Day 1, Sunday 20 September 2014

All our party, travelling with the Grand American Adventure Company, gathered early in the hotel lobby where we met each other and our leader cum driver, Chadwick. We are a mixed bunch from the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Germany and Switzerland and Ian and I are the only couple.
We set off in sunshine and high humidity in the van for the first leg north, stopping at Ogunquit, the "beautiful place by the sea", where it was grey and a bit drizzly as we arrived. Chadwick dropped us off. Already, there are pretty pumpkin displays outside the shops, just for decoration. The town was incredibly twee - all the buildings are clapboard and painted tasteful pastel shades, many with baskets and pots of flowers.

The instruction was to make our way a couple of kilometres south along the "Marginal Way" to meet for lunch. The sun came out and the sea turned blue. The footpath was metalled, so easy walking, with lots of tanned, middle-aged women striding out.  At Perkins Cove, there was a number of boutiques, all very pretty, overlooking the harbour where lobster are landed. The cantilever bridge let a fishing boat and an ocean-going yacht through.
Lunch was on the covered balcony of a big cafe right by the sea - very picturesque. Our first introduction to what is proving to be a standard menu of huge sandwiches and fries, but the food was very well done.
Back into the van for hours of driving up long straight roads, the surface of which can be poor. Just one stop at a service station. These are well equipped by our standards.
Onwards into the hills, which are not high at this point. Everywhere is wooded with some trees already red and yellow.
The hotel was a two storey building where our room was big and clean but a bit tired. We had a little time before we were back in the van to drive into Millinucket town for dinner at a loggers' restaurant which had the front of a truck coming out of the second floor. The restaurant and the family who run it have featured on TV. The menu showed that fresh vegetables are going to be hard to find but it is possible to choose smaller dishes.
Crashed out early - we are still on UK time.

Day 16 Monday 6 October

Awake early, of course, after such an early night, we checked the flights and packed our bags. As we had some time, we went out into more sunshine to go and eat yoghurt, fruit and granola at Quincy Market, perhaps not the cheapest option, but we did like it there. We walked back along the Greenway to the Bricco Suites to collect our bags and check out.
The journey to the airport was painless - we know how to get about in the city now. T to State, then Airport and the shuttle bus to the terminal. It was better for our peace of mind that we did waiting there, rather than in the city with the journey still to do.
The flight down to JFK was a bit late leaving but was fine, with amazing views of the coastline.
The wait at this airport was long and tiring, made worse by the wait on the runway as a part was replaced on the plane. Finally, we took off at about 8:30pm local time for the flight back to Manchester, which was in rain and was cold!

Day 15 Sunday 5 October

We woke early again but didn't leave the apartment until after 9. It was another sunny day, with a nip in the air to start with. The internet had suggested that a good place to have breakfast in the North End is Theo's, a Brazilian restaurant which is opposite the Old North End Church on Salem Street. When we got there, all the tables were full but after waiting a few minutes, a couple invited us to share their table. They were obviously well-heeled but very friendly and happy to chat. They had come across town for breakfast to escape the ten-year-old daughter and her grandfather. The child goes to a nearby private Catholic elementary school, the same as was attended by Rose Kennedy.
I had my only experience of pancakes -three, the size of dinner plates. Even though I had the table maple syrup pointed out to me, I found them rather dry, but it was fun.
Back onto the street, we rejoined the Freedom Trail, this time going north, crossing the Charles River to go to the USS Constitution. This is the oldest commissioned naval sailing ship still afloat and it still belongs to the Navy. This meant going through security but not being charged to go aboard. We had explanations from serving sailors in an old but valid uniform.
On and up to the Bunker Hill Monument, through interesting and pretty, old streets. The 294 steps up it were a bit too far so we walked back to the pier to catch the commuter ferry past the waterfront with the sun still shining and the river sparkling. A very good idea.
At the Long Pier, we walked to the Custom House, which I had read about and which our breakfast companions told us was a great place from which to see the city. It's now a Marriott hotel, but they allow people up for a fee which goes to the mayor's charities. We were too early, so went back to a now packed Quincy Market to buy and eat a sandwich in the sunshine and to see some of the street entertainment.
At the Custom House, the first lift took us to floor 19 and the second to floor 26. The observation deck is very close to the top and is outside. We spent a while there looking down on all four sides to the city and beyond, which was lovely.
There was still a lot if afternoon left, so we made our way back along the Trail through the Common and Public Garden before a very long walk down Newbury Street to find the purveyor of cookie cutters. They didn't have the one to make little gingerbread houses, but I bought a few others instead.
As we were flagging by now, we stopped at a Ben and Jerry's for a refresher.
Ian was determined to keep walking back, instead of taking the T. There were so many people out enjoying the sunshine and the atmosphere was great.
Even though it was Sunday, Hanover Street was still buzzing as it got dark. We thought about eating at the Bricco restaurant, but it was very expensive. The girl on the desk suggested we go to a "sister" restaurant round the corner, where the food was more rustic. We didn't have to wait and were shown to a table in a semi-permanent structure covering the wide alley next to the restaurant. With the noise of the customers, and the general ambiance of the place, we both began to feel as if Congleton was a million miles away.
Although I had wanted to try cannoli, we were too full. We did walk along to Mike's to find that, at 7:30 on a Sunday evening, it was still packed with people buying their pastries.
Back to the apartment where I was asleep by 8:30. We had walked miles.

