In late September, after spending a month in Bangor, Maine, we headed for Quebec City to meet friends Jim and Chris and begin our fall “leaf peep.” While some maintenance and repairs were being done at the service facility, we toured the Prevost factory to see bus shells just like ours being constructed from the ground up. Quebec City was delightful. The historic walled city will be 400 years old next year, and we spent a few days sightseeing and enjoying some fine cuisine. The old city is very European in feel; and of course French is the dominant language. Once [View Full Entry]

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After picking up Dan at the Halifax airport in mid-August, we all traveled in the bus to Parkers Cove, a tiny fishing village on the Bay of Fundy. The Bay, located between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, has enormous tidal swings, up to 54 feet at its head. Our campground was right on the water and within walking distance of a little seafood market that cooked up several lobsters for the three of us. We went on a whale-watching excursion and spied mother and baby humpback whales, one of whom breached--to the delight of everyone on the boat. Mid-afternoon the skies [View Full Entry]

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Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia and the largest city in the Maritimes, has an area population of around 400,000. The city has a working seaport, a great pedestrian waterfront, lots of restaurants and pubs, and the historic Citadel overlooking the harbor. The Busker Festival was in full swing on the waterfront. Street performers, including jugglers, acrobats, break dancers, puppeteers and the like, provided good family fun free to the public, with only a donation requested. One day we followed the Lighthouse Trail, which took us to Peggy’s Cove, home of the smallest post [View Full Entry]

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On a Sunday afternoon threatening rain, we attended the Broad Cove Scottish Concert. For 50 years, St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church has hosted this summer music festival on their church grounds. We joined several thousand concertgoers, where from mid-afternoon until dark, a succession of Scottish music was played for our enjoyment. We enjoyed bagpipe, fiddle, bass, piano, guitar, vocals, and even dance. It was a toe-tapping good time, and thankfully the rain never came. We also visited the Margaree Salmon Museum. A salmon museum, you say? Well, the Margaree River was one o [View Full Entry]

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While camped in Baddeck on Cape Breton Island, we drove the Cabot Trail, named after Guiseppi (John) Cabot. “From this port John Cabot and his son Sebastian (who was born in Bristol) sailed on the ship Matthew A.D. 1497, and discovered the continent of America,” according to the plaque at Cabot’s Landing. As the highlight of Cape Breton Island, the Cabot Trail hugs the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic coastline with stunning views. Along the Trail is Cape Breton Highlands National Park, which includes the famous Highland Links golf course at Keltic Lodge, on a hi [View Full Entry]

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Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, is mostly populated by Scottish and Acadian descendents in small villages and towns on the coast and the Highlands. You will hear Gaelic and French spoken, and signs are sometimes in two languages. We visited historic Fort Louisbourg, a reconstructed 18th century French fort which protected France’s interests in the New World. To condense history, the fort was captured by the British twice, and the French were evicted both times. The Fort is akin to Colonial Williamsburg in that period-costumed soldiers, servants, and residents provide a taste of sett [View Full Entry]

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We left Maine in late June to begin our summer in Atlantic Canada. After washing the coach and car, we drove 2 days in intermittent rain to reach Prince Edward Island. Of course, we had to wash the vehicles all over again when we got here. The only way to drive to the island is over the 13-mile Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick. We were glad it wasn’t too foggy that day. PEI, the “Green Island,” is lush, with rolling hills and farmland. The population is around 135,000. Fishing, farming, and tourism are the main industries, with potato farms in abundance. [View Full Entry]

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Normandy Farms Family Campground was our next stop. Located near Boston, the wooded property has been in the same family since the 1760’s and is now also home to a Christmas tree farm. We took a drive to the JFK Presidential Library and Museum on the U. Mass-Boston campus. We were very impressed with the exhibits, photos, and audio/visual presentations of the President and First Lady and their families and would highly recommend a visit. Another day we rode the MBTA (train/subway) into Boston. It was a cloudy, chilly day but we enjoyed the harbor cruise and the Beantown Trolley [View Full Entry]

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After leaving PA, we stopped at Prevost bus in New Jersey for a maintenance check and a place to leave Coco while we visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Ferry to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty - $29; two hot dogs at Ellis Island - $5.90; $0 charges at Prevost Hospital - PRICELESS! The Ellis Island exhibits were fascinating. It’s hard to imagine the hardships faced by our immigrant grandparents so many years ago. We climbed up to the observation platform of Lady Liberty and viewed the Manhattan skyline. The last time we visited New York City was [View Full Entry]

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Lancaster, PA was our next destination. We stayed for two weeks and explored the farms, villages, and bounty that Lancaster has to offer. This area, sometimes called Pennsylvania Dutch country, is home to many Old Order Amish, Mennonite, and various related sects. Many of them still practice the old ways, farming with mule-drawn plows and driving horse-drawn buggies. Their lifestyle is plain but honest. They seem to be exceedingly good stewards of the land, and the countryside is dotted with large barns, silos, and one-room schoolhouses. There are quite a few obvious tourist attractio [View Full Entry]

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