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Redmond Family Adventure
  • Matt Redmond
  • Amy Redmond
Jun – Dec 2024

Redmond Family Adventure

A 187-day adventure by Matt & Amy Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 14, 2024
    Redmond Family Adventure
    2

    Departing Truro

    June 14, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    It's always a scramble packing up for a camping trip, but when it's a six month trip it's all hands on deck. Glad we had lots of help from Nana and Minga. A family BBQ at Minga's house was a lovely way to spend time with family before we departed. There was lots of packing, cleaning and organizing! We gave the Rig a scrubbing before it was time to head off to our first stop in New Brunswick.Read more

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    Kouchibouguac with Friends!

    Jun 14–16, 2024 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    First stop at Kouchibouguac was a weekend that will be remembered by all! We spent the weekend soaking up our time with our favourite camping families. The kids explored the campground on their bikes and braved the wind to explore the beach. The campfires were going steady all weekend and the laughs and drinks were bountiful! On Saturday night Matt and Eric were on a mission to get the Starlink fired up to watch the Stanley Cup finals! There wasn't much success at our loop with all the tree cover. They found an empty camping spot in another loop, once the sun went down it was time for the gang to move it! 7 kids, 6 adults, 2 trucks and 1 giant blowup big screen was all we needed to the this hockey party started! There may have also been a beer fridge?!?! The game was in full swing and the whole crowd was cheering! We may have been a little too loud as we attracted the attention of two park rangers. They wanted us to keep it down but they really seemed more interested in who was winning the game!! The next morning was a hard goodbye for all but it was time to get the adventure started!Read more

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    Edmundston - Harvest Hosts

    Jun 16–17, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Our first parking lot stay. Pretty convenient. Tim's, GT and a truck stop that welcomed RV's. We met Mickey who was having some electrical issues with his rig which turned out to be a battery disconnect. Mickey drove with us for a bit, but we didn't make it far before the tonneau cover started trying to take flight. Nothing a bolt and a zip tie couldn't fix. Should have scouted the route better, the road was a good test of our rig. 160km of the worst road ever. Crawled through half of it at 50km/h, but now we know we could handle the Alaska highway.Read more

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    Ville de Québec City

    Jun 18–22, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    The first days of summer were hot ones in Quebec City! A heat wave entered the city the same time we did. Not a problem right?! We can just hang out at the pool at our campground!! We found out the pool wouldn't be opening until we leave. As luck would have it the campground did open the pool early, the owner scrambled to find a lifeguard so the campground guests could cool off!
    Our first day exploring the city was a successful one. The campground had a convenient shuttle that brought us to the ferry dock in Levi. From Levi it was a quick ride across the St Lawrence to the historic Ville de Quebec. The day was spent checking out all the major tourist attractions around the city. We started out journey up the Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec to Chateau Frontenac. We checked out the chambers underground which offered a nice break from the heat. From there we visited the oldest cathedral in Canada, Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral. William took notes as he had recently completed a report on Quebec at school and he planned to email his teacher about his visit. As the day got hotter we needed to find some where to cool off! We joined a school field trip and cooled off in a city water fountain! This seemed to be a coveted place for locals and tourists alike. We grabbed a bite for lunch and made our way up to the Citadel. On on our way back to the ferry we met a fellow tourist who offered to take our picture. This encounter ended up being a memorable one! She thought we would have have a great family photo if we all jumped in front of Chateau Frontenac, after many failed attempts she insisted on taking the picture with her own camera. She reassured us that she does this all the time for families while on vacation. After she was satisfied with her shot we exchanged email addresses and went on our way. After a long day of exploration we were delighted to relax back at Camping Transit.
    The next day we wanted to relax so we went to a public pool outside of Quebec City. The pool offered beautiful horizon views of the river as well as a great splash pad for Willow.
    Our last day in Quebec City we still had a lot to squeeze in! We were able to take advantage of the great pool at our campground. The boys made a friend at the pool, they all participated in jumping contests. After the pool we drove to Montmorency Falls where we climbed up
    487 steps to the top of the waterfall! 30 meters higher than Niagara falls. On our way back to the city we caught a beautiful sunset behind Chateau Frontenac. We were fortunate to make it to Quai Paquet to check out an epic fountain light show. After the show was over the kids ran through the fountains for what felt like hours! This was an absolute highlight of our stay!    Read more

