Summer
2026
Trip North
Skyline Trail (Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia)
St. George's Golf Club, Toronto
I
decided to avoid the high humidity of July-August on Hilton Head
Island, and headed north. (Thanks to Tom for some of his
photos!)
July 6:
Drove to Ithaca, NY
to stay with older brother Dave,
and visit my son Scott who lives nearby.
It was much nicer
weather… cooler at night, and lower humidity during the days. I had a great visit
with Scott visiting all my favorite places there: Treman
Park, Cayuga
Lake, Ithaca
Falls, etc. It was great spending time with Scott! Dave has a nice, quiet place
(with no Cell Service!) that was peaceful & quiet.
July 13:
Younger brother Tom
flew out from Denver, and stayed with us at Dave’s. Dave took us to the “Pickleball
Barn” where he plays and teaches, at a great facility
created by our good friend Mark
Murphy.
July 18:
We went to have lunch at The
Glenwood Pines, where we met with Dave's daughter Michelle and her son
Daimon & family, who just had a baby.
July 22:
The 3 brothers left Ithaca for the Hudson Valley &
Poughkeepsie, where we were all born. We stopped at our
parent's gravesite, and
cleaned up their stones including our Grandparents'. We
also saw the house we grew up in,
that our Dad built himself from the foundation up. Then
we headed south to Fishkill, NY, where we dropped Tom off at
old friends of his, John N. and his wife Karen. Dave and
I ate at a nearby Diner, The Redline Diner,
and then to our Studio 6 Hotel, which I would not recommend.
July 23:
Then the 3 of us drove to Freeport, Maine, stopping for lunch
at the Harraseeket
Lunch & Lobster Company.
It was highly rated for their Lobster Rolls and
seafood. And all set by a beautiful marina.
Another marina view.
It was delicious!
Then we
stopped at the LL
Bean Anchor Store before going to
play Minigolf at the Desert
of Maine; then we
had dinner at the Maine Brewing Company.
Then we checked into our Econolodge, and stayed the night.
July 24:
We got up and drove through the border crossing into
Canada at Calais, Maine, and then made our way up to Nova
Scotia and stopped at St.
Andrews, New Brunswick, where Tom did a whale
watch. Dave
and I walked around town, and found a nice place to have
lunch at the Red
Herring Pub. Tom had a so-so Whale Watch, but
had a nice time out on the water. We stopped in Amherst,
Nova Scotia for a quick meal at the Elm Tree Inn.... and
were amused by this sign in the
Men's Room.
Then it was
off to see my good friends Rick & Cindy Gaudet, who
have a beautiful home
overlooking the Northumberland
Strait. Cindy & Rick were gracious and let us
stay 4 nights at their place, where we each had our own
room for sleeping. (luxury, since we all snore!)
July 25:
Our first Day Trip was to Prince Edward Island, across the
9-mile bridge and to the north. We were lucky to
learn that not only was the Exchange rate at about -35%,
but that Canada had a promotion called "Canada
Strong", where all National Parks were free, and
even the Bridge over to PEI was about $15, not $50!
We drove up to Cavendish, where
the Prince Edward Island
National Park is located, and had a beautiful day to see
the glorious sites.
We had lunch
at the On the Dock
restaurant. Then we drove to the Capital:
Charlottetown, where we walked around the town and had
some ice
cream at Cows. We then
drove through the quaint fishing village Victoria
by the Sea on the way back home to Rick &
Cindy's.
July 26:
We 3 brothers drove down to the Bay of Fundy National
Park, in New Brunswick. It was another gorgeous day,
and we came in the north side of the Park, and drove all
the way through to the south entrance. Lots of beautiful views.
We stopped at the Visitor's
Center, and then went to lunch in nearby
Alma at the Alma
Boathouse Restaurant. Then we drove up back
into the Park to a Trail
called Laverty
Falls, which had a long gravel road to navigate by
car, and then a very rocky
& tree-rooted 1.5 mile trail down to the 39-foot
waterfalls.
