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We arrived at Hilltop Campground, a small mom & pop park in a rural setting between Calais and Eastport, Maine on Thursday afternoon, July 6th. We checked in and proceeded to our site # C7 which we found was level and ok for our 35' rig. Staff was friendly. Park was clean but a little tired. It needs some TLC but we chose it for the price (3 days at half price with Passport America) and the proximity to the local attractions. On Friday, July 7 we took a quick trip around the area to get our bearings. We drove into Calais for a UPS return and filled up the truck with diesel. Two miles along Ridge Road from the campground is Boyden Lake. We drove the back road to the lake and ended up in Perry, Maine and continued on into Eastport, Maine whose fame is the easternmost city in the continental United States. The native Passamaquoddy Tribe has called this area home for at least 10,000 years. Some archeologists estimate the habitation at 20,000 years. The first known European contact was the St. Croix colony founded by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1604. Near present day Calais, the unsuccessful Saint Croix Island Acadia settlement predates the first successful English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia by three years. On June 25, 1604, Champlain and his men spent a long and severe winter on St. Croix Island with no fresh water and diminished supplies. Two-fifths of the men died of scurvy and the colony moved across the Bay of Fundy to Port Royal in present day Nova Scotia. From Eastport you can see across to Campobello Island which is the largest and only inhabited island in southwestern New Brunswick, Canada. It is the site of the Roosevelt's former summer home-turned-museum amid an expansive seaside nature park with trails. We wanted to see the Bay of Fundy up close and personal so decided to road trip into Canada again. Saturday morning, July 8 we packed light and headed for the border crossing between Calais, Maine across the St. Croix River bridge into St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada. We stopped at the first Tourism/Information venue to pick up some maps and ask some questions. While we were there, we walked down from the pier to the river bed. The St. Croix River empties into Passamaquoddy Bay and eventually into the Bay of Fundy so this area is affected by the the dramatic tidal changes. At 9:17 AM I took a screen shot of the tidal graph on my iPhone. The difference between the high tide at 3:13 AM and low tide at 9:41 AM was over 22 feet! This was just a preview of what we might see as we continued on to Saint Andrews, a town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada. This town is a national historic site of Canada, bearing many characteristics of a typical 18th century British colonial settlement, including the original grid layout with its market square, and the classical architecture. While there we visited the British blockhouse guarding the harbor and St. Andrews North Point Lighthouse. This active lighthouse in St. Andrews, New Brunswick is on the southern tip of the peninsula in the Passamaquoddy Bay; it is commonly known as Pendlebury Lighthouse from the name of the family who took care of it. Again we witnessed more of the incredible tidal effects caused by its proximity to the Bay of Fundy. Why are Fundy tides so high? Resonance — like a push on a swing. Imagine a parent pushing their child on a swing. A gentle, repetitive push by the parent will sustain a large back-and-forth motion of the swing. The parent must time the pushes to closely match the natural period of the swing, a condition called resonance. If the timing is poor, the swing will not move much. In the case of Fundy tides, the “swing” is the shallow body of water between the edge of the continental shelf east of Boston and the head of the Bay of Fundy. The “parent” is the small Atlantic tide at the edge of the continental shelf. When a rising Atlantic tide crosses the edge of the continental shelf into the shallow Gulf of Maine, it travels as a long wave to the head of the Bay of Fundy, reflects, and returns to the edge of the continental shelf. When the wave reaches the edge of the shelf, the dramatic increase in ocean depth causes most of the wave to reflect again and travel back toward the head of the Bay of Fundy. The time for this cycle is close to the 12.4-hour period of the lunar tide, which means that each Atlantic tide gives the previously reflected wave an almost perfectly timed push. It is that small, repetitive, well-timed push that drives Fundy’s tides near resonance, making them so large! The vertical tidal range is the difference between low and high tide. In the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy system, the vertical range of the tide is progressively larger toward the head of the Bay of Fundy, and largest in the Minas Basin. The vertical tidal range is about 2 metres in the open Atlantic Ocean. Compare this with an average of 12 metres (40 feet) in the Minas Basin. It can even reach 16.5 metres (54 feet) on a perigean-spring tide! From St. Andrews it was on to St. John into Memramcook, a village in Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada, which is located in south-eastern New Brunswick. We discovered that the community is predominantly people of Acadian descent who speak the Chiac derivative of the French language. Karen and I were amazed by the story of this people group. The Acadians are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the descendants of a few Acadians who escaped the Expulsion of the Acadians (aka The Great Upheaval / Le Grand Dérangement) re-settled. During the French and Indian War (known in Canada as The Seven Years War), British colonial officers suspected that Acadians were aligned with France after finding some Acadians fighting alongside French troops at Fort Beauséjour. Though most Acadians remained neutral during the war, the British, together with New England legislators and militia, carried out the Great Expulsion (Le Grand Dérangement) of