TravelStream™ news feed for member roadrunners07 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/roadrunners07 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:12:51 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1240894200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1240894200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1240894200/tpod.html Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:12:51 -0400 Saville's Travels

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Saanichton, British Columbia, Canada

Since our last newsletter, we have clocked up many kilometres.



While at Fort Myers during the Christmas holidays, we took an airboat tour in Everglades City. We were disappointed at not seeing more than a few alligators but the mango groves were interesting in a kind of grotesque way. After the month in Fort Myers, we spent a week in Manatee Springs State Park. In the end, the rumour about swimming with the Manatees was erroneous. We didn't even see any Manatee but we did snorkel in the springs with an assortment of fish and there was an abundance of other wildlife in the campground.



The next month, we booked into a campground outside Tampa in a city called Thonotosassa. From there we took a day trip to a hydro plant. The Manatee migrate upriver seeking the warm water generated by the hydro facility. We saw dozens of them there. Other day trips included Clearwater Beach, bike rides through county and state parks on our newly acquired second hand bikes, Tampa's RV show (the largest in N. America) and numerous flea markets in the area. The latter are huge!



We drove to Ocala for some warranty work and passed by John Travolta's residence. We didn't stop in. We met up with some fellow travellers from Washington State in Mexico Beach FL for a few days (the March's and the Colflodt's). We had wanted to take in Topsail Hills State Park for a couple of days, which we did on our own. The reports that it is the best State park in the US were not overstated. Due to inclement weather, we did not see a great deal of the area but the park was impressive with full facilities including cable offered in the campground. We rejoined the WA group in Foley AL after a drive through the lovely area of Destin and Walton Beach. From Foley we all moved on after a few days to Picayune MS. From here we travelled down on a day trip to Mardi Gras. The parades were like nothing we had ever seen! We had lunch on Bourbon Street with our Washington pals. New Orleans was quite an experience but there is still much evidence of the Katrina devastation. Gary managed to find the one and only microbrewery in New Orleans, Crescent City Brewing and he sampled a pint or (6)! We split off from the WA group from here.



By the beginning of March we were in Rockport on the Texas Panhandle. The weather was sunny and warmer. We visited the Aransas Wildlife Refuge where we were entertained by even more species strange to us: alligators, armadillos, possums and many bird species. The Oyster Festival in Fulton Beach was funky and began with yet another parade. Like Mardi Gras, they also tossed beads to the crowd. Another day trip took us to Port Aransas (where Gary found - guess what ?- another micro brewery), Corpus Christi, Mustang Island and N. Padre Island. It was spring break and therefore well populated with young people. The surf swimming was great. We spent (3) days in San Antonio but again hit some poor weather. We toured the city: Alamo, River Centre, River Walk and a tour boat on the river. The downtown area is beautiful; new and old.



The next leg was not so much fun. We had (4) one-nighters in a row: (2) in Texas and (1) each in New Mexico and south eastern Arizona before arriving in Casa Grande AZ for (2) nights. This is one of our favourite haunts. We also are very fond of Ehrenberg AZ where we next had a very restful (5) nights. We had previously been to both of these so did very little sightseeing. We moved on to Pahrump NV, which is outside Las Vegas, for a week. We met up with the Bell's from Victoria (actually Gabriola Is. now) and spent a day with them browsing the strip in Vegas. We had been to Mexico in January and February of 2008 with the Bell's. Another couple that had joined us in Mexico was also in Pahrump, the Knight's. Some of the sites included Red Rock Canyon and the world famous Sherrie's Brothel. Five of us took the tour of the brothel and all found it educational and surprisingly up scale.



