Northeast Tour Day 17 (Traveling Home)

We had one last day of driving from Toronto back down to Pittsburgh. En route we simply had to make a stop at Niagara Falls to see what all of the fuss was about. To be honest, it was hard to see much of the falls because of all the mist, and it was hard to photograph them because our camera lenses were soaked (along with all of our clothing) within a few seconds on the viewing platform. So from that perspective, maybe they were a bit disappointing but the park around the falls was really a lovely walk and more than made up for the falls not being very photogenic.
After Niagara Falls, we drove to Buffalo, New York, and had lunch before continuing on to Pittsburgh to rest for the night. It wasn't much of a rest however, as that we had a 6am flight, which meant that we would have to get up extra early so that we would be able to turn in our rental car in time to catch our flight. I was a little let down that nobody was at the rental agency at 4 in the morning, mostly because I really wanted to see their reaction when they saw how many miles we had put on that bad boy.
The final numbers from our road trip look like this: 12 US states, 5 Canadian provinces, and 2 national capitals in just 17 days, with a grand total of just under 4,000 miles. That's called making the most of the "unlimited miles" clause of our rental contract!

Northeast Tour Day 15 (Toronto, Ontario)

Again we have been very fortunate with our hotel choice, though this one, admittedly is a little odd. We found a Super 8 in Toronto's Chinatown that was on the third floor of the China Centre mall, and while that seemed a little strange it had one huge benefit, the food. The food court at China Centre is an Anthony Bourdain dream, the perfect combination of delicious and cheap. There was in particular a nondescript boba stall run by a middle-aged Chinese lady who made what was simply the best bubble tea of all time! And this high praise is coming from Ursa who is a bubble tea junkie.

The other cool thing about Chinatown in Toronto is that it has become a forum for some of the best street art I've seen. This is one of the things that I love about Seattle as well was the high level of graffitti artists on display throughout the city. Always in interesting places, it makes every glance behind you, every peek down an alley a new adventure in art. At Bumbershoot in Seattle we saw a street art exhibition with graffiti artists at their best, and the stuff on the walls of Toronto is way, way better. There is even a graffiti tour that you can take, and mark my words, the next time we are in Toronto we WILL be taking it.

On the whole Toronto, like Montreal, had a much grittier, urban, lived in feeling than more touristy places like Quebec or Ottawa. This was "the city" you can take that for what it is. Some people love these urban environments, some loathe them. We were both a little surprised however by the sheer amount of downtown living in Toronto. Condo high rises were everywhere! That's not a bad thing, it makes for a lively, bustling community; it's just that you usually don't see communities THAT densely packed.  But not all of the communities downtown were centered around the stark high rises.

One of the coolest neighborhoods was The Distillery Historic District. It was a wonderful cultural area with tons of art galleries, shopping, restaurants, and of course microbreweries, all built in and around the buildings the city's old breweries.

Not far from the Distillery District we found St Lawrence Market, which was voted the Best Food Market by National Geographic, and I can see why. The food stalls featured everything you could imagine, from meat to mustard. This is the supermarket of the masses that live downtown, and it has been so since it's opening in 1803. I only wish that we would be in Toronto longer so we could splurge here, but to be totally frank, by this point in our travels we were just happy that they had some open benches.

No trip to Toronto would be complete without a stop by Yonge-Dundas Square (known as YD Square by the locals), it's Toronto's version of New York's Times Square. A commercial and cultural epicenter of the city. This is the busiest intersection in Toronto and served 100,000 pedestrians daily.

We had one last, ubiquitous stop to make during our stay in Toronto was to the Provincial Capital of Ontario. This is the last of the capital buildings that we will see on our trip through the Northeast and I have thoroughly enjoyed using them as interest points to plan our road trip around. It has taken us to cities that we didn't expect to be in, or know about, as well as Canada's largest cities, and to the national capitals of two different countries. A very worthwhile trip. Now to celebrate with another cup of the greatest bubble tea ever!

