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Hartberger RV 2024-2025
  • Michael Hartberger
  • Michael Hartberger

Hartberger RV 2024-2025

2yr RV trip across the US and Canada Read more
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  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 8/17 (Part 2) The Plains of Ab

    August 17, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    FP update 8/17 (Part 2) The Plains of Abraham Museum

    The Plains of Abraham Museum - The battle of The Plains of Abraham involved fewer than 10,000 troops in total but proved to be a deciding moment in the conflict between France and Britain over the fate of New France, influencing the later creation of Canada. There is a museum to visit to gather more details about the battle and a vibrant park where the battle has taken place. It is where history meets nature 😊

    The Battle of the Plains of Abraham - This battle was a turning point in the Seven Years' War, also known as the French and Indian War, between the British and French. The battle took place on September 13, 1759. The British victory at the Plains of Abraham led to British control of Canada and had a long-lasting impact on the country's borders, culture, and identity. It also indirectly led to the American Revolution and the creation of the United States.

    And of course, we visited The Parliament Building. The Canadian governmental buildings never disappoint. They are ornate and magnificent!    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 8/17 (Part 1) The Citadelle

    August 17, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    FP update 8/17 (Part 1) The Citadelle

    When visiting Quebec City, a must-see is The Citadelle-Côte de la Citadelle, which is a small city unto itself. It covers about 1/5 of the entire city and is star-shaped. There are quite a few canons lining the massive walls 💣. In short, it is a closely guarded fortress and was built to protect Canada from America. One fun factoid is the regimental mascot is a 🐐 which Queen Elizabeth the Second gifted to Canada back in 1952. If you visit hopefully, you can catch the Changing of the Guard. A thirty-minute musical that takes place once a day. We were lucky enough to witness it.Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler
    1

    FP update 8/23 Kings Landing, Prince Wil

    August 23, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    FP update 8/23 Kings Landing, Prince William New Brunswick

    We have journeyed into a new Canadian Province, New Brunswick. Thank goodness more people speak English in this Province 😜 Fun fact about NB, it is the largest of Canada's three Maritime provinces.

    Today we visited Kings Landing. It is a representation of rural New Brunswick during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is not a replica of an actual village, but a collection of salvaged or recreated buildings from around the Mactaquac head pond and other locations around New Brunswick. With a few exceptions, all the historical buildings on the site have been moved and remodeled to specific years in their history. In total, there are 31 buildings. Ranging from homes, churches, barns, workshops, and old-fashioned restaurants. And keeping it real to the period, the restaurant is lit only by candles 🕯️

    Each location has costumed villagers who informed us about the family that lived there (played the part of the actual owner) while baking and cooking real food with the basic ingredients available in the 1800’s. Fragrant Soups and apple pie! We decided to walk the grounds but there is a horse and buggy available for transport.    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 8/24 Fredericton, New Brunswic

    August 24, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    FP update 8/24 Fredericton, New Brunswick

    Fredericton is the capital of New Brunswick. Our campground and the city are along the St. John River which is a tidal river. We took a walking tour of the city, and young Christian, our tour guide, gave us some interesting factoids about the province and city. In 1784, following the arrival of many loyalists fleeing the American Revolution, the colony of New Brunswick was officially created, separating it from what is now Nova Scotia. In the heart of the city, the original Garrison sits. Even though prepared, the area never had any wars on the soil. St. John is a bigger city in NB but Fredericton became the capital because it was inland and not as vulnerable as St. John from invasion. They have a cool Lighthouse along the river that is a tourist attraction NOT an actual lighthouse 😁. The first African American NHL player is from NB- Willie O’Ree!Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 8/27 Citadel Halifax, NS

    August 27, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    FP update 8/27 Citadel Halifax, NS

    As we continued our journey we landed in a new Province today - Nova Scotia. More specifically the capital, Halifax. It is the most populous municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada.

    We visited another Citadel. Since a citadel is a fortress that protects a city, the fact we have come across a few in Canada would make sense. The country spent many years under British plus French rule and both of those countries feared the colonists to the south would take land.

    Halifax Citadel National Historic Site - It was built to Protect a new settlement. The hill where the first Halifax Citadel was built offered the best vantage point to protect the town. Fund facts about the fortress: (*) was built to protect the navy base, (*) never saw any combat. No shots were ever fired! Did its job discouraging attacks, (*) there is a Noon Gun fired every day (except Christmas). A tradition that has continued every day since at least 1865, and (*) actual changing of the guard every hour.    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 8/28 Tidal Bore Rafting in Shu

    August 28, 2024 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    FP update 8/28 Tidal Bore Rafting in Shubie River

    Today we participated in one of the coolest and truly unique experiences EVER - Tidal Bore Rafting! It is not like any rafting experience you have ever done. The rafting is in the Swhhubenacadie River where the power of the world’s highest tides in the Bay of Fundy turns the rivers into a water roller coaster only found in Nova Scotia.

