Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania!

We have covered some miles since leaving Acadia.  Rain kept us from doing more hikes and seeing more of that park!  I hope we can go back again sometime.  We drove down into Massachusetts and found a campsite on the beach.  It was nice listening to the ocean as we slept....then it turned to rain!  The next day we headed to the Catskill Mountains in New York.  We drove through Woodstock...a very interesting hippie town.  Our next campsite was at Woodland Valley State Park--way, way in the boonies.  Our campsite was right next to a running stream and very pretty.  We enjoyed a nice campfire and a good night's sleep listening to the water.  The next morning we are off to another state...Pennyslvania. It was a beautiful drive as we left the Catskills.  We spent the night in Caledonia State Park just west of Gettysburg.  A few miles of the Appalachian Trail runs through the park.  We saw a few hikers and they looked like they had been on the trail for a while!  I had hoped we could do a few miles of the trail....but weather interfered.  We planned to stay 2 nights in Caledonia, but a severe storm was headed in so we broke camp and drove in to Gettysburg.

Gettysburg is so interesting.  I was not prepared for how it would feel driving through and looking out over fields where thousands and thousands of Americans died.   It was emotional.  Don and I were surprised at how huge the area was that has been preserved as open space where the battles happened.  When we were driving the route through the battlefields and viewing all the monuments, we could see the storm coming in from the west (where we were camping).   All of the sudden the winds blew in and rain came in sheets!  We took shelter in the Visitor Center where they had a very good movie and informative museum.  It rained on and off all afternoon.  Sooooo glad we broke camp and everything stayed dry!

Below you will see a picture of a small portion of the Cyclorama titled the Battle of Gettysburg painted by Paul Philippoteaux and completed in 1883.  It is 377 x 42 feet!  It is in a circular building and is amazing!  It took 6 years and millions of dollars to restore and was then placed in Gettysburg.  In front of the painting are actual rocks, cannons, and other items which just blend into the painting itself. 


Tonight we are in York.  Tomorrow we head to Lancaster County.  When Lee graduated from Philadelphia Biblical College, we all came up here for that event.  We ate at an Amish restaurant called Good and Plenty, and it was SO good.  We are going back there tomorrow!

Here are a few more pics....

Campsite in Caledonia, PA

Beautiful flowing creek

Gettysburg

One of the many, many monuments to the men who died in Gettysburg

Cyclorama

Here comes the storm.  I love these fences.

Now we know exactly how the tent poles that are in Don's office were used!  They have been handed down from generation to generation and were given to Don.  Don's great-great grandfather P.R. Smith fought in the Civil War and survived.

This is the actual stretcher that was used to carry Stonewall Jackson from the battlefield.

Soldiers' Cemetary

So many guns on display.  The one we have is at Lee's home.

I loved all the people dressed in period clothing throughout Gettysburg.

Amazing Acadia!

Acadia National Park--Beautiful!  We spent yesterday exploring a little on the way to Blackwoods Campground--hoping to get a campsite and we did.  We set up camp and drove to the Jordan Pond area and hiked around the "pond" which was really a lake.  It was about a 3.4 mile hike.  Then we headed to
Cadillac Mountain for sunset.  Very nice!  Back at camp we fixed some tacos, enjoyed the campfire and headed to bed.  We woke up early this morning ready to see more of the park.  Issac is sending rain our way so we have to get as much done as we can.

Until today the most difficult hike we had done was in Zion in Utah.  Today we headed up Precipice Trail which we later found out is the most difficult hike in the park.  It was a challenge--but it felt great to do it!

We drove around more of the Park and it started raining so we nixed any other hikes and just enjoyed the rain and the drive.  We came back to Bar Harbor very hungry!  I had a lobster roll--yummy and Don had the most delicious Reuben sandwich ever.  Then we enjoyed a scoop of delicious Bar Harbor ice cream.

Since it is raining, we are in a little hotel tonight.  It is supposed to rain all day tomorrow, too.  Although our time in Acadia was cut short, we did have a great time.  Maybe we'll come back some day!

On Jordan Pond

This boardwalk went on and on around Jordan Pond...Don estimates 7-10 football field lengths!

Our campsite at Acadia

I saw this web way up in the trees and the sun was hitting it just right!

This is at the first of the Precipice Trail.

Can you see me up among the boulders?  The climb took alot of climbing, stretching and careful steps.

We not only went over boulders...but under them!

And to think I stopped to take pictures!

