Category: Welcome

In early April we began to put together a shared file (Google Docs) that could be used to plan a couple of summer excursions to our regional National Parks and National Historic Sites. We listed the bulk of the options, then pared away the spaces we’ve already visited (i.e. Newfoundland 2013 & PEI 2015). The notion is we’ll do NS via a couple of separate travel loops. For example, we’ve planned (early July) a three-four day loop that takes us from Antigonish and routes us through the South Shore, across through Keji, and return through the Annapolis Valley. Will do a similar loop with Cape Breton as well! Little chunks of travel like this are economical, and also leave important time aside for “camp” trips!

Staying active will be the goal. We hiked daily last summer on our way through Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. This time around we hope to keep that piece of healthy living while adding some biking and kayaking to the “to do’s”. Further, looking forward to snagging some of the Parks Canada alternative lodging options, including yurts and maybe even some “glamping”! We tried “Otentiks” when they first came about and loved the option. The itineraries are being created well in advance, as we expect the parks will be busier than normal this year and if one wants to ensure a wide variety of choices then early reservations will be important. If the initial loops go well, we may even do a New Brunswick – Quebec trek that takes us further down the road.

So… early December we decided that we’d hop online to order our own Parks Canada Discovery Pass. It arrived three weeks later. The Discovery Pass gives you unlimited opportunities to enjoy National Parks, National Marine Conservation Areas and National Historic Sites across the country! We’re hoping to set-up a series of parks / sites this summer and take full advantage of the excellent programming taking place across the country. Monica is keen on helping to plan so we’ll see where it all ends. In essence, if we can squirrel away some time this July I think we will hit the road and make good use of the pass.

Okay… Hitting the road (or at least catching a flight) to change the scenery! Destination TO… I think one of the Blue Jays calls Toronto the “6”! For us, a chance to recharge the batteries, after a very busy first term of school, over a long Remembrance Day weekend. A flight, relaxed accommodations, some sports and “foodie” stops are to be agenda highlights.

We’ve got some upfront plans… Including visits to the new aquarium, stops at Kensington and St Lawrence Markets, and, selfishly, a Leafs game. Not hard to fill in any blanks in the schedule, that’s for sure. Lots to do in Toronto… North America’s third largest city! Further, going to blog all the while to share what we experience with our travel friends. Got a couple of eatery tips from Hinchey that I’d love to try and follow up on! You are welcome to follow along and feel free to drop a note…

… Toronto ’16

Work, work, work, PLAY! September in a nut shell! When the weather cools, the bugs recede, and the days shorten I find my stride… And Guysborough County is my playground. Others are doing it too… I was horribly curious about the Gran Fondo held mid-September on Route 16 while I was making my way to the camp! I know it’s no secret… But September is prime time at my tiny camp and in all of eastern Nova Scotia.

Often desperate, September is that point where you realize last gasps of camp time slipping away. Opportunities after Thanksgiving are remote. Tasks, such as firewood, removing the waterline, schlepping supplies through the woods and down the lake, or just organizing the shed, take priority. However, still nice enough outside to enjoy the fire pit in the evening or a meal from the charcoal BBQ! Not much fishing in September either, beyond our growing population of loons, so the lake is extra quiet in the evenings and on the weekends.

I especially enjoy the movements of the sun this time of year, from rise to setting things seem extra spectacular. Beyond that… Evenings are cool and the moon shines brilliantly. This summer we were treated to extravagant bird and wildlife. Of note, amidst the Whiskey Jacks, hummingbirds, Eagles and osprey, we saw two River Otters late summer that were the highlight of the season. Never in my forty odd years of visiting had I viewed the species. I’m hoping it speaks to the health of the area and the capacity of the lake to retain and support such a visitor. I was feeling privileged to share the space.

Each fall we usually connect to share music at the camps as well. Although we haven’t had the opportunity yet, I’m hoping that it can shake out in some sort of event before the snow flies! Regardless, I count on the few weekends I have left to replenish before the next season and the grind of winter.

July of 2016 has been a busy endeavour! Music, rest & relaxation, great food and lots of time exercising outdoors. Even better, it’s all been done without charges for flights, fixed roof accommodation, or meals beyond trips to the grocery store/market/craft beer locations. Yep… We’ve been enjoying summer in the relevant comfort of the maritimes with family and friends.

Kicked off with moving from the throes of year end / graduation in our respective schools to Stanfest! The 2016 edition of the festival proved excellent, with solid crowds, favourable weather, and a tremendous entertainment line-up. Our entire family continues to volunteer for the event leaving expenses minimal, not much beyond the campsites that Janie purchases. We’ve been involved in the festival since its inception, and have shared the experiential opportunities it fosters with our children over the past several years. We need not drive further than an hour to partake in the best music festival the East Coast of Canada offers (no bias intended).

