31 August 2013 Back to Kenisee Lake

Yesterday we traveled from Verona to Lancaster, New York, on the New York Thruway (and toll road) and dry camped at the Lancaster Elks club. The road was generally smooth and trees lined it all the way, broken by farmlands and urban outskirts. The temperature was in the high 80's during the day and in the 70's overnight, all with very high humidity. Sleep was difficult: with no air conditioning, the fans just couldn't keep moving the air through our place. We ate at the (air conditioned) Elks club last night. I had the fish fry dinner (a huge slab of beer-battered haddock), Patrice had a broiled seafood plate (clams, scallops, shrimp and fish fillet) and Jerry and Marge had the pork chop dinner--all very good.

Today we moved from Lancaster to Kenisee Lake RV Resort near Jefferson, Ohio, where we will stay over the Labor Day weekend. The same temperature and humidity stayed with us all day and tonight--but tonight we have 50-amp power and air conditioning in the rig. Life is good! We stayed at this same park over Memorial Day weekend in May this year on our way to the Maritimes.

After backing into our slot, hooking up the electricity and water, Patrice and I went to the Pilot Station out by I-90 to find a replacement trucker's 12-volt electric food cooler--our old one gave up the ghost after three years of heavy use. It's been useful to pack lunches in for our travelling days, and we can pack grocery items in it that need to be refrigerated. We found one in the truckers' equipment area, and also some other useful items--it's kind of fun to shop in the truckers' department.

Dinner was at a place that we had passed that had a sign "Bar and Grill." Didn't expect to find a very nice restaurant with a very classy menu. The restaurant's specialty was its steaks, so I had the New York strip (with gorgonzola and roasted peppers) and Patrice had the flat iron steak accented with a crab and gorgonzola sauce. Both plates had sauteed snap peas for the vegetable. This place was a really great find.

We stopped in Erie, Pennsylvania, today to have some work done on our rig. We met RV technicians George and Christine, a husband-wife team, at the Lowe's parking lot, having called and arranged this stop several days ago. They do mobile repairs to RVs and have a shop in Erie so it was convenient for them to meet at the Lowe's parking lot to get things fixed.

We had used them at the Kenisee Lake campground to make a few minor repairs in May on the way to the Maritimes. This time we had a few more things to fix. The check valve on the shore water intake had failed several weeks ago resulting in extremely low water pressure coming into the rig from shore-water supplies; it also caused water out-flow whenever we used the pump. Then about a week ago the osmosis water canister platform broke loose under the sink, and when it fell it cracked a PVC fitting resulting in a leak under the sink. Luckily Patrice discovered it before the tub under the leak had overflowed.  [We use water filtered through a reverse osmosis system for drinking.] George and Christine installed a new shore-water check valve, reattached the osmosis panel, and installed a new PVC valve (found at Lowe's). They also fixed the osmosis water faucet that had been dripping. We really like the work these folks do and count them as friends--wish they were located in the Palm Springs area.

We still have an electrical problem that may be related to a faulty ground and/or old batteries. In Verona we had troubles getting the slides in and the landing legs up (motors just periodically stopped and hummed). Jerry and I pulled the battery slide trays out and the motors started working again, as if by magic. Later that night we lubricated the slide gears and found one loose battery connection. After tightening all batter connections the slide and landing leg motors seem to be operating okay. Last night two of our fantastic fans failed to work (the third one worked fine). After hooking the rig power cable to the truck they started working again and they are working tonight when hooked to 50-amp shore power. This situation is still a mystery. George and Christine could not find where the 12-volt system is grounded in the rig and mentioned that our batteries show signs of giving out. We will continue on our way and keep a eye peeled for a chance to replace the batteries whenever we can find some. Will have the grounding situation analyzed when we get back to California if not before.

Tonight we will go to sleep on cool clean sheets and plan for tomorrow when it comes.  

29 August 2013 One night in a fabulous park

Our travel today was from Peru to Verona, New York. About 120 miles south on I-87 through some very green wooded hills with some of the leaves just starting to turn. This reminded us of the Blue Ridge Parkway that we traveled years ago, following the leaves down from Maine. After reaching Albany on I-87 we turned west onto the New York Thruway (a toll road) to Verona.

We are parked at the Villages at Turning Stone RV Resort--the top-rated park in New York. The grounds are lovely, with ponds, trees, and lots of groomed green grass. And Canada geese--so there is lots of goose p**p in some areas. Carlos is always interested in the geese and their leavings.

