Sunday, 4/30/2023 – Every year we look forward to returning to our Texas home and every year we look forward to getting back on the road. It’s no different this season as we begin our tenth year on the road in our third motor home. Years ago, before we retired and began this phase of our life, we could never have imagined a more perfect way to live. This year we will place the last three stickers on our US map signifying that we have traveled through every state in this country. And what the map will not show is that we will have also traveled through 10 out of the 13 Canadian provinces as well. But please don’t think this is the end for us. We are already discussing ideas for next year.
For now, our focus is on tomorrow. Tomorrow is day one of our 2023 road trip. We’ll be making our way to the southeast where we’ll enjoy time with our daughter and family in North Carolina. Following that we will head north for a stop in New York City before spending time in Massachusetts. Our other two kids and Claudia’s sister live in New Hampshire and my mom lives on Cape Cod. So once again, home base will be at our favorite camping spot in my sister’s yard in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. This will be our tenth visit to “Camp Sawash” and they haven’t closed the gate on us yet. We can’t wait to see everyone!!
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we’ll be travelling to the Maritimes this year so we should have a lot to share with you. I am going to do my best to post about every two weeks this trip. This will give me time to prepare the postings and you more time to check in between updates. One of my goals will be to include pictures on a timelier basis so that you’ll see pictures of the places I describe as I write about them. Of course, this does depend on how well our internet connection is wherever we are. We’re trying a new internet service this year so we’re hopeful, even though we’ll be in Canada for a good portion of our trip.
So off we go tomorrow morning. Our first extended stay is in Shreveport, Louisiana for five nights. Claudia would like to help with the driving now and then so we’ve arranged for a two-day private RV driving lesson for her while in Shreveport. I’ll probably try to post our first update while we are there. We are excited and anxious to get going as usual. We hope you’re excited to follow along with us as we once again head off into the unknown for another exciting journey.
Safe travels everyone!!
Saturday, 5/6/2023 – We headed off on our 2023 road trip just as planned on Monday morning without any problems at all. It’s great when all the planning comes together. Sunday night we were invited over to our friend’s house for dinner so we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves before heading off the next morning. Thank you, Randy and Sue.
Our first day of travel on Monday was an easy five-hour drive to Wharton, Texas, just south of Houston. The following day we travelled another five hours to Shreveport, Louisiana. Wednesday was spent relaxing and making a minor repair to a leak in our shower. There is always something needing fixing but the easy fixes like this are not anything to be concerned with.
On Thursday and Friday Claudia and I were joined by Clyde Tew, an instructor with RV Driving School. Although Claudia was technically the student and I was just a passenger, we both picked up a lot of good information from him. We spent an hour or so each day in the fairground parking lot. While there we practiced techniques on how to backup as well as how to make sharp turns in traffic. And yes, at times, we ran over some cones but we had a lot of fun, really enjoyed the training, and learned a lot in the process. Best of all Claudia was able to benefit from some professional individualized instruction while driving several hours around the Shreveport area, much of it with the car being towed behind the motor home.
Today was a down day for us. A day to relax and take it easy. The weather is lovely so we headed off to the Louisiana Boardwalk, a stretch of shops, restaurants, and entertainment complexes along the Red River in Bossier City. We strolled along the pathway alongside the river and popped into a few stores along the way including a Bass Pro Shop which is always a fun visit. We also had a nice lunch, beverages and some chocolates to enjoy.
Now that the driving lessons are complete, it’s time to put some miles behind us. We’ll be travelling four out of our next five days and will cover just over a thousand miles across six states where we’ll settle in at the North Carolina Fairgrounds in Raleigh. From there we will spend some time with our daughter, her husband and three of our grandkids. This is always a highlight for us every year and we’re very excited. We just can’t wait to see them!!
Saturday, 5/20/2023 – We departed Shreveport, Louisiana as planned on Sunday, the 7th. This was the longest planned day of driving for our entire 2023 trip at just under six hours. The timing was perfect because after her recent RV drivers training, I was able to pass the driver’s seat over to Claudia for a couple of hours. She did great and I was able to relax for a bit mid trip. After enjoying a down day of doing very little in Toomsuba, Mississippi, we headed back out to continue our trip towards Raleigh, North Carolina.
Over the next three days we travelled almost seven hundred miles covering five states before settling in at the North Carolina Fairgrounds Campground on Thursday. This has been our home base for the past four years as we spend time visiting our daughter, her husband and three of our grandkids who live in Fuquay-Varina, just south of Raleigh. The fairgrounds campground is a first come first serve camping area but we have always been able to secure a spot.
As always, we had a fun filled and extremely busy visit that included a soccer practice, a baseball game, a soccer game, and lots of running around playing catch. We also participated in a couple of car pool runs to pick the kids up at school, something they had each requested. Add to that a visit to Harris Lake County Park on Friday night for a picnic dinner and some games and you can truly say we were beginning to run out of gas. Following the soccer game on Saturday morning, Claudia enjoyed her birthday by treating herself, our daughter and granddaughter to a girl’s day out getting pedicures while the boys played a board game. On Sunday, Mother’s Day, and our final day with everyone, we took about a 30-minute drive over to Raven Rock State Park for a day of hiking followed by a dinner out. The weather was beautiful, the 3-mile scenic hike was awesome, the dinner was delicious and we were able to enjoy it all with some very special people.
Following our visit to North Carolina and a one-night layover in Winchester, Virginia we arrived at Liberty Harbor RV Park in Jersey City New Jersey. It’s a pricey park and you have to fight New Jersey traffic to get here but it’s located right on Liberty Harbor, just across a narrow canal from Liberty State Park, home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
With two days set aside to be tourists, we spent the first day traveling by train into New York City for a tour of the 911 Memorial and Museum. It was a sobering reminder of the events that happened on September 11, 2001 and well worth the visit. Following our tour, we walked some of the streets in the area and enjoyed meandering along a stretch of blocks overflowing with venders of all kinds where we grabbed some lunch and dessert. It was such a unique experience to us “outsiders” to just sit along a city street, grab a bite to eat and people watch. And there were a whole lot of people to watch.
Our second day in New Jersey & New York City started out with a half mile hike to a ferry that took us across a canal so we could then walk some more over to Liberty State Park. This is the New Jersey embarkation spot to pick up a ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We spent the next several hours touring and learning about Ellis Island followed by a visit to the Statue of Liberty and its museum. We had reserved tickets for the pedestal at the statue and we decided to walk the stairs rather than take the elevator. This was the first time Claudia or I had been to Ellis Island and my first time to the statue. Both stops were so informative and we were so glad we finally got to visit them. By the time we returned to our motor home we had walked six miles and climbed up and down the equivalent of twelve flights of stairs. These two old folks were glad to get back.
On Friday morning we packed up the motor home and once again hit the road, leaving New Jersey and New York behind as we headed back to our old home turf in Massachusetts. We’re staying at our usual camping spot at Camp Sawash (my sister’s driveway) and will be enjoying our time here for a month. We’re excited and looking forward to seeing family and friends again and will have lots of chances to see everyone. We will also be honoring Claudia’s brother who passed away a few months ago with a memorial service. The month will go by fast but we plan to savor every moment.
It will be a few weeks before our next post. In the meantime, please enjoy looking through our latest photo album that covers this year’s trip so far including our visit with family in North Carolina as well as our time in New York City.
Stay safe everyone!!
Sunday, 6/18/2023 – Hi everyone and Happy Father’s Day!! Wow, this past month has gone by way too fast. Since arriving at Camp Sawash in Uxbridge, Massachusetts we’ve been able to spend time with most of our family members and many of our friends. We began our visit by attending a memorial service dedicated to Claudia’s brother, a Vietnam veteran who passed away a few of months ago and who was given full military honors. A few days later we enjoyed a Memorial Day weekend of camping with over 30 of our family members as well as numerous friends. My sister’s yard (aka Camp Sawash) was taken over by numerous RV’s and several tents as we partied the weekend away. We also took trips to Cape Cod to visit my mom, spent time with my uncle and enjoyed a graduation party for our grandson where we were able to spend more time with two of our kids and six of our grandchildren. We also enjoyed a lot of dining and drinking as we do each year when we return here. We enjoyed dinner out a couple of times with my sister and her husband, our hosts here at Camp Sawash as well as other family members and friends including one of my closest friends who I have not seen in years. This monthly stopover also allowed us to take care of some maintenance and errands that needed to be taken care of before we hit the road again.
Tomorrow morning, we once again head off into the unknown. Our first stop will be in Wells, Maine for a day of sightseeing before heading further north to Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. After a four-night stay at Acadia we’ll once again make a crossing into Canada to begin our two months visit to the Maritimes. As usual, we’re excited about this trip and are anxious to get started. We’ll begin by meeting up and spending some time with some of our Canadian friends that spend their winters with us at our resort in Texas.
We’ve just added a new photo album to our web site containing pictures taken since our arrival here at Camp Sawash in Massachusetts. We hope you enjoy browsing through them.
We’ll try to post an update in a couple of weeks following our stops in Maine and our visits with friends in New Brunswick. From there we’ll be making a few stops in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island before heading off on the ferry to Newfoundland. We’ve got a lot of area to cover this summer but we’re taking it slow and making plenty of stops. So glad you’ll be joining us.
Take care and safe travels everyone!!
Saturday, 7/1/2023 – Since our last update we’ve driven another 600 miles and we are now travelling through the Maritimes.
Following our departure from Camp Sawash we arrived at our first stop in Wells, Maine where we spent two nights. During our brief stop we visited the Laudholm Farm that contained an extensive trail system that meandered through fresh and saltwater marshes, forests, fields, beaches, and dunes.
Our next stop took us to Bar Harbor, Maine where we spent four nights. We had very nice weather while we were there and spent the first two days at Acadia National Park enjoying plenty of hiking as well as a drive up to Cadillac Mountain for some spectacular views. Our hikes took us around lakes, along rocky coastline and into forests with some outstanding scenery. The coastline hike was close to four miles long and was especially nice as we hiked out to rocky areas than ran along the cliffs. As always, we enjoyed some local cuisine which of course in Maine meant scallops, clams, and lobster. Yum!!
