And Everything Goes to Hell...

Burncoat Head Park - view from lighthouse

Here I am in Nova Scotia finally having a great time in a beautiful location, with glorious weather, and friendly people. I've been looking forward to August this whole trip knowing I'd be in Nova Scotia maybe for the month to avoid the hot weather of the states. August 1st I left the Kingston Walmart parking lot and head east visiting Wolfville which is a cute little university town, then turned south and then north around a loop to get to Burntcoat Head Park. I was told at the Peggy's Cove visitors center this is the highest/lowest tide in the world! You can walk out for a long ways looking at all kinds of sea creatures on the exposed ocean floor! I love beach walking! Bonus: it's a beautiful day!

Burntcoat Head Park view of parking lot from lighthouse

They had a little lighthouse. Unlike lighthouses in the states that look like cylindrical towers, these in Nova Scotia are like little houses. This one was the center for the park so I was able to go in and all the way to the top to take photos of the scenery.

Burntcoat Head Park - view of "island"

The woman was very nice and welcoming. I found out later her name is Anita. I asked her about the tide and she said it's not all the way out, but still out quite a ways. She said it's quite muddy, but if I stay along cliff it's drier. I thought she said go to the right of the island, don't go to the left of the island. She said the mud is not deep in most cases, just a thin layer. OK.

I hike down the hill on the very nice trail, down some cement steps that are wet with high tide ocean water. When I get down to the beach, I watch others and followed suit, walking along the cliff and then onto the ocean floor. It was muddy, but not deep just like Anita explained. 

As I'm watching very carefully where I'm going, the little girl who was about ten feet away started screaming at the top of her lungs because she hated the mud on her shoes. It's caking the bottom of her shoes as it is with mine.The mother kept assuring her it'll wash off. I considered at that point turning back, but I also thought, Oh! It'll wash off! I want to see things! Be adventurous! I get to the right of the island. I feel thankful my shoes aren't that dirty. This is the route others are taking. There are about thirty people on the beach at this point. I take a photo of the island wall and then...

It happened in a split second. I slip, lose my balance, twisted my foot, fell onto my foot, and I heard my ankle SNAP. OMG! The pain. I straightened out my foot slightly since it's curled at a grotesque angle in hopes of alleviating pain or maybe hoping just to put it back into place. When I went down I screamed. A very nice woman nearby walking back from the beach asked if I was OK, I said, "No. Something snapped and I can't move my foot!"

I'm sitting in the mud. My camera is covered in mud because I was holding it in my hand. I keep saying, "No, no, no, this can't happen!" I'm trying not to cry. They say there must be someone around and I tell her there a woman who seems like a park official or information person in the lighthouse. Her husband says he will go get her. She asks if I'm here with anyone and I say, "No." She stays with me. I'm in a panic mostly worried about emergency hospital costs. Are they going to have to airlift me? Oh god. I'm shaking, not because I'm cold but because of the unbearable pain.

Anita comes down to assess my condition. My foot is swelling. She calls for paramedics and anyone who is in the area to assist. I said I could try to scoot closer to the park and off the beach, but she said not to move. It was all I could do to hold my leg to try to alleviate the excruciating pain at my ankle. The hour long wait felt like forever. Many first responders, emergency workers and then paramedics showed up. They discussed the procedures of how best to get me off the beach. That took another hour. The tide was not coming in so there was no danger present, but OMG! THE PAIN! I think each one of them on a separate occasion said, "Sorry, I am new at this!" (I heard that a lot during the day which did not give me any confidence.) They assessed if I was injured anywhere else and thank god, I was not. I was able to help hoist myself into a better position and then onto the evacuation board. (OMG THE PAIN!) They tried to support my foot/ankle because it felt like it was separated and floating. (OMG THE PAIN!) They strapped me onto the board and then maybe eight people carried me through the mud, off the beach, then UP the hill, through the park, in the parking lot where the ambulance was waiting. 

Look at that mud! What was I thinking?

Anita took my camera, my glasses and then my shoes to hold them for me. One of the first responders, Minou said with Anita's help they would move my van to her house so it would be safe. OMG! Thank you! At least I had enough brain to tell them I would need my purse and my phone as I'm sure someone will need my ID, etc. Before I leave Minou comes to the ambulance and tells me to call when I am discharged and she will pick me up and bring me to her house. I had done a good job controlling my crying, but at that point I started sobbing. I was so relieved, so thankful and so scared!

The paramedics again assessed my condition, removed my shoe, cut my sock off, wrapped a pillow around my foot, shifted me onto the gurney and then into the ambulance. In the ambulance I was hooked me up to the machines to monitor my blood pressure, respiratory, pusle, checked my heart, etc. Everything was fine, although my blood pressure was high from the pain. I then got multiple pills of Tylenol and Ibuprofen which reduced the pain level from a 10 to a 9. They said the good drugs will be here soon.