The resort is owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Tribe, as is the Turning Stone Casino nearby, gas station, and other enterprises. We hopped a shuttle to the casino where we had a buffet dinner. Patrice had lots of steamed mussels, surprise, surprise.

Tomorrow, on to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, dry camping in an Elks parking lot (the Labor Day weekend made the pickins slim. Three days in a great park coming up.

28 August 2013 Catch-up day

We all decided against Ausable Chasm visit--private attraction with a hefty admission fee. We've seen lots of great scenery so we passed on this one.

It was a catch-up day for us in Peru, New York. It was hot and humid all day. I washed the truck and RV and Patrice did laundry. Drove up the road to Plattsburgh for groceries in a good ol' American supermarket. Plattsburgh is a college town--lots of little shops and sidewalk cafes.

Back home we fixed hot dogs and beans for dinner, a campfire until the bugs got to us, and ice cream topped off the day. On the road again tomorrow to Verona, New York.

27 August 2013 Back in the USA!

Today we traveled 194 miles from Saint Apollinaire, Quebec, to Peru, New York. Continued on the flat Highway 20 in Quebec to Highway 30 around Montreal, and then Highway 15 to the New York border. Passing through customs was a piece of cake--no questions other than "When did you enter Canada?" and "What did you bring back with you from Canada." Pleasant young US Customs agent--a grand welcome back to the USA!

We really had a great time in the Maritimes and are sad to leave them; however, it sure felt good to leave Quebec. We don't care to visit there again. The road signs and advertising were in French right up to the last foot before the border. Even directional signs in the construction zones were in French, with no English translation--thankfully, we guessed right most of the time, or followed someone who knew what they were doing. After the friendliness and courtesy that we've found in the maritime provinces, it was a bit of a shock to find Quebec so different.

After setting up in the Iroquois Campground and RV Park in Peru, we drove back north 11 miles to Plattsburgh where we ate dinner at Gus' Restaurant. Had to try the Michigan Red Hot as suggested by our good friend Russ. It was all he had promised--great! The restaurant was a clean family place, with a wonderful home cooking-type menu. We scheduled two nights here--tomorrow a visit to Ausable Chasm (pronounced ah-SABLE).

We made a post for August 21 last night. Still trying to catch our blog up.

26 August 2013 Saint Apollinaire

We moved our rigs 255 miles from St. Leonard, New Brunswick, to the Domaine de la Chute Campground near Saint Apollinaire, Quebec, this rainy Monday. The Trans Canada Highway ran up and down major hills in New Brunswick and flat road through farmlands along the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Some heavy-duty construction was taking place just across the border between the provinces for about 30 miles--huge clearing for new roads, massive culverts and freeway bridges, blasting out road cuts--very slow and rough. 

Once we got into Quebec all the road signs and instructions on the gas pumps were in French only. It made us feel unwelcome in the province, "Stay away if you don't speak French." Some of the road signs were confusing with no English translation. Most of the people we did business with today acted as if they could only speak French, but then they would speak English if they had to get the transaction done. It would be good for business to cater a bit to the English speakers--the official languages of Canada are French and English. It will be good to leave Quebec and get back into the good old US of A!

Tomorrow we enter New York just north of Champlain. Not looking forward to the US customs at the border crossing because we are not sure of the restrictions. The internet source was not clear on the matter. We will just go through, declare everything, and they will tell us what to do.

We have posted on our blog for August 21, still catching up. 

25 August 2013 Moncton to St Leonard

Moncton to Saint Leonard, New Brunswick, was 225 miles of the best highways we've driven in the Maritimes--few bumps and no potholes. We saw mostly forested lands, and the road went through some dramatic rock cuts along the lovely Bear Valley Scenic Drive. Agricultural land (potatoes and corn) showed near the towns and settlements and we caught glimpses of the Bear River and ponds. There were signs that New Brunswick may compete with Prince Edward Island in the potato industry: World Potato Museum; Covered Bridge Potato Chips (World's longest covered bridge in Hartland); Florenceville-Bristol - French Fry Capitol of the World; St. Andre - Potato Country.

We're overnight at the Grande Riviere Campground and didn't even unhitch for the night, only used electricity, had dinner with Jerry and Marge outdoors at the picnic table. No mosquitoes! What a lovely day this was for traveling.