We had an uneventful cross into Canada this past Sunday. We arrived to our campsite in St Andrews, New Brunswick on a beautiful day with a gorgeous view of Passamaquoddy Bay directly in front of us. Unfortunately, the weather changed the following day while the forecast predicted rain for at least a couple of additional weeks. This limited our hiking while at St Andrews but did allow for some shopping time for Claudia, and a visit to the Saint Andrews Blockhouse National Historic Site where we stepped back to a time when southern friends became enemies, and clashes between the US and Great Britain occurred across borders during the War of 1812. At one point we did take advantage of a break in the weather, dried off a picnic table and enjoyed some great seafood at a local Clam Shack.
Our next and current stop has been at our friend’s, Frank and Sandra’s home in Coverdale, New Brunswick. Unfortunately, Frank had a medical emergency the night before we arrived that has kept him in the hospital during our entire stay. Thank goodness he’s going to be fine but we’ve missed his company. Sandra has been away a lot of the time as well but her home has been open to us and we’ve been able to enjoy her hospitality each morning and evening. Another couple of our friends, Garry and Carolyn, joined us here on Sunday so the four of us have enjoyed some daytime activities together. Mostly it’s been relaxing and socializing but we did get in a very nice hike and a trip to Magnetic Hill. At Magnetic Hill you stop your vehicle, put it into neutral and let gravity take you “up” the hill. It’s an optical illusion of course but it’s an excellent one and we rode it several times, both forward and reverse.
This morning Garry and Carolyn departed and headed off to continue their own adventure while Claudia and I spent our final day here in Coverdale by taking a very nice hike at the Irishtown Nature Park located just outside Moncton. It was a lovely trail through the forest and around a beautiful lake. We’ve learned already that Canada has some very nice and well-maintained hiking areas. Tomorrow morning, we head off and will be making a short drive south of here to enjoy Bay of Fundy National Park for a few nights. If we catch a break in the weather we’ll get in a couple of hikes. Regardless of the weather, we’ll be sure to get down to the bay to watch the tides.
One thing we wanted to be sure to mention. We have learned since arriving back in Canada that our cell and internet service is very sparse to non-existent. If there are delays in hearing from us, you now know why.
Tonight, we’ll enjoy our final evening with Sandra and bid farewell in the morning. It’s time for us to return to the road.
Wednesday, 7/12/2023 – Following our visit in Coverdale we headed off on a short 90-minute drive to Bay of Fundy National Park near Alma, New Brunswick. We arrived to a very nice and spacious campsite and with some great weather. With a forecast of 100% chance of rain all day tomorrow we decided to enjoy the remainder of our first day and headed over to Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. For thousands of years, the massive tides of the Bay of Fundy have been sculpting over twenty free-standing sea stacks peppered along the shoreline in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick. We visited during low tide, took a nice hike through the forest and then walked, and sometimes waded among those sea stacks as we strolled along a very wet and very muddy beach. At high tide that portion of the beach would be entirely underwater.
Our first full day at Bay of Fundy National Park turned out to be a wash as forecasted. We spent the rainy-day doing laundry and reading our books. We did head out later in the day and enjoyed a nice dinner out. Our second day turned out to be overcast but with little rain and even a peek of sunshine on occasion. We took advantage of the weather and headed out on a couple of very nice hikes. Our first hike took us to Dickman Falls along some even ground and through some beautiful forest. Our second hike was a more difficult hike to Matthew’s Head, a gorgeous overlook with beautiful cliffs and a breathtaking view across the Bay of Fundy. This was about a two-mile hike with some steep terrain through the forest along some wet and muddy trails full of roots and rocks. It was a bit of a challenge for us but it was a nice change and worth the hike. Later in the day, when the tide was at its lowest, we took a walk out onto the beach near our campground. It seemed like we walked about a mile before finally getting down to the water’s edge. It was a lovely day and we had a wonderful view of Fundy Bay.
Our next stop brought us to Prince Edward Island for a five-night stay. Our travel day was on and off rain so we took a nice easy ride and once we arrived, settled down for a quiet afternoon. On our first full day we headed off to the Anne of Green Gables Museum, dedicated to the life and works of the author of “Anne of Green Gables,” Lucy Maud Montgomery. I had never read the book myself but Claudia gave me the full tour. From there we headed off to visit one of the many lighthouses close by and to view some amazing scenery. Prince Edward Island has some gorgeous coastline and some amazing landscapes. The island is about as green as it gets, primarily farmland, forests and some beautiful, sometimes very old homes. For the next few days, we took in as much of the island as we could. We spent one full day at a secluded and beautiful beach with soft sand and a magnificent view. We took a ride across the island to attend the annual Prince Edward Island Lobster Festival but unfortunately that was a disappointment. It was primarily a carnival with a food tent and some local entertainment. After a brief stop at the festival, we headed off and swung by the Confederation Bridge Visitor Center and the Marine Rail Park to do a bit of shopping and take some pictures. The Marine Rail Park provided a magnificent view of the bridge and provided some history of the island. On our final full day on the island, we were treated to an airshow performed by the Canadian Armed Forces. We drove down to the historic section of Charlottetown, the capitol of Prince Edward Island and found ourselves some great spots along the waterfront on Confederation Landing Park where we watched the airshow against a perfect blue sky on a gorgeous day. It was a great way to end our visit to the island.
Next, we were off to Havre Boucher, Nova Scotia where we are currently spending three nights. On our first afternoon after we arrived, we heard from our friends Garry and Carolyn that we might want to rethink our planned trip along the Cabot Trail that we have scheduled in August following our return from Newfoundland. They had just driven the trail themselves in their smaller vehicle and warned us about several 12 and 13 percent grades that were part of the trail. Given the size of our motor home, the fact that we are towing a vehicle and we do not have engine brakes, we felt it would be smart to heed their warning. I am personally uncomfortable with anything over an 8 percent grade, especially downhill. With that said, we spent yesterday in Havre Boucher addressing our problem by cancelling our four-night stay in Dingwall, located at the northern end of the Cabot Trail and replacing it with a stay in Baddeck, located in the southeastern corner of the Cabot Trail. Rather than drive around the entire loop of the Cabot Trail in the RV, we will camp in Baddeck and make a two-day trip of it in the car with an overnight stop at a motel somewhere near Dingwall. We think it’ll be a much more enjoyable and relaxing drive around the Cabot Trail and allow us to stop at more overlooks and take in more hikes whenever we want. We’re definitely excited about the change.
Today is our final day in Havre Boucher. The weather hasn’t been nice to us here but it’s given us a chance to relax a bit and get caught up on some chores including the update of this web site.
Tomorrow we’ll be heading over to Sydney for four nights before boarding the ferry for Newfoundland. That will happen on Monday, July 17th which happens to be our 19th wedding anniversary so hopefully we’ll have a chance to celebrate on board. Beyond that you can keep an eye on our planned itinerary on this page of our website to see where we’ll be and when. We understand that cell and internet service might be rough while we’re there so it may be a few weeks before we can update the site. We return to Nova Scotia on 8/13 and will spend another three weeks exploring Nova Scotia. It’s been a great trip so far and we’re hoping for smooth sailing and blue skies as we continue our journey. The best is yet to come!!
By the way, we have added another photo album so that you can enjoy some of the pictures we’ve taken since leaving Camp Sawash in Massachusetts. We try to post a picture of a sign prior to entering a park or trail so that you have an idea where they are taken. We hope you enjoy them.
Thank you all for joining us. Safe travels!!
Sunday, 7/23/2023 – Once we arrived in New Harris, just a bit west of Sydney, Nova Scotia ten days ago, we settled into a beautiful campsite looking out and towering over Bras d'Or Lake, the inland sea that covers much of the heart of Cape Breton. It turned out to be a beautiful location as well as a wonderful home base for the few days we spent there. While there we spent our first full day at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, and the location of a partial reconstruction of the 18th-century French fortress that once existed on this spot of Cape Breton Island. The original area began as a fishing port and subsequently grew to become a major commercial port and a strongly defended fortress.
Our second day turned out to be a work day for us since our toilet started to leak each time we flushed. Fortunately, we were able to locate an RV Supply Store that carried the water valve we needed to replace our existing one and after a couple of hours work, the toilet was as good as new.
On our last full day in New Harris, we took a drive across the island to do some sightseeing. Our first stop was at the Miner’s Museum in Glace Bay that contained an exhibit area dedicated to the history of coal mining in Cape Breton including a simulated trip into a mine. Following that we visited the Marconi National Historic Site located at Table Head, Glace Bay which was the site of Guglielmo Marconi’s first permanent transatlantic wireless station. His historic event kicked off the age of global wireless communications in 1902. Our final stop of the day was at Low Point Lighthouse where we enjoyed a nice walk around a historic Canadian lighthouse marking the eastern entrance to Sydney Harbor.
Monday, July 17th, was our 19th wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe we’ve spent more than half of our married years together as retirees who have spent most of that time travelling around both the United States and Canada. On this day we spent it by getting an early start and headed for the Sydney to Newfoundland ferry. The process of loading seemed to take forever and it amazed me how much tonnage was loaded onto that ferry. There were dozens of tractor trailers, dozens of campers and too many cars to count. Once we were parked onboard, we settled into our cabin that we had reserved before taking a stroll around the ship. It was not a cruise ship by any means but the ferry was comfortable and having the cabin meant all the difference.
After about seven hours we arrived in Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and returned to our motor home. What seemed like hours to load turned into just minutes to disembark. Before we knew it, we were on the road and on our way to the Grand Codroy RV Park in Codroy Valley for our first two-night stop in Newfoundland.
Unfortunately, it appears the rainy weather that has been following us for the past few weeks has decided to continue here in Newfoundland for at least a little longer. We’ve been lucky enough to have some very nice days but we’ve also lost quite a few due to the weather. Our first day in Newfoundland was no different but we managed to take a drive out of our campground in Codroy Valley and out to the Cape Anguille Lighthouse, located on the most westerly point in Newfoundland. Although it was foggy and drizzly, we also managed to stroll along a beach on the western shoreline and take a hike through a lovely pine forest.
