Day 11 - Fundy National Park, NB

Although we had a slightly interrupted sleep from the creaky wooden bunk beds and plastic mattresses that we were sleeping on, we still enjoyed a nice sleep in. Ryan woke early, in his usual style, but was able to sneak out and let us sleep. He slipped back out to Alma and picked up some fresh out of the oven, still warm, cinnamon buns, and tasty coffee. We took more time to relax and look over the park map to decide where we would spend our day. 

After deciding on a plan, we hopped in the car and drove to Dickson Falls trail to do a 1km hike in the dense lush humid forest valley surrounding the falls. One of the info signs taught us about the lichen that grows exceptionally well in this environment and its significance to the ecosystem. After the hike we headed for Lake Bennet where Ben and Ryan were eager to check out the fishing. Katie and I wandered and ended up at the beach nearby where we sat at a picnic table and read our current book, Twilight, together. Ben eventually came to find us and let us know that they wanted to go check out the next lake which was about 10 more mins up the road. 

Back into the car and a bit further north to the next stop, Wolfe Lake. Another set of free Tesla chargers in the parking lot so we plugged in!  The sun was shining, the wind was calm, a perfect spot to lay down the blanket and enjoy the quiet of this space right on the beach. The kids pulled their books out and Ryan and I dipped our feet in the water. A while later we made some peanut butter sandwiches and snacked on the grapes and blueberries that we had in the cooler bag. Ben and Ryan threw the football around until Ben banged his finger on the ball, so he switched gears and kicked the soccer ball around with me while also practicing his “rainbow flicks” in-between kicks. We finished with a dip in the lake. Ryan and I contemplated a swim across the lake to a beach with a lookout, but decided it would take longer than the kids probably wanted to wait. 

When we were satisfied with our stay there, we packed up and drove back down towards our campground. We stopped off at the salt water swimming pool that we had spotted on the map nearby. The pool was situated right beside a rocky beach on the ocean. The tide was out so we wandered down to the shoreline. It was sunny, but the breeze was cold, so we headed back up to the top of the rocks for some shelter from the wind. After deciding to splurge on the $25 family rate for the pool, the kids were keen to jump in. It had a huge diving board which offered Ben lots of entertainment. Katie and Ryan gave it a few tries too, while I stayed warm and dry, staying as sheltered from the breeze as possible. I think they would have enjoyed another hour there, but despite the heated pool and 27 degree temps, the cool wind was the deciding factor. We headed back to our yurt to change into dry clothes and had an hour of reading and resting in the yurt. 

We opted for supper in Alma and drove another very short distance to the park entrance to plug the car into another Tesla charger provided by the park. In the parking lot was a small building / museum for Molly Kool, who was one of the first female ship captains in North America. Unfortunately the museum was locked but we learned a bit more about Molly Kool by reading the signs outside. We walked across the bridge into the town of Alma and down the main street, checking out some of the businesses along the way. We stopped at a souvenir shop and picked up some more postcards and then wandered behind a beautiful motel to check out the coastal view. We finished at the Tipsy Tails where we had made reservations. This restaurant had a cozy seaside atmosphere. We wished we could have sat on the patio but the patrons that were already sitting there had jackets and toques on, so we opted for the warmer inside version. Service was slow but friendly and we tried a variety of things on the menu including another lobster roll and chowder. We left satisfied.

When we got back to the yurt, Ryan crashed and dozed the evening away. I think he needed to catch up from so many early mornings. The kids were very happy to work on their bracelets while I wandered around the campground to check things out. At this campground there are two communal fire pits. The one closest to us was in use and already had a fire going so the kids and I decided to join with some marshmallows and our roasting stick. Before heading over, I helped Ben undo some knots in his bracelet that didn't go well which he was very appreciative of. Then we suited up into our long pants and sweaters and discovered that our warm clothes had a funky smell that we can only assume came from our kayaking adventure the night before. At the fire, we chatted with the family that was there. Turns out they were from somewhere outside of Ottawa. I had noticed earlier that their som had a hat that looked a lot like Ben's lacrosse provincial hat.  It turns out it actually was the same hat!  He played for the U11-2 team and we chatted more about lacrosse and kids sports. After enjoying the marshmallows, we headed back to the yurt and found Ryan still “resting”. After brushing teeth, we climbed into bed. Everyone was too tired to do any reading and we fell asleep quickly. We decided to change up the sleeping arrangements. Ryan shared the quiet futon with Ben, and Katie moved from the creaky top bunk down to the bottom bunk with me so we could all sleep a bit more soundly.

Day 10 - Moncton, NB to Fundy National Park, NB

It sure felt nice to wake up to the feeling of being dry and not having to take our tent down in the rain. Great decision, team!!  We enjoyed a really good breakfast in the hotel lobby. The kids were thrilled to see that the famous pancake maker from our previous road trip was part of this breakfast. They were also fascinated to see Frank's Red hot sauce in small packets, so they sampled it on their breakfast sausages. I think they enjoyed it?  We hopped in the car and headed to the grocery store to pick up some wine and potato salad for lunch. Since we had time to spare, we drove 10 minutes out of our way to check out Magnetic Hill, which was highly recommended by my father. I guess it has become a very touristy area over the years. There was a lot more to do than just the experience of the hill as it was surrounded by commercialization. We paid the $10 entry fee and were given instructions on what to do. As we waited our turn, we watched the previous car in front of us doing its thing and it really did look like they were backing up a hill towards us! Then it was our turn. Definitely a bizarre sensation. Looking out the back window you would be convinced Ryan was using the gas pedal to back up a hill. But interestingly, if you looked out your side window, you could see the small slope downwards. Definitely a fun little science experiment / optical illusion for the kids to experience. 

We made our way to Grand Digue, which is where Cecile, a long time friend of Ryan's mom, lives. Enid and Cecile became close friends when they lived in the same neighbourhood in Pointe Claire, QC. Originally we had planned to stay at Cecile's house that night, but her son, Marc, and his family were visiting so we opted for a lunch visit instead. We were greeted warmly and enjoyed a true maritime lunch of fresh lobster, corn on the cob, buns and potato salad. After lunch we got a tour of Cecile's house. It was neat to see her wood workshop in the basement, and her craft room upstairs which had a beautiful view of the ocean. To finish our visit, we drove a few blocks down the road to a small beach near the wharf. It turns out this wharf is where they picked up our lobsters fresh off the boat from the fisherman the day before. We couldn't stay too long since we had plans to visit Hopewell Rocks and catch the low tide, so we said our goodbyes and took some final pictures. As we drove away, Ryan commented on how truly nice it was to catch up with an old friend, who he hadn't seen in 20+ years. So neat to connect with people so closely tied to Ryan's family. 