After about twenty minutes of driving over potholes (OMG THE PAIN!) we pulled over and another paramedic joined us. I said, "You must be the drug dealer." YEP! I got a dose of MORPHINE! I told them I'd like some Demerol, but they said Demerol is outdated, but morphine will do the trick. First, my whole body tense up. It was not comfortable. Then I felt loopy and very relaxed. Most of the pain went away, down to a 1, but the tightness of the swelling was still there. I asked about cost. One of them said the ambulance is not covered by anything so it will probably be around $2000. OUCH. The drug dealer offered another hit of morphine. I said I can't afford it. He said the drugs probably won't cost anything. The "probably" gave me pause. I doubt if they know and this is going to be expensive. Very nice paramedics, conversational and funny. 

It was forty-five minutes to the hospital in Truro. I was sent in for x-rays. I fractured my ankle in two places, breaking three bones. The doctor said it was a clean break which was a little encouraging. I think sitting in the mud and not moving probably prevented more damage. He then sent my information to a surgeon. While we waited for the prognosis, they cast my foot up to my knee. The surgeon said I would need surgery or the foot would not reattach and it would constantly break. They told me to call Medicare to find out what is covered.

Of course, Medicare is useless. They can only read from the manual what the rules are. Foreign travel is covered under three different scenarios only and none of them fit my situation. I'm in a panic. Holy mackerel. I start sobbing again.

They sent me for another x-ray to make sure the foot was aligned correctly after the cast. I called both Anita and Minou to inform them I'm still waiting in the hospital. Then I had to wait some more. My first doctor left and it was hours before another doctor arrived. I'm worried Minou won't want to drive an HOUR to pick me up and drive me back an HOUR to her house in the dark. But I didn't have a choice. I need to get to my van and where else would I stay? How would I even get anywhere? People have lectured me that I should have requested social services. I repeatedly asked for anyone at the hospital who could give me advice or assistance of any kind and they said there was no one like that in the facility.

While I waited, I called Visa to see if there were any international travel insurance benefits on my card. NO. I posted requests for information and help on the Facebook women van groups. Some told me to call the U.S. Embassy. Others said somehow to get back to the states to do the surgery. Others said Canada is cheaper, just stay there. Most people just lectured me on not having travel insurance. Not helpful.

Dr. Marshall shows up and he is another who tells me he's new. Hearing this all day does NOT give me confidence. I'm not sure why I had to wait for him. I tell him insurance isn't covering anything and I might need to go to the states for surgery. He gives me the copy of the blood labs and diagnostic reports they did planning I would have surgery there. I did not get another EKG since if I go to the states I'd have to go through all that again which is just more cost.

He offers me pain drugs and I tell him in the states they charge a patient $25 just to write a prescription so no. He assured me the prescription writing would not cost. I still don't believe it, but I took it. I worried I don't have an address and the one I have on my drivers' license is just for show. I won't get mail until I get back to Tucson. I offered my email for billing. He said, "I doubt very much if they will be sending a bill to Tucson and how will they find you if you live in a van?" I said, "I don't want collections destroying my credit or coming after me because I didn't pay a bill."

I tell him I don't know if this stranger who might pick me up will want to drive in the dark. He said they could discharge me and then I can just wait until morning for the ride. I didn't trust it and worried they'd charge me for being admitted to the hospital or if they charge me for the hours I am there.

How do I get crutches? I have to go somewhere and buy them...it's almost midnight. The hospital doesn't provide any assistance.

Anyway, Minou arrived and took me back to the van. She's a retired teacher, artist, first responder volunteer, and hosts international students in her house! She's my angel! She brought me out some chicken she had for dinner. Oh god, it was so good especially since I hadn't eaten all day. Maneuvering around without crutches was difficult especially since the cast takes 48 hours to dry. Trying to hoist myself up into my very high bed in my van was such a challenge! I was worried all night about blood clots. I took two ibuprofen for pain, but I was really uncomfortable all night. Going to the bathroom was really difficult.

We'll see what happens. The ambulance may cost $2,000 and the form I signed had the amount of around $5,000 for ER. Who knows about the two different sets of x-rays or the blood lab. Medicare did tell me to submit a "foreign health care claim" anyway, but I'm certain that will be a waste of time. But surgery scares me...$$$$$

On top of all of this, I was told the Canadian surgeon will call me Tuesday (he didn't). It seems there is a long Canadian holiday weekend! The Embassy is also closed until Tuesday, but they had no valuable suggestions. My best bet is to find a surgeon in Bangor, Maine. It is 6 hours to Bangor. We'll see if I can drive with my left foot...

So now I'm on hold, worried sick about the logistics of everything and in pain.

Chilling, crying, elevated, and view from van at my angel's house.

