Desert or Dessert?

After spending some time in Toronto I picked up a car that was to be delivered to Phoenix Arizona through a connection though hittheroad.ca . So for five days I've had this lovely 2009 Jaguar XF :)

 

I finally broke down and payed money to stay somewhere. It was probably the worst Super 8 in the country. They did have hot water and a bed so I can't really complain. Other wise I have been couchsurfing along the way meeting very lovely and interesting people.

***FYI don't just pull your car off the interstate and sleep in a field... The police ask A LOT of questions haha. That's all I'll say on that subject.

I haven't been taking many pictures for some reason, I guess I've never been the one to spend all my time taking photos. I did however take a short video while driving along the 89A highway towards Sadona that can be viewed Here. To the hundreds of bugs I've slaughtered across the country on my windshield,  I'm sorry.

 

Out of all of the terrible photos I've taken out of the sun roof this is the most decent.

As for now I'm going to spend some time hanging out in Phoenix.

So long Canada!

So after 5 weeks of aimlessly moving about eastern Canada, today is the day when I start heading south and bypass winter all together. My last few days in Toronto have been great. I've had some time to wander aimlessly (as usual) and explore some neat places such as Little Italy and China Town. My favorite place is Kensington. Filled with little cafes and shops all a long the roadside. Although its narrow streets are open to traffic most people walk on  the street. Once a month they close off the street and it fills with people and random performers.

My last evening spent here was wonderful. A delicious home cooked meal by one of my hosts, followed by board games and wine.

 

Montreal, T Dot.

Oh Montreal how I love you. Sadly I didn't end up staying for more then a couple days. I did how ever get to visit with some old friends.

Every time I come here I discover something new and wonderful. This time it was the Jean Talon market (this picture doesn't do it justice.) There seemed to be an endless amount of very inexpensive produce. All of the veggies and fruits were arranged in beautiful displays. Most were available for the tasting :)

I had planned on heading to Toronto in a few days but after finding out about Nuit Blanche, An all night art festival involving a lot of the down town area, I hopped a bus and arrived around midnight. Ten minutes or so from the terminal our bus was met with a crowd of people who stopped the bus in it's tracks. Everyone dancing, singing, and just being generally crazy. upon leaving the coach I met up with a group of couch surfers from different places who had met up for the event and proceeded to explore Toronto in it's crazy rampant state.There was a strange mix of things going on. The buzz of the crowd was the most exciting part, but there were some interesting exhibits. Everything from opera singers to rock stacking. Maybe the strangest thing were the amount of campfires. in random places...

 This van was rotating in the middle of a closed off downtown street. Kind of reminded me of a disco ball.

Here are a couple videos of city hall and a random campfire. Sorry the quality is terrible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAE83SQApew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRwf49f2LeM

After a few hours of sleep I met up with a group of people who had organized an event for 350.org called Ride for Renewables. Basically 40 of us biked around to places in TO that were pro renewable energy. Toronto's first and only community owned wind turbine was the first stop. We biked for four hours through the city to various buildings using solar power, learned about how terrible nuclear power is, and enjoyed blocking traffic and ringing bike bells.

Longest 24 hours ever.

Home for a visit, then off again

Back home for a day of sailing and a night of fun.

Currently in Fredericton visiting some good friends, and loosing at foosball...

Bored...

St Johns, Quidy Vidy, Greens Harbour

I spent the weekend in St Johns, and even managed to get some good weather. I went to a pub called "The Ship" and saw a band called The Burning Hell which I really enjoyed, as well as BA Johnson whom I always enjoy! I also tried some beer from a local brewery called Quidy Vidy which was delicious. Needless to say there was lots of dancing to be had. BA even played a couple songs in the men's room.

Signal Hill is right in St Johns and has a marvelous view of the city, the narrows entering the harbor, and the ocean it self. I managed to catch a sunny day(maybe the first one since I've been here) and spent most of the morning gazing into the ocean.

I've spent the last couple days in a little place called Greens harbor. After breakfast I took a thirty minute quad ride to a spectacular view of the area, then to an amazing waterfall that was a giant natural water slide.

Check it out here:

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2010/9/20/giant-waterslide-waterfall-1919336

The day ended at little place down the road called HAPPA NL. Horse and Pony Protection Association of Newfoundland. It is a small non profit group that takes in neglected and abused animals, cares for them, then adopts them to loving homes. Pretty cool place if I do say so myself.

