Tidal bore (again), gouda, and clamming (again) July 4

The best breakfast ever - freshly steamed clams with the taste of the sea. Mom refused to partake so we got really good helpings. Laundry today. We did not plan on the length of time it would take to do the laundry, but we came to the sudden realization that if we wanted to see the tidal bore we would have quit the drying and hot foot it to Truro. We made it with 30mins to spare (Rich driving) - no risk of missing it today. It was worth returning for. The force along the bank as it swept around the bend is incredible. The town has make a big effort to preserve the muddy sides by building up a rock embankment along the length of the river. They have also created a cycle path along a portion of the embankment. It would be fun to cycle along next to the bore as it comes in. On our return to the campground, we stopped in at an old WWII observation tower. It has been moved inland because its foundations were undercut with tidal erosion. It is a 15ft by 15 ft base, three stories high with an observation deck on the roof. A little old lady lived in it for a while. She said that the exercise of walking the steep stairs kept her arthritis at bay. The high school kid running the place was really knowledgeable. He told us about the history, geology and culture of the area. He recommended the local cheese factory, a great bay viewing spot and about the local flowerpot rocks. We went straight to the cheese factory. Purchased some two year old aged Gouda and some dutch marzipan treats. The cheese was fantastic. We devoured it before dinner. There was no cold breeze this evening so we decided to go out clamming again. We would not get as cold as the night before. This time we wore swim shorts. They are black and will not show the stains from the red mud. We were happily digging but suddenly realized the mozies had found us and were having a feast. (A good breeze would have blown them all away - be careful what you wish for!) We started swatting them, but since my hands were covered in mud I was soon covered in brown blotches. We returned to the camper for a good shower then started the clam cleaning process. Mom cannot believe our desire to clam because we have come away with mozie bites, ripped fingernails, cut finger tips and feet, and mud ingrained in our skin and clothes. We are enjoying the beautiful flowers everywhere. Most are lupin and they grow wild. It seems that the primary job of residents is mowing their grass, but they are careful to mow around their wild flower patches. It looks so pretty.

Clamming and Truro July 3

This morning we ventured out onto the tidal flats. Our sandals did not work in the mud so we went barefoot - a bad move but we did not want to turn back too quickly. We braved the very cold water and stony ground. The mud is only a few inches thick, covering a bed of sharp shells and stones. We made it out to one of the local clammers. James was very friendly and demonstrated his digging technique. There is a minimum shell size restriction so he, cleverly, has a notch cut out of his bucket so he can quickly measure if the clam is large enough. He gets about two clams each time he sinks his fork into the mud and flips it over. He gets paid $32 per medium sized bucket. As he said "This is what you have to do if you don't get a college education. " He digs six months a year, then goes onto unemployment the other six. We hand dug for a while and collected 9 clams. We rinsed and steamed them. Our first harvest was glorious. The north shore is really rural with little commerical activity. The towns are few and far between. The only stores are convenience stores and pharmacies. James said that the local elementary school in Five Islands had closed down 15 years ago. I was not expecting this area to be so under developed. As we have travelled into the upper reaches of the Fundy bay, the shore has changed from rocky to muddy. As a result the local delicacy has changed from lobster to clams. Super seafood everywhere. After brunch we drove in to Truro to watch the tidal bore race up river. (We concluded Moncton was too far away.) I misread the online timetable and did not notice that I had looked at the am time not the pm one. Thank goodness there was a time table at the viewing area, telling us the time of the afternoon bore. Now we had almost two hours to kill. We drove along the shore and saw the water churning in the bay. There were still vast expanses of mud visible so we felt sure it would be a while before it got to the river. We wandered into town for a take out snack then went back to the river. We arrived to a very turbulent, fast filling river. I was confused because I thought the tidal bore came in at the front of the tide not behind it. But there were still 20 minutes before the bore was due to arrive ( according to the info board). We sat eating our lunch, and the river continued to fill. Then people started leaving. WTF (Welcome to Fruita), the time on the information board was incorrect and we had missed the bore by 20 minutes. We then drove 50 miles to get back home and , just like the tides, tomorrow we will repeat it all again and hopefully see the bore. After our morning's experiences on the mud, we purchased wellies in Truro. It was so nice walking out into the bay this evening. Our feet stayed warm and dry, and did not get cut up on the stones and shells. I walked far out towards the islands while Rich started digging for clams. Upon returing to Rich, we both got stuck in (ha ha) to digging. If one stands in one place for too long it is really difficult to lift ones feet out of the muck. Our pseudo clam fork was not as effective as James'. We still had to do a lot of hand digging and after 1 hour we returned to the camper with about 40 clams. The wind had picked up so I was cold but did enjoy a hot shower, hot chocolate and a rusk. The moon has just risen - Hello again. We have rinsed our clams in pepper water, left them to soak overnight and will have them for breakfast. Yummy!

