SUNDAY AT THE MOTOR HOME

Yesterday was one of those days where not much got accomplished, so not much to talk about. We were critically low on propane, so a short drive over to the propane filling station was one thing that got done. I spent a couple of hours washing the motor home, then I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the NASCAR Nationwide race from Montreal, and the Moto Grand Prix from Indianapolis. Patty did some walking in the park, then read her book most of the afternoon. Today, we're leaving Sami in the motor home, and driving to York for a tour of the Harley-Davidson Factory, then over to Gettysburg, to check out a few things that we missed the other day.

GETTYSBURG (sort of)

The weather forecast for the day was rain and thunderstorms. Normally, that wouldn't be the cause for celebration, but, in our case, if we want to go anywhere, and take Sami, cloudy skies are a good thing. Thinking that we would drive the hour or so to Gettysburg, and stay the remainder of the day, we loaded Sami in the jeep, and took off for this historic town and battlefield. We drove through some torrential downpours, but as we got closer to Gettysburg, the skies started to clear, and sunlight began to shine. When we arrived in town, and headed toward the visitors center, it was now full blown sun, with the temps in the mid 80's. After looking in the visitors center parking lot for some shade, and finding none, I knew this day was about sightseeing while driving. Even with the windows partially down, our black jeep becomes an oven in just a matter of minutes, so, there was no way we could park anywhere. We drove around the town, and followed an auto tour, where we took a couple of photos. We passed several museums, and historical sites that begged for further exploration. Today we're hanging at the motor home, but tomorrow, our plan is to leave Sami in the air conditioned motor home, and drive back to Gettysburg.

MOTOR HOME MAINTENANCE

The reason I didn't post anything yesterday morning, is we were up at 5am, on the road at 6, for a 7am appointment, 20 miles away in Harrisburg, PA, at Cummins Coach Care. Over the years, I've had good service at Coach Care facilities in Oregon and Indiana. The main purpose for the visit was to have the Dometic Refrigerator checked, because it wasn't working very well, when switched to propane. We've had so much trouble with this refer, this was just another chapter in the ongoing attempts to keep it working properly. When we were in Indiana, we had some work done to it, but there was still something else that was keeping it from working the way it's supposed to. This time, the tech found a turbo baffle in the gas chimney, that was burned and had partially disintegrated near the bottom. According to Dometic, this could be the reason it wasn't working right. So, the old baffle was modified and put back in, a new one ordered, and it should be here the first of next week. Patty and I are keeping our fingers crossed, that this will be the problem solver. While at Cummins, I had the chassis lubed, the oil & filter changed, and had the cooling system flushed with new coolant added. While there, I was going to have new shocks installed, that were supposed to be shipped from a company in Michigan. They were ordered on Monday, and should have been there for our Friday appointment. When we arrived, no shocks. I called the company, and they said your credit card didn't go through, so we didn't ship the shocks. When asked why they didn't call me to confirm the card number, the response was that they should have but didn't. I ended the conversation by telling them that a simple phone call could have saved them a $654 sale. Turns out they transposed 2 numbers, thus, the card didn't work. It's not hard to see why so many business's just don't make it.
It's rainy and overcast today, so not sure what's on the agenda for the weekend.

A VISIT WITH BOB, SHIRL, DAVE & ELAINE

We left early in the morning, for the 2 hour drive from Hershey, to the Williamsport, PA area. We had arranged to meet Bob & Shirl, who would guide us to Dave & Elaine's house. We arrived at Dave & Elaines house that sits on 90+ acres of beautiful property, and had a nice visit. When we first started on the drag race circuit in 2002, Patty worked with Dave, and I worked with Elaine at the first race of the year in Pomona. We have always been grateful for their patience and understanding, in introducing us to a lifestyle that we thoroughly enjoyed for 2 years. It's been a rough year, with Dave's diagnosis of cancer, and all of the subsequent treatments. They both looked great, and have a positive attitude for the future. From there, we drove about an hour to Bob & Shirl's house that also is beautiful acreage near Trout Run, PA. They fixed a nice dinner for us, and it was so great to sit down and visit without the hustle & interruptions at the race track. When we began the 02 race season, Bob & Shirl were managing the Nitro Mall, and when they got their beagle puppy Hunter, in 2003, Sami's motherly instinct took over, and it was really fun to watch the two of them together. Bob & Shirl are in their 2nd year with Lucas Oil, and it seems to be a great partnering for both parties. There were a lot of people who made us feel like part of the family, when we were pulling the Harley-Davidson merchandise trailer with our motor home, but Bob & Shirl were right at the top of the list, and we will always be thankful for their friendship.

