Sunday, July 8

Big foot (size 11.5 in Men's) and Little Foot (size 5 in babies) are ready to head out!

It's Sunday morning at 10:27 am and it is LOW LOW tide at the Bay of Fundy at the Hopewell Rocks. 

We are now walking along on the beach or rocks and seaweed rather that were covered yesterday by water.  We thought it would be fairly easy to run around however with all the deep mud and seaweed it's a little harder as you sink into it.

 I finally "lose" my flip-flops for bare feet; it's much easier walking and even the rocks are not so difficult, they're fairly smooth with all the water running on them constantly.  2 people did ask me "How can you walk on this rocky shore?"  I don't know; I go barefoot a lot so maybe that's why.  Anyway, it's like a spa on your feet; lots of abrasion from tiny rocks and great squishy mud, perfect! 

Drew and Jackson have lots of fun washing their own feet, now they are doing mine!

The children are pretty amazed by the difference between yesterday and today but after awhile it's time to head up the trail and head on.  

We can only go north now.  North to the Confederation Bridge which crosses over into Prince Edward Island.  We could go another way and cross a narrow land strip into Nova Scotia but it would be more fun for a bridge lover and engineer to cross an 8 mile bridge built in 2004; the first bridge to ever go from the mainland to the island.

Once on P.E.I, it is exactly what you would think of; extremely scenic and beautiful.  Lush grasses, fields of potatoes, wheat fields, red beaches, a big blue sky, and these gorgeous purple flowers that are described in every brochure but not named. 

We take a break from the scenic driving around the island on a red beach but the water is very cold.  No matter, they get in anyway.  Even the baby plays around on the sand and we chat with 2 local women; apparently we stumbled onto a "local" beach. 

Potatoes for sale on the honor system on the side of the road.  P.E.I. grows and sells lots of potatoes.

Church located on the famous Great George Street in Charlottetown, named for the wife of the infamous King George III.  Great George Street had beautiful Georgian architecture homes lining its sides.

A country church

Lighthouses everywhere

Here comes the ferry.

More driving towards the ferry this time and past lighthouses (there are 50 on the island, one which heard the first distress signals of the Titanic) so we can go onto Nova Scotia.  Again, the only way is back across the bridge and a long way around from where we are on P.E.I. and a cost of $45 (toll to go back across the bridge; it is free coming in) or we can take a car ferry across (a cost as well).  We are opting for the car ferry.  JB and I have been on several but of the children only SK has been on one and she was too little to remember taking it at the Outer Banks.  They are so excited about this 75 minute ride on the ferry.
The only problem is that we cannot get a reservation on the 4:30 ferry so we have to take the 6:15.  This gives us more time on P.E.I. but it gets us into Nova Scotia later and we still have a 2 and a half hour drive to the house in Western Shore, a small, small, small community on Mahone Bay near the small town of Chester right off of the Atlantic Ocean.  The largest town in N.S. is Halifax and with a population of just 100,000 people it too is small.  Nova Scotia seems very laid-back and relaxed.  Perfect!
A quick detour by the airport in Halifax, JB jumps into his rental car waiting for him in the parking lot (another plus of his traveling; he doesn't have to go in or wait in line; he just finds his name on the board, his spot number, and gets in the car), and we are off to our house in the middle of nowhere which overlooks Oak Island, the famous treasure spot.

Quote of the Day:  While we were driving in Nova Scotia, we decided to let the little ones watch a movie since we had almost 3 more hours of driving without stopping.  I have never seen Cars 2 before so they really wanted me to watch it with them.  As it started, Jackson must have thought I might need some advice and said, "Mommy, now don't be scared!"