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USA 1997 Florida (FL) USA with the boys, then 15 and 13 for the 25th anniversary of Waly Disney World resort, Walt had built it from the late 60s when he purchased the land from Irlo Bronson Sr, rancher and Democratic senator for the state of Florida, it opened in 1972 hence the 25th celebrations including fireworks. For this trip I will mention where we went and what we did which included Kissimmee, Tampa, the Keys, Everglades, Cocoa Beach, Cape Kennedy Space Station, we returned again in 2018 on our 40th Wedding Anniversary cruise, click HERE to see that Blog. This Family trip is also replicated on the motorhome-travels blog as BLOG 165 . We returned again with our grandchildren in 2022 for the 50th anniversary celebrations of Walt Disney World opening this time with our extended family, a full Blog and comparison between 25 & 50 years showing massive progress can be gleaned by reading the full BLOG183 but if you prefer to stay here on this site there is a condensed version of that here as USA 2022, thanks as always for looking folks, best KeefH Web Designs . Intro 21 days holiday between 26 July - 16 August 1997, Family Time, Clearwater Beach, Tampa and West Palm Beach plus of course Disney & Miss Piggy #sigh, w e stayed at apartment 126, The Villas of Somerset, Kissimmee, Florida, USA, 34746, and here's a summary Initially stayed in Kissimmee for about 1 week and a half, and visited ALL the theme parks & water parks. Going back into Universal after 7pm is a good call as it saved the queues. Saw central Orlando. We then travelled across to the west, Tampa, Busch Gardens park in Tampa Bay, clearwater, sanibel, sarasota, venice , naples, then back to the east via the Everglades and down the Keys: Largo, Marathon, Bahia Honda NP, Key West then back up via Fort Lauderdale, Miami (although didn't go in here in 97 but did in 2018) to Orlando plus Kennedy Space Station , Cocoa beach, River Country, Cracker Barrel, 25th Disney Anniversary, Typhoon Lagoon, Sports World, River Country, Universal, Water World, MGM Studios, Pleasure Island, Blizzard Beach, Tower of Terror, Backlot , giant heavy video cameras & animation tours Micky & some other 'smucks' Aug97 - 2 Shell collecting Bahai Honda NP Florida Keys Aug97 1/116 july 1997 calendar with info august 1997 calendar with info august 1997 calendar july 1997 calendar with info 1/5 Slideshows Map Images Calendar Overview Florida USA 1997 3 Weeks July & August Summary: We spent 21 Days in Florida, USA between 26th July and the 16th August 1997 We took 227 Photos, all of which are included in the summary slideshows, many of which were scanned from old fashioned Kodak prints. So we spent 15 days in Kissimmee, Orlando Florida on holiday between 26 July - 9 August 1997, it was a fun Family Time we stayed at apartment 126, The Villas of Somerset, Kissimmee, Florida, USA, 34746, we also visited for a further 7 days Clearwater Beach, Tampa and West Palm Beach in our hired car which was a huge Chevrolet with not surprisingly 3 seats across the front and multiple coffee and soda cup holders ha-ha, plus of course we visited Disney & Miss Piggy #sigh, the whole logic of this holiday was that the boys were now old enough to appreciate Disney in its entirety so this was a special family break, especially it was Disney World’s 25th celebrations and here's a summary. We initially stayed in Kissimmee for 2 weeks and visited ALL the theme parks & water parks. Going back into Universal after 7pm is a good call as it saved the queues. Saw central Orlando including taking the boys to the Orlando Magic basketball stadium, they were both keen at the time and indeed Doug played for the Ilkeston Outlaws basketball team back at home, we played a bit of tennis at the Villas as well. We then travelled across to the west, Tampa, Busch Gardens park, clearwater, International Drive, Sanibel, Sarasota, Venice , Naples, then back to the east via the Everglades and down the Keys: Largo, Marathon, Bahia Honda NP, Key West then back up via Fort Lauderdale, Miami (although didn't go in here in 97 but did in 2018) to Orlando plus Kennedy Space Station with its NASA centre replication and the newly installed Apollo, Saturn 5 centre, just mesmerising , Cocoa beach its jetty and lovely sandy beach, River Country, Cracker Barrel, Visiting my hero Dali’s exhibition, Naples jetty pier, St Pete’s Beach, West Palm Beach with all its posh locked up homes and posh yacht moored outside, ESPN where maybe Craig & I got our love of Grid Iron or American Football from, come on 49ers & Eagles, Busch Gardens run by Anheuser Busch the beer people, we remember Montu in the Egypt area and the scary Kumba which I must have gone on at least 3 times in a row with the boys until I felt sick, the Edge of Africa area which you went over in a skyride monorail cable car, also standing on the bridge getting soaked by the huge water chute ride, can’t remember what it was called, but as hot and humid we loved it, so cooling, Busch characters to rival Disney , OK maybe not, T J Tiger and the Hippo, 25th Disney World (now Resorts) Anniversary, Typhoon Lagoon, Sea World (and sadly Shamu which we feel very guilty about), Sports World, River Country, EPCOT was sponsored by the then Eastern Kodak Company, sadly no more to my knowledge, digital is here to stay, it included Illuminations 25 accompanied by the Disney-Grammy All American College Orchestra, ta-rah , Universal Studios and the Tower of Terror, The fab Honey I Shrunk the Kids experience with the height of technology at the time, shaking seats sprayed by water, tee-hee, Water World, MGM Studios, Magic Kingdom, we had the guide for between 28th July and 3rd August, Discovery & Pleasure Island where we went one evening very strict licensing laws meant I couldn’t even buy a drink for Annie you had to buy your own and proof your age, flattering if the truth be known that they thought we were younger than 21, ha-ha, Blizzard Beach, River Country, Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex with beach volleyball, Annie wouldn’t let me attend the ladies one, ha-ha, Terminator 2 experience, Ride of the Movies, Back to The Future Ride, Kongfrontation, Jaws ride, Earthquake, ET ride, Our Universal Tickets were from the 5th to 7th august, we saw the Twilight zone featuring the Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones , Toy Story, Backlot tours , Watched Disney animators at work on the new to be Mulan (now ancient history) but fascinating experience, Twister and King Gators Fundango rides were on their way and being constructed, Baywatch at Sea World, giant heavy video cameras & animation tours , Shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral (just missed it by one day), Our