my sister a bonus. 

Home on September 18th.  Three and 1/2 months, 10650 miles.  1163 gallons of diesel.  Averaged 8.1 mpg.  Not bad for a house on wheels!!

22 states (3 new ones) and 5 Provinces this trip
Where to Next?

Great trip.  Home is nice too. Weather is REALLY NICE!!!

2016 Trip to the Canadian Maritimes. Fourth Leg: New England States

We crossed over into the US at Calais, Maine.  The border crossing was easy and no waiting.   They did board the motorhome.  Walked thru it and opened the refrigerator looking for citrus fruit. No fruit or veggies or fire wood allowed back into the states.

Our first stop was a Walmart.  Canada has Walmart, however, they lack the variety of products that we are used to in the US.   Of course, we also need to stock up on booze.  We have missed the prices a lot!!!

Our first campground in Maine is Seaview Campground in Eastport, Maine.  Walt and I stayed there in 2011 and loved it.  The campground is having a pot luck tonight and we have all made a dish to share.   The campground has its own restaurant and lobster pound and our sites are the best sites in the park. 

We are overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay.  On the other side of the bay is New Brunswick.  We hope to see whales again this trip.

 

No whales but wonderful views and lots of lobsters to eat.  

Campfire at Seaview Campground
Eastport, Maine

WALT AND SMOKE
 

Lets move down the coast a little bit to Bar Harbor; pronounced "bahr habaah" out there. 

We stayed in a town called Southwest Harbor; the "quiet side" of Mt Desert Island.  Very nice area. Most of Mt Desert Island is comprised of Acadia National Park.  All the campgrounds and towns have a free shuttle that takes you to beaches, towns and to Bar Harbor.  It is free and runs hourly.  Parking in most areas is very skimpy, so these free buses are wonderful.  LL Bean gives several million dollars each year to support the buses and help the environment.    We stayed at Smugglers Den; another good campground.

Made from Old Wooden Buoys

We took a sail boat ride at sunset in Bar Harbor on a 4 masted schooner called the Margaret Todd.  Nice time was had by all.  They let you bring your own "beverages".

 We got a kick out of these sign posts in Maine.  They are all towns in Maine!

"Downeast" we go.  Only a hundred miles south is Belfast Maine and one of our favorite campgrounds called the Moorings.  This will be our third time here.  We always reserve early and get sites right on the water's edge.  Friday night potluck again, this time the campground supplied free wine and beer!

Our 3 rigs with a front row view



Many brave Maniac's were in the water.  Rocky enjoyed it too!

Patty, Kent and Rocky

Time to leave Maine and have a bit of fun in North Conway, New Hampshire. 
Walt and I would come up here for ski weekends when we lived in Boston......around 1972!  We also stayed here 5 years ago and enjoyed the area.  Plans are for trips to the top of Mt Washington on the cog railway, take a hike to the Flume Gorge and kayak on the Saco river.   We will be here for 5 days so we can catch up on naps, haircuts, shopping and laundry, etc.

The weather was great.  The Saco river was a bit low and we bottomed out a few times.  Kent was able to beg for more beers from friendly rafters that were pulling a full cooler of beer behind them in an inner tube!  Wicked Smaht!

We all went golfing....pee wee golfing in North Conway.  Nice new course that was very nice.  The Hughes had never played. We took advantage of them!!

We are now heading to Massachusetts.  This is the last state that all 3 of the rigs will be together.  We plan on staying in Cape Ann in Gloucester, east of Boston and in Bellingham and Plymouth.  There are no RV parks really close to Boston so we will need to drive in a couple of days from outside the town.

Gloucester Massachusetts is the harbor that the fishing boat was from in the movie "the perfect storm".  We all chipped in and rented a 50 foot sail boat for 3 hours.  Nice time and wonderful people. The owners move the boat to the Caribbean in the winter and give package tours down there too.  The name of their charter service is Defiance Charters. They served us wine and beer, appetizers and narrated the sites in and around Gloucester.  Kent was given the helm for awhile and instructed on how to navigate the wind. 

We gave them a high rating on Trip Advisor.

Around Gloucester are several very picturesque towns to visit.  Rockport, Swampscott and the witch town of Salem.  The red building below is well known to artists that sketch it.  It is called Motif #1.

They also have an Elks with an incredible view of the Atlantic and great food and beer too!

Even McDonalds Sells Lobster Rolls!!!

