The Van is Go

The road back to DC: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Jersey

I wanted to be back at my home base in the DC area for a Halloween party and a horse race weekend, so I had a little less than a week between leaving Vermont and aiming to be home. I used my day traveling through northwestern Massachusetts to stop at, yes, roadside attractions! I’m not sure what my obsession with ridiculous sights like these is, but I’m guessing the combination of bizarre, not super useful, and silly speaks to my nature (I myself am all these things sometimes). I’m coming for you one day, giant ball of yarn.

On the agenda of crazy side trips over a few days in MA:

A grave marker of some couple with a fantastic sense of humor- an expired parking meter. Time’s up for everyone some day so why not laugh about it
The plaque and sculpture commemorating the giant block of cheese the town of Cheshire sent to Thomas Jefferson at the White House, which I was so excited to see because of the West Wing (if you don’t know, watch this now please: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPl9zPuqj_U; and later it was back! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex_jJlv5HKk). The stature is of a cheese press, I’ve read. Who knew?
The bridge of flowers, connecting two towns with a lovely pedestrian garden walk
The leaning tower of pizza- that’s good marketing
The original Dunkin’ Donuts location, which is outside Boston and felt super sketchy in the parking lot. Had a maple donut and coffee at the counter and it was the delicious sugar rush I needed to drive a few more hours
The grave of Lizzie Borden’s dogs, because why not? Just because you may or may not have murdered your family with an ax doesn’t diminish your love of pets. The inscription reads ‘sleeping awhile’

While in the area I got to catch up with my godmother’s nephew in Salem, where I got Indian food, a tour of the Salem sights like an old ship, old graveyard with witch history, and a cool fountain of the town’s layout, and to plot the next trip we want our “Jane family” to take. This town goes all out for Halloween and it was pretty fun to wander at the tail end of ghost/witch tours and feed the tourists false information. I met a nice guy there, too, wasn’t very chatty but I feel like we really connected.

The next day I visited Concord and walked through the picturesque cemetery, home of several notable graves, many placed together on ‘author’s ridge’. One notable inhabitant is Henry Davis Thoreau, so I stopped by his headstone, left an origami bird made from a page of Walden, then headed to nearby Walden Pond. The pond is serene in fall since no one is swimming anymore, there were just a few people fishing and walking. The parking fee is steep so I should have just walked the mile and a half from town but alas. I walked the path around the pond, stopped inside the replica cabin (small, for sure, but still bigger than the van), contemplate at the cabin site, dip my toes in the clear water, and have lunch on a rock by the water. I was about 3/4 of the way through re-reading Walden and some essays (yes, purposefully planned to coincide with the visit) so it was all fresh in my mind. Beautiful spot to spend a year of not-so-solitary funemployment, so I obviously felt a connection here.

My mother’s family is concentrated in this part of the state, so I got to visit with some of her cousins. We looked over old photos and caught up on news before having dinner at the oldest operating Inn in the country now known as Longfellow’s Wayside Inn. Longfellow once visited here on recommendation from friends (then called something else I don’t recall) and was inspired to write “Tales of a Wayside Inn” set here, so the name stuck. On the adjacent properties are also an old grist mill, church, and one room schoolhouse which claims to be the site of the school inspiring “Mary had a little lamb”. A beautiful space on a beautiful fall day.

Spending time with my family I haven’t seen in probably a decade was nice and I hope to get better at keeping in touch with everyone more regularly. I swung by the home my grandmother and her family grew up in and in which she lived with her sister in her later years. Around the corner is the cemetery where many in the family are commemorated, so I stopped by here to chat with my grandparents and clear away some leaves. The last time I was here may have been when we buried my grandmother’s ashes, so I had some guilt bubbling up about that and for resenting her needing so much care and forgetting me in her last years, so there was some crying but mostly just remembering special moments from my childhood.

I crossed into Rhode Island and stopped in Providence to watch the baseball game and made some buddies who were amused by my excitement at what was a random game for them (except the one guy who had bet on the game and was less than pleased by our 12 runs). I may have texted my friend who went to school in the city to ask whether I was going to be murdered since the street was kind of creepy and had some broken glass and looked industrial, but I guess this is just what the area is like. All was well and man did they have cheap drinks, and free microwave popcorn! My favorite conversation was that the bartender had some fancy organic IPA on special for $2 because, as he said, “no one here wants that fancy weird stuff, we just want Bud light and stuff we know, so it’s make it cheap and move it to make room for the good stuff”. Ha.

As the bartended gave me extra drinks to celebrate the win, or maybe just saw someone who would take some of his ‘fancy’ stuff off the table, I was hurting the next morning. Overshare alert: There’s nothing like the magic of coming across a public bathroom in the parking lot of a marina when you’re gonna puke. Bonus, it was right next to the roadside attraction of a stone with runes carved into it. Mysterious. Hung out here and conquered nausea, then hung out in Newport for a while by the beach. Had a great nap with the sea breeze here, then hit the road and suffered though many hours of too much traffic through Connecticut (too much to stop anywhere I wanted to) to get to New Jersey.

