Adventure OTS, 13 Night Snowbird Migration Quebec to Ft. Lauderdale Oct. 8, 2018

[Beav1279]

Love, love, LOVE your pictures! They are beautiful! Thanks for the review - I'm enjoying every word.

[twangster]

The Citadel of Halifax remains never to have been attacked by an enemy.  It's place on top of this hill gave it a commanding view and ability to defend the harbor along with many other forts and defensive positions located around the port.

Today it is a museum operated by Parks Canada.

Hmmm, more cannons pointed at our ship.

It also serves as a museum for Canada's war efforts in both World Wars, Korea and Afghanistan.   

A section of the moat has been re-created in the form of World War 1 trenches of the Western front that Canadian soldiers fought in.  

"Keep your head down"  Yeah, no kidding.

Back to the barracks used by soldiers in the Citadel.

Upstairs has been converted into a museum with exhibits.

A recreation of the monument to Canada for it's role in liberating the area located at Vimy Ridge in France.

Admission was $7.80 CAD or around $6 USD.  Well worth it.

Edited October 18, 2018 by twangster

[twangster]

Walking around town is easy and pleasant.

A Poutinerie.  

Halifax is known for it's Donairs.

An authentic chicken Donair. Yum.

Lot's of churches in Halifax.

An old cemetery across the street.

A recollection of a battle during the war of 1812 with the Americans.

Edited October 18, 2018 by twangster

[twangster]

Walking back towards the ship next to the pier is a local farmer's market.  Lot's of local's present today including many students from Dalhousie University here for lunch on this Saturday.

Closer to the ship is a local brewery. 

Time for a beverage.

[twangster]

Back on the ship I laid down for a nap (that Canadian beer is pretty strong).

Shortly after I went up for sail away and discovered the flowrider was operational.

The sole participant had brought a wet suit and was pretty good.  He had it to himself.

The slides were also operational and I can confirm the water is NOT heated. 

Slide rules in case anyone is interested.

As sail away got closer I saw some sail boats in the harbor.

The Peak-a-boo bridge was open for the first time in many days.

Down to the helipad for sail away.

The pilot boat tagging along waiting to pickup the harbor pilot.

 

[FLACRUISER99]

Great Job I'm on the same cruise and I can't believe How much I missed.

[twangster]

Off to dinner in the Windjammer for German night (Ironic after so much World War history today).  Tonight was a formal night and I just didn't feel like doing the MDR.  Food in the WJ was very good.

Around 6pm the Captain announced a guest was in a critical medical condition and we would need to return to Halifax to drop them off for medical attention.  Unfortunate but it happens.  

As a result our arrival in Saint John, New Brunswick tomorrow has been pushed back to around noon.  The Captain will provide an update in the morning at 8am.  

Just before 9pm we made our second departure from Halifax.

[twangster]

1 minute ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

Great Job I'm on the same cruise and I can't believe How much I missed.

Sounds like an excuse to do it again next year!

[twangster]

Day 7 - Saint John, New Brunswick

Beautiful sunrise this morning as we make our way to Saint John.

Windy today and all outer decks are closed.  Seas and ship are smooth, just windy.

The Captain just addressed our revised port times.  Saint John requires some extra time to set the lines so our planned time to be ready to leave the ship is around 1:30pm.  All aboard time will remain as scheduled at 6:30pm since the area is tidal and we must time our departure to avoid low tide.  

Our progress so far...

 

 

[twangster]

Day 7 - Saint John, New Brunswick, continued....

Eager for our arrival I headed to deck 12 to find very strong winds as we continued across the Bay of Fundy towards Saint John.  I went down to the Solarium on deck 11 where windows can be opened, even if briefly, to take a photo.  It was pretty windy and the flags raised by the crew were snapping in the strong wind.

Our first real glimpse of the entrance to the harbor.

The Bay of Fundy has the greatest tidal changes of anywhere in the world.  I noted the rocks in water indicating the tide was leaving the harbor as we sailed into the Saint John harbor. 

In some ways the entrance to the port appears somewhat industrial as first glance so I was glad to see the indications of a nice looking community on our port side.

Even now, close to land, the winds were strong and kept the flags snapping.

