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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Places (page 10 of 22)

Snapshots from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

October 23, 2019 / / 59 Comments

Quebec City is the most beautiful city in Canada. We heard – and read – it left and right. We believed it. We wanted to visit, but it didn’t fit in the schedule when the three of us made our way east from Utah, the beginning of summer. We’d already made a serious detour to add Canada’s runners-up Eastern cities (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal), as well as Niagara Falls, to our route into Massachusetts.

Mark, Maya, and I would be back in the country in August and September, to explore Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, before meeting my parents. What better place for them to fly into than Quebec City? Coming from Belgium, it would be a gradual change towards New England’s attractions. When in Old Town Quebec, one could easily feel transported to a historic town in Europe. It is the only walled city north of Mexico and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(Hover over the photos to see captions or click to enlarge.)

Part of the Citadel
View towards Old Quebec
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Wordless Wednesday: An Axe, a Brewery, and a Bridge

October 16, 2019 / / 51 Comments

The World’s Largest Axe

There it is… it’s big.
Zesty and the axe
Maya and the axe

The Nicest Brewery on Our Journey

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Snapshots from Prince Edward Island – Lighthouses & Lovely Scenery

October 1, 2019 / / 38 Comments

Before Mark, Maya, and I drove north to “explore the Canadian Maritimes a bit”, we didn’t plan anything, as always. The only thing my husband and I discussed was visiting our friend Woody in the Halifax area – he received three days’ notice – and our friends Alex and Dave “somewhere on Prince Edward Island” (PEI). We didn’t inquire where on the island they were located, until a couple of days before we headed that way. We let them know about our arrival, which happened the following day, as things sped up thanks to Hurricane Dorian. There’s a fine line between a “surprise” visit and a “planned” visit when it comes to hosting us. You are warned!

In a car or camper, PEI can be reached by bridge or ferry. The exorbitant toll of the bridge is paid on the return journey; when you leave the island. A little-known fact is that the ferry to the island is free as well, even if you return via the bridge. The prices online are for the return trip on the boat. But what if you want to take the ferry there and the bridge back, because that makes more sense logistically? You could reserve a one-way spot and pay $79 for that privilege. Or, you could just show up early enough, get in line, and pay zero dollars. Guess what we did?

Wood Islands

Wood Islands Provincial Park was the perfect introduction to the cuteness, cleanliness, and charm of PEI. From the moment we drove off the ferry, we turned into this relaxing and beautiful park.

Leaving Pictou and Nova Scotia on the ferry – from one lighthouse to the next
Arriving at the ferry terminal of Wood Islands
Maya already likes PEI
From this park, we saw our ferry leave
Wood Islands Lighthouse – a more picturesque introduction to Prince Edward Island is hard to imagine!

(Hover over the photos or click on them to read the captions and enlarge.)

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Snapshots from Nova Scotia – Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail

September 21, 2019 / / 49 Comments

Mark, Maya, and I had five weeks to explore the Canadian Maritimes, before my parents would arrive from Belgium. Time flies! Especially when all hiking and sightseeing is postponed on rainy days. We knew we couldn’t circumnavigate Nova Scotia in its entirety, due to long distances, expensive fuel, and time constraints.

Crossing New Brunswick took about a week, then we spent another one in the Halifax area, where we had to choose: travel about the southwest corner of the province or the northeastern part. We picked the latter and headed to Cape Breton Island, many hours and kilometers away.

We hit the Cabot Trail – a famous scenic drive – on the first day of September. Another traveler had recommended we’d drive counter clockwise to take in the dramatic vistas from the best angle, so we did. While pretty, it wasn’t as spectacular as we anticipated; the nicer parts reminded us somewhat of the Acadia National Park shoreline in Maine.

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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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A Hurricane… in a Van… in Canada!

September 11, 2019 / / 61 Comments

I was going to post a blog about our August expenses today, but something else came up. Well, it actually looks like I won’t post anything on this Sunday, September 8th, 2019, because the electricity and internet are both down on the entire island. Good thing we have a self-contained camper van; we have power and can even take a hot shower, which is more than some tourists staying in hotels can do. Internet, however, we can’t reproduce.