Fundy Geology Museum and Advocate Harbor July 2

An early morning stroll down on the beach to start off our wonderful day. It was cloudy and misty but the air was quite warm. After breakfast we hopped into the car and headed west along the Northern shore of the bay of Fundy. Our first stop was the Geological museum at Parrasboro. Well worth the visit. We learned that many of the islands in the bay are basalt with many gem stones to be found along the shore. We wanted to scavenge for some so we were directed to Partridge Island nearby. It had just past high tide so Rich and I went exploring along the base of the towering cliffs. I would have been happier if we had been wearing hard hats. We let Rocky off leash and left the leash on a rock on the beach because we knew we would be back that way. After an hour of exploring we got to a spot where the cliff face met the water and we could not explore further. We decided to turn back. As we got to a felled tree we had scrambled around on the way out, we noticed it was in the water. Oops! We had thought that high tide was past, but the water level had continued to rise and we had been completely unaware of it. I looked around for the leash only to find it submerged 10ft from the waters edge. I have noticed that this part of the bay is really calm. There are few waves and it seems to silently creep up the beach. It is dangerous! We have also noticed that the high tide brings in the breezes. A nice time to be outside because the gnats and mozies get blown away. We also visited the FORCE center. Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy. Their plan is to deploy underwater turbines at the entrance to the Minas passage where water moves at about 5m per second. They have four different companies who are each going to install their uniquely designed turbines. Research will be done to determine the most effective and environmentally friendly designs. The plan is to generate 2500 megawatts of power from the tides. It is estimated that 7000 MW of energy potential flows through the channel each day. The whole bay has 50000MW of energy potential The first of the four installations, a 1.5 MW turbine, will be done in October - a Lockheed Martin design. The Wild Caraway restaurant in Advocate harbor was fantastic. Tasty food and beautifully presented. In a town that does not even have a convenience store! There are probably less than thirty houses in the town. We could not drive into Cape Chinecto. It is reserved for back country backpacking only. A great place to explore I am sure. Instead, we headed to Cape D'Or. A basalt headland sticking out into the bay. Mom survived the hike down and back up. The headland reminded me of a smaller scale Cape Point in South Africa. We returned to the camper and another spectacular low tide in front of the campground. After snacks and a sherry we settled in to read books and write the blog. I have discovered Peek Freans cookies. We will be bringing home a good supply. An almost full orange moon has just risen. An hour after sunset. Now I can go to bed happy.

Watching the tide come in then go out July 1

The fog was thick but just off the ground this morning, so I could still see the vast expanse of mud flats out in the bay. People were out digging for clams tempting me down there but since today was supposed to be our day off I returned to bed for a good snooze. By the time we had all surfaced and eaten breakfast the fog was lifting, the sun shining and a breeze had moved in - blowing the bugs away. We strolled down to the beach and had the water lapping at our feet. It was high tide and so different from earlier today. The islands out in the bay are like sentinels watching over us and keeping us safe from monsters of the deep. We heard howling on the biggest island - which is heavily wooded. Are there possibly coyotes out there? Full moon is tonight. We hung out at the camper watching the tide recede. Six hours is a long time when you are waiting for time to pass and there are only so many cherries one can eat in one afternoon! In the end Rich and I went for a bike ride to investigate the provincial park nearby. It is up on the bluff so the view from there was awesome. The tide was at its lowest. Where motor boats had been zooming around earlier, there were now islands of rock, river channels and mud. It is a great camping spot, but since there was no hook-up we had elected to stay at the private campground. On our way back to the campground we passed a local restaurant selling clams and other seafood. They had been really busy all day since it was Canada Day. We decided to collect mom and have dinner there. We had a good laugh while waiting for our order. A group of foreign diners ordered a huge amount of food and when their steamed clams arrived they tucked in but were soon calling the server over to complain about the sand in their food. The three other tables in the restaurant all went silent listening to the complaint. Nobody could believe that they would complain about the sandy seafood - after all it was fresh out of the sea. Our order arrived minutes after theirs was returned to the kitchen - did they just give us their discarded clams? No matter - they tasted great. We have spent the evening waiting for the full moon to rise - either the cloud cover is too thick or we don't know where east is (ha, ha). Either way, we are off to bed without seeing it.

