Harp Concert in Upper Jay

Today was a very laid back day for us. We went to the Red Barn antique's at Upper Jay for a 3 PM harp concert under the apple trees. Martha Gallagher sang and played the Keltic Harp for a very relaxing 2 hour concert. There were 50 or 60 people in attendance mostly locals as it seemed everyone pretty much knew each other.

A beautiful day in the Far North Country

Today we went back to the Olympic Complex to watch more ice skating. We watched the open waltz and open Cha Cha Congelado competition. After yesterdays competition it seemed like it just didn't move along very fast so we decided to leave. We then drove to the town of Upper Jay to an antique store. While there we had a salad at a quaint little bakery located near it. We then returned to the motor home for naps. At 6 we drove east about 6 miles to the town of Jay to listen to the music on the village green. The Back Porch Band played music from the 50's, 60's and 70's. After 2 very enjoyable hrs. we returned home about 9 PM

Today we went to the Olympic Center In Lake Placid to watch the Ice Dance Skating competition. This is where the ice skating rinks are located. One was built for the 1932 Winter Olympics and the other was installed for the 1980 Winter Olympics. At the older rink we watched singles that were probably 8 to 12 years old compete. At the 1980 rink we watched Junior pairs competition.

After 4 hours we needed to either go put more money in the parking meter or leave. Since we weren't really dressed for an ice rink we decided to leave. When we went in we were told that this is the largest event of the year and some of the skaters would probably make the Olympic team.

Lake Placid, NY

Today we started out at the High Falls Gorge about 4 miles from where we are parked. Here the Ausible River drops around 750 ft. through the rocks. A very spectacular sight but couldn't see it from all of the angles due to construction on the cat walks at 2 or 3 locations.


We then dove another 10 miles to the other side of Lake Placid where we went to the John Brown Farm. John Brown was an abolitionist and in 1849 moved his family here to assist the free black settlement at Timbucto. On Oct 16 1859 he and his followers attacked the US Arsenol at Harper's Ferry Virginia in an attempt to incite a slave revolt. He was hanged on Dec. 2 1859 and his body was transported back to the farm for burial. Thus the meaning behind the song John browns Body lies a smoldering in the grave.


We then drove about 2 miles to check out the Adirondack Scenic RR schedule. There was a train ready to depart for Saranac Lake so we purchased tickets and boarded. Along the 10 mile trip we saw numerous small ponds created by Beaver dams, a few very picturesque small lakes, a cemetery on a hill side and many many trees. At Saranac lake we walked a couple of block where we enjoyed a root beer float.then about 30 minutes later we boarded for the return trip to Lake Placid. All in all about a 2.5 hr train ride.
As we returned home stopped at the White Mountain Olympic ski area to take this picture. This is where 2 winter Olympics have been held as well as most all of the annual winter ski events.

Natural Stone Bridge & Caves

This morning we drove about 75 miles south to Warrensberg, NY. When we worked camp there 6 years ago we enjoyed the smoked & uncooked sausages From Oscar's Smokehouse so decided we needed to get some. As we traveled south on rte through the Adirondack mountains we passed a lot of cars parked along the road. This is a prime climbing & hiking area as well as being a very pretty drive. After having lunch and going to Oscar's in Warrensberg we drove back no on rte 9 to the Schroon Lake area. At Pottersville we stopped at the Natural Stone Bridge and Caves Park. At this location the Schroon River enters a series of underground caves and a huge marble bridge as it goes completely under ground before exiting perhaps 1/4 mile later. Here it looks like a like a mirrored pool that you could walk right out on, unlike the the rushing falling river that it is just before entering the caves and bridge. What an awesome and beautiful place. On the way back most of the hikers and climbers had left or were in the process of putting their gear back into their cars.

North Pole RV Park- Willmington, NY

This Morning we left Essex Junction heading south from Burlington on VT-7. A very scenic drive as we passed dairy farms with the Green Mountains of Vermont on our left and the Adirondack mountains of New york to our right. At Charlotte we turned west toward Lake Champlain in about 5 miles we were at the ferry. After measuring the RV and paying the $42.50 fee we waited for the ferry to arrive. We loaded on the ferry but were unable to
exit the motor home as we were so close to the wall that we couldn't open the door. We got someone to take the picture of us on the ferry and we were able to take many pictures from where we sat in the motor home. About 1/2 hr later we arrived at the ferry landing in Essex, NY. We headed north on NY 22 driving in light rain through the winding rolling mountainous area. We also saw many rock fences on this part of the drive. It was then north on I-87 for about 4 miles were we turned west on NY 9N traveling further into the Adirondack Mtns. of New York. Nearing Wellington we saw the Whiteface mountain where the skiing events of the winter Olympics were held. We are parked neat the base of the mountain but can't see it for the trees. In total we had about a 75 mile drive today.