We arrived at Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park too late to catch the lowest tide. However, we did manage to catch mid tide, so we were still able to take the hike and stairs down to the famous Stair Cove to stand on the ocean floor in front of the iconic “Lovers Arch”. The kids and I enjoyed standing a few feet from the shore, taking a photo, and waiting to see how long it took for the tide to overtake our feet: on average, 2 mins!  Pretty incredible. Since we had planned to stay all day and do a 6pm guided kayak tour, we had a noticeable amount of time to just sit and enjoy the space, a rare treat given how filled our schedule had been for the majority of our trip. After a while we did the roughly 800m hike back to the car to make some peanut butter sandwiches and check out the museum. Another 900m hike down to the kayak place where we arrived 45 mins early as they had requested. When we got there we realized we could have driven the car down a separate road to park much closer, but alas… The sun was shining and there was a small wind, but the mom in me was worried that the kids would be cool on the kayak, so we added another layer with our hoodies and waited with a healthy dose of nerves until it was our turn to suit up and go. We got a short lesson on paddling and water safety and then launched into the Bay of Fundy. The wind was stronger on the ocean, so we had some pretty good waves between stops inside the protected coves along the way. In each cove we would regroup, hear an interesting story from one of the five guides, and then continue. We came together 3 km down the coast, then turned around and headed back. It was nice to have the wind at our backs on the journey to the finish. At one of the final stops, one of the tour guides in a solo kayak demoed a log roll in his boat, which was certainly impressive. It was hard to get pictures, but we got a few nice ones. I loved sharing this adventure with the family, although I'm not sure everyone felt equally as thrilled as I. They were all good sports for participating.

After the kayak was done, we had one final 800m hike back to the car. We were tired, wind swept, and a bit wet, so it felt nice to climb into the car. Our appetites were fierce after all of the activity that day, so we polished off the loaf of bread with more PB&J sandwiches. We had a 45 minute drive to Alma where we stopped at the general store that was still open when we arrived around 9:30pm. We stocked up on chips and chocolate bars and drove the remaining 3 mins to Fundy National park. Grabbed our keys to the yurt that I had booked, and settled in for the night. 

Day 9 - Charlottetown, PEI to Moncton, NB

We all slept well and enjoyed a wee sleep-in.  Woke in time to pack up and head to our B&B breakfast. We enjoyed coffee and juice, and while we waited for our eggs or french toast to be cooked, Ryan went and packed the car.  Our plan for the day had changed slightly due to the weather forecast.  We were hoping for a beach day in Cavendish, but the forecast was quite gloomy with spotty rain throughout the day.  So the night before, Ryan booked a deep sea fishing tour for him and Ben.  Katie was given the option, but opted out. We knew we had a 12:30pm drop-off time for the fishing trip, so we had to get our day started.     

On our way out of town, we headed for a supercharger.  Along the way, Ryan dropped me and the kids off at a Michael's craft store which was just down the road from the charger.  We picked up some embroidery floss for the kids and a collared shirt for Ben on sale at the Old Navy next door.  By the time we were done, Ryan was ready to pick us up. 

First stop: Brackley beach. And once again, we were so impressed to see that Parks Canada had installed EV chargers that were free to use (half were dedicated Tesla chargers and the other half were J177). We plugged in, even though we knew we would only be there a short while.  We walked past some washrooms and took some stairs down to the beach to discover that the classic red PEI sand was actually much softer than I had expected.  Surrounding us were the beautiful iconic red sand dunes, comfortable calm water, and red cliffs in the distance. I picked up some rocks for my rock loving friends. When we returned back to the car, we discovered we had topped up 4% in this very short visit.  

From Brackley, we continued to Cavendish to visit the Green Gables Heritage Place. I vaguely remember seeing this place when I was younger when I went out east with my children’s choir, but it had definitely changed since then. We briefly scanned the exhibits at the info centre and made our way to the iconic Green Gables house where we toured through to get a glimpse into what life was like back then since it was a snapshot back in time. We didn’t have too much time to spend there, so we made a quick stop at the dress-up activity to get a family picture. There was a hat with red braids attached to it, and we all enjoyed trying it on, with the exception of Katie. After some debate, Katie finally agreed to pose with the hat for the family photo.  Lol  

We drove 10 mins down the road to drop Ben and Ryan off for their deep sea fishing adventure. They were pretty excited and we wished them well and hoped they would catch lots of fish! When Katie and I drove away, we weren’t sure what to do next.  We decided to head back to Green Gables since we felt like we didn’t have enough time to take it in. Of note, this parking lot ALSO had free EV chargers that were all in use the first time we were there, but we found an empty spot this time and plugged in. We enjoyed reading through all of the information on the walls in the info centre, learning more about Lucy Maud Montgomery than we knew before. We started to go for a walk down the trail that was described in the book - supposedly you could walk both “Lover’s Lane” and the “Haunted Woods Trail”.  But we realized it was going to be a long walk around a golf course, so we decided to turn around and head back to the car. 

Our next stop was at “Avonlea Village” which was really just a touristy spot with lots of food options.  We split a wood fired pizza and bought some honey sticks from the candy store (Katie had heard they were good to use for hockey so she wanted to try them out).  We then drove a bit further down the highway to a shopping centre that had a whole bunch of touristy stores.  We found the same store with the hoodies from Charlottetown, but unfortunately, still no size small in pink. They told us there was a third store near the Confederation Bridge that we could try, so I called them, but no luck.  No size small pink hoodies there either.  We did buy Ben his turquoise hoodie that he liked, and tucked it away in the hidden section of the trunk to surprise him for his birthday.  Although the rain plans had caused us to book a hotel that night off the island, we still had our reservation for the Cavendish National Park campground.  We were too late to cancel and get our money back, and I had read online that there was a penalty for no-shows, so Katie and I showed up to register.  We actually drove to our campsite, and plugged into the electrical outlet that we had planned to use that night.  We walked to the beach which was just a couple hundred metres from our site. Wandered down the beach and it appeared to be low tide, so Katie spent the time searching for beautiful shells that were fully intact.  I had hoped we would have much more time there, but we got a phone call from Ryan around 4pm saying that they were done and just waiting for their fish to be filleted.  I soaked up the last view from the beach before returning back to the car to unplug and go get the boys.  We arrived to find them excited about their adventure.  Ben was so excited to share that lots of mackerel were caught, and some of the coveted cod.  They had a small plastic bag of cod to carry home with them.  Good thing we were staying in a hotel that night so we would have a fridge to put it in.  I had really hoped to grab some food and drive to another beach for a picnic dinner over sunset.  However, the kids were soooo excited to get to the hotel and use the featured water slide that came with it, so we stopped at Avonlea Village again, grabbed some burgers and fries and hit the road.  

