September-October

A swim in the Colorado was cold. Air temp 105, water temp 53. We were numb. the water was great. One of the cleanest rivers in the country and a nice beach at Davis campground, once a work camp during the dam construction, now a county park. we're about 2 miles north of Laughlin, Nv. just south of Davis Dam. The days are hot, with low humidity, you don,t feel the heat unless your in the sun or working. We join our neighbors for a visit under their umbrella each morning and its beautiful, looking over the river. We stay in Laughlin almost a week just relaxing, and waiting for a power window regulator for the Jeep. when repairs are complete, its time to say goodbye to our neighbors and move on toward Albuquerque. A stop in Lake Havasu City, high 80's at night, 110 days, no shade. After one day and a view of London Bridge we drive away from the heat and in three hours were in Flagstaff, Arizona. 56 degrees at night, mid 70's days

A quite night at Sams Club and an hour drive east brings us to Walnut Canyon, in the Coconino National Forest. This prehistoric pueblo is part or the National Park System, and has sacred ties to the Hopi of northern Arizona and various pueblo people of New Mexico. Sinagua, Spanish for the people "without water", these remains are an archaeological treasure from 1150 AD. Their potery and weaving traditions are still practiced today. The dwellings were sheltered by overhanging cliffs, and the pit houses were home to the canyons only inhabitants over 800 years ago. A beautiful morning, 60 degrees, Linda and I walk into the 600 foot deep canyon along the limestone walls that form the remains of their cliff dwellings. The sinagua lifestyle included hunting in the pine forest, dry farming corn and gathering use full plants. Why these people left remains unclear, by 1250ad they moved on and is generally believed they were assimilated into Hopi culture. Sinagua homes remained undisturbed until the 19th century. In the 1880's the railroad brought souvenir hunters to the ancient dwellings. Theft and destruction drew support to preserve the canyon. In 1915 Walnut Canyon was declared a national monument. After a great morning we'll leave the forest area of Arizona and drive into the Painted Desert.

South of I-40 on the edge of the Painted Desert is a meteor crater site, this giant bowl shaped cavity is the result of the collision of a 150 foot meteorite with the desert floor. In a blinding flash, at 26,000 mph, the impact through out over 175 million tons of limestone and sandstone. The meteor disintegrated on impact and fragments of iron-nickel and rock were thrown as far as several miles away. A continuous blanket of debris surrounds the crater site. Flat-lying beds of rock in the crater walls were overturned in fractions of a second and uplifted permanently as much as 150 feet to form the crater rim.The visitor center and rim walks tell the story of discovery and development of the site, and questions in the geologic community it raised. An attraction not to be missed, over 4000 feet across, 2 1/2 miles around, and 700 feet deep. An interesting afternoon at the museum, theater, and restaurant. Our evening was spent in Winslow Az. at the supercenter resort, just off I-40, on our way east.

Even before we're at the Painted Desert visitors center, the colors of the wilderness are coming alive. An orientation film tells us of the exhibits, geology, and paleontology. After lunch in the parking lot we start on the 28 mile park road, each overlook shows unlimited views of varied colors. Different vistas of color from iron, manganese, carbon, and other minerals glow throughout the badlands and wilderness. Petroglyphs etched in stone tell their own stories of life in a pueblo that may have once housed nearly 1200 people. Erosion of some bluffs has left hundreds of once encased petrified logs strewn across the valley below. The trees of the petrified forest lived over 225 million years ago, they are a history of climate and geology told in stone. Along the swollen stream banks of a prehistoric forest, tall cone bearing trees washed out into a nearby floodplain. Covered with volcanic ash, silt, and mud they didn't decay as we know, but slowly over milliems silca laden water replaced the original wood and resins and crystallized into quartz. Millions of years later they are now uncovered with the uplifting of the region and the movement of the continents.This dry grassland of the national park was once that floodplane! Wind and rain and erosion has exposed these huge trees that once laid in a pool of water and mud, sealed off from oxygen. Petrified Forrest National Park is experience to remember. We'll drive east to Gallup, New Mexico, so much more to see in Arizona, maybe next year.

