Ottawa, Ontario

17 July 2014

The eastern provinces of Canada are known for their lobsters. At present there is an abundance of these creatures so prices are down. We got these little beauties for about $15 - they're selling at $9.99/lb. Lobsters with garlic butter dip and rice  . . . mmmmmmm, superb! Bon appetit!

The Appalachian Trail - Final

Day 7 - 11 July 2014

 Road bridge over the Shenandoah River, Harpers Ferry

After 7 days on the trail we finally reached our destination: Harpers Ferry, West Virginia at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. Harpers Ferry holds a place in history as it was here that the raid on the US armoury by John Brown in 1859 led to the American Civil War.

Our first stop, after taking a shower, was to a hamburger joint for the biggest, greasiest hamburger in the place. Oh, begone you freeze-dried foods - just gimme somethin' I can sink my teeth into and actually have to chew!

  The bedraggled bunch are we - the morning 

  of our last day and about to set off for the final 

  leg (~13km) into Harpers Ferry.

  The Shenandoah River - downstream from 

   the road bridge at Harpers Ferry.

   Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

The Appalachian Trail III

Day 5 - 9 July 2014

  The Bear's Den on the Appalachian Trail (Virginia, USA)

After five days of eating freeze-dried food and sleeping in the forest in was a welcome relief to check in to the Bear's Den for the night. The Bear's Den is a hikers hostel offering food, drink and lodging for those on the AT. We took the camper's special - for $25.50 you get a lovely grass tent site, shower & toilet facilities, a large pizza, soda, 500ml of ice cream and pancakes for breaky! Yummmmyyyy! Wonderful!

The Appalachian Trail II

 Day 2 - 6 July 2014

We reached the Jim & Molly Denton shelter - and it had a shower, albeit cold. 

We have come across many who are walking the entire length of the AT. Many are covering up to 20 miles a day. How they keep that pace up   

I don't know as we barely do half that distance.

We came across this snake - yet to be ID'd - on Day 4. The last photo is a typical section of the AT.

   The Jim & Molly Denton Shelter

      The Shower

        Unidentified snake

        Typical section of the AT

The Appalachian Trail I

5 July 2014

The Appalachian Trail is a walking track running for about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) through eastern USA from Springer Mountain in Georgia in the south to Mount Katahdin in Maine near Nova Scotia in the north.  The trail passes through 14 states of the USA.

Our plan was to spend 7 to 8 days walking the AT in a northerly direction from Hogwallow Flat in Virginia to Harpers Ferry in West Virginia, a distance of about 100 km.

Day 1: Walk about 10 km to the Tom Floyd Wayside shelter. At this shelter we were joined by 2 or 3 other hikers for the night. One couple was from Washington state. She was a Professor of Cello and, believe it or not, had a full size cello strapped to her pack! Apparently her and her husband do a lot of trail and mountain walking back in their home state with the cello "in tow".

Oh, it was so lovely to drift off to sleep with the strains of Bach's cello concerto and Sting's "Fields of Gold" in my ears!

            Our place for the night.

       Have Cello, Will Travel

    The bear pole - a place to hang food to keep hungry bears at bay.

          Our water supply.

Washington DC, USA

 3 July 2014

Arrived in Washington DC, USA, about lunchtime after an hour+ flight from Ottawa. Took the bus to West Falls Church metro station then the train into the city (Capitol South) and walked to Union Station to meet my mate, Ron, who travelled by train from NYC.  The metro here is great - so much better the the subway in NYC - easy to use, clean and not expensive. It is as good as any in Europe.

The walk from the Capitol South metro station to Union Station (about one kilometre) passes a number of federal government buildings including Capitol Hill. The buildings here, including the surrounding grounds and gardens, are incredible.  It all reminded me a little of a modern day Rome with its statutes, marble and granite edifices and open squares.

    Capitol Hill

    The Washington DC metro

 

    With my mate, Ron

 

   Our hotel in Washington

4 July 2014

Washington DC for 4th of July, I guess, is the place to be in the USA on this day. We watched the parade down Constitution Avenue, visited the Washington Monument (the tallest obelisk in the world), the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and Arlington Cemetery. A great day with weather improving as the day went on.

At the Washington Monument we got talking to a Canadian fellow who, with his wife (an Australian), was on a round the world trip flying business class with QANTAS all thanks to his frequent flyer points. He lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

Looking from the Lincoln Memorial down the National Mall across the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool toward the Washington Monument it reminded of that momentous event in 1963 during the March on Washington when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech from these steps.  Wow, hasn't a lot happened in those 51 years that have past!

In the morning we leave here and head west to Skyline Drive, Virginia, to begin our trek along the Appalachian Trail north to Harpers Ferry, WV. Hopefully, we'll reach there on Friday evening.

