Oct 21...Today we left Memphis to travel to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Amazingly, we got the cheapest gas of our trip in Arkansas at a BP gas station for 2.59. To get to Arkansas on the back roads we had to pass a few short miles into the state of Mississippi. Gambling is allowed in Mississippi and the road is inundated with these giant billboards announcing everything going on . The most outstanding and funny was the one that said. "World Twinkie Eating Contest at Bally's Casino in Tunica, MS." We arrive in Arkansas late so tomorrow we will explore the city before we leave.
Oct 22...After breakfast we head for downtown Hot Springs. There are 2 things that make Hot Springs famous, one is the Bath Houses of the 1800's of which one is still in use. Most of the other bath houses are owned by the National Park System so we took a self guided tour of one. It was quite interesting to see how people of those day would come here for this experience of bathing in the Hot Springs which are thought to have healing properties. I drank some of the water. The second thing that makes Hot Springs famous is it is the home town of our 42nd President, Bill Clinton. We learn from a man in one of the stores we went into that Mr Clinton had been in Hot Springs the weekend before for his class reunion. Also, this man went to school with Bill Clinton so Arlen said let me shake the hand of someone whose has shook Bill Clinton's hand. On to McAlester,Oklahoma, a town we will spend the night to reach our next destination, Lawton.
Oct 23...We are in Oklahoma to specifically go to the towns that Arlen's Mother and Father were born in. We stop at Walmart in Ada, OK and a man says where are you from in California. After much conversation we find out his wife's family is in Roseville and they are here taking care of his parents. Then we stop at a Hallmark store to look for postcards and a really nice lady who was working helped us and told us about the area. So far the people in Oklahoma have been the friendliest. We head for Byers where Arlen's dad was born drive around a bit and drive to the cemetery and find some gravestones with the name Richardson. He takes some pictures for reference and then back to town to take some more pictures of the buildings. After that it is driving to Wynnewood his mother's birthplace. It is surprisingly a big town. He takes pictures of the town and then we leave to drive to Lawton to spend the night.
Oct24...Today we are headed for Texas. Along the way we see the sign that says "Cotton Picking Festival in Hollis, OK. We did see a lot of cotton fields. One of the restaurants along the way was the WOK AND ROLL, Arlen wanted me to include that has he thinks it's funny. When we finally cross into Texas there is a sign that says"Welcome to Texas, Drive friendly, the Texas way. It wasn't too much longer before we found out it was true. We stopped to make sure we were going the right direction and this truck driver pulls over to ask us if we need help. We reach our home for the night, Hereford, Texas. Arlen wants to get some wine so we go for a little walk to the local mini mart. We find out that beer and wine can only be sold no liquor but at "package shops". Yes that is what the sign says on the building. I look on yelp and find out right across the street is that package store as the mini mart only had beer. You can hardly tell it is a store, there is a painted screen in front of the door obstructing the view of the entrance. We go in,get the wine and while we are talking to the person at the counter about the liquor laws in Texas a car drives up to the window and hands the guy 3 packs of beer. Yes drive up liquor, wine and beer in Texas.
Oct 25...Albuquerque, New Mexico is where we are driving to today. The only memorable thing was this truck stop which had the biggest souvenir section we have ever seen. After we get settled in Albuquerque we head for Old Town. The Old Town of Albuquerque is a must see. It has a town square surrounded by shops, restaurants and an Old Church . We have dinner at a nice restaurant and head back to the room.
Oct 26,,. We are getting closer and closer to home. Today we leave Albuquerque to drive to Arizona. The skies are so blue with puffy clouds. The landscape is a mix of sage brush and other desert plants such as joshua trees and yucca. Our destination is Flagstaff and it takes most of the day. we are anxious to get there so we can watch the world series that starts at 5. It is windy and really quite cold so we have dinner and stay in the room watching the game. The closer we get to home the more we just want to get there.Tomorrow we leave to go to Las Vegas for 2 nights.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Amish Stuff to the King ofRockand Roll
Oct 12......Sign on road while driving, "Amish Stuff, not just stuff, Amish Stuff." I guess we are in Amish country. Today we are driving to Charlestown, West Virginina. Charlestown was named after George Washingtons brother who had a home there along with his brothers.Also, a few miles down the road is Harpers Ferry and if you know the story of John Brown, his historic trial was held here. The town has old brick buildings dating back to the 1800's, really cool. I love seeing these preserved buildings, so beautiful and stately.It is drizzly so we head for our home for the night.