Found a small leak under our sink this morning. A small platform holding our reverse osmosis cartridge came loose, fell down and split a small plastic fitting. Hope we can get this repaired in Jefferson, Ohio, by the same technician who worked on our rig on the way to the Maritimes in May. In the meantime we will catch the drips in a tub and carry on.

Tomorrow we leave New Brunswick and head to Saint Apollinaire, Quebec, for our last day in Canada.  

24 August 2013 In Moncton, New Brunswick

Yesterday, August 23, we traveled from the Green Park Provincial Park near Port Hill, PEI, to the Camper City RV park here in Moncton, New Brunswick. We stopped at the Gateway Village and Information Center just before crossing the 8-mile-long Confederation Bridge linking PEI with New Brunswick. Here we had one last Cow's ice cream (sob! it's so good!) and bought a few last-minute souvenirs. The bridge is still magnificent and we had some sad feeling about leaving this beautiful and peaceful island.

After we got in and set up at our park here in Moncton, Patrice and I went to dinner at Montana's--I craved (crove?) some baby back ribs. The menu called the ribs I ordered "back ribs" and they were excellent. Patrice had an apple walnut salad with shrimp skewers and pot-roast soup. They were great tasting when they arrived, but it took forever! They knew it, and deducted 40 percent from the tab because we waited so long--without us asking. We really appreciated that.

Today, Friday, was a take-care-of-business day in Mocton, New Brunswick. I got an oil change and tire rotation done this morning at Walmart and did some grocery and equipment shopping at the Atlantic Superstore, Costco, and The Source (old Radio Shack). Patrice did laundry while making potato salad (to use those great PEI potatoes that will not be allowed into the states). We made some RV park reservations for both rigs for the next few days--difficult because of the Labor Day weekend. We will dry camp Friday at the Elks Club in Lancaster, New York, and we were able to get into the Kenisee Lake RV Park in Jefferson, Ohio. We met Jerry and Marge there in May, and started our trip to the Maritimes with them.

Tomorrow on to St. Leonard NB.

22 August 2013 Potato Museum and more

Today we left the rigs at the park at 9:30 to explore the far western end of the Prince Edward Island. Our first stop was The Quilt Gallery in O'Leary. It is a huge shop, full of all the stuff one needs for quilting, as well as yarns, fleece, sewing machines, paints, and scrapbooking supplies. The best part of this shop was a room with more than a hundred finished quilts for sale, in all sizes and color combinations, hand and machine pieced and quilted (none were tied), some hand embroidered--works of art all of them, worth contemplating and admiring. Amazing the hours and hours of work in that shop.

The Canadian Potato Museum was nearby. The history of the potato and the potato industry in PEI is presented in very thorough interpretive displays and videos. One display shows the various types of potatoes being grown in PEI, including Kennibeck, Chieftan, and Red Pontiac, brands that I planted in our garden in Iowa as a kid. Dad bought the seed potatoes, and we spent hours cutting them for planting, into about six pieces, each with two eyes--Dad insisted each piece have two eyes.

The history of the potato is interesting in itself. It was introduced to Europe by explorers to South America who found that potatoes could be dried, transported easily, and used as food for the sailors, and to prevent scurvy. Potatoes were mostly fed to cattle and pigs, and were slow to catch on as a food crop, probably because potatoes sounded like "tomatoes," which they considered poisonous. The natives that worked in the mines at Patosi (Peru) were found to be unusually healthy for such hard work and such long times spent underground--because of eating dried potatoes. At Fortress Louisberg where we ate an authentic meal for the time period, we were told not to expect potatoes on the menu because they hadn't be introduced in the colonies yet. [They did, however, carry authentic credit card machines.]

A display of at least 25 potatoes with various diseases discusses how these diseases have been eradicated or controlled. Premium brands of potato plantings (slices with at least two eyes) have been developed at least two major farms in PEI--one brand is Elite, and we drove by their production facilities. The Canadian government tests and regulates the production and marketing of new brands of potatoes, and development to production can take 10 years. Just like learning in depth about any agricultural industry, it is amazing and interesting the time, energy, and money used over the years to perfect all parts of the process of producing all the potatoes that we eat in North America.

In a new 7,000 square foot addition to the museum, machinery that has been used through time to plant, fertilize, spray, and harvest the potatoes is displayed alongside farm machines that have been used for other PEI crops of wheat, corn, and hay. On the way out we purchased some potato fudge--yum, yum!