On our way off PEI we crossed the famous Confederation Bridge.  It sure was impressive spanning 12.9km with nothing but water on either side.  We drove the rest of the way to Moncton to the Quality Inn. And it sure was a “quality” inn! This hotel clearly displayed pride of ownership. Clean, well kept, and had a pool with the best water slide ever!  Seriously, that slide was FUN. The kids gave it a test drive, then we all went to the fitness room to get a little workout in. After working up a good sweat we returned back to the pool where we all enjoyed the slide some more. We discovered that if you lay perfectly flat, you generate the most speed possible for maximum enjoyment! 

We eventually had to cut Ben off as he could have kept going and going. We retreated to our room where we all showered and enjoyed the tv and comfort of our clean soft beds. A huge thunderstorm passed through at night. It shook the entire hotel with a giant boom. Ryan and I both whispered to each other about how glad we were to be in the hotel instead of our tent, no matter how much I wished we could have camped in Cavendish. That will have to be on another trip back out east.

Day 8 - Baddeck, NS to Charlottetown, PEI

Woke up earlier than planned to the sound of some Blue Jays fighting just outside our tent door. There was some hope of going back to sleep but the chipmunks decided to join in too. We decided it was time to get our day started. The kids and I packed up the inside of the tent while Ryan worked on tidying up outside the tent. Ben entertained us with a floppy fish version of trying to deflate his sleeping mat. It was followed by some flatulence where he used his dad's method from the night before of trying to cover it up, but his squeal wasn't loud enough to match which caused a hilarious round of giggles from inside the tent. 

After pulling out of the campground in good time, we were met with a long line of construction traffic shortly down the highway. When we finally got our chance to start moving, we were in awe at the length of road they were working on, and the logistics involved in holding all the traffic back to wait their turns. An inconvenience for sure, but a necessary requirement in a touristy area - maintenance of well travelled roads. We were a bit nervous about how the delay would impact our arrival for the ferry, so we opted to postpone our breakfast plans and drive further before feeling safe enough to stop. We stopped for a quick Tim Hortons drive through breakfast, and made the rest of the drive to Caribou, NS. Somehow we managed to arrive 5 minutes short of the 45 minute early requirement. We had a lot of time to kill. Ryan and Ben made their way to the ferry terminals to use the washroom. When they got back we all got out of the car and said hi to a couple and their adorable 13-week old puppy named Ozzie, in his adorable jean jacket, named of course after Ozzy Osbourne. It was finally our turn to board the ferry and this one definitely had a more cramped feeling to it. We actually drove down into the bottom of the boat to park. I believe there were three or four levels of cars which is an impressive engineering feat to hold all that weight. We walked five flights of stairs to get to the top of the boat. The inside was freezing cold with the air conditioning at max. We went outside to enjoy the warmer ocean air, took a little tour of the boat deck, and spotted our dear friend Ozzy who was all tuckered out and napping on a bench. While standing on the boat deck, I noticed the peculiar light design that I had noticed on the previous ferry. After researching why the outside of the light looked like a heat sink from a computer chip, it turns out it actually was a heatsink. Apparently, nautical code requires a certain level of brightness on boat lights which generates a significant amount of heat that needs to be dispersed to prevent overheating and malfunctioning of the lights. The computer teacher in me found this pretty interesting since I teach about heat sinks in class. We finished the boat ride by playing, or rather continuing our round of euchre. Each time we play it, the kids get a slightly better understanding of the game. Before we knew it, it was time to return to our car. We unloaded the ferry at Wood Islands, PEI. It was a short drive to Charlottetown. We were fortunate to find out that our B&B was ready early for check in, so we went straight there to unload and refresh. I had booked this place a month in advance and it felt like it was one of few “affordable” B&Bs left. We ended up with an entire addition to the historic home with a livingroom, bedroom, and our very own bathroom. We unpacked the tent tarp on the dining room table since it was still damp from our breath and condensation the night before. I also hung our towels to dry on the small porch banister outside our apartment door. Our showers felt wonderful after a few days without. Ben thought the shower was the second best shower of his life, only second to the shower head at our hotel in Punta Cana this past December. 

Once we were ready, we walked downtown to see what Charlottetown had to offer. It was slightly smaller than I was expecting, but still bustling with what appeared to be all kinds of tourists. One of our first stops was at Cows Ice Cream which we had been hyping up to the kids for a while. It did not disappoint. The top faves were Hot Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cup Cup, and Gooey Mooey.  After our ice cream we walked down the main street and stopped at a beautiful church.  We went inside and admired the beauty of the architecture.  It was neat to see the kids understand and respect the peace and quiet of the space. We sat in the pews for a bit and then walked to the front.  They had questions about the candles that you could pay for to light, and were also curious about the confession box at the back of the church. After we left, we made our way down to the water front.  Along the way we passed by some beautiful, iconic maritime homes, and down by the water discovered lots of touristy stores.  We spent some time looking at tshirts and hoodies and thinking about other souvenirs we could bring home to family and friends.  Ryan was excited to find a bargain $7 shirt.  The kids found matching hoodies that they liked but Katie couldn’t find her size in the colour that she wanted. We decided to wait and see if we could find something for them both in Cavendish.  We had dinner reservations at a restaurant closer to where we started, so we made our way back that way.  There was a sprinkling of rain, but not enough to do much other than make our hair a bit fluffy.  We ate at a small family owned Vietnamese restaurant that was so quaint. No more than 5 tables and there was a piano up against the wall. We encouraged the kids to go play, but they were not interested in having an audience. We enjoyed tuna poke bowls, beef vermicelli, edamame and more sushi. After supper, we walked to the Confederation Centre to attend a showing of the “Anne of Green Gables Musical”.  In anticipation of our trip, we had shown the kids the Anne of Green Gables movie since it has such significance to the Canadian east coast. Although Ryan opted to sit this movie out, the kids and I enjoyed the show together. When we were done, it was nice to get our private uber (aka: Ryan) pick us up and drive us back to the B&B.  We were all tuckered from the day and read in bed for a bit before turning out the lights. 