Oct 13...We head for Lexington, Virginia this morning, there is a severe weather warning for tomorrow so we book the room for 2 nights. On the way we drive through the Shenandoah Mountains as the views of the Shenandoah Valley and the fall colors are suppose to be spectacular, NOT. As would be our luck it was dense with fog at most overlooks so it was a disappointing drive for over 50 miles.. Luckily, you could get off about half way so that is what we did. We were fortunate though as we did not have to pay the fee to see fog as we have a National Parks Pass. Cheap gas again in Boyce, VA at Shell Station only 2.98.
Oct14...Today is a rainy day a severe thunder and lightening with high winds is expected which keeps us here in Lexington an extra day. We decide to get out of the room and take a drive to the town of Stauton. what brings us here besides the historically value is to have lunch at a restaurant called Mrs Rowe's country kitchen. We find the place and have southern fried chicken, fried okra, collard greens and spoonbread. Very good but Arlen says the chicken was not as good as his mama's. After lunch we head for the town which is made up of many brick buildings dating back to the 1700's. We park and walk a little and find the visitors center and after talking to the person there we decide to take a trolley ride around the town. We see many historical buildings including Woodrow Wilson's home and the Mary Baldwin College the oldest all women's college in America. My favorite was the Catholic Church made out of green limestone. It was so beautiful and the bus driver said most of the town was Irish so the color was appropriate. Back to hotel to wait for storm.
Oct 15... Yeah, the storm was not as bad in our area as predicted which made me very happy. We leave Lexington to proceed to North Carolina today. It is still rainy but nothing compared to some areas. We are traveling to the town of Sanford. On the way, near graham we see several spots with rows of single wide mobile homes. This is quite interesting to see as you really don't see that many in California. There is a distinct differance between the grade of housing from the previous states we have visited. Saw first Tabacco field, really cool to see the different plant growing that is associated with the south.
Oct 16...Today is the day Arlen gets to trace his roots, We are driving to the town of Carthage, North Carolina, where is great grandfather was born. We spend most of the day at the library and courthouse going through records of births ,deaths and land deeds and articles in books. We find some pertinent information and make copies to bring home. All the people in Cathage were very friendly and helpful. Afterwards, we drive to the town of King Mountain to spend the night.
Oct 17... What a day, we drove from King Mountain to Cleveland, Tennessee today and it was the longest, most curvy road I have been on in a long time. I was starting to feel a little car sick anyway it took 5 and 1/2 hours to get to Cleveland on that road and that was too much driving for one day. We did stay at a nice Holiday Inn Express though.
Oct 18...Our drive to Savannah, Tennessee was pleasant but uneventful. We saw some pretty countryside with fall colors a lot of cotton fields and about the most exciting thing was the biggest billboard sign ever offering Fireworks for sale. Remember we are taking as many back roads as possible so some days it is just driving enjoying the scenery.
Oct 19...We leave Savannah to arrive in Memphis today but not before we stop in the town of Shiloh and the Shiloh Battlefield. Reminds me of the Gettysburg Battlefield I visited 50 years ago, not touristy but respectful. This is where the Civil War Battle of Shiloh was fought.Captain Henry Richardson stationed on the north, had an battery H first Illinois light artillery there, relationship unknown. Also, General Robert V Richardson was on the south he was born in Granville county North Carolina as we have to check out to see if there is a family connection On to Memphis
where our directions take us in so that we drive along the mighty Mississippi River. There is a park that runs along the river so we stop to take pictures of the beautiful bridge that spans the entire width. We notice an amazing site coming down the river, a barge with 4 rows wide of cargo by 13 long loaded on this barge, We watch it for a while and wonder how the captain can steer this wide and long b.oat can steer it correctly. After we drive to downtown to explore the famous Beale St. We find this famous street and start waking and exploring the different shops and restaurants. We have lunch at a place that had live"Blues" music playing. I had my first Gumbo and shrimp and grits. Flavorful and a bit spicy but very good. Afterward, Arlen wants to find the Gibson Guitar factory which has tours. We find it and we go on the tour which was interesting but nothing was in production because it was Sunday. Arlen said maybe I should buy a guitar but when we came out the Gibson Store was closed.
