Days 79-82 Salem Witches, and Septic Woes

Thursday, August 29th, and Friday 30th

When we passed through Massachusetts on the way north, we decided to make reservations for Labor Day weekend at a totally different kind of place. Much like Walmart parking lot camping, ( which we have not yet tried ) only better.  Much better, for a "parking lot ".

The view from front of RV.  Can't get much better than this!

Here at the municipal park on Winter Island, in Salem Massachusetts, the most sought after RV campsite were, of all places, in the parking lot!  But oh, this acre of asphalt was right on the water, with the welcome addition of 50 amp electrical service and water!  How lovely to sit inside or out, and watch the boats sail by. So relaxing!

Salem, a city known for it's haunted happenings and Witch trials, is very near my daughter and her husband ( I love the sound of that - "her husband") and close proximity to my hometown and old friends and relatives. There is so much I want to see and do here while we wait for my daughter's baby shower in 10 days.

View from the side window

Because we were not sure we would enjoy this type of "campground", we made reservations here only for the long weekend.  We soon wished we had booked for the week, but of course, they were now all reserved.

Such a nice setting to wrap 50 baby shower "favors"

That night we noticed that the sewer holding tank was showing full, when we had just emptied it the day before.  Norm and I looked at each other suspiciously, wondering if the other could have possibly filled 45 gallons worth of septic "stuff ".  When we assumed it was not humanly possible ( we hadn't eaten THAT much fiber )we decided not to use our lovely private bathroom, and to use  the public facilities that night. The next day we planned to go down the road to the dump station and try to figure out what is going on. Hopefully it just needs a good cleaning.


Saturday, August 30th 

This section may be of more interest to fellow RV'ers  ( or perhaps maybe not )

The first order of business was to find out why the holding tank is having "issues".  We packed up, pulled in the slides, put up the jacks, and headed down the road a short way to the public septic dumping station.

Norm did his usual duties of dumping the tank ( which he does so well ).  When we saw that it was still reading semi-full, we decided to bring a hose in through the window and rinse the tank from the top end.

We did this a couple of times, ensuring nothing would be "stuck" on the sides or the gauge. Know the expression " third time a charm?"  well, it wasn't too charming, trust me.  Norm pulled the handle to release what was now a full tank of water, and Swoosh! Something gave way and all the water ( thank God it was now clean , well, pretty clean ) came out from everywhere!  A pipe up in behind must have come loose!  Now what!???

We brought it back to the campsite and as I was making phone calls to authorized Winnebago dealers, trying to find someplace to take it.  The only place I could find whose service department was open on a long weekend was in New Hampshire.  Not so far away.  Heck, we are talking the major convenience of inside plumbing here! ( boy, have we come a long way getting spoiled ).

A very knowledgeable tech said it could be either - just a pulled pipe, which could take a day or two OR a cracked tank which would likely take a month and a half!  While I was making these calls, Norm was out with a neighboring RVer seeing if it was something a "manly man" could fix.
They deduced it was too hard to get behind there to even see what had to be done. Darn!

End of info that might just be "too much information ".

That night, we kept our plans to have my daughter and her husband, and my cousin Kathy and her husband come to dinner.  We all had a great time getting to know each other after so many years. Kathy and I vowed to see each other more often, and at occasions other than funerals.

Sunday, Sept 1st

After spending the night without a bathroom, we realized just how spoiled we have become!  We checked to see exactly where we are staying over the next couple of weeks, and how far from our campsite  the public toilets are going to be.

Wow.  Our desire to be as far away from them as possible for the sake of the lights and noise has suddenly backfired!  I get really nervous truging off in the middle of the night to find the ladies room.  You never know what sort of beast ( animal OR human ) might be lurking.  At my age and conditioning, let's face it - I won't outrun them!

Norman said he really wanted to take the RV back to Florida for repair, and the sooner the better in case it started to smell.  Can you imagine?  I personally think he didn't want to hang around Boston for another 10 days waiting for a Baby Shower being held at my ex-husband's house. That's OK, I don't blame him.

The problem was that this is the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, and the traffic on Monday could be horrendous from Boston to DC.  He wanted to leave immediately!  

Norm heading back to Florida from Boston all by himself!  I felt so bereft staying behind!

