Lived in Ottawa Canada from 2007 – 2011; should have visited Canada’s Atlantic and maritime provinces, but wanted to travel to more “exotic” shores. My intention was to visit the provinces in 2020, but Canada border was closed to tourism for nearly two years. Better late than never, grateful to have visited this beautiful part of Canada.
Saturday (September 10th), slow start to the morning; couldn’t get the lead out of my ass. I was likely fatigued, and avoided a “near-miss” migraine the day before (triggered by a tablespoon of Nutella, which I like – but obviously – doesn’t like me). Purchased some produce at local grocery store, and small coffee at Starbucks, hoping that the caffeine jolt would benefit body and mind.
Drove north from Sydney to Cape Breton Highlands National Park; Nova Scotia is sublime; the weather was glorious, filled with sunshine, and comfortable temps. Hiked several small trails, 5-miles, before checking in at Highlands Hostel, located in Cape North. Hostel is a converted church, owned by Bricin “Stryker” Lyons and his wife, Patricia. Learned that Bricin is an accomplished longboarder, and has taken some frightening rides; his motto: “fear is temporary, regret is permanent.”
Sunday (September 11th), did some laptop work before sunrise, and drove towards Red River, to visit Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Gampo Abbey, which lies at the end of a dirt road, with stunning views of Nova Scotia’s sandstone cliffs. Pema Chodron (Auntie Pema), the Buddhist nun, teaches at the monastery, and has written many books. Pema turned to Buddhism as a young adult, when her life, literally came apart; truly, a story about suffering. The monastery was quiet; it appeared that only a care-taker was on grounds.
Visited western half of the national park; hiked various small trails, about four miles. Drove south towards Mabou, and visited Glenora Distillery, which has a reputation for making fine, single malt whiskey. Wanted to buy a small bottle for my twin brother, who enjoys Scotch; price was $100 – $500, outside my price range. Unfortunately, distillery didn’t sell “nips.”
Drove southeast towards Aberdeen, and checked into Bear on the Lake Guesthouse; owner couldn’t be nicer; hostel was clean and quiet, with stunning views of Bras d’Or Lakes. Did some writing in the afternoon, and made curry for dinner.
Monday (September 12th), departed Aberdeen, and drove southwest, from Cape Breton Island, to Nova Scotia mainland, connected by Canso Causeway. I was driving along the coast, which became frustrating and aggravating, as even the potholes had potholes. At one point, I wondered if I blew out a car tire. I’ve driven dirt and gravel roads that were in better condition. Reverted back to the main highway, and arrived mid-day in Halifax, the provincial capital. Found free street parking, and checked into Halifax Backpackers Hostel. Hostel was underwhelming; not a nice neighborhood, on the edge of subsidized housing.
Hostel is located in the downtown core, and explored the area, including the beautiful Halifax Public Gardens, sixteen acres of green space, the “lungs” of the city. Weather was overcast and humid; it was amazing how much cooler and more comfortable it was in the park. It was nice to see people enjoying the space, which was clean and well maintained.
Also visited Citadel National Historic Site, located adjacent to the clock tower, and provides stunning views of the harbor; with opportunities to learn about Canada’s maritime heritage, and its military involvement, through World War I and II.
Tuesday (September 13th) visited Kejimkujik National Park, and hiked four miles. Drove towards Port Mouton (mah-TOON), and visited Summerville Beach Provincial Park, before checking in at Port Mouton International Hostel located in a recycled school building. The village takes its name because a sheep, excited to see land after a long journey, jumped overboard one of the vessels and swam to shore.
Last week I was in Newfoundland; wondered if I should have taken the seasonal, sixteen-hour, once daily, ferry from Argentia (near St. John’s) to North Sydney Nova Scotia. Likely, in hindsight, I made the better decision to take the eight-hour ferry from Port-aux-Basques. Turns out that this week, the MV Atlantic was having mechanical problems, resulting in the cancellation of all sailings. Passengers now have to drive to Port-aux-Basques, 575-miles, ten-hours, and hope that they may be re-accommodated on another vessel.
Wednesday (September 14th), drove through Yarmouth, and onward to Annapolis Royal, to visit Fort Anne National Historic Site, which protects the nearby harbor. Continued on, and visited Grand Pre National Historic Site, a UNESCO world heritage site. Grand Pre is translated as “great meadow” and marks a significant Acadian settlement in the region.
