Category: WanderLog

Learning about Tides in Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick

Post author By Jess
Post date October 3, 2018

Travel Dates: August 31-Sept 2, 2018

Our last stop in the Maritime provinces was Fundy National Park, New Brunswick. We should have timed things better but by the time we drove over from Halifax, grocery shopped and made it to Hopewell Rocks, the tide was in. And we wanted to see the park when the tide was OUT. Too late we learned that our ticket would have been good for TWO days, but instead we just parked at the campground and drove back the next day.

Sometimes things aren’t perfect and that’s okay.

Bay of Fundy, National Park

We settled into our campsite at Fundy National park and then took the short walk down to the town of Alma and the beach. We walked along the shore for about 15 minutes and marveled at how fast the tide was going out. Then we came back after dinner and were just completely blown away!

Sam and I managed a date night and loved sitting right on the bay at Tipsy Tails. Poor kids weren’t invited, but we definitely needed a night out!

“Tides are fascinating. We’ve learned a few things just in the last 24 hours or so of being on the Bay of Fundy! Over breakfast we watched a video that described gravitational forces between the Earth, sun and moon that create both low and high tides every day.

Then we wanted to know why the Bay of Fundy was so extreme. Turns out it’s the perfect length and shape to match the tidal rhythm of the Atlantic Ocean (yep! They have rhythms!) This resonance between the two amplifies the tidal range and creates a larger sloshing effect. So, basically the Bay of Fundy is the world’s largest bathtub. 😂

Also, lobster poutine is one of Canada’s great gifts to mankind.” – @currentlywandering

“When in Canada, eat Poutine. When in the Canadian Maritime Provinces, eat Lobster Poutine.” – @telegramsam

Sunday was a bit of a down day. We had a morning devotional as a family and then drove over to Herring Cove where we spent an hour turning over rocks looking for crab. It was hilarious and seriously so much fun! We also did a short walk/hike to Dickson Falls. It wasn’t anything spectacular but we did stretch our legs. Finished off the day by swimming together in the salt water pool. Seriously. A national park with a swimming pool. Canada is awesome.

“Benevolent: well meaning and kindly.

Too far to attend regular church services today we had a family devotional and council instead. While I’ve long felt that full time travel has brought our family closer together, lately we’ve had a lot of discord. Perhaps because the kids are older, or we know we have a house to go back to, or maybe it’s just regular family life. Regardless of the reason, constant fighting, accusing tones, and bickering has forced away the peace usually found in our little space.

So today we talked about being kind. We believe in being honest, true, chaste and benevolent – but it’s hard to be something when you don’t know the meaning of the word. We talked about using soft answers, being unselfish, and giving service to one another.

We ended with a quote from one of our general authorities – “I promise that if you will extend yourself beyond what is easy to do, you will feel so good inside that kindness will start to become a part of your everyday life. You’ll see that benevolence can bring joy and unity to your home, your class, your ward, and your school. ‘Remember this: kindness begins with me.'” Something I think we could all do a little better at, yes?

Also, wild blackberry picking today. And then we made crumble. Both definitively approved Sabbath activities.” – @currentlywandering

Hopewell Rocks

This is one of the best places to see the dramatic effect of the tides. The water has carved incredible formations among these rocks and it was pretty fun to walk around and underneath them. Its definitely muddy so come prepared with the right footwear!

After wandering around on the beach we headed up to the little cafe and ordered probably the BEST lobster roll we ate in all of our travels.

We totally had mixed feelings about leaving Canada. On the one hand we were excited to head to Maine but we loved the Maritimes and the people so much!

Canada Holidays & Bdays Nova Scotia On the Water WanderLog

Falling in love with Nova Scotia and some Canoe Camping

Post author By Jess
Post date September 6, 2018

Travel Dates: August 22-30, 2018

Awhile ago we bought the Canadian National Parks guide and as soon as I realized Kejimkujik National Park was known for its back country camping I was sold. That meant after Cape Breton we needed to make our way southeast. True to form we decided to take the back roads down to a small family run RV park on the eastern shore. Since then we’ve also decided that taking the back roads in Nova Scotia is not generally a good idea. Sometimes we did to avoid toll roads, and other times it just seemed more scenic. More often than not it just meant bad pavement. Live and learn I suppose? The road was bumpy, it was rainy, foggy and not altogether scenic. The bright spot, however, was that we learned most gas stations have hard scoop ice cream. Score!