Day 14 Saturday 4 October

So here we were, let out on our own with two days to see Boston. It was a grey day but we didn't expect much in the way of rain, so didn't take rucksacks or waterproofs. We decided to do the southern half of the Freedom Trail, Hanover Street being about half-way. It's a very good and straightforward way to see much of the city centre sights.
There was a cute display in a nearby oyster bar window, with a revolving model of the building. We came across Faneuil Hall very soon, but it hadn't yet opened. Behind it, Quincy Market was coming to life, the centre building being pretty much all food stalls. So we bought fruit juice and stuffed bagels for our first breakfast, which we ate sitting at one if the wooden tables in the middle of the hallway. They were enormous and very filling.
Back onto the trail, it was still quite early but there were already tours going on. We zigzagged across town past the Old State House, with the Boston Massacre site outside, the Old South Meeting House and the memorial to the Irish who came across to escape the potato famine. On down School Street past City Hall with its statues of Benjamin Franklin, Quincy and a donkey that symbolises the Democrat party. Next door was the Kings Chapel, an Anglican Church with its burial ground alongside. We soon came to the Granary burying Ground which was packed with tourists, including a couple of Japanese school student groups. Just before we reached the corner of Boston Common was Park Street Church and along and uphill stood the State House with its gold dome. We worked our way round a bunch of men who were using huge machinery to plant a big fir tree in the grounds.
Instead of going into the Common, we started to follow the Black Heritage Trail which goes through the Beacon Hill neighbourhood. Nicola had told me how interesting the architecture is round there and we agreed. Lots of clapboard houses which looked very old and many with lovely fresh window boxes and greenery growing up them.
We found Charles Street and looked for coffee but the few coffee shops had long queues outside, something new to us. A visit to Starbucks proved more successful and we sat beside the duck statue to drink our lattes. We chatted briefly to a couple from Aberdeen and then a group of excited teenage girls came by looking for a bench where Robin Williams had sat during Good Will Hunting.
The morning was slipping by so we decided to spend the res of our waiting time before the Symphony Hall concert near there. Unfortunately, I miss-managed our next trip on the T and we got on the wrong train. With a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, we arrived at the hall and collected our tickets. Looking for a nearby cafe, we happened across a huge wholefood supermarket where we bought a panini to share. There were a few tables and chairs at the front, where we ate lunch.
Back in the hall, we made our way up t the first level balcony where we had good seats looking almost straight at the stage, which had a traditional Proscenium arch in gold. The niches containing classical statues above the upper balcony were unusual.
We sat next to a local, educated and elegant lady who was very friendly and told us a little about her life in the city. Apart from the linear park in the city centre, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, which follows the line of a road which was dug up and now goes through a tunnel, there is also The Cover. It is the line of an old railway which has been converted to community gardens and sports courts and this lady grows her own vegetables there.
The concert, performed by the Shen Yun Orchestra, was great. There were two conductors, one Western and one Chinese and we listened to a very imaginative, if a bit "pop" collection of music. The Chinese music had mostly been written by modern composers, presumably to make it easier to play on Western instruments. There were some Chinese instruments and we heard a trio of ehru players. A tenor sang Nessun Dorma and two Chinese women sang solos. The three trumpeters were all Western. It is a huge orchestra with getting on for a hundred performers. Altogether a wonderful and memorable experience.
Back out into the weather, we had thought to go up the Prudential tower, as recommended by Dot, but by then its head was back in cloud. We went back to the wholefood shop to buy take-out salad for dinner.
It had started to rain and we foolishly decided to walk back to town. With the day getting gloomier and us getting more tired, I made a mistake with navigation, so we gave in and got back on the T.
In Hanover Street, we went to the Modern Pastry shop for pudding, went back to the flat and had an early dinner and quiet evening.
So many people can be seen carrying Mike's Pastryshop Boxes - the cafés and restaurants seem not to do much in the way of desserts so people either go to gelateries or pastry shops for dessert