We decided to leave me with the tow car so I would have transportation both now and when my daughter's baby is born in November. I finally got in touch with my daughter to ask if I could stay with the "newlyweds".

Once we got the OK from them, Norm was on the way within the hour. My head was spinning.

As I watched him drive down the road, I was overcome by grief.  I didn't want this adventure to end yet!  I also was really having second thoughts about leaving me with the car.  Would I really have to drive this crappy car all the way to Florida? It will take me a week!  It is much more pleasant dragging it behind the motorhome, while I sit happily killing time on the internet.   I came very close to calling him and having him pull over and wait for me!  The only trouble with that scenario, is that we would get home about Wednesday or Thursday, and I would have to fly back to Boston on Friday for the baby shower. It really didn't make a lot of sense.

Days 73 -79 Technology Hell

August 23rd - 29th 2013

We moved from Cape Cod back to Minuteman Campgound in Littleton, Ma one of our favorite places to stay in the Boston area.  You never know what site you are going to get there, some are better than others. This time we had one of the best!  Behind us was the woods, the lot was flat and quite roomy.  Plus, we had the bonus of a campfire!

Our lovely wooded site.  Mosquitoes and all!

We quickly were reminded of the huge and hungry mosquitoes here, and the TV news reported West Nile Virus in the area ( a mosquito borne illness ).  Since we really didn't need the threat of disease to dissuade us from quenching the thirst of these miniature vampires, we unfortunately spent the evenings mostly inside.

On Sunday we went kayaking with Norm's daughter, Jackie, on the western portion of the Charles River.  It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time.  It was so good to spend
"quality time " with her.  At one point we were near the local shooting range, and it was rather nerve-wracking; hoping some stray bullet didn't venture our way. I don't know how soldiers do it.

Wow!  Our first "rapid"!  We are soooo brave! ( not!)

Norm and I on a portion of Boston's
 Charles River

We went back to the house, and had dinner with Jackie and her husband ( just married June 1st if you remember ).  We looked at all her wonderful wedding photos, and enjoyed once again, an incredible meal! Joel is quite the master of the grill. 

Over the last last couple of months, things had been going pretty smoothly.  All the technical problems we had early on pretty much mysteriously solved themselves. Not a lot of play time was lost speaking with technical people from far away places, struggling to understand what we think might be the English language.

All that was about to change. 

Apple store in Nashua, NH

We discovered my iPad was using an incredible amount of data, without my even having it with me! After arguing with Verizon that I was NOT streaming movies day after day,  I took advantage of the nearby Apple Store, and set out to find why this was happening.

Norman stayed back at the campground and did a few maintenance things.




After nearly 8 hours of help, the Apple folks realized my iPad was sending out data all by itself! They could not believe it! It was "possessed"!

Thankfully it was under warranty, so they gave me a brand new one, and I went happily, albeit tired and brain fried, on my way.

I returned to the RV to find that Norman was having problems of his own with his computer.  He had spent the better part of the day with” Hamid” in India.

That was just the beginning.  Norm spent  2 ½ days, around the clock, ( enduring many shift changes ) with Best Buy’s Geek Squad ( and other technicians doing a poor imitation of the English language ) inside his computer trying to figure out why it was crashing.

While Norm patiently waited for the departure of the technicians who had taken up what seemed like permanent residence inside his computer, I went to my daughter’s mother-in-law’s so we could work on the plans for the Baby Shower.  One project I have been very excited about was making a motorcycle Diaper Cake for the shower.  ( Both she and my son-in-law are motorcycle instructors ). It took more time than I thought, so I finished the diaper cake back at the campsite.

The wheels are diapers, handlebars and the thing his feet are on are
receiving blankes, the headlight is a baby bottle, a pair of socks on the
handlebars, and of course the fenders are bibs! You can do anything
with YouTube!  Even in the middle of a forest!

A few weeks back, I had spent hours shopping on line for the various items needed.  Finding the perfect animal for the “rider” was very difficult to do on the world-wide-web.

 Without being able to touch and feel, I just could not make the decision!   I was up till the wee hours of the morning searching for that sweet-faced, adorable animal that looked like a potential “biker”.

One morning I called the Gund factory ( my favorite stuffed animal manufacturer ) and asked them to take various measurements;  Butt to head, length of leg.

 After the really nice girl in customer service looked online at the motorcycle diaper-cake I was about to make, she got really into it, and went to search out the best character!

