Steel and Coal - Day 2 - The Three Rivers

7/24/16, “The Three Rivers”

Hinton, West Virginia (Bluestone State Park)

The day today consisted almost entirely of visiting the three rivers in southern West Virginia.  The three rivers (New River, Gauley River, and Bluestone River) represented three different National Park Service units, and they had four Visitor Centers, each with their own stamp.  That was our goal, to see each of the three rivers and collect all four stamps.

We did it, but not without difficulty and adversity, a lost expensive lighter (not found), a broken cell phone (fixed), and a lost wallet (recovered) chief among them.  It, along with our stop at the State Capitol building this morning, was what it took for me to say, “West Virginia Complete”, and I said it.  We will soon be going to the famous, historic Greenbrier for dinner, but most of what we did today about natural, scenic beauty.  Here, in front of the Bluestone River is where my quest came to an end.

After I closed last night, I was pleased to learn we would only need to do three hours of driving to get to this spot.  It would be an easy day, so we slept in.  I don’t use an alarm clock to sleep, so I had become the group’s alarm clock.  I woke us up at 8:45 AM, and we got ready before heading down for breakfast.  It was the traditional fare, and I had coffee, an omelet, and some sliced sausage.  It was good but nothing special.

After breakfast, we hit the road, going straight to the State Capitol, where Stu and I took a ceremonial picture.  From there, we drove to the first VC: Canyon Rim.  That was where I learned the details about the three rivers.  The four VCs were all part of New River Gorge NR.  Gauley River NRA was to the north of this one and Bluestone NR to the south of the southernmost VC.  We would actually thereby need to make six stops, not four.

Canyon Rim was the main VC, and it had brochures for all three rivers, along with stamps except for Bluestone NR.  We would need to get that stamp at the southernmost VC: Sandstone.  Canyon Rim had a nice overlook of the gorge, so I lit up a Padron Damaso, and we took some pictures there.  I have had no cell data service all day, so I was on Wi-Fi only, which meant only the VCs for the most part.

We then drove up to a place where we could access Gauley River, so that marked our second river, where I finished my cigar.  Meanwhile, my phone had stopped charging, so I was being very careful to make sure I could preserve my battery until I got home and could fix it.  Also, my left wallet pocket had torn open, so I needed to use my right rear pocket.  We took our ceremonial pictures at Gauley River NRA and then went back to the VC to post it.

Next stop was Thurmond Depot VC, which was literally located inside an Amtrak station.  I was told that there would be a train coming that would take me back to New York if I wanted, with no connections.  I was shocked.  I got my stamp there, and we took some ceremonial pictures at the tracks.  That was actually the most interesting site of the day.

From there, it was the appropriately named Grandview Ranger Station.  We continued along winding roads and got lost along the way.  We stopped at a rest plaza for lunch and some West Virginia souvenirs.  It was around 3 PM, and we only had two more VCs to hit up.  After the rest plaza, we soon found our way to Grandview, and I lit up a Las Calaveras.  We walked to the grand view spot, and it was the most stunning vista of the trip so far.  I took some ceremonial pictures and some regular pictures to use as profile pictures on dating websites and such.

Afterwards, we headed back to the car, and I let the cigar go out by whizzing around the parking lot with the cigar sticking out the window.  We drove from there to Sandstone VC, arriving about 15 minutes before they closed.  It was perfect timing, and we got our last stamps.  I was quite pleased with myself.  The lookout for Sandstone Falls was a little more down the road, and I finished my cigar there.  I was quite pleased with myself.

That just left Bluestone River NR.  We continued even further down the road to the State Park VC, which was actually opened until 8 PM and had Wi-Fi, so that was a boon.  They even had a stamp, not an NPS stamp, but, still, a stamp.  I bought some souvenirs and paid with my debit card.  I then wanted to fill my water bottle, so I looked for a water fountain.  There was none, just a vending machine.  I went back inside to the VC and asked if they had water.  She asked if I said wallet.

Wait, what.  Wait, where was my wallet?  I had put it back in my torn left pocket, and it had fallen out.  They had it.  Phew.  I used the vending machine to refill my water bottle, and we headed down to the river.  We found a beautiful overlook of the river, so we parked there, and I got out of the car.  I lit up a Punch and stepped in the river to take my ceremonial picture.  “West Virginia Complete.  All three rivers complete,” I announced, quite pleased with myself.  Since Stu would not let me finish the cigar on the road, I figured I might as well write my entry.  I grabbed my laptop and sat down in front of the river, where I proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that we can make our way back home.