I have made fun of New Jersey a lot in my life. And I will continue to do so for the rest of my days. But, that said, this particular area of New Jersey was nice because it looks at Manhattan. I visited a friend there for the night, which was cool because I’ve only ever seen this guy when he comes to DC to visit so seeing him on his own turf was fun. After leaving I stopped at the world’s biggest light bulb, which is set at the top of a tower at the sight of Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park workshop site. Inside is a bulb burning constantly, and across the street is a lightbulb sculpture and museum. Further down the road, past many stinky farm fields and other stuff, I also made a pit stop to see a giant cow statue in a field of real cows that seemed like little mini-cows in comparison. Not a bad surreal ending to this leg of trip before getting home.

Vermont

I love Vermont. Beautiful scenery, cool vibe, most craft breweries per capita, delicious chocolate, chill people, and all the cheese!!! It was great to visit again and stop by some repeat spots, check out some new places, visit with family, and consume all the yumminess.

After riding out a big storm in a nice tree-less parking lot in New Hampshire by the border, I spent the morning touring the Simon Pearce shop, which was a nice rainy day spot to watch the glassblowing in action, have some delicious food (cheese soup and quiche put me in delightful dairy overload food coma), and watch the hydropower setup. Stopped by the Quechee Gorge, too, which was pretty but not quite a must-see, sorry Trip Advisor.

In Burlington I got to stay with my cousin Katy, which was great because I never really got to know a lot this branch of my family particularly well, so having this chance to reconnect with people has been wonderful. Katy’s house is the coolest, too, with bright colors, touches from her many travels and experiences, and by chance a rock climbing wall porch and tree house overlooking the garden. She also hooked me up with a sweet tour of a nearby farm and education center.

Shelburne Farms has over a thousand acres of land with trails, beautiful views of the lake, stone buildings, a working farm with a dairy, and a hotel and restaurant which utilizes the farm gardens and animal products. They also host a variety of educational programs for school groups, educators, summer programs, and preschool classes focusing on nature education. It was interesting to see the staff at work setting up for a workshop with their extensive materials and curriculum.

Outside Burlington I got to see the world’s tallest filing cabinet- why this exists, I couldn’t say, but pretty fun. Checked off some Vermont brewery stops- my favorite was Hill Farmstead, cleared out samples at the Cabot shop, and took in the views of the Stowe area.

I had a nice easy walk through a marshy stream area with lots of beaver activity and dams in the works, and pretty waterfalls. The day was finally clear after a few cloudy post-storm days, and the morning sunlight made the leaves glow like magic. Further south found a few nice spots in the Green Mountains to sleep, one near a lake on the Appalachian Trail which I walked out to and got to see one of the huts, which was pretty cool. As usual, I couldn’t leave Vermont without a stop at the Vermont Country Store. I love the smell of that place, like a cedar closet almost. It’s full of a little of everything, and I ate all the dip, cheese, candy, cracker, cookie, spread, and salsa samples my belly could hold. Yum!

I may have to come back again sometime in the midst of winter mess to see if I could hack it, but I do love this place.

New Hampshire

I got to New Hampshire just in time for the magical intersection of the long Columbus/Indigenous People’s Day weekend depending on where you are, and peak foliage color in the area, so everything was unusually crowded. Woohoo! I went on a few nice hikes in the White Mountains, the first of which was a quick waterfall trail which led over lots of roots and fallen logs alongside a stream with several small and one large waterfall. The trail wasn’t marked very well after a while, so these older gentlemen and I kept passing one another searching for the right path. They were unlucky and stepped on a root with grumpy bees and got stung. Glad I didn’t overlap with them there, yikes!

The next day’s trail was my longest day, which took me up one of the most heavily traveled trails, the Franconia Notch loop. It took me up a steep and rocky path on a misty morning to one of the AMC huts where I had some tea before continuing up to Mt. Lafayette (and sang Hamilton lyrics every time I thought the name), the tallest of the summits that day, and then along the ridge to Mt. Lincoln and Little Haystack mountain summits before heading down an even steeper, muddy path. The loops had some fun boulders to scramble up and down, which was a little tricky going down since it was slippery from recent rain and the morning mist and clouds passing through. Like when I drove to the top of Mt. Washington a few years ago, it was clear at the base, cloudy the way up, and cold and windy at the top. I looked super stellar and svelte in my many poofy layers, I know.

My last NH hike was the Mt. Jackson & Webster loop, which was a shorter hike but I just couldn’t get as energized that morning and was slow going the whole time. I am admittedly rather slow going up steep sections, and have been more slow and cautions going down steep sections and rocks while alone, especially with no one to keep pace for, but man was I slow that day. The like 6 mile or so loop took me around 6 hours, but that includes photo stops, many snacks, some reading. I think I didn’t sleep well and was getting some leaf allergies, and was so happy to shower later (paid $5 at a campsite to use their shower and get water) and slept hard that night. Blah. At the summits on this hike there were these birds, some kind of jay I think, that were totally habituated to people snacking and expected to be fed. One very cocky bird swooped in and pecked my hand while I ate a cracker assuming I’d give it to her. Wrong move, bird, I was planning to give you crumbs but you lost that opportunity. Ouch! I ate the rest of my lunch hunched over behind a rock nervously watching for a return attack.

