July 15, Tuesday
After a simple, but adequate breakfast at our Comfort Inn in St. Johns, New Brunswick we started on our drive toward Campobello (also in Canada).
Campobello Island lies off the southeast end of New Brunswick and the North east tip of Maine. Both the Canadian and American press promoted Campobello as a summer resort. Well-to-do families from such cities as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Ottawa and Montreal escaped to Campobello by private yacht, steamship and train. Among those families was that of James Roosevelt, who, with his wife Sara and one year old son Franklin Delano Roosevelt, first visited the Island in 1883. James purchased several acres of land and had a summer home constructed; other wealthy visitors did the same.
Exterior of Roosevelt cottage
Interior of Roosevelt cottage
Along with the furniture, we saw personal items such as FDR’s well-worn hat.
We took time out for a picnic lunch. Annette took this picture.
Campobello was FDR’s "beloved island," a home place during his early years, and is therefore a fitting site to honor his memory.
From 1883, when Franklin was one year old, until he was stricken by polio in 1921, he spent most of his summers on this rugged and beautiful island. In the 1920 elections, FDR campaigned for the vice-presidency. The Democratic ticket was defeated and Roosevelt took charge, as a vice-president, of the New York office of the Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland. By August 1921, he was looking forward to a good rest at his beloved Campobello Island. During this first extended summer at Campobello in more than a decade, he ran a high fever and his legs suddenly grew weak. "My left leg lagged," he recalled. "Presently it refused to work, and then the other ... . " At the age of 39, he had contracted infantile paralysis. Although FDR would not return to Campobello until 1933, Eleanor continued to vacation there frequently.
After touring the house we drove out to the head of Campobello Island to see the East Quoddy Light House.
This area was recommended as the best whale spot. It was. We saw many whales and I was able to capture a number with my camcorder.
From here( Campobello in black on map) we headed to Ellsworth, Maine via hwy 1 and alt. 1; we then drove 20 miles to Bar Harbor and Desert Island of Acadia National Park (lower left on map).
We arrived hungry at the Huron House B&B, 1 Fernald Point Road, Southwest Harbor, Main. We paid $70 for each room and that price included full breakfast. Not bad for this key location in high season. We were meet by a huge St. Bernard dog and an energetic puppy. Both were quite lovable.
The St. Bernard wowed Fred over.
Our hostess recommended a good lobster place situated off the water front. The food and service was good...
... but the view of the waterfront from the torch lit site was just as good.
By the time we finished eating the sun was down and darkness was setting in.
The breakfast at the Huron House B&B was outstanding. Annette took these pictures.
We spent the morning touring Acadia National Park (in green on the map). Our B&B was the starting point. See Southwest Harbor lower left portion of map on hwy 102.
Our first viewing area was Echo Lake.
We proceeded to drive around Mount Desert Island.
On the other side of the island we made a stop at Thunder Hole.
And then there was Sand Beach
We did some street walking in Bar Harbor
For lunch we stopped for lobster and fish at the Fisherman’s Landing. Really good New England fare.
The tide was out so there was a natural causeway created so we could walk over to Bar Island on land. See circled area on the map.
The surface was such that a carload of young people drove out and spun their car around on the loose gravel. Their fun ended when they became stuck. As they frantically tried to free the car the tide began to change and rising water started to engulf the area. We watch with amusement from the safety of the shoreline. Just in time they managed to extricate themselves.
Mission accomplished at Bar Harbor, we headed for Lowell, Massachusetts 300 miles away. We drove through Bangor and took the Interstate 95. A stop at Kennebunkport gave us a chance to walk along the ocean. Very nice beach, lined with expensive homes.
Mike and Irma enjoyed the beach
As did others.
We could not resist driving out to the estate of George Bush. I The grounds were well protected by security posts. Warning signs kept us from getting too close.
When we return to town we were ready for some good New England food and chose Allison’s Restaurant.
Allison’s Restaurant (the two blue buildings on the right) was quite busy, but there was seating upstairs. We were very pleased with both the food and the service.
We took the interstates I95 and I495 to Tewsbury where our motel was supposed to be located. They had closed shop without notice and we recalculated coming up with a comfortable Susse Chalet Inn (later changed to Fairfield Inn).
Map by World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com)
July 17, Thursday We ate breakfast at the Susse Chalet before driving over to the nearby National Historic Park of Lowell, Massachusetts.
The Park was easy to explore.
We began our visit at Market Mills, the former Lowell Manufacturing Company mill complex, one of the city’s original textile mills. Market Mills houses the National Park Visitor Center.
What could be a better way to study the famous "Lowell Girls?" Women were "collected" or recruited by men telling tales of high wages available to "all classes of people." In 1840, the factories employed almost 8,000 workers — mostly women between the ages of 16 and 35.
At the Visitor Center, we watched “Lowell: the Industrial Revelation," an award-winning multimedia presentation, introduces visitors to the story of how people, technology, and capital came together to revolutionize textile production—and a way of life—in Lowell and other American cities. On display were actual belongings of a Lowell girl, copies of publications like the Lowell offerings, company advertisements for help wanted, etc.
Historic replica trolleys operate daily carrying visitors from the Visitor Center to the Boott Mills. Lowell Trolley Tours are both free of charge and are also ranger led and explore the rich history of Lowell.
The Boott Mills and Museum
Authentic Looms in the Boott Cotton Mill and Museum
One of the last remaining textile mill boarding houses in Lowell, Massachusetts.
We explored the role of water in shaping Lowell’s history by boat. Starting at Lower Locks, this tour goes through Swamp Locks and Guard Locks on the Pawtucket Canal traveling to the Merrimack River. Tour also visits Francis Gatehouse, Pawtucket Gatehouse, and “The River Transformed” Exhibit at the Wannalancit Mills to investigate how water was harnessed for power.