Oh Canada! Nova Scotia

Northern Maine is nice and cool! Maybe a little too cool or damp as there was condensation on my windshield in the morning. That is not good! I worked for a few hours then made a run for the border at Calais. No line which was surprising! It pays to pick your border crossing carefully. Canadian border agents are so nice! Unlike the American agents, I've never met a mean or snarky Canadian border agent.

I headed through New Brunswick. Not much to see from the freeway so I dipped south along a little highway to Fundy National Park, but only to drive right through going to Alda which is right on the coast. If you don't stop in the park, they don't charge you, BUT Canada has some kind of national park promotion going on and the national parks are free this summer until September 2nd. I stopped at The Lobster Shop and ate lobster roll and seafood chowder all gluten-free! So good!

I so rarely eat at restaurants I had to take photos. I have never had a lobster roll (above). It's just a lobster sandwich. Normally they are on rolls, but they only had gluten-free bread. They are expensive ($29 for lobster roll, $19 for chowder, CAD) which is probably why.

Arrived in Halifax around 7pm or about nine hours behind the wheel. Another butt-numbing driving marathon. It's really windy which means there are few mosquitoes. Perfect weather...low 70s and sunny. I stayed in the Cabela's parking lot. There were two RVs and another van. I like not being alone even if we don't ever speak to each other.

Nova Scotia Provincial Flag

The next morning I drove in circles trying to figure out where Siri wanted me to go. She took me down closed streets and a closed freeway entrance and gave me a street name that was no where to be found. UGH! I finally made it to the Ford dealership in Halifax. The charming young man at the counter got me an appointment IMMEDIATELY! Wow! The mechanic did a diagnostic check (besides the oil and filter change) and his assessment...all my problems are because the OVERSIZED TIRES! Along with a lower gas mileage and the speedometer is off, in other words if it shows I'm driving 60 mph I'm really going 65 mph. Why didn't the Nelson Ford people know this? Why did they sell me these tires? It seems the transmission is trying to compensate for the oversized tires which is why it struggles so much. So he adjusted the transmission to match the tires. Didn't even cost anything, well, other than the extra diagnostic charge. Such a relief!!! I just hope it works because the tires are still on the van.

I attempted to find parking in downtown Halifax so I could visit the visitors center. Yeah right. I gave up. Instead I left for the Fairview Cemetery where the Titanic victims who were pulled from the sea are buried. I drove all over Halifax and then found the cemetery was right across the street from the Ford dealership! Heck, I could have walked over while they were working on the van!! I find I am NOT good with online instructions, Google Maps, and verbal directions. I want a map to hold in my hand so I am visually oriented to where I am. 

The story about one of the few identified buried victims, Michel Navratil, was fascinating. He was from France, and it seems he kidnapped his two young children and was taking them to America. He was a second class passenger and a man so was unable to board one of the few lifeboats, but got his kids on one. His oldest son realized much later in life that his father was buried in Nova Scotia.

I searched for other Nova Scotia visitors centers in the area and drove to the coast to Peggy's Cove on the southern coast:

Peggy's Cove has a wonderful visitors center that gave me all kinds of information. When I asked where to find free camping/parking, she said, "You can park in our parking lot!" What? There are signs that say "No Overnight Parking". She said they put those up because too many people were parking and burning campfires right on the parking lot! They didn't want it to be a free-for-all campground for a bunch of stupid people. So here I am. There is one other van. It's a perfect 67 degrees and sunny.

Ants on a hill...there is no getting away from the tourists.

I love turquoise houses! Other popular colors are bright blue, dusty light blue, and aqua! Yum!

Great hike to the water's edge...

The water is so clear!

I got up the next morning early and went for my walk in the fog. This is the time to see anything with no tourists lurking about! Just me and the professional photographers hiding in the rocks. LOL!

There is a little women's artists' co-op in town called "Hags on the Hill". Outside it has an elderly mermaid carved in wood. I love her:

Then I headed east on the coast. The great thing about Nova Scotia is these little roads are right on the water, unlike Maine where there were no views of the water as I drove. With the mild temperature, the windows were rolled down and the ocean air smelled so good.

My first stop was the Swissair 111 Memorial. The passenger jet with 229 victims crashed in the water off Peggy's Cove and fishermen in the area helped to bring in bodies. It seems the entertainment center wiring caught on fire and filled the plane with fire disabling the flight controls. I can't imagine the horror those people went through in their last moments of life. I can't imagine having to be the ones to search for bodies. There was a bunch of diamonds and a Picasso onboard worth millions of dollars.

I continued down the Lighthouse Route through gorgeous villages like Chester and Mahone Bay.

Love this porch!

I felt really relaxed and less stressed now that I know Big Blue is fine and just doesn't like her tires. I'm trying to slow down and take my time since I hope to stay here through August to stay cool. On the drive I passed this beautiful church and needed a butt break so I couldn't help but take a photo...

.