Oct 20...Today we spend the day exploring Graceland. I ordered tickets online which was a smart thing to do as I did not have to stand in line at the ticket counter just go to will call to pick up tickets.
You have a group and time on your ticket to get in line to board the shuttle bus that takes you to Graceland across the street. It is an interactive tour and we are given earphones and an Ipad. The tour is very well done and organized and gives you a new respect for Elvis and well worth your time and money to visit here. There are many shops for food and souvenirs and we take the time to look at them before we call it a day.
Oct 13...We head for Lexington, Virginia this morning, there is a severe weather warning for tomorrow so we book the room for 2 nights. On the way we drive through the Shenandoah Mountains as the views of the Shenandoah Valley and the fall colors are suppose to be spectacular, NOT. As would be our luck it was dense with fog at most overlooks so it was a disappointing drive for over 50 miles.. Luckily, you could get off about half way so that is what we did. We were fortunate though as we did not have to pay the fee to see fog as we have a National Parks Pass. Cheap gas again in Boyce, VA at Shell Station only 2.98.
Oct14...Today is a rainy day a severe thunder and lightening with high winds is expected which keeps us here in Lexington an extra day. We decide to get out of the room and take a drive to the town of Stauton. what brings us here besides the historically value is to have lunch at a restaurant called Mrs Rowe's country kitchen. We find the place and have southern fried chicken, fried okra, collard greens and spoonbread. Very good but Arlen says the chicken was not as good as his mama's. After lunch we head for the town which is made up of many brick buildings dating back to the 1700's. We park and walk a little and find the visitors center and after talking to the person there we decide to take a trolley ride around the town. We see many historical buildings including Woodrow Wilson's home and the Mary Baldwin College the oldest all women's college in America. My favorite was the Catholic Church made out of green limestone. It was so beautiful and the bus driver said most of the town was Irish so the color was appropriate. Back to hotel to wait for storm.
Oct 15... Yeah, the storm was not as bad in our area as predicted which made me very happy. We leave Lexington to proceed to North Carolina today. It is still rainy but nothing compared to some areas. We are traveling to the town of Sanford. On the way, near graham we see several spots with rows of single wide mobile homes. This is quite interesting to see as you really don't see that many in California. There is a distinct differance between the grade of housing from the previous states we have visited. Saw first Tabacco field, really cool to see the different plant growing that is associated with the south.
Oct 16...Today is the day Arlen gets to trace his roots, We are driving to the town of Carthage, North Carolina, where is great grandfather was born. We spend most of the day at the library and courthouse going through records of births ,deaths and land deeds and articles in books. We find some pertinent information and make copies to bring home. All the people in Cathage were very friendly and helpful. Afterwards, we drive to the town of King Mountain to spend the night.
Oct 17... What a day, we drove from King Mountain to Cleveland, Tennessee today and it was the longest, most curvy road I have been on in a long time. I was starting to feel a little car sick anyway it took 5 and 1/2 hours to get to Cleveland on that road and that was too much driving for one day. We did stay at a nice Holiday Inn Express though.
Oct 18...Our drive to Savannah, Tennessee was pleasant but uneventful. We saw some pretty countryside with fall colors a lot of cotton fields and about the most exciting thing was the biggest billboard sign ever offering Fireworks for sale. Remember we are taking as many back roads as possible so some days it is just driving enjoying the scenery.
