Guylaine and I got up early and started packing. We tried to let the kids sleep as late as we could which kind of backfired because then they didn’t want to get up. Except William. He got up to go to the washroom so we made his bed. Because he sleeps on the table, he didn’t really have a choice to get up.
Guylaine took the kids down to the beach at the campsite while I got the trailer hooked up and dumped everything and put all the mechanical stuff away. While I was working, a guy came up and started chatting with me. Turns out he saw the blown out tire sitting outside the trailer and came over to tell me the same thing had happened to him. He was told the tires were defective and he was trying to get Jayco to pay for the replacements he had to put on. He gave me a few tips about where were going then I finished packing up. Even though it was cloudy, the rain has stopped and that’s a good sign. Guylaine used the camp’s facilities because I’ve already packed and can’t believe how clean they are.
We made our way back up the 111 for the last time (no moose this trip). We retraced our steps from yesterday without the help of the GPS. Back through Sussex, then onto the 2.
After a lot of complaining of sore bellies we stopped in at a Tim’s, where they proceeded to screw up my order 3 times. Good thing I didn’t go through the drive through.
The gas station was packed, so we decided to hold off on a fill up. Guylaine called Danielle to let her know we were on the way and would be stopping by her house in Dieppe just outside of Moncton. After missing a turn (not that I trust the GPS anyway) we made our way around the city and found Dan’s place. I was hoping to find an RV place or Canadian Tire because we’re still riding without a spare, but we were really behind and wanted to get everything in.
We had a great visit with Dan. She has a beautiful little house (even though it is not made for kids – great idea Dan). The kids still managed to run around the back yard after raiding her candy bowl. She took us to a park behind the local school where the kids had a blast. Shortly after we were back at Dan’s and ready to hit the road. Dan offered us her driveway and a lasagne dinner, which was very tempting (it sure smelled good when we walked in) but we had to go. Dan gave us a nice tray of brownies, which didn’t last the day, and in return Xavier left her a little present to make her garage smell better as well. The kids all screamed good-bye as we drove down the street. Why wouldn’t they? They had a blast.
No GPS and virtually no idea where we’re going, we head out and hope for the best. Dan gave us a map, but without the addresses for where we are headed, they aren’t a lot of help. We stopped at the Nova Scotia visitor’s Centre for a picture of the beautiful sign then we drove through Amherst looking for either a gas station or the campsite, or the signs for the Joggins Fossil Cliffs where we’re headed for the day. We find a gas station, but like the Irving a few days back they don’t have super. With a fuel range of only 46kms and still pulling the trailer, I program the GPS, find a Canadian Tire and hope the directions can keep me on pavement. Sure enough within 15 minutes our beast is guzzling gas like there’s no tomorrow. On the way, Guylaine thought she had seen the sign for the campsite, so we decide to head back the same way. On the way we see the sign for the sea cliffs and it’s getting really late, so instead of checking in, we decide the trailer is coming with us. We follow the signs and find this place in the middle of nowhere. http://jogginsfossilcliffs.net/
The nearest town is a mining town that last mined before I hit puberty. Not much left to it now. We knew the museum was closing soon, but we were here and decided to figure out how much it cost to see if it was worth it, and I’m glad we did. The museum part itself was fascinating. The kids were so well behaved and the older ones were really into learning all that they could. After touring inside we went outside to a small rock maze and playground they had set up, where low and behold, Xavier decided he needed yet another present. I stayed and fixed him up then we joined the rest of the family on the beach. A brief history – this shoreline used to be at the equator and they have been able to track it’s evolution over the last 300 million years. The oldest reptile fossil in the world was found here. This site was even mentioned in Darwin’s book on the theory of evolution. The kids spent almost an hour scouring the beach and found all kinds of fossils. Alex even found a huge fossil of a tree branch. It was really a lot of fun and the scenery overlooking the Bay of Fundy was spectacular. We could see across to where we were yesterday driving home from the Hopewell rocks. It was really worth the drive and the price to get in.
We left there just before 7:00 and headed back to Amherst. Our campsite which we found after filling up is only a 2 minute drive to all the amenities, so we decided to stock up on groceries and a hot chicken dinner from Sobey’s before checking into the campsite.
We got to the campsite, and Guylaine directed me into our best parking job to date, then she took the kids to the park right beside our campsite while I set up. Not happy with how unlevel the trailer is, I decide to fix it. When I finally get the trailer up on the levellers and placed where I want it, I notice the trailer tire on my side looks like it’s sitting on a hockey puck. I pull ahead in case it’s sitting on a rock or something, and it turns out to be a bulge in the tire. Thank goodness it didn’t blow out while we were driving in the winding roads on the way to the sea cliffs. I wish I had the guy’s email that I talked to this morning. I’m sure he wouldn’t believe it. Looks like a late start tomorrow because I’ll need to pull the tire off the trailer and get 2 new ones now.
While all this is going on, Guylaine is trying to feed the kids and they keep taking off to the park. Finally William comes home crying because he fell off of something. Guylaine notices that his tooth that he’s been waiting 2 years to come out is literally hanging by a thread. By the time she gets a Kleenex to stop the bleeding and grab the tooth, William, as only could do, has decided to bite into a piece of chicken to ease his suffering and ends up swallowing his tooth. Not sure if the tooth fairy visits campgrounds, but we’ll make it worth his while just to make sure.
After a great dinner, the kids played cards and took turns taking their showers. I bought some Axe at the Sobey’s because my soap is getting low, and the boys, especially Xavier, are impressed by how good it smells. Xavier insists that everyone take turns smelling him once he was out of the shower.
Guylaine and I put away the groceries, then she dried a bunch of clothes with the hair dryer again. Laundry and tires seem to be our biggest challenge this trip. I just hope I can get the tire off the trailer and get them both fixed and on the trailer early enough to not mess up our day tomorrow.
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