Cape Enrage and Flower Pot Rocks June 30

The weather was gorgeous when we woke so I was able to talk Rich into coming with Rocky and me for the morning walk. The beaches are pebbly with very clear water. We walked towards town and got to the harbor. A bald eagle was sitting atop the light at the end of the breakwater - I am glad I do not have to fish for my breakfast. The tide was low so we were able to walk across the harbor and get to the fishermen's wharf. Guys were preparing their bait bags for the lobster pots. They put huge handfuls of herring (I think) into netting bags, which are then hung in the lobster traps. At least the lobster gets a good last meal before hitting the boiling pot. Rocky loved all the scents and landed up doing some high wire walking just to get to a particularity good smell. He gave us a fright but we were impressed with how well balanced he can be. We were sorry to leave St Martins. It was a peaceful, quaint little town. As we headed north we skirted the western edge of the bay. I had read great things about Cape Enrage so it was our first stop for the day. As we approached the "island" a thick fog bank moved in. The result was a disappointing visit to a point on the bay that should have been spectacular. A teacher has put a lot of effort into preserving the history of the lighthouse and surrounding buildings. In order to generate some income, there is zip lining and ab-sailing here. Exploring the beach and cliffs at low tide is also popular. It was fun to watch the adventure activities, but seeing the bay would have been even better. Our next stop was Hopewell to see the flower pot rocks. We got there near low tide and were able to climb down to the beach and explore. The coarse conglomerates of St Martins were now finer sand and silt stones. This produces very muddy water and sticky mud. Most of the kids were coming back with mud almost to their knees. We had a great view over the bay at low tide. Mud flats almost as far as the eye could see. After a tasty picnic lunch in the camper we started the trek to Moncton and then east to Five Islands. The roads felt especially bad today - even Rocky got car sick. The Canadian secondary roads are the worst we have ever had to tow the trailer over. Maybe they are so bad as a result of the severe winter they had. We stopped in Moncton for groceries and I saw the riverfront where we planned to see the tidal bore. I still don't know at what time one must be there to see it. I miscalculated the length of time it would take us to drive today - we only arrived at the campground at 9pm. It seemed to take forever to get to our destination. It really feels like a remote and rather wild place. Lots of biting insects and anal retentive campground owners got under my skin within minutes of us arriving. The campground was not busy, so we were not surrounded by other campers. It will probably get busy over the weekend.

Fundy Trail June 29

The nor easter buffeted the camper all night, but by morning the rain had turned to a light drizzle and the wind had slowed to a breeze. Since we are staying right on the beach, it was easy to hop onto the beach and go for a long early morning walk with Rocky. There was no one else out walking in the damp weather so I let Rocks off leash again. This time he had staying power and sniffed every spot he could. Paradise! By the time we returned to the camper Rich had tea and rusks ready. I peeled off my wet clothes and soon warmed up. As the morning progressed the sun peeked through the clouds and it got warmer. We went to explore the Fundy trail - a beautiful, rustic road and path along the coast. The lookouts were spectacular. Saw some flower pot rocks and lovely beaches as the tide went out. A bike trail runs the full length of the road, and would be great to bike along. It was too cold to attempt it today. The drive reminded us of the Big Sur in California. The difference being that this was a very quiet small road with little traffic. We returned to St Martins at low tide in order to explore the cliff caves. We ventured around to the furthest cove and within 20 mins our route back out was getting inundated with sea water. It was fun "living on the edge" against the tide. The conglomerate outcrops were impressive. We had lovely clam chowder and lobster for an early dinner. We also purchased a CD of music from a local artist. It all sounds very Irish. On the way back to the camper we popped in to the local convenience store for milk. We got chatting with the owner - these Canadians love to talk! She showed us their historical display of the town. This region of the coast was a ship building mecca in the 1800’s. Logging was also big. She mentioned the fact that it is the only place where one can see two covered bridges and a lighthouse in the same scene. We went back to take some pictures. The covered bridges are original in-situ structures, but the lighthouse is a reconstruction.

