Well folks, here it is the middle of October and my last posting was in July. What happened and why have the postings stopped? Well.............my last story was in Newfoundland and while there, I received a phone call saying my ex-husband was critically ill in Columbus, Ohio and all 3 of my children were on their way to the ICU to see him. There were many messages back and forth and much stress and concern.
We left Newfoundland as planned and arrived on Prince Edward Island for two weeks. The highlight of our time there was certainly a one week visit from my brother, Tom, and his daughter, Ashley, her friend, Molly and Ashley's son, Owen. We had a great visit with them.........enjoying lots of lobster, visiting the Anne of Green Gabes house and museum, seeing the Anne of Green Gables musical in Charlottetown and just enjoying the beauty of the island. However, my children's father continued to decline and my heart was not into "blogging". When it looked like he was not going to make it, our plans changed and I knew that I needed to fly back to Columbus, Ohio. The flight from Prince Edward Island was going to be unbelieveably expensive and difficult to arrange. So.......Barry packed up our RV and drove over 400 miles to Bangor, Maine, where I could catch a flight.
As we were arranging to leave for Bangor, we received word that Larry, my ex-husband, had passed away. We continued on to Bangor and I left for Columbus on Tuesday, August, 10. I spent a week with my children and grand-children and then got back on a plane to return to Bangor and our "life on the road".
We all have ups and downs in life and our new lifestyle, altho exciting and adventurous, has its share of "downs". Being so far away from our family at such a critical time was certainly one of these times for me. But, life does go on for those of us who are left behind and so..................I return................to our RV life on the road............and to my blog.
I will fill you in on the past two months on my next posting. Just wanted you all to know why you have not read about our recent adventures. I have so much that I want to share with you but..........will do so a little at a time.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Newfoundland
It has been quite some time since I last entered a posting on this blog. We were in Newfoundland for ten days where cell phone and wifi coverage were spotty and sometimes non-existent.
Newfoundland (pronounciation is New fun Land..........emphasis on land, like understand) is truly a world apart. Rugged, remote, isolated........where everything revolves around the sea. It is an island and the "Newfies" refer to themselves as "Islanders" and Newfoundland as "The Rock'. The reference to rock is because you see granite cliffs everywhere. The scenery is breathtaking..........the dark granite rocks up against bright green pine trees, the blue sky overhead and the deep blue sea beneath.
The people here are tough, hardworking, simple folk who greet visitors with a friendly smile and are anxious to chat. They have a thick brouge...........like a combination of Scottish, Irish. They speak in a very lilting manner...........hard to describe. I will try to give you an example............"I'm gonna go and doos up a cake for ya" ( I will bake a cake for you) And............they use "ya see?" and "right?" after most everything they say. For example they might say..........."Mama doos her washin, ya see?, and she takes em inside, ya see? We had such fun listening to these phrases and found the people so sweet and charming.
There are many customs that we found interesting. For instance, they advertise "Mug ups". Many restaurants and stores say "We serve Mug ups here. A mug up is a cup of strong tea with molassas and homemade bread. I became addicted to the tea and molassas.........the only way they drink hot tea......and will be looking for molassas so that I can re-create that here. Another custom is "Mummers". They also call them "Janneys". This is a Newfoundland custom that was brought over from England. It is most often done during the 12 days of Christmas. People will dress up in outrageous costumes, with masks and carry a wooden stick with bells on the end. They will go from house to house, ring the doorbell pound their stick and ask "Any Mummers loud in" (translation...........Are Mummers allowed to come in?) If they come inside, they pass out treats, march around banging their sticks, sing and dance. Newfoundlanders are musical and love a good time.
