in the POD - 2018 ahead

Our favorite "campground" on Pine Island

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Ahhhh.... the sun is just breaking thru the coastal fog and the temp will be heading up to 73 today. 

Welcome to Pine Island! 

The cry of ospreys overhead and the continual jabbering of the ibis rooting for bugs on the ground is currently drowning out the late morning quietude - but I'll take it. I am surrounded by lush, green beauty brimming with life. Exactly what is needed right now.

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We managed to finish packing up early Wednesday morning in 5 degree weather in order to get out of the New England freeze. We had not winterized the POD this year - the weather had been so mild and knowing that we would be heading south right after Xmas - so it was kind of imperative to get it out of harm's way. The cold weather road the eastern seaboard and the layer of ice on our runner boards did not fully melt until well into Georgia!!  But here we are - parked in the yard at Kim and Claudia's home, with our own water and electric hook up (installed for us!) on the edge of the property overlooking the canal. 

Tim has already prepped dinner for the 4 of us - osso bucco is braising away, and smells amazing. He is now busy working on a few POD projects and readying us for the 3 month adventure ahead. Me? I went for a walk, had a leisurely breakfast, and now I sit here.... breathing in.....breathing out.

(I will make the polenta tonight to serve the osso bucco on.)

"Camp" Larson/Rossi

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I am trying to look ahead to 2018 and the new adventures that await us, but there are strong ties that wish its imminent arrival to wait. 

My last aunt will most likely not see this new year. She is right now on her own, final journey and I wish her peace and good speed. Tim and I will fly home a to be with her family and pay our respects to her and that entire generation of family that is no longer with us. 

Luckily, memories are forever.

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within the familiar - learning to live small

View from the back porch roof

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Kitchen with upper cupboards, lighting, and back splash in

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Bathroom Shower/Tub Area

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Bathroom Toilet/Sink Area

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Opposite side of kitchen - upper cupboards still to go in.

Movable dining table in foreground

Dark stainless steel backsplash and wildflowers from the garden

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Art hung under the coffee pot in the kitchen

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where does one keep their rain boots?????

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Garden

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Rosie and Papa snacking under the table!

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in the POD - sort of

grounded

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Well, things did not turn out perfectly. 

The POD was diagnosed with a "failure of the coach disconnect" - which basically meant that we needed a part which had to be ordered from and installed by a licensed Roadtrek dealer. We called the nearest one @ 2 hours away.  And they could not help us, because ......and I am NOT making this up.... they had just recently been burned to the ground. Everything gone. They had their technicians on the road doing "house" calls - but it would take at least a week to get the part. 

Ugh.

We punted.

We still needed to check out the Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax to try and find information on my grandmother. I found us a B&B in Lunenburg - @ 1 hr south of Halifax - a stop that was on our list of places to go. We needed to get some of Nova Scotia in before we folded! 

So glad that we made this choice!! 

The Pelham House B&B was just perfect. On a quiet street above the bay, this 4 room inn was a welcoming host. We snagged the last room available - the 2 room suite that looked out over the harbor. David and Michael, the hosts, were gracious and inviting and Harry, their dog, made the rounds at breakfast. We could not have imagined a better place to land - needing showers and a bit of pampering...... we allowed the sea breezes to wash over us as we lounged on the day bed. 

Once revived we were able to explore the town.

Pelham House B&B

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

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As we walked down to the harbor we spied Ironworks Distillery - Honest, I DID NOT know this was here! They specialize in spirits made from fruit - not grain! - and all sourced locally. Their vodka is made from apples and they have a delicious group of liqueurs; blueberry, raspberry, cranberry and rhubarb. Everything was delicious but the vodka was unique with a very rich, almost butterscotch flavor to it. We sampled everything and we left with a bottle of vodka, rum and a rhubarb esprit!

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Ironworks Distillery

Lunenburg, NS

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Also - I have to say, without a fault - EVERYONE we encountered on this entire trip was SO friendly and interesting! No matter what situation we met them in; whether they be Canadians traveling to the area from other parts of the country, business owners, service people, parks workers, EVERYONE was honestly nice! 