En route, I-81 N, Virginia (“The Return Journey”)

Well, our journey comes to an end, or, at least, it will be in six hours when we arrive in NYC.  The GPS notes an arrival time at our friend’s apartment of 4:30 AM.  My drop-off will be shortly after that.  I hope to get three hours of sleep in the car and then another three hours at home.  It has been an adventurous trip, but, now, all that remains is the return journey.  This has been just another chapter in Stu and Steve’s excellent adventures, West Virginia perfectly fitting into our list of random places we have visited.  We even got another State Capitol Building into the mix for our collection.

Stu spent most of the day complaining about how he didn’t enjoy these sites.  I spent very little time yesterday complaining about which amusement parks I did not enjoy.  Seeing the National Park Sites today was not for him.  This was the trade we made, his amusement parks for my National Park Sites, the same trade we have made five years in a row now.  He seemed to forget that arrangement once he we left the amusement park yesterday.

This region of the country had no special charm to it, nothing special or new that I hadn’t seen before, just a nice trip to the heartland.  I was glad to have been able to say “West Virginia Complete,” and the dinners the past two nights were a particular treat, dinner tonight being an unexpected and very welcome addition to the agenda.  In fact, that is the only thing I really have left to record before I closed out the trip.

After I closed at the river, I ditched my cigar, and we headed back up to the parking lot.  I connected to the Wi-Fi there and posted everything to social media.  We would be having dinner at The Greenbrier.  When I looked at the National Historic Landmark list for West Virginia, they only had 13 of them.  The only one I even considered wanting to add to the agenda was The Greenbrier.  Imagine my surprise when it was recommended to us that we stop there for dinner and that not only was it on the way back to New York but that we would be able to get there in time for a sunlit photo out front.  We arrived at the hotel, passing through security and the valet, by 8 PM.

It was as iconic as I would have expected, and it was as ritzy inside as imaginable.  It seemed very much the kind of place I would expect Donald Trump to stay.  There was a golf course out back, but we did not have time to even see that.  We took some pictures out front and then headed downstairs to their casual restaurant.  It was at this time that the reality of our arrival time back in NYC (between 3 AM and 6 AM depending on a few factors) started to kick in, and tempers flared.  Once Stu calmed down, we sat down for dinner.

I opted for one of their burgers combos, which came with fries and a pistachio shake.  My burger was topped with their famous fried green tomatoes, along with bacon, cheese, lettuce, and onions.  I got a beer to start off with, a Budweiser of course, nothing more iconic than that.  The meal was delicious, every single bite.  I ate the whole burger, not modifying it like I usually (no lettuce, no bun), but it was just so good.  It was the first real sit down meal we had at something that wasn’t a diner, dive, and drive-in.  I still think dinner last night at the drive-in was the best meal of the trip, but this was a close second.

After dinner, we headed up, and I got an overpriced keychain at the gift shop.  We stopped for snacks and gas before we got on the Interstate, taking way too long for that process.  From there, it would be a 7-hour drive back to NYC, and we would not stop for anything other than gas or bathroom breaks.  Stu would be making the whole drive, since I drove all day today and most of yesterday.  He is not happy that it will be 6 AM by the time he gets back to Brooklyn.

The Greenbrier was right at the West Virginia border with Virginia, so we almost immediately entered Virginia.  An hour later, we were heading north on I-81, where I proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close, along with closing out this trip, so that I can publish and take a bit of a nap.  Next stop: Rio for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad!

Steel and Coal - Day 1 - A Very Iconic Day

7/24/16, “A Very Iconic Day”

Charleston, West Virginia

This is a completely unremarkable vista in every way.  In fact, if it were not for the building located a mile behind me, of which there are only 55 other similar buildings in the country, this would be a completely unremarkable dateline.  Of those 56 buildings, I have been to 33 of them, when we drive to the one behind us in the morning, it will bring my count to 34.  It is also the closest such building to my home that I have yet to visit.  I believe that my reader should realize that I mean our countries capitol buildings.  The national Capitol in Washington, along with the 55 state and territorial capital buildings spread across the country.  Within a few years, I will have visited all of them.

That is the only reason we are spending tonight in this very boring city called Charleston, unlike its far more fascinating twin in South Carolina.  However, the rest of the day was far more interesting than this boring vista of I-64.  In all, as planned, it was a very iconic day, though it was also a very stressful day.  It is very hard travelling with any kind of schedule with more than two people.  I have learned that the hard way far too many times.  Dutch time multiplies exponentially with more than two people.  It is just very near unworkable.

After I closed last night, I headed up to the room and was soon asleep, only to be woken at 5 AM by one my friends’ work associates calling about some autographing tip.  That fucked up my sleep, making it difficult for me to get back to sleep, causing me to oversleep by half an hour.  We were on a tight schedule, and every minute counted.  We needed to get to West Virginia for dinner, to their “most iconic restaurant” (a drive-in), before it closed at 10 PM.  This would be a tight schedule.  We got ready, and we were out the door around 8 AM, heading straight to Strip District for breakfast.