Northeast Tour Day 14 (Ottawa, Ontario)

Score! Every once in a while, Ursa's persistence in bidding for hotel rooms pays off with a great place like the room she found for us in Ottawa. We got a room at an Extended Stay with separate living room and bedroom, within a couple blocks of Parliament Hill for just $70 per night, a superb find. And to be quite honest it was very timely, we've been on the go for two straight weeks now, and it was nice to have a place where we could just relax and catch our breath for an afternoon. So an apartment style hotel room was just what the doctor ordered for us.

This morning we slept in before heading out to explore the national capitol of Canada. Ottawa right now is a city under construction. From our hotel window we can see four sky cranes at work, and as we walked around town there were several other churches and public buildings under renovation, including two of the buildings on Parliament Hill. Lots of work being done throughout the city.
The city itself is a very cute, very clean, very photogenic city. And it was not just the area around Parliament Hill that was photogenic, it was the whole town.

One thing that I appreciate, not just about Ottawa, but about all of the Canadian cities that we've visited, is their concern for architecture. American skylines are so full of brown shoe box looking buildings or lifeless mirrored glass cubes while Canadian cities have each building a separate statement piece in the tale of the city.

When we finally reached Parliament Hill we were totally awed by the three gorgeous buildings that were a fitting tribute to this nation. Even with two of the buildings under renovation, the Canadian Parliament is a beautiful national capital, and the views from Parliament Hill are awesome.

After our walk around Parliament, we walked down to the National Arts Gallery of Canada to tour an exhibit of the amazing photographer, Margret Watkins. There was also a couple of other fascinating modern art exhibits that we were able to enjoy, but the museum itself was far too big to be taken in with just one afternoon.

Northeast Tour Day 12 (Montreal, Quebec)

So we drove to downtown Montreal to go explore the city, we parked in the parking garage below Place Ville Marie (a shopping center in the heart of Montreal) and walked up to the food court to have a cup of coffee and have a look at the map to plan our day.

Here's the thing: as I've said before, I love the French language, whenever I hear it I immediately think of quaint Parisian cafes, and the treasure troves known as "patisseries", which is why when someone speaking French when I am ordering from Dunkin Doughnuts just feels somehow. . . wrong.
Now that we had our bearings (and I was fully charged up with caffine) we were ready to take on the city. The first thing that you notice about Montreal is how densely packed it is. And not just the downtown either, throughout the city condos and row houses are the norm, and gone are the gigantic American lawns that I've grown so accustomed to seeing which add so much sprawl to a city. Largely, I like cities with dense urban areas, because the city tends to have a more bustling feel to it, but the one huge downside of it is the traffic. And the traffic was especially bad in Montreal, which didn't seem to have the infrastructure to deal with the droves of traffic that congested the whole city. Streets were too narrow, busses too few, and the metro was inadequate so getting around was a bit of a stress, but once you're on foot, Montreal is a beautiful, bustling metropolis.

The first stop on our walk was Bonsecours Market which served as the main public market of Montreal for more than a century, and even housed the Parliament of United Canada for one session in 1849. Today the market functions as an up-scale mall, a hall and banquet rooms, and municipal office space.

From there we made wended our way through the city to Montreal City Hall, or Hotel de Ville de Montreal if you prefer. It is a gorgeous 5 story building, just a few blocks away from Basilique Notre Dame de Montreal, which was a fantastic cathedral, that we just didn't have time to tour.

We continued on, past the Cathedral of Mary, Queen of the World (which is a scale model of the famous Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome) and on to the Montreal Art Museum where we spent the rest of our afternoon. I love visits to the museum, in this one we saw a great exhibit of functional art, or furniture pieces that were artistic as well. It is facinating to see such common items presented in such an uncommon and beautiful way.

Northeast Tour Day 11 (Quebec City)

Any disappointment that we may have experienced from the day before was completely washed away as we drove up Grande Allee past the fantastic homes to our left and the amazing park named Plains of Abraham to our right on our way to the heart of Quebec.