Until this point the upper decks were too windy to be safe but finally the land sheltered enough wind so we could venture up to deck 12 and see more of our approach than we could from the Solarium.

The cruise terminal waiting our arrival.

A familiar face was ready to assist but not needed on this day.

This is a bridge over the Saint John river that ends as it empties it water into the harbor and through it into the Bay of Fundy and the sea.  I'll later be walking along this area and spending much of day close to the river.

The terminal was pleasant but we quickly made our way out of the terminal into a tent structure where shops are set up. 

Upon entering the tent I encountered the most cruel entrance to a port city I've ever encountered. 

The wonderful smell of fudge and other goodies being heated for our temptation and enjoyment.  

The wonderful smell is coming back to me hours later as I write this.  Must.  Resist.

Outside (without fudge in my teeth) I started walking along the sidewalk and saw my familiar friend once again.

Like other ports up to this point, Saint John has some beautiful architecture.

I was on a mission to walk to the Reversing Falls, approximately 45 minutes away by foot.  I've gotta keep my step count up to beat a friend on her Anthem cruise.

My GPS app led the way and I walked through some very nice looking residential areas.

After some time I received affirmation I was on the right path. Looking up the Saint John river as it flows towards the sea.

I came across Riverview Memorial Park with a monument to soldiers who lost their lives in South Africa from 1902.

I was left with the impression "This is a city I could call home".

Not long after I made the turn towards the Reversing Falls.

Across the river is a mill which no doubt is a great source of employment for many locals.   The river had some flow which was very distinct but it occurred to me something wasn't right. 

It was flowing upstream.  

A very distinct current upstream from the direction of the harbor on my left towards land and points upstream to my right.  Weird, most rivers flow towards the sea.

A bridge over the river was to my left.  More on that later.

As I mulled about and took photos, it occurred to me the flow was increasing and rapids were starting to form, still flowing upstream.

At its lowest the water here can be up to 15' lower and the river flows over waterfalls towards the sea.  At this point though, it was flowing very clearly and strongly in the upstream direction.

To properly experience the Reversing Falls you either have to come at multiple times as the tides change or be very patient and hang around for hours to see it yourself live.  I was getting thirsty.  I noted a visitor's center at that bridge, time to make my way there. 

[twangster]

There are now two bridges over the river, one for trains and one for cars.

Looking back towards downtown our ship was very prominent on the city skyline.

The first attempt at a bridge many years ago met with disaster.  So did the second attempt.  The third time is a charm and that bridge remains.

On the opposite side is a restaurant and the Skywalk.

The current in the river, still flowing the wrong way, was very strong and distinct.  Small whirlpools formed and disappeared.  It was very mesmerizing to watch.

Across the bridge is where an excursion is more likely to drop you off.

Our ship remained prominent in the background.

There are steps and a path down to a viewing platform closer to the river.

I spotted a small boat approaching from the direction of the harbor.

It's motor had failed it was being sucked into the rapids - just kidding.

I watched it play in the current for a while then my hunger (and thirst) over came me.

[twangster]

The restaurant has great views and while I often avoid restaurants tied to a scenic attraction (CN Tower,  Space Needle, etc)  I was glad I stopped here to eat.

Like any decent restaurant in the maritimes, live lobsters were available. Real lobsters.  

 

First, I needed a Barking Squirrel.  

All beer served here is from the Moosehead Brewery which is right across the road behind the Mill.  I'm very familiar with Moosehead beer having grown up on it although just the one lager that is typically shipped out of province.  

Watching the water flow upstream was quite mesmerizing.  It's really moving!

My Canadian Elk burger was fantastic.  

Followed by a Moosehead Pale Ale.

To give you an idea how much water is flowing upstream, here is a time lapse video as I ate an Elk.

 

If I was able to stay longer, you would see the flow reversing and the river returning all that water towards the sea.

Here is the Moosehead brewery as seen from the restaurant.

With that it was time to head back to the ship.  I chose to follow the road across the bridge and downhill towards downhill.  I used the river as my guide so I basically followed it to the ship.

Edited October 18, 2018 by twangster

[twangster]

Once I walked down the hill on the sidewalk beside the road I reached river level and found a nice riverwalk along the shore.

