# Finally planning some travel



## Bobw235 (Jul 9, 2016)

Our retirement travel plans have been on the back burner while my wife deals with some physical issues, but we're starting to talk about an extended trip in September. Thinking of heading up through Maine and into New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, then crossing NB over to Quebec City and heading back into the US. Anyone have any experience with travel in NB or PEI?  Any recommendations?  We don't have any timetable, but expect we'll be on the road for at least three weeks.  Thanks for any suggestions.


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## jujube (Jul 9, 2016)

The Hopewell Rocks in NB - not to miss.


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## Bobw235 (Jul 9, 2016)

jujube said:


> The Hopewell Rocks in NB - not to miss.


Thanks!  I'll check it out.


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## Ameriscot (Jul 10, 2016)

Haven't visited that area but I'm sure it's gorgeous. Are you pre-planning your accommodation or just going to wing it?


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## Bobw235 (Jul 10, 2016)

Ameriscot said:


> Haven't visited that area but I'm sure it's gorgeous. Are you pre-planning your accommodation or just going to wing it?



I think we'll plan each stop as we go along.  I've made a quick map of the route and noted some towns where we'd likely stay.  First up would be Bar Harbor, Maine.  Stay there for a few days.  While there, we'd make reservations for our next stop up towards Saint John, NB.  Figure this way we're not tied to any set schedule.  This is what I've mapped out for starters.  It should be about 1,700 miles if we stick to this route.


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## Ameriscot (Jul 10, 2016)

Looks great!


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## Bobw235 (Jul 10, 2016)

We did Nova Scotia years ago.  Great trip.  Drove about 2,000 miles in two weeks on that vacation.  Love to explore new destinations and not have a schedule.


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## Ameriscot (Jul 10, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> We did Nova Scotia years ago.  Great trip.  Drove about 2,000 miles in two weeks on that vacation.  Love to explore new destinations and not have a schedule.



That's a nice way to travel - flexible.  I'd like to do that when we get around to seeing the southwest US.


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## Bobw235 (Jul 10, 2016)

Ameriscot said:


> That's a nice way to travel - flexible.  I'd like to do that when we get around to seeing the southwest US.



I hope that will be on our agenda for next year.  We'd wanted to do a cross country trip this year, but it wasn't in the cards.  But the trip I'm now starting to plan will be a good test. Will probably invest in a portable grill and a nice cooler to stow in the car for roadside meals.  Someone on here suggested that to me some time back in another thread.


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## Ameriscot (Jul 10, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> I hope that will be on our agenda for next year.  We'd wanted to do a cross country trip this year, but it wasn't in the cards.  But the trip I'm now starting to plan will be a good test. Will probably invest in a portable grill and a nice cooler to stow in the car for roadside meals.  Someone on here suggested that to me some time back in another thread.



I've never done the Southwest.  I've only been to California in the western part of the country.  It'll be a while though.  Too many trips planned for 2017 already.  Need to do it before hubby turns 70 though so he can still rent a car - and he'll be 68 in a few months and I won't want to do all the driving.


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## Bobw235 (Jul 10, 2016)

I'm looking forward to the Rocky Mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Northern CA, and the Southwest.  I've only seen a bit of WA and Oregon, but so much to see out there.


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## Ameriscot (Jul 10, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> I'm looking forward to the Rocky Mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Northern CA, and the Southwest.  I've only seen a bit of WA and Oregon, but so much to see out there.



One could easily make it a 3 month tour.  Husband has never been to the west at all and would love to show him coastal Cali and go up to Oregon where I've never been.


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## oldman (Jul 12, 2016)

I'm leaving today for a two-week journey, of sorts. We fly out of Philadelphia to Chicago, change planes and then onto Seattle. We will be touring the Space Needle and the Boeing plant in Everett (of course) and then driving down the coast through Oregon and stopping off at a few lighthouses. (My wife has an infatuation with lighthouses.) After Oregon, we continue the drive into California stopping in San Francisco (been there many times and have flown into SFO (airport symbol for San Francisco) more times than I could count) before driving down the PCH to LA. We plan to spend a day at Huntington & Venice Beaches. The next day, we will be on Santa Monica Beach with a short trip on the pier. I do like driving down the PCH and looking at all of the wildlife. 

Being a former pilot for United, we travel for free and I have upgraded the tickets to first class with my miles from my United credit card. Weather is looking very good, so we should have a nice trip. I just wish that I could get more excited about traveling. Having flown over 10,000,000 miles, travel just sort of bores me. If I was in the cockpit, heck yeah, I'd be more excited than a kid with a handful of Jujubes, or I guess today most of the kids eat Skittles.


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## Ameriscot (Jul 12, 2016)

Oldman, sounds like a great trip! I love lighthouses as well. Have a nice trip!


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## Bobw235 (Jul 12, 2016)

oldman said:


> then driving down the coast through Oregon and stopping off at a few lighthouses. (My wife has an infatuation with lighthouses.) After Oregon, we continue the drive into California stopping in San Francisco (been there many times and have flown into SFO (airport symbol for San Francisco) more times than I could count) before driving down the PCH to LA. We plan to spend a day at Huntington & Venice Beaches. The next day, we will be on Santa Monica Beach with a short trip on the pier. I do like driving down the PCH and looking at all of the wildlife.



When we visited WA and OR years ago, we loved the area, especially the coast where we did some day trips.  I know when we head out west, possibly next year, we'll take a few months to do it right.  Our plan is to explore WA, OR and northern CA, then probably head to southern CA to visit my sister, and head back through the Southwestern states.  Of course, we also want to explore more of British Columbia, so it's gonna be a long trip.


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## jujube (Jul 12, 2016)

Another good sight to see in NB is the "reversing falls" in the St. John's River in St. Johns, where the tidal flow from the Bay of Fundy meets the river causing much turbulence.  You can go to the Reversing Falls information center website to get the best times and places to observe this.


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## Bobw235 (Jul 12, 2016)

jujube said:


> Another good sight to see in NB is the "reversing falls" in the St. John's River in St. Johns, where the tidal flow from the Bay of Fundy meets the river causing much turbulence.  You can go to the Reversing Falls information center website to get the best times and places to observe this.



Thanks!  We got to see this kind of action over in Nova Scotia and it's amazing.  I'm sure that we'll catch "reversing falls" as part of our adventure.  Have started looking at hotels and B&Bs in the Saint John's area.


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## Bobw235 (Jul 26, 2016)

I had sent away for info from Prince Edward Island and it came in the mail yesterday. After browsing it yesterday, my wife actually asked if we could relocate there.  Looks like a great spot. Thinking we'll rent a house there on vacation for up to two weeks before heading across New Brunswick.


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## Ameriscot (Jul 26, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> I had sent away for info from Prince Edward Island and it came in the mail yesterday. After browsing it yesterday, my wife actually asked if we could relocate there.  Looks like a great spot. Thinking we'll rent a house there on vacation for up to two weeks before heading across New Brunswick.



Sounds great!  Want to hear all about your trip - with pics of course!


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