North to Canada
Thursday 2nd June
We spent all of today visiting Gettysburg National Military Park which surrounds the attractive historic town of Gettysburg. A visit here is in two parts. it starts with a scene setting film, "A New Birth of Freedom", which vividly describes the background to the battle, the battle itself and the aftermath of the battle which led to the deaths of fifty thousand men.
Following the film, the Cyclorama is a 356 foot circular painting that is brought to life by sound and light effects leaving you in no doubt of the futility of battle. A detailed museum with many original artefacts and short films chronicle the events before, during and after the battle.
The second part of the visit, now the scene has been set is a self drive tour through the actual battlefields. At each strategic point information panels bring the scene alive. The 24 mile drive passes monuments from the very plain to the elaborately decorated dedicated to all the regiments that were involved in the three day battle.
It was here on the battlefield that Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Adress.
Overnight at Hanover.
We spent all of today visiting Gettysburg National Military Park which surrounds the attractive historic town of Gettysburg. A visit here is in two parts. it starts with a scene setting film, "A New Birth of Freedom", which vividly describes the background to the battle, the battle itself and the aftermath of the battle which led to the deaths of fifty thousand men.
Following the film, the Cyclorama is a 356 foot circular painting that is brought to life by sound and light effects leaving you in no doubt of the futility of battle. A detailed museum with many original artefacts and short films chronicle the events before, during and after the battle.
The second part of the visit, now the scene has been set is a self drive tour through the actual battlefields. At each strategic point information panels bring the scene alive. The 24 mile drive passes monuments from the very plain to the elaborately decorated dedicated to all the regiments that were involved in the three day battle.
It was here on the battlefield that Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Adress.
Overnight at Hanover.
|
|
Friday 3rd June
This morning we headed to Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. It is here that many religious communities settled having fled persecution in Europe. The Amish community still lead simple lives as farmers and avoid many of the "trappings" of modern day living. It is an area of gently rolling fertile land where horse drawn buggies rule the roads and farm machinery is non-existent. There is a wonderful calm feeling to this region.
We visited a farmhouse which dated back to 1805 and learned about the Amish way of life.
Overnight at Walmart in Reading.
|
|
|
Saturday 4th June
We spent today driving northwards back towards New England. Part of our route took us through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area - lovely views of the river, shaded with trees in the heavily wooded park.
We crossed the Hudson River before stopping for the night in Fishkill.
Sunday 5th June
A wet day so we stayed put and relaxed.
Monday 6th June
We started today by driving the Taconic State Parkway north towards Albany. The road was a good dual carriageway with gentle curves and long hills. It was difficult keeping Nicolle to the 55mph speed limit!
"Slow down, you move too fast.
We've got to make the parkway last.
Cruising through the hills and woods.
Driving along New York State's highways!"
As a scenic road it was rather disappointing. There were only two parking areas and the views west towards the Catskills Mountains were not as good as we had expected. Most of the route was through thick forest. We joined the interstate highway for the next part of our journey.
North of Glen Falls we left the interstate highway and took the much calmer and prettier road alongside Lake George. The scenery here was reminiscent of the Lake District. Most of the shore was devoted to tourist development so there was little access to the lakeside.
We stopped for the night at Ticonderoga, a quaint one street town with a ferry across the narrow channel that separates Lake George from Lake Champlain.
Tuesday 7th June
Instead of taking the ferry to the state of Vermont, we drove further north to the bridge at Crown Point just before Lake Champlain widens.
At Crown Point there are the remains of two forts. The older Fort St. Frederic was built by the French in 1734. The low stone walls remaining clearly indicate its original defensive outline.
In 1759, after the French withdrew the British built their fort beside the French one. It was their largest fort in North America. Today the earth ramparts still surround the brick barracks that housed the officers and soldiers.
From there our route took us on an ever winding, steep and in parts, gravel road through the heart of the Green Mountains.
We visited the small town of Stowe and the nearby von Trapp Lodge, now an exclusive holiday resort. The lodge is built in typical Tirolean style and is located on a high ridge with views reminiscent of Austria.
