July, 2018

The next leg of our journey started so long ago (has nobody gotten this reference yet?) took us to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Brian recalled having visited Mackinac Island many years ago, but he had never spent any time in the U.P.  Barbara had only ever been to Ann Arbor in the Great State of Michigan, but had heard about Mackinac Island and its prohibition of all motorized vehicles!

Folks that live north of the Mackinaw Bridge are known as yoopers to the rest of us, and like the folks that live on “The Rock”, they are a hearty breed, fiercely proud of their heritage and choice to live in the U.P.  We wondered and were a little disappointed that there was nothing similar to a screech-in ceremony to become an honorary Yooper!

We were looking forward to the 5-mile trip from Mackinaw City to St. Ignace over the Mackinaw Bridge.  It is an amazing suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the mainland upper peninsulas of Michigan.  The bridge, opened in 1957, is affectionately known as “Big Mac” or “Mighty Mac,” and according to locals, is always being worked on.  On a Sunday afternoon, the bridge was crowded and traffic was slowed to a crawl on the two lanes heading into St. Ignace.  There was a strong wind warning posted as we approached the bridge, advising that our maximum speed limit should be 20mph.  Well-heeded indeed as the winds buffeted the bridge and we got to experience what it is like to be in a box on four wheels on a suspension bridge with wind gusts not so gently rocking us to and fro.  The view, however, was spectacular!

We stayed at Castle Rock Campground which was just a few miles north of downtown St. Ignace, and right on Lake Huron – such a lovely campground.  Mackinaw City and St. Ignace depend on vacationers for a large portion of their annual income, and the cities don’t miss a beat in providing glorious lakefront hotels/motels, adventures and tourist traps for vacationers, as well as restaurants and bars.  There is far more to do if you stay on the mainland in Mackinaw City than across the bridge in St. Ignace.  St. Ignace has a trolley that drives a loop around the area about every 20 minutes, and with a large number of local stops, it’s easy to get around town.

Our first UP adventure took us on a short ride from St., Ignace to Sault Sainte Marie in order to view the famous Soo Locks.  Ever wonder about Great Lakes shipping?  Me neither.   However, I did know that the freighters and ore boats had to navigate some pretty treacherous shallows and narrows between the Lakes, and Brian’s been curious about the a system of locks that were created to smooth the passage.  The shallows and narrows were dug around and through (experts – please don’t get mad at my simplicity), and the problem of differences in water level were solved by engineering a water-proof “box” that either flooded (pumped in) or drained (pumped out) water allowing entry from one point into the next point.  These boxes are known as locks.

Ships coming from Lake Huron into Lake Superior have to rise 21 feet or conversely “sink” the 21 feet when travelling in the other direction.  The process is dependent on the length and weight of the ship.  For those interested on watching a ship navigating through the locks, the park has a 2-tiered indoor observation deck.  During our visit a fully-loaded 800-foot freighter was in the locks about 40 minutes from entry to exit, and it had to rise 21 feet in order to enter Lake Superior.  Watching water pressure alone cause this to occur is an incredibly awesome sight.

We decided to visit Mackinac Island the following day.  If we haven’t been clear before now, Mackinac Island is at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the State of Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, and approximately 5.06 nautical miles from St. Ignace.  The only way to the Island is by ferry, and there are a couple of companies competing for your business.  The ferry ride to the Island takes about 16 minutes, and you can catch a ferry every 15-20 minutes.  Ferries are available only from early May to mid-October, depending on the weather, and there are lots of options when you buy your ticket: include a horse and carriage ride, lunch at the Grand Hotel, multiple day passes, etc.

We left the arrangements to our campground host; all we had to do was pick a time and the ferry company would pick us up at the campground.   We opted for the trip that would sail under the awesome Mackinaw Bridge.  It’s a thing of beauty to behold.

We arrived on the Island on a bright sunny cloudless day.  We stepped onto Main Street with a throng of hundreds of fellow tourists, and immediately experienced the downside of a place in the world (and during summertime) that uses horse-drawn wagons as one of its primary modes of transportation.  That’s right, the fragrant smell of horse (in every form you can imagine) helped us appreciate the reluctance to add autos to this island that is less than four square miles in area. Ha!

The other popular mode of transportation?  Renting bicycles by the hour or by the day. With a map in hand and some helpful advice from the bike shop, we headed south past the Michigan Governor’s Summer Residence and Fort Mackinac toward the iconic Sainte Anne’s Church and a steep climb up a road that took us to the popular Arch Rock.  The spectacular view from Arch Rock allowed us to see part of the flat road that runs around the perimeter of the Island.

We biked on through the beautiful forest, up and down our hilly path, sharing the roadway with walkers and horse and carriage riders, past the Fort Mackinac Cemetery to the beach.  The pastel water of Lake Huron was so inviting that Barbara had to experience it first hand.  Trying to climb out of the water was not so easy as the small pebbles kept giving way underfoot.  Back on shore, we headed back to town past some beautiful Victorian-looking homes.

Our last climb took us up to the Grand Hotel, a Victorian Age reminder of opulence.  The Hotel opened in 1887, and it has maintained its place amongst America’s greatest hotels.
Unfortunately, unless one is a guest or the guest of a guest, management imposes a charge to walk around the grounds, sit on the expansive veranda, or sneak a peak at the lobby.  What a shame.  With up to 15,000 visitors a day to the Island, we could understand the need to restrict entrance to the hotel to paying guests only, but to restrict visitors from the grounds, too, seemed unneccessary to us.

We headed back to Main Street, and we stopped to eat our packed lunch in the welcoming shade of an old maple tree in the middle of a green grass oasis with a breath-taking view of Lake Huron.  We could appreciate why this tiny Island of less than 500 residents is so protective of its heritage and its history.  We returned our bikes and decided to walk Main Street with fudge, ice cream, caramel popcorn, and touristy tchotchkes calling our names.  We settled for some average ice cream (and a sample or 2 or 6 of some very yummy pecan chocolate fudge) which we ate quickly before we headed into the Mackinac Island Butterfly House and Insect World, tucked away on a side street behind Sainte Anne’s Church.  The butterfly collection was amazing, and included species found all over the world. The miracle of witnessing butterflies hatching from their cocoons is not to be missed.