Underwater camera, Steaks the size of a large plate, you wuss keef, Having to have your salad separately, Melbourne Beach, Rodeo Drive, Boca Raton, Ron Johns “one of a Kind” Surf shop at Cocoa Beach, we returned to this in 2018 on our US and Caribbean 40th Wedding Anniversary cruise, buying my 1st genuine pair of Levi’s since my 20s, we also remember Mummy Mummification (i.e. Annie in an Egyptian Sarcophagus), Key Wests 30’s Hotel and lots of Fish around the jetty, Board Walks, Hard Rock Café, Key Lime Pie, Hemingway Express and Conch Train trip plus seeing Sloppy Joe’s Earnest hang out local, Everglades and Hover trip out to Alligator Island, Stay on the Island of Marathon, Swimming, Planes, and Bahai Honda National Park, After staying at Cocoa beach on the last night we returned to Orlando, dropped off the fab hire car, flew back to Manchester & home, Our car was in the long stay car park there so we drove back through the Peaks to Home. We even have a memorabilia PDF which sadly is 27 megabytes long so cannot feature on the website but happy to share on request. Pleased to say we are returning in 2022 with Craig’s family as grandparents for his 40th Birthday, will I enjoy the white-knuckle rides quite the same as I did in 1997, who knows but I will certainly give it a go. It is a special year at Disney as it’s the 50th anniversary so we are expecting spectacular fireworks and parades. Its now called collectively Walt Disney World Resorts. I so remember steamboat willie, which I believe was the first animation Walt Disney did. Here's a bit of a write up on the man. Walter Elias Disney December 5, 1901, to December 15, 1966, was an American entrepreneur, animator, writer, voice actor, and film producer. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, he holds the record for most academy awards earned and nominations by an individual, having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy, among other honours. As of 2022, Disney became the first, and later one of the three people been nominated for Academy Awards in six different categories, a record he shares with Alfonso Cuaron and George Clooney, until was surpassed by Kenneth Branagh with seven. Born in Chicago in 1901, Disney developed an early interest in drawing. He took art classes as a boy and got a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California in the early 1920s and set up the Disney Brothers Studio with his brother Roy. With Ubbe Ert Iwwerks, he developed the character Mickey Mouse in 1928, his first highly popular success; he also provided the voice for his creation in the early years. As the studio grew, he became more adventurous, introducing synchronized sound, full-colour three-strip Technicolor, feature-length cartoons, and technical developments in cameras. The results, seen in features such as and who doesn’t know these from their childhood and indeed adulthood, all classics, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio & Fantasia (both 1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942), furthered the development of animated film. New animated and live-action films followed World War II, including the critically successful Cinderella (1950) and Mary Poppins (1964), the latter of which received five Academy Awards. In the 1950s, Disney expanded into the amusement park industry, and in July 1955 he opened Disneyland in Anaheim California. To fund the project, he diversified into television programs, such as Walt’s Disneyland and The Mickey Mouse Club. He was also involved in planning the 1959 Moscow Fair, the 1960 Winter Olympics, and the 1964 New York World Fair. In 1965, he began development of another theme park, Disney World, the heart of which was to be a new type of city, the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT). Disney was a heavy smoker throughout his life and sadly died of lung cancer in December 1966 before either the park or the EPCOT project was completed. Diary Audio Diary Comparing Disney at the 25th Anniversary to the 50th Anniversary of Magic Kingdom Opening Comparison Trailer

MANITOBA ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) plus NY & Maine in the USA in 2010, Manitoba has Lakes and is a whole lot less flat Prairie Province 3 Days in Manitoba, Canada - 2nd-4th June 2010, 67 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective covering macgregor, duaphin, dryden, winnipeg , winnipeg beach, riding mountain national park , clear water (lac) lake, assiniboine and red rivers, shellmouth reservoir , steinbach, lac clear lake , wild flowers, picnics, bears, moose , the Mennonite heritage village @ steinbach and all ports in between. In case you missed it haha We have been from one side of canada to the other, maybe have a read of the more indepth diary here below. See the Prairie Provinces Talkies Video keef at riding mtn np female moose grayling lake riding mountain NP 1/34 Slideshows The Talkies Map Images Summary: We spent 3 Days in Manitoba Province, Canada from 2nd to the 4th of June 2010 We took 67 Photos, many of which are included in the summary slideshows. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other in a motorhome, British Columbia to Labrador, we loved it, it is a fabulous country and quite an achievement with memories we shall treasure forever. For Manitoba the following were some of the highlights, macgregor, duaphin, dryden, winnipeg , winnipeg beach, lake Winnipeg, here are some extra words about Winnipeg which we drove thru, it was hard to stop as a big city but we did see a bit and especially remember the golden boy on top of the central building, quite an icon, it is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. As of 2021, Winnipeg had a city population of 749,607 and a metropolitan population of 834,678, making it the sixth-largest city, and eighth-largest metropolitan area in Canada.