the Acadians between 1755 and 1764. They forcefully deported approximately 11,500 Acadians from the maritime region. Approximately one-third perished from disease and drowning. In retrospect, the result has been described as an ethnic cleansing of the Acadians from Maritime Canada. Most Acadians were deported to various British American colonies, where many were put into forced labor or servitude. Some Acadians were deported to England, some to the Caribbean, and some to France. After being expelled to France, many Acadians were eventually recruited by the Spanish government to migrate to Luisiana (present-day Louisiana). These Acadians settled into or alongside the existing Louisiana Creole settlements, sometimes intermarrying with Creoles, and gradually developed what became known as Cajun culture. In time, some Acadians returned to the Maritime provinces of Canada, mainly to New Brunswick. The British prohibited them from resettling their lands and villages in what became Nova Scotia. Before the American Revolutionary War, the Crown settled Protestant European immigrants and New England Planters in former Acadian communities and farmland. After the war, it made land grants in Nova Scotia to Loyalists. British policy was to establish a majority culture of Protestant religions and to assimilate Acadians with the local populations where they resettled. Most Acadians in Canada continue to live in majority French-speaking communities, notably those in New Brunswick where Acadians and Francophones are granted autonomy in areas such as education and health. According to the two young Acadian women we spoke to at the museum we visited, the Province of New Brunswick is the ONLY bi-lingual Province in Canada. From the village of Memramcook we continued traveling east to Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. Known as the “Hub of Nova Scotia”, Truro's size, central location and historic downtown makes it a popular home-base for exploring the province and the world-renowned tidal phenomena of the Bay of Fundy. We found a place for the night and checked in to the local Best Western. Had a wonderful seafood meal at the "Nook and Cranny" restaurant. After a quick dessert run to the local Dairy Queen, we returned to our hotel to retire for the evening. Quite a full day of traveling and exploring New Brunswick, Canada. Tomorrow we are on to Halifax, Nova Scotia!

We returned in pouring rain back to Christie's Campground before dark on Sunday, July 2. As we unpacked the truck, settling back into our normal trailer life. we looked forward to a good nights sleep in our own bed. The three day trip to Quebec City was a whirlwind but a "bucket list" item so I was very happy we got to spend that much time in this very special place. Karen was really impressed. During the visit she kept dreaming (rêver) of coming back to live there for a month! Monday, July 3rd was a day of rest and we recharged our personal batteries with sleeping in, reading, walking and some light errands into town. We wanted to get a feel of the campground culture before leaving on Thursday. This campground has been around since 1929 and many of the campers are seasonal. Meaning, they return every year to spend their summers here. Many of the trailers are here all year round but empty during the winter months. We saw many family groups camping together with all their children and "toys". This is a very "family friendly" campground. The weather started improving and the traffic on the lake picked up with powerboats and PWC (Personal Water Craft) or Jet Skis. Kid on bikes and golf carts started moving around as the activity levels of the campers increased. The temperature in Maine was a bit of a surprise to me. We now had high 80's and even some low 90 degree temperatures with humidity in the 80% range. We ended the evening watching the musical 1776 to start our Independence Day celebration. The 4th of July was another low-key day just relaxing and hanging out. Karen found a notice inviting campers to a potluck at 5 PM before fireworks at 9 PM. She prepared a large salad to share and we attended. Got to meet some of the seasonal families and had a great meal together in the recreation room by the front office. We didn't feel the usual camaraderie of a RV park with full-timers coming and going. This environment was more of a "clique" with the seasonal campers. Not as openly inclusive as other places we've visited. The Independence Day fireworks that evening was a seriously impressive event. You knew the expectations were high just by the number of boats on the lake waiting for the show. They didn't spare any expensive and it had to be the longest I've ever experienced. Karen said it lasted a good 45 minutes. We had a big tree blocking our view from our campsite, so we moved down the road towards the mortar launching area and got a pretty good view of the whole show. I frankly got bored after 15 minutes and headed back to the trailer. What an old fart! We spent Wednesday, July 5 prepping for our departure the next day. Before leaving Christie's we needed to provision up for the next leg of the journey. We went into town for truck fuel, the water refill station at the grocery store and the Salvation Army store to drop off items and look for some more used books. We concluded our evening with a visit to the Angler Restaurant for dinner. Now when you're in Maine. the visit wouldn't be complete without a "Lobstah" dinner. Karen and I shared a meal of two Lobster rolls with two sides to check off a "required" activity in Maine! I also ordered a cup of Clam Chowder to complete the experience and wasn't disappointed. I had forgotten how delicious fresh Maine lobster can truly be. We see a few more 'lobstah' meals in our future while we're in this state.. On Thursday morning, July 6 we slept in again (retirement life is sooo....hard). But eventually had to get up to start packing the trailer for moving day. We are continuing east about 137 miles to Hilltop Campground in Robbinston just south of Calais, Maine and close to the Canadian border with New Brunswick Province.

