31 August 2013 - Fundy Trail Parkway

Our second day at St. John on the Bay of Fundy has been a thing of beauty.  We decided that the vaunted Bay of Fundy Tides take too long to sit and wait for the changes, so we elected to tour the pristine coastline of New Brunswick.  For those who do not know, the Bay of Fundy is noted for having the highest tides in the world. They fluctuate up to 40 feet between high and low tides.  It takes 6 hours to go from low to high and we felt we could not just sit to watch it.  There is a place called Reversing Falls, where a river runs into the bay.  When the high tide rises, you can literally see the river reverse course as the ocean surges in.  You have to be there at just the right time to see it and we were too far away.  We did arrive in St. Martin at low tide and you can see how the boats rest on the ground while moored to the dock above them, waiting for the water to return.

We thought that on the way back they would be floating high, but we did not give it enough time and they were floating again, but only a little and not enough to make a dramatic photo. Oh, well. Perhaps another time.

St. Martin is a quaint little town nestled in a secluded bay.  At one time it was the center of a massive lumbering economy, cutting trees, sending them to the bay and loading onto ships to be carried to the lumber mills and pulp wood factories.  Many fortunes were made here and many jobs created.  Some of the "lumber barons" built lovely homes, up on hills with spectacular views of the ocean.  In fact, you can see all the way across to Nova Scotia from this place.  Some of the homes are still standing and kept in good shape and I think they have an air about them that speaks forgotten elegance.

After a while, the logging industry was curtailed in order to create a coastline as much back to the original as possible.  For about 20 kilometers along the coast from St. Martin north, the area has been kept wild and we are told it is the last remaining section of wild, undeveloped coastline in North America.  The Fundy Trail Parkway runs along this coast with walking and biking trails and lookouts with picnic tables, view locations and an interpretive center.  The logging operations are gone now except for the pictures.  We chatted with a lovely lady in one of the gift shops who told us that the pictures in the center show her grandfather and uncle standing on the logs prepared for shipping.  She also introduced us to Bluebarb Jam, a mix of blueberries and rhubarb.  It is delicious and we had to purchase a bottle.

We paid an entrance fee, complete with 13% tax to enter and drive the parkway. They do not charge by the car, but by the person.  The clerk told us we should feel good because now the tax is only half of what it was.  When you turn toward a socialist government and economy, almost everything gets taxed and then increased.  This country is an oil exporter, yet the cost of gas is higher here than at home, about $5.15/gal.  I fear it is the direction the U.S. is heading.

After negotiating the toll booth, we drove north along the Parkway.  I must tell you that we developed a form of sensory overload with all the beautiful views.  Thick forests flow down to the edges of the cliffs, which drop to a shoreline with rugged rocks, stony beaches and jutting headlands.

This gives an idea of the dense forest growth with pine trees, ferns and other vegetation carpeting the hills.  I cannot call them mountains, but they are still spectacular, rolling in waves along all the views. 

The coast has some beaches, but they are covered with stones and not sand.  Some are long and straight and some are curved.  What is wonderful is they appear pristine and almost untouched.  A few pieces of driftwood, but no trash, no tire tracks and clean.  The stones on the beaches are multicolored and when  polished create a solid rainbow to delight the eye.  I think that Mom was back in her childhood searching around for all the colors she could find.  We spent the day basking in one gorgeous view after another.  This truly is a place of wonder and beauty.  It is almost magical in its splendor and words do not do it justice. On place is known for its red stone and the water has carved caves into it.  When the tide is in, the cave is filled halfway deep with water and when the tide is out you can walk into it, see the colors and the seaweed and enjoy a stroll on the "ocean floor".

We have been so impressed with the beauty of Canada, its warm and friendly people and the lack of crowds.  Today is the Labor Day Weekend here as well as in the USA and the roads were not crowded, the tourist spots easy to use and the experience most pleasant.  At one point, we were at a picnic table overlooked the mouth of the Big Salmon River as it flows into the ocean, and a bright red, convertible top down, Corvette pulled up.  A couple got out, placed a table cloth on the picnic table, set up wine glasses, plates and all the fixings, popped the cork on their bottle and settled in for an undisturbed afternoon of restful dining with a view unequaled by any restaurant.  I think that anyone should consider New Brunswick a vacation destination in and of itself.  There is so much to do here and we have only seen a little.  When we head into Maine tomorrow, after church, we might try to find another blueberry farm we read about.  They offer fresh blueberry pie.  If we can take it over the border to eat after we break our fast, it would be a special gift.  We are having a beautiful and inspiring trip.  We are so impressed with the beauty and spectacular creation that Father in Heaven has given us.  Our hearts are full.

