Manitoulin Island 2018

AR

So this is our Manitoulin trip. We were staying at our friends Cottage and it was loads of Fun. My highlight was swimming because everyday we would go out on the mats and jump, play games and just have fun together. We liked playing this game where you were spies or something and if you fell in the water you turned into a zombie. Then they have to shoot you with their water guns or tickle you under the chin the make you human again. Then when you were human again you had to go heal, then help fight zombies. My next highlight was fishing, we went out the first day we were there and I caught 4 fish. Two small mouth bass and two Perch. The next day I honestly can't remember if we did but I know we went fishing at least 3 times. On the first day we went tubing and I was pretty scared when I did it. But when “E” went the tube almost flipped on him and he smiled the whole time. On Zachs's birthday we decorated cupcakes. I was I charge of icing them, “B” put the sprinkles on and “J” added the fishing rod worm and fish. Later in that day we also decorated a cake. On cake decorating, I iced the cake and helped “B” with sprinkles then “E” did the boat and fish and to top it off I used this jelly the make fishing lines. But when we were just about to open presents it poured. So we did it all inside and also made up some Haikus and Mom told me to make one for this so here is mine:

Diving off the Docks

Crazy Dogs attack me AH!

Having fun today

On the last day we got fish and chips and mom ate almost two things of fries. I had a hotdog and it was yummy! Also that day we played Watermelon Races and we had to do challenges with a watermelon in the water. For example one was find the watermelon in the water, then swim around the mat with the watermelon, get on the mat hold the watermelon in the air and yell "I AM THE CHAMPION" then do a funny jump off, then you get it to the stairs and finish. It was fun! We also did the Haw Race and I did okay - it was five km and it was hard. All the kids did tie dye and all the boys did a swirl but I did a bullseye - our shirts looked great. Oh ya I forgot, one day the adults did a race where you had to paddle to the raft in a kid kayak, go around the raft, then kayak back. All the kids had to stand on the raft and cheer them on - lol! There were dogs there, 3 of them. There was a Golden Lab named Stella, a German Short Haired Pointer named Finnigan, and a Chocolate Lab named Chewbacca or Chewi - if you please. But this concludes our MANITOULIN trip it was fun and adventurous and I hope to be invited back. But for now it's goodbye! Bye!

JR

Day one

I woke up early and we were off to Manitoulin. We left at 7:30 and we’re off. We stopped at a gas station north of Parry Sound to go to the washroom. We arrived around 2:00 and unpacked before jumping in the refreshing water. We had chicken it was delicious 😋. After dinner we went swimming and we were in the water for like 2 hours it was really fun then we sat around before going to bed. 

Day 2

I woke up around 7 o’clock and had waffles for breakfast they were pretty good. After that we went to the Hawrun, to run a 5K for charity. I ran 5K in 24 minutes and 13 seconds that’s a personal best! When we got back we went for a morning swim, then got out and went on the trampoline. I had a sword fight with “B” and “A”and “E”. Then Kreug and Caroline came with Chewbacca their chocolate lab.  After that we went for another swim before having sandwiches for lunch. Then we just hung around the cottage for a while before having enchiladas for dinner. They were amazingly delicious!! After dinner we went fishing. It was pretty good overall - We caught 10 fish, I caught three fish and they were a decent size. On the way back we were all getting splashed by the waves coming into the boat, especially mom. Then we just sat around and talked while the dogs fought (played) with each other. 

Day 3

I woke up around 7:30 and went outside and found that Dad was the only one outside. He was sitting on the end of the dock so I went to join him. The boys were supposed  to be on a fishing charter but the guy didn’t show up, so they came back and we were kind of surprised. Then I had breakfast - a bagel. I went for a morning swim as usual with Ben. We played on the mats and had a great time.  I came out because I was waterlogged and I had rashes all over the bottom my stomach. We had lunch and had sandwiches again. We went fishing, I caught two fish again. I guess it was my lucky day because no one else caught any fish 🐟 really. We had sausages for dinner, I had an Italian sausage which was pretty spicy. I liked it! Then the skies opened up and it began to pour rain. Zach, Dad and Krueg were at the boat house, so me “E” and “B” decided to join them, then “A” came to the boat house and we snacked on moms chocolate squares. Once the rain stopped we went for one more swim before going to bed. 

Day 4

I woke up around 7:30 and found that it was our second last day.  I started off with eggs, bacon and hash browns for breakfast. It was made by dad, it was really good. Then we went swimming and fishing. For lunch we went to The Port a fast food fish place (even though I had chicken wings) it was really good and nice. Then we went and walked around Little Current. I took a nap on the way back to the cottage. We had our barbecue pizzas for dinner. Then we just talked and had fun before going to bed. 

Day 5 

I woke up around 7:45 and realized it was our last day in  Manitoulin. I had waffles for breakfast before having to pack up the trailer. We stopped in Espanola for a bathroom break and I got a muffin. Then we drove all the way to Parry Sound  and decided to stop for lunch.  I had Licks poutine, it was pretty good. They used cheddar cheese and mozzarella for the cheese curds. Then we watched the Lorax all the way to Barrie before having to switch the movie to Monsters Inc. I wasn’t really paying attention, I was playing Angry Birds on my phone.  We got home around 5:15 and I had a soccer game around 6:45. We lost the game 6-2  but I did pretty good in net.