 Norman could not understand how I could take so much time trying to decide on "a damn bear".  I finally chose " Sophie " the bear, and arranged for shipment.

I got together with Laura's Mother-in-law, Bev, and we worked on the baby shower arrangements and started to put together the diaper cake.  I finished it back at the campground.  Cute, eh?

Days 69-74 off to Cape Cod, Massachusetts

August 19th -23rd, 2013

I have not had a moment to concentrate on updating this blog!  But I will try to catch up now.

My daughter's wedding day came and went all too quickly, and every time I think back over the ceremony, I get teary-eyed!  

Oh, to be young, to be so very much in love, and to have a baby on the way!  It makes me so very happy to know my daughter has a life ahead of her with an incredibly loving and caring man!

Will I stop worrying about my fully grown "little one"?  Probably not.  Will I give my opinion when it was not requested? Probably.  Do I already love this unborn person? Unbelievably so!

Well, enough of that nauseating banter.  Let me tell you what has been going on in the last few weeks.....

The day after the "Wedding Weekend", we moved the RV to Cape Cod, Massachusetts to  Dunroamin Trailerpark in Sandwich.  The campsites themselves were very nice.  Roomy enough, with nearly complete privacy between sites, which is a much appreciated rarity.

 Getting to said site was another matter, however.  The roads within the campground were so rutted, that even with Norman traveling at a speed that could barely be registered, our beloved home on wheels pitched violently from left to right causing cabinets to open and contents to crash to the floor!  We had vowed to avoid campgrounds with roads like this, but how could we know?  We hoped there was no permanent damage to the body or internal parts as a result.

Over the next couple of days, Norman patiently either waited or accompanied me as I did many errands collecting needed items for the Baby Shower that would be held in a couple of weeks.

A lobster roll of gigantic proportions!  No filler, and this
meat is not only flowing over the top, but stuffed down
inside this roll.

A highlight ( for me ) was to go for a lobster roll at the Raw Bar in Mashpee, Ma.  We had discovered this place a few years ago after watching the Phantom Gourmet  do a review on TV about the "best lobster roll in New England".  We were so happy to learn that the most highly reviewed roll was literately in our backyard! These succulent delicacies were noted for their lack of fillers and gigantic proportions.  I didn't think they were quite as huge this year, but I am sure they are still the biggest on this planet. Currently still an amazing value at$24.99.

The Raw Bar - a tiny little "hole in the wall" with a
few bar stools and no tables.  But what a business they do!

                                                                    One evening we had friends from The Cape over for dinner that we hadn't seen in years, so we had a great time catching up on each other's lives.


We played nine hole of golf at one of our favorite golf courses: Falmouth Country Club.  It was a positively gorgeous day, and as we walked the course, we talked with a lovely couple who we had invited to join us.  They told us about a bike path we had totally forgotten about, and the best place to park as well as which direction to travel it.

Lobster Compost?  You have got to be kidding!
They sure do like their Crustaceans around here!

We finally got our poor bikes out of "storage" on the back of the RV and had a very nice bike ride

on The Shining Sea Bikeway, named for a line in the song America The Beautiful.  In the 1970's the town of Falmouth purchased the right of way from Old Colony Railroad and tore up the tracks and opened 3.3 mile Shining Sea Bikeway. In 2009, a new 7.4 mile section was added due to a $3.2 million dollar grant ( thank you, everyone ) now making the trail run from North Falmouth to Woods Hole.

Riding by one of Cape Cod's many cranberry bogs

It was a wonderful ride, passing through Sippewissett Marsh, by cranberry bogs, and overlooks of Capaquoit Beach.  The entire route avoids much of Falmouth's notorious summer traffic by winding along the coastline and crisscrossing the Salt Pond Bird Sanctuary.

After our nearly 20 mile ride, we followed our newly developed ( not one I am particularly proud of, but Norm has embraced ) tradition of an ice cream cone.



As our days in Cape Cod come to an end, we look forward to moving back to Minuteman Campground in Littleton, Ma.

Day 66 and 67- The "Big Day"

Friday August 16^th 2013

This morning  Norm brought me to Marlbourgh so we could pick up a car rental there.  There will be hundreds of miles driven in the next three days,  so a bigger, more luxurious car would be a treat.  Also, since I will be with my daughter, it will allow Norman some “wheels” to play golf, visit friends, or whatever he would like to do.