30 August 2013 - St. John, NB

This morning we awoke to a velvet curtain of fog outside the window, blurring the view.  As we got ready for a morning walk, the sun rapidly warmed the air and the fog drifted up and away, followed by a brilliant blue sky, free of clouds and as crystalline as you could wish.  We did a brisk walk and the air was like a sweet rush of strength and renewal.  I don't think we have felt such wonderful freshness in a long time.  The Province of New Brunswick has to be one of my favorite spots.  It touches all the right buttons for me and lifts my soul.  We again headed for the coast, but traveled through the most gorgeous forested country I have ever seen.

A brief detour to a side road allowed us to close in on the dense forest, a blend of greens from evergreens and deciduous trees.  I am sure that in a few weeks, as the fall colors flare into glorious brilliance, that this will be an eye-popping spectacle of beauty.  As we traveled along, we were among rolling hills, covered with this forest and then opened with serpentine fields of emerald color winding down and across the hills.  The forests marched right to the edges of the fields and embraced them in the darker greens.

This is a country resting on thick beds of shale and richly blessed with flowing streams and smooth, blue lakes.  As we drove along, we would pass over streams and rivers, clear and fresh, rushing over the stones and carving twisting, blue ribbons in cliffs of shining shale.  The forest trees crowded the banks on either side. The streams seemed so clean and unsullied that I could imagine them filled with trout and just begging for an intrepid angler to float a fly down the brilliant riffles. They looked like a fisherman's dream out of the most inviting tourist brochure you could imagine.  As we were on the limited access highway, I could not stop for a picture, but I hope my description gives a little flavor of the area.  The country is just what I would wish for a cabin location.  To add to the allure, the routes were speckled with roadside warnings to be careful of moose, not deer or rabbits.  Any country with that type of population is exciting for me.

As we proceeded further, we began to pass fields of potatoes and corn nestled between the trees.  And then we happened on the sign telling us of the Potato Museum, the town which brags as being the "French Fry Capital of the World".  Of course our interest was piqued and we had to investigate.  We pulled off the road and had a nice visit in a hitherto unknown location for potatoes.  It seems that the McCain Potato Company, founded in New Brunswick, supplies over 1/3 of all the french fries in the world   They had a nice museum of potato farming and a restaurant, in which, naturally, we had an order of fresh fries, and  they were delicious.

Mom became the potato flower for the trip.  Who would have known that New Brunswick is a potato center.  It was interesting to note that when we talked to the young ladies manning the desk and told them that Ronda was from Idaho, and I from Utah, they had no idea were those states were and had not heard of the renowned Idaho Spud. 

We drove a  long way today on a scenic byway and were delighted to have found it and enjoyed the scenery so very much. 

There were deep lakes, azure blue and smooth, floating in a sea of forest green.  You can see the well kept fields and gorgeous scenery. As we got closer to St. John, they merged into a wide and flowing river, lined with cabins and farms and floating sailboats, white sails brilliant in the sun and against the blue water.

Then we ran across a true "Your IQ demands it" opportunity.  On the winding, narrow road we saw a sign inviting people to stop and pick blueberries.  We had to do it and drove to a little home with about half an acre of lovely blueberry bushes.  We had a pleasant chat with the owner and learned more about the wonderful berries and then hand-picked a couple of pints which we will treasure as a luscious treat tonight and tomorrow.

Ronda got the knack of being picky very fast.  It was such a pleasant interlude to stop in the wonderful sun and comfortable temperature and find this delicious treat.

As you can see, they look so tasty and indeed they are.  Tonight I will get some brown sugar and sour cream and treat my tongue to a titillating experience.

