Greetings from Maine “The Pine State”

"Wow Maine roadsides are really cool huh," says the Buckingham Bears.

Colors in Maine have just begun in late Sep

Every roadside is an array of autumn col

We’ve been enjoying the upper and central parts of Maine this week. A scenic byway through the Kennebec River and Moose Lake Valleys gave us a glimpse at the early signs of fall foliage. Mind you this is just the beginning of autumn colors showing their hues. 

Toad travels discover a road turning off the beaten path

JR puts us in four wheel drive up the mountain in the Kennebec Valley

See us Buckinghams out amongst the trees of Maine anywhere? It is like

"Where is Waldo?"

Moose River Valley on a hazy late September day

It usually begins at the higher elevations the last week in September and gradually increases in color to the lower elevations during the first two weeks in October. The weather has been mostly foggy or rainy as we’ve zigzagged our way along on three major scenic routes. The Mountains and Lake Region found us at the tip of the Appalachian Range high up mostly in the mist of clouds.

Driving curvy narrow roads has been a challenge but JR amazingly gets us through safely. Maybe it is time for him to try the next step and get his seaplane license.

Sell the boat, Buy the plane

Small Falls, Maine  brings a great picnic rest area

Just another sugar maple leaf. No sugar tapping on maple trees until February

 It is interesting what we have seen while driving here. Things have kept us entertained such as a blue heron in flight leading us for a full minute down the road, a flock of wild turkeys forging for grub, a big bull moose lumbering across the road, two young sheep frolicking and leaping with one another, lots of loaded logging trucks in transit, lovely colonial old homes, covered bridges, and colorful tree after tree after tree. If you believe in unicorns perhaps you might imagine a flying moose as well

Guilford Covered Bridge

Any one care for a moose ride?

A typical 1873 Colonial Church appears in most Maine towns

Maine averages 12 feet of snow each year. They say there are more snow mobiles on the roads in winter than there are cars. As lakes and rivers freeze folks drive pickup trucks on them, go ice fishing, ice skating, and sleigh riding.Come next spring we plan to return and drive Maine’s Atlantic seaboard to catch Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, and Roosevelt’s Campobello. We are leaving the rig in Tennessee with relatives for the winter while we fly home in mid November. For the time being more of the autumn fall colors are beckoning us on toward the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont.

Happy Fall Blessings to you.

Hello from Our Final Hoorah in Canada

We crossed New Brunswick fairly quickly cutting through the heart of the province.It was a pretty drive as the autumn leaves have just begun to show a bit of fall color changing. We had a lovely time along the St. John River all day walking around King’s Landing. It is a 19th century reconstructed historical village depicting life in early New Brunswick. The various interpreters dressed in 1800s period costumes were ever so willing to share many interesting and fascinating tidbits with us. Entering the settlement’s numerous buildings we were able to see an old saw mill in operation, a printer making signs, blacksmith forging iron fittings, the King’s Tavern serving food and drink, and various farmhouse folks performing their daily tasks.

King's Landing ladies visit the Hagerman House 1880

Ladies dawning their fashions around the village

Sawmill runs from the nearby pond feeding the water wheel turning

Betsy the horse walks on a thread mill which turns the blade to cut logs

Finally a drive about 15 kilometers north to see the world’s longest covered bridge at Hartland, New Brunswick was a must do before departing Canada. As we pulled up to the entrance of the bridge there was a height restriction of 10 feet posted, so unfortunately the rig couldn’t cross the bridge. 

Hartland Covered Bridge

Canada has been a grand odyssey filled with terrific memories these past four months while traveling across its wonderful nation. There are doers and dreamers and we DID IT in the best way possible. The border crossing put us into the USA at Houlton, Maine today. 

"We LOVED being along for the ride. It was a BLAST!"  Madeline, Yukon, and Gaspe (The Three Little Travelin Bears)

The next phase of the trip finds us heading off as leaf peepers to enjoy quaint little hamlets in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.






"Hey honey wanna find a summer cottage in New England to buy?"
"Well how about a grand B&B Inn along a river so all our family and friends can come join us as guests too. "
"There ARE possibilities you know."

