Monday 18 July 2011

Cape Spear - Hallelujah!!!

                                            On JUne 21, we made it to Cape Spear Newfoundland, the most easterly point
                                           in North America!!  As we stood by the
                                           light house we saw at least three whales, we suspect they are Fin whales.


                               
                                          Leaving Argentia sailing to North Sydney, a 14
                                          hour trip.  Mom and Erica loaded themselves on gravol and were sleepy the
                                          whole time, it was a very smooth sailing the entire way.

Sunday 17 July 2011

NEWFOUNDLAND!!!!!

                                             Whale watching tour in Twillingate - Mom and Erica groggy
                                               from taking gravol.


                                                 Gannet cliff at Cape St. Mary's southern Newfoundland.
                                                 One of the largest colonies in North America - gannets, murres,
                                                  razor bills, kittiwakes and black cormorants - we got out on the cliff
                                                  very very close to birds.  Here we realized Dad is mortally afraid of heights.
                                         
                                                                   Gannet into sunset


                                                               Puffin flying overhead in curiosity





                                                                 Downtown St. John's


                                   Port aux Basques Newfoundland - first taste of Newfoundland





                                                  Puffin colony in Elliston, Newfoundland


                                                            St. John's, Newfoundland

Cabot Trail, June 11 and 12

                                                      The Cabot trail through the windshield


                                                        The cabot Trail from the side window


                                          Camping on a cliff in meat cove, Rustana from the beach


                                               Our campsite, no getting up in the night!

After Lunenburg, we crossed to Cape Breton Island and did the Cabot trail, and managed to survive the ups and downs and twisting highways. We (thankfully, Mom would have had a panick attack if she could look out the window and see cliff) went counter-clockwise, putting us on the inside of the road, it was nearly impossible to topple over the edge, even though there were some steep valleys on the inside as well.  Halfway through the trail we stopped at a treacherous campsite at Meat Cove; it was situated on a very steep cliff, the picture makes it look like a rolling hill.

Peggy's Cove, June 10

                                            The Bluenose 2 undergoing repairs in Lunenburg


                                      Erica at the Peggy's cove lighthouse, it was extremely windy.

That day we satarted in Lunenburg where we visited the Bluenose 2 as it was being reapaired from "hogging" Hogging is when the keel loses it's proper shape and sinks in the water as the boat sails. Later we continued on to Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, the most photographed lighthouse in the world due to the unusual setting upon which it sits; rocks.

Halifax

                                                Me steering the sailboat on my birthday


                                     Dad, Mom and cold Erica on the Mar on the Halifax harbour


                                Me and my birthday cake, which we ate at midnight in Lunenburg

We spent my birthday (June 9) in Halifax, which we toured from the harbour on the sailboat the Mar. I was able to hoist a sail and steer the boat for a few minutes.

Prince Edward Island

The Confederation Bridge of P.E.I. and N.B.

                                                        Eeyore the donkey of Avonlea.


                                          The PEI countryside - red dirt! too much iron in the soil

                                           Erica and I being tortured in the old schoolhouse in         
                                           Avonlea. 

                                                      Erica and in front of Province House in P.E.I.



                                              Blossoms  at the Charlottetown harbour


                                                 Anne of Green Gables rasberry cordial

We visited the fictional town of Avonlea, the town in which  Anne of Green Gables resided on the 6th of June.                                  

Sunday 26 June 2011

New Brunswick, June 2-5

                                        The Grand Falls falls, the largest falls in New Brunswick


               Erica and I in front of the worlds largest covered bridge in the world, located in Hartland, NB



Rustana (Rustic Canadiana's nickname) coming out of the covered bridge, Mom, Erica and I had already walked through, so we were able to take the picture.



                                              Erica and I in front of the Fredericton Legislature



                                                             Hopewell rocks at high tide



                                                Erica and I at Hopewell rocks at high tide



        Erica and I waiting near groundhog holes, we didn't see any, ( we only got this close for the picture).




Mom and Dad in Hopwell rocks at low tide, these particular rocks are named Lover's Arch, so named because there have been weddings there.



                                                   Erica and I at Hopwell rocks at low tide



                                                          Hopewell rocks at low tide



               We were lucky to visit Hopewell rocks at the time this Peregrine falcon was nesting her chicks, she was sitting on them at the time, but apparently she has three.




 As we passed through Shediac, we had to pose with the world's largest lobster, that is one of the most uncomfortable positions I have ever been in!

We were in New Brunswick for a total of four days. The first day we did Fredericton. I t is not a large city, we alked around a little, looked at their fairly small Legislature building, and moved on, arriving that night in the Bay of Fundy national park. The next day we went to Alma Beach, and the following day we visited Hopewell rocks, were we got to walk on the sea floor among rock formations. After that we did plenty of driving, our last stop being in Shediac, where we quickly visited a lobster, and then went over the Confederation Bridge into P.E.I.