Day 06 (Aug. 7) - Annapolis Royal Day 3, Kejimkujik National Park

A new couple joined us for breakfast this morning. They just moved back to Halifax from Austin, TX where they lived for three years. She was born in this town and they wanted to visit again. The four friends that we met yesterday who are traveling together were leaving today to ultimately end up at Prince Edward Island. Suzan served us homemade breakfast cake, homemade scones and blueberry jam, a first course of blueberries with cherry yogurt, and then a big slice of a spinach feta frittata. Like yesterday we all talked and told stories about our travels. At one point the retired teacher, Deanna, told Rob that she loves his laugh and wants to bottle it up! We exchanged our contact info with them, hopefully our paths will cross again. 

Lucy was chilling out in the hallway as we left.

Today we planned to visit Kejimkujik National Park, about 45 minutes away, to go hiking. We arrived at 11am and stopped at the Visitor's Center to get a trail map. Two trails connected and left from that location, Mill Falls and Beech Grove. They were about 4.4km total round trip. On our way, we soon arrived at the waterfalls. The Mersey River is the color of tea due to it flowing through bogs. The rocks were really cool to look at and walk across.

We picked up the Beech Grove trail and had a nice walk through the woods. The trail also provided additional glimpses of the river. 

This park has a large concentration of old and new growth hemlocks, which is apparently rare. We decided to do the 5km Hemlocks and Hardwoods trail next, which was a short drive away. The park rangers were recommending it to everyone who asked about hiking as a highlight of the park. We had the trail mostly to ourselves the entire time. 

Michele saw this little mushroom and moss scene and thought it looked cute, like a fairy house. Anybody home?

We were able to catch a picture of two creatures we saw along our walk. A female Hairy Woodpecker.

A little ground squirrel we named Chirp because he/she had quite a set of lungs. 

There were educational signs along the way that told about what was in that specific area. Such as, if a large tree falls, it opens up space for new trees and species to grow. Hemlocks drop needles that create a very acidic soil that prevent other plants from taking over beneath them. They also have very shallow roots, so the park built a nice boardwalk through a large grove. 

This hemlock is 400 years old! Many of the others surrounding it are 275 years old. 

This tree was an example of a hemlock starting life on a moss patch on the top of a rock and how the tree adapted to grow around the tree. The nearby information sign indicated that this tree had been badly damaged by people walking around it and compacting its shallow roots. We aren't arborists but this tree looks to have been killed by a chainsaw. What do you think?

This hike was a loop around Big Dam Lake. The path didn't take us right to the lake, but we could catch glimpses through the trees. We could even hear the very distinctive calls of a Loon (the bird) earlier during our hike. 

As we neared the end of the hike, a man and his very fluffy Australian Shepherd approached. The man asked if we could help him get his bug spray out of the pocket of his big backpack as he just started on the hike and had already been bitten three times. He was holding the dog leash and couldn't easily get to it. His dog's name was Sparta, who is a very good hiker, but whether it is a good camper was yet to be determined! 

After that hike, we drove south to check out the canoe and kayak area for tomorrow. It was a popular activity and many families and kids were out floating on the Mersey River. We asked about options for tomorrow morning and planned to go back to rent kayaks for a few hours. 

On the way out, we drove to the end of the paved road and found a little beach and a cafe. We also stopped at a tower overlook and realized why we were the only ones parked there.

The park needs to increase the height of this lookout or perhaps that chainsaw that was used on the previously mentioned hemlock might do the trick. ;-)

We drove back to the Visitor's Center to look at the exhibits then headed back to our B&B. We decided to catch dinner at the Crow's Nest across the river in the town of Granville Ferry. One of the breakfast couples recommended it. Hardly any restaurants were open in town tonight, being a Monday and a holiday. It was a short 15 minute drive and we got to see the mountains that we've been looking at across the river for a few days. The Crow's Nest was busy! Luckily, without a reservation we were able to get a table with a short wait. It had colorful and fun decor and an extensive menu, both for fish lovers and those not. Rob got an orange float before his meal!

