Walking Tour of Pictou Nova Scotia & What We Have Learned From Traveling In Canada So Far

Pictou, Nova Scotia ( 58   degrees blue skies, puffy clouds)

We are getting ready to take the ferry from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland in a couple of days. Most of the day was spent with some general maintenance of our rigs but in the morning we headed out with Barry and Jann to the Pictou, a historic town on the pretty Northumberland Shore. This town has a proud history of being settled by Scottish immigrants in the late 1700's.

MacGregor Memorial - tribute to a pioneer minister who had great influence on this town

Liliace are blooming everywhere and they are so tall

Grohmann's knives - this "tool" took 3 months to make - 12 hours a day

John's in a lot of trouble now

Hector Square a memorial for 200 Scottish immigrants who arrived in 1793 (a difficult 11 week passage)

Old Post office -note window in chimney

Replica of the ship Hector

It was an enjoyable way to spend the morning. The weather has greatly improved.

We've been in Canada for a few weeks now. So, what have we learned so far -

• The cities we have visited have been so beautiful. Lovely rivers run along most of them. It's been even prettier than expected
• Canadians are very friendly and helpful. 
• It is more expensive to buy just about everything here then in the U.S. and there is a hefty 15% tax . Try to buy toiletries and staples before entering
• People we met in Quebec were friendly than expected
• Roads for the most part are very good, however, all signs in Quebec were only in French and very confusing
• A Garmin or GPS is essential
• Our smartphone special features other then talk and text do not work here unless there is WYFI 
• Electricity in some campgrounds can be sketchy. Be sure to have an energy management system to avoid problems in your rig
• Tim Horton coffee shops can be your new best friend - great coffee and free WiFi. They are everywhere
• Have some Canadian money on hand before entering. Many of the campgrounds take only cash Be sure to check exchange fees. They can really vary in Canada.
• Gas is purchased by the liter (3.87 per gallon) and it currently runs about $4.25/gallon for diesel
• Canada is very clean, no trash, streets are swept
• Restaurants do not serve unsweetened ice tea (poor John)
• Many of the tourist attractions do not open until mid June
• Victoria Day Holiday is very busy, be sure to have camping reservation well in advance (last Monday before May 25th)
• Boat tours are a wonderful way to see a city
• Canadian chocolate is fabulous

What did you learn by traveling in Canada?

Favorite city to date - Ottawa!

Tomorrow we go to North Sydney where we will get on a large ferry to Newfoundland. It takes about six hours (weather permitting) and you drive your motorhome and car right on the ship.  We are then quickly heading up to St. Anthony for the Iceberg Festival. Large icebergs break off of Greenland and float by this area. We have heard it's a lot of fun and we've been seeing some of the spectacular icebergs on Twitter which are being spotted. Stay tuned!

Hike Out To The Lands End - Forillon National Park

Gaspe, Quebec (52 degrees, chilly, windy, blue skies)\

We visited the beautiful Forillon National Park three times while staying in Gaspe. There are lots of trails, forests, birds to see all surrounded by the sea. It's definitely a gem. On average we have been hiking about five miles a day, oftentimes a lot more. It's been great therapy for my knee and it feels better with each passing day. The weather has been very chilly and windy most of the time but it hasn't kept us from getting out there. 

We were here the first day the park opened and bought our Discovery Passes from the gate office. It's sort of like a National Park pass in the U.S. but it also gets you into many historical places. The cost is $67.0 CAD and $57.90 for seniors 65 or over per person. 

We saw some wildlife: nine porcupines, three black bears, three grey seals, three Menke whales, one Blue Whale, one rabbit and a marmot. Birds are also plentiful but unfortunately we did not find the White-winged Crossbill. We searched and searched for that one but didn't have any luck. Sorry Randy!

Razorbill

Herring gull

Black Bear

Porcupine

Common Murres

Common Murres

Black-legged Kittwakes

One day we did take a trail out to the Lands End. Way at the top of a hill was Cap Gaspe lighthouse. It is also the end of the International Appalachian Trial. This trail starts in Maine where the AT ends and it travels to this final destination. Pretty cool! At the end we could see sharp cliffs below. It was a breathtaking sight. 

The next day we took a whale watching adventure cruise. We didn't see as many whales as we had hoped for but it was fun nonetheless. The boat almost flew across the water. It was a thrilling trip but even with the attractive slickers and piles of clothes on underneath we came back pretty much bone chilled. 

Our boat

Our guide Samantha

Jann

Minke Whale

On the lookout for whales

This is the water view of the cliff and lighthouse we saw at Lands End. 

We have all really enjoyed the Gaspe area and it's been even more beautiful then we imagined. The drives along the coastline was  so lovely. We are now on our way to New Brunswick and will soon be on the ferry to Newfoundland. Thank for stopping by. 

The End