My first order of business was to pick up my daughter Laura, and my other daughter who was here from Daytona Beach with her boyfriend for the wedding and go to her gown fitting.  Next was a very important hair appointment for me.  I don’t want to bore you will all the details, but let’s just say there was a lot of last minute running around.

Saturday  August 17^th 2013

The big day!   Because my daughter’s wedding is being held clear across the state, I think it was more hectic than usual for the bride.

Laura and her sister had their hair done in the morning, while  Jen’s boyfriend picked up the bridal gown -  finishing at noontime.

We ran home, had lunch, and finished packing, picked up the flowers and took off within the hour.  We arrived at the Orchard Hotel, ( where we were all staying) in Williamstown, Ma  and checked in at 4:15, giving us all 45 minutes to get ready for a wedding!  Not nearly enough time!

After discussing who would ride with whom, we headed for the top of Mt. Greylock only 20 minutes late.  ( I really hate being late, and this disorganized . I was way out of my comfort zone, but I hoped I appeared outwardly calm ).   Well, perhaps my calling  out  “ 10 minutes !” like they do on the cooking challenge shows when she was not even dressed yet, might have incited a little panic among those getting ready) – including me.

 I could not find my dress anywhere, and thought I left it back in Peabody.( we found it hidden under Norm’s garment bag ). 

As we rushed off to the top of the mountain, Norman soon realized we had forgotten the flowers we had left at the front desk!  We quickly rushed back, and resumed our 30 minute drive up an incredibly steep and winding road to the top of Greylock Mountain,  and as we reached the top, I could not believe the view!

Remember this one?  Our view
from the top of a mountain?
Nothing!  

 No clouds, no fog, no wind, and with the sun starting to descend, it was simply breathtaking!  I could not believe their luck! How many times have we hiked to the top of a mountain to be greeted with a "white screen" of fog or cloud? More often, than not, I am afraid.

                                   Laura was absolutely stunning, and they made a beautiful couple as they became a family.  Tears of happiness were shed, several toasts were made, and pictures were taken as we happily witnessed this momentous occasion!

Sunday August 19th

The next morning the wedding group met for a lovely
breakfast out on the patio of the hotel before we all headed on our way to our homes.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten my very special pillow back
at Laura's house, so we had to drive an extra hour ( each way ) to pick it up. That long, three hour drive became 5 -
we really appreciated the better car.

Jen and her boyfriend, Phil, joined Norm and I joined the newlyweds as we all enjoyed take-out
pizza.  It was wonderful watching them bask in their post nuptial glow, relieving one of the most important days of their lives.

Days 64 and 65 Return to the good 'ole USA

Wednesday, August 14^th

A complete map of our travels while in Canada 2013
The orange dots are places we stayed

Today, with an hour delay at the border, ( US customs agents were boarding EVERY motorhome ) we left Canada behind.  Although I would really like to go back and stay for a while ( or forever ) in Grand Manan Island, there is a big world out there, and we have not seen much of it. The saying  “Life is short” can really put everything  into perspective, so it is not too likely we will be returning.

Going through customs took over an hour as the agents
boarded EVERY RV. I wonder what they were looking for?

Our destination was Pumpkin Patch Campground in Hermon, Maine.  After we arrived I took the car and drove into Bangor to a Verizon store and they helped me change the internet service from Bell Atlantic to Verizon.  The traffic was crazy and I already yearned to retreat to any of those quiet sleepy towns we visited.

When I was at Pumpkin Patch in June, we ate at the little restaurant  there and I had THE BEST seafood chowder I had ever eaten!  I must have had 10 chowders throughout our trip, hoping to have another as delicious.  I have been dreaming of this chowder for more than 6 weeks!  No chowder came close to that epicurious delight, and I could not wait to go back and have it again!   It was absolutely horrible.  It had a heavy layer of butter floating across a chowder consisting of only fish- a lot of it, mind you, but over cooked and no flavor at all!  Gross.  I ate very little of it.  Such a disappointment.

My brother, who lives about 30 miles away, drove up with his friend and we had a wonderful evening, listening to family stories I had never heard before.  Steve is a great story teller.   It is so nice to visit with family. 

