Sept 3rd to 5th - PEI to New Brunswick

Sept 3rd - Wed - to Darnley, PEI
We moved a short ways northeast to Twin Shores Camping Area, a large campground. An employee marked some available sites on a map and sent us out to choose one. The first area had lots of trees along roads and between sites - too many trees for us. We looked down a couple of roads and figured we would be hitting branches IF we could make the 90 degree corner to get on the road. The map showed a loop at the end so I told Terry we could turn around there. We couldn’t quite make a corner and Terry had to back up a couple of times and still scraped branches on both sides. We went to the open area of the campground and selected a site with a great view of the water. After we paid (and told the employee not to send long rigs down those roads without a warning), Terry cleaned the marks on the moldings and removed a couple of branches caught in the awning.
We hooked up to the internet and started reading emails. Then AOL quit responding and we could not get back to it. Could get to any other website but not AOL. We drove to the office to see if the signal strength would make a difference but it didn’t. I messed with it for a while and then decided to leave it for now and go driving.
Wanda sent us on a very narrow, dirt road to get to Kensington - good thing we weren’t towing. But it opened to a great view so it was worth it. We went to Summerside and wandered a cute tourist area on the waterfront. Back to the RV park in time to hit the laundry room before dinner.
Nice surprise - AOL was accessible again when we got back - go figure!

Sept 4th - Thurs - PEI
Poured rain last night & this morning so we stayed in bed and watched TV until it let up. When I took Dolly out, the outside mat was floating in a small lake by the rig.
The rain stopped about 11 (soon became warm & sunny) so we set off to explore the western third of the island. We stopped in Tyne Valley to see if Wendy’s (friend met in Mexico) brother was around but he was still in Costa Rica so we could not take advantage of his knowledge of local sights to see. We followed a scenic route for a while, then cut across the island to have lunch at a café recommended in a guide book. We had seafood chowder (not exceptional) with biscuits (ordinary) and tried the Seaweed Pie. Seaweed is harvested nearby and is used as a thickening agent in many foods. The “pie” was like Boston Cream Pie with a cake bottom, custardy filling, whipped cream and raspberry “drizzle”. OK but I would not order it again.
We continued on to the North Cape - fishing boats, walking trails & wind machines. We took a combination of main highways & scenic routes to again cross the island to a southern loop on the way back to Summerside and then to the RV park. It was now very windy so we weren’t able to have a fire as we had hoped.
More PEI notes:
Acres & acres of potato fields.
Very red dirt & sand due to iron content which rusts.

Sept 5th - Fri - to Shediac, New Brunswick
(Notice how I initially spell out the province for our American friends?!)
We left at 8 for the short drive to Shediac today. We left PEI on the Confederation Bridge which is 13 km (8 miles) long and cost us $55 to cross. You pay only to leave PEI, not to get there, and the bridge is cheaper than the ferry - at least for longer rigs. We met Terry & Judy again here and luckily they arrived yesterday and reserved a spot for us as the park is quite full. PA, close to town, wifi, cable TV and with a view of the water - nice.
We set up, had a quick breakfast sandwich and, with Terry H at the wheel, set out to Hopewell Rocks south of Moncton. There is a huge tide variance in the Bay of Fundy which allows you to walk on the ocean floor by some spectacular “sea stacks” (rock pillars) at low tide. Low tide was at 10:50 so we wanted to get there as soon as we could. There is a ¾ mile walk down to the beach. We took tons of pictures and then wimped out (thanks to Terry M & Judy!) and took a shuttle back to the top.
We had taken a “snacky” lunch so we sat at tables on a restaurant patio to eat. We figured we should buy a beer to justify using their table. Found out that you cannot buy just alcohol at a restaurant so we ended up with fries as well.
We went to Magnetic Hill on the way back. This is an interesting tourist attraction which makes you think your vehicle is rolling uphill. You drive down a short hill which changes to a dirt road at the bottom. You stop on the left side of the road where it becomes dirt, put your vehicle in neutral, take your foot off the brake and steer as your vehicle backs “up” the hill with no power. It is an optical illusion but quite effective. We drove up a second time and Judy & I walked back to feel the slope. There is also a group of shops that we checked out. There is a huge water park and a zoo so it would be a great place to take kids.
It was warm enough to sit out, visit with some neighbors, barbeque and eat out - what a great change. But the remains of Hurricane Hanna are due to hit the maritimes tomorrow so we are expecting wind & rain.