We parked across the street from the provincial capital building which was an exceedingly french style building, all light gray stone with black statues ensconced on the walls. The only drawback was that half of it's front was under renovation, which Twas disappointing but understandable. From the parliament building we made the short walk past Porte St. Louis, the gates that guard Old Quebec.

Old Quebec is a beautiful, French style, walled city . The narrow, winding streets are lined with shops and cafes, the style of the buildings is undeniably french. It's like being unexpectedly transported to Europe. I also have to say that it was nice to hear the french language again, not just because it added to the experience, but because I think that it's a beautiful language to listen to. A fantastic visual, and cultural place to visit, a taste of the old world right across our border.
The weather was even on our side, having been drizzling the night before, today had a bright, blue, cloudless sky. To make a long story short, I'll say this, the only thing that is stopping me from casting my vote for Quebec as the most beautiful city in North America is the fact that I've heard that Montreal is even more beautiful. We shall find out tomorrow, but based on what we've seen, that's going to be a tall order.

Northeast Tour Day 10 (Halifax and Prince Edward Island)

We began day 10 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and had a nice morning looking around. Halifax has an interesting look to it, half weathered coastal city, with thoroughly modern elements scattered all around. Here a new interchange, there a modern building, there a sleek condo all mixed into what looks like a New England fishing village. It's a curious, but quaint look.

A few of the cities highlights include a wonderful little boardwalk area, filled with shopping, restaurants, and boat tours. Fairview Cemetery which is the final resting place of one hundred and twenty one victims of the sinking of the Titanic, also the Old Burying Ground which features the Welsford-Parker Monument erected in honor of their service during the Crimean War (it is rare to find monuments that pre-date Canadian confederation). And of course we also made a point to see the Nova Scotia Province House before heading off to Prince Edward Island.

Driving out to the island is possible thanks to the 8 mile long, Confederation Bridge which we were a little surprised to find didn't have a toll going onto the island. Once there, we drove around the island for a bit, frankly, it's a cute farm country, but nothing all that special. Charlottown, the province's capital, was an equally unimpressive stop, and their capital building had the look that it had been abandoned. After we finished a pretty mediocre drive we went to leave via Confederation Bridge, and only then did we discover that it was a departure only toll bridge which charged visitors a jaw dropping $44.25 for the privilege of leaving the island. For the purposes of this blog I usually try to find something positive to say about everyplace that we visit, but I'll break that rule now and suggest to all of my readers that should they ever find themselves in eastern Canada, Prince Edward Island is not someplace they need to have on their to-do list.
We stayed the night at a cute little roadside motel just outside of Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Northeast Tour Day 9 (New England)

We got a late start on the day, but we had a spectacular drive. There is simply nothing in the world quite like New England in the fall. Eight hours of driving was like a day long fireworks display.

I have seen many of the natural wonders of North America; from the Northern Lights to Yellowstone Park, I have swam over the reefs in Maui and touched a glacier in Alaska, but the changing leafs of autumn in New England is a glory which is unmatched by anything I've ever seen. This is something that everyone owes it to themselves to see at least once in their lives. The reds, yellows, oranges, and greens seemed unnaturally vibrant. Stunning, nothing short of stunning.

As we made our way through New England we continued with our diversion of visiting the state capitols. Today's statehouses included Concord New Hampshire, Montpelier Vermont, and finally Augusta Georgia. The stops in New Hampshire and Vermont were noteworthy in that those were the last two states for me to visit. I can now proudly say that I have been to all 50 states of the union.
We stayed the night in Bangor, Maine, and this morning we crossed the Canadian border and drove up to Halifax, Nova Scotia which we will be exploring tomorrow.

Northeast Tour Day 8 (Cape Cod, Massachusetts)

We woke up this morning on Cape Cod, in the town of Dennis, which was located near the middle of the Cape. Our destination for the day would be on the very tip of Cape Cod, the little town of Provincetown.

