Friday, August 28, 2009

Nova Scotia

We are here! Nova Scotia








This is the beach in our campground in Pictou, Nova Scotia



Judy with Alexander Graham Bell and his wife in Baddeck, NS






Enjoying the surf and sand below the Keltic Lodge in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, NS

Judy is trying to eat seaweed-also on the beach below the Keltic Lodge













One of many overlooks on the Atlantic side of the Cabot Trail. Cape Breton Highlands National Park, NS



















A waterfall coming into this Atlantic beach. Cape Breton Highlands National Park, NS











Meat Cove, the northernmost community in NS.












A local relaxing at the beach!










Two, not so locals, enjoying a bay side beach. Cape Breton Highlands National Park, NS














One loco at Joe's Scarecrows, an interesting roadside attraction.










Another loco.















Back at the RV in time for sunset!























Thursday, August 27, 2009

New Brunswick, Canada

Dickson Falls, the " highlight" of a visit to Fundy National Park. Maybe not, but a great walk through the park and beside the stream. Upstream further is the real falls, beautiful.Just outside the Fundy Bay NP is this small town of Alma. Picked up a nice order of fish and chips after watching the lobster/shrimp/scallop boats come in. In the muck at low tide in the National Park. Judy would have been in about 20ft of water if this was high tide.





Arriving at the Hopewell Rocks Park--also called the Flower Pot Rocks.









Dennis is in about 30 feet of water! Well, if it were high
tide.











Judy is enjoying one of the cool places to be. You can see the hopewell conglomerate formation well. The Hopewell Rocks were named for this type of rock.















We are enjoying the sun, behind us is a very large cove covered in orange mud. We did not slosh through it, but looked like fun.









Emergency exit! In case the average tide of 39 feet catches tourists.









On the ocean floor.























We returned 6 hours later and found this. There is about 20 ft of water below the arch.




















In front of us.





















Behind us.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

NY, NH, ME, & NB,Canada












Here we are on Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in New York, and our 37th highpoint climb. Alas, we did not come close to its peak (14.8 miles round trip, Class 1, Strenuous), but we had a nice three-hour walk in the woods. A history note: Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was highpointing Mt. Marcy when he was summoned to assume the presidency upon the death of William McKinley in 1901.









Whiteface Mountain is the fifth highest peak in New York. We drove to this one, but had a steep quarter-mile climb to the top. Whew!











Another highpoint--New Hampshire's Mt. Washington. We drove the Auto Road (kind of scary)to this one at an elevation of 6,288 feet, ranked 18th in height. This was our first highpoint in 1998, before we started seeking them out. But there is a trail--The Crawford Path which is the oldest mountain hiking trail in the US. It connects with the Appalachian Trail.





St. Croix Island International Historic Site on Maine's shore. Gotta get the photo at the sign to prove that we were there!



Another sign of our travels. We're on our way to crossing the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Bridge into New Brunswick, Canada.


Welcome to Campobello Island on the Bay of Fundy, FDR's summer home from the New York's hot weather. It's pretty warm here today.







FDR's Campobello cottage. With 34 rooms, I'd call it more than a "cottage." Ah, the lifestyle of the rich and famous! FDR spent most of his summers here from one year old until he was stricken by polio at the age of 39. This park was established in 1964 with the signing of an international treaty between the US and Canada.












Judy, climbing to the East Quoddy Lighthouse at Head Harbour. One can visit here between 5:50 and 7:50 pm, when the tide is out. But you have to pay $5 to do it. It was well worth it, though. We even saw a whale out in the distance.












Tidal pool at the Quoddy Lighthouse.










The Quoddy Lighthouse. It's getting a new paint job.








We hooked up with some California friends, Gary and Gundi Bechthold, who we met in a Thousand Trails park few years ago. They have been traveling through Canada since leaving Minnesota, where they had a family reunion. We are in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, at Reversing Falls. We came here three times (it's close to our RV park) to see low, slack and high tides. It's more of a whirlpool than falls, but the water does change directions. Phenomenal!










Judy & Gundi at Reversing Falls, hoping that Hurricane Bill doesn't come our way.



Low tide at Reversing Falls.










High tide at Reversing Falls.














We took a drive to the village of St. Martin, famous for its sandstone sea caves, rock hound's beach and some of the highest tides in the world. Here's one of the covered bridges along the way.

















Another covered bridge, with a lean-to for the pedestrians. It was used a lot while we were there. Lots of tourists like us.












Low tide at St. Martin.








Dennis, crossing the pebble path to get to the sea caves at St. Martin. Yes, he'll be climbing on those steep rocks in the background.







Judy, admiring the marine wildlife at St. Martin.






Wow! Lots to admire on the sea floor at low tide!









See, I told you.




We went for some seafood chowder to warm up. I got my feet wet in the tidal pool.