    We went out when the tide was low and walked out on the sand dunes and within minutes, the tide came in quickly, as the water hit the sand dunes( we had just been walking on) it started creating some strong waves that lasted only until they water flattened the dunes. The motorboats we were in jumped the waves for the short time period they stayed around. We felt the rush of riding waves that can be up to 13 feet high 🌊

    Just know this was a very MUDDY EXPERIENCE. The water is like chocolate milk.😝 That is because the sediment and the regular churning of incoming and outgoing tides and tidal bores keep the bay and rivers perpetually muddy. We also got to slide in the mud which I have to say was awesome 😎 I felt like a kid.

    A few fun facts:
    (*) The tide rushes in and out every 6 hours and 13 minutes
    (*) The highest tides in the world can be found in Canada's Bay of Fundy
    (*) This area is known for bald eagle sightings. We saw 6 in the 2 hours we were there    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 8/30 Peggy’s Cove, Nova

    August 30, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    FP update 8/30 Peggy’s Cove, Nova

    Peggy's Cove is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay which is the site of Peggys Cove Lighthouse (established 1868). Walking out to the lighthouse, need to keep your wits and balance for there are many rocks. It is famed for being picturesque and has an East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic. Also, at Peggy’s Cove, there is a short walking trail that leads to a monument in memory of the people who lost their lives can be found at the Swissair Flight 111 Memorial Site. This is where the flight unfortunately crashed in the water on September 2, 1998.Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 8/30 Lunenburg & Peggy’s Cove,

    August 30, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    FP update 8/30 Lunenburg & Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

    Nova Scotia is encircled by the sea, with a multitude of lakes and rivers. We spent a day driving along the southern coastline and saw so many small and cute harbor towns. We stopped at two of the picturesque towns, Lunenburg and beautiful Peggy's Cove.

    Lunenburg is a port town on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1753, the town was one of the first British attempts to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia.

    Peggy's Cove is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay which is the site of Peggys Cove Lighthouse (established 1868). Walking out to the lighthouse, need to keep your wits and balance for there are many rocks. It is famed for being picturesque and has an East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic. Also, at Peggy’s Cove, there is a short walking trail that leads to a monument in memory of the people who lost their lives can be found at the Swissair Flight 111 Memorial Site. This is where the flight unfortunately crashed in the water on September 2, 1998.    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/1 Canadian Museum of Immigra

    September 1, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    FP update 9/1 Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

    The museum occupies part of Pier 21, the former ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971. Pier 21 is Canada's last remaining ocean immigration shed. The facility is often compared to Ellis Island, in terms of its importance to mid-20th-century immigration to Canada.

    The exhibit theme is celebrating Immigration and how it shaped and influenced the Canada of today. The stories of people’s reasons for immigration back in the 1800’s were very interesting. It was mainly for financial reasons. We enjoyed the museum and thought it was well done😊    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP Update 9/3 Fortress of Louisbourg Nat

    September 3, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    FP Update 9/3 Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site

    We headed to the Northern part of Nova Scotia where we visited the Fortress of Louisbourg.
    It is the largest reconstructed fort in North America. The original was built in the 1700’s. One quarter of the original fort has been reconstructed.

    The British completely destroyed the Fortress of Louisbourg by the end of 1760 after capturing it during the Seven Years War in 1758.

    The French built fortress to mainly protect the fishing of cod. France had an interest in keeping the cod industry protected since they were Roman catholic and 100 plus days out of the year, they didn’t eat meat. Back at the mother ship they need the cod to keep coming across the water in volume. 🐟    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/5 Western Coastline of NS

    September 5, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    FP update 9/5 Western Coastline of NS

    Since Nova Scotia is a Peninsula (could be an Island but 17 miles of the land mass is connected to the Canadian mainland) it is surrounded by water. Taking another car Ferry ⛴️ in Englishtown NS.

    We drove the famous Cabot Trail. It is a scenic highway on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is 185-mile loop around the northern tip of the island.

    The Cabot Trail is one of the most famous drives in Canada. The 300-kilometre road takes you along the coast of Cape Breton, offering unrivaled views and bringing you to many of the island's most popular attractions. When it comes to the Cabot Trail, the journey is the destination.

    We stopped at 2 Trailheads along the way and the views of the coastline, PRICELESS🤩😍.

    We recommend visiting….Middle Head Trailhead / White Point Trailhead    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/8 & 9/9 Northwestern NS, Cab

    September 9, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    FP update 9/8 &9/9 Northwestern NS, Cabot Trail

    We continued the Cabot Trail and explored even further North of the Western coast.