Just putting that out there.

There was an article recently (cannot remember where or who wrote it) that stated - "had it not been for the American Revolution...... we could have been Canada." 

Worth considering right now. 

Lunenburg from the dock, seafood chowder, lobster rolls, 

and local beer, a small marina

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Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Easily walkable it is the best surviving example of a planned British settlement still standing in North America. The central harbor has the Bluenose II schooner on display as well as the Museum of Fisheries. The town is filled with great art galleries and small shops and restaurants. At each of the places we dined we enjoyed great seafood and local craft beer. For those that prefer wine - we were told that the Annapolis Valley, the central spine of NS, has become quite the wine region. We had originally planned to drive though that area but the POD was turning into a rolling dumpster - no refrigeration, no water and no way to empty the holding tanks......

We needed to move on.

Lunenburg Harbor and the Bluenose II, a famous schooner

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It would be a two day trek to get home. Tim had called a Roadtrek dealer in MA earlier and they were ordering the part we needed and would have it in by mid week. We said goodbye to Lunenburg and drove north to Halifax. Halifax is a small city on the water - kind of like Boston in many ways.  We drove around a bit to get a feel for it - realizing that we really want to return - however, our goal was Pier 21: The Canadian Museum of Immigration. The museum houses the Scotiabank Family History Centre, a free reference service to help you trace your family's immigration story. Literally as we walked in a young woman greeted us, asked what we were looking for and took us over to her computer to begin researching. She probably spent 20 minutes with us but realized that "little" Mary was an enigma and that it was going to take someone with more time to wrestle this information out of the unknown. She gave me the contact information of their full time researchers, whose job it is to uncover the difficult searches. I was no closer to finding Nana's immigration story but I actually felt okay. Maybe the full time researchers could help and maybe her father never declared her in Canada either?! Kind of love the mystery of it all..... 

Mary Lucci Spadafora: Off The Grid.

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The museum itself was quite interesting and located on a pier overlooking the harbor, but my favorite part was the special exhibit, Canada: Day 1. Filled with archival images and audio the exhibit  relates newcomer experiences on their first day of arrival in Canada from the turn of the century through the present. Included in this is a series of original pieces of art created by Canadian artists who were once immigrants. They were breathtaking and moving.

a wall in the exhibit Canada: Day 1

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And then, sadly and a week too early, we headed home. 

What did we love about this trip and what would bring us back? 

Cape Breton is gorgeous! The coastline is wild and raw with views as dramatic as the Amalfi coast, and the color of the water is AMAZING! - as blue/green as the Caribbean. Traveling early in the season, while a bit cold at times, was perfect. The mountains were all shades of yellow and green as the newly dressed deciduous trees vied for attention among the pines. And all the pines!! It smelled like Christmas everyday!! 

The entire maritime area - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick - is covered with lakes, streams, rivers and waterfalls of all sizes and all of them beautiful. The different sounds each of them  made and how cold they were will stay with me. I think Tim recorded each and every one....

The high tides in the Bay of Fundy were awe inspiring and CRAZY! It is difficult to imagine until you actually see it - and so happy that we did. 

Of course, the seafood was to die for. P.E.I and Aspy oysters, sweet bay scallops, fresh haddock and cod, maple smoked salmon and lobster rolls that were, basically, the meat of an entire lobster stuck in a grilled bun. Not to mention all the craft beers we discovered - either at a restaurant or by visiting the brewery itself (Big Spruce Brewing in Baddeck (!!!) and Garrison Brewing in Halifax).

And again, I will mention the people. Friendly, welcoming, and oh so agreeable to talk to. And yes, politics was discussed..... a lot.

