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On the 20th, Friday, it was a reluctant leaving taking of the Artisan Suites because the COUGH has hit me again. Here at the campground the toilet is a bit further than a jump from bed to toilet bowl.
When it is dark there is no problem ... the dog walkers let their pets piddle all over the place during the morning pippy parade ... and almost every RV has a dog. One family had two Golden Retrievers and a German Shepherds. …but I’m getting ahead of the narrative.
Fundy National Park The park has finally opened ... who knew it was Victoria Day Weekend????
To reach the park gates a 336m mountain had to be crossed. With popping ears and in 3rd gear the gates and the visitors centre came into view. Never did get to go in there because they closed early and opened late.
There was a NO VACANCY sign at the entrance of Headquarters one of the sections of Fundy Park. The park was established in 1948 and much development has occurred. A noticeable difference is the condition of the road ... 114 is paved in the park and a
The Enraged Cape
Good thing I weigh as much as I do otherwisse I would have been blown away LOLrutted, tar/asphalt scarred sometimes a gravel conglomeration once out of the park precincts.
Many hiking paths are available which is all well and good when a buddy is available for a ramble. Numerous backwoods campgrounds are clearly marked. Tent huts were available in my section called Headquarters. These tent huts have a small deck with plastic deck chairs and one is required to bring bedding and kitchen utensils. Did not go into one of these structures. They were all occupied for the weekend.
A daily permit is required in addition to the fee for the camping space which offers water and electricity. Those coming to use the bike trails or take a hike pay by the day... 24hrs... should it take you that long to complete some of the more difficult loops. I was booked into #91 at the Headquarters Area … this being closest to the little town of Alma. While walking about I discovered that the best site was #59. If positioning ones tent or RV door strategically the town of Alma and the wharf with its collection of lobster boats is laid out before you.
I backed into my space and stayed as far
away as possible from the next campers. The falling apart bug tent was erected, the electrical cord was extended and the water was clearly not intended for drinking. It came out a brown, like weak tea. The explanation made was that the pipes had to clear themselves after laying dormant in the winter. Toilet bowls also were filled with rusty water. AND the showers were ice cold. …don’t know what colour that water was …became too concerned by the fact that I had taken off all my clothes and now I was in for an icy bath!
Albert County Museum On the 21
st, Saturday I returned to Hopewell Cape because the Albert Museum was
1. offering breakfast,
2. holding a farmers' market and
3. opening all the historical buildings ... for a fee … 8$
The $7.50 breakfast was delicious - eggs, bacon, hash browns from Macs, nice toast, bumble berry jam, coffee, juice and no ketchup. I sat with a man who was on local committees and had lots of info about the place.
The old town hall was decorated for an afternoon wedding ... red and black ribbons on
the pews. I was not prepared to wait for 16:00 to see if the bride would be clad in Gothic. An escort was neccessary to view the interior… like who would walk away with black ribbon …the red roses maybe!
Spent quite some time speaking with locals. During these chats the reason for the assault canons at the entrance was explained. Apparently this community sent more men/capita to WW1 than any other in Canada (?)and they raised 300,000$ in victory bonds.
These 300,000$ won them the Prince of Whales flag which is proudly and raggedly hanging in the display barn beside medals, uniforms, and photos of platoons.
Also taking place in the Registrar office was the official opening of the ‘Steeves 250yrs Exhibit’. This is the Steeves of Fathers of Confederation fame. In Albert County there are many descendants of William Steeves.
These descendants apparently can be found all over the world. Jack Layton is connected to W. Steeves twice thru a grandmother and a female marrying outside the Steeves clan.
Taking my leave from all the friendly people, especially the woman working in the kitchen who had invited me to breakfast the day before,
Cezanne Landscape
Route 915 takes the traveler thru farmland - green field aglow with yellow dandylions. I took a short detour to the gift shop at the Hopewell Rocks.
I needed an embroidered emblem i.e. patch for sewing on my backpack. Speaking to the girl at the entrance gate I explained why I wanted to enter the park without paying the entrance fee ... like not to visit the rocks ... had done that when it was free. Luckily there was a patch to buy ... also bought cough drops, not that they help much.
Next on the list ...
Fundy Studio Tour ... which takes place all summer long ... till October.
Wendy, of the Artisan Suites, with her pottery and gift shop is on the tour. I visited three other places all on Albert Mine Road.
1. Farm Life Sudio - Mr. Bradford paints. Mrs. Bradford has a most amazing B&B and the alpacas are waiting to be shorn in June.
2. Tansy Lane Herb Farm- Carol has a lovely tea room, sells tinctures, soaps, old button creations and uses old maps as curtains.
3. Albert Red Clay - this woman worked in local terra cotta clay (cannot remember the real name)
On the way
back to the camp ground I drove along Highway 915 to Cape Enrage.... soooo windy. At the top of the mountain a red and white lighthouse and a gift shop stood stalwartly, bearing the direct wind without swaggering … only the welcome flags attested to the speed and ferocity of the wind … and it was a sunny day … cannot imagine a storm situation. Although surely that occurs frequently . Again I avoided the entrance fee and asked if I could use the toilet. Stopping outside the gate I overlooked the ragged point and ate a kielbasa loaf sandwich with milk as a drink.