Essex Junction, VT

We just arrived home from the Steve Jeffris concert which was the wrap up for the NEAR FMCA rally. There were about 400 coaches at this rally. We had three nights of entertainment of which this evening was by far the best. Steve Jeffris is a one man show that plays country, gospel, popular and old standard music. He plays lead, rhythm & bass all on the same guitar while he sings. He also uses an old drum machine for the drum rhythm. There have been many very good seminars to attend. Thur. was the hottest day with temps near 100 degree gradually lowering each day and then today only about 80 degree's. Tomorrow we will moving on to our next destination, more on that after we arrive.

FMCA Northeast Area Rally

Yesterday morning we left Moody Beach campground & Wells, ME after a delightful 15 days making friends, visiting relatives and old friends along with seeing sights in the area. We like this area and campground and will definitely make it a destination for future trips. We headed north west through the white mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont traveling the same rte. that we traveled 6 weeks ago. The only difference was no rain and temps 20 degree's warmer. This drive is in our opinion one of the top 10 drives we have been on. We stayed the night at Randolph Center, VT in the very picturesque Lake Champlain RV Park. It's not even near Lake Champlain but does have a small lake and all the sites over look a beautiful wooded valley, pictures at left.
This is definitely a would stay at again RV Park.
This morning we continued on north west about 60 miles arriving at the Champlain Valley Expo area for the FMCA rally. This will be a much larger rally than the Newmar Kountry Klub Rally 5 weeks ago.

Owlshead, ME

Today we drove 100 Miles north on rt 1 to Rockland, Me. We went through the lighthouse museum located there. We then drove east to Owlshead State Park where we viewed the Owlshead light house. About 1/2 mile before the light house we went by a place that Nancy thought was were the Metcalf's lived when Chris used to go with them to Maine. The Owlshead area is very scenic and pretty.

Kennebunkport, ME

This morning we took a short drive (about 12 miles) to Walkers Point at Kennebunkport. This is where the Bush's summer home is located. The cove is very rocky this is a very beautiful setting. I can see why his grandparents purchased the property over 100 years ago. While there we visited with a guy that was painting pictures of the area. He has lived in the area for a long time and was very interesting to visit with.
We had a light rain that started while we were there so it we returned to the RV Park for a lazy afternoon.

A tale of two meals

Thur. evening 1lb hamburger steak smothered in mushrooms & brown gravy with mashed potatoes & butter. $4.99 at Mulligan's in Betteford. Very good and very filling also very cheap. This and the afternoon loses at the Harness races equal to the same amount spent for supper at Lord's on Wed.


Wed evening at Lord's in Wells Beach Crab cake, Haddock casserole, 2 large coconut shrimp with baked potato for $22.95 at Wells Beach. Very good, very filling and a little pricey.

Scarborough Downs

This afternoon we met Marty & Marion at their coach at Red Apple RV Park about 2:30. From there we went to Scarborough where we stopped at the Lindt Chocolate Factory. They have a large chocolate moose in the show room and a mother bear & cubs. They keep the temp at about 74 degree's in this part of the store so that it will not melt.
We then went to Scarborough Downs for the late afternoon harness races. The races started at 4 PM and a race was run every 15 minutes for a total of 10 races. We won a couple of races but really didn't lose much when it was all over. We stopped at Mulligans in Biddeford on the way back for another meal under $5. After a card game called golf we said goodbye to Marty & Marion until we meet again sometime down the road.

Freeport, ME

Today we went to the Red Apple campground just north of Kennebunk where we met our friends Marty & Marian who live in Nevada. We then went to Biddeford to Mulligans cafe for lunch. It is in an old brick building that at one time was probably a fish cannery. All meals are under $5. Marty & I each had Shepard's pie, crumbled hamburger cooked with corn with mashed potatoes over the top. It was very good and a huge serving. We also each had a cup of soup. The ladies had a hamburger and fries which they said was very good, it to had a large fresh hamburger patty in it. Our bill was $10.58 with tax, that's cheaper than eating at McDonald's and much more food.
From there we drove on north to Freeport where we visited the Cold River Vodka distillery. This is a small distillery that uses Maine potatoes. I believe he said that they make about 1400 cases a year. It takes 16 lbs of potatoes to make a one liter bottle of vodka. From there we went to the L.L. Bean store to look around. On the way home we stopped at a chocolate factory.

Wells Beach

Yesterday my cousin David Soper his wife Betsy Conroy and their son Liam drove up from near Lowell, MA. We had a nice visit and went to Lords for a great seafood dinner in the evening. Today we went to Wells Beach where we meet Betsy's friend. We spent about 3 hours there before returning back to the motor home.
David, Betsy & Liam joined us later for hamburgers on our patio before they returned back to MA.