It was now time to start the trek back to BC. We drove through (3) States to arrive in Saint George UT for one night. We really liked the area and plan on returning to have a more thorough look. We had (4) more one-nighters after Saint George. Our intention had been to do some boon-docking (dry camping) but the temperatures were way too cold. We woke up to 6" of snow in Nephi UT but the worst was crossing the mountain range in Utah just south of Salt Lake City. The roads were icy and the wind was strong. Temperatures ranged from 71 F. down to 31 F. in one day during that portion of the journey. The other one-nighters were Wells NV, Boise ID (where we stayed in the driveway of fellow campers we had met in Rockport TX - Hope & Dave Ayres) and then the Walmart in Pendleton OR. Here we had a Canadian "Happy Hour" with (4) other like-minded couples, all fellow campers, all from BC.



Our intention had been to spend only (1) night in Moses Lake WA but Gary unfortunately, came down with violent stomach flu. We cooled our heels an extra day crossing into Canada on April 9th. His flu actually lasted (4) days and then Carie's (4) days began. By this time we were in Osoyoos where we remained for (2) weeks. As were over the flu but still a little green around the gills, there was not much wine tasting happening. We moved up to Winfield (Kelowna) to spend (4) days with the Knight's during which time they toured us around Mission Hill Winery and Kelowna waterfront. They introduced us to "The Bread Co." restaurant where we all had an outstanding lunch. We also joined them for a family barbeque and met their 2-year old granddaughter and brand new grandson (who was born on April 1st, Carie's Dad's 86th birthday).



Our last night on the road, we spent in yet another friend's driveway; Carol & John Davy in Sardis. We had not seen them in a while and had some catching up to do. They are Drew's Godparents and we all started as Montessori parents in 1976.



As of April 28th - exactly (2) years to the day from when we initially checked out of the house on Patterson Road and into Oceanside RV Resort in Saanichton - we returned. We will remain here until about the end of October. At that point, we leave for parts unknown - well, somewhat known. We plan to spend the following (6) months in CA, AZ and possibly NM.



Although we have no regrets and thoroughly enjoyed our (19) months and 60,000 km. on the road, we intend to travel a little less in future. We find that we are a tad road-weary. We look forward to reacquainting ourselves with our Victoria "family" and plan a long, leisurely summer staying put. Having said that, Carie is flying to Ontario to see her parents on Saturday, May 9th for 2 ½ weeks. Other than that and a week at our timeshare starting June 14th, we will be here in sunny Saanichton and would love to see anyone who cares to venture to site #18. You can reach us at 250-208-1383 (Gary) and 250-896-6775 (Carie) or of course, by email.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1228320480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1228320480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1228320480/tpod.html Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:21:57 -0500 Saville's Travels

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Fort Myers, Florida, United States

On October 8th, we crossed from St. Stephen, NB to Calais, ME and spent our first night at Belfast, ME. We followed the coastline and spent an extra day at Portsmouth, NH because the city was so pretty and Gary found two microbreweries in town. Four nights were spent at Wompatuck State Park just outside Boston. We took the train into Boston from a Park 'n Ride for a couple of days. We cooked a stuffed chicken in honour of Canadian Thanksgiving. Boston was interesting. The markets are busy and have something for everyone. We took a shuttle around the city which included a harbour cruise and after having met a local (a chiropractor who claimed we were "cousins") were given access to the Customs House Tower which is exclusive to its timeshare owners. From there we had exceptional views of the city. We dropped into the local pub where JFK proposed to Jacquie. We also went to Plymouth, MA on a day trip to experience the history connected with the Pilgrim crossing. Gary had been to the Plymouth Steps in the UK from which the Pilgrims had departed and this completed the cycle. From our RV site in RI we day-tripped to Newport and toured the harbour and the famous opulent homes of Newport. We also had a wee drinky in the "White Horse Tavern" which is the oldest tavern in the US (1673).

Next, from a two-night stopover at Walmart in Jersey City where we met up with a couple of Albertans whom we had previously encountered en route, we took a bus into The Big Apple. On our way to that rendezvous with our friends, we ended up hauling all of our 47 feet up 42nd Street past Times Square. This was not the plan but it was a memorable encounter!! We certainly presented a spectacle!! NYC was an experience in itself. We took a double-decker bus tour of the city which included a harbour cruise past The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and great views of Manhattan.

