Moncton, New Brunswick, CA 9/17/12

Today was a driving day.  We left Bar Harbor around 9 and trusted the GPS to get us out of there.  What were we thinking.....eventually, we reached Highway 9 but it was a little rough road for about 20 miles.  Highway 9 to Canada was pretty good.

We had to pull over at a pull out on the highway for a potty stop and Ronnie decided that would be a good time to change out a tire on the RV that he noticed was beginning to wear on the edge.  So, he did that and then we continued on our way.

Next stop was the border.  We had, as I said, read horror stories with one person saying this and another person contradicting those instructions.  Information on the Canadian website wasn't too much help.  So we ate all the fruit, threw out some old veggies and hoped for the best.

We pulled up, showed our passports, answered a few questions and was selected for a search.  So we had to stop and open the slides and let them do an inspection of the truck and RV.  Found no guns, no alcohol, no tobacco and said , "have a good day."  She was very nice.

We changed time zones again.  So we're now two hours ahead of "home".  The Canadian Hwy 2 is wonderful...so smooth.  Lots of construction, but we barely slowed down.  It was a really, really good road.

We drove  the Fundy Coastal Route along the Bay of Fundy.  It's beautiful.  We'll see much more of the Bay tomorrow in Nova Scotia.  Saw several lighthouse signs and would loved to have gone down to view them, but we've learned (the hard way) that we don't do that with the house behind us.  There'll be plenty to see in NS.

We got to Stonehurst around 4:30..It's a nice quiet place.  Grassy and we're on the end so it's pretty private.  Unhooked and drove into town to see if we could find a place to exchange currency.  We have NO Canadian money.  The banks were all closed but we spied a Casino and knew we could get money exchanged there...they love money.  We walked up to the Cashier and I laid a $100 bill down and got $94 in Canadian money back....instantly lost $6 and hadn't even sat down at a slot machine.  But we were desperate and needed the money.  Didn't want to go back into town (we're sorta on the outskirts now) before leaving in the morning (can't do it with the RV attached).  So now we have a few Canadian loonies and toonies.

We drove to downtown Moncton just to see it and to find diesel.  Lovely downtown area. 
Found diesel for 1.38 per liter....don't have a clue.  Chase Visa will figure it all out, I'm sure.

Tomorrow we go over the bridge at Bay of Fundy and enter Nova Scotia...it's about a 40 minute drive.  We've changed everything over to the metric system, so we're on kilometers and centigrade up here.  The weather has been beautiful, perfect, but I think rain is forecast for the weekend...just when we'll be at Cape Breton..the place we've looked forward to so much...But we'll see.

Bar Harbor ME Sunday

Not much went on today.  Took the shuttle back downtown (love that little town) and shopped a bit.  Ate lunch.  Then came back and tried to get info on what is required to cross the border.  Probably should have spent a little more time on that before we left :).....but, I hope we've got everything we need and threw out all they won't allow (fruit, veggies).  We read horror stories of people's RV's being trashed when they suspected you were hiding something.  We have no guns, no liquor, no tobacco, no fruit, no veggies and NO POTATOES, so we should be good.  Ate up the chicken, salad and  baked potatoes for dinner.

We will blog when we have WiFi at the campgrounds.  Most all have it, but in  our experience, having it and it working good are two different things.  We will not be taking phone calls ($$$ in Canada), but we can send and receive texts.

Our plans are to be in Moncton, NB tomorrow night; then to Aylesford NS on Tuesday, Yarmouth on Wed and Thur (the Acadian section of the island), Truro NS on Friday, then on to Cape Breton on Sat, Sun and Mon.  Tuesday we will leave for Cap Pele NB for a couple of days while we cross Confederation Bridge onto Prince Edward Island...want to see where Anne of Green Gables grew up.
Then up the eastern seaboard of New Brunswick back into Maine. 

Later....

Bar Harbor-Saturday

We slept in today.  It was a dark, humid cool morning.  High today is to be 65 and a little rain is forecasted.  Ronnie cooked breakfast and then we noticed no water pressure….actually, no water at all.  He went out to check to see if the filter was clogged, and took it off…still no water.  He visited with the guy in the motorhome next to us and discovered they had the same problem and the same feelings about this “resort”. He complained about the water to the management and they said that the water is pushed up the hill and most of the water is used at  the lower sites (and we are on the hill)…..would have been nice if they’d told us that.  They told him he might have to use his on- board water and pump….he said, “well, what the h….am I paying for full hook ups for?”  We are disgusted with this place.  Live and learn, again.  But you can bet I’m giving them an earful on rvparkreviews.com  The staff has been very nice…it’s not their fault that this Encore Resorts company doesn’t do its job. 