Museum of Fisheries

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

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We will go back at some point. It's only 12 hours away. One overnight stop. I now want to go to Prince Edward Island and (possibly) Newfoundland.

in the POD - Cape Breton....interrupted

Ingonish, Cape Breton

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Spring is just arriving here - the forsythia is blooming, tulips have emerged but not fully open, and the deciduous trees, that are scattered thru the pines, spruce and fir are budding....no leaves yet. According to some locals we have met, we have hit a perfect week - the weather, averaging in the mid 40's/low 50's during the day, is mostly clear skies when this time of year it is most often foggy. The "season" has barely begun, many shops and restaurants are not yet open, but we can see signs of local establishments readying themselves for what lies ahead.

And this is how we like it!

On top of Broad Cove Mountain. Basically 44 "flights" up!

Cape Breton National Park

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Our campground at Broad Cove, on the eastern side of the Cape, which has over 200 slots - currently has 6 camping parties in residence. Our stay here will be for 3 nights after which we will move on to the other side of the park.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park covers @ 400 square miles of rugged coastline, soaring highlands, and deep river canyons of streams, rivers, and waterfalls. It is home to 3 types of forests -Acadian, Boreal, and Taiga. 

Up close with the coastline.

Cape Breton National Park

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Over the course of our first two days here we climbed 40 "flights" to the top of Broad Cove Mountain which offered us spectacular vistas looking out over the Atlantic, walked around Mary Ann Falls - whose clear rushing rushing water shown russet from the deep reds of the soil and stones, we raced across granite boulders on the headlands at Lakies Head and Green Cove, and followed the sounds of the rushing Black Brook taking us to a delightful pine forest setting overlooking the descent of the brook into the ocean below.

Pools of russet at Mary Ann Falls

Cape Breton National Park

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We ventured north and popped out of the confines of the park for a bit to explore various loops through headlands leading to small fishing towns. White Point, Dingwall, St. Margaret Village  - exposed, remote and open to the sea each area was pristinely beautiful and serene. At every turn there is a photo worthy view.... we just soaked it in. We bought tiny bay scallops and maple smoked salmon   in Neil's Harbor to have for dinner one night along with the barrel aged imperial stout from Big Spruce Brewing that we picked up the day before. 

Lakies Head

Cape Breton National Park

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Driving through the north section of the park we criss crossed along hairpin turns that looked deep into the canyons of the forests and walked along a stream through a small area of 350 year old sugar maples to a replica of a Scottish crofter's hut. 

 Crofter's hut

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As we stood on the headlands at Black Point overlooking Meat Cove, the furtherest point out that is accessible by roads, I felt like we were on the bow of a boat. The Atlantic stretched out forever - 180 degrees of ocean and sea and sky became one.

Black Point, Meat Cove

Cape Breton

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Enjoying the perfect weather!

Cape Breton National Park

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We headed back to the campground last night eager to explore the western coastline the next day!
But.......
It seems fate (and electrical systems/mechanics) had other plans for us. Earlier we had experienced a  minor on board battery charging incident which righted itself after driving for a few hours. Well, now minor became major and we had no power - which meant that we had no pump for the water, no pump for the sewer system - no fun.
SO we made the executive decision to drive the 2 1/2 hours to the closest RV repair center in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. They were already closed by the time we figured all this out so, in fact, we did not even know if they could service our rig! IF we don't get this fixed we'll be forced to return home - which is something neither of us want to do!!! We pulled into the repair center after dark, found a corner in their back parking lot between 2 trailers, dined on tuna salad sandwiches and finally settled down for the night.

Stones RV sprung to life around 7:30 am and we were waiting. Tim and I are currently waiting in their nice lobby and the POD is being examined.
It is pouring out.
Our fate awaits.

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Neil's Harbor

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in the POD - Fun-"day" 2

Dickson Falls

Fundy National Park, NB

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New day and no rain! 

Foggy and cloudy with temps in the low 40's for most of the day - but we forged on wanting to see as much as we could of this small, pristine park. We opted for a series of 5 short hikes - figuring that between each one we could warm up in the POD, rest, have lunch..... It worked out perfectly and over the 5 trails we were able to experience 3 very distinct environments. 