Oct 19...We leave Savannah to arrive in Memphis today but not before we stop in the town of Shiloh and the Shiloh Battlefield. Reminds me of the Gettysburg Battlefield I visited 50 years ago, not touristy but respectful. This is where the Civil War Battle of Shiloh was fought.Captain Henry Richardson stationed on the north, had an battery H first Illinois light artillery there, relationship unknown. Also, General Robert V Richardson was on the south he was born in Granville county North Carolina as we have to check out to see if there is a family connection On to Memphis
where our directions take us in so that we drive along the mighty Mississippi River. There is a park that runs along the river so we stop to take pictures of the beautiful bridge that spans the entire width. We notice an amazing site coming down the river, a barge with 4 rows wide of cargo by 13 long loaded on this barge, We watch it for a while and wonder how the captain can steer this wide and long b.oat can steer it correctly. After we drive to downtown to explore the famous Beale St. We find this famous street and start waking and exploring the different shops and restaurants. We have lunch at a place that had live"Blues" music playing. I had my first Gumbo and shrimp and grits. Flavorful and a bit spicy but very good. Afterward, Arlen wants to find the Gibson Guitar factory which has tours. We find it and we go on the tour which was interesting but nothing was in production because it was Sunday. Arlen said maybe I should buy a guitar but when we came out the Gibson Store was closed.
Oct 20...Today we spend the day exploring Graceland. I ordered tickets online which was a smart thing to do as I did not have to stand in line at the ticket counter just go to will call to pick up tickets.
You have a group and time on your ticket to get in line to board the shuttle bus that takes you to Graceland across the street. It is an interactive tour and we are given earphones and an Ipad. The tour is very well done and organized and gives you a new respect for Elvis and well worth your time and money to visit here. There are many shops for food and souvenirs and we take the time to look at them before we call it a day.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Forts, Baseball and QVC
Oct 9...This is another drive day to get to our next destination of Saratoga Springs, New York. On the way is Fort Tyconderoga so we decide to check it out. We didnt realize there would be a charge of 15.00 per person to get in. Arlen must have really work wanted to see this as he paid the money to go in. During the American Revolution, Fort Tyconderoga, was the scene of Americas first major victory and the U.S. northern strong hold protecting New York and New England from British invasion of Canada. It is located high along a hill overlooking Lake Champlain and it is really an impressive site to relivee what happened there. They have reinactments which add to the whole experiance of the day. After a nice lunch at the Fort cafe we got back on the road to our home for the night Saratoga Springs.
Oct 10...Saratoga Springs is one of the towns and race tracks for Horse racing.We found out it was closed for the season so we departed for our new destination the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. This place is a must for the baseball fan. There are 3 floors that store and display everything from the Negro and Women's Leagues to the present and past stars memorabilia and statistics. Here you can relive cherished baseball memories and favorite moments. After, we check out the Museum shop before departing for some lunch. We decide we only want one thing for lunch---a HOT DOG.On the road again to travel to Carbondale, Pennsylvania to spend the night. We chose to take the freeway to get there faster but it is Friday afternoon with construction zones with lanes down to one so it takes us 3 and half hours instead of 2 hours and 15 min on unfamiliar roads to our hotel in,way the heck out there Carbondale. No more freeways late in the afternoon. Now I see why Arlen likes back roads.
Oct 11...This day is unforgettable for me as it is the day when we are driving to West Chester, Pennsylvania to go on the Studio Tour of QVC!!!. We get there in time to buy tickets for the 1:00 tour and have time to shop in the QVC store before the tour. They gave us a 5.00 coupon towards any purchase of 30.00 or more. Of course I shopped. Then it was time for the tour, it was really something for a QVC shopper to see as it gave every detail from when it first started in the 1970's until now. We got to be in on a live show which was very exciting also. At the end they also handed us a souvenir of our tour with the QVC logo on it Way Cool!! I LOVE QVC, the tour made me wish I worked there. After we went to lunch and since we were not going to go in to Philadelphia we had to have our Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich in West Chester. On to Frazier to our motel for the night. WHAT A FABULOUS DAY!!
Oct 10...Saratoga Springs is one of the towns and race tracks for Horse racing.We found out it was closed for the season so we departed for our new destination the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. This place is a must for the baseball fan. There are 3 floors that store and display everything from the Negro and Women's Leagues to the present and past stars memorabilia and statistics. Here you can relive cherished baseball memories and favorite moments. After, we check out the Museum shop before departing for some lunch. We decide we only want one thing for lunch---a HOT DOG.On the road again to travel to Carbondale, Pennsylvania to spend the night. We chose to take the freeway to get there faster but it is Friday afternoon with construction zones with lanes down to one so it takes us 3 and half hours instead of 2 hours and 15 min on unfamiliar roads to our hotel in,way the heck out there Carbondale. No more freeways late in the afternoon. Now I see why Arlen likes back roads.