Thursday August  15, 2013

Nothing like paying $2.00 less per gallon to
put a smile on a man's face! ( especially when we get 7 MPG )

Today , well yesterday actually, is the beginning of a very busy time.  My daughter’s wedding is in a few days, and there is a lot of loose ends to take care.  As soon as I hit Massachusetts, I will take off running. 

We arrived back in Minuteman Campground in Littleton Mass so this will be our “base camp” for the next 4 days.  I will be staying with my daughter on Friday evening when her fiancé goes to stay with family ( a popular tradition that the groom not see the bride on the big day ), so I packed my things, got organized, and ready to leave in the morning.

Our campsite this time was certainly flat and roomy, but was across from the pool and next to two HUGE propane tanks whose odors I was highly allergic to.  Thank goodness two of the nights I would not be there! 

I ran to the grocery store which was 3 miles away, and the GPS took me on a 30 mile sightseeing adventure during rush hour!  I very nearly threw it into a pond I was passing while driving on a very small, winding back road. The speed limit was only 10 MPH, so I would have had plenty of opportunity to relieve my frustration as I watched it splash! 

We had a quiet evening feeding the mosquitoes as we ate dinner.  We had a campfire for a little while, but were concerned about too much blood loss, so we retreated to the comforts of the RV.

Day 62 and 63 St Andrews and Mission Island

Monday August 12^th, 2013

The forecast was for rain, but thankfully, it turned out to be yet another great day!  Norm and I went to the adorable downtown St. Andrews to check it out for a little while, quickly browsing in a few gift shops and the wharf.

One of several buildings with beautiful murals downtown
St Andrews, New Brunswick

Norm had selected certain golf courses that he really wanted to play, and here in St Andrews is the #1 rated golf course in New Brunswick; Algonquin Golf Course.

Algonquin Golf Course

The green fees were steep, and I no longer enjoy golfing all that much, so I decided to stay home and do a few chores, nap, and go browse the shops at my own pace.

Another mural.This one is a replica of the street.
 Note the way this live hedge blends right into the mural.
exactly where it is, on the building!  So very clever!

  While downtown I had a great time, talking with all sorts of folks, and spent about 45 minutes helping a semi-disabled woman photograph her inventory of Inuit sculptures.  Her husband, who ran the shop, recently passed away and at the end of the summer, she will sell the remainder of her inventory to a dealer.  I liked several of the pieces, but of course, those were several thousand dollars each.  I have nice taste!

After I picked Norm up at the golf course I did 3 loads of laundry, made supper, and called it a day.

Tuesday, August 13 2013

This is our last day of what feels like our “vacation”, although we won’t be back home for almost another month.  We will still be having fun, but I fear the “hustle and bustle” of the Boston area with all the drivers traveling at break-neck speeds and passing you on all sides.  Legal travel in the break-down lane has always freaked me out. After spending 6 weeks in the sparsely populated small towns and back roads of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, we are about to have a culture shock, I am sure.

Mission Island can only be reached at low tide.  People drive across the ocean floor 1/2 mile to reach it.

The barn and dairy building.  They pumped the milk
underground to the dairy building back in the late 1800's.

There is another island here in St Andrews that your can access during low tides by driving ½ mile on the ocean floor, called  Ministers Island.

The island is named after the Loyalist Anglican minister, Revered Samuel Andrews who first settled there in 1786 and whose house still stands. (  barely )

We toured the main house, which was built in the 1890’s. This 12,000 square foot home, constructed out of sandstone cut from the shore, was the summer "cottage" of Canadian Pacific Railway president, Sir William Van Horne. There were 50 rooms - 17 of them
bedrooms.

Also built from quarried beach stone was a circular bathhouse where Van Horne would spend hours drawing and painting.  Below was a salt water pool.

 We also toured the barn which once held prize winning Clydesdale Horses and a prized herd of Dutch  Belted Cows. 

The main dining room.

Van Horne produced his own milk and cheese as well as exotic fruit and vegetables, shipping them out at night ( by railway, of course ) to his winter home in Montreal  to ensure year round produce.

Sir William Van Horne painted this border for his
grandson born in 1907 

We spoke with the RV Caravan we met in Cape Breton Island last month from Titusville, Florida.  They were once again staying at the same campground, so it was fun catching up.  

