Heading Home

Today we are starting our journey heading for home. It has been a fantastic journey across our nations continent; sharing each and every day with my best friend!

Some of our highlights..

Regina, Saskatchewan
It was sure great to see Violet, Ron, Dawn and Dwayne for dinner and to catch up. We will definately have to meet up again soon.

Thunderbay, Ontario
We finally got to see Thunderbay and the whole gang. Thunderbay is such a wonderful city; its access to the great lakes and all of the surrounding lakes, not to mention all of the outdoor activities a person could want. What a beautiful place!

Toronto, Ontario
We had such a wonderful visit with Katie, Jason and the grand kids. I look forward to getting out again soon!

Ottawa, Ontario
I have always wanted to get to our capital city. I enjoyed touring around the Parliment grounds and building and checking out one of Canada's greatest museums.

Montreal
Montreal is such a great city with a wide variety of culture and history. We enjoyed exploring old Montreal, city markets, beautiful neighbourhoods and great food scene (Jean Talon Marketplace, Schwartz's Deli, Main Deli and Mount Royal Park view of the city and the Notre Dame Cathedral).

The best challenge is to sample all of the smoked meat sandwiches to find the best in the city. Starting our day with a coffee and a fresh pastry is not to bad either.

Quebec City, Quebec
We stayed at a place that was close to the old town (Upper and Lower Old Town) and everything was within walking distance. Being able to walk out your door and stroll down to old town at any time made it so easy to explore the city. As you wander around you see amazing architecture every where you look; a new discovery at every corner.
Chateau Frontenac sitting up on the hillside is truly an outstanding building - the castle on the hill. Wandering down the cobblestone streets takes you right back to a time of horse drawn carriages and fancy dresses.

Some of our favorite meals were poutine, Rabbit Cassoele and Maple Soft Serve Ice Cream. Delicious.

Sainte Flavie, Quebec
On the way to Sainte Flavie we stopped at the historical maritime museum Pointe-au-Père, located in Rimouski, Quebec. Visiting the submarine HMCS Onondaga was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don't know anywhere else you can go through an old submarine.

Shediak, New Brunswick
Shediak was the self-proclaimed lobster capital of the world. Apparently they process the largest number of lobsters in the world. From there we were able to drive south and check out the Bay of Fundy and walk along the ocean floor. Simply fascinating. Rick did sample to local Lobster roll and I had a plate of fried clams and scallops. This is only the start of our seafood feasting at the eastcoast.

Charolettown, PEI
Well we made it to the east coast in time to see the start of the fall colors. The trees are wonderful shades of green, yellow, orange, red and brown all throughout the rolling hills of PEI. I think PEI and Charlottetown will always be one of my favorite places in the east coast. I loved finding all the little side roads leading through the villages and towns along the way. Don't forget to visit Anne of Green Gables and the north coast beaches. Lucky for us we made it in time to have one of the last Lobster Suppers at Glascow Lobster Suppers. PEI is filled with culture, arts, artisans, and amazing food! Definitely a place to return to one day.

Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is steeped with marine and Canada's immigration history. There is a ton of things to explore and experience along the way. A quick day trip to Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg to visit the Bluenose II. Halifax has invested a lot into their port and has up to 8 cruise ships in port in any given day. It is great to see a city bustling with tourists, even in the shoulder season.

Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland
Rocky Harbour is an outdoor enthusiasts dream! Driving through the moonscape Tablelands and hiking in the Grose Morne National Park is a great way to see the area. If you have never been to see a Fjord, you can explore the land-locked fjords of the area. I can only imagine what the place might be like in the middle of summer and all the tourists that come from all around to enjoy the great outdoors.

St. John's, Newfoundland
We arrived earlier than anticipated to St. John's and throughly enjoyed our 5 days here. It is here where Terry Fox dipped his foot into the Atlantic Ocean, starting his journey across Canada to raise Cancer Awareness and funding. The area is not only steeped with fishing histories, but also, military history at Signal Hill. Don't forget to check out Cape Spear, Quidi Vidi fishing village along the way. Watch out for the "mummers" if you are there a Christmas time.

Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney, Nova Scotia is located in Cape Breton in the North side of Nova Scotia. It is unique that it has a steeped history in Irish Culture. They even continue to teach gaelic in the school systems, maintaining that connection to their European Heritage. If you are on the west side of Cape Breton make sure to stop in at The Red Shoe. If you are lucky you will be greeted with a performance by one of the Rankin Sisters.

Portland, Maine
We only spent a night in Portland on our way to Cape Cod. However, it was so interesting we will have to stop if we are ever out that way again. The city has taken great pride in maintaining their historical buildings in the downtown area. It is never a dull moment wandering around the shops in old town. Stop by and sample one of the many craft brews in the area!

Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Cape Cod is a wonderful place to explore. There are little side roads that meander through small villages and towns along the way. Each place is unique and has different things to explore. The villages are lined with local shops, artists, boutiques, potters and a number of restaurants along the way. Our favorite spot was in Chatham. It was a quaint little town that had a historical downtown street that was great to wander along. You never know what great little cove or beach is hidden around a turn in the road. It truly would be a great place to visit in the warmer months!

Chicago, Illinois
We have always wanted to go to Chicago! We decided to stop for 3 days on our way back home. Chicago reminds me of a small New York City. Lots of live theatre, live music, great food and great shopping districts. We were lucky and got to go to Hamilton. There is nothing like taking a river cruise to check out the city. You get to

appreciate the fabulous architecture from a different angle. Some of the great architecture marvels were: The Tribune Building, the Wrigley building, the Sears Tower and many others. We will definitely be back!

What a great adventure! We traveled 16, 000 km, sailed on 2 ferries, drove through 10 provinces and 12 states over a period of 7 1/2 weeks on our Cross Canada journey.

Definitely a trip of a lifetime!