Oct 11...This day is unforgettable for me as it is the day when we are driving to West Chester, Pennsylvania to go on the Studio Tour of QVC!!!. We get there in time to buy tickets for the 1:00 tour and have time to shop in the QVC store before the tour. They gave us a 5.00 coupon towards any purchase of 30.00 or more. Of course I shopped. Then it was time for the tour, it was really something for a QVC shopper to see as it gave every detail from when it first started in the 1970's until now. We got to be in on a live show which was very exciting also. At the end they also handed us a souvenir of our tour with the QVC logo on it Way Cool!! I LOVE QVC, the tour made me wish I worked there. After we went to lunch and since we were not going to go in to Philadelphia we had to have our Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich in West Chester. On to Frazier to our motel for the night. WHAT A FABULOUS DAY!!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Goodby P.E.I. Hello New England
Oct 3...We leave Prince Edward Island today on our way to get to Maine. We drive most of the day to reach our home for the night, St Johns, New Brunswick. St Johns is a town of about 70,000.We book the Holiday Inn Express and have a room on the fifth floor overlooking the Bay of Fundy and stay at our hotel.
Oct 4...We leave St Johns to cross over the border back into the good ole USA.We reach the border and they check our fruit and then we pass into Calais, the first town in Maine. It is raining and so the drive is not too nice. Arlen says "the rain in Maine is a pain". We finally stop for lunch at Ruth and Wimpy's a restaurant where we have our first whole lobster meal for 12.95. A whole lobster meal is messy and leisurely eating. A bib is a must and picks, a nut cracker and oodles of napkins. It was enjoyable and the price is fantastic but now I know why they charge so much for just a lobster tail at a restaurant, cause it is just a small part of that coruscation. We stop for the night in a town called Bucksport. Our room is a view of the Penobscat River and bridge and Fort Knox. Fort Knox was a fort on this river and was named for General Knox who Fort Knox in Kentucky is named for.
Oct 5...Today our destination is Bangor, Maine. We decide to go to Bar Harbor, Baa-Haa-Baa, in Maine pronunciation. The area is not as expected but still very beautiful. The town and shops are right down by the water. There is a cruise ship anchored out in the harbor. The town is very crowded from all the people coming from the cruise ship and also all the tour buses that have brought people to visit for the day. We decide to take the historical walk around the waters edge which tells us different points of interest as we walk along. We finish the walk ending up back in town where we decide to look in some shops before having lunch. we have lunch at a really a nice restaurant and our table is on the second floor next to the window overlooking the harbor. We both have a delicious lobster bisque. My entree was a most interesting plate of squash cakes with raita, kale, red rice and caramelized onion. So different and yummy.
Oct 6... Our destination today is Freeport, Maine. I want to go there because it is the home of LLBean. First we have to find a Subaru dealer to have our oil changed and the tires checked. We have driven over 4000 miles. Back on the road we arrive at our motel,check in and head out to find LLBean. The internet says they have 3storesand an outlet. When we get to the area that is supposed to have the outlet we discover the whole downtown is a mecca of outlet stores. Not what was expected. Found LLBean outlet but no bargains here, maybe10.00 off regular price. Go on to find the other stores and walk through them. Have a light dinner of soup at a place called Kamasouptra. Kind of like the soup Nazi on Seinfeld. Tonight we do laundry and pack boxes of souvenirs to send to family and friends.
Oct 7...We leave Freeport today not quite sure what our destination will be. It is overcast and rain is expected. the drive is very interesting as the architecture of the homes are very interesting to see. Most are1 or2 story "Salt Box"style houses, wood sided,painted white with black shutters. Very neat looking and some of the houses we have seen in Maine are so large they are like mansions to me.. The churches are also white with painted steeples some popping out of the landscape from a far. Very much what you imagine New England to look like. We reach the "White Mountains" of New Hampshire where the sight is amazing even in the rain. I never imagined the sight of mountains and mountains of gold, red and orange trees in mass abundance. We stop at many places along the way to take pictures as I cant believe what I am seeing. I thought the fall colors were in Vermont but I don't know how it could get any better and we haven't even gotten to Vermont. Our night ends in Lincoln, New Hampshire.
