Tuesday 30th August (Cont)
Never did find the Fundy Trail. Thanks to a monumentally stupid start to the journey – heading east instead of west on the highway – for which I take full responsibility. In an attempt to correct the error our GPS proceeded to send us on various unpaved roads. This is in spite of being instructed to do no such thing. When we went on the third (gravel road) over the top of a mountain and it said we had 22km to go we rebelled. Thanks to some very helpful road works guys we unhitched the Miata and managed to turn the behemoth around and gave up on that particular quest.
The intent had been to stay the night in the campsite in the Fundy National Park (nowhere near the trail) so we headed for that instead and things started to go smoother.
Camping in Fundy Park is not cheap though. The $32 for the campsite seems reasonable but then you have to pay to be in the park on a per person basis every day you are in it. Even for old codgers it was $6.80 each.
Wednesday 31st August
The weather is gorgeous, clear skies but not too hot.
After putting the top down on the Miata we drove down the hill to Alma stopping for the view on the way.
The Hopewell Rocks are a big tourist attraction in this area so we took the coast road.
Another payout when we got there, but it is very well organized and they do have a lot of tourists.
You can rent the Kayaks.
The whole area has these ‘Flowerpot’ rock formations.
Drove back to picturesque Alma
& had takeout from place on shoreline, fish & chips for Carol & clams & fries for me.
A second night in the Fundy National Park, our first national park in the RV.
Thursday 1st September
Moving on through the outskirts of Moncton, past Shediac (where we’ll be stopping on the way back) and onto the Confederation Bridge to P.E.I. Carol has never been to P.E.I. and it’s nearly 40 years since I went, long before the bridge was built. It’s a long bridge.
Before leaving I Googled boondocking on PEI. Boondocking is finding a place where you can just park the RV for the night. I’d found this place in North Rustico, on the wharf there.
Turned out to be a fabulous spot.
With clean washrooms.
An outdoor gym (no we didn’t partake.)
Our own Osprey nest.
With attendant adults.
Between the baby and the adults they never stopped screeching from dawn until dusk.
Oh yes, a wonderful local seafood store. Fresh haddock ($6.50 a pound – beat that) was our first night’s catch.
Friday 2nd September
Yet another bonus for this fabulous spot is free wi-fi courtesy of Janet Gallant, whoever she is, but thank you Janet.
The weather is wonderful, warm and sunny.
We needed some victuals so we made a trip by car into Charlottetown to the Atlantic Superstore.
Saturday 3rd September
North Rustico is very near to Cavendish Beach, probably the most famous tourist Mecca on PEI.
We headed off with Buddy in the car only to find no dogs allowed on the beach so we returned Buddy to the RV and set out again.
I took a dip and it was only a dip – very cold. Carol preferred some zzzs
Our local seafood store sells lobster meat already extracted. Cold with garlic butter – doesn’t get much better.
Sunday 4th September
Carol pointed out that when we’d visited the beach the day before we’d had to pay and the pass extended until noon the next day so she thought we ought to get our money’s worth and take Buddy a walk along the trails in the park. One of my memories of PEI was that the sands and the rocks are all red.
PEI has become quite famous for its mussels. And although the North Rustico Harbour walls are lined with lobster boats there was also this strange vessel specifically equipped for harvesting mussels..
Fries from the local take-out and 3lbs of fresh PEI mussels and we had moules et frites for supper.
Monday 5th September
The most easterly campsite in PEI is at Campbell’s Bay. Since PEI is really not that big we took a trip there.
They have a big pretty much empty beach.
Here’s a mansion with an ocean view.
Wind’s picking up – the weather is changing.
Tuesday 6th September
We’d decided to stay another day if the weather held but the rain started so we packed up and moved on to the south and Murray River.
They have some whimsical stuff in the river, this fooled us at first.
Wednesday 7th September
We’d promised ourselves we would have lobster again before we left so we headed back to North Rustico. Unfortunately, they’d sold all the lobster meat so we had to settle for whole lobsters. They were even better!
Another benefit of the North Rustico wharf is the free electricity. Since the sun went away it had cooled down substantially so we plugged in and ran our electrical heater – luxury.
Thursday 8th September
Our last day (and night) before heading back to the mainland and this time we took a campsite on Malpeque Bay, famous for its oysters.
It’s a huge bay that practically cuts PEI in two. Hard to photograph.
In spite of the forecast the clouds cleared away and the sun beamed down again before a beautiful susnet across the bay.
Friday 9th September
Time to leave the island, pay the toll and cross the bridge.
We hadn't gone ten miles from the bridge when a strange noise we'd had the day before re-occurred and this time I found out the inner rear wheel on the passenger side was shedding its tire tread.
So we had an impromptu stop by the side of the road while Good Sam roadside assistance found someone to send and rescue us. Fortunately, last time we bought a tire we bought two and made sure we had a good spare, so once the guy arrived we were on our way again within half an hour.