Signs of the past are seen all over Gallup. Native American heritage, Hispanic culture, railroad yards, pawn shops, and vibrant colored high desert mesas, form the essence of the area. We spent one night in Wal-mart parking lot, but it was to noisy. There was about 25 R/Vs in the lot, from a Prevost with a Smart Car that looked like a roller skate behind it, to pick-up's with bedrolls and people sleeping in cars. Moved over to Home Depot the next night, and was much quieter. There was some panhandling in the parking lots and locals selling their goods on street corners and in local restaurants. We scoured the pawn shops to replace a broken watchband, the shops are loaded with beautiful "old pawn" silver and turquoise. Found a used band with Navajo inlay that was fair priced.

On our way to Albuquerque we visit the Acoma Pueblo and Sky City, an ancient native American settlement on top of a 367 foot sandstone mesa. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in North America. Amazing, they carried drinking water, food, firewood up to the top. No plumbing, no electric even today. Now though they have a road to the top for light vehicles.

Balloon Fiesta is a spectacular event that attracts 500-700 balloonist and 250,000 people to Albuquerque every October. Were excited this year to be joined by my sister Linda and her husband Ed from Hollywood, Fla. They'll fly out Friday night and will be with us the first 5 days of fiesta, 3 days in the RV with us before they retreat to a motel for the last 2 nights. We spend a few days in a campground for housekeeping chores before 10 days of "dry" camping during fiesta. We had a great time even though some mornings were canceled for weather. On Sunday we took a side trip to Santa Fe for dinner with a childhood neighbor from Hollywood. Bev and husband Fred Friedman took us to Gabriel's, a wonderful restaurant enjoyed by all, with food of the southwest and old mexico. All 6 of us had a great time while Linda, Bev and I tried to catch up 45+ years. Balloon fiesta is going by fast, we're sorry to say goodbye to Linda and Ed on Wednesday, I hope to see them in North Carolina in the way back to Florida. We spent the last part of Fiesta helping Jim and Nancy Lynch from Ocala, with their balloon. It was our pleasure to have met them last year when we were assigned to "crew" for them. Jim is a true professional pilot with 20+ years experience in balloons and always safety first.

Out of Town and Broke Down

Are you really out of town when your living in your motor home? Home is where we park it. But we are in Leadville 33 miles from Avon(west Vail) where the RV is parked. I can't just drive into my own garage and replace the broken fan assembly that punched a hole in the radiator. We are 33 miles of mountain driving, that takes an hour under the best conditions, away from our motor home. First we find a place to leave the jeep, then find transportation back to the RV.

No parts within 3 days, no rental cars, no car dealers, one garage, price was out of line and won't be ready for days. We find a shuttle service that brings in skiers and hunters, they'll take us back to the RV in Avon later that afternoon($90). We get home late and start weighing our options. Having it repaired where it is? Find parts, pick them up, come back and make the repairs myself? We decide to take the RV up these mountain roads, hook up and tow the Jeep out to a location with parts. We make our way up the two lane blacktop into Leadville, altitude 10,200 feet. It's another beautiful day in the Rockies, were in by noon, hook-up and come out to Rifle, Colorado that afternoon. A little too "small town" for parts. A nice visitor center ( on I-70 west)with a rest area is home tonight.

The next morning I find the RV is low on coolant! "When it rains it pours" but this time it's raining coolant. No RV leaks when we hooked up the Jeep in Leadville, but I had to add coolant to the coach in Rifle. Our next town on I-70 west is Grand Junction, Colorado, a beautiful community spread out on the valley floor.The NAPA store has everything we need. Thanks to Chester and Auston they'll let me do the repairs behind the warehouse. It was in the low 40's yesterday morning in Avon, it's 95 this afternoon on this high mesa valley in Grand Junction, and warm in the parking lot. Retrieving the Jeep and making repairs held us up, but we still traveled west and are ahead of schedule. Now I start checking out the motor home leak. It looks like we picked up a stone nick in the radiator on the RV. Stop leak will have to hold it for the time being, we have eight days to join our friends in Las Vegas and we're still five or six hundred miles away. Three easy days travel, first night at Wal-mart in Richfield, Utah, a pretty town on I-70, central Utah, top off the reservoir, no sign of leaks. The next night at a casino campground in Mesquete, Nevada, temp 101, coolant is full. We have turned south on I-15 and have short run into Las Vegas on the third day. Coolant in the coach was still full that afternoon, we'll check into a campground, temp 108. John and Kris will be in on Thursday, Betsy arrives on Saturday, the next two weeks will be busy.