Peat Bogs

Fundy National Park, NB

We began our day with a short 1.5 mile trek around Caribou Plain, home of a large peat bog. Ringed by pine, birch, and fir trees this bog is home to a large community of beavers. The large "home" on the bog notwithstanding, we saw lots of evidence of the beavers' tree trimming veracity along the trail!

After leaving the bog area the trail winds thru dense forest - the greens were absolutely amazing - and no photo I have can actually show the diversity of color, the abundance of moss and lichen, the quiet, the smells and the beauty of it all thrown together. Where the canopy of firs opened to the sun there were these beautiful white flowering trees (?) called Bunch Berry. They looked like a cross between a creeping hydrangea and a dogwood. They lit up the forest!! 

 Caribou Plain

Fundy National Park, NB

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When we did finally relinquish and head back to the POD we headed to one of the park's many lakes so we could have a spot "with a view" to warm up in. Unfortunately, Lake Bennett was too pretty and we HAD to get out and explore. In good weather this lake offers kayaks and canoes for rent. Today, the little building that rents the equipment, while open, was sporting a solid fire in their pot belly stove! 

Our next stop was Dickson Falls. This was a short - maybe 1+ mile - loop DOWN and through pristine forests. Again, the number of GREENS were overwhelming and the staggering beauty of the moss and towering trees mixed with the choral sounds of the rushing stream and waterfall ....... be still my heart. At every turn we had to stop and enjoy both the perspective and the beauty. We must have walked over 300 feet down into the ravine before coming upon the stream, which as we began to climb back out, became the waterfall. Beautiful music and scenery! And again, no photo can show the textures or colors that were present in this Eden under the canopy. 

Stunning. 

Reverent.

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We drove on back to Herring Cove as high tide time was approaching. We wanted to see the beach (where yesterday we had scrambled atop so many boulders) fill with the 40 meters of water that had been proclaimed. A lunch of butternut squash soup, crackers and egg salad in the POD fortified us as we sat in the parking lot before heading back down the stairs to the beach below.

High tide at Herring Cove Beach

Fundy National Park, NB

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Whoa! At low tide yesterday, at the far point in this picture, there were huge boulders rising 20' above me. We had climbed their seaweed covered face and scampered over them to the other side of the point. 

They're gone now!! I'm a believer!

We headed to the south most portion of the park along the coast and stopped first at Matthews Head to follow that trail to its outermost point (which we had not completed on day 1). The approx 2 miles going down to the coast through lush forest was quite steep and marked with lots of tree roots- yet small plains broke the descent every so often and the flowering trees, staking out their rightful spot in the forest, was quite inspiring. 

Matthews Head stood high above the Bay of Fundy below and we could see to Nova Scotia and the Great Atlantic.

We ended our day at Point Wolfe. It was picture perfect. 

Covered bridge, ravines, finger inlets, and an old logging and lumber area that had been accessed by small craft - based solely on the tides. 

And, yeah, maybe a few bootleggers in the past as well.

By the time we completed the trails in this area it was once again low tide. We ambled down the 1/2 mile path to Point Wolf beach to explore the ocean floor again. 

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Covered bridge

Point Wolfe, NB

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 Point Wolfe 

Fundy National Park, NB

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Inlet from the Bay of Fundy 

leading to Point Wolfe River

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All in all we only walked around 7 miles of trail today....

and yet - we climbed 64 flights! 

(up.... as in flights of stairs!!!!!!!)

Beautiful day of exploration and we definitely deserved our night's sleep!

in the POD - Fundy National Park

Alma, New Brunswick

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Day 1

Home to the world's highest tides, Fundy National Park has over 12 miles of dramatic coastline to explore along with more than 62 miles of hiking trails through pristine Acadian forests filled with freshwater lakes, river beds and waterfalls. We will spend three nights here before driving north/northwest to Cape Breton.

