smart car “New” Tour 2006 Summary

Thurs July 20-Little Falls, New York (Best Western) 557 k 345 miles; Fri July 21-Marlow, New Hampshire (The Wrigley’s Camp) 308k 191 miles; Sat July 22-Keene, New Hampshire (The Wrigley’s Home) 52k 32 miles; Sun July 23-Canaan, Maine (KOA Campground) 497 k 308 miles; Mon July 24-Houlton, Maine (Ivey’s Motor Lodge) 343k 213 miles; Tues July 25-Woodstock, New Brunswick (Connell Park Campground) 98k 61 miles; Wed July 26-Woodstock, New Brunswick Connell Park Campground 132k 82 miles; Thurs July 27-Sussex, New Brunswick (All Seasons Inn) 349k 216 miles; Fri July 28-Port Hastings, Nova (Scotia Econo Lodge) 435k 270 miles; Sat July 29-Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland (St Christopher’s Hotel) 237k 147 miles; Sun July 30-Cornerbrook, Newfoundland (Prince Edward Campground) 418k 259 miles; Mon July 31-Gander, Newfoundland (Comfort Inn) 370k 229 miles; Tues Aug 1-St John’s, Newfoundland (Memorial University) 356k 220 miles; Wed Aug 2-St John’s, Newfoundland (Memorial University) 34k 21 miles; Thurs Aug 3-St John’s, Newfoundland (Memorial University) 42k 26 miles; Fri Aug 4-St John’s, Newfoundland (Memorial University) 63k 39 miles; Sat Aug 5-St John’s, Newfoundland (Memorial University) 54k 33 miles; Sun Aug 6-Deer Lake, Newfoundland (Driftwood Inn) 674k 417 miles; Mon Aug 7-North Sydney, Nova Scotia (Best Western) 274k 170 miles; Tues Aug 8-Shediac, New Brunswick (Camping Beausejour) 485k 301 miles; Wed Aug 9- Newcastle, New Brunswick (Comfort Inn) 206k 128 miles; Thurs Aug 10-Rimouski, Quebec (Comfort Inn) 678k 420 miles; Fri Aug 11-St.Catherines, Quebec (Frandy Motel) 616k 259 miles; Sat Aug 12-Ottawa, Ontario (Travelodge) 223k 138 miles; Sun Aug 13-Ottawa, Ontario (Travelodge) 46k 13 miles; Mon Aug 14-Ottawa, Ontario (Travelodge) 0k 0 miles Tues Aug 15-Ottawa, Ontario (Travelodge)0k 0 miles
Wed Aug 16-Toronto, Ontario HOME 473k 293 miles.

New Tour Wrap Up

Our tour ended with participation in club smart car's cross-Canada relay on the Ottawa to Toronto leg. From having photos taken in front of the parliament building to breakfast at smart Centre Ottawa Star Motors to our reception at smart Canada headquarters at Midtown in Toronto it was an amazing journey. Having a police escort that blocked intersections so that the smart could run the red light was a real blast. As always, it was fun chatting with other club smart car members.
The relay is the brain-child of Garry Stearns of Kemptville, ON seen here at Midtown on August 16. Starting on August 7th in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and ending on August 28 in Victoria, BC, the relay is raising money for the Bruce Denniston Bone Marrow Society.

"New" Tour Day 25: Ottawa, ON

Monday Aug 15 2006

Spent the day at the National Archives where hubby is "mopping up" loose ends on his book research. The Archives and Library are undergoing renovations so things were not "business as usual" but we busked it. I hope that it means short-term pain for long-term gain.


Sunday Aug 14 2006

Greatly enjoyed visiting the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography to see their current exhibits: The Painted Photograph and The Street. Then spent nearly three hours in the European Wing of the National Gallery of Canada visiting such old friends as Turner, Chantrey, Van Gough & Gaugin. Enoyed a tasty reasonably priced lunch there too.

Drove out to Barrhaven to meet Eric Eggleston at the studio where he's working on a new album. Got caught up on news over dinner and he tipped us off to a 24-hour coin operated car wash so we freshened up the smart on the way back to the hotel.

"New" Tour Day 24: Ottawa, Ontario

Partied at Hooley's with the Eric Eggleston Band last night. What a blast! The band get tighter everytime we see them play. Eric just got back from England as a record label expressed interest in a new single.

We've made plans to hook up with the Club Smart Car's Bruce Denniston Bone Marrow Society Cross Canada Relay here in Ottawa on Wednesday morning.

