Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Oh, Canada! (the sequel and prequel)

Same cast of characters,  two years later.

This time, where to?  Nova Scotia?  Yes!  

Let's drive?  Because Fredericksburg, VA to Bar Harbor, ME is just a long, one day drive?  Because there's a ferry from there to Nova Scotia?  Because, we can get from Atlanta to Nova Scotia in just one long day's drive?  So, not so bad?

Sure.

Maybe not our best decision.  (Soooory!)

Lots of seat time getting there and back, but what was in between was excellent.   

Here's what.  The Prequel.

For starters, we decided Bar Harbor was too far for one day, so we headed to Newport RI on a Friday.  440 miles and 9:30 later, we arrived.  Not exactly smooth sailing in Connecticut on I-95.  Our hotel was just off I-95 west of Newport.  We checked in and decided we were DONE with driving, so we walked to get some beer and wine and then walked to get some pizza.

Saturday morning, off to see The Breakers plus one other mansion.   The Breakers is the far-over-the-top Gilded Era Vanderbilt "Summer cottage".  You make your reservation for The Breakers, then can chose to visit any one other mansion at any time in the next year.  We chose "that morning".  We had places to be!

The cast.  Patti, Tom, Sue and Don

Self-guided audio tour 

A room.  One of many.

Where Dr. Suess got his inspiration?

Not "ceiling white" from Pittsburgh Paint


Stone tub needed to be filled a few times to heat stone and bath would stay hot.

On the porch

Some pots and pans

"All I Want is a Proper Cup of Coffee, Made in a Proper Copper Coffee Pot..."






2025.  Trying to recreate history.


Only 40 years earlier (1985)  Higher shorts and socks.

For out other mansion, we chose The Elms.  Only slightly less over-the-top-than The Breakers.  Built by Berwind Coal founder.  Had coal-fired power plant on the premises. 


Harumph.  Men's Drawing Room

Who doesn't need a room of statues?

Large art depicting the owner's favorite Roman general

Breakers had more copper!

Arbor over service entrance hides it from resident and guest view.

On the lawn in the back of the house


Two mansions explored.  Off to Bar Harbor with lunch on the way out of town.  260 miles and 5:00 later we're at Young's Lobster Pound, staffed by men from Jamacia - the Country - not the borough -  in Belfast ME.  YUM!





The view from Young's



Lobsters - the first of more than a few on the trip.

... and steamed clams

Another 50 miles and 1:20 puts us into Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert Island and our hotel, the Kimball Terrace Inn, just after dark.  It's a nice place, with a nice harbor view, but we wouldn't know that until Sunday.


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