Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Friends (page 4 of 5)

Monthly Expenses – November 2020

December 8, 2020 / / 50 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

In November, Mark, Maya, and I lived on the road, in our camper van Zesty, and drove from Alabama to Southern Arizona (Tucson), which is reflected in our diesel cost. As usual, we managed to dump and camp for free (boondock).  One of our favorite overnight sites of all times was the spot we found in Big Fur Public Use Area in Arkansas, early in the month. We stayed as long as our water and food supply lasted. (Hover over or click on photos to read captions.)

Sunrise!
Sunrise reflected in Zesty’s window
No more food in our fridge by the time we left!

No stipends or use of credit card miles this time, so what you see in the table underneath is what we spent. Mark fixed one of our car heaters, changed the oil, and replaced parts in the engine. To reward himself, he bought a better remote (Bluetooth) speaker. If you’ve read my travel memoir Plunge, you know how important crisp-sounding music is to my husband. 🙂

Spot at a pond in Hazen, Arkansas
Possum Kingdom, Texas
Free dump station and campground all in one in Lamesa, Texas
The desert near Las Cruces, New Mexico
Beautiful surroundings

The writing category is finally going down. I owed my cover artist $50 for the paperback cover (the eBook cover package a month ago was $125), we ordered two proofs of Plunge to check for issues and mistakes, and, to self-publish my book under a different name than my own (we chose Roaming About Press as our publishing company), I needed to purchase a business license in Massachusetts for the price of $35.

Camped with our bubble of friends
Dusk in the desert
We love saguaros
Twice, we built a campfire
Greg playing guitar

You can blame our special celebrations in the desert for the alcohol expense last month. Our bubble of nomadic friends includes two other couples, Duwan and Greg from Make Like An Ape Man and Ellen and Scott, who we hung out with for Thanksgiving, the release of Plunge, and my birthday, all of which took place the end of November. We made our own margaritas; a much better and tastier deal than the ones we bought in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Thanksgiving buffet in the desert
My Thanksgiving plate
Birthday girl in the flames (Photo courtesy Duwan Dunn)
Duwan made a chocolate-peanut butter cake in a pan – yum! (Photo courtesy Duwan Dunn)
Friends around the fire (Photo courtesy Duwan Dunn)

Not a bad expense month. Maybe we are finally back on track?

November 2020 Overview:

Camper (diesel: $150, maintenance: $229):

Groceries:

Writing (cover, proofs, license):

Household (speaker):

Alcohol:

Utilities (phone: $35; propane: $19):

Dog (food):

Drinking out:

Gifts:

Laundry:

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$379

$306

$111

$109

$61

$54

$32

$24

$15

$5

$0

———

$ 1,096

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Full moonrise in the desert

Back on the Road – Our Nomadic Lifestyle Resumes

October 29, 2020 / / 68 Comments

Six months. That’s how long Mark, Maya, and I lived in “our room above the garage” at my in-laws’ condo in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Apart from a one-month stint further up New England in June, when we helped family with home renovations and visited a couple of friends. Six months! It’s the longest Mark and I have ever remained in one place, since becoming a couple in 2004. Impressive… Or not?

The Pros of Room Life

I am the first to admit that I actually enjoyed being in a “stable environment” for a little while. Life on the road is challenging and exhausting. This break was timely and welcome. I savored every shower and good night’s sleep; the unlimited electricity and comfortable desk. Even our noisy, inefficient “easy-bake oven” and unreliable college fridge (that barely held produce without some falling out each time we opened the door) had their charms. The sofa bed displayed two big indents from our bodies and pained my back, but we could sit up in it! Our dishwashing routine in the bathroom became familiar. We just had to remember it or teeth brushing was in jeopardy.

We helped Mark’s parents wherever we could. People, in general, wore masks when out and about. I was productive with my book. Mark had a decent job with the US Census. Maya was comfortable. Our six months here weren’t too bad at all; a nice change from what we are used to. And, we managed to hang out with good friends one more time, before leaving.

(As always, hover over the photos to read captions or click to enlarge.)

Sangria on an Indian Summer day
Kevin, Holly, and cute Ginger
BBQ at our friends’ house
Good friends Ryan and Denise out on a rainy fall hike with us
Maya sniffing something on a fall hike in Massachusetts

The Pros of Vanlife

But travel is in our blood. We are nomads after all! So, albeit with mixed feelings and not much of a plan, the three of us hit the road again in our 19ft camper van the day before my father-in-law turned ninety, on Saturday, October 17th. We’d head south first. Then, turn west.

