travel tales for family and friends. . .

wild horses. . .Theodore Roosevelt NP - North Dakota

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Campobello–New Brunswick–Canada and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Little Summer Cottage

Events of July 20, 21, and 22

 

Besides Lubec Maine being the Easternmost town in the United States,

Canada, United States, International Bridge

it’s also where you can drive the International Bridge to Campobello Island

Visitor Center

in New Brunswick, Canada. . .

Postcard view of the front of the Roosevelt Cottage - 36 rooms

home of Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt’s
small little summer cottage
. . .only 34 rooms. . .

 

it really was not at all an ostentatious mansion like many of the other

“summer cottages” we have toured in our travels. . .

actually a very modest home. . .the square footage was much, much

less than what the “34 room cottage” would lead you to believe.

Playroom

the children’s play room. . .there was much discussion about the glue bottle. . .

we all remembered using that stuff in school. . .and when I was in school,

it was still a glass bottle, and you had to press down really hard to get the glue to spread. . .

loved the old telescope and the Scrabble game on the table

Scrabble, dominos and a telescope set up in the corner of the parlor. . .

view from sitting room - Passamaquoddy Bay

and this glorious view overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay. . .fabulous!

Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt would use the megaphone to call her children, and, or her guests to dinner. . .as told by the docent

according to the docent. . .Mrs Roosevelt used this megaphone

to summons her five children and, or her guests from their outdoor activities.

 

The docents, placed strategically though the cottage made the tour very enjoyable. . .

they simply explained what you were looking at, and then you were free to move on,

or, if so inclined, you could ask further questions and actually have a discussion. . .

in other words, it wasn’t one of those long drawn out speeches,

where your eyes are rolling back in your head, and you’re wondering. . .

am I ever going to escape. . .it was a very, very pleasant way to do a tour. . .

we enjoyed it very much, and highly recommend it. . .

old bicycles and a chair to transport President Roosevelt after he developed polio. . .old bicycles and a chair to transport President Roosevelt after he developed polio. . .

on the back porch of the cottage were these old bicycles, and this chair designed to bring

Mr Roosevelt from the dock up to the house, after he was diagnosed with polio.

Birch Canoe located on back porch. . . notice stitching down the side. . .

the family were all athletic and enjoyed outdoor activities. . .

I loved the stitching down the side of the canoe. . .

looking up at the back of the house from Passamaquoddy Bay. . .it was located a good ways from the water. . .

leaving the house, we made our way down to the dock. . .

looking up at the back of the house from Passamaquoddy Bay. . .it was located a good ways from the water. . .

which was quite a distance from the house. . .

Eastport ME as viewed from Campobello Island Canada, Easternmost City in the USA

all summer residents of the island would take a train to Eastport Maine. . .

and then travel by boat to the island. . .

FDR - Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Plaque on Visitor Center

before you do the house tour. . .stop by the Campobello FDR Visitor Center. . .

get a map. . .and see the movie about the Roosevelt’s time on the island. . .

it will make it all come alive for you, and is well worth the time spent. . .

Canada, New Brunswick Province, Campobello Island,  (15)

the neighboring “cottage” to the Roosevelt’s was even a bit more glamorous.

. .view of Passamaquoddy Bay

it is now used as a conference center. . .you can certainly see why. . .just beautiful!

and if you are so inclined. . .this is where you can have. . .

“Tea with Eleanor”

(free tickets are given out at the visitor center)

 

Head Harbour Lighthouse - can only be reached at low tide - we hiked all the way out to the lighthouse

we also drove out to see the Head Harbor (East Quoddy) Light Station. . .

you can only hike out to it at low tide ($5 pp fee)

using some rickety, kinda rusty stairs,

and climbing over some slippery, slimy rocks.

 

I had pics of all of it. . .even the eagles we saw on the hike back. . .

but somehow I deleted them out of my camera. . .

I’m just sick about it. . .but, what’cha gonna do?

 

so the above pic of the lighthouse from the first sandbar is the only one I salvaged. . .