Michele struck up a conversation with a local fisherman.

After dinner Rob suggested we find a good view of the Bay of Fundy since we were near it. He drove us a short way to Delaps Cove and found a pier to walk on. We really weren't supposed to be there since it was a pier for fishing boats, but nobody was around. We think we saw an otter floating near the rocks.

The sun was starting to set so we went to the grocery store near our B&B to pick up lunch items to have for our kayak adventure tomorrow.

Day 05 (Aug. 6) - Annapolis Royal Day 2

No need for the car today as we planned to explore the town by foot. The house was quiet all night and morning, so we rested well. Our B&B is the second from the right in the photo, the darker red one. The colorful chairs facing the water are part of the owner's property where we plan to watch the fireworks tonight.

Breakfast was served at 8:30am, and the proprietor, Suzan, invited us into the dining room. There were six other guests, so we filled the 8-person table. Four of the guests were friends traveling together. Everyone was from Edmonton, Canada, and all were friendly and very funny. One lady was a recently retired school teacher for K-6 grades. Another man recently retired who worked on the TransCanadian oil line. He has descendents buried at Fort Anne in town, where we planned to visit today. Breakfast was: nectarines and blueberries, homemade coffee cake (she was baking it when we arrived last night), homemade croissants and jams, baked eggs in cute individual crocks with chickens on the lids, and ham. Suzan uses mostly locally-sourced food.

We headed out around 10:30am and walked along the boardwalk parallel to the main street in town. The weather today was sunny with blue skies, about 72 degrees for the high. It wasn't long before we arrived at Fort Anne. We walked around and read the signage talking about the history. 

It is Canada's first national historic site. Scottish, French and English settlers fought over the land for 400 years, which sits on indigenous Mi'kmaq land. Apparently it was the most hotly contested land in the country. The last time the fort was involved in a skirmish was in 1781. The town prospered in the 1800s in shipping and shipbuilding.

While there we learned that there were re-enactments yesterday, but they were mostly packing up. A few people were practicing in their uniforms while we walked around. A boy of about 10 had a pretend wooden musket and was sitting on top of the old gunpowder storage bunker. One of our breakfast friends told us about him. He had on a Star Wars t-shirt and travels with his Dad doing reenactments. The boy suggested that someone saw a mouse or maybe a rat down there yesterday. Perhaps he was telling stories, there was no evidence of one.

The "magazine" building where they kept the gunpowder and ammunition was a neat design, with walls thicker than the roof in case of an explosion. This was an improved design over the original storage bunker as it allows for plenty of air ventilation to better keep the gunpowder dry.

After that, we walked over to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, a 17-acre garden on a tidal setting with 1,800 plant species. They organized the gardens into sections such as the innovative garden that featured organic and economical gardening methods that could be used in anyone's backyard. There were vegetables, herbs and flowers. The garden staff eat the produce from it. We saw zucchini, artichokes, fava beans, kale and tomatoes. The rose collection and rose maze was in bloom, although not at peak, but they had all types of varieties. Some cultivars were from the 1930s. 

Many of the perennials and annuals were the usual ones we can buy at the local big box stores back home, but were displayed in a creative way.

 

We enjoyed walking along the dyke marsh. Rob saw a bird that only tweeted when it was flapping its wings. When it soared on the wind, it was silent. 

An artist made and placed 42 ceramic birds in a little grove. We only found about 15. Another artist created this fun puffin party inspired by the puffins he could see on the island near his home here in Nova Scotia.

A few lily ponds were in bloom and surrounded by perennials and shrubs. After our visit we walked over to the Garrison House to make a dinner reservation for tonight. Michele got a hot dog from a street vendor truck for lunch, and ate at a picnic table overlooking the wharf while Rob walked along it to get pictures. 