HERSHEY's

From our Thousand Trails RV Park, it's only about 10 miles into Hershey, PA, where Milton Hershey built his chocolate empire. In addition to the actual Hershey Plant, there's an amusement park, Chocolate World, a zoo, and a museum. We weren't interested in roller coasters, so we started with a visit to Chocolate World where we rode on a ride that told the story of how the many Hershey products are actually made. It was kind of like a haunted house ride where you sit in a car that follows a track, and with lots of high tech stuff, the story unfolds as to how the many Hershey products are actually made. After a purchase in the gift shop for our grand daughter, we took the shuttle over to the museum. The story of Milton H Hershey is a fascinating tale of a man who thought as much about his workers as he did his successful business. He founded a school for orphans, that is still going strong, and a huge success today. We drove by Penn State University Med School and teaching hospital, also founded by Hershey. He built affordable homes for his workers, and sold them at low prices, even doing the financing himself. His legacy, is an empire that goes way beyond a successful business, and it was fun to learn his story. We'll probably go back and check out the zoo in the next few days. This morning, we're driving a couple of hours to visit with our friends, Bob & Shirl, with a stop at to see Dave & Elaine.

MAIL DAY

Not much to write about yesterday. We drove about 10 miles to Lebanon, and picked up our box of mail. Then, it was down the road a ways to a Super Wal-Mart for some groceries. Most of the afternoon was spent going through the mail, paying a few bills, then watching the Reading Drag Race that I recorded on Sunday. I wrote yesterday that when we were in the Budweiser Top Fuel pit on Sunday, that it looked like Brandon Bernstein won his first round race, due to the crew hustling to tear down the motor. In watching the race, I was wrong. He lost first round, and the crew was just getting the car ready for the next race. It's pretty amazing to watch one of the fuel teams completely rebuild a motor, change the clutch, and do an assortment of other things, in about 30-45 minutes. Today, we may drive into Hershey, and see what that's all about.

RACE FRIENDS

Yesterday was a day for visiting with many of our friends on the N.H.R.A. Drag Racing Circuit, who were working at the Reading, PA Race. We drove about 40 miles to the track, arriving about 10 am. Even though it has been 6 years since we pulled the Harley-Davidson merchandise trailer, our part time involvement with the company (MainGate) we contracted with, has kept us in touch with what we call our race family. First, we stopped to visit with Bob & Shirl who work for Lucas Oil and pull their merchandise trailer. They also have a Beagle, who was a puppy when we finished the season in 2003. They have a home a couple of hours from here, and we're driving up to visit on Wednesday. Thanks Bob, for the great deal on fuel conditioner. Next, was a stop at the National Dragster trailer to chat with Kurt & Phyllis. They also work for MainGate, and Kurt's job of keeping the trailers stocked with the National Dragster publication, is in my opinion, one of the best jobs at the track. Down the row of Top Fuelers, we stopped at Kenny & Brandon Bernstein's Budweiser hospitality trailer to visit with Frank & Suzie. For a couple of years, we partnered with Frank & Suzie at the Vegas Rodeo, and it was indeed a pleasure working with, and getting to know them. As the lunch crowd started to drift in, the Budweiser top fueler rolled back into the pit, and it was evident that Brandon won first round, because in about 10 minutes, the crew had the engine completely torn down. Next, a quick stop at the Budweiser merchandise trailer to say hi to Cat & Sam. Down the row a little farther, we stopped briefly to visit with Dave & Betty. They work a MainGate general merchandise trailer, and started right after we did in 2002. They work a different shift at the Vegas Rodeo, so Dave has been kind enough to take Sami out for a walk before he & Betty go to work. A stop at the John Force merchandise trailer gave us a chance to say hi to Steve & Carol. Glad to see Carol is on the road to recovery after spinal surgery. One of the couples that go back before we started, is Mike & Robbie. They work the Skoal merchandise trailer and as was the case with most of our visits, everyone was working, so we didn't have a lot of time to visit. An unexpected surprise was meeting Rich, who used to supervise one of the Nitro Malls. He, like us, no longer works the circuit, but, he just happened to be in the area. Patty quickly gave Vicki a hug in the Nitro Mall, but didn't get a chance to talk. A quick hi to Ken & Diana at their MainGate merchandise trailer, and a real quick hi to Eva, and it was time to head for the gate. We were at the track until early afternoon, then left in time to beat the traffic. It was a great day seeing all of our friends. Many thanks to Jim, Ned, Ron and Brandon from MainGate, who authorized & put the tickets at will call for us.