I’m just thankful for that one. . .or I would’a had to be “borrowing” one off the internet. . . Smile

Finback Whale

some ladies standing at the top of the stairs swore these were whales. . .

I don’t know. . .I’m not quite convince. . .but hey. . .okay. . .

we saw whales while we were in Canada. . .yaaaa!

Harbor Seals

we did drive out to Liberty Point where we absolutely did see harbor seals. . .

my zoom wasn’t strong enough to get pics of them in the water. . .

but they were very visible up on the rocks. . .

Lighthouse, West Quoddy Head Light as viewed from Campobello Island

and also from Liberty Point. . .this beautiful view of the West Quoddy Lighthouse. . .

which is located in Lubec. . .

West Quoddy Head Light, Quoddy Head State Park, Lubec ME, Lighthouses, Maine

and which we had visited up close and personal earlier in the week

at West Quoddy State Park in Lubec. . .so beautiful. . .

Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park,

you gotta love the stories. . .

Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Scenery (9)

we hiked down to the beach for a different view. . .

Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Scenery, Beach (4)Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Scenery, Beach (3)

Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Scenery, Beach (2)Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Scenery, Beach

this was the beach. . .I tell you what. . .my grandson Jordan and I could have used a few

of these awesome rocks back in the day when he and I used to do painted rock sculptures. . .

Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Scenery (5)

one more beautiful view from the beach. . .

Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Peat Bog, Hike (9)Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Peat Bog, Hike (8)

Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Peat Bog, Hike (4)Maine, Lubec ME, West Quoddy Head Light, Lighthouses, Quoddy Head State Park, Peat Bog, Hike

and one last hike above the West Quoddy Lighthouse. . .

it was almost a rain forest type atmosphere. . .with all this peet moss underfoot. . .

I wish I could explain how great it was to walk on. . .

almost like one of the cushy gel mats you put in front of the kitchen sink. . .

such a beautiful place. . .we loved it all. . .

 

Sorry this has been such a long, long post. . .I just wanted to get it ALL in. . .LOL,

 

‘til next time,

Janice and Dave

Friday, July 19, 2013

The Most Easternmost of the Easternmost. . .you figure it out

We were going to be within two hours of the most Easternmost point in the United States. . .

we gotta go. . .right. . .well of course we do!

Easternmost Town - Lubec Maine - Lighthouse - East Quoddy - West Quoddy - Sparkplug

Lubec Maine.. .the Easternmost TOWN in the USA. . .remember that!

Art, West Quoddy, East Quoddy, Lighthouses, Easternmost

I appreciate artist’s renderings. . .and this one with the East Quoddy

and West Quoddy Head Lights is especially great. . .

Lubec Maine - Easternmost Town in the USA

another rendering of Lubec Welcome. . .

Easternmost Campground

we stayed in the Easternmost CAMPGROUND. . .

Maine, Lubec ME, Easternmost Point in the United States, Coastal Maine, Sunset RV Park, RV Parks, Monaco

very nice. . .lovely views. ..water and electric with a dump station. . .

I was a little confused as to why it was called Sunset Point. . .

when I would think being the Easternmost Campground . . .Sunrise would be the focus.

Maine, Lubec ME, Easternmost Point in the United States, Coastal Maine, Sunset, Sailboat - Copy

well. . .this is why. . .beautiful sunsets across the cove

Maine, Lubec ME, Easternmost Point in the United States, Coastal Maine, Sunrise

however. . .I was specifically focused on the sunrise,

and was determined that I would get up in time to photograph it. . .HA!

this is the best I could do. . .

seriously people. . .the sun rises at 5:15. . .that is WAY before I usually get up. . .

I did get this shot from the bedroom window the first morning we were there. . .

and then we had several cloudy, foggy, rainy mornings. . .

not that I was up to see them, you understand. . .but I could hear the raindrops hitting the roof. . .

all the reason I needed to stay snuggled in for a couple more hours. . .

 

On to more Easternmost stories though. . .we visited Eastport Maine. . .

Easternmost City - Ellsworth Maine

the Easternmost CITY in the United States. . .just so you know!

