TravelTalkOnline

Well I took a different twist this trip. Instead of a live blog, I waited until we returned and did a trip report in blog format. It makes it a long read, but I tried to use as many pictures as I could to tell the story.

We had great trip, and hope you enjoy!

Feel free to leave questions/comments on the blog or here on TTOL � I promise to respond.

Exploring the North - Maine to New Brunswick

Wonderful report and photos. Thanks for sharing.

sailorjane - thanks

I am glad you enjoyed it.
We had a blast!

I had a heck of time replying to you. I guess my original title is too long. When I tried to reply to you I got a warning saying I exceeded 50 Characters. So I just changed my reply title to "thanks".

Carol can you shorten the original title - please and thank you

Tom--I changed the title but I really don't think it was too long to begin with. I haven't made the time to look at your report yet. Plan to do it today.

Thanks Carol
Not sure what was causing the error message
Sure wish I did a screen capture

Hope you enjoy the trip report.

What a lovely report and such lovely pictures! We did a Canada cruise a LONG time ago, went to the reversing falls. I think I'd have a hard time there now on a land trip, as I don't DO beer at all. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> Thanks for the report!

No worries Carol...
There are lots of wine available
Unfortunately we tend to go the next step above.

I am truly into wine. I presented a wine presentation to a serious wine group which the the topic was a wine you may enjoy monthly, yearly, and in a lifetime. When I enjoy a restaurant meal that is my standard. Daily or weekly wines are not considered - hope that does not sound snobbish.

Bottom line there are other beverages besides beer, but beer is heads above then the wine available.

OK, gotta say, I love wine, but I am far from a wine snob...

Thanks Tom. Always enjoy your reports. We have never been North of Bar Harbor so this was a treat and now in our bucket.

TravelHat - thanks and you will not be disappointed with this destination in your bucket

Great report as usual Tom! Lots of great shots, but your wife at the waterfall gets my vote!!

A very, very enjoyable trip report. I love your reports and sense of humor.

I am totally with you in the driving to that island tide anxiety! In fact, my parents were just in Maine and walked out to some island and didn�t pay attention to the tides or siren blowing, telling them to turn around. They ended up walking/running back to land in water up to their hips. I screamed at her on the phone when she told me the story.

We really enjoy Canada and have visited every year for the past couple of years. The border crossings, however, can be brutal on both sides. We encounter one Canadian agent that was scary aggressive and intimidating.

Cleobeach,

Thank you for the kind words and I am glad you enjoy the reports.

As for crossing the border, I do not and will not ever understand why people in positions of authority need to act like jerks. No matter what border they are protecting, politeness, manners, and efficiency should be the modi operandi for their tasks - which are very important and needed! However... jerks are neither important or needed.

Absolutely amazing report. I have just bookmarked it for future reference.

Lack of quality wine is not surprising...it was not prohibition driven but certainly there is a cultural history in the Saint John River area against alcohol of all types. Growing up in Montreal my parents were from Woodstock NB about 2 hours north of Saint John and an hour north of the provincial capital, Fredericton. Each summer us kids were put on the overnight train from Montreal to spend the summer in Woodstock surrounded by Baptist relatives. From Saint John, on the coast, north to Grand Falls, the Saint John River valley was known as the Baptist Bible Belt of Canada.

Woodstock in those days was a dry town with the exception of the Royal Canadian Legion. Woodstock's main street, where one set of my grandparents lived, was lined with churches...Wesleyan across the street, Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, United down the street. As I journeyed through my teens, my friends and I could obtain illicit beer from corner stores in Montreal but there was no chance of that happening in Woodstock. I found it funny that it was ok for a WWII or Korean war veteran to start drinking at 9AM at the Legion, drinking himself silly to the point of passing out under the canon on the front lawn of the court house, where he peed his pants while sleeping, but you and I could not have a glass of wine with our lobster roll at supper time (dinner time was noon in those parts).

In the '70s someone bought the old fire hall on Main Street with plans to open the Fiddlehead Pub (sidebar: fiddleheads are picked in the spring along creek and river banks, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlehead_fern) The towns churches banded together to block the liquor licence application at the Provincial government level. The Publican guy then bought a property outside the town limits and tried again...the town went to the Province to expand the town boundaries to include the new location and blocked him again.
Sometime in the 80's the strings were loosened and social drinking became allowed...if not 100% accepted.

My paternal grandfather caught the largest salmon ever recorded on the Saint John River, just below the world's longest covered bridge at Hartland, NB. A couple of years later a large hydro damn just north of Fredericton destroyed salmon fishing...so Grampy's record is safe. :-)

Thanks for sharing great memories

Great story.
I am now in Spain and there is plenty of wine here!

Hey Tom, i just saw your trip report, and really enjoyed reading it. Boothbay Harbor is my home town. I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Thanks - In fact we did!

Boothbay Harbor was definitely a nice place to visit.
We have close friends here in Virginia that I like to call Summer Birds.
When the summer comes they head to Booth Bay Harbor.
She has a pottery shop downtown, and as you know that little town can get hoppin' in the summer.

We hope to be back up this summer when they are there - time permitting.... But it is Italy this Spring!

Well have a great time in Italy and we'll hold down the fort until you return!

Darn wish we had met before!!! We live in New Brunswick !!!!
Planning to maybe do a quick trip report on a recent amazing side trip we did this summer to Grand Manan, deer Island and Campanella ..the scenery was spectacular, and in my backyard..we don’t appreciate what we have sometimes...and the river system where I live is equally amazing ..Miramichi ..stay tuned

As you can tell from the blog we loved New Brunswick!
I know we will return
Next time we will give you a heads up - would love to meet up.