Prince Rupert to Halifax on the rail!

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8 June 2003 - Went fishing with Todd Wicks on the BearTrack and had two on the hook but lost them both! It was a freebie trip for six volunteers of the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau. Paul Beck also hooked one and managed to reel it in! And a gorgeous day in Juneau so at least got a bit of sun.

10 June 2003 Tuesday - Matanuska Ferry Depart Juneau 0615 11 June 2003 Wednesday - Arrive Prince Rupert 0945 Two nights in Prince Rupert at the Crest Hotel with rainy days but went walking and ate salmon and halibut. Found that they had moved the VIA rail station from town out to the ferry terminal...not that far but had booked the hotel to be near the station. As it was, the hotel location was great with room overlooking the water and very quiet.

VIA Rail Canada #6 13 June 2003 Friday Depart Prince Rupert 0800 with an overnite in Prince George at the Downtown Motel 14 June 2003 Saturday Arrive Jasper 1645 (1 day, 7 hours, 45 minutes)

Great ride on the SKEENA train from Rupert to Jasper via George. Only nine of us in Totem class to George(with heaps of Guides in Economy...glad that I was not there) and three to Jasper(with only 13 in economy...everyone is afraid to come to Canada due to SARS in Toronto). Beautiful weather and views of the BC mountains and Rockies.

Two nights in Jasper at a wonderful cabin at the confluence of the Miette and Athabascan Rivers at the Tekarra Lodge.

VIA Rail Canada #2 16 June 2003 Monday Depart Jasper 1225 18 June 2003 Wednesday Arrive Toronto 2000 (2 days, 5 hours, 35 minutes) We were late in departing Jasper and we were three and one half hours late into Toronto but they held the train for us! There had been a freight derailment on the tracks which had to be repaired and once repaired, the freight traffic had priority!

VIA Rail Canada #50 18 June 2003 Wednesday Depart Toronto 2330 19 June 2003 Thursday Arrive Montreal 0810 (8 hours, 40 minutes) A very new train that is much SMALLER than the older ones....did not like at all! Walking around Montreal in the rain through the Quartier Latin and the old town....internet at Chapters Bookshop next to a Starbucks!

VIA Rail Canada #14 19 June 2003 Thursday Depart Montreal 1844 20 June 2003 Friday Arrive Halifax 1605 (20 hours, 21 minutes)

20 June - Arrived in sunny Halifax and picked up car and stayed at the Waverly Inn and walked the town for several hours before retiring. Waverly Inn is a great place with free internet and snacks in the evening and a breakfast in the morning...unfortunately they are booked up for this evening so who knows the next stop!

21 June - Sunny day in Halifax and drive along the eastern shore. Spent the evening at the Marquis of Port Dunfries(?) Inn.

22 June - Clouds...and now at the internet in the middle of nowhere at a medical clinic at Isaacs Harbour.....Evening at Ceilidh Cottages in West Mabou and enjoyed fiddlers and dancers at the Red Shoe Pub.

23 June - Arrived Cape Breton Highland National Park and hiked the Skyline Trail for about three hours. Met interesting folks from Virginia who purchased a house in 1969 at Margaree Harbour and have been coming every summer! Spent the evening at Markland Resort www.marklandresort.com and got a great deal on a $259 CA cabin for $99 (and paid cash so as to avoid the 15% tax).

24 June - Overcast and threatening rain and heavy winds on the coast. Enjoyed a beautiful sunrise on the sea and coffee on the veranda listening to the waves pound the shore. Finally continued journey on Cabot Trail to watch the lobster fisherman at Green Cove. Internet here at the unemployment office in Ingonish as the library upstairs is still closed. Spending the evening in Pictou for early ferry to Prince Edward Island.

Found a cottage/cabin at the Lionstone Motel.

25 June - Spent last evening at a cheap small cabin behind the Lionstone motel in the woods of Pictou Nova Scotia...$45 CA is about as inexpensive as it gets without going for a room in a hostel! When I awoke and stepped into the bathroom, the floor was soaking wet...looked like a leaky pipe! Boarded the 6:30am ferry across to Prince Edward Island (PEI) and am now in Charlottetown (the capital). There was supposed to be a strike by the ferry workers but looks like they have come to an agreement. Great sunny day and they expect 30 degrees C. Plan to head to the infamous Anne of Green Gables cottage in Cavendish and then find another cabin/cottage somewhere. Will probably head back to Nova Scotia across the new Confederation Bridge on Friday and head to Nancy's by Sunday. Hope to stop at the Tidal Bore, Peggy's Cove, and Lunenberg on the way. The fee for accessing the island is paid when you leave....either $49.50 on the ferry or $38.50 via the bridge! The lupines and lilacs are in full bloom everywhere and it is gorgeous....and the lupines are not just purple, but pink and white shades also. Free internet here at the Library in Charlottetown for one half hour. May also head west to the red cliffs on the western shore.