While in NH I also made time to go to a ski resort’s Oktoberfest celebration and watch people try to throw a keg, so that was pretty entertaining for cheap. Plus, something new and different, pretty leaves! Stayed one night by a lake which was spectacular in the morning as the mist started to lift and the birds were the only company at sunrise. Random other impressions: There were some beautiful old houses in Nashua and Concord, and the part of Manchester I stopped to watch the Nats clinch the division (woot!) was uber sketch after sunset. I guess there was a drug rehab place around the corner or something according to the guy who was trying very hard to seem rich and well to do. I know all about his yacht and construction business (for a self described rich guy I got zero free drinks out of listening to him for hours while really just trying to watch tv. Hmm) and he seemed very impressed that I could go without a shower for multiple days.

I also stopped by two more schools while here, one more traditional daycare program which happens to have several acres of land and is certified as a nature/green playground habitat and runs off solar, incorporates lots of outdoor time and nature based programming, etc. The other was a pretty amazing school that has two classrooms of preschoolers and/or Kindergarteners, one in a yurt and the other a repurposed and updated barn. The outdoor spaces were open yet defined, with a giant nest of logs as a meeting space, a forest with the alphabet hanging from trees making a letter path, and more. I’d estimate this program is about 75% outdoor most days, and visiting with them was like watching a promotional video for the benefits of unstructured outdoor learning. What an experience. The town it was in was cute, and the people at the town public library were the nicest.

Along the same lines, I also stopped by the campus of a grad program I’ve been toying with to refresh my memory of the details and offerings. This school seemed like a natural fit for my interests, and the campus had so many nice touches that really reflect their values of conservation and mindful use for their exclusively grad student population. I’m still not 100% sure whether to invest the time and money before having a better sense of what I intend my next move to be, but I was close that day. Not to mention the town in which it’s located, Keene, struck me as a place I could see myself spending time or living in or near. I have a feeling I’ll be back sometime soonish, New Hampshire. Maybe in winter to see if I can hack it!

Maine southbound

I was excited to hear that my friends Rachel and Ben and their little cutie would be in Acadia to celebrate Ben’s 40th birthday, so luckily my plans were flexible enough to allow swinging back through Acadia park to overlap with them for a few days. Plus, another visit to one of the best parks! Made it across the border with little issue. The border guard did glance at my long list of dried and packages foods I had made, peeked into my cooler, and looked under my bed to be sure I wasn’t harboring any tiny contortionists, then I was off again and back in the USA.

Driving through northern Maine was the autumn color show to which I’ve become accustomed. The road I took was pretty sparsely populated and with few shops to stop at, so I had an adventure finding some gas but made it back by early afternoon to the park. Having a small child makes long adventures and routine changes a bit more difficult, so my window had closed at meeting up with my friends until dinner, which left me just enough time to go on a short hike up the Emery and down the Homans paths near the Sieur de Monts area. When I inquired at the visitor’s center about a trail near enough town for dinner in the amount of time I had, the ranger said, “well, I know a nice one for a little workout but… how do you feel about stairs?” She was not kidding. There were a lot of stairs going up, but it did the trick after all that driving. I wandered through the wild garden while there, too, and got to see just how many kinds of ferns I don’t know how to differentiate but love anyway.

After that loop, I met up with the friends for dinner at a cozy spot with good food and enjoyed catching up with them, and later I wandered around Bar Harbor for a bit after it was time for them to go do baby bed time. I didn’t spend any time in Bar Harbor my last stop in Acadia, so it was fun to window shop and pop in here and there. Watched a little of the baseball game at Atlantic Brewing, where I eavesdropped on other tourists comparing hikes, and the employees reusing the same banter with each new batch of customers.

The next day I got to hang out with birthday boy Ben, Rachel and Barrett for the day with great coffee and bagel sandwiches, a hike around Eagle Lake with a chilly picnic lunch, a drive up Cadillac Mountain (which was so windy one lady struggled to close her car door, and the wind scared the baby so it was a brief visit), and a visit to Thunder Hole (which was more active than last time I was there). Watched some Nats along with adorable Barrett cheers, read some Caillou, had great truffle cheese and some wine, had dinner, and was gifted the chance to shower. Thanks Ben and Rachel!

Got one last Acadia hike in the following day, which was up the Dorr Mountain ladder path and down the south face trail and back along the Kane path along the Tarn, which gave some amazing views of autumn colors by the water, some beaver dams, marsh, and just a gorgeous experience.

After Acadia, I went south and did a swing through Deer Isle where I caught Stonington at sunset which was just amazing, but the town itself didn’t seem too lively when I arrived and I was eager to get where I was going to sleep further south, so onward it was. This little visit was inspired by 3 things equally: 1) my friend Lee mentioned that Stonington was lovely, 2) Steinbeck went on about it as a special place in Travels with Charley which I’d just finished and had fresh in my mind, and 3) it was another place listed as possible inspiration for the vibe of Cabot Cove on Murder, She Wrote. My mind is a bizarre place sometimes.