An older gentleman came over to Michele with his walker and said he needed a break in the shade. He introduced himself as a retired local scallops fisherman who worked for 34 years. He was forced to retire because nearly everything needed surgery. He worked on a 100 foot steel boat. He was specific about the steel boat because in 1984 the wooden boat he worked on sank. They had to call in for help as the stern was going under, and after that he said no more wood boats. He worked 14 days at a time, 16-17 hours a day, then got a week off. All the men in his family were fisherman. During his career he saw whales, dolphins and swordfish, and would fish year round no matter the weather. His name was Ron and he was kind and friendly, even when Michele admitted she doesn't have a taste for fish or seafood.

We rested at our B&B for a few hours before dinner. Our dinner at the Garrison Inn was delicious, a salad and stuffed chicken. After, Michele stopped in the ice cream place to get a scoop of salty caramel. The owner is from Florida and runs the shop during the summer months, then goes back to Florida for the winter. We had just googled how much snow Nova Scotia gets per year (5 feet!) so it's no wonder he transitions to a warmer clime. He said he has family in Vienna and Aldie, Va. 

Back at our hotel, we rested in our room until the fireworks started at 9:30pm. We sat outside next to the wharf where the fireworks were staged. They were so close that we had to practically look straight up to see the bright displays and could feel ash particles fall on us! The explosions would echo off the hillside across the Annapolis River making a big sensory effect.

Afterwards, we chatted with two of the couples from Edmonton. The couple that includes the retired teacher also has a motorcycle (a V-Star with a Harley rear seat) and they both love riding. She studied music (piano and organ) and loves writing music. 

Tomorrow we plan to hike in the national park nearby.

Day 04 (Aug 5) - Saint John to Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

The big house was very quiet for the night. We packed the car before breakfast so we'd be ready to hit the road afterwards. We had an 8am sitting for breakfast and the owners went all out for us and the 4-5 other couples. We were served an egg sandwich with ham, fruit (watermelon, grapes, kiwi, blueberries, a cherry), and sauteed bell peppers and mushrooms. Michele especially appreciated the very healthy breakfast and Rob gobbled up his, surprisingly, as he usually doesn't eat breakfast. It was a lot of work for the owners since they hand made each breakfast sandwich on the spot. While eating we noticed this clever painting or photo on the wall, look closely!

Pleasantly stuffed, we headed out. Rob noticed that the weather forecast appeared to be rainy all day. Our route today took us around the Bay of Fundy from the north to the south coast. Traffic was very light for the first two hours as we headed out of New Brunswick into Nova Scotia. 

We had periods of rain as we drove north on Canada Highway-1. Around Moncton we picked up TransCanadian Highway 2, traveled around the end of the Bay of Fundy, and around the neck that connects New Brunswick with Nova Scotia. The scenery was rural and we had periods of blue sky.

We turned east on Highway 104 towards Amherst. We arrived in Amherst after 11am at Subway to get a sandwich for a planned picnic lunch. We had a 45 minute drive along Highway 2 to Five Islands Provincial Park for our picnic. We lucked out and the rain held off. Rob had already scoped out the park using Google Maps photos ahead of time and found covered picnic tables in case it started raining. What a good planner he is! We got a great table with views of the bay and islands. 

After lunch we put on our hiking shoes and walked down to the beach area. 

The tide was out when we arrived, but was starting to come back in. It takes only about 6.5 hours from high tide to low tide (which means there are about 2 high tides and 2 low tides every day). The tidal change in the bay is between 36 and 48 feet! 

Soon we heard the very familiar call of a bald eagle. Michele forgot to get her binoculars from the car trunk, but she followed the call and found him/her in the trees. We zoomed in as much as we could on our iPhones. We could only find the one but based on the calls, there were at least two of them.

We walked down the other side of the beach to look at the islands, the largest one is named Moose Island. Across the way is an RV park with sites right on the edge of the cliff. We then walked up a grassy trail past a few camp sites to the top of a hill for more views. 