Eastport ME as viewed from Campobello Island Canada, Easternmost City in the USA

here’s a beautiful view of Eastport taken from the Canadian Island of Campobello. . .

my suggestion. . .if you want to visit Eastport. . .just take the ferry from Lubec. . .

it’s not really a pretty drive over there. . .and once you get there,

I can’t honestly say there’s that much to see. . .it was okay, I guess. . .

and if you’re that close and you want to go. . .then you should. . .

 

Okay. . .last story. . .

Easternmost

we had been told that the first place to see the sunrise in the United States

is Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. . .so when we visited up there yesterday,

I was curious to see what they had to say about it. . .

 

Okay. . .I can buy the claim that if you are on the summit of

Cadillac Mountain at 5 AM,

you could possibly be the first to see the sunrise. . .

 

It all intrigues me somewhat. . .whose claim is the most valid? 

I don’t know. . .I’m just gonna enjoy the uniqueness of it all. . .

that’s their story. . .and they’re sticking to it!

 

Til next time,

Janice and Dave

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Portland Head Light–and a Fabulous Island Visit With Friends

In 2009, when we met Al and Diane in San Antonio TX. . .

who would have ever dreamed that four years later, in 2013,

we would be visiting them in their fabulous little cabin on and island in Maine. . .wow!

Maine, Frye Island ME, Diane and Al LePage, Summer Trip 2013 (15)

Our very first workamping job was as the Activity Directors at Admiralty RV Park. . .

we had so much fun. . .and Al and Diane were part of our volunteer corps. . .

Al ran the poker games and tournaments. . .and Diane was the ambassador for the activities center. ..

she would always say. . .oh I don’t really do anything. . .but really, she excelled at making folks welcome. . .

all the ladies would be up there quilting. . .someone new would walk in, and Diane would say,

'”come on in. . .where are you from” and if they were interested in crafting at all,

she would give them a tour of the facilities, make sure they knew where the schedules were. . .

just really great stuff. . .not anything that she had to do. . .she did it because she chose to. . .

and as we just discovered this week. . .it’s because she’s just a natural at it. . .

Maine, Frye Island ME, Diane and Al LePage, Summer Trip 2013

the ferry ride over . . .Al was telling us that back in the day when they still

brought their motor home back with them, there were times he would be loaded

on the ferry with his backside hangin’ off. . .aiii yaiiii yaiii. . .

that would make quite a picture wouldn’t it?

Maine, Frye Island ME, Diane and Al LePage, Summer Trip 2013 (1)

not sure why they didn’t offer to pick us up in their private plane. . .ha ha. . .

just kidding. . .it was really one of the neighbors planes. . .

Maine, Frye Island ME, Diane and Al LePage, Summer Trip 2013, David, Janice (14)

we got a little driving tour of the island. . .it was much bigger than it appeared from the water.

This was taken at one of the beaches. . .

Maine, Frye Island ME, Diane and Al LePage, Summer Trip 2013 (7)

the little harbor. . .

Maine, Frye Island ME, Diane and Al LePage, Summer Trip 2013 (5)

mountains as viewed from the island. . .we really drove down to this little beach

to see the lighthouse. . .but the owner had the top off making some repairs. . .

what are the chances?  ha ha. . .

Maine, Frye Island ME, Diane and Al LePage, Summer Trip 2013 (16)

after the driving tour. . .as Diane and I sat on the back deck

grilling a pork loin and some veggies. . .one of the locals stopped by to visit. . .

Maine, Frye Island ME, Diane and Al LePage, Summer Trip 2013 (20)

Dave and I had the privilege of spending the night in the “puzzle room”. . .

I loved it, and wish I would have gotten some better pics. . .

As they’ve collected puzzles in their travels,

they’ve fastened them to the walls and ceiling in this bedroom,

until it actually looks like wallpaper.  It wasn’t til I was lying in bed looking at the ceiling,

that I realized they had also added pics of themselves to the puzzles. . .

it was so great!  I’m kinda sad that this is the only picture I got. . .

but, I didn’t wanna just go around snapping pictures of someone else’s house. . .

