Whale Watching

This was definitely at the top of everyone’s favorites list – the highlight of our vacation, I think. We took a whale cruise out on the Gulf of St Lawrence. A seal came up close and personal to say hello, and then a pod of about 15 pilot whales, including a couple of babies only 2 weeks old. Thrilling! We also saw 5 or 6 bald eagles.

More Vacation Pictures

Here are some photos taken in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (Fundy National Park and Cape Breton National Park) Enjoy!Plenty of trails to hike along -- R was mostly determined to climb the hills herself, but once in a while those little legs would near give out and she would have to accept some help from old Mom!

The children were thrilled with all the treasure they found at low tide. They were very interested in the barnacles and snails that were still attached to the rocks. R was quite offended they wouldn't move out of her way, she kept busy swiping them off and away. E kept busy 'rescuing' as many as possible, moving them to puddles left behind.

Dickson Falls - Gorgeous! The Boardwalks were so nice, made some of the hiking easier, but added to the view as well.

And the ocean is, well, BIG!

L and C had fun racing the waves and the tide -- more than once I thought they'd end up in the ocean!

And, then there were the colors -- it was as though the Lord had painted them on His canvas just for us.

On the Road again!

Oct 9 –

We were able to stop and meet another of my MOMYS friend (hi Neysha!) before crossing the border again. She and her family met us at a nearby park where we had a quick picnic lunch and the children could run off their pent up energy. She was very sweet (I knew she would be!) and we enjoyed visiting with her and her dh about country living, gardening, canning, etc. Again, our visit was much too short.

We then had a short wait at the border (we are amazed at the long line of cars and buses waiting to get through) But once at the gate, we didn’t even have to show our papers -- then on to the Bay of Fundy – magnificent views, gorgeous weather, and the colors are still spectacular. Our rock hounds filled their pockets and packs, our hikers had a good workout, and the family photographers kept their cameras snapping.

Our statistics, to date (Oct 11) :
8 days on the road
7 US States
4 Canadian Provinces
2,087 miles
5 campgrounds
5 sunny days
2 misty days
Temperature range 60 hi to 45 low
30 different state license plates
8 different canadian license plates
2 bandaids applied
A drawer full of souvenirs
And a couple hundred rocks

We are really enjoying our tour of eastern Canada. We especially have enjoyed the unique character and personality of each province.

Canada in the Fall

Oct 8 -

We’ve had almost no opportunity so far to access internet, but we are on the road and doing fine. No major glitches (of course there are always minor ones, but won’t mention those, hee hee). The Fall colors are coming on late this year. We are seeing some yellows, and just a bit of red here and there.

First night we stayed at a lovely camping spot in central Michigan. Gorgeous weather! On second day, we crossed the border into Canada – stopped to meet one of my MOMYS and her family. We just had time for a short visit – it would have been nice to spend a whole day with them. I’m afraid we kind of ‘whooshed’ in and ‘whooshed’ out. Our children (they have 5) all enjoyed playing together – I felt so bad pulling them away. Another time, Lord willing!

That night we found a campsite not too far from Niagara (Canadian side). We set up camp and played on the playground and had supper. Third day on the road we took in breathtaking views of the Niagara Falls. WOW definitely shows the awesome power of our Creator.

After a couple of hours and many photo opportunities, we headed up to tour the Historic Fort George. This is the fort across the river/border from the from Fort Niagara. It was very interesting, a highlight for everyone in the family. Our tour guide was dressed in period costume (1790), and gave us a good picture of what life for a soldier during the War of 1812 was like. We were able to tour the barracks, officers quarters, the 300 year old stone building specially built to house ammunition, even an underground tunnel that lead to an octagonal lookout tower. There was plenty more to see – you’ll have to wait to see our pictures!