We were escorted into the butterfly room and told not to touch the butterflies.  If a butterfly landed on a guest, it was removed by one of the employees at the exit.  The startling beauty of these magnificent creatures is hard to describe in words.  The variety, depth and range of colors, and the exquisite patterns of their wings was a wonder to behold. Butterflies ranged in size from very small to so large they would cover the palm of your hand. We learned that butterflies are attracted to rotting fruit which was plentiful in this small room, and their voracious feasting allowed us to take lots of photos.  We also learned that Monarch butterflies fly up to 3,000 miles during their annual migration to Mexico.

Barbara had an opportunity one Fall to help tag Monarch butterflies at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center in Belfast, PA.  The tag used is a small adhesive dot containing a bar code.  The dot is placed on the wing of the butterfly so it can be scanned by researchers to identify where the butterflies found in Mexico originated their flight.

In the room next to the butterflies is a collection of beetles.  Did you know that beetles account for a quarter of all the living plants and animals on earth?  Did you know that the rhinoceros beetle can lift 850 times its own weight, making it the strongest animal in the world?!

Another awesome day in Michigan (Go Blue!).  We can’t wait to tell you about our next adventure.

Barbara and Brian

July, 2018

As we said goodbye to Canada and hello to the USA, we headed to our first campground back in the States.  We stopped in Midland, Michigan, halfway to our destination of the Upper Peninsula.  The campground was tucked behind a Best Western Motel, in a more urban setting than we had been experiencing.  And while this was not one of the nicer places we have stayed we made the best of it.

Dow Chemical has been a driving force in Midland since 1897.  If you live in Midland, you and generations of your family have probably worked for Dow either at the Michigan operations or at the Dow Corning chemical manufacturing plant.  In 2016, Dow Michigan Operations and Dow Corning chemical manufacturing consolidated their facilities into one unified site, cementing in perpetuity the relationship between Dow and the people of Midland.

First on our list of places we wanted to see was The Riverwalk Pier in Bay City.  It was a little difficult to find initially, and in the sweltering heat of July 4th, we hoped parts of the walk would be shaded.  We were not disappointed.  The west side of the Riverwalk is bicycle and pedestrian friendly.  Bay City puts on one of the “Mitten’s” best July 4th fireworks displays.  We were lucky to have come early in the day as there would be a charge for watching the fireworks from The Riverwalk and the Island on which the path ended.  Here were young people on the boardwalk to greet us and to stamp our hands so that we could come and go as we pleased.  Our leisurely stroll took us past the nesting area of two white swans and a swampy area that attracts egrets and double-crested cormorants.  There were places to sit and enjoy the view of the bay, and to watch as a River Cruise Tour Boat and other small boats traversed the waters on their way to Lake Huron.  Some of the seating areas on the Riverwalk were already claimed with blankets, securing a perfect spot for watching the evening fireworks.

We were delighted to see signage supporting this bio-habitat in an urban setting, proving it is possible to create a multipurpose walkway that also supports nature and the environment.  The investment of the City planners in this lovely Riverwalk has not only stimulated the economy, culture, and ecology of this community, it has also helped reconnect people to the water.

One of the coolest places we visited in Midland was the Dow Gardens.  In 1899, Herbert Dow established the gardens to fulfill his desire to learn more about agriculture.  What began as an 8-acre sandy experimental plot of ground, has grown into 110 acres of cleverly landscaped and beautifully designed gardens.  We walked the more formal walkways, and we were intrigued to discover dirt paths that led us to some hidden gems. Dow Gardens was featuring the works of a local metal artist whose whimsical frog sculptures were thoughtfully placed throughout the grounds.

We also came upon the vestiges of a wedding that had taken place earlier in the day.  The joy of this garden is that you can’t see everything at once.  One sidewalk led us to a little pond with a small waterfall where kids were playing on the rocks; around the next corner we discovered an exquisite bridge overlooking a small river; over another walkway and down a hill we were greeted by a spectacular display of flowers.
Strategically placed throughout the gardens are benches: some are nestled in and among the trees and flowers; others are pleasantly situated in large open spaces that allowed us to sit and enjoy being part of this very special place.

When we finished our walk, we spent some time inside the Visitors Center reading about the history of the gardens and the generosity of the Dow family.

Summer would not be complete without a baseball game or two.  We were lucky to find the Great Lakes Loons in town.  The franchise is described as a “Low Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers.” So off we went to Dow Diamond for a 7:05 game.  Tickets were cheap and our seats were behind home plate (sorry Graham!).  The customary between-innings shenanigans designed for little kids was fun, and we were also entertained by a local group of country line dancers.  All-in-all, a perfect evening until the sun went down and we had to move to a warmer section of the park.  We only made it through the 6th inning before we had to retreat to the car. Who would have thought that mid-July in Michigan would be that cold?  Oh yeah – I forgot – this is the Midwest!  We laughed as we recalled wearing our winter hats, coats and gloves to Spring track events in Michigan City 15 years ago.

Onward to the UP!

Barbara and Brian

 

 

Remember our blog about entering Canada?  There were no traffic lines at the border crossing at Houlton, Canada, and the Canadian government has built proper risers so that the Border Agents are face-to-face with the drivers of motorhomes and over-the-road vehicles.  Our Border Agent was very professional in working her way through the questions required of customs: “why are you visiting” her Country; do you have any firearms or tobacco on-board; she granted us a smile when we admitted to carrying a couple of beers and 2 bottles of tequila.  She also answered my question about how long we could stay in Canada with a deadpan “six months minus a day”; then she sent us on our way with a pleasant “enjoy your visit.”  And as we hope you’ve already read, we did indeed make the most of every day while in Canada.

Coming back into our own Country was a little more challenging.  Since we were heading north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we may have made a mistake by using Ambassador Bridge, entering through Detroit.  It might have been better to cross the Blue Water Bridge, entering Port Huron, Michigan from Point Edward and Sarnia, Ontario.  But learn from experience, eh?  Traffic and customs inspections of other vehicles in front of us created an almost 45-minute delay before we got our chance for interrogation.   Yeah, interrogation.  We were subject to questions from a harried looking and gruff Customs Agent about our journey into and through Canada, whether or not we were bringing any Canadian fruit, alcohol, meat or tobacco back into the States with us.  We had to shout our answers down into the booth the Customs Agent occupied (he was seated and only reached up for our passports); there was no eye contact.  One funny moment occurred when he asked if we were American citizens (even though the Customs Agent had our passports).  Barbara responded with “You have a beautiful country!  We so loved our visit!”  We were hastily reminded that we were entering the US, and the Customs Agent asked us to pull up a little bit as he was coming on-board!  Nah, it wasn’t Barbara’s fault.