Oct 8....Our destination today is Colchester, Vermont but first we are out to find the most photographed covered bridge in the state. We travel to Stark,New Hampshire to see this wonder and once we get there we cant believe our eyes. The bridge is being restored and is a total mess and is not very photogenic. So on to something fun and hat would be in Waterbury, Vermont and the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory and tour. W for e ere taken around to see how the ice cream is made and at the end they even gave us ice cream. We shop in the company store and head out to find our motel for the night.
Oct 4...We leave St Johns to cross over the border back into the good ole USA.We reach the border and they check our fruit and then we pass into Calais, the first town in Maine. It is raining and so the drive is not too nice. Arlen says "the rain in Maine is a pain". We finally stop for lunch at Ruth and Wimpy's a restaurant where we have our first whole lobster meal for 12.95. A whole lobster meal is messy and leisurely eating. A bib is a must and picks, a nut cracker and oodles of napkins. It was enjoyable and the price is fantastic but now I know why they charge so much for just a lobster tail at a restaurant, cause it is just a small part of that coruscation. We stop for the night in a town called Bucksport. Our room is a view of the Penobscat River and bridge and Fort Knox. Fort Knox was a fort on this river and was named for General Knox who Fort Knox in Kentucky is named for.
Oct 5...Today our destination is Bangor, Maine. We decide to go to Bar Harbor, Baa-Haa-Baa, in Maine pronunciation. The area is not as expected but still very beautiful. The town and shops are right down by the water. There is a cruise ship anchored out in the harbor. The town is very crowded from all the people coming from the cruise ship and also all the tour buses that have brought people to visit for the day. We decide to take the historical walk around the waters edge which tells us different points of interest as we walk along. We finish the walk ending up back in town where we decide to look in some shops before having lunch. we have lunch at a really a nice restaurant and our table is on the second floor next to the window overlooking the harbor. We both have a delicious lobster bisque. My entree was a most interesting plate of squash cakes with raita, kale, red rice and caramelized onion. So different and yummy.
Oct 6... Our destination today is Freeport, Maine. I want to go there because it is the home of LLBean. First we have to find a Subaru dealer to have our oil changed and the tires checked. We have driven over 4000 miles. Back on the road we arrive at our motel,check in and head out to find LLBean. The internet says they have 3storesand an outlet. When we get to the area that is supposed to have the outlet we discover the whole downtown is a mecca of outlet stores. Not what was expected. Found LLBean outlet but no bargains here, maybe10.00 off regular price. Go on to find the other stores and walk through them. Have a light dinner of soup at a place called Kamasouptra. Kind of like the soup Nazi on Seinfeld. Tonight we do laundry and pack boxes of souvenirs to send to family and friends.
Oct 7...We leave Freeport today not quite sure what our destination will be. It is overcast and rain is expected. the drive is very interesting as the architecture of the homes are very interesting to see. Most are1 or2 story "Salt Box"style houses, wood sided,painted white with black shutters. Very neat looking and some of the houses we have seen in Maine are so large they are like mansions to me.. The churches are also white with painted steeples some popping out of the landscape from a far. Very much what you imagine New England to look like. We reach the "White Mountains" of New Hampshire where the sight is amazing even in the rain. I never imagined the sight of mountains and mountains of gold, red and orange trees in mass abundance. We stop at many places along the way to take pictures as I cant believe what I am seeing. I thought the fall colors were in Vermont but I don't know how it could get any better and we haven't even gotten to Vermont. Our night ends in Lincoln, New Hampshire.
Oct 8....Our destination today is Colchester, Vermont but first we are out to find the most photographed covered bridge in the state. We travel to Stark,New Hampshire to see this wonder and once we get there we cant believe our eyes. The bridge is being restored and is a total mess and is not very photogenic. So on to something fun and hat would be in Waterbury, Vermont and the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory and tour. W for e ere taken around to see how the ice cream is made and at the end they even gave us ice cream. We shop in the company store and head out to find our motel for the night.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Charlottetown to Cavendish
Oct 1...After checking out all the things there are to do and see about Lucy Maud Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables, I decided to book a musical called Anne&Gilbert at the Guild theater in Charlottetown.It had and afternoon performance so we left for our hour trek to get there. After figuring out where to park we check in and pick up our will call tickets. We are early so we take the opportunity to roam around downtown Charlottetown's shops. There is a Anne of Green Gables shop. We look but do not buy. The play is great. It is about the period when Anne becomes the teacher at the Avonlea School until she goes away to college and realizes that she loves PEI and everything about it including Gilbert.After the play we look more at shops and decide to have dinner at this upscale Italian pizza restaurant. The food is delicious and the pizza is cooked in a 900 degree oven for 90 seconds. The drive back doesn't seem as long but we stop at the local market called Sotbys to pick up some breakfast and snack items before we return to the room for the night.