Our third and final day in Canada was Sunday, July 2. The weather was predicted to be wet so we decided to go where getting wet wouldn't be a deterrent. But first, a mandatory stop at Tim Horton's for coffee and some goodies for the road. We drove Highway 73 north past the off ramp to downtown Quebec City and continued north, then turning to the east on Highway 40. We arrived at the Parc de la Chute‑Montmorency in a light rain. After purchasing our tickets we proceeded to the parking area below the Manoir Montmorency and near the upper funitel (gondola cable way) station. This funitel carries passengers between the base and the top of the falls. We looked it over but decided to do some hiking instead.. The Montmorency Falls (French: Chute Montmorency) is a large waterfall on the Montmorency River in Quebec, Canada. It's about 12 km (7.5 mi) from the heart of old Quebec City; the area surrounding the falls is protected within the Montmorency Falls Park (French: Parc de la Chute-Montmorency). The falls are at the mouth of the Montmorency River where it drops over the cliff into the Saint Lawrence River opposite the western end of the Island called Île d'Orleans. The waterfalls are 83 m (272') tall, a full 30 m (99') higher than Niagara Falls. The park includes "THE ZIP LINE"; which they advertise, "don't be intimidated by the mighty cascade! Challenge Montmorency Falls by approaching it like never before. Perched at the top of the cliff and stretching some 300 metres, the zipline enables people to cross Montmorency Falls cove before landing near La Baronne observation deck. With feet dangling in the void, you’ll feel the waterfall as it roars and the drizzle as it caresses your face." Well, we decided.... no thank you! The suspension bridge over the crest of the falls provides access to both sides of the park so we walked across the bridge to the other side and then the staircase all the way to the bottom! These staircases allow visitors to view the falls from several different platforms along the route and provide spectacular perspectives of this natural wonder. Clinging to the flank of the cliff, this impressive staircase features no fewer than 487 steps. From the bottom of the staircase we proceeded along a cement walkway to the lower viewing platform/bridge over the river. We decided to take the cable car back up the hill to the parking lot rather than hike in the rain. We got a little wet but this was an awesome experience. We loved the idea we could literally walk the entire perimeter of the falls; it is very impressive! Next on our self-guided tour was Île d'Orléans (Island of Orleans), located in the Saint Lawrence River about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) east of downtown Quebec City and across the bridge from the waterfall park. It was one of the first parts of the Quebec province to be colonized by the French and a large percentage of French Canadians can trace ancestry to early residents of the island. The island has been described as the "microcosm of traditional Quebec and as the birthplace of francophones (having French as the main language) in North America. The island had long been inhabited by Indigenous peoples. The Hurons called it Minigo (meaning "Enchantress") because of its charm. The French explorer Jacques Cartier first set foot on the island in 1535 near the present-day village of Saint-François. He called it Île de Bascuz (from Bacchus) because of the abundance of wild grapes growing on the island. Officials later changed the name to Île d'Orléans in honor of the second son of King Francis I, who became Henri II, Duke of Orléans. Early French settlers, mostly from Normandy and other provinces in northwestern France, were attracted to the island because of its fertile soil. They colonized it according to the seigneurial system of New France, which is still evident in its layout by featuring residences close together with outlying long and narrow fields and a common. In 1661, the first parish of Sainte-Famille was founded, followed by another four parishes in 1679 and 1680. Today the island is a mix of suburban communities and farms and is a popular destination for day trippers and bicyclists. The Island known for tranquil natural scenery as well as regional dining, local eateries, produce stands & art galleries. We drove clockwise around the entire island stopping at one produce stand for some fresh des fraises (strawberries) and eventually stopping for lunch at Cassis Monna & Filles. After trying Poutine in Sherbrooke, QC and not being very impressed, I never thought I would order it again. But this restaurant's menu intrigued me with their description of the version they prepare. So I tried the Duck Confit Poutine with Le Capiteux wine sauce (Poutine au confit de canard* & sauce au vin de cassis Le Capiteux) and it was AMAZING. If you don't want to have this dish as a meal by all yourself, I'm sure other people in your party would be willing to take a few bites; Karen did! She elected to have a lovely mushroom quiche with french fries and a salad. We both enjoyed our meals and the view. We decided we needed to start our return trip back to Maine no later than 2PM to avoid driving in the dark. So we bid a fond "au revoir" to Quebec and journeyed the four hours back to Newport, Maine stopping only for diesel fuel. And unfortunately, no moose sightings on the return trip.

