Summer Driving Trip 2022: July 2022

Second Week-July 30 -August 5

Saturday July 30-In Stratford

We go up with the intent to go pick up AJ and Beth and go out to a lake to swim, but jetlag had hit the two of them and they were finding it difficult to get going. We decided to make this trip trip the next day and just relaxed. I went to a nearby supermarket to pick up some yogurt, bowls and utensils so we could do our breakfasts in the room as this hotel doesn't have breakfast service included and we didn't want to buy the big cooked breakfasts.

After picking up Beth and AJ we headed out to the farm. There we all had a walk through the property. The pond was mostly empty, but Willow found her way to it anyways. She had a friend Cleo there. There was an embarassing altercation with a rooster who didn't want to be chased, but no damage was done. The variety show was fun. Willow brought the house down by deciding she needed to crawl over AJ during our song and we ended up needing to restart. We had a nice catered dinner, and then headed back to the hotel.

Ollie and Bean

Nice Dinner Pavilion

Chillin'

The Barn with Johnston Brothers Sign

Caitlin

After Dinner Walk

Nice Porch

Sunday July 31-In Stratford

Sunday morning we got to sleep in a bit. We had our breakfast in room, then went to meet AJ and Beth and wandered around Stratford poking into stores. We also walked down by the river where a concert was happening. Then we went to the lunch at The Common. We had a really nice patio out back and a lot of cousins and second cousins were there. Willow was able to wander around a bit and do a bit of socializing. We think that Brian covered the bill for this wonderful lunch.

Then after the lunch we drove to Goderich. We found a pet friendly beach where Willow was able to swim. Micheline and Alberto and Bruce and Laure met us there. We had a couple of hours to relax before heading back to the farm. At the farm we cooked up a barbeque and had another great meal. And then we had our goodbyes with Bruce announcing the next event; same weekend two years hence.

Beach at Goderich (Christopher's)

We were quite late back to the hotel room given our need for early start tomorrow, so retired quickly. That's why this blog was delayed by a few days. I am typing this as we are on highway 401 East of the Greater Toronto Area headed for Montreal.

Monday August 1-Stratford to Terrebonne

We had our in room yogurt which Willow always appreciates as she is on yogurt tub cleanup duty. We checked out and were on the road by 8:15. We drove through Toronto and stopped at one of the highway rest stops where I bought some tuna salad sandwiches. We did stop at the border for a stretch, but the tourist info place was closed. We then drove on past Montreal to Terrebonne. Before doing anything we caught up on our laundry, which was easy as the laundry room was just two doors down from our room.

After checking in we drove to a gas station close by as we were very low. Then we parked in the hotel lot and walked across the street to look for dinner. The Boston Pizza wouldn't accommodate us on the porch with Willow but the Baton Rouge nearby had a way we could have her just outside the porch next to our table so we had a nice meal of an ahi (tataki) salad and a couple of draft beers. After dinner we took a walk around the area to get up to our steps.

She Suffered the Indignity Well

And She Did Get Treats

Tuesday August 2-Terrebonne to Fredericton

The breakfast was very basic this morning. Coffee made in the room (thank goodness we had some fresh cream) and a little sheet where we checked off what we wanted and got a little box of yogurts, boiled eggs, muffins and apples. The Holiday Inn Expresses and one Best Western in Revelstoke are winning the breakfast battle on this trip.

We were on the road just before 8 this morning. I drove for 2 hours and we switched at a rest stop just before Quebec City. Megan was able to get a simple map of Quebec at the rest stop. We got to Fredericton and to the house of several retired colleagues of Megan-Rick, Glynis and Amber, their dog. We had a great walk down along the St. John River, then a nice meal and evening visit.

Wednesday August 3-Fredericton to Halifax

We had a nice breakfast with Rick and Glynis and then got on the road. We drove the hour and a half to Magnetic Hill. I must say, I was pretty cynical. It felt too touristy and silly. It is just an optical illusion. But it is a marvelous optical illusion. It was really amazing to put the car into neutral and feel like we were sliding up a hill. It cost a whole $6. After this we went into the little shopping area where I bought a bucket hat, as I have probably left my flat cap at Rick and Glynis'. Then we had the first of what may be a few lobster rolls. It was marvelous.

We got on the road to make the run to Halifax. We did have one stop for a stretch and to pick up some waters and ciders. The only major way across to Halifax is a tolled highway. I looked it up and it said the toll was $1.25. As we approached the toll booth we saw signs noting that Nova Scotians no longer had to pay the toll. They charged us $4. I don't know what I think about this. It sort of loudly proclaims a sort of disdain for tourists. What if we in BC had dropped the bridge tolls for people with BC plates but tripled it for all outsiders? I don't think it's a good look.

We got to the hotel and checked in. Then we made a run for Peggy's Cove. I didn't really know what to expect, but it is marvelous. The landscape is amazing.