Feel free to tune into the blog any day to keep up on the road adventures ahead throughout October. Blessings and Happy Fall to you...

Good Tidings from the Bay of Fundy’s Hopewell Rocks and Cape Enrage

Hopewell Rocks at low tide in the Bay of Fundy

Well, we have crossed back into New Brunswick starting off with visiting the Bay of Fundy. At Hopewell Rocks where they have pillars of eroded sea cliffs called ”the flower pots”people can walk around in the mudflats during low tide. The catch is you must walk down this steep stair well along the sea cliffs to get to the bottom at the shoreline. Since it was low tide we dawned our rubber boots so we could walk out quite a ways and take a look at the awesome rocks and scenery. You could see where the algae line was as to where the tide will rise and return six hours later. The tidal change the day we came varied 27 feet. On a blue moon it has been as much as a 44 foot tidal change. Christa maintained she planned to give herself a mud facial at the flats, but at the last minute chickened out settling for a face tattoo instead Always a kid at heart. 

Remember what does down has to go back up

This stairwell photo is only half of what there was to climb. You gotta just do it and forget the metal see through grates below your feet. Vertigo anyone?

Mid tide level here about 10 feet

Best to skiddadle folks as the water level rises to the algae on the cliffs

Kayakker bliss... they won't be climbing the stairwell

The following day we returned to catch the high tide and took a drive to Cape Enrage near Fundy Bay National Park to explore the lighthouse grounds. 

Cape Enrage Lighthouse

And to imagine a year ago the lady could barely make it up three stairs learning how to walk again.

 

Sawmill Bridge in Harvey, New Brunswick

It was windy and cold up there so splurging for lunch at the light keeper house café proved to be an epicurean delight. Chef Jeremy Wilbur actually came to the table to chat and serve us with an incredible scrumptious meal. He had prepared the best sea chowder we’ve ever tasted, tossed walnut salad with fresh blue berries and figs, and lobster poutine in moray cream sauce with Armenian cheese curds topped with piri piri sauce and fried yam strips.

Returning to camp we spotted a prairie chicken crossing the road, blue heron standing in the marshland, and wooden covered Sawmill Bridge built in 1905 along the way. Now this is one way to enjoy the good life in retirement. We plan to explore through New Brunswick in the coming week before crossing back into the USA to catch the changing autumn foliage in upper New England. 

Taking the road less traveled by through the woods while leaving only footprints behind

Greetings from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Good Day from Peggy’s Cove to Chester, Nova Scotia

Quit work and name your sailboat

Driving along Hwy 333 and 329 on the coastline southwest of Halifax around the shore of St. Margarets Bay and Mahone Bay brought some of our best maritime moments on the trip. Peggy’s Cove is a famous tourist attraction. Little did we expect when we first arrived at 10:45 am that there would be three tour buses from Halifax cruise ships with people every where. We immediately bailed from the scene and made plans to return in the evening towards sunset instead. Our campsite was only 5 miles away so we figured we might have a better chance at Peggy’s Cove without droves of tourists.

See all those morning tourists at Peggy's Cove... there were 300 more too!

Spending the rest of the day along an Atlantic coast drive lead us among the charming villages that line the coast toward Chester. In that community we were pleasantly surprised with its tree-lined streets and elegant residences that have been a favorite summer resort for vacationers from America’s East Coast for more than a century and a half.With two harbors and access to the bay with its 365 small islands, beautiful Chester is a yachtsman’s paradise. Enjoy a glimpse of a number of Nova Scotia’s most attractive villages and small towns. Elemental harshness and cozy domesticity exist side by side in the tiny fishing port called Peggy’s Cove. 

We were able to catch the cove at dusk and its lighthouse at sunset.Off to find the next horizons… 

Have a good day!

Dusk at Peggy's Cove Light House

Dusk ... See any tourists around?

Anyone like to buy this little run about?

Margaret Bay dories

Just a little summer cottage

More summer retreats at Mahone Bay

Catching the evening sunlight at Peggy's Cove

JR catches the sunset at Peggy's Cove

and Christa catches JR in the sunset... This is a keeper!

Lobster traps line the roads

Gotta love those buoys