Now for anyone that has travelled out of the Country by air I suspect you have had experiences similar to ours with customs when returning to the States.  We’ve never been questioned or asked anything by any agent of the US Government.  Brian’s been greeted more than once with a “welcome home big boy, ” and sent on his way.

But not this time.  The Customs Agent came on-board, opened our refrigerator and pantry, looked in the back and below the kitchen sink, spoke little and announced he was confiscating a lemon and 2 oranges.  Apparently you may not bring fruit into the States…or perhaps there is an outbreak of rickets amongst US Border Customs Agents?

Oh yeah – there is no charge for entering Canada from the States, but there is a fee associated with crossing the Ambassador Bridge that can be paid in either US or Canadian dollars.  Empty of our Canadian money (and our citrus) and somewhat annoyed, we were back in the States officially.

Next stop Midland, Michigan and then on to Saint Ignace in the UP.  But first here are a few random observations about our time in Canada.

1.  There may be paper Canadian $1 and $2 bills, but $5 was the smallest denomination paper bill we ever saw or carried.  Instead $1 and $2 coins, commonly referred to as the loonie and toonie, are used.
2. At a stop light and if in the left turn lane, when the turn arrow starts blinking it is your turn to make your turn.  No mistakes or confusion; blinking means go.  A solid green permits forward progress.
3. Each Province renames its portion of the Trans Canadian Highway, and I’m guessing each Province is responsible for repairs.  Yup – the same road has 10 different numbers; 1 for each Province.
4. If there is road repair ahead, the signs indicate it well in advance and give the driver a chance to slow down or make other adjustments, such as change lanes, etc.
5. The roadways are in very good to excellent condition; however, the wear sustained over years of use does guide your tracking.
6. Road workers do not subscribe to a 9-5 or M-F workday.  Frequently repair crews were working sunup to sundown and on weekends as well.
7. Pictures augment road signs, and you do need to know what those pictures mean.  Moose In The Roadway caution signs are everywhere but moose are not.  We were told they are more active at night than during the day.
8. We don’t know what we expected, but cities are cities and regardless of size, all have the trappings of strip malls, fast food chains, big box stores, bad drivers, disruptive road construction and the requisite hustle bustle.  The ubiquitous disruptive road construction is referred to by locals as “orange cone fest.”
9. As our new friends Faye and Patti told us accurately, “you’ll drive for miles and miles past the same scenery, but when you get there it’ll be wonderful.”
10. Moose are not indigenous to Newfoundland; Caribou are.   Moose were introduced in 1904, and from the original 4 moose there are now estimated to be 150,000 decendents.
11. We were there just after the US tariffs on Canadian goods had been imposed and Trump had called out Trudeau as an ineffective leader.  Once we were known to be Americans, we heard very negative feelings about our government, ranging from disappointment to rage.
12. The easiest places for us to treat Aimee with a fill-up outside the Province of Ontario were the Big Irving Travel Plazas – part of the Circle K brand.  And in the Province of Ontario there were classic highway travel plazas all along the TransCanada Highway.  American travel plazas could take a lesson on how to make filling-up easy from their Canadian neighbors, regardless of your vehicle’s size or if you’re a diesel pusher or running on unleaded.
13. We saw a pheasant strut along with its take-off, brief flight and landing, 5 bald eagles, 2 moose, a “giant” hare, a bunch of deer, 3 breaching whales, a pod of whales “playing”, a herd of seal feeding in open waters (heads surfacing), an osprey and its nest, sea urchin, lobster and crab, thousands of puffins and common murres, and one frozen cod.  We wish we would have seen more moose and at least one caribou, but no luck.
14. Canadians are a mellow, generous and amazingly welcoming people.  A couple we met at the campground in Maine suggested there must be something in the water Canadians drink.  Nope.
15. Crazy to think that our northern neighbors are so close for many Americans, but how many of us have taken the time to visit?

Barbara and Brian

 

 

 

 

June-July, 2018

So is there more than poutine to know about Canadian eats?  Hell yeah!  We had some very, very good meals, and some that were pretty average as well.  Please remember that this reflects our stops through the Canadian Maritime Provinces  and Newfoundland.  I’m sure there are “more sophisticated” eats in the more heavily populated areas such as Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, and Toronto.  Saint John’s is probably home to some good grub too, but we were on a mission to eat fish and chips.

Fresh food purchased in a grocery store is expensive, and milk products are exceptionally high-priced.  Restaurants run the full range from what we would consider moderate to expensive.  Barbara needed to see if a Canadian quarter pounder with cheese tasted any different than it’s American counsin (it doesn’t), but there was some sticker shock when, with conversion, the sandwich cost $5.50US.  Guess we are truly spoiled with the abundance of food that keeps prices in the States more reasonable than those experienced by our Northern neighbors.  Oh yeah – with the exception of one restaurant we noticed in Quebec City, the Golden Arches have a Maple Leaf in the middle.  Not sure what that’s about nor did anyone we asked have an answer.  And Mickey D’s offers poutine everywhere as well as fish and chips, if you happen to be in the Maritime Provinces.

Tim Horton’s is the Canadian equivalent of Dunkin’ Donuts in their prime, and they are ubiquitous (the donuts are barely a C; the toasted sausage biscuit an A-.  Well, maybe I was overly hungry?).  They are tied to independent shops, sold in gas stations, grocery stores, travel plazas and probably door-to-door by students needing money for…well you know the routine.  Horton’s offer poutine as well.

Everything can be had with brown gravy – everything.  I’m not sure if the gravy boat should replace the maple leaf as the symbol of the country but it’s a pretty close call.