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    Montreal 💙

    Jun 21–27, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We kicked of our Montreal adventure with a visit from Faye Ann and a little celebration for Mama's birthday. Faye Ann wanted to make sure that we didn't have to worry about anything! She brought the food, cake, decorations and St Jean Baptiste swag. The campground location couldn't have been any better. We had a view of the water and city behind our camper, this secluded waterfront area was a favorite spot for William to spend some time alone.
    Our first full day we explored the Longeuil area on bike an then headed over to Laval for dinner at Chris and Leo's. The whole family joined in the festivities and we ended the evening with a fire and smores.
    The next day we did a bit of school work and took the ferry from our campground to old Montreal. As it was a bit rainy we settled on spending some time indoors at the Montreal Science Centre. This hardly felt like a compromise at there were endless exhibits to explore and lots of fun to be had. Later in the day the rain cleared for a bit, we were able to walk around a bit of the city and had lunch at a great pizza place.
    This was our families first time experiencing St Jean Baptiste day in Quebec. Jonathan and the girls had a great day planned for the family! We enjoyed a Quebec party poolside a Jon's with homemade pizzas in his pizza oven! Tonight was also a special one; it was the Stanley Cup finals game 7!! We busted out the big screen and watched the game poolside. It was a sad day for all Canadians with a loss for Edmonton but for us the family time couldn't be beat!
    After lots of family time in Laval we took a day to explore more of Lonqueil. The bike trails in the area are pristine offering their own exclusive lanes of scenery through parks and along waterways. We biked to Ile Notre Dame to explore a bit of Parc Jean-Drapeau. Our destination was a beach where the boys took advantage of a floating obstacle course. After clocking in 20km we knew that would be more than enough biking for a day!    Read more

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    Bike Ride to Jean-Drapeau Park

    June 25, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Biked from our campground to an island. Willow did great clocking in 20 km round trip!

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    La Ronde! - 6 Flags

    June 26, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    La Ronde was a hit. William is a bit of a thrill seeker and hit up all the big coasters. Weston got a bit sick and rattled on the first one (La Boomerang) but he toughed it out and loved Le Monstre and Goliath (Vampire - not so much). Willow loved the bumper cars!Read more

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    Travel Day - Ottawa

    Jun 27–Jul 2, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Made it to the Capital! Willow got sick but recovered well, just missed catching it on the dash cam 🤮 The campground isn't fancy, but it's close to town and we're back on full hookups so everyone is showered.Read more

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    Ottawa 🍁

    June 27, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Our time in Ottawa was a great mix of sightseeing, visiting with family and educational tours that every Canadian should experience as some point in their lives. Our home base was at Hither Hills which was a bit out of the city but central enough that we were close to everywhere we needed to go. Willow was delighted with the soccer field on site! She threw on her soccer kit and Weston jumped in the net to block some of her shots.

    Our first day of Ottawa exploration we checked out Parliament hill, the Senate, Rideau Canal, Bytown Museum (Weston learned that $5 is not enough to buy a sucker) and a roam outside the National Gallery ("Attention: This is the National Gallery. Please do not sit on the barrier."). We had an interesting tour of the Senate building which gave the kids a little taste of what it would be like in the world of politics. After a long day we hung out at the campground and had a nice campfire.
    The next day was a rainy one but with Morgan as our tour guide there was no way a bit of rain was going to get in the way of having fun. We met Morgan at Canada Science and Technology Museum. He showed us around some of the long standing classic exhibits and the newest exhibit featuring everyone's favorite brown friend, poop! After a full couple of hours of learning we headed over to Hog's Back park to check out the falls and an epic playground. Once the kids were tired out we joined Morgan at his place. He treated us to the best pizza in the city along with their famous fresh gelato. The kids enjoyed chilling at Morgan's and we all took turns holding his snake. Some were more excited about this than others!
    Another perk of being in Ottawa was getting to visit with Val and family. We spent the day at Julia and Megan's and they went above and beyond being the best hosts to the family. The kids were delighted to have Julia's pool at their disposal! Willow was exercising her best coaching skills by teaching Meg and Julia her dance moves. She was a pretty tough coach but by the end of the evening she was pleased with their progress!
    Next up on the Ottawa bucket list is the infamous Canada Day celebration in the city...stay tuned!    Read more

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    Canada Science and Technology Museum

    June 29, 2024 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Got some school work done in the morning then headed to the Canada Science and Technology Museum to meet Morgan. It was rainy so it was pretty busy but lots to see. The highlight was the Poop 💩 exhibit, but the crazy kitchen was a close second.