John and Kris surprised us with tickets for the Terry Fator show at the Mirage. A great show, you can see why his talent won the "Americas Got Talent" reality program. Somehow the productions in Las Vegas are even more special. On Saturday night all five of us went to the Bellagio for Cirque du Soleil show "O". This surreal aquatic romance is preformed in, on and above the water by scores of acrobats, synchronised swimmers, and show people . The stage, pool, and areal props, with lighting and orchestra make this fabulous, still the best show in Vegas. John and Kris had to leave Monday night, but we were out again on Tuesday night to see Bette Midler with Betsy. The Grammy winning Divine Miss M. was in rare form. Always one to "tell it like it is" even if it meant poking fun at herself. She was at the coliseum in Cesars, one of the best "rooms" in town. A variety song and dance show with a high kicking, skimpy costume corus line. Good comedy and music. Another great production.

The last two weeks went by fast. The shows were great, the gambling was awful. It was good to see our friends again. We all had a good time but you can see the effects of the economy. Penny machines and low limit card games are the most popular. At the end of the day, only our money stayed in Vegas. The good news, no signs of any more leaks in the coach. A two hour side trip to Laughlin, Nevada was smooth, coolant was full. Laughlin is on the Colorado at the very bottom of Nevada. Arizona is 200 feet away, across the river. A few days rest here and a swim in the river will be great. From here we'll start thinking about the trip back to Florida. We'll make our way down to I- 40 and head east toward Albuquerque for the balloon fiesta in October. More then ......Skip and Linda

I-70 WEST

Wandering down country roads along the New England coast has been fun, but its time to start thinking about meeting friends in Las Vegas(also fun). Twenty eight hundred fifty miles miles to see friends, some shows, and play cards. No hurry, we'll get on the road early and stop by early. An unseasonably cool summer even into August, now the drive west into the afternoon sun. If we drive two hundred miles a day(easy on the interstate), that's only fifteen days. We don't need to be there until August 25th, plenty of time for sightseeing, casino camping and Wal-mart RV resorts, We'll cross the country on I-70 for the first time.

Famous Mystic Connecticut and The Mohegan Sun Casino is our last stop in New England. We found Dick and Barbra Reis's house in Naples New York, they weren't home, their plans to be there by the 1st had changed, we'll miss them by a week. The weather was good through New York, western Pennsylvania, and along Lake Erie. We turned south before Cleveland toward Columbus Ohio and picked up I-70. The scenery changed from industry and commerce to soy beans and corn. It was an nice drive into Indiana on I-70.

Shirley Indiana is a great small town. Our friends Bob and Phylis Wright had a spot for us to park by the barn. The weather was great, 50's at night, 70's in the day, a mild summer all the way to August. Three months of road grime and the coach needs a bath. No more excuses about not allowed to wash in a campground, or its going to rain, It takes 5-6 hours work and were sore but it looks great again. On Saturday it does warm up and we spend the afternoon at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis. What a huge show, You can't see it all in a week, let alone one afternoon. Vendors, livestock, machinery, food, tractor pulls, agriculture, dog shows and competitions. the Midwest has descended upon Indianapolis. The crowd was big, we walked alot, it got up to 92. Stayed 3 days with Bob and Phylis, had a good visit. 6 miles from Bob's house we're back on I-70 headed west.

St. Louis Missouri, crossroads of the Midwest. The Mississippi and Missouri rivers converge and barges move down river under us as we cross the long Mississippi bridge. Our stop today is the Harrah's casino in St. Louis, along the Missouri river, tomorrow night we'll stay at the Harrah's in Kansas City. It's been 8 days since we've done any housekeeping, an old campground in Russell Kansas is our next stop. The afternoon and evening are warm, and for the first time all summer we use the A/C. The park has plenty of power, the washer/dryer is going, Linda has stew in the crock pot, the TV's on and we've made about 1700 miles in 8 days. Our longest driving day was 240 miles. About four and a half hours, were on the road by nine and stop about one or two o'clock. After hundreds of miles of corn and soybeans were now seeing cattle and acres of Milo and sorghum silage all through Kansas. We spend the night in Goodland Kansas at Wal-mart. Wide open Kansas prairie for the last 2 days. A few oil wells in western Kansas as we gain altitude traveling on to the Colorado Plateau, by the time we cross the Colorado state line were at 5100 feet.