We arrived mid day, registered at one of the three campgrounds within the National Park (Chignecto North) and immediately took off to explore. The tides are so dramatic here that you are given a tide table upon arrival (to plan accordingly) and luckily it was low tide. We decided to start with a short hike out - and DOWN -  to Herring Cove Beach "to walk on the ocean floor". And then added a loop into the forest that sat at the top of the cliffs above us, Matthews Head, to get a feel for the forest trails.

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180 steps to the beach below

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Herring Cove Beach

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When the tide is in, this "beach" is under approximately 40 feet of water! SO, in fact, we were walking on the ocean floor. The rocks scattered on the beach were greens, deep reds, marbled granites - all polished and rounded. It was difficult to choose a favorite! And surrounding us on 3 sides were looming red russet earth and boulders rising up from the sea with pine trees clinging to their edge - all of it leaning toward the land and trying to hang on.

Large slabs of rocks lay at their base, fanning out into the sea and covered in periwinkles and the most beautiful seaweed I have ever seen......

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 Streams and waterfalls at every turn

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The sound of the forest is so restful and yet so energizing. Your feet patting the ground, your own breath, perhaps the crunch of a dried leaf.  Other melodies appear slowly - as you approach a stream, a waterfall, or the sudden rustle of the wind - and then fade. 

Mindfullness. 

Thinking right now about a book that is waiting (so patiently) in my iPad for me: The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams.

Seems like a no brainer - but I think we/I need to keep reminding ourselves....
everyday.

 into the woods

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 Day 1 ended with a stop in the town of Alma to pick up a couple of lobster rolls for dinner. 

Pod life. 

Gotta love it!

Day 2

Rain. 

Lots of rain. 

All day rain calls for a very leisurely morning - coffee, toast, yogurt and showers. The campground is quiet this time of year - still very much off season up here. The few larger rigs around us are all closed up tight and even the few children we have seen are secured inside. We both did some reading, planned our route/stops for Sunday, and then ..... discovered a local brew pub!! 

Truly a miracle.

Okay - technically "Holy Whale" brewing has not yet begun brewing themselves - but they are currently serving draft craft beers from 4 other New Brunswick brewers as they finish setting themselves up. Picture this - 2 brothers and a friend (all from Prince Edward Island) decide to open a brewery. They look all over the Eastern Canadian maritime area - because that is important to them - to find the right spot. In this tiny seacoast town of Alma they find a church for sale. They figure National Park, tourist town = great probability for success, so they buy the church. 

A brew pub in a church!

They first set up a coffee roasting operation - one of the brothers is into coffee as well - and arrange with a local baker to supply them with cookies, scones etc. so they can start selling, settling into the town while they construct the brewery. 

Holy Whale Brewery/Buddha Bear Cafe

Alma, NB

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When we were there they were installing the steam pipes for the kettles and they think they will be fully operational by July. Till then - they still have some very interesting craft brews from Maybee Brew Co, Gray Stone Brewing, and Grimross all out of Fredericton, NB. 

As for food....... we had oysters (clean, sweet, with a slight steely finish and not as briny as Wellfleet),  a fish taco and lobster chowder. Everything was delicious! And they did it all in an outside tent!

I love these guys!

It always amazes me how friendly people are when you simply ask questions and listen. I wish them all the luck in the world and hope I can get back here to sample their beer.

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We look forward to day 3 and hope the rain abates.
We need to get into this forest again.

in the POD - heading to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton

Adventure Awaits!

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This road trip has been on my mind since 1970 and now, almost 50 years later, I'm finally going! Wild coastlines, salt spray and sea air, seashore villages and coves, whales, light houses ... all the things that talk to me of home and adventure. And a bit of family history to explore.

