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Toronto, New England, New York
  • Pam Johnson
  • Mike Piggott
  • Pam Johnson
  • Mike Piggott

Toronto, New England, New York

A 17-day adventure by Pam & Mike Read more
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  • Trip start
    August 23, 2024
  • Toronto, New England, New York

    Downtown Toronto and the islands

    August 24, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Toronto has been amazing so far. We took a hop-on, hop-off tour of the key sites downtown as well as a boat trip across Lake Ontario to the islands and still walked our poor feet off ! The city is a complete melting pot of people and cultures where gorgeous, characterful buildings rub shoulders with sleek, modern skyscrapers. It's like the northern quarter on steroids. We had lunch in the sun, eating fresh foods from the St Lawrence Market, discovered a fountain dedicated to dogs (this is a dog loving city) and found the building when 'Suits' was filmed. It's been a great day.Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York

    Niagra, Ontario

    August 25, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Early start (5am!) to take the 1.5 hr bus journey to Niagra Falls. Stepped off the bus and WOW!! WOW!! just WOW!! Words and photos can't come close to describing how magnificent and breathtaking the first sight of the falls all in a line is - Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls all showering us with spray from their thundering, torrential downpouring in the glittering sunshine. We took the Hornblower cruise and experienced them as close as safety allowed (yes we got soaked!); did a walking tour to get the history of the falls and madcap stories of people hurtling off them in barrels or tightrope walking whilst doing their washing 🤔 all in an effort to be famous. Finished by going behind the falls - not what we expected but an experience never-the-less. A 3 hour bus ride back to Toronto in traffic finished the day. An exhausting, but fantastic day 👌Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York
    2

    More on Downtown 'Toronno'

    August 26, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    A final day of sightseeing and closing off our 'must see' list. CN tower - very high, great views, but I couldn't brave the glass floor 😱; City Hall (starred as Galactic HQ in Star Trek). We ate a Beavers tail (think squashed doughnut). Found the first Canadian Post Office - still a working office! The Distillery - a bohemian repurposed space - galleries, shops, food, live music, loads more. Had a lovely lunch after I tripped over and fell on my face in front of everyone (no injuries, no dignity left 🤣). Extras learned today - only tourists pronounce the 2nd T in Toronto. Anyone in the know calls it Torrono and Cannabis is legal here - you can even pick it up with your lunch sandwich!!! No, we didn't 😅Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York
    1

    BOSTON

    August 27, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Travel day today; just as well as we are tired, so a sit down will be very welcome 😁
    Pearson International in Toronto was very efficient, Boston airport all a bit relaxed but no matter because here we are 🥳
    Bonus - Discovered a free shuttle bus for the 30 minute drive into Back Bay area (saved us $30 taxi ride!).
    Snack tea at a real Boston bar - the Salty Pig followed by a marathon walk to find BeBop Irish bar - great atmosphere, Mike in his element on Irish turf - unfortunately they were playing Country music. Not Mike's favourite as the cow always dies and the crops have failed 😢    Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York
    2

    Freedom Trail

    August 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Hot day today - 31°C and very humid. Walked the Freedom Trail from Boston Common through the town; a beautiful city, steeped in history and character. Needing to stop frequently to refresh ourselves, we went to Quincy Maket for beer, shade and ice-creams. In Little Italy we found Mikes Pastry shop - renowned for the best canolli in Boston. They were delicious!! Found "Cheers" bar and then had to escape the heat into O J O'connors (another recommended Irish bar). Supper at O'Keeffe's closed off the trio on Mike's list.Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York
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    Time for a Tea Party!

    August 29, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Well, today, Mike and I joined the Colonials in the call for justice and freedom of the people 🤣. In a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party, we were given characters to portray; we railed against the British (mainly George 3rd), rousing our compatriots, shouting 'No taxation without representation' and lobbing the cargo of tea into the sea. It was great fun - especially when it was discovered we are British 🤣🤣 The rest of the day, we took a hop on/hop off trolley car tour to enjoy looking around the city. We walked around the harbour in the sunshine and hit the pub whilst we plan the coastal drive, which starts tomorrow 🥳Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York

    Cod Sandwich!

    August 30, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Today was definitely a day of 2 halves. A stressful morning; picked up the hire car; Budget gave us 3 broken satnavs before telling us we will have to manage without one 😱. Managed to find a way through Boston to the motorway network where we could use paper maps to get down to Cape Cod (being old has its merits 😅). A happier afternoon; we arrived in Sandwich , a beautiful coastal town of shaker style houses, beaches and a slower pace to life. Headed around the bay to Provincetown, where the first pilgrims landed. Gorgeous bay, very quaint and arty town, all decked out for labour day weekend (think of the town in jaws). Ended the day at The Local Bar and Grill with live music.Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York
    Salem witch house

    Sandwich beaches & Salem witches

    August 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Another big day of driving, so we started with a last walk along the boardwalk to Town Neck Beach. It was stunning. The marshes below the boardwalk were full of tributaries teeming with wildlife (including some kids jumping off the rails into the water 😱). At the beach, the tide was in, and the water freezing, so we just walked the waters edge admiring the beach houses. Perfect for silencing your thoughts and letting your mind drift. The drive to Salam was long and eventful; we took a wrong turn in the underground motorway network at Boston and ended up back at the airport trapped on the circular road!!! Eventually, we made it to Salam. A town riding the wave of 5 poor women killed for being witches in 1692. Which, of course, they weren't. We were excited to be there as the history makes it worth a visit, and we attended a very interesting reenactment of the witch trials. Very crowded as its Labour day weekend but managed to get a photo of the Witch House.Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York