I-70 runs directly through Denver, we stop just east in Aurora and visit with Betsy from Fort Myers for two days and see a little of the Denver area. Betsy took us over to Century City, new gambling legislation has boosted the areas casino games and limits. We were lucky to get out as cheep as we did. The lunch buffet was good and a nice ride into the mountains west of Denver. A windy night at the Wal-mart, Betsy stoped by to say goodbye, will see her in two weeks in Las Vegas. A slow climb into the Rocky mountains. Beautiful weather, grand views as we cross Loveland Pass, 11,900 feet. We'll take the tunnel under the continental divide. A walk around Breckenridge and good lunch at Fatty's restaurant with a doggy bag for supper.

We stop just past Vail at a super center in Avon. Cool nights in the 40's, low 70's in the afternoon. On Monday we take the Jeep south to Leadville. Great small town, mining from the late eighteen hundreds till 1960. We're on a self guided driving tour, "The trail of the silver Kings", in the hills east of town the Jeep makes a loud noise and starts steaming? More later....

Back across the border

We stopped just south of of the border in Robertston, Maine at a nice campground that was supposed to have a great view, but for 3 days it was so foggy and rainy you couldn't see the RV next to you. Once we were caught up on house keeping, and waiting for the weather to clear, we took a side trip to the summer home of FDR, on a Canadian Island off the coast of Maine. We go over the bridge and through customs in our car, no problem. In the 1880's, years of great summer resorts, the wealthy with extensive leisure time would enjoy long summer vacations away from the heat of the cities. As a boy, President Roosevelt grew fond of the island with extensive forest, bold cliffs, and great natural beauty, as a man, this was passed on to his children. In 1921 at the age of 39, FDR contracted polio and was only able to return to Campobello for brief visits 3 times before his death in 1945.

The Roosevelt Campobello International Park has over 2800 acres of reserved beauty. The visitors center is filled with childhood memorabilia and presidential history, and you can tour the home to get a view of early married life of a lawyer, politician, soon to be president, with wife Eleanor and growing family(6 children). The "cottage" has 34 rooms of which 18 are bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. Most summers the family would forgo the luxury of Hyde Park, NY, for the more simple pleasures of the island where he spent his boyhood. This foggy afternoon was well spent touring Campobello. At the top of the island we still can't see the lighthouse for the fog, but we're told from shore they herd whales blowing when they surface, just past the lighthouse in the bay. It was decided to go back to Canada to go whale watching. First the weather had to clear.

We used Don and Jill's car and cross the border at Calais, no red flags, all was normal, no firewood questions or searches. The 30 mile drive into St. Andrews, New Brunswick was good. The rugged coast was clear, and not to cool. We had lunch at one of restaurants along main street, it is loaded with shops and traps and tourist. Whale watching tours are a boat ride down the coast islands around Campobello, in Passamaquoddy Bay. Finback(60'), Menke(30') whales, bald eagles, harbor seals, and harbor porpoise were all spotted. This area is a crucial feeding grounds for birds and whales alike, and a vital link in the chain of life from South America to the Artic. The afternoon on the water was great and a whole new perspective of the coast from the water.

With a break in the weather its time to move on and we head to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. A beautiful area of coastal Maine, one of the most visited national parks in the country, the park offers something for everyone. From the rocky shoreline, to Cadiallic Mountain, the highest point on the eastern coastline, hotels, restaurants, B&B's, cottages and shops. The National Park Service visitors center is busy. We watch a short orientation
film and start out on the loop road. A nice lunch in Bar Harbor, and two cloudy

days in the park, but still beautiful.