Patrice at the Canadian Potato Museum

 Historic tractor and potato digger

 Machine shop with potato cultivating equipment

Historic threshing machine

We ate our picnic lunch at the museum and then motored on south and west to visit the West Point Lighthouse, boardwalk and beach. The Lighthouse was built in 1875 and is the tallest (67 feet-8 inches) one on PEI. It was electrified in 1963 and only 2 keepers had been assigned to it during its 88 years of operations before then. The black stripes were red until 1915. The lighthouse is now owned by a private company and it houses an inn, restaurant, and museum.

West Point Lighthouse

A boardwalk on the 8-foot-high sand dune that has built up between the lighthouse and the beach-- its several kilometer red sand beach was packed with swimmers and sun bathers. Marge loves to get her toes in the sand.

 

Marge and Jerry on the West Point Beach

We then turned north and followed the coast all the way up to North Point. We passed the West Cape red cliffs and stopped at Skinner's Pond where we walked on the long red sand beach. Marge found some sea glass at this beach.

At North Point we took pictures of the lighthouse and the two-kilometer long reef offshore. It's the longest natural rock reef in North America. At low tide, you can walk out on the reef and see the tidal pools and sea creatures. Unfortunately, low tide was at 1:00 am, and we didn't stick round. We did see that the part of the reef above water was full of cormorants and seagulls, and seals swimming in the water nearby.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1865 and is one of forty active lighthouses on PEI--no tours, and no public access for this one. It was constructed to warn ships of the reef that separates the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait. Before the lighthouse was built the locals would light fires to warn ships because the reef was so dangerous. Part of the bargain PEI made with the Canada for joining the Confederation was the construction of the North Point Lighthouse.

We got our Point-to-Point Certificate documenting that we visited both the East Point and North Point Lighthouses. A large wind turban field (windmills) has been installed on North Point and in several fields along the west coast. Marge and Jerry feel that the wind farm and the building housing the gift shop, restaurant, and wind power interpretive center detract from the ambiance of the lighthouse and surrounding natural area.

North Cape Lighthouse

North Cape red shore and reef 

North Cape Reef 

Fishing boat crossing North Cape reef

Gulls are following boat loaded with fish

We drove on the east side of the point toward home and stopped at Jude's Point. There were fishing boats docked at three distinct harbor facilities there, and those boats form Canada's largest Atlantic fishing fleet.

Finally on the the last leg of today's trip I found this potato field in bloom with the ocean in the background. I had been hunting for the perfect shot and finally found it.

PEI potatoes in bloom

For our last supper on PEI we cooked some potatoes and sweet corn purchased at one of the many roadside stands. These stands operate on the honor system, i.e., you make your selection and deposit your money in a box. It was a great dinner--all the corn was eaten, and we split what was left of the famous PEI potatoes.

21 August 2013 Alpacas and SE North Cape Scenic Drive

Today we set out to explore the southeastern part of the North Cape Scenic Drive.

[Patrice writing.] Not far from our park was an Green Galbles Alpaca Farm at Birch Hill. We had driven by it on the way in to the park--I saw babies from the road, and had to go see them up close. To me, alpacas look like cute llamas--longer necks, smaller bodies, dainty legs, fluffy faces with nubby noses--and that describes the adults. The babies are way beyond cute.

This was a momma-baby group, and the adults had been sheared in May. A professional alpaca shearer makes the animals look like they have had salon haircuts, where if the owners did the shearing, the animals might not look so well groomed.

Sean was the daughter's boyfriend, and very much into the family business, knew all the particulars about alpaca care and wool processing. The owner Janice came out and let us into the pen with the group, and Sean even held a baby for us so we could pet her exquisitely soft wool.

Momma and baby

The male alpacas were in a pen on the other side of the barn--a couple were high quality animals that were studded out quite often, and the sires of several of the babies we saw. Sean talked about the shows that the alpacas have been entered in, and an impressive number of championship ribbons lined the walls of the gift shop.

Twins about two months old

A dust nap

The Girls (see the one head in the middle above the rest)

Munchies

[Patrice ends her bit.]

On the way we passed this beautiful St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church. Churches dot the countryside--Anglican, Roman Catholic, United, Presbyterian. We've seen one Pentecostal in PEI--there were many in Newfoundland. Catholic churches came with the French, Presbyterian with the Scotts, and of course Anglican with the English. Churches held the communities together, and their history wove the cultures.