On Canada Day, Saturday July 1, we got an early start. Before leaving Sainte-Marie we stopped at Tim Horton's for a light breakfast and coffee. Our drive into Quebec City was much easier because we took the Boulevard Champlain along the waterfront to avoid the downtown traffic to "our parking lot" near the Museum of Civilization. A short walk to the ticketing venue for the ligne rouge (Red Line) tour bus and we were on our way from the lower old city stop. This has turned out to be the most efficient way to get around and an excellent way to get an overview of the major cities we've visited this year. Letting a local, professional driver navigate the narrow, congested streets is so much more relaxing and certainly more convenient. It also makes better use of our limited time so we consider it money well spent. This particular tour bus line had the added benefit of personal earphones and an audio tour narrated in eight different languages. One of our first stops was just outside the Parliament Building and the Fontaine de Tourny. We walked through the Saint-Louis Gate of the old city wall, which was about forty feet thick, on Rue Saint-Louis and up to the Parc du Bastion-de-la-Reine. This park sits up on the perimeter of La Citadelle de Québec overlooking the St. Lawrence River. It was an incredible view of this massive waterway and the location of this strategic fortification. This complex features a long-standing active fort, and a museum of the Royal 22nd Regiment. We were hoping to catch the changing of the guard but were treated to an even better ceremony below us. We discovered the regiment had marched out of the Citadel and down to the Dufferin Terrace just below us for their Canada Day celebration. So we hustled down the hill to take it all in. Following the ceremony we walked into the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac to see inside the lobby. We considered going to the Starbucks but the line was too long. Instead, we continued walking to Rue des Jardins to Brasserie Les Mordus, another outdoor cafe, where we enjoyed brunch. I was hungry so I ordered their classic FISHING BOAT’S RETURN of 2 eggs, 3 meats (bacon, ham and sausage), potatoes, baked beans, greaves spread, country bread, crêpe, raspberry butter, and fruit salad! Karen had a lighter meal of a cup of corn chowder and a salad. After brunch, it was back on the bus to continue our guided tour. Later in the afternoon, we got off the bus on the Avenue Cartier for ice cream at Chocolats Favoris and to walk this colorful shopping area. After this short excursion we picked up our third bus and rode back to our last stop of the day at Fort Street, across from the Château Frontenac. We walked down to the Rue Notre-Dame to see the Quebec City Mural. Inaugurated in 1999, this mural tells the long story of Quebec City in an iconic location. From there it was a short walk to Place Royale, a picturesque cobblestoned square flanked by cafes, shops & a 17th-century stone church. We decided to enjoy a happy hour cocktail at the La Pizz Place Royale. This charming pizzeria with a patio offering refined pizza pies & pasta dishes in a rustic-chic space, so we eventually ordered our dinner here. We shared a delicous Salade Caprèse and Pesto Linguine under a cafe umbrella in a light rain. The restaurant owner was hospitable and friendly; we had delightful conversation and he gave us helpful ideas for the next day of our adventure in Quebec City. A very busy day of sightseeing completed, we walked back to the truck and returned to Sainte-Marie before dark...very satisfied but exhausted.