Day 62- Totally charmed by Grand Manan Island, NB

Monday August 12, 2013

We set the alarm clock for the second time on this trip and woke up to one of the most perfect of days.  I was so excited!  An adventure! We drove 45 minutes to Black Harbor, NB to catch the ferry to Grand Manan Island.

Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick

We enjoyed the 1 ½ hour ferry ride, sighting seals, a couple of whales and porpoises. It was very cold and windy as we stood on the top deck looking at the sights.

Seals basking in the sun observed from the ferry

 I approached a couple who I noticed drive onto the ferry with a car loaded with bikes and kayaks. I wanted to ask these like minded folks what they were going to see and do on this island.  They were very friendly and said they have been escaping to this island for 3 weeks for the past 8 years. They told us where to go for the best hiking and views.  They also shared with us the name of the person whose house they rent! 

Spotted another Bald Eagle

 We chatted for the remainder of the trip and learned not only about Gran Manan Island, but about camping in Everglades National Park in Florida as well!  We invited them to look us up next time they are “passing through” Florida.

The bird was saying
"Come live here with me !"

This is the house that
the couple we met on 
the ferry rent.  Nice!






After we disembarked we proceeded to take the nearest road, which lead us to a beautiful lighthouse.

Swallowtail Light and Grand Manan Ferry in background

 The day was warm, the breezes light, and I was in heaven!  I felt as if I had found the place where I was meant to be.  Perhaps it was just the weather, but boy, I was sure enjoying this place.  It was so ……quiet.  You could hear the birds sing and the breeze whisper. The island was calling to me....... come.... stay.....

Southwest Head cliffs

We pretty much drove the entire island, stopping many times to take pictures.  At the tip of the island the wind was so fierce; you had to be careful it didn't blow you over the cliff edge.  

Southwest Head Cliffs

We hiked a couple of miles along the cliff and marveled at the beauty.  I would REALLY like to come back and stay awhile. Norm thinks I am a little crazy.  He would get too bored. 

Now I have seen everything! 
Drive - in Church service? 

How could you get bored of this? 

We had a really terrible meal at a local restaurant, then boarded the ferry home.  We stayed up on deck where it was extremely cold and windy so we could enjoy the sunset. 

We arrived home about 10PM and went outside to watch the Perseids meteor showers we had heard about.  My perfect day ended with a shooting star! Norm, unfortunately, was not lucky enough to catch one.  We only had a small section of sky to watch for the showers, so we gave up and went inside. 

Day 61- The chocolate temptation

Sunday August 11^th 

Time to pick up anchor in this land yacht and move east; this time to St. Andrew’s, New Brunswick. According to our research, there is a lot to see and do here, and the weather forecast is in our favor.

Oceanfront Campground -
water in the background

Fancy bathroom for a campground

It was a pleasant and thankfully uneventful drive to the Kiwanis Oceanfront Campground,  right on the peninsula overlooking the Passamaquoddy Bay.

 The sites were fairly close, and unfortunately, the sewer further away than we could easily reach, but other than that they were flat and mowed, which is good.  The facilities here are incredible; The bathroom and showers are so nicely appointed that they rival The Villages, Florida where I regularly give my guests the "bathroom tour" due to their grandeur. I am weird like that.

The laundromat, although expensive, was clean and the dryers did not create permanelty wrinkled clothes like so many do.  Plus, this campground is a great place to watch the tides as well as the fog, roll in and out.

After we got settled, we hurried off for a 45 minute drive to St. Steven and the Ganong Candy factory and the Chocolate Museum that was highly recommended, and a “must see“.  Well, that was one we could have done without. 

 The museaum was short staffed so they were not able to do the guided tours, and because it was Sunday, there were no employees to watch making the candy; so the admission fee was too steep for what you got. 

 Yes, you were allowed to eat all the little chocolates ( the kind you would have in a box of chocolates )  you wanted as you walked around reading signs.

Ever see a Chocolate Moose?
These were roaming the streetof St. Steven
 for the annual Chocolate Festival. 
 I have been wanting to photograph a moose!

 It was remotely interesting watching a video on how they built there business since the early 1900's,  but frankly, as far as the chocolate goes, I only liked one of the flavors, ( and proceeded to eat only 3 ) the rest I was taking a tiny bite of and throwing away.  Norm had about 5. We both felt sick afterward.  We just don’t eat that kind of stuff much.