[6] The city is named after the nearby Lake Winnipeg ; the name comes from the Western Cree words for muddy water. The region was a trading centre for Indigenous peoples long before the arrival of Europeans; it is the traditional territory of the Anishinabe (Ojibway), Ininew (Cree), Oji-Cree, Dene, and Dakota, and is the birthplace of the Métis Nation . French traders built the first fort on the site in 1738. A settlement was later founded by the Selkirk settlers of the Red River Colony in 1812, the nucleus of which was incorporated as the City of Winnipeg in 1873. Being far inland, the local climate is extremely seasonal even by Canadian standards with average January highs of around −11 °C (12 °F) and average July highs of 26 °C (79 °F). Other things we remember well are riding mountain national park, clear water (lac) lake, assiniboine river, shell mouth reservoir, Steinbach, bears, moose , the Mennonite heritage village @ Steinbach, Winnipeg town hall, past roller coasters at Winnipeg beach town, welcome to Manitoba sign proudly saying spirited and vibrant energy, boardwalks, train stations not much used, dry corn fields on the plains, tractors, school buses and how one had to ensure you didn’t overtake them when they stopped, fabulous old tills, crafts and art work, learning about other cultures and civilisations, lac clear lake, wild flowers, picnics, the golden boy on the Manitoba legislative building plus many others. In case you missed it ha-ha we have been from one side of Canada to the other. Some additional words on the Steinbach Mennonite village which was truly interesting are, that it tells the story of the Russian Mennonites in Canada. The museum contains both an open-air museum open seasonally, and an indoor building open year-round. Opened in 1967 and expanded significantly since then, it is a major tourist attraction in the area. Approximately 47,000 visitors visit the museum each year.[3] The village features original Mennonite housebarns , churches, and other buildings, some of which date back to the 1800s. The indoor facility documents the history of Mennonites from their origins in the Netherlands and Switzerland and focuses on the Plautdietsch -speaking Russian Mennonites who came to Western Canada. Temporary exhibits, also open year-round, are held in the Gerhard Enns Gallery. The museum is famous for its Dutch windmill , a replica of the original windmill built in Steinbach in the 1880s. The first replica was burned down by arsonists in 2000, but was later rebuilt. The outdoor village also displays a section of the Berlin Wall , the original sawmill used by Mennonite Conscientious Objectors during their Alternative Service in World War II, and two important monuments originally erected in Russia to commemorate the centennial of Chortitza and honour the two Mennonite leaders, Jacob Hoeppner and Johann Bartsch, who chose the site and accompanied the first colonists. The museum holds numerous special events and festivals, including the Pioneer Days Parade and festival each August. The museum also has a restaurant that serves Russian Mennonite food (open seasonally) and a bookstore (open year-round). In 2018, a statue of Anabaptist martyr Dirk Willems by sculptor Peter Sawatzky was unveiled on the grounds of the museum. Diary Overview Audio Diary Trailer

NOVA SCOTIA ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) plus NY & Maine in the USA in 2010, the 3rd of our Maritime Provinces, very Scottish, even managed a highland games with lots of music and dance 11 Days in Nova Scotia, Canada - between 8th & 24th July 2010, 294 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective visiting amongst others the wonderful Bay of Fundy , Baie de Fundy, back via Nova Scotia to Prince Edward Island to see our dear pals David and Cathy again for a few days, many heritage buildings especially at Annapolis royal & Lunenburg which is UNESCO, highland games at Antigonish , sadly watching someone's caravan awning bend in high winds at the Antigonish campsite, wolfville, crossing the fab confederation bridge near mayfield (NB) , Cape Breton National Park , the world famous peggys cove @ st margarets bay, halifax and KEITHs beer (got the t-shirt) ferry from sydney to newfoundland, far too much fizzy pop in fast food joint (free refill - never again!), cap le moine, cheticamp, cape breton island, cabot trail, camping at Pugwash , digby, bridgewater, peat bog walks, north river, lakie's head, pictou, lighthouses, glenora distillery the only single malt in canada, ingonish beach , freshwater lake , broad cove campground, joe’s scarecrow visited by billy connolly and us (sadly close 2011), oxford, amherst, truro, highland national park, louisbourg and the fortress, wolfe and the french, Halifax the capital and its murray-mackay bridge, pier 21, prospect, shelburne, port maitland beach, crescent beach, lobster stalls at Yarmouth which were either old tram or railway carriages, lockeport and more . We have been from one side of Canada to the other See the Maritimes Talkies Video best view on cape breton island, ok maybe not bog plant 1/148 Slideshows Talkies Images Map Overview Summary: We spent 11 Days in Nova Scotia in 3 parts, 7-9, 16-21,23-24 July 2013 and a extra half day on the 1st and 2nd occasion We took 294 Photos, many of which are included in the summary slideshows. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other in a motorhome, British Columbia to Labrador, we loved it, it is a fabulous country and quite an achievement with memories we shall treasure forever. For Nova Scotia the following were some of the highlights, the wonderful bay of fundy, or Baie de Fundy, look at that I am observing the Canadian desire to be multi lingual although in all honesty we were surprised that despite Quebecs desire for this to happen and maybe some elements in New Brunswick the road signs were bi-lingual in all Provinces bar Quebec, no logically how does that conform, yours puzzled bt it does seem to be a bit of a cultural battle that we noticed across Canada…. To summarise the thing about the Bay of Fundy is it is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia with a small portion touching the US State of Maine. It has an extremely high tidal range which is the highest in the world. The name is likely a corruption of the French word fendu, meaning 'split'. See our images for more detail of this fabulous Bay. We went back via Nova Scotia to Prince Edward Island to see our dear pals David and Cathy again for a few days, there are many heritage buildings in Nova Scotia especially at Annapolis Royal which was just lovely with its old weather-boarded classy Hotels & Lunenburg which is UNESCO world heritage and we can easily see why, we attended around the time of the highland games at Antigonish preserving their distinctly Scottish roots, watching both Highland dancing and lots of Bag Pipe music, sadly watching someone's caravan awning bend in high winds at the Antigonish campsite, we also visited wolfville, crossing the fab confederation bridge near mayfield (NB) , Cape Breton National Park , the world famous Peggy’s cove @ st margarets bay, Halifax Nova Scotia’s capital and KEITHs beer of course I got the t-shirt, why wouldn’t I ? caught the ferry from sydney to newfoundland, after having fast food at KFC and foolishly drinking far too much fizzy pop in fast food joint (free refill - never again!) had awful gut ache all the way across on the ferry, myt fault and self-induced, still you learn by your mistakes and that was a big one, tee hee there really is no such thing as a free lunch, cap le Moine, cheticamp, Cape Breton island, the truly magnificent