SHADY MAPLE SMORGASBORD

Back in 2002, our race friends introduced us to the Shady Maple Smorgasbord in Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, prior to the N.H.R.A. Drag Race in Reading, PA. When we returned to this race in 2003, the Shady Maple was well entrenched on our radar screen, and we once again dined at this huge Amish eating establishment. How huge is it you say? Since we were last there in 2003, they have expanded the building, and it now seats up to 2,200 people at a time. After getting settled in at the Thousand Trails near Hershey, PA, we drove the approx. 25 miles to the Shady Maple, and dined on the best Amish prepared food that I have been dreaming about for 6 years! Naturally, one tends to over eat at buffets, especially when the food is soooooooo good. We ate at about 1pm, and that was enough for the rest of the day. I'm sure there will be another visit or two during the 2 weeks that we will be parked here. Tomorrow, we're driving over to Maple Grove Raceway, and will get to visit with some old friends during the N.H.R.A. Reading race.

DRIVING THRU ME, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY & PA

The last 2 days have been mostly about driving, and trying to dodge severe thunderstorms and hurricanes. After leaving our campground near Bar Harbor, Maine, we drove along the coast for most of way, before stopping on the outskirts of Boston. Some of the coastal towns, like Camden, Maine, pictured above, are right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. On one stretch in southern Maine, and New Hampshire, we drove on a 50 mile section of toll road, and after passing thru 3 toll booths, those two states are now $15.50 richer. Rather than deal with Boston rush hour traffic, I parked first at a Wal-Mart, but when checking with the security patrol, we moved next door to a Home Depot, which had a lot more room in their parking lot. Much like when we traveled around the country with the N.H.R.A. Drag Race Family, one of our most watched TV stations has been the Weather Channel. With Hurricane Bill due to pass the east coast in a couple of days, and a weather front with severe thunderstorms moving toward us from the west, I decided to get going early, and drive to our next destination, the Thousand Trails (TT) near Hershey, PA. Most of this 2nd day of driving was on freeways, and a lot of it was in the corridor between Boston and New York City. There's lots of traffic, but despite some horror stories told to me by other RV'ers, these freeways aren't much different than any others. We did pass by one horrible accident where an SUV pulling a travel trailer had overturned in the median, and there were 3 ambulances either there or passed us en route to the accident scene. We made it to a very nice TT just outside Hershey, PA, and we will be here for the next 2 weeks. Our refrigerator is acting up again, so that will be one of the priorities while we are here. Hopefully, there is a good Dometic service business in the area.

BAR HARBOR, MAINE

Our 4th, and last day on Mount Desert Island, was spent in the small town of Bar Harbor. On the first day, we drove through town but didn't stop, because it was Sunday, and the crowds of people seemed to be huge. Yesterday, there were still a lot of people, but we found a parking place right on Main Street, and we window shopped up and down the several block long main tourist area. There were some unique gift shops, specializing in nautical items, and then there were the usual T-shirt stores. The village sits above Bar Harbor, which has a very picturesque marina area, that was full of activity. When you walk around town, you see all of the different state license plates on cars, and I think the majority of non Maine cars were from New York. I bet our jeep was the only Alaska plate in town, and caused there to be a comment or two. We have found that the Alaska plates on the motor home and jeep, are very often the conversation starter, particularly when we are in an RV park. This morning, we hit the road for about 3 days, before checking into the Thousand Trails Preserve in Hershey, PA. We'll be doing mostly motor home sightseeing, and hopefully, will be parked at Hershey, before Hurricane Bill decides whether to impact the east coast, or stay out at sea.

THE ISLAND'S QUIET SIDE

Mount Desert Island has a split personality. The east side of the island is home to the town of Bar Harbor and the headquarters of Acadia National Park. Two days ago, we toured this part of the island, and there's lots of people and traffic. Yesterday, we drove the loop on the west side of the island, and what a difference. The locals call the west side, the "quiet side". We stopped at Bass Harbor and had a nice lunch at the Seafood Ketch Restaurant, on their deck overlooking the harbor. At another location, where I took the picture of Patty, we walked around the rocks and checked out a bunch of tide pools as the tide was on the way out. It was another beautiful day, temperatures around 90, and lots of sunshine. Today is our last day at Patten Pond RV Park, and I'm trying to make plans for heading south. We're certainly keeping an eye on Hurricane Bill that is heading for the east coast. As of last night, the forecast consensus is that it may brush the north Atlantic Coast, but is not expected to be a direct hit. Where ever it decides to go, may have a direct effect on our travel plans. Today, it's back to the town of Bar Harbor for some more exploring and sightseeing.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