There are some very famous clam, scallop and lobster shacks in this part of Massachusetts.  The Clam Shack in Ipswich is famous.   We skipped this place this year in order to save ourselves for Woodman's in Essex.  Chubby Woodman was the first to invent the fried clam in 1916.  His restaurant is still going strong 100 years later and we got scallops and clams.  It is pricey but worth every penny; I mean dollar. Yummy!

Fried Clams, Fries and Onion Rings

Did you know Boston has its own language?  Cah=Car, Ba-data=Potatoe, Coh-nah=Corner, Hahvad Yahd=Harvard Yard. 

When we hit Bahstahn (Boston) the heat and humidity was suffocating!  High 90's and with the humidity it was like 105.  We persevered and still saw the sites of Boston.

Faneuil Hall Boston

Faneuil Hall was built in 1742.  It has been a marketplace and meeting hall since 1743.  Sam Adams gave several speeches here promoting independence from Great Britain.

We saw Paul Revere's house in the North End of Boston.....Italian section these days.  Did you know that Paul was married twice and had 16 children! With his first wife he had 8 children.  His first wife died early and he married again and had 8 more!!! They lived in the house in North End that is TINY! It is the oldest house in Boston, built in 1680 after the big fire in Boston in 1676.

 Had to stop at Cheers for some "bea-ahs".

We walked thru the Boston Common and Public Gardens.  Saw the swan boats and the famous little duckies.  Had a drink at the bubb-lah (water fountain).  

Speaking of beer, we all took the Sam Adams brewery tour and had a great time.  They give you 3 tastings of beer and they are super generous with the portions.  Followed this up with a trip on the Doyle Trolley to Doyles pub for lunch.  It has been in continuous operation since 1882!

We learned a few new words while in Bean Town!.

Patty's Mom and Dad grew up in Randolph Massachusetts.  Patty had the addresses of her Mom and Dad's childhood homes and we went to visit them.  She took pictures and bought her dad some Pudding Ice Cream that he remembered from his childhood.  Walt showed them were he grew up in East Walpole.


Walt's Childhood Home on Pleasant Street

Next adventure Plymouth and Martha's Vineyard.  We stayed in Pinewood Lodge campground in Plymouth, Mass.  Great campground with big sites and just enough trees to filter the hot sun. 

Of course, we had to go see Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower.  Hard to imagine that 132 people sailed on this little ship.

We all drove to Falmouth and took the Island Queen passenger ferry to Martha's Vineyard. 

We heard the President is here and we have a few ideas to share with him!


Our plans were to rent mopeds and zip around the island.  Walt and I did that years ago and had fun.  Of course a lot has changed since then. 
1. We are not 40 anymore.
2. The traffic has quadrupled on the island and lots of accidents with bikes and mopeds occur.

Well, the owners of the bikes don't see 60+ years old as an asset.  Seniors don't get a discount, instead,  they get a driving test.  Kent passed it and the rest of us saw failure in our future!   We rented a car instead!

The water along Martha's Vineyard was 80 plus degrees.  Thank you global warming.

Kent/Patty and Kelli/John left today.  Kelli and John are headed to NYC and Washington DC.  They got approved to visit the White House while there!

Kent and Patty are headed home to Tahoe via Michigan and Colorado.  Family reunion in Michigan and also a nice visit with their youngest son Bryan in Colorado.

The Jewell's will visit family here in the Boston area and then head home via Lake Havasu.  More on that in the next post.

Time to go our separate ways.

2016 Trip to the Canadian Maritimes. Third Leg: PEI, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

We have now headed to New Brunswick.  We drove thru the west portion of it to get to Prince Edward Island; our next destination.  We stayed in our first Walmart on this trip in Frederickton, New Brunswick.  Manager very friendly and said we could stay a week if we wanted. No can do!  Off to PEI.

 

To get to PEI you need to go over the Confederation Bridge. It is 12.9 kilometers long (8 miles). 

 

We are going to be staying in the town of Cavendish.  Cavendish is famous for "Ann of Green Gables".  Traveling across PEI is done on smallish roads that run amongst farms, villages and lush fields.  PEI is famous for its potatoes and there are field after field of green potato plants.  

 

Beautiful multicolored Lupin is also prevalent in PEI. The countryside is just beautiful.  Green fields, beautifully manicured lawns and homes.  Lots of beautiful white church's with small cemeteries next to them.  Lots of sea views with red sand beaches, lobster boats, traps and buoys. They are famous for their Malpeque oysters too.

 

 

We arrived on Canada Day, July 1.  Their equivalent of our 4th of July.   It is also my birthday.  Canada helped me celebrate my birthday! 

