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Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, November 2021

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Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, November 2021

First time to go to Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

This year, we decided to get up early (early for some, for me it was sleeping in), which meant getting up before 6:00AM. After a cup of coffee and breakfast, we were on our way to the Parade. The subway was not too packed and we got to our chosen point on the route at 8:00AM. We wanted to be just South of Central Park where it wasn’t too crowded. We found an area that got us quite close to the front row.

Parade Route
Waiting for the Parade to start
Macy's Star Balloons at the beginning of the Parade

The Famous Macy's Balloons

The floats are also in the Parade

Quite a few floats at the Parade and many of them feature celebrities. Except for the 1980s rock band, Foreigner, I didn’t know anyone else. Jim says it’s because we’re old. I beg to differ – it’s because it’s not good music, of course!

 

Dancers, Cheerleaders, Marching Bands, Oh My!

Parade participants come from all over the USA. It’s very difficult to be qualified to be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. They are all very good and luckily the weather was very nice for this late in November.

Watch Some of the Fun

I tested my new Leica camera with the video function and it is quite good. Of course, it is not a video camera but a photo camera. 

TRAVEL NEWS

Train Trek Coming Up Soon!

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Train Trek Coming Up Soon!

At last, here we are… in the final prep of our two-week train trek from NEW YORK to CHICAGO to SANTA FE to EL PASO to NEW ORLEANS and back to NEW YORK.

The first leg of our trek is a 19-hour ride between New York and Chicago. 

We board our train at the newly-remodeled Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in Manhattan at 3:40PM on Sunday, December 19. We arrive in Chicago the next day, Monday, December 20 at 9:50AM.

Our Itinerary

Sleeping on the Train?

Jim and I are wondering how well we will sleep on the train. We’ve got earplugs and eye mask. Maybe a glass of wine or two will make us mellow and we will easily fall asleep to the motion of the train. We shall see!

The same day, Monday, December 20, in the afternoon, we leave Chicago for an almost 24-hour ride to Santa Fe. Should be interesting to cross the wide-open plains of the Midwest.

TRAVEL NEWS

Day 1 – Leaving New York, December 19, 2021

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Day 1 - Leaving New York, December 19, 202

At last, our Amtrak Aventure is about to Start!
Our Starting Location - Moynihan Train Station
Amtrak Itinerary Between New York And Chicago

At the last minute, we decided to take an Uber. Our bags are a bit too heavy (wine and cranberry cookies weigh a lot!) to navigate the stairs of the subway. Traffic was New York usual for a Sunday and we got to the train station with enough time to take photos while waiting for our boarding time to Chicago.

Inside the Moynihan Train Station
as we wait for our train

View of our Sleeper Car just
before departure

Now that we’ve got everything organized,
Jim’s ready to go!
Getting Settled on the Lake Shore Train

The sleeper cars for Chicago are toward the front of the train and we are welcomed by the train attendant. Car 4911 Room A. 

Small room to fit two people and luggage, but after finding the optimal “arrangement” we made ourselves comfortable. There is a sink area and a shower/toilet. Really small to take a shower… we shall pass on the shower!

On the train, masks are obligatory when in motion but in your cabin you can take them off. 

Some photos from our cabin as we were leaving New York traveling alongside the Hudson River.

Jim’s wondering about what to eat for dinner. We will play it safe for tonight.

The dining car is simple and it was not the white linen of the fabled Orient Express; more like airplane food with bigger portions and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Before Bed, We Had Some Tea and Jim's Homemade Cranberry Cookies

Then, the mystery of the sleeping arrangement was revealed. Our cabin attendant pulled up the bottom bed like a sleeper sofa then he pulled down the bunk bed.

Lesson learned: make sure you are absolutely ready to get into your pajamas before asking for the turn down because there’s no room to move once the beds are made.

We didn’t take any pictures as we would have needed to be a circus contortionist to get to our equipment.

The motion of the train was smoothing – at least for me – but it’s the pillows that made it hard to sleep. These darn pillows were soft like marshmallows. Firm is how I like my pillows. Regardless, we both managed to get some sleep, on and off, with weird dreams. We slept OK but not as sound as we would have liked.

Maybe we’ll sleep better tomorrow night.

COMMENTS

Day 2 – Arriving in Chicago and Leaving for Santa Fe, December 20, 2021

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Day 2 - Arriving in Chicago and Leaving for Santa Fe, December 20, 202

Sunrise Through Blurry Trees As We Wake Up Somewhere In Indiana

We arrived almost one hour late in Chicago due to some slow freight trains that have the right of way over passenger trains.

Not enough time to really walk by Lake Michigan and, yes, it was windy. Chicago lives up to its Windy City nickname. It seems like an interesting city to visit though… next time, and preferably in late spring.

Our Train At Chicago's Union Station
Chicago's Union Station

Chicago’s Union Station is quite impressive after its renovation work back to its original art-deco architecture style. Of course, we took photos of the famous staircase portrayed in The Untouchables where the mother tries to pull a baby carriage up the stairs.

We love the Christmas Tree inside the train station. The whole ambiance was very calm, and the passengers were very well-behaved.

Right around the station, there is a pizza joint called Beggars Pizza and we had an early lunch. I chose a Chicago pizza (deep dish style with sausage) that was quite good. Jim stayed with his favorite, the New York style pizza (thin crust).

We killed time at the Metropolitan Lounge of Union Station, playing puzzle games (me on my cell phone), and Jim reading Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead (much more serious).

From the lounge, a couple of Amtrak attendants escorted us to our sleeper cars (bypassing the lines is one of the perks to being in a sleeper car).

Leaving Chicago

Our sleeper cabin (Car 331 Room A) is the first one right behind the locomotive. We can hear the train horn every time there’s a railroad crossing. Luckily, we have our Boules Quies to sleep!

This cabin is much newer than the last one with a more efficient setup. The previous one between New York and Chicago needed some TLC, for sure.

Instead of going to the dining room, we had our dinner brought to our cabin. It was much better than our previous dinner. Very nicely prepared and quite tasty, served with a glass of wine.

Isabelle In The Hallway In Front Of Our Sleeper Cabin

Instead of going to the dining room, we had our dinner brought to our cabin. It was much better than our previous dinner. Very nicely prepared and quite tasty, served with a glass of wine.

Day 3/Part I – Traveling toward Santa Fe, December 21, 2021

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Day 3/Part I - Traveling toward Santa Fe, December 21, 202

Itinerary Of Our Train From Chicago To Santa Fe, NM

We slept quite well on the train for the second night. We must be getting used to the motion and sound of the train. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the Kansas plains just before crossing the New Mexico state line.

Breakfast Time!
Breakfast In The Dining Car

We had a very nice breakfast in the dining room and watched the wide-open scenery go by. As the sun was piercing through the winter clouds it allowed for very nice photos.

The menu choices are not bad on the Amtrak’s Southwest Chief (name of our train). Everything was nicely prepared and better than what we had on our first train, the Lakeshore Limited, between New York and Chicago.

Scenery across New Mexico from our Train
Artistic Reflections Of New Mexico Scenery From The Train
First Stop in New Mexico

After breakfast, I tried to write some the blog and organize some pictures, but the train ride can be a bit bumpy at times. I managed to do some of the work.

Isabelle's Surface Laptop

First stop in New Mexico is a small town called Raton. I took advantage of the 15-minute stop to take some photos of the train station and our train.

Arrival in Lamy, New Mexico
The Conductor Gets Ready For The Arrival To Lamy, NM
Stock Image As The Lamy Train Station Was Closed

We arrived at the tiny train station of Lamy, NM, about 20 minutes to our destination, The Eldorado Hotel & Spa. The Eldorado is a few minutes from Santa Fe’s historical Plaza. As part of the ticket price, Amtrak organizes a shuttle to pick you up from Lamy and drive you to downtown Santa Fe. Our driver was really nice as he dropped us off right at our hotel instead of the central depot.

Day 3/Part II – First Afternoon and Evening in Santa Fe, December 21, 2021

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Day 3/Part II - First Afternoon and Evening in Santa Fe, December 21, 2021

Our Hotel in Santa Fe, the Eldorado Hotel

The Eldorado Hotel is very nice and we were quickly checked in to our room on the patio-roof. A bit on the cold side though to enjoy the patio. It would be great any other season, I’m sure. We quickly got organized in our hotel room to walk to the Historic Plaza before it became too dark. We wanted to check out a place to eat and we were able to make a reservation for 7:00PM at a small Mexican restaurant called The Shed. Very lucky as they were really booked.

Jim In Front Of Our Hotel, The Eldorado Hotel
Farolitos From Our Room Patio At The Eldorado Hotel
Discovering Santa Fe's Historic Plaza
Bronze Inset In The Door Of St Francis Cathedral

We enjoyed seeing all the Christmas lights and the farolitos (also called Luminarias) that are set up on buildings and along the streets when possible. We checked out a couple of shops but everything is quite expensive (all for tourists, of course).

As the sun went down, it became quite nippy, so we went back to our hotel to dress in much warmer clothing before heading out to the restaurant, The Shed. The food was very good and we both enjoyed the tamales. So difficult to find tamales outside the Southwest. Of course, I also had a homemade Marguerita!

After eating we spent more time on the Historic Plaza to take more pictures of the holiday lights in Santa Fe.

After a nice evening walking around the plaza taking pictures, we went back to the hotel for a very nice night sleep.

Day 4 – Bandelier National Monument, December 22, 2021

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Day 4 - Bandelier National Monument, December 22, 2021

After a hearty breakfast, we picked up our very fancy rental car (Toyota Corolla…), more than used up with plenty of miles and not particularly well maintained in terms of cleanliness and covered with all kinds of dings. The only positive thing was that it’s a Toyota and those cars are mechanically reliable and tend to run forever.

After a quick stop at a grocery store for some fruit and lunch snacks we headed toward Bandelier National Monument. A pleasant drive through high desert, mesas, cliffs, and small towns. Luck was with us as the weather wasn’t too cold or windy. When the sun was shining it was actually warm enough to remove our jackets.

Jim Takes Pictures On The Road To Bandelier National Monument
Spontaneous Photo... Breathing The Fresh Air Of New Mexico!
A Modern-Day Pueblo Horno

A horno is a mud adobe-built outdoor oven used by Native Americans and early settlers of North America. The horno uses wood as the heat source and is still used by American Indian tribes in New Mexico and Arizona. Bread, cakes, corn, and meats can be cooked inside a horno.

High-Angle View Of Pueblo Indian Ruins

Bandelier is the home of ancestral Pueblo Indians going as far back as 10,000 years ago. They started to live inside the cliffs in natural caves (called cliff dwellings) that they enlarged when possible, and then migrated to building adobe-style homes at the bottom of the cliffs.

The Cliffs of Bandelier... can you see the Dwellings inside the Cliffs?

Jim takes all kinds of photos with his cameras and lenses. With his telephoto he can really get tight close-ups of the cliff dwellings.