We explore further down the coast, so many inlets, coves, small towns and hamlets. Stops in Rockland and the Maine Lighthouse Museum, Camden for dinner at the local lobster shack,
and Lincolnville to see hand built Shaker furniture. We are welcomed right into the shop and talk to the craftsman while they make custom chairs one by one. A stop in Brunswick for a few days and take the cars to Bath and the Marine Maritime Museum. Great Schooners with five and six mast, 345 feet long were built here into the 1920's. A great museum and attraction. Just a 1/2 mile down the Kennebec river Navy light cruisers are now being built at the Bath Iron Works navy shipyard. The 109 is being painted and readied for dedication in a week. Great ships have been built in this part of Maine for centuries. A ride into Freeport and shopping at LLBean. Don isn't feeling well so Linda and I spend the afternoon exploring the coast.

The time has come for us to split up, Don and Jill have plans in Florida and Linda and I will head west to meet friends in Nevada. Don has a chest cold and needs a few days rest, so we'll say our goodbyes sooner than expected. Its hugs around knowing we'll keep in touch, and see each other down the road. For us it south into Conn. then west through New York state, western Pennsylvania into Ohio. More in a few weeks Skip and Linda

Nova Scotia

The ferry ride was foggy and cool, and in 75 minutes we were on Nova Scotia. This was a lot faster than back tracking across the Confederation bridge and 140 miles of driving to Pictou Harbor. We will tour Nova Scotia counter clockwise saving Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail for last. But first the Bay of Fundy, and the bore tide.

The Bay of Funday's unique geographic shape lends itself to tides up to a record 53 feet. We'll see extreme tides throughout this area depending on the moon, first a drive to Truro and watch the tidal bore. In the rivers, where the tide is confined into a narrowing shoreline, you can see the flow of the river change direction. The water then recedes and the river flows normally again, until the next high tide in the bay, every day, twice a day. This only occurs in a few places and we're in time to see a muddy low tide. We'll return to the North River view point in about six hours. While we wait, a drive down main street is interesting. Actual pieces of the Berlin Wall, complete with broken concrete, graffiti and rebar are on display, donated by a local businessman after he accepted them for repayment of a debt, from a German businessman.

Just another surprise along the way, in a community of five thousand people. Soon after supper, people are gathering at the viewpoint, and around a bend the flow appears, moving upriver toward us. 1-2 foot waves against the current, right before our eyes. The river raises 3-4 feet in this area that's 75 feet wide.
The next morning we drive on, 2 days in Digby, with a 30 foot tide in the harbor, world famous Digby scallops, a drive through Annapolis Valley and ferry rides to Long Island and Brier Island. Then stops in Yarmouth, Bridgewater, wonderful quaint Lunenburg, and a few days break at Peggy' Cove.

A campground just north of Peggy's Cove is a our spot to rest and catch up on our housekeeping. With side trips to Halifax our time here still goes fast. The natural beauty of the shore and a small fishing village is even more special at Peggy's Cove. On a calm morning, the sea breeze and ocean waves on the giant rocks around the light house are fabulous. This quiet cove comes to life every day with souvenir shops and tour buses, but we beat the rush this morning.

Halifax is gearing up for their summer music festival and a Paul McCartny concert this weekend. Another busy city until we go into the harbor. We find parking and walk the docks. Cruse ships, ferries, sail boats and freighters, container ships, schooners and the tall ships all call on this port. The wharf offers brewery tours, museums, historical sites and tourist traps. After two trips to Halifax and Peggy's Cove lighthouse it's time for a rest. We'll move on to Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail next.

After overnight stops in New Glasgow and Port Hawksbury we come to a campground in Baddeck. We'll use this stop for our base to tour the Cabot Trail. This includes a drive through the Highlands National Park of Canada and a side trip to Meat cove, the "end of the earth" at the north east tip of Nova Scotia. A big day followed by a rest day. A short drive to Sydney for lobster,(the end of the season), and Donny buys firewood to boil a big pot of water, we're looking forward to a great supper, but it rains! We still enjoy a feast cooking our big meal inside the two rigs and eating in one. We'll soon be headed to Maine with a stop at the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick on our way out of Canada.