Peggy's Cove

The Harbour

Pretty Houses

Road Warriors

The Lighthouse

Flat Rocks on Foreshore

The Atlantic

We moved on to Lunenburg, getting there quite late in the day. We walked around a bit and took some pictures, and put our name in for a restaurant as there were lines outside every eating establishment. The restaurant called us back (text) for our table early, as they had forgotten we had the dog and needed porch, so we just sat for a while and got our table. We had a nice meal, sharing plates of scallops and crab cakes with a fruit beer. Our drive back the hour to Halifax was in the dark, but we were glad to have gone south to see these places.

Lunenburg 1

Lunenburg 2

Bluenose II Behind

Old Buildings of Lunenburg

Lunenburg

Tourists

Tourists 2

Bluenose II

Houses

Fishermen's Memorial

Windlass of Bluenose II Made in Vancouver

On Bluenose II

Oldest House

Dinner

Dinner Selfie

Our Restaurant

Cute Hotel-Future Thoughts?

Thursday August 4-Halifax

We are at Best Western Chocolate Lake in Halifax. Breakfast was great, though the line up was a little slow. Megan was able to bring Willow up the back steps to the porch and we took turns getting our food. Willow could sit under our table.

We headed into Halifax. We parked on the street by the Public Gardens. Close to where we parked was a service entrance. It didn't say we couldn't enter there, and was wide open with the path right there so we went in that way. Unfortunately this meant we missed the 'No Dogs' sign. We had a very brief walk around some of the garden with Willow nicely on leash before the security person caught us and told us with some disdain we should have seen the signs on EVERY entrance. We exited without further fuss.

We went down to through the old town to the waterfront and had a good walk back and forth along there. There was a heat warning up today and we were mostly able to keep Willow on grass or wood surface but she was demonstrating that we needed to heed her by heading for picnic tables or shade spots and diving under or into them pulling us up on the leash like an anchor.

Non-Pet Owner's Public Garden

A Nice Garden We Got Kicked Out Of

St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica

Government House-Oldest Lieutenant-Governor's Residence in Canada

The Harbour

The Sackville-Last Corvette from WWII

Acadia-Survived Halifax Explosion

Old Halifax-Willow Dove Under Picnic Table

Old Halifax

Finally we went to a bar right on a pier over the water at one end and went in with Willow diving under the table, ordered a pitcher of Sangria and a half dozen oysters on the half shell and just relaxed for half an hour.

Bar on Pier

Then we did a little more walking and browsing, and went into Salty's to have a seafood platter that included half a lobster and some Pellegrino mineral water. We walked around the Halifax citadel on the way back to the car. Willow enjoyed the chance to cavort around on the large grass hillside as I was able to take her leash off.

Running in the Sun

View Up Side of Citadel-Halifax

Frolicking on the Side of the Citadel

At one point she threw herself into the shade under a tree and enjoyed a good roll about. We sat down so she could take her time and enjoy it. Then we were back to the car and back to the hotel.

At the hotel we took a reading/doing laundry break. We then went out back of the hotel in our swimming suits and had a nice swim in the lake with Willow. She threw herself in with long energetic leaps from the bank. After a quick dry off and change we went to the hotel restaurant on the porch and finished the day with a nice jug of sangria and plate of nachos. If there's a competition between hotels on this trip this one wins.

View From Hotel Restaurant Porch

Friday August 5-Halifax to Charlottetown

Breakfast was again great at the hotel. We were on the road by about 9:15. Our first stop was a pet food store heading out of Halifax to buy another bag of Willow's food. We needed a month's supply and didn't want to travel with the huge bag required so I had researched we could pick up the second half of supply here. Then we were on the road to PEI. We stopped in Oxford NS for a stretch and coffees.

After crossing the Confederation Bridge (the toll will be coming back) we headed straight to Ann of Green Gables Museum. Megan went into the gifts shop and museum while I walked around behind with the dog. They have a 'Matthews Cart Ride' so they were a little dog unfriendly-telling three of us who were watching dogs while partners toured the house to go around behind while the horse cart came anywhere close. It worked out, and Megan toured then I toured the old house that had been owned by Montgomery's uncle and aunt (and was the setting of action in three of her books).

Approaching PEI on Confederation Bridge

Anne of Green Gables Museum

Dog Waiting Area

The House

Inside Museum

After this we scooted over to Cavendish to visit Green Gables Heritage Place. I sat with Willow in the shade while Megan went in. I didn't bother to go in to this site as I was getting a bit of ache in my left ankle.

After driving into Charlottetown and checking into our hotel we phoned and made a reservation at a local restaurant with a mind to have a lobster feed. we went down to the old waterfront in Charlottetown and took a self-guided walking tour looking at the old houses.

Tour Found on Map

Beaconsfield Historic House

Old Street

Charlottetown


St. Dunstan's Basilica

Our Porch Seat

We finished the walk just in time for our reservation. We had a feast of mussels, lobster bisque and lobster. The food was great. The service was terrible. We waited between every contact with the waiter, had to wait with the lobster on the table as they hadn't bothered to bring the implements one requires to get into the lobster, etc. It's hard to know whether it's the servers lack of competence or the restaurant is greatly understaffed these days. There's no point in trying to guess. We just tipped and left with a smile.