Back on the road

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Monthly Expenses – July 2020

August 8, 2020 / / 34 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

In July, we boondocked in the woods of White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire, with Zesty for a week and stayed put in our “room above the garage” in Newburyport, Massachusetts for the rest of the month. Our time in nature cost approximately the same as not going anywhere, except for the fuel. We bought groceries and alcohol as usual and camped for free. Yet, the camper expense was higher than normal, because Mark replaced a heating element.

Our free campsite in White Mountains National Forest
Campsite in the woods – social distancing is easy
Our current home base

Early in the month, we had dinner with relatives outside on picnic tables at a brewery. That was the first time we ate “out” in months and probably the last time. We prefer take-out, which we ended the month with. Of the four items we ordered at this Thai restaurant, two were wrong. I guess we will stick to cooking ourselves from now on!

Falafels with homemade pita bread
Vegetarian goodness!
Camper meal: vegetarian pasta dish with homemade no-yeast pan-bread

And, there is a new expense category! Writing. It immediately became the highest cost of the month. Almost $500. That amount in July went to my editor and is half of her fee for the first round of (substantive) edits she performed for my travel memoir. This month, we paid the same amount and I expect two more expenses like these for the second round of edits in September.

My mother-in-law’s patio and garden
Plenty of room to social distance here, for a group up to eight people

Where we saved money is by taking advantage of a credit card offer I wrote about last month. Because of using our miles at 1.5x their value for groceries and restaurant expenses, our actual spending in July was $496 dollars less than reflected in the total underneath.

I don’t tire of this view of the White Mountains!

On paper, it was a relatively expensive month for us, about $100 above our monthly average, but that’s mostly due to a new “investment”.  I hope to earn that back one day. 🙂

I encourage any questions and thoughts in the comment section underneath!

July 2020 Overview:

Writing (editor):

Groceries:

Camper (diesel: $43; repairs: $198):

Dining out:

Alcohol:

Clothing (undies, shirts):

Utilities (phone):

Medical (Corona fee dentist + drugs):

Dog (toys):

Computer (new mouse):

Entertainment (e-book):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$484

$409

$241

$80

$68

$49

$35

$19

$9

$6

$1

$0

———

$ 1,401

To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the expense blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Monthly Expenses – June 2020

July 5, 2020 / / 38 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Most of June was spent away from “our room above the garage”. After six weeks of sheltering in place in this tiny, uninspiring, yet relatively comfortable setting in Massachusetts, Mark, Maya, and I loaded up our campervan with belongings and groceries and traveled north.

We self-isolated for two weeks in Lincolnville, Maine, where we helped out with renovations in a house recently purchased by our brother-in-law and his wife. We didn’t spend any money during those weeks as we didn’t do anything and didn’t go anywhere. The numbers of Covid cases in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont have always been low, but we quarantined for 14 days nevertheless.

(Captions appear when you click on or hover over the photos. I have posted more visuals of last month’s experiences in previous blog posts here and here.)

Zesty’s parking spot for two weeks
Sanding the big front porch
Replacing light fixtures
Re-purposing French doors
Kitchen in our “construction zone”
Beautiful view
Meeting halfway the deck – sanding done!
I applied stain with a brush, Mark with a roller.
It only took a day to apply two coats of stain to the sanded front porch

That visit concluded with a couple of hikes and a quick stop in the cute seaside town of Belfast on day 15 and 16, before we moved on to Kingfield, Maine, to hang out with friends for a couple of days.

Rest and a snack during a hike
Skipping eating out for lunch at a popular restaurant in Belfast
Belfast waterfront
Maya and Moose being cute
Cooling off at Flagstaff Lake in Maine
Jen with “frozen” Moose – the lake was too cold for him
Hot afternoon at the lake with friends

Next up, more relaxing with another set of friends at a lake house in Island Pond, Vermont. That was a VERY enjoyable weekend, despite the 90-degree weather. We concluded our “grand tour” with a quick “hello and goodbye” to one more set of friends met on the road last year. Again, it was extremely hot and there was no shade for Zesty. We cooled off in the woods on their property and in a swimming hole by Troy Falls. Other than the last three nights of camping in our van, we stayed inside houses.

Island Pond. our location for a long weekend with friends
Maya blends in with her surroundings
Waterfall in White Mountains National Forest, New Hampshire
Quick stop for a photo of these falls on the drive back to Massachusetts
Sunset over Island Pond

Some of the June categories were higher than usual: groceries because we stopped at a Trader Joe’s (which means splurging on goodies like dumplings, goat cheese, and snacks) and shared special home-cooked dinners, alcohol because we are social drinkers and we socialized a lot, and the dog section because of Maya’s new flea & tick collar and heartworm medicine.