To round off the day we took a factory tour at Ben and Jerry's of ice cream fame.
Overnight at Berlin, Vermont.
Instead of taking the ferry to the state of Vermont, we drove further north to the bridge at Crown Point just before Lake Champlain widens.
At Crown Point there are the remains of two forts. The older Fort St. Frederic was built by the French in 1734. The low stone walls remaining clearly indicate its original defensive outline.
In 1759, after the French withdrew the British built their fort beside the French one. It was their largest fort in North America. Today the earth ramparts still surround the brick barracks that housed the officers and soldiers.
From there our route took us on an ever winding, steep and in parts, gravel road through the heart of the Green Mountains.
We visited the small town of Stowe and the nearby von Trapp Lodge, now an exclusive holiday resort. The lodge is built in typical Tirolean style and is located on a high ridge with views reminiscent of Austria.
To round off the day we took a factory tour at Ben and Jerry's of ice cream fame.
Overnight at Berlin, Vermont.
|
|
|
Wednesday 8th June
This morning we visited Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks. Here we learned how the sap is tapped from the trees and the process of distillation used to reduce the liquid sap into a thicker syrup. We spent quite some time and a fair amount of money in the gift shop before watching a very informative video and taking a visit round the sugar shed where all the action takes place. A short trail led through the woods to the trees themselves where plastic tubes linking from tree to tree provided a direct flow to the sugar shed. We returned to the gift shop for free samples and some delicious ice cream dusted with maple sugar. Scrumptious! John had a rest on the swinging seat before we left.
Vermont is a lush, beautiful state where even main roads are scenic routes, so our drive east towards the White Mountains of New Hampshire was a real pleasure - green forested slopes, small villages of clapboard houses and white churches made for a picturesque drive.
The White Mountains National Forest is crossed by the Kancamagus Highway. Along its route are scenic overlooks taking in the entire mountain range. It was here that we met a very pleasant couple from Switzerland who were also travelling in a Chausson motorhome! They had shipped to Australia and spent a year there, then shipped from Perth to Los Angeles. They were spending a year in North America and then (probably) heading to South America.
Overnight at Jigger Johnson Campground. This site is located in the forest - we would have liked some evening sunshine rather than a canopy of trees as the temperature was falling rapidly and ended up in single figures.
|
|
|
Thursday 9th June
We completed our drive along the Kancamagus Highway by viewing a covered bridge which was still in use. Unfortunately there were low clouds obscuring the summit of Mt. Washington, the highest mountain in New England, so we had to be content with tantalising glimpses of it.
There is an auto road to the summit but high gusty winds and a fall of snow had closed the road for today. While at the Visitor Centre we visited an interesting museum housed in the Red Barn. A video explained the history of the road, the initial use of horse teams and carriages and the development of the motorised traffic that was used to transport visitors to the summit. A number of these early vehicles, including a Ford "Woody" and the first car(steam engined) that drove to the summit were on display.
Overnight at Walmart, Gorham, New Hampshire.
|
|
|
Friday 10th June
We decided to retrace our steps to the Mount Washington Visitor Centre to see if there was a chance of reaching the summit today. After an hour's wait we were told that the road was now open. No RVs are allowed to go up the auto route so we purchased tickets for the shuttle bus.
The drive up was interesting as we passed through four ecological zones from mixed forest to alpine. Our driver explained why on the higher slopes the trees grow on one side only due to the winds - these trees are called Krummholz. Today the higher slopes were covered in rime ice. This forms on the windward side of solid objects and vegetation due to water droplets freezing. At the summit it was bitterly cold and every surface - ground, buildings, posts were covered in rime ice - very picturesque. Visibility was poor so there were no wide ranging views. Ironically just after we had returned to the Visitor Centre, the clouds cleared briefly and evidently you could see for 110 miles! Still we had had an interesting trip and our driver/guide was excellent.
We returned to Gorham for the night.
|
|
Saturday 11th June
A driving day which was just as well as it was a damp, dull and cold day. We left New Hampshire and entered the state of Maine. Maine is larger than all the other five New England states put together.