Spent the afternoon being a Lucy Maude tourist! Visited her home, birthplace and the huge Canada National Parks Green Gables site. The parks bought the house and the land that supposedly inspired the story and built it up with a golf course next door and charge $5.75 and this is where all the tourist busses go....and do not give justice to the privately owned place next door that was the real home of Lucy as a child with her grandparents....and a much more peaceful spot!

The biggest frustration is finding a place to stay! I have been very lucky as I am now travelling just before the busy season which starts about 28 June. PEI is just full of B&Bs and cottages....almost too many....and many of these are just boxes on the hill....starting to destroy the beautiful countryside views. Finally did find another cottage for $40 at Harbour Lights after looking at many that were either full or not open yet or the proprietors were in Halifax! This was a two bedroom cottage overlooking the water and the beautiful green fields with the wind blowing through the trees. Fields here are full of potatoes or grains.

26 June - Drive through peaceful fields along the water and then hit Kensington which was very busy....filled up with petrol at 68.9 per and a mocha and sour cream glazed donut at Tim Hortons, the chain donut shop here.....not bad Mochas either for $1.50! Now at ACCESS PEI offices in Summerside.

Stopped at the West Point Lighthouse that has been converted into a B&B although actually it is more of a hotel and not in the lighthouse itself but in a building on the side above the dining room...decided to give it a miss at $100 per night plus the mandated 15-17% tax! Then hung out on the beach in front that is part of Cedar Dunes Provincial Park...got a bit of a burn just being there a little over one hour....temps over 30 today.

Continued to drive up the coast stopping at Miminegash for the Irish Moss museum and some seaweed pie....the guys at the docks were unloading the irish moss while I was there.....they now use boats rather than horses for harvesting.

Continued up to North Cape where they have renovated the visitors centre there and which is not quite open yet. A very big windmill farm there in addition to the beautiful red cliffs and elephant rock (www.tignish.com /initiatives/Attractions .htm#rock) who has unfortunately lost his trunk. Stayed at the Murphys Cottages in Tignish. The mosquitoes have been really thick on this island everywhere!

27 June - Another hot one today! Departed early for drive along eastern shore and a stop at Jacques Cartier park. There is a village called Alaska here but only found a farm house there and not much else! On the drive out of Alaska, I saw all of these round things in the road and stopped to find that a truck must of lost his potatoes....so picked them up for supper tonite!

Now back at Summerside doing internet before I cross the bridge back into New Brunswick then motor to NS. Many different smells here besides the beautiful flowers....too many roads are full of holes so heaps of tarring going on....and everyone is mowing....getting ready for the onslaught of tourists that converge here in July and August.

Stopped at Maccan and River Hebert to view where the Tidal Bore would happen if I was there at the right time...then Joggins for Fossils. Spent the evening at a chalet at Driftwood Retreat on the beach at Advocate with views of the two Capes...unfortunately woke to heavy fog on Saturday. Also went to Cape d'Or (about 5km down a dirt road) where there is a lighthouse and cabin and restaurant but closed as the seven kids in the area graduate from high school this evening. I did run into the owner Darcy who needed a ride to town. He had been out fixing the water lines that had been chewed up by a bear! In exchange he made a wonderful Mediterranean salad for me while he cleaned up.

28 June - Very heavy fog! Visited Parrsboro for coffee mocha at Johns Cafe, petrol, and money from the bank! Off to Truro where I did see the Tidal Bore but just a baby one today..oh well! Then some great fish and chips in Truro at Murphys. Now on the motorway for Nancy's in Port Medway.

29 June - What a wonderful place in Port Medway! Decided to stop the driving everyday and the search for the 'perfect' accommodation....and ended up at the most perfect accommodation at Nancy's! She lives in a fishing village Port Medway on the Lighthouse Route on the southern side of NS. She had been a bartender at the Triangle in Juneau and moved back to her home area a few years back (and was my roomie on Main St in Juneau in 1983). Much of her family had owned property in this area over the years and many of the descendants still live here...her mum lives at the end of the road at Long Cove in a small home on the lobster harbour there where she pees in the outhouse and has no running water! Nancy had purchased her uncle's home several years ago and recently tore it down and built a beautiful home.....with heaps of windows and right on the water with the birds and the deer and the rabbits and a gorgeous sunrise this morning. We did an early morning walk out to the lighthouse. Today she is working...catering a wedding in Lunenbourg. It is just nice to lay back and relax. They just got internet access at the local grocery store in town here....town consists of this store and a few churches...very very small! John and I walked out to one of the old homesites that had burned down many years ago....only a stone foundation left but you could see where the chimney was in the middle and how the cows used to live under the house to keep everyone warm. Too many mosquitoes and flies though....and wood ticks when walking in the tall grass.