views of the cabot trail, do take a look at some of our many pictures, camping at Pugwash, digby, bridgewater, peat bog walks, north river, lakie's head, Pictou, Glenora distillery the only single malt in Canada which I did buy a bottle of and very nice it was too, clearly had to have a taster first but only a very small one as was driving, basically it touched my lips and I got that distinctive peaty taste. Nice. Remember well Ingonish beach and freshwater lake in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, maybe Jump from ocean saltwater at Ingonish Beach to Freshwater Lake with just a few steps! This welcoming day use area is packed with family-friendly activities. After a refreshing swim, enjoy the playground, tennis courts, soccer field and picnic area. Connect with nature on Freshwater Lake trail, popular with cyclists in the summer and perfect for snowshoeing in the winter. Also loved broad cove campground, joe’s scarecrow visited by billy connolly and us (sadly close 2011), oxford, Amherst, truro, highland national park, Louisbourg and the fortress, wolfe and the french, halifax’s murray-mackay bridge, pier 21, prospect, Shelburne, port maitland beach, crescent beach, lobster stalls at Yarmouth which were either old tram or railway carriages, Yarmouth is famous for both fishing and tourism plus we noted you can catch a ferry here to Portland, Maine no not the one in Oregon, plus lockeport and many more truly fabulous places, we really HEART Nova Scotia and its distinctively Scottish feel and scenery. Here is a little bit about the heritage and history of Louisbourg we visited, the French military founded the fortress of Louisbourg in 1713 and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour, naming it in honour of Louis XIV , the Sun King, a legend in his own lunchbox, ha-ha. The harbour had been used by European mariners since at least the 1590s, when it was known as English Port and Havre à l'Anglois. The French settlement that dated from 1713. The settlement was burned the first day the British landed during the siege of Louisbourg in 1745. The French were terrorized and abandoned the Grand Battery, which the British occupied the following day. It was returned to France in 1748 but recaptured by the British in 1758. After the capture in 1758, its fortifications were demolished in 1760 and the town-site abandoned by British forces in 1768. A small civilian population continued to live there after the military left. English settlers subsequently built a small fishing village across the harbour from the abandoned site of the fortress. The village grew slowly with additional loyalist settlers in the 1780s. The harbour grew more accessible with the construction of the second lighthouse in 1842 on the site of the original French lighthouse which was destroyed in 1758. A railway first reached Louisbourg in 1877, but it was poorly built and abandoned after a forest fire. However, the arrival of Sydney & Louisbourg railway in 1894 brought heavy volumes of winter coal exports to Louisbourg Harbour's ice-free waters as a winter coal port. The harbour was used by the Canadian government ship Montmagny in 1912 to land bodies from the sinking of the Titanic. In 1913 Marconi established a transatlantic radio transmitting station here. History wise that’s all folks, hope it was of use. Diary Audio Diary Trailer

MAINE ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) plus Upstate New York & Maine in the USA in 2010, so love Bar Harbor and Lobster Rolls, the last time I ever entered a Maccy D's 3 Days in Maine (ME), USA - between 3rd & 5th July 2010, which included Independence Day (4th) , 69 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others bar harbor, Lincoln , st croix vanceboro bridge and border crossing , highway 4 in NB then highway 6 in Maine from Lambert Lake thru Lee to Lincoln, then travelling the Interstate Highway 95 through to Bangor, then Edinburg & Argyle (notice anything Scottish here ha-ha) down to Bar Harbor, fish warehouses, 6 sailed yacht as sunset, the red sails blending in, cedar clad buildings everywhere, lobster claus xmas humour, state flag, number plates, geddys down under aussie bar, lobster pots and floats, camping at both bar harbor and lubec, Quoddy Head State Park, heritage shops and historic buildings, yummy icecream, envy for airstream motorhomes and harley davidson motorbikes, , welcome to maine, the way life should be, memorial gardens, Sunkhaze Meadows, Holden, Elseworth, Trenton, also spednik lake, lubec town and its harbour and coastline, washington county, endless fish options, clam chowder, eden market, the cat bay ferry from yarmouth nova scotia, west quoddy lighthouse , shopping for milk in Lincoln "near the guns, rifles and bullets, sir!", 4th july at campsite near bar harbor, flags, burgers and beers, plus crossing back to canada , jonesboro, st croix river, blueberries growing wild, lobster rolls (yummy) from gas stations and even Maccy D's , probably the last time we went in one, tee-hee, mentally swapping back to miles not kilometres and cheap gas. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other and visited quite a few states in America. #tick See the American States Talkies Video front bar harbor floats 1/34 Slideshows Talkies Images Map Overview Summary: We spent 3 Days and 3 nights in Maine We took 69 Photos, many of which are included in the summary slideshows. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other in a motorhome, British Columbia to Labrador, we loved it, it is a fabulous country and quite an achievement with memories we shall treasure forever. We dropped over the border twice once into upstate New York around Niagara Falls on Lake Ontario and once into Maine via the Vanceboro- St Croix border crossing over the St Croix River which separates Canada and America. The crossing is sometimes named McAdam. In the early 1900s, this crossing was located at the adjacent lock structure a short distance to the north. At some point in the distant past (at least prior to 1930), a bridge existed to the south of the railroad bridge, extending from Public Crossing Road on the Canadian side. Concrete footings for this bridge remain on the US side at this site. Some of the Maine visit highlights were Independence Day (4th) , bar harbor, Lincoln, st croix vanceboro bridge and border crossing if the truth be known we thought we had found a crossing that would be somewhat less officious after our experience coming into Upstate New York, it wasn’t quite so bad but still a huge number of checks and they came on the van to check we weren’t smuggling anyone across, still they were only doing their job and extremely good at doing it they were, we’d come over on highway 4 in NB then highway 