East Coast 2018 - Part III

Arriving in Nova Scotia, we opted for a quick detour before moving on to Cape Breton Island. We headed north up the Sunrise Trail to explore the scenic Cape George peninsula, before looping back down the shoreline to Antigonish for a delicious lunch at Mother Webb's.

Soon afterwards, we were crossing the Canso Causeway into Cape Breton, and followed the 105 along the Bras d'Or Lakes and across the iconic Seal Island Bridge, before jumping off to find our campsite just outside Big Bras d'Or. Apparently someone...ahem....forgot the fly for the large tent we don't normally use....necessitating an urgent run into North Sydney for some tarps, rope and bungee cords. Crisis averted.

The next day, we skirted Sydney to explore the Colliery Route, a series of coal mining towns strung out around the coast, including New Victoria, New Waterford, Dominion and Glace Bay. Unfortunately, we were a few weeks early to tour the coal mine under Glace Bay, though it's doubtful Jane's knee was up to the task at any rate. We also toured Fort Petrie, a military installation that provided protection from German submarines for merchant convoys assembled in Sydney harbour during WWII.

We also spent a day touring the Cabot Trail under sunny skies, driving the stunning route counter-clockwise before stopping for lunch at the Happy Clam in Cheticamp. Then we re-drove the Trail clockwise!

We stopped in Moncton for a night on the way back, to visit with Roxxi and Nathan. As luck would have it, Nathan's band The Motorleague had a home town gig that night as part of a four-band celebration of a tattoo parlor anniversary.....so after dinner and beers at The Pumphouse, off we went to The Caveau!

Leaving early the next morning, we decided to push on for a long day to get to eastern Ontario, taking advantage of the hour gained on the way back. Jane live-streamed the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as we drove through New Brunswick, and the Trans-Canada had re-opened after the flooding. Other than a lunch at St. Hubert's near Montmagny, Quebec, we soldiered on for 14 hours and arrived at Mom and Burt's by 7pm.

After a good family visit in eastern Ontario, we arrived home to angry cats and happy dandelions.

Cape George Point

Canso Causeway to Cape Breton!

St. Ann's Lookout

All set up at Mountain Vista Campground

Fort Petrie outside New Victoria

Coal mining heritage in Dominion

Deep Water Cove near Glace Bay

Bras d"Or Lakes from our campground

Time for some R&R!

Arguably Canada's most beautiful National Park!

Lakies Head

Pleasant Bay

Hunkered down for the coming storm!

Happy Juke Fun Time!

The Cabot Trail!

Almost to Cheticamp for lunch!

Selfie time!

The Motorleague rocks The Caveau in Moncton

Home Sweet......Dandelions?

East Coast 2018 - Part II

We took the Confederation Bridge into PEI - free to get in, all 12 kilometers of it - you only pay when you leave the Island! After a delicious lunch in Desable, we skirted Charlottetown using the "by-pass" - a complex series of consecutive rotaries.

By mid-afternoon, we arrived at our destination, visiting friends Kay and Geoff in the Montague area of eastern PEI. After some visiting, we set off to nearby Peake's Tee golf course for wing night.....complete with pretty much Kay's entire extended family! We met two brothers and two sisters, and several nieces and nephews and spouses, and got all the local gossip.

Over the next few days we visited with Kay and Geoff and toured southeastern PEI, including a rare visit to an open house at a Buddhist monastery, a relaxing stroll (or crutch for some) around Mooney's Pond, a run to Charlottetown, and the obligatory visit to Copper Bottom Brewing in Montague.

Family kept stopping by to "check out Geoff's new lawnmower", which was nice and all, but as near as we can tell is local slang for "have a drink and pretty much ignore the lawnmower".

After a great visit, we set off for Wood Islands and the ferry to Nova Scotia.

Two roads diverged, in an eastern wood....

Crossing the Confederation Bridge

The stunning view from the PEI side

The famous red dirt!

Mooney's Pond

Montague

Montague Harbour

A sampler flight at Copper Bottom Brewing

Copper Bottom unisex washroom!

GEBIS Buddhist Monastery open house

St. Andrew's Point

Now you see us....

....now you don't!

Leaving Wood Islands on the MV Confederation

Bye Bye, PEI!

Disembarking the ferry in Caribou, Nova Scotia!

East Coast 2018 - Part I

We began the trip to the East Coast with a plan to break the drive up more than normal, mainly due to Jane's knee. Day One was a relatively easy jaunt from home to eastern Ontario, for a quick visit with family for the night.

We set out from there early the next morning, and before long crossed into Quebec. The new by-pass around Montreal (Highway 30) is fabulous, and well worth the low low discount bridge toll price of $2.80 to avoid the stress and chaos.

Most of the day was then spent following the east bank up the St. Lawrence River. By mid-afternoon, we hit the turn at Riviere du Loup and headed due east for New Brunswick. The day suddenly got later as we lost an hour switching to Atlantic Time at the New Brunswick border, and we stopped for the night around 5pm in St. Jacques, just outside Edmunston.

After a quick dinner at Cantine Chez Mel, we settled into our private little cabin behind Auberge Les Jardins for a quiet night.

Day Three began early as well, with a McDonald's and fuel stop in Edmunston before carrying on. Heavy flooding had closed the Trans-Canada around Fredericton, so after a stop to visit Grand Falls, we opted to take the old Plaster Rock road across the interior of the province.....shorter, yes.....but the road gets pretty interesting in spots. At least there was very little traffic, and it's a scenic drive if you like trees and wildlife.

We emerged near Miramichi with our tires miraculously intact, and sped southeast on better roads along the Gulf of  St. Lawrence and towards the bridge to Prince Edward Island.

Bienvenue!

Crossing into New Brunswick.....and losing an hour!

Cabin #1 at Auberge Les Jardins, St. Jacques, NB

Grand Falls, NB

The Plaster Rock "short cut"