"New" Tour Days 21 to 23 : Ottawa, Ontario

Saturday Aug 12: Ottawa, OntarioTo Exporail for their 10 am opening after breakfast at Harvey's. This world-class (and I don't use the term lightly) museum is home to the Canadian Railroad Historical Association. " The Canadian Railway Museum at Delson/Saint-Constant offers its public a unique opportunity to see and experience life in the railway world. In fact, visitors can see not only trains, streetcars and all their related infrastructures, but also use these various modes of transportation right on the Museum grounds. The garden train operates daily on the site while the observation streetcar, nicknamed the Golden Chariot, runs when the weather permits. And every Sunday, a passenger train takes visitors for a short trip up to Montée des Bouleaux."
Easily navigated out of Montreal to Ottawa where we will stay for 4 nights.

Friday Aug 11: Rimouski, Quebec
A long day on the road - clocked 616 km. Some heavy traffic and roadworks along the way. Interesting Quebec villages and much more farming than we've seen in a while. We are amazed at the number of folk still hitch-hiking in this part of the world.


Thursday Aug 10: Montreal, Quebec
Toured the Acadian Peninsula in the rain. I have very fond memories of travels to Shippagan, Lameque and Miscou with my family as a child. It is much more built-up than when I was a kid and I couldn't help but think of that old adage, "you can never go back". We enjoyed watching herons, sandpipers and a kingfisher feeding along the shore. The harbours are picturesque and it was interesting to watch fishermen unload their catch and pack it in ice. We picked up the fixings for lunch at the COOP and headed to the lighthouse on Miscou Island for a picnic.
Drove westward and up into Quebec. More spectacular scenery including a glorious sunset reflected in the St Lawrence River at Rimouski where we stayed the night.

"New" Tour Days 16 to 20: Miramichi, New Brunswick

Wednesday Aug 9: Shediac, New Brunswick.

Glorious weather today as we head north along the "Acadian Coast" of Canada's only officially bilingual province. Picturesque fishing villages and photo ops abound. Met Remi Legacy of Fero disposal. He's enjoying his smart and saving on fuel costs so much that the company are planning to get another 3 on the road.

Tuesday Aug 8: North Sydney, Nova Scotia

Drove through Cape Breton island. Heavy rain at times. Had to pull off the highway at one point as the smart was aquaplaning. Set up camp at Beausejour Camping near Shediac, New Brunswick.

Monday Aug 7: Deer Lake, Newfoundland

After a quick grocery shopping pit stop at Dominion in Corner Brook, we headed to the ferry docks at Port aux Basques. While waiting for the boat, we met another smart driver David Drummond who was returning to his home in Sussex, NB. David, who often travels to Newfoundland, is very pleased with his car and often has to answer questions about how the smart handles the high wind conditions on "The Rock". The answers is, "just fine". I think it would be much more dangerous pulling a motor home behind a fifth-wheel.
This time we travelled on the Leif Eriksson and were entertained by two local musicians who told "Newfie" jokes between numbers. We slept very soundly at the Best Western North Star Inn in North Sydney, NS.



Sunday Aug 6: St John's, Newfoundland

Did the laundry and packed up the night before for early departure - were on the road at 6 am headed for Deer Lake, NL. Reached the Driftwood Inn at about 2 o'clock and were glad to get out of the car despite enjoying the wonderful scenery en route. Walked down to Tim Horton's for a bite to eat. It was one of the best we'd ever been to, and that's saying something. The cleanliness, floor layout, recycling bins and service were top notch. After watching Jenson Button with the Hungarian Grand Prix, we had dinner at Jungle Jim's which was in the motel.