The ship remained in sight for most of the walk at this point.

It's a really nice walk.  Why didn't I come this way going to the reversing falls?

There are nice areas along the path that are designed for children and are educational in nature.

Art work also can be found, including this cargo container.

"Wind and water"

This path is part of The Great Trail, also known as the Trans Canada Trail that reaches from coast to coast and is some 24,000 km long (15,000 miles).  I walked part of that trail near the other end in Victoria, British Columbia  in June on Explorer of the Seas to Alaska.

Getting here by cruise ship I imagine is infinitely more enjoyable compared to walking the entire 24,000 km of it.

Continuing towards the ship there is an opportunity to approach the river and rock hound.

Continuing, there is a nice boardwalk where the shuttle boat I saw playing under the bridge departs from. 

It's a very family friendly area and inviting.

As the slogan goes, "Find your beach".  Set up for beach volleyball this looked like a great mid-summer thing to do.

Walking along the sidewalk back to ship shows what a clean, pedestrian friendly city Saint John is.

 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2018 by twangster

[twangster]

Back in the tent I immediately smelled the fudge and noted other Canadian delicacies. 

 

 

 

Back on the ship I took some Saint John photos absent of the wind that was present earlier in the day.

The terminal and tent area for the cruise terminal.

 

 

Like Halifax the hop on, hop off bus is a great option for self-explorers.

 

Saint John is a really nice city and I'm glad they didn't cancel our stop from the high winds or medical diversion we experienced early.

 

 

 

The flowrider was running but empty.

 

 

In the Viking Crown Lounge each night they have set up a temporary bar for the over 1,200 D/D+/P C&A guests that are eligible.

 

 

[twangster]

Day 7 Dinner

 

 

I once again skipped the MDR and rested in my cabin trying to absorb an elk.

Edited October 18, 2018 by twangster

[twangster]

Approaching sail away and sunset I went up to deck 12 to see what I could see.

 

 

Those smoke stacks are the Mill at the Reversing Falls.

 

 

We spun around 180° and headed out of Saint John harbor.

 

 

While subtle in this photo, I could see the river had reversed course and was draining into the harbor and the sea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When can I come back?

 

With that our departure was underway and we escaped with the tide that was once again draining from the river into the sea.

 

Our progress...

 

 

Total cruise distance so far,  1,527 Nautical Miles.

 

Clocks go back one hour tonight.

 

[sisocialworker]

great pics...I see what you mean, limited inside space to handle the crowd, since it's too cold to hang outside

[twangster]

Day 8 - Bar Harbor, Maine

 

Arrival in port at 7am however we have to be processed by U.S. Customs and Immigration and this is a tender port.

 

We anchored near 7am but a letter dropped in my cabin stated to be in the MDR on deck 5 at 9am based on my deck.  Non-U.S. Citizens were instructed to go to the Imperial Lounge for processing.  Permanent residents were to go to the MDR with U.S. Citizens.

 

I ventured out to the Peak-a-boo bridge to see what I could see.  A first glimpse of Bar Harbor.

 

 

 

A look towards the town.

 

 

Lots of these islands dot the waters.

 

 

 

 

I assumed some excursions where picking up from the ship but it turns out they used these excursion boats as tenders for us.

 

 

Walking to the Windjammer I saw they had set up chairs as barriers in the Promenade preparing for long queues that could develop.

 

 

After breakfast I went back to my cabin to get my things together and kill time until it was my time.  At 8:35am I thought I'd venture down and see what lines were like.  They were pretty short so I jumped into the queue where they scanned my SeaPass card (for attendance purposes) and then an immigration officer inspected our US passports.  It went pretty quick and they marked my SeaPass to indicate I had been processed.

 

With that I headed down to the tenders and walked right on one waiting for me.

 

 

Very pleasant ride over to Bar Harbor that lasted maybe 10 minutes.  Our boat had an excursion guide who pointed out items of interest such as this original single mast lobster boat that would have been used back in the day.

 

 

A four masted sail boat was waiting for guests. He also suggested that fall colors were beginning to peak.

 

 

 

 

By 9:10am I was on the pier.