Our route took us through sparsely populated areas where a handful of houses and a white clapboard church was called a village. Most of the land was forested or covered in poor grass.
Overnight at Brewer.
Sunday 12th June
Today we spent in Acadia National Park. We first went to the Visitor Centre where we watched an introductory video, then having collected a tag to show that we had a yearly National Park card, we headed to the loop road.
This is a scenic drive which takes you past the main sites in the eastern half of Acadia. For much of its 27 miles the road is one way so it was easy to stop at each overlook. Sand Beach with its chilly 7-10 degree water is the only bay on the island where there is sand. There was a life guard on duty, huddled in his coat. No one was foolish or hardy enough to even attempt paddling! At Thunder Hole, just before high water, the surf races into a natural inlet between the granite rocks and makes a noise like thunder. There is a good road to the top of Cadillac Mountain from where there are 360 degree views across Desert Island and the National Park, the myriad of islands off shore and north along the Maine coast. The view was stunning but it was bitterly cold. At least the rain that was forecast had largely stayed away and we even had a little sunshine.
Overnight at Ellsworth, Maine. Once parked up for the evening, the rain came down with a vengeance.
"There was rain on the windshield Nicolle sat in them
and rain on the ground. all dripping and sad.
And great big puddles We were warm and dry inside.
of rain all around. We were feeling mighty glad!"
Saturday 11th June
A driving day which was just as well as it was a damp, dull and cold day. We left New Hampshire and entered the state of Maine. Maine is larger than all the other five New England states put together.
Our route took us through sparsely populated areas where a handful of houses and a white clapboard church was called a village. Most of the land was forested or covered in poor grass.
Overnight at Brewer.
Sunday 12th June
Today we spent in Acadia National Park. We first went to the Visitor Centre where we watched an introductory video, then having collected a tag to show that we had a yearly National Park card, we headed to the loop road.
This is a scenic drive which takes you past the main sites in the eastern half of Acadia. For much of its 27 miles the road is one way so it was easy to stop at each overlook. Sand Beach with its chilly 7-10 degree water is the only bay on the island where there is sand. There was a life guard on duty, huddled in his coat. No one was foolish or hardy enough to even attempt paddling! At Thunder Hole, just before high water, the surf races into a natural inlet between the granite rocks and makes a noise like thunder. There is a good road to the top of Cadillac Mountain from where there are 360 degree views across Desert Island and the National Park, the myriad of islands off shore and north along the Maine coast. The view was stunning but it was bitterly cold. At least the rain that was forecast had largely stayed away and we even had a little sunshine.
Overnight at Ellsworth, Maine. Once parked up for the evening, the rain came down with a vengeance.
"There was rain on the windshield Nicolle sat in them
and rain on the ground. all dripping and sad.
And great big puddles We were warm and dry inside.
of rain all around. We were feeling mighty glad!"
Monday 13th June
Our road today took us along the scenic Bold Coastal Route of Maine. Much of the route was through mixed forest with the odd glimpse of the sea. As this area is at the start of the Bay of Fundy where the tidal difference can be as much as 40 feet, the character of the shore line varies with the tide.
We visited West Quoddy Head Lighthouse which is the easternmost point of the United States. Just a few miles across the water the Canadian Island of Grand Manan was clearly visible until a fog bank rolled in. The higher ground in this region is covered in acres of wild blueberry barrels.
Our final visit before we stopped at Calais for the night, was at the St. Croix Island International Historical Site. Here on an island in the St. Croix River, in 1604, a small group of French settlers founded a settlement. It's future was short lived and the settlers who survived through the first winter soon left the small island to found a settlement at modern day Fort Royal in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Our road today took us along the scenic Bold Coastal Route of Maine. Much of the route was through mixed forest with the odd glimpse of the sea. As this area is at the start of the Bay of Fundy where the tidal difference can be as much as 40 feet, the character of the shore line varies with the tide.
We visited West Quoddy Head Lighthouse which is the easternmost point of the United States. Just a few miles across the water the Canadian Island of Grand Manan was clearly visible until a fog bank rolled in. The higher ground in this region is covered in acres of wild blueberry barrels.