The U.S. part of the Friday afternoon drive to Quebec City took us through Athens and Moscow (Maine of course) along the Kennebec River to Jackman, Maine. We had our eyes open for any possible moose sightings but, alas, no such luck. We had an uneventful crossing at the border into Canada and drove the remainder of the trip on Hwy 173 to Saint-Georges and Hwy 73 to our motel in Sainte-Marie, QC. We found a relatively reasonable place to stay that was only a 30 minute drive from Quebec City. After checking in, we proceeded into the city around 4 PM to do an initial reconnaissance for parking our truck near the "old city" and do some sightseeing until sunset. Driving through Quebec City was similar to Montreal, in that most of the streets and major thoroughfares are under a constant state of repair with traffic detours the norm. Once we reached the fortified city, the streets became even narrower and the traffic was a chore to navigate. I dropped off Karen to visit the local tourism office only to find out it was closed. After driving a circuitous route back to pick up Karen we were successful in finding a parking lot near the marinas that would work for our oversized truck. After parking we walked past the Museum of Civilization to the waterfront to explore the lower section of the old city, including the Royal Battery and the Rue Sous-le-fort. We then hiked up the Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Steps) through the Prescott Gate to Monument Samuel-De Champlain and Place d'Armes, the square opposite the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. The Château Frontenac is an excellent example of the grand hotels developed by railway companies in Canada in the late 1800s. Considered the world's most photographed hotel, it was designated a National Historic Site in 1981. The hotel takes its name from Louis de Buade, Count de Palluau et de Frontenac, a key figure in New France history. Frontenac was the governor of the colony from 1672 to 1682, and again from 1689 to 1698, and is recognized for having defended it against British and Iroquois attacks. The Château Frontenac was built near the Citadel on which Frontenac had begun construction in the late 17th century. Situated on a large cape, the hotel overhangs the Saint Lawrence River and runs alongside the celebrated Plains of Abraham historic site where the battle for the conquest of Québec took place in 1759 during the Seven Years’ War between Great Britain and France. We went to dinner across the Rue Sainte-Anne to Bistro 1640 which overlooks the city and provides a magnificent view of Château Frontenac. The bistro combines a warm ambiance with fresh market cuisine. Karen and I ordered SOUPE À L’OIGNON AU GRATIN DE CANTONNIER (Onion Soup), BOEUF FAÇON CLASSIQUE (Steak Tartare) and a CHARCUTIÈRE pizza. After dinner we continued our evening tour along Rue Port Dauphin down to the fortifications along Montmorency Park National Historic Site. This fortification battery, above the St. Lawrence River, provided an impressive northeast overview and protection for the city from any potential hostile forces advancing up river. Looking back to the upper city from this location I was able to get a lovely image of the illuminated Château Frontenac. We continued our way down from the upper city to locate our truck in the parking lot below. Overall, an impressive first, short day before returning back to our motel room in Sainte-Marie for the night. On Day 2, July 1 (Canada Day) we would plan to get an earlier start. We will return to the same parking lot, buy two tickets for the ON/OFF Red Line Tour bus system and get a more comprehensive view of the city, saving our legs and avoiding the crazy traffic.

Christie's Campground is the ideal place to spend a week. Bordered by woods, our pull-thru site is located on a large grassy patch, just one row from the glistening lake. This campground is secluded yet easily accessible to shopping and excellent dining in the town of Newport, Maine. We are also close to I-95 and U.S. Route #2 for travel. It's a perfect location to use as a serene base from which to plan an extended trip to Quebec City or day trips to the coast, mountains, Moosehead region or to Bangor, which is just a 30 minute drive. We arrived on Thursday afternoon, June 29 after a 3 1/2 hour spectacular drive from New Hampshire. We drove the mostly two lane road through mountain passes with dense forest, rivers and waterfalls. At the half way point, we stopped briefly for lunch in Peru, Maine and provisioned at the local Walmart before continuing on. The weather hasn't been ideal. We've experience predominantly overcast skies with a variety of precipitation ranging from light drizzle to heavy downpours. The air temperature, however, has been remarkably consistent during the wet weather in the mid 70's to low 80's. The forecast for our stay shows more of the same weather plus the possibility of thunderstorms. Ironically, the weather in Canada is looking more favorable over the weekend, so we are planning a three day adventure back into our neighbor to the north starting on Friday, June 30. Our ultimate destination is Quebec City about 4 hours driving time from camp. Our timing couldn't be better with Saturday, July 1 being Canada Day, which celebrates the establishment of the nation of Canada from previous British colonies. Many Americans ask if Canada Day is similar to the Independence Day in the U.S. They are similar in that both are related to gaining independence from the United Kingdom. For Canada, however, Canada Day marks only one (but one very important) milestone on the path to full independence.

