Views from New Brunswick........

I'm a bit behind....with no onsite internet, we have to go find it locally to check the daily happenings in the outside world.    We are so plugged in that it is a bit like withdrawal but then I get used to not being connected and I forget about sharing with my loyal followers......  so it's catch up time and I've tried to give you a bird's eye view of our days here.    

In order to get to our CG, located on the hill, we need to cross the St. John River.   These ferries run year round 24 hours a day and are guided by a cable.     The grey building on the far side is the campsite office.

It was built in 1785 !!    After the Revolutionary War, there were about 14,000 who were still loyal to the King.....they came up here to begin new lives.    The Harding House was built by a member of Benedict Arnold's group.   I'm sitting in this building at the moment, writing this and looking at 230 year old beams above me.   

 St John's is a popular cruise stop for passengers wanting to view the Loyalist history and the remnants from The War of 1812 and see the Bay of Fundy.   This market

 has been active since about that time.....it is rich with sights and sounds...wonderful looking produce, fresh fish and crafts.    St John itself is rather decrepit but the area is very scenic.

Yesterday, with Dean and Diane, we headed over to the little coastal town of St Martins.    The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world and this iconic picture of the lobster boats at low tide, is seen on postcards

 and paintings.    The tides are 15 meters and I have no idea how many feet that is but you can see the water line.

 Lobstering is a big industry here as well.

 This rocky area had no horizon due to the low clouds.....

 St Martins was a ship building center in the 1800's due to the heavily forested surrounding area.    There are a few of the large stately homes still standing.

Nearby is the Fundy Trail.....a 18 km (about 8 mi) trail that winds along the coastline.     We had the illusion that it would be relatively flat.....we were wrong.....but the part that we did was worth the huffing and puffing.    After I climbed down on tenuous steps  to see a waterfall, I realized that I would have to climb back up.....it was wiggly and lacked sure footing and not sure the scenery was worth it.  

 The trail alternated between heavily forested paths to

 views along the coast.  

 The fog drifted in and out.........

 I liked the bonus color along the way.......

 We stopped at the Interpretive center to learn about logging along the Big Salmon River....seen here at low tide.    The Hearst family owned much of the land and saw mills for their paper industry.   You can stay in his "rustic" log cabin.

 Dean and Paul on the trail.....

We ended the day with World Famous Chowder at a local seaside cafe...Our group gave it 5 stars.......

Picture alert

We are currently near St John's New Brunswick, without WiFi at the campsite.....feels like we left half our brain behind....no quick references, no maps, no checking out future itinerary....no emails.....    But we managed to get thru the night and are currently in the CG office hooked in.....
Anyway, the point of this blog is to thank Rian for pointing out that the previous pic of the eagle flying off, seems to have prey in it's talons.    I blew up the picture and agree that it looks like a rabbit....!!    I am thrilled that I captured it but not surprised that I didn't recognize what the undercarriage of an eagle looks like when I previewed the pictures.    Do you think National Geographic wants to hire me now ????

We're out to explore this urban area / scenic coastal area and maybe even find a good breakfast.      Weather a bit humid but clear and nice.  

Sea kayaking

On a brilliantly gorgeous day, we headed to the ocean for a guided kayak tour.    Altho we have kayaked before, we've only enjoyed it in placid rivers or broad lakes.   There was a stiff breeze with some white caps on the bay and we set out with 6 others and a guide.    The young couple who own this enterprise are enthusiastic and helpful and we wish them well in their 15 year old business......try Machias Bay Kayak Tours if you're in the area.    

After battling the wind and sea spray for longer than my arms wanted, about 70 min or so (time has no meaning when the wind and waves seem endless).....we came to a beach on Hog Island.      I had hoped to 

take pictures as we skimmed along the bay but my camera stayed safely dry in a bag and we got pretty soaked....we did have the kayak skirts on and that helped to keep us dry on the lower half.   In this picture below, you can see the distant hills....this is where we started.  In this bay, the US Navy began with the first naval battle of the Revolution.   This area is rich with Revolutionary History....from houses, to taverns, to ships to trails.  

These rust colored areas look like painted rocks......on closer examination are these petroglyphs.  