Another custom is called a "Screech in". This is where they welcome people to Newfoundland by having them kiss a cod (yes, a real fish) and drink some screech (a type of rum). This is usually done in pubs, perhaps one night a week, and then the newcomer is presented with a certificate saying that the person has been officailly screeched in to become an honorary Newfoundlander. Barb and I were looking for a place to get "Screeched in" but the guys were rather nonplussed about it all. Party poopers! Howvever, Barry and I did get an opportunity while we were aboard the "Atlantic Vision Ferry" coming across from Newfoundland back to Nova Scotia a few days ago. The ferry was like a brand new luxury cruise ship, complete with a lounge that had live music. We were listening to the "Newfie songs" when all of a sudden the musician asked if anyone would like to be "screeched in". This was a milder version of the screech ins at the pubs. It was a family affair and they used a fruit drink instead of rum but............at least we got the experience! Fun!
I have more to tell of our time in this beautiful and isolated place but don't want to tire your eyes. I will do a second posting and give you "the rest of the story".
Newfoundland (pronounciation is New fun Land..........emphasis on land, like understand) is truly a world apart. Rugged, remote, isolated........where everything revolves around the sea. It is an island and the "Newfies" refer to themselves as "Islanders" and Newfoundland as "The Rock'. The reference to rock is because you see granite cliffs everywhere. The scenery is breathtaking..........the dark granite rocks up against bright green pine trees, the blue sky overhead and the deep blue sea beneath.
The people here are tough, hardworking, simple folk who greet visitors with a friendly smile and are anxious to chat. They have a thick brouge...........like a combination of Scottish, Irish. They speak in a very lilting manner...........hard to describe. I will try to give you an example............"I'm gonna go and doos up a cake for ya" ( I will bake a cake for you) And............they use "ya see?" and "right?" after most everything they say. For example they might say..........."Mama doos her washin, ya see?, and she takes em inside, ya see? We had such fun listening to these phrases and found the people so sweet and charming.
There are many customs that we found interesting. For instance, they advertise "Mug ups". Many restaurants and stores say "We serve Mug ups here. A mug up is a cup of strong tea with molassas and homemade bread. I became addicted to the tea and molassas.........the only way they drink hot tea......and will be looking for molassas so that I can re-create that here. Another custom is "Mummers". They also call them "Janneys". This is a Newfoundland custom that was brought over from England. It is most often done during the 12 days of Christmas. People will dress up in outrageous costumes, with masks and carry a wooden stick with bells on the end. They will go from house to house, ring the doorbell pound their stick and ask "Any Mummers loud in" (translation...........Are Mummers allowed to come in?) If they come inside, they pass out treats, march around banging their sticks, sing and dance. Newfoundlanders are musical and love a good time.
Another custom is called a "Screech in". This is where they welcome people to Newfoundland by having them kiss a cod (yes, a real fish) and drink some screech (a type of rum). This is usually done in pubs, perhaps one night a week, and then the newcomer is presented with a certificate saying that the person has been officailly screeched in to become an honorary Newfoundlander. Barb and I were looking for a place to get "Screeched in" but the guys were rather nonplussed about it all. Party poopers! Howvever, Barry and I did get an opportunity while we were aboard the "Atlantic Vision Ferry" coming across from Newfoundland back to Nova Scotia a few days ago. The ferry was like a brand new luxury cruise ship, complete with a lounge that had live music. We were listening to the "Newfie songs" when all of a sudden the musician asked if anyone would like to be "screeched in". This was a milder version of the screech ins at the pubs. It was a family affair and they used a fruit drink instead of rum but............at least we got the experience! Fun!
I have more to tell of our time in this beautiful and isolated place but don't want to tire your eyes. I will do a second posting and give you "the rest of the story".
Monday, July 12, 2010
Off to Newfoundland!
The past several days have been spent exploring the charming seaside fishing villages of Chester, Lunenburg and Mahone Bay. This area is known as the South Shore of Nova Scotia, where lighthouses and weathered, shingled buildings perch at the rocky edge of the sea. This is the Nova Scotia of postcards and picture books.