Walking the Pueblo Loop Trail to the Cliff Dwellings

We walked the Pueblo Loop Trail all the way to the Long House Cliff Dwelling. It took us over two hours as we stopped so often to take pictures and admired the beauty of the scenery.

With three cameras, we took our time to compose artistic photographs of the dwellings and nature all around, capturing the rays of the sun playing hide and seek with the clouds.

We were very lucky as it was sunny and not too cold and made our stroll among these amazing cliffs very pleasant.
Tree Shadows on the Cliffs
Sunset on the Surrounding Mountains of Bandelier

On the way back, we took a slight detour up a mountain peak to capture the sunset and then headed back to Santa Fe.

Wrapping up our Day with a Glass of Wine by the Fireplace

After a full day out, we decided to have dinner at the hotel. We found just enough energy before bed to download our photos on our computers. But not enough time to write up the day’s travel blog. Another time!

Day 5 – High Road to Taos and River Road to Santa Fe, December 23, 2021

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Day 5 - High Road to Taos and River Road to Santa Fe, December 23, 2021

After another hearty breakfast knowing that on the road, we would only be able to have a very light lunch of mandarins and pretzels with some cheese (very fancy lunch!).

The drive from Santa Fe to Taos on the High Road is 105 miles. You can drive it in about two hours or so with no stops. But it took us much longer as we stopped to see sites and take photographs, of course!

Chimayo Village
Eclectic Signs In The Village Of Chimayó
Jim In Front On The Chimayó's Plaza

Chimayó is a U.S. National Park American Latino Heritage site, nicknamed the Lourdes of America for its famous healing miracles. The Church, El Santuario de Chimayó, attracts 300,000 pilgrims a year seeking cures from the holy dirt (called el pocito) that’s located in a small room inside the church. Even before the Spaniards arrived in the area, the Pueblo and Tewa Indians considered Chimayó to be a healing site. The short slideshow below represents a sample of interesting art in the small village.

Chimayó Arches
Stone arches in the courtyard of the village
Walls of Photos
Photos of people who come to Chimayó to seek cures
Santo Niño Chapel
Traditional religious wood carvings
Santo Niño Chapel
Traditional religious wood carving
Previous slide
Next slide
Las Trampas

We stopped at a small village called Las Trampas which is considered part of the American Latino Heritage. The village of Las Trampas was settled by Spanish families in 1751 and was built within a defensive wall with low buildings packed around a central plaza. Within the village is the San José de Gracia Church considered one of the most-original and best-preserved examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in New Mexico.

Church Of San Jose At Las Trampas
Jim In Front Of The Church Of San Jose At Las Trampas
Continuing on to Taos

Some of the other villages and historic points of interest were more difficult to see during winter time but even more challenging during a pandemic. Instead, we continued on our way through the Carson National Forest. There was snow in some of the areas we drove past. It would be great to come back on a summer day to go hiking among the pine trees, junipers, and mesas.

Taos

Surprisingly, we found easy parking in Taos, had our light lunch in the car before walking the historic part of town. Taos Pueblo unfortunately remains closed due to the pandemic so we were not able to visit it. The Taos Plaza was not much to see except for some stores. We could see that the pandemic has been hard on the town with the lack of tourists.

Mural In Taos
The Rio Grance Gorge Bridge

We decided to take a slight detour Northwest of Taos to see the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. The Bridge is considered the seventh highest bridge in the United States. We parked and walked to different locations around the bridge and on the bridge itself to take pictures. Here again, we took our time capturing some artistic photos. Quite impressive to walk on the bridge… and it vibrates as cars drive past! Luckily, we don’t have vertigo!

There were some merchants from Taos Pueblo selling hand-crafted jewelry, woodcarving statues, knives, etc. I bought myself two Christmas gifts – two necklaces.
Ranchos de Taos

Finished, we drove through Taos once more to head back to Santa Fe. Right outside Taos, we stopped to see Rancho de Taos, a village which was original established in 1725.  On the small plaza, there are some really old structures, but the original Native American Village (over 300 years old) can no longer be seen, except for a couple of buildings.

On the plaza, we visited the San Francisco De Assisi Mission Church, another Natural Historic Landmark, dating back to the late 18th century. We read that this particular church was painted by Georgia O’Keeffe and photographed by Ansel Adams.

San Francisco De Assisi Church In Ranchos De Taos
San Francisco De Assisi Church In Ranchos De Taos

Some photos of old Pueblo homes in Ranchos de Taos

Back to Santa Fe

Then as night was falling quick, it was time to drive back to Santa Fe on the Low or River Road, winding through small farming communities of the Rio Grande Valley.

Back in Santa, Fe, we decided to head straight to a restaurant called Jambo Café in Santa Fe.

Jambo Café is a blend of North African cuisine with Swahili, Indian, Arabic, Caribbean, and European flavors. Winner of numerous awards, Jambo Café has been featured on the Food Network’s Diners and in various cooking magazines.

The food was very flavorful, fresh, and so different from what we’re used to. We loved all the spices used in the dishes we chose.

Chef Ahmed Obo is from Kenya and has created a very successful restaurant. He came to our table to say hello and cleared up the dishes.

Extract of the Jambo Café Menu

www.jambocafe.net

Day 6/Part I – Pecos National Historical Park, December 24, 2021

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Day 6/Part I - Pecos National Historical Park, December 24, 2021

Christmas Eve

We woke up to gray, cold, and rainy day as forecasted the day before. Regardless, we decided to drive to Pecos National Historical Park. Driving through some passes, rain turned into a rain-snow mix. The ranger at the Park told us it was snowing in the mountains. The next day we could see snow on the lower foothills of the mountains.

View Of The Eldorado Hotel From Our Patio Room

Views of Santa Fe and the low rain clouds over the mountains from our Patio Room on this cold and rainy day

Pecos National Historical Park

We were hoping that the rain would take a break for us to do the short loop of the ruins at Pecos National Historical Park, but it was the opposite – it rained even harder and the wind doubled up… so much for a walk in the Park. We managed to get out of the car to take a few steps among the ruins and even take some pictures, but it was too cold to linger too long and went back inside the car.

The Park has a very interesting exhibit of the history of the area starting thousands of years ago with Paleoindian and Archaic hunter-gatherers (11,500 B.C.E. – 600 C.E.). Later came the Pueblo and Plains Indians, Spanish conquerors and missionaries, Mexican and Anglo armies, and Santa Fe Trail settlers and adventurers. The history of the location is fascinating.

Jim faces the rain and wind… his umbrella flying away! Too bad I wasn’t quick enough to video tape it! It really started to rain even harder after we visited the exhibit. We had to rush through the site unfortunately.

Pecos is a great location in the midst of piñon, juniper, and ponderosa pine woodlands of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It would be great to come back on a warm spring day. Next time!

 

After this cold and rainy outing we went back to our hotel to “chill” before our Christmas Eve dinner hoping that it will stop raining for the viewing of the Christmas lights on Canyon Road (see next blog!).

Day 6/Part II – Christmas Eve in Santa Fe, December 24, 2021

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Day 6/Part II - Christmas Eve in Santa Fe, December 24, 2021

Back to the hotel from our quick and rainy visit of Pecos, we fixed ourselves a light late lunch snack. We both were able to download photos and start organizing them. I even had some time to post a couple of blogs… but still way behind. Note to self: when I am retired, I will need half a day of quiet time to catch up from a full day of sightseeing. With limited time, we try to do as much as possible outdoors and not spend it at a computer. Oh, well. I’ll catch up eventually with photos and blogs even if I’m back in New York by then!

We had booked our Christmas Eve dinner was reserved for 4:00PM at the hotel restaurant (the Agave), early enough to allow us plenty of time to walk up Canyon Road and see the farolitos and other Christmas activities… hoping that the rain would eventually let up (and it did!).

Dinner was a very classical Mexican buffet and unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy the choices. But Jim certainly did and had a couple of servings of everything.

Farolitos Walk on Canyon Road

After dinner we changed into comfortable clothing and walked a total of two miles past the Santa Fe Plaza and up Canyon Road for the Farolitos Walk. It was packed! Many people were out enjoying the activities. Unfortunately, the rain did damage many of the farolitos and the Canyon was not as lit up as it should have been. We did find the activities rather subdued, most likely due to the Covid restrictions still in effect in the American Indian tribes. Nevertheless, it was good to walk since we hadn’t moved so much all day due to the wintery weather.

Day 7 – Merry Christmas from Santa Fe!

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Day 7 - Merry Christmas from Santa Fe!

Santa Claus didn’t come and visit us at the hotel. I believe he may have left something for us under the tree when we get back to New York on New Year’s Eve!

After a nice breakfast at the hotel, we decided to walk around Santa Fe even though most of the shops were closed. The weather was quite nice once more and we were able to enjoy some sun for most of our walk. On the main Plaza, there were some Pueblo Indian merchants who were selling their crafts and I bought two other necklaces (Christmas presents from me to me).

Walking in Santa Fe

Jim in front of Burro Alley in Santa Fe. In the 19th century, people would haul firewood to town on the backs of burros. The burros would park and unload in Burro Alley so people could sell the wood. Burro Alley was notorious for saloons and brothels back in the day. We then continued our walk to explore the historic district and stopped to see the oldest church in the USA and the oldest house in Santa Fe.

The Oldest Church in the USA is located in the historic district (called Barrio de Analco) of Santa Fe. Mexican Indians from Tlaxcala built the church under the direction of Franciscan friars to serve a congregation of soldiers, laborers, and Indians who lived in the Barrio de Analco. The church was partially destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The current structure dates from 1710.

The oldest house in Santa Fe is located next to the San Miguel Church. Although its origins seem to be lost, it was confirmed through tree-ring specimens taken from its ceilings that the house was built around 1740-67. The house also showed on a Urrutia 1766-68 map next to San Miguel Church.

We ended our walk in the government section of Santa Fe. There were some interesting sculptures in front of the State Capitol, one of them being a sculpture of three Native American Indian women on the Santa Fe Trail. The Capitol, called the Roundhouse (the only capitol in the US to be round), also hosts an art museum but of course it was closed today. For another time!

Finished with our walk, we headed back to the hotel we spent some quiet time with photos and travel blogs.

We were looking forward to our Christmas dinner (booked for the 5:15PM seating) at a restaurant, called Martin Restaurant, with very high ratings for fine dining. We had read that Chef Martin Rios was a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, who grew up in Santa Fe. He started in the restaurant business as a 17-year-old dishwasher, working his way up to Executive Chef at several restaurants and hotels. Chef Rios received his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City, the top culinary art school in the US.

Christmas Dinner at Martin Restaurant

The restaurant hostess took us through two small eating and bar areas toward an inner courtyard for outdoor meals (when the weather’s warm, of course) and then to the main dining area. The Christmas dinner was succulent in a very friendly, down-to-earth atmosphere. We took our time to eat the three-course Christmas dinner with a bottle of Saint Emilion, a very traditional Bordeaux blend.