Chicken was rarely available except pre-processed and served fried.  Turkey is available everywhere, and a hot turkey sandwich (gravy – get it?) is on most menus.  Unusual combinations are offered on many menus as well.  At one diner near Saint John’s I had fish and chips topped with gravy, sautéed onions, good old-fashioned stuffing, and (yes, canned) peas.  Thank goodness the fish was to the side!

There’s nothing like the first several bites of good poutine.  It really is a delicious combination of crisp French fries,  slightly melty cheese curds and gravy.  There are actually places called poutinariums where you can order almost anything on top of your poutine (pulled pork, loose meat (browned ground beef), salmon, vegan), leave off the curds and add different types of cheese, and top with something other than brown gravy (heresy for a true Canadian, I think!).  We were either purists or amateurs though, and we couldn’t bring ourselves to bastardize poutine.  Remember we said the first several bites?  After that the dish becomes soggy, loses its snap and takes on a monotonous and somewhat blah taste and mouthfeel.  If ordering, go small side dish or share with a crowd (Canadian nachos?).

If you order fish and chips in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, the fish is going to be haddock.  On Newfoundland, it’s cod.  No matter though, the fish was probably swimming merrily long until very early the very morning you ordered it, was cleaned, sold and in the restaurant’s cooler well before you got going for the day and it couldn’t be fresher.  Outstanding, even if you’re not a fish lover!  Fried cod has a buttery taste and texture; haddock is a thinner filet and a very little bit more fishy tasting, but fries up much more crisply than does cod.  In New Brunswick “full belly” clams are readily available, not so in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.  Both malt vinegar and tartar sauce are offered.  And as long as I’m at, it the chips we had were done properly – no exceptions.  I’m guessing the potatoes are soaked, par-cooked and then bathed again in oil to create that crispy on the outside soft on the inside texture.  Oh yeah – fried food stays crisp throughout your meal!  Lard or beef tallow in the oil?  Proper temperature of the oil strictly maintained?  Arteries be damned!!

OK – let’s get it out of the way.  The best meal we had was at a fish market across the parking lot from the Masstown Market, Masstown, Nova Scotia.  We shared a fish and clam and chips meal that included cole slaw and potato salad.  Too much food  disappeared.  Next best was the breakfast we experienced at The Treasure Box in Rocky Harbor, Newfoundland.  Oatmeal, bagels, partridgeberry pancakes, and coffee paired with such lovely conversation to make for memorable fellowship and meals.  Then seafood anywhere.  The mussels were divine, the lobster caught hours before eating and prepared while you waited.  We were thrown for a loop when the fishmonger asked if we wanted a male or female lobster?  Turns out that means did we want roe or larger pinchers.  Who knew?  Rounding out the best-of-the best was the smoked meat reuben at the Clucking Hen along the Cabot Trail, smoked meat from Schwartz’s in Montreal, and Montreal bagels.

In case you’re wondering, a partridgeberry is a lingonberry.  But in Newfoundland the locals think of it as only a sorta equivalent of the lingonberry, but of course with local pride, different and better.  There’s also another berry only available in alpine, tundra and boreal forests, and Newfoundland is certainly a perfect place for the cloudberry to grow.  Tastes like a cross between a blackberry and raspberry.

Schwartz’s is the god of smoked meat.  No, not pulled pork or brisket or hot inks or chicken with that lovely smoke ring!  Montreal smoked meat is brisket and on a par with the best NY pastrami.  It is served warm and you get to call the amount of fat wanted.  Order a large plate of medium fat, and it is served with excellent sliced rye bread that at your command keeps coming and coming until you’re satiated.

Montreal bagels are proper bagels (yes, we are bagel snobs, and while it’s ok for you to like blueberry or cinnamon raisin bagels they are not bagels to us) formed, boiled and baked in a brick oven to a crisp outside and chewy inside.  The standards are sesame or plain; pumpernickel, onion, garlic, salt and everything are available, too.

The second night in Newfoundland we shared a pizza with a meat topping called donair.  Not to be confused with gyros meat, donair is a spiced ground beef loaf.  Ground beef is mixed with a little cayenne, paprika, onion and garlic powder, a little black pepper and salt, nonfat evaporated milk (!) and sugar (!), baked and then once cooled sliced very, very thinly.  The sauce is more sweet and mayonnaise-like than the tzatziki traditionally served with a gyro.  But like a gyro it is usually served in a pita with sauce, onion and tomato.  We just happened to have the meat as our pizza topping.  The dish originated in Halifax.  Tasty.

Canadians must have an obsessive love of bologna, as there had to have been 20 different brands and styles of bologna in the grocery stores.  Couldn’t help taking  a chance.  Delicious!  What we ate spoiled us for a bologna that “has a first and last name.”  By the way we’re sure the bologna we ate during our screetch-in ceremony was moose.

There’s more to Canadian beer than Molson’s or Labatt.  I’m a Labatt’s fan and have been since, well, 1969, and I would choose that brand if it’s on a beer list.  Easy choice when it’s your brand, eh?  But we found that at each of the stops on our travels there was a local brew or 2 as well as imports, usually from Ireland, that were delicious (listening Roma and Jim?).  One brewery stood out above the rest; it brews a lager from waters obtained from icebergs (aptly called Iceberg Beer – go figure!).  The Quidi Vidi Brewery, Saint John’s, Newfoundland also brews other exceptional ales and lagers.  Hope they make it to the States soon.  If so, I’d go with the red ale.

We did permit ourselves some treats.  Cadbury chocolate products far outshine Hershey’s or other readily available non-premium chocolate in the States.  Covered Bridge Potato Chips are made from dark russet potatoes grown by the owners of the chip factory, and are wonderfully crisp and flavorful.  And the best treat we experienced were Vachon Cakes.  Think Hostess only better.  The cake is pillowy soft, the amount of filling perfect to compliment the cake, and it is wrapped in a coating that actually tastes like chocolate!  Every cake tastes as if freshly made, and the question is not whether you prefer yellow or chocolate  cake, but how many of each your diet will tolerate!

While in Newfoundland we ate our meals in restaurants, and with the exception of gorging in Montreal, packed a lunch for our day trips, and made dinner at our campground when on the “mainland.  We believe there’s more to the food scene in Canada than we experienced, but these two foodies left Canada with a pleased palate.