One of the few advantages of being 62 or older, is the one time fee of $10 for a senior passport. This pass gets us into most all federal parks, national monuments, and even a few state parks for free. With entrance fees at National Parks climbing faster than the federal budget deficit, our senior passes have saved us a few bucks on this trip. Acadia National Park occupies the majority of land on Mount Desert Island, and yesterday, after stopping at the visitors center, we drove the loop road through the park. A couple of unique things about Acadia is that it was the first National Park east of the Mississippi, and almost all of the land was donated to the government by private citizens. We stopped at several vista areas and despite lots of people and cars, it was an enjoyable afternoon. I payed for a couple of extra nights at this RV park, so we intend to head back to the island today, and perhaps tomorrow. Our vision of the Maine coast, with small fishing villages, rocky coast line, lots of lobster houses, etc., is playing out for us in this area. Now, if the weather temperatures would cool back down into the 70's, everything would be perfect!

BAR HARBOR MAINE

The locals have been telling us that summer has finally arrived. The temperature's are now in the high 80's, low 90's, and yesterday was a beautiful day. We drove into Bar Harbor, (about 25 miles), and took a drive around part of Mt. Desert Island, which is the 3rd largest island on the east coast, behind Long Island and Nantucket Island. About 2/3 of the island is part of Acadia National Park, and as you can probably imagine, the scenery is magnificent. Yesterday being Sunday, we didn't attempt to explore the town of Bar Harbor due to the crowds. But, in the next few days, I'm sure we'll get to know the area much better. We did stop at Seal Cove Harbor where I took the picture from a small wharf. On the way off the island, we stopped for a late lunch of fresh Maine Lobster. As is the case at many eating establishments in this area, they cook the lobster on the premises, and these restaurants are called lobster pounds. As you can see, they serve the lobster intact, and you have to get at the good stuff on your own. Except for one almost disastrous fumbling of the crustacean, I got the thing apart, and boy, was it good.
Patty had a lobster stew with salad, and both meals came to $30. When we got back to the motor home, I turned on the 2nd air conditioner, and settled in to watch some Sunday afternoon sports.

MAINE COAST

Before leaving the Wal-Mart in Calais, Maine, I picked up a few things inside, then we headed south on the coastal route, US Hwy 1. From Calais, which is just over the Canadian border, to our next destination near Bar Harbor, the distance was only about 125 miles. We drove through several small towns on the Maine coast, like Machias in the picture above. This weekend was their annual wild blueberry festival, and there were vendors everywhere. The heavy traffic was actually kind of nice, in that we just crept along very slowly, giving us a chance to really look at what was happening. Parking was almost non-existent, especially for our 55 feet of motor home and jeep, so we didn't stop. Naturally, Sami was in her usual spot on the dash, and it's always fun to watch peoples reaction when they see her sitting in that huge window. A smile is almost universal. We arrived at Patten Pond RV Park in Ellsworth, just a little past noon. I had not made a reservation, so was hoping that they had room, and they did. This is a Passport America Park, much nicer than the last, with a mix of family tent camping and RV's. It even has it's own private lake, that's big enough for ski boats and other water toys. Speaking of boats, Marc, Chandra, and our grand daughter Laila, flew back to Augusta, GA for an annual lake party that Mike & Amy put together each year. Hey Mike & Marc.................return your dad's phone call! Hope you're having a great time.

HOPEWELL ROCKS

On our drive out of New Brunswick, we took a side trip to the Hopewell Cape, and more specifically, the Hopewell Rocks. This area is on the north side of the Bay of Fundy, and the tidal changes are even more dramatic than on the south side of the Bay. We arrived at about 12:30, and the low tide was scheduled for 12:58. By the time we walked down to the rocks, sometimes called the "flower pots", the tide was all the way out. When the tide is all the way in, (about 6 hrs later), the seafloor where Patty is walking, is covered by about 5-10 feet of water. The average difference between high and low tide is 36 feet, and can be over 50 feet vertical! That's about twice as much as the tides in Skagway, Alaska, where we spent 4 summers. We kicked around the idea of hanging out for 5-6 hours, so we could snap a picture of the tide all the way in, but decided to move on down the road. The temperatures are now up into the mid 80's, and the dash A/C was having a hard time keeping up. We made it to the U.S. Border at Calais, Maine on the coast, and crossed with only the standard questions being asked. Once back in the U.S., I needed to get fuel for the motor home, which was down below 1/4 on the fuel gauge. I only got diesel once in Nova Scotia, and paid $3.51 a gallon. Yesterday, the price was $2.71, and when you need about 100 gallons, that's a substantial difference. We found the local Wal-Mart in Calais, and pulled into an almost empty parking lot. This morning about 6 other RV'rs had found our parking place. The next few days, we'll be traveling along the Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts coasts, with a stop somewhere near Bar Harbor, Maine.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