We visited Summerside again (where we watched the Highland Storm Show) to visit the Bishop Machine Shop Museum. The building that survives was one of a set of complex wooden buildings established in 1876 that housed the foundry and machine shop. Ship and mill castings, ploughs, and farm implements were made at this facility. In 1934 the it was split into a separate foundry and machine shop. Several belt-driven lathes, saws, and milling machines are on display here. The belts were attached to a motor that made the machines work. The setup reminds me of the belts attached to  a motor that ran the cement mixer in my dad's shop in Nashua, Iowa.

Bishop Machine Shop

After the museum we shopped at Sobey's (large grocery store chain in the Maritimes) and then drove west of Summerside on the beach road to Cap (French for "cape") Egmont. The West Point lighthouse is located in the Cedar Dunes Provincial Park near Cap Egmont.

West Point Lighthouse

As we walked out to the cliffs of West Point we found this eroded rock standing about 50 feet off shore. It was about 20 feet high and 30 feet long.

From this side you can't see the hole

Much more interesting and dramatic

Driving north from Cap Egmont we found the quilt shop at the Abram's Village Handicraft Co-op. This shop has operated for 44 years and displays many quilts, hand-pieced and hand-quilted. Other Acadian crafts for sale included woodworking, pottery, knitted and crocheted items, paintings, and hand-hooked mats.

After exploring the coast some more we drove across the peninsula toward home and ate dinner at Kenny's in Ellerslie. Patrice and I had "newfies" (french fries covered in turkey pieces with dressing and gravy and peas). Too much heavy food! This competed our day of site-seeing--we bought some gas and went home to the mosquitoes and our rigs.

20 August 2013 On the West side of PEI

Today we moved our rigs from Brackley Beach to the Green Park Provincial Park near Port Hill western one third of Prince Edward Island, in Prince's County. This is a nice park aside from being mosquito infested! Have never seen anything like it--they attack whenever we get out of the truck or enter the rig, follow us in and we struggle to get the little buggers before they get us some more. This is the first time in the Maritimes that we have had trouble with mosquitoes--they're out in hoards! We will be camped here three or four nights.

Our registration at the park here was taken by a very young man, and Patrice was curious and questioned him. The boy was 13 years old and his family is in the second year of a five-year lease on the campground. The Province does not run the park, the family does. Chandler (the boy's name) acknowledged that if the province were in charge, there would be no way that he would be managing the reception station. The day use area of the park--the beach, a mansion and a museum nearby--are operated and maintained as a provincial park.

After setting up and extinguishing mosquitoes inside the rigs, we drove about 25 miles south to Summerside to see the Highland Storm Show. The show is a summer production by the Piping College of Prince Edward Island  in Summerside. Each year the selection and arrangement of music is done by the collaboration of the music director, musicians and choreographers, to put together the show and present it to the public.

Five pipers (bagpipes) anchored the music, twelve dancers perform step and highland dances, and drummers provided the beat on their snare drums, and in some cases on plastic barrels, a hollow log, and a 3-inch PVC pipe. Most of the musicians were multi-talented, and doubled as singers and switching parts in the accompanying small band. A soloist sang several traditional highland tunes, wonderful voice, and a young fiddler accompanied her along with the band--he had a few fiddling solos himself. The bass drummer was the showpiece--he moved with the beat of the music, and carried his drum with artistic expression--he was in most of the sets. The drumsticks he used were muffled with white fur and the beats were perfectly matched to the music. He was fun to watch.

Routines that mixed all of the dancers, musicians, and drummers were so much fun. The bagpipers and the drummers were non-smiling throughout; I was told that it was the concentration needed that made them so serious. All the movements of the musicians on the stage were precisely choreographed--entrances, exits, group placements, and solos.

One musical skit was called "Dueling Bagpipes," where two pipers vied for the attentions of a young dancer. The two made their instruments do complicated and lovely tunes, and even played the "Dueling Banjos" notes, and started shoving at one another. One of them even went offstage and came back wearing one of those showy feathered big black hats you see when highland bands are marching in parades! In the end the banjo player came onstage and played a few simple notes, and the lady ran off with him!

The music and drumming combined with the dancing was mesmerizing. Patrice could hardly sit still. We had no cameras with us, so no pictures. It was an experience that could hardly be captured on film anyway. It was a high-energy, thoughtful, and exciting show. We didn't want it to end--it was so much fun!

Marge and Jerry attended this show 12 years ago and they said it was nothing like it is now--it is so much better.

