Here We Go!: Fall cruise to Quebec City, Canada.

This is a continuation of of our fall trip to New England from the last blog post.

Sunday 23 September, 2018

We checked aboard the Celebrity Summit at Port Elizabeth, New Jersey for a 2 week cruise to Canada for the fall color tour. We had been on her sister ship the Integrity a few years ago so the ships layout was familiar. In fact, I think we had the same cabin numbers.

Manhatten skyline from cruise ship.

Our first stop was Boston where we did a Hop On- Hop Off bus tour of the city as it was raining. We liked the tour so much we did it twice.

Docked at Boston.

In Portland, Maine we again did a Hop On- Hop Off tour with a stop at Portland Head Lighthouse as the highlight. Along the way we learned about potato doughnuts from the tour guide. After leaving the tour we walked back up the street looking at shops and the doughnut shop was right there so I popped in and bought 3 doughnuts for us to share. They really are the best doughnuts and yes, they are made with mashed potatoes.

Hop On - Hop Off bus in Portland, Maine.

Cobblestone street in Portland, Maine.

For our next stop in Bar Harbor, Maine we elected to take a ships tour to Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain. The tour was only 2 hours but we wanted to get the full tour guides perspective and narration rather than doing it on our own,

It was well worth the price.

View from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.

Our next day was at sea as we traveled the St Lawrence seaway to Quebec City, Canada, where we overnighted so had two days to explore.

We rented a car and spent the first day exploring Ile D’Orleans, an island North of Quebec city. This is a very picturesque island with farm lands, small farmers markets and a few restaurants one of which we stopped at for lunch. Lunch was pizza with fried dill pickles on the side. Not pickle slices which we have had in the South but spears battered and fried.

Ile d'Orleans North of Quebec.

After leaving the island we drove North to Sainte Anne-de-Beaupre cathedral which is a beautiful Catholic church with cooper panel doors and a history of medical miracles.

Medical devices from people who were cured of their ailments.

The next day we visited the hotel Frontenac which overlooks the city of Quebec. The ramparts surrounding the city are the only fortified city walls remaining in North America North of Mexico. We strolled the wooden walkways around the hotel, walked the nearby streets, stopped for coffee and hot chocolate (which was served in bowls) and bought Hop On – Hop Off tickets for a tour of the city. After the tour we had lunch of Crepes at La Petit Chateau nearby.

Clyda and Gary on the boardwalk.

Our next stop was Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Here we rented a car and drove to Gros Morne National Park for the fall colors. We stopped for lunch in Rocky Harbour at Earle's where the specialty is Cod tongues. Unfortunately they were out of cod tongues so we had fish and chips with partridge berry cheese cake for dessert.

Partridge berry cheesecake.

The next stop was Sydney, Nova Scotia where we again rented a car and drove to the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic site. The site is very large, the buildings are awesome and open to the public. The history of the rebuilding of this 1744 fort alone makes it worth visiting.

Clyda on the left at the big fiddle on the dock at Sydney, Nova, Scotia.

Our last stop was at Halifax, Nova Scotia where we rented a car and drove about an hour South to Lunenburg, a very picturesque town. All the buildings are painted bright colors. We stopped in a small cafe to a bite of lunch and also to partake of a Canadian specialty, poutain. It is fried potatoes with meat gravy and cheese curds on top. Mostly it is served as french fries with gravy covering them. Actually, it was very good.