Murphy’s Camping on the Ocean

We pulled into Murphy’s and I was immediately not impressed. Our site was supposed to have 30amp but it was broken, so we had an extension cord that ran 20amp. It was raining. We were exhausted. It was also not cool enough plus the humidity was high so we were all kind of sticky. I went to bed wondering if we could get a refund and leave early.

But then…. the next day dawned bright and sunny. We had a crisp breeze off the ocean and the kids discovered the crab trap down by the docks. They spent HOURS playing catch and release with the small sea creatures, Alyssa and I went for a mid morning canoe paddle, and later that evening we all sat around the campfire and ate complimentary boiled mussels.

Kind of a quirky place but one that could definitely grow on you.

“As moms, sometimes we just need our own adventures. @alyssakerickson spied a lonely canoe just sitting on the dock at Murphy’s and asked about renting it. $10 later we were paddling among all these cute little islands for an hour and just enjoying a morning of quiet. And no kids. And adventure. Thanks friend for getting out there with me!”

Friday morning the 24th dawned beautiful, sunny, and just like that Andrew turned 11 years old. Since we had already fulfilled their birthday dreams at Cedar Point last month, the presents were sparse. We did manage to drum up some candy corn for him, and Cara wrapped everything beautifully in home made paper. He requested eggs on toast for breakfast (don’t mind if we do) and then we hitched up and towed the house to the beach for an afternoon in the sun!

Martinique Beach Provincial Park

Alyssa had heard from the locals that Martinique Beach Provincial Park was one of the best beaches on the east shore. From looking at satellite view we figured if we got there early and took up an entire parking lot with our two Airstreams we’d be fine.

Right?

Somehow we managed to miss the fact that it is also a popular surf beach and everyone was there early. Near the end of the narrow road we did manage to back in both our trailers & trucks and settle in for the day. Mostly we just crossed our fingers we’d be able to get out again!

“One of our biggest concerns on this trip was how Rachel would do. She loves Driggs, having her own room and hanging out with girls her age. While traveling is still magical to the younger two, she’s kind of over it. Showing up every week to a new group of teenage girls at church can also be intimidating and full of anxiety. The other week, however, she told us, “I’ve conquered church” while acknowledging that her prayers had been answered. 💕

I’m so proud of her and her attitude. Sure, she’d go home tomorrow if she could but in the meantime I love watching her grow and learn along with the rest of us.
Beach days certainly help too. We don’t have those in Driggs. 😂” – @currentlywandering

One thing I really love about Canada? Everyone is SO nice. We followed the Erickson’s out of the parking lot and everyone moved over, backed up, or gave us space. Seriously could have been bad, but really? It wasn’t a problem. Now, I probably wouldn’t recommend a repeat adventure, but I’m grateful we didn’t get stuck in there all night!

The town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

We ran into the weekend problem where everything was full, but managed to snack a couple of spots down in Lunenburg, NS for Friday & Saturday nights. We celebrated that evening with hamburgers & cupcakes and the kids were able to watch a movie. Birthdays can sometimes be hard on the road, but I think we pretty much nailed this one!

Lunenburge is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which I think means its pretty old. 🙂 We stayed in the lower loop of the Board of Trade campground and only *barely* fit. I’m not sure we’d do that again. It was within walking distance to town, however, which we took advantage of.

Sunday morning we hitched up and drove to church towing the Airstream. We don’t do this often, but sometimes its just logistically easier when we are trying to get from point A to B. We found the ward in the small town of Bridgewater to be incredibly kind and welcoming. If we ever go back to Nova Scotia we’d definitely love to spend more time in this region!

Kejimkujik National Park

We tend to fly by the seat of our pants – even when planning back country adventures. After talking with locals and getting a feel for the area I’ve realized we were VERY lucky to be able to back country camp in this park last minute. I’m so grateful it worked out, however, because this canoe circuit was one of the hardest and most rewarding trips we’ve had.

“When I found out that Kejimkujik was primarily a back country park my planning wheels started churning. We packed all our gear but haven’t had a chance to use it!

I talked with the rangers, with the outfitters, did a bunch of research online and we finally settled on the Big Dam – Frozen Ocean Lake loop. It involves 26km of paddling/hiking, 6 portages, 4 lakes, and 2 rivers. Definitely the most complicated trip we’ve ever undertaken!

We also found out this park is extremely popular with the locals and am incredibly grateful we were able to book any sites at all with such short notice.

