807 August 18, 2022 Uh Oh!

Laps around the Walmart, TSC, and Matress Firm parking lots for more than 3 miles. It was misty and cool but thankfully not raining.

We stopped at Sherman Lake at a rest area for breakfast. This is an estuary where the fresh water meets salt water. Lots of creatures feed here and it is a spawning place for marine life. Here we met a couple from Florida with a similar RV and Jeep and we traded stories with them for awhile.

Tim drove only a short distance today to a campground on the coast at Sagadahoc Bay. We are parked along mud flats. When the tide is low, people were out digging for clams.

We were excited to go out and explore. Georgetown Harbor, the prettiest harbor in Maine, and Reid State Park are just a couple of miles from here. We got in the Jeep and it was making an unpleasant noise. I was driving and Tim got out to listen. Then he drove it a short way. He found what he thought was brake fluid leaking from the passenger rear. There is a guy, Randy, who works at the campground who is a mecahnic. He and Tim removed the tire to look. Maybe it was a caliper seal…but it wasn’t…it was the bearings and the axle with leaking differential fluid. What a mess!

We had to find a garage who would help us. Grover Auto and Tire said they could look at the Jeep tomorrow and could get to it sometime next week. They referred us to a towing company.

Our next issue was finding a place to stay. The campground we are at is completely booked for the weekend. They were going to allow us to dry camp but that’s a long time to be without power and water.

Chewinko campground is just 3 miles from the shop that will service the Jeep. They also had no spots available. I explained our situation and asked her to call me with any cancellations. She was kind enough to take a tape measure out to the last site she had. She sent us pictures and we can make it work. Tomorrow we will move there.

This is not convenient but we are grateful to be in a place where we met lots of kind people who did everything they could to help us. We are also thankful to have a place to stay. We will just have to wait and see how the coming days work out. It’s all part of our grand adventure!

806 August 17, 2022 Rain In Maine

I was in a hurry to get out this morning. It was a pleasant walk from the campground and into the town.

The skies were greying as I turned for home. The first raindrops fell as soon as I got back. The forecast was for 100% chance of rain all day.

We were just a short distance from the US border. We entered Maine at Vanceboro. Route 6 was not an easy road. For the first 20 miles it was crowned in the center and skinny with little shoulder. There were lots of cracks and potholes and it was raining. As much as he could, Tim straddled the yellow center line.

We stopped in the town of Lincoln. There was a Walmart there. After almost a month in Canada, there were things that we needed. It was a tiny, itty, bitty Walmart. We left with a few things.

We traveled on to Bangor. Here we went to a Vitamin Shoppe. Tim had been using tart cherry juice concentrate each day for his joints and we could not find it anywhere in Canada. We then stopped at a second much bigger Walmart in Bangor and did a major shopping trip. We thought about staying here overnight but it was still early in the day. It was raining so hard that we wouldn’t be able to do anything outside. Tim decided we would keep driving. We wanted to tour along the coast near Belfast. To get there, GPS took us on a wiggle waggle on narrow country roads. The rain was fairly intense at this point. Once we had committed to this route, there was no easy way out. The only way was forward! The rain was weighing down tree branches and we could hear them grazing the roof of our high profile rig.

Once we got to Route 1, the drive was pretty; through Belfast and Camden and Rockland. Sea harbors with sailboats and lobster shacks. There were lots of fancy houses and inns and bed and breakfast establishments.

We are now at our third Walmart of the day. We will stay here tonight.

We had a wonderful time in Canada. We loved the colorful houses, the abundance of flowers, the kind people. We loved that the coastline was populated by regular folks in regular houses; that you didn’t have to be wealthy to live by the sea. We loved the outdoor spaces; the parks, the bike paths, the hiking trails. We enjoyed using bits and pieces of limited French to get our needs met. We were happy to cross the border and see our own flag waving!

805 August 16, 2022 Fredericton

Morning loops around the campground to get the steps done.

Our drive today took us through the city of Fredericton.  This is the capital of New Brunswick.  It is a beautiful city.  We had a little trouble finding a place to park the RV and tow vehicle but Tim was persistent.  We took the bikes off and cycled on the paved bike path along the Saint John River. 

I loved these fanciful flower sculptures!

We rode across the Bill Thorpe Pedestrian Bridge and made a huge loop taking another bridge back across the river.

