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!