We would begin the day with breakfast at Pennsylvania’s most iconic restaurant and end it with dinner at West Virginia’s most iconic restaurant.  These were the type of places that Anthony Bourdain would eat at or would be featured on such shows as “Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins”.  When Stu and I started travelling together, I would want to go the restaurant with the highest rating on TripAdvisor or Zagat’s.

Now, it’s become this list courtesy of Thrillist (https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/most-famous-restaurants-in-america-iconic-restaurants-in-every-state).  I have now eaten at 18 of the 51 restaurants on this list, and I will be going to the one in Texas with my mother in October.  It is an incredible list, and I hope to visit all 51 eventually.  I also just learned that there is now a list for all EU countries.  That is dangerous knowledge to have.  I am pleased to say that I had one of the best meals of my life at the United Kingdom’s entry on that list: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.

Crap, it is 1 AM, and I am dead tired, and I have still not even recounted my breakfast.  We made our way to DeLuca’s Diner, situated in the heart of the Strip District, surrounded by souvenir shops.  There was a bit of a line, but it was worth it.  I got their famous mixed grill, consisting of steak, eggs, potatoes, and vegetables, along with some toasted Italian bread and coffee in a keepsake mug.  It was delicious.

After breakfast, we walked to Pittsburgh’s most famous cigar shop, Leaf and Bean, which had a very disappointing selection of cigars.  I opted for an Ashton Symmetry (the leaf) and more coffee (the bean).  We found a picture of Reagan with the words that Trump has taken to repeating: “Let’s make America great again.”  Reagan did it, and I have the utmost faith in Trump’s ability to do it again.  In 1984, it was morning in America again.  Thursday night, Trump gave what has been called his “Midnight in America” speech at the convention.  I only hope that, in 2020, it will be morning in America again.

We took a ceremonial picture outside and got some souvenirs before heading to famous, historic Point State Park, which housed a fort from the French and Indian Wars (fought against the French and the Indians, not fought between the French and the Indians).  It was located at the forks of the Ohio River, the famed Three Rivers point.  We saw Heinz Field and PNC Park across the river.  We were in a rush at this point, already an hour behind schedule, and made our way to Kennywood.

Stu had arranged for a guided tour of the park, which expedited us through the first few rides.  This is one of America’s oldest amusement parks with many rides almost a hundred years old.  It is, of course, a National Historic Landmark, so I finished my cigar outside the entrance for a ceremonial picture.  We enjoyed the first few rides before our guide left us.  It was past 1 PM by the time we finished all the roller coasters, and Stu still wanted to do four more water rides.

I had hoped to be out of the park by 2 PM, 3 PM at the lastest.  That no longer seemed an option.  We could leave at 5 PM and still make dinner in time, but that was even starting to look unlikely, and I wanted to stop at the high school from “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and at Fallingwater, too, which required the 3 PM departure.  I asked him to give up one of the water rides.  He refused, the exact same I would have refused if he told me to give up one of the National Park Sites tomorrow.  We went back to the car so that I could get my stuff and have a cigar and write my entry while he did the water rides.  First, though, we would have to try the famous Potato Patch French fries.  As what got the fries, something remarkable happened.  A thunderstorm hit.  That meant the water rides would be closed for the rest of the day.  Fortunate for me, devastating for Stu.

Still, somehow, it was 4:30 PM by the time we left the park, leaving enough time to stop at the high school from “Perks”, but not enough time to stop at Fallingwater.  I suppose I will have to visit it after it gets it World Heritage Site designation.  I will not go into the details of the drive to Frostop Drive-In in West Virginia, but we hauled ass for the drive, even breaking 100 at one point for a short spurt.

We arrived at 9:30 PM.  The food was great.  I got their famous slaw dogs and homemade root beer in a frosted mug, chased by an ice cream.  She was quite pleased that we had come from New York for this.  After dinner, I gave Stu the wheel and fell asleep during the short drive to our hotel in Charleston.  We settled in at the hotel, and I then headed down to the bench outside, where I lit up my Ardor, smoked in so many famous places across the world, and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I can publish and plan our day tomorrow.

Steel and Coal - Day 0 - The Old and the Older

“Steel and Coal”

7/22/16, “The Old and the Older”

En route, I-78, Pennsylvania

A year ago this weekend, on this very highway, a passenger in this very car, en route to Columbus, Ohio, I wrote about the old and the new.  I wrote about the familiarity of this annual trip I have taken to the randomest of places with my friend Stu, and I wrote about the new experiences and aspects of my life.  Well, over the past twelve months, something funny has happened.  Those new aspects of my life, they have become the familiar aspects of my life, they are now the old.  What I considered the old a year ago is merely the older.