  

Day 7 - Cabot Trail

Woke to the hot sun shining down on our tent. We got ourselves dressed and hopped in the car to head to Baddeck for some breakfast. It was great to start the day with a full charge since we had a lot of driving ahead of us.  Stopped at a pretty hip place called “Highwater Cafe and Bakery” for some breakfast sandwiches and delicious coffee. Sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the cool but refreshing morning sun. Next stop was the Alexander Graham Bell museum just down the road. We arrived a few minutes before opening, so were the very first customers to walk through the door when it opened at 9:00 a.m. Although Ryan and I were familiar with Bell being the founder of the telephone, I think we both discovered that he was so much more than that. He was a scientist and inventor at heart and did research on so many things. We also didn't know how involved he was with researching sound and linguistics. The kids connected with that part of it since they have both read Helen Keller, who it turns out, actually met with Alexander Graham Bell when she was a student. We could have stayed at this museum for longer but had to cut our visit short since we knew that we had a big day ahead of us. 

Next stop was the trailhead for Middle Head trail. The hike was challenging but very doable for the kids. The elevation gain challenged our legs and lungs. We saw some spectacular views of the ocean and also enjoyed lots of fresh wild raspberries from along the edge of the trail. It was hot but not too hot fortunately. And we occasionally enjoyed the ocean breeze when it passed by.  After our hike, we drove a very short distance to Ingonish Beach to cool off with a swim. This beach was so unique… we arrived to discover a giant wall of rounded rocks, which at first glance, appeared to be man-made, with a sandy beach between the rocks and the water.  After going in the water, Ryan discovered that the same rounded rocks were situated under the water too which made us start to wonder if the wall of rocks did in fact come from the ocean (further internet investigation concluded this fact - the wall was an entirely natural geological feature shaped by the powerful forces of the Atlantic Ocean).  This was such a fun spot.  At one point I looked out and saw a seal in the water not too far from Ryan.  I called out his name in excitement and he didn’t understand what I was saying, so he panicked and ran towards the shore.  The kids and I had a good laugh about it, commenting on the look of sheer horror on his face, thinking maybe it was a shark nearby.  We then spent some time watching for the seal to appear for a half minute before disappearing and swimming further down the beach. Unfortunately, since we planned to do the Cabot Trail in one day, we couldn’t stay too long at the beach. Once everyone was refreshed, we headed back to the car.  On our way out of the parking lot we spotted some Tesla superchargers and commented on how impressed we were to see that.  

Our next stop was for lunch in a small town in the north east corner of the island called Neil’s Harbour.  The attraction was a place called The Chowder House which was highly regarded for its seafood selection.  Ryan had been drooling at the thought of seafood since the beginning of the trip - he was particularly excited to eat some lobster.  The kids and I were less thrilled about this, but we went along with this lunch plan to appease.  We decided to order a few things to share: Lobster Supper, Lobster Roll, and Clam Chowder.  It was a bit breezy outside, but after some debate we decided to eat outside at the picnic tables overlooking the ocean.  You couldn’t beat the view.  Ben and Ryan spotted two seals while Katie and I waited for the food to be ready.  Turns out the meal was delicious.  I was actually shocked at how much I enjoyed it.  The lobster roll might have been my favourite, but the clam chowder was pretty close too.  I was surprised to discover that the lobster roll was actually like a “chicken salad on a hot dog bun” but instead a “lobster salad”.  I’m not sure what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it.  Ben enjoyed picking away at the lobster supper with Ryan using the plethora of metal tools that were provided and Katie enjoyed the french fries that came with the meal.  There was conversation around the cost of the meal, which was close to $100.  The kids learned how expensive seafood is, and how even more expensive it is when you are in a tourist center. 

We hit the road and only a minute or two after leaving, out of nowhere, Katie yelled out “my retainer!!”.  A quick turn around and discussion about where it ended up (last time seeing it was on a napkin inside one of the take-out trays), Ryan and I rushed to the garbage that we had just disposed of everything in, and the kids ran to the picnic table to search there.  FORTUNATELY, we didn’t have to go dumpster diving… We only had to pull a couple of containers out of the garbage can to find the expensive piece of plastic.  As we continued on our way, a new rule was made for Katie: retainer is only to be worn at night (which was the original plan from the orthodontist anyway).  

Ryan and I had both wanted to do the famous Skyline trail, and were even forewarned ahead of time by friends that this was the first year we had to book parking ahead of time.  Somehow our communication threads got crossed and we both thought the other person had booked it.  We showed up to the parking lot in the tiny hope that we could snag a same day spot, or a cancellation, but were told to come back on Tuesday.  LOL.  We continued along and stopped off at a restaurant parking lot overlooking a beautiful lookout. We considered getting more food, but the kids were REALLY not interested in seafood (and they were lecturing us about spending more money).  By this point, the kids were really not very interested in doing another hike and were more keen to make use of the amenities at the campground.  I really wanted to see everything I possibly could while we were on Cape Breton Island. We hummed and hawed about doing one more beach or another hike before leaving the Cabot Trail highway, but the kids persisted and the family decision was made - we would go back to the campground.  Katie and Ben spent a good hour or more in the pool while Ryan and I enjoyed watching and listening to them have fun.  This was such a significant reminder to Ryan and I that our kids are still kids, and that sometimes they just want to do kid things.  Although this trip is something we dreamed up, it was important to make concessions when needed so ensure they were still having fun too. 

By this point we had worked up a good appetite - especially since our shared lunch wasn’t quite enough.  So we drove back to Baddeck, where we had started our day, in search of a nice spot for dinner.  We parked at the Inverary Resort and browsed the menu at the Narrows Cafe and Bar. It was a neat spot, and had a live artist setting up to perform, but the menu didn’t seem super appealing. So we walked across the street to another place called “The Lookout”.  We decided to stay there and boy, was it ever a good choice.  By the end of the night we had all unanimously decided that it was our favourite meal of the trip so far.  The menu was diverse and we all shared a bit of everything we ordered - Fish Tacos, Chicken Korma, Quesadilla, Chicken Wings, and one of the best salads I had ever eaten in my life!  We were so stuffed and satisfied with this dinner.  