After returning to Halifax, visited Naval Museum of Halifax, which documents the Royal Canadian Navy, located on Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax. Also stopped at local Honda dealer to check tire pressure. I’ve tried to keep a close eye on the tires ever since that “near miss” with the staple in Eugene, Oregon, when the tire was quickly losing air.
Walked around some of the shops in downtown Halifax; lots of tourists on buses. Some of the shops still require masks. I fail to understand why; weather is temperate; shop doors are open; we’re almost three years into a pandemic; most of the population is vaccinated and boosted; and this is a virus that will continue to mutate for the rest of our lives. I understand wearing a mask in a contained space, for example, a long-haul international flight.
I’ve been fatigued the past few days, even after seven hours of sleep; likely need an “off” day, without driving, instead of moving every day. This is a short trip, just six weeks, but constantly moving gets tiring; you wouldn’t think so, but it does.
Thursday (September 15th), drove north to visit Joggins Fossil Cliffs, on the south side of the Bay of Fundy; arrived 9:00am, with peak low tide at 10:00am; quite ideal. Walked down to the shore, and walked along the wide expanse of coast; it was very windy, and eating through all the layers of clothing that I was wearing.
Drove a short distance southwest; got stuck behind a road crew painting new stripes on the road; five trucks, likely ten workers; what is the cost per mile for painting? Driving 15-miles per hour, finally allowed to pass. Not sure why they were re-painting; the stripes were already visible, and the road was so rough, they were really just painting the potholes.
Arrived at Cape D’Or lighthouse; the access road was dirt and gravel; lots of washboard. The hills were steep, driving up in first gear. The car would sideslip to the left and right, the dashboard traction control warning light flashed on and off. The road wouldn’t be passable after heavy rain; likely too muddy and slippery. The drive was worth the effort, the lighthouse stands stoically on a rocky and windy arm.
Stopped at Cumberland public library in town, and worked on laptop, before checking into local hostel in Parrsboro, Mad Hatter Hostel; the host, Kathy, was very personable; enjoyed talking with her, trading travel stories, and also talking with the other guests.
Friday (September 16th) drove from Parrsboro Nova Scotia to Prince Edward Island (PEI), driving across the eight mile Confederation Bridge. Bridge was completed in 1997, at a cost of $1.3-billion, crossing the Northumberland Strait. It is the longest bridge in Canada, and the longest bridge in the world over ice-covered water. Traveling to PEI is free, whether driving across the bridge, or taking a ferry; however, leaving PEI, bridge toll is $50 CAD.
Drove through Charlottetown, and proceeded on to Prince Edward Island National Park. Winds were strong, 30-mph sustained, more than once, I thought that the car door was going to rip off. Weather was raw, 50-degrees. Also visited Green Gables Heritage Place, where author Lucy Maud Montgomery brought the character, Anne of Green Gables, to life.
Given the unseasonable weather, worked on the laptop at local library. There was limited affordable lodging on PEI, and stayed at an AirBnB in New Glasgow. It was a small, uninsulated cottage in a campground; due to the weather, rented a ceramic heater.
Saturday (September 17th), drove from Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick, and drove north to visit Kouchibouguac National Park. It was a bright, fall day, clear blue sky, steady breeze. The weather is clearly changing; cooler weather, the trees beginning to change color; brilliant shades of crimson. The park wasn’t crowded, and hiked four miles. Drove south, and checked into AirBnB in Moncton.
Sunday (September 18th), drove south and visited Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. It was high tide, and difficult to appreciate the stunning geography, sometimes referred to as the “flower pots.” Drove west, and visited Fundy National Park; at this point, there were steady showers, and difficult to see anything on the coast, due to heavy fog. Most tides only differ one meter (three feet), between high and low tide. At Bay of Fundy, the difference is 15-meters (45-feet). The tides are diurnal, and cycle from high to low every twelve hours.
Went on to drive the Bay of Fundy Parkway, which cost $11, and it was underwhelming. The Lonely Planet guide suggested that this was a great drive, but I wouldn’t do it again.
I recognize that national parks are often established to preserve unique cultural or geographic areas. While I don’t wish to appear prudish, the Canadian parks have been underwhelming. However, I was impressed by Banff, Jasper, and Icefields Parkway (2010).
Checked into AirBnB in Saint John; it was a yurt, something different, something to stretch me outside my comfort zone. Host provided a heating pad, due to the cooler, overnight temperature. There are elements of camping that I enjoy; the quiet and solitude, the smell of the fresh air; however, I prefer a hot shower, a real bed, and to not get eaten by bugs.