We glanced across a very small river, there in St Andrews, and were shocked to be told that was Maine.  So close! You could literally throw a stone to it.  Would customs object? 

After we stopped at the Visitors Center we drove our poor, sugar-shocked bodies back to the campsite, and had a late dinner after our stomachs settled.

I had read on Trip Adviser about a beautiful, quiet island not yet discovered by tourists, called Grand Manan. This is one of the largest ( 21 miles long and only 11 wide ) of the Canadian Islands that sits between the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Coast.  This lovely little island is only 9.3 miles away from Lubec, Maine, the easternmost tip of the continental United States.  

The very helpful man at the visitors center strongly suggested we make reservations, particualarly for the ferry ride back at night.  When I got back to the RV,  I struggled with the internet service for a couple of hours, but finally made reservations to take the ferry out of Black Harbor ( another 45 minute drive in the other direction ) in the morning, and to take the last ferry back home. 

Days 58 and 59 Hopewell Rocks

Thursday, August 8th

Hopewell Rocks, St. Martins, NB

The landscapes of Canada are many and varied.  Each National Park protects a sample of one.

The Fundy National Park’s charm, in part, are its massive tides.  These tide changes influence the climate here, making conditions perfect for the coastal rain forest. They call this magical place the “fog forest”.  We have witnessed it several times as it silently creeps in and out, blocking the sun and any chance of a view, then retreating to reveal staggering beauty.

Throngs of tourists admire the rock formations at Hopewell Rocks in
St. Martins, New Brunswick at low tide

So today we decided to get in the car and check out more “ must see “ attractions.

 We assumed we would be bored by the famous Hopewell Rocks. After all, what's yet another rock formation. This natural attraction is all about low tide.

People come in swarms during the window of time around the time that the bay empties of water.  At this time you can walk 2km ( or 1.2miles) of “ocean floor”  admiring the vertical sandstone formations or coves, carved by the violent tides,that hours later will disappear under water.   There are several formations with trees on top that are called “flower pot rocks”.

Some kids got really muddy.

Norm and I were pleasantly surprised by the magnitude of these rocks.  Had we known just how interesting they would be, we would have paid more attention to the tide schedule and given ourselves more time to explore the caves, nooks and crannies.  Fortunately, luck and the tide were with us,and we were able to get a taste of what it is all about.  We did not feel there was a need to return at high tide, however, which is highly recommended.

 Instead we drove into Moncton and did a few errands then took all the small scenic roads on the return trip back to camp.

Friday, August 9^th 2013

Rain, rain go away.  We awakened to some serious drizzle.  Almost rain, but finer. You could discribe it as a "wet fog" almost. Back in Florida we don't seem to get this heavy mist.  There it seems like it is either raining, or not. Very often pouring so hard it bounces a foot off the pavement.  It rains really hard up here in the Maritines, believe me.  But I love this misty stuff.  Has to be good for your complexion; The woman in England have lovely skin. 

There was a highly recommended hike along a streambed that led to several waterfalls which we were determined not to let a heavy mist keep us from.  We dragged out the heavy duty rain gear – pants, boots, jackets, and even a rain cover for the back packs.  We packed the lunches, binoculars and  2 cameras.  It had started to rain in earnest as we got in the car, and after driving a couple of miles we heard the crack of lightning.  Well, THAT changed our minds in a hurry!  We went back “home” and hunkered down for the rest of the day. 

At night we took advantage of a very lovely free concert that was moved to the town’s community center due to the horrendous weather.  They were a lovely group of 4, playing guitar and singing. We thought the woman in the group had a particularly good voice.

Days 56 and 57 Fundy National Park

Tuesday August 6th 2013

Once again, when we meet some really great neighbors,then it's time to move on. This time we move a couple of hours east, to Fundy National Park.

As we were getting read to depart St John, we had trouble with the lighting system on the car again. We decided we better not tow the car when people can't see the brake and indicator lights, so I had to drive the car separately until we could figure out what was going on. Luckily it was only about a 1 1/2 hour drive.  I have gotten spoiled being chauffeured all over eastern North America.

 We feel it is probably the "umbilical" cord between the car and the motorhome, but were not equipped to fix it.

I found this so peaceful.  I really miss the Northeast

As I drove along behind the motorhome, I looked around at this incredibly beautiful place.  The sky was a deep royal blue while the rolling farmland with freshly mowed fields were such a rich, vibrant green.

