Last stop--Halifax!

My last entry, as we are in Halifax, Nova Scotia visiting Kelly and Phil Spencer.  Today, we walked all around the town, which is smaller than Portland, but has a Big City Feeling.  Halifax has one of the deepest Harbours in the World, so there is much going on as far as shipping.  I was tempted to ride a Tug, which I have always wanted to do, but somehow, I felt that this Tug might not give me a realistic picture of a "working waterfront!

      There are lots of Restaurants around here, so we will eat well, I am sure!  We toured The Citadel this am, and got a flavor of Nova Scotia's Scottish, British, and Irish history.  The Soldiers were all dressed in kilts, and a bagpiper gave a splendid rendition of Scottish music.  This is a great way for us to end our journey, visiting Allen's daughter and learning a bit more history.  We have visited all our children on this journey, which makes it a double pleasure! Hope to be home around the 18th, or thereabouts. See you all soon!  Dee and Allen

Well, here it is Sept. 11th...

My last two blog entries;  it is time to end our journey and reflect on all we have seen, learned and experienced.  We left Madawaska and Edmundston quite full of wonderful food made by Allen's siblings.  We had "Pot an Pot" which is a traditional Acadian meal of beef, chicken, and pork simmered with a crust in between layers for 6 hours.  It was delicious, and set the tone for our next stop at an Acadian Villiage near Caroquet, New Brunswick. It showed the way Acadians would have lived during different centuries, with people doing the tasks like making roof shingles, farming, spinning, weaving.  All were dressed in the traditional French garb of their era.  We had a traditional Acadian lunch while there.  It was very informative for me! 

     Next we stayed on Prince Edward Island and enjoyed some great biking on the Confederation Trail.  Next blog--Halifax.

Hi family--

It has been really hot here in Canada.  We are staying in Edmundston, Canada, with Allen's brother, Guy and his wife Monette.  I have had a chance to meet Allen's family here and in Madawaska, ME., across the border in Canada.  It has been a respite from our continual travels, and we have been treated to some wonderful food and interesting family gatherings.  Now, I have a better sense of Allen's heritage.  There is also a bike trail which goes from here for about 90 miles.  (Rails to trails) We biked for two hours yesterday, then stopped at a French vegetarian Cafe for lunch.  Tomorrow, we head to Prince Edward Island for some good cycling--there is a trans-Canada bike trail across the Island--and then, on to Halifax to visit Allen's daughter, Kelly.  So, this journey is almost done, but it has encompassed well over 21,000 miles, a set of new tires, and lots of memories! will keep you posted, but wanted to let you know where I was.  Can't use my phone in Canada.  Love ya, Moom I hope Tess does well at school--and Good Luck, Brooks!  Moom

Spot check.....

Hi everyone--we are in Edmundston, Canada, staying with Allen's brother and his wife.  I have had the opportunity to visit with some of Allen's siblings who live in Madawaska,, Maine and here on the Canadian side.  I have been able to see where Allen grew up, and enjoy some wonderful hospitality from his family.  There is a 90 mile bike trail here in Edmundston, so we were able to bike for 2 hours yesterday along the Lake part of the trail.  After this bit of exercise, we had lunch at a small cafe with a vegetarian menu.  We are off again--the very last leg of our incredible journey--to Prince Edward Island for some good cycling, then to Halifax, where we visit Allen's daughter, Kelly.  After that, we are on our way home to Scarborough, Maine!!!  Dee

last stop in NY.

Took a tour of Boldt's Castle in Alexandria Bay, N.Y.  It is an amazing castle built by a Millionaire, in honor of his wife, who died before the Castle was completed.I took a Ferry out to Heart Island, which is truly in the shape of a heart.  The pictures aren't too good, as I only had my phone camera, so for anyone who is interested in the story of Boldt's Castle, go on-line.  This area of New York was inhabited by many wealthy families in the 1900's, and there were many marvelous manshions on various islands.  This is called The 1000 Islands area, and it is very picturesque.  Me

a castle tour

This castle was built to honor love~

everything is themed with hearts

Boldt's Castle

1000 Islands in NewYork.

part of my past....

We spent a beautiful day in Niagara Falls, staying in a nice Campground in Youngstown, N.Y.  Allen had never seen The Falls, so it was fun to show him around.  The American side is more suited to walking, which we did, then walked over to the Canadian side via The Rainbow Bridge.  This side is hopping, as far as tourist traps!  Fun houses, Restaurants, Wax Museums---you name it and you can find it.  After this visit, I stayed with my good friend in Buffalo,Sandy,for a day and night.  Allen got to see that area and Hamburg, where I lived most of my life.  Next, we will journey to The Thousand Island area and on up to Canada after that.  Still heading toward home!

Sleeping Bear Dunes

Who says that sand cannot be the trail?

It's not just for digging or filling a pail.

Follow blue blazes up over 9 hills

Under the foot--over boots as it spills.