The photos are my dinner choices: sashimi, lamb, and chocolate cake with praline ice-cream.

After dinner, we spent a quiet evening in our hotel room looking at photos. It was a very nice and relaxing Christmas day.

Day 8 – Drive from Santa Fe to El Paso, December 26, 2021

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Day 8 - Drive from Santa Fe to El Paso, December 26, 2021

Today, we said goodbye to Santa Fe. We got up early and were the first ones in the hotel restaurant for our breakfast. By 8:15AM we were on the road toward El Paso. Being a Sunday and the day after Christmas, the roads were very quiet… easy driving all the way. The weather was variable but the wind very strong.

We stopped at White Sands National Monument… and surprise! It was packed. People were there to spend their Christmas weekend with family, relatives. There were kids everywhere sliding down the slopes of the white sand dunes. Way too crowded for us. 

Also, it was too windy to take too many photos. We didn’t want to damage our camera equipment. We still managed to do one short walk and take some nice photos (mainly Jim as he has a weather-proof camera). We also drove the short loop of the monument, and then we left to get back on the road to El Paso.

White Sands National Monument
El Paso, Texas

We arrived in El Paso just before 4:00PM but our room was not ready. 45 minutes later we were finally able to get settled in our room. To compensate for the delay, the hotel gave us two free drinks of our choice (we chose two red wines over dinner).

The hotel we’re staying at is called the Plaza Pioneer Park Hotel and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has a long history anchored in the heritage of El Paso going as far back as the 1800s. The Hotel was the location of the meeting between US President William Howard Taft and Mexico’s President Porfirio Díaz.

The hotel went through a ten-year renovation effort to restore the building back to its former grandeur. It finally re-opened in the summer of 2020. Our room was very spacious and tastefully decorated.

Once we had freshened up a bit in our hotel room, we went back outside to discover the downtown of El Paso. Walking around, it was very apparent that the area is rather poor and in need of some cash to rejuvenate the downtown area. Later, I read that El Paso is one of the poorest cities in the United States. However, there are some joint private and public efforts to renovate parts of the city

Historic Building On San Jacinto Plaza
Abandoned Art Deco Building
Kress Historic Building

The L-shaped structure of the Kress Building is one of a group of distinctive art deco buildings designed by the late Kress retail chain’s chief architect Edward Sibbert from 1929-1944. Kress used to be a famous department store. The building is being renovated as part of the various efforts to renovate downtown El Paso’s numerous historic buildings.

Nighttime Activities on the San Jacinto Plaza

We had dinner at the hotel restaurant, the Ambar, a tex-mex fusion restaurant. The restaurant didn’t anticipate to be full and was short staffed to serve everyone. We had to wait a while to get our meal. Luckily, it was good… but the kitchen made a mistake and Jim’s short ribs were cold. Of course, they fixed it, but still, not a good thing to happen.

After eating our dinner, we went to check out the activities on the San Jacinto Plaza. The hotel staff had told us that between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the Plaza hosts several Winter Fest activities. The decorations were very colorful and the loud and vibrant energy was contagious.

Being right at the border with Mexico, we noticed the culture differences with Santa Fe. While the festivities at Santa Fe were rather subdued (too many old people, maybe, or too many White tourists), the festivities downtown El Paso were lively, rowdy with kids playing and running around on their scooters, families talking loud, laughing, taking photos in front of the Christmas decorations, kids dancing to the rhythms of Christmas music… and lots of Spanish-speaking words (actually, all Spanish speaking).

We had dinner at the hotel restaurant, the Ambar, a tex-mex fusion restaurant. The restaurant didn’t anticipate to be full and was short staffed to serve everyone. We had to wait a while to get our meal. Luckily, it was good… but the kitchen made a mistake and Jim’s short ribs were cold. Of course, they fixed it, but still, not a good thing to happen.

After eating our dinner, we went to check out the activities on the San Jacinto Plaza. The hotel staff had told us that between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the Plaza hosts several Winter Fest activities. The decorations were very colorful and the loud and vibrant energy was contagious.

Being right at the border with Mexico, we noticed the culture differences with Santa Fe. While the festivities at Santa Fe were rather subdued (too many old people, maybe, or too many White tourists), the festivities downtown El Paso were lively, rowdy with kids playing and running around on their scooters, families talking loud, laughing, taking photos in front of the Christmas decorations, kids dancing to the rhythms of Christmas music… and lots of Spanish-speaking words (actually, all Spanish speaking).

Day 9/Part I – The El Paso Mission Trail, December 27, 2021

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Day 9/Part I - The El Paso Mission Trail, December 27, 2021

First Mission on the Trail: Ysleta Mission

Today we want to start early enough so we have time to see some of the missions. There are six missions on El Camino Real: three on the US side and three on the Mexico side. The mission were established in Texas and across the Rio Grande were built as a result of the Pueblo Revolt in 1680. The three missions have functioned as the religious and social centers of their communities virtually uninterrupted since their founding in the 17th and 18th centuries. 

Driving toward the first mission, Ysleta, we saw Trump border wall made out of steel and barbed wire at the top. We’re sure that people who want to come across the border will go somewhere else around the Rio Grande – and, of course, there are these tunnels we hear about.

The Ysleta mission is only a few miles from our hotel (you can see on the map that the mission is very close to the border) and we’re just about the first tourists to visit the mission. The Ysleta Mission is recognized as the oldest continuously operated parish in the State of Texas. Over the next two centuries the mission was relocated several times due to flooding of the Rio Grande.

The architecture of the Ysleta mission is quite interesting due to its partial facade and its silver bell dome. Of the three missions we saw, it is the one that is the best maintained. 

The Ysleta Mission, founded in 1682, was built by the Tigua Indians and resides in the heart of the Tigua Indian community. The Tigua Indians have always been faithful to San Antonio (Saint Anthony), the original patron saint of Isleta Pueblo (the mother pueblo situated near modern-day Albuquerque). The mission has had many names through the centuries, but the Tigua have always recognized San Antonio. Today, the Tigua people continue to be closely associated with the church and observe traditional holidays at the Mission with dancing, drumming and chanting.

Below are photographs of traditional religious wood carvings, bright and colorful.
Second Mission on the Trail: Socorro Mission

The second mission is Socorro very close to Ysleta. Socorro was founded in 1682 by the Franciscan order to serve displaced Spanish families and American Indians who fled New Mexico during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. The interior of the mission is very unique, blending American Indian symbolism with Roman Catholic icons. 

The finely painted and decorated beams, or vigas, are from the 18th-century mission and were reused when the present church was constructed. The massing, details and use of decorative elements of the Socorro Mission show strong relationships to the building traditions of 17th-century Spanish New Mexico.

Third Mission on the Trail: San Elizario Mission

San Elizario is the third mission on our short journey on the El Camino Real. In reality, San Elizario marks the start of the northbound trail of the El Camino Real in the U.S. as it moves across the Rio Grande out of Mexico.

In 1788, the site was chosen to establish a military stronghold on New Spain’s western frontier. Soldiers occupied the new presidio to defend area residents and El Camino Real caravans from Apaches. Like the fort it replaced, the presidio was named in honor of San Elzear, the French patron saint of soldiers.

U.S. troops were assigned to the presidio in 1850 and during the Civil War volunteers from California were stationed there to prevent a reoccupation of the area by Confederate forces. The one-story chapel is built in the traditional Spanish Mission style. 

It is the mission that needs the most work in particular painting on the outside. The church is one of the late examples of the adobe architecture in West Texas and reflects European influences on the Spanish Colonial style.

The three missions were destroyed during the Rio Grande flooding and had to be rebuilt. This short tour on El Camino Real gave us an interesting glimpse into the history of the Southwest of the United States, so different from the rest of the country.

I wish we could visit the other missions on the other side of the Rio Grande Time, but not possible due to Covid and not enough time. We were now only a couple of hours away from catching our train for New Orleans. 

It was really nice though that we had just enough time to see some sites around El Paso. 

Day 9/Part II & Day 10 – On the Train to New Orleans, December 27 & 28, 2021

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Day 9/Part II & Day 10 - On the Train to New Orleans, December 27 & 18, 2021

Our Journey on the Crescent from El Paso to New Orleans

After visiting the three missions it was time to drop off our rental car and head out to the train station downtown El Paso. Being quite early, I was able to get us an upgrade from a roomette to a room. We had called before to upgrade but were told that everything was booked. But we lucked out and were able to upgrade to a room. We were ecstatic! We didn’t like the idea of spending time in a tiny two-seat cabin – not even enough room for our luggage.

Map Of The Sunset Limited Amtrak Train
The El Paso Train Station Viewed From Our Train
Inside The El Paso Train Station

Jim ran out to get us some lunch since it was past 3:00PM and we hadn’t eaten since our early breakfast. I was checking my watch every so often kind of worried he was going to miss the train… but he did come back with fresh sandwiches from a local shop near our hotel.

A slight scare before getting in our cabin. The attendant told us that our upgrade was not valid due to some maintenance that needed to be done. We were a bit worried that we couldn’t get to our larger cabin but the conductor said that if we wanted to take it we could – however, at our own risks in case something was broken. We checked everything in the cabin before saying yes, and since we didn’t see anything wrong, we took it. In the end, all went very well. No issues at all with the cabin.

The Sunset Limited is the name of the train between El Paso and New Orleans is 24 hours, the longest so far for us on the train. The service was great and it was closer in style to the “Orient Express” train with white-linen dining, servers, and good food. Everyone was very friendly. This particular train ride was the best so far!

We spent time playing Mille Bornes (the English version) and Jim kept saying I was cheating… not true. But the rules were a bit fuzzy at first! We figured it out eventually. We also spent time going over our photos and writing the text for my blogs. A very relaxing trip. 
Arrival to New Orleans, Louisiana

We arrived in New Orleans over one hour late and got an Uber to get to our hotel, the Omni Royal Hotel in the heart of the French Quarter.

But bad surprise when we got to our room – the sink was broken. We called the front desk and they moved us to another room. However, the room was a significant downgrade to the room we had originally booked. Too tired to argue on the phone with personnel, we decided to wait tomorrow morning to talk to the hotel manager.

Day 11 – Sightseeing in New Orleans, December 29, 2021

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Day 11 - Sightseeing in New Orleans, December 29, 2021

The Omni Royal Hotel, French Quarter

The next morning, we brought our hotel room complaints to management and they gave us a very good discount on the room, over 60% less than what we had originally paid for the room per night… not a bad deal at all.

After resolving this issue, we went to the dining room to have breakfast. We decided to have a hearty breakfast knowing that we wouldn’t have time for lunch. We also made dinner reservations for 7:00PM. A good thing as the City of New Orleans is packed with tourists ready to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We had no interest in mingling with thousands of people in the streets on New Year’s Eve, which is why we had planned to stay just one day in New Orleans.

In hindsight, a good thing we didn’t stay longer as Amtrak later told us that they were canceling trains due to the shortage of personnel who were out sick with Covid-19 (mainly the Omicron variant).