My destination for the night and next day was Freeport, home of L.L. Bean and a huge outlet mall. While here, I did do some shopping (and later returning of 1 of the 2 items as I talked myself out of spending money I don’t have and needing to pack more stuff). The flagship Bean store being open 24/7 is a godsend for odd hour bathrooms. I may have gone to a McDonald’s to use their wifi mainly because it’s housed in an old house (think roadside attraction junior). While here I also spent a few hours in the beautiful weather at the Maine Beer Co. taproom doing some writing, reading, and having weird deja vu flashbacks realizing that I’d been here before a few years ago on a previous trip but didn’t put it together because they’ve expanded so much the tiny space we sat and played games in is now engulfed and is the event space. Plus the guy who works there gave me a free round of samples while chatting about my trip. Win!

After Freeport, off to South Portland where I made my 3rd trip stop at delicious Scratch Baking, went to a small lighthouse park with views of downtown and a memorial and exhibit about Portland’s WWII ship building, but cold, intense wind drove me away. Instead found a lovely park with a trail going around a few ponds so I gobbled yummy breakfast near some ducks while enjoying the walk. Later on I visited my friend Michelle who used to work at the school I did, and got to see the unique community based school she’s now with. Here I witnessed kids meditating, sharing aspects of their diverse family backgrounds, and embracing the ‘radical love’ on which the school is based. What a fun experience! Spent the rest of the day eating and drinking in the city. Yum.

My last day in Maine (at least for now) I got to visit a totally different program in which upper elementary-high schoolers visit a campus for several days to experience outdoor education. I remember doing this in 6th grade but in a different kind of setting. This program, which a cousin kindly coordinated for me, was great to see in action. One of the goals of my trip is to see what inspires me and the option of working with learners outside a traditional classroom and with other ages is an option. Comparing the types of learning, activities and connections the different ages make is a good reminder and a great organization to visit.

After my school visit, the remainder of the day was spent tracking down some roadside attractions on my route to New Hampshire. The world’s largest telephone! Babe the blue ox and Paul Bunyan (another one)! Mile markers to the international sounding towns of Maine (surrounded by Sasquatch and other cool sculptures)! Another covered bridge! What a day. What a state.

Nova Scotia

The place in eastern Canada I really wanted to go on this trip was always Nova Scotia. I have no real idea why this was the case, but I’ve heard it’s beautiful and have never been as far as I know, and in my mind it’s a rugged, forested, rocky place dotted with fishing villages. I was half right. Apologies in advance for a very long post, but so much to share!

By lucky coincidence, some family friends were on vacation in Cape Breton, NS, is an island the northern tip of the province and partially comprised of the Cape Breton Highlands national park. They were incredibly gracious and invited me to stay with them for a few days, fed me, let me impose on multiple dinner parties, and do laundry. Amazing travel break with very interesting people. I got to stay in the recently completed tiny house of a neighbor who had already left for winter, so that was also just a super bonus. I love seeing how other people make use of small spaces so getting to check out one in this setting was pretty special. Having the chance to spend time with local people, thanks to Carole’s network, was fantastic, as well. My glimpse into national and local Canadian elections, the Canadian and ex-pat views on the US political mess, and welcoming attitudes of these folks was welcome.

It was rather rainy and dreary my first day in the area, which was not ideal for a place I wanted to explore every inch of park, but just a bump in the road really. I took off to a trail not far from Carole’s within the park which my hosts had recommended as having some interesting plants and views. I was not disappointed. The Jack Pine trail where I started offered nice tree cover which helped with the steady rainfall, and offered ferns, pines, and brooks at every turn. The path had helpful informational signage along the way which explained that these Jack Pines can only grow in certain conditions- their cones only open with intense heat, most often from a fire. This patch of pines are the result of a forest fire some time back.

I keep waiting for the day when you’ll be able to record smells because this would be a prime candidate. My senses were on overload here… the smells of the tannin-infused streams, decomposing leaves and logs, and wonderful pine needles gave way to the salty sea air when I approached the coastline. The sounds of calling birds, a lone toad, chattering squirrels, and dripping rain, and later the crashing waves on the rocky shore. The cold wind and wet branches and puddles making me snuggle into my gloves. At one point I found myself narrating aloud, partially as a warning on this misty morning to any bears, coyotes, or moose which call the park home (of which I saw none, but a few traces), and partially just to feel like I was processing this rich experience fully.

Eventually the Jack Pine trail met up with the coastal trail, which was partially closed but I may have taken a peek anyway. Even on the non-closed portion parts of the path were pure puddle, but luckily the rain had slowed to a drizzle and I could enjoy the views without my hood narrowing my vision. Hooray! Upon one outcropping next to a waterfall back toward the trailhead someone had places a lone Adirondack chair, which I imagine is well used in this lovely spot on drier days.

Now that the rain had stopped, I headed to a second trail on a small peninsula, which offered beautiful views but was full of people due to its location close to the Keltic Lodge compound. I’ll take the seclusion any day.

The next day was beautiful and sunny, and I joined Holly and Osamu on a drive around the Cabot Trail. This loop road around Cape Breton weaves in and out of the park land and has numerous beautiful overlooks, hits any small towns, and passes many great trails. We drove almost the entire loop aside from one small section which, due to my map reading, we skipped in favor of taking this bizarre little ferry- it takes you maybe 100 feet (don’t trust me on this, I have a terrible measurement estimation sense) over a small river. I guess they don’t have a bridge because cruise ships come through. It seems crazy, but here we are.