Tomorrow we drive around the western shores of PEI.

19 August 2013 PEI Nat. Pk. and Ceilidh

It only took two miles of driving north of our campground to enter Prince Edward Island National Park, a narrow strip of land located mid-Island on the north shore of PEI. The second 10-mile part of the park near Cavendish is to the west, and the third, 5-mile part is just to the east. We visited the western part yesterday and the eastern part last week. Where we drove today has large and active sand dunes next to the shore; trees line the road just outside of the dunes. Large sandy beaches all along the shore attract many swimmers and sun-bathers during the summer, especially on the weekends. Many group of cottages for rent are near all the beaches--one couple has been renting in the same cottages for over 13 years, the month of July.

Bicycling and hiking is popular in the park--there are many marked trails. We ate a picnic lunch near the beach.

We visited Dalvay-by-the-Sea, a hotel and National Historic Site. This large, and ornate building was once the summer home of Alexander MacDonald, a partner of John D. Rockefeller.

Dalvay-by-the-Sea

Jerry inspecting the information plaque

This home was built in 1895 and features a large cedar main entry and an elegant stone fireplace.

We looked around the interior of the of the main floor. This print of a painting is over the fireplace in the restaurant. The "mark" on the belly of the horse is a reflection of a light fixture--the finish was highly reflective. We asked what kind of horse it was, and the waiter didn't remember, although he said it was a show horse from an all-white breed.

This lighthouse is owned and maintained by Parks Canada.

Covehead Bay Lighthouse

Patrice and I left the park and drove back north to North Rustico where she visited a craft shop we had missed on an earlier trip. Later we drove about five miles west and ate dinner at the eclectic "The Pearl Cafe."  It's in an older house, and the downstairs living area has tables for dinner. Lots of modern paintings, unusual art pieces, large plants, lamps on the tables--cozy and elegant. Our dinners were wonderful. We started with a halibut and lobster bisque with pieces of lobster added. I had seared scallops and lime cream mussels for an entree, highly seasoned "smashed" new potatoes, string beans (a type I didn't recognize, but wonderful), cooked greens, and mango chutney. Patrice ordered "goat cheese polenta, marsala creamed chantrelles (mushrooms), tomato jam, arugula cashew pesto, soleil and weedy garden greens." All the food looked appetizing and the flavors were sharp, unusual and blended well. It was a meal to savor every bite. Probably the best one we've had, anywhere.

This evening we all attended Cynthia MacLeod's Ceilidh held in the Brackley Beach Community Center. A ceilidh (pronounced KAY-lee) is a traditional Gaelic songfest. Cynthia played the fiddle with passion and personality--the woman is having fun, and the audience clapped and stomped along with her! She was accompanied by a well-known guitarist and singer, Gordon Belsher, and a young man on the tenor saxophone who is Gordon's son-in-law. A young lady did some "step dancing." This was an informal high-energy show enjoyed by the audience of about 100 people, some locals, others from the eastern provinces and a few from the US. We had a great time!

Tomorrow we move to western PEI to conclude our visit to this awesome island.

18 August 2013 Charlottetown

Today we visited Charlottetown, driving 15 miles south of our RV park into the city of about 32,000 people, the capitol city of Prince Edward Island. Peake's Wharf is at the southern end of the city--lots of eateries, shops and a boat launch--one of the major tourist areas of Charlottetown.

The most popular place on the wharf is the original "Cows" ice cream shop. Cows, Prince Edward Island is said to be the world's Number One place to eat ice cream; "Hot Licks" in Fairbanks, Alaska, is Number 7; and Ben and Jerry's in Vermont is Number 10. Having 16 per cent butter fat is a good reason, besides the wonderful flavors, that it tastes so good. Of course, we had to have some, at this location, at the upper town location, and also at the Cavendish location a few times. Cows also sells T-shirts, cheese, chocolates, and all kinds of cow-related souvenirs. Black-and-white cows. Holstein cows. Couldn't resist, the place is so much fun.

Marge, Jerry, and I visited the Province House National Historic Site while Patrice did some shopping. This facility was built in 1847 and was the first site where details of the Canadian Confederation were hammered out in 1864. PEI legislators began meeting in the Legislative Assembly in 1847 and still meet there today.