On our short walk back to the car Ryan, in true fashion, “let one rip”, and for some reason, decided to “politely” (?) cover the sound by yelling out a loud screaming “aaaahhhh”. The kids thought it was the most hilarious thing ever and the giggles came out. It was a beautiful night and we walked through the resort where we had parked, checking out what we could see in the dark.  The walk was nice to help digest our meal, although Katie was on edge worried that we were “not supposed to be there” and would “get in trouble” (which was becoming a theme for her for the trip).  We headed back to our campsite, plugged the car back in, brushed our teeth and hit the sack. 

Day 6 - Dartmouth, NS to Baddeck, NS

It kind of felt like groundhog day.  We awoke to the same scampering of feet above us.  Although, since it was a Saturday, the kids weren’t rushing off to daycare. I guess Sarah and Trevor let them watch several of their favourite tv shows to let us sleep a bit longer. We eventually got up to join them for breakfast around the TV, and were totally entertained by their favourite shows: Alphablocks and Numberblocks.  After eating, we set the camera up and managed to get a group shot of everyone. One for the memory bank!  The kids had lots of birthdays to attend that day and we had a lot of driving ahead of us. So we said our goodbyes and left at 9:15.  It sure was nice to get the chance to stay with family.  We look forward to hosting Sarah and family when they decide to make the trip west to Ontario.  

Our first stop after departing was the Memory Lane Heritage Village Museum in Lake Charlotte.  This quaint little tourist attraction had a perfectly functioning Tesla charger, which was part of our original plan to stop here. The barn beside the charger had a poster on it that gave a brief history of the evolution of cars leading up to the electric vehicle, which was a great added touch. The museum itself was really fabulous!  Well crafted and laid out. A self-guided tour allowed us to browse each of the different buildings on site and experience what life was like for a Canadian living the coastal life in rural Nova Scotia in the 1940s. An added touch was three roaming sheep on property as well as three adorable barn cats. At the end of the tour we learned that the museum puts each of the cats up for adoption at the end of each season and gets new ones for next year. If Katie wasn't so allergic to cats, I would have seriously considered putting my name in for adopting the grey one. It was soooo friendly and sweet!

Next stop was Taylor Head Provincial Park. After parking in one of the several lots to choose from, we utilized the quiet space to change into our bathing suits, not without some complaints from the kids about “privacy” and “don’t look while I’m changing!!”.  We had a short hike down through the woods and then up over a sand dune that reminded us of the entrance to our beloved Sauble Beach.  As we crested the dune, we discovered a beach even prettier than we expected - a private oasis of quiet, calm water and white soft sand. Katie said the ocean looked like it came off an all-inclusive vacation pamphlet. I called it a little slice of heaven. We had read about a trailhead at the north end of the beach and made our way there. The kids were not as excited about the hike as I was, so we hiked a small portion of the trail to check out some of the lookout points.  However, it was clear that I was the only one excited about this hike, so after a while, we turned around to appease the crowd and keep everyone happy.  When we got back to the beach, we were quite hot from the sun and exercise, so we appreciated a dip in the ocean. Although the water was chilly, it wasn’t quite as numbing as the water at the beach we visited the day before. We met a man that was running past us and ended up having a conversation with him.  He was a local and swims at this beach regularly.  He explained that this was actually pretty warm water and that it gets even warmer towards the end of August and beginning of September. We could have spent all day there if we had the time. More core memories made. 

Before we arrived at Taylor Head, I took a picture of the map in the car and sent it to an old colleague of Ryan's who I remembered had moved out east a few years ago. I asked her where she lived, and between dicey connections, our messages finally went through while we were stopped in Sheet Harbor at a restaurant called the Slippery Oyster. It turns out Maria was 8 minutes away from us in Beaver Harbor - in the exact direction we were headed!  What are the chances!?  She had invited us to grab some burgers on our way past the grocery store and stay for a BBQ. Unfortunately we didn't get that message until after we had ordered our food, but we still made the stop off at her house to say hi and see her property. And boy what a property it was!  We arrived to find her and her teenage son, Leysom, having a leisurely day, enjoying the weather, doing some gardening. We got a full tour of the house she had worked closely with the architect to design and with the builders to build and decorate. Truly unique, and perfectly cozy and beautiful with her personal artistic touch. While we toured she was sneakily pitching the idea of joining her in the decision to move out East.  LOL. It sounds like the change of pace is a huge plus, with the obvious benefit of being so close to the ocean with the views.  We even talked about how hockey could still fit into our life… which it could.  I guess you just get used to driving an hour to and from everything, including the grocery store.  While we were touring outside, we got to see an Osprey feeding its young in a nest close by. She also told us about how she enjoys kayaking from her place across the bay to one of the islands (I made a mental note that we would definitely be doing that the next time we returned for a visit!).  We finished the tour by getting to meet her adorable chickens that they house and benefit from on a daily basis at breakfast time.  I soooo wish we could have stayed longer, but we still had a drive ahead of us and didn’t want to be setting up camp in the dark.  So we gave hugs goodbye and vowed we would be back one day.

The stop in Beaver Harbour changed our plans slightly.  We decided to skip past Sherbrooke Village and drive straight through.  Before arriving at our campground in Baddeck, we stopped at a Co-op grocery store to pick up some essentials. When we arrived, the kids were thrilled to see that this campground was like some of the KOAs that we had stayed at on our previous road trip, including a heated pool and a playground.  At this campground, you can actually book a serviced site with a dedicated charger beside it, another factor in our decision to camp here.  The charger was the same brand as what Sarah and Trevor had at their house - Grizzl-E, so we knew it would charge the car fast.  We collaboratively set up the tent and got a camp fire going too.  Supper was “frogs on a log” (banana with peanut and dried cranberries) with a small container of pre-washed, pre-cut veggies and dip. Unfortunately the pool was closed, but the kids went for a walk together to check things out while Ryan and I enjoyed the peace and quiet of the campfire. 