SR

We headed up to Manitoulin Island, one of my very favourite summer trips. I love going up there ... it is beautiful, peaceful and relaxing and I love spending time with friends and family. The kids are awesome (they all get along and entertain each other) and as soon as we arrived they got in the water and didn’t get out till bedtime (maybe a small break to jump on the trampoline and to eat). We went tubing and I don’t think my kids love it based on their facial expressions ... 😬 but “E” got some big air and managed to stay in the tube and “B” did some cool kneeboarding. The kids went fishing a few times which is a highlight for them. They caught a few fish but “E” caught the biggest one!  “J” even got to drive the boat a bit with his new boat licence!! On Saturday we did the Haw Run, a 5 km run in Little Current. The kids and Matt ran. I ran a bit (further than I thought I would) and walked the rest. Then the kids ran the 1km with “B”. There was a raffle at the end and”E” won a huge box of sidewalk chalk and “J” won a set of family shirts - yay!! We went for ice cream at Three Cows after the race to celebrate. When we got back to the cottage the kids were off swimming, jumping on the trampoline and catching frogs and minnows and the adults sat and relaxed. The kids and dogs were the entertainment. Caroline and Kreug came and added another dog to the mix - more entertainment!! Stella won the blue ribbon for being the good dog!! Although, she was a bit quiet after getting “Swimmer Tail”, which was quite painful at the start. But by the end of the trip her tail was up and wagging again. We had a delicious dinner of enchiladas and then hung out till bedtime. We had no campfires this year due to all the forest fires and dry conditions. We made our own fun by having kayak races in very small kid kayaks which resulted in a lot of laughs. Kreug and Paul got bonus points for their paddling skills!! We had a down pour one night and celebrated Zach’s birthday inside. The kids all decorated cupcakes and a cake for him with a fishing theme. We all wrote a Haiku about the cottage and shared them - most of them were appropriate and rated “G”. We tie dyed shirts with the kids and they turned out really well, even though they took days to dry after the rain. We went to Little Current for fish and chips for lunch and to check out the Main Street. My favourite store is the Outpost. The kids like playing “greased watermelon” but we forgot the lard to grease the watermelon so we improvised!! The kids did different races involving the watermelon. They had to jump off the dock, move the watermelon around the raft without using their hands - use bellies or legs, or roll it over the mats without hands, do something silly - hold the watermelon over your head and yell “I am the champion” or do a funny dance move then get it back to shore with the fastest time. They had a blast ... and it tired them out before bed!! We packed a lot into our four days but also managed to relax and catch up with friends. I also love that as soon as we arrive the kids all go off together and swim, play and entertain themselves and we rarely hear - I’m bored ... they completely entertain themselves. They also look forward to visiting the Island each year and it’s a highlight of their summer as well. Stay tuned for an original story by “A” about Carl and Rhonda (the resident seagulls) and Deborah the duck ... inspired by “story time with Matt”. Finally, a big thank you to our friends for inviting us up to your island paradise and sharing it with us again this year. 

Summer Camp 2018

AR

So this is my Muskoka Woods Adventure! I’ve been very excited for Muskoka Woods. Friends, fun, and food, now that’s a package. We arrived at 3:50pm and parked then Dad took me to my cabin, I had the cabin TT10 (Treetops 10) and my counsellor was Everest and she was really nice. We set up my stuff then remembered that I forgot my pillow in the car so we walked to the car and got my pillow. Next we met Mom and Jack at the barbecue and had sausage. After that Mom and Dad said there farewells and that was the starting of a great week! I met up with Jessica and Grace at my cabin and we sat on Graces bunk. Then I noticed Gabby (from my first and second year) and Charlotte (from last year) were in my cabin too (I had swim Beach with them too)! About an hour later we went to Opening Show which had all Greatest Showman music in it, Awesome! 

So I guess you want to hear about my skills, psssht...oh you really do, uh ok! So first period I had trampoline it was so fun and guess what I learned...drum roll please, a Front flip!!! Trampoline was one of my favourites personally. Period 2 I had the Kraken Racer which is a big water slide and on the last day I did a King of the Kraken Competition and Grace beat me by .08 seconds, Ugh! But I was okay cause she’s my friend! Then period 3 I had Kayaking it was pretty chill and fun to just kayak around and talk to friends. Period 4 I had Radio Broadcasting (another personal fav) and it was awesome we talked over the radio and played games then we would have a music break go buy something then go back on air, I loved it! 5th Period I had Swim Beach which is a bunch of inflatables in the water set up as a obstacle course! I had Gabby and Charlotte which made it even more amazing. Never gets old! And lastly period 6 I had originally Leisure sports but I switched it out for Gymnastics which was super fun because I just kept working on my flips off the tumble track onto the mat so I wouldn’t hurt myself. 

On our last day we had Friday finale then a Luau and this was probably my favourite because me and my cabin played dare of dare, lol super fun! Then on Saturday our parents returned and told us to say goodbye to our amazing memories we made here but next year will be double then fun from this year so stay tuned and goodbye. See you next summer!

JR

It was week 4 of camp at Muskoka Woods where Ava and I were attending. At first I was nervous but I got used to it. I was in Oakwood 3 and my counsellor’s name was Daisy, he was really nice welcomed me. When I arrived we had dinner before going to our swim test. The first day of camp was off and running, I had flag football first which is football with no tackling my instructors name was Sam he was from New Zealand. Next I had Trampoline at the Hanger which was where all the gymnastics and tramps were. My instructors name was Kaylee or Smiley that was her camp name. Then on the last day of camp she thought I was capable of doing a backflip  so she got another instructor to help me, now I can almost do it. After trampoline I had the Kraken water slide where you would race down and try to win. There was a competition where if you got exactly 10.15 you would get a prize, guess what I got... 10.14😐 I was not happy. Right after lunch I had Kids on the water. Which is an activity where you got to drive around and get your boaters license. I got my boaters license which means I'm allowed to drive boats now😜. And finally I had skateboard and scooters which was at the B2 skatepark all we did was drive around scooters and skateboards my instructor was from New Zealand you could tell by the accent. On the first day of camp I met this kid named Luke he was really friendly and welcomed me into the cabin he turned out to be my best friend out of the cabin. Next I met this kid named Rhys, he was really tall. We met when we were doing our swim test we started talking about basketball and then we became friends. I met Jonah we met at the cabin before the opening ceremony then we sat together at the opening ceremony and hit it off. Finally I met Taitouin he was from France.  We met at the cabin before we went to convo cafe, he spoke mostly French so I had to speak to him in French. My favourite part of camp was probably Skunkball because they all sung happy birthday to me and gave me the gameball. Or it was when Luke and I created a game called Shufflepong. It's like ping pong with a volleyball. My cabin was giving each other Nicknames. My nickname was Dash because people thought that I look like the kid dash from the the movie The Incredibles. Some of the nightly activities were Kamati, next we had messy four corners my hair turned from blonde to pink and now I have a pink, blue,black and purple shirt. Then we did diamond smuggling, I was a smuggler I made a lot of money. For my birthday we did Skunkball. Then we did rookie races. We didn't do an activity on Friday because we had a dance. That is it for this don't worry I'll be back next year.  

