Canadian Maritimes with Mahoney/Brewers 08

[Tom]

... if we do, we'll have your experience to rely on.

Methinks that many of us will rely on Betty's and Jeff's writings for travel in the maritimes. Wish we'd had more time to spend there last trip, but hopefully next year ...

[Betty Brewer]

September 10,  2008  Trenton, Maine USA     Timberland  Acres RV Park  207-667-3600


Well it was an uneventful crossing through Calais border crossing to the USA.  As it was the night before a big travel day,  I could not sleep last night.  I was excited to return to US soil.  The border had about 10 cars in front of us. The entrance was a little tricky for a 40 foot motor home with toad.  Had to really hug the curb  to make the turn into the aisle.  We  provided our passports, were asked where we were coming from and told to pull up a 10 yards or so and stop.  We followed the directions.  An official asked us what we were bringing into the country that we did not have when we left.  Two t shirts.   Did we have any fruits vegetables or meat?  Answer:  We have no fruit but we have lettuce carrots and onions,  one bottle of wine and one can of beer.   Ok Thank you very much have a nice day.  And off we go.  We traveled 50 yards to a fuel  station and  edged into the pumps.  Problem was they had no diesel at this station so  we  edge our way back to the road and  off we go  in the USA! We are happy to see miles per hour as speed limits and  fuel prices posted outside stations. We got  our least expensive diesel since we filled in Yuma AZ on April 8, 2008.  We paid $3.99 per gallon. A bargain.  Our highest fuel on this trip was in Gander Newfoundland at $6.01 per gallon.

 We followed Highway 1 to Trenton, Maine.  I could not help but notice that we saw more junky yards along this route than we did in all of Maritimes.  But we also saw lovely big well maintained yards.  As we neared Bar Harbor the traffic picked up.  There are still lots of  tourists here.  We selected this campground on the recommendation of Gary and  it is going to be a good base for our week’s stay here.  Some of the sites are  over 100 feet in length!  Clear cut area so we have internet, TV and  a nearby Wal-Mart.  We are happy.

It has been 2 days since Russ left us  and we were  having withdrawals, we  phoned him on our arrival and drove the 8 miles to the   RV Park where he is staying,   Narrows Too.  It is a fancy resort and many sites are on the water.  We  picked him up, drove 2 blocks to a lobster pound and the three of us had another farewell dinner.  Russ had lobster, Terry had steamed clams and I had gulf shrimp.  The only problem was the mosquitoes  got to us as the meal neared it’s end.  He will move south in the morning and we will  stay for a week.  What a trip.  What good friends.

Thank you for following our adventures.

[Pat Maitland]

Betty - What a wonderful adventure!  You have made us feel like we were there.  Thanks for the ride. Look forward to seeing you two down south - Alice and Pat

[Tom and Margi]

I just noticed that there have been 6,000+ forum views of your Maritime journal.   

What a testament, not only to your writing talent, but to the enthusiasm you inject into each description of what you have seen and experienced every day of  your travels.  I believe it's your enthusiastic, consistent, positive, optimistic outlook toward travel which keeps all of us "tuning in" each day.   Heck, you could describe a trip to the Emeryville mudflats at low tide and I'd be hooked!   

Good job, girlfriend, good job!   

Margi

[Barb]

Writing a Journal everyday is a time consuming and dedicated task.  I thank you for all your efforts.  I have enjoyed reading all of your journals.  We hope to get there someday also.  I feel the same way Wendy does.  Thanks for sharing.

Barb

[Hfx_Cdn]

     Margi, that's exactly what Betty did, go up and read her notes on the Hopewell Rocks/  I've been there, got the bumper sticker, it is not much more than mud flats with big rocks.  Betty makes it sound so inviting, I almost want to stop the next time we drive by, and it has been 20 years since we actually have stopped. 
     I must admit, after reading the Mexico string, then following this string throughout Atlantic Canada, I was very pleased to finally meet Betty, Terry and Russ when they hit Shediac.  Being familiar with a lot of the areas being described only increased my fascination with the posts.  Being an Atlantic Canadian, I am very proud of my native area, and if their only real negative comments are on our Provincial birds, the mosquito, then we've each done our small part in making the tourists feel welcome.
     Thank you for all your comments, hopefully we will meet again and we all look foreward in reading your next sojourn.

Ed & Donna

[JerArdra]

Betty & Terry,

Your journal has been excellent...thank you.  We are glad you went back to the reversing falls restaurant for a second time.  We did too because it is such a nice place.  Have a wonderful and safe journey home.

Thanks again,
Jerry & Ardra 

[Betty Brewer]

          I must admit, after reading the Mexico string, then following this string throughout Atlantic Canada, I was very pleased to finally meet Betty, Terry and Russ when they hit Shediac.  Being familiar with a lot of the areas being described only increased my fascination with the posts.  Being an Atlantic Canadian, I am very proud of my native area, and if their only real negative comments are on our Provincial birds, the mosquito, then we've each done our small part in making the tourists feel welcome.