Barbara and Brian

July, 2018

As we traveled west along the Lake Erie shoreline and past Toronto (no more big cities needed after Quebec and Montreal), we passed through cities named Cambridge, London, and Chatham-Kent.  For a brief moment we thought we had made a wrong turn and we were in jolly old England!  Once off of the highway, we zigzagged along the beautiful rural countryside to our last campsite in Canada.  This had been one of our longest drives, and by the time we had set up camp in Essex, Ontario we were definitely road weary.  After a delicious dinner, we began scouring the local tour guides to map out an adventure for the area, and Pelee Island caught our eye.   Pelee Island is the largest inhabited island in western Lake Erie, and officially is the southern most tip of Canada.  We knew we had to go.

The next day we found ourselves taking a brief hike at a park in the area…just a day to chill and stretch our legs from the long drive the day before.

Pelee Island can only be reached by a ferry that leaves the Canadian mainland from the port at Leamington, Ontario.  From Stateside, the ferry leaves from Sandusky, Ohio (bring your passport).  From Lemington the trip takes about an hour and a half, and in addition to passengers, cars and trucks can ferry over to this unusual little island.

We were interested in hiking the Island’s nature preserves with hopes of seeing  endangered flora and fauna such as the smallmouth salamander, eastern fox snake, eastern spiny softshell turtle, and the acadian flycatcher.  The Island is also home to reptile and snail species that are not found anywhere else in the world.  And, the Island is on 2 distinct migratory bird flight paths as well.  Certainly should have plenty to see.

We thought to take a hop-on/hop-off trolley around the Island, but found out that the trolley operates only on weekends.  Renting bicycles was a perfect option, and the Comfortech Bicycle Rental and Retail Store was more than happy to accommodate, providing us with Electra Townies – bikes with big comfy seats and thick wheels.  As an aside these had to be the most comfortable bikes we have ever ridden.  With our trusty map in hand and keeping in mind we had to be back by 3:30 for the afternoon ferry, we were off to explore the two nature preserves recommended.  These happened to be on opposite ends of the west side of the Island, but Pelee Island is very flat and easy to navigate.

As we headed south to Fish Point Nature Preserve we passed a beautiful winery on the way, stopped in for a few minutes, and planned on returning as time would permit.

Much of the southern portion of the island is a dense forest sitting on swamp land.  When we reached Fish Point we parked our bikes and walked through a dark, marshy overgrown forest on a very narrow sandy trail.  Signs warned visitors to be careful not to step on snails, an important species of this preserve, and to watch for non-venomous snakes.  The Preserve was a bit overgrown and in need of attention, but it didn’t detract from our enjoyment of our hike and the things we were able to observe.  While we weren’t lucky enough to spot a salamander or snake or to see the ever-elusive frogs we could hear, we did make it to the beach and could look out onto Lake Erie and realize how remote Pelee Island is, and how dependent its residents are on the ferry service for supplies and a life-line to the mainland.

We got back on our bikes and headed north in search of the Island’s original Lighthouse, built in 1833 and renovated; it had been billed as perfect for bird watching.  We also heard there was a lovely bakery and cafe along the way where we could stop for lunch.  What a fabulous feeling it is to be on a bike, free to experience a new place on wheels rather than walking.  People were swimming in Lake Erie, and there was little traffic on the road.  We discovered a stone sculpture on the shore side of the road referred to as Stoneman – “A Stone Testament to Island Perseverance.”

As we rounded a corner, we came upon an unusual sight: a shoe tree. Apparently the tree was diseased and was scheduled to be torn down so someone decided to turn the tree into a work of art by tossing old shoes over it.  If you look closely you can even find a pair of ice hockey skates!

After a delicious stop at the bakery and cafe we headed to the Lighthouse, only to find that the tides had damaged the area surrounding the lighthouse so severely that the walkways and paths were dangerous to hike; it was off limits.  Time was not in our favor so we headed back to return the bikes and catch the ferry back to the mainland.  Unfortunately we also didn’t have time to return to the winery.

We only had time to explore the west half of the island so we didn’t experience the eastern side of Pelee Island, an area some visitors refer to as “Canada’s Key West.”  We were impressed that the 235 year-round residents are committed to the sustainability of the Island’s economy, environment and cultural traditions.  We wish we would have planned better and been able to spend more time on Pelee Island, but we are glad to have seen this special place and to have met some of the business owners who call this place home.  We encourage others to take the time to visit this unique little Island.

Barbara and Brian

Keeping with our policy of traveling 4 hours or so  before setting up at the next campground, Montreal was the perfect stop.  Or so we thought.  We bumped into what Canadians call a “long weekend,” and this “long weekend” celebrated Canada’s Confederation-Independence from Great Britain.  Campgrounds near Montreal were jammed, and finally, on recommendation we found Cameron’s Point Family Campground.  A bit further than we liked, but they had space for us.

Know why Cameron Point had a site for us?  This campground is almost 90% seasonal campers: remaining sites were small, roadways smaller, 30amp only (which should have been fine) that mysteriously dropped to 20amp (which wasn’t adequate to run both air conditioners and it was hot); poor water pressure, campers that don’t clean-up after their dogs, an outdated and beastly hot and humid bath house, and mosquitos that bit through clothing.  Can we tell you how we really felt?  I suspect that campers who knew of the campground stayed away!  I’m not sure we had much choice; the  fear that most campgrounds were already well-booked for the “long weekend” stayed in our minds.  We decided to just make the best of it!

We were in arm’s reach of Montreal, and the City just happened to be hosting their annual city-wide jazz festival beginning this very weekend.  We had attended some years ago, and felt that it was more than worth our time to check things out again this year.  We arrived for the festival way too early for the headliners, but we found a group entertaining families and this made for a good start.  Next up was a high school jazz band; we decided to wait to hear them until their second set later in the afternoon, and we went on a rather too-long walk to find us some Montreal bagels (Canadian food blog  published soon).

Montreal bagels ended up being our appetizer because while munching away, we discovered that Schwartz’s Deli was only a short Uber-ride.  Off to Schwatrz’s we went and, as can be expected, we ended up standing in line for about a half hour waiting to be seated.

While in line we couldn’t help but notice the odd building across the street.  Take a minute to check out the picture: between small businesses, bars and restaurants there appears to be an apartment building of some sort,  an assortment of adornments in the lot, a sculpture, and an unrelated sign for Jewish monuments.  Seems like a story waiting to be written.

