Maine and Canadian Coast Cruise 2023
In the Fall of 2023 Ron, Carol and Theresa took a cruise up the east coast.
The Cruise started out of Norfolk and stopped in Portland Maine, St. John NB, Halifax and Sydney NS.
Off the US east coast. The first night and day were bumpy due to heavy weather. That night Ron kept waking up and wondering why Carol was kicking the bed.
Portland Maine – The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad (MNGRR). With much nicer weather the trio took a train ride around the eastern point of the city. Note the tracks are only 2 ½ feet apart. (Carol and Theresa)
Portland Maine – MNGRR. Ron got tickets on the caboose (months before) just in case of bad weather.
Portland Maine – MNGRR. Since they arrived early, Carol and Theresa were able to get the seats in the cupola.
Portland Maine – On the train. A view back at the port and the Carnival Magic, their ship.
Portland Maine – MNGRR. A display showing how tiny are the narrow-gauge rails.
Portland Maine – Nice downtown intersection. (A panorama.) One burst of rain came through and it was nice the rest of the trip!
Portland Maine – Waterlily Handmade Shop. Here a lady shows one of the bags that she made and that Carol had to buy. There was lots of good shopping and Santa made some real progress. https://www.facebook.com/waterlilyhandmade
Saint John, NB – AREA 506 Waterfront Container Village. Just off the ship a bunch of funky shops in containers. Even had a small fossil museum.
Saint John, NB – Carol is always look to see a real moose. But she decided not to get this one.
Saint John, NB – Just a very fine downtown building.
Saint John, NB – Their local police. Not! It is their Police Museum.
Saint John, NB – The Three Sisters lamp. Red lens on the other side. As navigators came in to the narrow harbor (behind the ladies), they would look for three separate red lamps and know there were on track. The given name is somewhat a mystery. (Theresa and Carol)
Saint John, NB – City tour. In the afternoon the trio took a city tour. Here a view of the harbor and Saint John River.
Saint John, NB – There were many fine homes, many of ship captains who did well. (Survived?)
Saint John, NB – Reversing Falls (at high tide.) A real highlight of the trip. Saint John sits in the Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tidal range in the world of 30 to 50 ft. (9 to 15 m.) The Saint John River feeds a vast inland lake system so every day the water rushes in at high tide and out at low tide creating a reversing falls. The flow can reach as high as 1.8 million gals/sec (6.8 million liters/sec). Seals follow the tide and the fish into the river. Several were spotted, but hard to photograph. Click here for a video on the reversing falls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imtCDsNJRfw
Saint John, NB – Art shot at the port.
Halifax NS – Georges Island in the bay. Now a historic park. Critical to the defense of Halifax, even thru WWII. No cannons now, but many underground structures.
Halifax NS – Halifax Citadel. The trio took a taxi up to the citadel. The current fort was completed in 1856. It was used considerably during the great wars. It fires a cannon every day at noon since 1857, shocking the Buckles trio. (Web photo.)
Halifax NS –The Halifax Town Clock. Built in 1803.
Halifax NS – Halifax Citadel.
Halifax NS – Halifax Citadel.
Halifax NS – Halifax Citadel.
Halifax NS – Halifax Citadel. Main barracks.
Halifax NS – Victoria Public Garden. A walk down the hill to Halifax’s famous garden. Established 1841.
Halifax NS – Victoria Public Garden. The trio had a snack at the coffee house in the back.
Halifax NS – Victoria Public Garden. A tiny house by a creek.
Halifax NS – Victoria Public Garden. Art [?] installation.
Halifax NS – The trio then shopped and ate their way down the hill.
Halifax NS – ‘Pizza Corner’ (Actually Bowers St. at Grafton St.) Someone told Theresa that we could find good Poutine* near ‘Pizza Corner.’ And they actually found it! The Poutine was good, but Ron thinks it must be a food made just for Canadians.
* Poutine is French fries covered with thin brown gravy and farmer’s cheese.
Sydney NS. Not being a town for museums or shopping, the family took a bus out to Baddeck to see what inland Cape Breton Island looked like. (50 miles or 77 km one way)
Cape Breton Island - Trans-Canada Highway. At last, there were fall colors and many stands of birches.
Cape Breton Island - Bras d'Or Lake. New York state has its Fingers Lakes. Cape Breton has its ‘Arms of Gold’ lake. The entire area is just splendid in views. Including this pretty girl.
(Theresa)
Baddeck, NS – The view from the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. It was a fine museum, but the trio was more interested in the views.
Sydney NS. The world’s largest violin, next to the cruise terminal. Surprising the cruise terminal had about 50 funky shops. So the trip ended with more Christmas shopping.
Somewhere on the North Atlantic – Formal night on the ship.