Day 13 Friday 3 October

Today started with a bit if a ridiculous trip up Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunrise. It's the first place in the USA to see the sun and it's the thing to do there with some people going up every day. Sadly, the mountain top was in cloud, so we had to turn around and come back to join many others triple parking in a layby. There was a low cloud line on the horizon which meant the sun appeared a bit later, finally peeking out for a short while. It was all a bit of fun, if a tad chilly.
Back to the hotel for breakfast with six eagles soaring above us.
It was a quiet morning, with more sunshine, as we were driven down to Freeport and its shopping mall. Ian and I had no particular desire to go shopping but looked for things for small people in the L L Bean store. It had lots of lovely things but all the wrong shape, so it was quite frustrating. Abercrombie also had no jeans that I was confident would fit Laura, so all we bought was lunch.
More miles - the final leg to Boston where we ended up back at the Holiday a Inn for lots of sad goodbyes. I dug out maps and we worked out that a taxi would just get stuck in traffic. So with the company of Monica, Radhika and Anja, and with them to show us the way, we had our first encounter with the T metro system. This meant that we were able to move around easier over the next couple of days.
Off at Haymarket station and a couple of blocks round the corner we found our studio apartment. We had to check in at the Bricco restaurant, then were taken down an alley, where the bread bakery and salumeria are to the entrance if the building behind. Our one room was at the top, up 42 stairs and fortunately, our cases were carried up. We were on Hanover Street, the centre of North District and Little Italy.
Although it seemed quite early, restaurants were buzzing and many were full. One of the podcasts that Chad had played suggested Salem Street rather than Hanover Street would be better for food. As it was very close by, we walked down it but didn't find a restaurant to serve us a pizza until back on Hanover Street. Our waitress worked so hard all the time we were there and she was quite happy to serve us one of everything to share. There was a single man at the next table who wanted to chat, which was fine. He said we should visit the south-west if we wanted to see the real America.
Back to our eyrie for an early night