One of the highlights of our time there was a visit to famous "Peggy's Cove", which has, perhaps, one of the most photogrphed lighthouses in the world. The cove has an almost picture perfect little fishing village with fishing boats bobbing in the postage stamp-sized harbor. The day we were there the sky was covered in a dense fog, which only added to the errily beautiful sight. We joined the throngs of visitors climbing over the rocks jutting out to sea, all with cameras in our hands to try and capture some of the beauty of this unusual place.
Our day in Lunenburg was another delight! It is home to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. Our one hour tour helped us to understand the life of the old time fishermen in this area. A time when fishing was done from dories, which were loaded onto huge schooners and taken out to sea. One of the most well-known of these schooners was called "The Blue Nose", Canada's most recognized and most storied ship. The Blue Nose was built in Lunenburg in 1921 as a fishing schooner. But, it was an exceptionally fast schooner and also captured the International Fisherman's Trophy for 18 years. They have an entire store devoted to "The Blue Nose".
We arrived in Sydney, Nova Scotia late yesterday afternoon, after a long day of driving. Sydney is a good location for exploring the Cabot Trail, which begins just outside of Sidney. Our campsite is perched up on a bluff overlooking the beautiful Bras d' Or lake. Gorgeous views from here but.............took Barry some real maneuvering to get our big rig into this "back-in" site. The real trick was to try and back it in without driving the truck over the cliff and into the water. Oh, the joys of RVing!!
Our plan is to leave here early tomorrow morning to take our truck onto the ferry headed to Newfoundland. We will store our RVs here at the Sidney/Cabot Trail Campground for the 10 days that we will be gone. We will stay at inns, lodges, cabins and B&Bs while in Newfoundland. So................we are off for yet another adventure.
Next posting will be from this wildly beautiful and primitive place!
One of the highlights of our time there was a visit to famous "Peggy's Cove", which has, perhaps, one of the most photogrphed lighthouses in the world. The cove has an almost picture perfect little fishing village with fishing boats bobbing in the postage stamp-sized harbor. The day we were there the sky was covered in a dense fog, which only added to the errily beautiful sight. We joined the throngs of visitors climbing over the rocks jutting out to sea, all with cameras in our hands to try and capture some of the beauty of this unusual place.
Our day in Lunenburg was another delight! It is home to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. Our one hour tour helped us to understand the life of the old time fishermen in this area. A time when fishing was done from dories, which were loaded onto huge schooners and taken out to sea. One of the most well-known of these schooners was called "The Blue Nose", Canada's most recognized and most storied ship. The Blue Nose was built in Lunenburg in 1921 as a fishing schooner. But, it was an exceptionally fast schooner and also captured the International Fisherman's Trophy for 18 years. They have an entire store devoted to "The Blue Nose".
We arrived in Sydney, Nova Scotia late yesterday afternoon, after a long day of driving. Sydney is a good location for exploring the Cabot Trail, which begins just outside of Sidney. Our campsite is perched up on a bluff overlooking the beautiful Bras d' Or lake. Gorgeous views from here but.............took Barry some real maneuvering to get our big rig into this "back-in" site. The real trick was to try and back it in without driving the truck over the cliff and into the water. Oh, the joys of RVing!!
Our plan is to leave here early tomorrow morning to take our truck onto the ferry headed to Newfoundland. We will store our RVs here at the Sidney/Cabot Trail Campground for the 10 days that we will be gone. We will stay at inns, lodges, cabins and B&Bs while in Newfoundland. So................we are off for yet another adventure.
Next posting will be from this wildly beautiful and primitive place!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Pagentry in Halifax!
The highlight of our 4 nights in Halifax had to be the 2010 Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. We bought our tickets a few months ago when we decided that we were definitely going to be in Nova Scotia this summer. This was the second Tattoo for Barry and I, having seen our first one in Edinburgh, Scotland several years ago. We enjoyed that experience so much that we knew we wanted to see this one in Halifax. It was the first Tattoo for our friends, Barb and Jim.