Day 13 - 1000 Islands/Ivy Lea KOA, near Kingston

JR

This morning I woke up around 7:20 went outside and had breakfast, once again a sticky bun. Then we packed and were on the road, we stopped at the info centre in Vermont because dad had to go to the potty. 🚽 Then about an hour later he had to go again, luckily we stopped at a gas station so I could fill up the car 🚘. Then we I had a little sleep as we crossed into Ontario. We stopped at a On Route where a seagull was stalking us wanting food 🥘, mom gave him some of Ava’s bun. Then we were off to Kingston where our last night of our trip was. We went swimming for a long time then came back and had dinner. We went to the jumping pillow where these kids were getting annoyed by moi 😁.  Now we’re chilling by the fire 🔥 

We’re home tomorrow YAY!!!!

Bye. 

AR

Welcome to the final day of our East Coast Adventure. 

So today I woke up facing the wrong way, whoops. I got up and got dressed in any clothes that wanted to go on my body. Me and Mom went to the washroom and while we were walking I spotted a Mole that was trapped on the pool covers in the pool. So Mom climbed the fence grabbed a pool cleaning thing and tried to scoop him out. After about 10mins of doing this “Operation Mole Rescue” we saved him but it looked like he wanted to go back. Then we headed out and got driving me and Jack just watched movies.

We stopped for lunch and had sandwiches and this seagull was watching us and playing “Wax Museum”. 

We arrived at our campsite around 3:00pm and set up then me and Jack played on the bubble then spent a long time at the pool. Then we had dinner soup - Yum!! Then me and Jack went back to the bubble and played and these kids kept saying “Go Away” so me and Jack jumping near them lol! At the fire me and Dad had to redo our cones! Now we’re just chilling and tomorrow we go home. So this concludes the ending of our East Coast Adventure. 

Me

We stayed at the Twin Mountain KOA last night and it is one of the nicest KOA’s we’ve stayed at. It’s smaller in size so not a parking lot of RV’s, very clean - especially the bathrooms and showers. Lots of fun, free activities for the kids. The only downside is as that I could hear the highway traffic all night. I’d stay here again and for longer than a night!! We started our morning early as usual. After breakfast “A” and I headed to the washrooms. On our way we noticed a little creature scurry across the pool (it was covered). We stopped to look and realized it was a little mole and he was stuck and couldn’t get out of the pool. The gate was locked and the office wasn’t opened so ”A” and I started “Operation Mole Rescue”. I climbed the fence and used the skimmer net to try to catch him but he was a feisty little guy and kept evading me or leaping out of the net. He even fell into the water and tried to swim away from me.  Eventually, after some entertainment in watching me talk to him and coax him into my net, I got him and placed him in the garden on the outside of the pool enclosure. I returned the pool skimmer and when I went to check on him, he had burrowed through the garden and back into the pool deck. So I stomped hard on the concrete to scare him back towards the garden and fingers crossed he stayed out of the pool. He was a cute little thing, about the size of a chubby mouse with an orange flower shaped nose. After that we packed up and headed out. We drove through some beautiful mountains and some nice little towns and finally landed back in Canada. We stopped for lunch and had a friendly seagull keep an eye on us. I think he was as a “cooler inspector”. He made sure no other “cooler inspectors” came near our meal either. It was like playing “wax museum” with him. Every time we looked at him, he would freeze or look up - like he wasn’t interested in us at all. We crossed the boarder in Quebec and headed for our final stop at the 1000 Islands/ Ivy Lea KOA near Kingston. It is another fantastic KOA spot. We have a treed site, that has lots of privacy. The pool is awesome and heated - even I went in. A separate adult only hot tub and a slide for the kids. There is also a bounce bubble (which the kids love) and a big playground. They have activities every hour for the kids and if we were staying longer the kids would love that!! The kids had their final bounce at the bounce bubble and now we’re sitting by the fire. We made campfire cones tonight - “A” and Matt had to do a “do-over”, I cooked mine slow and it was perfect. Well, I guess this is the last blog of this adventure ... homeward bound tomorrow!!

Favourites ...

Favourite campsite:

JR - Kingston KOA

AR - Red Point, PEI 

SR - Red Point, PEI

MR - Red Point, PEI

Trip song

JR - Summer Paradise, Simple Plan

AR - Something Just Like This, Chain Smokers

SR - Meant to Be, Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

MR - Back to You, Selina Gomez

Favourite Spot

JR - Charlottetown

AR - Hopewell Rocks

SR - Hopewell Rocks

MR - Greenwich National Park PEI, sand dunes

Favourite Memory

JR - PEI Red Point Beach

AR - Operation Mole Rescue

SR - Kayaking through Lover’s Arch & around Hopewell Rocks

MR - Sea Kayaking

Favourite Meal

JR - Coastal Waters, Cape Breton

AR - Pancake dinner at our campsite 

SR - Coastal Waters, Cape Breton

MR - Peakes Key, Charlottetown

Favourite View

JR - Skyline Trail

AR - Bay of Fundy

SR - Skyline Trail

MR - Sand Dunes, Greenwich  

Day 12 - Twin Mountain Koa, New Hampshire

JR

This morning I woke up around 6:30 because we’re back in the Ontario time zone. I had a sticky bun for breakfast which was delicious 😋. We were on the road by 7:30 and we stopped at McDonald’s around 11:00 because we had to visit the Bathroom (mostly dad). We were at the campsite around 1:00 which is rare, which meant we got to play around the campground. We went swimming in the pool - it was brisk at first but then it got warmer. Then we dried off and went to the park which had a volleyball net, ladder ball, horse shoe, playground and basketball net it was really fun. We came back to the trailer and chilled until dinner. We had penne with tomato sauce. Now we’re just sitting in the trailer as it’s raining.☔️ 😒 I hope tomorrow our second final day of traveling is better. 