And then horror struck and I did the inevitable....I ran over a living, innocent if not stupid, critter. Damn! My record was so clean even after driving through Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and the Yukon where wildlife warning signs were posted all over, the critters were all over the roads and too many of them kept jumping out onto the road. This little guy, a chipmunk, I think...let's call him Alvin...just came out of no where and ran in front of my van.

I've read when this happens don't swerve in front of oncoming traffic, don't slam on your brakes so the guy behind hits you, just coast and hope (pray) for the best. This has worked for me until now. I felt a little squish and he was gone. I felt so bad! For hours I kept second guessing myself, Maybe if I would have swerved just a little? Or braked slightly? I've driven 40,000 miles in the last eight months so it was bound to happen, I just hoped it wouldn't. There are too any chipmunks in Nova Scotia racing across the highway...some not so alive now. A few days later a shrew ran across the highway and I did a slight swerve. No squish this time.

I stayed overnight in Port Medlow's lighthouse parking lot. Sunny, 74 degrees, breezy, and beautiful. Very quiet. I was going to stay in the parking lot of another lighthouse, but I read when the fog rolls in the fog horn goes off every five minutes. LOL! No fog horns here.

I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the refrigerator. I decided not to freeze anything and use the whole space as a refrigerator this way more salad fixings can fit and maybe I'll eat more salads! It also takes less energy.

I visited the local historic cemetery and learned about "death head" imagery on tombstones. The winged skull symbolizes life on earth is short-lived and death will always win.

It is on the oldest tombstone in the cemetery dated 1783:

I also went to a community history tour which was just an exhibition of old photos in two different buildings. The first building was the "The Warehouse: A Community Event Center". It was basically an old mechanics garage. It had  bit of a musty smell, but tolerable. The other building looked to be from the 1700s, maybe an old community meeting house? The windows looked like arched church windows. I walked in and I was immediately suffocating by the mold so I left.

The next morning I did my early walk in the fog and from a distance I saw what I thought was a dog in the road staring at me. But no barking. Not wishing to wake the neighbors so early, I stopped. I noticed said dog had a bushy tail and two others frolicking nearby. They were FOX! Mama fox watched me closely while the teenagers ignored me completely. I kept walking toward them and I heard her give a little yelp and all three disappeared in the bushes.

The weather here on the coast during the day is fantastic: low 70s, sunny, beautiful. At night the fog rolls in along with the dampness that makes everything outside and inside the van feel wet. I keep the ventilation fan on all night for condensation anyway, damp or not. I was putting my windshield cover up for privacy, but I discovered that creates condensation so now I just hang a towel from the van's headliner. This makes me wonder if most buildings in Nova Scotia or just on the coast are filled with mold. I used to live on the coast of Washington State and I know it's common there. The fog burns off around 10am.

Tried to drive the Lighthouse Route, but I kept ending up on Hwy 103 which is boring until I started ignoring Siri and just went the route I wanted through Liverpool, Sable River, Lockport and Shelburne. Stopped in Shelburne to walk the historic Dock Street right on the water. It reminded me of England. 

Next I visited Hawk Beach near Clark's Harbour. The beaches here are a little "wild" - out in the middle of nowhere. I envisioned jumping in the water for a nice swim. The temperature was only 70 degrees and I think the water must have been about 40 degrees.  I strolled down the beach in the water instead. No jumping. No freezing. The ocean air smelled heavenly.

Love this purple house!

I want this Sundae Bench in my future backyard!

Even the porta potties are pretty!

Once one gets to the west coast the choice of routes changes from Route 1 more along the waterfronts which is called The Evangeline Trail and the highway is 101 which is the boring in the bushes option.

Yarmouth was nothing special. Lots of stores. Walmart doesn't want overnight parking. Blah. Situated just a little bit off the coast, Yarmouth was hot and muggy! I high-tailed it back to the coast, but there were so few camping options! I ended up driving a lot further than I expected and parked on a road between Belliveaus Cove and St. Bernard that dead-ended at the beach. I'm always worried in these little communities if the locals might get nervous with strangers, but I was left in peace. I met two lovely women the next morning out for a beach stroll and they said many people park here for a night. They don't care.

This is in the Clare District that is predominantly French so there are Canadian and French flags all over. There are several massive churches in the area. This first one is Sainte Marie Church in Church Point. It is the tallest wooden church in North America. I had to take a photo through a chain-linked fence so it's not good.

This one is Sacred Heart in Saulnierville:

The coolest one was this Romanesque looking monstrosity, but by the time I took these two photos I was thinking, I am taking too many photos of churches AGAIN! So I stopped.

Next I headed to Digby. Someone told me it was cute. I wasn't impressed. 

I headed to Bear River because info lady said it's on stilts. It is, but it's so small. The tide was out so the stilts are easily seen, but when the tide comes in everything is deep in water. Very quiet little town. They do have some great art galleries.