All things considered, June was a decent spending month for us and the numbers underneath are accurate. But… a Covid-related action made us spend much less in real life. Let me explain. With our Chase credit card, Mark and I have been collecting points over the years, accumulating to $1,500 in cash last month. Usually, we save the points and use them for flights to Boston or Belgium. Well, that isn’t happening anytime soon, so we considered alternative benefits. At the same time, Chase announced that customers could redeem points during the pandemic for 1.5 times their value when paying for groceries and dining out, retroactive for 90 days. Our $1,500 instantaneously turned into $2,250!

Mark and I jumped on the offer, waving grocery and restaurant expenses from the previous three months and using points for all our current grocery shopping and take-out meals. To put things in perspective, a $30 food order, for example, costs us $20 as only that equivalent of points is redeemed. It’s a bit of an accounting nightmare, so I’m keeping the spending numbers in my reports equal to what we paid, not incorporating the “free money”. But, based on this fortunate turn of events, we only spent $410 of real money last month and a few hundred dollars less than recorded in February, March , and April as well.

Sorry for the confusion, but I added this explanation to provide total transparency about our expenses. At the end of the year, I will have to post two sets of numbers because of the generosity of our credit card company during these challenging times. Thank you, Chase!

June 2020 Overview:

Groceries:

Alcohol:

Camper (diesel: $87; maintenance: $17):

Dog (food: $35; health: $58):

Health & Fitness (vitamins):

Utilities (phone: $35; Skype:$5):

Dining out (pastries):

Accommodation:

 

TOTAL:

 

$412

$117

$104

$93

$56

$40

$15

$0

———

$ 837

To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the expense blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

I hope my American friends and family are enjoying their Independence Day Weekend. The three of us had a mellow social-distanced BBQ with my brother-in-law and his family yesterday.

Human Encounters in Florida – Meeting Friends before COVID-19

April 16, 2020 / / 70 Comments

Karmen and Tom in Marineland

I’ve mentioned it before, 2020 couldn’t have been off to a better start for us – at which point, it did cross my mind that it could only go downhill from there. But the first week of January comprised good times with our old boating friends Tom and Karmen, who finished renovating a new-to-them catamaran. We met many years ago sailing in the Bahamas and stayed in touch, crossing paths throughout the country. They swung by twice in their converted camper van while we house sat (in Santa Fe, NM and San Diego, CA) and we visited them in Monmouth, Oregon to learn first-hand – and with all our senses – how they created the successful and innovative pizza restaurant, Yeasty Beasty. Don’t you love that name?

Beach walk in the town of Marineland
Mark hauls Tom up the mast of his catamaran – reminiscing old times.
Our friend Karmen is creative, and not only with her camera.
Game night on SV Sauvage
Giving Karmen and Tom a ride into St. Augustine – Maya happily shares her space
Happy hour with the pizza girls!
Sailing friends reunited!

We also met up with communal sailing friends Dan and Jaye.

Going out for drinks and tacos with sailing friends Dan and Jaye

Marian and Cliff in Jacksonville

Also in January, I finally met blogging and memoirist friend Marian Beaman. She and her husband Cliff graciously invited us into their home for a yummy chili lunch and hours of conversation. Marian, a Mennonite until age 24, blogs at Plain and Fancy and recently published her heartfelt, well-written memoir Mennonite Daughter – The Story of a Plain Girl, which offers a glimpse into 20th century Mennonite life and documents her experiences and life-altering decisions as Marian Longenecker.

Cliff and Marian in front of their comfortable home
Marian and I honoring the hibiscus flowers in her yard
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Coronavirus vs. Camping Nomads

March 19, 2020 / / 76 Comments

As travel plans from friends and family are canceled due to the Coronavirus, international borders are closing, and almost everyone on this planet is affected – logistically, financially, and some medically, I figured it’s time to provide an update about how this situation influences the nomadic lives of Mark, Maya, and me in our camper van Zesty.

The positivist in me likes to declare that it doesn’t affect us at all. As you know, we are frugal travelers and that means we never go on vacations or excursions and rarely stay at pay campgrounds or dine out; all sectors that have recently become obsolete in Florida. We live in a self-contained vehicle and are flexible and resourceful. We’re experts at boondocking (free camping), feel relatively young (despite the decades swooshing by), and love being alone in nature (no social distancing needed). What do we have to worry about?

Nobody on the trail…
Social distancing in nature is easy…
… especially when it comes to alligators!

