Day 1 - Dec 1, 2005 - Getting there from Quito Ecuador

Today was a big travel day. After having breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, we took off for the airport at 6:45 am. The drive was only about 20 minutes but our GAP representative had to direct us to have our bags x-rayed, tagged and then checked in. We were told we could only check in 7kg of baggage but I think everyone went a little bit over. Kirsten and my baggage alone was 40kg plus our day packs.

I think the main reason for the limit was not the airline but rather how we were to get to our boat and the storage capacity on the boat touring us around the Galapagos Islands. We waited over an hour at the airport before our flight boarded. Our AeroGal flight then left for Guayaquil (1 hour) on the West Coast of Ecuador where we deplaned and waited another half hour before boarding and flying 2.5 hours to the Galapagos island of Baltra. Baltra is separated from the main island of Santa Cruz by a narrow strip of water. After waiting an hour (and visiting the airport shops) we finally caught a 5 minute bus ride to a straight of water between the two islands. Here the water was the most amazing turquoise blue colour that reminded me of the ultimate postcard ocean picture.

We motored across with our luggage for the 5 minute boat ride and then caught another bus which took us through the south arrow straight road to the centre of the island. At first the island was barren and dry, but as we approached the higher altitude in the centre of the island, it became lush and green. This continued as we headed East the rest of the 45 minute bus ride until just before we reached the main city of Puerto Ayora. 5 minutes from town we transfered to some pickup trucks that took us the final bit to the boat dock where we boarded a Palapa boat which took us and our luggage to our main boat for the next 5 days.

We were a bit exhausted by the time we completed this day long trip around 2 pm so we enjoyed a lunch on board before our first Galapagos excursion.

The Pte. Ayora harbour was filled with dozens of boats of varying sizes. The most amazing part of it was once again the turquoise blue water throughout the entire harbour. Overhead were dozens of blue foot boobies that would fly around and then from 50+ feet in the air they would dive straight down into the water like a torpedo. Within seconds they were again at the surface of the water gulping down their prized fish. It was an amazing site to see these kamikaze like birds diving straight down from such a height.

Around 3 pm we boarded a small boat for the Charles Darwin research centre. Here we had our first look at the local wildlife. On the dock where our boat dropped us off, we were greeted by seals and a few enormous and ugly looking iguanas. They just sat there ignoring us as we snapped a few photos of them laying lazily in the hot sun.

We then walked about 5 more minutes to the Darwin Research Center looking at lizards and cacti along the way. Once at the centre we had a look at the variety of displays which talked about the Galapagos Islands and noted the degrees to which a number of the species were endangered or extinct. It also described the types of introduced species such as goats, dogs, cats, pigs and rats that have negatively impacted some of the islands and how they have been able to eradicate some of these introduced species from some of the islands.

The rest of the research centre seemed to be dedicated mostly to turtles and a few iguanas. We were able to get up close to a number of gigantic turtles that were over 150 years old. It was explained that turtles always keep growing. There is one turtle called George who is the last of his kind. They have tried mating him with other breeds of turtles for over 30 years without any luck. We also saw where they are raising turtles to the age of 3 to 5 years old before releasing them into the wild with a strong shell (before that the shells are too soft and open to predators). They had a variety of turtles in varying sizes with numbers painted on their shells so that the island they came from could be identified.

Following the tour of the centre we had an opportunity to walk slowly back through the town to where we would catch a panga back to our boat. We had 1.5 hours to look at the shops, collect souvenirs, and experience the flavour of the Galapagos people in the city of Pte Ayora.
In the evening we had a delicious dinner before retiring to bed early.


Day 2 - Dec 2, 2005 – Travel to a New Island

Our second day and first full day on the Galapagos Islands was filled with what these islands are all about. Birds, Animals and Geological wonders. Up at 6, breakfast at 7, out on the Pangas (small boats) by 8am. Our day started with a visit to North Seymour Island. It was a dry landing as we motored out to a natural rock outcropping and each of us hopped off of the boat directly onto the rock wall. Waiting for us were some seals who were sunning themselves on the rocks. The seals were everywhere along the coastline. The main reason however for visiting the island was t get a closer look at the different types of frigate birds that nest on this island. We wandered around making sure to stay along the designated path marked by the frequent double white posts that indicated the left and right sides to the trail. This is done so that people do not step on nests or wander aimlessly through the islands.

Along our hour and a half walk, we had many chances to see the baby frigates in their nests (for two years until they loose their white baby fluff they are fed and cared for by their mother). We also saw a few male frigates inflate the red pouch under their necks to attract their female counterparts. This was not as common this time of year as it was not the traditional mating season. Many of the nests where these birds were congregating were within four feet of the trail we were walking on. It was amazing to come so close to these animals. After passing through the centre of the island, we skirted the edge of the water where we saw more seals surfing in the water, lizards and an iguana strangely in a bush next to a baby frigate bird.

Our first full island visit was complete and so we returned to our boat to get changed for our snorkeling or scuba diving experience. Along the coastline of this island. I chose to do the scuba diving and so I slid into my wet suit and booties, snapped on a weight belt and selected a mask, snorkel, fins and tank for the upcoming dive. We motored out on a panga to a site close to where two other dive boats had gone, put on our tanks and fins before flopping over backwards off of the little boat.

The sea-life was more varied than I had ever seen before. On this dive, the current carried us halfway around the island so we had very little paddling to do. Among the sea-life we saw were plenty of colourful yellow fish, sharks, giant starfish and a swimming sea turtle. It was eerie to be under the water to see the life of these islands from such a different perspective. It was quite fun as well to coast along the shoreline in the steady currents to enjoy the sea-life below.

After 35 minutes underwater I popped up to the surface with one of the other divers to see the panga only a few feet away. He had been following us. The panga driver helped us take off our gear before we flopped into the boat like one of the seals we had watched earlier in the day. We met up with the main boat on the other side of the island as we had coasted so far and the others had finished snorkeling. We were then on our way to Sombrero Chino (3 hours away) while we had lunch and caught a bit of an afternoon siesta.

The nap was a special treat and the second one I remember taking since I started my 2 week trip. It was much needed after being on the GO nonstop. I woke up in the afternoon to see the most picture perfect white sand beach outside my bedroom porthole. The beach was surrounded by lava rock and had a small white sand patch of beach where dozens of seals would congregate. This was our first wet landing and so we all put on our sandals and swim gear before heading off for the beach. There was at least half a dozen cute little seal pups on tis beach and we had to ensure that they did not come up to us (mothers will abandon them if they get a human scent on them).

From this beach we had an hour to do some snorkeling. I brought an underwater camera along and was able to get pictures of seals and tropical fish. The colour of the turquoise water and white sand made for postcard perfect pictures. It truly was a breathtaking beach in the middle of nowhere as I could not see white sand along the coastline anywhere else. I would say this was my favorite beach and relax location on the entire trip.

From this point we took a short 15 minute walk along the coastline to get a different view of the volcanic geography of this island that had a cone in the middle and was tapered down on the sides (like a Chinaman's hat). Also we were able to see the remains of a hollow lava tube that came along the mountain down to our trail. It was a curious site and in a few places had been broken so we could see how hollow it was along its length. We were also able to see a few seal colonies with baby seal pups along the coastline. One of the seals were only a week old as our guide had mentioned they came by last week within an hour of it being born.

Following this short walk we headed back to the boat and cruised the waters to the island of Bartolomé. This is the island we were to visit the following day but rather than wake up everyone on board to travel through the night, they decided to do it in the evening. Along the way we stopped by Baimbridge, a hollow mountain crater with flamingos along the centre water shore of brine (mixed sea and freshwater).

We arrived around 7 pm when we had our briefing about the following day, ate our dinner and got an early night sleep. Its wonderful to get plenty of rest!


Day 3 - Dec 3, 2005 – Relaxing Exploration

RELAXING is the best word to describe today. We woke up after a good full 8 hours sleep at 6am, had a bit of free time before a 6:30am Buffet Pancake and fruit breakfast. By 7am we were off to go exploring Bartolomé Island. Again we had a dry landing on the rock face to the left of the famous and unforgettable Pinnacle Rock and followed the trail/boardwalk's 375 wooden steps almost to the summit of the highest volcanic cone. This island was covered on the side we explored with moon like splatter cones that were formed.

As we reached the top we saw a beautiful panoramic view of the islands below, the straight and harbour beaches that separated it from Santiago Island. It was the same view used in the movie “Master and Commander” as they spotted the enemy French ship on the other side of the island. A bit exhausted from the climb, we followed the same path down the mountain. As we were about to get into our panga boat we saw a great variety of endemic animals of the area. Within very close proximity we saw crabs, marine iguanas, pelicans and seals. As we hopped into the boat and were heading to the snorkeling beach, we spotted a pack of penguins directly in front of our boat. They were just swimming along less than 10 feet in front of our boat. It was fun to watch as they splashed around and passed on by.

We continued on to the beach where we were dropped off to go snorkeling around pinnacle rock. It was a beautiful view of the sea life and fish as I came around the bend to the rock. As I looked a bit closer I saw a stingray laying down under a rock overhang. It was at least 3 to 4 feet across.

As I continued on I was caught by surprise as three penguins swam by me. They were within 3 feet of me and were just playing in the water as they scooted along. I swam in the same direction they went in hopes of catching another look at them with my underwater camera. To my surprise either the same group returned or some different penguins came to pay me a visit right in front of pinnacle rock. They were swimming and splashing around me in all directions. This definitely was my most interesting snorkeling experience ever.

As they left, a few seals came swimming around to top off my snorkeling trip. They circled around me in enough time for me to take some underwater photographs of them and become a little nervous in regards to their strength and size. They just swirled and spun in the water and seemed to just be playing around. They too came within about a foot or two of me. It definitely was an amazing snorkeling experience.

Following snorkeling at the beach, we headed for our boat and bee-lined for a rock 20 minutes away near the harbour. This was my second scuba dive of the trip. After checking our gear we dropped down backwards off of the panga and descended slowly into the water below. This time we did not follow the rock but rather an underground shelf of terraced rock. On the terraces it was covered in a green plant that was growing everywhere. On this dive we did not see as much sea life. It was also quite cold in many spots as the cold water oozed into my wet suit a bit and cooled off my bare hands and head. I don't know if it was the temperature that scared away some of the sea life but we still saw a sea turtle, a school of barracuda as well as lots of fish swimming down vertically along the cliff wall. This was probably my deepest dive at 102 feet. Although not as interesting as other dives I was able to stay down for 38 minutes and enjoy a proper safety stop at 18 feet before surfacing.

After lunch I was able to catch another short siesta before our last excursion of the day. First we motored past Daphne Minor and circled Daphne Major island where we were able to do some bird watching. In addition to the usual frigate birds we were able to view some less common masked blue footed boobies. We then continued on for the North side of Santa Cruz to look at a Mangrove forest growing along the water.

To get to the Mangroves that formed little channels and an empty harbour, we took a Panga Boat ride along the perimeter of these trees. It was interesting to see how these trees would send off roots from their branches, through the salt water into the ground below. These trees seemed to thrive on the salt water and formed a natural haven for all types of wildlife. We saw dozens of varieties of birds including a closeup look at a blue footed boobie. Our boat must have been within four feet of him as he sat perched on the rock.