 

The Massachusetts Rednecks are out and about on their road hogs today…rumble, rumble, rumble.  They have more friends up near us in a homemade trailer.  It’s an oversized motorcycle trailer (black) and has an a/c unit on top.  I guess they sleep with the cycles.  And park near the bathhouses.

 

I cleaned up the RV a bit….we sorta dumped stuff when we came in last night, so we were getting a little (okay, a lot) cluttered.  It’s better now and we are neatened up a bit.  Went into town to do laundry.  The laundry here was small, not too clean looking.  Glad that’s done for a while….I hate laundromats.  This one was large and clean.  And expensive. 

 

We watched the ballgame this afternoon.  And then went out for that great lobstah dinner tonight.  Tried The Chart Room right up the road….it looked good and  always had a lot of cars parked there…always a good sign.  It’s right on Frenchman’s Bay and the locals eat there.  I had lobster newburg; R had stuffed shrimp…. It was all very tasty, but overcooked…tough and rubbery.  A shame.

There will be plenty of other chances for good lobster.

 

I do plan to go back into town tomorrow.  Two more cruise ships will be in town so I know the stores will be open.  I have decided those $20 jackets are too good to pass up and will get me one.  And the scarf store deserves another visit.

Ronnie may or may not go. 

 

It’s going to be in the 40’s tonight.  But back to  high 60’s tomorrow and sunny.  Love this weather.  Got the fireplace going tonight.

 

 

 

 

Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park

Today was a good day…at least it ended good. 

 

This morning, we began having power surges; heard a pop and smelled electrical wiring.  He had to plug into the 30 amp instead of 50 amp as it was uneven voltage (best as I can explain it).  Anyway, it blew out our coffee pot (and hope that’s all.)  We told the office, but they didn’t seem too concerned. 

 

After that, our neighbors left….whoopee… Let me make this perfectly clear…Arkansas does not hold all the rednecks in the world.  Massachusetts has its share for sure.  They were right next to us.  I thought they were gonna take out a tree leaving.  Really gouged up the dirt around their site.  They moved several sites down. 

 



At Eagle Lake/Acadia National Park ME

Then, we left.  We took the shuttle into Bar Harbor Village Green , (met a really nice couple from Boston while waiting on the shuttle and shared Mardi Gras information with them—they just started Rving and want to go down to LA ); walked a couple of blocks to Acadia Bike Rental and rented two mountain bikes (yes, we brought our own—that story later).  Then we walked back to Village Green and took the Bicycle Shuttle up to Acadia National Park/Eagle Lake.  Throughout the park are what is called Carriage Trails—beautiful, wide trails for walkers, bikers and carriages and/or horses.

 



History:  In 1901, a group of wealthy Mount Desert Island summer residents banded toether to set aside the land that would later become Acadia National Park.  One of the park’s early benefactors was John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the millionaire industrialist and philanthropist who later planned and built NYC Rockefeller Center.  Rockefeller hoped the land would one day become “a real gem of the first order among national parks.” But, in 1913, that hope was threatened by an unforeseen menace:  the arrival of the automobile on Mount Desert Island.  Rockefeller, however, did not take this threat lying down.  Over the next 27 years, he built a system of carriage roads crisscrossing his property, most of which he later donated to the park.  Gently graded and lined with broken stone, the “Rockefeller Roads” (as they were known) offered a refuge from the “horseless carriage” for hikers, horseback riders and the open, horse-drawn carriages.  Linking the 45 miles of carriage roads were a series of handsome bridges that were built with local granite and cobblestones.

 



Bubble Lake

We so enjoyed the bike ride!  We rode for 6-7 miles around Eagle Lake with a side trip to Bubble Lake (because it sounds like bubbles when the waves hit the rocks along the shoreline).  It was a real treat to ride as we’ve  not ridden bikes for **** years.  There was one hill….yep, had to walk part way.  It was tough.  But, what goes up always comes down, so the ride down was fantastic.  Horse poop along the way—felt like home.

