Cruising

For the first time in ten years, since we have been in the heating business, we took a vacation in September! It felt very weird, but very exciting. Fall is the best time in New England. The bugs are gone, the humidity is low, and the temperature is just right! We thought we would go North to see some early foliage. We were off the mark on that one, I am guessing because the coast is a little warmer and later on leaves, but it was beautiful none the less.

I enjoy cruises because our cell phones don't work, hubby is too cheap to pay for wi-fi, we have no phone, and people can't get ahold of us.
Our first stop was cancelled because the port was closed due to remnants of Ike. Frata rata rata frata... so I still have not seen the Bay of Fundy tides. We saw the mud flat when the tide was out in Nova Scotia last year, but the port of St. John in New Brunswick was closed. So we had a day at sea sipping the drink of the day and reading books instead :)

Halifax we have been to (last year) so we shot down to a great coffee place to watch the harbor. Helicopters, and a cool looking cruiser were among the highlights. Tons of sailboats as we were leaving. They looked like toy boats in the water compared to the beast we were on.

Mid-week Art got sick so we did not do much in Sydney, Nova Scotia. We took a little walk around and then headed back to the ship where he could rest. I watched a movie in the lounge and worked out until dinner time.

Another day at sea relaxing, reading, and drinking... We did see whales off in the distance.
By Bar Harbour Art was feeling better. Though I have lived here over ten years we have yet to make it that fa'a No'th to Bah Ha'abah. It was a great little town. Kind of like a liberal Portsmouth... or maybe more like Boulder, CO on the water but beautiful nonetheless. We wandered around town, and had some calamari and Sam on the patio at a local restaurant, then looked through some of the shops and investigated a nearby sandbar- tide was coming in so we headed back.

Then we hopped on the tour bus (so cliche but when you only have eight hours...) up Cadillac Mountain. This is supposed to be the highest mountain on the Eastern Seaboard, but I swear I heard the same about another hill last month when we were in Ogunquit so I will take that with a grain of salt. Great ride up on a rare cloudless and clear day. You could see Mount Katadin in the distance, as well as all the little islands and hills in the harbor.
Then back to Bean Town.
We had to hurry off the boat because Sunday was the day of Harvest Festival in our quaint little town. The fire department does a roast chicken lunch as a fundraiser. Sold 110 chicken lunches. Boys outside cooking the chicks over an open fire (of course) and the auxiliary inside serving the chick with corn, cole slaw, potato salad, a roll, and a dessert (from our cookbook which was for sale too ;) Then outside to mingle, listen to the band, eat maple cotton candy, and drink fresh pressed apple cider. Think stereotype and you have it! Some folks even dress up in old time clothes (don't know why... don't wanna ask... in case they try to make me do it too!) Good week.