6 in Maine from Lambert Lake thru Lee to Lincoln, then travelling the Interstate Highway 95 through to Bangor, then Edinburg & Argyle (notice anything Scottish here ha-ha) down to Bar Harbor, fish warehouses, 6 sailed yacht as sunset, the red sails blending in which we watched as the sun started to set just fabulous really, cedar clad buildings everywhere, lobster claus xmas humour, state flag, number plates, geddys down under aussie bar, lobster pots and floats, camping at both bar harbor and lubec, Quoddy Head State Park, heritage shops and historic buildings, yummy ice-cream, envy for airstream motorhomes and harley davidson motorbikes, , welcome to maine, the way life should be and who are we to disagree, memorial gardens, Sunkhaze Meadows, Holden, Elseworth, Trenton, also spednik lake, lubec town and its harbour and coastline, washington county, endless fish options, clam chowder, eden market, the cat bay ferry from yarmouth nova scotia which we also saw up in Yarmouth when visiting, west quoddy lighthouse which is the eastern most point in the whole of the United States, shopping for milk in Lincoln "near the guns, rifles and bullets, sir!", 4th july at campsite near bar harbor, flags, burgers and beers, plus crossing back to canada , Jonesboro, st croix river, blueberries growing wild, lobster rolls (yummy) from gas stations and even Maccy D's , probably the last time we went in one, tee-hee but the lobster rolls in Maine were just so tasty and fresh, mentally swapping back to miles not kilometres and cheap gas. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other and visited quite a few states in America. #tick Here is a bit of a write up on the whole area we visited in Maine, namely Washington County Washington County is sometimes referred to as the "Sunrise County" because it includes the eastern most point in the United States, and where many believe the sun first rises on the forty-eight contiguous states. Natural resources comprise a large portion of economic activity in the county. Blueberries play a major role; nearly 85% of the world's supply of wild blueberries comes from Washington County. Lobsters accounted for over $45 million dollars of economic activity in 2014. Washington County was established June 25, 1789, in conjunction with Hancock County. Originally Washington County stretched along the eastern border of New Brunswick all the way to the disputed northern boundary with Canada. Machias was established as the shire town. Named for George Washington, the county encompasses two cities, forty towns, three plantations and two Native American areas. It covers 3,258 square miles (2,563 square miles of land and 695 square miles of water, or 21%). The population is 32, 856 (2010) which works out to about 13 people per square mile. The population is located, for the most part, along the coast. This makes sense historically because water travel brought settlers to the area in the first place. Vast natural resources were the attraction and served to support the establishment of many communities. The more interior half of the county is considered Unorganized Territories and holds about 1200 people. What makes Washington County so special is a question of an entirely different sort and demands a different response. It takes four hours to drive from one end of the county to the other. During that drive the topography changes, reflecting the glacial scouring of 10,000 years ago. Left behind were rock formations, lakes and streams, and wide-open expanses to rival the plains. And in that landscape an independent sort live, work and raise their families. Washington County is a lot of things. It is the most gorgeous, has the deepest cargo port, the longest coastline including the Bold Coast, the highest tides, and produces the most lobster and clam landings. What Washington County does not have is lots of traffic lights (only three in the whole county), an interstate, a Red Lobster Restaurant, or poisonous snakes. Welcome to Washington County. We Liked Maine a lot, relaxed feel , fab sights and lobster so fresh it could almost walk up to your plate. Diary Audio Diary Trailer

QUEBEC ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) plus NY & Maine in the USA in 2010, this is the destinctly French Province, McGarrigle sister are a huge plus 11 Days in Quebec, Canada - between 10th June & 13th July 2010, 178 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others montreal, FIFA world cup 2010 , quebec city, fort quebec, queens governors residence, the fairmont chateau frontenac , saguenay fjord provincial park, l'anse st john, st simeon, baie st paul, camping juneau , st augustin, cove fields, tadoussac, trois-pistoles, gaspe peninsular , bike race, the citadel, st lawrence river, lac timiscaming, cross point station, pointe-a-la-croix, les escoumins, bardville, j c van horne bridge , ferry, grande grave, cap de rosier ,forillon national park , camping baie de gaspe, riviere au renard, basilica notre dame du quebec, rocking chairs, kayaks, l’heritage 1, light houses, boardwalks, musicians, rooftops, skyscrapers, robbie burns in montreal, maison maillou, point a la recommee, dolphins, possibly whales, sunsets, provisional and national parcs, more of the trans canada highway or as we say in quebecois "Route Transcanadienne" & all ports in between. All very french "trois service sil vous plais" We have been from one side of Canada to the other, oh you know that by now... think I've mentioned it ha-ha. See the Central Provinces Talkies Video gaspe views to die for annie guarding the citadel, quebec city 1/89 Slideshows Talkies Images Map Overview Summary: We spent 11 Days in Quebec Province, Canada in 3 parts, 10-12 June, 18-24 June and finally 13 July 2010 We took 178 Photos, many of which are included in the summary slideshows. