Sweet and sour. An out-of-season Olympic village that knew better days. As natural vegetation growth outpaces athletic speeds, new generations keep practicing on the ice arenas. Nice historical museums, great Asian buffet. Also, a nice walk in Henry Woods private nature preserve. Thank goodness for landowners like that.
Leaving the Adirondacks, I took a farewell, breath-taking plunge into the astounding Cascade Lake, then relocated to the Thousand Islands Campground, where Johnny Depp welcomed me in the bathroom and a seamstress prayer. A beautiful sunset hung over one of the 1000 islands in the nearby state park. .
Beauty and more beauty. Wellesley Island Nature Center / State Park is full of water, life and geology. Paths are easy to walk / rewarding to the nature lover. The Eel Trail leads along the coast to the awesome Narrows. Pond loop peaceful, biologically rich. Encounter with a jolly Canadian girl adds a social dimension.
Clayton Jazz Festival: Kimberly Hawkey, the 10th Mountain Division Jazz band and Studio G from Nashville, all sounded their music over the St Lawrence, as barges were going downstream, then played and sang at night in Clayton’s hangouts. Also brief visit to Lake Onatario and an October Fest in Cape Vincent.
Uncle Sam Boat Tours, 1000 Islands. Playing the tourist, I oohd and aahd about the cuteness of the islands and the general magnificence of the area, shot pictures obsessively, visited the must-see Boldt’s love castle, but also a memorial for “Operation Iraqi Freedom” and learned about bootlegging.
Crossing borders I instantaneously found myself in a different human milieu. Quebec at that particular border was not especially welcoming, but I quickly made the mental adjustments. Staying a desolate night in an off-season campground in Nicolet was a surreal experience, as I was making efforts to follow the second presidential debate on my electronic devices in pouring rain.
Parc National du Bic, Quebec. Having a utopia in a Huttopia, a specially-designed tent, meeting animals, enjoying the beauty of Chemin du Norde, seeing the archeological site and walking the Chemin Le Contrabandier, but also, when moving back to my own tent – living through the coldest night of my life…
Such a rich and beautiful park. This time Pic Champlain and Les Anses trails.. Birds, seals, fantastic geology. Quiet, beautiful bays. After spending a second night in the cold, I had a shower crisis in the morning, which turned out an opportunity to meet a new friend.
Route 132, Gaspe Peninsula. On way to Forillon villages with churches. Holy Marys, windmills, castles, seabirds and trees in colors. Most spectacular were the famous cliffs appearing mid-drive. I ended the day as sola guest in an out-of-season B&B, enjoying the comforts, hearing interesting life stories from owner .
Forillon National Park, QC, is well worth it, Carriage roads and desolate forest paths lead from the “Bay of Seals” to “Land’s End”, with whales watching and gannets diving. Also rich wild life, and historical fishing sites. Forillon’s Auberge (hostel) offers socializing oppportunities and excellent services.
The huge gannet colony on Bonaventure Island is a peak experience for any naturalist. This is a bird lover paradise. Unfortunately, poor boat arrangements did not enable me to enjoy the experience to my heart delight, Still… except for Galapagos, second to none…Also, the amazing Perce rock, a geological marvel.
Seasonal beauty on Road 132 from Perce, QC to the NB border. New Brunswick to Maine: In Campbelton, quaint bilingual border town, I heard local stories at the cozy Super 8 spa. Crossing the border at Van Buren was a bit challenging. I rounded up the day with a seafood meal in Machias, ME, and the Bluebird Motel.
Acadia National Park, Blackwoods Campground is a good hub for exploring Acadia, a park rightfully deserving its reputation. Beauty is everywhere and glorious. Specifically, the Jordan Pond Loop Trail is a highly rewarding experience photographically and ecologically.
A bonanza for the body and spirit, climbing Mt. Cadillac South Ridge Trail was challenging, but doable. Meeting wonderful people and sharing food and life stories made the day. The landscape turned from forest to stark bedrock, but life still thrived in rain pools, enlivening the barren landscape. View from the top was wondrous.
Eagle Lake, Acadia National Park, ME. Circumnavigating the lake was a perfect way to round up my sola trip. Inexhaustible beauty, from smallest details of the forest floor to grand vistas of mountains in automn colors reflected in tranquil waters. Using walking path over carriage road made hike interesting.