 

Al’s parents bought a lot back in the 60’s

and built the cabin. . .Al and Diane have done lots of improvements over the years. . .

taking down a wall to open up the sunroom. . .it was really, really a great space. . .

 

The next morning, after a breakfast of blueberry pancakes. . .we all loaded up in both vehicles,

and headed back to the ferry, where they loaded us on with a dump truck AND a cement truck. . .

I’m glad I was riding with Diane, and we kept a conversation going that kept my mind off of it. . .LOL!

We parked our car at the mall. . .and joined Diane and Al for a private tour of Portland. . .

seriously. . .it just doesn’t get much better. . .

Maine, Portand ME, Coastal Maine, Diane and Al LePage, Portland Head Light, Lighthouses  (26) (23)

Maine, Portand ME, Coastal Maine, Diane and Al LePage, Portland Head Light, Lighthouses  (26) (6)

first stop. . .Portland Head Light. . .so, so beautiful. . .

Maine, Portand ME, Coastal Maine, Diane and Al LePage, Portland Head Light, Lighthouses  (26) (1)

just one more view. . .of course I have many more views in my folder. . .

these are just the ones I loved the most. . .

Commissioned by President George Washington 1790

commissioned by George Washington . . .

Maine, Portand ME, Coastal Maine, Diane and Al LePage, Portland Head Light, Lighthouses, Compass  (26) (15)

I loved this too. . .

Lunch at the Clam Shack

next stop. . .yup. . .lunch!

Whole body clams. . .delicious. . .fried scallops. . .delicious. . .perfectly cooked. . .

Bug Light Lighthouse, Downtown Portland

then on to the “Bug Light”. . .

Bug Light Lighthouse, Downtown Portland, header

and a view of Downtown Portland. . .

 

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Al and Diane, and hope they know

how much we appreciate them taking the time to play hosts. . .

‘til next time,

Janice and Dave

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Kennebunkport Maine

Maine, Kennebunkport, Town (57)

Kennebunkport Maine. . .a pretty little coastal village

Maine, Kennebunkport, Harbor, Boats (59)

with a pretty little harbor

Beach Path

a pretty little beach path

Maine, Kennebunkport ME, Coastal Maine (23)

overlooking the beautiful Maine Coast and Atlantic Ocean. . .

Maine, Kennebunkport, Bush Compound (45) (6)

but. . .being a Texan. . .there’s one main reason for stopping over in Kennebunkport.

To see with my very own eyes. . .the summer home of Bush 41. . .

Maine, Kennebunkport, Bush Compound, David, Janice (45) (8)

the Texas flag almost unfurled in the breeze. . .

Maine, Kennebunkport, Bush Compound (45) (9)United States Flag, Texas Flag, Maine FlagMaine, Kennebunkport, Bush Compound (45) (10)

plaque and anchor near the parking area

Maine, Kennebunkport, Tide Out, Coastal Maine (47)

a pretty little cove. . .tide’s out

Maine, Kennebunkport, Boats, skiff  (62)

and my favorite picture of the day. . .

 

loved seeing Kennbunkport. . .a great day for the memory bank. . .

‘til next time,

Janice and Dave

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Niagara Falls at Last

Monday, July 8

It took me 55 years. . .but I finally made it. . .

and the best part. . .

New York, Niagara Falls (2)-006

Dave had never seen Niagara Falls either. . .so we get to explore together. . .nice!

On all of our trips, except Alaska and Hawaii, Dave had gone as a child. . .

it’s fun to be able to have new adventures together. . .I like it!

New York, Niagara Falls (26)-001

and as if exploring with Dave wasn’t exciting enough. . .my younger brother. . .

the middle child. . .and Mama’s favorite. . .ha ha. . .had business in the area. . .

so he and his fabulous bride, Kim. . .were able to join us. . .

seriously. . .not sure if it gets much better!