    We visited Glenora Distillery. Took a tour where in 1990, they produced the first single malt whisky in North America.

    With nearly 1M (1770-1993) Immigrates from Scotland that made their way to Nova Scotia,
    the Scottish heritage made its mark with the single malt.

    Driving along the Cabot trail in this area the Theme of the day -BEACHES! Inverness, Beach town/San dunes, and Chimney Corner. All majestic in their own way!

    9/9
    A must do if ever in this neck of the woods is the Skyline Trailhead. It is about 4 1/2-mile loop, hiking trail at Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The path leads you to the dramatic headland cliff which overlooks the rugged coast. enjoy an eagle's view of the Cabot Trail as it winds its way down the mountain and vehicles look like toys. The view has been referred as “God’s masterpiece”

    Chéticamp is an unincorporated town on the Cabot Trail on the west coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is considered one of the Acadian capitals of the world. Very small harbour town.

    While there we visited the Les Trois Pignons! A historical location for a special view of the Acadian culture and the history of Chéticamp. The main focus is the stunning collection of hooked rugs and antiquities.

    The “hooking” of rugs is very unique. Basically, the craftsperson creates a hooked rug by pulling lengths of cloth, usually wool, through a woven fabric, usually burlap. Wool strips ranging in size from 3/32 to 10/32 of an inch in width are often used to create hooked rugs or wall hangings.

    They call "hooking" the making of wool rugs on burlap. It is a very tedious process 😊 With stunning results 😍    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/12 Charlottetown, PEI (Princ

    September 12, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    FP update 9/12 Charlottetown, PEI (Prince Edward Island)

    We took the long bridge that connects NS to Prince Edward Island.

    A few factoids about PEI:
    · Canada's Smallest and Only Island Province.
    · The Island is 137 miles long by 4 to 40 miles wide.
    · The Island is generally broken down to 3 parts: Western, Central and Eastern
    · No major highways to get you around the land mass. Only small 2 lane roads
    · A small town feel & non-existent rush hour😀
    · It is marked by red-sand beaches, lighthouses, and fertile farmland.

    Today we visited Charlottetown, the capital, it is home to Victorian government buildings & the modern Confederation Centre of the Arts.
    · Downtown is quaint
    · A walkable city
    · Very laid-back town
    · Cool shops and lots of Lobster🦞, Oyster and mussel restaurants.

    Stumbled across Hannah’s Bottle Village during our drive. In Point Prim, it’s a hidden treasure with multi-colored glass bottle village on a beautiful country location. Pretty cool and created for a good cause. Instead of charging admission for Hannah’s Bottle Village, creator Gar Gillis began collecting donations from visitors for the local Children’s Hospital and so far has raised $20,742!    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/13 Southern Central PEI (Pri

    September 13, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    FP update 9/13 Southern Central PEI (Prince Edward Island)

    Another fun factoid about PEI…there is a total of 63 lighthouses on the Island. We visited a few and the interesting thing we noticed is they all have the same façade, white with red trim.

    Drove to the Southern portion of the Central section today, specifically to visit Victoria by the Sea! Harbour town that is small in stature but vibrant charming. It’s known as a culture hub of PEI.    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/15 Eastern PEI

    September 15, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    FP update 9/15 Eastern PEI

    We visited the Eastern portion today of PEI today. Of course, more Lighthouses & beaches….

    St. Peter’s Harbour- sits alone but once was a busy wharf and fishing port before it was blown away by storms and shifting sands

    East point lighthouse has the distinction of being “Canada’s Confederation Lighthouse” as it was built in 1867 and is the only Lighthouse that is still operating today. It’s located in a beautiful setting with beautiful views 🤩 And happens to be the furthest Eastern tip of the Island. Circling the lighthouse are benches to commemorate each lighthouse keepers!

    We made are way to Greenwich National Park that has the iconic. Floating boardwalk! The views are stunning with ponds and sand dunes. Greenwich is home to Prince Edward Island’s largest sand dunes, including a rare, horseshoe-shaped parabolic dune system. Greenwich is rich with both natural and cultural history as a habitat to rare plants and animals. It’s a treasure that should not be missed!

    Julio’s Oyster Express - Even if you don’t like oysters, Julio gave us a very informative Oyster 101!!!! Most important thing we learned is to Smell your oyster before consuming. Should smell like the ocean👍🏻 And they take 5 years to grow to the size for consumption! Shout out to Julio💜    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/16 Central PEI

    September 16, 2024 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    FP update 9/16 Central PEI

    So many lighthouses, so little time…

    We drove to Cape Tryon Lighthouse which is off the beaten path but well worth it. On the Gulf of St. Lawrence Coastline w/ sea caves and red rocks - spectacular! And Mo another….Covehead Harbour lighthouse.