We travelled through Virginia with the Albertans, Dar & Russ and parted ways in Charlotte, NC. We were headed for Carie's cousins in Columbia, SC again and they on their own agenda. During five days at Gina's & Darren's, we mellowed out and visited with them and their kitty, Babette. Unfortunately, we also had a break-in of our RV whilst it was in storage at an RV park. The "perp" ripped off the bathroom ski-light cover and smashed in the fan and screen to slide through the small opening. The only thing of value missing was Gary's late father's signet ring.

Next stop was Charleston, SC where we again took a carriage/harbour tour to see more beautiful homes of the Deep South. After a couple of days, we moved on to Savannah, GA to experience more southern hospitality. There was a Seafood Festival at the waterfront while we were there and it was quite lively in spite of the drizzling rain. We spent a night further south in GA before crossing into Florida. After another night enjoying the hospitality of Walmart, we arrived in Davenport, FL just outside Orlando and stayed five days. We were only a few miles from Disney World and SeaWorld. One day was spent at SeaWorld and we thought it was well worth it.

The next stop was the Florida Keys where we spent several nights in two different state parks. The first one, John Pennekamp is in Key Largo and from Long Key State Park, we day-tripped to Key West. Key West was somewhat disappointing. In our opinion, it is a little too noisy and very commercialised and pricey for nothing special. We did, however, take a cruise on a catamaran to an island called the Dry Tortugas. The trip was 2 ½ hours each way with snorkelling on the island and included breakfast and lunch. The snorkelling could have been better. It had been so windy that the ocean was stirred up and therefore visibility was limited. The campsite itself in Long Key was amazing as was the weather. Our rig was parked about 12 feet from the ocean and we could walk out and snorkel from our doorstep. We saw spiny lobster and much coral in the waters there.

Port St. Lucie was our next "port of call" on the "Treasure Coast". We hung out here until December 3rd when we could get into our current resort. We booked this one with the view of spending Christmas and New Year's off the road and in one spot. We are at a resort in Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast with a pool, tons of Canadians (particularly Ontarioans (?)) which offers access to great shopping and beaches. We have reconnected with a couple from WA State, Glenda and Terry who are staying nearby and we have made new friends here with whom we will spend Christmas. The clubhouse sponsors a dinner with all the trimmings and a New Year's Eve bash. We are booked here until January 3rd, at which point we move on to Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland, FL northwest of Ocala fro a week. There we can swim with the docile and nearly extinct Manatee. There is evidently excellent snorkelling in the area too. After that, who knows?

We wish all of you and yours a very Merry Christmas a Happy and Healthy 2009.

The Saville's
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1223426580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1223426580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1223426580/tpod.html Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:42:05 -0400 Saville's Travels

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St. John, New Brunswick, Canada

We thought that choosing pix for the Newfoundland newsletter was difficult; picking them for the Nova Scotia one was just as tough. Nova Scotia is absolutely beautiful. It is different from Newfoundland which has a rugged beauty. NS's landscape is more gentle and serene. After returning to NS via the "short" ferry (6 hours), we landed in Sydney River and began our trek to Antigonish (where we cast our vote for the Canadian election in nearby Stellarton). World famous Peggy's Cove was next on the route and we were not disappointed. We visited Halifax from Peggy's Cove and beautiful Chester and Mahone Bay. We were particularly impressed by these two. We also went to the memorials to the 1998 tragedy of Swissair Flight #111. The locals triangulated the retrieval operation with two spots on shore and the site of the crash in the ocean. One of these shore sites is near Peggy's Cove and the other is on the opposite shore of St. Margaret's Bay. The latter is the interment site. Then we moved campsites and visited Lunenburg where we sailed on the Bluenose II for a beautiful sunny afternoon. Lunenburg is a lovely spot with an outstanding old church (one of the oldest in Canada) and depicts the "carpenter gothic" style. (gothic style but "carved in wood") From there we spent five days with one more of Carie's first cousins (one of the Maritime set through her Mum). We had a wonderful "extended" weekend with Dianne & Keith Rogers outside Bridgewater in their little hideaway on the lake. We happened to land there the day after Carie's birthday and Dianne treated her to a birthday cake. We were so impressed with the South Shore that we actually perused some real estate listings. Waterfront property remains an excellent and inexpensive investment.

