Next on the agenda was Washington, DC. Our three teenage grandkids flew in from California and we spent five days touring our nation’s capitol. We visited the monuments and memorials, explored the Smithsonian museums and observed the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknowns.
After the grandkids flew home we headed for New England. The most direct route from Washington, DC to New England is straight up Interstate 95. It also takes the traveler through the traffic laden coastal cities of Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. Years ago we discovered the benefits of taking the parallel route I-81 instead. It may add a few miles to the journey but it has less traffic, better scenery and more campgrounds than I-95. A number of east-west interstates between I-64 in the south and I-84 in the north connect I-95 to I-81.
We enjoyed a quiet 4th of July parked next to a pasture on my cousin’s horse property in New Hampshire. Then a leisurely drive along the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine took us to the town of Calais where we crossed the border into New Brunswick, Canada. This is where the Bay of Fundy’s extraordinary high and low tides take place. Our travels through Canada’s Maritime Provinces took us across the 8-mile long bridge to Prince Edward Island. The bridge is free going into PEI but cost us close to $60.00 when we left. A ferry is also available and it too is free to the island but costs to leave. Vicki says the PEI mussels are the best she has ever tasted.
Nova Scotia was next on the agenda. We crossed the brief causeway to Cape Breton Island, drove the Cabot Trail in our toad (wouldn’t recommend driving an RV), and we visited Louisbourg on the east coast.
Then we followed the coast highways around the south half of Nova Scotia. Along the way we lingered in the charming towns of Annapolis Royal and Peggy’s Cove. Vicki did her best to eat seafood just about every day we were in the Maritimes. She even found seafood markets that would sell a live lobster for $7.99 or would cook it to order for $8.99. She chose the more expensive cooked lobster.
It only took two leisurely days to drive from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Banger, Maine where we visited with another of my many cousins. After visiting even more cousins in Massachusetts we will head west through upper New York State and into Ohio.
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