The Power of the tides June 28

A very early start to see the whirlpool. According to locals - 4 hours before high tide. So we were on the rocks at 5am today. We saw lots of porpoises, seals and birds feeding. Heard the water flowing up and around the underwater rocks but saw no distinct whirlpool. It sounded like rapids but today it is so calm it did not develop into a good whirlpool and make the sound of the "old sow". A bank of mist moved in over the islands and channel as we sat waiting. When it was really thick the fog horns got louder all around us. It then just evaporated and the horns stopped blaring. By 7 am we were so cold we retreated back to the camper and snuggled into bed for a snooze. We woke with a shock at 8:20. I had wanted to leave the campground by 8 am so that we could catch the ferry at high tide. We got to the ferry by 10. It was bigger than yesterday but the ramp still looked steep. Surprisingly we did not scrape the camper bottom. The drive up to St John was short and we arrived at the Reversing Falls at the tail end of the high tide just before slack tide. This is when the in-flow of the tide and the out-flow of the river counter balance each other and the water flow is almost non-existent. This "high" slack occurs twice a day and is the only time when boats can pass through the narrows, under the bridge, and safely over the 23m underwater rock ledge. Within twenty minutes the previously up-flowing water through the narrows had reversed and 1.2 million gallons per second was flowing out to the sea. (How many cubic feet per second is that?) We camped on the side of the river for the afternoon watching the rapids get rougher and rougher as the water lever dropped 4 feet per hour. Birds seem to love this time, and they were surfing and diving in the rapids while feasting on fish. We hope to return to the rapids at the end of the trip so we can see the flow of water upstream, during a high tide. By the time we left St John's the rain had started. We traveled north to St Martins and set up camp right on the bay. By then it was raining a bit harder. We felt like we were in luxury with a full hook-up(water electric and sewer. After a cup of tea and running the furnace so we could thaw out, we tried to walk on the beach. No one else was out there so we decided to let Rocky have a run. He took one look at the stony, windy, wet beach then decided he was not interested in getting pelted with rain so he ran straight back to the camper. We persevered a bit longer but were soon back indoors. The rain has been getting steadily harder all evening. We are having showers in the camper tonight and will crawl into bed with the hope that tomorrow will be dry. It is wet and windy here! Our first north easter.

Hello Canada and onto Deer Island June 27

We left Acadia with our passports at the ready and a new marine battery for our camper. I mistakenly took a turn off Hwy 1 which gave us a really bumpy ride for 25 miles. It felt longer. Just before crossing the border at Lubec we visited the Quoddy lighthouse overlooking the Bay of Fundy. This spot is the furthest east in the USA. I wonder what the point furthest west is? (not including Hawaii) The weather is perfect, yet again. Blue skies with a few clouds and pond like calm water. We think we saw a whale quite far out in the channel while eating our picnic lunch outside the camper. The tide was rising and we got our first glimpse of the speed at which the shore gets inundated with water. The further north we go the more impressive this should be. There is going to be an international marathon here on Sunday, so the border crossing was busy. Lots of cars and pedestrians registering for the race. Even Rocky needed his passport - in the form of his rabies certificate. A short drive got us to our first ferry landing. A small concrete ramp down into the bay. The ferry was just a platform with a side tow boat. Getting our extremely long camper down the ramp and up onto the platform was a problem - especially since it was low tide. Rich had the courage to drag it over the worst section as we bottomed out and the trailer wheels lifted off the ground. The rig is too long for these excursions - we will be downsizing some time soon! Getting off the ferry was a "4 wheel drive" pull onto a stony beach and up to the road. Our campground is right on the southern point of Deer Island. We have a wonderful view of the spot where we hope to see a huge whirlpool as the tide comes in - The Old Sow. Surprisingly there is electricity here, but no fresh water. All we have to drink is what was in our water bottles in the car and the sherry! An hour after high tide, three divers wearing dry suits and chest crushing protectors went into the water to see the abundant sea life feeding on the nutrients and creatures attracted by the swirling waters. They were planning to dive to 220 ft on their deepest dive. We have been warned that the rainy weather will move in by 8am tomorrow. Hopefully we will have seen the whirlpool by then and be on the road so that we can catch the ferry at high tide instead of a low tide. Planning to do less dragging of the camper the second time around. We live and learn. It is cold here! Not many mozzies, which we keep at bay by putting a blanket on the grass before sitting out there in the evening.