Our Omni Royal Hotel
The Omni Royal Dining Room
Lights with Funny Names

In the dining room (photo above), there were some interesting lights with funny names in old French, except for two that have American Indian names. We asked the waiter about the meaning of these words and he told us they were locations of sites throughout Louisiana. I made a collage of these lights (below). 

Bayou Goula is a name derived from the Choctaw language meaning “river people”. A community on the Mississippi, also known for the explosion of Steamboat Brilliant in 1851 which killed many people.

Vacherie means cowshed in French. A small community on the Mississippi home to the Oak Alley Plantation, where you can see several historic plantations. Recently it was used as a film location for the TV series True Detective.

Venice. It is the last community down the Mississippi accessible by car, hence its nickname, The End of the World.

Grosse Tête means big head in French. It is a very small village located near the Grosse Tête river.

Pointe à la Hache means axe point or cape in French. A small community on the Mississippi which has been hit by multiple hurricanes throughout the years.

Belle Chasse means beautiful hunting in French. It is believed that it was so named due to the richness of wildlife which the initial French colonists observed when they settled in the region. Today the town is home to various US naval air units.

Mamou. A small community located in the heart of Cajun country. The origin of its name is not sure, but it is believed that it comes from the legendary Indian, Chief Mamou. The town is famous for its music and musicians, and bills itself as “The Cajun Music Capital of the World”.

Discovering the French Quarter

The French Quarter has been so extensively filmed and photographed that it was as if we had already seen it. In spite of the tourists and the typical touristic shops, it is interesting to see at least once. However, like Jim said, it is more like an amusement park now and a lot of its charm has been lost. Overall, New Orleans appears to be an over-rated location and one day is more than enough to see what needs to be seen. Nevertheless, I’m glad I finally got to visit the French Quarter. There are a lot of interesting characters – tourists and natives – strolling through the streets of the French Quarter.

Jim couldn’t resist taking a photo of this tee-shirt in one of the window shops. He didn’t buy the tee-shirt but he probably should have.

As we were leaving the hotel we stumbled upon a jazz band parading through the main streets of the French Quarter. 

We really enjoyed photographing the buildings of the French Quarter. Most of them are very well maintained. There are even “beauty contests” to vote for the most traditionally beautiful buildings in the French Quarter.
Window Shopping in the French Quarter

We took our sweet time to window shop and bought a couple of souvenirs. I bought my usual coffee cup to add to my “collection.” I like to have a different coffee cup in the morning. This one is very colorful, filled with energy and enough to get me going in the morning!

St Louis Cathedral
Andrew Jackson Statue
The Mississippi River
Lafayette Cemetery

The one thing we really wanted to see was the Lafayette Cemetery which has also been featured in many movies and TV shows, however, it has been closed to the public for over two years for renovation. We still decided to take a street car so we could at least walk around the cemetery and its neighborhood. Glad we did as we still could take some photos through the gates

Watch the slideshow below of selected photographs of the cemetery (click on the arrows to navigate)

Previous slide
Next slide

The cemetery is slowly being taken over by the trees and their roots. The overall impression is rather desolate but when the sun rays pierced the clouds, the illumination brought an eerie beauty to the cemetery and its surroundings.

The French Quarter At Night

After coming back from Lafayette Cemetery we strolled the streets of the French Quarter as the evening activities were just starting.  Since our dinner reservations were a bit later and we didn’t have lunch, we stopped at the Bourbon House for some oysters and white wine. It was delicious!! The oysters were grilled in a white wine-based sauce and spices out of this world… wish I could replicate the recipe (but it’s a Chef’s secret!).

We had fun taking photographs at night while strolling through the streets of the French Quarter.

Day 12 & Day 13 – On the Train to New York, December 30 & 31, 2021

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Day 12 & Day 13 - On the Train to New York, December 30 & 31, 2021

We woke up early for a nice breakfast at the hotel (we were the first ones in the restaurant) and then we grabbed an Uber to head to the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal for Amtrak. Traffic was light and it only took us only a few minutes to get to the train station. The Terminal itself wasn’t very busy either. Can you find where I’m sitting? There was some very nice artwork (see one example below) on the walls of the train station that we didn’t get to see when we first arrived since it was so late. 

We boarded the train – called the Crescent – without any issues. The sleeper cabin setup was similar to the first leg of our trip between New York and Chicago. This last segment of our trip was going to be a long one but we were looking forward to sit back and relax!

Unfortunately, this Crescent was the worst part of the journey. The new variant of Covid, Omicron, had already started to make Amtrak personnel ill and there was a shortage of people on the train. The problem though was the lack of communication by the personnel about delays with food, and other details of the trip. They could have cared less. Jim and I remained calm but we did let them know this was the worst Amtrak train we had taken so far – as if they cared what we said! A lot of people were not happy at all and there were a lot of complaints everywhere… 

The food was decent but it was far from the quality, style, and service from the Sunset Limited (our train between El Paso and New Orleans). Too bad that Amtrak isn’t doing anything about the Crescent to make it a much more pleasant trip. 

Scenery from the Crescent between New Orleans and New York
The Crescent Itinerary
A Large Cemetery Outside New Orleans

Leaving the City of New Orleans we crossed Lake Pontchartrain which made for some beautiful photos even from a fast-moving train. The light was quite gorgeous on this winter morning with the sun playing with the clouds. It seems that it would be fun to spend time on the Lake or hiking the shores of the Lake. Another trip maybe. We followed the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which is the longest continuous bridge over water in the world. Very impressive.
The Next Day

We slept very nicely on the train for our last night. Must be getting our “train” legs now. We had our breakfast in the cabin. With this train, no one was using the dining room as it wasn’t much of a dining room.

The weather outside the train was grey and rainy. It was interesting to see the various landscapes of our journey – from rivers to forests to fields to lakes.

Around lunchtime, it is when things started to deteriorate. They ran out of food on the train and could no longer serve the passengers. We had to wait to be in Atlanta, GA for the train to be replenished. At last, at about 2:00PM they served us our lunch which was really a slightly better fare than a fast-food meal.

Not wanting to ruin our last hours of our journey, we played Milles Bornes, worked on our photos, and had a pre-arrival snack with wine and macaroons we had bought in New Orleans. Always a bit of competition to finish the wine, as you can see!
No More Wine!
Arrival in New York

Almost time to leave the train… no, we didn’t take the pillows with us in case you’re wondering. The weather in New York City wasn’t too bad. There was just little fog hanging around the skyscrapers as you can see on the Empire State Building. We grabbed an Uber and we made it home in a very reasonable amount of time for Manhattan.

For our New Year’s Eve dinner, we ordered food from our favorite Chinese restaurant, No. 1 Chinese (yes, it’s the name of the restaurant) in our neighborhood. It was nice to be home and we felt really energized after spending time away from the City.

Jim Waits For Our Uber Outside The Train Station

DAY 1 – On the Road from New York to the Canada-US Border

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DAY 1 (Sept 11) - On the Road from New York to the US-Canada Border

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES DRIVEN = 581 miles (935 km)
Leaving New York

Time to leave the City, at last! It’s been nine months since we’ve been on vacation (since our Train Trek in December). Way too long…

We were fast this morning as we wanted to pick up our rental car from the Dollar Rent-a-Car Agency, a ten-minute walk. Little did we know we would be detoured to get to the rental place due to the September 11 ceremonies at the World Trade Center location.

We ended up walking almost a mile since we had to walk around several blocks. We finally arrived, warm and sweaty (a cloudy but humid day in New York), to the rental office. The rental guy was very nice and gave us a brand new 2022 Honda Civic car.

Back at our apartment building, Jim went back to our apartment to get our luggage while I parked in the street right in front of our building (yes, amazingly, there was a parking spot on this Sunday morning!).

After loading the car, we set up our GPS for today’s destination: Redcliffe Shore Motor Inn in Robbinston, Maine, right at the border with Canada. 

Arriving at the US-Canada Border, Robbinston, Maine
Redclyffe Shore Motor Inn, Robbinston ME

The weather was perfect for driving: cloudy and not too hot, so no glaring sun on us. The drive was pretty much uneventful and NO TRAFFIC… very nice. We made it to the Redclyffe Shore Motor Inn in Robbinston, ME after driving 581 miles (935 km) just after 5:30pm. 

On the right-hand side, you can see our rental car parked in front of our motel room.

After checking in, we drove a few minutes away from the motel to a local restaurant called the New Friendly Restaurant. Like Jim said, it was a boui-boui… we order fried-everything (haddock, clams, shrimp, and scallops) and our dinner came “carbonisé” with the “ploucs du coin” (Jim Le Snob said it in French, not me) who seemed to appreciate the food. Being our first day, we didn’t want to complain so we ate it all… I still picked off the “carbonisé” batter. Hopefully, we will get better meals on our trip!

Then it was off to bed… not much more to say about our first day traveling.

Dinner Time with the Locals
Jim is ready for his gourmet fried dinner at the New Friendly Restaurant
The remnants of our fried-everything dinner!
Jim at the counter waiting for the check (with his baseball cap he fits right in with the locals!)

DAY 2 – Arrival in St Martins via Saint John, New Brunswick

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DAY 2 (Sept 12) - Arrival to St. Martins via Saint John, New Brunswick

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES DRIVEN = 143 miles (230 km), including side trips
Crossing the US Border into Canada
Sunrise off the coast of Canada from the balcony of our motel in Robbinston, ME

We slept fairly well and woke up to a beautiful sunrise off the Canada coast, right across from our motel balcony. It was fairly quick and easy to get ready and go.

As we were leaving the motel, a deer ran right in front of our car and hit the right-side of the car. The deer was fine, but the side panel was a bit displaced and had some scratches… cars are so poorly made nowadays (all plastic) that a butterfly bump would leave a scratch! 

After this incident, we stopped at a Walmart to pick up a couple of things we had forgotten on our checklist. Then we went for breakfast at McDonald’s. The Egg McMuffin breakfast meal is always a safe bet and now McDonald’s has pretty good coffee (if you order the premium type).

The border crossing was just off Main Street in Calais and it was quick and easy. A couple of days before, we had downloaded the ArriveCAN app on our cell phones for COVID info. Since we were already in the system because of the app, all we had to do was to show our passports, answer a few questions, and we got in!

First thing we noticed in Canada is that the highway we took was really well maintained – unlike the roads in New York. Also, hardly any cars as we were driving toward our first destination: St Martins, New Brunswick, passing through Saint John.

Saint John, the Reversing Falls Rapids

Right outside Saint John, we stopped at the Reversing Falls Rapids outlook.

The site is a unique phenomenon created by the collision of the Bay of Fundy and the Saint John River. At low tide the river empties into the bay causing a series of rapids and whirlpools. As tides rise they slow the river current for a brief period called slack tide. The Bay’s tides continue to rise, gradually reversing the flow of the river; rapids form again, peaking at high tide.