Then Annapolis Royal. This was a cute town with a nice waterfront promenade with historical displays so you can read and learn about the history. It had a nice health food store.

They also have Fort Anne National Historical Site. Not only are the national parks free this summer, but also the national historical sites. I timed my travels perfectly. Very nice museum in the Officers' Quarters with a Powder Magazine, a "Black Hole" and a Cemetery. There were lots of placards with history...and grass moats.

Then I headed to Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site. I did the Mill Falls hike because it was short and it was already afternoon. 

What I didn't realize is you can swim!! See the kids in the background? So I did the hike and I was so sweaty from all the forest mugginess I didn't even bother to put on my swimsuit, I just took off my hiking boots and socks, and got right in with my clothes! OH! It was so wonderful after too many days with muggy sweat clinging to my skin. The water was deep and cool, but not cold.  I smelled a bit like pond scum after since the river has a lot of algae that looks like brown, grassy seaweed. It also gives the water a brown haze so I tried to sponge bathed it off and washed my hair. It felt so good to be sort of clean!

I drove the loop up to Kingston and camped behind the Walmart. I had to seek out mall management but no one was there so I asked security and he escorted me to his boss. She was hesitant although I told her a lot of people have said they were given permission just instructed not to park in directly front of the store. She had me park BEHIND the store. I was alone and I felt isolated in a creepy way. Didn't look like there were any lights until it was dark and then the whole place was lit up like an airport runway with bright lights all along the walls of the stores!

The next morning headed east along the northern coast of Nova Scotia...and then my trip went to hell.

To be continued...

New England! Let's See Some Shit!

New England was my dream destination. I had hoped to be able to stay in Canada long enough to return through New England in the fall when the colors are on display, but if the summer weather is this bad, I can't imagine it won't be raining in the fall months. Have I said I hate rain?  I can't say it enough. 

I have discovered this part of the country has a weather pattern: it heats up slowly to the 90s with horrible humidity, gets hit with thunderstorms which reduces the humidity and temperature decreasing to a perfect low 70s, then over the next 4-5 days it gradually heats again. This cycle repeats all summer, so I've been told. I've been told Massachusetts is worse than Maine and Maine is worse than Vermont and New Hampshire. I decided to do all my sightseeing now in case I don't return. If I do return in the fall, it'll be a nice drive through and gaze upon rather than stop and go attractions.

The next morning I headed to VERMONT! So excited! Even though the distance looks to be about half an inch on the map, it took three hours to go north around Lake Champlain and down the other side.

Lots of cute towns along the way: Chazy, Rouses Point, St. Albans, and Richmond. Love the architecture! I'm trying very hard not to take too many photos of buildings, but both New York and Vermont had so many old houses and every town had their own steep-steeple church that made me drool. Some of the churches had two steeples. One church had EIGHT steeples (place on the corners)! They love their steeples! I could fill this blog with just photos of churches! 

All four of these churches are in Brattleboro, Vermont, within a couple blocks of each other. The white one is the congregational church. During a museum tour I was told back in early history (1600s-1800s) if the community wanted to become an official town, they first had to create a "congregational church". The menfolk would elect a pastor. I wonder what the criteria was for this? The most humble man? The most generous? The most holy?  The richest? The poorest?

Again, white is the preferred color for both churches and homes. The big houses are often lined up close together on a street...they don't have yards! Maybe one driveway on the side and that's it. The house fills the lot. It's a different look for sure than what I'm used to, and I'm sure a lot of this is because families were bigger back then due to social standards. I don't think a lot of single people had their own house. Again, many of these old, white houses are in various states of disrepair: dirty, discolored, peeling, or just falling apart. White on buildings is like white clothes: if you aren't rich enough to take care of them properly, you probably shouldn't choose white.

Richmond was an adorable town and it had The Round Church built in the early 1800s:

My next stop in Vermont: The Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury. 

It just seemed like something fun to do even though I don't eat Ben & Jerry's. Why you ask? They have few flavors without chocolate and most of their ice creams have "natural flavors" as an ingredient. What is "natural flavors"? During the tour I happened to ask the tour guide that very question. The tour guide was clearly uncomfortable, but after listing some odd things they label as "natural flavor" like DYES, she quickly gave her incredibly pre-rehearsed, canned explanation how everything that is dumped in "natural flavors" is totally natural. Good god. Isn't that illegal to hide ingredients? Don't we have labeling laws in this country? I wanted to say to her, "gluten is considered natural and poison. That doesn't make it safe!" In the world of gluten-free, "natural flavors" is code for gluten because gluten is in everything so we have to assume it's hidden so we stay safe. I'm assuming their marketing department doesn't know this, but they have ice cream they guarantee is gluten-free. I assume their use of "natural flavors" only includes DYES or other toxic ingredients they need to hide from public view. LOL! I don't know why they would worry - consumers are pretty stupid. Needless to say, I didn't partake in free samples. I love the graphics: very bright with dazzling patterns and it was fun to see the assembly line like I was looking at a scene from Willy Wonka only without little orange people.

