Cabot Trail

We have heard so much about Cabot Trail, "the most beautiful drive in Canada", and yes, it is lovely.

But, I think that driving down highway 22 from Longview to Lundbreck should rank right up there on the list!

David decided that we needed to travel in a counter clockwise direction, just so that I could experience the true heights and cliffs of the road.  He made sure that we were nice and close to the edge so that I could get the BEST view!  There are many beautiful scenic outlooks over the ocean, and they are quite spectacular!  The leaves have just started to change here, and I'm sure in another couple of weeks this road will be full of amazing colours.  The sugar maples have started to change first, and they are the most striking shade of red - we don't have any quite that colour at home.

We managed to get the whole trail done, with a stop for dinner, in about 9 1/2 hours.  Apparently most people do it in about 8, so that was pretty good for us!  The kids played in the surf at a beach in Ingonish - it wasn't exactly beach weather, but they had a great time anyway.

Beauty in Baddeck

Well, we survived the ferry ride!  We spent the first half hour trying to figure out how we were all going to sleep in the chairs.  David wasn't worried, as he can sleep anywhere!  But I was a little concerned about the kids and I.  Just as somebody was starting to get whiney about the whole thing, they called our name, and we got a sleeping cabin!!! I was very happy, and David was a little disappointed - he thought it would have been a great adventure!!  (Again, bear in mind that he would have had a great sleep, while I was up dealing with the less than enthusiastic portion of our family)

Anyway, we survived just fine!  David and I got up at 6:00 to watch the sunrise over the ocean and the kids had to be up by 6:30 as we were docking at 7:00.  We drove into North Sydney for some breakfast, went to Superstore for some groceries, drove to get the trailer, and headed south!

We were in Baddeck for a few days to see the Cabot Trail, Alexander Bell Museum, and surrounding area.  I actually took a picture of this lighthouse on the way up north, but this view is from the Museum, and the leaves have started to change colour now, so I had to take more pictures of it!!

Sean's Bit

Stop!

Anyone who

doesn't like 

me, stop 

reading,

JUST STOP!

O.K., now

that

EVERYBODY

is reading...

We went to the

Alexander

Graham 

Bell Museum

in Baddeck.

He was an

inventor, a

teacher for 

deaf students,

and a dreamer!

The museum 

is full of artifacts from his life and inventions.  We also watched a

few movies about his life.  He helped create Canada's

first motorized airplane, (the Silver Dart) as well as kites so big that they had

to be pulled by large boats.  (These were much bigger than the kite I am flying in this picture) He was trying to lift a man using a kite, and to do this he developed, and patented the tetrahedron.   In his later years he worked with hydrofoils, and set a speed record of 118 kph!

While driving along the Cabot Trail, we stopped at Ingonish Beach.  We had it all to ourselves, so in 10 degree weather, we decided to go in!!!  The waves were awesome and huge!  The biggest one was almost up to my shoulders.  The sand was really, really nice!

P.S.  Having lots of fun, fighting with my sister, and driving my parents crazy!!!

P.P.S. You guys are bragging about your weather now, but wait, just wait.........................................................................................

Welcome to New Scotland, 1830!

Isn't he a lovely little highland coo'!

He is a direct descendent of the cows that were brought over from Scotland when they began to settle in this area.  We did a trip to Iona today, and the Historical Highland Village.  It recreates the lives of Scottish settlers from the 1830's until the early 1900's.  

The house below is called a black house.  It was what their first homes looked like and had an interior space for their animals to live in through the winter, as winters here were much harsher than in Scotland.  They had a dirt floor, and the

fire in the middle was used for heat and cooking.

Along one wall of the house were built-in 

cupboards, that were about 4 feet high

and 4 feet deep.  They were called boxbeds

and that is where the family slept
 - kids in one and parents in the other.

We learned that since they are a very

superstitious lot, they slept sitting up.  Only 

dead people lay flat, and they did not want the

fairies to think they were dead and take their

souls away.  David stuck his head in one and it

gave him the willies!