The drive from the mainland of New Brunswick, to Prince Edward Island (PEI) is across the 8 mile long Confederation Bridge. There's also ferry service to the island, but the RV is parked near the bridge, and an impressive bridge it is! After crossing, we started an afternoon long drive in the jeep, around the center of the island, to include the capitol of Charlottetown. I purposely took as many roads as possible that were near the ocean, and everywhere we drove, there were lots of impressive farms and beautifully landscaped properties. There must be some sort of secret code in Nova Scotia and PEI that says, "thou shalt not have an unkempt property". The pride that people take in their property is almost universal, which makes for a great sight seeing drive. I mentioned to Patty that the long harsh winters must be the motivation for people to get out in their yards, doing landscaping, planting flowers and vegetables, and enjoying the sunshine. We stopped at several places, including a small charter fishing business that served lobster sandwiches. Of course, we both had one, and they were OK, but not the big lobster tail that most of us are familiar with. We stopped and watched a group of kids jumping off a bridge, and they appeared to be having big fun on a Thursday afternoon. The photo of Patty and Sam is at a beach on the north side of the island, with the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the background. The only downside to visiting PEI is the bridge toll. Going onto the island there is no toll, however, when you leave, the toll for 2 axles is $42.50! The drive and the scenery was worth much more than that, but, as far as tolls, that's one of the highest in North America. In fact, as we were driving on the island, we were listening to Flash Phillips on Sirius Radio, (the 60's) and he was talking to a truck driver who had just paid a $65 toll! It was a great day, with great weather and great company.........life is good!

THE GOOD & BAD

The Evangeline Family Campground, where we last stayed for 3 nights, was a nice, well maintained RV park, with a mix of permanent RV's, and spaces for folks like us. We enjoyed our time there, particularly because of its proximity to the Bay of Fundy. Patty walked over to the beach (actually mud flats), more than I did, but it was fun to watch the huge tides come and go. Yesterday, we drove about 3 hours to near the border of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where we pulled into an RV park where I had previously made a reservation. Both of the these parks are part of the Passport America program, of which we are members. We pay a little under $50 a year to belong, and that gets us access to over 1,000 RV parks in the U.S. and Canada, at one half the normal price. Most of the time it's a good deal, but, not always. I won't mention the name of this park, but it is NOT well maintained, it is old, and isn't much more than a place to park with hookups. That's normally OK for us, because we don't need swimming pools, game rooms, bingo, etc. However, upon entering the park (about 1/4 mile off the highway), I rounded a corner and the tree branches were hanging so low, that there was no way I could avoid them. I guess I could have stopped, unhooked the jeep and backed up, but I didn't. Instead, I kept going, and put some nice scratches along the top left side of the motor home. When I got to the office, it's probably a good thing that no one was there, because in my mind there's no excuse for that kind of neglect. Anyway, we're here, the mosquito's are terrible, but we're close to Prince Edward Island, and that's our destination today & probably tomorrow.

HALIFAX

It was a foggy, rainy day, until late afternoon when we returned to the motor home. The drive into Halifax was about an hour on the expressway. Once we entered the city, the GPS in the jeep became very useful, as the downtown streets are narrow, and many are one way. We made our way to the harbor area, and our main goal was to visit the Maritime Museum. It was OK, but after the outstanding Maritime Museum in Astoria, OR, I think any future ones will be anti-
climatic. The ship in the background with Patty, is part of the museum, and tied to the dock adjacent to where occasional cruise ships park for the day. We walked around the downtown waterfront area, and even located a full blown casino, a few blocks from the museum. Due to the fact it was a heavy fog, or light rain, we didn't venture too far from where we parked the jeep. It was nice to see some of the old buildings, and the activity at the heart of the city, but I was ready to leave after a few hours. On the drive back, once we were out of the city, I ventured off the expressway, and took Hwy 1 most of the way back. We passed through a few small towns, and for me, these small towns provide some of the most interesting scenery. In Windsor, where there were several large murals, including the one pictured, I stopped at Scotia Bank, and exchanged US currency $1.06, for Canadian $1.00. I also filled up the jeep for the first time in Canada, and when you convert liters to gallons, and Canadian to US $, the breakdown per gallon of regular gasoline was $3.80 per gallon. We had previously filled up the motor home in Nova Scotia, and it converted to $3.51 per gallon of diesel. A little more expensive for fuel in Canada, and similar to the last year (07) we drove through British Columbia on our way to Alaska. The blue sign is posted about 2 miles from our RV park, and is on the original land that the Acadians reclaimed from the Tidal Flats. Today, we move from this park to another one near the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick border, where we will be a few miles from the bridge to Prince Edward Island.