Province House

Erected to commemorate "The Great War"

World War II and the Korean War carved into the base 

 Legislative Assembly in Province House

27 Members

Mace in Legislative Assembly

The Mace is a symbol of authority for the Speaker

Site of Confederation Meeting

  

Next we visited the ornate and beautiful St. Dunstan's Basilica. It is a prime example of the high Victorian gothic style of architecture, built between 1897 and 1907, severely damaged by fire in 1913, rebuilt, and consecrated in 1929.

St. Dunstan's Basilica

  

We all met up again, looked at some art and craft shops on Victoria Street, ate some more ice cream at the uptown Cows, did some grocery shopping at Sobeys, and returned home.

Marge and Jerry fixed us a spaghetti dinner, we drank some wine, watched the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and finished off the evening with some of that strawberry/rhubarb pie.

16 August 2013 Green Gables and west

Our main objective today was the Cavendish home of the fictional character of Anne of Green Gables near Cavendish. Lucy Maud Montgomery published "Anne of Green Gables" in 1908, the first of 28 novels she wrote. It was an instant success. The setting of the book is based on Montgomery's memories of her life growing up her grandparent's farm nearby. She spent a lot of time roaming the woods and paths of the farm, and also knew the children of the house. Patrice read many of the novels when she was in school.

The Green Gables Heritage Place is part of L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site of Canada. At the visitor's center we watched a video telling us about the author and the books.

We toured the Green Gables house. It sits amid lovely flower and vegetable gardens, and the day was sunny and warm.

 Green Gables

The house is meticulously furnished with items used during the period and the rooms are arranged as described in the books.

Green Gables wood cooking stove

There was actually a fireplace in the home that was used for heating.

 Notice the chamber pot under the bed--authenticity!

Geraniums on the kitchen windowsill

 Anne's bedroom

We took the one-kilometer "Lover's Lane" hike. It was a cow path, but Montgomery thought it was a romantic setting, and called it that. It was pleasant along a creek and several panels explained the trees, wild plants, and birds, along with quotes from Montgomery's journals that told how much she loved the natural world around her.

The Queen Ann's Lace is shedding petals

now and preparing for fall

Ferns

 Wild non-edible berries

Along the creek 

Carlos went with us on the hike--he was allowed on the grounds, but not in any of the buildings. He was one tuckered puppy when we got back to the car. He laid down on the warm road and here I'm playfully tugging on his harness, and he doesn't respond. I had to lift him into the truck--he's done this a couple times before, and we get a good laugh out of it. We ate our picnic lunch at a shady table nearby; by that time he was ready for his cheese snack and some water. And we were on our way again.

"Westward Ho" in search of more lighthouses! We found this one on London Bay near French River. Built in 1876, it has been abandoned and not opened as a tourist site.

London Bay Lighthouse

We drove west to Darnley and found the Malpeque Outer Range Rear Lighthouse. This lighthouse is located in the middle of a farmer's field, has been abandoned, and is not open to the public. It is in disrepair and will likely be left to the elements. What an amazing site to come upon! 

Malpeque Outer Range Rear Lighthouse

The Malpeque Outer Range Front Lighthouse is located about 2 miles east in a cottage subdivision. It is not open to the public and we do not know of its condition. We could see the top of it from a the road where we saw the other Malpeque lighthouse. There was a beautiful beach located near this lighthouse and is obviously a favorite of the locals.

We drove on west to the Cabot Beach Provincial Park near Malpeque. The lady at the gate of the campground told us where to go to see the Malpeque Harbor Approach Light. We could see it on the tip of Fish Island, a structure on stilts, looking like a rocket ready to launch. This concluded our lighthouse hunt for the day. As we left the Malpeque area Patrice caught sight of this beautiful heron on a roadside pond.

As we headed back to the campground, the map had showed us a couple of PEI "Scenic Heritage Drives."  The first 4.5 kilometer road is called "County Line Road" and it begins near Darnley and ends at Irishtown. This one-lane red dirt road is carved several feet down into the landscape and the overhead canopy is so thick that we felt we were driving in a tunnel. That is until we got to the top of the hill where the vistas into the valley ahead were breathtaking. We could see that the bottom of the valley was surrounded by gentle hills--the farmed fields of potatoes, corn, wheat, and soy beans were generally square and surrounded by lush vegetation and small trees. Neat houses, barns, and churches dotted the fields and skyline. This scene is very common in PEI. The road itself was historically used by rum-runners who transported their cargo to the town of Kensington.

