From the beginning, it was our intent to concentrate on touring the countryside and seacoasts. From a touring viewpoint, we avoided large cities. The predominate lodging mode was camping. We stayed in motels only if an overnight stay was required in moving from one preselected destination to another. Our primary destinations were: Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Cape Bretton Island and Digby, Nova Scotia (NS).
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Prince Edward Island, PEI June 18
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We departed Burke, Virginia about 8:00 A.M., arriving Westborough, Mass. at 3:30 P.M. Here we stayed at the Ramada Inn (508-366-0202) and visited my mother for the evening. Toting along a dog when traveling requires preplanning for most 'innkeepers' do not allow animals. This is where the Mobil Travel Guide came in handy. The Ramada was okay - unremarkable.
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Bound for St. John, New Brunswick (NB), we left Westborough at 7:00 A.M. The drive north along the New Hampshire and Main Turnpikes (I95) is pretty and relaxing. Freeport, Maine is an important stop for those who would enjoy shopping at L.L. Bean and the many factory outlet shops. For the latter, there are really some good clothing deals. If any time is going to be spent in Freeport, suggest getting off the Turnpike just before there and driving north on Rt. 1. The number of outlet shops will boggle the mind.
If hunger is beginning to take over driving concentration, look for a restaurant on the right side, sitting on a hill that is painted in blue and white. It will appear about the time the Freeport exit signs are displayed. If you see it too late, no problem. Get off at the next exit and go south on Rt. 1. Yeah, that's right, I forget the restaurant name (though I've eaten there twice). There is good American food and a wonderful view from the porch at this establishment.
Lest I forget, for those interested in expanding their home bar, shopping at the New Hampshire Liquor Store (state run) is also an essential stop. The selections and prices are excellent even for the most demanding connoisseur. The largest stores are accessible right on I95. We never seem to escape from New Hampshire without dropping a buck or two at one of these stores.
The drive from Westborough to St. John is about eight hours (lost an hour here). We stayed at the Courtenay Bay Inn (506-657- 3610). Don't eat at the Inn's restaurant. Like the Ramada Inn in Westborough, the accommodations were just okay.
Once in Nova Scotia, we started exchanging American for Canadian dollars. At the time we were there, the exchange rate was 37 percent (137%) on the American dollar. Go to credit unions and banks for the best rates. But, banks will charge a fee (about $2.00) to cash travelers checks. Be careful in restaurants or other places as the exchange there can be as low as 20 percent. I have to say I was not pleased with making money off the Canadians. On the other hand, taxes there on just about everything were 17 percent. There is a national tax (GST) and a provincial tax (PST). We understood much of the tax was to pay for their national health care system. Is this what we're headed for in the States?
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Our goal on this day was to drive from St. John to the Prince Edward Island National Park on PEI. Here we would stay until June 23.
The drive to the Park is a leisurely five hours. To get to PEI (across the Northumberland Strait), we took a car ferry from Cape Tormentine, NB to Borden, PEI. The ferry ride took forty-five minutes. It is free and runs every hour on the half hour. Although we took several ferries on the trip, waiting time for all of them was no more then fifteen to twenty minutes. Waiting time can be considerable during high-season. The trip was timed to take advantage of kids still being in school, both in the US and Nova Scotia. We also hoped to be ahead of the insects.
PEI is where we began to camp out. Based on prior research, we stayed at the Cavendish Campground in the Park. It was right on the ocean and simply beautiful. The Park's facilities were great. Restrooms and hot showers were plentiful and clean. If camping is the lodging mode, we recommend doing it in the National Parks. From our own experiences and discussions with other tourists, these sites in the Maritimes are excellent and consistent throughout PEI and NS. The downside is that reservations are not taken and there can be a wait to get in. That is, get there early in the A.M. and wait at the Park kiosk to register. In our case, there was no waiting at any of the campsites. The cost per night at the Park campsites was about $8 or $9.
After we got to the Park, we spent most of the remaining time of the day setting up the campsite, picking up literature and walking on the beach. Beaches (and soil) are a reddish-brown color. The Island has no rock bed, so all the 'rock' formations are sandstone, some of them spectacular. Because of the lack of a rock bed, some roads can be rough.
In two days, there is no way to do the entire Island. So, we decided to tour the southwestern and western coastal area of the Island on June 21 and the central southern coastal parts on the 22nd.
On June 21, we drove from Cavendish on Rt. 6 and Rt. 2 to Rt. 11. The latter took us along part of the southern coast through the Bedeque and Egmont Bay areas. As throughout our trip, we saw many, many fishing villages. Another common and delightful sight, was viewing the Lupin flower blooming in abundance along the roadsides. These plants are found in northern Maine, NB, PEI and NS. We were there just in time to see them in all their glory.