I headed to Rutland, Vermont, next to see the Wilson Castle and made it just in time before they closed.

It was so DROOL-ABLE! Beautiful brick work! The interior just inside the front door was amazing with original furniture and so much architectural decoration. I love these big, old brick buildings. Unfortunately I walked into the reception area and the stench of mold hit me like a brick. The tour was also $20. Seems a little spendy, but they are renovating those bricks so I'm sure they need the money! I did NOT take the tour. I left with lung pain and coughing for the next half hour and that was only after five seconds of breathing mold. EEEEEWWWW. This is pretty typical with old buildings so I have to be careful.

I headed south to find camping and I read one of the state parks was free. Ah, no. But the woman at the park's kiosk told me where to go for free: Mt. Tabor in the Green Mountain National Forest. I drove up the mountain and discovered not only were most sites taken, but all were incredibly dark and shaded. I kept driving up and over the mountain and found a lovely clear spot on the side of the road with sunshine and a big, open sky! Unfortunately the dusty dirt road right next to me had pick-up trucks racing up and down it all night. Why are they hanging around up in the woods at 2am on a Monday night? Don't these people work?

I awoke early freezing my ass off wrapped in thin summer blankets at 45 degrees! I took one of my reflective silver window screens down and wrapped it around me that's how cold I was! I have my wool comforter with me, but I am not leaving the van in the dark to try to dig it out of the back. I got up early, packed, secured everything and headed out continuing on the dirt road in the wild because I saw a sign that said "Manchester...that way". That's one of the villages I wanted to see. I encountered a Y in the road, signs were all kinds of numbers and letters, nothing I really recognized, but I opted to take the downhill route which usually takes one to civilization. Nope! After five miles of beautiful sun-streaming woods, I found myself at a dead end. The road was blocked by a locked gate. I drove back, hesitant to take the other road at the Y, drove another five miles praying it wasn't a dead end or I wouldn't end up on the top of a cliff. When I saw the first house, saying I was relieved is an understatement. The little towns way out in Vermont have the most beautiful HUGE houses and bigger barns, but no paved roads! Interesting!

I finally found Manchester, had breakfast at Bob's Diner which was wonderful, and then left for a tour of "historic Vermont." I drove through gorgeous little towns called Arlington, Shaftsbury, Bennington, Wilmington and Brattleboro. Brattleboro had a wonderful downtown area that was all old brick buildings. (My phone battery was charging or I might have taken more photos...of architecture!) It also had a Spice & Nice Health Food Store that was wonderful. I stopped at the parking lot of one of the post offices to re-seal the screws and joints on the roof. For some odd reason the solar guy and his assistant failed to put sealer on the inside of the joints. No wonder why it leaks when the water is pounding and flowing off the roof! I'm surprised it didn't leak in more places. Damn. Can't trust men to do anything right! Hopefully this fixes it!

I continued to NEW HAMPSHIRE! I notice these people love their chickens. Lots of houses have giant, brightly-colored metal roosters in the front yard and many mailboxes have a chicken sculpture on the top. Gas is cheaper here as low as $2.58 a gallon which surprises me because I always thought the east was more expensive. I meandered through beautiful country lanes winding in and out of gorgeous villages with British names: Hinsdale, Winchester, Peterborough, Jaffrey, Plymouth. One confusing geographic aspect is some of the towns in different states share names. I was a bit confused after driving through Bennington in Vermont when Google Maps indicates I'm approaching Bennington...in New Hampshire! I thought I got turned around. The two towns are not that far apart! Ashulot, which is an unincorporated part of Winchester, had a covered bridge!

Outside Peterborough was the Cathedral in the Pines. It had a nice hike, some outdoor places of worship, gardens, and a monument and cemetery dedicated to military personnel. The church bell played patriotic music piped through the woods. I wasn't that impressed in fact maybe a little disappointed it wasn't more emotional or awe-inspiring.

Meredith was next on the list and I strolled through the town with a map in hand searching for the works in the Sculpture Walk. The town had a very nice park and boardwalk on Lake Winnipesaukee where many of the sculptures were located. I liked the cows.

It was fun, but the town had way too many tourists and too much traffic. New Hampshire has a grocery chain all over called Hannafords. Great selection of gluten-free products and the brand of blueberries I can get in Tucson was only HALF the PRICE here! 

I stayed at the Walmart in Plymouth that night, but New Hampshire Walmarts don't have water refill machines! This is only the second state without them. (Alaska was the other.) A Walmart employee suggested I go to Crystal Springs not far away. OK, I expected to find a company...had flashbacks of the horror of chemicals added to water like I encountered in Alaska. Instead, it's a mountain water well off the side of the highway! FREE! Very popular with the locals and tested by the city of Plymouth every month.