Day 5 - Dartmouth, NS (Martinique Beach)

Woke up to the scampering of little feet while Sarah and Trevor got the kids up and fed before taking them to daycare for the day. We snagged a little bit more sleep after they left and then got up in time to say hi to Trevor before he retreated to his downstairs office for his work day. We headed out and grabbed a quick and easy breakfast from Tim Hortons and made our way to Martinique beach which Sarah had recommended to us as one of her favorites in the area. The beach was very picturesque. Apparently 3 km of sand on a peninsula. It's definitely a surfer's hub as was evident from the number of people in wetsuits with their boards. We were entertained by all the people there, skilled and beginner, taking advantage of the waves. The kids and Ryan went for a dip and they were quickly reminded of how chilly the ocean water is in the area.  We sure are spoiled with our warm lakes in the summer! We enjoyed watching the surfers catch some waves as well as a plethora of dogs walk past, who seemed more excited than anyone else to be there!  I love seeing happy dogs!!  Sarah decided to take the afternoon off work and surprise Evelyn with a beach day, so she picked her up from daycare, grabbed some essential beach supplies and joined us.  Evelyn LOVES the beach.  Apparently it’s one of her favourite places.  She didn’t appear to be phased by the cold water at all.  She spent most of her time playing in the waves.  The kids tried to do some boogie boarding with her, but they tapped out after a short while because the water was too cold.  Eventually the sun came back and warmed things up.  We decided to go for a walk down the beach to check out a rock point.  It was neat to climb in and over the big rocks, checking out the ocean pools that had been left behind as the tide retreated. Such a unique and different ecosystem than we are used to. We could have spent the entire afternoon at the beach, but had plans to cook supper that night, so we headed home to get started.  

We enjoyed a delicious salmon dinner with rice and asparagus with the entire family again.  After dinner we went outside with the kids while they played on the super fun swingset / playground that they have in their backyard.  Our decision on what to do next was somewhat weather dependent as the forecast for the entire day was somewhat spotty, but we ended up doing a divide and conquer thing.  Ryan and Ben had an itch to do some fishing in a lake that they had found right in Dartmouth that was supposedly stocked with trout.  So Katie and I dropped them off and headed over the bridge into Halifax. I had hoped to find a yoga studio downtown that had a class we could do, but being Friday night, all options were over by 5:30pm. We had missed our window.  I asked Katie if she’d like to explore the downtown area with me and the thirteen year old in her wanted to go shopping.  So… that’s what we did. We found a mall and did some browsing. Ryan messaged us an hour later to let us know that the fishing wasn't fabulous, so we left the mall to pick them up. I had hoped to do some touristy things in Halifax, but it was a bit late and the weather wasn't fabulous. 

When we got home, Sarah had fallen asleep with Evelyn. We sat in the living room and chatted with Trevor about his work and the different animated series that he has worked on directly. Even though this was my first official time meeting Trevor, it felt like I had known him for quite a long time. We eventually retreated back to our “lair” for the night.  

Day 4 - Saint John, NB to Dartmouth, NS

It was a very early morning… 6am wakeup, packed up, and down to the parking garage to load the car by 6:30. Had a delicious, although very rushed, breakfast buffet at the hotel, and a quick exit towards the ferry which was a 5 min drive away. Our ferry reservation had said we should be there one hour early, so we did our best to arrive almost on time. Since we had already ridden a ferry on our trip out west, this experience wasn't as novel to the kids, but still fun, nonetheless. A memorable story from the ferry ride was watching the kids try to get out of the car once we were parked, thanks to a poorly parked car on one side of us and a mesh fence on the other side. It was like a modified version of the game “Twister”.  The ferry was very cold inside so I headed back to the car to grab both of the kids blankets and my toque. The kids enjoyed a showing of the movie Wall-E on the TV near where we were seated. But once the ferry started moving, we decided to head outside. It was very cold on the deck. We were trying to make our way to the front of the boat but I guess they don't allow passengers that way so we turned around and made our way to the very back. We loved seeing the pets that were enjoying the fresh air with their owners. Katie spotted a woman wearing a hat with the “Kooy Brothers” logo that she recognized from her hockey team sponsorship. I approached the woman and asked if she was a relative but it turns out she's just a customer of theirs since her son is in landscaping. She said they get a lot of nice free swag when they buy things from Kooy :). We eventually found the sunny side of the boat and stayed there since it was most comfortable. We were optimistically hoping to spot some whales. Unfortunately no whale sightings but we did see some dolphins surface!  We eventually needed to go back inside to warm up so we caught the tail end of Wall-E and played a single hand of euchre. We were estimating this trip to take 2 and 1/2 hours so we were pleasantly surprised to see that we actually arrived in 2. We snuck one last peak from the deck outside before heading down to our car.

Funny story for the day: I had picked up a coffee to share with Ryan (and the kids may have stolen a few sips too). While finishing it up on our last visit to the ferry deck, I spit out what I thought were coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup. Turns out it wasn't grounds, but rather a small fly/insect of some sort. Yummy (or rather… ugggh!!). I still shudder and kind of gag while I type this out. I may never buy a coffee on a ferry ship ever again. LOL

After squeezing back into the car doing our reverse twister moves, and a slightly stressful departure out of the tight turn we had to make, we found ourselves back on land at Digby, NS. We made a very quick stop at the supercharger outside the Canadian Tire, had a washroom break and then hit the road. I had suggested we find a kid-friendly stop along the way, but the majority was in favour of getting to our destination as quickly as possible.  A couple hours later, we arrived in Dartmouth, stopped at Costco to get some needed food supplies, and then made our way to my cousin, Sarah's house. Sarah had taken some time off work that afternoon, and her husband, Trevor, works from home, so they were both there to greet us with a warm welcome.  It turns out they own an electric vehicle too (license plate: “GASFREE”) so they had a super fast charger that we could plug into.  They showed us our “lair” in the basement and we took advantage of the comfortable setting to relax/nap, let our hosts do a bit more work, and wait for their kids to get home.  