Till tomorrow, Bye. 

AR

Welcome to one of the last days on the 12th day of our East Coast Adventure! 

So today I woke up at 6:30am, early I know. Then I grabbed me some frosted flakes and ate them outside, slowly, very slowly. Then me and Jack watched as Mom and Dad put down the trailer, then we hit the road. Me and Jack watched High School Musical 3 when we got In the car  and It was good, as always. Later we stopped at McDonald’s and I got a small Hot Chocolate and when I got it I noticed there was...Whipped Cream!! Around 1:30pm we arrived at our KOA. When we got there the pool was closed but they opened it just for us, seriously! So we went swimming and let me just say It’s was c-cold! After the pool we got changed then headed to the park. First we played Ladder Ball and Me and Dad won. Then we played Bean Bag Toss and guess what, me and Dad won that too. After that we went to the game room and played pool. Jack won barely. Then we headed Back to the campsite. At 6:00pm me and Mom went to shower and when we were leaving (the showers) it started to rain, ugh. So we just sat inside and chilled and we’re still doing that so see you tomorrow on our last day of this amazing adventure. Bye!

Me

Today we left Bar Harbour. It was still really foggy and damp and we closed up the camper with everything inside still kind of damp too. We had to stop at the Tire Warehouse in Bar Harbour to replace a tire on the trailer. We bought the tire in Idaho and it travelled many, many miles and was was pretty worn down. It only took a few minutes and they didn’t charge us anything. Today was the first day it rained on our trip. Mostly a light drizzle. We arrived at our campsite just after lunch and got set-up. We were planning to check out Mount Washington but with the rain and fog we wouldn’t have seen too much. It was nice to just relax and take advantage of the campground. The kids went for a swim and it sounds like the pool was pretty cold ... I didn’t check! Then we played tether ball, ladder ball and corn hole. We went to the games room and the kids played pool. Then we had dinner before the big rain hit and chilled in the trailer - still raining, still chillin! Canada tomorrow ... 

Day 11 - Bar Harbour Maine KOA

JR 

This morning I woke up around 7:25 we wanted to leave earlier than usual so we had a cinnamon sticky bun for breakfast. Then we packed and we’re on the road by 8:30. We stopped at a gas ⛽️ station to fill up the car. While dad was doing that mom and I went to Tim Hortons and got some grub for the family. We stopped for lunch around 12 in the little town called St. Andrew’s By The Sea. While we were driving to the picnic area we saw something you wouldn’t really see in a town - deers eating people gardens 😅.  We walked around the town and got ice cream. 🍦 😋 Then we were back on the road and off to the USA. When we arrived at the campsite it was around 3:00 which rarely happens. We unpacked then Ava and I went to the park before going grocery shopping 🛒. Then we came back to the campsite and went for a swim at the other KOA up the street because we didn’t have a pool here, the pool was really warm yet only Ava and I went in. We came back the the campsite and had sausage for dinner now we’re just sitting by the campfire listening to music 

Bye. 

AR

Saying this has just become usual, so Welcome to the 11th day of our East Coast Adventure! So I woke up as usual and got dressed. Then I went outside and had half of a half of a sticky bun. As Mom and Dad put down the trailer me and Jack played football 🏈. Then we were on the road me and Jack just watched movies including “The Lorax” and “Despicable Me 1&2”. 

At around 11:50 we stopped for lunch and had the usual Nutella and Peanut Butter Wraps. Then we headed to a small town called St. Andrews By The Sea. There we just toured around and Mom bought me a sign that said “Summer Goal: Become a Mermaid”. Then we stopped for Ice Cream 🍨 and we got one scoop but it felt like 3 scoops. Then we stopped at another shop and I got a shirt 👚 and a Jellyfish necklace. Then we kept driving till we finally arrived at our KOA. 

Me and Jack played at the park till everyone was set up. Then we went to the pool and swam for like 45 mins and me and Jack raced, he said he won most of them *cough* he didn’t *cough*. Then we headed back to the campsite and made sausages for dinner. And now like always, we’re just chilling by the fire 🔥. So goodbye see you tomorrow on one of the last days of our trip. 

Me

Today we were up and off early. We decided to save the sea caves at St. Martin’s for our next visit. We headed towards St. John’s. We saw a family of deer on the rock cliffs at the side of the highway. We detoured a bit from the main highway and visited St. Andrews By The Sea. We came into town through the residential area and saw two families of deer just hanging out eating peoples bushes. They weren’t worried at all when we stopped to snap a picture. We had a picnic by the ocean and then went into the town to check out the Main Street. It was a pretty little town with lots to see. Another place to spend more time on our next visit. We were only minutes from the boarder and we crossed into Maine. Our campsite tonight is at the KOA Bar Harbour - Oceanside. It’s a typical KOA a giant parking lot of RV’s with no privacy or trees. However, I can see the ocean from my campsite so that’s a plus. The kid de played at the park and we took them to the KOA down the road to swim. Then a huge grey fog rolled in (really fast moving) and blocked out the sun. The temperature dropped and everything was damp and wet. We’ve now had dinner and are relaxing and doing ridiculous dances by the fire. Till tomorrow ... 

Cool artist from St. Andrews By The Sea: Natasha R. Miller - Artist acrylic & charcoal

Day 10 - Bay of Fundy National Park, Chignecto

JR

This morning we woke up at the crack of dawn because we were heading to the Hopewell Rocks to check them out! We arrived at the rocks around 7:30 because mom thought it started at 8:00🤨. When we got down to the ocean floor they were setting up for a documentary called "Tide". Then we were checking the ocean floor for any sea creatures. After that amazing tour we were gonna go and hike but mom found this thing where we got to kayak around the rocks where we walked that morning. Me and mom were at the back because we were moving at a snails pace 😂. He talked about some Fables and the history of the rocks which amazed me. Mom said she paddled me around like a prince but I did most of the work - wink, wink 😉.  After that we went to the gift shop to check it out. We went and checked out the little town of Alma. We stop at this seaside restaurant and got a bite to eat. Then we went to Kelly’s bakery and got some little treats 😋. Then we went on a walk at Dickson Falls. On the way back we found a pool 🏊, sadly it closed in a half hour 😭. So we went back to the campsite and played at the park. We had beans and wieners. Now we’re just chilling by the campfire 

I’ll be back tomorrow. 