The Hopewell Rocks are spectacular. We arrive past low tide and watch till high tide, today's phase of the moon produces almost 40 feet. It's easy to understand how you can get stranded on the beach below the cliffs, as the tide comes in one foot every 6-10 minutes. Four hours ago we walked the ocean floor around the flower pot rocks, now we watch kayaks paddle in 30 feet of water. Our last stop before the border is the Reversing falls at St. John, New Brunswick.

About two hours east of Calais, Maine is St. John. No economic slow down here. It's very busy at the Reversing Falls bridge. We watch the tide change to form a swirling falls and rapids with whirlpools downriver, when the inlet is higher than the river. Then a falls and whirlpools upriver when the tide comes in and the river is higher than the inlet. While we wait for the tide to change(5 hours), we enjoyed a nice dinner with a view of the falls, then a walk along the river with a view, then desert and coffee with a view, then wait some more. From the observation deck above the restaurant you can see downtown and the harbor, across the river, and a paper mill on our side of the river, with car, truck, and railway traffic running continuously. We'll soon join the traffic on our way back to the USA.

Crossing the border with a RV is usually no problem, but when you've declared nothing and they find something the border agents loose their sense of humor. We answered all their questions correctly I thought, followed instructions into the building to be scanned and was asked what was in the back of the Jeep? The x-ray picked up something, contraband FIREWOOD! My normal short term memory forgot all about that bundle of firewood we never used back on the Cabot Trail. The wood Donny bought was stashed in our Jeep, we were mules with possible insect ridden firewood. Parked out of line and boarded by customs and agriculture agents, the wood was confiscated, all our cupboards and refrigerator were searched, then our passports returned. I wonder if they red flagged us in the computer and will search us the next time we have to cross? It's still good to be back in the USA.

D'une Pointe A' L'autre*

Riviere' du Loop, in Quebec province, will be our last stop along the St. Lawrence Seaway. The "Camping Du Quai" campground was a good spot to catch up on housekeeping and relax a few days. Still in hardcore french speaking territory, but were having fun learning new words. We turn southeast toward the Atlantic coast of New Brunswick. The drive is easy, taking our time on two lane blacktop roads through agricultural communities. Our first look at coastal Canada is the drive from Campbellton to Bathurst, then on to the Acadian Peninsula.


In the Bathurst Walmart parking lot we met a couple who showed us the local fresh seafood market with lobster. Lobster! Our first of the trip, and we weren't disappointed. With the economic slowdown the price is down. Shipments to the USA were 3 times a week in previous years, now only once a month. Lobster territory, beautiful coastal towns, fishing villages and farming right up to the water. The shoreline is gorgeous. A few beaches, miles of rocky bluffs and cliffs. Our drive along the weathered roads with little traffic gives us time to sight see and enjoy. We wander down the coastline through Moncton and on to the Confederation Bridge. The worlds longest bridge over ice covered water, 12.9km(8miles) although the water is not frozen now. The longest bridge is the shortest route to Prince Edward Island. No toll to drive on, Just to leave the island!

From the time we rolled off the bridge you could tell there is something extraordinary about the island. They spoke English. The rolling hills, green fields, well kept homes and small private farms make a beautiful island. Fishing and agriculture are the major industries. There is hardly a flat area anywhere. Every hill and valley is cultivated, all the bays, inlets, and coves are farmed for mussels. No tall timber, but medium growth hardwood forest. All the large trees were used century's ago for shipbuilding. Small fishing villages are at almost every inlet. The view from every hilltop is a picture. All very neat and clean.


Bayside RV Campground At Oyster Bay Bridge is at the center of the island on the north shore. Owner Leonard and his sister Donna were great hosts. So much to see, we stayed five nights and went a different way each day. It's hard to say what's more outstanding, the coastal scenery or the manicured farms. All crops are planted but still to early for most produce. Only new potatoes and strawberries are in the stores. In the harbors there are seafood restaurants at most docks along with local tourist junk. We'll try to drive from "tip to tip".*

Beautiful weather on this part of the trip. A good day at "west end tip", where the Canadian wind power research center is. An education center with a surprise restaurant and great dinners. Another good day at "east end tip" with a working lighthouse tour. Another day on the docks when the lobster boats came in, we bought four 2 pounders right off the boat.