What is a Tattoo? It is basically a military band extravaganza. But, to give a more thorough explaination, I will quote a few lines from our souvenier program. "Thousands of Canadian and international military and civilian performers have made the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo the world's largest annual indoor show. First performed in Halifax in 1979 to mark the visit of the Queen Mother for the International Gathering of the Clans, the Tattoo has now become a permanent fixture, seen by more than a million and a half spectators. The countries represented this year were Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States and Canada. The pagentry and precision of the military bands were a sight to behold. The music was stirring and the colors of the uniforms and costumes were bright and beautiful. There were not only bands but a choir with over 100 members, gymnasts, acrobatic bicyclists, Irish Dancers, The Canadian Mounted Police, and an unbelievable female Canadian singing group consisting of 5 sisters from Newfoundland, singing Celtic songs.
If you ever have a chance to see a Tattoo I would encourage you to go. It is an awesome experience. And................if interested, we have learned that there is to be a Virginia International Tattoo in Norfolk, Virginia from April 28 - May 1, 2011. Phone number for tickets is 1-877-741-2787. NO.........I am not paid for promoting the Tattoo. Just a fan.
The other highlight while in Halifax was our visit to the Citadel. This huge star shaped military fortress is built on a hill overlooking the Halifax Harbor. In 1952 the Citadel was declared a national historic site, signaling the end of its proud nilitary career. It has been restored and now welcomes visitors to learn of its history. We were on hand to see and hear the daily shooting of the Noon Gun, a tradition since 1857. It all began with the changing of the guard.............dressed in full military uniform (plaid kilts and plumed helmets), followed by pipes and drums. Lots of photo ops!
We also enjoyed time at the waterfront, wandering thru the shops, having lunch at a waterfront dining spot and visiting the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. One of the highlights there was listening to shanty songs sung by a man playing banjo and guitar and dressed in period costume. We also toured the Titanic exhibit, which told of the heroic efforts of local seamen to save victims of the sinking of the Titanic and also to retreive dead bodies and prepare them for burial in Halifax.
We continue to enjoy the cooler temperatures of the north and the beauty and simplicity of the countryside. Next stop will be Hubbard's Beach for 4 nights. This is a good location for visits to Peggy's Cove, Lunenberg and Mahone Bay.
We feel so fortunate to be able to live out a dream of traveling this beautiful country, seeing God's handiwork everywhere and meeting kind, interesting and wonderful people around every bend in the road.
What is a Tattoo? It is basically a military band extravaganza. But, to give a more thorough explaination, I will quote a few lines from our souvenier program. "Thousands of Canadian and international military and civilian performers have made the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo the world's largest annual indoor show. First performed in Halifax in 1979 to mark the visit of the Queen Mother for the International Gathering of the Clans, the Tattoo has now become a permanent fixture, seen by more than a million and a half spectators. The countries represented this year were Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States and Canada. The pagentry and precision of the military bands were a sight to behold. The music was stirring and the colors of the uniforms and costumes were bright and beautiful. There were not only bands but a choir with over 100 members, gymnasts, acrobatic bicyclists, Irish Dancers, The Canadian Mounted Police, and an unbelievable female Canadian singing group consisting of 5 sisters from Newfoundland, singing Celtic songs.
If you ever have a chance to see a Tattoo I would encourage you to go. It is an awesome experience. And................if interested, we have learned that there is to be a Virginia International Tattoo in Norfolk, Virginia from April 28 - May 1, 2011. Phone number for tickets is 1-877-741-2787. NO.........I am not paid for promoting the Tattoo. Just a fan.
The other highlight while in Halifax was our visit to the Citadel. This huge star shaped military fortress is built on a hill overlooking the Halifax Harbor. In 1952 the Citadel was declared a national historic site, signaling the end of its proud nilitary career. It has been restored and now welcomes visitors to learn of its history. We were on hand to see and hear the daily shooting of the Noon Gun, a tradition since 1857. It all began with the changing of the guard.............dressed in full military uniform (plaid kilts and plumed helmets), followed by pipes and drums. Lots of photo ops!
