Back home

Mission accomplished, we explored and experienced the Maritime provinces and got back in one piece.
We left Bay City Michigan Saturday, 9 hours and 460 miles later we landed in Rhinelander, WI.
We skipped touring Mackinaw island because of the weather and crowds. We will put that on our list for next year.
From Rhinelander to home was an easy 3 hour drive on Sunday.

We left September 4th and arrived back home on October 7th. 7,131 miles.
We camped at Canadian National parks, provincial parks, private campgrounds and a few Walmart's.
We visited or just drove through Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York.
In the Maritimes we drove along coastal roads whenever possible, of course this added a few thousand miles, we experienced more of the culture and small towns and villages.

Just a few of the memorable highlights.
Nothing matched the sheer rugged beauty of the Gaspe peninsula from Quebec city north and around to New Brunswick. Froillon National park on the north end of Gaspe was our favorite camp spot.
Cape Breton and the Cabot trail, Bay of Fundy and the Hopewell rocks, wow!
All of the fishing harbors and the fishermen that we met. Prince Edward Island beaches and Ann of Green Gables place (Lorraine really liked that)
Acadia National park and Bar Harbor plus the view from Cadillac Mountain.
Niagara Falls and the night light show. Lots of other stuff. Learning about Acadian Scottish Gaelic history in the region and historical conflict's between France, Britain and the USA was very educational. Early North America settlers and immigrants left a history that is recorded in museums and towns.
We really were fortunate to have met some really nice people along the way. I now like sea food chowder, lobster I'm still not sure about. Our blog has a lot of pictures from the 6,000 that Lorraine took. She also documented the trip in a detailed diary.

We averaged 11/mpg for the entire trip. Fuel prices varied from $2.86/gal in the USA to $3.99/gal in Canada depending on location. (that's converted from liters and figuring in a exchange rate difference of 25%)  A USA customs official interviewing us after we crossed from Niagara Falls to Port Huron asked if we stopped anywhere and I said yes, to buy gas he said, "What! you bought gas in Canada?"
I responded "We got lost. That's nothing we just spent a month in the Maritime's buying gas!"
"Welcome back", he said.

We intentionally wanted to take our trip after labor day when kids etc.
returned to school and before the major crowds arrive for leaf viewing. That worked out it wasn't crowded and most of the attractions, campgrounds and parks were still open.

Lorraine and I lived in a twenty-three by eight ft by eight ft camper and the front seat of our truck for almost Five weeks. We got along great with no major arguments.

Our beloved dog Maggie an eight pound Rat Terrier passed away a few weeks before we left. She had traveled thousands of miles with us over sixteen years. This time we brought her ashes with us in a small container wrapped in her favorite blanket, lying in her favorite bed, in her favorite spot in the truck. It was sad but nice at the same time.

If you would like more information about our trip, the Maritime's or are planning a camping trip that way, just get in touch
That's it for now.
See you down the road somewhere.
Bob and Lorraine

                                                                 Mackinaw bridge

                                                              Going into Michigan

                                                                 Blue Water bridge

                                                                 Dueholm Drive

                                           The little green guy at the end of our driveway

                                        Rhinelander had the best leaf show of the whole trip

Erie Canal

Stopped at the town of Lockport a suburb of Niagara Falls and looked at lock 34 and 35 on the Erie Canal.  We watched a small boat go through. We left Niagara Falls this morning crossed into Ontario, got lost, then  entered Michigan at Port Huron.  Tonight we are in Bay City Michigan recovering from driving in the rain in 5 lanes of Detroit traffic headed north. Of course Canada has a holiday this Monday so everyone in Ontario is headed our way.
Still an adventure. We might be home in a few days.  See ya down the road, stay tuned, I'll put a summary together and post it. Costs, learnings etc.

Trying a video

Niagara Falls night pictures

No explanation necessary!!!!

Niagara Falls

It worked a successful post from our laptop. You guessed it we are in Niagara Falls literally. Got here yesterday about 2 hours from Seneca Falls. Staying in a campground on Grand Island N.Y. We set up camp and headed to the falls. The whole area around the falls is a state park. We walked a lot but first we rode one of the Maid Of the Mist boats up to the falls. While I'm not fond of traffic and crowds this definitely was worth every bit of the effort. I don't get the romantic part of the falls but I guess after being married for 51 years it just looks like a big water falls. Adventure for sure though, maybe a little romantic. Lorraine has taken about 5,000 pictures and we have driven about 5,800 miles. I had the truck serviced in Maine.We have been out about a month. Headed for Michigan and going north around Detroit. Then up north and cross the Mackinaw bridge. We might check out Mackinaw island.
I'll write up a summary at the end of the trip and for those of you considering a similar trip we can visit. There are 2 major falls here American Falls and Horseshoe falls. The battery on my phone died early yesterday after I took lots of pictures. Lorraine captured the falls being lit up at night and has some pictures of that. I'll see if I can get a few off her sd card from the camera and post them, stay tuned. It's raining again October 4th a.m.

This is Horseshoe Falls

                                                  American Falls

                         They supply ponchos but still plan on getting wet

                                          American Falls from on top

                     They take you in even closer than what you see here.
                                      This is under Horseshoe falls

                                                       Both falls

 Cave of the wind where you can get even more wet. We passed on this one

                                     Looks like raspberries on the boat

As you can see by her expression this lucky tourist had a surprise visitor when she bent over to feed a squirrel. I bet my grandson Joey could pick it off with his bow and arrow. Kind of a William Tell and apple thing.

Acadia and beyond

We left Acadia national park and headed in-land across Maine. Maine's colors are at about %70. Beautiful even in the rain. Drove all day across northern New Hampshire and Vermont, in the rain. Next we day drove all day in the rain to Seneca falls New York. I'm going to quit writing on this post. I finally figured out how to use the laptop and we have a WiFi signal. Also the pictures off my phone finally up loaded to the lap top. I'm going to attach a couple of pictures and see what happens. We are now in Niagara Falls.
Here we go let's see if this posts, check it out Jim Nelson

                                   Still working on this selfie thing

                                                Vermont in the rain

leaving Acadia and Bar Harbor

Headed inland this morning leaving beautiful Bar Harbor. Going across the White Mountains in Maine into northern New Hampshire and Vermont.  Then down to the state of New York and head for Niagara Falls.  At least that's the plan for now. It will take a few days to get to Niagara. More pictures of Acadian National park.