We turned east two kilometers and drove to Irishtown where we turned south on to the "Millman Road." A beautiful Anglican Church in Irishtown was constructed in 1855. The short two-kilometer Heritage Road was one of the first roads so designated in PEI. It is more narrow than the  "County Line Road" and more deeply cut into the landscape. It is lined with hardwoods, softwoods, and apple trees, again making a lovely canopy. At the end of the road we came upon a water wheel just sitting beside a stone wall. We thought "what the heck" and a few feet further and we were amazed and curious.

In the yard of a beautiful house we saw a stone replica of an ornate cathedral, and saw several other small buildings. After driving by this yard several times and not seeing any signs about this area, I got up the nerve to knock on the door of the house and ask what we were seeing. 

A gentleman and his daughter answered the door and explained that construction of the replicas on the grounds began in 1945 by Colonel Johnstone, a World War I veteran, and his son Archibald, a World War II veteran. This 25-acre park called Woodleigh's Replicas was opened to the public in 1957 and became a popular attraction. Buses full of tourists toured the place. Ill health of the last owners and diminished public attendance at the facility resulted in the Province foreclosing on a mortgage and the property being offered for sale. It was closed in 2008, and it is still for sale.     

The replicas constructed in the park were all models of famous United Kingdom landmarks, including St. Paul's Cathedral, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shakespeare's birthplace, The Old Curiosity Shop, Dunvegan Castle, The Tower of London, and several others. We were invited to tour the grounds but told we could not enter any of the buildings. The first replica we investigated was a stone and tin model of Yorkminster Abby in the front yard of the park. It was about 20 feet long, 8 feet wide and high. Lights had originally been installed in the model and we could see that it had fallen into disrepair. We could see the colored glass used in the windows with the sun shining through.

All of the replicas are in need of major restoration and TLC--the wooden replicas are in the worst shape--the wood waterlogged and the paint nearly gone. The gardens that are left are well-tended, but the walls are cracked and sagging. Water is no longer in the moat around Dunvegan Castle, and there is not longer a pond around the island, only a damp marshy area, with the cattails and grasses overgrown.

York Minster Abby Replica

Other replicas we observed in the front yard were models of St. Giles Church, and the 12th Century Manor at Stoke Poges. Both models were about 6 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 3 feet high. In a field directly behind the front yard stood several much larger replicas. The model of Dunvegan Castle was about 100 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 30 feet high. Three wooden replicas had been erected in this area and the one we could identify was St. Paul's Cathedral. This model was the same size as Dunvegan Castle.

St. Paul's Cathedral Replica

The Tower of London replica was about 200 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 30 feet high. The inner building of the Tower, White Tower, was about 75 square feet and 40 feet high. The stones used in the construction were much larger and the features of the building were amazingly detailed.

The Tower of London Replica

White Tower of the Tower of London Replica

Patrice investigated two stone bridges even further back of this area and found that one led to an island. She also found dilapidated picnic tables and playground equipment including a basketball court, swings, jungle gym, and this slide structure. It was lopsided and failing also.

On the way out of the park we found this stockade near Dunvegan Castle.

Online we found many images of this park when it was popular and kept up. There were wonderful flower gardens all around the grounds, and a labyrinth was mentioned in some of the postcards. The people that I spoke with said that they were trying to buy the place, and there is a facebook page called "Save the Woodleigh Replicas." This place was an amazing discovery, and we hope the property gets bought and the replicas restored.

We then drove to Cavendish and had supper at a beer pub and eatery called The Sandbox. Patrice had the best seafood chowder ever and I had a beer and burger. After supper we drove back west about two miles to Cavendish and had some "Cows" ice cream. The choice flavors was fun--I had Moo Henry and orange pineapple and Patrice had Moo Henry and Cow Crunch. Tee-shirts and many other items are sold with black-and-white cow decorations, and there's always a line to oder ice cream cones. Cows ice cream in PEI is equivalent to Ben and Jerry's in the States. It's known by other names in other countries, and is said to be the best ice cream in the world. We thought so.

Heading east toward our campground, we drove through Prince Edward Island National Park, Cavendish, and in addition to the stunning ocean and red rock cliffs we encountered this little fox. He was in the middle of the road and not about to leave, getting lots of attention from the couple of cars that stopped to watch him. The only way we figure that he was able to appear without being nervous is that it was getting on to sunset, the traffic was very light, and there were no bikes on the bicycle path. Beautiful little thing.

We were so fortunate to end our day with such an enchanting encounter.!