The North shore is where you find the Annapolis Valley. This region has hoards of fresh produce and wineries abound. We stayed near Kentville and toured (4) wineries. We included another micro brewery in Port William (twice). Tough work but someone has to do it!! Kentville offered a nice Irish Pub and a Scottish shop - of course. Wolfville is a nice little spot sporting a few pubs and is quite pretty. It also houses Acadia University and some outstanding-looking B & B's in lovely old homes. We also took in Annapolis Royal and Digby, both a little disappointing. It was pouring both days but there was very little information available at tourist bureaux as it was considered "off season" and many of them were closed. There was little to do except walk along the boardwalk and look at the ocean.

The phenomenon of the Tidal Bore was very interesting. It only takes place in the Bay of Fundy because of the drastic tide fluctuation here. The variance can be up to 35 feet.

We will be crossing the border into the States on October 8th and will run down the New England coastline. This will be the topic for the next newsletter.

Other than a couple of treatments for our backs, we are both well and happy. And, still married!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1221135960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1221135960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1221135960/tpod.html Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:41:03 -0400 Saville's Travels

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Doyles, Newfoundland, Canada

We know! Another one so soon! We needed to break up the Gaspé and the Maritimes as individual entries because there was such an amazing amount to see. This entry was the most difficult to choose pictures for because it was the most delightful, photographically speaking.

Our long anticipated trip to Newfoundland began with a 6-hour ferry ride. There was nothing much to see once we left port - just open ocean and heavy rain. However, we were mightily entertained in the lounge by a typical Newfie musician and comedian couple, "The Bugs & Debbie Greene" show. After the show Bugs joined us at our table and gave us several tips on what to see and do.

By the second night we had arrived in Kippens outside Stephenville and spent four nights at a very nice campground. It was a good place for a home base while we did several day trips. Among these were: Cape St. Georges, Long Point, the Port au Port Peninsula, an Alpaca/Lama farm and the town of Lourdes. Another day we went to Clarke Harbour - spectacular scenery- and then into Larke Harbour to include a visit to Captain Cook's monument at Bottle Cove.

Our next campsite in Rocky Harbour in Gros Morne National Park (a UNESCO heritage site) was our base for another five days. Our first chore upon arrival was to turn around and drive back to Corner Brook (246 km. round trip) the following day to take care of an electrical problem. Fortunately, it was covered by our warranty but took a chunk out of our day. Another Newfie group was playing at a local pub and we took that in one night. They were very talented. During the evening, they polled the room to see from where everyone was visiting. There were six different groups from BC, including us. We took a tour to Western Pond which entailed a 2 ½-hour boat trip up a fiord. (We were told that it is technically not a fiord because it is fresh water.) The scenery was unbelievable! Other day trips included Cow Head and The Arches (natural arches formed by wind and wave erosion). We treated ourselves to Moose burgers as we left Gros Morne.

