Wednesday 28 September 2011

Hopewell Rocks (Flower Pots) New Brunswick

A hike on the dyke (surrounding our Ponderosa Pines RV Park at Hopewell Cape)

Low tide at the Hopewell Rocks at Hopewell Cape

Note the hiker (in red) strolling the beach at low tide at Hopewell Cape

We hustled down to the Flower Pots (Hopewell Rocks) on the Bay of Fundy to see low tide - actually here the tide has already started to come in but we caught it about 1/2 hour past its lowest point.  It was foggy initially.

Barry - grounded on the ocean floor!

Lovers Arch - Hopewell Rocks - NB

Another view!

Fascinating formations sculpted by the powerful tides of the Bay of Fundy!

And More!

High tide today will be 3.5 times Sandra's height at the beach level - OK - so that is not that much - well it will be 18 feet at the beach level!  Overall high tide today was one of the highest at 47 feet!

Barry and I walked all along the beach area left bare by the low tide - all the while watching as the incoming tide kept creeping closer and closer.  We retreated to higher ground fairly early to watch the progress of the incoming tide.

Sandra - grounded in the mud and gravel left by low tide and in front of a sea weed covered rock!

More sea weed covered rock and the carved cliffs at the Hopewell Rocks

And more!

One can hike and stroll this rugged beach for 3 hours before and after low tide - then the wardens do a sweep to clear the beach area to ensure that no one is left stranded by the incoming waters.

The stairwell access to the beach area below the cliffs overlooking the Hopewell Rocks (Flower Pots)

The incoming tide - we watched rock pinpoints disappear - and disappear quickly they did!  Every 25 hours there is a rotation through high and low tide.  Like the Rangers described - it is like a huge bathtub.  The tide is either coming in or it is going out!  Continually ebbing and flowing.  Being from a land locked Province we were very engrossed with all of this!

A Jr. High Field trip descended upon the site (we are on the lookout site at this point).  We watched with interest to see if the kids followed the rules - one of which was don't 'go in the water'.  A few almost ended up in the drink but managed to stay more or less dry.  The kids circled the one rock we think in hopes that they would get cut off and then have to go in the 'water'!  We know kids!!!!!!!

The Rangers are rounding up the Hikers and Explorers!

The Beach is almost covered

A bit out of order but the hoards are heading for the stairs!

Bye Bye Beach!

Now we are watching the arch in Lovers Arch.  It will totally disappear!

Pretty much gone!

Yes Gone!  The Flower Pots now look like wee islands in the ocean topped by Spruce &  Fir outcroppings!
Our destination after leaving PEI was the Bay of Fundy and the Hopewell Rocks (Flower Pots).  We were not disappointed and will let the pictures tell the story.  The Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tides in the world - and this particular day we were not disappointed - as we hit it on a "high" high tide day or a "spring tide" (has nothing to do with the seasons - but the alignment of the sun and the full moon).  100 billion tons of water flows into the Bay with every high tide!  The fierce tides have eroded these sculptures over the years and is ongoing.

Prince Edward Island

Island fresh oysters - they were very good!

View of the sunset outside our RV door at Crystal Beach near Summerside

Fall decorations abound everywhere we go!

Red Sands Golf Course - near the North Shore - beautiful country setting everywhere we go!

Barry had some smoking good shots then the wheels fell off the bus on #8 & #9!

Basement remains of the home of author Lucy Maud Montgomery at Cavendish

Resident Blue Heron at Crystal Beach Campground - we watched him endlessly as he was 'fishing'!

Our campsite at Crystal Beach Campground

A neat closeup of our resident Blue Heron at Crystal Beach

Hiking the Haunted Wood (Anne of Green Gables)

Inspirational home for the Anne of Green Gables series

For Vicky - Grandma Sandy learned to sew on a sewing machine like this!

Another view of the Anne of Green Gables inspirational home

Waiting to 'board' the Titanic!

At the dinner theater - "Last Dinner on the Titanic"

Titanic Evening!

Outside Atlantic Vet College in Chtown

We knew the outcome - Sandra's character survived - Barry's did not!

Sand sculpture outside the Rossignol Winery at the Wood Islands

Where we had our Lobster supper - small but awesome!

Remains of our Lobster Dinner - I am sure we didn't clean every last morsel - after all we are flatlanders and lack lobster eating skills!

Our waitress demonstrated how to use the mussel shell as a tweezers in eating the fresh mussels - Barry mastered the skill very quickly!  Sandra - not too bad!
We spent a week on PEI - enjoying the tranquility and beauty of the province - small as it is at 135,000 + people - it certainly is not lacking in ambiance or character! 

We needed some down time to tend to a little repair on the 5th wheel and had to update our cell phone for communication purposes.  In previous visits we had visited Founders Hall and Province House - so skipped these attractions this time in favor of some golf and ocean side camp enjoyment plus a couple of plays - the Musical - Anne (of Green Gables) & Gilbert and a dinner theater - "The Last Dinner on the Titanic".  Both were enjoyable but especially the Anne & Gilbert Musical.  Of course we had to visit the inspirational home for the Anne of Green Gables series and walked the haunted wood.