Our next campground was in Kippens, a couple of hours north of the Codroy Valley and on our way to our next stop at Gros Morne National Park. We spent our first rainy afternoon in Kippens by enjoying a dinner out at a nice local family restaurant downtown. And that night, like so many other nights this trip we listened to a constant downpour of rain all night long. Better at night then during the day we say.
Although we did wake up to more rain, mostly in the form of a heavy drizzle, we were not going to spend the day in the motor home. So, we put on our hiking shoes, packed our backpacks, got in the car and off we went. Our first planned stop was at a popular viewing spot called Boutte du Cap Park about one hour drive from our campground. The drive began in foggy conditions but rather than the fog lifting as we hoped, it just got worse so after about 45 minutes, and realizing we would not see a thing, we turned around and headed back. We decided to stop at a hiking area called Danny’s Trail that took us along some beautiful cliffs overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The fog seemed to have lifted somewhat by the end of our hike so off we went, back towards Boutte du Cap Park. After a lunch break at a local restaurant, we arrived at the park to enjoy the views. Unfortunately, the fog had moved back in but not enough to hide the beauty all around us. We walked quite a way and viewed some of the most gorgeous cliffsides and shoreline we’ve ever seen.
The weather for our departure from Kippens turned out to be lovely. Our three-hour trip brought us into Gros Morne National Park, a beautiful drive with plenty of hills and awesome views. Due to the weather forecast over the next few days we decided to extend our stay at Gros Morne KOA Campground by one day. It appears that we’ve got some very nice weather ahead and we have hopes for what is described as an incredible boat trip on Western Brook Pond here in the National Park so we’re waiting for that weather before taking it. In the meantime, we were excited to hear from our friends Garry & Carolyn, who were also touring Newfoundland along a different route, and that rhey would be arriving at our campground later that day.
Prior to their arrival, we headed off to the town of Rocky Harbour for some beer and groceries. It was a quaint little village but we were able to get our supplies. On the way back we stopped at the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse, a century old lighthouse that once served as a beacon to safely guide fishermen and sailing vessels into Bonne Bay. In addition to the lighthouse and museum, there were many hiking trails that lead us along the coastline and through forests of tuckamore trees. Tuckamore trees consist of evergreen trees that bend low and cling to the coast as they try to escape the strong ocean winds.
Once back at the campground we met up with Garry & Carolyn at about the same time that the rain returned. We spent the rest of the day enjoying their company as we shared stories of our travels. It was a wonderful way to spend an otherwise dreary day.
All last night and so far, today it has been rainy and drizzly. The girls have headed out to do some shopping at Rocky Harbour and I’ve taken advantage of the down time to provide this update. I’m also working on our next photo album but it may not be completed today. If you don’t see it, keep looking. It should be up within the next day or two.
As I mentioned, internet and cell service are unreliable for the most part and we hear it’s not going to get any better. Fortunately, the campground we’re at right now has good service. We’ll try to post again soon but it probably won’t be till we get back to Nova Scotia. Our 16-hour return trip on the ferry from Argentia to Sydney will be on August 12th. Still lots to see!!
Friday, 8/11/2023 – When we last posted, our friends Garry and Carolyn had just joined us in Rocky Harbour, just outside Gros Morne National Park. It was a rainy day and the girls had gone out shopping. Once they returned, the four of us decided to head back over to the Lobster Cove Lighthouse where we walked a few of the trails and visited the museum once again. Later that evening, we all headed out to the Anchor Pub where we enjoyed some great local entertainment. As part of the entertainment, Garry, Carolyn and I decided to be screeched in. The "screech-in" is a ceremony performed on non-Newfoundlanders involving a shot of screech (rum), a short recitation, and the kissing of a cod allowing us each the prestigious title of honorary Newfoundlanders.
Although the next day was still a bit drizzly and foggy, the four of us decided to take a hike along the Coastal Trail. This was a nice hike, about 4 miles round trip that follows an old mail road along a cobble beach, small ponds and coastal tuckamore trees with a variety of habitats, migrating shorebirds and ducks.
The weather on our final full day together with Garry and Carolyn turned out to be gorgeous and perfect weather for the boat tour we had been waiting for. The Western Brook Pond boat tour provided us with views of the spectacular glacier-carved land-locked fjord, waterfalls cascading from 2000 feet, with some turning to mist before reaching the pond, billion-year-old cliffs, and our first moose sighting. It was everything we had hoped for and if you remember, worth our decision to delay our departure by a day.
And speaking of weather, at that point we decided to make another change to our itinerary. Rather than making the seven-hour trip to the northwestern section of Newfoundland and another seven-hour trip back, we decided to just head east and spend a little more time along the way. The weather forecast for the north was not very good and it would have been a long trip for very little gain.
With that said, on the next day, July 26th we said our goodbyes to Garry and Carolyn and we each headed off in our own directions. Our first stop was at a campground called Beothuk RV Park. We had called Beothuk RV Park, located in Grand Falls the day before and were told we could have a full-service site that “included sewer” for two nights. When we arrived, we were sent to a site that only included water and electric. We returned to the office to inform them of the mistake and were told that “none” of their sites had sewer, so we decided to stay one night anyway and requested a refund for our second night. We were surprised to be spoken to quite rudely and denied any refund by the owner. We have never been treated that way by any campground owner or any employee in any of the over 400 campgrounds we have stayed at in either the United States or Canada. It was quite upsetting and you can find our google review if you look it up.
We did head out the following day and found a much nicer campground only about 10 miles down the road. This campground, Brookdale Inn & RV Park was in Bishop’s Falls, so with a trip to Twillingate in mind, we booked a full-service site there for six nights. It wasn’t the prettiest site but it was well maintained, was run by nice folks and it was in a great location.
The next day, our first full day in the area we took a trip over to the Salmonid Interpretation Centre. The highlight of our visit was watching the salmon in its natural environment as they jumped the specially constructed salmon ladder fishway system used to migrate upstream and around the dam to reach spawning habitat.
After another rainy day where we spent the day preparing for our three-day trip to Twillingate by car, we loaded up the car on a Sunday morning and took a leisurely two hour drive up to Twillingate for a few days. Prior to our arrival at the Anchor Inn in Twillingate, we made a brief stop at the Twillingate Lighthouse for some views of the harbor. Although it was a bit foggy, we were delighted to see an iceberg floating in the harbor. It wasn’t a huge one but it was a first for Claudia and I since Alaska, ten years ago.
After a stop for some delicious bacon wrapped scallops and breaded cod bites along with a couple of cold beverages at a local brew pub, we checked into our hotel and spent some time visiting the Twillingate Museum, just across the street which helped bring the history and culture of one of Newfoundland’s oldest towns to life.
We began the following day by taking an iceberg and whale watch cruise where we enjoying watching plenty of whales in some rocky seas but we were told it was a bit late in the season for icebergs. That evening we headed over to the Twillingate Dinner Theater for some entertainment along with a nice Lobster dinner. Along with the scrumptious meal we enjoyed some great local music and skits offering an authentic taste and sound of Newfoundland. We were also lucky enough to be seated with six wonderful Newfoundlanders who kept us great company for the evening.
On Wednesday, August 2nd we headed back to our campground in Bishop’s Falls, two hours south of us. Along the way we decided to stop in at Dildo Provincial Park, about halfway back to our campground for a hike. We decided on the Blackhead Viewpoint Trail where we enjoyed a walk through thick boreal forest until we arrived at a point where we enjoyed an incredible view of Dildo Run and its 365 islands.
On the following day we headed to a campground in Eastport, near Terra Nova National Park where we spent our first full day taking a 4-mile round trip hike along the coastline and to a very nice waterfall.
On our second day in Eastport, we took a drive into Gander to visit the Noth Atlantic Aviation Museum which contained some very nice exhibits that explained Gander’s history, from construction of the world’s largest airport in the 1930’s to Gander’s role in the aftermath of 9/11.
We finished our day in Gander with a stop at the Silent Witness Memorial. The memorial marks the spot where, on December 12, 1985, a DC-8 carrying the 101st Airborne Division home from a peacekeeping mission in Cairo, Egypt for Christmas crashed, killing 256 American soldiers and civilian flight crew.
Our next day found us taking another couple of hikes in Terra Nova National Park. We began with a road trip up to the Blue Hill Vista, the highest point in the park. From there we could see Bonavista Bay with many of its islands We followed this with a short hike around a pond where we saw several beaver lodges and a beaver dam. Our highlight of the day was our final hike on the Mill Cove Lookout trail. This trail was absolutely worth doing for the views at the top alone. It was a nice walk through the woods and then through some rocks that lead us up the hill and some stairs to get us to the top. At the top we had a gorgeous view overlooking Mill Cove, Traytown, Culls Harbour and the Eastport Peninsula.
The next day was a travel day. It was quite windy and rainy as we packed up and prepared the motor home, drove the 80 miles to Charleston and it stayed that way as we set up camp. Too rainy to do anything so we stayed put at the campsite for the day.
On the following day, our only full day in Charleston, it remained drizzly and foggy. Regardless, we took an hour drive north to Bonavista. Bonavista is known for its rich maritime history, including its fishing heritage and the landing of John Cabot in 1497. We began our visit at Matthew Legacy Interpretation Centre where we were able to walk aboard a full-scale replica of John Cabot’s “Matthew” that sailed from Bristol, England in 1497. It was in amazing condition and was a highlight of our visit. We also stopped by the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse and walked a portion of the shoreline that displayed plenty of crashing surf on the rocks all around us.
Following Charleston, we arrived at our current location for a four-night stay. This is our final campground on Newfoundland before our 16 hour overnight ferry trip from Argentia back to North Sydney, Nova Scotia. This campground is in Holyrood, a short drive from the capital, St. John’s. As usual for this year’s trip the rainy weather has seemed to follow us so we spent our first day in St. John’s visiting historic Signal Hill in foggy and misty conditions. Signal Hill is a hill which overlooks the harbor and a breathtaking view of the city of St. John's. The top of the hill includes Cabot Tower, designated a National Historic Site. Due to its strategic placement overlooking the Narrows, it is the only entrance to the harbor and has fortifications dating back to the mid-17th century.