When the workday ended, Sarah went to pick her kids up from daycare and stopped to get some pizza on the way home.  When the kids arrived, it was a whirlwind of activity.  Hustling and bustling, running and jumping, scootering and sliding.  We loved getting to meet and play with Evelyn (6) and her twin brothers, Elliott and Arthur (3). We enjoyed our pizza supper - Swan pizza and garlic cheese slices from another local favourite that Sarah and Trevor thought we should try out.  The pizza came with a Donair dipping sauce that was a whole new taste experience.  After supper our family went for a walk with Evelyn while Sarah and Trevor got the boys bathed and in bed.  Our walk turned into a solid 4km adventure as Evelyn was determined to show us her favourite park - Shubie Beach.  She was enthusiastic about getting there, even running at times to get there faster.  It took so long to get there, that in the end, we couldn’t actually stay too long.  We took in the scenery of the beach and checked out the playground at the campground nearby. The walk home was at a dramatically different pace. Lol  Evelyn took turns alternating between holding each of our hands. And at times, was hanging off our arms in a zombie-like state, until she regained enough energy to keep going.  When we finally got home it was time for Sarah to put Evelyn to bed. I did a load of much needed laundry and the kids watched an episode of the Rookie on the giant screen TV that was conveniently located beside the couch that Ben would sleep on that night.  After a while, we told them it was time for bed, and Katie happily retreated to her very own bedroom for the night. 

Day 3 - Mont Megantic, QC to Saint John, NB

It was a relatively chilly night but we managed to stay warm with our toques, hoodies and sleeping bag liners. Because we had such a long day ahead of us, Ryan set the alarm for 7:30 in the morning. We worked well as a team to pack everything up, disassemble the tent, and pulled out of the campground by 8:05am. Since it rained a little bit in the night, we opted to lay the tent on top of our stuff in the trunk to dry. We had planned to eat breakfast in Woburn, Quebec just before crossing the border but no one was hungry - and it's a good thing - since the restaurant we were aiming for was closed. In fact, the entire town of Woburn looked “closed” as we drove through.  

The border crossing was very small and hassle free. Zero line up, no questions other than what we did as a profession. It was only after I replied to a couple of messages on my phone that I remembered the automatic roaming fees that happened after crossing the border. Oops!  $16 x 2 for both Ryan and I to have the privilege of using our phones for the next 4.5 to 5 hours.

Our first stop in Maine was a beautiful rest station on the side of the highway that had a very enticing River beside it. Ben and Ryan eagerly ran along the shore checking out the fishing situation while Katie and I used the washroom and read about the history of logging in the area, thanks to the informative displays that lined the parking lot. 

It was a pretty quiet and sleepy car ride until our next charging stop in Skowhegan. After plugging in, we unpacked the tent and laid it out on the hot pavement beside us. The tent was dry in minutes!  Much better to roll it up and pack it away that way since we won't be using it for a few more days. We were hoping for a nice family breakfast, but the chargers were just at the entrance to the city, and our closest restaurant option was McDonald's. Looking forward to their tasty Egg McMuffins with our morning coffee, we were disappointed to find that we had missed breakfast by 8 mins. Oops!  Coffee and chicken wraps / burgers / nuggets and fries it was. 

Another couple hours drive ahead of us, and the kids had already met their Netflix quota that we had set for them (they are binging The Rookie) so reading and rubix cubes it was. We had picked up some post cards in Ottawa so the kids each wrote one to their grandparents. I believe this was their first “post card experience” and I was reminded of the educational opportunity in everything… today's lesson: writing an address out fully, and where to put the stamp. 

One more stop for a charge in Baileyville, Maine with another washroom break at the gas station beside it. Ryan had hoped we could find a trail down to the Saint Croix River which we could see on our navigation system, but no luck. Instead we did more stretches, pushups, and squats before hopping back in the car. Funny story: Katie positioned herself for some pushups on the curb directly beneath a spider web. When we pointed it out - along with the giant spider - as expected, she squealed and ran away. Back into the car with some smelly travelers (it was hot and we hadn't showered today). The quote of the day today became: “close your pits!”

Another easy border crossing back into Canada, and we decided we better eat some more of the apples that we successfully brought all the way from the Barrie Costco. Shortly after, we had a time change and our day was shortened by one hour. 

We arrived at the Harbourfront Hotel in Saint John and enjoyed the luxury of a waterfront view, filling our water bottles and having a refreshing shower. Headed out for a nice sushi dinner - so thrilled that the kids are both learning to re-appreciate sushi - and wandered the streets of St. John. We were pretty tired so headed back to the hotel for a wee lay down on our beds. I think Ryan and I both fell asleep while the kids watched an episode of Survivor 50 on the TV. We rallied and decided to make the most of our hotel amenities and headed to the gym for a good workout and a quick dip in the pool.  We were all tired from the late night the night before, so we hit the sack which was just as well since we had an early morning the next day. 

Day 2 - Ottawa, ON to Mont Megantic, QC

We had an early start, waking by 8am to have showers, eat breakfast, and say our goodbyes before Kathy left for her 10am tee time. We met Ken's PSW who, it turns out, comes a few times a week to help out, which is very helpful for Kathy. Said our goodbyes but left knowing we would see one another again soon when Ken and Kathy come to our cottage in Sauble before their annual two week vacation in Southampton. 

First stop: Canada Science and Technology museum. Although annoyed that we had to pay $8 for two hours of parking, we were pleasantly surprised to find that our admission was entirely free.  The kids were free because of the current Canada tourism initiative, and Ryan and I due to our wonderful profession as teachers. After high fiving on the great price, we set off to explore. So many interesting things to read and learn more about including a live presentation about fire which was both impressively and annoyingly given in both English and French. This museum definitely did not disappoint… you could easily go back in another few years and see things that you missed the last time.

After we left, we made a quick stop for a charge, and then headed towards Pointe Claire, QC where Ryan was born and lived for the first few years of his life. We found a trendy and chic spot for lunch called Dizzy's where we enjoyed some authentic and freshly baked Montreal style bagels. Ryan and I were in heaven.  Katie and Ben need to acquire the taste for this unique style of bagel that they aren’t used to.  Another quick stop at a supercharger at the Pointe Claire mall, where we used the washrooms and browsed a cool outdoor store called Decathlon, and Katie checked out Sephora. On our way out of town we drove through Ryan’s old neighbourhood and past his old house as he reminisced with us the memories that flooded back to him as we drove through the crescent of 122 Embleton. 