We continued around the bend even deeper into the maze of mangroves and as we did, we saw some splashing in the distance. We approached the area and then cut the motor off and paddled to see some giant sea turtles. There were at least 6 in a group, some mating. They rolled around in the water and splashed around for at least 5 minutes. We got some great pictures before moving on to see some birds. It was a magical place to see all the animals, pelicans and other birds perched in the trees. Behind the greenery of the mangroves were the parched moon-like desert lands of the coastal parts of the island. It was almost like an oasis in the desert when looking at those mangrove trees.

In many cases we could see the pelicans perched on the fairly thin branches of the mangroves. It was amazing to see their big bulky bodies balancing precariously on the limbs and sometimes walk awkwardly on the branches. In a few cases I thought they would fall down but they just fluttered their wings a bit as the re-grasped their footing.
That was the end of our excursions for the day. We had a great three course meal with spinach soup, rice, fish and chocolate cake with sliced peach for desert. Once again we were ready for an early night as we motored most of the evening to the cove between Baltra and Santa Cruz on the East side.


Day 4 - Dec 4, 2005 – Final Day of Lizards, Iguanas and Sea Lions

This morning we were awakened around 5am as our boat pulled anchor and headed for the waters between North and South Plaza Islands on the East Coast of Santa Cruz. By breakfast at 7am we were already anchored in the calm waters between the two islands. At breakfast Kirsten was a bit surprised to get a little something extra in her bowl of cereal. After a bite of granola she discovered some thick spider cobwebs in her bowl and could not stomach much of the rest of her breakfast.
Others in the group were also feeling a bit disgusted as they had already finished their meal.
Following breakfast we took the boat out to South Plaza Island where we took a walk along the cliffs on the South Side of the island. As soon as we landed however we were surrounded by a number of sea lions and their newborn babies. One of the sea lions were estimated to be only one week old by our guide as he pointed out the umbilical cord. Right behind the shoreline of the sea-lions we could see dozens of marine and land iguanas of different sizes and colours. Behind in the bushes where we could not go were their nesting areas.

As we mounted the slight slope of the island down the narrow section we approached the 60 foot cliffs that ran the far length of the island. Here we saw lizards, iguanas and hundreds of birds flying and nesting on the steep rock face along the far side. They would fly around together in groups. Also it was amazing to see sea lions at thee tops of these cliffs laying down on the edge. Our guide explained that these sea lions would scale the cliff walls as this was their area. Perhaps a little less desirable but more of a bachelors area if they were unable to claim a commune of heiroms as their own. Following our trip back to our boat (Cruz del Sur) the scuba divers of our group had a chance to go to Gordon Rocks (only 20 minutes away). They did their dive but did not see the hammerhead sharks they were looking for.

Next it was down south to Santa Fé island. We pulled into the lagoon just after a late lunch on a rocky boat. I was surprised a few of the pale people on the boat were able to stomach the meal on the rocky seas but they did.

We then had a wet landing on the beach where we were greeted by about 50+ sea lions and a few little babies. The walk was a short one but we took our time roaming the trails where we saw a large number of gigantic cactus and a few colourful land iguanas. It was a great place to take pictures of the turquoise blue lagoon with a white sand beach. In the distance it looked like palm trees on the far side of the lagoon but they were actually the same cactus that have no needles on the trunk, only on the upper branches that come out. They are a peculiar type of cactus. Many of them must be at least 70 to 100 years old as they do grow very slowly.

After heading back to the beach we boarded our panga's (boats) and were about to leave when we noticed about 8 shadows in the shallow water. They were identified to us a s reef sharks and they were just hanging around the shoreline around the territory of the sea lions. They were splashing around in the water under and around our boats. After a close look we headed back to the boat to get changed for a bit of snorkeling.

The snorkeling was not as good as the first day but there was plenty to see. Lots of colourful yellow tailed fish and a few rainbow coloured bottom feeders. There were also a few orange coloured ones mixed in. At one point I had someone take a picture of me with my underwater camera because there were thousands of small silver minnow-like fish all around me. They came very close and were so numerous that it was overwhelming.

A few of the other snorkelers saw a shark go by while others who had opted for a boat ride saw stingrays close to where we were snorkeling. After swimming out a fair distance I opted to accept the offer of the Panga driver for a ride back to our main boat where we had started snorkeling from.
The remaining 3.5 hours of the evening was laid back with everyone just sitting back to talk about our various travel and Galapagos experiences. Most sat down to relax with a drink before the evenings farewell Bar-B-Q dinner. Only 4 of our 16 people were planning on staying on longer.

Kirsten and I started feeling a bit sick from the bouncing motion of the boat. Our bedroom was in the front side of the boat and for 4 hours, the boat bounced up and down over the choppy waters as we motored from Santa Fé to San Cristobal. We decided after packing up our gear in our room that in order to make it we had better go to higher ground where there was some fresh air. So we headed up to the third deck in front of the captain's helm and laid down on the lounge chairs. Off in the distance we could see the lights of the city Puerto Baquerizo Moreno glowing over the horizon. Our captain was steering the boat in that direction. As we lounged around it was relaxing to lay under the stars. Although the area we were laying down on was covered, we could see a clear view of the stars, water and lights in the distance. Even with the bouncing motion of the boat, it was relaxing. To get to sleep we both had to take a gravol as the boat was not scheduled to arrive until 11:30pm and by 9:30pm we were already exhausted.


Day 5 - Dec 5, 2005 – Goodbye Galapagos

This morning we woke up in the harbour of San Cristobal to say goodbye to the intriguing and unique Galapagos Islands.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 – Day 44

We had a lot to squeeze into our last day on our Cross Canada Adventure. It all started with a stop at the Nk'Mip Native Cultural Centre. An amazing centre in the middle of the desert lands of Osoyoos. Our visit started with an interpretive hike along a desert trail in the blazing sun. Right from the beginning we knew it would be interesting as the kids were warned to stay off of the rocks that lined the path. It was a possible location for the many rattlers and other snakes that can become part of the tour. Although a hot day it was not unbearable and we learned a great deal of the First Nation's history of the region. We learned about the topography, geography and plants of the region before being brought into a pit style home for the remainder of the presentation. The kids enjoyed seeing samples of artifacts such as bone fishing hooks and snake skins.

Although we did not see any snakes on our tour we did have the chance to watch their daily snake demonstration which included the opportunity to pet a snake at the end. Our guide doubled as the presenter at the snake demonstration that followed our desert tour. She handled the snakes like she was baking bread, calm and relaxed as she pulled the slithering , slick creatures from the buckets that cradled them. In her hands these snakes were so comfortable that they slid around like a bunch of kids on a park slide. The snakes seemed to be enjoying the hour long presentation as much as the kids as we were shown different types of snakes and how to identify them. It also taught the kids what to do and what not to do when they encounter a snake. Many of the mothers in the audience however rested in their seats as if they needed to go to the washroom, sitting still as jack-in-the-boxes.

We decided around noon that we were going to have to start making our way back home if we were going to conclude our trip at a reasonable hour. Our GPS gave us our estimated arrival time at the ferry terminal and with all of the on-the-road delays that always come up we didn't have as much spare time as we had wanted.

We did however stock up on 200 pounds of peaches, pears and cherries in Osoyoos and then in the orchard stands on the road home. We couldn't resist driving through all of the orchards without stocking up on some fresh fruit to can for the winter.

We drove along highway number 6 that winds North along the Canada USA border. There were plenty of signs on front lawns urging residents to “Say No to a National Park” in the region. It is such a beautiful area that officials would obviously like to turn the area into a national park... but with a national park come the busyness that many of the locals obviously were not in favor of. No matter what happens, this region of BC is definitely a treasure to visit.

On the next stretch of highway we saw 5 provincial park camping areas (EC Manning Provincial Park) and a tourist attraction I wished we had left ourselves enough time to visit. The tours of the Mascot Gold Mine in Hedley, BC seemed like a unique place to visit. But with an estimated tour length of 4 hours we would need to add a day or more to our itinerary. It will have to be on our list of places to come back to.

As we neared the outskirts of the town of Hope we could see the massive rock slide that carved off the side of a mountain on January 9, 1965. It was worth a short stop to see the power of what mother nature is capable of doing when forces work on it. The entire side of the mountain still looks like it was only scraped clean yesterday as one looks at the massive boulders that litter the foot of the mountainside.

As we entered the Fraser Valley I looked at the estimated arrival time for us to reach the Ferry Terminal that would take us home to Victoria. I noticed that we had very little spare time to catch the 7pm ferry and could tell that it was going to be a tight squeeze. We may need to wait another 2 hours for the last ferry of the day if things didn't work perfectly.

Having a GPS is a great thing but as I watched the clock update our arrival time, first one or two minutes faster as I made some headway and then one, two, ten minutes slower as I reach heavy traffic, I wondered if I would make it. I seemed to be racing the clock, keeping my eyes glued to the arrival time on the GPS. I think I would have been better off turning off the GPS but instead I raced time the entire way.

We pulled into the ferry terminal with 5 minutes to spare and were the last vehicle on the ferry. We were so anxious to finally be going home and were grateful as we boarded the ferry to be heading on the final 1.5 hour stretch of our journey. Our cross Canada adventure was amazing. Going on a voyage is a great experience but so is coming home. After 2.5 months with 8 people traveling in close quarters we were ready to be home. The feeling I had as I closed my private bedroom door and fall asleep in a cozy bed that night can best be described by the old adage, “Home Sweet Home”.

Monday, August 24, 2009 – Day 43

I woke up at 6 am to two short toots of an idling logging truck only a few feet away from where we had been sleeping. It was then that the signs around us started to make sense. The signs had indicated that logging was only permitted from 6 to 9am in the morning. That meant that we were at the beginning of the day's logging on this old road. No wonder the pullout was larger than any other I had seen. It was large enough for the big trucks to make a right hand turn from the dirt road which was parallel to the main highway. With us in the way however, the driver was only able to make a left hand turn.

I quickly got out of bed and was in the drivers seat pulling out to relocate our RV when the logging truck driver drove by in the other direction as he added to short toots of his deep horn. He obviously wanted to remind me in a friendly way that I was in his way. We continued down the road and parked in the Ainsworth Hot Springs Hotel parking lot as we waited for it to open. It was still way too early.

By this time however, Teyauna our 1 year old was awake and not going to let anyone else sleep. There was no way I was going to get back to bed and so I pulled out the stroller in search of a morning stroll. After getting directions from the Hotel front desk, we mounted the dirt road behind the Hot Springs. To the side of the road was a uneven trail that ascended up the steep mountainside. It was peaceful and quiet as we wandered between trees and up to the sounds of a small waterfall. A creek was cascading down the side of a cliff and the soothing sounds of the water added to the tranquil atmosphere of our morning hike.

When the Hot Springs opened, the kids were bursting with energy, ready and waiting in their bathing suits. They wanted to jump into the water and splash around. Ainsworth Hot Springs are very unique. The water we were told is not heated by volcanic activity but rather from pressurized water. In the early 1900's the hot springs were used by the miners who worked in the area. In the past 50 years a swimming pool has been built just outside the circular cave that is the main attraction for these unique hot springs. The large warm pool, small ice tub and steam hot caves are all part of the Ainsworth Hot Springs. The kids were anxious to descend into the two foot deep water that seemed to sizzle our legs as we wandered to the back of the natural cave. As you meander to the back of the steamy cave you can feel the hot water dripping from the ceiling before arriving at a hot waterfall stream. It is a great place to sit down in the water but it is too hot to stay for long. I tried bringing my camera into the cave but the lens of the camera would steam up too fast to get a photo of anything other than fog.

