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2017-10-07 Westbound; Urban Rally in Carson City…

Saturday morning in Carson City dawned bright and clear.  We walked down Carson St. and went to Mom and Pops Diner for breakfast.  As we walked down the street we saw all the Airstreams that were parked along the street:

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After breakfast we returned to the Villa and prepared it for the Open House.  The local papers had advertised that all are welcome to see the Airstreams.  So we cleaned up, put away stuff, and made the Villa look as nice as possible… We were told to be available from 10:00 am to Noon.

People started arriving at 10:00 am.  They were still coming through at 6:00 pm.  Apparently the newspapers said “all day”… But we don’t mind…

We did sneak away for a few minutes in the afternoon to do the “Wine Walk”.  Downtown Carson City does this the first Saturday every month. (On the third Saturday they do a beer crawl…)

We signed up, paid our $15.00, and received our wrist bands and our glasses.  There were over 60 merchants pouring wine throughout the downtown district.

Some had set up tables on the sidewalk, others had you come into their stores.  Note that this wasn’t some delicate wine tasting with good wines and tiny pours.  These were fairly average wines with full glass pours.  Ant no one was keeping count on how many times you asked for a glass of wine…  Between stores, there were throngs of people, carrying and drinking glasses of wine, and walking along the sidewalk… We’re not in California anymore!

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Some places had entertainment: Irish music, similar to what we heard at the Ceilidhs in Nova Scotia…

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Our final wine stop was at the local Elks Lodge.  After drinking our wine, and enjoying some of the food they had set out, we sat at the bar and watched college football.  And, since the bar was open, we were allowed to order drinks.  Let me tell you, if you like to drink and have the opportunity to drink in an Elks Club bar, you are in heaven!!!

We made our way back to the Villa and fixed a quick dinner; lookieloos were still coming through…  We left and walked to see an outdoor concert put on by some local musicians:

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An added benefit of the concert was the ice cream store right there on the square:

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We had a nice time hanging out in Carson City.  It is a friendly, nice little town.  They have just spent a ton of money redoing their streets, curbs, and sidewalks.  Now they just need to get a few more upscale businesses and fill in the “missing teeth” of the storefronts along the street.

We started to return to the Villa, but were distracted by a casino bar that had both the CAL game and the Dodgers game on the TVs just above the bar.  Drinks ensued and an enjoyable time was had by all.

 

PS:  The Dodgers had a better night than CAL…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2017-09-18 Westbound; Through Wyoming and into Montana…

Long travel day today…

2017-09-18 Map Wyoming

We left Crooked Creek RV Park at about 8:00 am, in the very, very cold… We traveled north through Hill City, then Deadwood; we turned west and crossed over into Wyoming.

The drive was easy, uneventful, and a little boring…

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Then we turned towards the north and on the horizon we could see snow-capped mountains, off to the west:

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As we continued north, towards Montana, we saw more…

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The actual views were better than these photos show…

We crossed over into Montana:

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And we headed into Billings, MT.  We stopped of at Costco to stock up on Kirkland Vita Rain bottled water (fake Vitamin Water, with even fewer vitamins than real Vitamin Water…) We have been looking for these since New Brunswick and Nova Scotia – none of the Costcos we found carried it.  I have had to substitute real Vitamin Water, and it is a poor substitute…

So we happily checked into the RV park; again we were exhausted – it was a long day… almost 400 miles, almost double of our preferred pace.  But there was no reason to stop any sooner; tomorrow we move to Bozeman.

Happy hours ensued, and an enjoyable time was had by all…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2017-08-17 Westbound; Quebec Old City

The KOA outside Quebec offers a shuttle service to take us into Quebec; as we waited, I noticed this truck parked across the street:

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They grow them big here in Canada…

The bus arrived promptly on time, and by 9:00 am we were in vieux cite Quebec.  First, of course, is the fortress!

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The walls around the fortress provide wonderful views of the old city (vieux cite)…

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The city plaza is dominated by a huge, old, hotel: The Frontenac. (It is now a Fairmont…)

 

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As we love to do in cities we walked the streets. We love finding the quaint, beautiful, historic, and charming sites…

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We even found the American Consulate, in case we got into trouble…

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We also found that Quebecois like to have fun in the winter: on the town square is a sledding slide:

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And, of course, what we also like to do is find a charming sidewalk cafe to enjoy lunch:

 

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We ordered a bottle of wine…

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Finally the duck confit arrived

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After lunch we walked some more, but then we needed to stop for some espresso while we waited for the shuttle to take us back to the Villa.