A drive with horticulturists is a whole different and fascinating experience. We stopped on roadsides to look at and identify plants, taste apples on trees here and there, and ponder why one variety of tree was prevalent on one side of the island while nowhere to be found on the other. I wish I knew enough to glean such insights from a scenic drive or a walk in the woods. #plantgoals. The foliage across the island, according to the locals, seems to have been affected by the hurricane that came through not long ago, and unseasonably cold weather has lingered in the aftermath, too. Thanks a lot, weather.

The visual impact from one side of the island to the other was dramatic. The eastern side where we were staying was full of pines, jagged rocky coast, and white cabins peeking out from the trees. The western side was far more open, with farmland, fishing towns, and colorful houses with absolutely zero landscaping (as Osamu aptly put it, “shitscape”) due to the high winds on this side. This open side retained more of the French heritage, while the other more Scottish.

After imposing for too long on these generous souls I made my way southwest. I stopped off at the Burntcoat Head lighthouse on this side of the Bay of Fundy in the Minas Basin, which experiences some of the largest tidal change (the largest on Earth in certain times of year and conditions), and it was illustrated here for sure. At low tide you can walk to the island across the way and signage warns to be back at the stairs by a certain time each day as the tide comes in. Hard to imagine potentially stepping on clams out there. These formations are known as ‘flowerpots’ since at low tide they resemble a clay pot with trees growing. Love it.

I was going to spend the night nearby at a beach, but the intense winds were too much and were rocking my little van too much for sleep so I journeyed on into the night across to Peggy’s Cove. I didn’t really get a sense of this unique place until morning, but the whole small fishing village is basically built atop granite boulders carved from glaciers and tides. Pretty amazing in daylight, but spectacular at sunrise.

I would have loved to stick around Peggy’s Cove, but desire to find an open bathroom led me away and to the town of Lunenburg, a UNESCO heritage site considered a prime example of a planned British settlement. Or so says my guidebook. This town was full of colorful buildings and interesting architecture. There’s some old ship they were pushing hard for tourism, but that’s not so much my deal. It was a peaceful spot, at least before 10am.

Not far out of town I came across another gem, the town of Mahone Bay, or as I shall refer to it forever in my mind, the Stars Hollow of Nova Scotia. I was just driving through but was stopped in my tracks by the scarecrow festival, and had to park and explore this place. Each shop and most homes along the main streets had displayed scarecrows with hilarious themes. I had some wonderful coffee at this shop next to a creek with ridiculous signage inside, got some provisions at a shop with baked good smells luring me in, and immediately wanted to buy a place here and be part of this community. I’m sure this is the tourist industry at its best and to visit in winter would be a different story, but seriously, if anyone wants to go in on a cottage here call me asap.

Onward to Halifax, which is the capital city of the province. Like most cities, there were some interesting sights but less charm than the smaller communities. I stopped off at a lovely public garden, wandered the waterfront, trekked up the citadel hill (but did not pay to go in), and hit the road again. I had a ridiculous side trip in my sights.

Did I drive an hour out of my way over a terrible bumpy dirt road just to visit a town with a hilarious name? Yes, obviously I did. The town of Pugwash seemed to consist of little more than a few boat launches, a laundromat, homes with tacky christmas lights, and an assortment of shops and community buildings all closed and darkened at 6pm. I spent my drive around imaging a pug getting a bath, and laughing uncontrollably at the memory of this sign in a hostel bathroom in Australia that Laura and I saw and I may have brought up every 20 minutes in a fit of giggles much to her displeasure. I also got the bonus on this side trip of going through the town of Oxford, which proudly exclaimed that it is the wild blueberry capital of Canada. Congratulations, Oxford. Well done!

apologies for the terrible lighting, but this giant blueberry guy greeted me at the gas station

Back south I went towards the US border, and after a fail at trying to see the reversing falls (tide table fail) did another nice picnic to eat stuff I can’t bring back across the border. Until next time, Canada!

On my not so green impact

Last week while in Montreal area, I made the conscious decision to avoid being in the city during the climate rally there. Blegh, I thought to myself, that sounds like it will be terrible to get around and for traffic. Which is… kind of the whole point, I know.

With young Greta Thunberg and her scathing UN speech on my mind, combined with local CBC election coverage of environmental issue platforms, and a coincidental couple of podcasts I listened to in a row (theme unplanned) on the impact of different diet types, how recycling in the US is broken, and what choices people are making to be greener in everyday life, the fact that I am currently a giant gas consumer does not escape me in the course of most hours.