We spent yesterday making some more changes to our itinerary. Unfortunately, the poor weather we have encountered this trip along with the foreseeable forecast has finally gotten to us and we are ready to head back south. Last night was one of our worst nights with winds so strong we had to bring the RV slide in and it rained as hard as it has the entire trip. We’ve decided to keep our plans for the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton in Nova Scotia next week even though the forecast is for more rainy weather. From there we’ll make a couple of additional brief stops in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before heading down to Maine before slowly but surely making our way back to Texas. We’ll be back in Edinburg, Texas about two weeks earlier than planned with a revised estimated arrival date of 9/13.
We’ll be updating our photo album again shortly with the pictures we’ve taken while in Newfoundland but wanted to post this update now so you’ll all know the changes we’re making to our plans. The weather is unpredictable and we’ve been very lucky over the past ten years. We’ve enjoyed what we’ve seen this trip when the weather has cooperated but it’s time to head home.
Sunday, 9/3/2023 – Our last post told you all about our itinerary changes as we were about to head off on our scheduled ferry trip back to Nova Scotia. We arrived at the terminal about 1pm, boarded about 4pm, and sailed at 5pm. We were lucky enough to have an outside cabin with beds and a bathroom so we traveled comfortably. After a shower and some dinner, we settled in for the overnight trip. The seas were a bit rough but not as rough as we expected considering the high winds we had been having. We arrived in North Sydney at 9am and were on the road by 9:15, and then, being as early at it was, spent a couple of hours at Walmart before arriving at our campground in Baddeck just after noon. Finally, a sunny day, we relaxed and enjoyed a happy hour outside on our site.
On our first day at the campground, we visited the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site which contains the largest repository of artifacts and documents from Bell's years of experimental work in Baddeck. We finished this lovely day with a nice meal sitting outside on a dock along the banks of Bras d’or Lake followed by ice creams.
On our next day we began a two-day trip by car up and around the Cabot Trail, a scenic highway on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. It is a 186-mile loop around the northern tip of the island, passing along and through the Cape Breton Highlands and the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. We began with a nice breakfast overlooking the ocean followed by a stop at the visitor center. We then spent the day taking a couple of hikes including a beautiful 4-mile hike called Middle Head that followed a long, narrow peninsula separating two ocean bays and ending on headland cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. After checking into our hotel, we grabbed a bite to eat but weren’t ready to call it a night yet so we headed back out. We took a drive and stopped at several gorgeous overlooks along the shoreline and took a ride into the fishing village of White Point, located on the northeastern tip of the island. We arrived back at the hotel just as it was getting dark.
The following day we completed the loop around the Cabot trail that consisted of winding and hilly roads. We made many stops for short hikes and great overlooks of the shoreline as well as a stops to view the picturesque Beulach Ban Falls. We arrived back at our campground where the motor home was waiting by dinnertime.
On our next day we hit the road once again and arrived at a campground in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia for a three-night stay. Since our first day was a wash out, we stayed put except to do some laundry and head out for some dinner but our next day turned out to be lovely so we spent the day visiting the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site. The Citadel was an active military installation for over two hundred years and displayed how life was for British troops who lived there in the year 1869. Included were historic exhibits displaying the role of the Canadian military from the time British ruled until the present.
Following Shubenacadie we headed south to Lunenburg for a two day stop. We headed out on our first day there for a walk around the town. That turned out to be a great idea since it was a Sunday and there was a lively crowd as well as some live music. We walked along the docks and even climbed aboard the Bluenose II, a replica of the fishing and racing schooner Bluenose, commissioned and built in 1963 as a promotional yacht for Oland Brewery. We then enjoyed an incredible dinner at a restaurant on a balcony overlooking the harbor as the sun was beginning to set and the music still playing. This will be remembered as one of the best meals of our entire trip. The following day we returned to the village for a visit to the Fisheries Museum where we learned about the fishing heritage of the Atlantic coast of Canada.
At this point it was time to begin our trek back towards home with our first stop in Debert, Nova Scotia near the shoreline of the Bay of Fundy. While there we made a stop at Burntcoat Head Park, site of the world’s highest tide. We visited during low tide however so that we could walk along the floor of the ocean beside some beautiful rock formations that would be underwater during high tide. A few hours later we stopped at the Fundy Discovery Site where we witnessed an impressive tidal bore which is a tumbling wavefront which moves upstream in a river, announcing the arrival of an incoming tide.
Next it was time to revisit the home of our friends Frank and Sandra in Coverdale, New Brunswick. You may remember that we stopped there on our way into New Brunswick at the end of June but missed seeing Frank due to an unexpected medical issue. It was great to finally spend some time with him and great to see Sandra again. They were wonderful hosts and we were treated not only to their company but also to our best lobster dinner of the trip.
After saying goodbye to Frank & Sandra we headed off to our final campground in Canada, located in Hawkshaw, New Brunswick. We only stayed one night but we took a trip on our first day to visit the Hartland Covered Bridge, the world's longest covered bridge, at 1,282 feet long that crosses the Saint John River.
On Sunday, August 27th we were excited to finally return to the United States after crossing in Houlton, Maine. Unfortunately, that excitement turned to disappointment when our right rear inside tire blew out on us after less than an hour. We were in a remote area of Maine when the blow out occurred and we were on the interstate but we were able to get into the breakdown lane where we spent the next eight hours. Several of those hours were spent waiting on Good Sam to find someone to either tow us or make the tire repair. We finally got the help we needed from a State Trooper who gave us a couple of numbers to call. Finally, at about 5pm we were back on the road again with two new tires. Turns out if you blow a rear tire, both tires need to have comparable tread wear and if they are not, both need to be replaced.
Since we were not going to make it to our campground in Old Orchard Beach that night we found a campground near Bangor, Maine. It turned out that this campground was only seven miles from the tire company that repaired our tires the day before so we returned to them on Monday morning and had them replace the other two rear tires so that they would all be the same. After that, we were finally back on our way to Old Orchard Beach.
We only stayed one night at Old Orchard Beach instead of our planned two nights but we enjoyed the day we did have. We had lovely weather, walked from the campsite to the beach, strolled through the town and along the beach and enjoyed a quick lunch of fried clams and scallops. After a brief return to the campground, we walked back to the beach for a dinner out on the pier. This was a short but lovely way to enjoy our return to the states.
On Tuesday we returned to Camp Sawash, the home of my sister and her family where we are today. Here we’ve had a chance to relax and prepare for the final home stretch. Beginning tomorrow we’ll take eleven days and stay at eight campgrounds to cover the 2,300 miles along the route we selected to return to our Texas home. Most of the stops will be one-night overnighters but we will be stopping at a couple of campgrounds for two nights in order to visit the Kentucky Derby Museum near Louisville, Kentucky and do some sightseeing at Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area in western Kentucky. Our scheduled arrival date back in the Rio Grand Valley is September 14th.
Every year we look forward to hitting the road and every year we continue to love our life on the road but every year we also look forward to getting back home. It’s no different this year. It’s time to get back and settle in for the winter but while we’re there, we’ll also start planning for next year.
We’ll post an update once we’ve settled in at home. We’ll also be posting a new photo album as soon as possible. I’m hoping that will be in the next few days. Take care everyone & safe travels!!
3/31/2024 – Since our last update that was posted from Camp Sawash in Uxbridge, Massachusetts back on 9/3, we’ve come a long way. We arrived back at Sandpipers on September 14th following a long 2,245-mile ride that took us eleven days. The drive was uneventful and we did make two stops where we spent an extra day to take a break from driving.
After one-night stops in Phelps, New York; Conneaut, Ohio; and Marengo, Ohio, we made our first two-day stop in Shepherdsville, Kentucky where we were able to spend a day at the Kentucky Derby Museum and Racetrack. While there we learned about the history and heritage of the Kentucky Derby as we took our time walking among the exhibits within the museum as well as the racetrack itself where we enjoyed a guided walking tour.
The following day was our second two-day stop at an area called Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area located near Grand Rivers, Kentucky. Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area manages over 170,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and open lands on a peninsula between the scenic and expansive Kentucky and Barkley Lakes in Western Kentucky and Tennessee. While there we visited the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm where we walked among interpreters in period clothing going about their daily chores. Later, we got up close and personal with the natural world at the Woodlands Nature Station, nestled in the woods between lakes which serves as a gateway to an 8,500-acre Nature Watch Area.
Next it was back on the road again where we made one-night stops in West Memphis, Arkansas, Texarkana, Texas and Richmond, Texas before arriving back at our winter home in Edinburg, Texas.
Since our arrival back at our winter home here in Edinburg, Texas, we’ve stayed busy with doctor visits, chores around the house and a lot of socializing with our friends.
For those of you who have followed along with us on this web page over the past ten years, we are thankful. I know we haven’t been as diligent as we have been in the past with keeping up to date on the news and for that we apologize. With that said, we have decided to retire this web page. We’ll keep it around for sentimental reasons and probably refer to it now and then but will not be updated it going forward. We are looking into other options to keep our family and friends updated on where we are and what we’re doing so we’re not abandoning our love of sharing our travels. We’ve found a couple of apps we like that allow us to post pictures more frequently along with descriptions of where we are. It probably won’t be as extensive as what we’ve dome with this web site but it will be much more current and easier to access. If you are one of those people who would like to continue to follow along with us, please send an email to [email protected] asking us to keep you informed of our plans.
Along with this update, we have also updated our photo album with all the latest pictures and have updated our blog page. We have also moved our 2023 trip info from the “Where R We” page to the “Where Were We” page.
As we write these final words, ten years after we began this journey, we can look back with satisfaction at what we initially wanted to accomplish with this web site. Our primary goal was to provide an avenue for our family and friends to follow us on our journey. Along the way we learned that we also have followers who we never met but we appreciate having had you along for the ride. We never realized we could write so many words, share so many pictures and track so many miles. We will return now and then to look upon this web site with fond memories.
