Fog Horns in Grand Manan

We arrived in Grand Manan yesterday afternoon. The drive from Fundy National Park was mostly uneventful — we drove up to catch the highway, and then headed straight for the Grand Manan ferry at Blacks Harbor. I’ve always enjoyed taking ferries with the truck and trailer, though this ferry was quite a bit larger than I’m used to — it has a restaurant, a kids play area / arcade, and several passenger lounges. We stayed on the rear upper deck to enjoy the sun, wind, and sea air. I spotted a few dolphin pods, one small whale (I think), and an otter as we approached Grand Manan island. As the ferry arrived, following the coast, we could also make out several tents atop the cliffs. We wondered if this was the Hole in the Wall campground we were heading for…

And it was. A forum member recommended this campground, and after visiting the Anchorage Provincial Park this afternoon, I was doubly happy with our decision. Anchorage isn’t bad when you consider some of the other parks we’ve been to — it has a cute maze-like area that looks to have cozy campsites — but Hole in the Wall is in a different class. It’s a privately owned campground, and campsites are located along a cliff, with great views, and many very private as well. Top-K, the one we are staying at, has a great view, morning sun, trees and shade in the afternoon, and is very cozy. The ground tent area — currently occupied by a picnic table — is a little small, and the trailer / parking area as well; perfect for a small tent trailer like ours. ;-) The only downside to Hole in the Wall Campground might be the view of the lighthouse just down the coast from us, and the really thick fog we had last night. The lighthouse’s fog horn woke us up in the middle of the night, and it kept on going until sometime before lunch when the sun had finally burned off most of the fog. I’m pretty sure it’ll be the same tonight, but hopefully we’ll get used to it enough (though it’s pretty loud) to sleep a little more. ;-)

The campground also has great hiking trails along the cliffs — the trails are often narrow, close to the edge, and offer really excellent views. It was a real surprise to find these, and not something you would see in any National or Provincial Parks, where public safety is often a synonym for boring…

I bought Apple’s airplane charger, which are usually regular 12V cigarette lighter plugs, but of course Apple had to be different — their airplane charge does not work in a car’s 12V outlet. So aside from having power once at a campsite, I’ve had to use my laptop a lot less than I would have wanted. Trips and vacations often make us think, view life from a different vantage point, and these thoughts can be fleeting unless we write them down. I was hoping to write more on this trip, but battery power continues to be an issue…

This morning I was thinking of those things which I’ve found that make canoe and trailer camping easier — and how I’d like to share those things, and some of what I’ve learned about camping, with others. So I will probably add a few posts in a new “Things I Like” and “Things I Know” category — provided I have enough battery power in the coming days. ;-)

Safe travels,

js.

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