On our way back we stopped at the Hopewell
Rocks Provincial Park, a geological wonder that during low
tide you can hike among the rock
formations, which at high tide can be kayaked
around. We got there with only one hour left in the
day, and Tom and I
ran down the long
staircase to look around,
while Dave stayed
up on the stairs to look from above. It was
worth the time we
spent there, as it is an unusual beautiful place.
July 27:
Rick took us on a great trip to the Five Island area, part
of the Bay of Fundy, where we first drove to a great beach with
tons of driftwood
and seashells.
Five Islands is a
rural community in Colchester County, Nova Scotia,
Canada with a population of 316 located on the north
shore of Minas Basin, home of the highest tides in the
world. It is named after five small islands – Moose,
Diamond, Long, Egg, and Pinnacle – located just off the
coast. We stopped in Parrsboro to have lunch and
beer at the Harbour
View Restaurant, which sits on a peninsula that overlooks
the Bay.
Then we drove over to Five
Islands Provincial Park, which had a lovely
peaceful beach
and grounds.
We saw a bald
eagle fly overhead. We stopped at the Tatamagouche Brewery
on the way home. We also stopped at our great
friends Deb & Jim Glenen, who gave us the keys
to their Condo in downtown Halifax! They have a beautiful home on the
water.
Then we got back in time for a lovely Lobster dinner and
another perfect Gaudet sunset.
July 28:
We took our time and drove over to Iona,
Nova Scotia, to check in to our Inn before driving the
Cabot Trail the next day. We stopped in Antigonish
for lunch and a visit to Peace
By Chocolate, which Tom had read about. They
had an interesting story of creating a shop and the
support the Community gave them. We got some great
chocolate bars there.
Then we headed to the
Iona Heights Inn,
and were surprised when the GPS said suddenly, "Board Ferry" ! It turned out
to be a free short Ferry ride
over a small river. It only took about 15 minutes,
then we headed toward the Iona Heights Inn,
which was a quaint
little Inn on a hill overlooking
the Bras d'Or Lake
Biosphere Reserve. It was a nice, peaceful place to
stay with a great Pub
that had a Continental breakfast. We had dinner
at the nearby Darby's Old Church Kitchen.
July 29:
This was our
one-day trip around the
185-mile Cabot Trail,
and we couldn't have asked for better weather. It
was sunny and clear, and the sites
were amazing. We
had read that the best way to drive it is
counter-clockwise, so the views are always to
our right. We stopped for breakfast at the Clucking
Hen Cafe & Bakery, where we sat outside with a
view. After a few
pull-offs, we went to the Cape Smokey Picnic Park,
where Tom & I went on a short "trail"
that was way too overgrown. Plus, at the end we
could just see what we previously saw on a recent
pull-off. We made some other stops for views. We also
stopped at the Cape Smokey Ski resort where they had a Gondola that
took you to the top. We decided to skip it and go
on, since we had so much to see.
We stopped at the Whale
Interpretive Centre, and went to look around.
It’s a fun and
interactive museum with exhibits for all ages to enjoy.
We learned about whales and porpoises found around the
Maritime provinces. We saw Hook, a 3D life size
replica of a local long finned Pilot whale.
Then we went a little further for lunch at
the Rusty
Anchor Restaurant, where we sat outside with spectacular views of the
ocean. We had reserved a parking spot at the Skyline
Trail, the "quintessential"
view of Nova Scotia. It was an amazing hike; a
couple of miles one way, to the "end of the world"
view that was spectacular.
Amazing hike.
As the sun set, we headed to a live music restaurant in
the small town of Chéticamp at The Doryman Pub and Grill
where we caught a set of live music and a
big crowd. It all cleared out right at 9:00 pm. We
got home at dark and had a great day.
July 30:
Thursday we drove down to the Capital of Nova Scotia,
Halifax, to stay at our friends Deb & Jim's condo on the 16th floor
of a beautiful downtown
apartment building. They were gracious to
allow us to stay there, and it was a gem of a place to stay within
walking distance to everything downtown. Deb &
Jim have a northern shore place right by Rick & Deb's
place. The Halifax condo had an underground Parking
facility, and was a complex series of doorways and
hallways to find our way to the apartment. Once we
found the place, I called Jim to ask how to navigate the
entry to the apartment. Thanks a million, Jim!