Thank you all for joining us on the ride. We hope to share more memories with you in the spring.
Safe travels to you all!!
Ed & Claudia
For now, our focus is on tomorrow. Tomorrow is day one of our 2023 road trip. We’ll be making our way to the southeast where we’ll enjoy time with our daughter and family in North Carolina. Following that we will head north for a stop in New York City before spending time in Massachusetts. Our other two kids and Claudia’s sister live in New Hampshire and my mom lives on Cape Cod. So once again, home base will be at our favorite camping spot in my sister’s yard in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. This will be our tenth visit to “Camp Sawash” and they haven’t closed the gate on us yet. We can’t wait to see everyone!!
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we’ll be travelling to the Maritimes this year so we should have a lot to share with you. I am going to do my best to post about every two weeks this trip. This will give me time to prepare the postings and you more time to check in between updates. One of my goals will be to include pictures on a timelier basis so that you’ll see pictures of the places I describe as I write about them. Of course, this does depend on how well our internet connection is wherever we are. We’re trying a new internet service this year so we’re hopeful, even though we’ll be in Canada for a good portion of our trip.
So off we go tomorrow morning. Our first extended stay is in Shreveport, Louisiana for five nights. Claudia would like to help with the driving now and then so we’ve arranged for a two-day private RV driving lesson for her while in Shreveport. I’ll probably try to post our first update while we are there. We are excited and anxious to get going as usual. We hope you’re excited to follow along with us as we once again head off into the unknown for another exciting journey.
Safe travels everyone!!
Saturday, 5/6/2023 – We headed off on our 2023 road trip just as planned on Monday morning without any problems at all. It’s great when all the planning comes together. Sunday night we were invited over to our friend’s house for dinner so we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves before heading off the next morning. Thank you, Randy and Sue.
Our first day of travel on Monday was an easy five-hour drive to Wharton, Texas, just south of Houston. The following day we travelled another five hours to Shreveport, Louisiana. Wednesday was spent relaxing and making a minor repair to a leak in our shower. There is always something needing fixing but the easy fixes like this are not anything to be concerned with.
On Thursday and Friday Claudia and I were joined by Clyde Tew, an instructor with RV Driving School. Although Claudia was technically the student and I was just a passenger, we both picked up a lot of good information from him. We spent an hour or so each day in the fairground parking lot. While there we practiced techniques on how to backup as well as how to make sharp turns in traffic. And yes, at times, we ran over some cones but we had a lot of fun, really enjoyed the training, and learned a lot in the process. Best of all Claudia was able to benefit from some professional individualized instruction while driving several hours around the Shreveport area, much of it with the car being towed behind the motor home.
Today was a down day for us. A day to relax and take it easy. The weather is lovely so we headed off to the Louisiana Boardwalk, a stretch of shops, restaurants, and entertainment complexes along the Red River in Bossier City. We strolled along the pathway alongside the river and popped into a few stores along the way including a Bass Pro Shop which is always a fun visit. We also had a nice lunch, beverages and some chocolates to enjoy.
Now that the driving lessons are complete, it’s time to put some miles behind us. We’ll be travelling four out of our next five days and will cover just over a thousand miles across six states where we’ll settle in at the North Carolina Fairgrounds in Raleigh. From there we will spend some time with our daughter, her husband and three of our grandkids. This is always a highlight for us every year and we’re very excited. We just can’t wait to see them!!
Saturday, 5/20/2023 – We departed Shreveport, Louisiana as planned on Sunday, the 7th. This was the longest planned day of driving for our entire 2023 trip at just under six hours. The timing was perfect because after her recent RV drivers training, I was able to pass the driver’s seat over to Claudia for a couple of hours. She did great and I was able to relax for a bit mid trip. After enjoying a down day of doing very little in Toomsuba, Mississippi, we headed back out to continue our trip towards Raleigh, North Carolina.
Over the next three days we travelled almost seven hundred miles covering five states before settling in at the North Carolina Fairgrounds Campground on Thursday. This has been our home base for the past four years as we spend time visiting our daughter, her husband and three of our grandkids who live in Fuquay-Varina, just south of Raleigh. The fairgrounds campground is a first come first serve camping area but we have always been able to secure a spot.
As always, we had a fun filled and extremely busy visit that included a soccer practice, a baseball game, a soccer game, and lots of running around playing catch. We also participated in a couple of car pool runs to pick the kids up at school, something they had each requested. Add to that a visit to Harris Lake County Park on Friday night for a picnic dinner and some games and you can truly say we were beginning to run out of gas. Following the soccer game on Saturday morning, Claudia enjoyed her birthday by treating herself, our daughter and granddaughter to a girl’s day out getting pedicures while the boys played a board game. On Sunday, Mother’s Day, and our final day with everyone, we took about a 30-minute drive over to Raven Rock State Park for a day of hiking followed by a dinner out. The weather was beautiful, the 3-mile scenic hike was awesome, the dinner was delicious and we were able to enjoy it all with some very special people.
Following our visit to North Carolina and a one-night layover in Winchester, Virginia we arrived at Liberty Harbor RV Park in Jersey City New Jersey. It’s a pricey park and you have to fight New Jersey traffic to get here but it’s located right on Liberty Harbor, just across a narrow canal from Liberty State Park, home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
With two days set aside to be tourists, we spent the first day traveling by train into New York City for a tour of the 911 Memorial and Museum. It was a sobering reminder of the events that happened on September 11, 2001 and well worth the visit. Following our tour, we walked some of the streets in the area and enjoyed meandering along a stretch of blocks overflowing with venders of all kinds where we grabbed some lunch and dessert. It was such a unique experience to us “outsiders” to just sit along a city street, grab a bite to eat and people watch. And there were a whole lot of people to watch.
Our second day in New Jersey & New York City started out with a half mile hike to a ferry that took us across a canal so we could then walk some more over to Liberty State Park. This is the New Jersey embarkation spot to pick up a ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We spent the next several hours touring and learning about Ellis Island followed by a visit to the Statue of Liberty and its museum. We had reserved tickets for the pedestal at the statue and we decided to walk the stairs rather than take the elevator. This was the first time Claudia or I had been to Ellis Island and my first time to the statue. Both stops were so informative and we were so glad we finally got to visit them. By the time we returned to our motor home we had walked six miles and climbed up and down the equivalent of twelve flights of stairs. These two old folks were glad to get back.
On Friday morning we packed up the motor home and once again hit the road, leaving New Jersey and New York behind as we headed back to our old home turf in Massachusetts. We’re staying at our usual camping spot at Camp Sawash (my sister’s driveway) and will be enjoying our time here for a month. We’re excited and looking forward to seeing family and friends again and will have lots of chances to see everyone. We will also be honoring Claudia’s brother who passed away a few months ago with a memorial service. The month will go by fast but we plan to savor every moment.
It will be a few weeks before our next post. In the meantime, please enjoy looking through our latest photo album that covers this year’s trip so far including our visit with family in North Carolina as well as our time in New York City.
Stay safe everyone!!
Sunday, 6/18/2023 – Hi everyone and Happy Father’s Day!! Wow, this past month has gone by way too fast. Since arriving at Camp Sawash in Uxbridge, Massachusetts we’ve been able to spend time with most of our family members and many of our friends. We began our visit by attending a memorial service dedicated to Claudia’s brother, a Vietnam veteran who passed away a few of months ago and who was given full military honors. A few days later we enjoyed a Memorial Day weekend of camping with over 30 of our family members as well as numerous friends. My sister’s yard (aka Camp Sawash) was taken over by numerous RV’s and several tents as we partied the weekend away. We also took trips to Cape Cod to visit my mom, spent time with my uncle and enjoyed a graduation party for our grandson where we were able to spend more time with two of our kids and six of our grandchildren. We also enjoyed a lot of dining and drinking as we do each year when we return here. We enjoyed dinner out a couple of times with my sister and her husband, our hosts here at Camp Sawash as well as other family members and friends including one of my closest friends who I have not seen in years. This monthly stopover also allowed us to take care of some maintenance and errands that needed to be taken care of before we hit the road again.
Tomorrow morning, we once again head off into the unknown. Our first stop will be in Wells, Maine for a day of sightseeing before heading further north to Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. After a four-night stay at Acadia we’ll once again make a crossing into Canada to begin our two months visit to the Maritimes. As usual, we’re excited about this trip and are anxious to get started. We’ll begin by meeting up and spending some time with some of our Canadian friends that spend their winters with us at our resort in Texas.
We’ve just added a new photo album to our web site containing pictures taken since our arrival here at Camp Sawash in Massachusetts. We hope you enjoy browsing through them.
We’ll try to post an update in a couple of weeks following our stops in Maine and our visits with friends in New Brunswick. From there we’ll be making a few stops in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island before heading off on the ferry to Newfoundland. We’ve got a lot of area to cover this summer but we’re taking it slow and making plenty of stops. So glad you’ll be joining us.
Take care and safe travels everyone!!
Saturday, 7/1/2023 – Since our last update we’ve driven another 600 miles and we are now travelling through the Maritimes.
Following our departure from Camp Sawash we arrived at our first stop in Wells, Maine where we spent two nights. During our brief stop we visited the Laudholm Farm that contained an extensive trail system that meandered through fresh and saltwater marshes, forests, fields, beaches, and dunes.
Our next stop took us to Bar Harbor, Maine where we spent four nights. We had very nice weather while we were there and spent the first two days at Acadia National Park enjoying plenty of hiking as well as a drive up to Cadillac Mountain for some spectacular views. Our hikes took us around lakes, along rocky coastline and into forests with some outstanding scenery. The coastline hike was close to four miles long and was especially nice as we hiked out to rocky areas than ran along the cliffs. As always, we enjoyed some local cuisine which of course in Maine meant scallops, clams, and lobster. Yum!!