This is now the fifth annual trip I have taken with Stu, and, as always, we usually start discussing next year’s trip during this trip, often during Day 0.  Last year, as we drove to Ohio, we talked about coming to Pittsburgh this year.  Today, on our way to Pittsburgh, we have discussed going to Maine next year.  This is now one of my oldest traditions.  What else in my life have I done on a regular annual basis for five years in a row?

My Jewish Christmas celebrations would be one such tradition.  In fact, I believe it was during a Jewish Christmas that I first went to West Virginia over a decade ago.  My annual Fourth of July World Heritage Site tradition dates exactly back as far as my annual trip with Stu.  In fact, it was the very day after I flew home from Nashville that first year that I flew with Stu to Kansas City to begin our first trip together.  And what about those new aspects of my life that I was beginning last year.  Well, some of them fell out, but others became new traditions, and what I once considered new, I now consider old.

I suppose every single tradition I have, from my trademark water bottle and cigar pose to my pre-departure lunch at Hop Won to my pre-departure Cohiba had a first time that I did it, had a time when it was a new experience.  Now, they are old traditions, and there are older ones.  My annual trips with Stu, they have been so diverse, but they have certainly became one of my oldest traditions.

Each trip, though it has been executed differently, has had the same theme, and it is a testament to why our travel destinations integrate so well together, in addition to being a fan of the same type of travel style, which is based on seeing as many sites as possible, rather than spending an extended time at a destination.  Stu has a goal of riding every roller coaster in the country.  I want to see every National Park Site in the country.

Random places around the country, places that are by no means tourist hotspots, have both amusement parks and National Park Sites.  While we’re there, we experience all the local favorite foods and famous restaurants.  The first year, it was a week-long trip to Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma (three new states for me), along with a new World Heritage Site in Illinois.  We experienced Kansas City BBQ, Oklahoma corn and okra, and St. Louis pizza and beer.

The next year, it was a little different.  I flew into MSP, Minnesota being a new state for me, then I did my own tour for about six days, also being able to check North Dakota and Montana off my list, visiting more National Parks, and experiencing the scariest night of my life, before meeting Stu back in Minneapolis for the last four days of the trip.  We went to numerous amusement parks and National Park Sites together, again, along with visiting the capitals of Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, eating, of course, the famous Wisconsin cheese to excess.

The next year, it got shorter.  It was just a weekend trip together, and it was the last time we did the trip by plane.  We flew to Seattle, and we separated for Saturday, me visiting a National Park while Stu went to his amusement park, and we met at the end of the day to make our way to Victoria.  The next day, we explored the capital in Victoria and then back to Vancouver to go to another amusement park before Stu dropped me off at the airport to continue his trip without me.

Last year, it was the first time we drove from NYC, and it was also the first time we brought along another travelling companion.  We left NYC Friday evening, arriving in Columbus, Ohio around sunrise.  We spent the weekend exploring amusement parks and National Park Sites in Ohio and Kentucky, fittingly calling the trip “Buckeyes and Bourbon”, before driving back to NYC overnight Sunday, arriving Monday morning.

This year, it’s even shorter.  We are bringing along a different travelling companion.  Our destinations of Pittsburgh and West Virginia have led me to entitle this trip “Steel and Coal.”  This year, we will arrive in Pittsburgh late Friday (after midnight), see one amusement park and three National Park Sites, and then drive back from West Virginia Sunday night, arriving back in NYC late Sunday (after midnight).  As my reader can see, this has become a very old tradition.

Likewise, so many of my traditions of Day 0 are now old traditions, as well.  I woke up early so that I could get to the office early, so that I could leave early, so that we could get to Pittsburgh around midnight.  I had packed the night before, so that I could get to the office as early as possible.  Having arrived early, I had easily finished all of my tasks for the day, in fact, almost completing all of them before I left for lunch.  I headed to Hop Won for my traditional pre-departure lunch, followed by half of my Cohiba.  I left the office at 4 PM promptly and went to finish my Cohiba.  My plan was to bike straight down to other cigar shop to meet my friend who had some more cigars for me, and then Stu would pick me up there at 4:30 PM sharp, and we would drive to Pittsburgh from there.  Well, that didn’t quite work out.

Everyone was running late.  As I was heading downtown, I realized that I had forgotten my water bottle at my apartment, so I went back to pick that up.  It was sweltering out, so it was a brutal 5-mile bike ride downtown.  I got to the cigar store exhausted, and I was cheerfully greeted by the staff there, whom I hadn’t seen in almost a year.  The new shop had just opened, and it looked very fresh.  My friend showed me around the shop and gave me my cigars.