We rode through downtown.

A short stop at a construction site.

A sculpture depicting flood levels.

City Hall.

We reloaded the bikes and traveled onward to McAdam.  Our campground sits on Wauklehegan Lake.

We rode back in to McAdam to explore.  This is a very small village.  There is though, this lovingly restored train station.  Unfortunately, it was closed.  We did peek through the windows.

A lunch counter.

A dining room.

When we returned to the RV, I blogged and cooked…multitasking!

After dinner walk by the lake.

Tonight’s quote comes from Leanne…thanks for sharing…it’s a good one!!!

804 August 15, 2022 Miramichi River Route

Happy happy 6^th birthday sweet Oliver!!!

The morning came and with it, blue skies and sunshine!  I was able to walk in the campground and the surrounding neighborhood.

Today we left the coast behind turning inland and traveling along the Miramichi River on a scenic highway.

When we arrived at the campground, we asked what we should be sure to see.  We were directed to the Woodsman Museum in the nearby Boiestown.  There was also a waterfall we should see and the map to the falls is at the museum.  Just before we got to the town, Tim spotted a young moose by the road.  I was driving and had traffic behind me…so no pictures…but what a magnificent animal.  Every time we are lucky enough to see one, I am amazed by their power and grace.

Well, the Woodsman Museum is closed on Monday.  No map to the falls.  We went across the street to the community park.  Here there was a woman watching her children play.  She gave us directions to the falls and we were on our way!

We must have misremembered the instructions.  There were many turns and no road names mentioned.  Tim realized that we were going the wrong way.  We were about to give up when we saw a man in a motorized wheelchair running along the road.  He gave us clear directions and this time; we found our way. 

It was a nice short hike to get there.  Fall Brook Falls is 30 meters high.  They are the tallest continuously running falls in New Brunswick.

This cool bug is a stonefly naiad or nymph.  If stoneflies are present, it is an indicator that the water is very clean.  Fly fishermen get excited when they see stoneflies because it usually means that trout are present.  

By the time we got back, it was dinnertime.  Tuna steaks on the grill with a blackberry salad.

The quote tonight is from “Time of Wonder” by Robert McCloskey.  “Take a farewell look at the waves and sky.  Take a farewell sniff of the salty sea.  A little bit sad about the place you are leaving, a little bit glad about the place you are going.”

803 August 14, 2022 Tracadie

It began to rain during the night and it rained all day.  We drove the short distance to the town of Tracadie.  It was too wet to do anything outside.  We got a few groceries and I took clothes to the laundromat.  It was the first washout day of our summer trip.

Finally, after dinner, the rain stopped.  We took the Jeep to Tracadie Beach.  We walked a couple of miles as the sky grew increasingly ominous.  Just as we got back to the RV, the rain began again.

802 August 13, 2022 Miscou Island

I took a walk this morning in Grande-Anse but the highlights of my walk were a phone conversation with mom and a FaceTime call with David and his boys.

Just a couple of pictures this morning.

The visitor center has a picnic area deisigned as a lobster trap. Lobster is really a big deal here!

We traveled today another 60 miles east to Miscou Island.  It was a pretty drive through forest, along the coast, and through small villages.  We stopped to walk at a park in Shappagan.

These boats are in drydock.  The lobster and crab seasons are finished for this year.

Once we had set up camp, we took the Jeep and went for a ride to see Miscou Island.  We walked the boardwalk through the peat bog.  This was really interesting to me.  I first of all did not know that peat is harvested.  It is used primarily for potting soils but also as a fuel for cooking and heating.  This bog is protected.  Bogs occur in depressions in the surface of the earth.  They fill with rainwater.  They are particularly acidic and only certain plants will thrive here. 

Because carnivorous plants get most of their nutrition from insects, they have adapted to live in bogs where the nutrients are otherwise very poor.  These pitcher plants are currently in bloom…so very cool!

We drove further to the end of pavement.  Here we saw the lighthouse.

We walked a mile on the beach and then sat for a while on a log before heading back.  There were very few other people and most of the time, we had the beach to ourselves.

This evening, we went to dinner at Resto la Terrasse a Steve.  We shared stuffed oysters and steamed mussels and lobster casserole.

I walked to the beach.  I had read that the Acadian Isles have the warmest salt water north of Virginia…I had to try…the water was COLD!!