    Explored the falls at Hog's Back Park, then a huge playground and the boys got schooled in a race to the top of the giant sledding hill.

    Morgan treated us to metre long wood fired pizzas and gelato!    Read more

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    Fete du Canada Day - Ottawa

    July 1, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Spent the day in our nation's capital 🍁🎆. Parked at Morgan's and he drove us to the train station. Caught the RCAF fly over as we headed to LeBreton flats. Amy made a dinner reservation in the Byward market, but we spent the whole day on the grounds because it seemed like a hassle to leave and come back. Line ups were intense. Amy and Willow spent almost two hours in line for arm tattoos and the boys jumped in line at the end. Claimed a shady spot toward the stage and hung out til the show started. At one point Weston shouted "Noel!", we assumed it was a joke or mistake, but when we looked up... There he was! We caught up quickly and he headed off to rejoin his group. The show and fireworks were pretty impressive. Leaving the city felt like an adventure in itself! Everyone one that was there for the celebration made an exit from the city at the same time. The city did a great job of keeping the heard heading in the right direction, which was towards the trains in whatever direction you needed to go. We were lucky to have Morgan picking us up at the station to give us a lift back to our truck. He almost left while Weston was half in the car but he managed to get his body fully in and we zoomed away. It was a long day but a worthwhile experience!Read more

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    Algonquin Provincial Park 🍁🫎🏕️

    Jul 2–5, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Algonquin has all the feels of a Canadian national park. It's wildlife, lakes, trails and competitive reservations feels familiarly like our national parks but indeed Algonquin is an Ontario provincial park. We were lucky to score a reservation here for 3 nights although it was evident pretty quickly that were were the biggest rig in the park. Our radios came in handy while navigating into our spot.
    We took advantage of our first rainy day and went for a bike ride on a rail to trail that connected to our campground. Our only wildlife sighting early in the day was a little mouse on the side of the trail. We clocked in roughly 18km, Willow found this ride a bit more challenging than the smooth flat bike trails in Montreal. Everyone was rewarded with Ice Cream at the end! Once the rain cleared we went out in search of some wildlife. Our hunt didn't disappoint, we spotted a big moose eating and drinking in a small lake and a beaver patrolling his lodge. When we got back to the campground Weston's new buddy Colin had left a note with an email address so they can be pen pals.
    The next day offered a drastic change from the rain! Our first full sunny day in Algonquin and we took full advantage. A hike, a swim, a BBQ picnic, and a visit to the Visitor's Center. First thing we hiked the look out trail. The trail reminded us a lot of the lake with the big boulders and pines. The kids learned about the Canadian shield and bedrock and the differences. We watched a man spread a loved ones ashes at the top of the mountain while we held on to his dog Thor. The kids had a lot of questions!
    The Visitor center boasts amazing displays of the wildlife in the area along with the deep history of Algonquin Park. William found out about Tom Thompson and the Group of Seven.
    After the centre we seeked out a picnic area with a private beach. The water couldn't have been nicer and the hot dogs were great! We felt like we were on our own secluded island! The private beach area was worth the hunt and we definitely put the effort in to find this gem.
    Our next day was a travel day. We all showered and caught up on laundry before we hit the road. We also visited the visitor centre one last time so Willow could turn in her park helper passport to earn her "Official Park Helper" certificate.    Read more

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    Algonquin! - Hike and Swim