At the end of the trail, if hot you can swim

So don't get discouraged, leave the trail on a whim.

The reward is The Lake, of a clear azure blue

Hear the waves on the beach?--you know you are through!

 

Great time in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  Took a 5 mile round trip hike over dunes, with the first one being about 400 feet high.  I have never seen such high dunes; see the tiny people walking on it in my last picture?  The small town of Glen Arbor was quaint, with interesting shops, which I explored.  Lake Michigan is really beautiful  in color.  The water is warm and all the Lakes are so clean.  I highly recommend this area to families--a lot to do here, and it is very biker-friendly.  We biked for about 18 miles one day, over to the next town of Empire.  Now, we are about to cross into Ohio, and The Great Lake of Erie. Continuing on Eastward.....

Sault Ste. Marie

Translated--this name means The River rapids of the St. Mary River.  We visited this town just to see the locks which make it possible for so many big ships to travel the Great Lakes.  While we were there, sailing ships, two great barges, and 2 huge transport vessels passed through two of the 4 locks.  I enclose a picture of the tug pushing an Army Corps. of Engineers barge through the lock.  Can anyone answer this for us?  Can a ship get through all the Great Lakes if it starts out in Montreal, along the St. Lawrence Seaway, and get to Lake Superior, or does Niagara Falls prevent this?  I can't figure that there is any other way around Niagara Falls between Lakes Erie and Ontario.  !!!

Macinac Island

The pictures will show what a unique place is Macinac Island.  We arrived by ferry, and promptly biked the whole perimeter of the Island surrounded by Lake Huron.  All along one side, were rock sculptures, put there by many a visitor!  Periodically, there were interesting rock formations, as you can see by a picture of me standing in one.  The whole Island is travel by horse, or bike--so interesting to see baggage transported by horse and buggy or by porters on bikes.  The Grand Hotel is amazing--something out of another era, and I am sure, unaffordable to the likes of me! I have posted 5 pictures of the Island--three in this and 2 in the next blog.  In about a month, we will be back in Maine!

more pics

Forgot to mention that we stayed in The Porcupine Mountains near Silver City, MI. just after arriving in that State.  Did a few nice hikes there, finding that it was pretty flat compared to the hiking we have done out west!  The highest point in Michigan is about 1,979 feet! Will be heading to Sault St. Marie and then down along the coast before heading toward Toledo and a pass through my old home town of Buffalo.  The picture of me is in The Porcupines (The Porkies as they are affectionately called by the locals!)I can never convince Allen to get his picture in the blog!!!

Great shakes! All the Great Lakes!

Presently in St. Ignace, Michigan, in a State Park right on Lake Huron.  From our campsite, I can view The Mighty Mac, which is the longest suspension bridge in the World.(even beats the Golden Gate)I can also view Macinac Island, which is a place I have wanted to go for years.  It is strictly foot traffic or bikes, so we will take the Ferry over tomorrow and bike all around the Island.  The Bridge and Macinac Island are surrounded by Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, so we get to see Superior, Huron and Michigan within a short span of time!
     We had a spontaneous trip on a Ferry recently, from Bayfield, Wisconsin, to the largest Apostle Island, Madeline Island.  We were able to transport the whole Camper to the Town Campground, and it was a great place to bike and swim.  It was hot, so I went swimming in Lake Superior(it is a lot warmer than Maine's coastal ocean!)walked the Beach, and participated in a walking tour of the Island.  Since Allen is not a water person, he and I biked the whole Island, exploring as many places as we could access on wheels.  We had a delightful seafood lunch in Bayfield, when we returned to the mainland and before heading on to Michigan.By the way, the Apostle Islands are so-called, because much of the area was settled by French Catholic Missionaries as the first non-Indian settlers.  They named a lot of places after Catholic saints, or just religious names.
      We visited a fascinating Museum yesterday; The museum of Shipwrecks at Whitefish Point, in Michigan.  There have been 6,000 shipwrecks on The Great Lakes since early settlers began to inhabit these waterways.  Many of the major disasters occurred at Whitefish Point on Lake Superior.  The museum has lots of interesting facts, and the story of The Edmund Fitzgerald.  Remember Gorgon Lightfoot?  It is also a beautiful spot on the Lake. Will send some pictures of the island in this and a separate blog with other pics.  Slowly moving East, but this IS a fascinating area to explore too!  Dee

     

On to Wisconsin

The Coastline of Lake Superior is very scenic.  It looks just like the Ocean, except more tranquil.  Despite how it looks, storms can be pretty severe on any of The Great Lakes, and some 350 shipwrecks have occurred on Superior alone.  We biked along the coast, on the Gitchee Gami bike trail, for 12 miles one day, and 14 another.  Also hiked and explored, in some of the State Parks. I think hiking along Lake Superior is pretty high class--they provide you with a personal "potty!" On to a short stint through Wisconsin, then into Michigan and Macinac Island, Sault St. Marie, etc.