One of my favorite moments? Rachel and Andrew successfully navigating this lake and pulling into the portage like pros.” – @currentlywandering

“That time we were on our way to the National park and I thought, “Hey! I wonder if we should take the paddle board along with our rental canoes?” Yes. Yes we should.” -@currentlywandering

“Sometimes we visit places with a stay in an RV site. Sometimes we jump in a little deeper. We just spent 3 days on a 16 mile canoe circuit in Kejimkujik National Park, in the middle of Southern Nova Scotia.
We started with a portage to and paddle across Big Dam Lake. #allthedamjokes” – @telegramsam

“All three of my kids are strong paddlers, and it makes canoe trips fun. We switched up boat arrangements quite often, and it was great to spend time with each. We had two canoes and also a paddle board/kayak, so there were no passengers for th first time on a trip like this. Everybody had a nice round of paddling.” – @telegramsam

I plan to do a full write up of our trip as soon as I get time to go through ALL the video. Stay tuned for that.

City of Halifax & Enlisting as Soldiers

After our canoe camping trip in Keji, we towed back to Halifax, Nova Scotia and met up with the Erickson’s again. Mostly we just needed to recover, get some work done, and get Rachel to the LDS temple. The kids and I also managed a visit to the Citadel for a road schooling field trip. I wish it hadn’t been as hot and humid that day because the fort was AMAZING. I loved watching the soldiers in uniform march, play the bagpipes, and shoot their weapons. We could dress up, enlist in the army, and even attend of day of school.

If we had had longer (and looking back we should have just done it!) I would have explored more of the southern coast of Nova Scotia. Its rumored to have some of the best beaches anywhere. However, it was time to turn and head back towards the US.

Canada National Parks Nova Scotia WanderLog

Cape Breton Highlands National Park and the Cabot Trail

Post author By Jess
Post date September 5, 2018
1 Comment on Cape Breton Highlands National Park and the Cabot Trail

I didn’t realize how BIG Nova Scotia was. It really does take hours to get across, but that didn’t deter us from heading to the northernmost part – Cape Breton. Specifically we wanted to visit the National Park because I had heard such good things!

When We Visited: August 19-21, 2018

Ages of Kids: 12, 10, & 8

Where we stayed: We camped in Cheticamp on the west side of the park. While our friends snagged a site for the whole time, we actually had to move in the middle but it wasn’t crazy. Both sites were unserviced (dry) but the temps were manageable and we did okay. Next time I’d be tempted to stay there for a few days and then tow around and over to Ignogish and park closer to the beach!

The main attraction for this park is driving the Cabot Trail – a beautifully scenic highway that runs the length of the park. We were told we really needed to drive it on a motorcycle, but realistically that just wasn’t going to happen!

Instead of seeing the park piece by piece we determined it would be better to just take off a day of work and spend the whole day exploring! We hadn’t this in a LONG time and although it was a long day we had a blast.

Driving the Cabot Trail

I think most people drive the trail counter-clockwise but since we were already camped on the west side we went the opposite direction. We told the kids we were doing a “10 Hike Challenge” along the way and for the most part everyone stayed enthusiastic. We felt like it was a great way to stop along the way and see various highlights of the park.

“When planning our adventures in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, we decided to take work off and spend the entire day driving & hiking footpaths along the Cabot Trail with our friends @alyssakerickson & @cperickson.

The road winds along the seashore, through the trees and then back to the opposite seashore for 108 km of pretty spectacular scenery.

We haven’t taken an entire day for intense exploring in a long time and it was fabulous. By the end we were exhausted but our adventurous souls were satisfied.” – @currentlywandering

“The shores of Nova Scotia have completely taken me by surprise. This section in particular reminded me of Lake Superior with it’s craggy rocks and blue water. I loved it!

About halfway into our 10 hike challenge, the kids found a burst of energy to scramble up and down to the water and back. Hanging with friends on this trip has been awesome. Outdoor activities always seem to go smoother when the kids (okay adults too) have someone to hang with!” – @currentlywandering

“When we originally planned our route to include Nova Scotia, ‘beach’ was the furthest word from my mind.

Now we can’t get enough.

First we thought we’d just dip our toes in. Then up to our ankles, then a wave came and splashed up to our knees. Before we knew it we were ducking waves and laughing in the salt spray.

Maybe it was a full day of hiking, or maybe the light was just right, or we got lucky with an unseasonably warm summer. Whatever the reason, our evening on Ingonish Beach will forever be a favorite.” – @currentlywandering

By the time we were finished with our dip in the ocean and our last hike, we were pretty starving! The restaurants in town were pretty busy so we found a burger place that was basically fast food. We gobbled them down and then blasted music on the hour and 45 minute drive back to camp. Everyone slept pretty well that night!