It tasted so good and was SO COLD! I filled all my empty gallon jugs and even dumped out the water in other jugs to refill it.  Yum

I headed for the Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves that were 30 minutes away. OMG! I had so much fun! It was like a giant treehouse with wood walkways and a lot of stairs winding in and out of the rocks and trees. The price was $28 which initially I thought a little high. One can get a discount ticket for $24 online, but I really didn't know when I would get there. I understand the price now. The site is so beautiful and well-maintained.

The Lost River ran through it with waterfalls and crystal clear pools.

BUT THE CAVES! OMG! There are about nine or ten caves with names like "Cave of Silence", "The Devil's Kitchen", "The Dungeon", and "The Judgment Hall of Pluto". First, they were very dark with just a tiny bit of light from the small openings from above or below where the river ran. Some caves were pitch black. A few you had to crawl on your hands and knees to get in or out. Some were so skinny I had to take my pack off, throw it ahead and squeeze through the skinny slit between rocks...in the dark. There were quite a few tourists who were sitting outside caves waiting for family members or walking past refusing to do the caves due to serious claustrophobia. One cave in particular I didn't think I could do it physically or mentally, but the woman in front of me was being encouraged by her big, pot-bellied husband who was in front of her. He did it then she did it so I threw all caution to the wind! It was creepy, terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time with the sound of a raging river and the smell of dampness in the darkness. Eeeewww!

My camera had an automatic setting for flash which I used when I couldn't see where I was going:

Look at that opening! I kept chanting,
"Other people are crawling down there! Be brave and just do it!" LOL!

In the photo below is the entrance to the one cave I did not attempt. It's called The Lemon Squeezer. I just didn't think my butt would fit and I was too embarrassed to try! What would happen if I got stuck?? However, at the exit two men came out and they fit! They were at least 6 feet tall, but slender. I'm not good with small, dark, underground spaces, but I did my best to be brave and did all but this one cave. Near the end of the trail, my strength started giving out and I could barely hoist myself up over the rocks. There were over 1,000 stairs to climb.

View of the gorge from the top lookout platform: New Hampshire is so gorgeous and green!

The woodwork throughout is spectacular. I totally understand between all the construction and upkeep why they charge so much for tickets. 

I love how they built around the trees! Some of those trees were really large and one had to squeeze past. This was the most fun I've had on this trip so far!

I crossed the border into MAINE and drove to Bridgton to see the Rufus Porter Museum. Porter was an early 19th century traveling artist and inventor. It's amazing the things he invented. He was way ahead of his time, but few people have heard of him.

My first impression of Maine is the roads are not in very good shape. They are horrible. This is an early assessment so maybe later I'll rethink this. (No, my first impressions were spot on!) The drivers aren't any better either, but their bad driving is purposeful. Here is where I will confess and disclose I think Google Maps will kill me one day. I am puttering down the highway, too slow for most people as I have vehicles behind me eager to pass but no place to pass which always makes me nervous. The problem with these little country roads is there is no where to pull off especially driving a big van. Siri announces I am to turn left in a quarter mile. I start slowing and watching for it, but I don't see it. Looking left I failed to see the stop sign at the right! I ran the stop sign as I continued to drive the curve. The curve was the left turn. A pick up approaching laid on the horn. Thank god he had good reflexes. I was so embarrassed. This is not the first time I've almost been in a wreck, but it is the first time it was my fault! That shook me...

I've seen several covered bridges. They are all over. I don't stop and take photos of all of them.

This one is the most often painted covered bridge throughout history: The Sunday River Bridge.

I stayed at the Farmington Walmart that night, totally exhausted. View as I ate dinner:

It was a wonderfully quiet night in Farmington. Loved it. Got up early, did two laps around the Walmart parking lot. This is another reason I love staying at Walmart - I can walk and not worry about being attacked by a bear.

My plan the following day was to see Acadia National Park, but I confused the reservation requirements. I thought one had to reserve for the whole park as some other national parks, but the reservation is just to drive to the top of Mount Cadillac. I made the reservation for 3pm at a cost of $6.00 which gave me plenty of time. They failed at sending me a QR code as a ticket, but I took a photo of my email confirmation.

Before leaving Farmington, I dropped into the Ford dealership, asked questions, whined about the van still not running well. The service person made an appointment for Monday so I have about five days to kill. 

Acadia National Park was beautiful...but crowded. There was a long line up for parking at the visitor center. All the pull-outs and other parking lots along the park loop were full.  Beaches, trailheads and tourist sites all full. It was very disappointing. If I had realized my reservation wasn't for the whole park which would have limited the number of people, I wouldn't have bothered. At my appointed time, I drove up to Cadillac Mountain and there was parking at the top. It was like ants on a hill with people all over the place. Blah. I just don't do well with hoards of humanity. Nice views from the top:

I drove to south to Thomaston and parked at the Walmart. Nice and quiet, very kind employees welcoming nomads to their parking lot. I like feeling safe.