Day 12 Thursday 2 October

This was a free day and Chad had set us all up with comprehensive lists of trails to follow and maps. It was a glorious day with not a cloud to be seen.
Ian and I were on our own and walked into Bar Harbor, taking a route which took us past a quilt shop - noted for later when it would be open. We went to the village square information centre to buy a detailed trail map and to take advice on routes up Cadillac Mountain. We bought a sandwich at a cafe and sat in sunshine until the free island bus arrived. There are several of these which follow different routes about the island.
At the end of the north trail off the mountain, we got off the bus and set off up the track. It started in woodland with soft walking on leaves but soon became rockier. It was quite a climb of two miles and quite steep. Every now and then, there would be breaks in the trees with beautiful views north over Bar Harbor and south west towards the mainland. Some of the trees have changed colour but as a mass they looked mostly green.
Near the top, there was a woman holding forth to visitors about the raptor projects in the area, with a number of signboards. We had already seen several, which we presumed were eagles, but it is difficult to see what species against the bright sky. The woman did point out an osprey passing through, many of which make their way right down south for the winter.
At this point, Ian was waiting for me to finish listening and spotted Chad heading in the opposite direction to us.
At the mountain top, we decided to carry on down a bit on the south trail, to get out of the wind and away from the masses before we stopped for our picnic.
This trail started quite easily with gravel underfoot and then manageable steps. It soon became steeper with some deep drops over rocks that meant sitting down first. In other places, there were wide open expanses if smooth rock and all along the trail, special cairns to highlight the way, as well as the blue streaks of paint on the rocks.
The park ranger had been quite right to suggest walking in this direction because the views across this island, the sea and other islands were extensive and in front of us rather than behind. It was a stunning walk, though we were quite glad when we eventually dropped down to the road to be picked up by the bus back to town.
We had a quick visit to the quilt shop where I bought a pack of four fat quarters in autumn colours. Then a visit to an ice cream shop where we each had a single scoop waffle cone the size of a bucket.
There wasn't long back at the hotel, in our rather gloomy room, before we caught the shuttle bus back into town. I wanted a little longer to see shops before dinner, but just bought some stock birthday cards and Ian bought a group card for Chad.
This was our last evening of the tour, so although it was a free day, we had agreed to eat together and Chad booked a restaurant. This meal was very noisy and quite fun but sad because it was our last together. Chad asked each of us to say what we had particularly enjoyed about the holiday, which was difficult to answer because there were so many special moments.
Keith cause a degree of hilarity but also poignancy when he referred to Chad as our glorious leader. There is no doubt that he has been great - very accommodating, patient, good-natured and fun with never a hint that he was tired. This could be despite having driven for miles and hours and then switching to sorting food, checking in at hotels or arrangements for the next day.
On the way back to the hotel, a deer loped in front of the van.

Day 11, Wednesday 1 October

The centre of Saint John proved to be much more interesting and picturesque than first impressions had suggested. We were taken to the market hall and let loose for a short time. The market was very lively and pretty and Ian and I spent a while there. He then wanted to go further into the town with the others, to find a bronze statue of a moose. I stayed in the market with Keith, spending my last Canadian dollars on maple syrup cookies and sweets.
Our second stop was at the Reverse Falls, where the Saint John River flows through a gorge, creating rapids, before it flows into the bay of Fundy. On the rising tide, the water flows the opposite way, therefore reversing. On this day it was on the falling tide and its flow was pretty impressive.
The rest of the morning was taken up with the drive down to the US border, always a bit of a tense time but all was well. The border is the Saint Croix river with Saint Stephen in Canada and Calais in the US. A bit further on, we stopped at another state park site. It overlooks and depicts the first attempt to settle in the area by the French, on St Croix island in the river.  It proved to be a disaster due to lack of vitamin C at the same time as a particularly harsh winter. In the spring, the few survivors left for Nova Scotia, where they were able to establish themselves better. The depiction of the site was very good and then we found a very helpful and friendly ranger at the centre there, who gave us some of the story. Lunch in the car park had no fruit or salad as we had just come over the border.
More miles down to the Acadia National Park to book in at the last hotel of the trip. It comprises several buildings overlooking the sea outside Bar Harbor.  Our rooms were motel style on a lower level. We had a quick turnaround before we were back in the van for a trip to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the island with 360 degree views.
By now, we are seeing more autumn colour and, at times, it was beautiful today.
Most of us had booked a trip out into the bay on the sailing ship, Margaret Todd so Ian prepared by buying a bottle of whisky.
The activity comprised motoring out into the bay, putting up the sails and wallowing about for a while before motoring back in again. At no point could we have been said to be under sail. We chatted with Keith, watched a couple of porpoises and saw a seal and a loon. There was an irritating musician aboard who played guitar and fiddle and sang. He was positively intrusive! Not great value for money.
We were all very glad to get into the warm and have some dinner. Ian and I sat with Chad, Nicola, Connor and Alun and had quite a riotous time talking about children's books and many other things. "Whinny the Pooh? I used to love that film"