Hiking Skyline Trail

We only had one more day in the park, and we knew we wanted to hit the Skyline Trail at sunset. Since the signal in the park wasn’t very good, both dads drove out to town hunting for better coverage. They found it right outside the bakery. Darn.

Alyssa and I managed the kids – we did some smashbooking, passed off their Xplorer books and just basically hung around until dinner time. Then we were off!

It is advised to start the trail about 2 hours before sunset so for us that was 6:30pm. The trail is fairly flat along the top of the ridge but then it opens up into this:

It literally took my breath away. Even though it was an easy 4.5 mile round trip, the Skyline Trail definitely hit my list of all time favorite hikes. Sunset was totally a bonus!

“As we walked past the last line of trees and into the open I involuntarily caught my breath. It really did feel like we could touch the sky.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park turned out to be one of our favorite national parks on either side of the border. There’s just something about those seaside hills rolling down into the ocean that spark my imagination.

I can’t think of a better place @telegramsam and I could have celebrated 15 years of marriage. It’s hard, and it’s work, and sometimes in 188 square feet it gets a little crazy. But as I think back over the last four years of travel and how much we’ve been able to truly start to understand and appreciate each other I wouldn’t change a second of it. Love you babe! 😘” – @currentlywandering

While I’m sure we could have spent much long in the park, not having good signal for work is fairly stressful. I’m so grateful we had as long a we did though – Cape Breton Highlands has turned into one of our favorite National Parks!

Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site

Since signal was not amazing in Cavendish, we left early and drove to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck, NS. While Alyssa and I spent time with kids attending a kite making class and completing their Xplorer books, both dads did a quick perusal of the visitor center and headed back out to the Airstreams to get some long overdue work in.

I thoroughly enjoyed the museum. I knew about the invention of the telephone (kind of ) but Alec (as he was nicknamed) also had an interest in kites, flying airplanes, and hydrofoils. Apparently they vacationed enough in Cape Breton, that eventually the family just bought property in Baddeck and moved up there.

I love when we visit and place and that encourages us to want to know MORE.

Canada Nova Scotia WanderLog

Skipping PEI and Spending the Weekend in Pictou, NS

Post author By Jess
Post date September 3, 2018

Travel Dates: August 17-19, 2018

For some reason, Nova Scotia is the area that excited me the most about the Maritime Provinces. We originally had reservations at Cavendish campground in Prince Edward Island National Park. When most people talk about the Maritimes I hear a lot of “PEI” mentioned. Fictional home of the literary hero Anne of Green Gables its a popular spot for many.

Only we haven’t read the books.

We also found out there’s a $50 fee to cross back across the island to the mainland, plus everything out there is fairly tourist oriented and expensive.

As we planned out driving time (it was a lot), and how much time we had before our Acadia reservations (not enough) we ultimately made the decision to skip it. GASP! I know there are some who would call that lamentable, but we are pretty much okay with it.

The drive from Kouchibouguac to Cape Breton was longer than we liked, so we picked a halfway point in Pictou, NS that served as a logistical stop, easy access to church, AND we got to meet back up with our friends the Erickson’s. Hooray!

“New Brunswick was fabulous (and we’ll be back to visit Bay of Fundy on our way out) but we transitioned into Nova Scotia late Friday evening. Out of all our plans for this trip for some reason this province is the one I’ve been looking forward to most.

So far the rolling farmland reminds me of Idahome only bordered by the sea instead of mountains. I can already tell it’s gonna be good.” -@currentlywandering

Bonus points for finding a fish & chips food truck on the way.

As soon as we pulled into the site right next to our friends, the kids were out and immediately begged for some pool time before it closed for the night.

The following morning we were inspired to join them for a quick walk on the beach “before” the rain started but our timing was a little off. We spent the rest of the day working, getting chores done, and generally enjoying the cooler weather.

We even managed an adult date night dinner at the Korean restaurant AT the campground. How often does that happen?

Sunday afternoon post church, we started the long drive up to Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Hiking New York On the Water WanderLog

Upstate NY, Lake Placid, & The Adirondacks

Post author By Jess
Post date August 8, 2018

Travel Dates: July 24-August 1, 2018

Our time in upstate New York ended up being one of our favorites. We finally caught up with our friends, the Erickson’s, at Delta Lake State Park outside of Rome (not Italy). Mostly we just needed a place that wasn’t too far of a drive where we could all hang out for a few days. This totally qualified.

