At last I’ve taken vacation in 2024! It took until early September but I took a trip to Lunenburg Nova Scotia, and enjoyed a cycling event in Maine and a visit with my son in Massachusetts on the way home.

Dianne and I had a good vacation in Canada. We spent some time seeing the sights in Lunenburg, and looking at the historic schooners in port, including the Bluenose II, the vessel that is shown on the Canadian 10 cent coin. We also went whale watching, which was interesting, but we saw more seals than whales. We did see whales on the ferry to and from Bar Harbor Maine through. We took a trip from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth NS on “The Cat”, an oceangoing catamaran ferry. We didn’t get to sail on the Bluenose II, that was booked months in advance, but we did get to see her under sail, and I got a good photo (see below). Spending a few days in a new place does wonders for your peace of mind. There were a lot of things to do, and we got out of ourselves and just had a good time. We stayed in a beautiful bed & breakfast in Lunenburg named Ashlea House. I loved it. Breakfast was fabulous and the rooms were terrific. We had great weather. We found good food and got to know more about Nova Scotia. It was worth the time and effort to get there.

On the way home we spent some time in Portland Maine, where I rode the Maine Lighthouse ride again. As always, it was a beautiful event and we visited some of our favorite places.

I have to admit that most of my vacations involve activities like cycling. I’m not the sort to be found lying on a beach or in a lounge chair poolside for a week. It would drive me insane. I know that this may change because it’s a dynamic life and I’m getting older, but for now I’m happy to merge my vacations with my hobbies. We also took the opportunity to visit the L.L. Bean campus, because it’s 20 minutes from Portland and it can be fun to do. I’m not much of a shopper, but that place is enormous and walking through the multiple buildings filled with different goods can really turn my head. Dianne and I had a good time throughout.

Our final stop was in Worcester Massachussetts to visit my son. I haven’t seen him in a very long time, and it was wonderful to spend time with him.

There is really nothing like taking some time and getting away. This time was well worth waiting until September to take!