Twillingate was our next destination. Our campsite was the former home of the last Beothuk, a first nations people totally wiped out by the white man. We were delighted to have a site with ocean views of Back Harbour. There is a great deal to do in the Twillingate area. It is incredibly scenic and typically Newfie with the descendants hailing from Devon, England. We discovered that the many different Newfie accents are attributable to the area of the UK that settled them originally. The accent in Twillingate, for instance is very like the West Country accent of England, whereas in other parts of Newfoundland, they sound much more Irish. The area is surrounded by many tiny islands, coves and fishing villages. Gary was in shutterbug heaven! Twillingate is also the iceberg capital of the world. Day trips from here included: the Auk Winery, Crow Harbour, Long Point Lighthouse, Durrell, Morton's Harbour, Tizzard's Cove, Taylor's Room (so-named because the Taylor family were fishermen and a "room" is the family co-operative, open to only members of that family) and Prime Berth Fish Museum that tells the story of the codfish industry before its demise. Fogo Island included a 45-minute ferry ride from Farewell. We hiked up to Marconi Hill where the first transatlantic wireless message was received and then climbed Fogo Head and on to Middle Head. The steps in the photo numbered over 300 and that does not include the paces between the steps which would be about another 300. We found spectacular views from the Heads of Fogo, Tilting (an original Irish settlement still living the old way), Joe Botts Arm and Stag Harbour.

After one night on the move, we found ourselves in ancient St. John's for a week. Five of those nights were spent in Pippy Park which is a municipal RV park in the middle of St. John's. It is well treed and one would never know that it is in a city. We visited Fort Amherst, Signal Hill, the tiny community of Quidi Vidi (pronounced kiddy viddy) which houses a micro brewery at which Gary had a personal tasting and tour, Cape Spear and Witless Bay (another extensive hike vainly in search of puffins).St. John's abounds in pubs. Our choice was the Celtic Hearth where they served Strongbow for Carie - hard to find.

After four weeks on the "Rock", in our opinion Newfoundland is not to be missed. We spent the last two nights in a former provincial campground in the Codroy Valley with yet more spectacular scenery. One would think we would tire of it. Nuh-uh!

This morning we caught the 9:00 am ferry 36 km away in Port aux Basques to sail to North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Hope you are all well. For a change we are!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1218938520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1218938520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1218938520/tpod.html Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:09:31 -0400 Saville's Travels

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North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

The first picture shows our entry into PEI via the "new"(?) Confederation Bridge. It is 12.9 kms. long and is a toll bridge. It would have cost us $55.00 with our (4) axles had we returned via the bridge as one does not pay until leaving the Island whether by bridge or ferry. We made our way to Herrington which is just outside Charlottetown. Carie has numerous cousins there (her Mother's brother's children). We spent 8 days exploring the beaches and seafood haunts along with a tour of Province House which houses the chambers where Confederation was born. The red cliffs are even more spectacular than they appear in the photos.

We drove to New Glasgow and were surprised to come across some Gaelic entertainment and a beautiful garden which has been dedicated to hospice.

On a trip to Fort Amherst we had a history lesson on the Acadians and how those rotten Brits treated them. They were banished to Louisiana and parts of Nova Scotia. Some rebels managed to remain and flourish in PEI.

Carie had a wonderful reunion with three of her four first cousins whom she had not seen for 32 years (the fourth was away all week). As a child, she spent every second summer in PEI playing with these cousins. The strong bond is still there. They gabbed and gabbed for hours. Unfortunately, two days after leaving PEI, Judy, the cousin closest in age to Carie passed away from a stroke. She is the one with the print shirt and glasses at the opposite end of the chesterfield from Carie and was not yet 61. The little one is her 10-year old granddaughter, Taylor. We were so glad we had taken the time to reconnect.

"Spud Island" remains one of our favourite places. We had spent the majority of our honeymoon there in 1969. Unhappily, we were dogged by inclement weather during this stay. However, we managed several seafood gorgings. (See pix!)

We returned to the mainland via the Wood Islands Ferry to Nova Scotia at a cost of $98.00. The practical way to travel to PEI is over via the ferry and return via the bridge costing only the $55.00 bridge toll. However, the ferry route suited our plans. We are off to Newfoundland via a quick buzz through Nova Scotia.

Stay tuned!

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1216579800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1216579800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1216579800/tpod.html Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:47:19 -0400 Saville's Travels

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Levis, Quebec, Canada

This is our first newsletter in (4) months. As it unfolds it will become apparent why that is. We will attempt to bring you up to date.