THE ACADIANS

The first group of European settlers to Nova Scotia, arrived in 1604, and were mostly from France. They called the land Acadia, and themselves, Acadians. From 1604 to 1755, the rule of Nova Scotia changed between France and England 7 times. The Acadians were peaceful, self sufficient people, who tried to remain neutral during the power struggle between the two countries. In 1755, England was in control, and it was decided that because the Acadians would not sign a pledge of allegiance to the King, they would have to be forcefully deported. Thousands of these early Canadian settlers were placed on boats like cattle, and shipped to several of the early American Colonies. All of this history is on display at the Grand Pre National Historic Site near where our campground is located. We watched a video re-enactment of the "Deportation", and learned much more about this sad history of a people who just wanted to be left alone. Eventually, some of the exiled Acadians returned to Nova Scotia, and the Acadian flag is seen everywhere. We drove around the area, and found ourselves on a high ridge that overlooked much of the area where the original Acadians settled, and began reclaiming some of the tidal flats for farming. The photo shows much of this reclaimed land that is actually below sea level. The church is on the grounds of the Grand Pre site, and the picture doesn't do justice to the full wall of stained glass. Today, we're off in the jeep to Halifax, for a day of exploring the capitol of Nova Scotia.

BAY OF FUNDY

We got parked in the Land of Evangeline Family Campground (Passport America Park), and walked a short distance to the Bay of Fundy, where I snapped this picture of Patty and Sami. I just happened to catch Sam with her tongue out. Maybe she was trying to tell me something? Anyway, we sat and watched the tide come in, and I mean that literally. The tides on the Bay of Fundy, have the largest fluctuation between high and low, of anywhere in the world. As much as around 50 feet vertical! We walked back to this same spot about 7 hours later, and it was a huge mud flat, but I didn't get a picture, because I forgot the camera. Nearby where I took this picture, there was a local band playing some pretty good music. It was gospel oriented, and the singer was actually quite good. We'll be parked here for 3 or 4 days, which will give us some time to use the jeep, and do some exploring. One of the days, we'll drive about an hour into Halifax, (Nova Scotia Capitol), and see what we can discover there. I've learned that the back roads here are not a good fit with the motor home, so any future back roads exploring will have to be done with the jeep. After a beautiful day yesterday, sunny, in the mid 70's, this morning it's raining. The vehicles are getting quite dirty, and I was thinking about doing some cleaning, so, perhaps my thoughts are what caused the rain. Usually, the rain starts after I'm finished washing the vehicles.

THE ATLANTIC

Our goal yesterday, was to drive around most of southern Nova Scotia in the motor home. We did just that, putting on about 300 miles, and seeing some very picturesque settings, especially along the ocean. After passing the outskirts of Halifax, I got off the main highway (103), and took the first back road towards the Atlantic. As I mentioned previously, the back roads are very narrow, and also they are often very poorly maintained. I drove two loops along the ocean, and even though the scenery was pretty awesome, the motor home was taking a beating. When we returned to the main highway, I vowed to stay on it, but when we rounded the southern tip, I took Hwy 1 along the Bay of Fundy, and it turned out to be narrow, but in much better condition. We drove along the coast for about 35 miles, and it was a great drive. At the end of the day, we found a Wal-Mart to park for the night. From about the time we entered Canada, our new Winegard Satellite TV antenna has not been able to lock onto the HD satellite, so, we have been without high definition for the first time since we left Oregon. Other than that, the new antenna has worked perfectly, a huge improvement over the King Dumb we had before. Today, we check into an RV park for a few days, and that will give us time to do some exploring in the jeep.