We arrived late in the evening and all the kids were incredibly excited to see each other! Even Kai, the dog, got in on the action. Once we were parked and leveled (and this was the hardest level I think we’d EVER done in the last 4 years) we stayed up way too late talking and catching up.

The next morning, the dads needed to work so Alyssa and I dodged rain storms and scrammed with the kids to the nearby Fort Stanwix for a little road schooling field trip.

We managed to make it back to camp just before it started a downpour. Luckily games are much more fun with friends and no one got too bored. It was actually nice to have a down day and an excuse to stay inside and relax.

We recently purchased Splendor, which is a super fun 4 player game. I think Anibel and Rachel have now played it over and over and they are ready for the expansion!

The following day, the skies cleared, the sun came out and we spent the day at the beach. Sam and I were finally able to pull out the new Needle Nose SUP board that Sea Eagle boats sent us to test out. Unfortunately the beach wasn’t very launch friendly so it wasn’t an amazing test but felt good to be back on the water!

Lake Placid, New York

After a few days, it was time to move on. After debating back and forth about whether or not to visit Lake Placid we decided to go for it. Mostly we were concerned about cell signal (have to work) and whether or not we could find an electric site (the humidity has been nuts). Turns out the weather was perfect, we found a great little RV park to stay at and Lake Placid is now one of my favorite places.

“We paid for one night. And then another. And then three more after that. We almost skipped Lake Placid but I’m so grateful we didn’t. The cool night temperatures, mountain air, and relaxing friend time has been exactly what we all needed. Running around barefoot on the grass creating obstacle courses doesn’t hurt too much either.”

Our first order of business was to take a short walk on the Peninsula Trails and jump in Lake Placid. The trails were fairly flat, the humidity bearable, and lake swimming is awesome. Perfect combination.

“There are some days where I look around and think, “What decisions did we make in our lives to land us here at this exact moment? Cause it’s pretty awesome.” Swimming in Lake Placid today was one of those.” – @currentlywandering

Hiking Cascade Mountain

One of our primary goals for the Lake Placid area was to HIKE. It’d been way too long and the Erickson’s, especially, were totally hankering for a good summit. After a bunch of research (mostly done by Alyssa) we settled on Cascade Mountain.

“Trees, rocks, more trees, lots of rocks. Sweat. A lot of sweat. Stair climb for hours and then an audible sigh of relief as the trail opens up near the top.

The kids give a whoop and are off like rockets scrambling their way to the summit.

It feels so good to be back in the mountains. The temperature has cooled down, the humidity is less, we don’t run the a/c all the time and have pulled out hoodies and long pants for the evenings.

We could definitely stay here for a bit.” – @currentlywandering

Starting our hike with a talk on Leave No Trace by the trail volunteers.

“There’s something incredibly disappointing about reaching a summit and having it be tree covered. @alyssakerickson worked hard to find us a rocky summit with a view and this one was pretty spectacular. The tallest peak here is only about 5,000 feet (so less than the town we live in) but what they lack for in height they make up for with vertical feet per mile on the trail. This one was STEEP. Which is killer on the way up AND on the way down.

Our kids were troopers and totally rocked it (literally) with only a few minor meltdowns along the way.” – @currentlywandering

Almost there! Short snack break with a teaser view.

Mountain Biking and ALL the Swimming

Once again it was the mom’s turn to take the kids out while dads got work done. We do this often, mostly so Sam can have peace and quiet and everyone else is entertained but its way more fun with friends! We had kind of an epic afternoon.

Mirror Lake has a FANTASTIC public beach. The water is clear, the sand is good, there’s docks for the older kids to jump off and the boat launch is steps from the beach. All good things when two moms are trying to wrestle six kids.

Everyone liked it so much that the unanimous vote the following day was to return to the beach. Alyssa and I were able to sneak in a trail ride first thing (ALL the roots!) and then we took our paddle boards and played at the beach again for a few hours. We couldn’t have asked for better weather!

“Mirror Lake is a beautiful paddling location. It’s not overly large, and while it would take effort you could paddle across the entire thing. Sure the area is touristy, but not overly so. The weather yesterday was perfect and the water was like glass.

I had my first chance to really take our new @seaeagleboats Needle Nose SUP for a spin and this thing can really MOVE. I felt like it cut through the water with ease, its super stable, and easy to paddle. So excited to keep testing it out as we travel further east!

Thanks @alyssakerickson for standing on the shore and grabbing this shot of me. I love it!”

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We spent some time in downtown Lake Placid (touristy but there are some fun shops. Its super cute!), the adults made it down to Keene for a pie date and then it was time to move on!