All round Acadia June 26

This island is big! And there are so many people here. For the four or five months that one gets decent weather, everywhere is swarming with tourists. The towns are full of stores selling quaint stuff and restaurants are busy. Locals have to work hard to make their annual income, in a short period of time. Antiques and second hand goods are a big trade here. (and the whole north eastern seaboard - as we would discover) We seemed to pass a couple of antique stores in each town. I, also think that if you have been closed up in your house all winter, by the time you get to spring you are probably tired of looking at your stuff so you set up garage sales. Allie would love Maine. While we were in Bar Harbor there was a cruise ship moored out in the bay. We wondered how it navigates in and out without snagging on the thousands of lobster pots out there. Rich had a lobster roll today. We have both concluded it is an overrated meal. The lobster on its own would be good, and the mini toasted loaf it comes in would be good with nutella. The National park is much of the interior of the island. A gorgeous way to explore these lakes and forests is to bike ride the old carriage roads. We were able to take Rocky with us - the only National Park I have ever visited where dogs are allowed on the trails. While we were exploring on our bikes, Mom used the free bus shuttles to see the coastline and museums. The quintessential Acadia granite boulder shore is only a small section of the south eastern shore but it really is beautiful.The loop road takes one past super views of the ocean and islands, sandy beach - the only one on the island, and thunder hole. A non-thundering hole today because the sea was incredibly calm and the incoming tide just produced swells. Where are the waves? Returning to the campground is a wonderfully peaceful way to end the day. An extra bonus was a home cooked meal, eating at the camper and time spent exchanging stories with mom of different things we had seen during the day. She bought me pretty earrings made by the local Passamaquoddy Nation while visiting the Abbe museum.

Hwy 1 to Acadia June 25

I was being way too optimistic about the scenery being radically different today. We are still seeing mostly trees. As we drove north along the coastal route we did see more and more frequent glimpses of the water - glimpses being the key word here. Our planned stop at Red's was aborted when we saw how long the line outside was. As we sailed by we figured we would just pull over at the next place we saw. But pulling a heavy camper along a busy single lane highway makes it difficult to stop quickly when you spot a potential lobster shack, so by the time we got to the spectacular Penobscot Narrows bridge it was three o'clock and we were ravenous. I spotted a scenic overlook, pulled over, set up the camp chairs and table, and proceeded to serve an impromptu picnic lunch with a view towards the bridge. Other tourists stopping at the overlook admired our luxurious meal. Just after Penobscot we gave up on the coastal route and made a bee line to Ellsworth then down to Acadia. My expectation for the island was one of rugged, open expanses with little development. What a shock - the island is jam packed with houses, businesses, and trees of course. Only a portion of it is national park. Roads are narrow, so bike riding will have to be reserved for the old carriage routes, which are auto free zones. I had assumed there were only national park campgrounds here, but many private campgrounds dot the island. We are in Seawall campground, in the southern region. The light at sunset is beautiful. We explored the tidal zone rocks near the campground, the Bass harbor head lighthouse and had lobster for dinner in Southwest Harbor. Tomorrow we plan to explore Bar Harbor and the coastal loop road. Hopefully we will get a good bike ride in as well.