NOVA SCOTIA

When it comes to highways, there isn't much difference between the US and Canada. As we drove across New Brunswick toward Nova Scotia, I couldn't help but think how similar the two systems are. Just before you enter Nova Scotia, the freeway traverses a narrow land mass, kind of like a bottleneck, where there are very little other options if you want to go east or west. Here's where the Canadians think exactly like the Americans, they built an approx. 10 mile toll road through this bottleneck. At $4 a car, $5.25 an RV, and $15 for an 18 wheeler, I think it's safe to say that this toll road has paid for itself many times over. We stopped at the Nova Scotia Visitors Center, and picked up a bunch of reading material. As we scan through these brochures and booklets, it's obvious that we'll never see it all, not even close! This trip is about seeing things and places that interest us, and taking the time to do some exploring. Some of the neatest things we have discovered, have been when we just took a road to see what was around the corner, and stumbled across something that turned out to be very interesting. Several small town museums have been some of the best finds. We passed by Halifax and started our southern loop around Nova Scotia. I ventured off the main highway near Chester, to get closer to the Atlantic Ocean, but, even though we traveled very close to the water, the road was very narrow and bumpy. The views were great, but I decided that the motor home and my nerves couldn't take a lot of miles on these narrow roads, so, after a few miles, we returned to the main road, and stopped for the night in Bridgewater.

THE MARITIME PROVINCES

Our goal to see the New England States, and the Canadian Maritime Provinces is finally starting to happen. We crossed from Maine into New Brunswick on I95, and the upper left photo was typical of the scenery, as we drove east toward Nova Scotia. During our 4 summers in Alaska, we crossed the US/Canadian border countless times, so it's no big deal to us. This crossing was very routine, with the usual questions being asked. After we crossed the border, the first order of business was to exchange US for Canadian currency. Wouldn't you know it, the exchange rate has fallen recently, and yesterday, I got $1.04 Canadian for $1.00 U.S. Just a couple of weeks ago, the rate was around $1.16. We stopped at the New Brunswick Visitors Center, and picked up a whole bunch of literature regarding attractions, camping, etc. It's easy to see, that we're not going to see everything, there just isn't enough time. Our plan is to first drive the southern loop of Nova Scotia, taking 2 or 3 days. When we get back near Halifax, we have a reservation at a Passport America RV Park for several days. When there, we will be able to explore Halifax and the surrounding area a little more thoroughly with the jeep. Today, we will get our first look at the Atlantic, as we get into Nova Scotia, and head south along the Coast.

DRIVING ACROSS MAINE

We pulled out of the Mount Washington COG Railway parking lot, not too long after watching the fox make its way through the area. Our drive east was through the White Mountains, and back onto our favorite road, US Hwy 2. Except for one area of road construction, this highway continues to be an excellent choice for scenery and small towns. A couple of years ago, after leaving Alaska, and re-entering the U.S. in Montana, we drove east on US 2 all the way into Michigan. With this last stretch, we have just about driven across the country on this northern US Route. I drove about 300 miles, and we stopped in Lincoln, Maine, at you guessed it.......a Wal-Mart. Since we are kind of off the beaten path, and there were no other RV's in the parking lot, I went in and checked with the manager, to make sure it was OK to park overnight. Recently, there was an attempt by the Maine politicians to ban overnight RV parking, so that was another reason I wanted to make sure it was OK. Normally, when there are other RV's, and no signs posted prohibiting overnight parking, I don't ask for permission. The manager told me it was fine to park, and directed me to a far corner of the parking lot. The photo is of the Mount Washington Hotel, and it truly is a magnificent example of a grand old destination resort. Today, we will continue a little farther on Hwy 2, then cross the Canadian border into New Brunswick, then on to Nova Scotia. When we cross the border, we'll be in the Atlantic Time Zone, 4 hours later than AZ Standard Time. Again, the blog is on AZ time, so the post times have been 3 hours later, and starting tomorrow, with Internet access, will be 4 hours later.

MT. WASHINGTON, N.H.

The Mount Washington COG Railway was our tourist thing yesterday, and it was quite a ride! It is the first COG Railway in the world, completed in 1869, and to this day, is the 2nd steepest. We departed the depot at 9am, which is located at approx. 3,700 feet above sea level. When we reached the top of Mount Washington about an hour later, we had climbed to 6,288 feet. One of the interesting facts we learned at the summit was, the highest recorded winds in the world were reached at the top of Mount Washington in 1937, at 231 mph!
That would be just a tad breezy. The visitors center included the usual stuff, a gift shop, a restaurant, and even an honest to goodness post office. I'm sure the one man post office with it's own zip code, is there just for the tourists, but it was kind of unique. Since our friends, Everett & Lori East from Jamestown, CA live next to the Sierra RR, Patty picked up a post card and mailed it to them. We waited our turn at the sign, and after taking some photos of other groups, we had someone take our picture at the very top of the mountain. After we got back to the motor home at about noon, we drove toward Conway, N.H. and just took in the beautiful scenery. We have been in the White Mountains of New Hampshire for the past 4 days, and it really is a pretty area. The mountains aren't dramatic like the Sierras or the Rockies, but all of the rivers, lakes, and especially the multiple 100 + year old resorts, add to the uniqueness of the region. We spent our 2nd night in the RR parking lot, and this morning as I'm writing this, watched a little fox walk through the area twice. Today, we will cross into Maine, and get close to the Canadian Border by tonight. Not sure what to expect in Canada, regarding phone & Internet service, so there might be some blank blog days in the future.

