East Coast RPod Adventure

This summer's big camping trip was a month-long journey to Nova Scotia and back. We started out on 10 Jun and arrived back home on 12 Jul, staying at 4 commercial campgrounds and nine provincial parks.  We added a one-night stop at one of the St Lawrence parks to make the drive to Levis, Qc just a bit shorter. I arrived at Glengarry before my sister and brother-in-law, so I tried to back in my trailer onto the site. Do you think I could get it straight? No, I couldn't so I decided to park it across the site which lined it up better for the electrical outlet anyway.  

Glengarry Campground

We were off to Levis, Qc the next day for a two night stay so we could go over to Old Quebec City. We camped at a campground called Camping Transit.  From Levis, you can take a ferry over to Old Quebec and the ferry is dog friendly.

Camping Transit

Old Quebec

We spent a nice afternoon walking around the lower part of Old Quebec having a few drinks and snacks. There is a funiculaire up to the top that is dog friendly but we decided that it costed to much to make it worthwhile going up.

Next stop was a one night stop in Edmundston, NB at the Republique Provincial Park. If you ever go here, there's botanical garden next door that is really quite nice. The next stop was Mactaquac Provincial Park, near Fredericton, NB. We stayed here three nights so we could replenish our groceries and so I could have a chance to visit some friends. Mactaquac PP has a golf course with a restaurant, as it was calling for rain the night we arrived we took advantage of the restaurant.

Republique Provincial Park

Mactaquac Provincial Park

Ribs for dinner

Our next and last stop in New Brunswick on the journey to Nova Scotia was at New River Beach. While the rest of the province was in a heat wave, we were in a misty cold area but subject to the provincial fire ban.

New River Beach

While at New River Beach, we went to St Andrews By the Sea. We walked around the town a bit, went to a dog friendly brewery and restaurant. We also walked one of the trails in the park. And the fire ban did get lifted while we were there so we did have a campfire at least some of the time.

The next stop was one night at Five Islands Provincial Park in Nova Scotia, then it was on to Valleyview Provincial Park. 

Sunset at Five Islands

Five Islands Provincial Park

Five Islands Campsite

In Valleyview, our nephew joined us and we visited Fort Anne and a cousin who is posted to the military base in Greenwood.

Valleyview Provincial Park

In Valleyview, we again had a fire ban but were able to use the fire bowl I had purchased just before the trip. We found another very dog friendly brewery in Annapolis Royal. Dogs weren't just allowed on the patio but inside the brewery too. 

Fort Anne National Historic Site

Annapolis Brewing Company

The next stop was Digby, Nova Scotia, our principal destination. We wanted to see the sites , of course, but the main reason for going here was to visit with our mother's youngest brother and his family. We stayed at the Digby Campground, a commercial campground right in town and very close to where our uncle lives. He surprised us by walking down after he saw our posts on FaceBook. While in Digby we enjoyed fresh seafood meals including a great scallop supper with our aunt and uncle, walked around Digby, went to the Admiral Digby Museum, drove out Bear River, NS, took a drive out to the Point Prim lighthouse and the various locations celebrating Maude Lewis.

Communal campfire pit

Maud Lewis grave

Bear River Winery

Lazy Bear Brewery

Admiral Digby Museum

Digby Harbour

Haddock, Scallops and chips

Point Prim Lighthouse

Maud Lewis Replica House

After Digby, we were off to Elm River campground then to Amherst Shore Provincial Park. We had a nice evening at Elm River but had rain most of the next morning so we opted to go to the Masstown Market for breakfast. While we were there we ran into our sister and her husband from PEI, who were just heading home from a trip to Halifax, NS. 

Elm River Campsite

Elm River

While at Amherst Shore, we visited Pugwash and the Thinker's Lodge. The Thinker's Lodge wasn't open so we were only able to view it from the outside. I also got to take the dogs to the beach. Not the beach in our park as it was a one kilometer walk to get there but one just down the highway.  