Oct 2...Today we spend the day doing and seeing everything Lucy Maud Montgomery or Anne of Green Gables. We drive to New London where our first stop is L. M. Montgomery's birth home. The lady there is so knowledgeable about the history of the house and the timeline for events. It seems that everything we find out about L.M. Montgomery is almost the exact story she has written about in her books. Next we stop at the visitors center to get more info and directions. (A word of advice, Take a guided tour if you are not one for figuring out directions and do not come this late in the season.) Everything is spread out and this late in the year a lot of the attractions are either closed or partially closed :-( . We were told that July and August are the busiest. If I were to come again it would be in the first 2 weeks of Sept. Anyway, here is the list of places I got to visit and the ones I missed
1. Green Gables Heritage Place in PEI National Park...This area had the Green Gables House which we toured and then we walked around the grounds, had a raspberry cordial,walked through the Haunted Woods and of course the gift shop.
2. Anne of Green Gables Museum at Silver Bush was open but The Shining Waters Tea room was CLOSED:-(. Also at this location was
3. Matthews Carriage Ride around Silver Bush property and down by the Lake of Shining Waters, CLOSED :-(.
4. Avonlea Village was CLOSED:-(. This is a reenactment village of buildings, characters in period costumes, music, wagon rides and a candy and gift shop.
5. The Cavendish Post office where Lucy Maud Montgomery was the assistant Postmaster and her grandmother was the Postmaster for years was open. We toured the museum and talked to the present Postmaster and mailed some postcards with special cancellations.
It took a full day to see the things we got to see driving around ourselves and figuring out how to get to where we wanted to go so you need to allow 2 to 3 days to experience everything.
We end the day by having a nice dinner at the Blue Mussel Cafe where we have a delicious lobster dip, and salad to start. Arlen had a Lobster Roll and I had steamed mussels. PEI mussels are the best and they were very delicious, even Arlen ate quite a few!
Oct 2...Today we spend the day doing and seeing everything Lucy Maud Montgomery or Anne of Green Gables. We drive to New London where our first stop is L. M. Montgomery's birth home. The lady there is so knowledgeable about the history of the house and the timeline for events. It seems that everything we find out about L.M. Montgomery is almost the exact story she has written about in her books. Next we stop at the visitors center to get more info and directions. (A word of advice, Take a guided tour if you are not one for figuring out directions and do not come this late in the season.) Everything is spread out and this late in the year a lot of the attractions are either closed or partially closed :-( . We were told that July and August are the busiest. If I were to come again it would be in the first 2 weeks of Sept. Anyway, here is the list of places I got to visit and the ones I missed
1. Green Gables Heritage Place in PEI National Park...This area had the Green Gables House which we toured and then we walked around the grounds, had a raspberry cordial,walked through the Haunted Woods and of course the gift shop.
2. Anne of Green Gables Museum at Silver Bush was open but The Shining Waters Tea room was CLOSED:-(. Also at this location was
3. Matthews Carriage Ride around Silver Bush property and down by the Lake of Shining Waters, CLOSED :-(.
4. Avonlea Village was CLOSED:-(. This is a reenactment village of buildings, characters in period costumes, music, wagon rides and a candy and gift shop.
5. The Cavendish Post office where Lucy Maud Montgomery was the assistant Postmaster and her grandmother was the Postmaster for years was open. We toured the museum and talked to the present Postmaster and mailed some postcards with special cancellations.
It took a full day to see the things we got to see driving around ourselves and figuring out how to get to where we wanted to go so you need to allow 2 to 3 days to experience everything.
