Day Five

Out the door at 8:30 after a hot shower in the smallest shower stall in the biggest bathroom I can remember. This old farmhouse is 109 years old. I arrived at the bridge in a misting rain that cleared up by the time I reached the other side. The bridge crossed the Northumberland Straight separating the mainland, New Brunswick for Prince Edward Island(PEI) and a 12 mile ribbon with an arched high section near the PEI end. There was an excellent Info Center & gift shop in a fairly new village complex right at the end of the bridge. It was reccommended that I could take the coast road to Charlottetown and on to the Ferry. Along the way I stopped and took a walk out to Fort Amherst (English) that once controlled the port of Charlottetown. Then stopped for lunch in Pinette at a diner. Jackpot! The special of the day: Lobster sandwich with sweet potato fries. Believe it or not, the fries were better than the lobster. I rapped up half the sandwich for the ferry and took off, concerned about the time. Arrived at the ferry with time to spare. When I saw the ramp up to the second level of the ferry, I began to worry the old Money Pit had met her match. The ramp was a steel grate material that was steep and had several sections. I made a running start and hoped that I wouldn't drag bottom. No problem. The ride was smooth & I spent the entire hour & a half talking with an older couple and their son ,from central Canada, The son had obviously arranged the trip for his dad's 80th birthday. Once off the ferry, I was directed to a visitors' center. There I made a reservation for tonight in Port Hastings on the Straight of Canso. This is a mining town & not scenic at all. Tomorrow I plan to do the Cabot Trail and catch the ferry in Sydney for Nova Scotia.

Day Four

This morning up at 6:00 and on the road before 7:00. I knew I had along drive and how far I drove would affect how much time I had on PEI the next day. I was still having to aim for the ferry departure from Sydney, NS, at 11:00 PM on the 9th. The first main stop was Rimouski, NB. Lunchtime there was very busy. It was here that I lost cell service. I took time cruise around downtown & grab a sandwich. I'm getting the idea that fast food is still novelty up here. Like every town regardless of size, there is a big or little church in the center with a very tall steeple. Downtown Rimouski had a church that a cathedral version with multiple spires and was constructed of stone. Photos to follow at some point. From here it was on to Campbellton, Bathhurst and Miramichi. The road was far enough away from the coast that the scenery was all very similar. Scrubby spruce, pine & endless stands of beech. There were several long construction delays as well. At the last minute, I decided not to attack Moncton at 5:00 and stayed north toward the bridge to PEI. The road dead ended in the little town of Port Elgin before turning north the PEI. Concerned that I wouldn't find a room across the bridge in PEI at 7:00, I stopped in a little family restaurant with a crowed parking lot to ask about a B & B for the night. The owner, waitress and generally salt-of-the-earth type lady picked up the phone and reserved a room for me at the Pumpkin Inn located just across a little crook of water from the restaurant. She said I should stay and eat since she would be closing soon, so I did. That turned out to be the best plate of fried whole clams(as opposed to clam strips) I ever tasted. If you're reading Dad, they were as good as those we had in Maine years ago. I closed the place down and went on to the B & B. Immediately I had concerns. I couldn't figure out where to park. The parking was all grass and it didn't look like anyone had parked on the grass in a while. The owner met me at the door and seemed very proper. She explained how things operated, told me breakfast in the morning would be at 8:00, showed me my room upstairs and the bath down the hall. She then left and locked the door behind her. In the morning breakfast was very pleasant(French, I think).

Day Three

Today was spent in the car driving fron Westmorland, NY, to Quebec, Quebec. Adding French to the navigator was a challenge. Getting through downtown Montreal was very similar to navigating through New York, but in French. It felt strange to be driving through the countryside that resembles Iowa or Nebraska and then stop for gas or coffee and everyone is speaking French. About 5:00 I found a new EconoLodge, so I checked in. I'm one exit from downtown Quebec. Tomorrow I head further north and then turn east into New Brunswick.

Day Two

Today is Saturday. Rich, Susan and I visited downtown Herkimer, NY and then took a boat tour down the Erie Canal throught one of the few remaining original locks. This lock still operates as it did originally. The gates were designed by Da Vinchi. After the tour we visited an Episcopal church built on the site of a Revolutionary fort. Later we went to Sherrill, NY to see Susan and Rich's daughter and family and then on to dinner at a great restaurant located in one of the Oneida Silver mansions. The three of us stayed up until almost midnight talking.

Day One

All day drive. Left Fleetwood 4:45 AM. Arrived in Westmoreland, NY, approx. 7:00 PM. Good weather, reasonably good traffic except for the expected occasional construction delays. The "Bitch in the Box" as my brother has named it, came through again except for the confusion following an emergency coffee stop. For those who don't know who the "Bitch in the Box" is, let me explain. She is the rather pushy sounding voice that comes out of my GPS . After a few days, I'll change it to the "Jack in the Box" so that they can have equal time. I'm spending the night and tomorrow night with the Boylans here in Westmoreland. Susan really prepared a wonderful meal tonight. Libby, you need to get the receipt! Spicy, seafood, pasta(Portuguese). Tomorrow, we're planning "not all driving" events in the surrounding area. Oh! One unplanned stop today was a quick spin around Hershey, PA. Thought I pick up some chocolate to bring home, but way to envolved. Interesting town worth coming back to explore. Maybe some pictures tomorrow. Good night all!

CORRECTION: The correct dates of the Targa trip are September 4th - 25th.

Hey Everyone,

This is my first blog so be understanding. Will try to add a post each day on the trip. The trip begins September 4th & ends on the 25th. I hope to be able to share lots of photos along the way and during the Targa. For those who don't know, a Targa is a indurance race on public roads. That part is very similar to The Tour de France. But, then you add SPEED! Targa Newfoundland takes place over 5 days and approximately 1200 miles. I'll be volunteering as a course worker, a safety officer or first responder, I guess. I plan to work at least four of the five days and will be staying in different towns every 2 days. The race is from the 13th to the 18th. Weather may become a big factor (remember Storm "Bill" ?). Stay tuned........