Further down the village road (and in time)

there was a woman who showed us how she

was weaving on her loom.  It was amazing how

similar it was to the vikings who showed us

how to do it 1000 years ago!!

This was an especially interesting visit for us, as our family backgrounds lie in this area.  It was yet another historical village.... but there is so much to learn at each of them that they are never boring!

Silhouettes at Sunset

We are heading south again and stopped halfway down the coast in Rocky Harbour.  There are such wonderful sunsets on this coast, we are kind of disappointed because soon all our sunsets will be over land.  I guess the kids will just have to get up early to watch the sunrises over the ocean! Ha ha ha ha ha ha

We are going for a hike tomorrow on the tablelands, to do a short hike.  These rocks are made up of the magma that makes up the earth's core - I guess they are a very unique geological feature!

Then we are heading back to Nova Scotia on the night time ferry.  We are on the waiting list for a cabin, so I hope we don't have to sleep in the seats!

Let's go Viking!!

Here is your interesting fact for the day.  There were no Vikings!  The correct term would be Norsemen.  Viking is a verb, meaning to go raid and pillage, it is not a noun!

That is according to the very "Norse looking" men at L'anse aux Meadows, in Northern Newfoundland.  They were not wearing horns on their heads, yet another erroneous fact, attributed to bad opera singers!

This village is the only settlement in North America that has been proven to have artifacts from the Norse explorers, who settled there some 1000 years ago!  They were there for about one generation of time, before heading back to Greenland, and avoiding further confrontations with natives.

The re-creation of their settlement was really interesting!  There were not many other tourists around, so one of the fellows put the kids to work in the smithy.  They got to work the bellows while he made them each an "artifact" .  He also talked to them about life at that time, and how it relates to life now, and the value of hard work.  All in all, an amazing experience for the kids!!

David's Blog

Hey Janie!

David says that he is too busy driving to write on the blog, but I thought I would show this picture to prove otherwise!  In actual fact, he is probably sending e-mails to his department, or reading the newspaper!

We had a lovely hotel room in St. Anthony (top end of the Northern Peninsula) with a fireplace and a jacuzzi tub!  It was quite windy and cold there, so the dogs really enjoyed having a nice warm place to sleep!

I guess we should have bought one of those lovely trailers that have a fireplace and hardwood floor!

Heading Out

We followed the journey of this fishing boat as it headed off across the bay and out into the ocean.  Rain or shine, day or night, these fishermen go out with the tides.

Sean's Bit

I have discovered that my mom really freaks out when I climb on rocks and cliffs so I am doing it as often as I can!!  This is me climbing by the Lobster Cove lighthouse.

We saw a mother moose and her calf run by when we were at this lighthouse.  We have seen a few others as well. I really wanted to see a moose, and since there are 130,000 moose in Newfoundland, we were pretty sure we would see one eventually.

We went to a beach where a ship sank in 1919.  The people who lived in Sally's cove saved all the people on the ship.  We got to play around the pieces of metal that are still on the beach.

Rianna's Report

I think Newfoundland is really beautiful with all the rocks and cliffs.  I really like collecting shells.  We have been looking for sea glass on the beaches so that we can make jewellry when we get home.  

We have seen some moose in the wild and that was really exciting, but we have also seen some moose heads on the tops of peoples cars, and one in the ditch, and that is kind of gross.  

The life here is kind of old fashioned, but it's really cool and interesting.  It is really cool to see all the fishing boats and to learn about how important fishing is in their lives.

The hotel we are staying at here in St. Anthony has a jacuzzi in the room and I really like that!!  We went for a hike tonight to see the sunset and it was very cold and windy - only 7 degrees.  But the wind coming from the ocean made it seem much colder.  We have had a few days with rain, too.  I bought some rain boots, and then when I walked in the ocean they were leaking so we might take them back.

JoAnne loves waterfalls!

Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne

In the middle of Gros Morne Park lies Western Brook Pond.  It is an inland fjord with tall mountains climbing up on either side of the water.