We had an uneventful cross into Canada this past Sunday. We arrived to our campsite in St Andrews, New Brunswick on a beautiful day with a gorgeous view of Passamaquoddy Bay directly in front of us. Unfortunately, the weather changed the following day while the forecast predicted rain for at least a couple of additional weeks. This limited our hiking while at St Andrews but did allow for some shopping time for Claudia, and a visit to the Saint Andrews Blockhouse National Historic Site where we stepped back to a time when southern friends became enemies, and clashes between the US and Great Britain occurred across borders during the War of 1812. At one point we did take advantage of a break in the weather, dried off a picnic table and enjoyed some great seafood at a local Clam Shack.
Our next and current stop has been at our friend’s, Frank and Sandra’s home in Coverdale, New Brunswick. Unfortunately, Frank had a medical emergency the night before we arrived that has kept him in the hospital during our entire stay. Thank goodness he’s going to be fine but we’ve missed his company. Sandra has been away a lot of the time as well but her home has been open to us and we’ve been able to enjoy her hospitality each morning and evening. Another couple of our friends, Garry and Carolyn, joined us here on Sunday so the four of us have enjoyed some daytime activities together. Mostly it’s been relaxing and socializing but we did get in a very nice hike and a trip to Magnetic Hill. At Magnetic Hill you stop your vehicle, put it into neutral and let gravity take you “up” the hill. It’s an optical illusion of course but it’s an excellent one and we rode it several times, both forward and reverse.
This morning Garry and Carolyn departed and headed off to continue their own adventure while Claudia and I spent our final day here in Coverdale by taking a very nice hike at the Irishtown Nature Park located just outside Moncton. It was a lovely trail through the forest and around a beautiful lake. We’ve learned already that Canada has some very nice and well-maintained hiking areas. Tomorrow morning, we head off and will be making a short drive south of here to enjoy Bay of Fundy National Park for a few nights. If we catch a break in the weather we’ll get in a couple of hikes. Regardless of the weather, we’ll be sure to get down to the bay to watch the tides.
One thing we wanted to be sure to mention. We have learned since arriving back in Canada that our cell and internet service is very sparse to non-existent. If there are delays in hearing from us, you now know why.
Tonight, we’ll enjoy our final evening with Sandra and bid farewell in the morning. It’s time for us to return to the road.
Wednesday, 7/12/2023 – Following our visit in Coverdale we headed off on a short 90-minute drive to Bay of Fundy National Park near Alma, New Brunswick. We arrived to a very nice and spacious campsite and with some great weather. With a forecast of 100% chance of rain all day tomorrow we decided to enjoy the remainder of our first day and headed over to Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. For thousands of years, the massive tides of the Bay of Fundy have been sculpting over twenty free-standing sea stacks peppered along the shoreline in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick. We visited during low tide, took a nice hike through the forest and then walked, and sometimes waded among those sea stacks as we strolled along a very wet and very muddy beach. At high tide that portion of the beach would be entirely underwater.
Our first full day at Bay of Fundy National Park turned out to be a wash as forecasted. We spent the rainy-day doing laundry and reading our books. We did head out later in the day and enjoyed a nice dinner out. Our second day turned out to be overcast but with little rain and even a peek of sunshine on occasion. We took advantage of the weather and headed out on a couple of very nice hikes. Our first hike took us to Dickman Falls along some even ground and through some beautiful forest. Our second hike was a more difficult hike to Matthew’s Head, a gorgeous overlook with beautiful cliffs and a breathtaking view across the Bay of Fundy. This was about a two-mile hike with some steep terrain through the forest along some wet and muddy trails full of roots and rocks. It was a bit of a challenge for us but it was a nice change and worth the hike. Later in the day, when the tide was at its lowest, we took a walk out onto the beach near our campground. It seemed like we walked about a mile before finally getting down to the water’s edge. It was a lovely day and we had a wonderful view of Fundy Bay.
Our next stop brought us to Prince Edward Island for a five-night stay. Our travel day was on and off rain so we took a nice easy ride and once we arrived, settled down for a quiet afternoon. On our first full day we headed off to the Anne of Green Gables Museum, dedicated to the life and works of the author of “Anne of Green Gables,” Lucy Maud Montgomery. I had never read the book myself but Claudia gave me the full tour. From there we headed off to visit one of the many lighthouses close by and to view some amazing scenery. Prince Edward Island has some gorgeous coastline and some amazing landscapes. The island is about as green as it gets, primarily farmland, forests and some beautiful, sometimes very old homes. For the next few days, we took in as much of the island as we could. We spent one full day at a secluded and beautiful beach with soft sand and a magnificent view. We took a ride across the island to attend the annual Prince Edward Island Lobster Festival but unfortunately that was a disappointment. It was primarily a carnival with a food tent and some local entertainment. After a brief stop at the festival, we headed off and swung by the Confederation Bridge Visitor Center and the Marine Rail Park to do a bit of shopping and take some pictures. The Marine Rail Park provided a magnificent view of the bridge and provided some history of the island. On our final full day on the island, we were treated to an airshow performed by the Canadian Armed Forces. We drove down to the historic section of Charlottetown, the capitol of Prince Edward Island and found ourselves some great spots along the waterfront on Confederation Landing Park where we watched the airshow against a perfect blue sky on a gorgeous day. It was a great way to end our visit to the island.
Next, we were off to Havre Boucher, Nova Scotia where we are currently spending three nights. On our first afternoon after we arrived, we heard from our friends Garry and Carolyn that we might want to rethink our planned trip along the Cabot Trail that we have scheduled in August following our return from Newfoundland. They had just driven the trail themselves in their smaller vehicle and warned us about several 12 and 13 percent grades that were part of the trail. Given the size of our motor home, the fact that we are towing a vehicle and we do not have engine brakes, we felt it would be smart to heed their warning. I am personally uncomfortable with anything over an 8 percent grade, especially downhill. With that said, we spent yesterday in Havre Boucher addressing our problem by cancelling our four-night stay in Dingwall, located at the northern end of the Cabot Trail and replacing it with a stay in Baddeck, located in the southeastern corner of the Cabot Trail. Rather than drive around the entire loop of the Cabot Trail in the RV, we will camp in Baddeck and make a two-day trip of it in the car with an overnight stop at a motel somewhere near Dingwall. We think it’ll be a much more enjoyable and relaxing drive around the Cabot Trail and allow us to stop at more overlooks and take in more hikes whenever we want. We’re definitely excited about the change.
Today is our final day in Havre Boucher. The weather hasn’t been nice to us here but it’s given us a chance to relax a bit and get caught up on some chores including the update of this web site.
Tomorrow we’ll be heading over to Sydney for four nights before boarding the ferry for Newfoundland. That will happen on Monday, July 17th which happens to be our 19th wedding anniversary so hopefully we’ll have a chance to celebrate on board. Beyond that you can keep an eye on our planned itinerary on this page of our website to see where we’ll be and when. We understand that cell and internet service might be rough while we’re there so it may be a few weeks before we can update the site. We return to Nova Scotia on 8/13 and will spend another three weeks exploring Nova Scotia. It’s been a great trip so far and we’re hoping for smooth sailing and blue skies as we continue our journey. The best is yet to come!!
By the way, we have added another photo album so that you can enjoy some of the pictures we’ve taken since leaving Camp Sawash in Massachusetts. We try to post a picture of a sign prior to entering a park or trail so that you have an idea where they are taken. We hope you enjoy them.
Thank you all for joining us. Safe travels!!
Sunday, 7/23/2023 – Once we arrived in New Harris, just a bit west of Sydney, Nova Scotia ten days ago, we settled into a beautiful campsite looking out and towering over Bras d'Or Lake, the inland sea that covers much of the heart of Cape Breton. It turned out to be a beautiful location as well as a wonderful home base for the few days we spent there. While there we spent our first full day at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, and the location of a partial reconstruction of the 18th-century French fortress that once existed on this spot of Cape Breton Island. The original area began as a fishing port and subsequently grew to become a major commercial port and a strongly defended fortress.
Our second day turned out to be a work day for us since our toilet started to leak each time we flushed. Fortunately, we were able to locate an RV Supply Store that carried the water valve we needed to replace our existing one and after a couple of hours work, the toilet was as good as new.
On our last full day in New Harris, we took a drive across the island to do some sightseeing. Our first stop was at the Miner’s Museum in Glace Bay that contained an exhibit area dedicated to the history of coal mining in Cape Breton including a simulated trip into a mine. Following that we visited the Marconi National Historic Site located at Table Head, Glace Bay which was the site of Guglielmo Marconi’s first permanent transatlantic wireless station. His historic event kicked off the age of global wireless communications in 1902. Our final stop of the day was at Low Point Lighthouse where we enjoyed a nice walk around a historic Canadian lighthouse marking the eastern entrance to Sydney Harbor.
Monday, July 17th, was our 19th wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe we’ve spent more than half of our married years together as retirees who have spent most of that time travelling around both the United States and Canada. On this day we spent it by getting an early start and headed for the Sydney to Newfoundland ferry. The process of loading seemed to take forever and it amazed me how much tonnage was loaded onto that ferry. There were dozens of tractor trailers, dozens of campers and too many cars to count. Once we were parked onboard, we settled into our cabin that we had reserved before taking a stroll around the ship. It was not a cruise ship by any means but the ferry was comfortable and having the cabin meant all the difference.
After about seven hours we arrived in Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and returned to our motor home. What seemed like hours to load turned into just minutes to disembark. Before we knew it, we were on the road and on our way to the Grand Codroy RV Park in Codroy Valley for our first two-night stop in Newfoundland.
Unfortunately, it appears the rainy weather that has been following us for the past few weeks has decided to continue here in Newfoundland for at least a little longer. We’ve been lucky enough to have some very nice days but we’ve also lost quite a few due to the weather. Our first day in Newfoundland was no different but we managed to take a drive out of our campground in Codroy Valley and out to the Cape Anguille Lighthouse, located on the most westerly point in Newfoundland. Although it was foggy and drizzly, we also managed to stroll along a beach on the western shoreline and take a hike through a lovely pine forest.