Moody Beach, Maine

We arrived back in Moody Beach after lunch yesterday. It was hot and humid (90 degree's) quit a change from the high 60's & low 70's we were used to in Nova Scotia. Today we drove west 50 miles west on rte. 9 to just east of Concord, NH. We can't lock on the satellite here because of the trees and we have been having trouble getting a signal on the bat wing antenna. We got a new head for it at Camping World and the TV works great on the local channels now. While there we stopped at Sam's Club to replenish a few things we were out of. I also got a new cover for the refrigerator vent on the roof but it was the wrong one when I went to install it. I guess that means we drive back to Concord to return it. Oh well it is a very pretty drive through some of the old towns and wooded hills between here and there.

Pumpkin Patch RV Park Herman Maine

This morning we awoke before daylight to the sound of rain.
after the rain had stopped we departed Hardings Point Campground around 10 AM by crossing the Saint Johns River aboard the Westfield ferry under foggy skies. After getting some fuel $1.21 a liter (ouch 3.75 liter per gal.) We headed west on Hyway 1 with visibility of 1/4 mile or less. As we neared the turn off to St Andrews the fog started to lift and by the time we arrived at the boarder crossing it had lifted completely. The crossing went smoother than we had thought it might. The agents came on board and took our peppers and onions which we weren't allowed to cross with. They were really nice one even jokingly asked if we had any fudge as they were going through the refrigerator.
Traveling SW on Rte 9 we noticed that the trees had become much taller and had changed from Spruce to Pine. Also the hills had become much steeper and curvier. As we arrived at the Pumpkin Patch RV Park near Bangor, ME the temp. was 85 degree's. That seemed hot to us after spending the last 2 weeks at temps between 65 & 75 degree's. We had a thunder storm around 5 PM so we started the day with rain and ended it the same way.
We really enjoyed our time in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and didn't get to see a lot of things, hopefully there will be another trip to see more. The coast lines are truly amazing and the architecture is beautiful. The wild Lupins that seem to grow all over are very pleasing to the eye as you travel about the country.

The churches of St John, NB

There are many churches in the St. John area that date back to the 1830's They are Anglican, Baptist & Catholic. Much of the architecture is what is called Gothic.

Reversing Falls

The reversing falls are caused when the high tides from the Bay of Fundy rush up against the high river flows from the St. Johns River that flows into the bay. At low tide the falls are reversed as the water flows from the river into the bay. The tides in the Bay of Fundy are the worlds highest tides and the St John river is one of Canada's largest rivers.
One hundred billion tons of water pour into the Bay of Fundy every 12.4 hrs from the Atlantic Ocean. That is equal to the amount of water that flows in every river on earth in 34 hours. On average 10 million gallons of water per minute race into the bay from the St Johns river through the 110 meter wide gorge. At high tide the water in the bay is higher than the water in the St Johns river causing it to reverse.

Hardings Point Campground NB

This morning we left the Peggy's Cove area under cloudy skies headed for St. John, NB. We retraced our recent routes going back into new Brunswick and then back along the lower part to Saint John. The skies cleared near Truro and remained clear until we neared Saint John. Just west of Saint John we turned north on highway 7 for about 15 miles. We then went east and back south on hiway 177 where we crossed the St. John river on a cable ferry to the campground on Hardings Point. If we hadn't made reservations over a week ago we would not have had a spot. This being Canada Day weekend everything is pretty full.

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Today is Canada Day a national holiday similar to our July 4th. We drove west winding around St Margaret's Bay & Mahone Bay on the south shore of Nova Scotia passing through many small fishing villages with boats & sailboats anchored in the harbours. As we came around the bend in the road at Mahone Bay we were in awe at the scene across the bay of the three Church's of Mahone Bay. The Anglican built in 1833, the Trinity United Church built in 1863 and moved to it's present location in 1885 and the Lutheran Church built in 1869.
About 10 Km's on down the road we entered the town of Lunenburg on the Lunenburg Harbour of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a town that was established in 1753 and still maintains the original layout and original buildings. It is layed out in streets that parallel the harbour on a steep hill side. Each street is only about 1/2 block apart with the front of the buildings on one street and the rear of them on the next street. Each building had about 3 stories from front to back.
A bit of trivia, there is no place in Nova Scotia that is over 35 miles from the sea.

Publish Post

Peggy's Cove Light House

Thur. morning was a damp foggy morning. We made the 6 mile trip to the small fishing village of Peggy's Cove where one of the most photographed light houses in North America is located. The village consists of about 25 houses and an Angelican Church that date back to the 1800's. This very rocky peninsula was a good location for people that fished the waters of St Margaret's Bay to live.
We also stopped at the museum of Ivan Fraser the author of the book Peggy of the Cove. This is a book about a young girl that washed up on the rocks of Peggy's Cove after a ship wreck. She is part of the folk lore of Peggy's Cove and was supposedly raised by one of the residents of the area. This was only a couple blocks from the RV Park. About 6PM after enjoying sunny skies all afternoon we decide to return to Peggy's Cove Light House for a sunny view, but low and behold as we rounded the curve about 1 mile from it we could see it was still fogged in.