The kids had a great time wandering through the cave and then would jump into the ice cold hot tub sized pool of fresh mountain water adjacent to the cave. The extreme temperature change is enough to shock any heart into pounding a thousand miles an hour. Fortunately there was the more moderately warm pool that we could hang out in for the rest of the morning. It was obvious that in the main pool area the water was a mixture of the hot-spring water and the cool mountain water, creating a relaxing environment.

We had to move on just before lunch to make it to our next destination. I could spend weeks exploring this area but we didn't have the time. We drove through Nelson where we stocked our RV up with groceries before spending the afternoon driving to Osoyoos.

The highway that descends into Osoyoos will make anyone's hair stand on end. Especially if you are in a motorhome. You slowly descend the side of a mountain winding around boulders and switchbacks as you look over the gorgeous valley and lake below. While the grade of the road is a bit nerve-racking the view is breathtaking... as long as you don't take your eyes off the road.

We had driven through Osoyoos last year and had liked it so much that we made a mental note to stop there when the opportunity came. This was it. Although we didn't arrive until about 6pm we were glad to find space at the Nk'Mip Campground on the lake. The Provincial Park on the lake was small and already filled up and so we went to the larger lakefront campground with over 200 sites. Although our RV site was not one of the ones on Osoyoos Lake, we were only a one minute walk away. The kids were quick to barrel down the hill in the direction of the lake for a swim. They wanted to spend the rest of the evening splashing around in BC's warmest lake.

Sunday, August 23, 2009 – Day 42

As we headed Northwest from Waterton National Park we drove through the small town of Pincher Creek. Along the horizon this town is dotted with dozens and dozens of strategically placed modern windmills. It is obvious that these windmills are taking over agriculture as the regions' bread and butter. I have been told that the windmills are having a direct impact on the farming and ranching as a rancher can earn $5000 per month by having a windmill on their property without having to do any work at all. Farming and ranching however require a great deal of work and don't include a guaranteed income.

The windmills however are mesmorizing and certainly did attract my attention. I had to make a conscious effort to keep my eyes on the road and avoid staring at them too long as they were a definite distraction. Its great to see windmills being used to create clean energy where there is plenty of wind to spare.

We said goodbye to Alberta for the second time on our Cross Canada Adventure as we passed into British Columbia. We crossed over the lowest pass of the Rocky Mountain Range at Crowsnest pass on the number 6 highway. Here we also had a look at the Frank Rock Slide where on April 29, 1903 a rock slide chopped off the side of Turtle mountain and buried a mining village at the base of the mountain. It left us in awe to see the massive boulders that had slid down the mountain and still stand tall to the sides of the highway as monuments to nature's strength and power. It would have been an awful sight to see this mountainside crumbling into the base of the valley. Boulders the size of large houses still remain, scattered across the valley.

Due to having little sleep the night before I was a bit exhausted. We looked around for a school playground close to the main highway but settled for a Nature Sanctuary that bordered a Tourist Information Centre in Cranbrook. The signs posted at the edge of the parking lot talked about BC's only turtles which inhabited the bordering lake. This was enough to get the attention of the kids who wanted to see if they could spot the Western Painted Turtles. They explored the lake shore while I enjoyed a short afternoon siesta.

By the time my siesta was over and the kids had finished exploring it was dinner time. We were perfectly situated next to a picnic table and the weather was beautiful so we decided that we would enjoy our meal outdoors. After being cooped up in an RV for too long it is nice to get outside to eat. Although it sometimes seems like a chore to pull everything out and drag it back inside again, the bees and the fresh air are always welcome... most of the time. Mosquitoes on the other hand we can always do without.

Rather than head directly west we decided that we were going to take a slight detour to Ainsworth Hot Springs. This meant that we needed to head North along the East side of Kootenay Lake. It did not look like a long drive on the map but with the windy road that hugged along the edge of the lake it did take a bit longer than I had expected. It was a beautiful drive however but my family passengers had to make a conscious effort to keep their eyes on the road to avoid the carsick effects that a windy road can produce. Along the road we saw an old 1800's store that I was surprised to see still was in operation. Apart from a few beach resorts and a glass castle there was not much else that I noticed along this shore to see. We were too late in the day however to enjoy any more stops. We pulled into the lakeside ferry terminal at dusk.

To get to Ainsworth Hot-springs we needed to traverse the lake. Fortunately the world's longest free ferry is located right here. Yes, envision that, a free vehicle ferry. While lingering an hour for the next crossing, I enjoyed exploring the neighboring beach with my wife and kids. We clamored over logs, tossed rocks into the lake and hopped between stones on the lakeside. I had to employ the low light settings on my camera as nightfall descended on us while the ferry slid into its boarding position.

We descended the ferry ramp which was tipping at an angle that made me cringe. I descended onto the ferry deck cautiously but as I peered into my rear-view mirror, I witnessed my septic pipe dragging on the ground. The lid popped off as I surveyed three gallons of effluent spilling out behind me. Humiliated, I slammed my RV into park and clamored out to replace the cap on the flowing septic pipe just in time to hear one of the ferry workers holler for a fire-hose. Embarrassed, I screwed the cap back on my pipe and ran back into the RV to hide from the dozens of eyes that by now were turned to examine where the smell was coming from. The lake crossing only took about 20 minutes and we were relieved to exit the ferry and be on our way again.

Ten minutes down the road we looked for a place to park our RV near Ainsworth Hot Springs. Without any luck we parked at a turnoff which had a dirt logging road leading to some caves that are part of the provincial park system. The road however said no RV's were allowed up the 7 km logging road to the caves. Too bad, we really did want to go cave exploring the next morning. We decided to just park here on the side of the road for the night as it was late, I didn't figure out why it said “No Parking” until the next morning.

Saturday, August 22, 2009 – Day 41

After travelling towards home through the USA for a few weeks it was time to get a closer look at Southern Alberta and British Columbia. One person commenting online on our Cross Canada Adventure route suggested that we visit Waterton National Park in Southwestern Alberta. It was a wonderful idea.

We headed directly for Red Rock Canyon which is in the North Eastern part of the park. Not knowing what to expect on this hot sunny afternoon we drove along the narrow road with some relatives from the area. The kids enjoyed being with other kids their own ages for a change and enjoyed the drive as much as anything else.

After parking our vehicle in the parking lot we took our picnic lunch to the edge of the creek that flowed through the canyon. It was an amazing sight as we saw the red rock cliffs up the riverbed. The red cliffs were separated by thin horizontal stripes of gray rock that sliced the cliff walls into layers. The gray colours added to the walls of the rock which called for us to explore more upstream. It was too hard to resist and so after a short lunch at the edge of the stream we all hiked upriver. We had been told that there were some natural water slides carved into the rock and the kids were anxious to go upstream to slide in the frigid water. We walked through the shallow water hopping from stone to stone while occasionally trudging through the water. Because of how cold the glacier feeling water was, I could not walk for too long in the water without my feet starting to tingle and feeling a bit numb.

It was not a long walk to the first water slide, only about 5 minutes. This slide however was less than 10 feet long and not exciting at all for our older kids. Our youngest 6 year old was content to slide around in the freezing waters a few times before shivering to shore for a dry towel. He had fun but with the shade around us, it didn't last long.

The older kids wanted a bit more excitement and so they headed on upriver another 10 to 15 minutes to check out the longer 100 foot rock slide. They spent at least an hour at the big slide before the cold got the better of them. They just repeated their slide down the river over and over again. Our 8 year old even braved the long slide in the frigid temperature of the water. When the older kids returned where the younger ones were they were full of stories involving their hike past a tangled mess of trees to the much anticipated and worthwhile sliding spot.

While it was not our first time to Waterton Park, it was our first time to Red Rock Canyon and definitely worth spending an afternoon at. The canyon had something to offer kids of all ages and was a beautiful sight to boot. We'll definitely have to come back to explore more of the corners of this large National Park.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 – Day 40

Bay of Fundy Tidal Bores – the River's Reversing Tides
As we had parked at the exact spot where the Truro tidal bores occur (across the street from a motel) we only had to wake up around 5:10 in the morning and walk out of our RV. Tidal Bores are when rivers which empty into the Bay of Fundy (where tides can reach 45 feet from low to high tide) change direction.

Rivers which empty into the Bay of Fundy will change direction at one moment in time when the tides change. We were told that this tide reversal for the particular day we were here would be around 5:27 am but that we should be prepared as it can vary by 10 minutes. These tidal bores occur 2 times per day and will vary depending on the tide times. While our 6 and 1 year old slept in the RV next to us, our four older children, my wife and I all prepared ourselves for this interesting phenomena. It happened fairly quickly. As we looked up the river we saw a ripple traveling upstream. It moved steadily up the river like a small wave. Within a minute this wave traveled up the river and around the bend beyond where we could see. That was about it. We headed back to our RV and just before driving off 30 minutes later the water level on the banks of the river had risen over 10 feet.
We were at a loss to find a place to look at the tides of the Bay of Fundy. We had thought to go to Fundy National Park in New Brunswick partly because of its name but after doing a little bit of research online, we found the place we wanted to go to. Only a few hours away was Hopewell Rocks. We did not realize this but we were only 10 minutes away from this location on day 28 of our trip when we went cave exploring with Baymount Outdoor Adventures. Had I known, I definitely would have visited then.

Hopewell Rocks
We arrived at Hopewell Rocks as the tide was going out. The best thing about this location was that we could not only see the drastic change in the tides, but we could also see the way these 45 foot tides carve into the sandstone cliffs of this coastline. The cliffs along this shore have been carved by these strong tides over thousands of years. As a result the cliffs are carved so that pillars stand alone on the beach in contorted shapes. The top halves are larger than the bottom half which is carved by the tides creating diamond shaped pillars that stand on the beach. Trees top many of these pillars giving them a rather hairy look. We spent hours roaming along the beach at low tide before it rose up and covered the beach we were walking along. We also searched out the pillars that looked like ET, a dinosaur, anteater and baby elephant. It added to the fun for the kids and got them to explore more of the coastline than I thought they would have otherwise seen. At high tide Baymount Outdoor Adventures conducts kayaking trips which circle around these rocky pillars. If we had the time I would have loved to kayak along this beautiful coastline.

Alma, New Brunswick
We drove through Fundy National Park and continued on to where we could have a lobster lunch in the fishing village of Alma, New Brunswick. It was a quaint little town where we could see the fishing boats at the bottom seabed along the docks of the bay. If you cannot stay for 6 hours to see both the low and high tide, visit during low tide. It is amazing to see how far out the tides actually go in this shallow harbour. There were plenty of choices for lobster lunches. At the wharf one could buy just lobsters or one could buy a meal at one of the many restaurants that lined the short streets of this town. We decided to have a sit down meal of fish, chips and lobster and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious feast we enjoyed. It was a simple little restaurant attached to a grocery store but the food was great.

St. Stephen's Chocolate Museum
We had a limited amount of time to get to St. Stephen which was a few hours away and so we had to move on before the Chocolate Museum we wanted to visit closed at 7pm. It was a few hours away at the edge of New Brunswick, our last stop before crossing the river into the United States. We arrived with about 30 minutes to spare. The museum gave us a look at the over 100 year history of a family business that has helped develop the chocolate business in Canada. There were a number of interactive displays that kept the kids busy. They were able to time themselves on what it is like to package a box of chocolates and watch a video on the history of the rare hand dippers who train for 2 years on the art of hand dipping chocolate. Perhaps the kids' favorite part was the chocolates that were located on trays throughout the exhibit. It was an all you can each chocolate extravaganza... and we ate probably more than we should have.