    July 4, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    A hike, a swim, a BBQ picnic, and a visit to the Visitor's Center. Our first full sunny day in Algonquin and we took full advantage. First thing we hiked the look out trail. The trail reminded us a lot of the lake with the big boulders and pines. The kids learned about the Canadian shield and bedrock and the differences. We watched a man spread a loved ones ashes at the top of the mountain while we held on to his dog Thor. The kids had a lot of questions!
    The Visitor center boasts amazing displays of the wildlife in the area along with the deep history of Algonquin Park. William found out about Tom Thompson and the Group of Seven.
    After the centre we seeked out a picnic area with a private beach. The water couldn't have been nicer and the hot dogs were great! We felt like we were on our own secluded island!    Read more

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    Travel Day through Ontario Lakes Region

    Jul 5–6, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Started the day off using the campground laundromat! Everyone has clean underwear again 😅 Made a quick stop at the Visitor's Centre before leaving so Willow could get her Park Helper certificate. She was busy during her stay collecting badges! Quinton the naturist presented her with an official certificate!
    Travel day was pretty uneventful, we made a stop half way in North Bay to get weighed at the cat scales, "Phillip" the diesel and grab some Subway.
    Arrived at our Harvest Hosts in "style". We took the turn a little quick and tested the truck's limits of pulling the camper out of the ditch on our way in. To the driver's credit the turn was tight and the new gravel was a bit soft! All is good and no damage. Made quick friends with our Harvest Host neighbor as he guided us out! He was excited to hear we were from N.S. as he was heading there later this summer!    Read more

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    Travel Day from Webbwood ON to Michigan

    Jul 6–7, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Crossed the border into America today! Travelled through Sault St Marie to the upper peninsula of Michigan! We made sure to eat all of our oranges before the crossing! We snagged a nice picnic spot in the Hiawatha National Forest. Our Harvest Hosts welcomed us to their beautiful Vineyard. The wine is great and the grounds are gorgeous. The boys played baseball and Willow practiced her gymnastics while we enjoyed some wine 🤸‍♀️Read more

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    Devil's Lake State Park

    Jul 8–11, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    After a few long days of travel we finally made it to Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin. We were taken back now much the landscape looked like Nova Scotia. We easily could have been traveling on a road in Onslow!
    The site that we reserved in August of 2023 ended up being a bit small and uphill! We opted to change sites for something a bit flatter. I'm sure the group of guys watching us pull up were disappointed that we didn't attempt to park our 40 foot rig in a 30 foot site.
    On our first full day we took in a hike of the bluffs above the lake. The hike boasts views of some pretty incredible rock formations, Elephant Rock and more famously Balanced Rock. Once we made it up we had to circle the rock a couple times before we found it. It was worth the "search", somehow we missed the posted signs that were posted everywhere 😅 To cool off we went for a swim at the South Beach end of the lake. We swam out far enough to see some fish at the bottom of the lake! The night ended with a fire and multiple performances from Stella the gymnast (aka Willow).
    A trip to the Wisconsin Dells wouldn't be complete without a famed waterpark visit. The Dells are the waterpark capital of the states! After researching the many options we landed on Noah's Arc, which has been around for decades. The boys had their sites on some pretty big slides but we had to start the day at the wave pool. After a dip and 5 minutes of swimming for our lives we ventured into the park. The boys went off to do some thrill slides while the girls lazed up the lazy river, played in the splash pad and found some thrills on Chameleon, Willow's favorite! After a picnic in the parking lot we joined forced to knock of some of the park's big hitters. We did Congo Bongo, Chameleon (again) and Time Warp. We still can't talk about Time Warp in front of Willow, she wasn't a fan of the intense drop and then being flushed down a "toilet" with a large Dinosaur surprise! Noah's Arc was an epic day of fun for all!    Read more