In a tiny town called Cap-Egmont on Rt. 11, we went to see the Bottle Houses (Les Maisons de Bouteilles). In the 1970s, a retired fisherman cemented over 25,000 bottles of all shapes, sizes and colors into a chapel with altar, a tavern and a sixgabled house. This was a sight to behold, especially from the inside in full sunlight. From Cap-Egmont, we continued north on Rts. 11 and 2 toward an inland town called O'Leary.
Why O'Leary? Well, one major agricultural industry on the Island is potatoes. In O'Leary there is a potato museum. We found this intriguing, so we visited the museum. The presentation is excellent and educational. If learning about potatoes is a turnon, then visit the museum. On the grounds are three additional buildings - an old school house, church and a community center. Inside the community center was a collection of old farming equipment. All of this was interesting and a good diversion from the coast. By the way, before I forget, there are some observations I'd like to pass along about the Island and our trip.
First, all of the PEI is like a golf course. The grass is unbelievably green and immaculately groomed. Lush grass grows right up to the pavement or dirt roadways. One criticism we received about the Island via the Internet before our trip, was that it is over groomed. Still, we looked upon this characteristic as one of the Island's unique features. Another special characteristic of PEI was this guy on the radio who announced the obituaries at least twice a day. His voice was somber and especially suited to this task.
Throughout our trip, it seemed no matter how small the town or village, there was a cemetery, a church and a community center. There may have been no stores in a given village, but these sights were common. Lastly, the mosquitos were everywhere. Whether camping or not, bring along ample insect repellent (industrial strength - smile). We were nursing some pretty good sized welts several days after our return home.
From O'Leary, we drove down Rt. 142 to Rt. 14, which is one of two coastal routes on this part of the Island. (This section, extending along the western coast and about fifty or so miles inland, is known as 'Lady Slipper.' Look at the map and you'll see what I mean.) The drive from West Point at the southern tip up to North Cape was beautiful. Of particular note was a place called 'Elephant Rock.'
Elephant Rock is just north of Norway on Rt. 14 and is accessed by a dirt road. There will be a sign that says 'No Exit.' No matter, drive out on to the cliff or bluff and view wonderful sandstone cliffs, one of which looks like an elephant. Get out of the car, walk around, take pictures and enjoy. Expect high winds and a bit of a chill.
At North Cape, we observed an experimental windmill project and lots of water. We returned to Cavendish via Rts. 12, 2 and 6. One exciting thing to us on the entire trip was getting off on to dirt roads that seemed to lead nowhere. Sometimes we ended up on private property (damned tourists), but more times then not, there was a small fishing village or some other interesting site, e.g., Elephant Rock. I'll talk about other discoveries later.
During the day, the clouds were beginning to gather and as we got closer to our campsite, they got downright threatening. That night it poured and the winds howled. Our tent got buffeted around and bent so it seemed parallel and about three feet off the ground. While inside, we felt as though someone was hitting it with a baseball bat. But, it held and we stayed dry. (Our tent is one of those igloo types, six feet high and sleeps three.) Others though, did some bailing during the night. The next morning we were told gusts hit 60km. We didn't get much sleep that night. Do I love camping? Yeah, sure. (Note from Suzi: this trip was my graduation gift from Fred. I love camping; he is not that enthusiastic. I thought this second night camping would be the last. What a trouper! :-)
The next day we toured the south-central coastline. We went first to Ft. Amherst, just southeast of Charlottetown. This site marks the first French settlement on the Island and the British fort that ousted the French. All that remains of the 200 yearold fort are earthworks. The location overlooks the Hillsborough Bay and is very scenic. This is an ideal place to bring a picnic lunch, absorb the views and let the kids romp. Off to the right of the Fort are woods. Find a trail and stroll through them and back to the parking lot. It's a nice, relaxing walk. Kite flying would be fun here too. Don't forget the insect repellent.
Next, we headed south and west down Rt. 19 to Rice Point and then to DeSable. As expected, the views along the Northumberland Strait were terrific. No disappointments here. Both my wife and I are sociable hikers and we wanted to get at least one hike in during the trip. We read about a circuit hike near our campsite at Cavendish, so around 1:00 PM we headed back.
The trail, named Homestead, is in the Park. It is 5.5 miles long, meanders through woods, along a bay, farmland and the Black River. It is flat and suitable for both walking and biking. We enjoyed the hike and recommend it. |
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