After we arrived in St. John we went to Billy's Seafood Restaurant, the recommendation from the berry lady and I finally had my long-awaited, delicious lobster roll. They take a rich pile of the wonderful lobster meat, mix it with mayo and layer it thick on a toasted bun.  You cannot get your mouth around it in one bite and it is wonderful. I will probably have another while we are on the coast.  We have now traveled all the way to the tip of Maine, my goal for this trip. We plan to be here a couple of days before going to Bar Harbor.  We are having a great trip.  Love to all.

29 August 2013 - Grand Falls, NB

Today dawned blustery and cool.  We decided to take a walk and drove a short distance to a park on the Falls of the Cardiere River.  This beautiful river cascades over rugged shale rock on its way to the St. Lawrence River.  Unfortunately, I did not have my camera. Mom may send a photo on Instagram.  We then packed up and again headed east. This time we decided to follow the Route de Naviguers. This is a scenic byway along the St. Lawrence Seaway.  It was like driving the rural roads in the countryside of France.   All the signs were in French and the little towns dotted the road with well kept fields and farms in between.

Each town had its own church, with one or two pointed steeples and a statue in front of the Virgin Mary or the Christ.  Some had lovely windows and most were of substantial stone.  One town had been founded in 1713 and they were celebrating their 300th anniversary. It was a most lovely spot.  The homes were quaint and the streets narrow and it was situated right on the edge of this beautiful body of water.  With the wind, the waves washed against the shore and as we went along we could see that the water level was now being affected by tidal changes.  The whole route carried us along a pastoral scene out of a picture of the countries of Europe.   We found little wayside chapels and memorials along the way, some to the early pioneers or settlers of the area and some for local worship.

Nestled along the waterway were cottages, farms, parks and view spots that were so attractive and lent a sense of peace to the area.  Although we had a ways to travel today, the speed limits were not high and our travel was prolonged, but we enjoyed the scenery so much that it didn't seem to matter.

As we traveled further east, the waterway grew larger and larger, dotted with islands and the shore both rocky and with small beaches. Trees marched to the edge in some places and in others, fields were farmed almost to the waterline.



We loved the farms and found men cutting hay, winnowing the crops and fenced in paddocks with Holstein cows, mottled in black and white and peacefully feeding.  When we stopped to get a closer look, they seemed to be as curious about us as we of them.

I think this one was not only curious, but much interested in being milked, as you can see from the crossed legs :)

Where the farmers were cutting the fields, the seagulls flocked to eat the insect and worms disturbed by the tractor. It was beautiful and the air smelled of farming.  In fact, in general the air is so fresh, clean and rich with fresh smells as to be very invigorating.



When we got to the town of Riviere de Loup, about 125 miles from Quebec, we directed the car south into the lovely Appalachian Mountains of New Brunswick. We climbed up from the St. Lawrence valley into rich, pine forests with flowing streams and stony outcroppings.  At one point, I even saw a moose in the field nearby.  We are now in Grand Falls, NB.  We had supper at a little place in town and had, in my opinion, one of the best pizzas I have eaten in a long time.  Tomorrow we plan to go to St. John, right on the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean.  I am looking forward to it.

28 August 2013 - Quebec

We decided to not drive much today and instead explore Old Quebec, a city of history and charm.  A short drive from our hotel put us at the foot of the massive cliffs that protected the city for so many years.  The city is set on a plateau overlooking the confluence of the St. Charles and St. Lawrence rivers.  For decades it has been the controlling spot for commerce and trade with the Atlantic and the Great Lakes regions. Because of its strategic location, it has been fought over more than once.

The French settled the area and fortified it and for about 150 years they controlled the location and contested dominance of the region with Great Britain.  Finally in 1759, the British won control and have remained in control since. In about 1860, The Canadian Confederation was formed making the country essentially independent. Still, they have made themselves subject to the British Monarchy and keep many traditions.  Quebec is home to the only French speaking regiment in Canada, one that has covered itself with glory in many campaigns.  The Citadel, on the south of the city  is overlooking the Plains of Abraham, site of the most famous battles for the city.

It was built in about 1860 as a defense against the USA but was never attacked, obviously.  But it is still functioning and is the headquarters of the 22nd Regiment and all their orders and actions are done in French, including the changing of the guard, which we witnessed today.  The goat is the regimental mascot, and declared the "royal goat" because the original mascot, Bessie, was given to the regiment by the Queen.  The current goat is the 11th Bessie and the goat was picked because of its fierce attitude of defending its family.  The regimental motto is translated  " I remember" and refers to Country, family and comrades.