 

After riding for over two hours, we caught the Bicycle Shuttle back to Bar Harbor, turned in the bikes and then stopped at the Side Street Café for nachos and drinks.  Perfect mid-afternoon snack.  Then, we walked up a block and hit the shops.  HAL Maasdam (cruise ship) was in port today so there were lots of people in town.  But everyone was very nice, polite.  That goes for the locals.  Everyone speaks; everyone is polite; everyone (even the teens) say “thank you”.  We shopped for a bit and found some real bargains.  Ronnie got a waterproof jacket w/hood for $20.  I found a scarf that I loved for $10 (may go back to that store….lots of stuff)  Ran into a couple from Alabama (Auburn) and shared coaches’ stories.  Lol.   Had a wonderful ice-cream waffle cone on the street and people watched for a bit.  Then we headed back up to Village Green to wait on the shuttle back to the Campground.  Once here, we jumped in the truck and, alas, had to make a trip to Walmart for a new coffee pot. 

 

It was a really good day.  We got to see Acadia away from the cars and tour buses.  Although, we took the Park Loop Road last night and got some good views of the Atlantic Ocean and the rugged Maine coastline.  Today was a calming day. 

Bar Harbor

 

The Bike Story:  We borrowed our daughter and son-in-law’s mountain bikes to bring with us.  Rob’s (Ronnie’s) is great.  He bought a new cushy seat for it, but it rides great.  I immediately wrecked on Dana’s (this was at home) and felt like it was too tall for my short legs.  So without really giving it a trial, I went down to WM and bought a cheap 24” bike.  Rode it a bit at home and, as our road is hilly, didn’t think much when I huffed and puffed on it.  However, the other day on the nice, flat bike trail at the other campground, it was tough to ride.  We  adjusted the seat, but nothing seemed to make it pedal easy.  Ronnie got on it and I got on his; my, what a difference!  His was effortless; and he agreed that mine was hard to pedal.  That’s what I get for buying a cheapie.  Anyway, we decided the easiest thing to do would be to just rent them for the afternoon.  It was cheap and they were super, great bikes.  When I get home, I am trying Dana’s again….wish I had it now because we plan to ride more.  Oh well, live and learn. 

 

Not sure about tomorrow.  I want to see some lighthouses, but none on the tours are close by.  We want to watch the massacre at 3 ish so we’ll decide in the morning.  We did get a picture of one lighthouse in Frenchman’s Bay…from a great distance.

 

 

Bar Harbor, ME

Nothing to post right now.  We got here yesterday around 1:30.  To Desert Island Narrows RV Resort.....NOT.  Old park that was built back in the day when trailers were little or popups.  Hilly, very few level sites and most of them were taken.  Short.  We are 32 feet and fill it completely UP.  And can't really get level.  Have to park the truck sideways up on the site.  At least they are spread out a bit.  These big motorhomes are really filling it up.

A neighbor came in around 11:30-midnight last night....the noise!!!  It's a really long toyhauler; he took out part of an embankment when he turned in (too fast) and slammed doors and talked loud for about 30 minutes or longer.  His truck is still parked in the road.  If we were to leave today, we couldn't.  He's completely blocked the road.  They just got up  (6) , loud....still haven't moved the truck.  R said they were looking at other spots....good.

Now, we have voltage problems.  uugg.

We drove up through Acadia National Park yesterday.  It's beautiful.  Not sure of our plans today.
We are really tired and need a day to relax.  These roads and a dually can really beat you up.

Day 9 Kennebunkport, ME

It was a wonderful day.  Beautiful weather...high 60's; low 70's, sunshine. 

We started off this morning with a 3 mile bike ride on a great trail right beside our RV.  Then back to the RV and changed clothes and drove into Kennebunkport. 

Now, I love these little quaint Maine towns, but they are not made for big trucks.  Narrow streets.  As we approached the little town....oh my, the traffic.  And, of course, road work right in the middle of the little town.  As soon as we could, we turned around and went back to a public parking spot we saw earlier and walked a few blocks to town....so much easier!  Found out that a cruise ship had docked (somewhere?) and Kennebunkport was a Shore Excursion!  Four or five big tour buses full of senior citizens :) landed.  It was wild.  We chose to walk on up the hill where there were fewer people and shopped for a bit.  Stopped at Ryan's Corner House for a lobster roll (or as they call them:  lobstah rolls).  I'd heard about them forever and never had one.  So we had one.  hummmmm.  A shrimp poboy would have been better.  It was sorta bland...no spices at all.  Just lobster, mayo, lettuce on a roll. 