Ed and Donna,

Thank you for your kind words but even more thank you for your kind actions.  Your invitation to  dinner at your cottage in Shediac, New Brunswick  was among the  top highlights of our trip.  No matter what sights we see or history we learn, it seems to me that the interactions we have with PEOPLE  are the most special and memory making .  Your hospitality certainly impressed us.  I  again thank you for all of your  tourist tips.  Canadians have much of which to be proud.  Your invitations and open sharing  gave me reason to reflect on how I might treat tourists I've never ever even met.  Hopefully I will have become a better American who thinks about giving the personal touch to  visitors from other countries if not from even other parts of our own big USA.  You and Donna have a standing invitation for some hospitality if you ever get into Southern Arizona!  ( While we are "home." )

Betty

[ArdraF]

Betty,

I was waiting to be sure you got back into the U.S. okay, so WELCOME HOME!  Glad "it" was a non-event.  Your daily journal was fabulous and I've enjoyed every single word and photo in it.  My days won't seem the same without checking on your whereabouts. 

Enjoy your week of rest before resuming your journey.

ArdraF

[Terry A. Brewer]

Final 88 day expense report.

Fuel includes motorhome & auto.
Meals includes groceries & restaurants.
Lodging is campgrounds.
Miscellaneous is everything else...mostly sightseeing/tour fees & souvenirs, Ferry Fees but not Tires for the Envoy.

   Fuel.....................$4575.23
   Meals...................  3242.92
   Lodging................  2356.37
   Miscellaneous.......... 4199.02

   Total.................... $14373.54

  $163.34 a day for two people. We Have Not SKIMPED on anything.<G>

Miles Driven   

Motorhome................4404
Gmc Envoy................4739

Total........................9143


Below I'm showing our 2006 Alaska Expenses for comparison

Final 109 day expense report.

Fuel includes motorhome & auto.
Meals includes groceries & restaurants.
Lodging is campgrounds.
Miscellaneous is everything else...mostly sightseeing/tour fees & souvenirs.

   Fuel.....................$3637.89
   Meals...................  3169.89
   Lodging................  2163.14
   Miscellaneous.......... 4793.17

   Total.................... $13764.09

  $126.28 a day for two people. We Have Not SKIMPED on anything.<G>

Miles Driven Alaska/Canada

Motorhome................6258
Gmc Envoy................3343

Total........................9601

[ArdraF]

Terry and Betty,

Even with all those lobsters, feeding the vehicles cost about $1,300 more than feeding the two of you!    But then, you're worth it!

ArdraF

[Tom]

Thanks Terry. Can you imagine 2 people going anywhere on an 88-day vacation and seeing/doing the things you and Betty did for under $14,500? You can't beat an extended RV trip.

[Jeff]

Terry:

I haven't added ours up yet but I think you two got off easy. Your trip was longer so I guess you got the volume discount!

[Wendy]

Terry - Interesting comparison. I'm surprised that the daily in Canada was higher than the daily in Alaska. Even if you take out the fuel expense, you get Canada $111.34 and Alaska $92.90.....must be all that lobster you ate !

Thanks for posting. I enjoy seeing the numbers. And it gives me some idea of what we'll need if we ever head that way. Just curious, do you think that any trip in Canada would cost more than a trip the same number of miles and days in the U.S.?

Wendy

[ArdraF]

Wendy,

One difference was no ferries to Alaska.  That would have accounted for some of it.

ArdraF

[Betty Brewer]

Terry - Interesting comparison. I'm surprised that the daily in Canada was higher than the daily in Alaska. Even if you take out the fuel expense, you get Canada $111.34 and Alaska $92.90.....must be all that lobster you ate !Thanks for posting. I enjoy seeing the numbers. And it gives me some idea of what we'll need if we ever head that way. Just curious, do you think that any trip in Canada would cost more than a trip the same number of miles and days in the U.S.?

Wendy I won't speak for Terry but I can give you my take on costs.  The  cost of food groceries and restaurants as well as campground fees was  considerably more  in Canada.  We were not able to boon dock  very much at all, while in Alaska we had many many nights of  overnights along  beautiful sides of the road.  In Canada we also had over $1200 worth of Ferry fees to and from Newfoundland.  Then there was the ferry and bridge to PEI.  The lobster in camparison to eating out  in USA was a bargain.  I think any trip in Canada would be more than any trip in USA.  Fuel cost are considerable higher.  Their taxes are  as much as 16 % in some places.  EVERYHING in  Newfoundland cost more than US prices as they have to transport everything tothe island. 
I went back and reviewed our Alaskan  Miscellaneous cost ( thank you to Ned's rolling stock program) and found we had some expensive plane fares for sight seeing, some expensive fising boat charters, some expensive souvenirs .  This may have equalized our  ferry to  NL.  The cost of traveling and making memories is what it is and  is worth it to us.  ( Even if I gulp at the end of a month!)

[Terry A. Brewer]

Wendy

>Terry - Interesting comparison. I'm surprised that the daily in Canada was higher than the daily in Alaska. <<

Just about everything in Canada is more expensive...Combine that with HIGH SALES TAX( I hope they are getting excellent medical benefits), our monies being about equal & high gas prices equal a very expensive travel destination.....but one well worth it, what price do you put on experiences & memories? Each person will have to answer that.

I like to post my expenses because I always wondered how much extended vacations were costing folks.

[Tom]

... I hope they are getting excellent medical benefits...

That discussion has been moved here.