We also enjoyed time at the waterfront, wandering thru the shops, having lunch at a waterfront dining spot and visiting the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. One of the highlights there was listening to shanty songs sung by a man playing banjo and guitar and dressed in period costume. We also toured the Titanic exhibit, which told of the heroic efforts of local seamen to save victims of the sinking of the Titanic and also to retreive dead bodies and prepare them for burial in Halifax.
We continue to enjoy the cooler temperatures of the north and the beauty and simplicity of the countryside. Next stop will be Hubbard's Beach for 4 nights. This is a good location for visits to Peggy's Cove, Lunenberg and Mahone Bay.
We feel so fortunate to be able to live out a dream of traveling this beautiful country, seeing God's handiwork everywhere and meeting kind, interesting and wonderful people around every bend in the road.
Friday, July 2, 2010
We've Arrived in Canada!
How do you know you are in Canada? When the man in an RV behind you introduces himself as "Pierre" and another man greets you by kissing your hand and saying "Enchantee"! Hummm......can he give Barry and Jim lessons?
Being in Canada is delightful. Crossing the border from the US into Canada............not so delightful! It took us about an hour and a half.................just sitting in the customs office while armed, uniformed officials inspected our entire RV. We had to open up all four slides and unlock everything so that they could inspect every nook and cranny. What were we doing while all of this was going on? Just sitting inside the office, trying to figure out why they were doing this. We felt like criminals with imaginary numbers on our chests! After over an hour of searching, they came inside to give us our passports back and said that we would owe them $60 for the one bottle of Southern Comfort we had purchased in the duty free shop for $19. The $60 was a customs tax because our total alcohol onboard was over their limit. They were counting the wine and few bottles we had onboard the RV. We were not thrilled about hte $60 charge..........so I carried the lone bottle back across the border and returned it to the duty free shop and then had to walk back across the border.........showing my passport each time.........and give the return slip to the guards in Canada. Was this a random search or was it because we were pulling a large RV? We are not sure but are now staying away from Duty Free shops altogether! Lesson learned.
Now it is off to explore the town of St. John. We have heard that their City Market is the oldest market in North America, established in the 1800's so we will put that on our list. We will also visit Kings Landing Historical Settlement, which is situated on the banks of the magnificent St. John River. This settlement recreates rural life in 19th century New Brunswick. After this some shopping time along the waterfront is certainly calling.
Being in Canada is delightful. Crossing the border from the US into Canada............not so delightful! It took us about an hour and a half.................just sitting in the customs office while armed, uniformed officials inspected our entire RV. We had to open up all four slides and unlock everything so that they could inspect every nook and cranny. What were we doing while all of this was going on? Just sitting inside the office, trying to figure out why they were doing this. We felt like criminals with imaginary numbers on our chests! After over an hour of searching, they came inside to give us our passports back and said that we would owe them $60 for the one bottle of Southern Comfort we had purchased in the duty free shop for $19. The $60 was a customs tax because our total alcohol onboard was over their limit. They were counting the wine and few bottles we had onboard the RV. We were not thrilled about hte $60 charge..........so I carried the lone bottle back across the border and returned it to the duty free shop and then had to walk back across the border.........showing my passport each time.........and give the return slip to the guards in Canada. Was this a random search or was it because we were pulling a large RV? We are not sure but are now staying away from Duty Free shops altogether! Lesson learned.