The negativist in me thinks about our older parents, the disappointed people with canceled vacations, our own bypassing of sights and cities in Florida, and – most importantly – the employees without a job and small business owners suffering. The financial impact (and travel attitude) will take years to recover. I hope people will LEARN through and from this pandemic. Selfishness seems to thrive in situations like these.

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Monthly Expenses – December 2019

January 6, 2020 / / 25 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. Since June 2019 – we adopted Maya on June 4th – we have a dog section as well. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

Walking Maya in the neighborhood of the campground in Campbellsville
This is where the Kentucky Derby takes place!

The first three weeks of December, Mark, Maya, and I continued living in a campground and working in Campbellsville, Kentucky. We hit the road again in our camper van for the last week of the year. The entertainment category constitutes those travels, as I took a tour of Churchill Downs in Louisville, where the Kentucky Derby takes place, and Mark and I took a guided walk in Mammoth Caves, after hiking with Maya to wear her out.

Remnants of saltpeter mining activity in the caves
Rock formations in Mammoth Cave NP

We didn’t spend money on camping as we managed to boondock during our “migration south”. The three of us made stops in Frankfort, Louisville, and Mammoth Caves National Park in Kentucky (more about that another time) and found the most amazing free parking in Nashville, Tennessee, which allowed us to explore this vibrant music city and have drinks at night.

Boondocking spot across from Nashville’s skyline
Going out for a drink in Nashville

Mark bought a new SmartPhone at a very good price after doing lots of research and waiting for the right moment. The amount underneath includes a two-month data plan, a new SIM card, and a free tablet! While in Kentucky, we HAD to try Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and its competitor Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. We took Maya to the vet to get another opinion about her itchiness. At the moment, we are giving CBD oil a try. This might help with her anxieties as well…

Finally a new phone for Mark
When in Kentucky…
Lee’s is a competitor of KFC in Kentucky, so we had to try it out as well.

We couldn’t avoid buying more alcohol, as we planned a fun New Year’s Eve (and extended stay) with our sailing friends Karmen and Tom in St. Augustine, Florida. They put a feast together on the last day of the year and we enjoyed spending time with them and their friends on their refitted catamaran, Sauvage. More about that later as well.

After party inside the boat
Meeting Rob, a new boating friend
Karmen and Ricky playing ukulele

December 2019 Overview:

Groceries:

Computer Hardware (phone $95; router: $40):

Camper (fuel: $112; repairs: $23):

Dog (vet: $56; supplies:$53; food: $25):

Dining out:

Utilities (phone: $35; propane: $15):

Entertainment (Mammoth Caves: $34; Churchill Downs: $13):

Health & Fitness (vitamins Mark):

Alcohol:

Gifts:

Drinking out:

Laundry:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$368

$135

$135

$134

$56

$50

$47

$46

$40

$39

$20

$20

$0

———

$ 1090

The Art of Our Nomadic Minds – Almost Heaven, West Virginia

December 12, 2019 / / 39 Comments

I’ve mentioned it before on this blog: Mark and I don’t plan much and often “wing” it on the road, whether that’s in regards to our route, what we visit, or where we park for the night. It’s just easier to go with the flow; we don’t have to plan, research, and be disappointed if things go wrong and we love putting our flexible minds to good use.

When the three of us left Newburyport, Massachusetts, the end of September, we had about a week to cover the 1,000-mile distance to Campbellsville, Kentucky. Two stops were anticipated: Greenwich, Connecticut for two days of quality time with relatives, and the southern Walmart in Hagerstown (yes, there are two), Maryland, to meet up with our awesome van friends Duwan and Greg.

Greenwich, CT

What can I say? It is always a joy to be with our brother-in-law, Brian, and his lovely wife, Margaret. Fabulous, smart, pretty, and beaming niece Chelsea came over for one of the days – the cherry on top. She introduced her rescued Korean dog Mochi to us and we also met the two new kittens. Can you tell why this is a happy place for us, with all this love for animals and people going around?

(Hover over photos to read captions or click to enlarge.)

Chelsea and Mochi
Hello Mochi!
Two newly adopted and playful kittens
Doggy heaven!
Dinner with the family: Chelsea, Brian, Margaret, and Mark
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Monthly Expenses – November 2019

December 8, 2019 / / 41 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. Since June 2019 – we adopted Maya on June 4th – we have a dog section as well. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

All-you-can-eat Chinese buffet in Lexington, KY – I had to try all the desserts; Mark had to take this photo.
Maya’s bone is about ready for a replacement
Who can resist this face?

