The Glace Bay Coal Miners Museum

We arrived in Cape Breton last Friday after an uneventful drive from Seabright. Thank Heavens!

Friday night we met Arch`s niece Debbie and her husband, Gerry and together we went to the opening concert of the Celtic Colours Festival. A fabulous evening. Following the concert we boondocked in the parking lot of the Port Hawksbury Civic Centre, where the concert was held. How convenient was that!

Yesterday we moved to the Cabot Trail Campground in Baddeck. After getting settled in we went into Baddeck to wander through the town, get some groceries, visit the Bell Museum and check out the golf at Bell Bay. If it ever dries up we will go back and play 9 holes at Bell Bay - it looks like a fun course.

Today was another rainy day (to start) so we went to the Coal Miners`Museum in Glace Bay. What a great experience.

The museum consists of an outdoor exhibit of the very large mine equipment and an indoor exhibit and movie depicting the history of coal mining in Cape Breton. All very well done. But best of all was a tour of an undersea coal mine - with a retired miner as our tour guide:

This is Wish (Wishie) Donnell. He worked in the coal mine for 23 years before retiring. What a great tour guide he was. Very patient with questions and very knowledgeable about everything to do with the mine and the area. He had a very attentive audience:

There was Arch and I, a couple from Quebec, a young woman from Florida and about 20 young military officers from around the world. They were at Camp Aldershot on a NATO military exchange training program for 3 months. Most were majors in their home armies but one was a captain and highly respected by the others. The young men pictured here were from Brazil, Botswana, Kenya and Nepal. Also represented were Sierra Leone, Libya, Colombia and one young woman, from Edmonton.

First we were given a hard hat and a cape to protect us from the low ceiling and the dampness:

We were also offered canes to use when we entered the lowest point in the mine, where the ceiling was about four and a half feet high. Note the sign above the canes.

Then we entered the Ocean Deeps Colliery:

This tunnel, which had a very gentle slope, took us out under the ocean for a small distance. In the original mine the slope was much steeper, went out under the ocean for 7 miles and the trip took one and a half hours in very small rail cars:

At the end of the passage way we entered a passage with a lower ceiling and then another with an even lower ceiling:

Note how bent over everyone is. One young man, who was about 6`4`` tall was bent nearly in half. At the end of this passage was a display depicting how the miners worked with Pit Ponies which were used to haul the coal to underground collection stations. The ponies lived underground in stables. They only came out of the mine once a year when their handlers went on vacation. Sort of a vacation for the ponies as well.

Sorry this picture isn`t very clear. It was very dark at this area in the mine. This is a model of a pit pony in the stable area.

This was what they called a room and pillar mine - the miners worked in rooms supported by pillars - and our next stop was in one of these rooms:

The ceiling was very low at this point. This photo depicts two `retired`miners in the mine. Arch worked in the gold mines in Northern Ontario in the late 1950s and so wanted his picture taken with Wishie in this mine. (as a matter of fact it was that experience, in the gold mines, that persuaded Arch that a university education was indeed a good idea!) 

Following this stop we passed through the lowest area of the mine and ended up at a small garden that is maintained as a memory of a garden one of the miners created out under the ocean in the original mine.

It is very cold in the mine during the winter months and this garden is left to fend for itself. The spike plant (I am sure it has a more botanical name) grows unattended during these months and has survived for three years,

This tour was a wonderful experience and we highly recommend you take it if ever in this area.

Prince Edward Island: the Excellent, the Not-so-Excellent, and the Ugly

Well. we left PEI for 5 days ago and I've been thinking a lot about our visit there. Between a disastrous start and a dramatic return we had a grand time. PEI really is one of nature's great playgrounds with fabulous golf courses, beautiful beaches, wonderful natural beauty and excellent food sources. It did rain a lot while we were there, as it did in Nova Scotia. I understand it was one of the rainiest Septembers on record - just making up for a dry summer I guess. Ah well! You can't have everything.

The Excellent:
It is beautiful, a feast for the eyes! PEI is so neat and tidy Arch figures they have a patrol of clean-up police and people are publicly flogged if they litter or do not mow the grass and keep beautiful gardens.

The information for visitors is terrific and guides you through everything there is to do in PEI. If you get bored it is not their fault. And the directional signage is beyond compare - with a map there is no way you can get lost there.

The roads are fantastic, straight and very well maintained and, did I say clean? Not a piece of roadside litter to be found anywhere.

The food! PEI used to bill itself "the Garden of the Gulf"  and, with the warm gulf waters and red sandy soil it truly has some of the best food around. Farm stands are everywhere, fresh seafood is readily available and a Saturday farmer's market in Charlottetown is a centre of local activity.

The Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown presents an amazing and entertaining theatre experience. In addition to the regular, year-around schedule of entertainment, the Charlottetown Festival runs all summer and includes "Anne of Green Gables, the Musical" every year (I think) as well as a variety of other shows. This year we went to see "Ring of Fire" the Johnny Cash Story" and loved it.

The golf, of course. That is the main reason we go to PEI.

The Not-so-Excellent:
We were there in mid-September and many businesses catering to tourists were closed. That was a disappointment as we were really looking forward to spending time in the parks, small restaurants and businesses serve visitors. In Souris, even the ferry terminal was closed.

The service was good but not great. Again, I think that this was related to the time of year. Everyone just seemed tired and waiting for the tourist season to be over.

The Ugly:
The Gateway Village at the end of the Confederation Bridge in PEI. With the exception of the Tourist Information Centre and Cows Ice Cream this is nothing more than a tourist trap selling imported junk and bad food. And many of the stores are empty. We were only able to get a good cup of coffee because some buses with visitors from cruise ships docked in Charlottetown were arriving and coffee had been made just for them. I am not sure why this is so. Perhaps the rent is too high for small independent businesses that sell local goods. Who knows. So stop there because the Tourism Centre is excellent and will provide you with all the information you need to plan your visit, grab a Cows ice cream - that is one of the best reasons for coming to PEI - and leave.

The road between Aulac, New Brunswick and the Confederation Bridge. I know this is not PEI's fault, it is New Brunswick's road. But it is beyond awful and you should be prepared for it. Especially if you are in a RV. Everything will be shaken loose by the time you get off it!

All in all PEI is a great spot to visit. The Island is small and easy to get around, you are never far from the ocean and There is lots to do and see. But we recommend you go in July or August when everything is up and running.

A Scary Trip Across the Confederation Bridge

The Confederation Bridge is a 9km long, 2 lane bridge that connects Prince Edward Island to mainland Canada. Other than a ferry at the other end of the province it is "the Island's" only vehicle transportation link to the rest Canada, and yesterday we nearly shut it down.

As we started out to cross the bridge it was very windy but the large trucks and other RVs seemed to be heading out with confidence so off we went. About 500 meters onto the bridge our awning started to bang and shake. The wind was blowing underneath it and it was coming loose. Oh my!

Once you get on the bridge there is no turning back and no stopping as there are no pull off lanes. So we had no choice but to continue on. For 9 kms. With the awning banging and crashing against the side of the Adventure Bus. About half way across the awning itself started to come off the roll.

I read a blog once (I wish I could remember which one) about a couple whose awning came loose on a very windy day on Interstate 5 in California and she had to hang out the window and hold on to the awning until her husband was able to pull off the road. I had visions of doing the same thing for 5 kms on the bridge - a very scary prospect.

Meanwhile, Arch had visions of shutting down the bridge when the awning blew off. He drove very slowly and adjusted the passenger side mirror so he could watch the awning. The cars behind us could see what was happening and gave us lots of distance and we kept going - creeping along at about 50 km/hr. And we made it! Thank heavens!

We pulled in to the Tourist Information Centre at the exit to inspect the damage and see what our situation was. The force of the wind had broken one of the clips holding the awning in place and about 25% of the awning had come off the roll. We were struggling to get to get everything back together - Arch on the roof and me down below, when a man who could see we were struggling and stopped to help. His assistance was just what we needed and within 5 minutes everything was back in place. Except the awning was still partially off the roll.

Today Arch will try to fix that and design a back up system to hold the awning in place if this ever happens again. Any suggestions?

Other than that our trip to PEI was great - I will do a blog post about that later.

Hunting for Food - 2012 Style

It rained for the first three days of our visit to Prince Edward Island. We know that entertaining ourselves on rainy days will be a problem as we are “go outside” people and a lot of what we (especially Arch) like to do means being outside. So, after a spectacular summer of very little rain, this was our first real test. And, as we must stay on budget, we did not want to spend any unnecessary money. The solution? A food hunt for our dinner.

PEI issues a brochure “PEI Flavours Culinary Trail”. I found a recipe for PEI Lobster-Stuffed Spuds in it so we decided to follow the trail along Green Gables Shore and gather the food necessary to make them for supper.

First stop: Island Farmhouse Gouda to buy The Cheese Lady’s Gouda. They had an interesting video about how the Gouda was made and a glassed in area where we could watch the process happening. Unfortunately, when we were there, The Cheese Lady was not at work, so all we saw were the Gouda aging – a little like watching grass grow.

