Jan 8, 2013 - Chocolate - Brooke's traveling teddy

Hi Brooke and Chocolate, Did you not get our other message that tells about Chocolate's pictures? We sent it in the evening after we sent the pictures from the tobogganing hill. We were at Granny and Grandad's house in Boutilier's Point, Nova Scotia. Chocolate was with Hannah's brother Oliver (grade 3 at Shatford Memorial Elementary) and his cousin Ruby (in the same class). It was cold this morning (-22), but will be +5 for the rest of the week! Chocolate should be safe and sound in Quebec now. :) Rebecca (Ruby's mom), Hannah, Oliver, Ruby

Oct 9, 2012 - Day 86 - Nova Scotia north shore, New Glasgow to Amherst

We travelled today along the north shore of Nova Scotia from New Glasgow to Amherst, the leaves were in full color and the sun was shining, mostly. We drove the scenic route with more ease than yesterday. We stopped at Tatamagouche for lunch at the Train Station Hotel and Restaurant. You eat in a dining car and can actually sleep in a caboose or box car. All beautifully decorated. Garry says their Seafood Chowder was the best of the trip so far. We continued on to Amherst then went north back to Moncton, to Campers City RV Park. Mel and...

Oct 8, 2012 - Day 85 - Off Again to Cape Breton, South Arm

We headed out from Baddeck in the rain today, through North Sydney and Sydney to Glace Bay in hopes of seeing the Glace Bay Miners Museum. The Internet says its open from 10-5 daily. We make our way to Glace Bay and to the area of the museum but can't go down the street as there are low branches waiting to take out our satellite dish and air conditioning units. We drive around the area, not an easy process due to narrow streets, to find somewhere to park the bus and unhook the car. We get settled by a vacant building, detach the car and go...

Oct 7, 2012 - Day 84 - Thanksgiving Sunday in Baddeck

Thanksgiving Sunday. Not at home should be relaxing right? Well not busy but not totalling relaxing either. Pam was supposed to be at the Fibre Fair selling her mitts but she ran short of stock the first day so she is home sewing more for the rest of the show next week. Wendy is taking a course all afternoon so Mel and I are getting turkey dinner ready as gift to Bob and Pam for the great stay we have had. Wendy was up early, as usual, and prepared the ingredients for her delicious Turnip Puff (and I don't like turnips), the stuffing and a...

Oct 6, 2012 - Day 83 - around the Cabot Trail

Today we tested the brakes on Mel's van and took it around the Cabot Trail. We started out in fog but a ways up the valley it cleared off and was sunny. The leaves here in Baddeck Valley are starting to turn but the higher we drove the greener the leaves were. Mother Nature probably needs another week or so in the mountains. The scenery on the trail is beautiful. Mountains, cliffs and hills, ocean, mostly calm today, forests from green to occasional reds and golds. We travelled clockwise from Baddeck; we have had differing opinions on which...

Oct 5, 2012 - Day 82 - in Baddeck, NS

It is Celtic Colors time in Nova Scotia, a celebration of everything fall here. Concerts, scenery, craft shows and parades. Pam makes mitts from up-cycled old wool sweaters to sell in crafts fairs. She is booked into the Fibre Festival in Baddeck for the whole weekend. We visited the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck in the morning. This is an amazing place. We had no idea Bell was into so much, in addition to inventing the telephone. This museum follows his career and life from working for the deaf, to telephone, to planes and...

Oct 3, 2012 - Day 80 - on Ferry back to Nova Scotia

Ferry Day. We travelled down to Port Aux Basques in dull sunshine but no rain. It was windy in the Wreckhouse Road area but not bad enough to close highway. We were early and we first in line with the bus and a ways back with the car (it is less expensive to take the two when you have 4 people). Wendy and I started making sandwiches for the trip over while Garry and Mel explored the Port Authority building. Before we got the sandwiches made, they started loading the ferry with the car row. I had to run back to the car to load it and hope...

Oct 2, 2012 - Nova Scotia

You will probably get sick of me saying this but again we are in a beautiful place. We spent our first night in Moncton, Nova Scotia. They have a place called Magnitic Hill. You drive down a hill, at the bottom of the hill you put you car in neutral, release your brakes and your car will then roll backwards up the hill. Weird experience but fun. Moncton is located on the northern shores of the Fundy Bay. The Fundy Bay has the highest tides in the world and when it is low tide you can walk along the shore line and see all the rock formations...

Sep 19, 2012 - North Sydney, Nova Scotia

We reached our easternmost point on this trip a few miles east of the North Sydney KOA. It was a lovely place. There are other nice campgrounds near Baddeck, Nova Scotia. The main deal up there is the Cape Breton loop, which would take a couple of days to explore, at least. Even though we didn’t see it, it would be very worthwhile to do it.

Sep 18, 2012 - Halifax

On our way to Halifax, we went via the "scenic route" on highway #114 through Fundy National Park. This route had been recommended by a clerk back in the New Brunswick Visitors Center in St. Stephens. The road is OK for cars, but definitely not for motor-homes! It was narrow and rough for most of the “loop.” We took that route to go to Hopewell Rocks. That’s where visitors can go onto the beach at low-tide and look-up at the columns of rocks. Then in a period of several hours, the tide in Bay of Fundy will rise up to forty-feet. We were...

Sep 14, 2012 - Cabot Trail & NF Ferry

One of the neat things about our adventurer is that the plan is developed the day before. We pull out the map and decide where we are going for the next day. We talk to other travelers and use the current provincial travel guides to influence our desires. What a great way to explore. We traveled to the area of North Sydney Nova Scotia to witness the area of Denise's mom and dad travels to NewFoundland. North Sydney is Canada's connection to the island province of NewFoundland. It is a 160km or 100mi (8 hrs) of water travel. Denise's...

Sep 13, 2012 - Day 60 - in Baddeck, Nova Scotia

This morning after a leisurely breakfast, the guys went golfing and the girls went to visit my former co-worker Debbie Sheaves, who lives here now, and went shopping and touring the town. Debbie was getting packed to go to Alberta for the winter, crazy eh, for the birth of two grandchildren in October and December, and Ernie is working a contract in Ft Mc for a few months. They leave on Saturday so I was lucky to get to see her. We took our tour and then met the men at the golf course for lunch. We played dominos and cards, made supper and...