The martial spectacle, with its drums, band and stylized maneuvers was fun to watch.  They change the guard, all dressed in traditional uniforms, only once a day and only until the end of August and then close down until the spring.  But at all other times, they are a real military unit, on active duty and have been called to fight in World Wars I and II, Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan.

We then spent hours walking the city, with its narrow streets, hills, cobblestones, shops and cafes.  We had a splendid lunch at the Creperie, saw the iconic Chateau Fontenac, watched a diorama of the battles of Quebec and visited ornate and beautiful churches.  By the time we got home, we were tired but found Quebec to be a lovely visit.

We had a snack of cheesecake at a sidewalk cafe on the square.



Many of the churches date back to the French days and are Catholic or have a strong Catholic/Anglican flavor.  Stain glass windows abound and gilded alter pieces and relics are present.  I found them beautiful and in a couple of them, they had background music of Gregorian chants and other acapella singing.  In addition, street side performers made lovely music on guitar, harps, etc.  They added a unique flavor to the city.

We went up and down a lot of steps to get about on the heights where Quebec is situated.  We indeed had a good days walk and it was tiring but rewarding.  The city is like being in Europe without having to endure the long overseas flight.  People were so friendly and warm and most could speak English, though the preferred speech is French.  The commanding view is spectacular and one can easily see the strategic planning that went into the city.  I enjoyed it very much.  I also found the history fascinating and was reminded of all the things I learned in the past about this historic location.

27 August 2013 - Quebec

Today we intended to have some spiritual refreshment and uplift during our journey.  Each Sunday, so far, has been good and we have truly enjoyed visiting different Wards.  We have met wonderful people and felt of the Spirit and enjoyed worshiping with brothers and sisters from different areas.  We strongly recommend  when you travel that you follow our example and take the opportunity to go to Church each and every Sunday, it is worth it.  But today we elected to expand our experience.  We took a room overlooking the Saint Lawrence River across from Montreal.  It is in the town of Longueuil, which also happens to be the location of the Montreal Temple. It was closed yesterday, but offered 3 sessions today.  We went for a walk this morning and as we walked, I noted something sticking up above the trees.  As we got closer, it became a recognizable icon.

We were fortunate enough to take a place literally about 15 minutes walking time from the Temple.   When it came time to leave the hotel, we just headed down the road and turned in to the Temple.  It is one of the small temples so does not stay open each day and does not have all day session options.  Today there were sessions at 0900, 1100 and 7:30.  We choose to attend the 11 am session.  A few cars were in the parking lot when we arrived and we walked up to the door and found it locked, which surprised us. 

I looked about to see if there were another entrance, but none presented itself.  As we looked closer, we saw a doorbell beside the door. Now, if your were to go to  the House of the Lord and ring the doorbell, who would you expect to answer?  We found that it is answered by a servant of the Lord. A kind brother with a French accent opened the door and invited us in.  Each patron who comes to this temple has to ring the bell to be admitted.  I think that is because the workers all have extra duties to perform and one is not assigned to just wait for people to come.

We were able to change clothes and then have about an hour to wait.  It was peaceful and quiet, with few people around. In the endowment session there were only about 20 attendees.  Only two people were at the veil at any one time. We were greeted by the Temple President himself who also opened the session.  He welcomed people in French, English and Spanish, he is truly multilingual.  In deference to "visitors" from Salt Lake City, they held the session in English and we were the Witnesses.  We very much enjoyed the session and both had names that were very French.  Pronunciation was a challenge, however, the brother assisting at the veil was from Murray, Utah on a mission to the temple and he also struggled with saying the name.  He does not speak French and in fact is assigned to help Chinese members, but does not speak Chinese either, which I thought was a unique challenge for him.  He was very kind and helpful and nice to meet.  It was a soul refreshment to attend the Temple and worth the time.  We find that we enjoyed this small temple, with the slower pace, quieter environment and intimate sessions.  We hope to attend others.

Notice the red and white flowers bordering the grounds, the colors of Canada. 