Goodbye Canada
It finally came time to say goodbye to Canada for a time. We spent 40 days exploring this wonderful country from Coast to Coast and it was a special treat for our family to see the various peoples and places that make this country the great place it is. The most common question we have receive is “What was your favorite place.” As you can see we have had many highlights and favorites. Perhaps the most unique part to our trip was the people we encountered along the way. While the landscapes, accents and landmarks changed from place to place we found a common friendship and friendliness wherever we went. It was a dream come true for us to visit our country and an opportunity for us to see places that we would like to visit again and explore a bit more in depth one place at a time.


The next 25 days will be devoted to places many Canadians can easily visit. Our return trip through the Northern and Central United States will bring us back home to Victoria, BC.

Monday, July 13, 2009 – Day 39

Due to our last experience having to scramble for some $30 bunks, we changed our night trip on the ferry back to Nova Scotia to a day crossing with Marine Atlantic. While this did provide for a scenic day trip, it did cut into the precious sightseeing time that was very limited.

When traveling on a tight time line the night crossings are best but one must plan ahead to reserve a cabin or bunk to sleep for the night on the ship as all access to vehicles is cut off after the ship departs.
On the ship there was live entertainment in the bar, plenty of food options (although the cafeteria periodically closes), sporadic and slow internet access (much better if you sit in the paid lounge at the top of the ship where the wireless router is located), quiet dark lounges, bunks and cabins. We checked in at 9:30 am, left at 10:30 am and arrived in North Sydney, Nova Scotia around 3:30 pm (including the 30 minute time change that we gained).

We had planned on driving the Cabot Trail but due to arriving so late into Nova Scotia had to put it on our list of things yet to do. We drove through Cape Breton late in the night to Truro where we planned on watching the Tidal Bore's at 5:27 am the next morning. We parked at the exact spot where we were going to get up early in the morning.

Sunday, July 12, 2009 – Day 38

A Lighthouse and Slate Covered Beach
It was Sunday and our only day to explore Gros Morne National Park. We had been warned that to properly explore this park one needs to spend 3 to 7 days. We quickly could see why. The area that this park covered was enormous and the types of things to see were so varied. We did not have time to take the boat trip in the park which would have involved a 1 to 2 km hike before a boat trip that would take us into the Fjords of the parks largest lake. Instead we went to a National Historic site that was located inside of a Lighthouse.

The lighthouse itself did not interest the kids much as it was mostly a visual description on the early settlers of the area with photos and description panels. What did interest them however was exploring the trails around the lighthouse. After walking around the lighthouse itself, they walked down to the shoreline which was filled with slate. They were so excited to see so much slate for them to pick through. After seeing the Halifax Citadel's Schoolhouse demonstration on writing on slate, they were anxious to have some slate boards of their own. They each came back from the beach with picture frame sized pieces of slate and slate pens to write with. To erase their work from the board they just had to wet the board down. As with all other discoveries that the kids found and collected, we had the kids store their collections in a compartment under our RV. Too many feathers, slates and other rocks tend to clutter up the limited space we have inside our motorhome.

Art Lessons
Our next stop was to take in some free outdoor art lessons with plenty of natural beauty to draw. Many free activities are provided throughout the park and this was the Sunday activity. At a boat dock next to the Aquarium in the park, a group of University Students were providing art supplies and giving tips on drawing the scenery in the park. The kids went to work right away and created their own artwork to remember the park by. Where do we put it all?
With our ferry leaving first thing in the morning we drove the 2.5 hours to Port-aux-Basques. It was hard to leave this park as there was so much more we wanted to explore but as with any holiday across Canada, there comes a time when you must move on. The drive in parts was extremely windy and it was hard at times to keep the RV in our lane of traffic. The wind swept over us as we drove along the coastline. As we reached Port-aux-Basques the sun was setting creating a picture perfect sunset. As there were few service stations on our route we also drove into this town on fumes... but we made it. We quickly found a quiet spot behind a high school to park for the night and went soundly off to sleep.

Saturday, July 11, 2009 – Day 37

In Twilingate, Newfoundland we parked in the parking lot of a small hardware store in the outskirts of town. At 1am there were not many options and we were very tired so we quickly went to sleep in the most convenient spot. With an RV it is easy enough to park wherever there is space.

We were not there long anyways as we woke up early for our 10:30 am iceberg watching cruise. We had enough time in the morning to check in for our cruise, dump and fill our RV with water at the free municipal RV station and have a yummy breakfast. As we walked around the town and information centre we noticed that this small town was an extremely friendly fishing village and the people went above and beyond our expectations. With problems to our RV propane line one local person called all of the mechanics he knew in town to see if he could get someone to help us. When that did not work, he called a city 2.5 hours away until he found a repair shop that would be able to help us later in the day. With that taken care of, we were able to enjoy the highlight of the day which came next.

Icebergs up close in Twillingate
We boarded the comfortable boat with Twillingate Iceberg Adventures to explore the distant harbour where we could watch icebergs. We were extremely fortunate because only 2 weeks earlier a ½ mile long iceberg floated into Twillingate's harbour from Greenland and it had broken up substantially at this point. The icebergs were still enormous and towered high above our boat. They were in all shapes and sizes. One looked like the tail on an airplane, others looked like gigantic ice slides while others looked like floating swimming pools with tall ice on two sides.
The kids especially enjoyed sitting on the prow of the top deck looking out at all of the different bergs. Their favorite part however came near the end of our tour when our guide scooped up a chunk of ice from the water with a fishing net. She rinsed it off before breaking it up into bite sized pieces. This 10,000 year old chunk of ice tasted absolutely amazing. It was water frozen before air pollution and other contaminants could freeze into the water. After tasting some ice we made the mistake of drinking some bottled water... it did not even taste nearly as good and gave our taste buds a stark contrast of truly pure water to compare.
At the end of our boat tour we noticed a number of kayaks approaching the icebergs themselves. That too would have been an amazing way to experience this harbour. We continued our cruise by going outside the harbour to see if we could catch site of any whales which commonly frequent the area. Although we did not spot any whales on this trip, we did see what we had come to catch a glimpse of. Some up close icebergs. Although we could have seen the icebergs from shore, it would never have been the same as circling the frozen water up close by boat.

Extinct First Nations Centre
We headed off from Twillingate towards a centre that had been set up to talk about a Native First Nations group called the Beothuk. This group although now extinct had its last known descendant in the mid 1800's. This final descendant helped document some of the words, sketches and information about her tribe. In this particular interpretive centre we were able to watch a video on the researchers who excavated a nearby area. We also were able to see some of the arrowheads that were dug up as well as the items these people fashioned out of the nails and other metallic items they obtained from early settlers.

Urgent RV Repair. Just in Time!
We had to hurry on our way because we had an appointment to fix the broken propane line on our RV in the Newfoundland city of Grand Falls. There were no repair locations that could handle an RV in or near Twillingate. The clock ticked on our GPS as we rushed to our destination. It was Saturday and if we could not repair our propane fridge soon, we would be left with thawed out food and no way to keep things cold for a few days. Monday was our day to take a ferry back to Nova Scotia and so we were very desperate to fix our propane line.
We arrived at the RV repair shop at 3:40... an hour later than planned but with plenty of time we thought. To our surprise they told us that they were closing in 20 minutes and probably would not have time to help us. When we explained our desperate situation, they looked at our problem and backed us into their shop. Within 30 minutes they had our major problem repaired but would not have time to fix our broken steps or other 2 problems that had been bothering us for some time. We were just happy that the most critical item was fixed and that they were kind enough to help us out so close to their closing time.

Driving to Gros Morne
With so much distance to cover in Newfoundland with so little time to do it, we had to press on to Gros Morne National Park. After stopping for our first fast food bite to eat on our cross Canada trip, loading up on groceries and buying a few necessities, we drove until we reached a Campground in Gros Morne National Park. Fortunately they did have space for us because it would have been a long drive back out of the park to find an alternative. Although we had been warned to avoid traveling the roads in the dark, we did catch the evening sunset around 9:30 in the evening as it set over the ocean. It was a beautiful way to enter this amazing National Park.

Friday, July 10, 2009 – Day 36


We had lots of driving ahead of us and so we wanted to get an early start to the driving ahead of us. We wanted to visit Cape Spear and a fishing village on the East coast but our plans were quickly changed as we started to drive away. As we were pulling out for the day, the rear tire of the RV went over a curb.

I looked back and as we went over the curb I saw a burst of air blasting out from the area around the rear tire. I slowly got out expecting to see a completely flat tire but was surprised as it only looked slightly flat. This was definitely not how we wanted to start out the day.

Day Long Tire Repairs
In the rear of the motorhome there are two sets of tires side by side so I slowly drove over to a gas station across the street from us in St. John's. As I paid my 50 cents to activate the air compressor filled the tire to the pressure level I thought was acceptable. This however did not seem to make a visual difference in how much air appeared to be in the outside back tire. A kind trucker stopped by to help so I pugged the compressor with another 50 cents. This is when we discovered that only one of the two tire valves for this side of the vehicle were visible. There was supposed to be a valve for the inside rear tire and another for the outside rear tire. As a result I was only able to fill the inside back tire with air, not the outside tire that had hit the curb. I was not even able to check the tire pressure. He suggested that we go and get the tire checked out at a tire shop... we drove one kilometer to the closest shop our GPS could find but they advised us that they were unable to assist with such a large vehicle. We continued on to another tire store that this shop owner suggested to us but after waiting 30 minutes for them, they advised us that they were also unable to work on such a large RV.
Finally at the 3^rd specialty Tire shop they popped off the hubcaps to reveal the missing tire valve... what they did not mention to me was that the tire pressure was OK. They did however inspect all of my tires and informed me that they were all suffering from dry rot with the front tires heavily worn from being out of alignment. I was told that all 6 tires would need to be replaced if we wanted to make it back to the West coast of Canada. Yikes, all 6 tires. As I contemplated risking it and taking the RV to a US city or a larger city for some better tire prices... I gave in to the safety recommendation. We would spend the $1500 to have the tires replaced and an alignment done. As the tire shop had no time to do an alignment for us I called around other places to see if they could do it on the same day. After about half a dozen calls the service person said they could squeeze us in but that we would have to leave our vehicle in the shop for the day. Considering the 6 to 7 hour drive we had planned for the day it was not in our plans but necessary nonetheless.

Waiting
We took a cab to a nearby mall where I was able to make an appointment to have a chiropractor adjust my back that was still in pain from a couple of days earlier in Halifax. As there were no cabs that could accommodate our entire family we had to take two taxis. After arriving at the mall we soon discovered that we would not be able to spend the day here. This was a ghost mall with most of the shops closed and the ones that were open were mostly professional services like gas companies and doctors offices.