Now it is off to explore the town of St. John. We have heard that their City Market is the oldest market in North America, established in the 1800's so we will put that on our list. We will also visit Kings Landing Historical Settlement, which is situated on the banks of the magnificent St. John River. This settlement recreates rural life in 19th century New Brunswick. After this some shopping time along the waterfront is certainly calling.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
An Angel in Camden
First full day in Camden and we have "trouble in River City"!! No hot water in the RV! In fact, no water coming out of the hot water faucet at all! And the worst of it was that Barry had just cooked his famous farmer's breakfast for the Gustafsons. Yes..........bacon eggs, hash brown potatoes, french toast........the works! Can you imagine the mess we needed to clean up? Well, Barry was soon on the phone, trying to reach a nearby RV repair shop for assistance. After many, many calls, the best he could find was to make an appointment for Thursday morning in Bangor, Maine.............about 60 miles from here. And...........in the meantime............no hot showers, no washing dishes etc. So.............we did what we used to do while camping in our pop-up. Yes..........you who have camped with us in the old days know exactly what I mean. The dreaded dish pan..............heating water inside on the stove and then filling an old large dish pan with soapy water..........and constant heating of rinse water. All this done, of course, outside on our picnic table. Megan, our 17 year old grand-daughter knows all about this, for she was the designated dish washer for a couple of nights while on a 3 week western camping trip with us several years ago. Remember, Megan?
In the midst of this trial, another large 5th wheel RV was attempting to pull into a small spot across from us. Barry went right outside to see if he could help the man driving the truck and having trouble trying to fit a large RV into a small spot. Barry successfully directed the man into the spot and this gentleman was so appreciative he asked if he could do anything to help Barry. Well......those are dangerous words around here! Barry began to tell him of our hot water problem. And.............the man came right over to see if he could help us.
Bill Henson, from Rhode Island, was indeed our Angel in Camden. What a kind, knowdgeable and generous man! He told Barry that he was retired from IBM and was a trouble shooter in their customer service department. He loves to work on RVs and was able to diagnose our problem and help Barry to take the system apart, find the problem (a defective part in a valve) and repair it! WOW! All of this in about an hour and no charge to us!! I'm sure if we would have taken the Montana to an RV repair shop in Bangor, it would have cost us several hundred dollars.......not to mention the wasted time and stress. We can never thank Bill enough for his kindness. We think God placed him right here across from us at this particular time because He knew that we would need him. This is one example of why we love RVing and the kind of helpful people we encounter along the way. We will never forget the kindness of this man and I'm sure that what Barry has learned will be passed on to others we meet during our travels.
We ended our day with a lobster dinner right here at our campsite. Jim and Barb were out doing some errands and decided to stop at a nearby lobster place to bring home 4 large lobsters, corn on the cob and cole slaw. A good ending to the day that began on such a stressful note.
Some little known facts about Camden, Maine. It is the birthplace of Edna St. Vincent Millay. And...........the movie "Peyton Place" was filmed here. I remember the novel Peyton Place. It was a forbidden book read secretely at one of my slumber parties in junior high school!
Tomorrow we will be exploring Mount Batty, which overlooks the Camden Harbor. We will also have lunch at the Samoset Resort. I am, of course, hoping and praying for hot water for my shower.
In the midst of this trial, another large 5th wheel RV was attempting to pull into a small spot across from us. Barry went right outside to see if he could help the man driving the truck and having trouble trying to fit a large RV into a small spot. Barry successfully directed the man into the spot and this gentleman was so appreciative he asked if he could do anything to help Barry. Well......those are dangerous words around here! Barry began to tell him of our hot water problem. And.............the man came right over to see if he could help us.
Bill Henson, from Rhode Island, was indeed our Angel in Camden. What a kind, knowdgeable and generous man! He told Barry that he was retired from IBM and was a trouble shooter in their customer service department. He loves to work on RVs and was able to diagnose our problem and help Barry to take the system apart, find the problem (a defective part in a valve) and repair it! WOW! All of this in about an hour and no charge to us!! I'm sure if we would have taken the Montana to an RV repair shop in Bangor, it would have cost us several hundred dollars.......not to mention the wasted time and stress. We can never thank Bill enough for his kindness. We think God placed him right here across from us at this particular time because He knew that we would need him. This is one example of why we love RVing and the kind of helpful people we encounter along the way. We will never forget the kindness of this man and I'm sure that what Barry has learned will be passed on to others we meet during our travels.