Amherst Shores

Jost Winery

Thinker's Lodge

Then it was back to New Brunswick and Parlee Beach Provincial Park in Shediac.  Another sister and her husband were camping fairly close by in Caisse Cape so we were able to see them and their grandsons while we were in Shediac as well we visited with our brother who lives in Moncton.

Parlee Beach Provincial Park

The Big Lobster, Shediac, NB

Visiting my parents grave site

Pumphouse Brewery

Pioneer Museum

Caisse Cape

Point du chene wharf

The last leg of the journey had three stops, a three night stay in Sugarloaf Provincial Park in Campbelltown, NB and two one night stops in Quebec, at Rayon Soleil in Riviere de Loup and in Drummondville. In Campbelltown, we went to the Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site and walked the esplanade in town.

Sugarloaf Provincial Park

The Restigouche National Historic Site

Sugarloaf Mountain

Range Light Campbelltown

Restigouche Sam

Dalhousie Big Chair

Then it was on to our last two stops before heading home.  Luckily at Rayon Soleil we were towards the back and we were there during the week not a weekend or I think that campground would have been Teddy's worst nightmare. It seemed like every other seasonal trailer had a golf cart parked out front. Teddy hates those things. Camping des Voltigeurs was a nice provincial park in Drumondville. If you wanted to explore Drummondville it would be a good base. There's even a paved multiuse trail right beside the campground.

Rayon Soleil

Seasonal camper's site

Another seasonal site

Camping des Voltigeurs

Last Campfire

It was a good trip but it was nice to get home. Podrick is back at his winter home so that I have the driveway to park in and so he can get some work done.  There were issues with the converter on this trip but luckily with a little fist bump now and again , the refrigerator and lights kept working. I hope to take him back out for a short trip in Sep.  

Starter Games Dog of Canada

Liam and I went to an agility trial yesterday, the first in quite a while since we were away on an East Coast adventure. I'll blog about that trip soon.

I entered Liam in four events, two Advanced Standards, one Advanced Jumpers and one Starter Snooker. Our first event was an Advanced Standard, it was a train wreck. Liam knocked about every second bar, refused a tunnel and missed his weave entry. I was quite disappointed and wondered why with his eye sight issue that we were still doing agility. 

Next up was another Advanced Standard, Liam did much better in this run. He only had 5 faults for knocking one bar. Our third run was a Starter Snooker. Liam needed a qualifying run in this event to get his Starter Games title. 

It was a good course for Liam. No contacts, only six weaves, and not too spread out. I did worry about all the jumps. In Starters Snooker, there's no refusals called so we would just be wasting time if he argued about doing the tunnels or the weaves.  You have to get 37 points in 60 seconds to get a qualifying score. All the red jumps are marked with a 1 and they're worth one point. The point value of other obstacles is their number. I planned to do red jump by the start line (marked with a d), then the number 7 jump, red jump by the weaves, then the weaves, red jump in the middle, then again to number 7 going right into the number 2 tunnel to start the close. With that opening I needed to get through to obstacle 5 to have enough points.

It all went as planned, Liam was actually rather fast especially for him and we finished the course in 36.50 seconds. He kept all the bars up, didn't argue about doing any tunnels and got his weave entries. We finished the whole close, that's obstacles 2 through 7 for a total of 50 points.

Doesn't he look proud of himself! Our last event was an Advanced Jumpers. There were so few dogs in Starters and Advanced that I basically had to put Liam in his crate and walk that course right away. We had the qualifying score I wanted so I was pretty relaxed. Liam did well in the Jumpers, he kept up all the bars but decided to do the backside of one jump for an off course but he was running pretty well and would have made time. 

So we ended the day ready to keep playing at agility. Liam likes to play and even if he'll never be a great agility champion, he tries hard. 

How Did That Happen?

It was Liam's 4th birthday this week on 4 June.  I no longer have a puppy, well really, I haven't had a puppy for a while. I'm starting to get puppy fever but with costs rising, two is all that I really can afford. Liam had his annual health check-up on his birthday and that visit with no shots was $125. 