    Cavendish Beach 🏖️ which is a National Park. Sand dunes galore! What are sand dunes? Sand dunes are created when wind deposits sand on top of each other until a small mound starts to form. This area is lined with big and baby dunes.

    L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne Green Gables, who grew up in this area spent a lot of time.    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/17 Western PEI

    September 17, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    FP update 9/17 Western PEI

    Traveled to North Cape. This is the Most northern tip of the Western portion of PEI Where winds blow from every direction - hold onto your hat….🧢

    The hook- shaped reef off North Cape is the longest natural reef in North America. Red sandstone cliffs are breathtaking. Wind Energy Interpretive Center - Wind turbines and renewable energy. And of course, a Lighthouse sits at the tip. This was an area of many shipwrecks back in the day so needed.

    Since PEI has 1,100 miles of coastline, could be a good reason why the big concentration of Lighthouses.

    //////////////////

    🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔Canadian Potato Museum, yes this is a thing and a big deal on the Island. PEI potato farmers grow about 100 different kinds of spuds. And produce 25% of Canada’s potatoes every year. The potato is not indigenous to Canada but was probably introduced by European settlers. Here you’ll find the world’s largest exhibit of potato-related farm machinery, agricultural and community artifacts. If you want to know about potatoes & growing them, this is the place. They have a restaurant on the premises where Michael feasted on Pulled pork, & cheese curd poutine 🥔🥔🥔

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    A must visit is The Bottle House Gardens! Over 25 000 recycled bottles ingeniously cemented together to create the Bottle Houses, situated in Cap-Egmont. There are three unique buildings and houses built with over 25,000 recycled bottles. They were built by Édouard T. Arsenault. He gave birth to these houses after having received a postcard of a glass castle from his daughter in 1979, an attraction she had visited on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. That same summer, he started collecting bottles from his community, mostly from a local restaurant, community dance halls, friends, relatives and neighbors and the rest is history and a must see! A serene setting and visually stunning structures.    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/20 St. Andrews, NB

    September 20, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    FP update 9/20 St. Andrews, NB

    We made our way back into New Brunswick. Staying in St. Andrews which is along the Passamaquoddy bay. Observation- most major cities in this area of NB are named “Saint“ something 😊

    This area was Founded by United Empire Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution, many of the Town’s buildings still reflect that history – as we say as we rode our bikes along Water Street. In fact, historic Water Street was awarded the “Great Place in Canada” distinction by the Canadian Institute of Planners, and USA Today named Saint Andrews the best place to visit in Canada.    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP Update 9/22 Saint John, New Brunswick

    September 22, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    FP Update 9/22 Saint John, New Brunswick

    We ventured to Saint John today. CNN Travel named Saint John, New Brunswick as one of their top 24 destinations to visit in 2024! Our review is it was ok but not a top destination for us.

    Saint John is a popular tourist destination known for its historic uptown streetscapes, cultural attractions and natural wonders. There are structures like the Loyalist House that survived a large fire back in 1877.

    The very, very cool phenomenon in the city is the natural wonder – The Reversing Falls. The amazing phenomenon of the Reversing Falls Rapids is a sight to behold. If you time it just right, you can watch the Bay of Fundy's monstrously high tide reverse the flow of the mighty Saint John River, even as it pushes through a gorge formed by the collision of continents millions of years ago. The superlatives “natural wonder” and phenomenon are sometimes used in exaggeration, not in this case. River’s feed into the ocean from everywhere. Two times a day the St. John Harbour pushes back….causing the mighty rapids!

    We visited the AREA 506 Waterfront Container Village along the water. It is a tourist spot that features more than 60 shipping containers with retail shops, a performance space, a waterfront lounge, food trucks, public art, and pop-up activities. It's unique and vibey 😁    Read more

  • Michael HartbergerHartberger RV 2024-2025Traveler

    FP update 9/23 Ministers Island/The Van

    September 23, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    FP update 9/23 Ministers Island/The Van Horne Estate

    We drove across the ocean floor to a Tidal Island today known as Ministers Island. FYI- A Tidal island is when the connection is submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide, causing the land to switch between an island and a peninsula! It is a geographical novelty in that it is accessible at low tide by a wide gravel bar suitable for vehicular travel. We had to time it between tides to make sure we could get on and off- no joke!

    Ministers Island became famous in the last decade of the nineteenth century as the summer home of Sir William Van Horne, the president of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Island is 500 acres, and Van Horne built a 50-room house named Covenhaven. He also built a three-story barn. Today you can tour the house, the barn and a cool bathhouse. He was an artist as a hobby and his pieces are in display to admire. You can also hike the trails around the Island. The people that work there love to share all the history with you 💜🇨🇦 Very passionate about the Island.    Read more