Weekend number two of July saw a reunion of sorts. Off to the heart of New Brunswick with several friends (instruments in hand) to visit Mt A Alumni and reconnect. Music, drink and food were ambitiously unfolded over the entire three days. We visited the Rexton area, and found our excellent host Andrew up to the task welcoming our particular brand of “foolishness” with open arms. We ate like kings, sampling delicacies like bottled lobster, bar clam dip, young carrots and BBQ’d pork/beef done to perfection. Music in the evenings, fostered by drink, closed out each day with favorites from a wide range of artists. Walking through fields of hay and skirting the river provided excellent contrast to the “salty” nature of Stanfest!

Monday saw full on Smelt Lake! In a driving rain (much needed I might add) I sailed the lake and opened up the cottage for a week’s stay in Guysborough County. We find the coastal location an excellent reprieve in July/August from the heat of the inland and from Tuesday through Sunday we experienced temps an average of 6 degrees less than Antigonish. We used kayak, paddle board, floating dock, fire pit and kitchen table to host several visitors. Simply put, a very relaxing 7 days. Even the couple of jobs I took on were more like fun than work. Can’t say enough about how fortunate we are to be entrusted with such an isolated and beautiful location. After a short stint in Antigonish, July saw a second, 7 day excursion to the cottage with excellent weather and several more projects completed.  The whole month may have been sponsored by Rare Bird IPA and Hanham’s XTR!

I’ve thought a lot about my last trip… Especially the concept of mobile device use in preparing and while away. To be upfront, we’re not teenie boppers with thumb tapping at every occasion, but pushing 50! However, we have experienced a real leap in capacity and confidence as trip planners with the advent of these technologies. I’d like to use this entry to share some of the tricks we use to leverage the power of our iGear while on both short and long excursions. In essence, the tool has become irreplaceable for us abroad and on stay-cation.

First and foremost… When we book accommodations wi-fi access is an essential. We would most often, when moving as a family, have 3 iPhones and at least two iPads (all owned/no work devices). We would normally not book a room unless wi-fi was included in cost (bypassing data cost issues) and fully accessible. This becomes especially important with family travel… Being teachers we understand better than many how “connected” kids are today and mobile device use within that generation. We are trying our best to keep in tune with the present apps of social media accounts (fb/snapchat/Instagram) and ensuing conversations our two have with their friends. No easy chore! Our philosophy, however, has always been that it’s a tool that needs implicit teaching… When used improperly someone gets hurt!

While on the move I utilize my iPad fully as an organizational tool. It allows full research access to web information via travel websites/apps for accommodation, attraction, and transport. This includes times, locations (StreetView, Maps), and costing, all important prior to arrival and throughout ones stay. Have to book something or adjust? Do it yourself in a jiffy online! Further, through cloud drives (we use Google) one can maintain back up / fail safe access to pre-purchased tickets (flights, transport, attractions, room confirmations) and any important files (ie: Passport Copies, itinerary, insurance docs) to be considered. Preparedness, in this case, supports efficiency and ease of mind.

Of course, all these machines exude versatility with highly functional cameras… Making both still picture and video possible. We’ve all experienced the over-the-top, selfie-sticked tour groups that would render a porcupine defenceless! I consider that an extreme. However, I think almost everyone does wish to capture images that reflect what they’ve seen and done to share with others. We do… And enjoy our pictures time and again. We have thousands. For the bulk of travellers these multi purpose devices replace the camera of old… We now don’t even consider packing a camera!

And how about a couple of tips for iGear cameras a bit outside the box? Try taking a picture of your car, when you’re parked with a thousand others at the airport, that shows the section sign. Then forget about it! Ever store your luggage among row upon row of lockers at a European Train Station? Snap a pic that includes the locker number and instructions on your device. Even better… Know that UPC ticket or QR code that you can’t lose? Click! No maps when you arrive? Take a shot of the signs/layout at the entrance! It just makes things easier. Checking out of that rental with a damage deposit placed… Couple of photos of the excellent shape the space was in when you walked out the door could come in handy!

And of course, one would be remiss if he didn’t incorporate something in regards to these devices and their capacity as a tool for communication. Although a fully functional phone, we rarely use it for calls outside of our region of coverage. Data and roaming costs are not to be fooled with! We do, however, regularly communicate via text, email and social media while connected to wi-fi when travelling. It doesn’t overtake our trips, but we like to touch base, share images with family and friends, and make sure things at home are good.