We ended our day with a lobster dinner right here at our campsite. Jim and Barb were out doing some errands and decided to stop at a nearby lobster place to bring home 4 large lobsters, corn on the cob and cole slaw. A good ending to the day that began on such a stressful note.
Some little known facts about Camden, Maine. It is the birthplace of Edna St. Vincent Millay. And...........the movie "Peyton Place" was filmed here. I remember the novel Peyton Place. It was a forbidden book read secretely at one of my slumber parties in junior high school!
Tomorrow we will be exploring Mount Batty, which overlooks the Camden Harbor. We will also have lunch at the Samoset Resort. I am, of course, hoping and praying for hot water for my shower.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Well, we made it to Boothbay, Maine and met up with good friends, Barb and Jim Gustafson on Thursday evening. We spent 6 nights at a lovely campground nestled in the woods and just a short drive into the town of Boothbay Harbor.
Highlights of our time there included a visit to nearby Pemaquid Point. There is a beautiful old lighthouse perched on a rocky point jutting out into the sea. The men climbed down the rocks to the ocean's edge, while Barb and I stayed on the uppper level taking photos of the men and of the lighthouse. The lighthouse is located inside a park, which also included a lovely restaurant, the obligatory gift shop and artists gallery.
We also visited another favorite spot.........Shaw's Lobster Wharf in New Harbor..........where we ate our fill of Lobstah. Ahhhh.......what can be better than sitting at an old picnic table overlooking the water, ]sun shining brightly and gentle breezes blowing while eating 2 pound fresh lobsters with drawn butter running down your chin? I think this place must be Barry's favorite haunt in Maine and he has the tee shirt to prove it.
We also took in some theater while there...........a favorite pastime of ours.. Saw "The Music Man" at the Boothbay Playhouse. We are always amazed at the local talent and were genuinely entertained by these hard-working young people. Made me remember my youngest son, Ryan's, role as Marcelis Washburn in his sixth grade performance many years ago.
The weather has been mostly good. Mostly sun and moderate temperatures but it did rain hard last night. That is not a good sign when you have to unhook the RV and travel on to a new spot. Luckily the rain stopped this morning about 9 am and we were able to hitch up and move on to Camden, Maine. We will be in this area for 3 nights before heading into New Brunswick, Canada.
Highlights of our time there included a visit to nearby Pemaquid Point. There is a beautiful old lighthouse perched on a rocky point jutting out into the sea. The men climbed down the rocks to the ocean's edge, while Barb and I stayed on the uppper level taking photos of the men and of the lighthouse. The lighthouse is located inside a park, which also included a lovely restaurant, the obligatory gift shop and artists gallery.
We also visited another favorite spot.........Shaw's Lobster Wharf in New Harbor..........where we ate our fill of Lobstah. Ahhhh.......what can be better than sitting at an old picnic table overlooking the water, ]sun shining brightly and gentle breezes blowing while eating 2 pound fresh lobsters with drawn butter running down your chin? I think this place must be Barry's favorite haunt in Maine and he has the tee shirt to prove it.
We also took in some theater while there...........a favorite pastime of ours.. Saw "The Music Man" at the Boothbay Playhouse. We are always amazed at the local talent and were genuinely entertained by these hard-working young people. Made me remember my youngest son, Ryan's, role as Marcelis Washburn in his sixth grade performance many years ago.
The weather has been mostly good. Mostly sun and moderate temperatures but it did rain hard last night. That is not a good sign when you have to unhook the RV and travel on to a new spot. Luckily the rain stopped this morning about 9 am and we were able to hitch up and move on to Camden, Maine. We will be in this area for 3 nights before heading into New Brunswick, Canada.
Monday, June 21, 2010
A little background
As you know, I began this blog last evening, with the help of my neice, Aimee, who lives here in Newburyport with her husband, Brian and two little girls, Madelyn and Katja. We are staying in a nearby campground for a few days so that we can visit with them before embarking on our summer travels.