We start the journey with a 3 km hike through a spruce bog, into the pond.  (not sure why all these huge lakes in Newfoundland are called ponds - will have to ask someone)  There are two boats that do the tour and because it is such a nice day, there are tons of people signed up for the tour.  End result is we don't get a seat - but the good part is we get to stand right at the front of the boat for the whole tour - amazing views!!!  But after the 3 km hike, standing for 2 hours, and then the hike out, we were a bit tired!!

This is the place that is featured in all the commercials put out by the Newfoundland tourism board, and it lives up to its reputation!  There are tons of waterfalls, and the tour guides gave us lots of facts and stories to go along with the great scenery!!  

Interesting Fact:  If you want to hike to the top of these mountains and look down into the fjord, you take the boat ride to the end of the pond, hike for 4 or 5 days to get up top, and then back down.  Surprise, surprise, the MacGregor's decided not to go for that!!

Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland

We love Newfoundland!!!

It is so beautiful here, and reminds us a bit of home!  We stayed in Stephenville for one night and Cornerbrook for two nights.  Captain Cook first mapped this area in the 1500's and there is a viewpoint dedicated to him that overlooks the city and the bay in front.  We are staying in hotels now as we did not bring the trailer with us.  Our room was on the third floor at the end of the hall which meant going up and down the stairs with the dogs when they want to go out for a walk.  Needless to say, I got a good workout while in Cornerbrook!!

This lovely picture is taken from Norris Point, just inside Gros Morne provincial park.  The wild roses are still blooming and the sun was shining on the bay.  In the distance on the right are the Tablelands.  This is a geological area unique to Newfoundland where the ocean floor rose up during the movement of the tectonic plates, and now lies high above the existing ocean.  

We went for a hike through the woods to the observation deck.  There are tons of flowers still and some of the leaves are starting to turn colour.  I was chatting with a fellow in line at Tim Hortons in Cornerbrook and he, being a well travelled Newfie, suggested that this spot was one of the greatest views in Newfoundland.  We haven't seen too much of this province yet, but we were very impressed with this spot!!

Fortress of Louisbourg

The history buff in me loved this one!!!  This is a recreation of the fortress outside of Sydney, N.S.  The buildings are amazing, and all the people who work there are in costume, just waiting to talk to you about who they are and what role they played in this community.  There were soldiers, fishermen, farmers, pigs, chickens, cannons....everything you can imagine!!

We went to the military demonstration where they fired off their muskets, and a cannon.  It was soooo loud!!  It was quite easy to imagine the chaos and frenzy that would be everywhere during a siege and battle.  

Sean bought a soldier's ration of bread, but found it was so heavy and thick, he couldn't finish it!

Yet again, we have experienced another age of history, another segment of Canada's past, and have been immersed in another time and felt what it was like to be right there.  Wow!

Welcome to Nova Scotia!

This lovely photo was taken near Baddeck, N.S. while on the way to North Sydney.  This is the Bras D'or, Canada's largest inland sea.  It is a huge body of salt water that makes up a big part of the centre of Cape Breton.

We haven't seen too many light houses yet, so this one with the huge sail boat behind it was just too perfect!

We are starting to notice a big difference in accents out here.  When people start talking quickly it gets a little difficult to understand everything they say.  

We had dinner at Lick-A-Chick, sort of reminded us of Chicken on the Way (without the fritters!)  Dessert was across the street at Lick-A-Treat (of course) We had strawberry soft ice cream - that was a first!  We don't eat out very often, but this little place was just too interesting to pass up!

Playing in P.E.I.

Rianna is all set to go for a buggy ride in Avonlea!  There are many different Anne of Green Gables attractions in Cavendish.  The Village of Avonlea is a recreation of a village from this time.  There were exhibits on soap making, quilting, basket weaving and tons of artifacts from this time.  Their collection of old photographs was amazing.  Lucy Maude Montgomery was also a photographer and took many pictures of her family, friends, and buildings.  There was one building where we were able to dress up and take pictures and Rianna was in her element!!