Next stop: Fishermen’s Wharf in North Rustico to purchase lobster and, we hoped, have lunch at the Blue Mussel Café. Again, we are here out of season so there wasn’t much action. The café was closed, but the lobster pound was open so we were able to get our lobster already cooked.

Lunch: So now we are on a hunt for a spot to have lunch. There was a Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Supper restaurant there but these places tend to be very production (vs. quality) oriented and as buses from cruise ships visiting Charlottetown lined the road we decided to pass. Our brochure recommended a spot in Cavendish so on we went. Chez Yvonne sounded like a small, cozy café but when we arrived we found this. With more buses parked in back.

But we were pleasantly surprised. The bus people left as we arrived and the restaurant was very quickly tidied up and we were seated. The food was all homemade and both it and the service were excellent.

So then, on to get some mussels for Arch (I do not care for them) at Carr’s Shellfish on the wharf at Stanley Bridge. This is where the famous PEI blue mussel comes from and the waters around Stanley Bridge are full of mussel (and oyster) farms.

Finally, one last shop at Hills Farm Stand to purchase two really nice baking potatoes. Another disappointment as they only sold potatoes in 5lb (or larger) bags. We wouldn’t eat that many potatoes in a month and had no place to store them anyway.

So we passed on that and went to a grocery store where we were able to buy two potatoes (grown in PEI). Then home to make supper.

Arch shelled the lobster and scrubbed the mussels, we popped the potatoes in the oven to bake and I prepared the ingredients for the stuffed potatoes and the mussels.

For the mussels I simple added a little chopped garlic and onion, a bit of white wine, some chopped tomato and a tablespoon of butter. Place them on the burner for about 5 minutes, until they open, and voila: steamed mussels.

The recipe for the potatoes was equally as simple:

Lobster-stuffed Spuds

Ingredients:

2 baking potatoes, baked and hot

¼ cup cooked lobster meat, chopped

2 tsp butter

2 ½ tbsp. sour cream

1 green onion, diced small

Two rashers bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1/3 cup Gouda, grated (buy the “old” Gouda)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400⁰F

Cut the cooked potatoes in half and scoop out the potato. Set the skins aside. In a bowl mash the potato with the butter, sour cream, green onion and ½ the cheese, Beat until smooth. Fold in the lobster meat and bacon. (I simply mixed it all together with a spoon). Season with pepper and salt.  Spoon the mixture into the potato skins, sprinkle with the remaining Gouda and bake for about 15 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted.

Add a green salad and you have supper:

The Rich Really do Live Better Than You and Me!

Fox Harb'r Golf Resort was developed by former Tim Horton's owner as a playground for the rich and priveledged. It has 2 golf courses, one 18 holes and a 9 hole executive course. The 18 hole course is $300 a round so there was no way we could afford that. At $30 a round the executive course is on the higher end for a very short 9 hole course but do-able for our budget so yesterday we decided to give it a go.

There is no signage directing you to the course and the drive in would lead one to believe there is nothing special at the end of the road when suddenly you come upon a very long wrought irom fence, and then this:

The entrance gate was open so we simply drove in and up the very long and beautifully landscaped Amazing Grace Boulevard. The suddenly we came upon this:

The landing strip for private jets. Right in the centre of the golf course. I guess there was no way to make the airplane hanger look beautiful.

Off to one side of the course were private homes and condos. Nova Scotia's favourite songstress, Anne Murray, owns a home here.

Then we came to the main club house complex: 

It was beautifully appointed, both inside and out. I of course had to take a few photos of the women's locker room and bathroom. What is it about fancy bathrooms that inspires us to take photos - do we really expect, an outhouse???

Then on to the pro shop to book a tee time. Met the very personable golf pro and after a lot of chat about the course and how it operated he gave us a score card for the short course. When Arch asked "how much?' he said "No charge. You are guests of the resort. Have fun. Play as many rounds as you want."  What a nice surprise! So off we went.

The 9 hole course runs along the Northumberland Strait and the view is spectacular.

It was very windy though, and much tougher than it looks, especially the greens, so 9 holes was enough for our first golf outing since last April.

So we left the sea gulls to their green guarding job,

Said good-by to the fox,

And were on our way. What a fun experience thanks to a generous gesture by the golf pro. Thanks Fox Harb'r!

Some Days are Diamonds, Some are Coal

Yesterday was the first day of our new life as travelling full-time RVers. The day started out as a diamond. Beautiful weather. Delivered Tara to the  dog sitter for a 10 day stay and dog-free holiday for us (she is going to the farm for her holiday). Had a delicious breakfast at Rhubarb Cafe and Grill. We cleaned and prepared the Adventure Bus to go. Pulled out into Bay Hammocks parking lot to attach the dolly and load the car, leaving our 3 month home looking lonely:

And then the day rapidly turned into coal.