My Nana, Mary Lucci Spadafora, immigrated to the U.S. as a toddler. She was born in Corfinio, Italy in 1906. Her parents had already traveled to the U.S. around the turn of the century, had a child or two while here, but then went back to Italy for a few years...?... Nana said, "My father was the world's first hippie!" When her family did return to the U.S., sometime around 1905/06, they entered through Halifax, Nova Scotia. I don't know why - and neither did she. All I do know is that when we went to get my Nana her first passport in 1970 - so that we could take a multi-generational (all female!) trip to Italy - it seems that her father had NEVER claimed her when they re-entered this country! There was no record of her. Zip. Nothing. She had married young, never worked, and never had a social security number. An unknown, underground female in our world! Crazy to imagine that was even possible - on so many levels! Fortunately it was 1970 and bureaucracy understood that sometimes people fell through the cracks. They issued her a passport, she told me the story, we went to Italy, and deep in the back of my mind I wanted to visit this place where so many immigrants had arrived and passed through on their way to a new life.

There is a small, seasonal window for camping, biking, and hiking in theses parts. Most campgrounds don't open until the end of May and only stay open till mid October. The weather looks like it will average in the mid 50's most of the time we are there, with some rain on the horizon. We will be three weeks on the road with approximately half of that time spent in National Parks (Fundy National Park and Cape Breton Island National Park) while the rest we are leaving up to chance ...... and try our hand at "boondocking".

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The POD is packed. Adventure awaits.

Here we go!

within the familiar - watching Rosemarie

sharing the smile of accomplishment

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That moment when you suddenly realize a connection was made. 

When one person chooses to engage another. 

That just happened! 

It was subtle, brilliant, and it blew me away....

Rosemarie had just pulled herself up and - while holding on to the next available surface - walked her way around a chair to a low shelf unit proudly getting herself from point A to point B. She looked up at me and beamed! 

That's how our day started and our adventure continued from there.

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Last weekend I spent an entire day babysitting while Ty and Amy went to a wedding.

9 hours of playtime, nap time, food time, a lot of time.....  

She was quite adventurous - crawling under furniture, into cupboards, pulling books and other items off shelves. Anything within her reach was fair game and she was thrilled to share all her bounty with me! 

Every activity she tried she wanted to share that experience with me. 

I had forgotten about this cognitive development in kids - when the world becomes bigger for them. It is no longer just about the internal but suddenly includes the external world around them. And sharing it!

searching for the Lion and the Witch...

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We practiced walking, sorting, building, throwing, and putting it all away. 

We had some reading time, listening time, singing time, and some personal play time.

She was game.

connecting with a friend

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Toys with faces make her laugh. I have a child size soft mannequin in my studio that she is quite curious of - but it is faceless.... and that confuses her. She points at it, and gets close to it but she does not know how to process it. I think I need to print out a kid face and attach it. Truthfully, it kind of creeps me out too.

trying Annie's Mac and Cheese for the first time

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Lunch time was so much fun! Watching her navigate the food; what went in, what she shared with me, what was tossed to the floor. Eating filled up the better part of an hour - learning each other's signals. I guess it was our first real "at table" conversation! 

I look forward to more.

watching a children's music video

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We were both lying on the floor listening to nursery rhyme music coming from the computer. Rosemarie noticed that there was animation on the screen and climbed up onto my legs, and while hovering over the chair and computer began pumping herself up and down in a basic dance move all the while banging on the keyboard! 

I was pinned to the floor and kind of prayed that she didn't fall over.

a late day visit to the Airstream with the siblings

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Mid afternoon we headed up to the Airstream to visit Papa, Charlie, and Penny. The dogs have taken to spending the afternoons up there. They like the sunshine and the companionship. They often come up after the've had their dinner too - while Amy and Ty are having Rosemarie time; dinner, bath, bed time - cause I think they understand that's not the best time for them to get attention at home. Once Rosemarie goes to bed they head home for puppy time!

When the kids got home around 5:30 I was exhausted! But it was a very special day. A milestone had been reached. Rosemarie definitely acts differently now when she sees me - she actually reaches out to me requesting that I hold her! 

Personal connection.

I don't know what our eventual connection will be - football, gardening, sewing or even whoopee cushions and fake spiders (that was Tyler's and my mom's....) but I'm sure glad that we started here.