Monday (September 19th), been fatigued lately, and took some time to sleep in and rest. Drove Highway 1 west towards Saint Stephen, which borders Calais, Maine; turned northeast on Highway 3, towards Fredericton, the provincial capital of New Brunswick. Saw several wild turkeys along the side of the road (the animal, not bourbon). A few errands and picked up groceries in town; laptop work at local Starbucks, before checking into AirBnB; there are no hostels in the province. AirBnB host was nice, but it took a lot of my energy to keep the conversation going; I was wiped out by bedtime. It was a low key day, which was okay with me; it’s tiring to be a tourist every day.
Tuesday (September 20th), lazy drive along Miramichi River and Highway 8 towards Miramichi. Grey skies, scattered showers, cool and raw; not every day is glorious and glamorous. There are numerous church buildings scattered throughout the Atlantic and maritime provinces; simple, unadorned, and humble structures that dot the local villages.
New Brunswick is not the wealthiest province in Canada, it ranks near the bottom, which is evident during the road trip. Canada GDP per capita is $61,000 (2019); Northwest Territory is the highest at $101,000; New Brunswick is near the bottom at $49,000. In comparison, US GDP per capita is $63,000 (2020); New York is the highest at $93,000, likely skewed by Wall Street; Mississippi is the lowest at $42,000.
Did some work at the local library in the afternoon; took a private equity conference call. Afterwards, checked into my lodging at Miramichi Treehouse since there are no hostels in the province. This was a mostly underwhelming travel day; originally, was going to drive the south coast of Saint Lawrence River, but later, changed my mind. It began raining after I checked into the cabin, and there was no electricity. I contemplated sleeping in my car, seeing that there might be little difference than sleeping in the cabin. My feet were cold, it was only 50-degrees, so put on some socks, a lightweight knit cap, and went to bed at 8pm.
Wednesday (September 21st), woke up at 4am, iPhone was nearly out of power. There was an adequate cell phone signal, and not sure why the phone completely discharged, it was at 90% when I went to bed. I couldn’t use the flashlight function, and got dressed, and gathered up my belongings in the dark. Got into the car, and inserted my contact lenses. The path to the bathroom was flooded, due to the overnight rain, and slightly embarrassed, I drove the short distance in my car. I went to use the bathroom, and there was a dead mouse in the toilet bowl, obviously drowned. Bit of a surprise, because mice are very adept, and don’t understand what it found so interesting in the toilet bowl.
Early morning, drove in the dark; solid rain; warning signs for moose hazard. Speed limit was 100-kmh (60-mph), I was likely driving 50-mph due to the conditions. Sure enough, on the road in front of me, appeared a large bull moose, with a huge rack, an absolutely huge animal. I slowed the car and came to a stop, and I could of swore that the moose smiled at me before it trotted off in to the woods. If I was distracted, or looking at the iPhone, I likely would have collided with the beast, to the detriment of us both.
Drove north through Bathurst, and continued north to Campbellton, where I stopped at McDonalds for coffee and WiFi; there are no Starbucks outside of the major cities in the province; just McDonalds and Tim Horton’s. Drove west towards Edmundston, on the Maine border, and stopped at local library for laptop work.
Drove into Quebec, and stayed at AirBnB in Cabano; there is a hostel located inside historic Fort Ingall; it opens to overnight guests, for a unique stay, between 5pm and 9am. I spent the night in the barracks room, likely fitting, given my service in the Marine Corps. Some beds had a conventional mattress, other beds had straw. There was only one other couple, likely a decade older than me, staying in one of the private rooms. When is a hostel not a hostel – during off season – when you are the only guest. There were passing thunderstorms in the distance, overnight, but not much rain; my first thunderstorm in quite some time.
Thursday (September 22nd), hostel WiFi wasn’t strong enough to post my daily writing, so drove an hour to nearby McDonalds; it’s WiFi wasn’t working, so drove into Quebec City, and posted the daily writing at a local Starbucks. Passed through a town named, Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, and understand that it’s the only town in the world with two exclamation points in its name. Ha! Ha!
Appreciated returning to Quebec City, a sense of civilization, after being in some remote locations during the past few weeks. Drove along the scenic Champlain Drive, along the Saint Lawrence River, and walked through the old parts of the city, and also visited the Museum of Bad Art, whose tagline reads, “too bad to be ignored.” In the afternoon, checked into local hostel, Auberge de LouLou, where I stayed last month.