We over-ate yet again, and Ubered back to the festival.

There were at least 4 outdoor stages we passed with musicians working their craft, stations misting cool water over the crowd (did I mention we sweated our way through the day?  It was hot without cloud cover or breeze), and the usual vendor stands all within the City’s entertainment district.  We were disappointed  to find that Cirque du Soleil type acts no longer performed on the streets during the festival.  But the air was alive with music, and the buzz of the crowd enjoying themselves.  The high school jazz band was superb and a pleasant surprise.  There were more solos than the expected big band jazz standards!  Next up was what turned out to be a kickin’ high-powered quartet that played more blues than jazz.  There was standing room only before the group started, and the crowd just kept getting larger and larger in response to these cats jamming.  Heads were bopping along with the rhythm, some couples danced in spite of the temperatures well above 37.22 degrees Celsius, and we really wished their hour set would have continued much, much longer.  The heat had taken it’s toll by the end of their set, and we called it quits for the day.

The heat was relentless; the next day it was steamy as well.  We’re not beach people, and Barbara has a negative reaction to too much sun.  What to do?  “Avenger’s: Infinity War” was playing nearby, and off to the air-conditioned theater we went.  Barbara had been wondering for a while if Canadian McDonald’s tasted differently and there was a restaurant just across the street (Canadian food blog published soon).  Check one more thing off of the to-do list.

Since it was Canada Day the campground provided hot dogs, potato crisps and soda as well as a birthday cake.  They put on one hell of a fireworks show, too.  Guess there were a couple of decent things about the place after all.

Our Montreal experiences satiated our bellies and our musical souls.  One more stop before crossing back into the US.

Barbara and Brian

 

 

 

June, 2018

Our next stop was at a lovely campground in Levis, Ontario…how did I know it was lovely?  Rock, the owner told me so!

As we entered Quebec Province not only was the speed limit in km/hr, but everything posted along the road was in French.  Then I thought back to making the campground reservation and remembered that when I called, the person that answered the phone spoke only French as well.  Turns out this was Rock’s wife, who with their son Vincent operate the campground.

Now why French?  Brian had forgotten that French is the official language in Quebec Province.  The only things he knew in French were “shut your mouth” (thank you Mrs. Davis, my 3rd grade teacher), and a few lines from “Lady Marmalade” (thank you Patti LaBelle) so he had to hastily get his Bon Jour and Merci in line.  Barbara had more of a command of the language, and try as she might to educate the old guy, he was better off pretending to be without language skills for the duration.  Honestly, this was the first time in Canada that we felt like foreigners.

Quebec City had been a port of call for us some years ago while on a cruise, but at that time rather than see the Old City we had chosen to take a 20-mile bike ride to view Montmorency Falls.  We were excited to get the chance to explore the Old City, and we decided to purchase a 2-day, double-decker hop-on/hop-off bus ticket that included a river cruise.  At Vincent’s recommendation we were planning on riding the bus around the city once and then jumping off to explore parts of the city on foot.  As we rode the bus around the City it was well worth our effort to listen to the audio tour which described the buildings, neighborhoods, significant areas of the City and the history of Quebec City.

The campground provided a free shuttle service back and forth to the Levis/Quebec Ferry, which for about $5US offered round-trip transportation across the Saint Lawrence River.  We were all set to see Quebec City and the weather cooperated both days of our adventure with warm temperatures and  blue skies.

Quebec City has been designated a World Heritage Treasure by UNESCO.  World Heritage Treasures are areas or regions throughout the world having outstanding cultural value.  The Old City is the only fortified city in North America, and it is the cradle of French civilization in North America.  It’s been called a living history lesson with a remarkable mix of architecture, heritage, art, and culture.  Within the Old City the resort hotel, Chateau Frontenac is one of the city’s icons since being built in 1893.  It sits majestically at the crest of the hill overlooking the Saint Lawrence River and it is visible for miles around.  The streets in the Old City are often cobblestoned, and diagonal streets gather to form courtyards.  We kept ourselves off of the heavily trafficked busy main thoroughfares walking peacefully along side streets and taking in the quaint shops, art galleries and restaurants.  After walking some distance, we stopped for a good while, and we rested in the shade as we were entertained by a 3-person troupe performing their vaudeville act.  We found Quebec City to be the most European city we have visited.

The audio tour described the various areas of the city, along with the significant historical events or present day activities within the accompanying neighborhoods.  These include Upper Town (Château Frontenac), Lower Town, Parliament Hill, Montcalm (Plains of Abraham), Quartier Petit Champlain, and the hipster neighborhoods of Saint-Jean, and Saint-Roch  We were hoping to stroll a while on the Plains of Abraham as it is described as a marvelous greenspace, but we were a little disappointed because repair work on its walkways restricted accessibility.  The reason the Plains of Abraham is important is that in 1759 during the French and Indian War the French lost a battle with the British.  This lead directly to Quebec Province becoming part of the British Empire.  Quebec is fiercely loyal to its French roots even though dominion has been British ever since this battle.

In preparation for the Canada Day Celebration on July 1 there were some restricted areas outside of the Old City, but we did take time to see the Provincial Parliament Building and marveled at the commemoration of the Founders that was so evident in the statuary on the grounds as well as on the building.  Barbara particularly liked the vegetable and herb garden, noticing that the produce was used in meals prepared by chefs working in the Parliament Building kitchen.

Tourny Fountain sits just in front of the Parliament Building.  The Fountain was a gift to the City by a local family to honor Quebec City’s 400th (!) anniversary.

We fell in love with the Museum of Civilization, and spent a good portion of our second day in Quebec City enjoying the exhibits that traced through time artifacts and relics associated with the area, as well as viewing the current special exhibit on the impact and integration of 1960’s British fashion and design, architecture, music and the arts on society and culture.  Today was also the day for our river cruise which sailed past the City from the Plains of Abraham to Montmorency Falls.

We bid a fond farewell to Français Québécois, and were most appreciative to have had the chance to return to this charming and picturesque jewel.