After my much needed adjustment that only relieved the pain in my back and gave me some ideas on stretches I could do, we all had a quick bite to eat before taking another two taxis to a larger mall 8 minutes away. This however was a much more successful place for a family of 8 to spend the afternoon. We were able to get a few things at a dollar store, buy some groceries, get some needed supplies at a department store and line up to get everyone's hair cut. Perhaps it was not a bad thing to have a day off to just catch up on some much needed tasks. A couple of hours later I received the phone call telling me that my vehicle was repaired and ready to go. I took a taxi to the repair shop and went over the repairs with the technician... it was then that I noticed the smell of propane. It didn't seem too bad but it was there. After picking up my family from the mall and driving two hours down the highway we noticed the smell of propane outside when we stopped. I looked at the propane gauge and noticed that in the past day, we had used up as much propane as we had used up in the previous month. I turned the propane off and had it filled up at a service station. It was then that the technician noticed that we had a propane leak... it was not my tires that blew when we went over the curb in the morning, it was the propane line that snapped and was blowing propane by the rear drivers tire. Argh! We were in the middle of nowhere and would be until late the following day.
As a result we had to turn our propane off (which deactivated our fridge and freezer) for the next day.
Well behind schedule we drove on to Twilingate before arriving there at 1am. We had an appointment to take an iceberg tour in the morning and didn't want to miss it.

Thursday, July 9, 2009 – Day 35


I slept great in my lower bunk on the ferry to Newfoundland. I don't know if it was because I was soooo tired or if it was because the ferry rocked me to sleep but I had a nice deep sleep.

We had plenty of time to sleep in as we were not scheduled to arrive in Newfoundland until 1pm. We took our time in the morning and I was happy to see that I was able to use the internet on my laptop to catch up on posting blogs and photos to our online adventure. Although the internet connection is touch and go (disconnects frequently) I had plenty of time so my hour of work took about 3 hours to complete.
We arrived in Newfoundland about 1 hour late due to a late departure. As soon as we exited, we were sure to stop at the billboard welcoming our family to Newfoundland for a photograph before stopping off at the tourist information centre. It must have taken us 1 hour with all the stops we made in the first 10 km, I was beginning to think we would never make it to St. John's. Then we hit the road construction area. In the end we reached St. John's just before 5pm as the attractions were starting to close down. Fortunately however, the National Historic Site interpretation centre at Signal Hill was open until 6pm and so we were able to tour around and watch the short movie before they closed.
Signal Hill is an old strategic hilltop overlooking St. John's and its harbour. From there one can see all around the city, harbour and countryside. Since the 18^th century it has been used to defend and protect the city of St. John's. We climbed the small three story tower build in 1900 at the top of the hill for some breathtaking photos of the surrounding area. From here we could see North America's most Easterly point, Cape Spear. As we were leaving we had the kids photos taken by “Tourist Shot-on-the-Spot”. Here they took our photos and printed them on postcards in their solar powered minivan, ready for us to send off in the mail.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 – Day 34

We had to get up early for the 1.5 hour drive from Port Hawkesbury to Sydney, Nova Scotia. We had an appointment to meet with CBC radio (English) and CBC Television (French) for interviews. It was a very scenic drive to Sydney and we managed to get lots of great photos on the drive. It was a beautiful sunny day (the first in some time we were told) and so we enjoyed every moment of it.

On CBC Radio and TV
We first headed to CBC's office in Sydney where we were invited in.

The plan was to have a few of us in the interview room while the others listened. When the person doing our interview asked who would like to do the interview, all of the kids looked at him with their eyes saying, ME! ME! Well he couldn't resist and so he invited all 8 of us in for the interview. He did say this was the largest group of people he had interviewed at one time and so it should be interesting... it was. As we gave him a good idea of what we were doing on our trip, each of the kids had an opportunity to share some of what goes on with our family as we travel and some of the destinations they have enjoyed the most.

Louisbourg Fortress National Historic Site
Wow! The Louisbourg National Historic Site was amazing. It is a fortress perched on the edge of the ocean, the site of one of Canada's first settlements on the Coast of Cape Breton. We started our afternoon on a little pullout parking area that overlooked Louisbourg (along the coastline just past the parking area turnoff). It was a fun place for the kids to run around on some grassy areas and hike down to a small beach. The kids love any opportunity they can get to get out of the RV and run around. This was great because there was nobody else around and so they could just run around and I could see them from the parking area above. We were shown this great picnic spot by French CBC cameraman Dominique, who followed us the 30 minutes from Sydney to do an interview with Louisbourg in the background.
Following our picnic and interview we drove back to the Louisbourg parking area which is about 2 km from the actual Historic Site. The only way to Louisbourg itself is by taking a shuttle bus from the Louisbourg Information Centre and Parking Lot to this historic fortress. The drive to the site was beautiful as it wound around the coastline until we reached the outer edge of the village.

The first buildings we saw were outside of the village itself. They were recreated farmhouses complete with a burning fire and grass covered roofs. Inside we were told about what it was like in a traditional home in1744. We continued on past the guard at the gate to the village and were told what to expect in the village of Louisbourg itself and rules that us visitors must abide by. We walked up and down the streets that were filled with pubs and shops. Workers were all dressed in period clothing as they marched, drummed, piped and taught us about life in Louisbourg. The kids enjoyed a few games in the billiards hall. I enjoyed watching inventions of the 1700's that were used to spin roasts over the fire using gears and weights. Of course we finished off the day with a powerful cannon blast demonstration as a cannon was fired over the water. Louisbourg had changed hands in the past as French and British fought for control over the region. It is a beautifully restored fortress that took us back for the first time to the late 1600's and early 1700's.

Newfoundland Ferries – Things to Remember
Following a full day in Louisbourg we headed directly for the ferry terminal in the town of North Sydney. This is where the Nova Scotia ferries to Newfoundland leave from. We had booked passage from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Argentia, Newfoundland on a 14 hour overnight ferry... or so we thought. As we arrived we discovered that only 2 adults had been confirmed and our 6 children were not on the list... I had called an hour earlier and found this out but I was told that this sailing had been closed out and so I would have to try my luck at the ferry terminal directly. Fortunately there was space still available for our children to join us... otherwise we wouldn't have been able to go at all.
Another key piece of information we discovered was that we would be unable to stay in our motorhome on the ferry. Yikes! 6 kids including a 1 year old on a 14 hour overnight ferry! How were we going to do it? When asking about this we were given two beds on the ship. All cabins had been long since sold out and all that was left were two bunk bed births. We were told we could try our luck on the ship at getting some more beds for the rest of our kids.
As soon as we boarded the ship we headed directly for the purser's desk to put our names down on the waiting list for beds.
Name after name was called out before we were given an opportunity as we were some of the last people on the ship due to it taking over an our for the RV's to be loaded. Finally it came time for our names to come up and our request for 4 more bunk beds. I think the purser had pity on us imagining how we were going to get our 6 kids to bed in the evening and so we received 4 bunk beds all facing each other and 2 other bunks that faced a wall where we could set up our baby play pen! What a miracle... we were going to be able to sleep after all.
The ship staff were very kind and helpful even though it seemed like they were a bit frazzled from all of the special requests that people were making. When taking the ferry to Newfoundland just make sure you are aware that beds should be booked for overnight crossings and no access is provided to the vehicle deck for the duration of the trip and you should have a great voyage!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 – Day 33

With little time to see Halifax we decided that we would focus on the historic sites of The Citadel and Pier 21. Although our plan was also to drive the 45 minutes to see the fishing town of Peggy's Cove, we ran out of time before the day was over due to a late start.

Incident at the Citadel – My Back!
The Citadel was a historic site I will not soon forget... not because of the tour or history of this landmark that has protected the port of Halifax for over 2 centuries (and was never attacked due to the stronghold that it was), but because this is where I pulled some muscles in my back as I leaned over to pick up my 2 year old.

I could tell as soon as I leaned over that this was not your typical back pain. It was a muscle in my back that had tensed up. I had done this once before and it took a chiropractor a few days to fix. The only problem is that when you are traveling, it is not easy to find the people you need. Lets just say, over a week later I still had a hard time moving after sitting down to drive for a few hours. I headed back to our RV and as I did so I felt like I was hobbling along like an old man with a cane. I shuffled my feet and felt a few sharp pains knife into my back as I went. While I went to lay down in the motorhome the rest of my family finished their tour of the Citadel.
At the citadel the kids enjoyed the firing of the noon cannon at the precise second, to mark the time for the citizens of Halifax. The cannon echoed off the buildings of Halifax it was so loud. Perhaps one of the kids' favorite parts to the citadel was the schoolhouse that the children of the soldiers used to use. They enjoyed using slate boards (used instead personal chalkboards) to write on, using old pencils and then fountain pens to write with. They walked around for about an hour and a half checking out the various rooms in the citadel.

Pier 21 – A Historic Immigrant Pier
Following a short lunch in the parking area we continued on to Pier 21 which is where over 1 million immigrants came to Canada by ship between the early 1900's and 1971.

There was an excellent 20 minute 3 dimensional film that depicted various time periods that the port was used such as early settlers from Europe, soldiers departing and returning, war brides who married soldiers, a Jewish girl coming to be adopted to a family and more.
Following the movie we wandered around the exhibits which contained stories and information on the circumstances of the people that came through this port for so many years.
By the time we were finished visiting Halifax we were already out of time and had to head towards Cape Breton. We had a CBC TV interview scheduled in French in Sydney, Nova Scotia and wanted to visit the historic village of Louisbourg. This meant that we needed to get closer to our destination for the following day. Next time I visit Nova Scotia, I will definitely visit Peggy's Cove.

Monday, July 6, 2009 – Day 32

Nova Scotia greets you with Highway tolls. As we drove from Moncton to Halifax we were greeted with the traditional provincial welcome sign.

Of course we had to stop for a photograph by the billboard and inland lighthouse that greeted us. The next greeting came an hour or so later when we saw a sign saying, “Highway Toll Ahead”. Yes, the main route to Halifax had a $5.25 (for motorhomes) highway toll. Nova Scotia greets visitors with Highway Tolls. There were no visible alternate roads for us to take so we were kind of stuck. Unfortunately only cash is accepted so we had to raid our kids' piggy banks to find the change we needed.

The $4 Wrong Turn
The real surprise came an hour or two later when we reached Halifax.

We were looking for a campground and called around before finding one close to the city. We plugged the coordinates into our trusty GPS and it indicated for us to cross the bridge into the city of Halifax. This bridge into Halifax however had another Toll! From a distance I saw 75 cents and so I reluctantly went onwards before a crossing guard motioned me to go to a special lineup. The person at the booth let me know that since I had a large vehicle it would be $2.00 to cross. Once again we had to raid the kid's piggy banks to cross. That's when the irritating thing happened, our GPS gave us a turnaround route before telling us to go back over the bridge to get to our campground. A bit frustrated I decided that I would tell the booth operator our situation so that they could have some compassion on us. When we explained our predicament she was entirely unhelpful or compassionate. She simply asked me, “Did you use the bridge. Well if you used the bridge you have to pay.” My receipt with the time stamp on it was not good enough. I simply got a lecture on what to do the next time I really did not intend on crossing the bridge. It is a rather interesting video you can watch.

We eventually did make it to our campground. As has been typical for us around Nova Scotia they were extremely helpful, welcoming and warm. Apart from its many tolls, Nova Scotia is a great place.

Sunday, June 28, 2009 – Day 31

This morning we had a bit of a problem. The night before the magnetic sensor on our door disappeared and as a result, the electric steps to the side door of our RV would not go up.