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other in a motorhome, British Columbia to Labrador, we loved it, it is a fabulous country and quite an achievement with memories we shall treasure forever. For Quebec the following were some of the highlights, montreal and its surrounding areas, we had quite a walk through the central areas, I remember the world cup was blearing out on city centre TV’s and I think this was the year France won it if memory serves me right, I’m wrong it was held in Africa for the 1st time, south Africa and Spain beat Holland 1-0, we watched it in th campsite bar on 11th July, we were in nova scotia on the way to newfoundland when we watched it probably at Antigonish I certainly remember having a meal with wine at the outside bar/ restaurant whilst it was on, quebec city, fort quebec, queens governor’s residence and sitting on the wall with fab views out over Quebec city, The Fairmont Chateau Frontenac and its pure French chateau presence in the landscape and walking the boardwalk in front of it, this is the Fairmont one rather than that in Paris , saguenay fjord, tadoussac, trois pistoles and the lovely sunset as the ferry crossed the st Lawrence, just magical, gaspe and its peninsular a spectacular coastline with views to die for, bike race through Quebec city and all the spectators out to see it on a very warm day in the old capital, the citadel, st lawrence river, lac timiscaming, les escoumins, bardville, ferry, grande grave, campsite juneau, cap de rosier, forillon national park, camping baie de gaspe, riviere au renard, basilica notre dame du quebec, rocking chairs, kayaks, l’heritage 1, light houses, boardwalks, musicians, rooftops, skyscrapers, robbie burns in montreal, maison maillou, point a la recommee, grande grave is amazing, see it as the image on the audio diary, dolphins, possibly whales, sunsets, provisional and national parcs, more of the trans-canada highway or as we say in quebquoise "Route Transcanadienne" & all ports in between. All very French "trois service sil vous plais" We have been from one side of Canada to the other, oh you know that by now... think I've mentioned it ha-ha. All very French it was so weird as we crossed the bridge near Ottawa into Quebec province, all of a sudden it was totally French, other things we remember well were wild roses, buffalo bill’s travelling show memorabilia, the old Victoria esplanade in front of the chateau hotel Frontenac, museums, history, wolfe and his battles (probably better not to mention in Quebec) ha-ha, number plates displaying “Je Me Souviens” or I remember Quebec, maillou house history, hotel Jardin ste anne, surrealist art work in Quebec city, St Roch, Benjo buses, sunsets on the St Lawrence and just enjoying the slightly different cultural feel of being in Quebec province, we will both miss and remember. Diary Audio Diary Trailer

NEWFOUNDLAND ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) plus NY & Maine in the USA in 2010, we love the Newfies and their scenery & moose 6 Days in Newfoundland, Canada - between 11th & 16th July 2010, 158 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others Newfoundland & Labrador combined count as one Province , st johns (as opposed to st john in NB) fab harbour views here, we really liked St Johns , so much to do, Founder Sebastian Cabot , moose by the roadside, the wonderful gros morne national park , gander, bonavista, conception bay, st marys, icebergs floating past, st anthony museum and the size of a polar bear, ferry at st barbe to labrador via a very small corner of Quebec province as the ferry goes to Sablon-Blanc which is 2 kilometers from the border, very early morning sailing in rain and mist, we parked in the ferry car park overnight so as not to miss it, port aux basque, deer lake, pasadena, Captain James Cook our hero at Crows Hill Corner Brook, massey drive, badger township (what a great name), grand falls windsor, sights of grand lake, corner brook, fab whale museum and houses at scilly cove (now winterton) home of Annie's rellie john masters, indian harbour and indian bay, deadman's bay, dover, steady brook, 3 mile rock, terra nova national park, blong beach, pynns brook, springdale, grate cove, gambo, the perlican, nymph island, portland creek, little hearts ease (such a lovely name) and the equally wonderfully named come by chance , red rocks, noddy bay, hawkes bay, daniel's harbor, st lunaire-griquet, the arches NP, ss ethie, bonne & shallow bays, gunners cove, cape ray, pidgeon cove and wreck house brook. We have been from one side of Canada to the other See the Maritimes Talkies Video annie and that polar bear in st anthony juvenile moose 1/81 Slideshows Talkies Images Map Overview Summary: We spent 6 Days in Newfoundland which was continuous apart from an overnight stay in Labrador We took 158 Photos, many of which are included in the summary slideshows. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other in a motorhome, British Columbia to Labrador, we loved it, it is a fabulous country and quite an achievement with memories we shall treasure forever. For Newfoundland the following were some of the highlights of Newfoundland (home of the Newfies) along, however as an overview The Strait of Belle Isle separates the combined province into two geographical parts: Labrador, which is a large area of mainland Canada but in fairness so much more remote, and Newfoundland, an island in the Atlantic Ocean. Those highlights are St Johns (as opposed to st john in NB) fab harbour views here, it is also the capital of the bigger Province and the Province’s largest City and is also the Eastern most City in North America if you exclude Greenland which isn’t really either a city or in North America although technically as on the North American tectonic plate it counts. St John’s was first inhabited by seasonal fishermen in the early 1500’s but was named fully by Sebastian Cabot. We remember moose by the roadside, the wonderful gros morne national park which is a UNESCO world heritage site and the 2nd largest National Park in Canada, Gros Morne is one of the most uniquely beautiful places in Canada. Nestled on the edge of western Newfoundland, Gros Morne National Park exhibits amazing experiences all year round, one of the most unique times of year to visit is the fall. We didn’t, it was July but still super nice, in fall the blazing red, yellow and orange hues that are painted throughout the park illuminate the already majestic landscape. Exploring this landscape on the trails, paths, and tours becomes even more magical when you feel like you are the only one here. September and October are much quieter than summer; this grants you the space to enjoy the park peacefully and at your own pace. Visiting Gros Morne during this time is an enchanting experience and every hike and trail is vibrant, beautiful, and serene. Other visited places were gander, bonavista, conception bay, st marys, icebergs floating past, st anthony museum and the size of a polar bear, ferry at st barbe to labrador via a very small corner of Quebec province as the ferry goes to Sablon-Blanc which is 2 kilometers from the border, very early morning sailing in rain and mist, indeed we experience quite a lot of rain (sometimes torrential) which lead to some lovely waterfalls, we parked in the ferry car park overnight so as not to miss it, port aux basque, deer lake, pasadena, massey drive, badger township (what a great name), grand falls windsor, sights of grand lake, corner brook, crows hill lookout which we went up and got some fab views and learnt more about our world discovered hero from Middleborough Captain James Cook, my pal Kevin Jackson was writing a short story