The early lobster season is drawing to an end for Prince Edward Island, and some of the boats are already pulling their traps. We'll move on and follow the lobster to Nova Scotia, its hard to say goodbye to this beautiful island. We'll drive our rigs on the ferry to Nova Scotia. The savings in bridge tolls, fuel, and 140 miles of driving to to reach Pictou Harbor,NS. make it a no brainier.

Canada

"Toronto, Montreal, Quebec, going east toward the coast".... Big cities didn't interest us that much, but 400 years of history, architecture, and culture is hard to ignore. It's too easy to just drive by, and that's the worst thing you can do. The highways are crowded, the major roads are like our interstate system. Going through Toronto was bumper to bumper at interstate speed, with tractor trailers(30 wheelers) and crowded interchanges. So, we'll pick a suburb nearby and camp(Walmart), take the train back into the city and spend the day.

We first saw Toronto, Ontario from the south, 30 miles away, across Lake Ontario from 4 Mile State Park in New York. Our R/Vs are parked in Owasa, about an hour east of Toronto by train. Across the highway from Walmart is the train station. A round trip ticket is less expensive than fighting traffic in and out of the city with no place to park. Now were in a modern city, looking at what we couldn't see because of the horizon. Central station is two blocks from the waterfront in the heart of the financial district. We walk busy sidewalks with high rise waterfront condos and world bank headquarters, great restaurants and tourist traps. The concert halls, sports arenas, and industry are all tied together with one way streets and construction. Everything is clean, no panhandlers, no trash, no sign of economic slowdown. After lunch at a waterfront cafe and sightseeing were glad to take the train and relax on the way back to the R/Vs.

Montreal, Quebec was a little different, an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. We made camp just northeast and started out at Mont-Royal. A beautiful park now, it's history and the cross at the summit goes back over 360 years. The first Mount Royal Cross was placed there in 1643 by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of the city, in fulfillment of a vow he made to the Virgin Mary when praying to her to stop a disastrous flood. Today, the mountain is crowned by a 103 ft high illuminated cross. Not far from the park is an overlook. From here we have our first view of Olympic village and stadium. As we descend the summit we see St.Joeseph's Oratory Mount Royal. A Roman Catholic Basilica. What started as a small chapel is now a beautiful cathedral, with a breathtaking dome and landscaped plaza. We spend almost two hours climbing the steps and walking the courtyards up to the sanctuary. The remainder of the afternoon is spent driving through the city and around the Olympic Village. So much history and things to see, the day goes by fast.

Way different, Quebec City is like a different country,(not Canada) maybe somewhere in Europe. Except the locals were friendly, most spoke little English, and French dominates. We camped on the south side of the St. Lawrence, it is time for us to start into New Brunswick soon, but first a few days in Quebec. This area where the St. Lawrence river narrows was a natural for a permanent settlement. Around 1550 Jacques Cartier built a fort and old Quebec history lies behind the fortifications that surround the city. It was fought over for the next three centuries, as it continued to flourish in beauty, government, architecture, and population. After a good nights sleep and an early start to the ferry, we crossed the river into Old Town. A short walk up steep stairways started a long walk around the city. I'm stilled surprised how much we covered, Chateau Frontenac, the governors terrace, around the fort, in and out of the "gates" to New Town for great lunch at a french restaurant. On through the narrow streets past plaques of statues and stone buildings. Tomorrow we move on to Riviere' de Loop, our last stop in Quebec, province. More soon Skip and Linda

Western New York

North into western New York state. The Finger Lakes area,(wine tasting) Rochester, the Erie Canal, and Niagara Falls. Still cool, but a beautiful area. Stayed a few nights in the Seneca, Keuka Lake area then up toward Rochester. Camped outside Rochester near Lock #30 of the Erie canal.

We met one of the lock masters just starting his shift. He was great and spent over an hour with us. We got a glimpse of what life was like on the Erie Canal before the St. Lawrence seaway opened. The New York State canal system still operates today, mostly for recreational and historical purposes. 524 miles from Albany to Buffalo. Time to do some housekeeping, we'll stay in Four Mile State Park west of Rochester on Lake Ontario near Niagara Falls.