Bye. 

AR

We only have 3 days left on this amazing trip so Welcome to the 10th day of our East Coast Adventure. Today we woke up at 6:30 ugh! All because we had to be early to the Hopewell Rocks! When we arrived there we found out we were 1hour and 30 minutes early so we decided to check out the rocks before the tour. While we were looking around Dad and Jack found an “Sea Raspberry” as we call it, It had suction cup thing and it was alive! Later our tour begin, also these guys from Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 making a documentary on the Bay of Fundy called “Tide”, but we can’t watch it because it doesn’t show in Canada 🇨🇦. Basically on the tour we found things and the tour guides explain it. One person found a living Spotted Lady Crab 🦀, but just because lady is in the name doesn’t mean it’s female! After that we needed a definite foot washing because our shoes 👟 were covered, and I mean covered in mud. Mom wanted to check out the kayaking sessions and guess what? We ended up doing one, but I regret nothing. So we started kayaking it was very interesting but also very choppy, we’ll kinda. At every Cove they explained its name and sometimes backstory. Also I liked when they would say one of the indigenous tales. After that we checked out the gift shop and I bought rocks, yes rocks. After that we drove to Alma a cute fishing town. We stopped at a restaurant to get fries 🍟 and mozzarella sticks, but of course I forgot the name. Then we stopped at a bakery called “Kelly’s Bakery” and my molasses cookie was, delicious!!! Then we headed back to the campsite and went on a short 1km hike and saw the “Dickson Falls” it was pretty cool   😎. Then we headed back to the campsite and had some dinner. And like always now we’re just hanging out by the fire for one of the last days. Bye! Or as I use to say BYE BYES!

Me

Today was awesome!! We got up super early (not awesome) and arrived at the Hopewell Rocks. I thought the tour started at 8:00am but it wasn’t until 9:00an - oops!! It was still good that we arrived early. We were the second car to arrive and we were in the ocean floor at 8:10am before the mass crowds arrived - yay!! Today was the one day this month with the lowest and highest tides. We explored all the way out to the water. At 9:00am we joined a guided tour, which also happened to include a documentary being filmed called “Tide” by some guys from Wales (they hope it’ll get picked up by BBC Scotland or Ireland). Our guide Kevin was awesome and explained all the sea life that can be found on the ocean floor when the tide is out. We went all the way out to the waters edge and as we were looking at things the tide would come in and swallow them up. However, we did see lots of hermit crabs, a sea spider, some sea anemones both opened and closed, a lady crab and they even found a clam which is unusual in the bay. We found a rock with a hole in it and it looked like a little aquarium. Once the tour ended the tide had come in at least 20-30 feet from where we started. We were quite muddy after the tour and next time rain boots would be a good idea. But they had a shoe washing station so we cleaned up and then decided we hadn’t had enough so we signed up for a sea kayaking experience - awesome!!!! There were only about 14 people in our group which meant 7 kayaks and about 5 guides. Once we got our splash skirts and life jackets we walked down to the beach. We got into our kayaks on the sand and by the time they finished giving instructions we were floating. “J” and I shared a kayak and “A” and Matt shared a kayak. We paddled past the rocks we had checked out this morning and then checked out some other coves. The guides were awesome and explained some of the history and legends of they area. One of the guides named Alex was awesome and made sure we didn’t fall too far behind the rest of the group. There was an emergency tower in one area so that if someone had walked the beach to get there before the tide cut them off, they had somewhere to go to get away from the rising tides. The tower was 46’ high but the tide can rise 47’ ...so if you get stuck there better hope it’s a calm day!! The other funny thing is that the sign in English says that it’s an “emergency platform” but the French translation says that it’s an “exit platform” ... lol! On our way back the tide had risen quite a bit and the beach we had walked this morning was gone and we kayaked through the rock pinnacles and under lovers arch - soooo cool!! My arms were getting pretty tired at this point (since I was the only one paddling - well, I guess “J” helped a bit). So I was glad that the tide was pushing us along in the right direction and I just had to adjust the foot rudders to keep us in track. At the end of our paddle, we stopped where we started on the beach and you couldn’t touch the bottom with the paddles anymore. Matt was soaked but the rest of us weren’t too bad. Although my shirt was wet from my armpits down from the splash. Once we finished we visited the gift store and headed out. At this point it was already 2:30ish so we headed back. We stopped at a covered bridge and took some pictures (sadly I deleted these by accident) and then stopped in a small fishing village on the edge of Bay of Fundy National Park called Alma. We walked around, had a snack and got some sticky buns from the bakery for tomorrow. We returned to our campsite and changed and went to Dickson Falls to hike - it was a short hike but a very long, pretty waterfall. We took some pictures, which also got deleted - 😥.  Then we returned to our campsite and the kids went to the park for a bit and then we had dinner and relaxed by the fire. Awesome day ... 👍🏻

Day 9 - Bay of Fundy National Park - Chignecto

JR

Once again hello 👋🏻.  I woke up this morning around 7:50 had a bagel for breakfast then went to the park while mom and dad put down the trailer. I met a new friend named Tarren, he was only 3 but he had a ton of energy ⚡️. We got on the road around 9:00 and  had a long long drive. It wasn’t the best drive I would say. We stopped for lunch around 1:00 at a Foodland in Tatamagouche and then we were on the road for another 5 hours. We had gotten to the camp site around 5:30, set up camp and got ready for dinner.  We had grilled cheese for dinner over the fire 🔥 that I made 😏 - they were delicious 🤤. Now we’re just sitting by the campfire 🔥 having a good time. 😉

Talk tomorrow, Bye. 