Since getting my van serviced in advance of this trip, I have put more than 4000 miles on the odometer. While it’s better than I anticipated, I’ve been getting between 24-28 mpg when I figured it (admittedly have not even attempted in Canada- between Canadian dollars and liters, I don’t even know where to start), which is not great. According to whatever carbon footprint site I just used, each 5000 miles in my van is about 1.81 tons of CO2 emissions. I have no real sense of what that really means. Most of my cursory googling results in giant nationwide numbers, human averages per country, art installations, but not something more graspable to my own brain. The site did say that if I wanted to offset this emission it would be about $16-20 depending on how I wanted to do it. Perhaps I’ll take stock after my travels and plant the equivalent in trees. Once I have an income again that is…

I hate to admit to myself that this was my caveat. It is currently more important to me based on this instinct to conserve finances to prioritize being able to continue and complete my planned journey rather than factor this into my allotted funds right now as a consistent and concurrent constraint.

To be fair, I don’t have a house full of appliances. I have few electronics with me on my trip, and use solar changing when possible. I don’t waste a lot of food. I use reusable containers when possible (those zipper bags are fabulous and well used, Andrea!), only get plastic bags now when I need trash bags, and have my own metal straws, reusable water bottles and coffee cups, etc. These easy little things, of course. My meat-free diet is up to 50% less impactful to the environment, and with no fridge I’m eating more vegan on the road than I did at home, but still have the occasional eggs and cheese. I assume I’ll be flying less than my usual trips while on the road, but who knows. I collect my grey water and trash to dispose of properly, recycle (though now question whether this is helpful in the places I visit), use eco-friendly soaps if near waterways just in case…

In any event, the choice to be so frequently on the road weighs heavy sometimes, and is a nagging voice when otherwise overjoyed to be taking in the natural beauty of a hilltop, stream, ocean, or forest. But for now, I tell myself that this compromise is one I can live with provided I don’t lose this nagging voice.

Quebec City and New Brunswick

Compared to Montreal, Quebec City is teensy but gorgeous. I arrived just at dusk in a parking lot for the night just downriver from the ferry to the city in the suburb of Levis. In the morning I had a nice breakfast picnic on a damp log by the riverside in a small beachy area in the park, and moments later was joined by a family complete with grandparents who were having a family photo shoot. Grandma, grandpa, mom, and both girls wore put together outfits with color coordinated accessories. Dad… had poorly fitting jeans and a grey sweatshirt and a camo hat. Someone needs to get dad out of his usual Sunday morning getup and get with the program.

Anyway, had a nice walk to the ferry terminal about 20 min down the path and discovered it was a lucky day! The ferry across the St. Lawrence was free due to construction. I managed to lose an earring along the way, but was disembarking into Quebec City within 30 minutes.

Old Quebec City is like Disney’s version of France in Epcot. Very clean, street artists, music ranging from the Cats soundtrack to classic accordion tunes coming from somewhere unidentifiable, even a giant snow globe! You know every adorable shop is a tourist trap waiting to lure you in to get overpriced snacks or a t-shirt that for no reason has a picture of the Millennium Falcon that says Quebec. But the bright colors, happy people looking astonished to encounter yet another enchanting shopping street at every turn, and interesting (and in one case creepy as hell- see below) street art are too fun not to get swept away along with everyone else.

The older section of the city lies close to the riverside, and as you climb the hill you reach the more modern sections of local government, shops, the city walls and fortifications from British and French governance. There are only a few remaining gates into the city walls, with the Citadel anchoring one side along with the expansive Battlefield Park along the cliffs and river above the old city. The center of the skyline is a giant chalet-style hotel at the top of a funicular, which I chose not to take in favor of walking up along the ramparts and cannons along the hill.

I wandered the park, through the Joan of Arc garden, which was decorated for Halloween (side note: there was a fake cemetery display and it took me a minute to remember that these were Canadian heroes when I saw Benedict Arnold in there. Adjusting mindset to a different historical slant is for real!), and through the Plains of Abraham where a decisive battle was won by the British in the French & Indian War. It was full of families enjoying the sunny day, and very much enjoyed walking around with my bag of Quebec style popcorn from the wonderfully named Mary’s Boutique popcorn shop (Quebec mix: white cheddar, orange cheddar, and maple, which is like a subtle caramel corn. Yum) and playing Acadian Driftwood by the Band in my head on repeat.

On this lovely sunny day, I encountered two separate public singing performances (one channeling Sister Act complete with spangled robes) and left a happy car to take my space in the now full parking lot. Not far outside the city I stopped off at a waterfall. The Parc de la Chute-Montmorency has a whole tourist ecosystem planned out. From the main parking area there is a gondola ride down to a viewing area at the base of the falls, which costs a bundle but probably gives a good view. I would not know because I am cheap. In season they also have a zip line course which takes you super close over the falls. Yikes.

I opted for the bridge over the falls, and then walked down a wooden stairway to the base of the falls where I felt the cool spray of the 272′ falls (taller than Niagara, so they advertise) on my face, which was much needed for the harder than it should have been walk back up the stairway. Crazy people were running up and down the stairs giving zero cares about the view and just training, lapping me in the process and shaking the whole structure. Who are these running cult crazies, and why do they always decide that places like these are the best place to train? I will never understand some things. Anyway, that was beautiful.