A beautiful park. We are on the south shore of Lake Ontario with a great view. It was good to have a few days of down time. Do laundry, rest and explore the area. A side trip to Buffalo for mail and visit the Navy museum in downtown Buffalo's harbor. With clear days we can see just the tops of tall office buildings and condos in Toronto, 30 miles across the lake. The horizon blocks the lower 12-15 floors. Soon we'll visit Toronto but first Niagara Falls.

Niagara falls is a 15-20 minute drive from 4 Mile campground. You can hear the roar of the falls when you're getting out of the car. Excitement builds just walking into the park. Before the falls are visible, we can see spray, boiling into the air atthe top of the river. Then the river disappears over the falls 180 feet into the gorge. Awe inspiring, huge and grand, photo opportunities are everywhere, 24-7 it never stops.

Combination tickets let us take the Maid of the Mist boat ride, view the falls from the Observation Tower, walk the Cave of the Winds catwalk(base of rainbow falls), Niagara Gorge Discovery Center(film & displays), unlimited Tram rides and go to the Aquarium. More than you can do in one day. It took Don, Jill, Linda and I two days and nights and we still didn't "do" the aquarium. We walked the rim of the Niagara to Whirlpool Gorge, there were fireworks at night and the falls are illuminated from the Canadian side at dusk.

We also spent one afternoon getting a better view of Horseshoe falls, and supper from the Canadian side. American and Rainbow falls offer a walk through the water at the base, Linda and Jill had to go through twice, and were soaked despite their "raincoats". More later...on to Canada, Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec.

We'll cross into Canada here and start working our way east along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway up to Quebec. Then past the Gaspe Peninsula down to New Brunswick, and east to the coast and Nova Scotia

Getting started

The Canadian Maritimes!!!, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia..... Sounds great! New England!!!, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts.... Quaint, historic. Fresh air, we couldn't wait. So we left in early May. 'WHO KNEW" this would be the longest, coolest spring in the last ten years. It was still in the 40s in the evening while staying in Virginia. High 30s and low 40s in Pennsylvania, and 40s in western New York. We were in Niagara Falls with daytime highs in the mid 60s, felt OK in the sun, but a little to "fresh" in the shade, and we haven't even reached Canada!



We made stops to see friends and family on the way north. Ocala and Live oak in Florida. Summerville, South Carolina near Charleston, and Smith Mountain Lake near Roanoke, Virginia. While in Virginia there were side trips to the National D-Day Memorial, and a u-pick strawberry field. Left Virginia heading for Pa. and stopped to see Antietam battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland. Our next stop was a visit with friends in Chambersburg, Pa. Ellis and Mamie Martin have plenty of room to park at their dairy farm in central Pa. Our friends, Donny & Jill, who we met in Alaska last summer joined us here and we plan to travel together. We made a side trip over to Gettysburg battlefield for more history. After a few days visit with the Martins, making strawberry jam and planning our trip we had to leave our good hosts and get back on the road. Our first stop was the "Green Dragon". An Amish and Mennonite farm, craft and flea market.



We drove our rigs over to Ephrata, Pa. GPS directed us to a large lot with a few old buildings, the place looked vacant. There were 2-3 campers in the trees so we stopped in the open, flat area at the bottom of the hill. The grass was freshly mowed and Don and I parked awning to awning. A nice afternoon. Bar-B-Qed and ate supper under the awnings, while a few more rigs pulled in. A quiet evening, slept well until the vendors started to come in on Friday about 6:30am. Holy Mackerel, there were hundreds, some in horse drawn wagons. Then the general public showed up, by the thousands. The only buffer between us and them was a row of hay trucks, but we were OK, just dusty in the parking lot. It was great! Had a country breakfast in the building across from us and spent the day making trips back and forth to shop, look, and rest again in the RV. If they didn't have "it", we didn't need "it"! Bought peanuts right from the roaster, meat, cheese, fresh baked breads, and vegetables. Sauerkraut and Kielbasa to put in the crock pot for the road. Exhausted, we stayed Friday night also. Got up on Saturday morning and the place was deserted again! All this just one day a week, on a Friday! Our next stop, the Pocono's and western New York. We went and saw the "dragon" and it was great!

More soon....Skip & Linda