Stu was soon at the shop, and we headed out, getting stuck in some brutal traffic, taking over an hour to get from Wall Street to New Jersey.  I was starving at that point, so we stopped at a gas station once we got on I-78.  We were all starving, so we loaded up, starting to eat in the car, and continued to stuff our faces as we got back on the highway.  Once we crossed into Pennsylvania, I proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I can take a little bit of a nap before we arrive in Pittsburgh in over three hours.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Well, I took my nap, and we’ve had dinner, two of them, in fact.  That’s another one of my traditions with Stu.  We usually eat two dinners at least once during the trip.  Stu comes prepared with his list of all these iconic foods and restaurants he wants to try, and he refuses to eat until he is done with all of his roller coasters.  I have no such compunction about experiencing high-speed inversions on a full stomach.  I will be eating a large omelet for breakfast tomorrow, in spite of the copious amount of food we have eaten since our arrival in Pittsburgh after midnight.

The first time Stu told me we would be eating at two different BBQ places for dinner for our first night in Kansas City, I told him no way.  We did it anyway.  It soon became an old tradition, then an older one.  This trip, I was the one who insisted we stop for Essie’s famous hot dogs on our way to Primanti Brothers.  Stu informed our travelling companion of our old tradition.  Tomorrow, we will be having breakfast at Pennsylvania’s most iconic restaurant, visiting one of America’s most iconic amusement parks, along with a very iconic Frank Lloyd Wright house, and then having dinner at West Virginia’s most iconic restaurant.  It will be a very iconic day.  Ooh, idea for the title of tomorrow’s entry.

After I closed on I-78, we played some car games, or at least Stu’s idea of car games.  He was the driver, so he had privilege.   After a while, I took a nap.  I also realized that one of my favorite movies, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, was set in Pittsburgh, and we’d be passing through the iconic tunnel/bridge later.  I excitedly texted my friend, who shared in my excitement.  Before I knew it, I woke up, and we were almost in Pittsburgh.  Our first stop was a place my manager who grew up in Pittsburgh had recommended: Essie’s Original Hot Dog Shop.  The recommendation was well received.  It was a bit of a hassle to order, but we each got a hot dog, along with a huge portion of fries to share called a small (I shudder to think what they call a large).

We scarfed down the food before heading to Primanti Brothers for some of their “almost famous” sandwiches.  The menu was very ironically written.  We got a burger and a roast beef sandwich for the three of us to share.  What makes their sandwiches so famous is that they put fries on the sandwich itself, along with tomato and Cole Slaw.  Well, I don’t like raw tomato, and I’m not a big fan of Cole Slaw, either, so we had to get those on the side.  The sandwiches were very underwhelming.  The hot dogs and fries at Essie’s were much, much better.

We put the hotel in the GPS, and we prepared to cross Fort Pitt Bridge.  I cued up the “tunnel song” (Heroes by David Bowie) from “Perks”.  I wished that we had a pickup truck so that I could have fully reenacted the scene, but sticking my phone out the window had to suffice.  Also, we were going the wrong direction, since the tunnel was before the bridge in the scene from a movie.  “We accept the love we think we deserve.”  I could write pages on that quote, but that is better suited for my personal journal, especially in light of what has happened over the past two weeks.  That’s a quote from “Perks” in case my reader was not aware.  After our second dinner, we headed to the hotel, which was oddly situated in the Green Tree borough of Pittsburgh.

After we settled into the room, I headed back down for a smoke.  I had hoped to smoke my pipe, but I seem to have forgotten my tobacco.  I opted instead for an OpusX (aged over seven years).  I then found a bench with a decent enough view of Green Tree, where I sat down and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I publish and get to sleep.  It is 3 AM now, and we have a very iconic day tomorrow.

The Maritimes - Day 4 - The Return Journey

7/5/16, “The Return Journey”

Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Nova Scotia (YHZ)

And, so my trip comes to a close.  Reader, think of everything you love about New England.  Whether it is the rocky shores, the charming colonial towns, or the wooded lakes.  Think of all your favorite foods from the region, the fresh seafood and berries, whichever are your favorite.  It is quite possibly the finest region that our country has to offer east of the Mississippi.

The Canadian Maritimes are like New England.  On steroids.  The shores are rockier, the towns more charming, the lakes even woodier.  The fresh seafood and berries are even more abundant.  It is a marvelous place to visit, like everything in Canada compared to its American counterpart, it is bigger and grander.  As much as I love our sweet land of liberty, the cultural and natural heritage sites of Canada always outdo the similar ones in America.  So, too, do the Canadian Maritimes outdo our New England states.