Our  visit also had to include some fresh oysters and a good feed of mussels and lobster.  Sandra's Cousin Don and Wife Jan graciously hosted us with our 5th wheel in their yard for three days and then gave us a personal tour around the Atlantic Vet College Open House.  All in all it was a full week and very pleasurable.

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Annapolis Valley & Grand Pre

After Cape Breton Island we decided to trek over to the Annapolis Valley (NS) and to tour the Ntl Historic Sites depicting the Acadian story.  We took a bit of a cross country route to save time - NOT.  Once off the main highways in NS, the roads, while paved, are very narrow, winding and rough (lots of patch work on them).  But it is beautiful country and you see much more off the beaten track.

The WD Lawrence - the largest wooden hulled fully rigged ship ever built in Canada - launched in 1874 and did around the world for her maiden voyage!  The shipyard was in Maitland, NS

A cantilevered chandelier in the Lawrence home - they had many innovative furnishings and designs - partially due to their world travels upon their ships - the home dripped wealth and prestige1

Lawrence designed and built this bed for a family member with TB - this is back in the mid 1800's

A bottle of 'uncorked' Guano from the 1800's!

A picture of the picture of vessels waiting to load the Valuable Guano onto their ships bound for Europe

Can you imagine?!

Antique sewing machine in the Lawrence museum - Sandra didn't even recognize it as a sewing machine at first!  Most of the furnishings are originals and authentic property of the Lawrence family

A pretty modern 'bathing' room for the mid 1800's - doesn't resemble the galvanized tub in the middle of the kitchen floor that we remember!

Now this was innovative at the Lawrence museum - besides a chamber pot under every bed they had this covered walkway off the back/side door of the home leading to two side by side outhouses - total of four holes!  More comfort!

The home Lawrence built in 1865 - his shipyard was across the road and there were several more shipyards dotted along the Bay.  Lawrence was passionately against Confederation - fearing that the wealthy 'Province' of NS had far more to loose than to gain by such a move!  Family members lived in this home until 1969 when the Granddaughter sold it to the Gov't for the purpose of establishing a museum.

The incoming tide at the mouth of the Shubenecadie River - it literally reverses the river's flow.  At high tide times the waves can be as high as 20' in the Tidal Bore - we thought a raft ride would be fun!

Another view of the Lawrence home - foreground R is the walkway to the outhouse!

Tip of the Annapolis Valley bordering the Minas Basin off the Bay of Fundy

Beautiful Annapolis Valley look out

The Acadian story is a touching one as portrayed by an excellent documentary at the Grand Pre site - and which set the stage for understanding the magnitude of the injustice heaped upon them between 1755 and 1763 when it is estimated that up to 10,000 were deported, forced to forfeit their rich farmland, homes and possessions that they could not carry with them.  The Acadians consistently claimed neutrality during the back and forth skirmishes between the British and the French who were vying for control of the region.  Since the Acadians were primarily of French descent and Roman Catholic - they were caught between the two - and of course the British absolutely distrusted them - hence the deportation order!

Original Powder Magazine at Fort Anne (Annapolis Royal) - possibly the oldest building in Canada - dating to the early 1600's

Bastion design of Fort Anne to maximize defense

Mound formations of the Bastion Fort still evident

Fort Anne Canon on the rampart poised over the Bay

The Shaw's outside of Port Royal - the Acadian Habitation reconstruction

The Well!

Get to work Barry!

A portion of a well preserved excavated dyke and sluice found at either Grand Pre or near Port Royal.  The Acadians reclaimed over 3000 acres from the inter tidal salt marsh lands.  Once dyked and drained and after waiting for rain to rinse the salt deposits through, they were left with extremely fertile farmland

Evangeline and the Memorial Church memorializing and commemorating the Acadians at Grand Pre and elsewhere

I think its a Japanese Maple - a grand old tree on the grounds at Grand Pre (Big Meadow)

Sunset walk at Loch Lomand RV Park and Lake near Amherst, NS

Love these sunsets!

One more!

Confederation Bridge crossing over to PEI
We just happened upon the WD Lawrence Museum in this wee village of Maitland - and were quite taken with the history of the house and the area back in the mid 1800's.  We were also tempted to sign up for rafting the Tidal Bore on the Shubenacadie River - but passed on that one this time!

We spent 3 nights in the Grand Pre area - taking day trips with only the truck.  Had to check out the local Farmers Market as it was Saturday - and this area is overflowing with fresh fruit and produce.  Awesome!  Also discovered a great little Fromagerie - Fox Hill Cheese House - a Mom & Pop operation - make all their own fresh cheeses and Gelato with the milk from their herd of 85 Holstein cows!  Before we got home that day we had also discovered a neat little meat market to get some fresh pepperoni and jerky (made in the shop) to go with our cheeses.