No matter what we did, we could not get the steps to go back up. As a result we ended up driving to church in the morning with our steps down. By the time we got there, someone had followed us and informed us that our steps were dangerously down... We thanked them for their observation as we rushed off for Sunday services to have a look at it a bit later.
We spent the morning at a Church in Charlottetown and had a great time meeting the friendly residents there. We didn't stay long however as we needed to make our way for a three hour drive to Moncton, New Brunswick to visit some friends.
When we returned to our RV we still had the dilemma on what to do with our electric steps that were down. After discussing the options with the kids and thinking things over together, my 8 year old told us, “I have a magnet, we can use that!”. Within a few minutes we found his magnet, taped it to the door sensor and the annoying steps retracted back up. It was a marvelous site as we finally relaxed a bit.
Our drive was scenic and relaxing although our GPS did not take us on the usual routes so we ended up taking a scenic drive through the countryside farms of Prince Edward Island. I'm not entirely sure about this GPS but it has taken on some rather scenic drives from time to time. I do however refuse to follow it whenever it tries to route me onto a gravel road. Due to our bad experience I explained in Saskatchewan, I will no longer take our RV on dusty gravel roads if I can help it (although summer is the time for roadwork and so I have had a few times I could not avoid it). It took us a bit longer to get to our destination but crossed the Confederation Bridge to pay our $40 toll and drove on to the coast near Moncton.


It is time for us to take a pre-scheduled week off from our blog trip. We will continue again on July 6^th.

Saturday, June 27, 2009 – Day 30

Province House – History of Canada
As we were staying in a hotel in the heart of Charlottetown, we were within walking distance of everything we wanted to do. We decided to start our day with some history and so we headed straight for Province House. Province House is the PEI legislature which is now a National Historic Site.

The reason this building is so significant is because it is the location of the Charlottetown conference where the Canadian fathers of Confederation first met all together to discuss the idea of uniting Canada into one country. There was an older but excellent film to describe the events which took place September 1 to 9, 1864. Our kids really enjoyed hearing about the birth of what we now know as Canada. We toured the upper rooms as well which show where the conference took place and the current legislature.

Not knowing what to see next we decided to take a horsedrawn carriage ride through the city of Charlottetown. It was interesting but I think the 30 minute tour would have been just as well as the 45 minute tour.
Canada Day celebrations were getting underway as we walked along the waterfront. There were activities (strongman competition), games, buskers and pavillions scattered all over the place. Too bad we couldn't stay longer in Prince Edward Island to enjoy Canada Day itself.

Anne of Green Gables Musical
The highlight of the day was the evening musical that we pre-purchased tickets for. The Anne of Green Gables Musical is now 45 years old but it is an amazingly creative adaptation of the book by L. M. Montgomery. What was refreshing was that it was created before the movie and so it has a different perspective. The singers, music and orchestra all brought this lively and fun performance to a life of its own as the Anne of Green Gables story was told. Every one of our kids enjoyed the performance as did us parents and it is definitely a must-see activity for those visiting Prince Edward Island.

Friday, June 26, 2009 – Day 29

We found a great Camping site right in Cavendish which was close to all of the “Anne of Green Gables” sites. The kids were excited to go swimming and we didn't even leave the campground to go sightseeing until around noon.

Skip Avonlea Village Attraction

We headed out to what we were told was the best tourist attraction, the recreated village of Avonlea. In the village they recreate the story of Anne of Green Gables. In the morning Anne arrives by train and is brought to the village where there are a number of scenes recreated from the book throughout the day. I have to say that I was very disappointed and would not recommend visiting Avonlea. The village which consists of about a dozen buildings spreads out an hour long play into the entire day. It seems like they are trying to get people to stay the entire day when an hour or two would suffice. As fun as it was for the first hour or two, it interested our little children under the age of 8 more than our older kids who were not very excited to be there.

Beautiful Sandy Beaches of PEI
Following much too long of a time in Avonlea we headed to the Northern beaches of PEI. Wow, this was the highlight of the day.

We drove into the Prince Edward Island National Park and found a great place to park near some fishing shacks and an outdoor cafe. The site was complete with its own red and white old fashioned lighthouse. The kids were excited to play in the sand, jump off the bridge and splash in the water for a few hours as the evening sun kept us warm. I was surprised to see Teyauna, our 1 year old keep running into the cold water.
After some time getting sandy and some vitamin D sunshine we headed for one of the fish and chips shacks for some dinner just as they were closing at 6:30pm. I have to say I rarely like deep fried batter fish but this fish was absolutely amazing. It was fresh and there was more fish than there was fish batter!

Delta Prince Edward Hotel
After showering all of the sand off of our shorts and feet we jumped into our RV and headed to Charlottetown to rest at the Delta Prince Edward Hotel. We were pleasantly surprised to see this beautiful hotel in the centre of the Charlottetown Harbor within walking distance to the city centre and action in the Harbor of the city. The views from our room overlooking the Harbor were also gorgeous and we felt pampered as we enjoyed two adjoining rooms. The first thing my kids wanted to know was, “Is there a pool?”, they weren't disappointed.

Thursday, June 25, 2009 – Day 28

Hampton Inn
The kids were excited to be in a hotel again and were even more excited that the Hampton Inn of Moncton, NB had a water slide. They were up at 7am when the pool opened to get wet. I didn't see them in the pool much as they were busy finding creative ways to go down the water slide. They splashed around for a few hours before helping themselves to the complimentary breakfast that was served until 10am. I'm just glad they serve breakfast that late otherwise I would have missed it due to staying up late and sleeping in.

Caving Near Moncton

We couldn't wait around long however as we had a mission. We were heading out for a family caving adventure. An adventure that none of us will easily forget. Although our one year old Teyauna was unable to participate (and Kirsten who was watching her) all of our other children from 6 to 14 were able to participate in exploring the caves that are located in a small town about 30 minutes from Moncton. We didn't know what to expect but we did prepare by wearing long sleeve shirts, pants, a good pair of shoes and mosquito repellent.
We met our guide from Baymount Outdoor Adventure just before 1pm at a small tourist information centre. Here we were provided with flashlight helmets, track pants and shirts. These we were told were to keep our clothes clean... a statement that got my boys even more excited! They wanted to crawl around and get dirty! A feat that soon came to be.
After a short 8 minute drive, we parked our vehicles on the side of the road and started walking up a trail for 15 minutes that lead to the caves. We crossed what we were told was soon to be part Trans Canada Trail system and criss-crossed through various paths before we arrived at the North Cave.
To get to the mouth of the cave we had to climb down a steep trail and could barely see an opening in the rock in front of us. We turned on the lights to our helmets and our guide, after a brief discussion on the cave, sent each of us to explore the cave. The entrance to this cave was a steep decent into a large opening. As we climbed down the 24 degree mosquito infested air changed to a cool 8 degree bug free environment. Our guide who just retired as a school teacher was quite impressed when my 8 year old Orin, discovered a narrow passageway to the side of the cave. He instructed my kids that it was fine for them to crawl through this small tunnel and that if they could, they would be fine to explore the narrowest tunnel in the second cave we were to visit. My young kids were only too happy to squeeze through this and one other tunnel that looped around back into the main cave we were in. He only cautioned them to stay clear and watch out for a resident porcupine that has been seen in the cave from time to time. I however had to drag myself on my stomach to fit through this tunnel. It was only about 2 feet high and about as narrow.
After exploring this first cave we moved on to the South Cave that was a 5 minute hike away. This cave was even more spectacular. The temperature dropped as we descended into the gully in front of this cave. We then were cautioned to watch out for the ice that still ran down part of the entrance to this cave. Once inside we all sat down on mats brought by our guide as he provided us with a small snack. During our snack break our guide proceeded to tell us about why groups are not brought into the caves in the winter. While the last of the bats had left about 2 weeks earlier, they hibernate here during the winter. He also explained to us that bat's hearts beat up to 1100 beats per minute when flying around in search of food while the beat as little as 3 beats per minute while they hibernate to conserve energy. Disturbing them while they hibernate can use up their reserve energy and kill them.
After our snack we had the opportunity to squeeze between two rocks called “The Sandwich”. While some people detoured around this point, my kids and I wanted to continue through the tunnel ahead by squeezing through the trickiest part of the cave. To the fright of some of the others on the tour, we made it through and continued on our hands and knees with them to a larger gymnasium size cave further into the mountain. Crawling through this tunnel to a large opening was a dirty yet amazing experience as we stood up and walked around the large opening. We kept close to our guide as in past years the stream running through this cave had been naturally diverted and caused some of the floor to collapse. We walked through the stream that led us through a tunnel to the back of the large cave. Here we all sat down once again while our guide instructed us to turn out our lights.
This was perhaps one of the best parts of our caving experience. As one by one we turned out our lights, it got darker and darker until complete darkness surrounded us. The darkness was as dark as it gets with no chance of light getting into this room. We sat in complete silence for over a minute which surprised me as even my kids didn't make a peep. Our guide explained that when things get rough he likes to pack his gear and head into the caves to take a moment to rest and relax in the complete darkness. He then asked our group if anyone would like to crawl out of the second half of the cave in the dark. Although my kids were eager for the experience, my 6 year old Eli was less excited and the other adults in our group were not in the mood for a dark exit. In the end Eli was convinced and our guide sent the lit helmets out first while my 5 children including Eli and I exited the cave in the dark. This included the section where we had to crawl on our hands and legs to the main cave.
The kids were extremely excited with this adventurous part of our trip. They told me that it definitely was one of our trip highlights and that they would highly recommend this caving experience to anyone. I had to agree.

Confederation Bridge
Following our caving adventure we drove for two hours towards Prince Edward Island. The drive was beautiful as we drove along beautifully treed highways towards the famous Confederation Bridge, the longest Marine Bridge in the World! Due to the early morning wakeup by our kids anxious to swim and the tiresome caving adventure, I had to pull over before the bridge to wake up every one of my children. They were not happy to have to wake up so Kirsten pulled out some ice cream bars from the fridge to give them the energy they needed. That made all the difference and they were wide awake for the crossing. Confederation Bridge is an engineering marvel and we were not only amazed by its length but also by its massive size.

Following a stop just after the bridge at the information centre and “Welcome to PEI” billboard, we drove up the island to Cavendish, the centre of “Anne of Green Gables” country. The drive during the evening sun was absolutely amazing as we looked over the wild flocks growing on the side of the road and the potato fields that lined the farmlands. We took tons of pictures along the drive to our campsite in Cavendish. Prince Edward Island is definitely as beautiful as people say it is.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 – Day 27

Grand Falls
Covered Bridge
Kings Landing Historical Village
Fredericton
Hampton Inn Moncton Hotel

Check out more on this day of our trip at Kirsten's Blog.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 – Day 26


Highlights of the day:
A Quiet Cul-de-Sac we Parked at till the morning.
Whale Watching
An expensive Québec Ferry to Rivière-du-Loup
Arriving in New Brunswick

Check out more on this day of our trip at Kirsten's Blog.

Monday, June 22, 2009 – Day 25

We took our time in the morning to have some much needed showers at our campsite and to do some laundry. Unfortunately each laundry room only had two washers and two dryers so we had to scout out the second building to get our clothes cleaned. When you are traveling with a large family it is important to find a place where you can wash at least 5 loads of clothes at once... it saves time. This process took the most part of the morning and so it was the afternoon by the time we arrived at the Plains of Abraham National Historic Site interpretive centre.

This historic site was an absolutely incredible educational experience. It was a multimedia presentation of history on the importance of Québec and its role throughout the recorded history of Canada. I learned about Canada's confederation and how it was not until the 1950's that Newfoundland even joined with Canada. It covered a history from the 1700's to the current day. A must see for anyone visiting Québec.