In spite of all the adversity at the onset, this was a great trip, and, while it was my last trip to the Maritimes, I very much look forward to exploring Newfoundland and Labrador this time next year.  By far, my favorite place this trip was Charlottetown.  That was where I had the best meal of the trip, and the charming little capital, no bigger than my home town of Scarsdale, was a great place to spend a night.  I doubt I would have wanted to spend more than a weekend there, though Halifax left me feeling as if I could have spent a week there if I wanted more time to explore.  The historic sites of Grand Pre and Lunenburg were even more charming than I expected, nor did I expect to be so wowed by the Joggins Fossil Cliffs.  In short, all five sites that I did see were very remarkable and enjoyable, even if I did slightly rue missing out on Miguasha (again).

When I first went to New Brunswick, (is it really almost two years ago now), I first made the comparison, calling it Maine on steroids.  They specialized in lobster and blueberries, too.  That was when I was first supposed to see Miguasha, but they had already closed for the season.  It was the fall, and the foliage was so beautiful, far surpassing anything I’ve ever seen in New England.

This trip would allow me to complete the Maritimes, and my time in Nova Scotia and PEI are well documented here.  I spent very little time in PEI, but I enjoyed very much the time I did spend.  Nova Scotia, I properly explored, seeing all three World Heritage Sites and spending two nights in the capital.  I had the famous smoked salmon twice, and, of course, I loved it.  I don’t plan on going back to carbs when I get home, so I’m not sure if I can manage to eat lox for breakfast straight.  You need the bread and seeds to cut it.  In all, this has been a very good trip, and, had the opening hitch not happened, it might have been perfect.  I suppose I don’t have much to report about the return journey, which I will recount after I get on the plane, since we are boarding now, and I want to get some coffee.

Aboard DL 3841, Gate 46, YHZ

Okay, The Return Journey, I’ll be as brief as possible about it.  After I closed last night, I got my ice cream, opting for “Moo Henry” and Birthday Cake.  I was finished with it by the time I got to my hotel.  I sat outside and lit up my trust Ardor, which I do not think will survive past my 30^th Birthday, if it makes it that long, and wrote my entry.  I took way too long winding, and it was close to midnight by the time I got to sleep.  I had to wake up in three hours.

I had already packed, so I just got ready and headed down.  It was a bit of a drive to the airport, and I stopped for gas on the way.  I got to the airport a little before 4:30 AM, which was actually perfect timing, since security didn’t even open until 4:30 AM.  They did US Border Control Preclearance at the airport, and that didn’t open until 5 AM.  I lost my lighters to security.  I then stopped at the duty-free shop to get an assortment of local alcohol, including a bottle of Glen Breton.

I then went to the gate, where I sat down proceeded to write my reflective entry.  The only donut they had at Tim Horton’s was a Boston Cream, not very Canadian, so I took a pass on the coffee, knowing I could get some on board.  It was a bit of a walk from the gate to the plane, and I had to gate-check my bag.  I got to my seat, 1A, my favorite seat, ordered a coffee and whiskey, seeing as both were free, and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close, along with closing out the trip, so that I can finish my drinks and maybe get some sleep en route.  Next stop: Pittsburgh and West Virginia with Stu for our annual summer amusement parks and National Park Sites trip together.

The Maritimes - Day 3 - The Fourth of July

7/4/16, “The Fourth of July”

Luneburg, Nova Scotia

The Fourth of July has become a special day for me in terms of my travels.  It was on this day, four years ago, when I set out to see the world, sitting with my family outside my cabin at Mammoth Caves National Park in Kentucky.  I decided I was going to see the world, and I would start with the United States and Canada.  Every US State and Canadian province, I promised myself, by the time I turned 30, which was a little over five years away.  I was 24 at the time.  I had been to exactly 2 Canadian Provinces at that point, and Kentucky had marked my 40^th state.  I am now one state and one province away from those goals.

I would also see every US and Canadian World Heritage Site, two more goals.  On that account, I was even further away.  My 30^th birthday is 14 months away, and I am well on track to visit all the remaining ones in that time period.  Over the next few months, I would add more goals that would relate to my travel goals around the world.  In the end, I would add thirteen more goals to the list, a total of seventeen goals.  Reader, if you have ever wondered the reasoning behind the URL of my blog, you now have your answer.

While my trips would take me all around the world, in honor of that night, I have always reserved the Fourth of July for a US or Canadian World Heritage Site.  “The Fourth is for Plaques!” I have said more times than once, both to myself and out loud.

In 2013, I went to Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories.  I flew to Edmonton the night before and woke up early on the Fourth to drive 16 hours to the site, listening to Taylor Swift’s new album (Red) nonstop.  I learned almost every song by heart.  The sun would not set until 11:30 PM that night that far north, and I made it to the Plaque around 11 PM.  I was not the only one there.  I took my ceremonial pictures and then wandered down the trail, in my shorts and flips, and was rewarded with purple arms and legs from the swarm of mosquitos that followed me.

