Irondequoit, NY
Sept. 4, 2018
We’re all packed up and so tomorrow morning we’ll throw it all in the trunk of the panzer, level it off with a broom handle, take everything that falls out back into the house and then leave town. I can’t wait to tell the Canadian customs officer that we have a shotgun with us. I know we have one because daddy says I can ride it all day tomorrow.
Quebec City, Quebec
Sept. 5, 2018
Drove the scenic route to Quebec, where I am known as Le Petit Tye Bo. Passed a sign in someone’s yard that said ‘Welcome to somewhere’ -obviously an attempt by the owner to raise his own self-esteem. We’re now ensconced in our first Airbnb. We’re hoping the Murphy bed is not subject to his law. We also discovered a new sexual orientation at dinner
Park National de la Jacques Cartier, Quebec
Sept. 6, 2018
First hike! Jacques Cartier National Park. For added adventure we picked up a hitchhiker on the way to the trailhead. Nice French boy. The trail was marked as ‘advanced’ so a great way to ease back in. Four miles up the mountain for some fantastic valley views. No carrier for me, I hiked the whole way except the muddy parts. Porcupine sighting too.
Quebec City, Quebec
Sept. 7, 2018
Quebec City dates from the early 1600’s and probably wasn’t always a tourist trap. When we arrived a cruise ship had docked and a world class bike race was in progress. Alternately interested in and inconvenienced by the race, we watched the cruise passengers randomly move around like giant roombas vacuuming up the crap offered by the local sellers
Saint Andrews, New Brunswick
Sept. 8, 2018
After some nice French pastries, we headed south, back across the St. Lawrence and then east along the northern and eastern perimeter of Maine, finally ending up here at the Bay of Fundy. Big potato growing region along the way so we stopped for the best French fries in the world, freshly cut and deep fried for us by the same people who grew them.
Saint Andrews, New Brunswick
Sept. 9, 2018
Playground of FDR as a young buck, now a fading Marriott cash cow, the Algonquin Resort stands proud still. A veranda breakfast (Tim Horton’s, natch) with hungover wedding guests followed up by quaint bay town strolling with good mornings to all. A walk through Kingsbrae Gardens was the highlight with a lovely cafe lunch. Wash, rinse, nap, repeat.
Saint Martin, New Brunswick
Sept. 10, 2018
Moved the operation northeast along the Bay of Fundy, stopping to hike some of the Fundy Trail. We graduated to ‘challenging’ in our hike choice(read: Terrifying) Cable assists and then a climb of 360 ‘stairs’ up a wooded cliff face yielded spectacular views of the coast and a nice walk in the woods to finish the loop. Crap local food as the reward
Sackville, New Brunswick
Sept. 11, 2018
My favorite day so far. We’re ensconced in our charming little Airbnb house in this small university town. It rained all day so we just lazed around practicing our relaxation techniques. I did some downward dog, but that was about it. Daddy did some troubleshooting on the Benz while mommy made breakfast and then we all went back to bed for the day.
Alma, New Brunswick
Sept. 12, 2018
Big day of hiking and touring. Joined everyone else at Hopewell Rocks, a shoreline formation of giant mushroom shapes carved by the most extreme tides in the world. Then on to a quick lunch of lobster for the peeps and chicken for me. A nice hike in Fundy National Park followed by more local seafood and then to a Moncton burb for homemade ice cream
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Sept. 13, 2018
Because New Brunswick was becoming too crowded for us, we decided to go to PEI for the day. You get there over a long bridge and then take a scenic drive around the place. Mostly farms overlooking the water, very bucolic. Charlottetown, the capital, is a nice town walk and our empty restaurant lunch was great including local info from our bartender
Inverness, Nova Scotia
Sept. 14, 2018
After a morning hike through marshland in Sackville, and a sticky bun at the Mount Allison U president's house, we left for new adventures in Nova Scotia. A long scenic drive along the northern shore, with PEI on our left for most of the way, we ended up in the Inverness area of Cape Breton, within striking distance of hiking in it's national park.
Cheticamp, Nova Scotia
Sept. 15, 2018
After trading hugs with my new friend Meg while mommy shopped at the French bakery, we went to the National park for some hiking. Originally planned on the popular skyline trail but I was not allowed ‘for my protection’ (pretty sure we still have the shotgun for that.) We chose another trail and it ended up being amazing w/local history and views.
Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia
Sept. 16, 2018
A big hiking day for us in Cape Breton NP. Five separate hikes in which we saw babbling brooks, waterfalls, lakes, bogs (actually a fen) old growth hardwood forests, rugged shoreline, and even a Lone Shieling -that’s a traditional Scottish crofter’s house. What’s a crofter?, you ask. Well, they’re sharecroppers. We even learned how to fight coyotes
Digby, Nova Scotia
Sept. 17, 2018
Today we went to the other end of Nova Scotia. I helped out by riding most of the way on mommy's lap. We ended up at our new airbnb, which is a converted barn above a local microbrewery. Our big living room overlooks the Digby Gut, a narrow space connecting the bay of Fundy with the Annapolis Basin. Back to huge tides. Here's me in the living room.
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Sept. 18, 2018
After a slow morning at our luxury digs we went along the basin to Annapolis Royal, another of the many quaint little towns around here. It was foggy, and low tide so we saw a completely different view of the place as we walked on the waterfront boardwalk. We also met a shipwright who stopped his work to speak to us. So many nice people around here
Caledonia, Nova Scotia
Sept. 19, 2018
On our way across the province, we decided to stop in at the Queen's County Fair. This is a major event in the county and apparently (judging by the kids running around) schools close for it. We viewed the baked goods, and working animals, but best was the concession area with two choices: Tatoos or Bongs. Daddy worked on his rural farmer imitation
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Sept. 20, 2018
Our AirBnB in Mahone bay is a big old house overlooking a cove in the bay. It's rough around the edges, but it will do. We spent the day touring like tourists in Lunenburg, which is one of the 'must see' towns that mommy downloaded from the internet and highlighted on our map. Pretty town and nice local people contrast with the waddling bus borne.
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
Sept. 21, 2018
We’ve come up with a slogan for the Canadian Travel Council, or whatever the correct entity is: ‘Canada, the cuisine of Britain, right next door’. Now, if one could live on beer and fries (and we have debated this at length) one would be fine. But anything else is betting against the house. Certainly a lot of very pretty churches around here though
Saint John, New Brunswick
Sept. 22, 2018
Today we went by sea back to New Brunswick. Because I am a service dog®️, I was allowed to go to the main area with the peeps rather than riding in steerage with the car. I was thinking maybe shuffleboard on the lido deck with the Frobishers or skeet shooting off the fantail but we just sat in airplane style seats watching the Bay of Fundy pass by.
Minister’s Island, New Brunswick
Sept. 23, 2018
A nice hike around a tidal pond and then off to the Minister’s Island, only accessible by car for a few hours at low tide. Summer home of Sir Van Horne, who built Canada or some such thing. Fascinating opulence. On the way out across the bar we came upon a sand bound fellow island visitor. An intrepid team freed the car only to find the owner gone.
Norwich, Vermont
Sept. 24, 2018
Time to make our way home. Easiest border crossing ever in Calais, ME. A simple high five to the border guard and a ‘welcome home’ and we were in with all of our contraband. Took the scenic route through Maine and New Hampshire noting the White Mountains for next year. Bedded down in a quintessential New England inn in a beautiful, but prim, town.