Off one island and onto another July 8

Since discovering that PEI is so big and slow to navigate, we decided to get off the island back across the bridge, instead of the ferry which would have required a long haul across the island to the south eastern corner. I drove so that Rich could take time to admire the bridge. Once we were back in New Brunswick we headed east across Nova Scotia towards Cape Breton. Yet again we stuck to the major roads in order to make our travel time as short as possible.(Hwy 104 is new and NOT bumpy - smiles) So much for being relaxed tourists. After 230 miles we crossed a causeway onto the island and drove directly to the campground. We arrived to find someone else in our reserved spot. This is the first time I have ever had this problem. The are no campground hosts here, so nobody got the campers from last night out. After a few calls to the central reservations we had chosen another spot and settled in there. We think it is a prettier spot so we are happy. After tea and snacks we went out to explore. We discovered a ferry that takes about 3 minutes to make its crossing. Yep - the shortest ferry I have ever seen, called the "Little Narrows ferry." The coastal inlets are long and narrow here, so it pays to have ferry crossings to save people the long drive around. We saw a peaceful scene overlooking the water next to the ferry landing. We enjoyed a dinner of soup, fried fish, and tales from the cook of his fathers' life spent working for the UN. He was a very proud Scot and loved to talk. By travelling east we seemed to stay ahead of the cold front that was going to hit today. We have had very little rain but the air temperature is definitely cooler. I hope skies are blue tomorrow for our trip along Cabot Trail to the north end of Cape Breton Island.

Cycle along the Confederate trail and driving east. July 7

Mom braved an early morning wake up for a walk along the beach. It is a good time to get out there since no one else is around, and it is really peaceful. We returned to the camper to breakfast all prepared. Thanks Rich. Our goal today was to experience the rails-to-trails Confederate trail. An artist, we had chatted to yesterday, recommended a section along St Peters bay. We left the camper early and headed east across the island. The drive was long but we were excited to spend time on the bikes. (Truth be told - I was probably more excited than Rich) We settled mom down at the head of the bay - with her book of course. Rich and I set off from St Peters towards Morell. The trail flanks the bay. To our right was water, to our left was farmland. We stopped to chat to locals about the best places to buy seafood and to eat. Both our bikes are giving gear trouble. I think they have rusted with all the sea air. We detoured down to Morell harbor before returning to mom, and lunch of fish and chips. We decided that since we were so far east on the island we may as well go to the end. We passed some lovely lagoons and sand dunes on the way. The eastern most point of the island is marked by a lighthouse and a gift store - of course. It was rather a let down and not worth the drive. This island is sooo big. I miscalculated the time we would spend on the roads getting from one place to the other. By late afternoon we were all fed up with driving the small country roads that weave in and out of pretty bays. We plotted the most direct, major road route back west. I am sure we missed quite a few of the beautiful southern beaches but enough is enough. We still only got home at 7pm. Rocky was happy to see us return. There seems to be less money on the eastern end of the island, although agriculture still dominates. Fewer big houses and simpler farmhouses. Mom insisted on making us dinner so while she was busy I groomed Rocky and Rich snoozed. Rocky has been getting daily brushes of late and he really enjoys it. I think he has a lots of mozie bites as well. After dinner we wanted to go for a swim. We took Rocky with us to the beach and decided to wade out to a sand bank exposed during low tide. We hauled Rocky into the water and forced him to swim out with us. Once he hit the firm ground of the sand bar he did his usual crazy dog run around. He was surrounded by water so we knew he would not go far. After a while we left the sand bar and guided him back to shore. A second bar was a bit further out but we wanted to go there as well. We got Rocky out there and let him run around. The waves make cool patterns in the sand. Even the waves coming in from two angles make cool interference patterns. Rocky ran all along the edge of the bar looking for a way to get back to shore. We assumed he would not know how, but next thing he had chosen a spot close to the beach and started swimming back. Rich rushed over to make sure he was not caught in a rip tide - all was well. For a non-swimmer he did really well. Proud parents!!!

Anne of Green Gables July 6

Some rain overnight - to keep everything moist. Oh! the mozies will be happy. An early walk on the beach was almost insect free. The tides here go in and out about 15 feet with, maybe, a 2 ft height change. So different to the thousands of lateral feet on the bay of Fundy. I am so happy we were at Five Islands for so many days so that we could repeatedly experience the huge tidal changes. Today was reserved for everything L.M.Montgomery. Mom explored her birthplace. We strolled through the very commercialized Avonlea village mock-up. We went to her grandparents farm where they have excavated the foundations of the farmhouse she lived in until she was almost 40, and walked from there to the rebuilt Green Gabled house so much a part of her books. We also visited the Cavendish post office where they traced the route of her manuscript to the Boston publisher, and the return of her acceptance letter. We returned to the camper via a quaint home craft store selling many homemade crafts. It seems that the residents of PEI are very artistic and creative. They make beautiful jewelry, do iron work, knit, sew, potter, paint, photograph. Based on the horror stories we have heard about their winters they need to have some hobby in order to keep them sane during the long harsh winters. The scenery is gorgeous. It seems as though most of PEI is covered by farmland. Major crops are potatoes, alfalfa and berries. On our way in to Cavendish we passed a picturesque bay surrounded by fields, with a small harbor - French Harbor. The bay was filled with buoys - all neatly bobbing around in straight lines. Mussel and oyster farming is a huge industry here. Supplying both Canada and the US. We stopped to admire the view and discovered a farm behind us that was covered in acres and acres of Lupin. They sell Lupin seeds in all the stores - maybe this guy was a seed supplier. After driving further we concluded that there are too many bays to count - the coast really is gorgeous. There seems to be a lots of wealth on the island. Houses are in good condition, farms are active and producing. This is in contrast with the north shore of the bay of Fundy where things look rather run down and desperate.

Prince Edward Island July 5

When we were in St Martins Mom finished her library book. I found her a replacement in the laundry library most private campgrounds have. We were hoping it would last her the rest of the trip but she has not been able to put it down. Before we left Five Islands this morning, she was back in their laundry room looking for another. She does a lot of reading while we are out exploring on foot and on the bikes. We explored the nearby public park, lighthouse and beach before returning to the camper to pack up and move on. We are back on the road again. Heading up to Prince Edward Island. Not before returning to the cheese factory. The fridge now has a good load of cheese in it. We also saw the quaintest "door in the bushes" in the middle of someones well manicured garden. We traveled through the first rain we have had since out north easter in St Martins. The last few mornings have been fog free although there was still quite a bit of cloud around. The weather has been really good for all the sightseeing we are doing. Mom takes advantage of the long, tree lines trips by catching a nap with Rocky. Getting onto PEI requires either a ferry trip or crossing the confederate bridge. We elected to drive the bridge. It is quite spectacular. 8.5 miles long. We will catch the ferry when we get off at the other end of the island in a few days time. Our campground is in a provincial park that is surrounded by a bay. We were able to cycle the perimeter and onto the beach. Other areas required a scramble down some cliffs but once we were down we let Rocky run around. He loved the freedom of being off leash. The mozies here are the worst we have experienced so far. Rich's back is covered with bites. Thank goodness for the camper - we can hop inside and make dinner without being dinner at the same time. Most campers make smokey campfires to keep the mozies at bay. Many have mosquito tents to place over their picnic tables. I hope we get wind soon!

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.