"New" Tour Day 14 & 15: St John's, Newfoundland

Saturday Aug 5

Drove out to the smart/Mercedes dealership at 673 Topsail Road. Sign on the door said they were opened Saturdays from 9:00 to 5:00. We got there at noon and the place was locked up tight - their morning newspaper was still sitting on the doorstep. Hard to conduct business when you don't keep to your posted hours. We snapped a couple of pictures with our smart out front and headed back into town. Interesting tour at the Newman Wine Vaults a Newfoundland Historic Trust property on Water Street. "According to tradition, a Newman's ship bound for London in 1679 was driven far from its planned course by pirates and foul weather. The captain of the ship sought shelter in St. John's, and as winter was closing fast upon them, it was decided to remain in the harbour until spring. The ship's cargo of wine was stored in caves, and when the ship returned to London, the flavour of the port seemed to have improved. After that discovery, Newman's sent its port to Newfoundland to mature in wine cellars there. The wine which was shipped from Newfoundland to England became very popular as a high quality wine in English pubs and amongst the aristocracy." Discovered The Sprout on Duckworth Street as they had a booth at the Folk Festival. We sampled their wares, including an excellent Curried Couscous Salad, on Friday night and knew we'd have to visit the restaurant. Had an amazing brunch there today and highly recommend it as a very veggie friendly, funky eatery. The Sprout Restaurant, 364 Duckworth Street Tel: 709 579 5485. Hours: Tuesday to Friday 11:30 am - 9::00 pm, Saturday: 9:00 am - 10:00 pm, Sunday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Friday Aug 4

Drove out of town to Cape Spear Historic Site - "The oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador is located at the most easterly point of land in Canada. It has been restored to its 1839 appearance and shows how a lightkeeper and his family might have lived in the mid-19th century." Although the weather was cool and overcast, the views were splendid and it was quite a busy spot.
Next to the Railway Coastal Museum in the beautifully restored St John's Railway station where they have a mock-up of the Newfie Bullet.
In the evening we took the bus from Memorial campus to Bannerman park where the 30th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival was being held. There was quite an assortment of musicians on the program from the very traditional Mahers Bahars (pronounced Mars Bars) to the rockin' Jason Whelan band.

"New" Tour Day 13: St John's, Newfoundland

Yesterday was a civic holiday in St John's - Regatta Day aka Regretta Day. "The Royal St John's Regatta is North America's oldest continuously held annual sporting event with documented proof of 1816 boat races. There is credible contention that St. John's regattas were held even earlier than 1816, likely in the 1700's. Held on Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John's, Newfoundland, the Regatta is scheduled for the first Wednesday of August. If weather isn't suitable, and wind conditions are very important, the event is postponed until the next suitable day. Since Regatta Day is a civic holiday in St. John's, this means that the weather actually determines whether or not workers have the day off. "
It rained all day but the Regatta prevailed. Everything was closed so we spent the day in the Memorial University Library and managed to accomplish quite a lot. In the late afternoon we ventured out in the car and drove down to the harbour and up Signal Hill which is the city's most recognizable landmark. "Because of its strategic placement overlooking the harbour, fortifications have been placed on the hill since the mid 1600's. The final battle of the Seven Years' War in North America was fought in 1762 at the Battle of Signal Hill, in which the French surrendered St. John's to the British under the command of Lt. Colonel William Amherst. Lt. Colonel Amherst renamed Signal Hill from "The Lookout", because of the flag mast signalling that took place upon it's summit. Flag communication between land and sea would take place there from the 1600's until 1960."
View source.
The 360 panoramic view, even on this overcast day, was spectacular.

"New Tour" Day 12: St John's Newfoundland

We found a club smart car card on our windshield this morning with a message from Lorne Foote who is involved in organizing the Newfoundland leg of the club's cross-Canada relay. Unfortunately, we'll be back on the mainland before their August 10th gathering. They'll be on the 1:30 am ferry from Port aux Basques, Newfoundland to North Sydney, Nova Scotia and wish wish them a safe and successful tour.
Visited the North Atlantic Aviation Museum which highlighted the critical role that the airfield at Gander played in World War II.
Stopped for lunch at Terra Nova National Park. It is difficult to describe the majesty of the landscape here & photos just don't do it justice.
Continuing our search for remnants of the "Newfie Bullet", we drop in to the lovely little station museum at Avondale. "Built by the Anglo-Newfoundland Telegraph Company, in either 1870 or 1880, the Avondale Railway Station served as a repeater station for the first telegraph land line serving St. John's. From 1900, to 1949 the structure was a freight and passenger station operated by the Reid Newfoundland Company, and was an important terminus during World War II for transporting men working at the American military bases in Argentia. Now the oldest surviving railway station in Newfoundland, from Confederation in 1949 until its closure in 1984, the Canadian National Railway used the station as a terminus for their passenger and freight service in Conception Bay. The two-storeyed structure has a mansard roof complete with arched windows."
Booked into the Curtis House residence at Memorial University for the next few nights. Much cooler weather here than in Southern Ontario and we are thankful.