Coleman State Park, located on Little Diamond Lake, is 10 miles from the nearest town of Colebrook, New Hampshire . This was another no hook up, no cell service or wifi location so we filled the fresh water tank and emptied the gray/black water tanks for the stay. We dealt with the small internet problem by driving into the town's library or golf course to get connected. Our campsite #26 was spacious with a gravel pad, fire pit and picnic table close to the bathroom, shower and laundry facilities. We had plenty of open sky during the day for solar power production with surrounding trees for some privacy. The park is very beautiful and realitively quiet except for the occasional ATV noise. ATV's are popular in Northern New Hampshire and range from the simplest single 4 runner to the more exotic Polaris RZR 4 seaters with roll cages and light bars. We took our RAM truck 4 wheeling on a couple of the back roads into town to get the feel of the area's remoteness while we looked for moose. While we have been in New Hampshire, Canada has been plagued with massive wildfires throughout the country and a couple of our days were smoky with poor visibility. But fortunately the weather has been unseasonably wet with showers and thunderstorms which has helped to keep the air clear and fresh most of the time we've been here camping. On one of the less wet days we ventured north to the town of Errol, New Hampshire to see the L.L. Cote Sporting Goods store and saw a beautiful lakeside resort and also our first moose sighting. Karen spotted a young female that was standing next to the side of the road. Very cool! Later we stopped for a picnic lunch along the way and walked to some waterfalls. Most recently, on Tuesday, June 27 we took another road trip into Canada via Canaan, Vermont across the Connecticut River border between the two states. We drove on some picturesque back roads through the Province of Quebec to the city of Sherbrooke. I was on a mission to try Poutine. Poutine is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain and there are several competing claims regarding its invention. For many years, it was used by some to mock Quebec society. Poutine later became celebrated as a symbol of Québécois culture and the province of Quebec. It has long been associated with Quebec cuisine, and its rise in prominence has led to its growing popularity throughout the rest of Canada. Poutine was consumed in small "greasy spoon" diners (commonly known in Quebec as cantines or casse-croûtes), pubs, at roadside chip wagons (commonly known as cabanes à patates, literally "potato shacks"), and in ice hockey arenas. For decades it remained a country snack food in Quebec's dairy region, due to the narrow freshness window of cheddar cheese curds. We stopped at Louis', a favorite of Sherbrooke locals, for this culinary adventure. I ordered a hot dog, a medium Poutine and a diet Coke. Karen gave it a try, then pulled out the salad she had prepared before we left the campsite. I, of course, consumed the entire meal of Poutine. I can only imagine how bad this particular dish is to my cholesterol level. Honestly, I don't get why it is so popular. Soggy, gravy covered french fries and squeaky cheese curds just didn't do it for me. I however can say I tried it, but it's not a do-over. Today was a "get ready to travel again" day. We provisioned Diesel fuel, DEF and filled the empty trailer propane tank and made one last visit to the library to update incoming and outgoing emails and blog post. Tomorrow we travel to Christies Campground, a small family run camp ground located in the heart of Maine on Lake Sebasticook.

The quiet setting of Lake Carmi, Vermont was a nice place to relax and unwind after a busy week of wedding activities and sightseeing. On our last full day, we finally got on our E-bikes and rode through the park exploring the different camping loops, did some recreational reading and some serious napping (ZZZZ...). Thankfully, our three days here passed by slowly because we didn't have wifi or cellular service. It felt weird but it was good to be disconnected from the world and all of it's "stuff". We packed up early Thursday morning to head to Coleman State Park in New Hampshire with a plan to stop midway for lunch. I had been in contact with a friend from my old Rotary Club in Santa Rosa, CA. During the summer months, Nancy Hill lives in her lovely home in Newport, Vermont next to her adult son and his wife on Lake Memphremagog. Newport was a logical place to stop for a break and a short visit as the halfway point to our next destination so we made arrangements to have lunch together. I was concerned about getting stuck on an unknown route with the trailer so I Googled a satellite view of her home on the lake and found a turnout site to park within walking distance. The parking location was closer than two football fields in length to the Canadian border. I discovered that the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department owns many miles and hundreds of acres of land along rivers and streams throughout Vermont and the neighboring border with Canada. The access to this wildlife land tends to be relatively small and often long narrow parcels along the banks of the many waterbodies. While some locations have small, gravel parking areas, others provide no formal parking or rely on parking just off the road shoulder. These areas provide public access to streambanks for fishing, hunting, trapping, fish and wildlife viewing, photography and other fish and wildlife-based activities. Collectively, these lands are known as Streambank Management Areas (SMAs) and worked for a temporary location to stop, park and visit Nancy. We walked 4/10th of a mile right up to Nancy's front door, enjoyed reconnecting with her and had a lovely lunch together. Nancy's is an amazing lady! She reminds me of the "energizer bunny" because she just keeps on going. Karen and I hope we have that kind of endurance in our future. Lord knows we will need it to continue this RV life.Nancy's home is right on the lake and has a stunning view from her covered porch and deck. She spends time with her extended family visiting throughout the summers and also running her "older" neighbors to doctors and shopping appointments. We visited for a couple of hours and finished with a walk back to our trailer to give Nancy a tour. Before leaving we offered to give her a ride back to her home but she declined the offer so she could walk back. Nancy "thank you" for lunch and your encouragement. You are the very inspiration we need to keep up this lifestyle with energy, grace and generosity.