Most of you already know that we have been traveling full time in our RV...........a Montana fifth wheel.........for a year. Altho we have loved this way of life, it has been difficult to stay in touch with our family and friends and share our adventures and stories. Thus, the blog. I am hoping this will help all of you to stay in touch with us and share in our adventures.
When we first began our journey, April 24, 2009, we intended to travel for a year. Well..............the year was up this past April and we are not yet ready to settle down in one location. So........we will keep going as long as we continue to enjoy what we are doing and our health is good.
Last summer we explored the western region of our country.........Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Montana, Utah............saw many national parks and then drove into Canada to spend time in Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Waterton. We met up with long time friends, Jim and Barbara Gustafson in Bozeman, Montana in June and traveled together for 2 months. They own a Winnebago so we camped side by side........sharing conversation, cocktails, dinners, sight seeing and lots and lots of laughter.
We parted ways in late August..........Jim and Barbara driving back to their home in Florida and Barry and I going down the Washington and Oregon coast before heading back across the country to see our families in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvani Virginia and North Carolian in the fall. Winter was spent in Florida where we also visited with another son and his family (Mitch and Kari) who live in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
We have just completed a month in Western PA, where we were able to see our families and friends again. We had a wonderful time there, enjoying our children and grand-children and re-connecting with many of our Pittsburgh friends. Now we are off to the northeast..................Maine, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.
We leave this beautiful area of Massachusetts and our visit with "The Hromadkas" tomorrow morning. Next stop...........Boothbay Harbor where we will meet up once again with Jim and Barbara Gustafson. Once again we will be spending our summer with them and are looking forward to more good times together.
As Helen Keller said "Life is a glorious adventure or nothing at all".
Most of you already know that we have been traveling full time in our RV...........a Montana fifth wheel.........for a year. Altho we have loved this way of life, it has been difficult to stay in touch with our family and friends and share our adventures and stories. Thus, the blog. I am hoping this will help all of you to stay in touch with us and share in our adventures.
When we first began our journey, April 24, 2009, we intended to travel for a year. Well..............the year was up this past April and we are not yet ready to settle down in one location. So........we will keep going as long as we continue to enjoy what we are doing and our health is good.
Last summer we explored the western region of our country.........Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Montana, Utah............saw many national parks and then drove into Canada to spend time in Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Waterton. We met up with long time friends, Jim and Barbara Gustafson in Bozeman, Montana in June and traveled together for 2 months. They own a Winnebago so we camped side by side........sharing conversation, cocktails, dinners, sight seeing and lots and lots of laughter.
We parted ways in late August..........Jim and Barbara driving back to their home in Florida and Barry and I going down the Washington and Oregon coast before heading back across the country to see our families in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvani Virginia and North Carolian in the fall. Winter was spent in Florida where we also visited with another son and his family (Mitch and Kari) who live in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
We have just completed a month in Western PA, where we were able to see our families and friends again. We had a wonderful time there, enjoying our children and grand-children and re-connecting with many of our Pittsburgh friends. Now we are off to the northeast..................Maine, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.
We leave this beautiful area of Massachusetts and our visit with "The Hromadkas" tomorrow morning. Next stop...........Boothbay Harbor where we will meet up once again with Jim and Barbara Gustafson. Once again we will be spending our summer with them and are looking forward to more good times together.
As Helen Keller said "Life is a glorious adventure or nothing at all".
Sunday, June 20, 2010
We begin our blog in Newburyport, MA
Hi everyone,
Well, the impossible has finally happened! After many requests from friends and family, we are creating a blog of our travels so that you can follow along with us! our neice, Aimee Hromodka has taken us under her wing and helped us set up the blog. Thanks Aimee!
Well, the impossible has finally happened! After many requests from friends and family, we are creating a blog of our travels so that you can follow along with us! our neice, Aimee Hromodka has taken us under her wing and helped us set up the blog. Thanks Aimee!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)