Another good day of exploring and learning and seeing new things!

Where in the world are we?!?

801 August 12, 2022 Grande-Anse

Another glorious morning for a walk along the Esplanade.

We traveled about 100 miles east along the Restigouche River all the way to the Chaleur Bay.  Grande-Anse is the gateway to the Acadian Coast.  This area is rich with Acadian history.  In the 1600’s, peasants were recruited from the west central part of France to colonize Canada.  The people settled in the Canadian Maritime provinces.  In 1745, the British threatened to expel the Acadians unless they swore allegiance to England.  The Acadians fought to keep their land and their ancestors live here in this region today.  These people are related to the Cajun people in Louisiana.  This culture has a distinct dialect and Acadians are very proud of their heritage.  August 15^th is National Acadian Day.  Houses are decorated with red, white, and blue flags with yellow stars.  Some houses have lots and lots of decorations!!

Our campsite is right on the bay.

We rode our bikes into the small town this afternoon; past the church and to the harbor.

Lots of local art!

The visitor center had maps and other information about activities along the coast.

This evening we went back to the harbor and tried the local flavors.  We ate lobster rolls at the Cantine dus Quai.   Several local people were playing guitars and singing by the restaurant.  Everyone was happy and having fun.

This little boy found a mud puddle.

We drove aimlessly for awhile after dinner.  We found a nice park and got out to walk.

800 August 11, 2022 Campbellton

What a lovely walk along the Esplanade this morning!

The skies were grey and the forecast was for rain all day. We did some errands and chores…waiting for the rain. We went to the first Walmart we have seen in a couple of weeks and stocked up on all the important stuff.

Tim did some cycling this afternoon while I cleaned.

At dinnertime, it still had not rained. We decided to take our meal and find a spot by the water to eat. With the first bite of food came the thunder. We could see lightning over the Appalachian Mountains. We ate quickly and packed up. Just as we arrived back at the RV, big splats began to fall!

The skies cleared and this was as much sunshine as we saw all day!

799 August 10, 2022 Goodbye Gaspe

A short and easy walk around the campground to begin the day and then we traveled along the coast.  As we finish our tour of the Gaspesie, we marvel at all we have seen and learned. 

• The history of the area…the Vikings were here! 
• The culture and the art of the people 
• Communicating in a language very foreign to us…we now know all kinds of bits and pieces of French
• The beauty and diversity of the coast, the forest, the mountains, the rivers, the waterfalls, the meadows
• The museums and the lighthouses
• Fishing villages and provincial towns tucked into coves
• The kindness and graciousness of people who always say Bonjour and always stop to chat and ask where you are from
• The moose and the seals and the eagles and the gannets
• New foods and local flavors…so much seafood!
• Gorgeous blue skies and pleasant temperatures

As we cross the bridge over the Chaleur Bay, we don’t yet know which way to go…east or west or south…so many choices and opportunities to visit places that we have never been before.  So very fortunate and grateful for the freedom to choose.

We are staying at the loveliest campground of our trip.  We settled and then took our bikes on the Esplanade from the park into the town of Campbellton.

Very cool educational and historical exhibits in the community building at the campground.

This evening we returned to town and went to the Night Market.  There were all kinds of vendors.  There was one stand cooking chicken and burgers.  They were asking for donations to feed the hungry.

Balloon rides…2 feet off the ground and back down again!

We went then to the restaurant at the campground, Krave Kitchen.  We had burgers and salads that were surprisingly delicious!

798 August 9, 2022 Hopetown

The morning was overcast, cold, and rainy. It cleared enough that I took a short walk. I walked the path from the RV to the lighthouse.

I walked to the overlook and took one last picture of the rock.

I knew there was a 100% chance of rain and so I did a couple of loops around the campground and then quit. After walking more than 25,000 steps yesterday…my legs were tired!

We drove today to Hopetown. This is the Chaleur Bay Region. Although we passed a few fishing villages and lots of farms, it was my observation that this part of the coast was newer and had more modern stores and homes.

We had a quiet day. We did go into town, searching for a few things we have been unable to find.

We stopped at a seafood market. Most of the lobsters in the tank were normal sized but these two were ginormous. The one had a claw the size of Tim’s hand.

This evening, we walked down to the water.

Tomorrow we will complete our journey around the Gaspe Peninsula.