    Kennebunk, Portland Light, Kennebunkport

    August 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Our hotel in Kennebunk is 240 years old and as welcoming as it is charming - although they have now said it's haunted, so I'm not as comfortable as I was!!! Drove up to Portland this morning in glorious sunshine to see the oldest lighthouse in Maine - Portland Light. Spent a happy few hours there also checking out the pre and post war army garrison (parts of Forest Gump was filmed here); doing the cliff walk and trying a slice of delicious 'Maine Blueberry pie' 😋 Drove back along the coast road to Kennebunk beach and dared ourselves to go in the sea - it was FREEZING but we did it!!! Finally, drove up to Kennebunkport, a nearby seaside town filled with high-end artisan shops and bars. Beautiful.Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York
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    Off to Bar Harbour

    September 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Final walk in Kennebunk; found a gorgeous weir just steps from our hotel. Had breakfast in a community cafe - bacon, egg and cheese on a biscuit - turned out to be a scone!! Odd but delicious. Took the coast road up to Bar Harbor so that we could pass through a few familiar place names from home . Biddeford, Bath, Belfast, Camden, Newcastle and Thompson island. Stopped off at Rockland for lunch - an artist retreat - and eventually arrived at Bar Harbor after 5 hours driving. It's changed quite a bit since I was here 38 years ago!!. Found our hotel by tracking down the moose 🤣. Walked into the village and found the Ivy Manor Inn with beautiful gardens, seating around fire-pits and playing jazz from the American songbook. Wonderful....Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York

    Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain

    September 3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    We made it up to watch the sun as it rose over Cadillac Mountain, the first point the sun hit the USA. It was 10⁰C with a freezing wind, so I was wearing 3 jackets, and Mike had 2 pairs of trousers on 🥶 😂. It was amazing to experience; photos can't capture the vastness of the views looking down over Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine islands. Frozen, we headed back to the hotel spa to defrost. Mike did this by swimming, I just plonked myself in the hot-tub 🥵 It seemed appropriate that the spa had been modelled on the film 'Cocoon' 🤣Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York

    Exploring Bar Harbor

    September 3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    As this is our last day in Maine, we decided to try lobster rolls, blueberry pie (again) and blueberry ice-cream for an indulgent picnic lunch, as this would be our last chance before moving on to New Hampshire. The Lobster roll and fries cost £32!!!! (We shared one order 😅). It was tasty, but very small for the eye-watering cost. The blueberry pie and ice-creams were gorgeous. We explored the village, browsing the shops and the harbour, and discovered a causeway across the bay to Bar Island. An unexpected adventure as we needed to be there and back before the tides changed, and we had no idea when that would be! A very pleasant afternoon in the sun.Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York
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    White Mountains and Flume Gorge

    September 4, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    Set off early today and drove inland across Maine to get to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It took 6 hours but was worth it. The roads widened, and towns became small homesteads and villages. It was lovely and we were so enamoured that we forgot to take any photos 🤪. The White Mountains were simply stunning - miles of trees in every direction hugging the landscape as it rose around us. Finally arriving at Flume Gorge on the far side of the National Park, we were able to stretch out and climb the trails around the gorge to see for ourselves the grandeur of it all. We had packed a picnic tea but had to abandon the idea as signs on the trails warned 'Don't take food on the trails - bears are active' 😱Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York

    On route to New York!!

    September 5, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Drove back to Boston today to return the hire car and get the train to New York for the next chapter of our road trip. Had 2 hours to wait; time for brunch in the spectacular Tatte cafe on Stuart St 😋. Amtrak train to Penn St station, Manhattan. Upgrade to business class 🤩 and 4 hours later, we are here 🤩🤩Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York

    New York

    September 5, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Arriving yesterday, we were assaulted by the noise and chaos that is New York City and had to pause a while to adjust after the serenity of New England. We took refuge in McCarthys, an Irish bar, which was, bizarrely, an oasis of calm!
    Today we are back in the swing. Went to a great American diner for breakfast then headed up to Central Park to experience it in the summer. It was lovely, and felt remote from the buzz of the city. We encountered joggers (many pushing strollers), bike riders, kids in singing circles, and a cool jazz quartet. We visited Macys and walked 5th avenue for the posh alternative to the mayhem. This evening, we went to a lovely Italian restaurant for a pre-theatre dinner courtesy of James - it was delicious 🥰. Ended the day on Broadway watching The Book of Mormon - it was hysterically funny and was a perfect, if irreverent, end to the day.    Read more

  • Toronto, New England, New York
    2

    Last day 😢

    September 7, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We've been very lucky and despite the forecasts have had sunny days every day, but today it's raining . Seems appropriate as we are a little sad this epic trip is coming to an end. Cheered ourselves up by going to see Grand Central Station and then having breakfast in the beautiful Pershing Square restaurant tucked under the bridge facing the station. Chose healthy options - yum, I have never been so pleased to see porridge and brown toast 🤣 . Walked up to Bloomingdales and then the rain came down heavier so we leapt at the chance to go to the cinema to watch the new Beetlejuice movie - fab!! We braved the subways to get to JFK and now ready for home 🥰Read more

    Trip end
    September 8, 2024
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