It is Sunday, August 1, 2010. After a whirlwind trip through Massachusetts, Maine, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, we are “at rest” in Nova Scotia. Ken, Don and Linda are off to church and our friends, Bob and Marvis are having a lazy morning at their motel while I enjoy some quiet time just to enlighten you, the reader of this dispatch.
In Portland Maine we did the mail boat trek to the islands off of Portland and in Bar Harbor we endured a tour of Acadia National Park and learned some history of that lovely area which has evolved from the era of summer residences for the very rich. Like the Virgin Islands, Bar Harbor seems to have been a Rockefeller vision and development.
From the Bar Harbor area we drove to Calais Maine for an overnight before crossing the border into Canada and a two night stay in New Brunswick from which we did a day tour of Prince Edward Island. An early departure was necessary for us to reach the ferry in Pictou and the one hour ride across to PEI. We made a quick drive into Charlottetown to attend to some business matters before driving approximately 50 Kms to the location for the ANN OF GREEN GABLES movie and the home that spawned the autho’rs tale. We drove back across the 9 mile bridge into New Brunswick, had dinner massaged our buts from a 250 mile day with 6 people in a Satuirn SUV. We decided it was more fun to all go in the same car and Marvis, as the smallest of the “lot” agreed to sit in the back where luggage is usually stored. Believe me – Marvis is not luggage but she is a good sport and in spite of our sometimes crowded accommodations, we had many laughs, enjoyed the day except for moments of leisure in the outback where no one knew where we were for sure. Nevertheless, I think the sentiment was that we had a good time but now enlightened, we would probably not do that particular trip again. As we drove onto the ferry, I heard one of the staff say into his CB, “These SUVs really pack ‘em in.”
Saturday morning, we departed our New Brunswick campsite for a 100 mile drive into Nova Scotia. In Maine, Ken’s GPS froze and we have been traveling the old fashioned way with regular old road maps. Well, Saturday took the cake for poor navigation, lousey instinct and elevated arrogance by the driver of this particular RV. As a result what was to be a 100 mile trip ended up being a 200 mile excursion and I am still panting with the anger that a wife feels when she has an obnoxious husband who will not stop and ask questions, thinks he know it all and whose ego will not permit him to listen to others. Needless to say, a coolness permeates the air and it is not all the Canadian weather.
There you have it. Another week unfolded with more yet to come. Let’s hope that we have learned some lessons even though they have been a bit slow in learning.