We then spent an hour walking the streets of old Québec to watch the buskers and toped it off with a visit to a Crepe Restaurant.

We all enjoyed a delicious strawberry, whipped cream and ice cream crepe. Is your mouth watering? It was the perfect way to top off our day in Québec City and I highly recommend it! We then started towards Baie-Ste-Catherine for a whale watching trip for tomorrow.

Sunday, June 21, 2009 – Day 24

We started our Sunday morning in a small church outside of Québec City. It was lots of fun to go to a Sunday service in French. While there were people there to help translate for my other family members who are not yet fluent in French, we had a great opportunity to immerse ourselves in Canada's second official language.

Following the church services, I asked some locals for some great activity ideas for families on a Sunday afternoon. As they looked at my monstrous RV they shook their heads and said, “Whatever you do, don't take that massive thing into the centre of the old city of Québec, you'll never get it out!” (albeit they said it in French).

While one person suggested a suspension bridge park on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence River, another reminded us that the centre of Canada's History in Old Québec cannot be missed. I decided that I would have to be brave enough to attempt the streets of this ancient (by Canadian standards) city. Québec after all is the only walled City in North America with a rich history of British, American and French settlements and wars.

My first stop was at the Tourist Office at the Plains of Abraham to get my bearings on where to stay the night and where we could get the best look at the history of this historic city. Beside the Tourist Office was a bus parking lot perfect for our motorhome. They allow for 30 minutes of Free Parking and so we wandered around the Plains of Abraham (named after an early settler to the area in the 1700's). We could see the Citadel with its cliff walls dropping down from the hills above that we were climbing on. We continued on to the viewpoint over the St. Lawrence river while avoiding the personnel setting up for the stage for the St. Jean Baptiste Provincial Holiday concert in the same park (largest celebration of the year in Québec, bigger than Canada Day).

We saw a great boardwalk trail along the St. Lawrence river that continued on to the famous Château Frontenac Hotel (the most photographed hotel in the world I am told) but I had to get back to my car by this point as time was running out on our parking. I sent my family along as the blustery wind pushed them along the path. I had decided to pick them up at the Chateau so they would not have to walk back. It was so windy that the summer air was not as warm as we expected.

Unfortunately my family was not yet in front of the Chateau when I went to pick them up after driving through the main street of Old Québec. Due to the extra vigilant NO-stopping/parking attendants that waved me on, this meant that I would have to circle my RV through the city one more time. When I returned 8 minutes later after maneuvering through the city with a few tight left hand turns, I saw two of my kids waiting for me. They hopped in the van but as the attendant moved us on again they had them jump out to collect the others. Once again I reluctantly moved on and told my son Dailin to have everyone waiting when I returned. After my third scenic drive through the old village I was finally able to pick up my family who was finally all gathered together and waiting.

We decided to take a scenic drive through the old city. As we looked down a steep road that was barely big enough for a small car to drive down, my kids jokingly said “Drive down their Dad!.” Kirsten was quick to say, “No! Don't you dare.” I was only too happy to agree... that is until I went down a seemingly harmless street which started to get narrower and narrower until we reached a point where someone was blocking the road as he tried to jump start a car that was parked to the side of the already narrow street. I could not even back up. After a minute of no luck starting his car, they moved the car from the middle of the road and waved me on... but the road got even narrower so that the cars parked on the side of the road had little room for me between them and the building to the drivers side.

That's when the oncoming vehicle came. Someone in their little car wanted to pass and I honestly did not know how we were going to do it. Instead of drive down a side street perpendicular to us, he wanted to go where I was coming from. That's when he started yelling at the crazy RV driver that was taking such a beast of a vehicle on his small street. Lets just say I do understand French and the basic message on what he had to say was that he didn't think I should be on such a small street with my RV and that I should find another place to drive my vehicle. He managed to squeeze by me with less than a few inches on either side. It was at that point that I decided to look for the quickest exit from this quickly narrowing street. I took the first (even smaller) one way road I could and after backing up a few times to make the turn to fit down this old narrow street, we were out and on our way to find a camp site.

We found a beautiful riverside Municipal Campsite on the outskirts of Québec about 15 minutes from the city. After driving in to the beautiful treed sites my boys were only too happy to hook up our RV to water and get a campfire going. As we set out to hook up our septic we did discover that the valve was still not closing and that it was a problem that would require a repair person at the next possible opportunity to avoid more smelly situations.

Camping that evening was exciting as we all huddled around a roaring campfire to roast some sticky Marshmallows. Each of the kids were happy to get out of the RV where there was plenty of room to run around, explore and collect scraps of wood to burn. I do have to say that I no longer need to be the one to light fires as my boys are only too happy to put their scouting skills to work in building and starting the fire on their own. After a late night dinner and smores for desert, we were ready for a great nights sleep.

Saturday, June 20, 2009 – Day 23

Montreal was a fun city to visit with kids. The biggest problem was finding a place to park our Motorhome without having to walk too far. Driving in Montreal is a nightmare with a motorhome... and the drivers are not very patient.

In the end we ended up parking on the edge of Old Montreal near the George-Etienne Cartier historic site (one of the fathers of Confederation) and walking into the old town. It was even free parking on Saturday... I think.
The Cartier historic site was rather small, but it did give a good look into Cartier's accomplishments and life during the early 1800's. It was a great opportunity for the kids to learn a bit of history although they didn't have the attention span to read the information panels as much as their mother.

Pedestrial Friendly Old Montreal
There were some beautiful pedestrian only streets in the old city where narrow streets criss-crossed in all directions. We saw the old Notre Dame cathedral where plenty of weddings were taking place (and their waiting limousines). The kids tired quickly as they have been doing lots of walking in the past few days. We made our way down to the old port where there was plenty of activity going on. There were numerous cruises departing from here,Cirque du Soleil was set up with their tents as well as a nearby environmental exhibition. What caught the kids' attention however was the orange Labyrinth sign on one of the Pier buildings.

We couldn't resist and so we treated the kids to an hour in the Pirate themed Labyrinth. For an hour the kids walked through the very plain looking yet tricky mazes that went in all directions. If you are gearing for a fancy looking attraction this is not for you. If you are looking for some fun and to get lost in dead-end plastic paneled hallways, you will have a great time. The kids enjoyed themselves immensely and were able to solve all of the clues to get their paper medallion at the end of the course.

Eli, our 6 year old was not too keen on walking the remaining 15 minutes back to the RV but with some prompting he eventually made it... Old Montreal is definitely worth the visit, just make sure you are ready to walk lots.

Friday, June 19, 2009 – Day 22

The only thing we planned for today was to tour the Parliament Buildings. As a result we relaxed in the morning in our hotel room and watched as the sun cleared away all of the rain clouds of the previous day. It was great to take a break and to not have too much planned.

Currency Museum

In the afternoon we hiked over to the Parliament Buildings and found that we would have to wait two hours for our tour to start. The kids however already had a plan on what to do with our spare time... they wanted to go to the Free Currency Museum in the building responsible for Canada's currency. Our kids like money, to collect it (especially our 8 year old Monopoly player Orin) and to look at it. They breezed through the ancient coin section which illustrated the beginnings of currency with the shells, tools and other items that were first used as currency. They hurried on to the ancient Canadian coins and bills that were on display. Learning about currency is a great history lesson. As a result of their interest in money they are well aware of when various monarchs ruled in Canada and when various provinces (like the most recent Newfoundland) joined Confederation in Canada.
Perhaps the highlight for them was to see the video presentation and limited engagement interactive display on detecting forged bills. In the end they were able to look at and detect all of the forged verses actual bills on display... they did a great job.

Pocket Knife Caught at Parliament Buildings Security
By the time we were finished at the currency museum we were ready to excitedly tour our countries' parliament building on the last day it was to sit before summer holidays.


We gathered with our group of about 40 others before being ushered along to the entrance of the Parliament buildings. We were told that to enter we would have to go through airport like security. It was at this point that my 13 year old Jaeden got a little flush. As he went through his pockets he realized he had brought a pocket knife from when we were camping two nights earlier. He was a bit concerned at this point because although he did want to go on the tour, he was just as determined to keep his pocket knife.
As he was going through security the security screener was a bit baffled. He asked Jaeden who's knife it was. When he said it was his own, the screener asked, “Are you here with a school group?”... perhaps wondering what a youth was doing with a pocket knife after coming from school. Jaeden reassured him that he was only traveling with his family. The security person then asked how old he was and where his dad was as I waved from 3 people behind. Unlike the airport where everything is confiscated (unless re-checked in with check in baggage) disallowed items are sealed in a blue bag and saved for when one exits the parliament buildings. Jaeden was relieved to hear this and handed over the knife for safe keeping while the security person handed me the yellow claim ticket.
With the excitement of security over we were able to start our tour of the parliament buildings. As it was the last day that a session of parliament was being held before summer holidays, we were unable to see where the MP's sit and debate. We were however able to tour the hallways, library, senate and clock tower section of the building.
The grand building was amazing, gigantic and brought me to imagine the work that constructing this marvelous building took. Unfortunately the tour only showed us a variety of rooms and pointed out architectural features. It did not talk about the history or efforts involved in constructing the building. It wasn't until we saw a photo the next day in Quebec at the Cartier National Historic Site that we noticed the tents and small shacks people lived in while this grand architectural building was being constructed.
The view from the bell tower was amazing and we could see all the way around the city in all directions. It was the most amazing view of Ottawa and Hull, Quebec on the other side of the river.
Following the tour we just had to make a stop at the whispering wall which is located behind the parliament buildings. The whispering wall is a 30 to 40 foot curved wall with a bench along it. If you stand at one end and whisper, you can clearly hear another person at the opposite end of the wall. The kids had fun and Kirsten and I had fun telling “secrets” about getting ice cream as the kids would sneek by to listen from behind the wall.

Alyssa Gets Lost?
We took a quick walk down the path to see the Rideau Canal before heading back through the walking street of Ottawa back to our motorhome. On the way, Alyssa thought she knew better how to get to the motorhome and insisted on going in a different direction. Only 4 blocks away from our motorhome she went in completely the wrong direction. There was no convincing her to follow and so we kept going back. It did not take her long to realize that the way she went would not get her back and so 5 minutes after we arrived at the RV she showed up. I think her detour was just a way of being by herself for a little while. It is quite the experience to not have a place you can go to be on your own for 3 weeks (so far).

A Picture with Mosquitoes
It was late in the day but we were determined to continue on to Montreal that night so we could wake up and have a full day in our first Quebec city. We made it to the Quebec border just as the sun was starting to go down. Early enough to get a photograph... and a million mosquito bites. The grassy area in front of the Quebec welcome sign seemed to be a haven for Mosquitoes and as I tried to figure out how to get the camera timer to work, mom and the kids were busy running around and jumping up and down to keep the mosquitoes off!

Thursday, June 18, 2009 – Day 21

Before heading off to Ottawa we wanted to bike along the trail that goes from Cornwall for over 30 km to Upper Canada Village. We had heard about this great bike path following an interview by a radio station in Cornwall, Ontario.

We rented bikes at the Marina that is the third site in the immediate area operated by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. From here we were able to bike along the scenic paths that skirt along the river. Although it had been drizzling all through the night, the weather held up for us and allowed us to enjoy the scenic bike trail along the St. Lawrence River.