Highway 915 eventually comes out at Alma the small fishing town close to Fundy Park. Once back at the picnic table inside the screen tent, which is falling apart, I found enough left overs in my little sweating cooler to make a meal. Afterwards this was the Friday night when there was no hot water .... YUKYUKYUK
Sunday was spent in my van reading coughing reading coughing knitting listening to radio coughing.... did I say was suffering from that horrible cough that I thought I had gotten rid of in April. I am
Forest or Field
Two vistas ever present themselves ...either huge tracts of coniferous forest or hectare upon hectare of cleared fields. suffering!
ALMA Something had to be undertaken on Monday ... could not spend another day in the wan coughing my heart out and pissing my underwear.
I ate the last of the leftovers with two eggs scrambled over the whole thing. After doing a hand wash I packed my bag and started the trek to Alma and the fishing wharf. I took my rainbow umbrella prepared for liquid sunshine.
Walking to Alma is made simple by taking a steep wooden staircase from the campgrounds down down down to the sidewalk and highway. Little solar lights are set up along the descent in case one becomes involved in the nightlife of Alma ....is there a nightlife in Alma ... I would not be finding that out, although I did eat at a bar and grill.
The main and most important purpose of a visit to Alma was drugs, books and lobster.
The General Store had Tylenol but not the one that has been giving me some relief.
In the bookstore I stroked a small version of a real cat without paying the suggested dollar. It was so cute but I was also not prepared
to pay a dollar for a foto. I think the bookseller was funning people.who only sleeps once ith her boyfriend of two years w
I handed in a schlocky novel, receiving no credit. Guess it was really really schloky, Bleeding Hearts, a gardener with detective tendencies who only sleeps once with her police boyfriend of two years. I did buy two other schlocky hardcovers … one an Ann Perry mystery. I have a vague suspicion that I have already read this one. I recognize the green velvet dress but little else .. and a massive tome ... a trilogy alll between two heavy covers from the sixties. It better be worth carting about.
The man with the bookstore cat on his mobile homepage suggested that the Tasty Tails, even though a strange new name, had a great chef. Food here would be excellent. The food was good. The chef was friendly and explained how it was his first season and that the name of the place would have to be added to the patio portion because visitors were sending out their drone cameras, taking pics of themselves eating at Tasty Tails and publishing the video to YouTube. He
considers this a lot of free exposure.
The two hours spent watching the lobster fishermen on the wharf will have to be a blog by itself ... such facts….such answers … such discoveries.
Lastly spoke to a man in camouflage gear. He was stopped for gas and commented that sometimes the General Store ran out of gas. Alma lies on the road to the Hopewell Rocks and in very close vicinity to the Fundy National Park 206sq. km compared to Algonquin Park 7653sq. km.Fundy Park offers more than just dramatic tides. More than 100 kilometres of hiking and biking
trails ribbon through 206 square kilometres of Acadian forest, leading to thundering waterfalls, freshwater lakes and scenic river valleys from www.pc.gc.ca. The camouflage guy said that in summer the place, Alma, becomes wild. Being a contractor he has built himself a house high up in the hills overlooking the whole of the town and its wharf. His contracting involves drilling not house building. Business must be good. It was a nice conversation with a nice, good looking man filling the tank of his wife’s vehicle.
Going back to the campgrounds the walk up the stairs took more effort
but was easier on the eyes and brain. Coming down, the lines that the planks made were hypnotic and I had to remove my bifocals.
Since I had eaten lobster, fries and a lovely salad there was no need to cook or snack on anything. The laundry was wet because it had been misty all day. Taking down the bug tent was not too hard because it was already torn and would not be put up again.
Everything was packed up. I headed for the showers in preparation for an evening of reading and writing.
I was royally pissed off when once again the shower was ice cold. This time there was warm water long enough to wet and shampoo my hair … then the warm stopped and all that followed was cold … ice cold.
The National Parks Organization is going to receive a call. Two out of four showers being ice water warrants a refund of some kind… coupons for another season will not be accepted.
Speaking of coupons … Quaker Oats had to be contacted … their readily easy access package of cinnamon /apple sachets
of oats were more sugar than
oats …and then the oats looked like floor sweepings. From them I am receiving two five dollar coupons … well it’s really Pepsico that now owns Quakers … what happened to the Friends of Quakers.
While on the way to the shower I found out from a fellow camper that WiFi was available in the area where the seasonal campers parked their RV's. Too late for that info ... needed rest and had an early reverie ... the drive to St.John and the ferry toDigby was on Tuesday's roster.
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Michelle
non-member comment
On the road again?!
Glad you are enjoying the sites...but go to a walkin clinic to listen to your cough! Nake sure it is not pnemonia!!Love you