30 June - Another beautiful sunrise on the water this morning! A few clouds today but could be another warm one. Opened the door to see that the kitty kat had caught a mouse for brekkie....she is getting in trouble with the neighbours as she is also eating the baby pheasants! A walk down to the corner grocery for the newspaper and internet.

Drove to Lunenburg on the Lighthouse Coastal Road via the La Have ferry. Also visited the museum on the Bell Island and hoped for some beach time at Crescent Beach but too windy and foggy. Also visited Chester before returning to Nancy's for a lamb dinner with her and John.

1 July - Happy Canada Day! Deer and pheasant in the yard this morning and the loons and heron in the water...couldn't be any better....!

John had to fly to Seattle so he took off early. Nancy and I loaded the car and headed to the wharf to sell hot dogs, sausages, pie, cookies, coffee and drinks to the locals and visitors. I am taking a break from the sun to do internet at the store. Has been great being with her friends and family. Her sister's son's kids were over at the house before eight this morning wanting Aunt Nancy to cook them pancakes! About the only thing that is really bad here are the bugs, mosquitoes and noseems (or what they call locally the black flies) and so I am covered with bites!

2 July - Another beautiful day but a few more clouds. Up early to drive to Peggy's Cove, about 1 1/2 hours towards Halifax. I wanted to get there before the crowds and the busses arrived and managed to do so. Also stopped at the Swissair 111 memorial which was empty when I arrived but when I left Peggy's Cove an hour later, the parking lot was full with about 30 cars. The busses were also arriving from Halifax so was glad to have some quiet time. A fishing boat was unloading fish in the harbor....beautiful rocky coast line with a lighthouse. Long drive back and then joined Nancy at the Wharf to sell a few more hot dogs. We cooked up the leftover sausages in spaghetti sauce for our dinner. I forgot to mention that she has a bird named Henry and a cat named Snookles.

3 July - Started cleaning out my car in preparing for the end of this part of the journey. Will drive on Saturday to Yarmouth for the Sunday ferry. Spent time this morning looking through old photos with Nancy...what fun! Helped Nancy again at the wharf as she had a doctor's appointment so I had to cook the dogs and sausages but unfortunately for her and fortunately for me, there was not a big crowd. Summer has just started here so I am sure that it will pick up soon. We plan to have dinner at Milton's Landing this evening.

4-8 July - airtreks has been unavailable so will have to update later.... 6 July - Scotia Prince cruise ship from Yarmouth to Portland Maine and overnite at the Eastland Park Hotel...neat old city with red brick buildings.

7 July - train from Portland to Boston and overnite at the Swissotel which is now a Hyatt as of last week. Boston was very busy with heaps of construction and seemed too dirty with many panhandlers.

8 July - train from Boston to Washington DC to Raleigh NC (one hour late arrival at 11:00pm) for Tim and Erin's wedding on 12 July.

9 July - off to take Chris to pick up ride for soccer match near DC and then Mocha coffee at Caribou's. Found that there is a new Starbucks here so will have to visit there tomorrow. Everyone is frantic trying to get ready for the wedding on Saturday (expecting 250 people).

10 July - More errands for the wedding! Found a new Starbucks. My sister's husband's father suffered a mild heart attack but he is okay and in the hospital...too much excitement I suppose!

11 July - Bridal luncheon and rehearsal dinner (praying for no rain as it will be held outside)...but it did rain!

12 July - Erin and Tim's wedding at the Fairmont Methodist Church in Raleigh at 5:30; arrival at 3:30 for the photos. Great wedding and then reception at the Embassy Suites.

13 July - a day of rest....rain in the evening and then up early for a run and a stop at Starbucks across the street. We visited Ep in the hospital and he is doing well.

14 July - Fly home to Juneau on United and Alaska Airlines...safe arrival in Juneau at 4pm with overcast skies and heaps of ships and tourists!

15 July - Back to work!

19 July - Catamaran Fairweather Express to Kake for the Dog Salmon Festival. 20 July - Work at the Visitor's Kiosk and greet visitors off the World of ResidenSea.