 

 

Edited October 18, 2018 by twangster

[twangster]

Bar Harbor is a quaint little town.  I didn't have any plans or an excursion so I just started walking.

 

 

 

 

 

A whale jumped onto the pier to greet me.  Just kidding.

 

 

 

 

Continuing through town...

 

 

 

I came across a sign for Bar Island Path so I took it.

 

 

I noted this warning. 

 

 

 

 

This is the 'Bar' in Bar Harbor. A sand bar.

 

 

As luck would have it we were nearing low tide.

 

 

 Lot's of birds looking for a meal.

 

 

Apparently they were finding one.

 

 

 

 

Along one edge of the bar is a natural raised beach of rocks that makes for a great walking path.

 

 

 

Once across the bar you reach Bar Island.

 

 

Bar Island is part of the Acadia National Park.

 

 

Tidal charts posted and a dire warning for anyone that thought parking on the bar would be a good idea.  Someone had a bad day.

 

 

 

I didn't have my park pass with me so I didn't enter the park.

Looking back towards the mainland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking back towards land the shore was very beautiful lined with trees displaying their fall colors in the sunshine.

 

 

 

 

 

With that complete I started back towards the harbor area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishermen at work. Beyond the boat you can see the bar and the Bar Island path.  Looks like the tide is rising.

 

 

 

 

 

Here in America they didn't feel the need to point the cannons at the ship like they did in Canada.

 

 

 

Walking through town a lot of stores had end of season clearances going on.  T-shirts and sweatshirts for $10, etc. 

 

 

I found an interesting store called "In the Woods" with wooded items carved from fallen trees.

 

 

 

I ended up with a salt and pepper grinder set.

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by twangster

[twangster]

We had changed time last night which meant it was noon where we had come from.  Time for a beverage and some lunch.

 

Leary's Landing Irish Pub seemed about right.  They had Guinness on draught.  That's always a good sign.

 

 

A Rising Tide IPA from Maine seemed appropriate.

 

 

Haddock Fish and Chips.

 

 

Earlier when we first arrived and set anchor the Captain had warned us that rain would move in later in the day.  It was beginning to cloud over so I decided to head back to the ship.

 

Remember the Bar?  And the warning about getting stranded on Bar Island?  Someone didn't read the sign.  Tide was coming in.  

 

 

They aren't walking on water.  They are walking in water.

 

 

 

As the tender pulled out and headed towards the ship the Bar was once again almost completely submerged.

 

 

One last look towards the shore of Maine.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by twangster

[twangster]

Our progress so far...

 

[twangster]

The Captain had predicted rain the afternoon and he was right!

 

 

 

No MDR menu in the D lounge tonight so no menu picture.  

 

Caribbean night in the Windjammer.  Jerk Chicken Pizza!  Yum!

[twangster]

Day 9 - Portland, Maine

 

I woke early and headed top side having seen the lights of a city on the horizon.

 

 

Behind us was the makings of a glorious sunrise.

 

 

Looks like an old fort or something in the harbor, will have to look into that.

 

 

Portland was growing larger as we approached the pier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We began making a 180° turn.

 

 

The sun was starting to rise above some clouds on the horizon.

 

 

 

 

With the city started to be bathed in sunlight I could pick out some interesting architecture.

 

 

 

 

Our progress so far...

 

 

[twangster]

Portland Maine, continued...

 

There is more than one cruise terminal in Portland but this one involved a decent walk from the ship to the terminal.

 

 

 

It's a small terminal, no shops inside.  A much smaller ship was embarking today and there were some boarding crowds queuing up for it.

 

 

The grounds are very nice in the area.

 

 

An old tugboat propeller with local history was on display.

 

 

Local art included two deer placed on stilts on old posts left over from days gone by.

 

 

 

Walking uphill with no particular destination in mind...

 

 

What do you know?  I came across a brewery.

 

 

They had a tasting bar with $6 flights.

 

 

 

Winning numbers in today's beer flight lottery... 4,5,7 and 14.

 

 

Yum.

Edited October 19, 2018 by twangster

[MrFunInTheSun]

Wow, amazing pictures. Looks like its been a great reposition cruise.