Anyway, we walked back across the bridge...the buses were loading up and the crowds thinned out a bit.  So we shopped some more.  Found a really neat jewelry store that I almost hyperventilated in...but managed to come out not too badly hurt.  We enjoyed walking around the quaint little town a lot.

Thought this was an interesting picture.  The Republican Headquarters shared a building with Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. 

Guard house  and drive

Then back to the truck for a ride up Ocean Avenue to see Walker's Point, the summer home of George H.W. and Barbara Bush.  Oh goodness, it was beautiful.  I can see why they love it so much.  It's built out on a point right in the Atlantic.  It's quite a compound with guard gates (2) and several other homes between the guards.  There were people there and we suspect the Secret Service is there all the time.  The gate on the street had a guard in it. 

We passed it, then went further down to park and walked back to get a better look.  Then walked on up to St. Ann's Church where the Bush's go to church when they are here.  Jeb Bush's son was married in St. Ann's.  It's a gorgeous old church, built in the 1700's with rock walls inside and stained glass windows throughout.  It sits right on the Atlantic Ocean and the beautiful rocky shoreline.   We visited inside the church a while...we were the only ones there and it was quiet and peaceful.  There is also an outdoor prayer/meditation area facing the ocean with benches donated in honor/memory of people. They hold worship services out there during the summer months.

Then we began the walk back up to Walker's Point.  As we approached, we immediately saw that they had lowered the flags to half-staff because of the deaths in the US Embassy attack in Libya.

The lady here at the RV park said her daughter works at a restaurant in Kennebunkport and when the Bush's come to town, they like to eat in that restaurant.  She said the town nearly has to shut down for that because of all the security.  God Bless Them.  I would not want to live like that.  But they have served our country.

It was a good walk up and down the coast line.  We saw many interesting sights.  The tide was beginning to come in and the waves were creating some  action.  We walked down to an area that would be under water by late afternoon and picked up a few rocks...smooth and worn from the ocean waves. Saw lots of bushes with big red berry looking things on them...not sure what it is.






I love the architecture of the homes here.  And everyone of them has a landscaped yard that is to die for and is kept immaculately.


 We left Walker's Point and went by Walmart...what a transition!!  But needed to pick up a few groceries.  Came back to the RV, very tired...we walked a LOT.    Grilled burgers and sat down!


Barbara and George HW's neighbors

 Tomorrow we leave for a short drive to Bar Harbor.  Looking forward to that.

Day 8 Saco, ME

A boring blog tonight, I'm afraid.  We left Black Bear CG in NY around 9 this morning and stayed on I 84 nearly all the way.  We went through Connecticut, Massachusetts, a portion of New Hampshire and then arrived in Maine.  Got to the RV ? park around 3:30.

We chose Silver Springs RV park in Saco, Maine to stop for two nights.  It's near Kennebunkport and we wanted to see Bush's home.  So we plan to drive down the coast tomorrow.  I do not like this place....it's more like a glorified mobile home park.  I saw only 3 or 4 sites for people like us; the rest are mobile home/manufactured home or "seasonal" campers.  But  it will do for our purposes.  It is quiet and there is a really nice bicycle trail right next to us that we intend to try out tomorrow.

We stopped somewhere in Massachusetts for diesel and decided to fix a PB&J sandwich.  While eating at the table, I noticed a couple parked near us.  She was straightening up the trunk of their car and he was lying on the grass...stretching...and relaxing.  She took pictures, etc.  When we walked out the door, he was walking towards us...my first thought:  uh oh...he's out of gas and out of money.  But, no,  he wanted her to take his picture standing by the RV....with his arm raised out as if it was his.  We all laughed and visited with them for a bit.  He is from India and she's from "all over" with relatives in Boston. 

We went out tonight and grabbed a hamburger (I know, right here in lobster country)  but I am so tired, wiped out, I just didn't feel like going inside a restaurant.  The roads up here are so bad, they will beat you  to death.  And we did toll roads all the way and PAID for the beating.  Here in Maine, we did get a stretch of pretty good road.

Weather is cool.  It's nearly 6 here and getting dark already. 

Thursday we will be in Bar Harbor, ME for 4 nights.  Looking forward to getting off the roads for a change.  Highway noise really gets to me...had to put paper in my ears.