Unfortunately, we were there at slack tide so we couldn’t observe the unique characteristic of the falls/rapids flowing backward as the water is pushed by the incoming tide. Another time…

To the left is a stock photo on the whirlpools in the river when the tide is up and pushing the river upward.

From the Reversing Falls Rapids outlook, we could see the two humongous cruise ships that the guides at the visitor center had told us about. This means that about 7,000-9,000 tourists were strolling the streets of Saint John! A good thing that we were not staying at Saint John… too many people for us. On the below photo, you can see the two cruise ships in the background. 

St. Martins

Since St. Martins was not too far from Saint John, we decided to keep driving and have a late lunch there. Before lunch, we booked our kayaking tour for Wednesday afternoon, but the guides told us that due to the weather forecast, it is possible that they would have to cancel the tour. They would let us know ahead of time, of course. 

For lunch, we had read that there was a small restaurant called Spinney’s that prepared an amazing lobster roll (1/4 lb of lobster with homemade mayo-based dressing on a homemade bun). Very generous portion and true, it was one of the best lobster rolls we’ve ever had.

As soon as we could check-in (3:00pm), we went to our accommodations called the Sandstone Chalets on the Bay. Our chalet was called the Serenity Chalet and was really very tastefully decorated, cozy and with all the amenities you would need for a longer stay. There was a second chalet but nobody was there. So we had the entire property all to ourselves.

Once we were settled in, we took a look around Saint Martins and the surroundings. To our surprise, there were quite a few buses catering to the people from the two cruise ships we saw in Saint John – can’t avoid these tourists!

St. Martins Lighthouse

After lunch, we took a stroll to the original lighthouse of St. Martins. The lighthouse is not much to look at but it is a very peaceful site. There is coastal trail there that goes up and down the Canadian Atlantic coast. Beautiful views!

St Martins Caves

Since it was too late for hiking, we went to the rocky beach where we could see the caves. We were there long enough to see the caves both at high tide and low tide… it’s amazing how fast the tides move in this part of the world. Reminds us of Mont St. Michel.
Winding down in our Chalet

Right there by the beach, there were two restaurants and from one of them, the Caves Restaurant, we ordered fish and chips take-out (this time, the real thing!). We ate our dinner on the balcony of our chalet with a nice bottle of Italian wine that the hosts had provided for us. We very much enjoyed spending a quiet evening with the nice view of nature and the Bay of Fundy in the background.

Fish and chips dinner on the patio of our chalet
View (Bay of Fundy) from the patio of our chalet

DAY 3 – St Martins & the Fundy Trail Parkway

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DAY 3 (Sept 13) - St. Martins & the Fundy Trail Parkway

Waking up to a Foggy Day

We started slow this morning – probably because of the heavy fog hanging all around us. We worked on some photos and then went to grab an early lunch (11:00am) at the Coastal Tides Family Restaurant in town. We were the first customers of the day as they had just opened. Good simple food. I had a nice large fresh salad with grilled scallops and Jim had a heartful hamburger, also very fresh and tasty. Also, the staff was very friendly and attentive.

The Fundy Trail Parkway

We spent the rest of the day on the Fundy Trail Parkway which goes along the Bay of Fundy coast, stopping at the very many viewpoints. It was quite foggy but we were still able to enjoy and even take pictures.  

The Fundy Trail Parkway map

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES DRIVEN = 29 miles (47 km)

Inside the Coastal Tides Restaurant

The Fundy Trail Parkway hugs the coast of the Bay of Fundy and is a 2,559-hectare park. The auto parkway travels 19 miles (30 km) along the Fundy cliffs and the rocky beaches sculpted by the extreme tides. The Fundy Trail is part of two UNESCO designated sites, Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark and the Fundy Biosphere Reserve.

We went on a couple of shorter hikes (about 2 km or less), all very nice. We found one hike that went down to a rocky beach (Melvin Beach) so we could get close to the water and take nice pictures from the shore. One of our hikes was to a swinging suspension bridge over the Salmon River. We finished the day walking by the Salmon River and back up to our parking at the visitor center to drive back to our chalet. See the photo gallery below for the photos we took.

Photo Gallery of the Fundy Trail Parkway

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show

Fundy Trail Parkway Sign
Fundy Trail Parkway Hiking Trails
Fundy Trail Viewpoint in Fog
Fundy Trail Viewpoint in Fog
Fundy Trail Viewpoint in Fog
Fundy Trail Viewpoint
Isabelle on Melvin Beach
Jim on Melvin Beach
Isabelle Takes a Photo of Pangburn Beach
Photo of Pangburn Beach
Fuller Falls
Jim on the Suspension Bridge of the Salmon River
Salmon River into Fundy Bay
Salmon River Marshes
Salmon River Marshes
Salmon River Marshes & Footpath
Salmon River Marshes & Footpath
"Fancy Dinner"

For dinner, we were on the standby list to eat at a nice restaurant, but unfortunately there were no cancellations, so no fine dining for us.

Instead, we stopped at Huttges General Merchant on Main Street, an old-time grocery store with very limited choices for food, but we were able to get some very fancy snacks: cheese, crackers, wine, tortilla chips and salsa, beef jerky (for Jim) and cookies. We also stopped at a liquor store to buy a couple of bottles of wine for the road.

We had our one-of-a-kind dinner with some nice red wine, enjoying the view on the Bay of Fundy even if it was a bit foggy. Luckily, it was not very cold.

Wine and cookies for our dessert

DAY 4 – Leaving St. Martins & Arriving to Fundy National Park

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DAY 4 (Sept 14) - Leaving St. Martins & Arriving to the Fundy National Park

Arrival to Fundy National Park

As we were having our breakfast the kayaking outfit called us to let us know that they canceled our kayaking tour due to the
weather: still too much fog and rain on the way. Too bad. We’ll try for another
kayaking tour in Alma, our next destination, near Fundy National Park.

We left St Martins at 10:30am to get on the road toward Fundy National Park. The road was easy and definitely not very traveled.

At the entrance of the park, we bought a one-year pass to Canada’s National Parks and Historical Sites for CAN$134. Worthwhile since we will be visiting other parks and historical sites over the next several days – and it’s good until next September. A good reason to come back to Canada by then!

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES DRIVEN = 93 miles (149 km), including side trips

The Small Town and Port of Alma

We arrived at the little town of Alma in the middle of the lunch hour and had our lunch at Tipsy Tails. Although it was a bit chilly, everybody was on the patio. The restaurant was very nice and relax. I chose mussels cooked in white wine and garlic. Jim chose the version cooked in curry sauce. We also ordered some roasted herb potatoes. Very good quality lunch in the middle of “nowhere…” not sure we would find such a good meal in the middle of “nowhere” in the US. But it is known that food is important in this part of Canada in particular in Nova Scotia.

After lunch, we checked out other places to eat for later and the next couple of days. We bought some cookies and sticky buns from Kelly’s Bake Shop for breakfast and snacks. We also did a quick stop at the General Store to get some coffee and milk for our breakfast – and we filled the car with gas. At a gift store, I bought postcards to send out to family and friends in France, an old-fashioned tradition. Hopefully they’ll get to their destination by the end of this year!

Lobster boats at high tide
Lobster boats at low tide
Lodging in Fundy National Park

We were able to check-in a bit earlier to our Fundy Highland Chalet (#22) located in Fundy National Park itself. The chalet is very clean and, although small, sufficient for two people. From the chalet we could see the Bay of Fundy over the forest.

The cabins in Fundy National Park
Our small cabin in Fundy National Park
Hiking in Fundy National Park

Since it was early enough before sunset, we chose two short hikes in the Park. One called the Caribou Plain Trail (2 km) with lots of boardwalk as it crossed bogs and lakes. We also did a small hike of 1.5 km called Dickson Falls Trail, which is a beautiful waterfall in the forest. With the recent rains, it was strong and very photogenic.

The Caribou Trail

We were told that we might see moose (not caribou) on this trail, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any wildlife. The trail was very pleasant and very diverse with evergreens, hardwood groves, streams, alders, lakes, and bogs. 

Of course, we took our time taking many photos… you can see Jim in the below photos showing off his cameras!!

The Caribou Trail
The Caribou Trail

Jim on the Caribou Trail

Our second hike was to the Dickson Falls. A fairly easy walk mainly on boardwalk to a waterfall. Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show.
Wrapping up the Day!

After the two short hikes, we wrapped up the day with dinner at Muddy Rudder Restaurant where we had homemade pasta with seafood. A very relaxed atmosphere and very friendly.

DAY 5 – Hiking Fundy National Park & Kayaking the Bay of Fundy

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DAY 5 (Sept 15) - Hiking Fundy Natl Park & Kayaking the Bay of Fundy

Hiking the Matthews Head Trail

For breakfast, we had sticky buns, hard-boiled eggs, and coffee which was sufficient for us this morning. After doing a bit of catch up on our photos and blog, we left our chalet at 10:00am and drove to the trailhead of the Matthews Head Trail, a 4.5 km loop. This trail ended up being a bit challenging with lots of ups and downs and lots of tree roots in the forest that we had to pay attention to. Nevertheless, it was a very pleasant hike with many great lookouts on the Bay of Fundy with many opportunities for photos.

Kelly's Bakery in Alma famous for its cinnamon buns

Since it took us longer to finish the hike we didn’t really have time for lunch so we finished our tortilla chips and salsa, hard-boiled eggs, cheddar cheese and crackers. Just enough fuel to get to our kayaking tour in time.

The Matthews Head loop map

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES DRIVEN = 21 miles (34 km)

Kayaking the Bay of Fundy and Salmon River

We spent 3.5 hours kayaking on the Bay of Fundy and on the Salmon River. Originally, we were supposed to go much farther on the Bay of Fundy but due to the winds, the guides shortened the trip in the ocean and instead we spent more time on the Salmon River. After the rougher waters on the Bay of Fundy, it was really very peaceful to kayak on the river. The guides were very knowledgeable about the region, the tides, and the wildlife. A lot of fun. We got a bit wet but nothing too bad. We had a 20-minute break on a sandy and rocky beach where they gave us some energy food – fruit punch and sticky buns from Kelly’s Bake Shop where we had bought our own sticky buns for this morning’s breakfast. Everything always tastes great in the outdoors!

We didn’t take many pictures because we didn’t want our cameras and cell phones to be damaged because of the water. Jim was able to take a couple of pictures while we were having a snack break.

Wrapping up the Day
Jim checks his camera at the Octopus's Garden Restaurant

After our kayaking tour we went straight to our chalet to wash the sea water off our clothes and chilled before going back to town for our dinner.

The Octopus's Garden in Alma
Isabelle's Risotto dinner at the Octopus's Garden Restaurant
Jim's confit de canard dinner at the Octopus's Garden Restaurant

We had our dinner at the Octopus’s Garden, a very nice bistro style restaurant with very good food, all sourced from the area and homemade. I had lobster risotto and Jim had the confit de canard with cassoulet, all with a nice bottle of Cotes du Rhone.