Early Tuesday morning, June 20 we left our fifth wheel home at Lake Carmi, Vermont and headed for the Quebec Canadian border. The border crossing was less than five miles from the campground with Montreal an hour and twenty minutes away. The Canadian border agent asked if we had any weapons, which we had none, and the purpose of our trip. I explained we wanted to visit Montreal for the day and return the same day back to the U.S. After a brief five minute stop we proceeded on our way navigating the back roads of Southern Quebec reading the French Canadian signage. Our navigation system was working but we had no idea where we wanted to park the truck once we arrived in the city. Fortunately we spotted a ? Highway sign (Canadian for an Information office) so we stopped before Montreal and met two lovely and helpful young ladies who spoke English. They provided us with all the maps, brochures and information we needed to get to the downtown Montreal information office. We sighed a collective "Hallelujah and Praise the Lord" before hitting the road again. Downtown Montreal was a mess with road and building construction everywhere. I dropped Karen off at the Montreal (?) Tourism office and drove around looking for a place to park. Downtown parking for a big truck is impossible. I picked Karen up and headed towards the waterfront on a lark and we managed to find a parking lot on the St. Lawrence River near the marina facility and science museum that could accommodate our one ton pick-up truck. From there it was a short walk to the nearest GrayLine ON/OFF double-decker red tour bus stop to start our initial city visit. The bus tour covered the city well and took over two hours. We like this service because it gives us the geographic and historic overview of the city. Montreal is home to over one hundred ethnicities. The largest European ancestries in Montreal include French (26%), Italian (7%), Irish (6%), English (4%), Scottish (3%) and Spanish (2%). About 31% of the Montreal population belong to a visible minority, up dramatically from just 5% in 1981. Montreal is the second most populous city in Canada and the most populous city in the province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill around which the early city of Ville-Marie is built. The city is centered on the Island of Montreal, which obtained its name from the same origin as the city, and a few much smaller peripheral islands, the largest of which is Île Bizard. The city is 122 miles east of the national capital Ottawa, and 160 miles southwest of the provincial capital, Quebec City. As of 2021, the city had a population of 1,762,949, and a metropolitan population of 4,291,732, making it the second-largest city, and second-largest metropolitan area in Canada. French, of course, is the city's official language. We started looking for a restaurant not far from Notre-Dame Basilica in the historic district of Old Montreal, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The church is located at 110 Notre-Dame Street West, at the corner of Saint Sulpice Street. We walked to the Place Jacques-Cartier, a square just south of Nelson's Column (French: Colonne Nelson), a monument designed by Scottish architect Robert Mitchell and erected in 1809 in Place Jacques-Cartier, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which is dedicated to the memory of Admiral Horatio Nelson following his death at the Battle of Trafalgar. Montreal's pillar now stands as the second-oldest "Nelson's Column" in the world, after the Nelson Monument in Glasgow. It is also the city's oldest monument and is the oldest war monument in Canada. I found it ironic; a British Admiral monument in a French speaking Canadian Province? I found out later that the monument is controversial among some French Canadians in Montreal, who perceive it as offensive due to lingering tensions between English Canada and French Canada. We found a restaurant at Le Senatur on the rue Saint-Paul just two blocks west of Bonsecours Market (French: Marché Bonsecours), at 350 rue Saint-Paul in Old Montreal. It is a two-story domed public market that for more than 100 years was the main public market in the Montreal area. It also briefly accommodated the Parliament of United Canada for one session in 1849. We had a great meal and perfect ending to a beautiful day in Montreal. We walked back to the truck and drove a different route back to the USA by way of New York. No problem getting back into "the States". We are looking forward to another venture into Canada later in the month to the provincial capital, Quebec City on the Saint Lawrence River. Dating to 1608, it has a fortified colonial core, Vieux-Québec and Place Royale, with stone buildings and narrow streets. This area is the site of the towering Château Frontenac Hotel and imposing Citadelle of Québec. The Petit Champlain district’s cobblestone streets are lined with bistros and boutiques. It is the cradle of French America and the only fortified city on the continent north of Mexico. We're looking forward to strolling through the cobblestone streets, visiting the best historic sites, soaking in the region's magnificent heritage, storied past, and European charm.

On Sunday, June 18 we visited an interesting museum. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) is a non-profit museum located in Vergennes, Vermont. It preserves and shares the history and archaeology of Lake Champlain. As a maritime museum practicing archaeology, LCMM studies the shipwrecks discovered in Lake Champlain and has a large role in the management of those cultural resources. Through the preservation and analysis of artifacts, the museum showcases the story of the people and culture of the Lake Champlain region. The museum had an interesting exhibit of Revolutionary War engagements involving the Continential naval forces and the British navy on the lake. In 2000, the LCMM Underwater Archaeology teams formed what is now the research arm of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. The team of archaeologists and researchers are regional, national, and international archaeological experts in research and policymaking as it relates to underwater cultural heritage. Access to the sites in the Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserve is free of charge, but divers must register annually prior to using the Preserve System. I am intrigued with the idea of diving a historical wreck in the lake but don't think I could get Karen to join me. The cold water temperature is probably a no go for her! From Button Bay State Park we traveled on Monday, Juneteenth (June 19) north and east to Lake Carmi State Park, Vermont for three days near the Canadian border. Our original booked site was too narrow and under the tree canopy so we spoke to Sierra, the park supervisor, and explained we needed sun for our solar system. She was happy to accommodate us and we moved to an overflow area near the day use parking which has seven campsites with open sky all day and a beautiful view of the lake looking west. The park is mostly empty which surprised us, but Sierra explained that they are rarely full because the park has no hook ups, no wifi and no cellular service. Amazing that people can't even unplug to go camping. Sounds like heaven on earth to me! We had the entire overflow area to ourselves so I parked the trailer with the best view out our large windows to see the sunset over the lake. We were thrilled with our awesome location! Thanks Sierra!