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    Fun Times in Minnesota

    Jul 10–15, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌩️ 22 °C

    We've enjoyed spending some time at Lake Elmo Park reserve, it's a regional park located outside of Minneapolis/St Paul Minnesota. The locals told us that they love coming here and it's much easier to get a reservation than the state parks.
    We spent some time at the sand bottom pool at the park. The boys made friends with some local kids. Weston commented that maybe Americans don't know a lot about Canada. He said his new friends were pretty amazed that he was from Canada. They told him the next time he visits Minnesota he needs to bring them a rattlesnake and scorpion from Canada 😅
    Of course we had to check out the Mall of America. The kids had no trouble spending their pocket money. They were very good about not asking to go to the amusement park that is viewable from every floor of the mall 🎡After the tempatures cooled off we spent the evenings on the bike trails and the playgrounds that were around the park!
    We set up the big screen one evening and watched Mighty Ducks which was filmed in Minneapolis. Mother nature ended up giving us a late night show of her own. We heard and saw maybe one of the craziest thunder and lightning storms to date. Into the wee hours of the night the thunder was so strong it was rocking the camper and the rain was so heavy that the tenters were taking shelter in the bathrooms. We know that we didn't give the beauty of Minnesota enough justice. We will have to come back and visit it's many latkes that it's famous for!    Read more

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    Reunion with Monika and JP

    July 13, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Many years ago when Amy was an Aupair she made a good friend in England who was also an Aupair from Estonia. Monika and Amy spent lots of time together exploring the town they lived in, mostly the local pubs. She set up Monika with JP, a mutual friend from the group of friends they hung out with. Since 2006/2007 they followed each other's lives on social media congratulating each other on big moves, marriages and new babies! As luck would have it we were staying in Minnesota about 45 minutes from Monika and JP's home. They moved from the UK to Minnesota in 2011. They hosted us for brunch and we got to meet their 3 boys. Willow was pretty taken with their 10 month old, Theo and she played house with their 4 year old son Ollie. Weston and William made quick friends with their oldest (6) son Hugo. We went to their local Arboretum for a walk to check out the flowers, grounds and water features. It was a great day reconnecting and there may have been some tears when it was time to say goodbye.
    On the way back to the campground we checked out a recommendation from JP and Monika, Minnehaha Falls. This did seem to be a pretty popular spot with locals and tourists alike. The water was really rushing as there had been a lot of rain in the area prior to our visit. We were able to see a bit of Minneapolis on our way to and from the falls!    Read more

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    Welcome to North Dakota 🌄

    July 15, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Made our way into North Dakota! We are spending the night at another lovely Harvest Host location, Red Trail Vineyard in Buffalo, ND.
    We didn't make many spots along the way, only one stop to get gas at a truck stop. Willow quickly changed into her gymnastics outfit upon arrival and we took a stroll along the vineyards. I guess the boys are getting into the Western spirit, I zoomed in on them down the vineyard and William was riding Weston like a horse 🐎🤠Read more

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    Bucket list day in Theodore Roosevelt

    Jul 16–21, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We knew this place was going to be special when we arrived at our state campground and our site had an incredible view of the hills that flank the landscape. This area is a place that we've been excited for during the months of planning. We are staying at Sully Creek State Park which is on the doorstep of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
    We started the day off by visiting the visitor center in the South entrance. We were welcomed with the rich history of Theodore Roosevelt and the great work that he did in creating the national park system. We listened to a guided tour of his life and got to tour his original cabin.
    We set off into the park in hunt of scenic views and wildlife. Our first glimpse of wildlife were the prairie dogs. The kids liked them and we showed them the old Alan and Steve prairie dog meme, they thought it was hilarious. A little further into the park we got stuck in a traffic jam of BISON!!! Everyone was amazed at their size and beauty! After we turned the corner we spotted a Coyote roaming a second prairie dog field. Maybe it was lunch time!
    The views in the park are spectacular, every turn another hill and rock formation. William remarked "Why don't more people know about North Dakota?!?! It's amazing!!" We explored the trails and park for a couple hours and headed back to the campground. On the way back we saw wild horses!
    We had a full night planned in attending the pitch fork steak fondue buffet and the Medora musical. The steak fondue is probably what you would imagine. Massive amounts of steak cooked in vats of oil with BBQ style sides: beans, coleslaw, veggies, garlic toast, baked potatoes and donuts and brownies for dessert. Willow commented that she wanted to eat everything on her tray but the beans were sooooo good!!! She had seconds! We walked over to the musical which is in an amphitheater overlooking the hills. The musical was incredible, lots of country songs, old rock and pop classics. I saw a woman wearing a T-shirt that said " Is this heaven? No, you are in Medora!" Her shirt might have been right!    Read more

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