You might remember my whining about how we always have bad luck with the weather, wherever we go. Somehow, we encounter extremes: the wettest spring in California in a decade (hey, it did end the drought), the coolest and rainiest September on Vancouver Island, the coldest winter in Southern California and Southern Arizona (we even escaped into Mexico for a few days to look for elusive warmth), the most miserable May in Southern Utah ever, with rain, sleet, hail, and snow instead of the average 75 degrees (24C) that time of the year, the hottest and most humid June in Toronto and Montreal, and the hottest day of the year in Massachusetts (on which Maya got lost)!

Even though this selection of the last two years sums up our weather misfortunes well, none of it beat our experience this past weekend. The three of us found ourselves in the path of Hurricane Dorian – the same one that caused havoc in the Bahamas managed to make landfall on Nova Scotia, with strong effects on Prince Edward Island (PEI), where Zesty is located. Yep, a hurricane in Canada. The last time that happened was Hurricane Juan in 2003. What’s the chance of running into this? With us, pretty big.

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Snapshots from New Brunswick, Canada

August 26, 2019 / / 39 Comments

After spending a few days at our friends Mark and Jen’s cabin in Maine – the perfect place to hang out, write an article, and arrange part of my parents’ upcoming visit – Mark, Maya, and I hit the road again. Our (late) summer destination: the Canadian Maritimes.

Three people (Jen, Mark, and Mark) and three Dogs (Moose, Stubby, and Maya) in the kitchen
Maya is pretty mellow.
Small falls on a lovely hike
Mark, Mark, and Maya pose in front of the main falls
Maya likes to be on a “perch”
And, she still loves the water

But first, we had to endure an evening of buzzing and feasting mosquitoes in a free beautiful, forested, riverside campsite. We had “planned” a two-night stay, but left first thing in the morning and crossed the border; an uneventful affair.

Welcome to New Brunswick, Canada

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Journey East (Part Three) – Canadian City Tour & Lots of Sweat

July 18, 2019 / / 44 Comments

You can read part one (about sights and boondocking in Colorado) here and part two (about the Midwest and meeting a TV celebrity in Iowa) here. The last stretch of our trip east from Kanab, Utah to Newburyport, Massachusetts started in Ontario, Canada.

Niagara Falls

Lake Erie, Ontario

Part of choosing this route, was to check out some of the Great Lakes, which I’d never been to. We found a nice-sounding boondocking spot along Lake Erie, before our real city tripping started. If it wasn’t for the hordes of biting flies chomping on our flesh, we would have stayed an extra day to relax. (Click on or hover over photos to enlarge and read the captions.)

Entering Ontario and Canada
Comfy Maya in the car
Stroll along Lake Erie
Trouble! Maya finds food everywhere…
Scenic spot, but biting insect-ridden
Mark and Maya in the golden light
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Journey East (Part Two) – Drive-through States and a Celebrity Encounter

July 13, 2019 / / 42 Comments

This is blog two of a three-part series about the road trip in our camper van Mark, Maya, and I took from Kanab, Utah to Newburyport, Massachusetts the last few weeks. You can read part one about our sightseeing and camping experiences in Colorado here.

Drive-through States

Have you ever heard the term “fly-over states”? It’s the large, middle chunk of the United States that most people never get to see or visit, because they fly from one side of the country to the other – the areas with the biggest population and the most liberal views are located on both coasts. For this trip, we have dubbed those states (also called the Midwest) the “drive-through states”.

It was time to cover some distance, after our dilly-dallying in Colorado. We decided to “avoid highways” and follow secondary roads northeast, passing through villages, intersections, lights, and stop signs. (Click on or hover over photos to enlarge and read captions.)

All kinds of vehicles reduced our progress.
Another obstacle slowing us down. Why didn’t we take highways?
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Monthly Expenses – June 2019

July 9, 2019 / / 16 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. 🙂 Since July 2018, Mark and I have been combining van life in our Zesty and house and pet sitting, which we did full-time before that. The best of both worlds! 

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate all the 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 Mark's vitamins and 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.

I'm a bit late with my expense report for June. The excuse: a long and challenging ride east with soaring heat and humidity, mediocre camping spots, no internet the last week, an anxious dog, and little time for anything other than driving, searching for shade, and outdoor activities. More about that later. The entire month of June was spent in our camper van Zesty and we have no more house sits lined up.

Driving into Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Scenes on the road

Mark drove the entire way, usually no more than four hours a day.

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