That night I got my first below freezing sleeping adventure- not bad going to bed, but a chilly wake up call. I did get up in the night to put on socks and my knit headband, but haven’t had to pull out the sleeping bag for reinforcement yet. It was out of Quebec and into New Brunswick next on my way to meet up with family friends in Nova Scotia, and along the way the highway sign gods were good to me and I stumbled upon the world’s longest covered bridge. The world’s longest!!! I have a special place in my heart for a good covered bridge, with the covered bridge tour near my college town, and a long and finally fruitful search for one we could drive across still on a past road trip. So, I may have been overexcited. There’s a video I took while crossing. It was great. Yet again, fall colors on point all along the way.

Stayed the night by the beach on the Bay of Fundy just outside St. John’s, and was treated to a beautiful sunset, and woke up early for an equally magical sunrise. I could see evidence of the massive tidal change on the beach, but hit a lower tide for both sunrise and sunset and slept through high tide, though I swear I could hear the change in the night sea sounds. Next, on to Nova Scotia!

Montreal area

I’d read about a resort town north of Montreal which was listed as a great place to experience the foliage of the Laurentian range, so I made my way in the morning to the lakeside town of Mont-Tremblant. Mont-Tremblant town is a beautiful small town on the lake with nice shops, cafes, and cottages, while further up the road is the village of the same name which is a designed ski resort town on the edge of the national park of, you guessed it, the same name.

Now, big surprise here, I have never been skiing and but imagine I’d like the sitting by the fire part of ski trips. I have, however, been to many a ski slope in summer to enjoy the trails. This town reminded me of a Disney World entrance, a little too cohesive and colorful, where you know everything is overpriced and a tourist trap, but you don’t mind because that’s why you’re here. So cute.

I took the free gondola to the base of the mountain, chose a hiking route, and set off up the steep slope overlooking the town. Once I left the main path it was very peaceful with a barrage of orange and red leaves at every turn for quite some time. I happened upon a family of deer near a waterfall, obviously used to people because they did not care one bit that I was crossing right by their fawn. Up and up, with occasional views of the town, lake, and hills, until finally the top opened up with its many ski lift termini and shops. Windy but picturesque. I imagine it would be gorgeous in the snow, but the leaves are a hard sight to beat.

Going down was… less fun. The route was called the ‘Grand Prix de Colours’ so I thought to myself, great, I’ll take this meandering route up and then the color path directly back. Bad idea, Mary, did you forgot this was a ski slope and it would be straight down?? Yes. Yes I did. My knees were unhappy with me after shuffling down trying not to slide on the gravel and inadvertently body sled down.

Anyway, after that nice jaunt went into Montreal city for the evening. Found a place to shower for free during open swim time at a University student center (side note: forgot my towel in my excitement to be clean. Had to dry off with my dirty hiking shirt. Hey, it worked…) in the pool locker room and was actually mistaken for a student. Ha! Not today, wrinkles.

Walked around the neighborhood getting a sense of the city nightlife, which was super slow, so much that I didn’t want to be the only person having a snack or drink in the place, until around 9 when then everything was crazy crowded and I didn’t want to awkwardly be shoved into a corner in the throng of Friday night fun. If it were a primarily English speaking area I think it would have been different but the weekend corwn plus language barrier was one too many for me, so I got some take out vegetarian poutine to get the Montreal experience (spicy mac & cheese variety at the manager’s suggestion), ate in a pedestrian street park, and then parked by a riverside park for the night.

Did a little tour of the ciry the next day, drove past this weird building, the giant Ferris wheel, the biodome thingy, the Notre-Dame Basilica, through some of the enclosed shopping and subway areas, and just around town.

Aside from poutine, the other Montreal food thing I wanted was the bagels. I’m not 100% sure what makes these famous, like NY bagels for the water, but my best understanding is something to do with a honey-water poaching? Anyway, chewy and delicious. Went to some famous place in Mile End neighborhood which was in the middle of filming something while I was there. If you’re watching French language Canadian food or travel shows and see me in line for yummy bagels, let me know! The place was full of people taking Insta-shots there, so I escaped and went to the local grocery store for supplies then drove to a neighborhood at the top of Mount Royal for lunch in the van on the rainy day. Super classy. Super delicious. The other 2 flavors were my Montreal memory to go!

I like the city, some neighborhoods better than others, but it wasn’t a place I could see myself in longterm. I had weird alternate life moments here… during that college tour I liked McGill University, applied and got in, and strongly considered going. Like, very strongly. But at the time I thought I wanted to teach in public school and wasn’t sure how easy it would be to transfer a Canadian degree to a US school system licensing requirement, so went with a totally different school in the US. Actually applied after my freshman year to transfer to McGill and got in again, but by the time their decisions were sent I’d already paid for my year at Muhlenberg so passed it up again. I wondered whether I would have liked it better going here in Montreal for those years, and I will obviously never know, but it would have been fun. I’m glad I made the friends I did, because some of my best friends now are Berg friends, and financially it ended up well, but maybe right now I’d be speaking French in this McDonalds where I am for free internet. In any case, happy to be where I am but always wondering…

Stopped off at a winery south of the city on my way out of town, which happened to be having a harvest festival so wine tastings were free- woo hoo! The wine was… not superb. This region is known more for cider, but with all the French speaking my brain was trying to do it was in French wine mode. But the setting was all the essential #basic fall. A good way to end the day.