After the session, we headed east again, traveling through the continuous lush country.  We did get a bit lost heading for the freeway and drove through the center of Longueuil.  It was like being in France itself, with small shops. sidewalk cafes, looming stone churches, narrow roads and everything in French.  I though it was charming.  We found the freeway and are now in a little town outside of Quebec called St. Nicholas.  Tomorrow we will take a stab at exploring old Quebec, with its citadel, battlefield and historic sites.  I am looking forward to it.  Bon jour.

26 August 2013 - Montreal

Ottawa beckoned us this morning to investigate Parliament Hill, the seat of government for all of Canada.  We walked from our hotel and up the streets to this impressive location.  It is set on a rise overlooking the Ottawa River as it divides and joins around a series of islands.  It was here, in years past, that another set of rapids obstructed passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the interior, so another series of step-wise locks were built, becoming the focus for the founding of a town.  It has since grown to a metropolis.  The government buildings are made of sandstone and roofed with copper.  In about 1906 Parliament Building burned to the ground, leaving only the old library standing. When it was rebuilt, they made an impressive structure.  I am sure that in days past, before larger buildings were constructed, Parliament members loved to look out from the hill over the growing city.

 The tower is girded by 4 gargoyles, to divert rain water away from the high tower. We noted in places, however, that the water from the copper roofs have stained the sandstone green.  I felt that the gargoyles are to look in all four directions for any planes that might threaten the tower.  The clock chimes the same melody as our grandfather clock at home, and not much more in tune, either.  But it does have a greater volume.

In the large court in front of the building has been erected an eternal flame to commemorate the century anniversary since the confederation of all the provinces under independent, central government.

The grounds have a number of statues on them, cast in bronze to remember the first Prime Minister, the man who mapped the area, trappers, soldiers, war fallen and other events.  One statue is of Queen Victoria, standing in majesty and another of the current Queen Elizabeth, astride a horse and looking over the city.  We also found one grouping of suffragettes, meeting to plan their strategy to gain the vote.  Ronda felt that she could join in the effort.

I think she looks so pleased with the opportunity to vote.  If we could just have gotten the American women to be informed enough to have helped to choose a different President.  We had a truck pull up along side us on the freeway, after entering the Montreal area, and as traffic slowed, he rolled down his window and yelled that he liked our bumper sticker.  We have had nothing but good comments on our sentiment.  I am sure that one of the statues heard about the sticker and also expressed her feelings about it.

We noted an interesting part of the Parliament building, circular in shape with flying buttresses, stained glass, crenelated top and appearing to be a bit older that the rest of the building.  A plaque informed us that this was the old library, as I mentioned above, the only part left standing after the great fire.  It was designed by Thomas Fuller and I think is it magnificent.  It is still used today for government records.

  After our tour of Parliament Hill we headed east again.  We got lost leaving the city and found ourselves on a lovely parkway along the river, with rolling hills, manicured grass and interspersed with fields of yellow wild flowers, allowed to flourish among trees.  Here and there in the midst of the flowers, we noted brilliant purple blossoms. These flowers seem to be along the roadsides throughout the Province of Ontario.  This time of year they are most lovely.

Leaving Ottawa, we had a relaxed drive until we neared Montreal. If you think the "spaghetti bowl" in Salt Lake Valley is convoluted, the roads in Montreal constitute a Gordian Knot.  I am convinced that without the dulcet tones of the voice of our GPS system, we would surely have ended up in London, England.  Boy, it was a confusing mess.  I am glad that we found our hotel.  It looks across the St. Lawrence River at docks and large ships.  I think we will make a short visit here and then try to take a couple of days in Quebec to rejuvenate.  We do plan to try to attend a session in the Montreal Temple in the morning.

25 August 2013 - Ottawa

Today we let rain wash us down the road east to Ottawa.  All of our days so far have been essentially gloriously clear and bright.  Today we awoke to gray clouds and an initial spattering of drops.  We went to church in the Sudbury, Canada Ward and were warmly welcomed.  We very much enjoyed sacrament meeting, especially as they featured the serving missionaries in the ward, from Halifax, New Zealand and (Hi, y'all)  Houston. Their talks were uplifting and spiritual and a blessing to us.  We elected to leave after the meeting because we wanted to get to Ottawa tonight and the drive was somewhat long.  Shortly after leaving church, it began to rain and heavily at that.  But the roads were not crowded and the moisture seemed to make the landscape colors more vibrant and rich. Again we traveled through beautiful forests and farmlands.  The fields are surrounded by thick woods, lending a lush, verdant look to the terrain.