AR

Again Hello and today is our 9th  day of our East Coast Adventure!

Today I woke to a barking dog, aka very annoying. I got the same old clothes on and grabbed some frosted flakes. Me and Jack played at the park while Mom and Dad put down the trailer. When me and Jack were at the Park this 3-year old boy asked us to play pass, but that game of pass turned into “Get the Ball!!!”. Then we left and went for a long 6 hourish drive. Me and Jack did the basics watched movies, sleep, watch movies, sleep, watch movie - I think you get the point. At around 1:30pm we stopped for lunch in Tatamagouche. Everyone had wraps but me I had leftover wings yummy! Then we kept driving and driving and driving till we finally arrived in Bay of Fundy. There Mom and Dad set up the trailer and then we set up the bug tent. Soon after they starting making Grill Cheese over the fire but yet again I had leftover wings       and then me and Mom made banana boats, very messy! Now we’re just hanging out by the fire and setting sticks in fire. We’ll see y’all tomorrow. Bye! 

Me

Today was just a long day, a long driving day ... We drove from Ingonish on Cape Breton Island to Bay of Fundy National Park in New Brunswick. We did not make it to Halifax or Peggy’s Cove unfortunately. I guess we’ll have to plan a return trip. We stopped for lunch in Tatamagouche which I wish we had had time to explore. It looked like it had some neat little shops and restaurants. We arrived at our camp site in Bay of Fundy National Park - Chignecto around 5:30 and set-up. We made grilled cheese sandwiches over the campfire and they were delicious!! Then “A” and I had a banana boat for dessert - very ooey-gooey and messy but yummy!! Now we’re just sitting by the fire and the kids are trying to cast “spells” using their wands (smoking sticks) like Harry Potter. Expecto patronus ...

Day 8 - Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Broad Cove

AR

It’s officially the 8th day of our East Coast Adventure! 

Today I woke up to a barking dog and a brisk breeze. As usual I threw on some clothes and had Corn Pu- “Uh ma’am?” “What I’m trying to make a Blog!” “You had a pancake.” “What! I had...wait oh ya I did.” And I had a pancake and some orange juice. Then we headed off for a day of exploring. First we stopped at Mary Ann falls and went down to the falls. We climbed on some rocks and I wanted to make it to the other side so I stepped on a rock and slipped and both of my feet got soaked - yipee! I also banged up my toe, Ouch! After we went to two coves and climbed on the rocks it was pretty fun but also scary. Next we headed to skyline trail for a long hike. The first half of the hike was happy and dandy. Then we saw some great views but they almost stopped Moms heart. On the way back from the hike I felt like passing out but I made it, barley but I made it. After that we had a long 2hour drive to Sydney, Nova Scotia if your not sure! At Sydney we just walked around and we got to go on the Bluenouse ll. On the Bluenouse ll we walked around and explored it. Awhile after we took a long drive to the wonderful restaurant Costal Waters. There we had live music and the guy singing was very good, same with the food! Then we took a drive back to the campsite and now we’re just chilling. “Ma’am” “WHAT!” “You forgot to say goodbye” “Oh whoops” Bye!

JR

Welcome back while you were gone we did a ton of fun stuff. It all started at about 7:30 when I woke up and had frosted flakes then we were off for the day exploring. First we went to Mary Ann falls it was pretty cool then we made a few stops at lookouts.  Then we went to the skyline trail where people say the view is unbelievable.  There were a couple of places where moms heart almost stopped because of the cliff. We had lunch near a stunning view. Before getting back in the car and off to the next place we were going to go to the Louisberg Fort but we didn’t have enough time so we went to the water in the city of Sydney, Nova Scotia. Where we saw the Blue Nose the second, it was pretty cool. I got to touch the captain’s wheel and see a bunch of jellyfish near the harbour front. After we got back in the car we had dinner in Ingonish at a place called Coastal Restaurant and Pub. I had chicken wings for dinner they were great. Now we’re just sitting by the fire 🔥 listening to someone else’s music 🎶

Night all. 

Me

Busy, busy day today! We got up, had breakfast and were off by 8:30. We started the day at Maryann Falls. It was a 7km drive up a narrow dirt road and a 200m to the falls. The falls weren’t spectacular but were very pretty. The kids and Matt decided to cross the river for a better view. “A” slipped in and got a double soaker and banged up her big toe. Next we went to Lakie Head and Green Cove and checked out the cliffs and rocky shore on the coastline. We met a very friendly dog and saw some seals in the distance swimming in the ocean. Then we continued down the Cabot Trail and although the views were breathtaking I don’t enjoy driving on narrow roads, with no shoulder, on the edge of a sheer drop. My favourite part of the drive was through Cheticamp which had many cute little cottages with beautiful ocean views. Our next stop was the Skyline Trail. This was a 6.5km hike through forests and meadows. We saw the moose enclosures, that keep the moose out so that the vegetation can regenerate. At one point the moose population in the area was four times what the environment could sustain and they killed off the trees. Then we got to the boardwalk where the views were unbelievable. We were on top of a huge cliff that looked out over the water. It also looked out over the treacherous road we hadn’t driven yet - yay!! We were pretty pooped after the hike but we carried on. The kids slept in the car for a bit while I tried to breathe through more scary roads! We were planning to go to the Louisberg Fortress but we spent too much time enjoying nature and didn’t get there in time. I was a bit disappointed that the kids missed it but we’d had a pretty spectacular day so far. We stopped in Sydney and checked out the Bluenose II and then headed back to our campsite. We stopped at Coastal Waters Restaurant and Pub which was featured on “You Gotta Eat Here” on the Food Channel. The food was fantastic and there was live music. Brandon Collier was playing some Celtic tunes and we really enjoyed his music while we ate. We finally returned to our campsite and enjoyed a campfire before bed. So far this has been a pretty good campsite but it was loud tonight - blaring music and loud kids running around (including through our campsite). Anyway, we’re off again tomorrow and heading to Peggy’s Cove and Bay of Fundy National Park for the next two nights. 