This one is a man with an antler head dress of sorts.   Various experts have examined them but there is no definitive on who or when.....sometime after the Ice Age they say which is a pretty broad time frame.    There were others scattered about as well.

After a nice break and a snack, we got ready to depart when an eagle dropped out of the sky onto a nearby pine.    It was quite stunning.

I didn't get a good shot of it flying off but the wing span was impressive.  

Along the route, we skirted rock islands with seals lounging in the sun....not having a camera, I have no proof of that......until this one popped up his head near the shore while we relaxed.  

 It was a fun trip and a highlight of our time on the coast.....today we are feeling fine with no residual aches in case you were wondering.   But next time, I might check the wind and the whitecaps before I head out into it.   And yes, the return trip was much smoother, MUCH faster and much drier.      And more lobster awaited us at the end of the day.....

Today, we load up the wagon and  reluctantly leave this scenic area and head farther northeast into Canada.  

Scenes from our day......

We had a good plan.......loaf in the morning and then take the 1 pm boat from Winter Harbor to Bar Harbor......stroll around  and then take the boat back.     We had sweaters to ward off the water chill, sunglasses for the bright sunny day and enthusiasm.    We arrived 10 min before the published time ( in a glossy brochure about the ferry).....and found that the boat had left 20 min earlier....for some unexplained reason, that one trip was changed....and no one around to ask and the next one not until 90 min later...........so, we drove to Bar Harbor since we had no back-up plan.

   Once there, we walked the lovely shore path.   It meanders along the coast for about a mile. 

 It passes lovely inns.......

 offers views of the harbor.....

 offered a good vantage point to see the lobster boats returning....

 And fronted the lovely large vintage homes.    Much of Bar Harbor burned  in 1947 and the large estates were lost.....few were rebuilt and the rich and famous found other places to spend their leisurely summers.

We strolled the picturesque streets again and then picked a waterfront seafood place for an early dinner outside along the harbor.   You could pick your own lobster from several tanks.......a young man offered to pick one up for a close-up portrait.....I noticed that it had a definite blue color....he said about 1 in a million are blue....this one was almost 3 pounds.

 We ordered Cobb salads........from the bottom to the top,  black olives, egg white, bacon, lobster, tomatoes, gorgonzola, and egg yokes all placed on a bed of greens.   It was delicious and filling, even if I don't like avocado.

 We got back in time for a viewing of the sunset from the swing.   Weather had cooled off and a sweatshirt felt really good.

Baa Haa Baa......

....or as the tourists say, Bar Harbor, a quintessential Downeast coastal town.    It is a picturesque stroll down the main streets, 

with attractive shops and flowers gracing every door step.   I especially liked this nasturtium hanging basket.    It was a long drive over, 90 min or so on windy roads.   We could have taken the ferry across from a point about 45 minutes from here but it stops at 6 pm and we wanted later options.      We found the Island Discovery buses.....a FREE bus system, supported by LL Bean that travels thru the town, from commercial interests, the airport and the highlights of nearby Acadia National Park.    You hop on and off and it is a choice deal for getting around.   It does not have a narrative along the way but the drivers can answer most questions I suspect.    And there is room for your bike.   

After a seafood  dinner overlooking the Village Green, we stayed to enjoy

the Norman Rockwell setting for an evening concert by the Bar Harbor Band, an institution since 1898.   An attentive crowd and rousing renditions of all American favorites made for a perfect ending of the day.

Some views around Acadia...........

Lobster pots are as common as palm trees in Florida......

We considered a tee time at the Grindstone Neck Golf Course, established in 1891...... it looks a bit rugged on the fairways but the views were splendid.    We might have to try it.......

  I spent some time on 'the bench' this morning watching the clammers and the tide come in and my knitting grow........

And we just came in from the campfire and sunset  after another lobster dinner......tonight it was soft shell, $3 a pound cheaper and much tastier than the hard shell.   And again, delivered hot and steaming to our table by the CG owner......Life is Good.

PS:    In case you hadn't noticed, I have iPhoto back and my computer and my pictures.....it took a few calls to Apple support and endless hours of downloading things that wouldn't download but it appears that all is well and back to where it was and what I understand....and all credit goes to the on-board tech.