Friday (September 23rd), drove south, two hours, toTrois-Rivières, Quebec, on the Saint Lawrence River, my first visit to the village (more like a small city). I explored the city center on foot; the weather was 50-degrees and raw; the wind was eating through my clothes. I didn’t find that much to see or do. There used to be a nice hostel in town; it’s been closed due to COVID; so I checked into nearby AirBnB, and got some work done before dinner.
Saturday (September 24th), did some work in the morning, before driving two hours south to Montreal. I often visited Montreal when I lived in Ottawa; it was convenient to take the train, and make a day trip. The city has a subway; train cars run on rubber tires, so the ride is quiet and smooth. Montreal is difficult to explore with a car; it’s much easier to negotiate using the subway. The historic, old city, is always enjoyable to visit on foot. Weather was sunny and bright; leaves in various shades of color; warmer than Friday, about 65-degrees.
If you’re a foodie, plan to visit Schwartz’s Deli for its infamous, smoked meat sandwich. You’ll need to drink lots of water later in the day; it’s very salty. You should also plan to visit St-Viateur Bagel to enjoy a Montreal bagel, which is smaller, thinner, sweeter, denser, with a larger hole, and oven-baked, versus a New York City bagel. There are hostels in Montreal, but none with parking, so stayed overnight at an AirBnB, in a working class neighborhood on Monk Boulevard. My host was from Morocco, and speaks English, French, and Arabic.
Sunday (September 25th), drove west to Ottawa, via Gatineau, to visit my friend Les and Emma. I lived at Les’ house when I worked at Epocal. The house was always joyful, and I really appreciate the opportunity to re-connect, and share time together.
Monday (September 26th), met tax partner, Chris, for coffee. He works for Deloitte, and has skillfully completed my tax return since 2007. Tuesday (September 27th), met my friend, Jamie, for coffee; he was my supply chain manager at Epocal. Wednesday (September 28th), visited King Arthur Baking in Norwich, Vermont, which was a really enjoyable experience, lots of good ideas. Thursday (September 29th), met Hakusho, a Zen Priest, for coffee; he completed his monastic training at San Francisco Zen Center, and leads the Brattleboro Zen Center in Vermont; returned to Connecticut in the afternoon.
Enjoyed visiting Newfoundland; its unique geography, remoteness, small villages, and the kindness of its people. I definitely plan to return; June is the best month to experience whales, puffins, and icebergs. Two to four weeks are needed to explore this unique island.
Also enjoyed visiting Nova Scotia; it’s unique and interesting, with affordable hostel locations throughout the province. It’s smaller in scale than Newfoundland, and would dedicate two weeks to travel and explore slowly and thoughtfully.
Hurricane Fiona hit Canada’s Atlantic and maritime provinces early Saturday morning (September 24th), making landfall near Canso, Nova Scotia. Somehow, I timed my trip to miss the hurricane, but, I feel terrible for the Canadians who faced this powerful storm, and understand that 500,000 Canadians are now without power.
Costs:
Trip costs were reasonable; lodging prices in some locations were elevated, due to scarcity. Gasoline prices are higher in Canada than the United States, driven by higher taxes.
Lodging: $1,693 | $42 per night
Gasoline: $872 | 43mpg | $4.70 per gallon average | 8,000 miles
Food: $47 | $32 groceries en route | $15 Costco “run”
Other: $308 | $203 ferries | $55 park pass | $40 bridge toll
Total: $2,890 | $72 per day | $26,000 annualized
Other Thoughts:
At the end of September, I will have traveled nine months this calendar year. Traveled almost 25,000 miles on an extended road trip. Ten-year old Honda Fit, while not the sexiest car on the road, was dependable and reliable. Like anything, the mind and body adapts to this new reality. I will spend the winter holidays with my family; the deliberate downtime provides time to renew my passport.
Some people wonder how I travel the way that I do. The first observation is that my family wasn’t that well off when I was growing up. We weren’t poor, but we made due with what we had, which means that a frugal mindset seems to have been etched into my behavior, that is not easily changed. I also served in the Marine Corps, and lived in a Zen Buddhist monastery, which means, that perhaps, I simply lean towards a minimalistic, ascetic lifestyle.
Anticipate that I will be traveling another nine to ten months in 2023; will share details soon.
garthmonroe 