Day 10, Tuesday 30 September

Our first stop today was the UNESCO World Heritage site, Lunenburg, which is very pretty indeed but the weather was dull and miserable. We pottered along the quayside for a while, looking at boats, including the fishing schooner, Bluenose, which is an iconic Nova Scotia symbol. It's used as the design for the car registration plates, among other things.
I had a quick trip to a bakeshop before Ian and I met Keith for a coffee and cake overlooking the waterfront. After seeing pictures on the internet, I expected Lunenburg to be bigger, but it was quite a small town with many of its clapboard buildings painted with bright colours.
We had quite a long drive through the grey landscape to Kejimkujik National Park where we stopped for lunch at a visitor centre next to the Mersey River. Here the autumn colours were trying their best to put on a display for us, despite the weather.
As an alternative dinner suggestion, we called at a supermarket to see what we could find to eat on the ferry and we did find a salad bar offering a good choice. On to Digby for a bit of a wait before the "scenic" ferry journey across to Saint John with a chat to the owner driver of a quarter million dollar, brand new truck. He was on his way to Montreal for his twice-weekly trip with fish. On the ship, I spent a while on deck with Nicola and Bea until it got too cold and we went down to the restaurant.
After a shorter than expected trip, we didn't have far to go in Saint John to the hotel, which was in a bit of a wasteland of spread-about retailers. I had a bit of a swim in the hotel pool, where four strokes meant a whole length.

Day 9, Monday 29 September

This was not really the sort of day that Ian and I would have chosen as we are not city people. It later transpired that Grand American Adventures had added in the free day in Halifax at the suggestion of previous participants, but the weather was a bit grey and chilly.
After the best breakfast so far, most of us went into the city in the van, quite early. On the way, Chad took us to the cemetery where a number of victims of the Titanic disaster are buried, including the inspiration for "Jack" in the film.   Ian and I decided to take the little ferry across to Dartmouth to be able to see the Halifax waterfront from the sea. There was a bit of a Starbucks wait first, which was fine and then the quick and very cheap crossing. All we did there was walk round a block, past the oldest houses in the town, which were closed for the winter. A rather annoying young man picked on us for a conversation and then a request for money...
The Halifax skyline was not particularly interesting - brown and boxy, but the older buildings were attractive. Encouraged by Radhika's rhapsodising about the Titanic, I had a silly Jack moment on the boat.
We walked up to the Citadel, past the clock tower, surrounded by Japanese. I read in a local paper that the first Japan Airlines plane had landed at Halifax airport the day before, bringing 250 people to see Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and experience the Anne phenomenon.
We were a bit early for the noon cannon fire, so walked a bit further round, then sat and looked out over the city. Still too early, we made our way down to the public garden which was absolutely beautiful. The cannon went off as we were on our way.
Several sources suggested that a good lunch might be found at the farmers' market, but on our way down, we met Monica, who had not been impressed with it. Down on the quayside, we bought a wrap and sat at a table near a tall ship. Four rugged young chaps turned up, perched on the railings and sang sea shanties - making my day. They were fresh in from Toronto, on their first visit to Nova Scotia and were advertising themselves and a concert later in the week.
"Pudding" was a shared beaver tail, fried pastry covered in maple syrup flavoured icing. Not a great idea.
By now, Alan had found us and we went off together to look round the Maritime Museum. At the entrance was a talking macaw, which was fun. The museum was very good with lots of models of boats and real boats. There is a section about the Titanic and another quite upsetting exhibition about an explosion which devastated a huge area of the town when a ship carrying explosives crashed into the jetty. It was the biggest explosion ever, apart from the Japan atomic bombs. We found Radhika who invited us to join her and others for dinner.
Ian and I decided to go to do some useful shopping which was a bit of a trudge but necessary. Back down at the harbour, we sought the others in a pub and had dinner there before finding the van for the lift back to the hotel.