We made it to Vermont! On Friday afternoon we arrived around lunch time to set up camp at Button Bay State Park. This campsite has no hook ups so we are using our solar/LiFePO batteries/inverter to provide all our power for the trailer. Our fresh water tank is 2/3 full and we have plenty of gray/black water capacity for the next three days. Our site is on a large grassy open space near water if we need to fill our tank. Friday was initially overcast with thundershowers but the rain didn't begin until late evening. Here are some interesting facts about Vermont. The state's name comes from two French words vert (green) and mont (mountain), which explains Vermont's nickname, the "Green Mountain State." Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys defended their homeland from the British during the Revolutionary War. Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S., producing over 500,000 gallons a year. Button Bay State Park is a 253-acre state park in Ferrisburgh, Vermont on the shores of Lake Champlain. Why is button bay called Button Bay? The calcium which occured naturally in the Champlain Sea cemented the clay into many interesting shapes. The most common concretion looked like an old-fashioned button mold. British soldiers during the Revolution were the first to call this "Button Mould Bay." We're in the area for three days, primarily to attend Elizabeth and Zach's wedding on Saturday. Friday late afternoon we attended their rehearsal dinner at Lareau Farm, an historic 25 acre farmstead located on the valley floor of the Mad River, known for their flatbread pizzas. We got to visit with Karen's family who are here for the wedding and were introduced to Zach's family and friends. The consensus is that Saturday, despite the rainy weather forecast, is expected to be a joyful day!

Wednesday, June 14 at 9 AM Karen and I arrived at the Alliance RV factory building #3 to pick up our Avenue 32 RLS trailer after 7 days of major repairs and retrofitting. We can't thank the Alliance team enough, especially Carl, Larry and Tristen for all their hard work and attention to detail to get us whole again. I told Karen that we now need to refer to our fifth wheel as Trinity 2.0. Larry showed me photos of the reinforced bracket they welded to the back wall aluminum framing in order to strengthen the corners along the bottom and sides. In addition, they added twelve lag screws through the bottom aluminum back wall frame into the steel undercarriage rear frame. The two cracks in the sidewalls were opened up to the aluminum frame joints and welded together to create one continuous joint then repaired and painted to match the exterior finish. The icing on the cake was all the extra work the Alliance team did like re-caulking joint transitions, taping slide roof seams, cleaning air conditioner filters and adjusting our closet doors to track properly. After doing our walk-thru, signing off the repair worksheet (with a few notes for the record) and reloading our belongings, I backed up the truck and hooked up Trinity 2.0. We departed Bay #62 at 10 AM and headed for St John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, a Harvest Host in Girard, PA, about 321 miles east. It took almost 6 hours to drive but we were both so glad to be back on the road again it really didn't feel too fatiguing. The joy of having our home back provided the adrenaline boost we needed to make the long drive possible! Friends we made at the rally, Sean and Kathy from Erie, PA picked us up after we arrived and we all went out to dinner that evening. We told them about our complete satisfaction with Alliance and the way they took care of our repairs. During the evening we discussed a possible 2024 trip to Alaska together. I showed Sean the 2023 Alaska Milepost book I received from Amazon the other day. We decided to keep in touch and committed to start the necessary research to make an Alaska trip a reality. Overall, it was a great, productive day. On Thursday, June 15 we departed Girard, PA around 9 AM and drove another five and a half hours, 308 miles to the Woodland Farm Brewery in Utica, NY, another Harvest Host. We stopped at the local Walmart to do some grocery shopping and filled our refrigerator back up with all kinds of goodies. Tomorrow we drive the final leg of this trip to Button Bay State Park in Ferrisburgh, VT so we can attend the wedding festivities of Karen's cousin Elizabeth Phelan to Zach Stone this weekend. We thought we might miss out if our coach wasn't finished in time, but thankfully Alliance came through.