Back in the RV park, we met two other Airstreamers: one was from Connecticut; they were enjoying their 3rd new Airstream in the past year (16′, 22′ and now 25′).  I’m sure their Airstream dealer is driving a new car, too… The other Airstream was being pulled by a nice Mercedes GL350, that looked vaguely familiar. Once we got to talking, we realized that we had seen them in Lunenburg, NS, and they had met some of our fellow caravanners whilst they were there…!

So Happy Hours ensued; an enjoyable time was had by all…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2017-08-11 Nor by Nor’east Caravan – Airstreams on the Ferry!

Yes! You can take Airstreams onto a ferry:

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Our tin cans are packed into a bigger tin can like sardines!

We are traveling from Caribou, NS, to Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island.  This will be the final campground location on the caravan…

We left the campground in Baddeck, along the shores of Bras d’ Or Lake, at about 6:00 am, to catch the 8:30 am ferry.  We found a few other folks who had the same idea:

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Soon the ferry arrived:

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When the ferry arrived, and had discharged its load of cars and trucks, it started loading for the trip back to PEI. Cars first. Cars, cars, and more cars went into the ferry.  When all the cars were on board, they started loading trucks, and more trucks. Then trailers, including about 10 Airstreams.  The ferry seemed “bottomless” – it just kept loading in more vehicles. Once on board, it looked like this:

 

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Once on board we found that there is a lower deck where all the cars were parked; trailers and trucks filled the main level. Upstairs were lounges, a cafeteria, and outdoor areas to experience the fresh air.

It was a fun ferry ride. We had breakfast in the cafeteria, watched the opposite ferry pass by, and enjoyed time with friends.

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When the ferry landed at Wood Islands, PEI, we were one of the first off. We had researched the area before hand, and we knew there was a Visitors Center where we could gather information on the island.  Others had the same idea… (Maybe because there is a Provincial liquor store there as well…):

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Our campground is on the northern end of PEI, just north of Charlottetown; Wood Islands in on the south end. However, we were too early to arrive at the campground, lest we annoy the parking crew.  So we just headed south, not knowing (and not caring) where we were going; it was beautiful!

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And when you wander around an unknown area, pulling your Airstream trailer, this is what you find:

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We found a winery!  Rossignol Winery… Of course, it was a beautiful place, right on the ocean:

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We parked the rig and went inside to taste what we could taste:

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We only tasted the wines made from grapes; it wasn’t bad.  We also tasted their Creme d’ Cassis, a black current wine (or liqueur) ; it was great!  We bought a few bottles to supplement our “cellar”.  We also admired the various sand sculptures on the property:

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Moving on, we continued around the southern end of the island.  We finally stopped for lunch in the town of Montague; Windows on the Water was a delightful spot to enjoy the early afternoon.

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The town of Montague is located on the water, and once was a lively port city…

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After killing enough time, we headed north towards Charlottetown, and to our campground a few miles north of there.  We settled in and readied ourselves for happy hours…

That evening, we joined two other California caravanners – Larry and Kathy plus Phil and Donna – in a bizarre game called Joker.  It is an Airstream tradition.  It is basically Parcheesi, but playing cards are used in lieu of a spinner or dice, making it even quirkier. Since I despise games of chance, I try to avoid Joker at all costs, but Larry and Kathy had done us many favors, so Lynda volunteered us to play with them…

Boys won. I pulled the winning card.  An enjoyable time was had by all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2017-08-09 Nor by Nor’east Caravan – North and East coasts of Cape Breton Island

This was a free day to explore Cape Breton on our own.

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Specifically, we were going to explore the Cabot Trail, a highway and scenic roadway that forms a loop around the northern tip of the island, passing along and through the scenic Cape Breton Highlands.  It is named after the explorer John Cabot who supposedly landed in Atlantic Canada in 1497, although most historians agree his landfall likely took place in Newfoundland. Construction of the initial route was completed in 1932.

The northern section of the Cabot Trail passes through Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  The western and eastern sections follow the rugged coastline, providing spectacular views of the ocean.  The southwestern section passes through the Margaree River valley before passing along Bras d’Or Lake.