 

Rustico Beach was nearby and we all went up there to enjoy music for Canada Day.  We found some old lobster traps here for sale for $10 Canadian.  We should have bought them.  They were selling them in Maine for $55 American!

 

Kent went back for fireworks.  The rest of us were party poopers.

 

Next day we found a lobster pound and bought some for dinner.  They were $9/lb Canadian ($6.50 us).  Wow they were good!  Kelli bought clams and made a great chowdah!

 

We went to a Ceilidl!  Pronounced "Kay-Lee".  It is the celtic word for gathering.  In this part of the country church's, community halls and homes post signs on the road that a Ceilidl is happening tonight.  Locals are really into music and dance and gather to sing, fiddle and dance.  There has to be something to do on those long, cold and dark winter nights (besides sex)!

 

On the far east side of the island is a beach called Red Point and another beach called Basin Head (voted PEI's best beach) known for its "singing sand".  We went to both.  The singing sand must have been on voice rest....we didn't hear anything.

 

On to Nova Scotia. We are going to start at the far northern section called Cape Breton Island.  Our campground was in North Sydney and it was fantastic.  We had made reservations in January and we were placed in the best spots they had.  We were overlooking Bras de Or Lake,

really an inland sea.  Beautiful. 

 

 

 

We hit some rainy weather here but were able to fit a 3 hour cruise out to Bird island to see Bald Eagles and Puffins.  The tour guide was not happy that so many bald eagles were making Bird Island their home.  The eagles chase away the Puffins and more people want to see the puffins than eagles.  Oh well.

 

 

 

Next town was Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Scott and Monica joined us for a few days.  Went golfing with them and got attacked by black flies and no see ums.  We need to learn to carry insect spray every where we go!  We are averaging about 4 new bites a day. 

 

We went to the picturesque village of Peggy's Cove.  Spectacular day.  We were treated to a Scottish Bagpiper.   So we got to experience a wee bit of Scotland in New Scotland (Nova Scotia).

 

 

 

We also went to Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. 

Lunenburg is a UNESCO site.  It dates back to the 1700's and they have 4 blocks of 18th and 19th century homes.  It is also the home of the Bluenose II.  The original Bluenose was built in 1921 and was a fishing/racing schooner.  The first one to the dock gets the good prices.  She won every race for 17 years!!  We missed seeing her. She was in Halifax.

 

We next went to the other side of Nova Scotia to Digby (Scallop capital of the world) and Annapolis Royal.   The oldest Canadian settlement is here,  Fort Anne.  Also the oldest French settlement of Fort Royal. 

 

The scallop fleet was in the harbor and made for a pretty site.

 

Lots of cannons at the port testifying to the many skirmishes that happened in the distant past.  We had to have a bit of fun with them.

 

 

The Canadians have decommissioned lighthouses in this area.   To encourage their continued existence, they sold them for $1 Canadian IF they are continually inhabited/used.  Here is one in Digby, NS.   Can you see Patty and Kelli waving at you?

This lighthouse owner sold hot cocoa and coffee and the clam digging was free to the person willing to get muddy.  The guys didn't do to well in the "digging" business but very well in the "hamming" it up business.

 

Just by luck, we met a lobster boat at the dock and bought more lobsters.  Got them for $6.50 Canadian...so about $5 American.  Best price yet.  Also bought some clams for $3.00/lb Canadian.  Had to learn how to "purge" them of sand and grit and then steamed them up for linguini and clams and chowdah!!! 

 

The Bay of Fundy has the largest tides in the world.  Depending on the month the tidal change can be between 37 and 52 feet!!  We hit the 37 foot tides.  The lobster and scallop boats sit on the ocean bottom at low tide!  Quite something to see.

  

   

 

Onward to Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick to see Flower Pot Rocks and the incredible tide change in the Bay of Fundy. This part of the Bay of Fundy has the greatest tide changes in the world. The park pass is good for two days so you can see both a low and high tide.  It didn't disappoint.  Quite impressive.

We should have taken the kayak tour at high tide.  So if any of you head this way, don't miss out like we did!

 

 

On to Saint John, New Brunswick.  Like many small towns in this area, St. John has been really hit by loss of industry.  The poverty level around here is pretty high.  Tourism is helping a lot and they are revitalizing some of their older buildings into restaurants and pubs.  They have a nice downtown market but we couldn't buy much since we cross the border tomorrow.  Of course we visited a brewery, when traveling with the Kirby's you must try out new brews.

 

Time to leave Canada and go back to the U S of A.