The remainder of the trip across the southern States was less eventful than the blizzard in Texas. We covered virtually one state per day on our way eastbound. These included Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. As we reached South Carolina, we contacted Carie's cousin, Darren and his wife, Gina in Columbia. We intended a day or so visit with them but had such a good time, we left (3) days later. Their gorgeous kitty, Babette is the one in the pix. Columbia is a city reminiscent of Victoria. We liked it very much. After Columbia, we travelled the remainder of South Carolina, then North Carolina and Virginia stopping in Roanoke, then Carlisle PA and Preble NY (outside Syracuse). The night in Preble was probably the worst since we hit the road. The weather was nasty and because of the temperatures our battery in the trailer gave out and therefore the furnace ceased to function. Upon waking at 4:30 am we found the interior temperature to be 34 F and our water was frozen. We were in a State Welcome Centre with no RV services. Our best option was to jump in the truck and turn the heater on and move on. That day we arrived in Kemptville was a little more than a week after their last record-breaking snow dump. Carie's parents' yard maintenance man had cleared the driveway but it was only 10' wide with 5' banks on either side. Gary did an admirable job of parking the 5th wheel in such a limited space - with no driveway across the street to help. After parking we proceeded to shovel out space to accommodate the slides. (The 5th wheel is 8' wide when slides are in.)

The next two months, almost to the day can only be described as horrendous. The weather was not co-operating. The water connection at M's & D's froze and we had a few electrical problems. Fortunately, Carie's uncle and cousins own a company that was able to service our needs. We spent every waking hour clearing out Carie's parents' house or visiting her parents in their new residence. We also organised two birthday parties for M & D in April. There are a couple of pictures of Carie's Dad's 85th and a picture of his receiving a very prestigious award - 55 year pin from the Royal Canadian Legion in which he was always active as president and in other capacities. The second picture of Dad's birthday party is of his cake - a local baker's version of Stewart tartan. There is also a nice picture of a Carie's parents on Mother's Day. One of Carie's very close aunties died suddenly from a heart attack just days after one of the parties. We both came down with a virus going around Kemptville, shortly after arriving. Carie's turned to bronchitis. Then Gary fell down the stairs and cracked a rib at the house. The next week, Carie fell down the same stairs and badly sprained an ankle. We managed to get the house prepared for listing. The plan had originally been to spend a week or two in Kemptville to accomplish the house preparation. We had even considered flying in and leaving the RV in the States. To say the least, we were exhausted when we left for Drew's & Courtney's in Saskatoon on May 15th.

We took the northern route above Lake Superior and found it slow and windy. None of the campsites we encountered had full services much less Internet. The day after we left Kemptville, Carie's father was admitted to hospital once again - fortunately for only a few days. We spent a month with Drew and Courtney who, by the way, is our new daughter-in-law-in-training. They became engaged about July 5th. The wedding will be in Victoria in 2010 and probably somewhere July to September. We are thrilled!!

One of Carie's fellow choir members from St. Paul's in Sidney lives in Saskatoon in the summer months. We contacted Linda and Nick and spent some quality time with them. Drew and Courtney were working during our stay but we managed a tour of the University of Saskatchewan, where Courtney was working until the end of June and some of the other sites in Saskatoon. Some of the river pictures are from a boat ride on the South Saskatchewan River that runs through the city. Saskatoon is a very impressive place. There are lots of trees and parks in the city. The blue house pictured is Drew's and Courtney's. Gary bided his time partly by dressing up the gardens at their place. Quelle surprise!! Drew's 31st birthday was during our stay too.

On June 23rd we left for Ontario again, this time via the States. We travelled through North Dakota and Minnesota, stopping for a couple of days with yet another cousin of Carie's, Leslie in St. Paul. There is a picture of the two of them outside Leslie's and her partner's house. After that we travelled through Wisconsin and Michigan spending our first night back in Canada in London ON. June 30th, we arrived in Stouffville (outside Toronto) for a weeks' visit with Dawn and Daniel. We had a bit of a lark taking the rapid transit and then the subway down to the city. It was great to spend some time with our baby girl and her boyfriend. They showed us the sites in TO.

