RVing With a Purpose

Saturday, July 21, 2023

We had a great night of sleep last night at a Boondockers Welcome site in Moncton, New Brunswick.  Our hosts were out late last night and we didn’t meet them until this morning when we had a nice visit before getting back on the road. Today we left New Brunswick and crossed into Nova Scotia.  We have been trying to get to NS for 3 or 4 years now.  Finally made it today.  We stopped at the Welcome Center and were immediately impressed.  The landscaping was beautiful, the rest rooms immaculate, and the people responsible for giving you information were very helpful.  We told them where we were headed and they offered some suggestions for a better route that would be more scenic.  We took their advice and have absolutely no regrets about the detour. The route did take longer but that was because we kept stopping and looking at things and taking pictures.

We entered Nova Scotia at Amherst and then instead of taking the Trans-Canadian highway, we detoured to  The Sunrise Trail and followed that scenic route along the northern shoreline.  The first portion of the drive was through more agricultural area.  We were very appreciative of the farmers who placed signs beside the road indicating what was growing in the fields.  We would not have guessed the rhubarb fields.  We really enjoyed driving through the countryside.  We looked at the map and detoured into the town of Pictou because it looked like an interesting little town and we were ready to stretch our legs.  We were glad we had a driving day today after the past two exercise intense days but we still needed to do some walking.  We found a really nice walking trail along the shore an while walking spotted two eagles, one full grown, maybe the mom and a juvenile not yet displaying his white plumage. We also saw a number of painted rocks around town.  We have a friend who paints rocks that would have really enjoyed this town.

Next detour was at Arisaig to photograph a light house.  It was no longer active and actually had an ice cream shop inside.  We couldn’t buy any ice cream because we already had ice cream in Pictou.  Arisaig seemed to be a lobstering town.  Lots of lobster traps in the yard and a lobster processing house as well.  Heading on further east our next detour was at Cape George to photograph that lighthouse.  It really is a light house that is situated on a cliff above the St Georges Bay.  What a great view of the bay!

From there we headed toward another Boondockers Welcome site for the next two nights not far from Port Hawkesbury. Our host couple has recently moved to Nova Scotia and are so happy here.  They seem so pleased to share their beautiful place on a lake. We understand they frequently have loons visit them and we are hopeful we will get to see and hear them while we are here.  Thank you, God, for a beautiful and safe travel day.  Enjoy your weekend!

Thursday, July 20, 2023

This morning we were up early and headed to Hopewell Rocks, about 45 minutes from Fundy National Park.  Hopewell Rocks is a New Brunswick provincial park and is located on the Bay of Fundy.  Hopewell Rocks, also called Flowerpots Rocks or The Rocks, are rock formations known as sea stacks, caused by tidal erosion by the massive tides of the Bay of Fundy.  The formations are 40-70 feet tall.  There are over 23 sea stacks standing along the shoreline of the park.  The park is considered a “self-guided tour” but there are interpretive staff on the trails, the landings of the stairways to and from the ocean floor, and out among the sea stacks.  They are very knowledgeable and are anxious to answer questions and share their love of the park.  The stairs down to the ocean floor are 100 steps, one way.  We made 3 trips up and down those steps today.  We both got credit for 76 flights of steps on our fitness tracker and over 20,000 steps.  That’s two days in a row of some serious exercise.  It may be an Ibuprofen night tonight.

We arrived at the park at about 7:40 and that put us second in line for entry into the park at 8:00.  We were on the ocean floor about 8:15 walking among all the various rock formations.  Very impressive.  You must be careful because some areas are extremely muddy.  We are so very glad we arrived early.  We had about 6 other people exploring the rocks with us.  After exploring all the way to Diamond Rock and back to the main stairs, there were probably 300 people on the ocean floor including a large tour bus group.  After our morning exploration we went back to BB to have a late breakfast.  Low tide was at 9:05 am and then the tide started back in.  We went back to the floor about 2.5 hours later to see how much progress the tide had made.  We were surprised at how fast the water was coming back in.  There were already some places formations had water at the base.  We could stand at the water’s edge and in one minute our foot would be covered by water.  Back to BB for some rest and then we again went to the stairs to the floor at 2:30, high tide. Amazing!  The last section of the steps to the floor was closed due to high water and water was near the base of the cliffs.