Although we originally didn't plan to spend any time in Montreal since we know it is easier for us to get back to another day, we decided at the last minute to drive through to get a taste of the city. We headed towards Old Montreal. Unfortunately the weather wasn't fabulous, and parking was confusing since all spots seemed to require a permit. So the kids and I hopped out while Ryan stayed in the car.  We wandered up the cobble streets to check out the Notre Dame Cathedral. The $36 entrance fee deterred us from going into the famous church, but we took some time to marvel at the architecture from the outside. That area of Montreal sure has a unique atmosphere and would be nice to visit again, and actually stay downtown. There were so many quaint shops and cafes along the narrow streets, several of which were blocked off to traffic and dedicated to pedestrians only. We couldn't leave the city without grabbing a poutine. Our Internet searches led us to a poutine shop that turned out to be maybe not as authentic as we had hoped for, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. 

We were beyond happy to leave the Montreal traffic. One very strong observation that we made is that Montreal drivers seem even more aggressive and dangerous than Toronto!  After several near misses getting out of the city, we finally made it to the Samuel De Champlain bridge and the rest of the drive was smooth. We had one more stop for a charge in Sherbrooke where we grabbed a couple of pizzas from PizzBox and shared a fountain soda while we waited for the charge to finish. 

When planning this trip and searching for accommodations in this area, I found this national park called Mont Megantic. What made it extra neat was that it housed an observatory and astrolab. I was unable to book a campsite directly inside the park (multiple checks for an available site failed to return anything) but I did find a campground outside the park called Camping et Chalets dans Les Arbres. We arrived to find it was a very small homegrown campground, but good enough for us to sleep. After setting up our tent, we discovered that the electrical outlet wasn't strong enough to charge the car (boo), but thankfully we had enough juice to get to our next charge. We thought about our evening plans and debated about having a campfire or trying to explore the Mont Megantic park.  We knew it was the night before the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower, and also knew that the National Park housed a famous Observatory.  It was hard to find good information about what you could actually do at this park on the internet, so we decided to make the short drive to the park to see what it was all about. We parked in the visitor lot and went into the Information Centre. Here we discovered that there was some last minute availability to get into the Astrolab.  Although the presentation that came with the $30 per adult entrance fee was given in French only, the exhibits were available to explore and in both English and French.  We decided to give it a go, and much like the Museum in Ottawa, we were very impressed with what we got to see. There was an employee in one of the exhibit rooms who spoke English and taught us about thermal cameras and how they use different spectrums of light through the use of a hands on demonstration. After we had explored the rooms, we headed outside to discover a wide open area that was home to a giant star-gazing party. Although it was VERY dark outside (the only lighting was provided by the red lights that were sparingly installed around the area) I would guess there were at least a couple hundred people in the area all there to stare up at the sky in hopes of catching a shooting star.  We had brought our camp chairs with us, but after setting them up, we realized that laying on the ground was the best way to view the sky.  In the half hour that we laid there we were lucky enough to catch about 6 or 7 meteors fly through the sky above us, each with an accompanying “oooh” or “aaaah” from the crowd. There were also 3 or 4 giant telescopes spread around the viewing area where you could line up to have a view further into space, and we each got a chance to look in. All in all, it was a very cool experience that we felt lucky to be able to take part in.

We headed back to our campsite, brushed teeth, and into bed. As I was getting into my sleeping bag, I saw a bug of some sort move underneath me.  After turning the contents of the tent upside down, we found it, and with Ryan’s lickety split fast reflexes, he squished the bug.  Unfortunately, the tool he used was the first thing he could grab - Ben’s fuzzy blanket.  After giving his dad the stink eye and some moans and groans about how gross that was and WHY did he have to use HIS blanket, Ben threw his blanket to the side and we all slept a bit more peacefully knowing that the bug was dead. 

Road Trip Out East, 2026 - Day 1 - Drive to Ottawa

Left our driveway at 9:45 a.m. Had a quick stop at the downtown library to grab the next book in Katie's series since she finished the previous one the night before, and then hit the highway. We opted for the northern route to Ottawa instead of the less scenic 401 which we tend to already travel often enough for hockey games and tournaments. Needed a quick pit stop in Bancroft long enough to stretch our legs, use the washroom and keep on going. The rest of the drive to Ottawa was beautiful through the forested and very unpopulated small towns along windy roads. Had some traffic on the 417 on the way into Ottawa with a bit of a rainstorm. Arrived at Kathy and Ken's around 3:30 and were greeted excitedly, although cautiously, from their adorable 10 year old dog, Wiket. Unpacked had a little visit while the rain finished. Then drove downtown along the canal, parked at the NAC underground parking and walked to see the Parliament buildings. We made a stop at The famous Fairmont Chateau Laurier to see the intricate architecture in the lobby. Our rule-abiding Katie was hesitant to go in and was relieved when we finally exited the building since she felt like we were doing something we shouldn't be doing :).

We stopped at the war Memorial and learned about its significance. Wandered on to the grounds of parliament and discovered there is a massive reconstruction project happening that will take 3 or 4 years to complete. While we walked around we discussed the political significance of each of the buildings. There seemed to be a high presence of the PPS (parliament protective services) which we wondered was normal?  As we were about to leave the parliamentary grounds, our phones went off with a tornado warning. We hurried back to the car, walking through the promenade along Sparks Street. We couldn't help but notice how many vacant buildings there were. A sign of the changing economy? On our ride home I pointed out the area that Laura and Mike lived when they were working in Ottawa and acknowledged how lucky they were to be so close to the canal and explained that they used it to its fullest, biking to and from work in the summer, and skating or skiing to work in the winter months. As the rain started to pour, we also drove past the house at 65 Aylmer that I lived in while on a co-op term, and then past 35 Ossington where Ken and Kathy used to live. 

Fortunately the rain was short lived and the tornado never arrived. We drove back to Kathy and Ken's on Adelaide, waited for the rain to fully stop, and then wandered over to Lansdowne park that they are so fortunate to live beside. We met up with my cousin, Kris, who had skipped his soccer game to meet us. We were able to snag a booth at the popular Local Public Eatery and enjoyed some half priced margaritas with our meals. Walked back to the house where we enjoyed some coffee and ice cream for dessert while we made the most of our remaining time together through conversation. We dreamed up plans for our next trip to Ottawa, hoping that the kids hockey schedules will allow us to experience the canal in the winter. 

Day 23 - Home

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Day 22 - Windsor

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Day 21 Chicago

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Day 20 - Sioux City to Dubuque

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Day 19 - Badlands to Sioux City

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Day 18 - Casper, WY to Badlands

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