Our next campground was in Kippens, a couple of hours north of the Codroy Valley and on our way to our next stop at Gros Morne National Park. We spent our first rainy afternoon in Kippens by enjoying a dinner out at a nice local family restaurant downtown. And that night, like so many other nights this trip we listened to a constant downpour of rain all night long. Better at night then during the day we say.
Although we did wake up to more rain, mostly in the form of a heavy drizzle, we were not going to spend the day in the motor home. So, we put on our hiking shoes, packed our backpacks, got in the car and off we went. Our first planned stop was at a popular viewing spot called Boutte du Cap Park about one hour drive from our campground. The drive began in foggy conditions but rather than the fog lifting as we hoped, it just got worse so after about 45 minutes, and realizing we would not see a thing, we turned around and headed back. We decided to stop at a hiking area called Danny’s Trail that took us along some beautiful cliffs overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The fog seemed to have lifted somewhat by the end of our hike so off we went, back towards Boutte du Cap Park. After a lunch break at a local restaurant, we arrived at the park to enjoy the views. Unfortunately, the fog had moved back in but not enough to hide the beauty all around us. We walked quite a way and viewed some of the most gorgeous cliffsides and shoreline we’ve ever seen.
The weather for our departure from Kippens turned out to be lovely. Our three-hour trip brought us into Gros Morne National Park, a beautiful drive with plenty of hills and awesome views. Due to the weather forecast over the next few days we decided to extend our stay at Gros Morne KOA Campground by one day. It appears that we’ve got some very nice weather ahead and we have hopes for what is described as an incredible boat trip on Western Brook Pond here in the National Park so we’re waiting for that weather before taking it. In the meantime, we were excited to hear from our friends Garry & Carolyn, who were also touring Newfoundland along a different route, and that rhey would be arriving at our campground later that day.
Prior to their arrival, we headed off to the town of Rocky Harbour for some beer and groceries. It was a quaint little village but we were able to get our supplies. On the way back we stopped at the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse, a century old lighthouse that once served as a beacon to safely guide fishermen and sailing vessels into Bonne Bay. In addition to the lighthouse and museum, there were many hiking trails that lead us along the coastline and through forests of tuckamore trees. Tuckamore trees consist of evergreen trees that bend low and cling to the coast as they try to escape the strong ocean winds.
Once back at the campground we met up with Garry & Carolyn at about the same time that the rain returned. We spent the rest of the day enjoying their company as we shared stories of our travels. It was a wonderful way to spend an otherwise dreary day.
All last night and so far, today it has been rainy and drizzly. The girls have headed out to do some shopping at Rocky Harbour and I’ve taken advantage of the down time to provide this update. I’m also working on our next photo album but it may not be completed today. If you don’t see it, keep looking. It should be up within the next day or two.
As I mentioned, internet and cell service are unreliable for the most part and we hear it’s not going to get any better. Fortunately, the campground we’re at right now has good service. We’ll try to post again soon but it probably won’t be till we get back to Nova Scotia. Our 16-hour return trip on the ferry from Argentia to Sydney will be on August 12th. Still lots to see!!
Friday, 8/11/2023 – When we last posted, our friends Garry and Carolyn had just joined us in Rocky Harbour, just outside Gros Morne National Park. It was a rainy day and the girls had gone out shopping. Once they returned, the four of us decided to head back over to the Lobster Cove Lighthouse where we walked a few of the trails and visited the museum once again. Later that evening, we all headed out to the Anchor Pub where we enjoyed some great local entertainment. As part of the entertainment, Garry, Carolyn and I decided to be screeched in. The "screech-in" is a ceremony performed on non-Newfoundlanders involving a shot of screech (rum), a short recitation, and the kissing of a cod allowing us each the prestigious title of honorary Newfoundlanders.
Although the next day was still a bit drizzly and foggy, the four of us decided to take a hike along the Coastal Trail. This was a nice hike, about 4 miles round trip that follows an old mail road along a cobble beach, small ponds and coastal tuckamore trees with a variety of habitats, migrating shorebirds and ducks.
The weather on our final full day together with Garry and Carolyn turned out to be gorgeous and perfect weather for the boat tour we had been waiting for. The Western Brook Pond boat tour provided us with views of the spectacular glacier-carved land-locked fjord, waterfalls cascading from 2000 feet, with some turning to mist before reaching the pond, billion-year-old cliffs, and our first moose sighting. It was everything we had hoped for and if you remember, worth our decision to delay our departure by a day.
And speaking of weather, at that point we decided to make another change to our itinerary. Rather than making the seven-hour trip to the northwestern section of Newfoundland and another seven-hour trip back, we decided to just head east and spend a little more time along the way. The weather forecast for the north was not very good and it would have been a long trip for very little gain.
With that said, on the next day, July 26th we said our goodbyes to Garry and Carolyn and we each headed off in our own directions. Our first stop was at a campground called Beothuk RV Park. We had called Beothuk RV Park, located in Grand Falls the day before and were told we could have a full-service site that “included sewer” for two nights. When we arrived, we were sent to a site that only included water and electric. We returned to the office to inform them of the mistake and were told that “none” of their sites had sewer, so we decided to stay one night anyway and requested a refund for our second night. We were surprised to be spoken to quite rudely and denied any refund by the owner. We have never been treated that way by any campground owner or any employee in any of the over 400 campgrounds we have stayed at in either the United States or Canada. It was quite upsetting and you can find our google review if you look it up.
We did head out the following day and found a much nicer campground only about 10 miles down the road. This campground, Brookdale Inn & RV Park was in Bishop’s Falls, so with a trip to Twillingate in mind, we booked a full-service site there for six nights. It wasn’t the prettiest site but it was well maintained, was run by nice folks and it was in a great location.
The next day, our first full day in the area we took a trip over to the Salmonid Interpretation Centre. The highlight of our visit was watching the salmon in its natural environment as they jumped the specially constructed salmon ladder fishway system used to migrate upstream and around the dam to reach spawning habitat.
After another rainy day where we spent the day preparing for our three-day trip to Twillingate by car, we loaded up the car on a Sunday morning and took a leisurely two hour drive up to Twillingate for a few days. Prior to our arrival at the Anchor Inn in Twillingate, we made a brief stop at the Twillingate Lighthouse for some views of the harbor. Although it was a bit foggy, we were delighted to see an iceberg floating in the harbor. It wasn’t a huge one but it was a first for Claudia and I since Alaska, ten years ago.
After a stop for some delicious bacon wrapped scallops and breaded cod bites along with a couple of cold beverages at a local brew pub, we checked into our hotel and spent some time visiting the Twillingate Museum, just across the street which helped bring the history and culture of one of Newfoundland’s oldest towns to life.
We began the following day by taking an iceberg and whale watch cruise where we enjoying watching plenty of whales in some rocky seas but we were told it was a bit late in the season for icebergs. That evening we headed over to the Twillingate Dinner Theater for some entertainment along with a nice Lobster dinner. Along with the scrumptious meal we enjoyed some great local music and skits offering an authentic taste and sound of Newfoundland. We were also lucky enough to be seated with six wonderful Newfoundlanders who kept us great company for the evening.
On Wednesday, August 2nd we headed back to our campground in Bishop’s Falls, two hours south of us. Along the way we decided to stop in at Dildo Provincial Park, about halfway back to our campground for a hike. We decided on the Blackhead Viewpoint Trail where we enjoyed a walk through thick boreal forest until we arrived at a point where we enjoyed an incredible view of Dildo Run and its 365 islands.
On the following day we headed to a campground in Eastport, near Terra Nova National Park where we spent our first full day taking a 4-mile round trip hike along the coastline and to a very nice waterfall.
On our second day in Eastport, we took a drive into Gander to visit the Noth Atlantic Aviation Museum which contained some very nice exhibits that explained Gander’s history, from construction of the world’s largest airport in the 1930’s to Gander’s role in the aftermath of 9/11.
We finished our day in Gander with a stop at the Silent Witness Memorial. The memorial marks the spot where, on December 12, 1985, a DC-8 carrying the 101st Airborne Division home from a peacekeeping mission in Cairo, Egypt for Christmas crashed, killing 256 American soldiers and civilian flight crew.
Our next day found us taking another couple of hikes in Terra Nova National Park. We began with a road trip up to the Blue Hill Vista, the highest point in the park. From there we could see Bonavista Bay with many of its islands We followed this with a short hike around a pond where we saw several beaver lodges and a beaver dam. Our highlight of the day was our final hike on the Mill Cove Lookout trail. This trail was absolutely worth doing for the views at the top alone. It was a nice walk through the woods and then through some rocks that lead us up the hill and some stairs to get us to the top. At the top we had a gorgeous view overlooking Mill Cove, Traytown, Culls Harbour and the Eastport Peninsula.
The next day was a travel day. It was quite windy and rainy as we packed up and prepared the motor home, drove the 80 miles to Charleston and it stayed that way as we set up camp. Too rainy to do anything so we stayed put at the campsite for the day.
On the following day, our only full day in Charleston, it remained drizzly and foggy. Regardless, we took an hour drive north to Bonavista. Bonavista is known for its rich maritime history, including its fishing heritage and the landing of John Cabot in 1497. We began our visit at Matthew Legacy Interpretation Centre where we were able to walk aboard a full-scale replica of John Cabot’s “Matthew” that sailed from Bristol, England in 1497. It was in amazing condition and was a highlight of our visit. We also stopped by the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse and walked a portion of the shoreline that displayed plenty of crashing surf on the rocks all around us.
Following Charleston, we arrived at our current location for a four-night stay. This is our final campground on Newfoundland before our 16 hour overnight ferry trip from Argentia back to North Sydney, Nova Scotia. This campground is in Holyrood, a short drive from the capital, St. John’s. As usual for this year’s trip the rainy weather has seemed to follow us so we spent our first day in St. John’s visiting historic Signal Hill in foggy and misty conditions. Signal Hill is a hill which overlooks the harbor and a breathtaking view of the city of St. John's. The top of the hill includes Cabot Tower, designated a National Historic Site. Due to its strategic placement overlooking the Narrows, it is the only entrance to the harbor and has fortifications dating back to the mid-17th century.