"New" Tour Days 10 & 11: Corner Brook and Gander, Newfoundland

Monday July 31, 2006
Picnic lunch at Grand Falls, NF - no, it wasn't grand and we couldn't find the falls.
Continued eastward on the TCH (Trans Canada Highway) to Bishop's Falls where we visit the Heritage Centre: "The town’s heritage can best be appreciated by visiting the new Bishop’s Falls Heritage Centre. The museum is housed in the former railway station which was constructed in 1943 and served as the headquarters for the Western Division of the railway across Newfoundland. The station served thousands of passengers during its heyday, including the troops of World War II. The heritage centre has an array of photos and memorabilia celebrating the days when the railway reigned as the sole means of transportation across the Island. As an added attraction, a train car is displayed at the centre, offering visitors a glimpse of what rail travel was like."
It's hubby's birthday tonight and we're statying at the Comfort Inn, Gander.

Sunday July 30, 2006
Got a latish start today - after watching the German Grand Prix on TV. Listening to Codroy Valley Radio Show & Jigs and Reels on OZ fm which were featuring local artists playing traditional folk music. Stopped at Tim Horton's in Stephenville for lunch. A guy in a pick-up truck says, "Your car's too small! You have to be over 15 feet to come into town". Rupert retorted, "60 mpg. Who's laughing now?" I'm glad hubby didn't reply with Rich Helm's imfamous comeback to a Hummer driver.
Glorious weather and scenery as we toured the Port au Port Peninsula.
Camped at the Kinsmen's Prince Edward Campground & RV Park just outside of Corner Brook, NF after an interesting tour of some remaining cars of the now defunct "Newfie Bullet" train. Young guy at campsite the check in says, "That's the smallest rig I've ever seen!". Enjoyed a quiet night in the shelter of pine trees.

"New" Tour Days 8 & 9: Port Hastings, Nova Scotia

More heavy rain as we headed out to Port Hastings where we stayed last night at the EconoLodge. Stopped at the Orangedale Station museum - we had visited when on the Bras D'or Train in 2002. Sadly, there is no longer a passenger service passing through the station although the freight trains continue on their run from North Sydney to Point Tupper carrying coal and oil.
Now in North Sydney waiting to board the MV Caribou for Port Aux Basque, Newfoundland which is about a 5 hour journey.

Friday July 28, 2006

Visits to historic railway stations at Pugwash and Tatamagouche, NS - the former currently houses a public library and the local historic society; the latter is the Train Station Inn where you can stay the night on a railcar or in the station and also has restaurant and gift shop facilities. On to Stellarton, NS - home of grocery store chain Sobey's where we had an interesting tour of the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry.

"New" Tour Day 7: Sussex, NB

Drove into Saint John, NB via provincial capital Frederickton. Took smart car Trudi in for her 24 000 km service and they took us downtown by taxi. Bite of lunch at the Old Market then an excellent tour of the Loyalist House. " One of the few surviving buildings of the Great Fire of 1877, the Loyalist House serves as a proud reminder of Saint John's British Loyalist heritage. Built in 1817, the Georgian features of this National Historic Site has remained structurally unaltered."
They have done a great job of making the downtown pedestrian friendly and attractive - due largely to the recent influx of cruise ships. Next we visited Barbour's General Store - "Over 2,000 artifacts are found within the store including china, farm tools and kitchen utensils. A combination barbershop dental office is located at the back of the store just as it would have been in the early days."
We phoned the dealership and found out that the smart was ready and they sent a B Class Mercedes to pick us up. No problems with the car so we were quickly on our way.
Fascinating tour of the Carleton Martello Tower, pictured above. It commands spectacular views of the city and harbour.
Stayed the night at the All Seasons Inn in Sussex, NB - named for the Duke of Sussex Prince Augustus Frederick (1773-1843), sixth son of King George III.
Early start this morning. Stopped for breakfast at Cora's in Moncton and blogging at the beautiful, new public library.

"New" Tour Day 6: Woodstock, NB

Visited my dad, step-mom and step-sister in Long Settlement, NB where my dad's got a fabulous veggie garden - we scored some green & waxed beans, red & white potatoes and a small cabbage. They spend an extended summer there - May to October. Drove into Centreville with them and step-sister Honey for a hearty lunch at Granma's.
Quick shop at Sobey's then to Curves for a workout (felt great after too much time spent sitting in the car). Quiet, dry and so restful night.