2 part blogger

Imagine that you live in the 1700's and are in the top of fashion with a beaver hat and coat.  The Fur trading companies turned to North America for furs, where mountain men in the west trapped and shipped their furs North, as well as the Ojibwe Indians, who also traded furs for goods.  Voyageurs paddling birch bark canoes transported furs from as far west as Lake Athabasca to Montreal, three thousand miles East. These burly, tough, French-speaking voyageurs started their apprenticeship in their teens, and by the age of 30, they were so physically worn out, that they had to turn to trapping or leading settlers by canoe, to far reaches of western Canada.  The Era of the Voyageur came to an end when silk replaced fur as the fashion in tophats in Europe.

     Such is the history of Voyageurs National Park, which we visited and hiked during a day.  It is really a water park, so we had to be content with just hiking part of the land and seeing the beautiful Lakes and Islands where thousands of boat enthusiasts(especially canoeists )come to paddle this quiet, water retreat of so much history.See a picture of a Voyageur and a pic we took in the Park.

In the land of 10,000 lakes

In Minn. now--stayed on Lake Itaska where the Mighty Mississippi has its headwaters.  It was just a little Stream!  It certainly becomes mighty after all the other Rivers in the US feed into it!  We loved seeing Mt. Rushmore in SD, and the Badlands.  Today, we are on Lake Bimidji(shortened version of the Indian Name)where we biked on a beautiful bike trail for 14 miles.  This State has the most bike trails of all the other US States, so I have read.  It also has a heck of a lot of Lakes--the 10,000 is written on all the License Plates.Heading further East now--for a arrival in Maine in late September.  Note, the feral horses that wandered into our campsite in ND.!

In North Dakota now

Update on our current place in this big country--for several reasons, we did not go to Glacier, but instead headed East.  We spent two days in a Park outside of Glendive, MT. called Makoshika State Park.  It is considered to be The Badlands of Montana.  Makoshika is a Lacota word for "bad spirits." (maco sica) We found it to be so beautiful--we hiked along a wash way into the back country, for 4-5 miles, and because we were so close to the town, we broke out the bikes and biked in the park and to breakfast the next morning.  The First pictures are of this park.

      We next went to Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l park, the "makoshika" of North Dakota.  On our 5 mile hike into the back country there, I spied a Prarie Rattler, which somewhat alarmed me--also a Bull Snake which looks a lot like a Rattler.  Fortunately, I had been to a Program on Snakes in the park the night before, so was filled with my newfound knowledge of reptiles! We also saw adorable Prarie Dogs, but when we tried to hike along a trail this morning, in Prarie Dog Town, we discovered a herd of Bison(60 or more) ensconced along the trail and the meadow.  The Bulls are getting ready to Rut in early August, so they can be very defensive. We didn't dare walk by this big herd. So, had to be satisfied with just seeing The "Dogs".  I have learned a lot about Theodore Roosevelt and his Park--really enjoy the Ranger programs that National Parks provide! Onward to South Dakota and the Badlands there! Al and Dee

Out of Wyoming, but still in Cowboy Country!

My first Rodeo on the 4th of July was amazing!  The bull-riding, buckin' broncos, tying the young steer and the funny clowns made for a fascinating program!  The town of Cody is a real Western town; everybody wears cowboy hats, boots and those big belt buckles so characteristic of the West.  The spirit of "Nationality" and "Pride" in one's roots was so evident in the tribute payed to veterans in the huge Parade the town put on both days, and in every aspect of the 4th celebration. I have never seen so many beautiful horses ridden in a Parade and in the Rodeo. However, now time to move on to another Western State, Montana and Glacier Nat'l park.

      The drive from WY. to MT. was the most amazing drive I have ever taken, aside from the drive I took with Audrey in Rocky Mountain State Park, so many years ago. We started out in a snow storm, and a low of 28 degrees at 11,000 plus altitude, where the tops of the mountains were just tundra and minus trees.  As we descended, the temperature rose and the view of the Custer National Forest/ Beartooth Mt. Range was breathtaking.  We stayed in a wonderful campground along The Beartooth Highway right along a rapidly moving mountain stream.  We took a great 5 mile hike from the Campground.  We also came across this "used car" which might be a cheap deal, especially since the front was riddled with bullet holes!  Maybe it belonged to Butch Cassidy who is famous in these parts! We saw beautiful mountain wildflowers, and returned to our campsite tired but content.  I have the makings of a real Mountain Woman, so Allen says---can now start a fire, am working on learning to use an ax(not too good at that, yet!)and check out the footwear!  Bonified cowgirl, pahdners!!!

Interesting...

Met some REAL Cowboys in downtown DuBoise tonight.  All from Texas, and all very appealing in their tight jeans, western shirts, large Cowboy hats and very large belt buckles!  And those accents---so they really DO look that good, even off horses!!! Dee

anyone for roast pork?

This happy pig smells wonderful~right on the sidewalk in Duboise, WY. Roasting pork in the middle of town!