Our final visit before we stopped at Calais for the night, was at the St. Croix Island International Historical Site. Here on an island in the St. Croix River, in 1604, a small group of French settlers founded a settlement. It's future was short lived and the settlers who survived through the first winter soon left the small island to found a settlement at modern day Fort Royal in Nova Scotia, Canada.
|
|
|
Tuesday 14th June
Our last day in the United States. We spent it doing the laundry, visiting downtown Calais with its beautiful historic mansions and shopping to use up our few remaining American dollars. We had a very pleasant evening chatting to an American Dutch couple.
Wednesday 15th June
As Calais, where we stayed last night sits just across the river from Canada, we were soon on our way east driving along the virtually empty Highway 1. The highway was bounded by extensive forests, lakes and rivers with little sign of habitation except for the occasional small town. We stopped at Sussex which has many murals painted on its buildings.
Our route then took us along the scenic bay of Fundy coastal drive with its world beating tidal range. The rivers feeding the bay are tidal and at low tide they become a deeply incised trickle of water. We made a brief stop at Cape Enrage where we met up with, for the third time today, our fellow travellers from last night. They stopped at a beach car park for the night but as we needed to buy some food we carried on to Moncton.
Thursday 16th June
"The rain is falling from the sky, We're fed up of this weather,
the clouds are very low. we wish it would cheer up.
We're heading for Nova Scotia, But in the meantime we'll put the kettle on
we really want to go. and have another cup!"
We continued our journey east today. At the Nova Scotia Welcome Centre we were greeted by a lone piper. He had spied a gap in the weather and come outside to play a quick tune before hurrying back inside again!Nova Scotia had very close links to early Scottish settlers and even has its own tartan. On our visit to this area four years ago we explored this Scottish heritage by visiting a number of historic sites.
Today, the young lady at the Welcome Centre made the all important ferry booking for us - so we are Newfoundland bound on Sunday. Overnight at Antigonish.
"The rain is falling from the sky, We're fed up of this weather,
the clouds are very low. we wish it would cheer up.
We're heading for Nova Scotia, But in the meantime we'll put the kettle on
we really want to go. and have another cup!"
We continued our journey east today. At the Nova Scotia Welcome Centre we were greeted by a lone piper. He had spied a gap in the weather and come outside to play a quick tune before hurrying back inside again!Nova Scotia had very close links to early Scottish settlers and even has its own tartan. On our visit to this area four years ago we explored this Scottish heritage by visiting a number of historic sites.
Today, the young lady at the Welcome Centre made the all important ferry booking for us - so we are Newfoundland bound on Sunday. Overnight at Antigonish.
Friday 17th June
Today we drove the final 100 miles to Sydney in preparation for our crossing on Sunday. (We would have preferred to go tomorrow but the boat was fully booked.)
Our lunch halt was at Battery Park, overlooking the harbour and canal at at St. Peters on Cape Breton Island - pretty and peaceful spot.
The drive north from there took us along the shore of Bras d'Or Lake. Interestingly all the road signs were in Gaellic as well as English.
Overnight in Sydney.
Saturday 18th June
We awoke to glorious sunshine and light winds which was much appreciated after the cold winds and wet of the past few days. It was just the day to get sorted out in readiness for the next stage of our journey.
An early night as we have to be at the ferry terminal two hours before departure, which means an early start.
Today we drove the final 100 miles to Sydney in preparation for our crossing on Sunday. (We would have preferred to go tomorrow but the boat was fully booked.)
Our lunch halt was at Battery Park, overlooking the harbour and canal at at St. Peters on Cape Breton Island - pretty and peaceful spot.
The drive north from there took us along the shore of Bras d'Or Lake. Interestingly all the road signs were in Gaellic as well as English.
Overnight in Sydney.
Saturday 18th June
We awoke to glorious sunshine and light winds which was much appreciated after the cold winds and wet of the past few days. It was just the day to get sorted out in readiness for the next stage of our journey.
An early night as we have to be at the ferry terminal two hours before departure, which means an early start.