More recently, I’ve taken to “Blogging” while away. We have shared our last several trips via blog (this site) with those close to us in real time, with daily write ups and posts of pictures that include just about everything! Readers will sometimes “comment” back with questions and suggestions, wherein the conversation continues. The blog serves as a great, fully editable memory piece as well… Replacing a journal, photo album and slide show in one grand swoop!

Here are a few more tidbits for iGear use that can add value to your trip;

• Step Counter: Last trip, to Paris, we were in the midst of some lifestyle switches. In essence, trying to get healthy through eating and exercise… enter, Step  Counter! Great fun counting our daily movements around Paris. All made possible with an iPhone App.
• Bring multiple chargers: Have a set pattern/routine for where and when you charge (it’ll help you with NOT leaving it behind)
• Twitter: We follow multiple accounts prior to travel (in English) from local tour operators.  Great source of info on unique tips, as well as up to date reports on potential interruptions, closures, events, etc delivered directly to my iPad.

It was three pulls, but my trusty Honda (pulled directly out of storage) powered Peter and I to the camp in early-April. On a cool, bug free Friday after school we met the end of the lake seeing everything much as it looked late fall. After an excellent, but all consuming, March Break vacation my thoughts had turned to our tiny space at the water’s edge. We spent a chilly evening… Tackling a bit of cleaning, some work outside, and a real blasting of the space with the wood stove!

All wintered well… No critters, buildings intact, and no seasonal damage beyond a few windfalls. We settled quickly into the business of “wood”, including bringing some inside, blocking already felled trees, splitting and piling. Spent a great evening listening to CBC and seasoning some fancy new cast iron ware on “Blanche”! Great early start (last year my first trip in was a month later) and looking forward to a longer season. Overnighted to this impressive sunrise!

Each year at work I get 5 Admin Days for my own use during the academic year. Each year I use at least one in the 1st month of school to spend a quiet, late summer day at the camp. Under no uncertain terms should anyone be allowed to leave the Province of NS in September to travel.  There really is no place like home!

Passed down through family, this little camp in Guysborough County is fixed at the end of a mid-sized lake with several other buildings. We enjoy cooking indoors and outside, watching the critters of the lake (loons, muskrat, osprey, Whiskey Jacks, etc.), afternoon coffee, crazy eights and craft beer. September is perfect… No bugs, warm lake water, and cool evenings just right for sleeping. Paddling, guitar sessions, and crackling fires make chores like splitting wood, trekking in supplies, cutting back brush and painting seem like fun!

And of course, this is all best enjoyed with family and friends. This year I got several fall trips in… It never grows old! Come spring, after a winter hiatus, the trip back gets all consuming. The more we travel, the more I appreciate our own little slice of this tiny world. Cheers…

 

Big thank you to Chris Mackay, of Tantramar Interactive, for all his support over recent weeks.  My friends at Bell Aliant unceremoniously cancelled the service it had offered for years in regards to hosting… with all my modest links to our trips only to be abandoned!

However, Chris to the rescue… arranging for space, a funky new domain name (travellinglumsdens) and support in converting some of my HTML to the 21st Century!  I’ve been busy trying to catch up with WordPress and gather notes/pics from our last couple of vacations that haven’t been posted.  Fun… when I build these I get to travel again.

We live in a wonderfully rural setting in Eastern Nova Scotia, Canada. It affords a quiet, safe neighborhood, rewarding employment as a teacher and a comfortable array of nearby services and activities that are enjoyed by our family and community. This same security has made yearly travel excursions a possibility and we have taken a variety of trips in North America and overseas that have done much to broaden our understanding of the world in which we live.

In the menu (Previous Trips) you will find an archive of websites that detail some of the trips we’ve taken and some of the things we’ve learned. We love to look back at these sites (especially mid-winter)… fun to reminisce on places we’ve experienced and watch how the kids have grown from our earliest road trips. As this site expands with new visits we will continue to article our trips as family keepsakes and to share with friends passing the same roads. Our children live in a world much smaller than the one I entered, and I expect that the sharing of our passion for travel will last in them long after my passport has expired!

Prior to traveling, we very much research the place, customs, culture and learning opportunities of our next port of call. It is, we think, important and a measure of respect to be knowledgeable when extended the opportunity to share in another way of life. Whether you are standing at airport security, on public transit, enjoying a local eatery or attending mass, one should maintain the stance that he/she is a visitor and handle that privilege responsibly!

Yet, this research rarely prepares one for the actual visit. Somehow the words pale in comparison to being in the moment at Mather Point peeking over the edge of the Grand Canyon, catching the first glimpse of a far off Eiffel Tower across a hazy Paris, or standing alone and agape at 4 AM in front of a quiet Brandenburg Gate. There is really nothing like actually doing it!

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain 

Feel free to explore the sites and please use any information that might help a journey you’re planning!  Take care in your travels…