We headed north from the campground.  We traveled through beautiful, seemingly empty countryside.  After about 30 miles or so we came to the Larch Wood Enterprises, Inc. factory and showroom:

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They produce beautiful cutting boards and other wood products.  After hearing their story and seeing their work, we had to buy just one…

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Moving on, we continued north, and traveled along the beautiful shoreline…

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At another stop, we found a rocky bluff:

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These folks were sitting on the furthest rock; now they are trying to figure out how to get back up:

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After this much beauty we had to stop for lunch; we were in the town of Cheticamp; we stopped at the Happy Clam:

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Driving back south we had more vistas of the rugged coast and grassy knolls:

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We stopped to inspect the beach a little closer; the weather was warm and sunny, and Lynda declares that the water is relatively warm:

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We stopped in the town of Inverness (to get some espresso to keep us awake after lunch…); we walked from the town down to the water; again, we are astounded at the open space surrounding such beautiful oceanfront property:

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There was a nice boardwalk to protect the fragile dunes, grasses, and wildflowers:

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There was even an oceanfront golf course:

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Walking along the golf course we came to some houses that looked strikingly similar to Shobac and the “Sliding Down House” we saw south of Halifax:

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It turned out that they were quite different; we also discovered that they part of a condominium development of vacation homes as part of the golf course and country club:

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Of course, not all the houses in the neighborhood are this nice:

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Our final destination of the day was a tour and tasting at the Glenora Distillery:

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They produce a single malt whisky which would be called Scotch if it were produced in Scotland.  They make their whisky using traditional methods and only three ingredients: barley, yeast, and water.  They claim it is the quality of the water on the property that produces the fine quality whisky.

As we waited for the tour we wandered over to the on-site inn and pub, and enjoyed another ceilidg.  These things are everywhere – they take their Gaelic music seriously here…

I was looking forward to finding a great whisky at a reasonable price.  I was disappointed on both counts…

We returned to the Villa in time for happy hours:

2017-08-07 Baddeck Happy Hours

That evening, all the caravanners gathered in the Rec Room for an ice cream social. An enjoyable time was had by all…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2017-08-08 Nor by Nor’east Caravan – Alexander Graham Bell and the Gaelic College

Today we learned about Alexander Graham Bell and his life in the town of Baddeck.

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We visited the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck, which commemorates the genius and compassion of renowned inventor Alexander Graham Bell.  Exhibits here show how he and his associates achieved Canada’s first powered flight with their airplane Silver Dart, produced the world’s fastest boat, advanced recording technology, designed giant kites and, of course, invented the telephone. Original artifacts, films, and family photographs highlight his scientific and humanitarian work.  Situated adjacent to downtown Baddeck, with a superb view of the Bras d’Or Lake, the Site overlooks Bell’s summer home, Beinn Bhreagh, still privately owned by his descendants.

Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born scientist, inventor, engineer, and innovator who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone.

Bell’s father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech and both his mother and wife were deaf, profoundly influencing Bell’s life’s work.  His research on hearing and speech further led him to experiment with hearing devices which eventually culminated in Bell being awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone in 1876.  Bell considered his most famous invention an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and refused to have a telephone in his study.

Many other inventions marked Bell’s later life, including groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics.  Although Bell was not one of the 33 founders of the National Geographic Society, he had a strong influence on the magazine while serving as the second president from January 7, 1898, until 1903.

After he gained wealth and fame through the invention of the telephone, Bell and his wife lived in Washington, D.C.  In 1885 the Bells vacationed on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, spending time right here in the small village of Baddeck.  Returning in 1886, Bell started building a summer retreat on a point across from Baddeck, overlooking Bras d’Or Lake.  By 1889, a large house, christened The Lodge was completed and two years later, a larger complex of buildings, including a new laboratory, were begun that the Bells would name Beinn Bhreagh (Gaelic: beautiful mountain) after Bell’s ancestral Scottish highlands. Bell also built the Bell Boatyard on the estate, employing up to 40 people building experimental craft as well as wartime lifeboats and workboats for the Royal Canadian Navy and pleasure craft for the Bell family.  He was an enthusiastic boater, and Bell and his family sailed or rowed a long series of vessels on Bras d’Or Lake. 

Until the end of his life, Bell and his family would alternate between their two homes, but Beinn Bhreagh would, over the next 30 years, become more than a summer home as Bell became so absorbed in his experiments that his annual stays lengthened. Both Bell and his wife became immersed in the Baddeck community and were accepted by the villagers as “one of their own”.  The Bells were still in residence at Beinn Bhreagh when the Halifax Explosion occurred on December 6, 1917 (see my blog dated 8/1/17).  Bell and his wife mobilized the community to help victims in Halifax.

I had read a lot as a child about Alexander Graham Bell, but most of the books I read stopped at the invention of the telephone.  Today we learned about the hydrofoil boats and airplanes he was working on throughout his life.  He loved triangles and tetrahedrons, so these are represented in the architecture of the Museum.