 In the past hour we left the rugged coastline with massive red cliffs falling to the sea, to now see majestic rolling hills dotted with cows, and those picturese red barns with silos. It reminds me of Vermont.

 I listened to the news for the first time in months.  What? Terrorist threat? Two young children killed by python? 13 baseball players suspended for doping?  I turned off the news, and went back into my lovely cocoon for just a while longer.

In the distance is the Bay of Fundy

 As we approached Fundy National Park, the rolling farmland turned back into heavily forested mountains.  As we climbed, I got a peek at a beautiful vista of the Bay of Fundy and Nova Scotia's cliffs on the other side of the bay!  I yearned for a place to pull off the road so I could drink this in for awhile, but I had to follow Norm and the RV. No vista-drinking for me today.

 After we arrived at the National park's campground at the Headquarters location and set up, I started to worry where we were ever going to get this problem fixed before we leave .  The thought of driving that crappy little car all the way to Boston did not thrill me.  Had I driven the RV just once in awhile over the past year, I would have had the option of letting Norm drive the car.  That will teach me!

A view of Fundy National Park that we never saw
due to the fog shrouding the cliffs.
I stole this picture from the internet. Someone had better weather.

I looked around the campsites and saw it!  Yes! A sight for sore eyes!  The rear end of another RVer working under the hood of his car!  With tools! I could tell that he probably was a summer resident here by the elaborate campsite amenities he had ( screen room, whirly gigs, lots of chairs and carpets out )  These people have a wealth of information about the area, we have learned.

I smoothed out my hair, checked the mirror and headed out.  ( I wasn't going to try to seduce him, just didn't want to scare him ).  I very innocently asked " excuse me, would you know of where we could go to get a little service?"

The shirtless "80 something" year old man  straightened and replied with a smile " nothing near here, what is your problem?"

I told him our troubles, and what we think it might be, and he told me he would be glad to come over with this voltage meter and see what's what!  I could not believe our good fortune!

What he didn't say was "when".  I thought mistakenly that he was coming right away - after all, he wiped his hands on his pants and looked around for what I thought might be his voltage meter. I ran back to tell Norm the good news.  Just sit tight.  He'll be right over.

Norm and I cancelled our afternoon plans and waited.  and waited.  and waited some more. Norm decided to go outside and read, I decided to pace, thinking maybe we should have just driven the hour to the service station, could have been faster. We have a mere 3 days at this incredible location!

After dinner, just before dark I strolled over where he was stretched out with his cocktail and asked if he managed to fix his car.  " no, but I have been thinking about yours"  ( that's good ) " and I will be over in just a bit".

Well, this wonderful savior of ours, took apart the plugs on the cord and discovered two wires had broken away, and fixed them.  This was great!  I nearly cried with joy, giving him a big hug and reminded myself it would be inappropriate to kiss the old guy!  He was beaming after the hug, and was very glad to accept Norm's offer of his revered beer "1772" from Prince Edward Island.

We didn't get to see the park this afternoon, but at least the problem was fixed, we learned something, and it only cost a beer! ( easy for me to say "only" - it wasn't my beer ).

Wednesday August 7th 2013

We were blessed with another gorgeous day!  After having quite a few bad ones, we by no means take these breathtaking days for granted!

This may not look like much, but we had to hit down
this hill, ( about 100 feet ) and over this brook!  I cheated and put my
ball closer to the edge of this drop off!  

Norm and I first decided to try our hand at the local mountain biking trails.  Now this is "mountain biking" as the term implies: In the mountains.  Norm did really well managing to get up and down each hill, but I was saving my knees by walking up a few.

After that rather exhausting, but short ride, we went to play a round at the golf course here in Fundy National Park.  A nine holer, really hilly but beautiful course.  We passed up the motorized golf carts and chose to strike out on foot.


We walked up, and looked out over the first fairway.  Yikes!  We were required to hit about 170 yards over a grassy ravine below.  That was the easy part.  Getting down there was another thing!

This is a very clever design, but boy, the cart
wants to get away from you!

         


They had incredibly steep stairs ( and a lot of them ); they had built a ramp on either side to put your cart wheels on in order to go down the steps.  Very clever, but boy you had to hold on!

Are they kidding?