One Wild Ride

Not in Kansas Anymore!

When I wrote the previous post I naively expected my next one to be dated a bit sooner than this.  The break that I spoke of was in fact a two-week road trip.  Though we cruised back into our own driveway a week-and-a-half ago, I've barely sat down since, never mind sitting in front of my laptop to make coherent sentences into a post.  There's a ton going on at the homestead -- there should be, it's June!  Before I get to posting about gardening, fermenting, canning, and such, I'd like to share a few snippets from the trip.  For my husband and I, travel is one of our luxuries and priorities in life.  One of the many reasons we live frugally is so that when opportunity lends itself, we can hit the road or board a plane. Our idea of travel incorporates a whole lot of the same simple pleasures that we embrace in our day-to-day: gathering with friends, eating scrumptious local food, appreciating the beauty of nature, learning about our surroundings, and enjoying each other's company.  Our recent journey over 4,000-miles, 10 states, and 4 Canadian provinces was no exception. Our trek took us to Montreal, northern Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Acadia National Park, and through my childhood stomping grounds in Connecticut.  The route was a perfect mixture of new and familiar destinations coupled with hearty doses of visiting.  It was exactly the leisurely adventure we were hoping for.

Friends

A lull on the Kennebec River

If possible, Weldon and I try to refresh our relationships with family and friends while traveling.  There's something to be said for the kind of friends with whom you can pick up where you left off after a long absence.  We had the pleasure of reconnecting with a number of friends on this trip.  There were belly laughs, old stories, lots of catch-up, and good times had by all.  Whether white water rafting as a foursome on the Kennebec River in Maine, enjoying authentic German food at another friend's CT restaurant, or looking through disaster pictures of a third friend's home after Hurricane Sandy last fall, we relished the opportunity to make new memories with our cherished friends.  Frugal Travelers' Note:  Respect for your hosts is the number one key, but staying with friends/family or camping are practical ways to save money on accommodations.  It's all the more fun when you can return the favor and host travelers in your own neck of the woods!!

Food

The dishes just kept on coming!

To our pleasant surprise, the food on this trek was consistently something to write home about!
Fresh croissants on a sun-drenched balcony in Montreal, homemade curried-ginger-shrimp soup shared among friends on a chilly evening in Maine, a Prince Edward Island lobster feast fit for a queen, wild blueberry pie with ice cream (twice!), garlic-mayo and Canadian cheddar sandwiches in our tent at Acadia, and take out from Giove's pizza and calzones on a rainy night in Connecticut -- just to name a few.  I'd eat all of it over again in a heartbeat!  Frugal Travelers' Note: If you have space for a cooler (or even an insulated bag), it's much more cost effective to stock up at home or at a local grocery upon arrival than to eat out every meal.  Accommodations with a fridge or cooking facilities are even better for savings.  When eating out, go for non-chain restaurants to get a glimpse of the local flavor.  If your destination is known for a certain culinary item or genre, be adventurous and try it!

Nature

From Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

One location after the next on our journey was a nature-lover's paradise.  I kept track of what I could in our trip journal.  En route from Jackman toward Skowhegan in Maine I wrote:  "Every so often we'd get an expansive and spectacular view of the mountains and lakes, but most of Route 201 was lined with pine-scented forest, apple blossoms, birch leaves in lime green, and the heavy aroma of damp earth."  At Saint John, New Brunswick I wrote: "At low tide the flow of the Saint John River runs into the bay. At high tide the bay flows into the river. This aquatic conflict causes a fairly small area [at Reversing Falls] to appear riddled with spiraling whirlpools, daredevil ducks, rippling currents, and flashing white waves that come and go like lightning."  Prince Edward Island was a patchwork of "farms and farmland shrouded in misty green that are spectacularly surrounded by coastal vistas."  While staying on the island, there was a shoreline national park within walking distance.  "The sun was setting and the horizon was rich with blazes of gold, violet, indigo, and orange....The incoming tide sculpted the sand leaving what seemed like billions of shells and stones in large swaths along the beach."  Finally, at Acadia National Park: "Though there were nearly two dozen people at [the summit of Mt. Cadillac]..., there was a hush over the place as if we were to treat it reverently.  This majestic space forces me to be both confronted by and distracted from the issues that plague our planet. ...From these heights and with such a breathtaking perspective,...the world and all the tiny details it encompasses seem worthwhile and precious."  Frugal Traveler's Note:  There is often more landscape to take in than there are locations requiring payment.  So many wonderful sites can be discovered from a roadside or shady lane.  Just keep your eyes open!  That said, some spots (like National Parks) are well-worth the nominal per day fee to enter.


Place

The Irving Nature Park, Saint John, NB

As fun as traveling is for me, I have to confess that learning is a large part of the enjoyment.  Since childhood, I've loved piecing together how and why a place has changed throughout time -- who are it's people, what is it's culture and history? This intrigue is one of the reasons I majored in cultural anthropology in college.  On this trip, one area that stuck out in this regard was the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.  Weldon and I camped near Saint John and took time at the New Brunswick Museum and the Irving Nature Park to get a sense for how the ecology, geography, and geology of this place influenced the people and industry of its past and present.  You may be screaming "Nerd Alert!"; but seriously, when the Atlantic Ocean bottle necks into a bay creating the world's highest tides, you have to expect it to have a vast (and intriguing) impact on the settlement of a place! In south central Kentucky we're known for our rolling hills and karst hollows -- in Saint John they're known for 50-foot high tides, massive mud-flats at low tide, and marine-centered commerce.  Frugal Travelers' Note:  Many local "attractions" are free and offer a variety of educational opportunities to broaden your scope and understanding of the world around you.  If you're traveling with kids, all the better to keep those neurons firing!


Each Other

Brackley Beach National Park, Prince Edward Island

We had long walks on empty beaches, silent hours pleasantly cruising the miles, and yard sale treasures for a whopping grand total of $3!  We played cards until it was too dark to see (I hold the title for Rummy), laughed til we almost peed our pants (thank you, Bill Bryson's A Walk in The Woods), and triumphed as a team over a blown radiator hose near Columbus, OH (our poor car made it until we had just 3.5 hours left to get home!)  Frugal Travelers' Note:  Making great memories is priceless...the freebies of simply being together can be the most special.