The next year, 2014, my best friend and I went to Alaska.  We didn’t find a Plaque that day, only a hanging certificate, but we spent the day cruising Glacier Bay before flying back to Juneau.  Last year, 2015, my mother and I were on our last great summer road trip adventure.  We spent the Fourth in Yellowstone, driving from one end of the park to the other.  We found the Plaque, outside a restroom, the worst possible place for it, but we found it.  That was where I got the shirt I’m now wearing.

This year, it is back to Canada for the Fourth, and, once more, I have been listening to Red the entire trip.  I have found two Plaques today, and I have done everything I wanted to do in the Maritimes.  I got my flag pins.  I saw all three World Heritage Sites.  I got my souvenirs (though not the ones from here yet).  I have said, “Maritimes Complete.”  In spite of the additional hiccups, the trip has worked out rather well.  I saw Plaques on the Fourth.  That’s what mattered most.  I will see Miguasha another time.  As soon as I finish this entry, I will make my way back to Halifax, and I will be flying home first thing tomorrow morning, then straight to the office.  This site has represented my last activity of the trip, other than possibly dinner tonight, and the trip now draws to a close.

After I closed last night, I went back to the hotel, and they had a nice patio with a bonfire, and couches.  I wondered if I would sleep outside on one of the couches.  The weather was perfect for it.  I lit up an Ardor and published my entry, while I had some tea from inside.  After that, I changed into my pajamas and grabbed a coffee to bring back outside.  I lit up a Joya de Nicaragua.  It was past midnight, but people kept coming by around the hotel.  After the cigar, I still had been seeing people, so I decided against sleeping outside.

I went back inside and fell asleep, waking up shortly before 7 AM.  I had calculated that I had needed a hard 7 AM departure (as in, on the road at 7 AM, not out of the hotel at 7 AM) if I wanted to do the coast drive.  I had a coffee and muffin before I left, and I was already 20 minutes behind schedule, but I made up some time on the road, all of which I lost at the Welcome to Nova Scotia VC.

I lit up a Fuente for the drive to the Nova Scotia border, but the Welcome sign was only accessible by going into the VC.  Somehow, that cost me 20 minutes.  I then lit up a Tatuaje TAA Exclusive, and I stopped for gas after that cigar.  I looked at the peninsula drive and wondered if it was worth it.  The person at the gas station confirmed that that drive was too far inland to see the coast.  I would skip, and I’m glad I did.  It gave me far more time than I had budgeted for the two WHS, and I needed those extra hours.  I lit up a La Aroma de Cuba Jefe, and that brought me to Grand Pre.

I had budgeted 15 minutes for the site.  In the end, I used up well over and hour more than my budget.  It was fine, though, since my new schedule allowed me to spend as much time as I wanted at these two WHS.  Grand Pre was not, as I had thought, just a church.  It was a landscape that was a great example of Acadian culture.

The church was just the most prominent building.  I went to the VC and found out that the Plaque was at the top of the hill.  That was also where the inscription photo was taken.  I walked up the hill and found someone to take my picture at the Plaque.  Figuring out the spot of the inscription photo was slightly more challenging, but I had some clues from the angles, and I soon found the exact spot.  I had lit up a Montecristo after I took the pictures at the Plaque, and the wind was brutal.  I had a lot of trouble holding my printout for the ceremonial picture, but, in the end, I did.

I then walked back down to the hill and took some ceremonial pictures there, too.  Then, into the VC to get my souvenirs, and straight to Lunenburg.  I stopped for some coffee and a cake, but the cake was too sweet, so I only had three bites.  I lit up a San Cristobal to pair with the coffee, both of which nearly lasted until I arrived at Lunenburg.

I easily found the building that was in the foreground of the inscription photo and parked nearby.  Like with Grand Pre, I was confused about Lunenburg.  It was not inscribed for the waterfront.  Instead, it was inscribed because it was the best surviving example of a planned British Colonial town with a grid layout.  The charming waterfront had nothing to do with the inscription.  When my parents were here, they bought me a paperweight with the town’s logo on it that said it was a WHS.  I tried in vain to find another one, but I failed.  I then headed to the town hall, which was next to the Plaque.

The setup for the Plaque was beautiful, and it gave Old Quebec a run for its money.  One problem, there was no one to take the picture.  There were two women around my age with a bunch of children (doubtful all theirs), and I could not ask them to take their eyes off the children to take my picture.  I kept waiting for someone, but no one showed up.  Eventually, the father came, and I walked over to him and asked him to take my picture.  He did.  That was it.  All the World Heritage Site Plaques in the Maritimes.