In the excitement of the moment Arch drove the car over the end of the dolly:

Oh my! This was not good.

The business next to Bay Hammocks runs a car-towing service but no one was there. So Arch called them and Jamie, the owner sent out a man to have a look and decide what was to be done. He brought a couple of jacks with him which he mounted on these boards to raise the car off the dolly. No such luck.

Jamie was called again and he decided to round up several guys and they would lift the car off the dolly. They all arrived in an hour or so and that is exactly what they did.

So with the car properly loaded Arch jumped in the Adventure Bus to start it. Fail!! The motor appeared to be dead. After canvassing several neighbours they found someone who had a set of jumper cables and attempted to get the thing started.  

No way. The motor simply would not turn over. So then they decided the starter was gone and Jamie hopped in his truck and headed to Dartmouth (45 minutes away) to get a new one.

He arrived back one and a half hours later and installed the new starter. Still nothing. So one of his men crawled under the Adventure Bus to see what was wrong.

I think he is under there somewhere. Oh, here is a foot, so there must be a person attached!

After much discussion, wiggling and jiggling of wires and a lot of bad language the Adventure Bus finally started. But that was not a solution because, if we turned the motor off, we would have to go through the same procedure again. And, by now it was 5:30pm. 

Arch made the decision that we would take the Adventure Bus to Homestead Auto Repair, 10 kms down the road The owner used to be a service manager at a Ford dealership and knows everything there is to know about Ford trucks. They also did a lot of work on the Adventure Bus. We settled up with Jamie (his bill was very reasonable considering all the effort he and several of his men put into getting us going)  loaded up and off we went. 

Homestead was closed but the owner lives next door so we got his (actually, his wife's) permission to sleep there over night - our first Boondocking experience! Our favourite little dining spot - The Finer Diner - was right across the road so we decided to treat ourselves to dinner out watching the sun set over St. Margaret's Bay.

A small reward for a very trying day!

The next day the Adventure Bus was repaired and ready to go by 10 am and off we went. Tonight we are parked in Arch's sister(Grace's) driveway in Truro, NS. We will stay here for two days. Tonight we played cards with Grace and her husband Cyril. Tomorrow golf at Fox Harb'r and then on to PEI on Thursday.

By the way, if you are on Facebook and would like to keep up with us on a daily basis please like our page: https://www.facebook.com/TheAccidentalRVers I will be posting daily updates there and writing on this blog when once or twice a week as events happen.

We Should Have Known Better

The Adventure Bus is 10 years old and had little use (or care) in its previous life so we should have known we would have to redo the roof. But we choose to live in denial. And got caught. About a week ago we had our first really heavy rain of the season and it poured in to the Adventure Bus in one spot and leaked in an another one.

As they were forecasting the possible arrival of Hurricane Leslie in Nova Scotia within 48 hours this required an immediate fix, and caused us to miss a planned meet-up with Florida cousins Jim and Judy who were in New Brunswick (hi guys).

After getting a quote of $900 for a repair Arch went to our local RV dealer and purchased the necessary materials to do the job himself. He was pretty unsure about what he as doing but the saving was huge so we decided to take the chance. At this point we are suffering from budget burn-out so it seemed worth a try.

Following instructions carefully Arch cleaned the roof, removed all old caulking, washed it again with TPS and then waited impatiently for it to dry. As you can see it was a beautiful day so the roof dried quickly and he was able to paint on a coat of "rubber roofing." This was allowed to dry for 24 hours then he added a second coat. 

He was very relieved to be finished. So then the waiting began. The prediction for Leslie's arrival was changed and instead, and lucky for us,  Newfoundland is getting a visit from her today. But they were still forecasting very heavy rain for us. 

The roof had 24 hours to dry and about midnight the night before last the rain arrived. Arch was up and down all night checking for leaks but, HURRAH! NO WATER CAME IN. It continued to rain all day yesterday - 4" in total, according to Tara's water dish. And we still are high and dry.

On Thursday the Adventure Bus goes to be prepared for painting (front only), comes home overnight (so no need for boondocking yet), Then back for a shiny new coat of paint on Friday.

A week ago nephew David and his little family were visiting from Newfoundland.

David is the family tech expert so he installed our Sirius radio and connected the antenna to the TV so we can use either it or cable, depending on what is available.

So by Friday night we will be ready to head out  and on Monday the adventure begins. First to Truro to visit Arch's family, then on to PEI for a week. So exited!