Barbara and Brian

 

 

June, 2018

There’s just a little more than 1,400 miles between Baddeck, Nova Scotia and Detroit, Michigan.  Our way back into the States through Detroit?  We have chosen to spend some time in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – well at least the eastern half of it.  To get to the UP it’s either a damn long isolated route north to Sault Ste. Marie or a more direct populated route (Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, Windsor) and re-entry through Detroit.  We usually keep our daily travel miles to no more than 200-250 miles, and therefore have 6 stops along the way back to the States.  You already know about leaving Baddeck and our visit to the Hopewell Rocks while staying in Shediac.  Our next stop would be Woodstock, New Brunswick simply because it was the right distance from Shediac.

Along the way to Woodstock we saw signs for Maine and New Hampshire border crossings; a reminder of just how close we were to the US.  The highest rated campsite in the area was Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, our first adventure with a campground devoted to entertaining families.  Driving into the park we passed oversized inflatables, a “Giant Jiggling Jumping Pillow” loaded with kids of all ages, several pools, waterslides and a waterpark playground, and a miniature golf course.  Our site was thankfully some distance from all of the family shenanigans, weekend guests and local families in just for the day to enjoy all the amenities a park like this has to offer, including nightly hayrides, bedtime stories and a songfest lead by camp staff known as Rangers.  The park is highly choreographed, with daily schedules of kid-centered fun: arts and crafts activities, scavenger hunts, target tag games, and lots of unstructured time to just run around and be kids.  Streets were named after the Yogi Bear cartoon crew: Boo Boo Blvd., Picnic Basket Drive and Ranger Road.  What a joyful place to be!  We found ourselves longing to share this campground with our own grandkids.

So what is there to do in Woodstock?  Visitors can marvel at the longest covered bridge in the world, they can arrange a tour of the potato chip factory, or they can go bowling. What could be more delightful?

Built between 1898-1901, the Hartland Bridge, in Hartland, New Brunswick is 1,282 feet long, and it crosses the Saint John River from Hartland to Somerville.  The covered bridge claims to be the longest covered bridge in the world.  One local attraction down and two to go!

Next we went to check out the Covered Bridge Potato Chip factory. We decided against the tour and shopped for flavored potato chips instead, settling on fried dill pickle, barbecue, and sour cream and onion.  The potatoes are locally grown, dark russet potatoes, and despite how bad they are for our diet, we enjoyed every last morse!

To complete today’s trifecta we drove to the Woodstock Bowlacade.  Bowlacade?Candlepin Bowling?  The octogenarian owner explained to us that Candlepin bowling has been around for over 3200 years, dating back to ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire, and references to bowling games are found in English and German history (lawn bowling anyone?).  Candlepin bowling has several unique qualities. First the pins. They look like rolling pins minus their handles.  Second the ball.  It is wooden and a little larger than the size of a croquet ball (between an 8- and 12-pound outdoor shot).  Third the game.  The scorecard and wooden alley look the same as one would expect to find in an American bowling alley, but that’s where the similarity ends.  Players get three throws with the wooden ball to knock down all the pins.  The pins that fall over are not cleared between throws making for an interesting strategy to knock down the remaining pins.  The owner is long a veteran of the game, and he said that no one has ever scored a perfect game.  We declined to bowl with bumpers and bowled three games; neither of us scored over 100 points.  The format of this game is a great equalizer, and strategies like aiming for the headpin achieved inconsistent results.  We were often more successful when we had a gutter ball that bounced out of the gutter at the end of the throw!  What a blast!

Back at Jellystone Park we enjoyed some miniature golf and the always-popular Bingo before calling it a day.  We had a leisurely morning the next day to bid New Brunswick goodbye and off we headed to Quebec Province.

Barbara and Brian

June, 2018

No trip to The Bay of Fundy would be complete without a visit to The Hopewell Rocks at both high and low tide.  (Thank you, Paige for sharing your traveling wisdom!)  The Hopewell Rocks are also known as The Flower Pot Rocks due to their shapes and because of the trees that continue to grow on top of them.  We arrived at our campground in Shediac and were able to set-up for our stay just in time to head down to the Rocks to experience high tide rolling in.  Signs cautioned us to keep the tide schedule in mind so that we didn’t get trapped on the floor of the Bay!

With sunset in about an hour and a half we headed into the park.  It is a lovely place, with a slow leisurely 20-minute walk down a well-kept tree-lined path to the Bay.  A heavy-duty staircase with various observation decks allows visitors to walk the 98 steps down to the floor of the ocean.  Just the thought of actually standing on the floor of the ocean was thrilling!  We could hear the tide coming in as we descended the metal steps, and we patiently watched as the base of the most photographed of these mammoth rocks – Lover’s Arch – soon became surrounded by water and kayakers.  While we began our vigil on the “beach,” we had to move to higher and higher steps as the incoming tide showed us no mercy.  It was quite a sight to see as the Bay waters engulfed the bottom set of stairs as well as the lower portions of the Rocks that could be seen at high tide.

The tides shift religiously ever 6 hours alternating between high and low tide.  The next low tide we could make was scheduled for 2:30 pm the next days o we spent the morning and early afternoon driving through Fundy National Park.  As we drove we found a “look out” that gave us a terrific view across the Bay, and we stopped in the Village of Alma (2011 population 232) that claims to have the highest tides in the world.  It was almost low tide when we arrived so we could walk out toward the Bay for a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile to turn around and imagine how it must look at high tide.  The rocks that covered the shoreline were incredible and the beach was littered with hundreds of shells.  Signs to the beach discouraged the collection of shells because smaller creatures used them as shelter from predators.

It was time to mosey on to The Hopewell Rocks for low tide.  What a difference a day makes! Hundreds of cars and several RVs in the parking lots – people buzzing everywhere.  We walked with excited anticipation to our previous night’s outpost, and we were astounded to see so many people walking about on the Bay floor!

This site is completely accessible for 2.5 hours before and after low tide.  We joined a tour in progress lead by one of the Park’s Interpreters.  We learned how the rocks came to be and through time, how the winds and the water have changed the look of the beach. There are white marks on the sides of the cliffs that help track the erosion.  We had expected the surface of the Bay’s bed to be slick with mud, but for the most part, it was just wet sand.  The whole walk from the staircase to the last of the rocks is about a half mile and includes names like Mother-In-Law, Lover’s Arch, Bear Rock, Apple Rock, Castle Cove, Elephant Rock, Sea Cave, Big Cave and Diamond Rock.  Just a quick note that these rocks are accessible only at low tide.  There is also an Emergency Tower just in case you don’t heed the warning we read the night before and get caught at high tide with no way to return.  The Park staff perform a “beach sweep” before the transition to high tide begins, but there are recorded instances of individuals waiting just a bit too long, becoming stranded, and having to wait the 6 hours for low tide and the chance to return.