My 6 year old, Eli who had just learned how to ride a bike earlier this year also wanted to come along for the ride. As a result we came nowhere near to taking the entire 30 km trail to Cornwall, but we did have an enjoyable time along the path and took our time.

By the late morning we were finally on our way for the 1 hour drive to Ottawa. I was amazed to be only 15 minutes south of Ottawa and still be in the heart of flat farmlands. Ottawa is surrounded by protected farmlands to the south.

Our first plan was to head into the heart of Ottawa to visit the Parliament Buildings which are a definate focus of the city. We drove through the city and caught a glimpse of the old buildings... parking an RV hear was also a challenge. In the end we followed the signs to the Bus parking area on the edge of the city and walked the 1.5 km from there to the centre of town where our Guided tour by “Ottawa Walking Tours” was to start.


“Ottawa Walking Tours” did a great job giving us an in depth look into this beautiful and historic city. It was a drizzly day however and so we searched out trees and covered areas as we walked around the city. Not only did we visit the grounds of the parliament buildings but we also stopped at the National War Memorial, the National Press, Supreme Court and shopping district. By the end of the tour our one year old was a bit frustrated at having to sit in her stroller and running around in the puddles was getting a bit much. Unfortunately we had to cut the last part of the tour short due to the weather and our younger ones but as far as the adults and older kids were concerned, we still had a great educational experience on our Nation's capital city from our guide who is a High School History teacher by profession.

We had a bit of a walk in the rain to get back to our parking area and by the time we got there we were desperate for a nice warm and dry hotel room. We made a few phone-calls and within an hour we were in a nice quiet two bedroom suite only 2 blocks away from our parked motorhome. Kirsten was especially happy as she was feeling a bit under the weather... In three weeks of travel this was our second stay in a hotel... and a much needed family break from our RV.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 – Day 20

We had only heard about Upper Canada Village three days earlier as we were reading a National Geographic Guidebook on Canada.

Not only did this old 1800's style town deliver on its reputation, it exceeded all of our expectations and definitely had become one of our favorite stops on our Cross Canada Trip.

Upper Canada Village is made up of many homes and buildings that were recovered and moved to this location in the 1950's as the St. Lawrence river was flooded using dams to create a seaway that was navigable by ocean going vessels. Due to many communities being completely submerged, the historical buildings of the time were moved to create this Historic Village that takes visitors back in time.

Our first stop at Upper Canada Village was at the photography studio to get some family photos in period costume. Although my boys were a bit hesitant at first do to the ruffles on their white shirts, they didn't seem to mind as much when their smart looking vests were put over their shirts and they found some cool looking flat caps. For a family of 8 however to get dressed up it did take us way too long and in the end we ended up spending close to an hour for our photo shoot. Good thing we were there before the busy summer season.


Throughout this hot day we saw most of the buildings in this village. The weather was perfect for exploring this village that produces every item that a community would need to subsist on its own. It has its own water powered saw mill, flour mill, cows, farms, vegetable gardens, flour gardens, shoemaker, cheesemaker, schoolhouse, blacksmith, restaurant and more. The kids enjoyed rides on the horse drawn wagon and the boat that is towed along the canal by horses.

Some of the highlights of the day was our stop to milk the cows, watching how the wheat was milled and having a bite to eat at the restaurant that only prepared food based on the time period. As we left the park just before closing we got some bread and cheese that was made in the village... was it ever delicious.

Just before going however our kids wanted a ride on the miniature train. It was a beautiful 3 km ride along the shores of the St. Lawrence River... my only suggestion would be to sit well back from the front three cars where the fumes from the diesel engine are a bit strong unless there is a good cross breeze.

Only a few kilometers away from the Village is the Riverside Cedar Park Campground also operated by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. It is a great spacious camping area where the kids could play around on the playground and splash in the water of the river. It was hard to get the kids to come out of the water they were having so much fun... that was until after the sun went down and the mosquitoes came out... then they were all too happy to hide inside the RV to stay away from the bugs along the shore.

It was at that time the kids remembered how hungry they really were and warmed up in the hot showers provided. We slept great that night in the peaceful campground overlooking the river.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 – Day 19

Citypass is a great value for anyone visiting the city of Toronto. With these passes you can visit up to 5 attractions for one low price and they are among the city's best attractions too. Although we did have a limited amount of time we were able to visit 3 of the 5 popular attractions for families.

Parking a 31 Foot RV in Toronto
The Royal Ontario Museum (or as Torontonians call it the ROM) was our first stop. After looking for parking I decided I had better drop off my family otherwise it may be too late for us to see anything. I was driving our motorhome in downtown Toronto and as you can possibly imagine, it is not easy parking a 31 foot long RV in North America's 4^th largest city which has a population of over 2 million people. I circled around a number of times up and down the streets around the museum. Tiny alleys and regular streets were all packed full of cars. Although I did spot a few parking spaces occasionally, I was going to need something specific. I needed to find two parking spaces next to each other that were both empty so I could take up both parking spots. After almost 45 minutes I finally found my place right across the street from the front entrance, what luck (although the many prayers of desperation were more likely what helped). I parked as close as I could to the curb and the best thing about Toronto is that I only had to pay for one parking spot since there are only designated parking areas and not actual parking meters with lines marking the spots. Within a few minutes I ran into the museum to find the rest of my family.


The kids enjoyed the ROM's dinosaur collection and our oldest daughter wanted to spend more time looking at the period costumes on display. There was so much to see and only a limited amount of time to see it all but we did our best and enjoyed it all.

Our next stop was the Ontario Science Centre in the outskirts of the city. Fortunately parking was easy here as it was an open parking lot! Much to my relief as the official driver. Once again our kids could have spent a full day in this interactive centre filled will hundreds of interactive displays. I had a hard time moving them from one place to the next as they wanted to test our every single display. They especially liked using the electron ball to charge themselves up and get their hair to stand up on end. A truly hair raising experience.

CN Tower
It was with a bit of trepidation that I drove into downtown Toronto a second time. This time however, it was during rush hour traffic to search for parking. Rush hour traffic however in the evening is easy when driving into Toronto... until you get into the city centre. Fortunately we didn't have too far to go within the city. We went straight to the CN tower and I looked for the first open parking lot I could find. Fortunately there was a place across the street from the front entrance... although rather than the usual $10, the attendant told me I would have to pay for two vehicles. I didn't have any luck or leverage in negotiating a single vehicle price as I sat in my massive RV. The attendant simply suggested a few other places to check as I looked at the traffic that was at a turtle's on the street in front of us. I simply shook my head and took out my credit card to pay what he wanted for the space (although I did have the rest of the evening as the spot was reserved for me until midnight).
My kids had been looking at the CN Tower for days, since we drove by Toronto to get to Niagara Falls 4 days earlier. They were excited to finally get a view from the second tallest man made structure in the world (surpassed by the Burj Dubai tower scheduled to be completed in September 2009). I had the kids look at the glass plate in the floor as we rose up the first of two elevators in the CN Tower.

They squealed with excitement as they saw the floor move away from them and almost disappear off in the distance below them. They loved standing and jumping on the glass floor that let them hover over the city below them. They were amazed to be so high up looking over the city of Toronto and were even more amazed when they had the opportunity to go up another 45 second elevator ride to the Skypod platform. Teyauna our 1 year old had a hard time with the heights and preferred to stay near the elevator.
After the visit was over we capped off our experience with the Himalamazon simulator ride (an old simulator ride that entertained my 6 year old but was otherwise worth missing).

Falling Apart
I decided to get a bit of a head start on the drive to our next destination of Upper Canada Village and so I decided to drive into the night towards our next destination. As we drove I noticed a piece of plastic weather stripping flapping on the outside passenger side of our RV. I looked in dismay as I saw the 10 foot piece that looked like it was not in great shape. After pulling over in a rural neighborhood I realized that it was not as bad as I had thought. I was able to put the weather stripping back into place and continue on our drive into the evening.

Monday, June 15, 2009 – Day 18

As part of our cross Canada adventure we let our kids pick out one amusement park to visit. They selected Canada's Wonderland in Toronto. We did enjoy ourselves but found that the old rides were very jerky and bumpy and left most of us with a headache. Of the many roller coasters, the Beamouth was the smoothest and tallest drop roller coaster in the park and we saved that ride for the last.

Septic Mishap – Phew!
After an exhausting amusement park day I was ready for an early night's sleep.

We found a campground in a suburb of Toronto and quickly got to work in setting up our motorhome. As usual we plugged in our electrical, hooked up our water and removed the septic cap to dump our septic hose into the designated spot in the ground. To our horror we discovered a problem with the valve that is supposed to close off our septic system. It would not close and no matter what we tried, removing the cap brought down some rather smelly stuff. With a quick swipe we did manage to attach the septic drain to the motorhome but not before a pool of rather foul smelling stuff lay under our motorhome.

Kirsten was not impressed with the smell as she attempted to get to sleep. In the end we turned our venting fan off that normally would blow the air out of the motorhome (because when air leave up top, it comes in from down below somewhere, phew!) This is definitely a problem we are going to have to have a look at... it is not a problem we want to repeat!

Sunday, June 14, 2009 – Day 17

We spent the morning in a local friendly multicultural church. It was amazing to see the variety of cultures that gather in Toronto. It definitely gave us a flavour on what to expect in what is said to be one of North America's most diversely cultural cities.


In the afternoon the people we came to visit were not home and so we decided to relax in a nearby park. We used our GPS from GPSCentral.ca to help us locate Edward Gardens which was recommended to us by some locals at church. We brought a blanket and a lunch and enjoyed a few hours reading travel books and relaxing in the warm sun. It was the perfect place as this beautiful park had open spaces for the kids to run around and play in. Our 6 kids sure miss our big backyard and were only too happy to let this park make them feel at home as the ran around from corner to corner and from tree to tree (although we did notice later they were not supposed to climb the trees).

In the evening before heading home we decided to visit the Ontario Legislature. Sunday evening was the perfect day for a visit with a RV. Although we were not supposed to park directly in front of the entrance, there was nobody around and we were able to stop long enough to get some photos of this beautiful building at the centre of Queen's Park.

Saturday, June 13, 2009 – Day 16

Niagara Falls
First thing in the morning the kids were up and ready to visit Niagara Falls. They wanted to get out of the RV and see for themselves the famous waterfalls that they had seen from the window the day before.

I drove to Niagara Falls and dropped off the family at the far end above the falls so that they could all walk past the falls to where everyone stops to take pictures in front of the picturesque front face. In the meantime I set off to park the vehicle with the youngest two kids who were a bit tired and not ready to walk the 2 km.

By the time I found the rest of my family they were commenting on their wet appearance. As they walked past the falls they were drenched by the mist that was blown up from the falls. With so much water pouring down it is normal for the mist to come up and get any passers by wet from the mist. It was a refreshing experience for them, fortunately it was a hot sunny day.

Marineland
Following our visit to the falls we headed off for Marineland for some fun. While there are a couple of marine mammal shows, it is an amusement park with many more rides than actual shows.

As soon as we arrived we were able to watch the sea lion, dolphin and seal show that entertained us with their tricks and acrobatics. It was a definite highlight to the day. Marineland is a great place to take the kids and is especially catered to young kids. Although there is a great drop tower ride and over a dozen milkshake style rides for teenagers, there are tons more rides for young audiences.

It was an exhausting day as the walk around the massive park was long and the distance between attractions is long. Bring good walking shoes and lots of water for a day at Marineland.