Lazy dog, carrot muffins, Sam Roberts

I've been staying in Mount Pearl for the last couple of nights on a friends couch, sharing a couch with this big goon.

I find myself doing a lot of baking on this trip, it's great.

Anywho...onward to St Johns for a night on George St. I'll need to find a shot of Screech and a cod to kiss.

The Rock!

I feel as though I've wanted to go to Newfoundland for so long but for some reason or another it never ends up happening. Not this time!

The night ferry wasn't quite what I had expected, felt more like a swanky club. This was the sleeping area/bar. A band even played for a while...

I had snagged a couple cobs of corn from a field in NS along the way. I tried to take them from stalks that had been knocked down and that the harvester wouldn't have been able to collect. The little fishy was the product of ten meters of  fishing line and a little hook I got in Corner Brook. Have to get my meat and veggies ya know.

It seems like if you walk off the highway a couple minutes in any direction there is an awesome camp spot or a spectacular view. Besides the traffic coming by ferry once and a while the highway is pretty quiet.

The day ends at an old friends house in Mt Pearl with some delicious homemade oatmeal raisin cookies.

Coolerpillar

Cat Cat Revolution

Nice day

Miike Snow, strawberry banana crepes, homemade chicken soup.

Nice day :)

Margaree, Cabot Trial, Sydney

After spending the evening in Antigonish I headed north and ended up staying in an old farmhouse in a place called Margaree. This is most definitely the most peaceful place I've been yet. I counted two cars that drove by in the day I spent here. The only sounds were those of the cows munching away at the grass.

Meatloaf and fresh veggies for supper, a warm bed to sleep in, and a drive up to the main road. What more could you ask for?

I ended up spending three days on the Cabot Trail. I decided that hitchhikers didn't have to pay an entry fee to get into the park and walked right past the ticket window. I was either fast enough, or I was right...

I managed to hike four or so of the marked trails, all with their own inherent beauty. I could have easily spent weeks hiking and camping here. I managed to spot whales off the coast, coyotes, rabbits, and even bumped into a couple moose on one of the trails.

I had intended to jump from the Mary Ann falls, but after two days of heavy rain they looked a bit too dangerous.

Luckily there were cooking shelters along the trail with picnic benches and woods stoves which made an excellent place to spend the night during thundershowers. A tad bit creepy though...

A night or two in Sydney, then it's off to Newfoundland.

Blueberry pancakes, pomegranate tea, and Joanna Newsome

The past couple days have been spent in Halifax with great people and fun times. Earl tried to execute us by luring us outside by disabling the power, then trowing a tree branch at a power line above our heads in an electrocrushing manor, luckily we escaped intact. Sadly one of my flip flops fell victim to the attack and was never seen again.

Currently I am hold up in the big city of Antigonish. It's funny how easy it is to fly to far places and see the world, and never end up visiting the places right next door.  I have spent one night in this place and I feel as though I live here. The city just has such a cozy feel to it, everyone is so happy and friendly.. It just feels right.

Summer time and the liven's easy

Yesterday started out with a plan. Shortly after I abandoned the plan and thank god. After being picked up by some of the coolest dudes(and dudets) I decided to ride with them to Lawrencetown and do some surfing. Five hours later(and several beers later) I discovered a passion for the waves... this isn't over surfing,we'll meet again.

After a long day on the beach we stopped in Cole Harbour for some chow and a soak in a hot tub. As the night progressed it became apparent that a designated driver was required. Being the freeloader of the bunch I filled the role. Finally in Truro.

Little sands, big fun

Little Sands is located just east of Wood Islands. After turning onto a little dirt road called Little Sands Wharf Rd it will narrow to a walking path. This brings you to a small beach and a beautiful cove perfect for swimming. A small peninsula of rocks sticks out into the water perfect for diving. The water is plenty deep and would be excellent to explore with a mask and snorkel. Dry off by laying on the sun warmed rock cliffs, take a nap if necessary.

Sometime I forget how wonderful PEI is with its sandy beaches and hidden swimming holes. No matter how small it seems there are always new unexplored nooks and crannies to find.

Mmm, Home.

Lets get outa here!

After a lovely warm summer back home on PEI it's now time to load up the backpack and find an adventure. Due to the fact I would never like to wear socks or shoes again south seems like the best option... But before that I've decided to do the exact opposite and head further north to Newfoundland. The ferry is only a hop skip and a jump from home anyway, and it gives me the opportunity to pass through beautiful Cape Breton.

What better way to enjoy hot dry weather then to go to a wet cold climate first!