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After we finished enjoying the museum we drove a few miles south to the Royal Cape Breton Gaelic College (in Scottish Gaelic: Colaisde Rìoghail na Gàidhlig).  It is a non-profit educational institution located in the community of St. Ann’s, along the Cabot Trail. Founded in 1938, its focus has been on the perpetuation of Highland Scottish Gaelic culture.

We went for a lunch time ceilidh (pronounced,”Kalie”).  A ceilidh is a social event at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling.  The college also has lots of public programs; Lynda spent time learning about the Gaelic language. I considered sticking needles in my eyes to avoid going to this presentation, but instead I escaped to the exhibit hall and spent time learning of the Gaelic culture and history.   Then on to lunch and the ceilidh. (By the way, if anyone reading this is considering naming their precious baby girl Ceilidh, be aware that once she is in school she will be forever known as “See-Lid”…)

We enjoyed the music. It was similar to what we heard at the Louisbourg Playhouse and still a lot of fun.

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This evening, back at the campground, it started raining. And raining hard.  Some of the caravanners gathered in the Rec Room for games.  Several folks played Mexican Train dominoes; I joined in a rousing game of Spoons, except that we didn’t have spoons, only knives… Hilarity (and torn table clothes and other things) ensued…

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An enjoyable time was had by all…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2017-08-07 Nor by Nor’east Caravan – Leaving Louisbourg

Today we are leaving Louisbourg, and we are heading to our final campground in Nova Scotia. We are again part of the parking crew, so we are able to leave early.  In this tight campground the hitching-up is like a delicate ballet…

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We were soon on the road, along with two other Airstreamers; we stopped to catch a view at a convenient look-out point:

Our drive was uneventful, and we arrived in Baddeck, on the west coast of a large inland lake (technically a river…), called Bras d’Or Lake.

We performed our parking duties, and soon were able to relax. Lynda took in the view of the water, and even tested its temperature:

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This evening there is a festival or street fair in the nearby town of Baddeck; we went to see what small Nova Scotia towns do for fun.  It seems that they do about what all towns do: eat junk food, listen to local musicians, and wander about Main Street.

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And, being on the water, we can see the lovely shoreline:

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We didn’t hang around very long. We went back to the Villa and enjoyed the sunset:

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Tomorrow we go see the Alexander Graham Bell museum…

 

 

 

 

 

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2017-08-06 Nor by Nor’east Caravan – Louisbourg Lighthouse and the Louisbourg Playhouse

Today we drove along the coast to the Louisbourg Lighthouse:

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The lighthouse is not unlike hundreds of others along the Atlantic coast, but this one seems more remote than most. It faces the open Atlantic along a very rocky and rugged coastline.  We walked along the “hiking” path:

2017-08-06 Louisbourg Lighthouse Walk 02We took hundreds of photos – every turn revealed another remarkable vista:

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As we watched the waves crash and the tides swell, I was struck by the thought that we are enjoying a few minutes of this awesome beauty, yet it has been going on like this 24 hours a day for millions of years… Very awe inspiring!

The hiking path followed the coast for about one mile; it was then interrupted by a stone beach; the sign said, “Path resumes beyond the stone beach”.  We walked a few hundred yards across the stone beach – it was very difficult – 5″ and larger sharp stones – not much smaller. I’m sure Mr. Rainbow didn’t anticipate this when he designed and made my flip-flops…

When we reached the other end of the stone beach we discovered that the hiking path turned into a very small trail through the woods, away from the coast, and it was labeled “only for serious hikers”, which we are not.  We are trekkers and walkers, not hikers, and we have the shoes to prove it.  So we turned around and hobbled across the stone beach again, and returned to the lighthouse along the shore path.  We ran into some of our caravanners, who are braver than we are:

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It was an exiting morning.  Unspeakable beauty.  It seemed to us like we were standing at the end of the world…

We returned to the Villa, after stopping off to see the tall ships again.  We found out that you can book a 2-3 week tour with these ships, to be part of the amateur crew.  Pay big money and work really hard…  Such a deal!

Back at the Villa we relaxed for the rest of the day… Most caravanners were out on various activities:

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This evening was another new treat: We attended a show of local musicians playing Nova Scotia music.  This music is a variation of Irish and Scottish folk music, but is a distinct version of it.  Violin, keyboard, guitar, drums, and base, plus vocals.  The Louisbourg Playhouse is quite an interesting place.