about our hero when he sadly passed far too young, you can get Kevon’s short story series on Amazon, they are often in the Top 10 short stories, seeing again the trans-Canada highway old car rally near corner brook, fab whale museum and houses at scilly cove (now winterton) off Highway 74, home of Annie's rellie john masters, indian harbour and indian bay, deadman's bay, dover, steady brook, 3 mile rock, terra nova national park, l’anse au meadows, old perlican, blong beach, pynns brook, the arches pronincial park, springdale, south brook, grate cove, gambo, the perlican, nymph island, portland creek, little hearts ease (such a lovely name) and the equally wonderfully named come by chance , red rocks, noddy bay, hawkes bay, daniel's harbor, st lunaire-griquet, the arches NP, ss ethie in Gros Morne NP, southport trinity bay, bonne & shallow bays, gunners cove, cape ray, pidgeon cove, fishing point park and wreck house brook plus its fab old railway sign. We lived Newfoundland a lot, an Atlantic Island that had a lot going for it, but one word of warning do not travel at night with all those Moose around, it could be fatal, lots have bounced across peoples bonnets and crashed through their windscreens, I’m just saying, sorry. Diary Audio Diary Trailer

HOLIDAY 2010 SUMMARY for this Travel Blog ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) Plus NY & Maine in the USA 92 Days travel - 18th May - 24th July 2010, 1769 Photos, Approximately 4200 miles This is the HOLIDAY 2010 summary page for our holiday in a motorhome in 2010 enabling us to travel right across CANADA , West to East, British Columbia to Labrador. It shows the route planned and achieved, the calendars of what we did when, timeline for the photographs and a complete slideshow of images. The timeline is taken from the images we took on our then state of the art Canon Powershot G7 camera which recorded for prosperity both the date and the locations to and from in those Canadian Provinces as well as the 2 states in the US we popped over into basically to get back into Canada from Niagara town, both Canadian and US sides. #greatfun #greatviews may holiday 2010 after visit details what we did on each day, the 3 final dairies were constructed slightly before the visit june holiday 2010 after visit July Calendar Note since this calendar was created before we went it may not always tie up with what actually happened, especially July & Quebec. may holiday 2010 after visit details what we did on each day, the 3 final dairies were constructed slightly before the visit 1/6 Timeline Coming Up provinces & states 1000 Places 2CB4U Die Timeline Coming Up 1/18 Calendar Timeline Etc Slideshow perfect picture time zones of canada 1/8 Images Route Map Trailer

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND (PEI) ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) plus New York State & Maine in the USA in 2010, the 2nd of the Maritimes, a holiday island, we went twice, Charlotte town is just lovely, its the capital 7 Days in Prince Edward Island, Canada - between 27th June & 25th July 2010, 90 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective, visiting amongst others PEI a holiday resort or as some people unkindly refer to it "spud" island, Summerside holiday village , anne of green gables house @ cavendish , charlottetown, many heritage buildings, crossing the fab confederation bridge arriving at Borden Carleton , meeting up with friends - the lovely Harveys,we made 2 visits here ,saw live music, the bottle house , tiginish, cape egmont and lighthouse, north cape and park, rollo bay, souris, cap aux meules ferry in the gulf of st lawrence, north point lighthouse, north rustico, PEI's malpeque bay, lennox island, west point, jacque cartier provincial park, government house, victoria, georgetown, spud radio, lobsters, energy institute, queens wharf, lucy maud montgomery, prince edward island national park, Charlottetown sand sculptures and cedar cladding plus saw a lot of other places on the island. We have been from one side of Canada to the other See the Maritimes Talkies Video anne of green gables, geddit, cavendish, pei tea at the harveys holiday cottage, lobster no less 1/46 Slideshows Talkies Images Map Overview Summary: We spent 7 Days on Prince Edward Island in in 2 parts, 27-30 June and again 21-23 July 2013 We took 90 Photos, many of which are included in the summary slideshows. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other in a motorhome, British Columbia to Labrador, we loved it, it is a fabulous country and quite an achievement with memories we shall treasure forever. For Prince Edward Island a true Canadian holiday resort or as some would rather unkindly call it “spud island” the following were some of the highlights, Crossing over the magnificent Confederation bridge we went to Summerside holiday village, it has a little lake , the statutory statue, if you will forgive the repetition, of island heroine, Anne, i.e. Anne of green gables house at cavendish in the wonderful PEI national park, we spent a good part of the day here and were fascinated to see how popular this book is with Japanese students, maybe it is a course text book, who knows, loved the capital Charlottetown, many heritage buildings, crossing the 8 miles of the fab confederation bridge arriving at Borden Carleton, meeting up with friends - the lovely Harvey’s, we made 2 visits here , so basically did 32 miles along the bridge and never luckily encountered any high winds, saw live music at the bridge folk club in the evening, fab fiddle and guitar stuff, visited the bottle house , Tignish at the top end, cape Egmont and its lighthouse keeping watch over the gulf of st Lawrence , north cape and park quite remote, Rollo bay, Souris where the cap aux meules island ferry in the gulf of st Lawrence leaves from, north point lighthouse, north Rustico, PEI's Malpeque bay which is almost an inland bay , Lennox island although we drove over to this so hardly an island nowadays as t has its own bridge, bridge construction in this area is a true marvel especially the length of the confederation bridge and its support against snow, ice and incredible winds, west point, jacque cartier provincial park, government house, shopping with pals in victoria, Georgetown, spud radio, lobsters, energy institute, queens wharf, Lucy Maud Montgomery authoress, prince Edward island national park, Charlottetown sand sculptures including a fab one of the bridge which you can see on our Maritime Provinces Talkies videos and cedar cladding on housing. We liked PEI its history and its relaxed atmosphere and our weather whilst here was quite good. Diary Audio Diary Trailer