I headed back down the hill to the waterfront and found a place in view of the iconic red building from the inscription photo and got some battered scallops and beer from Halifax.  It was all really good.  I then headed to the docks.  I realized that the inscription photo was actually taken from a boat, not from the docks.  I lit up a Trinidad and did the best that I could to recreate the picture from the docks.  After I took my ceremonial pictures, I made my proclamation with no pomp or circumstance.  “Nova Scotia Complete.  Maritimes Complete.”

A year from today I will be able to proclaim, “Eastern Canada Complete.”  I walked back up the hill to take more ceremonial pictures around town and then back down the hill to find a nice spot in view of the iconic red building.  I found a spot that had a good view, where I sat down and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I can get my souvenirs and head back to Halifax for my last night in the Maritimes (possibly ever).

Halifax, Nova Scotia

The sun has set on my last day in the Maritimes, and I will be leaving for the airport to fly home in less than six hours.  This is my last night in the Maritimes.  Writing this entry is how I will forever remember the Maritimes.  It is twilight’s last gleam, but there are no rockets’ red glare.  To see those, we would need to look in the opposite direction, back towards New York and Philadelphia.  If I have my geography correct, I am facing the whole of the Maritimes.  Parts of New Brunswick, PEI, and, of course, Nova Scotia, are all within my line of sight.  Obviously I can’t see it, but that is the direction I am facing as I sit on this rocky shore.

I will properly reflect on the Maritimes as a whole tomorrow, but, for now, it is sufficient to say that the Canadian Maritime provinces are one of my favorite parts of the world, but then, so, too, is almost all of Canada.  This is a beautiful vista, and I will be loath to leave it once I finish my entry.  Actually, the cigar is my limiting reactant, as I will need to wait until I finish my cigar before I get my ice cream, and I want to get my ice cream before I go back to the hotel.  That means, reader, you will have the pleasure of my company for some more time.  There really is not much to write.  Other than dinner, almost nothing happened between the time I closed in Lunenburg and the time I sat down to write this entry here in Halifax.  Actually, I do need to draw some power to my phone from my laptop.

After I closed in Lunenburg, I went in search of souvenirs and a club soda.  I found both.  I could not find the paperweight, but I did find a pin with the same logo and verbiage.  That was good.  After I got my club soda, which I downed while I was paying for it, I headed back to the car.  It was slightly over an hour to my hotel in Halfiax, and I was spent.  The car was blazing hot, so I blasted the AC.  I then lit up a very special edition Davidoff to celebrate my last drive and having said “Maritimes Complete.”

Before I knew it, I was at the hotel.  I checked in and brought all my stuff out of the car.  I was ready to pass out and relaxed for a bit before I headed out to dinner.  I had chosen a very-well reviewed restaurant called The Five Fisherman.  It was a very disappointing experience.  I was ready for an epic evening, and it was all going to start with that dinner.  I saw they had outdoor seat, so I asked for a table outside.  They told me it would be 10-15 minutes.

I walked up to the citadel and took some pictures there of the view from the top of the city before walking back.  It was 30 minutes before they were ready to seat me.  I also learned that the outdoor menu was a pared down version of the highly rated upstairs menu.  If I had sat upstairs, I probably would have already been seated and had my appetizer by then.  I was very frustrated, but I wanted to sit outside.  If I had known all of this information from the beginning, my calculus would have changed.  That was what upset me most, not just that I had lost a precious half an hour, when I was fighting time already to make sure I could get three full REM cycles in before I left for the airport.  I sat outside, and the service was bad.

I ordered the local whiskey, called Glen Breton, and the pour was stingy and overpriced.  I was now on the verge of anger.  Fortunately, the food was good enough to make up for it.  The waitress promised me that everything I ordered was from Nova Scotia, and I wasn’t entirely sure to believe her, since I hadn’t heard of fresh salmon coming from Nova Scotia before, but I suppose it was possible.  My appetizer was baked oysters, and the salmon dish was really good.  Disappointed with the service, I undertipped, something I almost never do.

It was 9:30 PM at this point, and I wanted to be in bed by 10:30 PM.  That won’t happen.  11 PM is looking a challenge.  I lit up my VSG and walked to the waterfront, the opposite end from where I was last time.  I was glad it was still the blue hour, which provided for a great establishing photo for this entry.  I climbed down the rocks to find a great spot to sit along the water, and I faced the direction of the rest of the Maritimes, where I proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close, as my cigar is almost done, and I want to get that ice cream for my walk back to the hotel, where I will publish and then pass out for, hopefully, enough time that, combined with an extra REM cycle on the plane (and maybe some more sleep on the bus from the airport), will allow me to properly function at work tomorrow.