Many of the farms have old barns in various states of use or disrepair. Actually, they lend a touch of uniqueness that we don't see so much in Utah.  Some are just weathered wood, others painted red or white or even maroon.  Each seems to be nestled in a sea of flourishing grass or woods and we comment on almost all that we see.  I find them a neat touch to the scenery.



As we continued on, we came to the little town of Matawa, at a crossroads. We stopped to take a picture of the old Anglican Church near the roundabout.  It gave me the opportunity to march out in the rain and down the street from where we had parked the car.  We noted a number of carved wooden statues in the little town and one of them caught my eye.  I thought "What are they doing with a statue of the Prophet here?"  Closer inspection removed the question, but I thought it an interesting find, even to the prophetic pose and the book in hand.

 

The roads were only 2 lanes but not crowded. As mentioned, speeds are not great here, so driving is relaxed and easy.  I enjoy the way the asphalt stretches out and beckons me to keep going.  I like driving in Canada, at least this part of it.  I still have on my "bucket list" a drive on the Trans-Alaskan Highway.  I think Ronda is certain that I am a bit nuts, but I like to drive.

   Tonight we have arrived in Ottawa and have a room downtown, withing walking distance of Parliament Hill, the river locks, old churches and the city hall.  We walked to dinner and found a place that served Italian. I had a wonderful meal of veal and figs with potatoes and Gorgonzola sauce.  Mom stuck to polenta, but they put a spicy sausage ragu on it, enough to make her eyes water and nose run.  I think it was a great meal.  Tomorrow we plan to wander about some of the city and then drive on to Montreal.  I like Canada and am enjoying the trip.  Mom is feeling well and back to "normal" (whatever that is) and is also enjoying seeing new things.  The journey continues!

24 August 2013 - Canada travel

When you look at a map, you can see that the sizes of Canada and the USA are somewhat similar.  The contrast is in the population, with Canada having about 1/10 the number of people as we do.  That was evident as we drove for about 4 hours today.  We are staying in Sudbury, a city with a population of about 160,000 and the only place we encountered after leaving Sault Ste.Marie that had more than 6000 inhabitants.  Because of this the the country is magnificent, beautiful and uncrowded. Roads are smaller and traffic much reduced compared to the States.

This morning, before driving on, we decided to investigate the Soo Locks.  When the trappers came here, they found a difficult rapids on the river between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, with the water dropping 21 feet over a short distance.  The French fur traders decided to build a system of canal and locks to bypass the problem. The initial lock was only 9 feet wide and not very long, but a series of them made transportation with canoes and small boats possible. Later a private enterprise built better locks and finally the Corp of Engineers took it over.  We visited the locks today and watched them work.  We went to the lock on the Canadian side, made for smaller ships and boats.  The really big locks are on the American side and handle huge carriers and ships.  It was fun to watch a ship make the transit.

This tour boat has entered the lock from the Lake Superior side.  In the background you can see the orange/red lock gates closed. Water is allowed to fill the lock from Superior by gravity and a valve.  Once the gates are closed, the water is allowed to flow out to the lower Lake Huron, also by gravity and the boat is lowered to the proper level to leave the lock.  Power is only needed to open and close the gates and the large butterfly valves, no pumping is necessary.

Then the gates are opened downstream and the boat heads into Lake Huron.  It is a cool sight to see.











We could also get a good view of the international bridge which we crossed yesterday from Michigan into Canada.  It is often backed up with cars waiting to pass through customs.  We had no problem with customs because we carried no contraband, except a Book of Mormon (which we did not declare).

After our lovely lock learning lesson we left, leading east.  The countryside is lush and covered with thick forests with some leaves already beginning to make the fall color transition.  In places, with much effort,, I am sure, fields have been cleared and farmed.  The speed limit did not exceed about 58 mph until we reached a true freeway, a few miles from Sudbury.  Then it rose to a magnificent 70 mph.  We did not take any pictures after the locks but will see what tomorrow brings.  We plan to attend church and then push on to Ottowa.  This country is beautiful and we love the laid back pace of life here.