Top of the Falls Restaurant

our very first stop. . .Top of the Falls Restaurant. . .yes a burger was $15. . .

but it was a delicious burger. . .and where else could you enjoy a burger and fries with this view. . .worth it!

Niagara Falls - view from Luna Island

it was ALL fabulous. . .no pictures. . .no matter how many I show you

could ever do justice to the awesomeness of God’s majestic handiwork!

 

First off, we purchased the Discovery Pass. . .it’s available at all the kiosks inside

Niagara Falls State Park. . .$33 per person. . .included the transportation to everywhere. ..

so we rode the trolley. . .got off at every stop. . .explored every inch. . .

or you can buy the Adventure Pass on the Canadian Side. . .basically the same package.

Niagara Falls - Sisters Island - Bird Fishing - Collage

this little guy was fishing at Three Sister’s Island. . .my photographer hubby caught him in the act

Niagara Falls - view from Luna Island

the views from Luna Island were beyond spectacular. . .

we were so close to Bridal Falls we could almost reach out and touch it. . .

I’m including this short video of Bridal Falls on the left and the American Falls on the right. . .

I hope it will work, so you can see the volume of water going over these falls. . .amazing!

Cave of the Winds Collage

at Cave of the Winds I had the bright idea (because I had read it somewhere)

to put my camera in a ziploc bag to protect it. . .

I’m very sad that none of my pics really came out. . .

I can tell that Louis and Kim are waving at me from the Hurricane Deck,

but only because I know they were there. . .not really sure how you could get pics up there. . .

the guys with the waterproof cameras weren’t having very much luck either. . .

the force of the water when you are standing on the platform is so great

that you can literally only stand there for a few seconds. . .

an RV friend advised wearing our Frog Togs rain gear rather than the

cheap plastic ponchos they issue to you. . .brilliant tip. . .that’s why I have on the green poncho. . .

then Dave and I also decided to wear Crocs rather than switching out to the lovely water sandals. . .

Maid of the Mist Collage

the Maid of the Mist (Discovery Pass) is a must do. . .

but again, very difficult to get pics. . .

as advised we went to the right hand side of the boat,

because we were told that when the boat swung back around

we would have the best views from that viewpoint. . .

I hafta agree that they were correct. . .

all the folks who had crowded to the front were quickly

scrambling for a better viewing angle. . .it wasn’t such an issue on our boat,

as it wasn’t very crowded. . .but we had seen boats earlier in the day that were wall to wall people. . .

I believe if I ever do it again, I will remain on the lower deck. . .

the views are just as good. . .and you don’t get “rained” on quite as much! 

I had all the being rained on I cared for when I carried mail. . .thank you very much. . .

paying to experience it just doesn’t rate real high up there on my wish list. . .

but the Maid of the Mist experience is great. . .and we highly recommend it!

Toronto Ontario Canada Niagara Falls Collage

we were told repeatedly. . . and often. . . that the view of the falls was so much more awesome. . .

so much more spectacular from the Canadian side. . .so of course we wanted to experience that!

and while I would agree that the view of the American Falls and Bridal Falls is better from over there. . .

if you don’t have a Passport. . .I wouldn’t go to the trouble and expense of getting one just for that view.

 

You can go out on the viewing platform above the Maid of the Mist, and get a beautiful view of

the American Falls from there. . .it’s not head on like from the Canadian side. . .but it’s pretty darn fabulous. . .

and. . .if you plan correctly, and do a bit of switching up. . .you could easily get a spectacular view

of the American Falls and Bridal Falls from the deck of Maid of the Mist. . .

 

one last note about Niagara Falls. . .

read this blog post. . .he will tell you a lot more details

and info than I could ever remember to share. . .

http://www.rv-dreams-journal.com/2011/07/niagara-falls-state-park-niagara-falls-ny.html

I saved this blog entry for the last two years because it was so great

and had so much information. . .if you are going. . .I recommend reading it!

Canada, Ontario, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Floral Clock (3)

another must see on the Canadian Side. . .the Floral Clock. . .very pretty!

 

Lots more to explore,

Til next time,

Janice and Dave


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