Kemptville was next on the agenda to check up on Carie's parents. In the meantime, while we were in Saskatoon, their house had sold. This time around we opted for a campground a few miles outside of town. We renewed some of Carie's old acquaintances and a new one and we were wined and dined. We took M & D to a horse farm belonging to a cousin of Carie's. They breed Freesian horses = see pix.

We are now outside Quebec City having arrived in the area on the same day as Paul McCartney's free concert. Unfortunately, we were not organised in time to make it. We are both sick again!!! Carie's bronchitis has returned. She saw a doctor before leaving Kemptville and is on antibiotics and puffers. Gary has injured his elbow (don't ask how) and sustained a nasty haematoma of the bursa. The doctor in Toronto said to expect two months of recovery. He also has a virus again. We have been cooling our heels outside Quebec City for a couple of days now but hope to do some touring tomorrow depending on energy.

Our next destination is the Gaspe Peninsula and then the Maritimes to meet - you guessed it, more cousins!!!

Love to you all
G & C
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1217984640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1217984640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1217984640/tpod.html Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:09:24 -0400 Saville's Travels

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Carleton, Quebec, Canada

2008 is Québec City's 400th anniversary and we were there to help celebrate. We spent (8) days in Québec City altogether camping in Beaumont on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Each day we took a beautiful scenic 15-minute ferry ride to Québec City. The ferry sailed from Lévis, a 10-minute drive from our campground, called "Camping Carol". Lévis became a British fortress after Wolfe defeated Montcalm in 1759 on The Plains of Abraham, where incidentally Paul McCartney performed his free concert to a crowd of over 200,000 fans on August 20, 2008. As you can see from the photos Old Québec City is beautiful and picturesque. We have tried to include a good cross section of its many facets. There are photos of Chateau Frontenac (several, we believe) and some of the very European-looking shops on quaint narrow cobblestone streets. We toured the General Assembly, The Plains of Abraham, Notre Dame Basilica and walked miles soaking it all in. We even found an Irish Pub which was surprisingly authentic. Carie thoroughly enjoyed making use of and much improving her French.

From Québec City we travelled east along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River to the Gaspé Peninsula (La Gaspésie) stopping at a campground the second night out in a place called Cap Chat (Cape Cat) so-called because the rock formation at its tip is in the shape of a cat - imagine that! We spent (3) days there touring the area. One of the tours was of a windmill farm. These forms of power generation are becoming more prevalent because of their self-sustainability and lack of need for fuel to produce power.

The next four days we were in Percé camping at Tête l'Indien (Indian Head - named once again after the rock formation at its point). See if you can find it in the pictures. A boat tour to Bonaventure Island was definitely a highlight. There is the largest colony in North America of the Northern Gannet living on Bonaventure Island. They are fascinating partly in that they were totally unperturbed by the human presence and we were quite close as you can see by the photos. The picture of the lone Gannet with his beak in the air indicates he is sucking in air prior to takeoff. The town of Percé and Percé Rock (pierced rock) are a photographer's delight. Scallops, shrimp, lobster and goat cheese were abundant in this area. We took advantage of it all. Carie was in 7th heaven.

We left Québec crossing into New Brunswick at Campbellton. All in all, travelling Québec City and La Gaspésie were an experience we would repeat in a heartbeat.

One note about the map showing on our BLOG: it appears on the map that we have travelled "as the crow flies" when in fact we stuck to the shoreline for the entire Peninsula.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1211563200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1211563200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/roadrunners07/n.america2007-8/1211563200/tpod.html Thu, 29 May 2008 13:20:40 -0400 Saville's Travels

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Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

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Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada

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Isle des Chenes, Ontario, Canada

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