We learned that the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun influence how high the high tides become.  The fuller the moon, the higher the tides.  But the primary reason the Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world is the length and shape of the Bay.  The Bay is like a funnel; wide and deep at the mouth, narrow and shallow at the upper reaches.  As the tide moves up along the ever-narrowing Bay from the Atlantic, the rushing water simply has nowhere else to go but up.  Even more curious is that the receding waters reach the mouth of the Bay at the same time as the next high water is arriving from the Atlantic.  A never ending cycle of 100 billion tons of water moving in and out of the Bay twice every 24 hours.  Our Park Interpreter stated that a container that could hold 100 billion tons of water would take one year and 9 months to fill if placed beneath Niagara Falls.  Someone in the group asked why the water is so brown. Apparently this is due to the constant movement of the water over the mud flats; the water mixes with the silt in the water and turns the water brown.

Check off one more item from our bucket list…The Hopewell Rocks are awesome.

Barbara and Brian

June 2018

It was an easy drive from the ferry back to the campground in Baddeck where we had stored Aimee.  We kept our fingers crossed that we would find her in good condition following all of the rain, wind and cold temperatures that ushers Summer into these parts of Canada.  We were relieved to find all was well, and our plan was to unpack and relax in Baddeck on beautiful Cape Breton for the next four days.  We had been hitting it pretty hard for the past month or so.

The next day the weather was in our favor, so we packed a lunch and headed out to Ingonish Beach along the Cabot Trail in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  We drove by a college that since its founding in 1938 has focused on the perpetuation of Highland Scottish Gaelic traditions and culture.

We loved seeing all the little homes along the way, trying to imagine how people thrive here in the winter, and we love supporting local small business whenever we can.  There’s a jewel along the east side of the Cape Bretton Highlands National Park on the way to Igonish Beach.  If you’re ever up this way stop in at The Clucking Hen for breakfast, lunch, or some homemade sweet treats.  You won’t be disappointed.

Onward to Ingonish Beach.  Keltic Lodge greets you as you drive into the area, with posters announcing a Ceilidh (pronounced kale – long a, long e) – an evening of Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling.  We were determined to walk to the point; a short hike (2.4 miles round trip?) along a winding narrow path to an overlook point brought us majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean, the soothing sound of waves swirling and crashing against the rocky shore below.  Gulls sailed on the breezes, and we just sat and soaked up all the ambiance of this incredible shoreline.

The following morning we woke up to rain and decided it would be the perfect time to visit the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic site – highly recommended by our friends, Maggie and Sue.  The museum sits on a lovely hillside overlooking Bras d’Or Lake.  We had no idea that Bell was such a prolific inventor!  Although most notably known for his contributions to language development in deaf persons, his invention of the telephone and the creation of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company, those were only a few of his many accomplishments.  He is also credited with being the leader of a group that achieved Canada’s first powered flight, and he built hydrofoils thought of as possible military weapons.  In the process he achieved a world speed record.  Bell also pioneered experiments in sheep breeding (3 bags full of the best wool!) and he built giant kites.  We marveled at the actual and replicated models of his works.

Scottish-born scientist, inventor, engineer, and innovator, he became interested in sound because his mother (and later Bell’s wife) were both hearing impaired.  Young Bell became a voice teacher, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, and he worked with his father who had developed “visible speech”, a written system of symbols that instructed the deaf to pronounce sounds.  Bell’s first teaching position in America as a professor of vocal physiology was at Boston University where he met his future wife, Mabel Hubbard.  Mabel was 10 years younger than Bell and she was deaf from a childhood illness.

Bell, Mabel, and their four children visited Baddeck on summer holiday, and a year later Bell purchased land near Bras d’Or Lake.  Mabel managed their family estate, Beinn Bhreagh (Gaelic for “beautiful mountain”), and she was very active in the community. Together they created and established the Aerial Experiment Association, and through her financial and moral support, Bell was able to pursue his many and diverse interests. The museum is a tribute to the partnership of these two remarkable people. Beinn Bhreagh is still home to Bell’s descendants.

Bell may have been distracted by all that he accomplished, but he never forgot his early experiences teaching the deaf to communicate.  The museum is full of the history of this great inventor and humanitarian that helped shape the modern world.  You will be touched by the loving tribute to Bell, Mabel, their family, friends and associates commemorated within the museum.

The skies cleared, and after a light lunch, we went in search for some fossils that brochures claimed could be found at Sydney Mines.  Unfortunately, we didn’t find any fossils during our search – a pretty view, but no fossils to be found.

The next day was dedicated to the Cabot Trail, a 185-mile trek around the perimeter of the Cape Bretton Highlands National Park.  We packed our lunch and off we went, traveling counterclockwise toward Red River and Pleasant Bay in the northeast corner of the Highlands.  Many people had told us to be sure to travel the Cabot Trail and now we know why.  The drive itself was thrilling; each turn in the road that climbed to incredible heights and down again left us speechless.  Breathtaking vistas, beautiful beaches, and easy travels made this stop on our overall journey so memorable.  We followed the advice of fellow travelers, and we completed a hike or 2 along the way as well.

While admiring the view and sitting with some other hikers at the summit of the Skyline Trail we noticed (what we thought was) a small boat moving slowly and erratically within a small area of the water.  Turns out there was a pod of whales just off the shoreline immediately in front of us, and the boat must have been shadowing the whales. With binoculars we could see them breeching and our imagination had them at play. Too far away for a picture or 2, but certainly something to add to our memories.

Rest assured that we got our 10,000 steps in each and every day.

Tomorrow begins our journey back to the States.  We’ll be stopping for visits at the Hopewell Rocks and in Quebec and Montreal along the way, but who knows what other adventures we’ll find in our last couple of weeks in Canada?

Barbara and Brian