Due to a glitch in the system, my previous post got wiped out. So, I will try again to describe a bit about our recent trip.
Below is an Old Fisherman of the Sea monument that is located in Eastport, Maine, the easternmost city in the United States.
This past week, we traveled north as far as St. John’s, Canada. The further north we drove, the more distantly spaced were the houses, and the more wildlife and birds could be seen. We were very excited to spot our first Bald Eagle, in the wild, near Eastport, Maine, the easternmost city in the United States.
We also saw two moose, both of them in Maine. One of them was walking across a field, and the other, a 400-450 lb. young, male moose, was lying on a carry trailer. He had been hit by a truck and was being taken home by people who live in the Bridgton, Maine area, to provide food for the winter. We saw groups of deer in fields, and one large buck that crossed the road just two cars ahead of us, near Calais, Maine, a border town. We very much enjoyed Calais and found several antique shops there.
Except for the topography, Canada seems a lot like the United States. Restaurant chains, like KFC and McDonald’s provide food that is somewhat equivalent to their American counterparts. One difference is that the road signs and historic landmarks are in both English and French. Everyone was warm and welcoming.
We were able to visit the Ross Memorial Museum in Canada, a Georgian style home that is decorated with material culture from its owners’ world travels. The place was closed, but we were allowed to look around because the curator happened to be there, preparing for the designers to decorate for Christmas. She told us that more than eight hundred children visited the house at Christmas time last year and each was given a homemade cookie. Choral groups and a harpist were on hand to make the season truly festive.
Of course, while we had hoped to find an open quilt shop or possibly antique shops, the real reason for traveling to the north was to see the landscape and to visit the ocean areas. We saw some lighthouses, the large Bay of Fundy, and Irving Park, an amazing natural area that was worth the trip, in itself.
We enjoyed the intoxicating and fragrant smell of Balsam Fir trees, and especially liked the moss-lined floors of some of the forest areas. The moss was so thick, it looked like a green carpet. A narrow, one-way dirt road took us around Irving Park, an island from which there were wonderful ocean views, from on high.
We are so happy to be home. While traveling is fun, we really enjoy the comforts of home and are more than thrilled to get back to home cooked meals, our snail mail, and our computer!
Pat