 

   The Washington Monument

    Waiting for the parade along Constitution Avenue

    4th of July parade

    More parade

    Inside the Lincoln Memorial

   On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial - view towards the Washington Monument

   The White House

    Arlington Cemetery

    JFK is buried here

   The guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier

CANADA DAY 2014

2 July 2014

Yesterday (1st July) was Canada Day so we headed downtown to join the crowds and the festivities. I even became a honourary Canadian for the day (check out the t-shirt in the photo).

At Parliament House a large stage had been erected and a free concert was available to all. The Governor-General and the Prime Minister had made an appearance and drove past us as they departed.  Buskers seemed to be everywhere throughout downtown Ottawa - drummers, dancers, guitarists, magicians and the like.

A fireworks display finished the festivities off in the evening but by that time we were well and truly home and not a firework was to be seen by us.

       All ready for Canada Day

          The Governor-General's car

       Parliament House and stage

      Enjoying a beaver tail

              Flag-waving Canadians

       All of us (less Bethany) enjoying the day

         One of the buskers

     View to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel

Lake George, NY

Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 June 2014

From Mount Mansfield we headed south west, crossed into New York State and down the western shore of Lake George to the southern extremity of the lake to the town of Lake George. These parts are very much the summer playground areas of the region with swimming, boating, fishing and such activities associated with lakes and rivers during the warmer months.

Lake George is also famous as a place in history.  It is here that Fort William Henry is located.  The fort featured in the movie "The Last of the Mohicans". It was built in 1755 by the British as a stronghold against the France and their Indian allies with whom they were at war. In 1757 the fort was under siege by the enemy who eventually forced them to surrender and burnt the fort to the ground.

The fort has been re-constructed and tours are regularly conducted providing the tourist with an interesting history of the area including actual musket and cannon firing.

                    Lake George, NY

               Inside Fort William Henry

       Pipe and drum band, Fort William Henry

            Cannon, Fort William Henry

Mount Mansfield, VT

Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Heading off from Burlington, VT, on the Tuesday morning we headed east towards the village of Stowe.  North west of Stowe, about 15 km, stands the highest mountain in Vermont at 4393' (1339 m) - Mount Mansfield. 

 A toll road from the valley takes you to a parking area within a couple of hours walk to the summit - so that was our mission for the day. As we paid our toll (about $43 for a 3 km journey!) the woman at the gate advised that it was not recommended to walk to the summit today due to the weather forecast being thunderstorms and rain, all predicted to hit within the hour. But, as we are very brave souls, we tossed caution to the wind and headed up.

Ascending the mountain we passed many ski slopes and chair lifts but, of course, being summer they were all grassy slopes with no snow in sight.  Craig said it was marvellous skiing here in winter and they have been down here a couple of times to do just that. 

After parking the car we headed off along the rocky track to the summit. The weather was overcast and the summit appeared to be shrouded in mist - but no hint of a thunderstorm. What a wonderful walk - windy but not cold and marvellous views down to the valleys on each side of the mountain. 

We walked to within about 500 metres of the peak (about 100 metre below the summit) when the weather deteriorated but still no thunderstorm. However, we decided not to risk it and we didn't warm to the idea of making back to the car soaking wet.

Our little adventure culminated with a scrumptious lunch of jarlsberg and gorgonzola cheeses with salami on fresh crunchy baguettes washed down with Australian wine in a lovely leafy park on the edge of Stowe.  Mmmmmmm . . . . . yummy!

    View to the summit from the car park

            View to the valley below

 

     On the track - the summit shrouded in cloud

          Time to turn back

 Mmmmm . . . lunchtime!

Burlington, Vermont, USA

Last Monday we all (Vanessa, Craig, Di and myself) headed off for a three day journey through Vermont and New York State, USA.

Vermont is know as the Green Mountain State and driving through Vermont certainly confirms this description. It is very rural and, being summer bursting with new growth, is a beautiful place to be at the moment with little villages and towns lifted straight out of some movie set.

The first night we stayed in Burlington, a university town on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. This is the largest city in Vermont with a population of about 40,000.

We hired bicycles and followed the cycle way along the shore of the lake and out along a causeway that extends out into the lake, a total distance of about 25km return. This path follows an old rail line that has long since been removed. The weather was glorious and the cycle way passed through leafy neighbourhoods, sandy beaches and crossed the Winooski River.

Monday night's dinner was Chinese cuisine on Church Street, the main street in Burlington and a lively outdoor eating area and pedestrian mall. Wonderful food at a reasonable price.

The hotel we stayed at was out of the main centre of the city. Craig and Vanessa had concerns about the hotel. Since the rooms all had outside doors (as most of our motels back home do) they called it the "murder hotel" as these are the types of hotels in the movies where murders occur. Oh great! Anyway, we survived the night and moved on to Mount Mansfield and Lake George the next day.

 

The waterfront on Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT

The cycle way through leafy neighbourhoods

Us on the cycle path along the causeway

Eating out on Church Street Marketplace, Burlington

 Church Street Marketplace, Burlington