After our tour we walked over to St. Anne’s Episcopal Church attended by Lowell girls. Mill girls were expected to follow the company rules for curfew, church attendance and proper behavior.
Right in downtown Lowell, this restaurant gave us an authentic taste of Greek cuisine. It also reminded us that Greek immigrants were among the workers who later replaced the Lowell Girls. We ate delicious gyros and Greek salads.
Before leaving Lowell we stopped to admire and reflect upon this stature Homage to Women. Although this sculpture by Mico Kaufman was inspired by the "mill girls" of the Industrial Revolution, it easily identifies with the struggles and aspirations of working women everywhere.
More knowledgeable about the Lowell Girls, we now left for the next part of our journey. We passed through New Hampshire and then took scenic hwy 4 to Rutland Vermont. On the way we visited the Calvin Coolidge homestead and community in Plymouth (red dot on map).
The homestead remains exactly as it was the night Coolidge took office. In fact, much of the village of Plymouth Notch is unchanged since the early 20th century. The Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is considered one of the best preserved Presidential sites in the nation.
The weather held up until we got to the President’s church. The loud caps of thunder can be heard on the video tape. Then the rain came down in buckets. The Union Christian Church. Calvin Coolidge’s pew is marked with a flag. The Church is owned by the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation.
We walked over to the Cemetery for Plymouth, Vermont. It was a small village cemetery and the Coolidge marker was quite simple. Visitors are sometimes surprised that a president should be buried in such plain surroundings, but when Coolidge left the White House, he said, "We draw our Presidents from the people...I came from them. I wish to be one of them again."
Our lodging that night was at the award winning Rutland Comfort Inn.
July 18, Friday
Breakfast was complimentary (as at all Comfort Inns) and very satisfying.
Irma and Mike chose to stay at the motel while Annette and Fred drove over to the Norman Rockwell Museum of Vermont.
Needless to say we enjoyed the massive display of his illustrations. They were arranged in chronological order as they depicted the different eras of history. Besides the Saturday Evening Post covers, there were pictures from children’s books, posters, and other art work from his long career.
We picked up Irma and Mike at the Comfort Inn, bought groceries and then continued on hwy 4 to hwy 22 to Fort Ticonderoga, New York Located on Lake Champlain in northeastern New York, Fort Ticonderoga served as a key point of access to both Canada and the Hudson River Valley during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.
On May 10, 1775, Benedict Arnold of Massachusetts joined Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys of Vermont in a dawn attack on the fort, surprising and capturing the sleeping British garrison. Although it was a small-scale conflict, the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga was the first American victory of the Revolutionary War--
-- and would give the Continental Army much-needed artillery to be used in future battles. Especially important was the canonry moved from hereby General Knox to be used in the East.
We watched costumed guides recreate history.
Fife and Drum Parade
Another important stop in New York was the beautiful Lake Placid area. When we arrived our stomaches told us it was ready for din din. Our choice was ribs at the Black Bear Restaurant on Main Street.
We slept at the nearby Saranac Lake Comfort Inn.
July 19, Saturday
After our included breakfast...
... we took a self guided tour of the Olympic Center in downtown Lake Placid. It is often said that Lake Placid is where "miracles are that the US men's hockey team toppled the Soviet Union on its way to winning the gold medal. This is where 16-year-old figure skater Sonja Henie won a gold medal in 1932 and charmed the world
We went inside and watched activities and toured the training facilities. Here we saw the largest ice rink of its kind in the world.
High Falls Gorge was northeast of Lake Placid and a little out of the way, but it was really worth the trip.
It was created as the Ausable River cut through the granite base of Whiteface Mountain.
Scaffolding and bridges allowed us to view the falls from different vantage points.
We drove to Watertown in Northern New York and then crossed the St. Lawrence around the Thousand Islands.
Between the two major bridges across the islands was a high observation tower called the Skydeck. We stopped here and rode the elevator up 400 feet.
The Bird’s eye view was great.
Another 175 miles and we reached Toronto. Travel was easy on the multilane highway. Lodging was at the Ramada Inn downtown, recommendation by
Mobile Travel Guide and I received a 50%discount.
The Toronto landmark tower was visible from our room.
We spent some time shopping at the Eaton Center in downtown Toronto. The shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, with around one million visitors per week
July 20, Sunday
Destination miles today would be 237 miles before reaching Windsor, Canada. We visited the downtown Windsor Museum (formerly the Hiram Walker Museum). The building now houses over 15,000 artifacts and documents which hold and the greater Essex County, Ontario region. Fred did research here while working on his PhD dissertation on Alexander McKee. It houses the only original portrait of McKee.
Instead of taking the Ambassador Bridge we opted for the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. The Detroit–Windsor Tunnel is 120 feet short of a mile at 5,160 feet. At its lowest point, the two-lane roadway is 75 feet below the surface.
When Fred asked directions from a Detroiter, he gave a Chevy Chase type of answer: "Just take Chene Ave about 3 or 7 miles and you’ll run into it." Fred grew up in Detroit and knew Chene Street was well-known for its crime. Anyway, we found the interstate about a block away.
We continued on the interstate until we reached Battle Creek. For dinner we ate at a good ol’ Cracker Barrel. We checked in at the Comfort Inn partner Econolodge.
July 21, Monday
Because the motel was affiliated with the Choice Hotels, as was Comfort Inns, we had an included breakfast. Our trip to Milwaukee took us through downtown Chicago (no sweat). Overnight with friends in Milwaukee
July 22, Tuesday
Back home again after our trip of 21 days and 6,000 miles. Many nice memories!
THE END (FIN)
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