ANOTHER RAILROAD

Not just any old railroad, the Mount Washington COG Railway climbs a mountain! This little engineering marvel has been on my radar screen for quite some time, and yesterday at about noon, we pulled into the lower parking lot, reserved for mostly RV's. I had previously purchased our tickets online, for this mornings 9 am train, which is the only one of the day that you are guaranteed to have a steam engine pushing your car up the hill. We spent a couple of hours at the depot, watching the engines with one car, depart on the hour. It appears that the steam engine does a round trip every 3 hours, and 2 other diesels round out the hourly departures. Also at the depot, we walked through the museum and learned how this mountain climbing railroad came to be. It's a pretty neat story, and continues to be a popular attraction, about 140 years after it first began to operate. We'll probably hang out here after the train ride, and set sail tomorrow morning for Maine, then in a couple of days, cross the Canadian border into the Maritime Provinces

N.H. WHITE MOUNTAINS

We only moved about 5 miles, from the Littleton, N.H. Wal-Mart, to an RV Park for the night. Today we're off to Mount Washington, which is a little deeper into the White Mountain Region. The first COG Railway in the world, was built in 1866, for the purpose of taking people to the top of the tallest mountain in New Hampshire, and that is our specific destination. They also allow RV's to overnight in their parking lot so, we'll probably be there for a night or two. Our connection to the Internet at this location is really bad, but at least we're able to get on line. No pictures yesterday. We did some house cleaning, laundry, and watched a couple of movies, as the rain was a bit on the heavy side for most of the afternoon.

BEN & JERRY'S

At the very center of the ice cream world is the Ben & Jerry's Factory, in Waterbury, Vermont. And yes, we stopped at this holy grail for ice cream lovers, where we took the tour, and of course, were forced to sample some of the ice cream!
It's no secret that, over the years, my Ben & Jerry's habit has probably contributed significantly to the success of this world wide operation. During the 4 summers we spent in Skagway, Alaska, even the small grocery store would stock Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. Well, yesterday, even though they weren't making ice cream, we learned how it's made, and a little about how the companies founders, got Ben & Jerry's started. On the way out, I picked up a T shirt that proclaimed on the front, that I had taken the official Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour. As the shirt says.............Peace, Love & Ice Cream!
Our drive yesterday was absolutely magnificent, as we crossed from New York to Vermont, then into New Hampshire. We had a reservation at a Passport America RV park, but when we arrived, it was dense forest, and not very Big Rig friendly. The RV sites were not big enough, and we would have not been able to hit the satellite through the trees. We moved down the road to a Wal Mart in Littleton, N.H., and made a reservation, starting tonight at another local RV Park.

UPSTATE NEW YORK

The weather forecast for yesterday predicted lots of rain, so I tried to stay one more day at the Niagara Lazy Lakes RV Park. I didn't think there was any sense driving in the rain if I didn't have to, right? It seems that the Canadians celebrate some sort of holiday this weekend, and the park was booked completely full, so we got a polite sorry, but please get the hell out! Expecting to drive on wet roads, we set sail for upstate New York. Once again, the great weather sage was wrong, and we drove all day without a single drop of moisture hitting the windshield. Our route east and then north was first on Hwy 104, which turned out to be a great back road, passing through small towns, and not a lot of traffic. There were countless road side vegetable stands, some self serve, and some that were full blown businesses. Most homes were neat as a pin, with nicely manicured yards, and most had some sort of garden. We have commented several times that almost without exception, people take a lot of pride in their property, and it shows. When we got to I81, we turned north for a short distance, then northeast on US 11. It was on US 11 that we came over a hill, and saw flashing red and blue lights up ahead of a long line of stopped vehicles. Thinking we were about to pass by some sort of traffic accident, we crept along. When we got to the Police vehicles, I took this photo, which shows the New York State Police standing in the middle of the road. When I stopped next to them, I, like I'm sure everyone else, asked what was going on? The reply was a random check for things like registration. I was disappointed that he didn't say they were looking for a bank robber, or a prison escapee, or the worst of all, a corrupt politician. Our stop for the night was, yep, you guessed it, a Super Wally World in Malone, N.Y. Tomorrow, a much anticipated stop at the Ben & Jerry's factory in Vermont, Yipeeee!