Sweet and sour. An out-of-season Olympic village that knew better days. As natural vegetation growth outpaces athletic speeds, new generations keep practicing on the ice arenas. Nice historical museums, great Asian buffet. Also, a nice walk in Henry Woods private nature preserve. Thank goodness for landowners like that.
Leaving the Adirondacks, I took a farewell, breath-taking plunge into the astounding Cascade Lake, then relocated to the Thousand Islands Campground, where Johnny Depp welcomed me in the bathroom and a seamstress prayer. A beautiful sunset hung over one of the 1000 islands in the nearby state park. .
Beauty and more beauty. Wellesley Island Nature Center / State Park is full of water, life and geology. Paths are easy to walk / rewarding to the nature lover. The Eel Trail leads along the coast to the awesome Narrows. Pond loop peaceful, biologically rich. Encounter with a jolly Canadian girl adds a social dimension.
Clayton Jazz Festival: Kimberly Hawkey, the 10th Mountain Division Jazz band and Studio G from Nashville, all sounded their music over the St Lawrence, as barges were going downstream, then played and sang at night in Clayton’s hangouts. Also brief visit to Lake Onatario and an October Fest in Cape Vincent.
Uncle Sam Boat Tours, 1000 Islands. Playing the tourist, I oohd and aahd about the cuteness of the islands and the general magnificence of the area, shot pictures obsessively, visited the must-see Boldt’s love castle, but also a memorial for “Operation Iraqi Freedom” and learned about bootlegging.
Crossing borders I instantaneously found myself in a different human milieu. Quebec at that particular border was not especially welcoming, but I quickly made the mental adjustments. Staying a desolate night in an off-season campground in Nicolet was a surreal experience, as I was making efforts to follow the second presidential debate on my electronic devices in pouring rain.
Parc National du Bic, Quebec. Having a utopia in a Huttopia, a specially-designed tent, meeting animals, enjoying the beauty of Chemin du Norde, seeing the archeological site and walking the Chemin Le Contrabandier, but also, when moving back to my own tent – living through the coldest night of my life…
Such a rich and beautiful park. This time Pic Champlain and Les Anses trails.. Birds, seals, fantastic geology. Quiet, beautiful bays. After spending a second night in the cold, I had a shower crisis in the morning, which turned out an opportunity to meet a new friend.
Route 132, Gaspe Peninsula. On way to Forillon villages with churches. Holy Marys, windmills, castles, seabirds and trees in colors. Most spectacular were the famous cliffs appearing mid-drive. I ended the day as sola guest in an out-of-season B&B, enjoying the comforts, hearing interesting life stories from owner .
Forillon National Park, QC, is well worth it, Carriage roads and desolate forest paths lead from the “Bay of Seals” to “Land’s End”, with whales watching and gannets diving. Also rich wild life, and historical fishing sites. Forillon’s Auberge (hostel) offers socializing oppportunities and excellent services.
The huge gannet colony on Bonaventure Island is a peak experience for any naturalist. This is a bird lover paradise. Unfortunately, poor boat arrangements did not enable me to enjoy the experience to my heart delight, Still… except for Galapagos, second to none…Also, the amazing Perce rock, a geological marvel.
Seasonal beauty on Road 132 from Perce, QC to the NB border. New Brunswick to Maine: In Campbelton, quaint bilingual border town, I heard local stories at the cozy Super 8 spa. Crossing the border at Van Buren was a bit challenging. I rounded up the day with a seafood meal in Machias, ME, and the Bluebird Motel.
Acadia National Park, Blackwoods Campground is a good hub for exploring Acadia, a park rightfully deserving its reputation. Beauty is everywhere and glorious. Specifically, the Jordan Pond Loop Trail is a highly rewarding experience photographically and ecologically.
A bonanza for the body and spirit, climbing Mt. Cadillac South Ridge Trail was challenging, but doable. Meeting wonderful people and sharing food and life stories made the day. The landscape turned from forest to stark bedrock, but life still thrived in rain pools, enlivening the barren landscape. View from the top was wondrous.
Eagle Lake, Acadia National Park, ME. Circumnavigating the lake was a perfect way to round up my sola trip. Inexhaustible beauty, from smallest details of the forest floor to grand vistas of mountains in automn colors reflected in tranquil waters. Using walking path over carriage road made hike interesting.