It was 1:45pm by that time, and we had four hours more to drive for the day, so we got back on the road. What a fun break for our picnic and shoreline exploring.

Our route continued to be scenic and rural. We enjoyed listening to our favorite XM Satellite channels for music and comedy. (Ask us sometime about the comedian who cooked an apple in the microwave for his wife, with unfortunate results.) In Truro we picked up Highway 102 towards Bedford. Just past Elmsdale we hit a supposed 20 minute traffic jam. Google Maps kept adding time to the slowdown, and traffic ahead was stopped as far as we could see. We turned around at a nearby cut through, went back to the previous exit at Rt. 214, and connected to Highway 2 to Enfield to bypass the accident. It was the right decision. There we stopped to gas up the car. Rob overheard two guys talking about the backup and one guy was stuck in it for an hour before he could turn around. We really lucked out that we were right by the cut through to go in the other direction, otherwise we might not have made it to our B&B at a decent hour tonight. 

We took 102 into Bedford. Around 4:30pm, we had a wicked strong rainstorm. This is right before we entered it.

The temperature dropped 10 degrees through this storm cell. The rain was so loud we couldn't hear the radio or each other. When we got past it the skies were blue and sunny for awhile. We picked up 101 and took that into Annapolis Royal, our destination for the next four days. We arrived at our B&B just after 6pm. The owner was waiting to greet us and said her dog Lucy was anxious to go for her walk. She apparently gets her dinner after the walk, so it's suspected that is why she likes her walk so much.

Our room is beautiful with a waterfront view. It wasn't until after dinner that Michele noticed the room doesn't have a TV. It's a classier establishment here! The Bailey House was built in 1770 by a Scotsman who arrived in town in 1737 and was a master carpenter. 

We walked a half block over to dinner at Whiskey Teller. Rob likes ordering the classic Canadian poutine whenever we visit Canada.  It is fries, cheese curds and a brown gravy. Sometimes with different flavors or spices. Michele had rotisserie chicken and a wedge salad. 

Rob tried a local cider called Field of Dreams Strawberry & Currant and Michele had a strawberry rhubarb margarita. Yum!! 

During dinner we talked for the first time about taking our first long trip in the car instead of on the motorcycle. Rob said he likes it more than he thought he would, he was worried he would be bored. Michele said there's a lot she likes about the car, but is missing some of the adventure of being on the bike, as well as people we meet along the way. On our trips we always get people asking us about the bike, the trailer, where we're from and where we're going. Rob said taking a car trip really opens up the time of year when we can take trips, instead of only July through August. We both still want to take bike trips but might consider mixing it up with car trips in other months. We've noticed a lot of RVs on the road and Michele said she's ready anytime for hers. 

We finished off dinner with a brownie with a blueberry compote and whipped cream. That went down very easily!!

Apparently this weekend and Monday where we are staying is a big Nova Scotia event, Natal Days, similar to our Fourth of July but for the province of Nova Scotia. There will be music, a parade and fireworks throughout this three-day long holiday weekend. This town has tons of history, yet only about 530 permanent residents!

After a day of mostly rain, we were rewarded with a colorful sunset. Tomorrow we will explore the sights of the town. Today we drove 400 miles. The temperature ranged from 64 to 77 at various points and locations throughout the day. 

Day 03 (Aug 4) - Freeport to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Our room was quiet and comfortable for the night. Michele had the breakfast buffet at the hotel that was free with our Booking.com account and Rob had juice. Rob announced at breakfast, “We need to get our stories straight for the border crossing today.” He explained that Michele could not indicate she was being held against her will at the crossing. Funny guy. So, Michele grilled Rob on typical questions we’ve been asked in the past to make sure he could answer them confidently. She also teased him about the time a few years ago when
he forgot his profession when asked by the border official. We had a good giggle.