On the northwest corner of the island in a town called

Kensington, there is a haunted mansion tourist attraction.  It is open all year round, and has special events around Halloween.  It is  a really cool looking house, and the special effects are scary and hokey at the same time!  The kids did not enjoy it quite as much as David and I.  The back of the house though had extensive gardens and a stream, an elevated tree top walk and fountains.  It was great!

Sean gets some air!

Sean managed to get some serious air on the jumping pillow at the campground in P.E.I.

Hopewell Rocks

Further up the Bay of Fundy we stayed at the Ponderosa Pines campground.  From our chairs beside our trailer we look out over the mud flats that are covered with water at high tide, and allowed for tons of exploration when the tide went out.  The moon is almost full right now so the tides are particularly high and low.

We have gone to see the Flower Pots at low tide and walked on the ocean floor, just like it says in the travel brochure!  We were hoping to go kayaking at high tide, but the wind was too strong and so the waves were too high.  I guess we will have to save that one for another time and place.  It is really neat to see the huge difference in the water level as it goes in and out.  We have spent a lot of time exploring tidal pools in the last little bit - I think we might have to try clam digging next.  Rianna does not like it when they squirt water up at us as we walk across the mud!

Prince Edward Island

We spent a week in Cavendish, P.E.I., looking for some rest and relaxation!  The weather was very nice, so we spent some time at the beach.  We did the Anne of Green Gables stuff, which was a bit more interesting for Rianna and I, than for Dave and Sean.  We went to an amusement park where I did a big, old, wooden roller coaster with Rianna.  We played Glow-in-the-Dark mini golf and got the kids totally freaked out in the Haunted Mansion in Kensington.  We had a lovely game of golf one afternoon as well!

We were staying at a KOA that had tons of things for the kids to do.  They put up a big screen and showed movies outside (and played Wii), had hayrides, water fights, hot dogs roasts and did tye dye shirts.  They have a huge jumping pillow, which is a huge plastic dome that they fill up with air and then the kids all get on and jump.  It was really cool - Sean got some big air!!

Now that everyone out here has gone back to school the campgrounds are a bit like ghost towns.  Many of them will be closing by the end of September or by Thanksgiving so we need to finish up our travels up here and head south in the next month.

Sean's Bit

STOP. Anyone who doesn't like me stop reading just stop.
Now that everyone is reading, read away.....

THIS IS SEAN (THE GREAT)! WE HAVE TOO MUCH IDENTITY FRAUD ON THIS BLOG. Sorry for the inconvenience of being late but someone said I had to be caught up to date on my Journal.NOW I am done. So far these are my  favourite things:

Rouleau Saskatchewan (aka Dog River)    

I was excited because this is where they film the show and we saw places like the hotel and bar, police station, Oscar and Emma's house and the grain elevator that still says Dog River.

Canadian Mint in Winnipeg 

We got change from the shop that is brand new, never been touched money!

Kenora

Made my first campfire by myself, helped gut some fresh walleye, and caught a bunch of minnows in Lake of the Woods.

Amethyst Mines and Suspension Bridge

We found tons of amethyst and did Canada's longest suspension bridge.

North Bay

Lake Nipissing was so shallow at the shore that we got to walk out forever and play with the sand on the bottom during an amazing sunset.

Lake Algonquin

Amazing canoe trip!

Ottawa

Our first taste at a Pizza Pizza take out place.

Museum of Civilization and an Imax movie.

Canadian war museum- my favourite part was the  big tanks, guns and truck.   

Montreal

Biodome - indoor ecosystems with animals and plants.

Quebec

Valcartier Water park

St. John

Reversing falls (when the tide comes in and makes the waterfall go backwards)

Seeing huge cruise ships in the port

St. Andrews

Whale watching!!!!

Hopewell Rocks

Walking through the rock formations at low tide and then seeing them all covered up at high tide

P.E.I.

Digging a huge hole in the sand at the beach, and Glow in the Dark miniature Golf, seeing a fox while golfing at Forest Hills

I will continue to update my blog section as often as I can!