Based on London’s 1599 Globe Theatre, an open-air playhouse was constructed at the Fortress of Louisbourg by Walt Disney Studios for the motion picture “Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale”.  The Fortress stood in for the village of Plymouth, MA.  After filming wrapped up, the structure was donated to the city of Louisbourg and relocated to its current location, just off the main street of the town.  Subsequently, the structure was remodeled, with a roof being added, along with back stage facilities.  For such a small town it is quite an impressive facility.  It is booked with shows all Spring, Summer, and Fall.  This particular group was doing six weeks, six nights per week.

It was a fun time.  Lots of toe-tapping.  Best of all, afterwards, we could walk back to the campground; it had been raining, but the rain had died down by the time we left after the show.  But it was foggy, and dark; we realized that we had not been out after dark for many weeks now…

So another day is done; an enjoyable time was had by all…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and the Louisbourg Playhouse

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2017-08-05 Nor by Nor’east Caravan – Louisbourg Fortress and the Beggars’ Banquet

What is a Fortress? How is it different from a Fort?

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A Fortress is a fortified town.  A Fort is a military-only defensive structure.  A Fortress contains both the military and civilians. All the essential operations are of a town – the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker – are within the fortress, as well as government and military operations.

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The Fortress of Louisbourg was a French fortress on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.  Its two sieges, especially that of 1758, were turning points in the Anglo-French struggle for what eventually became Canada.  

The original settlement was made in 1713, and initially called Havre à l’Anglois. Subsequently, the fishing port grew to become a major commercial port and a strongly defended fortress.  The fortifications eventually surrounded the town.  The walls were constructed mainly between 1720 and 1740.  By the mid-1740s, Louisbourg was one of the most extensive (and expensive) European fortifications constructed in North America.  The Fortress of Louisbourg suffered key weaknesses, since it was erected on low-lying ground commanded by nearby hills and its design was directed mainly toward sea-based assaults, leaving the land-facing defenses relatively weak.  A third weakness was that it was a long way from France or Quebec, from which reinforcements might be sent.

Louisbourg was captured by British colonists in 1745, and was a major bargaining chip in the negotiations leading to the 1748 treaty ending the War of the Austrian Succession. It was returned to the French in exchange for border towns in what is today Belgium.  It was captured again in 1758 by British forces in the French and Indian War, after which its fortifications were systematically destroyed by British engineers.  The British continued to have a garrison at Louisbourg until 1768, when it was again returned to the French.

The fortress and town were partially reconstructed in the 1960s and 1970s, using some of the original stonework, which provided jobs for unemployed coal miners.  The site is operated by Parks Canada as a living history museum, much like Williamsburg, VA and the Plimoth Colony in Plymouth, MA.

We were able to walk from the RV park to the Visitors Center, whereupon we were bused over to the Fortress.  We entered through the original gates, where we were met by a “guard” who demanded to know our business here.  We wandered the town, hearing some of the history from our guide. They have a bakery operating in the old bakery building, making fresh bread daily using centuries-old recipes and methods. They also have a few restaurants, serving food of the era… we passed on the opportunity to eat centuries-old food…

They also have daily recreations of various milirary operations… After our tour we walked all the way back to the Villa…

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That evening, we were introduced to another fascinating feature of the modern day town of Louisbourg: we learned about what they call “The Beggars’ Banquet”.  We were told nothing about this event, other than we had to pre-select our entree for the dinner – lobster or steak.  This didn’t sound like what beggars normally ate, but we went along with it.  Also, we were told that we would have to dress in period costume, something that always freaks me out…

We arrived at the location of the Beggars Banquet about 30 minutes early, and we were not the first ones there.  This proclivity of being chronically early for all events is an Airstream Club tradition (and curse…).  We were immediately re-dressed in what we assume are “beggars clothes”.  Luckily for me, this consisted of an oversized shirt and a 3-corner hat.  We then were shown to our dining room and invited to buy drinks at the bar.  So far, so good.

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The dinner was quite good, considering the buffet banquet-style operation. There was musical entertainment all through the evening.  One of our members even helped-out at one point in time:

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Other members of our group:

The “fun” began about halfway through the evening: A bizarre-looking caricature of a women joined the group and set about selecting men from our group to dance with.  I almost ran screaming running from the room… I vowed to do just that if she approached me… Luckily, she did not…  I must have looked as scary to her as she looked to me…!  (We later found out that she actually is the owner of the place, and this is just her shtick for the evening…)

We again walked back to the Villa.  An enjoyable time was had by all…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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