Ahhh.....Maine

We arrived here on Friday late in the day, just in time for some freshly steamed lobster, delivered to our campsite by the owner.....came complete with cracking tools as these were the very hard shell variety.


We made a stop in Bangor to fix the signal problem. I followed behind as I didn't even have brake lights when connected. The part that was ordered to fix the problem didn't......several hours later the issue was resolved and we were able to finally relax and head to this place.


We are in a remote area, 90 miles by car from Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park or a short ferry ride. We sit on an inlet with tidal influence and a rocky shore. The weather is perfect.





The clam diggers were out at low tide.



My coffee cup and I spent some time contemplating the views at low tide.











Paths wander along the shore and in the meadow.



The owners winter in Florida so maybe they picked up some hitchhikers on their trips north.....or just a bit of humor..............

Reminder that all pics are clickable. Computer iPhoto still in diagnosis state..

Location:On the rocky coast of Downeast.....

It's always something.......

We are heading North tomorrow. While, this particular CG doesn't quite match their rave reviews online, it has been OK and the owners are friendly and concerned about their guests. It's always a test of faith when relying on reviews.....there are several guides that are independent and award *stars* based on several objective items...but still, we never know til we are 'camped' if it's a * or a *****.
I'm still having issues with the computer and specifically iPhoto ...so I'm writing this on the iPad....it works OK with a keyboard but I don't know how to make the pictures bigger, nor edit them. But you can enlarge by clicking on them.
On Tuesday, we headed out to run some errands.....we really don't know where we are or how far we are from where we might want to go but we like to wander. We discovered that we were just a short drive from the Maine coast, York Beach to be exact.








This is about the only "beach" around so it was wall-to-wall. Out in the surf, the brave had wet suits but a few along the shallow parts waded in bathing suits in the 64 degree water.
As we wandered, sans direction, we followed the road along the beach and ended up at this delightfully picturesque lighthouse. It is on a small island and this weekend, you can enter to swim around it .....2.5 miles for a fundraiser to maintain it.








The wild roses were abundant.....their fragrance brought back memories of spending time on the Cape and riding along the bike paths thru the roses.




One of my missions was to find a yarn shop for help with a new pattern. Just a minor question but it was giving me fits. We stopped at a popular, well-stocked shop on Rt 1 called the Yarn Seller. (I can't link on the iPad ). They were nicely helpful and we went on our way.......fast forward. We were having lunch outside at a sandwich/bagel shop when a lady approached P and asked if he'd been in the yarn shop a bit ago (actually, I was inside a nearby shop)......he said yes, and she said that I'd left my pattern at the shop !!! She wasn't driving around looking for us, just stopped by for lunch as well !!! Later we drove to the shop and shared a good laugh and amazement at how that had all come together. I probably wouldn't have missed the pattern for a few days. Weird world sometimes.......
Paul has been hobbled for the last day or so.....sometimes he does things that are not conducive to a foot with a lot of pins and metal in it and it bites back. We gave up our idea of going up to the White Mtns and played lazy for a day....And then had more fresh lobster and corn with Dean and Diane....but we had to eat quickly....a large nasty storm was bearing down on us....it was noisy and wet but not as intense as when it went thru Boston and delayed fireworks a few hours later. We did lose power for a bit but still kept all the comforts of home with the help of many onboard batteries and later,the generator.
Having a brand new shiny anything means that it hasn't been put thru it's paces and who knows what little demons will poke their heads up to give us fits along the way......we've had a few issues but all manageable by the on-board mechanic. But, leaving Mass last week, we discovered we had no signal lights....fortunately , there are brake lights. So, we were not able to be connected for the two hour drive up here. Andy and Mason had planned to watch "The Pirates of the Caribbean " for the gazillionth time.....so, relegated to a car with no video (it was the only accessory we didn't order in that car...in hindsite ....maybe we'd reconsider)... Anyhow, I had to listen to 120 min of "are we there yet ??"... P spent time on the phone with a tech once we were settled and possibly figured out the offending part and it is being shipped to Bangor where we will stop tomorrow and have it installed.....and I will follow along behind, mumbling to myself, "Are we there YET "

Location:New Hampshire