We end the day by having a nice dinner at the Blue Mussel Cafe where we have a delicious lobster dip, and salad to start. Arlen had a Lobster Roll and I had steamed mussels. PEI mussels are the best and they were very delicious, even Arlen ate quite a few!
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Prince Edward Island - Potatoes to Lobster Rolls
Sept 30.....We wake up to another dizzily overcast morning. We have breakfast and leave for another drive day but today we reach the farthest part of our trip, Prince Edward Island. We stopped at the visitors center, after crossing the miles long bridge that connects PEI with New Brunswick, to get info about different happenings and decide to go to the Canadian Potato Museum in the town of O'Leary. Now there is a method to my madness, the flyer advertises the best french fries on the island. Everywhere we drive we see potato fields and /or trucks hauling off the just harvested crop, PEI is a big producer of potatoes. We have actually come to late in the season for a lot of the along time to get anywhereattractions so the kitchen is closed at the Potato Museum, darn no fries! Our next stop is a quild and fabric shop as it advertises it has Anne of Green Gables material. Not what I expected but the quilts on sale, some as high as 2000.00,are so beautiful and the material for sale is endless. Maybe I'll have to take up quilting.
Prince Edward Island looks small on the map but once you get there it seems like it takes you forever to get anywhere. Most roads are only 2 lane and it takes 30 min to 1 hour to a major town or city. The landscape is beautiful with a lot of green pastures, farms with crops and large spaces between structures. We are staying at the Loyalist Inn a really nice accomodation right on the Straights of North Thumberland. We are on the third floor so our view from our room is wonderful. We have dinner at a restaurant called Two Brothers, We both had Lobster Rolls. Really, I'm not that impressed by it, I guess because it is cold and the only way I have had lobster is hot with drawn butter.
Prince Edward Island looks small on the map but once you get there it seems like it takes you forever to get anywhere. Most roads are only 2 lane and it takes 30 min to 1 hour to a major town or city. The landscape is beautiful with a lot of green pastures, farms with crops and large spaces between structures. We are staying at the Loyalist Inn a really nice accomodation right on the Straights of North Thumberland. We are on the third floor so our view from our room is wonderful. We have dinner at a restaurant called Two Brothers, We both had Lobster Rolls. Really, I'm not that impressed by it, I guess because it is cold and the only way I have had lobster is hot with drawn butter.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Great Falls to the Worlds Largest Lobster
Sept 28... We depart from Quebec on our journey to reach Prince Edward Island by Tuesday. We again take the country roads following the St. Lawrence River as much as possible. This is a Drive day to get to our destination of Great Falls for the night. We see white geese flying in the sky and come upon a whole flock. It seems like hundreds resting along a sandy area along the river. We pull over get our binoculars out to get a better view and take pictures of the amazing and awesome sight of these beautiful birds on their trek to their winter home. We arrive in Great Falls and check into our room. It's Sunday and time to do laundry. That monopolizes our rest of the afternoon except for a nice dinner at a local restaurant. Nothing special but they actually offered brown rice.
Sept 29....We set out for our next destination which is Shediac, New Brunswick, the last stop before we go on to Prince Edward Island. It is windy, cold and overcast. This is the first day we have experienced such inclement weather. We check into a 2 diamond AAA motel. Not very many places to stay here and this one is not too great but it will have to do. We stop at the visitors center cause Shediac claims to be the lobster capitol of the world. Take a picture with the 50 ton 35 feet high " world's largest lobster" statue. It's so windy that the picture Arlen took will tell the story how the weather was. Have fish and chips, no lobster on this menu , for dinner. This is a summer resort town so a lot of the businesses are seasonal and have already closed at this time.
Sept 29....We set out for our next destination which is Shediac, New Brunswick, the last stop before we go on to Prince Edward Island. It is windy, cold and overcast. This is the first day we have experienced such inclement weather. We check into a 2 diamond AAA motel. Not very many places to stay here and this one is not too great but it will have to do. We stop at the visitors center cause Shediac claims to be the lobster capitol of the world. Take a picture with the 50 ton 35 feet high " world's largest lobster" statue. It's so windy that the picture Arlen took will tell the story how the weather was. Have fish and chips, no lobster on this menu , for dinner. This is a summer resort town so a lot of the businesses are seasonal and have already closed at this time.
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