The whole drive along the Cape was filled with the cutest little houses and communities that you've ever seen. As we approached the end of the Cape we saw Pilgrim Monument poking up from behind a hill, which told us that we had arrived in Provincetown. We gave ourselves a couple hours to walk around the charming shopping area and to stroll along the beach. And we had a fantastic late-lunch at Napi's which hails itself as Provincetown's most unusual restaurant, and judging by the eclectic decor, which made for a warm and charming ambiance, that description was probably accurate. But the choices that Ursa and I made for food were not terribly "unusual" we were both craving shellfish, Ursa had oysters and I couldn't resist having a lobster.
After that we drove to visit Ursa's uncle and aunt in Lexington, Massachusetts, on the northwest side of Boston. Where we had a wonderful visit with everyone.

Northeast Tour Day 7 (State Capitols)

Inspired by our visit to the nation's capitol, Ursa and I decided that we would add a few detours to our drive from Washington D.C. to Cape Cod. We wanted to see how many state capitols we could see during the drive. It brought a fun and educational flair to our day of driving.

Maryland Statehouse, at Annapolis

Our first stop was very near Washington, in Annapolis, Maryland. This is the oldest statehouse in continuous use, and dates to 1772. The statehouse sits in the middle of State Circle, a long row of government all built of matching brick, and passed by on sidewalks made of matching brick; so much brick that Ursa commented to me, "Who knew that this much brick even existed." And she was right, that was a LOT of brick.

Delaware Legislative House

From there we drove to Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware. Delaware is known as "The First State" as that they were proudly the first to ratify the Constitution of the United States. Not far from Legislative Hall we had a quick lunch at the coolest coffee shop you've ever seen, Governor's Cafe, which is located inside a historic home on Heritage Trail near the Governor's Mansion. It's not often that one rave's about a grilled cheese sandwich, but I'm doing it now.

New Jersey State Capitol in Trenton

The next stop on our state capitol road trip was New Jersey's capitol, Trenton. The capitol building was easily visible from the interstate, but up close it was hard to get an angle to photograph. All of the other buildings were too tightly packed around it, and there was the State's World War II Memorial in front of it that was hard to get a photo around. This is the type of challenge that makes photography so much fun. There is always some new problem to overcome, always some new challenge to getting your shot. I finally found an angle along the back side of the building, similar to the view from the freeway.

Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford (photo by Ursa Davis)

Getting the photo was one challenge, but getting past New York City at 5 o'clock would be something else entirely. Even skirting the edges of the Big Apple at rush hour was a nightmare, and that's when the rain began to fall. It wasn't too bad at first but by the time we reached Hartford, Connecticut night had fallen, the roads were still clogged, and the rain was coming down in buckets. We did however get a slight reprieve from the rain just long enough for us to set up Ursa's camera to get a shot of the beautiful Connecticut Statehouse. (My camera envy again rears it's ugly head, as Ursa is able to take the kind of quality night photos that my camera simply cannot)

Rhode Island State Capitol in Providence (photo by Ursa Davis)

We drove on through the rain that continued to alternate from drizzle to deluge without much of a middle range. Our intention was for Hartford to be our last stop before we reached Cape Cod, but as it would so happen, our route took us right through the heart of Providence, Rhode Island, so we decided, what the hell, we'll stop for one more night photo. And we were again fortunate enough to have the weather cooperate by having the rains relent for a few minutes while we got our photo. Afterward we finished our drive to Cape Cod, and checked into our hotel late at night and laid down for a long rest.

Northeast Tour Day 6 (Washington D.C.)

80 degrees may not seem overly hot, certainly not to a kid from the desert like me, but I'm not from the desert anymore, and living in Alaska has apparently turned me into a big wuss when it comes to dealing with the heat. Though as bad as the hot weather got to me, it got to Ursa much worse.