The next morning I hit the coast of Maine! Cute villages: Boothbay Harbor, Cape Elizabeth, Kennebunkport, Wiscasset, and York. Unfortunately, too many tourists and bumper to bumper cars! Most of the time there was no parking to be found anywhere! UGH!

At the Cape Elizabeth Portland Head Light, I was faced with hoards of humanity with every parking lot filled...and they had a lot of parking lots!!! So I just did a drive-by. LOL!

My patience was rewarded at York with parking at the Nubble Lighthouse. Unfortunately this lighthouse is on an island off the coast so inaccessible. York has great beaches. I considered swimming, but then remembered I don't have access to a shower and saltwater drying on my sweaty body did not sound appealing!

I looked at the map and realized Massachusetts is only one hour away...I dipped south. First, Massachusetts people are horrid drivers. I do say that about nearly every state, don't I? People are just thoughtless, rude, and self-centered most of the time. I don't mean they do stupid things or make mistakes (although I'm sure they do), but they purposely do stupid things. I have never seen so many people on the freeway speeding far above the speed limit and weaving in and out of traffic during rush hour! It was too crowded for me.

I decided to see Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trials have always fascinated me. I didn't arrive until 5pm so the visitors center was closed, but I walked around the city. First, for some reason I thought Salem would be a town. On the map it's so small it was hard to find. It has a nice pedestrian mall...FILLED WITH TOURIST SHOPS! Like Roswell and its aliens, Salem is fixated on witches. Leave it to Americans to capitalize on the trauma of others. I thought it was offensive. Lots of tourist temptations for witchcraft paraphernalia, tarot readings, nightmare tours, and witch wax museums. Unfortunately, most of them reeked of incense or scented candles so I was limited to window shopping. 

I found the Salem Cemetery which I overheard is the second oldest in the country.

Outside the cemetery is a touching memorial to the twenty victims of narrow-mindedness who were wrongfully accused of witchcraft and hanged, or in one case pressed to death! It never ceases to amaze me how cruel humans can be!

As I walked back to Big Blue (lost in the neighborhoods, of course), I discovered the murals in Salem. Wow! There were many and some were whole buildings!

Most of them were in the lower income neighborhoods perhaps to beautify these areas. Salem was uncomfortable for me. There were lots of vagrants milling about. It had a unsettling feeling having nothing to do with its history and everything to do with its present. The Walmart was ugly and I was rather thankful they didn't allow nomads to park overnight. Although I really wanted to see the museum, I didn't want to wait until the next day. The hoards of people and traffic added to my discomfort so I left.

I drove back to Vermont which is just west and north over the Massachusetts border. I attempted to stay at the Walmart in Brattleboro. The management gave approval, but I could tell when they asked me if I was in an RV they didn't want larger vehicles. I was approved for only one night. Not very welcoming. I was told to park on the perimeter, which is a typical Walmart request. Late at night people were racing in and out of the parking lot. Two cars pulled up right next to me. I have no idea what they were doing. One woman got out of her car and into the man's pick up. I waited...waited...waited for them to leave. I pondered, How long does it take her to give him a blow job? I have no idea what they were doing, but after too long, I just wanted to leave. So at midnight, I left! I hate driving at night in a strange place down unfamiliar roads! I drove to a public parking lot in the middle of downtown that only charges from 9am to 6pm. Several people on iOverlander said they parked late at night had a quiet night. That's what I did!

The next morning I got up early walked the fog-covered town, and took the above photos of the churches, then headed for the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge just north. It is the longest covered bridge in the country. The driving height restriction was 9.2 feet. Ah, no way! I don't go under anything under 10 feet as I don't want to decapitate Big Blue especially since she's already experienced a similar trauma in her past. She parked outside and I walked the inside.

I then made a run for the border! The heat and humidity are too much. I can't wait around for van repairs then be told I'd have to wait another week for an appointment to get them done. It's too hot to sit in one place. The online weather reports say Canada is cooler! It took about nine hours to get to Calais, Maine which is right on the border. I parked overnight at the Walmart hoping for a better experience than last night's!

Are you wondering why I'm staying in so many Walmart parking lots? First, I'm tired of dusty dirt roads way up in the middle of no where with ignorant men racing their pickups back and forth. What do I do if my van breaks down in the middle of no where? Second, Starlink loves a wide open sky. Most boondocking is tree covered in this part of the country. Third, I like waking up, going for a walk without fear of bears, using a real bathroom instead of a tupperware-like bucket, buying yogurt for breakfast, and hanging out for the morning using the internet working or emailing. Being alone up in the middle of no where is a little stressful, and I'm not prone to sleeping soundly when I am stressed.

New England is over and out! Canada is calling me back!

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