Then, it was time to call it a day… another fun day in the great outdoors of Canada!

DAY 6 – Hiking Fundy National Park

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DAY 6 (Sept 16) - Hiking Fundy National Park

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESSICA!

Jessica’s 5th birthday party in Aug 1995 at Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Pinehurst, NC

Down to the Herring Cove Beach

On our last day in Fundy National Park, we wanted to do another hike and then catch up on a few things including reviewing our next destination.

We hiked down to the Herring Cove Beach where we got quite muddy walking on the beach and the rocks at very low tide. I got black mud on my nice hiking shoes… 

The area was settled in 1865 by Tom and Ellen Matthews. The farm did very well and they expanded to add a dairy and barns for livestock. It was abandoned around 1910. We even saw old apple trees that were planted by these settlers at the top of the Herring Cove trail.

It was easy to walk down the steps to the beach… a bit more challenging going back up the many steps! I swear that there were more on the way up than down!
Trans-Canada Trail to Matthews Head

We then climbed the coastal trail from the Herring Cove Beach trail to Matthews Head which was on the opposite side from yesterday’s hike. This portion of the trail was quite steep, up and down, lots of large tree roots on the trail, but we made it through. In total we hiked about 4 km. Very good workout, for sure!

Part of the trail we hiked belongs to the Trans Canada Trail that crosses Canada through a network of greenways, waterways, and roadways that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans. The trail extends over 24,000 km. It is considered the longest multi-use trail network in the world.

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show

The Adirondack chairs are always welcome on trails in the North-East. They are really comfortable and hardy. We stopped at one of the beautiful viewpoints (see photos above) to admire from the trail.

Lunch at Tipsy Tails

We went back to the Tipsy Tails for a late lunch as our first lunch there was really good. Once more, we were not disappointed. Very fresh and tasty.

Relaxing in our Cabin

Back our chalet, we got organized for our road trip to Margaree Harbour in Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island – our next destination. We also relaxed… well, I relaxed (and took some sneaky pictures) while Jim did some sweeping in our cabin.

For dinner, we went to the Tides Restaurant, a very nice restaurant with a beautiful view on the Bay of Fundy.

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES driven = 21 miles (34 km)

DAY 7 – From Fundy National Park to Margaree, Nova Scotia

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DAY 7 (Sept 17) - From Fundy National Park to Margaree in Nova Scotia

Road Trip from New Brunswick to Nova Scotia
TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES driven = 345 miles (556 km), including side trips

We left at 7:30am and everything was still closed in the small town of Alma so we left without eating breakfast. It was very uneventful driving to Moncton where we ate at a McDonald’s in Moncton. We had our usual egg McMuffin breakfast with coffee and got back on the road.

There was a bit more traffic on the road – compared to where we were before – but nothing worth mentioning. Just like in New Brunswick, the roads are very well maintained and easy to drive.

We stopped at a small family diner in Antigonish called Snow Queen, where Jim had a burger and I had a Caesar’s Salad. Decent food. Definitely off the beaten track!

Then, we continued our journey on major roads until we reached Cape Breton Island via the Canso Causeway and Canal that links Cape Breton with mainland Nova Scotia. When we were crossing, the winds were very strong and the waves from the canal went over the road… our car didn’t get too wet but the car in front of us got drenched!

The Canso Causeway and Canal

The Beginning of the Cabot Trail

The Cabot Trail starts right after crossing the Causeway. We opted to take it from the beginning to get to Margaree Harbour, the little town where our cottage is. The Cabot Trail is a 300-km road that goes around Cape Breton Island and passes through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. A very scenic route along the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the West side and the Atlantic Ocean on the East side. We will spend lots of time on the Cabot Trail over the next couple of days.

The Celtic Music Interpretive Center in Judique

We were pretty much all alone on the Cabot Trail. Parts of the road were rather bumpy to potholes. We stopped in Judique to see the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre where a small band was playing Celtic music. Inside, there is a small museum explaining the influence of the Celts and Celtic culture on the Island. Quite interesting. The signs on the road show both English and Gaelic. Very strong Celtic history and influence still today.

Arriving in Margaree Harbour

Upon arriving to Margaree Harbour, it was extremely windy and the locals told us that they’ve had this wind storm for the past couple of days and it could last another day or two, “one never knows what happens here,” as the locals told us. Indeed, we could hardly stand outside the car to take photos so strong the wind was. We could see the white caps on the ocean as the waves were quite strong.

Our cottage at the Island Sunset Resort
Margaree Harbour, town near the Island Sunset Resort where we stayed

 The Island Sunset Resort is our final destination. We had reserved a cottage with a bedroom, a kitchenette and living area. Very nicely done, however, the Internet didn’t work, and all electronics were probably from the 1990s – coffee pot, TV sets. We managed and didn’t really care about the TV but not having the Internet was not good. Unfortunately, we couldn’t change cottages as the front office was closed for the day.

After unloading the car, we drove to a co-op grocery store in East Margaree, a few kilometers from our cottage, to pick up a few things for breakfasts and on-the-go lunches and snacks.

We then went back to our cottage and got ready to eat dinner at the on-site restaurant (the Island Sunset Restaurant) where we were pleasantly surprised with a very nice menu and atmosphere. Quite a few people eating there including locals on this Saturday. I chose grilled haddock and lobster with vegetables and Jim chose the pasta with Alfredo lobster. Everything was delicious.

DAY 8 – The West Cabot Trail on Cape Breton

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DAY 8 (Sept 18) - The West Cabot Trail on Cape Breton

Getting Ready to Discover Cape Breton Island

We woke up after a great night’s sleep and went to breakfast at a small restaurant-motel (Duck Cove Inn) nearby as was recommended by the resort’s front office. Off season, the resort doesn’t open for breakfast, only for dinner. The small restaurant had a breakfast buffet which was decent but the food was not hot enough. However, their maple syrup for the pancakes was very good.

Since the wind storm was still in effect with gusts of wind up to 40mph, we decided to drive the West side of the Cabot Trail all the way to Cape North and time permitting maybe we could finish the entire road back to our cottage – or drive back on the same side of the Trail. The Cabot Trail is a winding road of 298 km that passes from forests to ocean vistas through quaint fishing or touristic villages.

We had originally booked for an afternoon whaling tour but due to the high winds it was canceled. Nevertheless, we rebooked for the next day at 4:30pm hoping that the winds would die down by then.

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES driven = 160 miles (258 km)
First Thing First

Before starting our day though, we stopped at the resort’s front office to tell them about the Internet. They were not able to make it work so they offered a new cottage which had a more reliable Internet connection. So we had to move all of our stuff from our cottage to the new one. At least, the effort was worthwhile as the Internet did work – but it was definitely dial-up speed!!!

But the cottage was also very nice and we even got a discount. So, no issue for us. We will do without reliable Internet for a couple of days.

Cheticamp

One of our first stops was in Chéticamp, a French town where everything is in French. Very nice town and very touristic in the summer, but quiet during our visit.

A majority of the population in Cheticamp are Acadians. Together with its smaller neighbor, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine, Chéticamp makes up the largest Francophone enclave on Cape Breton Island.

A majority of the population in Cheticamp are Acadians. Together with its smaller neighbor, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine, Chéticamp makes up the largest Francophone enclave on Cape Breton Island.

Church of Saint Pierre

There are three flags in Chéticamp: the Canadian flag, the Acadian flag, and the Nova Scotia flag.

There’s a lot of history about the Acadians on Cape Breton Island and how the Acadians wandered from place to place to find a home away from the English landowners.

Continuing our Journey to the North of Cape Breton Island

So many beautiful views on the way up Cape Breton Island. In some places, the winds were really strong… difficult to stand straight!

We stopped at the Visitors’ Center of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Thanks to our annual pass to the Canadian National Parks we definitely saved money.

We took an end-of-the-world road on Cape Breton along the coast where we had beautiful views of the coast (Gulf of St Lawrence) and of the highlands… but at the end of the Meat Cove road it was private property for registered campers only. A bit of a disappointment that we couldn’t spend more time admiring the views. Regardless, we had plenty of opportunities for gorgeous sceneries. We even found a quiet spot overlooking the ocean to eat a lunch-snack of chips, cheese, saucisson sec, and clementines.

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show

At the very tip of the Island, it was even windier! At least, it was not raining and the sky was a beautiful blue with some small white clouds passing through.

On the Way Back to our Cottage

English and Celtic Road Signs

We stopped at a small rocky beach off the West Cabot Trail. The waves were quite large – even if the photos make them look small! 

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show

We made it back to our cottage with plenty of time to take showers before dinner. Once more, we ate at the Sunset Island Restaurant. This time I had the rack of lamb and Jim had the haddock and lobster – and a carafe of Australian’s Shiraz.

Sunset on our cottage at the Sunset Island Resort

DAY 9 – Cape Breton, East & West Cabot Trail

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DAY 9 (Sept 19) - Cape Breton, East & West Cabot Trail

Driving the South-East and East Cabot Trail

At last, the wind had died during the night. The temperature was a bit cool but in the sun it was perfect. We had a fully packed day today with our whaling tour at 4:30pm for 2.5 hours, dinner reservations at L’Abri in Chéticamp at 8:30pm.

We started our day after having breakfast in our cottage. Our plan was to tour the East side of the Cabot Trail and then drive back to our cottage from the West side – that is, doing the entire loop of the Cabot Trail.

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES driven = 191 miles (307 km)

We started the Cabot Trail on the South-East side to join the East side of the Trail at Baddeck. The drive was very pleasant even though there were not as many ocean views as on the West side of the Cabot Trail. However, it was still a diverse scenery, driving through forests with vistas of the Atlantic Ocean from time to time.

Neils Harbour, Lunch and the Lighthouse

Since it was a federal holiday today in Canada (due to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II), a lot of places (and restaurants!) were closed. We finally found a local restaurant called Chowder House by a lighthouse in Neils Harbour. We were not the only ones there as other tourists were also looking for a lunch place.

The weather was becoming more ominous – dark clouds – and unfortunately, our whaling tour was cancelled once more (still a bit too windy on the ocean? Not enough people?) and we couldn’t rebook it on account of leaving the next day. Too bad that the weather (we heard that it might rain in the afternoon) was not cooperating as we were really looking forward to seeing some whales – a popular place to actually see whales fairly close. Another time, I suppose.

 

After lunch, we explored Neils Harbour as it was a tiny, picturesque fishing village. We took some photos of the lighthouse and walked on the port that was deserted. The lobster season was on a hiatus and will resume in November.
Neils Harbour, The Port

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show
Hiking the Coastal Trail

We drove back to the edge of Neils Harbour to do a short hike to a sandy-rocky beach. The hike was part of the Coastal Trail but we couldn’t go past the beach due to fallen trees on the trail. 

From the Coastal Trail, we had beautiful viewpoints and the light was constantly changing as the clouds flew across the sky. It was becoming windier. A good thing we wouldn’t be on a boat this afternoon… it would have been way too unstable.