For the month of November, Mark, Maya, and I lived and traveled in our camper van, Zesty. The first week, we drove and explored from Connecticut to Kentucky and since then, we have been stationed at a campground in Campbellsville, KY. Mark’s current employer, Amazon, pays for our site and we are here until Christmas, to work. More about that later. By the way, this is the first time EVER that we are parked in an RV park with full-hookups and a building with hot showers and laundry!

Zesty is one of the smallest campers around and the only van with more than one occupant (and a dog)
The Club House in the campground: laundry, shower facilities, and common area

Last month was different from other months in many ways, since we never camp in the same spot longer than a few days. This means less money spent on fuel (although we did have to get here) and more money spent on laundry as we can’t rely on the generosity of friends and family anymore to use their machines. We use the van once a week to grocery shop and take Maya on a hike. No more camper projects are lined up. Yay!

We had hoped to stay under $1,000 for November (and December), to stick to the same “budget” as last year. We failed. We had additional expenses in the form of my pricey passport application, the need for more prescription drugs for Maya (plus we bought extra dog food at a 60% discount on Black Friday), and a higher than normal grocery bill. We stocked up before arriving in Campbellsville and we splurged on a few favorite Trader Joe items. After extensive comparison of two GPS tracking systems for Maya, we decided to ship one of them back.

The Whistle GPS system is the one we kept
The fi GPS collar, we shipped back to the manufacturer within the two-week try-out period

On top of all this, it was my birthday. On Thanksgiving. Mark and I never get each other gifts or celebrate anything, except for our birthdays. My three-year old laptop was falling apart “right in time” – I had been able to deal with a non-working mouse pad, its slowness, and a few other inconveniences for over a year, but when the battery didn’t work anymore (which meant I could only use my computer when plugged in – not ideal in a van), I was starting to despair. You see, not only is buying a new computer expensive, but it would also require me getting used to a new machine and a lot of work for Mark, who would need two days to delete everything useless and annoying and install what I needed, plus get it ready for my use. He didn’t have those extra days…

Once again, I was reminded of what an incredible, smart, resourceful, and anticipating husband I have. The day after my issues, an early birthday present showed up: a brand-new laptop! Mark knew what would make me happy before I knew! He managed to “snatch” a $500 computer for $250, and spent his only two evenings off to get the machine ready by my birthday. I love it (them)!

Guess what’s in the box? It was a fantastic surprise for me!
My new, fast, and trusty work friend – an ASUS VivoBook

Oh, about that extremely high alcohol number… don’t despair. We have not become alcoholics. We stocked up on beer and wine before arriving  at the campground and Mark threw an impromptu birthday party, inviting the friends we made here to enjoy new cases of beer and a decent box of wine. We have enough left for many weeks! The good thing about the last two months of 2019: we finally made/make more money than we spent/d.  🙂

Fun birthday party with newly made friends – Tam, Dave, Karen, Janet, Don, and Tom
Cheers!

November 2019 Overview:

Groceries:

Gifts:

Customs & Immigration:

Dog (food: $35; meds: $63; supplies:$51):

Alcohol:

Camper (fuel: $123; repairs: $9):

Dining out:

Utilities (phone: $35; propane: $10):

Entertainment (Lunatic Asylum tour):

Postage:

Household:

Laundry:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$367

$279

$161

$149

$145

$132

$67

$45

$21

$12

$12

$10

$0

———

$ 1400

Snapshots from Nova Scotia – Picturesque Ports & Places

September 15, 2019 / / 46 Comments

Mark, Maya, and I spent about two weeks in Nova Scotia, a beautiful province that is part of the Canadian Maritimes. This is the first of two posts I will publish about our time there, the end of August and the beginning of September 2019. Before that, we explored the southern part of New Brunswick.

Economy

Our intended camping experience near and hike to Economy Falls failed, due to the road’s horrible condition. Mark and I could have biked to the trailhead, but not with Maya. Ten miles of running beside bicycles on top of a five-mile romp in the woods would be too much. So, we opted for free camping option two: Thomas Cove Coastal Reserve. There, we found a peaceful spot to park along the Bay of Fundy, at the beginning of multiple flat but fun hiking trails. (Click on photos to enlarge and read captions.)

Not a bad spot for a couple of nights
Almost low tide in the Bay of Fundy
Look at all that cushy moss – Maya loved jumping around in it!
Nobody else was around during this fun walk in the woods
Exposed rock during low tide
Hiking in the woods
Low tide
After running around for miles, Maya’s tongue was hanging pretty low!
Giving Maya a bath – finally the outdoor shower comes in handy!
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