NEW BRUNSWICK ACROSS CANADA IN A MOTORHOME 2010, Alberta to Labrador (we did British Columbia in 1999) plus New York State & Maine in the USA in 2010, this is the 1st of the Maritime Provinces we visited 14 Days in New Brunswick, Canada - between 24th June & 25th July 2010, 78 Photos, the summary slideshow is selective,visiting amongst others alma, campbellton, lighthouses, miscou island, lamere island, kouchibouguac national park , bay of fundy national park , provincial parcs, bay of fundy's world leading tidal change in height, butland's lobster, beaver tails fast food and restaurants washed down by Tim Horton coffee, art and art galleries, music, arcadians, micmacs, mcadam station, cape jourmain, confederation bridge , sea dogs ice hockey, covered cedar bridge tunnels, hopewell rocks and cape, grand anse, baseball, bog walks, plant life, harbors, sun and rain in equal measures, shippagan, magnetic hill, magic mountain village , bathurst, val-comeau, cap egmont, moncton , vanceboro st croix border crossing to Maine, st croix river, saint john (as opposed to st johns in newfie) looking for annie's rellies, petitcodiac river, possum in the road kill cafe, fredericton for canada day 1 july, note during Covid lockdown this is what happen on the corresponding day in 2021 and lots of places in between. We have been from one side of Canada to the other There are 131 of these historic wooden structures in Canada and 58 in New Brunswick – almost half the country’s total! See the Maritimes Talkies Video us in bathurst new brunswick arcadian grand anse 1/83 Slideshows Talkies Images Map Overview Summary: We spent 14 Days in New Brunswick Maritime Province, Canada in 2 parts, the first being 24 June to the 8th July, and finally just 21st July 2010 We took 78 Photos, many of which are included in the summary slideshows. We have now been from one side of Canada to the other in a motorhome, British Columbia to Labrador, we loved it, it is a fabulous country and quite an achievement with memories we shall treasure forever. For New Brunswick the following were some of the highlights, alma, campbellton, lighthouses, miscou island and our lovely walk along the peat bog boardwalk here across the bridge to the island, lots of waterlilies and wild flowers, lamere island, kouchibouguac national park, bay of fundy national park, the world beating tidal height changes in the Bay of Fundy, we watched it, it’s just amazing how far it drops down to the mud beds deep below the coastal edge, all New Brunswick’s provincial parcs as well as National ones, butland's lobster, beaver tails resaurants and Tim Horton coffee, art and art galleries, music, arcadians, Micmac’s a native Indian tribe whom the band we saw in France in 2014 took their name from, indeed we liked the band so much we bought their CD, McAdam station and tourist information and museum, cape jourmain, confederation bridge, sea dogs ice hockey, covered cedar bridge tunnels, hopewell rocks, grand anse, baseball, bog walks, board walks, plant life, harbors and now in English harbours ha-ha, sun and rain in equal measures, magnetic hill and taking the van to it and getting a feeling you were going backwards, magic village, Bathurst with its fabulous coastline and viewing platforms and lighthouses plus its fab village hill, val-comeau and its board walk, cap egmont, Moncton – which in fairness we were not that impressed with, sadly another big town / city that just didn’t do it for us, Saint john (as opposed to st johns in newfoundland) looking for Annie’s rellies as well as moving back from the edge of the precipice in its campsite to a somewhat safer pitch although in Keef’s humble opinion the view in the 1st pitch was fab,also we visited the home of the St John Sea Dogs ice hockey team, ice hockey is huge in Canada, witness mr Horton, we back in Nottingham have an English team called the Nottingham Panthers who aren’t bad either, petitcodiac river, possum in the road kill cafe, whose rather worrying catch phrase is “you kill ‘em, we grill ‘em”, keef bought one of their T-Shirts. Fredericton for Canada Day 1 July , it was Canada’s 143 birthday, and was just so nice , it was lucky we were able to get a slot at the campsite for Canada Day as it was incredibly busy and the main celebrations were on in town which was lovely, dogs dressed as Mounties and Anne of Green Gables, live music, food, drink, people with flags and all forms of Canada memorabilia from chairs to jackets and t-shirts, we joined in by waving, furiously, the provided mini Canada maple leaf flags, true patriots that we are. Also, very friendly people at the shindig. We spent a couple of days in Fredericton exploring the town and museums as well as celebrating Canada day. The old Town hall was very interesting. The other thing we remember is a crowd of Japanese tourists at the campsite asking if they could come and have a look inside our motorhome as it is not anything they had ever seen before, hilarious, reminds me of when Phoenix’s parents came to stay with us from China in the UK and asked a lot of questions about our Wendy House motorhome. We returned the second time to pass thru to Prince Edward Island as David & Cathy were on holiday there. Here are some words about the Confederation Bridge, an amazing feat of engineering, that we had the pleasure of traversing 4 times on our Canada holiday in 2010. The Confederation Bridge joins the eastern Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, making travel throughout the Maritimes easy and convenient. The curved, 12.9 kilometre (8 mile) long bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water and continues to endure as one of Canada’s top engineering achievements of the 20th century. The decision to replace the existing ferry service with a fixed link followed a heated debate throughout the 1980’s. Farmers, fishermen, tourism operators, and residents of Prince Edward Island had sharply contrasting opinions about how year-round access to the mainland would affect their way of life and livelihood. Eventually, it was decided that the debate would be settled at the polls. The federal department of Public Works and Government Services selected its favourite bridge design out of several proposals from the private sector, and on January 18, 1988, Premier Joseph Ghiz asked Prince Edward Islanders to make the final decision in a plebiscite. At the polls, 59.4% of Islanders voted “Yes” to a fixed link. After four years of construction using crews of more than five thousand local workers, the Confederation Bridge opened to traffic on May 31, 1997. Today, the Confederation Bridge is operated by Strait Crossing Bridge Limited, headquartered in the shadow of the bridge in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island. Diary Audio Diary Trailer

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