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show
Hiking the Buttereau Trail

We then continued our journey North on the Cabot Trail through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. But before leaving the Park, we had enough time for another short hike called the Buttereau.

The trail goes through a spruce forest, old fields and foundation ruins on a “buttereau” (small hill) overlooking the Chéticamp River and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Wildflowers, trees and shrubs have invaded these pastures that were once tilled by the Acadian pioneers. Along the trail, there are several plaques that explain the history of the former Acadian homesteads. It was a very pleasant and informative hike.

The Last Sunset

Before getting to Chéticamp, we made a couple more stops to catch the last sunset of our trip on this beautiful part of the world.

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show
Dinner at L'Abri Restaurant in Chéticamp

We continued back to our cottage stopping at l’Abri restaurant in Chéticamp. We asked if they could take us for dinner now (it was 6:00pm) instead of 8:30pm. They were able to accommodate us and we had an earlier dinner than planned. A good thing since Cheticamp is 30 minutes away from our cottage.

Back our cottage we chilled, getting caught up with our photos but the Internet was so slow that there was no point for me to do any blogging. Another very good day… we both fell asleep very fast.

DAY 10 – From Margaree to Louisbourg

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DAY 10 (Sept 20) - From Margaree to Louisbourg

Getting Ready for our Road Trip to Louisbourg

Time is going by way too fast… already September 20! I could be on vacation traveling for quite a few weeks… easy to get used to not going to work!!!!

We were pretty much packed and ready for the next section of our trip and, after a light breakfast, we were on the road at 9:00AM. We were looking forward to discovering the South-East side of Cape Breton Island and more specifically the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site.

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES driven = 162 miles (260 km), including some side trips
Jess and Alex, We've Arrived in Sydney (the other Sydney...)!

The road was fairly easy driving even though there was some construction on parts of the road. Lots of work to do for sure on the smaller sections – and less popular – of the road. As you can see on the map, we didn’t take the fastest and/or shortest route. Instead, from Sydney, we took the Marconi Trail along the coast, passing through small towns and villages.

Arriving in Sydney, Nova Scotia
Goodbye, Cabot Trail

We stopped for lunch in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Supposedly, dumb tourists ended in this Sydney via air instead of the Sydney in Australia… go figure!

Unlucky for us, there was a humongous cruise ship in Sydney and plenty of people – mainly old people – were visiting the town. We walked a bit downtown, but Sydney is definitely not doing very well… although they seem to try and bring it back to life from its heyday back in the early 20th century.

We had lunch in a very traditional Celtic pub. We were lucky to get to the pub before the cruise people started to come in. Inside there was a small band playing Celtic music. The food at the pub was quite good.

On the Marconi Trail

There was some kind of wrecked wharf at the bottom of the lighthouse, which the local guys told us was destroyed due to many storms.

After lunch, we continued on the Marconi Trail and we stopped at the Low Point Lighthouse on the Marconi Trail. We even had a chat with three local guys on ATVs… harmless guys but one was completely stoned!

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show
Louisbourg Harbour Inn

We arrived at the Louisbourg Harbour Inn around 4:00pm. The Inn appeared a bit under stress – difficult to maintain with the rough weather the area lives through most of the year. However, inside… woah! Amazingly maintained and decorated in a Victorian style with lustrous hardwood throughout.

The Inn is a century-old and used to belong to a sea captain, originally built by Captain Thomas Townsend, and has been the family residence of Parker, the innkeeper, for the past 40 years. Eight generations of Parker’s family have fished from the sea and, like Captain Townsend, he has an ancestor who fought in the second siege of Louisbourg.

The hosts were out when we arrived at the Inn but there was a note to take the keys to our room on the 3rd floor…

What a beautiful room! Very large with a huge jacuzzi-tub in the middle, two seating areas (with armchairs and rocking chairs), a small desk, and a roomy bathroom. Beautiful and cozy room. I could stay here for quite a while!

From the larger sitting area, we had a wide view on the small fishing port and in the far background we could see the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. The sitting area is where we had our wine and snack, enjoying the quiet time.
Wrapping up the Day

We walked a bit in town but it started to rain so we went back to the Inn. We had made reservations to the one-and-only restaurant in town that was still serving dinner off season, the Spoondrift Café. It had very good reviews and indeed the food was very well prepared. Jim and I had both onion soup followed by grilled scallops (for me) and mussels in a white wine sauce (for Jim). Of course, we had a bottle of Pinot Grigio which we didn’t finish but took back to our room for our tomorrow’s apéritif.

Surprisingly enough though, they were out of lobster for the season… until November! Bad timing for us. 

The Spoondrift Café

DAY 11 – Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site

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DAY 11 (Sept 21) - The Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site

Our First Stormy Day in Nova Scotia

Today, we woke up to heavy rain and winds sweeping over Nova Scotia. Our first real stormy day. A bit chilly with the wind but we were determined to go on with our plans to visit the Fortress of Louisbourg, only 11 miles/17 kilometers from the Inn.

We had a very nice breakfast in the main eating area. We were some of the last ones in the Inn to have breakfast. There were several European (Dutch maybe?) and British tourists staying at the Inn. After breakfast, we chatted with the owner and he told us the story of the house and how it has been in this family since 1960. He comes from a fisherman family but he never got into it because he kept being sea sick on boats… so he became an innkeeper later in life.

Arriving to the Fortress

We dressed as warm as we could to face the rain and the winds and drove to the Fortress of Louisbourg. We were among the first ones to arrive… quickly followed by a tour bus from the cruise ship we saw in Sydney the day before. Luckily the place is big enough that we had plenty of opportunities to take photos without anybody in them. The below photo on the right is the map of the Fortress site. 

The map of the Fortress of Louisbourg
An old map of the Fortress
The History of the Fortress of Louisbourg

This historic site is fascinating and really well done. The Fortress of Louisbourg is part of Canada’s National Parks. It is the authentic reconstruction of the Fortress as it was between 1713 and 1758.

The Fortress was originally built between 1720 and 1740 and was a thriving cod fishing port town and trading center. It was named after Louis XIV. It was besieged by the British in 1745 and 1758 and dismantled by the British shortly after.

Photos of various exhibits - Mi'kmaw, the Port of Louisbourg, the Brillant Ship
French 74-gun warship

The reconstruction of the Fortress started in the 1960s and was built over 20 years with some of the original stonework and thousands of archives that the French government collected as part of various laws from the 18th century… already the French were very bureaucratic with their paperwork and procedures. Still part of the French culture today; can never have too much paperwork!

Visiting People's Homes

 We took our time visiting many of the buildings – houses, storehouses, guardhouses, soldiers’ barracks, the Governor’s Apartments, etc. So much to discover. Some of the buildings houses special exhibits, for instance, the history of the reconstruction, the history of the Mi’kmaw, etc. 

The woman in the below photo is making lace the old-fashioned way… it looks rather complicated. She told us it took her some time to learn how to make lace… I can’t even imagine doing this myself !!

What is really interesting is how the animators are not just guides but are dressed in authentic costumes and reenact life as it was back in time as soldiers, servants, etc. For instance, the woman knitting in the kitchen (in the below photo) acts as the servant working for the military officer who lived in this house with his family. She told us his story and of the people in the area. Very interesting and informative.

A typical kitchen that military officers had in their homes
Bracing the Rain and the Wind

After visiting some of the homes, we braced the rain and the wind, and walked outside, discovering and taking photos. We had to be careful not to get our camera lenses wet… difficult to do and some photos are not usable due to rain spots. Even with photo correction tools, some of these spots are way too difficult to remove.

Main Street with the yellow arch in the middle; beyond the arch are the ramparts and the ocean

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show

Photos of the Fortress buildings

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show
The De La Valliere Storehouse

After being “slightly” drenched (at least me, since I didn’t bring a rain jacket and my umbrellas was completely useless due to the strong winds), we went back inside and discovered a well-stocked storehouse that belonged to a nobleman from France, De La Valliere.

Note to self: I will buy a sports rain jacket when I get home! I have a nice raincoat but for city use only.

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show
Lunch at La Taverne Storehouse

We had lunch inside one of the reconstructed houses – called La Taverne Storehouse located inside the Hotel de la Marine (which was closed like several areas were closed for the season). We were given one spoon and a thick linen (see the below photo to the right) – like in the old days when the common people didn’t really use forks, although they did exist. The linen was thick and big… I suppose people used the same one for several meals over a long period of time… what, no paper napkins?  Since it was a communal place where people shared tables, we engaged in conversations with an older couple and their adult son from Quebec. It was a pleasant lunch and the food was not great but good enough for lunch.

Walking on the Ramparts and in the Dauphin Demi-Bastion

After lunch, the rain did stop (at least it was not constant but off and on, and then only a drizzle) – but not the wind – which allowed us to dry out a bit and take more pictures outside. We could see the whitecaps on the ocean due to the strong winds.

After a few photos from the ramparts, we headed to the very end of the site (North-East) toward the Dauphin Demi-Bastion and the Dauphin Gate. It was fun to explore as there were some tunnels, hidden doors, rooms that used to be sleeping areas, stables, etc. Not an easy life back then, for sure.

The Postern Tunnel goes under the rampart to the Dauphin Demi-Bastion where you can find the soldiers’ barracks and the powder magazine rooms as well as other storage areas for weapons.

The below photos are taken from the inside of the Dauphin Demi-Bastion

Click on the first photo to view each photo as a slide show

The above two photos are inside the soldier’s barracks – not very enticing to sleep and eat there 

We finished exploring the end of the Fortress site at the Dauphin Gate. It was closed so we couldn’t go through it. At this point, it started to drizzle again and the skies were becoming more ominous once more.

Watch the slideshow below of three photographs of the cannons on the rampart (click on the arrows to navigate)

Previous slide
Next slide
The King's Bastion

Next, we headed to the King’s Bastion area – a large building and courtyard surrounded by ramparts – located on the North side of the site. The governor’s apartments and the military chapel are located there as well as various types of jail cells. The rain started once more and it was really pouring down!

We were lucky to see the demonstration of a soldier firing a rifle
The entrance to the King’s Bastion
The tunnel that goes through the King's Bastion Courtyard
Guards walking in the King's Bastion's Courtyard
The King's Bastion building
The King's Bastion building and courtyard
The Governor's Apartments

We visited the Governor’s Apartments which reminded us of what you would find in the castles in France. The governors represented the King and lived lavishly. The apartments were reconstructed based on the long detailed inventory made of the estate after his death – a requirement of the French government. Of course, we took quite a few photos. 

The Louisbourg Lighthouse

After a six-hour visit at the Fortress we headed to the Louisbourg Lighthouse. There, the ocean waves were quite strong and we were able to take some amazing photos and videos – but it was hard to keep our cameras dry… and even harder to stand straight.

