Homeward Bound

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Geo: 38.6276, -90.199

Day 11



It was 55° when we departed Liscombe, Nova Scotia this morning. Still raining. Full rain regalia was in order. Allison said this was a typical day for her in Newfoundland in spring and fall.

We didn't visit Newfoundland, although it's one of the Atlantic Provinces. So she showed us a video called "Canada over the Edge" about her home Province. The island contains the eastern most point of North America (exception for the Aleutian Islands in Alaska). “Next stop as you head east: Ireland.” It's also where Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless transmission.

Allison handed out a list of our emails, which we all submitted voluntarily yesterday so we can stay in touch. I will send everyone our group photo from the covered bridge in New Brunswick.

Speaking of group photos, Allison handed out the official Tauck group photo taken on the steps of the old Lunenburg Academy. Such an odd place for a photo … on the steps of a rundown building. We saw so many places that day that were memorable (including gorgeous Mahone Bay) that could have served as a much better backdrop. Nonetheless, it's a nice souvenir.

Happy Memories Villages was our only stop this morning. More or less a rest stop, but in Tauck fashion, there were antiques to see and gingerbread to be had.

Then it was on to the Halifax for our airport departures. Most were headed home, including us. But others were headed on for more travel.

My guess is that most were delayed today. Hurricane Joaquin paralleled the Eastern Seaboard, dumping a lot of rain which delayed flights.

Because we were on different flights at different times at different gates, there was no real time to say goodbye. So this is an official farewell to my new friends; it was great to meet you. Safe travels. Keep calm and carry on.

We were late getting out to Philadelphia where we were connecting. Luckily we had a big gap between flights. Our 6:50 pm flight out of Philly took off at 10 pm. Long day. 16 hours of travel. Felt like we were arriving from Europe. While we were gathering our bags at the St. Louis airport, we ran across friends Jim and Lea Virtel. They actually WERE arriving from Europe (Prague).

Trip Summary

This is our seventh trip with Tauck. And there will be more – Spain/Portugal in fall of 2016. But this was unlike the others in several ways.

1. Canadian Maritimes are very casual. I personally didn't pack appropriately. Not that what I packed was inappropriate, but I should have brought jeans, for sure. And the nicer than normal tops for opening and closing night could have stayed behind.

2. Our weather was incredibly awesome. Sunny and 70-80°F all but the last day. So lucky. But as a result, we all have a lot of cold-weather clothes that are still sitting in the bottom of our suitcases. We wish we had packed a few more summer weight items and a pair of shorts. I guess there's no way to tell. It could just have easily been cold and drizzly all week.

3. Because the area is a LOT more casual than, say, a European capital, the lodging is a lot more casual. There are no 4- and 5-star hotels here, so the hotels are not quite up to snuff for Tauck … although their locations are good. The Keltic Lodge, cute from the outside and idyllic in its location, is run down. The hallways are musty; the rooms are very 1970-ish; walls need painting.

4. Food is pretty good. Lots of lobster and local seafood (although interestingly, not much crab; it's a prime catch here, but mostly for export, I guess). The dining room/menu meals were far superior to buffets and set menus.

5. I haven't actually done a calculation but it seemed there were fewer meals included in this trip than other Tauck itineraries. And the meals where we were on our own were early in the itinerary, before we had a chance to make friends. I like group functions to get to socialize with fellow travelers. Best of all are nights like the Purple Thistle, where you eat with fellow travelers but order from the menu.

6. Most Tauck trips we have been on have featured a variety of transportation. Trains, planes, boats and transportation unique to a destination. We took a harbor cruise in Halifax and used the ferry to transfer between PEI and Nova Scotia, but otherwise it was all bus.

7. Personally, I would rather have flown from Charlottetown, PEI to Cape Bretton. Maybe that's not even feasible, although Air Canada does fly between the two. My suggestion: Shorten the trip by one day, keep it the same price if necessary to allow for a plane ride (even a charter plane if necessary) and eliminate the full day of transfer that had nothing going for it.

8. Allison Stoyles, our Tauck Travel Director, was superb. Although there is beautiful scenery here, it can be hit and miss. She did a wonderful job of keeping things interesting on the sometimes long rides between highlights. She had a very large suitcase full of props … plastic lobsters, fishing jigs, etc. She gave us small gifts each day, e.g., blueberry juice from Nova Scotia, which she acquired along the way. She also had a variety of DVD's to entertain us … Acadian history, folk artist Maud Lewis, “Anne of Green Gables,” etc. There could have been some really slow days if it weren't for Allison. She is charming, knowledgeable, efficient … and beautiful.

9. Tauck has just introduced “Whisperers” in Canada and we love them. If you are not familiar with them, they are individual communications devices with radio and earpiece for you to hear the presenter/guide. It allows you to hear your own guide, even when there are others around. It allows me to wander to take pictures and yet not miss the information being shared.

10. The suppliers/guides/presenters were all quite good. I believe that Allison handpicked her own inner circle and arranged for them to join her group. Like Paul at Hopewell Rocks. Josh in Charlottetown. Daryn, our folk singer at Keltic Lodge.

11. Gary, our bus driver, was one of the best ever. He was charming, courteous, amusing, and above all else, a safe driver.

12. A note to Tauck: I wish you would get up-to-date with technology. I wish our materials would come digitally. I hate having to bring along paper documents. And I wish we could do the survey on line. Give us an incentive to complete them online within 10 days. The survey would be so much better (why have questions about cruises if you weren't on a cruise) if it could be personalized for each trip. And it would allow you to drill down on specifics. And give us a lot more space to give you our feedback. Isn't that the point?

Was this my favorite Tauck trip?

I had a fun time. I liked Allison. Our fellow travelers. The scenery.

But I am a Type A personality with little tolerance for down time. My husband refers to trips I plan on our own as the Bataan Death March. I'm retired; and have plenty of time to relax at home. I travel because there are so many places. And so little time.

I suppose because the sights are few and far between, but there was too much bus time and too much down time. I suppose some would consider this the perfect itinerary, but for me, Miss High Energy, it wasn't the most exciting.

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Comments

[Sandra McDonald]

Enjoyed the "trip" through the Maritnes. Thanks for sharing.