We spent yesterday making some more changes to our itinerary. Unfortunately, the poor weather we have encountered this trip along with the foreseeable forecast has finally gotten to us and we are ready to head back south. Last night was one of our worst nights with winds so strong we had to bring the RV slide in and it rained as hard as it has the entire trip. We’ve decided to keep our plans for the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton in Nova Scotia next week even though the forecast is for more rainy weather. From there we’ll make a couple of additional brief stops in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before heading down to Maine before slowly but surely making our way back to Texas. We’ll be back in Edinburg, Texas about two weeks earlier than planned with a revised estimated arrival date of 9/13.
We’ll be updating our photo album again shortly with the pictures we’ve taken while in Newfoundland but wanted to post this update now so you’ll all know the changes we’re making to our plans. The weather is unpredictable and we’ve been very lucky over the past ten years. We’ve enjoyed what we’ve seen this trip when the weather has cooperated but it’s time to head home.
Sunday, 9/3/2023 – Our last post told you all about our itinerary changes as we were about to head off on our scheduled ferry trip back to Nova Scotia. We arrived at the terminal about 1pm, boarded about 4pm, and sailed at 5pm. We were lucky enough to have an outside cabin with beds and a bathroom so we traveled comfortably. After a shower and some dinner, we settled in for the overnight trip. The seas were a bit rough but not as rough as we expected considering the high winds we had been having. We arrived in North Sydney at 9am and were on the road by 9:15, and then, being as early at it was, spent a couple of hours at Walmart before arriving at our campground in Baddeck just after noon. Finally, a sunny day, we relaxed and enjoyed a happy hour outside on our site.
On our first day at the campground, we visited the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site which contains the largest repository of artifacts and documents from Bell's years of experimental work in Baddeck. We finished this lovely day with a nice meal sitting outside on a dock along the banks of Bras d’or Lake followed by ice creams.
On our next day we began a two-day trip by car up and around the Cabot Trail, a scenic highway on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. It is a 186-mile loop around the northern tip of the island, passing along and through the Cape Breton Highlands and the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. We began with a nice breakfast overlooking the ocean followed by a stop at the visitor center. We then spent the day taking a couple of hikes including a beautiful 4-mile hike called Middle Head that followed a long, narrow peninsula separating two ocean bays and ending on headland cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. After checking into our hotel, we grabbed a bite to eat but weren’t ready to call it a night yet so we headed back out. We took a drive and stopped at several gorgeous overlooks along the shoreline and took a ride into the fishing village of White Point, located on the northeastern tip of the island. We arrived back at the hotel just as it was getting dark.
The following day we completed the loop around the Cabot trail that consisted of winding and hilly roads. We made many stops for short hikes and great overlooks of the shoreline as well as a stops to view the picturesque Beulach Ban Falls. We arrived back at our campground where the motor home was waiting by dinnertime.
On our next day we hit the road once again and arrived at a campground in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia for a three-night stay. Since our first day was a wash out, we stayed put except to do some laundry and head out for some dinner but our next day turned out to be lovely so we spent the day visiting the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site. The Citadel was an active military installation for over two hundred years and displayed how life was for British troops who lived there in the year 1869. Included were historic exhibits displaying the role of the Canadian military from the time British ruled until the present.
Following Shubenacadie we headed south to Lunenburg for a two day stop. We headed out on our first day there for a walk around the town. That turned out to be a great idea since it was a Sunday and there was a lively crowd as well as some live music. We walked along the docks and even climbed aboard the Bluenose II, a replica of the fishing and racing schooner Bluenose, commissioned and built in 1963 as a promotional yacht for Oland Brewery. We then enjoyed an incredible dinner at a restaurant on a balcony overlooking the harbor as the sun was beginning to set and the music still playing. This will be remembered as one of the best meals of our entire trip. The following day we returned to the village for a visit to the Fisheries Museum where we learned about the fishing heritage of the Atlantic coast of Canada.
At this point it was time to begin our trek back towards home with our first stop in Debert, Nova Scotia near the shoreline of the Bay of Fundy. While there we made a stop at Burntcoat Head Park, site of the world’s highest tide. We visited during low tide however so that we could walk along the floor of the ocean beside some beautiful rock formations that would be underwater during high tide. A few hours later we stopped at the Fundy Discovery Site where we witnessed an impressive tidal bore which is a tumbling wavefront which moves upstream in a river, announcing the arrival of an incoming tide.
Next it was time to revisit the home of our friends Frank and Sandra in Coverdale, New Brunswick. You may remember that we stopped there on our way into New Brunswick at the end of June but missed seeing Frank due to an unexpected medical issue. It was great to finally spend some time with him and great to see Sandra again. They were wonderful hosts and we were treated not only to their company but also to our best lobster dinner of the trip.
After saying goodbye to Frank & Sandra we headed off to our final campground in Canada, located in Hawkshaw, New Brunswick. We only stayed one night but we took a trip on our first day to visit the Hartland Covered Bridge, the world's longest covered bridge, at 1,282 feet long that crosses the Saint John River.
On Sunday, August 27th we were excited to finally return to the United States after crossing in Houlton, Maine. Unfortunately, that excitement turned to disappointment when our right rear inside tire blew out on us after less than an hour. We were in a remote area of Maine when the blow out occurred and we were on the interstate but we were able to get into the breakdown lane where we spent the next eight hours. Several of those hours were spent waiting on Good Sam to find someone to either tow us or make the tire repair. We finally got the help we needed from a State Trooper who gave us a couple of numbers to call. Finally, at about 5pm we were back on the road again with two new tires. Turns out if you blow a rear tire, both tires need to have comparable tread wear and if they are not, both need to be replaced.
Since we were not going to make it to our campground in Old Orchard Beach that night we found a campground near Bangor, Maine. It turned out that this campground was only seven miles from the tire company that repaired our tires the day before so we returned to them on Monday morning and had them replace the other two rear tires so that they would all be the same. After that, we were finally back on our way to Old Orchard Beach.
We only stayed one night at Old Orchard Beach instead of our planned two nights but we enjoyed the day we did have. We had lovely weather, walked from the campsite to the beach, strolled through the town and along the beach and enjoyed a quick lunch of fried clams and scallops. After a brief return to the campground, we walked back to the beach for a dinner out on the pier. This was a short but lovely way to enjoy our return to the states.
On Tuesday we returned to Camp Sawash, the home of my sister and her family where we are today. Here we’ve had a chance to relax and prepare for the final home stretch. Beginning tomorrow we’ll take eleven days and stay at eight campgrounds to cover the 2,300 miles along the route we selected to return to our Texas home. Most of the stops will be one-night overnighters but we will be stopping at a couple of campgrounds for two nights in order to visit the Kentucky Derby Museum near Louisville, Kentucky and do some sightseeing at Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area in western Kentucky. Our scheduled arrival date back in the Rio Grand Valley is September 14th.
Every year we look forward to hitting the road and every year we continue to love our life on the road but every year we also look forward to getting back home. It’s no different this year. It’s time to get back and settle in for the winter but while we’re there, we’ll also start planning for next year.
We’ll post an update once we’ve settled in at home. We’ll also be posting a new photo album as soon as possible. I’m hoping that will be in the next few days. Take care everyone & safe travels!!
3/31/2024 – Since our last update that was posted from Camp Sawash in Uxbridge, Massachusetts back on 9/3, we’ve come a long way. We arrived back at Sandpipers on September 14th following a long 2,245-mile ride that took us eleven days. The drive was uneventful and we did make two stops where we spent an extra day to take a break from driving.
After one-night stops in Phelps, New York; Conneaut, Ohio; and Marengo, Ohio, we made our first two-day stop in Shepherdsville, Kentucky where we were able to spend a day at the Kentucky Derby Museum and Racetrack. While there we learned about the history and heritage of the Kentucky Derby as we took our time walking among the exhibits within the museum as well as the racetrack itself where we enjoyed a guided walking tour.
The following day was our second two-day stop at an area called Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area located near Grand Rivers, Kentucky. Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area manages over 170,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and open lands on a peninsula between the scenic and expansive Kentucky and Barkley Lakes in Western Kentucky and Tennessee. While there we visited the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm where we walked among interpreters in period clothing going about their daily chores. Later, we got up close and personal with the natural world at the Woodlands Nature Station, nestled in the woods between lakes which serves as a gateway to an 8,500-acre Nature Watch Area.
Next it was back on the road again where we made one-night stops in West Memphis, Arkansas, Texarkana, Texas and Richmond, Texas before arriving back at our winter home in Edinburg, Texas.
Since our arrival back at our winter home here in Edinburg, Texas, we’ve stayed busy with doctor visits, chores around the house and a lot of socializing with our friends.
For those of you who have followed along with us on this web page over the past ten years, we are thankful. I know we haven’t been as diligent as we have been in the past with keeping up to date on the news and for that we apologize. With that said, we have decided to retire this web page. We’ll keep it around for sentimental reasons and probably refer to it now and then but will not be updated it going forward. We are looking into other options to keep our family and friends updated on where we are and what we’re doing so we’re not abandoning our love of sharing our travels. We’ve found a couple of apps we like that allow us to post pictures more frequently along with descriptions of where we are. It probably won’t be as extensive as what we’ve dome with this web site but it will be much more current and easier to access. If you are one of those people who would like to continue to follow along with us, please send an email to [email protected] asking us to keep you informed of our plans.
Along with this update, we have also updated our photo album with all the latest pictures and have updated our blog page. We have also moved our 2023 trip info from the “Where R We” page to the “Where Were We” page.
As we write these final words, ten years after we began this journey, we can look back with satisfaction at what we initially wanted to accomplish with this web site. Our primary goal was to provide an avenue for our family and friends to follow us on our journey. Along the way we learned that we also have followers who we never met but we appreciate having had you along for the ride. We never realized we could write so many words, share so many pictures and track so many miles. We will return now and then to look upon this web site with fond memories.
Thank you all for joining us on the ride. We hope to share more memories with you in the spring.
Safe travels to you all!!
Ed & Claudia
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