We walked a little around town, and ate dinner at the Henry House on
Barrington Street - a traditional British Pub. We
had a nice dinner,
and I had Bangers
& Mash. Then we walked down to the Wharf, where they
had a nice Boardwalk with lots to see. On our way
back, we saw a beautiful downtown church, and our Condo building (that we
had a top floor Condo!).
July 31:
We drove southeast to see Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay and
Lunenberg. When we got to Peggy's Cove first, it was super
crowded, and very fogged
in. We couldn't even find a single parking
space. So we decided to drive to Mahone Bay, a
quaint little seaside town, and had lunch at the
Mug &
Anchor Restaurant. We had beautiful seats
outside with a great view, and
the temperature was cool and nice. The waitress told
us there were 365 islands out there. (but she also told us
to ask any other questions so she can give us a Bullsh*t
answer!) Then we walked
around town a little, and drove through Lunenberg,
before heading back to Peggy's Cove
again on the way back home. This time, the fog had
lifted a little bit, and the crowds were much
smaller. We got a close parking spot near the Lighthouse,
and walked around the huge rocks that
surround the Lighthouse. It was a unique place to
visit, with turquoise waves crashing up on the
rocks. We headed back to Halifax, and ate at the Zen House
Japanese Restaurant that was right inside our
apartment building. We had a wonderful
meal, and our Server Grace gave us free Spring Rolls
and free Ice Cream desserts.
Aug. 1:
We spent our last day walking around downtown
Halifax. We wandered around and saw a War Memorial Plaza,
the City Hall
building, and walked down to the wharf. There we
boarded the Ferry to
Dartmouth (free - as per "Canada Strong"), and went to the
Canteen Restaurant,
where we had the famous "Crobster"
sandwich - a cross between a crab and lobster
roll. Yummy! Then we took the Ferry back to
downtown Halifax, and went into the Maritime
Museum of the Atlantic, a fascinating museum with lots
of boats,
exhibits,
and history.
There was even an Ocean Liner
model that was split in half so you could see the
insides (with a mirror). On our way back to the
Condo, we stopped into Taz
Records, a huge
record store with LPs and lots of other things as
well. For dinner we went out to eat at the highly
recommended Amano's,
an Italian Restaurant that was very busy with customers,
and the food
was delicious. We had a great time in Halifax,
thanks to Jim & Deb!
Aug.2:
We drove across the border at Calais again, this time
crossing a tiny bridge in a small town, with only 1 car
ahead of us. We found our Hotel in Bangor,
Maine, and then went to the High Tide
Restaurant for dinner. Nice place. I had another Lobster Roll.
They had a nice deck
overlooking the river, and a drone show at
night - something I had never seen before.
Aug. 3:
We
stopped at Dysart's
Restaurant & Truck Stop for breakfast,
one of author Stephen King's favorite
restaurants. We
then drove to a huge Discount Store we had seen years ago,
called Marden's -
although it now has a new location and building. Then it
was on to Sturbridge, MASS to find our next Hotel. Tom had
to do a "Virtual"
check in, even though there was another human being
at the counter. We found a nice Chinese restaurant
to eat at, and when they brought out the food, we could
not believe what we were seeing! it must have been 3 meals in each
plate. We went to the Hotel very full.
Aug. 4:
We had another good weather day for driving back home to
Ithaca, NY.
Aug. 9-16:
I drove to Niagara-on-the-Lake to visit my friends Carlos & Christine,
who have a beautiful
home there. Carlos and I are golf buddies, and
we got to play 5 days in a row.
We had a
fantastic week of good weather, and lots of golf.
Carlos is also a great chef, and made lots of great
Filipino dishes for us.
We played 3 times at Thundering Waters, a John Daly design, with friends Raul & John and once at Whirlpool Golf Course with our friends Don and Mandy. These courses are beautiful, with tall, long grass in the rough where it is easy to lose a ball. The fairways and greens were excellent.
