Thursday, September 1, 2016
We made it to CANADA!!! And the Atlantic time zone, which
our phones were saying it was the past 4 days in Eastport.
And EXCELLENT internet service.
And a GREAT campground.
So what that it took us 4 hours to go 52
miles (or 83.7 kilometers).
No, it wasn’t
traffic.
Well, there was the 45-minute wait in line to cross the
border at Calais, ME/St. Stephen, NB (4 cars ahead of us – all from New
Brunswick – and, as near as we can tell, one diligent Canadian “homeland
security” type border guard) and then the dutiful 1 hour stop at the newly-opened,
where-in-the-hell-is-it-located, I-see-the-Canadian-“?”-signs-but-it-can’t-possibly-be-this-far-from-the-crossing-oh-there-it-is
St. Stephen, NB visitor center. Remember,
we had talked with the wonderfully exuberant Ranger Jessica. And, of course, we chose “the road less
traveled” scenic route instead of the multi-lane (no, not the TransCan which,
we had been corrected at the visitor center, was the Canadian equivalent of an
interstate). But….
We are in CANADA!!!!
With great road signs and people who drive at reasonable speeds and don’t
drive up your tailpipe if you’re going a bit slow. And a campground that is filled with
fifth-wheels instead of huge Class A’s (of course the fifth wheels are VERY
LARGE – just like Class A’s). A
campground with GREAT – AND FREE – Wi-Fi service. And clean, accommodating bathrooms with
showers you want to use.
Specifically, we are in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, in the Kiwanis
Oceanfront Campground. Without a
reservation. And, unfortunately for us,
we were stupid and presumptive. We assumed
that Labor Day was a U.S. holiday. Guess
what. Labour Day is celebrated in Canada
the same day as in the U.S. We thought
we could avoid the road/campground crush of the long Labor Day weekend we
experience in the U.S. by coming up to Canada.
Well, that’s what happens to stupid, presumptive “Americans”. I wonder – does Mexico celebrate Labor Day
(or Dia del Trabajo) too. Then it really
would be an American (well, North American) holiday. I’ll check that out later. [Note – I checked. There is, indeed, a Mexican Labor Day. But it is celebrated on May 1st. Wait – isn’t that also May Day – yep. That’s International Workers Day, celebrated
by Socialists and Communists alike. So
what’s up with it being a national holiday in Mexico. Not sure – you’ll have to check that one out
yourself.]
So back to us – not sure where we’ll end up over the long
week-end. We could border hop and go back
to the Seaview Campground in Eastport (yep, they have room because the big
week-end there is over September 9th – Pirate Days) and Sue liked us
(well, liked Rick anyway). But not sure
that we want to back-track. We’re trying
to make it to Cape Breton Island to see if that’s the place to move to after
the election of doom. We sure won’t be staying here, even though it IS a Marriott
hotel:
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| Algonquin Hotel - originally built in 1889 |
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| Aerial view -- it's MASSIVE |
By-the-way, campers here – almost all Canadians
from either NB or Nova Scotia (NS) or Ontario (ON) – have been asking us about
this election. Seems that they’re all feeling
a bit amused and superior to us Down-South’s for having such a long, drawn out
period of pain.
I think they see us as very
masochistic.
And, many of them say, what’s
with Donald Trump?
How did that
happen?
We’re good guests.
We don’t question them about cover-boy Justin
Trudeau.
Nor do we say anything about
the shouting matches we see in Parliament.
Nor the fact that Quebec has been trying to secede for eons.
Politics is politics wherever you go.
Speaking of politics, one of St. Andrews’ claims to fame
seems to be that it was a destination for many loyalists during the Revolutionary
War – that’s the war between the separatist colonists in the soon-to-be United
States and Britain.
There were quite of
number of loyalists who didn’t want to leave king and country.
So, as things were heating up down south,
many loyalists made their way up to St. Andrews.
There is actually a Loyalist Cemetery
here.
There’s also one in Saint John up
the “road”.
Seems like many people didn’t
like the politics of the time back in 1770’s.
Some pics taken on our walk in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea:
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| Not even low tide |
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| Red Rocks of St. Andrews |
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| Old Man and the Sea |
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| Grandpa Funny |
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| For Morgan, Gwen, and Griffin -- we found your Daddy |
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| Grandpa Funny at it again |
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| That's MY street |
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| For Emily -- it's a dragon |
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| See -- Loyalist |
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| The blog author |
Today we hope to get to the Kingsbrae Gardens – supposed to
be quite a treat as botanical gardens go.
We’ll take more pictures. Maybe I
(Dona) can even twist the arm of my photographer partner (Rick) to take good
ones with his camera instead of the ones I’ve been “snapping” with my iPhone.
Next post after Labor (or Labour) Day.
Until then, enjoy the journey…Dona and Rick
