ON THE WAY TO PEI - IN WINTER!!

The house is an organized jumble of boxes on the morning of 15th December 2016; our departure date for our five month reconnaissance to PEI has arrived. The Fifth Wheel is parked outside, packed to the rafters with all our clothing, Erik's keyboard, our computer, cell phones, my Kobo, and, more importantly wine, vodka, crock pot and Keurig. The hour to depart is upon us. At 9:30 am we left Brockville on one of the coldest, windiest, raw days of the year. Temperatures were well below zero (centigrade) but it wasn't snowing and the roads were dry. Pulling an RV in cold weather is not a big deal but pulling it on wet and snowy roads is something we wanted to avoid at all costs.

A few of the hundred or so boxes.

Blue skies as we approach Levis, Quebec.

LEVIS, QC
Our first planned stop was in Levis, a town on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, almost directly south of Quebec City. We've stopped here several times during the summer months at a beautiful RV Park. In that summer weather I took Kaede on a long walk and took some photos of the houses that I saw along the way. The style of the homes really appealed to me - guess I was imagining people inside drinking a great red wine with a bit of local cheese and possibly some pate and tourtiere to go along with it.

I loved the 'Frenchness' of the houses in rural Quebec.

Another of the French influenced rural houses.

We happened to be in the RV park during Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, the feast day of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

No leisurely, long walks with Kaede this trip. The temperature was about -25C with a wind chill factor that made it feel like -40C. I can honestly say I have never been so cold in my entire life!! Ever!! Don't know if you have any idea what it feels like to pump gas in that weather (not me, Erik) or to walk a dog who has to find the absolutely perfect spot to do her business (me) but, take my word for it; it's bloody cold. We pretty much scurried into the hotel in Levis and holed up for the evening with some take out food from a restaurant across the street.

A couple of cold, dreary photos taken through the windshield.

Our hotel room in Levis. It was warm and cozy.

What -25C looks like through a hotel window.

Enough said about Quebec in midDecember.

GRAND FALLS, NB
Our second night was spent in Grand Falls, NB at the home of an old friend. Warmth, good food and wine were the order of the day (evening). Grand Falls was pretty cold too but we had, thankfully, left behind the bitterness of Quebec. This was our third visit to Grand Falls, so let me tell you a little about it.

Grand Falls is a small town, not far from the Quebec border, with a population of about 5,000 or so. The main industries that used to keep Grand Falls in work are all but gone but the town still has two pretty nice tourist attractions: the falls themselves and the legacy of Ron Turcotte who was born there and lives there to this day. There is a building next to the falls with tourist information and some displays of local handiwork and crafts that is worth a visit. Last summer while there, the Smithsonian Institute was filming its documentary about Ron's life.  Ronald Joseph Morel Turcotte, CM OMB, was born in 22 July 1941. He is a retired Canadian race horse jockey who is best known as the rider of Secretariat, the winner of the U.S. Triple Crown in 1973. In 1978, Ron tumbled from his horse at the start of a race and was left a paraplegic. He still lives in Grand Falls, NB and is an activist who raises awareness for paraplegia.

Front and centre on the Main Street of Grand Falls, NB, this beautiful statue of Ron Turcotte.

The falls in summer.

Our friend's Christmas Tree, the only photo taken this time in Grand Falls.

There seemed no reason to stand outside in order to take photos of a cold and uninviting landscape that was icy and frigid but I would  heartily recommend that you stop for a few hours in Grand Falls, NB if you are driving through the Maritime Provinces.

Day three: we are getting excited. Next stop PEI. The Confederation Bridge that takes you from NB to PEI has been known to be closed to trucks and cars pulling trailers when there are severe winds, typical for winter. Not today - it was a clear and easy drive.

Crossing the Bridge 

The Confederation Bridge, a 12.9 km long bridge that joins Borden-Carleton, PEI with Cape Jourimain, NB. was opened on May 31, 1997 after four years of construction. It is the longest bridge in the world over icy-covered waters.

Kaede not as excited as we are about reaching PEI.

Crossing the bridge last summer under sunny skies.

STANLEY BRIDGE
The little village where we have rented a house until midMay is called Stanley Bridge. It is close to Cavendish, the popular tourist destination for thousands each summer, and is about 45 minutes from the centre of Charlottetown. There is a gas station at the four corners in Stanley Bridge where you can buy gas, of course, and some chocolate bars and milk. In the summertime you will find a few sea food restaurants and plenty of accommodations. Because of its close proximity to Cavendish it gets spill over of family tourism in addition to a very good golf course that caters to adult (or childless) tourists.

The Bumblebee House - where we will living for five months. 

Take a peek at the Bumblebee House, where we will be staying until midMay.

We had a couple of really cold days that required Kaede to wear her coat.

Kaede gets to run through the fields daily. Pictured is a tourist accommodation attached to the Gables of PEI.

Carr's Oyster Bar, Stanley Bridge, PE

Looking forward to this little beauty opening for the season.

We have now been on the island for fifteen days. If you are wondering what we do with ourselves on a small island where we don't know a soul, then stay tuned. You are about to find out with my next installment. For now let me wish everyone a very happy, prosperous and safe 2017.