Images from our longest road trip yet, July 12 – August 5, 2017.
Click to enlarge, read captions and view slideshow.
View of Horseshoe Falls from on board the Maid of the Mist.
At night a fireworks display takes place in the gorge while the falls are lit by color-changing spotlights.
The Cave of the Winds attraction allows boardwalk access to the base of American Falls, this is our must-do Niagara attraction.
Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome, New York is a re-creation of a revolutionary era fort.
Costumed interpreters roam the fort and tell its story.
Night one of camping at Irondequoit Lodge in Piseco, NY. The nearby lodge meant we didn’t have to rough it in the restaurant department.
View of Fort Ticonderoga from Mt. Defiance. The British took the fort by hauling artillery to the top of this 853 ft hill.
Vermont statehouse in Montpelier, the smallest state capital in the US by population.
The Bingham House, our lodging for a week with family in Bethel, Maine.
There are lots of great hiking options around Bethel. This is from Buck’s Ledge.
We hiked the Eyebrow Loop Trail at Grafton Notch State Park. A very steep climb that included ladders and chains for support.
View from atop The Eyebrow.
Screw Auger Falls is a great place to wade in the cool creek.
Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the Northeast. We got a ride to the top and hiked down via Tuckerman Ravine trail.
Waterfall cascading down the headwall at the end of the ravine. This is one of the steepest descents we’ve ever hiked. Down 4,200 feet in 4.2 miles.
Looking up toward the end of the Ravine. The trail isn’t visible, but it crosses the rim at the center of this photo.
Lower portions of the trail are less steep, but still require careful footing because it’s covered in uneven boulders.
Our first view of Nova Scotia from on board the ferry from St. John, NB to Digby, NS.
Cape Fourchu lighthouse near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
We sampled a total of 75 beers on the whole trip. This selection was from Boxing Rock Brewing in Shelburne, NS.
Kejimkujik National Park’s “Seaside Adjunct” section has gorgeous rocky beaches where seals relax on rocks.
Keji National Park’s main section is in the remote center of the province. This is the sunset view of Big Dam Lake from our backcountry campsite.
Canoeing on Kejimkujik Lake.
The water was so calm on Keji lake the reflections looked like a mirror.
Annapolis Royal was once the capital of the British colony of Nova Scotia. This dock is the location from where many Acadians were deported after the French lost control of the colony.
Fort Anne protected the harbor of Annapolis Royal and later became one of the first National Historic Sites of Canada
The Landscape of Grand Pré near Wolfville, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the way Acadian settlers built a system of dykes to farm the lowlands.
Getting into the Gaelic spirit.
The Red Shoe Pub in Mabou offered us our first Ceilidh (pronounced: kay-lee) experience. A ceilidh is a social gathering accompanied by Gaelic folk music and dancing.
It was a good trip for reflections. This is Mabou Harbour seen on our walk to dinner.
Glenora Distillery provided our evening’s second ceilidh and some great whiskey as well. This one featured more audience dancing and an 84-year-old man playing the spoons.
Strolling along the beach at Inverness, Cape Breton Island.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park lies at the northern end of the island. The scenic Cabot Trail road circles the park and clings to the bluffs above the ocean.
The Bog boardwalk trail allows close up views of the unique highland bog landscape. Carnivorous pitcher plants and orchids are common here.
During our ranger-guided hike to view the sunset from the Skyline Trail, we were alerted to the presence of a moose and diverted our route to see her.
The end of the Skyline Trail. The most stunning view of the whole trip.
Sunset from Skyline Trail.
Even the Acadian cows in Cheticamp, NS love the beach.
Crossing to the eastern side of Cape Breton Highlands we entered Scottish territory. The Tartans and Treasures store will find your family tartan for you. If you’re not scottish, you can just admire the plaids.
Neil’s Harbour, Nova Scotia features those great fishing town vibes.
Parks Canada’s signature red chair on top of Franey Mountain, Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
Also from the top of Franey Mountain Trail, trees for days.
Beach party at the Broad Cove campground, Cape Breton Highlands.
Our most memorable night was spent at the Fortress of Louisbourg. We stayed in the historic village and got to be two of only eight overnight guests. This shows the “before and after” the regular visitor hours.
We spent the night in the Lartigue House, which was much more posh than we were expecting.
The real fortress only lasted 45 years, from 1713 through 1758. In the 1960s it was decided to rebuild a portion of the town in its original state.
The rebuilt town has served as a movie set due to its accurate construction techniques and beautiful scenery.
The village sheep did not trust us as we wandered the town alone at twilight.
The waterfront of Halifax was full of tall ships during our weekend visit.
Scottish guards march toward the Halifax Town Clock. You never know when you’ll see a kilt or a bagpiper in Nova Scotia.
Signal flags fly from the Citadel overlooking downtown Halifax.
A Citadel guard’s sword lines up perfectly with the Canadian flag on a downtown building.
The colorful town of Lunenburg is located just an hour from Halifax.
The vast majority of Lunenburg’s old town is original, making it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Bay of Fundy has the largest tides in the world. Hopewell Rocks is a great place to view the phenomenon. This is low tide, at high tide the base of the rocks are under water.
High kicking on the floor of the ocean at low tide.
The mud flats to the right are covered and uncovered by water twice a day, leading to rich biodiversity.
Dickson Falls is one of the most popular spots to visit at Fundy National Park.
Morning at our Fundy campsite.
Montréal’s Museum of Archaeology and History preserves foundations of buildings that are now under the modern city.
The previous picture was taken under the plaza in front of the building at center.
The Library of Parliament in Ottawa was the only part of the original House of Parliament to survive a fire in 1916.
Ottawa’s Rideau Canal connects Ottawa with Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. It created a safe waterway that didn’t border the United States when built. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary, a light show is projected on the Houses of Parliament nightly. This was the finale moment during “Oh Canada.”
Our Toronto Airbnb gave us a glimpse of high rise living in the largest city in Canada.
We crossed back into the United States via the Ambassador Bridge into Detroit, five hours later we’d be home in Chicago.
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