Watch the slideshow below of selected photographs of the storm over the rocky shores at the Louisbourg Lighthouse
(click on the arrows to navigate)

Previous slide
Next slide

Dramatic photos of the Louisbourg Lighthouse… my photo software made it possible to tweak these photos

Wrapping up a Full Day of Fun

We went back to the room to relax, have a snack and download our photos. Our dinner reservation was at the same restaurant as yesterday. The people there were very nice and we chit-chatted with the owner and the waitress. The main topic of discussion was the upcoming Hurricane Fiona that was on its way right toward Nova Scotia.

The day before we received a warning message from the ferry company that it was possible that the ferry be delayed or even cancelled. We didn’t change our plans yet and we decided to continue on our planned journey to stay in Truro for one night and then drive down to Yarmouth to take the ferry to Bar Harbour in Maine.

At the end of the day, the rain stopped – and even the wind!

DAY 12 – From Louisbourg to Truro

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DAY 12 (Sept 22) - From Louisbourg to Truro

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, AMY & ANDY!
Leaving Louisbourg

Well, today was destined to be a very “exciting” day…

We started with a very nice breakfast at the Inn and then it was time to get on the road. We wanted to take our time to get to Truro (nothing to do there) and we took the Fleur-de-Lis Trail which goes through some villages and forested areas.

The Fleur-de-Lis Trail is in yellow on the map

We hardly met any cars on this Fleur-de-Lis Trail and we could see that the road was not very well traveled… lots of bumps and potholes on the road. It was definitely slow driving on that road.

We took a short detour towards Gabarus which supposedly has a great hiking trail through woods and along the coast, following cliffs and various high points. But we didn’t have time to do it on this trip – for another time!

Our itinerary from Louisbourg to Truro via the Fleur-de-Lis Trail

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES driven = 224 miles (360 km)

The Fishing village of Rouse Point

We stopped at a small fishing town called Rouse Point, which was really very picturesque. There were some fishermen working on lobster traps, prepping for the upcoming lobster season in November. We were able to take some really nice photos walking along the port area.

Below are photos of the small fishing town of Rouse Point. The dark skies made for dramatic pictures. But it was not too cold or windy.

There was no one working the boats or the lobster traps so we were able to take photos of the lobster traps.

A weather-beaten fisherman’s cabin
Caution! Flat Tire!

Then, we continued our journey on the poorly maintained road… and we hit a pothole (a bad one, this time)… in less than a minute, we knew we had a flat tire, right there in the middle of nowhere. We were able to stop in a safe area.

How fun it is to figure out where everything is in a rental. With the car manual open, we figured out where everything was and Jim changed the tire. My job? I placed stones under the tires 😊… Nowadays, car manufacturers give you a ridiculously tiny spare tire to drive only for a limited amount of time at less than 50 mph (or 80 km).

With my cell phone, I had located a Canadian Tire superstore in Port Hawkesbury. We were lucky that they had the right tire for the rental car and could replace it in a couple of hours.

Since we had skipped lunch and were quite hungry, we walked next door to the tire store to have lunch at a Tim Horton’s restaurant, a Canadian fast-food chain. We had never been to a Tim Horton’s and we were surprised that the food was actually quite good and tasty. BTW – They do not serve hamburgers like McDonald’s or Burger King.

We stopped at a small town called St. Peters 20 minutes from where we had the flat tire and found a garage. The mechanic there told us he couldn’t replace the tire as it was completed damaged and he didn’t have a replacement tire for the car. So, we had to drive to the bigger town, Port Hawkesbury. What fun we had driving about 45 minutes to Port Hawkesbury with our flashers on.

In the meantime, I called the Dollar Car Rental Agency and they were the most useless customer service… kept telling me that they couldn’t help us, blah, blah, blah… because we didn’t purchase the road assistance service. We’ll be sure to mention it to the car rental place when we’re back home.

Tim Horton's Restaurant
Truro

Our car was ready right after our lunch and we were back on the road again toward Truro where we had reserved a room at one of the local hotels, the Inn on Prince. The hotel was clean but in need of a big refresh in terms of style and modern amenities. At least, the staff was very friendly there. We walked on the main street and found a bistro restaurant – The Nook and Cranny – which was very busy and quite good. Otherwise, not much to say or show about Truro.

DAY 13 & DAY 14 – From Truro to Auburn to New York

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DAY 13 (Sept 23) & DAY 14 (Sept 24) - From Truro to Auburn to New York (Back Home)

Our Long Drive Back Home

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES driven on Sept 23 = 681 miles (1096 km)
TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES driven on Sept 24 = 178 miles (286 km)

We woke up early as today was going to be a very long drive to Auburn, Massachusetts. We had a quick breakfast at the Truro hotel, which was not very good. A couple of hours later we stopped at a McDonald’s to have our usual breakfast, which was way better than the industrial food from the hotel.

Shopping at L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine

As we were driving through Maine, we made a spontaneous stop at the L.L. Bean store in Freeport. We went there for the first time last year in September during our Maine vacation. Great store for all kinds of outdoor clothing and equipment, fishing, canoeing, hunting, etc. as well as household furniture and items. I was quite lucky with my shopping and bought a sports rain jacket, a winter coat (to replace mine that was getting worn out), and a couple of other fall items to add to my casual wardrobe.

We then continued on toward Auburn where we arrived quite late. It was really difficult to find the hotel – Hampton Inn – as it was not well indicated. There was one problem with the check-in as they had made a mistake with our reservations but it was resolved. Next to the hotel, we found a chain restaurant – Chili’s – where we ate a decent dinner. 

Back on the Road again... to Manhattan

The next day, we woke up quite early and grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel then got back on the road. We wanted to be in Manhattan before the Saturday rush with people coming to the City for shopping, shows, partying, etc. We made it! No traffic to get to Manhattan and it was not even 10:00AM when we pulled up in front of our apartment building to unload.

Crossing the Robert F. Kennedy from the Bronx to Manhattan
Driving on the FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive)
Getting to our Exit to Downtown Manhattan, off the DFR

At the Dollar Rental Agency, we worked out the deer encounter incident and the flat tire issue. The agent there was really accommodating (he apologized for the lack of help from Dollar when we had our flat tire) and reimbursed us for the flat tire. The scratches from the encounter with the deer didn’t seem to alarm them very much. However, we did fill out two incident reports to make sure everything was on the up and up.

It’s good to be back home, but it’s also sad to finish our vacation. We really love Canada and we will go back, for sure!

DAY 1 – December 10, 2022 – From New York to Los Angeles

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Day 1 - December 10, 2022 - From New York to Los Angeles

See You Later, New York City!

6:00am. Well, after so many months of prep, the Big Day is finally here to go on our long-overdue trip to Australia!! Very excited to see Jessica and Alex and meet Alex’s parents. It has been way too many months since we last saw Jessica and Alex – which was at Andy and Amy’s wedding on September 22, 2018! It seems so long ago and the pandemic has changed so many things since then.

We booked our flights in February 2022 – and, yes, of course, our flights have changed a few times because the airlines keep canceling flights and reshuffling things around (both American Airlines for our LA flight and Qantas for our Australia flight). For the first leg of our trip, we are on American Airlines, direct to Los Angeles. Then, with Qantas, we were supposed to land in Sydney and fly from there to Hobart, but now we are landing in Melbourne to catch a flight to Hobart.

9:00am. What an easy day to go to the airport. Our driver was here as planned, and we were on our way to the airport. Hard to believe but we arrived at JFK in less than 25 minutes. I am sure we beat all the records for the fastest ride from downtown Manhattan to the airport.

We noticed that the airport was very quiet with very few people. Saturdays are usually quiet days but it was really, really dead quiet. No complaints from us. 

Having TSA Pre and business class tickets made our check-in and security checks very quick. Wish it could always be like that… We then went to the American Airlines lounge which was rather quiet on this Saturday morning. We found a table and had some fruit, water, and coffee. Quite a nice breakfast buffet with some light fare and drinks. There is no doubt that traveling business makes a difference. Like Jim said, “I’ll never fly coach again!”

On the Plane to Los Angeles

We boarded on time and the business section was quite nice with seats that go completely flat and a rather large screen to watch movies, shows, etc. I was even able to catch part of the quarter final soccer match between France and England. France won! But lots of complaints about the referee not being fair and favorable to the French over the English.

Jim plays with his seat controls… 🙂

On the plane, we had a nice lunch served with a good Cabernet Sauvignon. We both took a nap after eating. The rest of the time was spent watching a dumb movie – Jurassic Park Dominion… really the worst movie I’ve seen in a long time! Luckily, I was able to watch the France-England game.

Arrival in LA

Overall, it was a very easy flight. We arrived slightly ahead of the official time and after picking up my big suitcase (filled with gifts), we called Uber and got to the Jamaica Bay Inn in Marina Del Rey. Of course, traffic was, well, LA-messy traffic. Nothing has changed on that front. I definitely couldn’t live in LA anymore as I have no patience with traffic.

The Tapestry Hotel in Marina Del Rey (stock photo)

The hotel was OK and the people were nice, but the décor needs significant renovation.

After a quick break we decided to go explore the area since it’s been a while since visiting Los Angeles.

Walking in LA! or rather in Venice, CA

We found the canals to be much nicer than we expected. Lots of pretty houses with well-manicured yards. Must cost a fortune to buy a house in the area. The sun was disappearing on us very quickly, but we were able to take some photos.

The Venice Canals

Although the weather was not your typical California sunny weather – a bit chilly with lots of clouds – we continued our walk toward Venice Beach. The night was still too young for the party animals to be out on Venice Beach. The area still looks the same from when we lived in California except with quite a few homeless camps – these didn’t exist when we lived in LA.

Venice Beach
Yep. It's LA for you!

We wanted to grab an early dinner and I remember a restaurant I used to go to with friends called the Rose Venice (in business for since 1979). We made a reservation on OpenTable and we were there right on time for our 6:00pm reservation. 

However, the restaurant was completely changed from the “old days” and instead of a relax American/Italian café it was a fancier place with Asian fusion dishes.

The waiter was super pushy and tried to sell us their truffle five course dinners for $100 + $77 for 5 wines, supposedly the best wines ever. In any case, all we wanted was something light. But it is one of these restaurants that’s trying hard to be original with all kinds of weird stuff that makes it difficult to find a dish.

I opted for meatless cheese pasta and Jim had a fish cassoulet. Although it was tasty, they messed up serving us by not bringing our dishes at the same time. The waiter tried to find an excuse… thinking we were dummies. Needless to say, we didn’t give the waiter a good tip… he should change jobs and become an insurance or used car salesman instead.

Since it was too dark and a bit sketchy to walk back to the hotel, we called an Uber (our first ride in a Tesla) and finished the evening quietly in our hotel room. We hope that our trip continues to be as smooth as it has been so far.

Sunset and stormy skies over the Pacific Ocean, Venice Beach

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES FLOWN = 2,475 miles (3,983 km)

TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES WALKED = 4.15 miles (6.7 km)

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