This part was pretty intense...we did have a small rail along the edge for a kind of foot-stopper.

So here we are nearly at the top...

We understand a lady did die on this trail just a few weeks ago.

At the top of the mountain was a little pond...what a beautiful frog!!!

A BEAUTIFUL view from the top!

One of the many cairns marking the way of the trail.

This the beautiful and rugged Maine coast!

We're in Bar Harbor

We have seen and done so much since the last post...I want to get caught up!  After Bon Echo Park we passed through Toronto--too big--drove on to Quebec City--oh and on the way Don found Costco.  Of course, we had to stop!  We didn't know that everything would be in French once we got into Quebec--every sign, every book, every newspaper...everything!  The countryside is beautiful--every home is very neat and tidy.  In Quebec City we found a very nice little hotel inside the walls.  Quebec City is the only walled city in North America and it is a beautiful and interesting place. 
Next was New Brunswick...we drove to Fundy National Park and got a wonderful campsite.  Fundy Bay is very interesting because the tide is amazing.  At low tide it drops as much as 50 feet!  After a hike on Coppermine Trail, we went to Hopewell Rocks where you can kayak at high tide and walk on the ocean floor at low tide.  At dinner we fixed some sucre mais (sweet corn) that we had bought at a road side booth.  It was delicious--SO sweet and tender.  After a to Dickson Falls we broke camp and headed south.  We camped along the way and walked along a beach at low tide.  I found 5 sand dollars!
At this point we did something very unplanned...we took a ferry to Grand Manan Island.  It was a 90 minute ride.  I had read about it and wanted to go mainly to go on a whale watching trip.  We were very thankful that we could get a campsite at Hole in the Wall Campground.  Some of the campsites are literally right on the cliffside, but they were all taken.  I got on a boat at the last minute and off I went to look for whales.  We saw huge (40-60 feet long) Humpbacks and some fin whales blowing off  in the distance.  It was really fun.  We were out for 4 1/2 hours.  The next morning we hiked to the Hole in the Wall (formed along the cliffs by the water) and got back on the ferry to the mainland.
Now we are in Bar Harbor.  Yesterday we were blessed with a beautiful double rainbow.  We walked around the shops and had dinner.  After 5 nights of camping, a motel was nice!  Rain is expected this week which will, unfortunately, shorten our visit to Acadia Natl Park.  I am anxious to get into the park!
Here are a few pictures

Sure do miss these grandkids!

Camping with wine and wifi--not too rough!

Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick

Hopewell Rocks Flower Pots formations

At high tide the water would be WAY over Don's head!

Our tent in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick

Are we PACKED IN or what?

Dickson Falls

Looking for shells and sand dollars

Humpback Whale Tail!

Sunrise over Grand Manan Island

Hole in the Wall, Grand Manan

Rainbow over Acadia National Park

In Quebec!

Niagara-on-the-Lake

At Niaraga Falls, I visited the Butterfly Conservatory--over 2,000 butterflies flying around.  We visited several wineries on the way to Niagara-on-the-Lake which is one of the most beautiful little towns we have ever seen in North America!  We traveled on into Ontario and camped at Presquille Prov. Park and then on to Bon Echo Park.  Bon Echo has 500 campsites...so very big.  We didn't have reservations so we were WAY out in the boonies!  Our camp spot was very nice and private.  We rented a double kayak and paddled around the lake for a few hours along the rock cliff to see the pictographs.  After another night there we headed east.  We passed through Montreal and found a campsite in a private campground alongside a little lake.  We weren't prepared for Quebec having everything in French.  We feel like we traveled across the ocean to France!  The countryside driving from Montreal to Quebec is beautiful...farmlands, corn fields, apple orchards, very neat and tidy homes.  Oh...Don found Costco and of course we stopped to shop!
Now we are in Quebec City--Beautiful!!  We decided to spend the night here.  The visitors center helped us find a charming hotel inside the walls (Quebec is the only walled city in North America).  Pictures from here on the next post.

 Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory

 This is the Buskerfest in Toronto--an event that raises money for epilepsy research.  There were food vendors, vendors selling stuff and many street performers.

 Shopping for fruits and veggies at the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.

 Kayaking on Lake Bon Echo, Ontario

 Pictographs painted on the cliffs 300-1000 years ago.

 Our campsite at Bon Echo Prov. Park, Ontario.  This is where a raccoon (we think) carried off our big container of almonds about 2:30 a.m.!!!