At checkout, the hotel receptionist said their busy season continues with weddings and the leaf peepers through October. We packed up and were at the car at 8:20am. The skies were cloudy and it was sprinkling as we walked our bags out to the car. The weather was expected to be 70 and dry for the day’s drive.

Our route was primarily US Highway 1 along the coast with a few smaller roads along the way. It wasn't long before we saw the biggest lobster in the world! Looks like he may be trying to save his friends.

Some parts of our route had water views and others were more inland as we passed through rural areas and villages.

We stopped at 10:30am for gas and a rest break. Onward, as we got closer to our lunch spot, we drove through busy Camden and had views of the Penobscot Bay. We passed over the Passagassawakeag River in Belfast. We didn’t try to pronounce it. 

Just before Noon we drove over the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, a 2,120 foot cable-stayed suspension bridge built in 2006 to replace the Waldo-Hancock Bridge built in 1931. The original was the first long span suspension bridge in Maine and over the Penobscot River in Bucksport. 

We planned to eat lunch at the Friar’s Brewhouse and Tavern. Since it opened at Noon and we were ahead of schedule, we waited a bit at the gas station during our earlier break. Once we arrived at 12:10, the place was already full! Two actual friars make the food, one of whom was in his robes. They said everyone showed up at once and it would be an hour wait! Clearly it was popular, as it got 5 stars on TripAdvisor which is how Michele found it. Since we had an itinerary, we walked a block to Warren’s Waterfront Restaurant. It was full but had a table ready. Rob enjoyed the lobster roll special and Michele had a chef salad. Both were delicious. 

This was our view from the restaurant. We could see the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Fort Knox.

It started to lightly rain during lunch and continued for the rest of the day, raining quite heavily at times for the rest of the three hours to the Canadian border in Calais. This construction area had a sign that said "grooved pavement" but we saw mud instead. This would have been tricky with the bike and trailer.

We stopped for a gas top off about 12 miles from the border. Michele checked the CBP Border Wait Times app and it appeared our wait time would be less than 10 minutes at the Calais-Ferry Landing border. 

At the border, we had an open lane and drove right up. The line getting into the US on the other side was quite long. Rob said it’s all the Canadians going to Florida. The officer asked where we live, where we are going and how long we will stay in country. He asked about alcohol and weapons (knives, firearms, mace, tasers). Rob thought we looked boring which is why we got through quickly. Michele thinks Rob was a bit disappointed not to get trick questions to try to trip him up. The officer luckily didn’t even look at Michele to see if she matched her passport or if she was in distress. Later, Rob wondered if on our way back into the US, if the officer would notice if she was blindfolded in the backseat. Rob thinks he’s so funny.  

 

We arrived at our hotel, the Homeport Historic B&B, in Saint John before 5:30pm (Atlantic Time Zone). It is two circa 1858 houses combined to make a single hotel. Our room is accessible up twisty steps. 

We admired this piano and were told it is badly out of tune. 

For dinner, the hotel staff recommended a place called Lilly’s about 6 miles away and a few other places downtown. We opted to try Lilly’s. It was packed and the receptionist said there was no space for two the entire night! So, we drove back to downtown, parked at the Marketplace garage next to the Hilton and ate dinner at the Saint John Alehouse located in the Market area on the wharf. It was a little pub and we enjoyed drinks, a burger and a salad. Rob had the Kingberry Long Bay raspberry sour ale (New Brunswick brewed) and Michele had the Strawberry Rhubarb margarita. After, we walked along the wharf looking at the very low tide and port of cargo cranes, and then checked out the Market mall area inside. 

This artwork in the Market was really cool of lifesize statues commuting. Michele thought more women should be represented though.

Michele had an important call to make. 

We admired a model of the Marco Polo II. A famous ship built in New Brunswick. Once the fastest ship in the world for it's record setting voyage from England to Australia, it sank off the coast of Prince Edward Island. 

Today's mileage was 315 miles. We switched over to Atlantic Time Zone, one hour ahead. Tomorrow we cross over to Nova Scotia.