After his vet visit, I took Liam shopping; we went to PetSmart for canned dog food and then to Pet Valu for him to pick out some birthday presents. The owner of that Pet Valu store has Liam's litter brother. Then it was home to celebrate with Teddy. 

I had made extra pupcakes when I made Teddy's, so it was just a matter of putting on some decorations, Greek yogurt and blueberries. They each got one after the requisite photos were done. Liam ate his whole; Teddy needed his broken up a bit. I think they both enjoyed them. 

We wait for so many things, holidays, vacations, the weekend and just like that they're over and we say "how did that happen?" We have to remember to take time and enjoy the now. 

Happy Birthday Liam, here's to many more!

Camping in Ontario

 We did a short camping trip to start the season but we hit three provincial parks. We went to Balsam Lake, Awenda and Emily. 

Balsam Lake was just a one-night stop as the drive to Awenda was too far for me to do in one day. I left home at 9:17 am and made it to Balsam Lake at around 3 pm. It wasn't a bad drive, but you get quite fatigued even with stops for gas and to stretch our legs. We had pull thru sites right near the bathrooms. At first, we couldn't figure out why so many people drove to the bathrooms, then we looked at the campground map. The two comfort stations in our loop were the only ones in the whole campground; of course, there were privies but no other showers or flush toilets. It didn't help that many people who did walk also brought their dogs up with them. I guess they thought, have to go for a walk, why not take the dog. But all in all, Teddy wasn't too bad, and it was only one night.

Balsam Lake

Teddy likes sleeping in the trailer

We were able to have a relaxing morning the next day as Awenda was only about a 2-hour drive. When I was posted to Borden, I'd always wanted to camp at Awenda but it was always full over the summer. We were in Hawk campground at the far end of the park. If you like cycling this would be a nice park, as it was, we were nearly 10 km from the beach. I had always read that Awenda was part of the Niagara escarpment, and it is, I thought that meant there would be views over Georgian Bay, but the tree canopy is so thick that there wasn't much of a view until you get right to the lake. 

Awenda

Trilliums

Rocket at Awenda

Georgian Bay

I took the dogs down to the dog beach twice. The second time a thunderstorm was approaching, and it was Teddy who decided it was time to go. I got to the store for ice and was headed back to the campsite when it started pouring rain, the worst of it had stopped by the time I got back. We did lose power for a few hours though. The funny thing was that none of the park staff that drove around stopped to update us on the situation.

Liam does wade

Teddy loves wading

Liam would rather keep his feet dry.

The sites at Awenda were huge, if you're camping with other people, it's hard to get sites that are really close. We were camped near the central bathrooms. There was only one set of privies in the loop so some sites would be quite a hike to use the toilet. I don't know why they don't install some additional privies. The sites are well shaded with a canopy of oak and maple trees.

My site from the road.

Tree canopy

On our last day at Awenda, we drove into Penetanguishene. We walked the marina and went out to Discovery Harbour. Penetanguishene was a Royal Naval station, long before Canada was a country. Discovery Harbour was free for military veterans and very dog-friendly, so it made for a nice day out.  Since most kids were still in school, I think we were about the only ones there. All the reenactors were looking for something to do and gave us detailed accounts and demonstrations. We had to say no to seeing a musket firing as the dogs likely would have been quite upset by that. The dogs were allowed in all the buildings except the Officers' Quarters. I don't know if that's normal or if it was because we were nearly the only people there.

Penetanguishene

The town marina

Discovery Harbour

H.M.S. Temcumseth

The next day it was a short drive to Emily Provincial Park near Peterborough for two nights. Again, this was really just to break up the long trip back. We had no plans for Emily, but to relax. I took the dogs down to the see the campers beach and to the day use area that has a dog beach.

Dog beach

We're still batting a 1000 for setting up and taking down in the dry. We enjoyed all of our meals outside, didn't have to head to a restaurant once due to rain. I bought a new camp stove for this trip, no more naphtha or pumping up the old Coleman stove. I also got a propane fire bowl with Airmiles points, but we didn't use it on this trip, perhaps we'll use it for our one-night stops or if there's a fire ban during our long trip that starts next week.