Cross-country to Toronto

We departed from Fredericton by Thursday July 8. We were only 30 hours behind our estimated time of departure. Heck, whaddasitmatter? we're on summer vacation.

On the first day, we sped our way along the road in our favourite car "Pepin" to the United States border and onwards past Skowheggan, Mexico, Peru on Route 2. We drove to outlying Rumford, Maine where we stayed at a classic New England motorlodge in the mountains that was in need of a reno twenty years ago. On our first day, we really only stopped once. Julia was a super-star traveller. I would say that her highlight was the coin-op children's carousel ride at the Bangor Mall, which she never even found out could move since we didn't put any coins in. Her second favourite highlight was probably getting out of her car-seat at the motor-lodge where she ran around in the parking lot for about a half-hour before she discovered the telephone with a cord in our room.

On the second day, we went through some beautiful small towns named Gorham and Gilead.

At Gorham, New Hampshire, we decided to head into the White Mountains to climb up Mount Washington in the Presidential Range with Julia - in our car! The peak was in the clouds which made for a thrilling ascent and summit of the mountain. Before reaching the summit, we drove above the clouds. Too kool. I was impressed by the road and surprised by the fact that narrow winding dirt roads with deathly drop-offs are still kosher in the U.S.A. - land of the infamous abusers of the personal claims law-suit. Anyway, we loved it and recommend it to all but those who are afraid of heights and for those I recommend the cog-railroad or the coachride.

Mount Washington Summit 6288 ft - We enjoyed a picnic lunch ABOVE the clouds!

In this next photo, those are clouds that you see, not exhaust from the train:

After the mountain, we drove to Littleton, Vermont where stopped to stretch our legs and to get a break from our roasting-car. We parked by an independant movie theatre and walked down the street, visiting shops that Julia would love such as a head shop/spirituality-type shop where Julia loved the chimes, hacky-sacs and escpecially the magnetite rocks. We also took a major pit-stop at the children's section of the Village Book Store. Finally, we stopped in a beautifully restored cafe for a soft-serve ice cream and a ginger-ale before loading up on crappy American joe at Dunkin Donuts. We continued on to Montpelier for another leg-stretcher where we ate at the Samosa Man restaurant across from the historic opera house and fire station. Some Quebec'ers kindly informed us about a toystore around the corner where we spent the last part of our visit before hitting the highway in search of a motel. We drove half-way to Waterbury-Stowe before we found a four-star Best Western nestled in the Vermont hills. We were ready to call it quits and lucked out by getting the last room available in the hotel. The three of us went for a swim before calling it a night.

Littleton, Vermont

Montpelier, Vermont's most excellent toy store:

Ben and Jerry's Ice cream Factory Tour in Watyerbury, Vermont:

On Saturday morning, we gorged on the TRUE all-u-can-eat continental breakfast before going to the Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory before heading toward Burlington and beyond to Lake Champlain as Julia slept peacefully.

The entire route was beautiful, as was the weather. We crossed the border at Saint-Bernard, QC and drove off Montreal Island before stopping to eat at Subway and then visit the exotic petshop next door. Julia loved the fish and the kitties. After that, it was non-stop to Toronto with one gas-stop and no naps for Julia and lots of co-activity rotation with a parent (first Dad, then Mom) in the backseat. We arrived at Erin's Mom's house to surprise her but, unfortunately, no one was home....... By ten o'clock, we were in the house but our bodies felt like they were still on the road from the hours of vibration and road-noise from the day. It was good to stop......

videos tomorrow .......