Portland and Freeport June 24

Turning north from Boston we have left the humidity and heat and entered a slightly chilly maritime climate. The mozies are still busy biting and we are keeping a lookout for ticks. (Mom discovered one crawling across her arm sometime during our trip across the US.) Travel along the roads is really dull - trees everywhere and no open vistas. We stopped in to visit a work colleague of Richard's in South Portland. A peaceful, pretty part of the city overlooking the bay. We saw pretty houses along the waterfront. Lovely local food and great insights into Mainers. It seems as though this trip is going to be a gastronomic experience. I was surprised to discover how few people live in Maine. Long, cold winters make life difficult. We were told about a gluten free shop in town so on our way out we stopped in for some treats and prepared dinners. Ever heard of Freeport, Maine? Yep, LL Bean. Recommendations from our camp host sent us to Gritty's brew pub for dinner. Pulled pork over sweet potato chips smothered in bbq sauce, sour cream and maple syrup. Yummy. Rich had salt and vinegar chicken wings - different and good. The flagship store is open 24 hours, so after dinner we strolled around and got some things on sale. Our overnight stop is Bradbury Mountain SP. Pretty, peaceful and cool. Lovely trails and I found the "mountain". 485 ft elevation. A walk up there gave me a view of the tree tops and about 8 miles away I could see the Atlantic. Yeah, a view!. Today we will travel along smaller coastal roads so I hope the scenery will be more interesting. We will head towards Reds Eats, in Wiscasset for highly recommend lobster rolls then on to Acadia National Park.

The long road to Boston June 18 through June 22 and Anniversary celebrations June 23

Colorado and Kansas roads rock! By the time we got to Indiana and Illinois we were being rattled apart and the camper was bouncing in and out of potholes constantly. The biggest pothole was the "puddle" next to a McDonalds were we had to get a towing service to lift the trailer out. Never trust a puddle! We have been driving on the outskirts of a tropical storm and following it north east. Every river we pass is either swollen or flooding. Campgrounds are muddy but all were peaceful and pretty - yeah state parks. (Kansas, Illinois, Two in Pennsylvania) Maybe peaceful is a bit of a stretch of the imagination at Ohiopyle SP, PA. Our trip to Falling Water was delightful. Different to see it with the waterfall so full and noisy. Since our goal was Boston, we hardly digressed off our path. As a result I was sad to not explore the boulder field and rail-to-trails cycle path at our state park in eastern PA. Maybe I will get there another time. We did however manage a quick afternoon tea with an old colleague of my dads, who lives near PennState. Driving between 500 and 600 miles each day was grueling and I am not looking forward to the return trip. We have arrived in a hot, humid Massachusetts. After driving 2200 miles I decided to optimize on driving distance so we checked into a campground north west of Boston, instead of Wompatuck State Park to the south and east of Boston. This is private and as such the cost is double what one pays at a state park. The joy of this place is that it is close to Concord and Walden pond. I was surprised at how large the pond is, but had a wonderful walk around it. I was tempted to join the swimmers there, but had no swimsuit, and there were a few leery eyed fishermen along the edge whom I did not want to shock. It rained on and off while I was searching for Thoreau's house, but the rain is warm and pleasant. His house is no longer standing, but the foundations are marked. People bring rocks to the site and have made a largish rock pile to one side of his house. Mom and I have finally finished listening to our audio book - The 100 year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared. A lovely, lighthearted story. We recommend it. Since today is Rich and my 25th wedding anniversary, Rich flew in to Boston a day early than planned. We enjoyed a light sushi dinner with mom and a quiet evening at the camper. Here is to the next 25 years!

Plans for 2015 - Atlantic North East, Southern Utah and New Mexico.

This summer we will be exploring again. It will be different because not all of the tribe will be able to come with us. Summer internships and jobs will keep the young ones at home. We plan to drive across country to the North-East to explore Maine and the Canadian Atlantic coast. I have always wanted to see the tidal changes in the Bay of Fundy so this will be my chance. Exploring the tidal flats and exposed rocks should be fun. I hope we see an impressive tidal bore in Moncton, eat great lobster, relax on pretty beaches, swim in warm water, see wonderful scenery and glimpse a few whales. Mom's one desire is to see the Anne of Green Gables location. She will get a lot more than she bargained for! I am in the planning phase of the project and hoping to stay in a few National and Provincial Parks. It is frustrating because bookings for these campgrounds will only open in April so I cannot say with certainty that we will be able to get reservations in the places I have selected. I am most excited about a campground I found overlooking the Bay of Fundy near Long Island, NS - Whale Grove Campground on Digby Necks. Maybe we will spot whales from our deck chairs while watching the sunset and sipping cocktails. With luck I will also be able to meet up with family from South Africa to tour Utah's National Parks. This we will follow up with a trip to see the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. What a summer!