On Tuesday the 11th Carlos, Christine & I went to the
Power
Station Tour, right on the banks of the
Niagara. It was a fascinating tour of the original power plant that
used to provide electricity from the Falls. The Niagara Parks
Power Station stopped operating because it generated
outdated 25-hertz power, and upgrading it to the modern
60-hertz standard was too expensive.
We visited the Manager's Offices, which
had a nice view,
the Control
Room, and had a personal tour guide to tell us all
about it. We took an elevator
down 2,200 feet to "The
Tunnel", which was a huge, long tunnel to the
outside, where we came out right at the base of the Falls!
On the 13th Carlos took me to St. George's Golf
Club, in Toronto, (the #3 Course in Canada!) where
they have held the Canadian Open Tournament. (this is one
of my "Bucket List" courses!) His Finance guy Max is a member there, and
treated us to play the course with him. We had lunch
before golf at the Clubhouse restaurant,
which was excellent. We also played with Max's
neighbor Gary, who was great fun to play with. We
had a "Four-Caddie", who was helpful in reading greens,
and locating errant tee shots. This course was amazing! Perfectly kept,
it was like playing on a
living room carpet. The Clubhouse was like a museum, and the
service was spectacular. Carlos played well.
I had two "Lawrence" shots - one a chip-in for par on a
Par 3, the other a long putt from off the green. I kept
thinking, "What am I
doing here?!"
The greens were so fast that both Carlos and I putted off the green on one hole and down into the fairway. But it was a most enjoyable outing for sure.
On Friday the 14th we went to Danny's
Sushi, and of the finest Sushi Restaurants
I've ever been in. I had the Teriyaki Salmon and it
was delicious. Danny
himself game me a hat
designed by his daughter.
Aug. 10:
Tom flew back to Denver, Colorado.
Aug. 15:
I drove back to Ithaca, but first stopped at the USA side
of Niagara Falls - at the State Park.
It was a beautiful day, and I got to walk right up to the
Falls
on the American
side. Very nice Park.
Aug. 21-22:
After spending more time with Scott & Dave in Ithaca,
I headed down to see my brother-in-law Ron Johnson and his
wife Cindy in Durham, NC. On the way I stopped to
enjoy the view of the Blue
Mountains. We had a very pleasant visit, and I
caught up with all the Johnson family news. It was
great seeing Ron & Cindy again. We spent Saturday
cleaning up their church in preparation for the opening of
Sunday services there.
Aug. 23-25:
I drove a little more than an hour south to Southern
Pines, NC to see my good friends Kevin Sparke and his wife
Liz May. Kevin & I go way back - to college days,
and music history, too. He was our first drummer of our
band Jack's
New Licks in 1978. He and Liz have had me up
for Thanksgiving a few times, and Liz has taught me some
great cooking skills. She is a busy Realtor in
the Southern Pines community, and wears many hats in that
job. They let me stay in their beautiful Carriage House AirBnB, we went to feed
Liz's two horses Marty & Jingle, and we went
out to eat a few places.
But in another twist of good fortune, she has a Real
Estate Client who is a member of the Pinehurst
Golf Club, Steve S., and she set up a round of golf
with me & Steve
at Pinehurst No. 5, another one of my "Bucket List"
courses! Not only did I have a wonderful time on the
golf course (I never
lost a ball, and I never hit into a sand trap!) - but Liz
went around and collected almost a complete set of Collectible Golf Tees
from various places around Pinehurst! Steve also
gave me some ball markers, tees,
etc! I was thrilled. It was a beautiful course.
Kevin and I also took time to visit the USGA Museum they have
there, and we practiced our putting on the gigantic Pinehurst putting green.
And we went to a Pub for a
beer. The Payne
Stewart Statue!
Aug. 26:
I drove back home to Hilton Head Island.
==================================================
Overall, I had
a fantastic getaway up North. It was great to spend
time with my son, brothers, and friends.
I know I didn't miss the humidity of HH Island,
because every day I would get a text alert from the
Sheriff's Office saying "Extreme Heat Alert!".
I love Canada - it is such a welcoming and lovely
place.
I hope you enjoyed this Travel letter.
Thanks to brother Tom for sharing some of his great
photos!
Love,
Jim