Day 7 - Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Broad Cove

JR

 Hello and welcome back to the first week of our East Coast Trip This morning I woke up around 7:20 ready for another day I had a bagel as usual then we packed up and headed off to the ferry ⛴ that would take us to Nova Scotia. Once we arrived the security guard told us to park the car 🚘 and head on down to the cafeteria as we wait for the ferry ⛴. While I was in the cafeteria I had ice tea and a bacon and egger it’s a bun with eggs and bacon 🥓. When we were on the ferry we went to the lounge and relax with the free wifi 😃. Then we decided to go on the deck and look at the view. We had lunch 🍴 before getting Cows Ice Cream. It ‘twas delicious 🤤. Once we were docked we were off to our campsite. We were going around these bendy roads when dad almost gave mom a heart attack. We got to the campsite around 4:30 and unpacked, then we had pancakes 🥞 for dinner tonight now we’re just having a fire 🔥 and talking to each other about tomorrow 

Talk tomorrow, Bye. 

AR

6 days stand till the end of our East Coast Adventure, so welcome to the 7th day. 

This morning Mom woke me up with a shake. It was very cold I had goosebumps brrrr. I got up and threw on my sweater and jeans, I was set for the day. I ate my usual Corn Puffs with Peach Juice. Wait! Before we continue on, yes Dad is on the trip and you should be expecting a blog from him soon, but otherwise ... Mom and Dad put down the trailer me and Jack played at the park. Soon we left the campsite and headed to the docks so we could Board our grand ferry. Around 10:10am we got to the docks and parked our car and trailer, then went to the cafeteria. Me and Dad shared a cinnamon bun and I had a bottle of chocolate milk. Soon after we boarded the boat, I was personally over excited because I never have been on a big boat. So we went to the top level and sat on our phones (free wifi) and later got Cows Ice Cream YUMMY! Then Dad took me to the bathroom and I’m pretty sure I ran into like 15 walls because the waves were rocking the boat. About 45mins later we got off the boat and started driving to our campsite. 

Around 4:30ish we arrived at our campsite; Broad Cove. When we got there Mom and Dad set up the trailer and me and Jack played at the park. Then when they were finished Me and Mom just read inside, I was reading “The Young Elites” p.s. Great book! Then Mom made pancakes for dinner Yummy! After that we had a fire and now we’re just chilling. Tomorrow is gonna be full of adventure so stay and tuned and stay safe! Bye!

MR

Well to all those of you who thought I was not on this trip, here I am. I will keep it short. It has been awesome driving through parts of Canada I have not seen yet. The highlight so far has been the beaches in PEI. I am trying really hard to scare my wife on the roads in Cape Breton and we’ll see how the rest of the trip goes. That’s enough for now. Sitting by a nice campfire. Going back to enjoying nature. You might here from me again soon (mom).  See ya!

Me

We sadly left PEI today and our beautiful ocean side campsite and headed for Cape Breton Island. We took the ferry from Woods Island to Caribou, Nova Scotia. The ferry ride went pretty smoothly, although it was a bit rough. We had lunch on the ferry and then finally enjoyed some Cows Ice Cream (the kids have been begging since Quebec). From the ferry we headed to Cape Breton Island. We headed up the Cabot Trail and at first I thought this isn’t as spectacular as I remembered AND then we went up (waaaay up) just before  Ingonish. I’m not sure who designs these roads but a wide shoulder and slightly sturdier looking guard rails might make me feel less barfy. I think my heart stopped beating a few times and when I was able to quickly glance at the view it pretty freakin spectacular. We arrived at our camp site before dinner, set up and relaxed for a bit. A’s been begging for pancakes for breakfast but we’re are usually up & out too early so we decided to have them for dinner tonight. No fire ban - yay!! Sitting by the fire, enjoying our evening. Kids are playing at the park. It’ll be bedtime soon and we have a busy day planned driving the rest of the Cabot Trail, visiting the Louisberg Fortress and Sydney. Till tomorrow .... 

Day 6 - Red Point Provincial Park, PEI

AR

Hello and welcome back to our 6th day on our East Coast Adventure! This morning I woke up and noticed I wasn’t even in my sleeping bag! Well that explains a lot, and I mean a lot! So I got up and put on the first thing I found in my drawer. Yet again for breakfast I had Corn Puffs, and I’m waiting for the day I finally eat something different. After everyone finished breakfast we got in the car and started driving, oh your probably wondering where we were going, we’ll I didn’t really know at the time heh heh. But after a while we arrived at the East Point Lighthouse! First we went in the gift shop and looked around, but like usual we didn’t buy anything. At 10:00am we were able to go in the lighthouse and, here’s the best part Go. To. The. Top!!! So we started climbing. Each level had its own set of artifacts. We arrived at the very top where the light is and looked at the scenery. Later after doing lots more of driving we arrived at the L.M. Montgomery monument. When we got there I looked at the place and asked “Are you sure this is the place?” 

But it wasn’t it was separate but still as cool, and Mom finally made me crack and I agreed to read “Anne of Green Gables”. So shortly after we arrived at the house for “Anne of Green Gables” and It was pretty cool and mom told Jack to stand with Anne and that was pretty funny. I took lots of photos for my iMovie. After that we drove to Charlottetown and looked around we even had dinner at a place called “Peakes Quay” it was pretty delicious if I say so myself. Then we drove home and yet again me and Jack watched the Lorax, and now we’re just hanging out in the trailer. Come back tomorrow to hear about my trip on the ferry. Have a nice Night, Bye!