After our last trip the water at high tide, we said goodbye to our new interpretive friends and climbed in BB and headed to Moncton, New Brunswick.  It sure was nice to have BB in the parking lot today to visit for rest from all the walking and step climbing.  It was another very good day.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

One of our bucket list places to see on this trip was the Bay of Fundy.  It is one of the 7 wonders of North America.  We sort of saw part of it yesterday though the fog when we arrived at Cannontown campground.  This morning it was again foggy but, you just have to get out there and do what you can.  For us that meant walking to Alma, a little town just outside Fundy National Park, to watch the changes in the bay.  The Bay of Fundy is known for its fast running tides.  It holds the record for the highest tides in the world at 16 meters/53 feet.  It is a funnel shape inlet of the Atlantic Ocean  and is sandwiched between the Canadian Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  A very small portion also touches the state of Maine.  The Bay of Fundy is famous for the highest tidal range in the world.   About 9:00am today was the first low tide of the day.  When we reached the beach, we walked way, way, out on the dry ocean floor. We saw the large commercial lobster and fishing boats docked at the marina, resting on the ocean floor. We were amazed.  There was also a river emptying water into the ocean.  Shortly after 9, the tide began coming back in.  We stood there and watched the water begin to rise and cover rocks on the ocean floor.  We stood there and watched the water get deeper around our feet.  This was a new experience for us and was happening so fast. At about 2pm today we were back out at the bay and witnessed the first high tide of the day.  Water now covered the ocean floor that we walked on this morning and water was now pouring into the river rather than out.  As we watched longer, and the tide began going out again, we witnessed the river change direction and began flowing, as would normally be expected, into the bay.  Yes, there are tidal swings every day around the world.  However, the changes in the Bay of Fundy are amazing.  God’s world is truly amazing!  The Bay of Fundy is just so cool!!

In the middle of the day, we hiked to Dickson Falls in the NP.  It is the most photographed falls in the park.  It begins from a spring, forms the falls, and then crosses through the golf course and finally empties into the Bay of Fundy all within the boundaries of the NP.  The surroundings are so lush and beautifully green.  The area around the falls is noticeably cooler as well.

Today was another wonderful day on our 2023 Road Trip.  We walked more than 25,000 steps today and even though we are tired tonight, we enjoyed every step.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

There was no rain overnight or this morning.  However, there was fog but not enough to bother us.  After breakfast we headed to the visitor center one last time, to pick up the Acadia National Park magnet we had decided to purchase.  While waiting for the gift shop to open we got our thirty minute walk on one of the carriage trails.  From there we headed towards the Canadian border.  Google took us on some back country roads but it was a pretty drive.  We arrived at the Canadian Border Services at about noon.  We presented our passports, answered a few questions about what we have in the RV and more importantly what we don’t have – GUNS. Then the agent welcomed us to Canada.  Easy Peasy.  From the border we made a quick stop at a grocery store to pick up some produce and a few other items that we wouldn’t replenish until after the border crossing.  Then we drove to Sussex, New Brunswick to meet some YouTube friends, Carrie and Dave, of One AdVANture At A Time.  If you haven’t watched any of their videos, they do some great photography and videos, all while traveling full time in their class B van with their labradoodle, Roodle.  It was so good to see them today, even for just a little while.  They were leaving New Brunswick to return to Maine today so we made our paths cross.  Next destination was Cannontown Campground in Fundy National Park

.  Again an interesting and pretty drive. Now it’s time to start exploring the Canadian Maritimes.