Acadia to Quebec

I left the Acadia area (ie the town where I’d been staying in the Walmart lot and using the super cute library for internet- the Ellsworth library fall decor game is strong) and drove up the coast, stopping in another part of the park across the narrows on Schoodic Point, where I watched the waves crash and seagulls attack low tide offerings.

I continued up along Route 1 checking out small towns and coastal views before stopping for sunset at a stone beach near Machiasport and camping out not much further along on the Cutler coast. It was a calm night and I was greeted by a misty morning to do an early morning walk from the trailhead where I’d camped to catch the end of sunrise over the sea, looking out onto Grand Manan island and the Gulf of Maine. I didn’t see anyone that morning and had the muddy path and birdcall soundtrack to myself.

My initial plan had been to head straight up the Maine and Canadian coast to Nova Scotia, but after hearing from some friends about their travel plans in the area I made a last minute shift and decided to put off this region for a few days and instead go to the Montreal area. The leaves change earlier there and it would be peak color season, and I’d get to visit during this warm spell we were having. I’d visited the region with my dad years ago while I was looking at colleges one spring break in high school, and one of the things that stands out from those visits was all the underground infrastructure they had because it was cold for so much of the year. So even more incentive to go earlier than later!

So instead of continuing north, I cut across Maine to the west along Route 27, and I’m so glad I did because almost the whole way was a glory of fall colors along the road and into the hillsides. I wanted to pull over about every 5 minutes but luckily curbed that instinct and continued on- the colors remained until actual safe viewpoints and stops, and the drizzle lifted a bit later in the day. I had a leisurely picnic lunch next to a river about an hour from the border in order to do some last eating up of some fresh produce not allowed over the border. I ate, read, and was attacked by a wind induced rain of nuts from the tree I was seated under and now have a souvenir of a bruise from falling acorn.

The border crossing was super easy! I had been worried that they’d take everything out of the van, which is a LOT more stuff than one would think, based on stories from other people I’d heard, but this was a teeny crossing that is seldom trafficked in comparison with other larger ones, and I was the only one there and I assume the guard did not really want to bother much in the rain. Glad I didn’t tempt fate, but guess I could have kept that last lemon!

Passed lots of farmland until I hit monster traffic and road construction, which seems to be everywhere in this region right now. Was dark by the time I reached the trailhead I camped at so couldn’t really see anything at the time, but woke to the sounds of a stream rushing from yesterday’s rain (all night I dreamt that the stream which I had seen on the map would flood) and ferns peeking out from the dense mist. It smelled like a cedar chest everywhere. What a morning.

Maine: Acadia

Acadia National Park already held some of my favorite memories from a previous trip a few years ago with a friend. We did some of the islands, picked wild blueberries, and staked out a claim as the first people one morning at Cadillac Mountain for sunrise. This time, with it being less crowded than during summer vacation season, I was able to spend some more time doing things that were just too full the last go round.

On my first day in the park I took the visitor shuttle to Jordan Pond, which is one of many popular destinations in the park due to having walks for many difficulty levels from a stroll around the pond to climbing more or trekking to other sites, but also because its Jordan Pond House has a tradition of serving delicious popover tea on the lawn overlooking the lovely pond and the Bubble hills.

I hiked up to the top of the nearby Penobscot mountain for views of the pond and to earn myself some popover calories. The climb was tough in a few places but mainly because it was so hot and humid, not that it was a particularly hard path. One leg I was planning to take was closed for restoration so I had to tack on a little distance and go around another way, which was just as well. The route takes you past one of the scenic carriage road bridges along the way, and the breeze at the top was very much welcome. Down at the bottom again I got my fill of treats (should have waited for outside seating but still good) and read for a while by the pond until the bus returned.

Did sunset at Eagle Lake and had the place to myself, and the next morning after one of 3 glam nights in the Walmart lot (hey, it’s free and I just dropped $ for my park pass) made some breakfast in a park just crossing onto Mt. Desert Island area from mainland. So. Many. Mosquitoes. I looked bruised from smacking a good number on my legs.

Parked at Sand Beach and hiked up the Beehive trail, which is one that’s steep enough on the cliffs to need rebar ladders in places, and then down to the Bowl pond for cheese, almond and chocolate lunch and to cool my feet in the water. I would have just jumped in had there not been so many people around.

beehive trail- teeeeny people seen climbing up from the ground

Back up to the top of Gorham Mountain and down quickly as some dark clouds were rolling in, to Otter Cove, which I hit at low tide and saw no otters, but beautiful shells and lots of birds. Leisurely walk along the coast and Ocean Road past some of the viewpoints like Boulder Beach, Thunder Hole, and back to Sand Beach where I froze my toes for about 30 minutes. The only people in the cold water were small children- why is it that little kids are able to brave the water temps so well? Thunderstorm rolled that evening which was the perfect excuse to visit an amazing shop some friends told me about perviously, full of curiosities and like a homemade science museum where you can buy all the exhibits. The off and on rain was a perfect lull me to sleep soundtrack.

Hoping to be back in October for some fun meet up and experience some more of this endless beauty. Would stay for weeks if I didn’t have another target lined up next.