JR

This morning I woke up around 7:25 thinking that today was gonna be a good day. I had a bagel for breakfast as usual we went to discover around the island 🌴. First we visited the east point Lighthouse it was pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. I was kinda scared 😱 because of the climb up to the top of the lighthouse but once I got up there it was a beautiful view of PEI. Next we went to Greenwich National Park to check out the world famous sand dunes. After we visited that we decided to pull over at a cute little gazebo for lunch 🍴. We had peanut butter and Nutella wraps as usual. Next we were off to visit the real site of where Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote the book Anne of Green Gables. Next we visited the fictional place where it looked more like the books 📖 description of it. Both of them were good. Next we went to Charlottetown to walk around, see some shops then we stopped for dinner at Peaks Quay where I tried lobster for the first time. I thought it tasted like shrimp 🍤, anyways overall I thought it was a good meal 🥘. Now we’re relaxing 😎 at the campsite talk tomorrow where I’ll have a story about a Ferry ⛴,

Bye. 

Me

Today we were busy ... we started our day checking out the East Point Lighthouse. It was pretty cool. As you climbed up each level there were artifacts and stories about the history of the lighthouse and the lighthouse keepers. One wall had pencil notes from possible survivors from a ship wreck from the 1800’s. It was hard to read but very cool. They discovered the notes when they started restoring the wall, when they saw the writing they left it so as not to destroy it. After that we headed to Greenwich National Park and checked out the interpretive centre. We learned how they grow and harvest mussels in St. Peter’s Bay - in mussel socks ... pretty cool. We could see them in the bay on our way in but didn’t know what it was. Then we hiked out to the sand dunes. The mozzies could’ve carried us there - they were fierce! The hike was pretty - we walked through meadows, forests and across a floating boardwalk to get to the dunes. We even saw someone crash their drone into the water - whoops!! I don’t think there was any chance of getting it back either ... The dunes are protected so you can’t walk on them but they were huge. After that we drove to see where L.M. Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables and then to the fictional site based on the book. I remember it being much bigger but I guess 30 years ago I was much smaller. And the best part ... I FINALLY convinced my daughter to read Anne of Green Gables!!!! One of my favourite books growing up - no bribery needed!! We drank some raspberry cordial and “J” stood and posed with Anne and Diana for me. After that we headed to Charlottetown to check out the waterfront. We took some pictures and then saw a huge herd? Pod? Gaggle? of jellyfish floating by. There must have been hundreds of them. Next we had dinner at Peakes Quay and J and I shared a lobster dinner - his first!! He liked it but I think he thought it was way to much work for a meal. After an exciting and busy day we headed back to our campsite and I cozied up in my sleeping bag, windows open so I could enjoy my view of the ocean and read for a bit before bed. My only regret today was that we didn’t make it back in time tonight to go to Basin Head and check out the singing sands. Heading to Nova Scotia on the ferry tomorrow then off to Cape Breton Island for a few nights. Stay tuned ... 

Day 5 - Red Point Provincial Park, PEI

JR

This morning I woke up around 8:00 tired 😴 as usual. I had a bagel for breakfast and then we were off to PEI. We stopped for lunch 🍴 around 12:00 we sat by the beach near a bunch of little shacks then we decided to visit the beach the water 💦 was refreshing. We pulled into the campground ⛺️ around 2:00 and I saw a sign that said fire 🔥 ban ineffect which meant we couldn’t have a fire 😢. After we set up the trailer we went to the beach 🏖 for a fun filled afternoon. We had dad’s signature dish Daddy Pasta 🍝. For dinner and now we’re just relaxing 😎 at our site 

Talk tomorrow, bye 👋🏻 

AR

Welcome to the 5th day in our East Coast Adventure! So this morning when I woke up everyone was out of bed except mom and when my eyes opened and I rolled over (as I always do when I wake up) I fell off the side. Well that’s a way to start my day! I go outside and eat the usual Corn Puffs. Me and Jack have a “stick talk” really I don’t even know! Then we start packing the trailer and getting ready to hit the road for our short 3:00hr drive to P.E.I! The drive feels short - me and Jack just watch the Lorax, also that movie is hilarious!!! Once we get on P.E.I I do mostly sight seeing looking out on the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. Around 1:00pm we stop for some lunch next to a beach. We sit on a bench watching the ocean and eat our Nutella and Peanut Butter wraps. After we finish our wraps we go down to the beach to take some pictures and feel the water. While we are there we see a pretty dead jellyfish, it was sad but very colourful. After sight seeing at the beach we do our final minutes of driving and we arrive in Red Point Provincial Park! When we got there I saw a sign that said there was a fire ban, so yet again no fire. Ugh!!! Mom and Dad struggled to get the trailer up while me and Jack played at the park.  Soon after getting the trailer up we suited up and headed to the beach!! The water was pretty cold so me and Mom decided to take a walk down beach there were very pretty red rocks that we took pictures next to. Soon after the beach we started making dinner, Daddy Pasta yummy! Then we ate it, I was first one done surprisingly. Now we’re just sitting and enjoying the view, ahhh. Wait! Oh yeah your still here well bye, see you next time!

Me

Today felt like our vacation really started!! We got up, packed up ... again and hit the road. The roads here are super bumpy and shake us around like milkshakes. Today we drove along the Atlantic for most of our drive. I love seeing the water. We crossed the Confederation Bridge which is wasn’t here last time I was in PEI.  We drove to the most north eastern part of PEI to Red Point Provincial Park. Our trusty GPS failed us again insisting that the route was not mapped. However, pretty sure these roads have been here a long time. We stopped in Souris for lunch and sat by the water. Then we explored the beach a bit & looked for sea glass. We didn’t find any but we see some jellyfish and a few small shells. The drive to Red Point took less than 10 min. This is by far my favourite campsite yet (in all our adventures). We are less than 25 m from the ocean with an unobstructed view of the water and the beach is beautiful. 

We spent the afternoon at the beach and enjoyed relaxing in the sun. The kids and my hubby went in the water ... I got in up to my shins and decided it was a bit chilly for me. Then we came back and had dinner, then back for an evening stroll on the beach. Right now the kids are taking “artistic” photos for a photo contest they have invented. Nobody has asked about wifi since we left and they are enjoying making their own fun - I haven’t mentioned that all our campsites have had wifi and nobody has died or suffered without it. No mention of hurricanes here ... although it is supposed to rain tonight. So fingers crossed the weather continues to cooperate. Sightseeing tomorrow, night all!