As we walked around the National Mall in Washington D.C. we found ourselves on the edge of heat stroke before we got to the Jefferson Memorial, and ready to go Bear Grylls for some food before we got to the Lincoln Memorial, and no source of sustenance to be found. Should you ever find yourself in Washington D.C. might I recommend a backpack with the necessities, like water and a sandwich.
The National Mall is huge, we walked for six and a half miles but by stopping at all the monuments and attractions it took us around six hours and that does not include visiting any museums, of which there are many. Ten museums of the Smithsonian Institute are there waiting to be explored, but just visiting the monuments will take a full afternoon.

The subway deposited us near the Air and Space Museum, but we decided that it would be our last stop before we returned to our hotel. We walked past and marveled at the array of museums before we finally came to the Washington Monument. Like most people, I am very familiar with what the Washington Monument looks like, but what I was impressed by is the omnipresence of the monument as you make your way around the National Mall. It is seemingly everywhere, always somewhere within your view.

The next stop on our walk was the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. One of the great American statesmen and one of the founding fathers of the country; writer of the Declaration of Independence, Secretary of State under George Washington, Vice President under John Adams and the Third President of the United States. One of the quotes that adorned his memorial seemed especially poignant, "I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must also keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain even under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

The next memorial was the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, which, to be quite honest, was one of the two monuments that moved me to tears. This was the man who led us through not only one of the great calamities of the country's history (The Great Depression) but also guided us through the Second World War. I couldn't help but tear up when I read his quote: "I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded... I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed... I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."

One of the monuments that I was most looking forward to seeing was the newest, the Martin Luther King Memorial. The quote on the side of the sculpture reads, "Out of a mountain of despair; a stone of hope". What a profound statement of one of the great humanitarians not only of our country, but of the world. A man who sought to change the face of the nation through peace; a man who succeeded in the face of impossible odds. A man who believed that "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Probably the most iconic of all the monuments along the National Mall is the Lincoln Memorial. The stoic visage of Abraham Lincoln gazing out at the nation that he helped to hold together is a moving reminder of one of the greatest of American Presidents.

Next to the Lincoln Memorial is the Vietnam Memorial. The simple black wall engraved with the names of fallen soldiers is a stark display of the true cost of war, the human cost of war. The power of this monument is in it's simplicity; no images, no sculptures just the sheer weight of row after row of names. This is the other memorial that moved me to tears, and I don't know of many people that it wouldn't.

Finally, what trip to Washington would be complete without a visit to the nations front lawn at the White House. As I looked at the White House I could only think of the great honor, and the great responsibility that goes along with the Presidency of the United States of America. And what a marvelous system of governance that we have that allows all of us, regardless of what our political beliefs may be, to speak our mind in regards to who occupies this house, and the importance of the civic duty that we all owe in speaking our minds at the voting booth. November will soon be upon us my friends, remember to vote.

Northeast Tour Day 4 (Grand Valley, Pennsylvania)

After the wedding in Brookville was done, the whole wedding party, all 29 of us, jumped in our cars and drove an hour and a half north to Grand Valley, where we checked into Woodland Lodge. The lodge was a humongous 14 bedroom, 9 bath house, divided into 2 wings. It was a gorgeous venue, ideal for this type of party.

The lodge was lost in the forest, and had miles and miles of hiking trails; those of you who are regular readers will know that one of my hobbies is birding, and I was delighted to get a chance to wander through the woods and see some lovely birds. There were lots of chickadees, as well as warblers, and there was some form of small hawk that I got two very short glances at but couldn't identify, and some type of jay that I could hear but never got a look at. My favorite though was an adorable downy woodpecker who was flitting around me for quite a while.

One of the other amenities of the lodge was it's "barn" which gave us a great space for everyone to gather together. We had a wonderful evening there of eating slow cooked brisket that was to die for and dancing to the live musicians that took the stage. It was a wonderful reception, and a fun two nights, and an absolute pleasure to meet everyone. And I would again like to thank, congratulate, and wish all of our best to Liz and Joe.
We are sad to leave this fantastic place, but we must head south today to Washington DC. See you all in a couple of days. Bye!