23 August 2013 - Upper Peninsula

It has been a gloriously beautiful day.  Morning was clear, bright and the sky cloudless and blue.  We left Marquette and headed further east, toward the tip of the peninsula.  This is an area of the country about which we have been really unaware.  It is a land of rolling hills, thick pine and deciduous forests, straight roads and spectacular views of Lake Superior.  We also found lovely, clean, almost empty sand beaches with lapping waves and comfortable water.  The roads were nearly empty and we drove through small towns and intersections.  Homes and farms were well kept and clean.

When we stopped, the air was warm and comfortable, not hot or steamy like in some recent locations.  On the stretching beaches, occasional visitors basked in the sun or played with their dogs, throwing and fetching balls in the water and sand.

Ronda and I stopped to stroll in the sand and feel the sweet atmosphere of this lovely lake.  We had no idea before coming here how nice and beautiful the area is.  We would recommend a visit here for any of you and your families.  There are fun things to do and even spending time on the uncrowded beaches would be so pleasant.

As we proceeded further we elected to take a side trip to Taquemenon Falls. (Ta' kwe ma non).  Early trappers encountered rapids on the river between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan making transit difficult. They then found a way around the problem on the Taquemenon River, which flows between the two lakes near the end of the peninsula. It has some falls on it, but those were easier to bypass or portage.  Now the falls have become a state park, a beautiful spot to visit.  The water is stained rust colored by the tannins leaching out of the forest floor and into the water.  When the river reaches the lake, the nearby water turns dark red, a unique contrast to the blue water.

We found a little bakery and gift shop on the way, getting some sweet rolls and trinkets.  Now we have crossed the boundary into Canada and are staying in Sault Ste. Marie  (Soo Saint Marie).  Tomorrow we plan to head further east in the direction of Ottawa.

22 August 2013 - Marquette, MI

Last night, as we were preparing to go to bed, we looked out and had an awesome view of the moon rising over Lake Superior, silver light in contrast to the glow of a sunrise.  The night was soft and warm, wrapping us in comfort and peace, and we loved the angel reflection on the water.

We rested in comfort and have enjoyed our stay in Duluth.  We have been surprised by the loveliness of this area.  We had not thought of this location as a vacation destination, but now we appreciate its beauty, attraction and the things to do.  We are close to the Boundary Waters for camping and boating, Lake Superior is full of fish and a gorgeous body of water.  Duluth has a rich heritage, both historical and ethnic.  It would be worth it to come back to this area and spend more time.







This morning we walked the waterfront, the water a deep and unreal blue, sunlight glistening on its surface and found monuments and historical artifacts lending additional enjoyment to this area.  After breakfast, we headed east, across the border and into Wisconsin, the state of cheese, football and farms.  The north of this state was settled by many from Scandinavia, bringing the Lutheran religion with them.  It still boasts a number of churches devoted to that belief.  These people also brought with them an ethic of hard work, industry and family.  We have seen it in the farms, buildings and towns.  The area is lush, green, rolling hills and attractive farms.  It even has classic cars for sale, including a Buick convertible, in red, no less!  My level of temptation briefly flared, but I controlled it.

            

Even the cows seemed interested in watching those who watch them.  The grass is lush, the cows are getting fat and are the source of famed Wisconsin cheese.

 The roads are lined with lovely Queen Anne's Lace, clover and rich forests of pine, birch and other trees.  We have fallen in love with this beautiful part of our great country.  However, we think the winters here might be rather harsh and tough on the inhabitants.  Summer is so much nicer.

Our destination today has been Marquette, MI, over the border and into the upper peninsula of Michigan.  It has us again on the shore of Lake Superior.  We also found that this is the home of Northern Michigan University, which opens for the fall semester in a couple of days.  People are flocking here to start school and we found that we were indeed lucky to find a nice room.  As we looked out on the lake, we found we are right by the launching site for the rowing crews.  We watched them move out onto the lake and it is obvious that this is a new season for them.  The oars were not in sync, they went  slow and had a power boat with instructor shadowing them.  But they seemed to be having fun and I am sure they will get much better as time goes on.

Tonight we will review the coming journey with the plan to go to Sault St. Marie and cross over into Canada.  Weather has been as good as you could wish and here in Marquette, it has cooled off and is delightful.  Again, we find this is probably the most wonderful country on earth, with basically good people and a variety that is hard to imagine.  We love it!