Rianna's Report

We just spent a week in Prince Edward Island, it was awesome and amazing and weird - it didn't feel like you were on an island - and then you would see the ocean!  At the Anne of Green Gables village we went to the school house first, then we saw a whole bunch of pictures of Lucy Maude Montgomery and her family (the person who wrote Anne of Green Gables).  The buildings were from Lucy's town and time when she lived.  There was one house in particular that had beautiful gardens.  There was a barn with big work horses and old fashioned wagons.  In the pasture outside the barn there were cows.  One of them licked me and it's tongue felt like sandpaper!  At the toy store, we bought a bottle of red raspberry cordial (what Anne used to drink) and we also bought a wooden cup and ball game.

Afterwards came my favourite building - dress up!!! We all got to dress up in clothes that rich people wore in the olden days.  I had a blue dress with a purple cape and a fur scarf and a huge purple hat which made me feel like I actually lived back then!  Afterwards mom got me to quickly dress up as Anne.

Sunrise in St. Andrews

This is the view from just in front of our trailer, looking out over the Bay of Fundy.

Thar' be Whales!

Imagine that you are on a tall ship, sails blowing in the breeze, and a cool wind in your face as you skim across the water..... and then in the distance the spray of water on the horizon, almost impossible to see... whales!

It is the most unbelievable thing to see these huge creatures travelling through the water.  We saw Minke whales, which are not much bigger than dolphins, and then fin whales which are the second largest mammal on earth!  One came quite close to the boat, and as it went under you could see how huge it was.  There had been humpbacks in the area, but we did not see any of these.  But we did see two right whales.  These are highly endangered, with about only 400 left on earth!  They lift up their tales before their final dive down deep, and Dave was able to get this awesome photo.  I on the other hand was so excited, that instead of filming, I was watching, so we have a great shot of the spray going up in the air, and then just blue sky as I hold the camera in totally the wrong place!!

We also saw seals, porpoises, and lots of birds.  We got a turn at steering the boat, which was a 70 foot sail boat.  It was a great, great trip!!  We were in St. Andrews which is right at the bottom of New Brunswick, next to the States.  The campground was right on the ocean, too.

We packed up after the sailing trip and drove back through St. John and further up the Bay of Fundy.  We were hoping to kayak around the Flower Pots today, but the water was too rough.  We did go out at low tide and walk around the ocean floor, and then tomorrow we will go  see the high tide.  Due to the full moon right now, the tides are at their lowest and highest point.  Our campground here backs right onto the bay, up against the tidal flats.

We are headed to Prince Edward Island tomorrow to spend a few days sitting on the beach!  Hopefully the weather will hold.  We have heard that the water is quite warm there so we might actually be able to go swimming.  We have been trying to fit so much in, and we don't want to miss anything, and I think EVERYONE is ready for a little down time.  I know this all seems like one big holiday to the on looker, but it's not really a vacation, it's just mobilizing your stress!!!  It is also hard to get the kids to sit down and do some school work at the end of the day.  Notice how neither one of them has written a blog lately??  They are both behind on their journals, now!  But then, so am I...what a good example!  

Halloween in August

We arrived in a campground outside of Grand Falls, New Brunswick, to find an early Halloween!!  This was a predominantly French, family run campground, where most of the campers stay all summer.  They had been celebrating all the holidays over the course of the summer, and the next day just happened to be Halloween!!

Well, you can imagine my joy!!!  I, who love Halloween like no other holiday, finding it in August.  So even though we were just planning on passing through, we had to stay to help celebrate.  (That is the great thing about not having an itinerary written in stone!)

We walked around and handed out candy to the kids who were dressed up.  Sean and Rianna got to go into the haunted house they had made, and then that night they had a big dance that we all went to.  It was a great day!!

Our next stop was St. John. We stayed at a campground on a peninsula that was accessible by a ferry - the campground office was a built in 1785!!!  (but it had some upgrades!)  We were in St. John for a few days - lots of cool stuff.

Next - whale watching.....