"New" Tour Day 5: Woodstock, NB

Parked the smart car in the historic downtown of Houlton and it immediately drew attention and questions from the locals. A kind gentleman in a sporty Mazda offered to open up the Aroostook Historical and Art Museum for us if we'd like to visit. Being local history buffs we were thrilled to have a personally guided tour. Among the museum's treasures are a Confederate Battle Flag captured by a Houlton member of the 1st Maine Cavalry and a goat powered butter churn. Photographed the intriguing "Boy with the leaking boot" fountain.
Crossed the border at Bridgewater. No camping at Centreville, NB so headed back south to Woodstock where we booked in for two nights. Quick laundry and rest stop then dinner at Pizza Delight in town. Heavy thunderstorm prevented us from sleeping well in the tent. We stayed dry on the air matress but the noise was deafening.

"New" Tour Day 4: Houlton, Maine

We stayed last night in a KOA cabin in Canaan, Maine. The prospect of more rain has made us reluctant to camp in our tent. Campground manager asks Rupert, "Is that a clown car? Are you a clown?" He replies, "Yes, my costume is in the car."
Stopped for a very tasty lunch at Fully Brewed & Half Baked in Lincoln, NH. The owner came out to admire the smart and ask questions.
Went to Mount Washington Cog Railway - the world's first mountain cog railway built in 1869 by Sylvester Marsh. Would have gone for a ride if it weren't for the pouring rain. We enjoyed watching the train set off, touring their museum and having a bite of lunch.

Unfortunately the beautifully restored Gorham Historic Railway station was closed when we arrived but we made the best of the photo op.
Spending tonight at Ivey's Motor Lodge in Houlton in Aroostook County, Maine and plan to cross back into Canada at Bridgewater tomorrow.

"New" Tour Day 3: Keene, NH

Enjoyed our stay with the very hospitable Wrigley family. Pouring rain for most of the day. Had a driving tour of the area and dinner at The Olive Garden in town. It was great for Rupert to get caught up with his friend from Durham University days.

"New" Tour Day 2: Marlow, New Hampshire

Driving through Bennington, Vermont we couldn't help but be intrigued by the Battle Monument and so stopped to see it up close. "A group wishing to commemorate the Battle of Bennington decided a monument should be erected at the storage site of the military supplies which had been the objective of the battle." "The Bennington Battle Monument is 306 feet 4 and 1/2 inches tall; the cornerstone was laid in 1887, and the monument completed and dedicated in 1891. It is constructed from blue-grey magnesian limestone (known as Sandy Hill Dolomite from present-day Hudson Falls, New York), which is roughfaced with the exception of two horizontal bands near the observatory level. " Read more here.


See: http://www.punchbuggy.blogspot.com/

"New" Tour Day 1: Little Falls, New York

Trouble free exit of GTA early Thursday morning, 22519 km on the clock. Grabbed hotel coupon book at Tim Horton's near Port Hope, ON which payed off in the evening. Brief stop at the Big Apple at Colborne, ON. Payed $2.20 toll to cross Ivy Lea bridge into US and hubby payed $6 admin fee to enter the states. Picnic lunch at roadside in Turin, NY.
Stayed at the Best Western in Little Falls, NY where restaurant service was top notch. Following a great night's sleep and continental breakfast took a walking tour of - "Canal Place [that] was home to the prosperous industries of Little Falls during the second half of the 19th Century. The textile industry employed over 15,000 people at one time. The first knitting mill started in 1872, became part of the Gilbert Knitting Company and established itself as one of the largest textile businesses in the country. In 1901 the city of Little Falls had 55 factories with 4, 408 employees producing an annual output valued at $8,500,000. In 1921 the knit goods and hosiery industries here employed 2, 234 machine operators and most of them worked in what is today called Canal Place."

AutoMatters: ZAP's SMART Cars are On The Road

How easy is the SMART car to park? The results to both of these tests were made clear at our lunch stop in San Francisco. After our obligatory photo shoot of the SMART cars with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, we made our way alongside cable cars to world famous Fisherman's Wharf. The problem is, we could only find three parking spaces and there were six SMART cars. What were we to do?
The answer was plain to see: park two cars to a space. We did and there was even room to spare. It was an amazing sight. These cars are really, really short. They passed Test 5 with flying colors and, in the process, drew a large crowd of curious onlookers. Trying to answer their many questions made our lunch break much longer than we had intended, but that was fine. The whole point of this tour is to let people know about SMART cars, and they really seem eager to learn.

Read more about Zap's smart trek from Santa Rosa, CA to New York City here.

Railways and Main Streets tour, Part Four

The debate on the merits of electric vs gas powered engines goes back to the dawn of the automobile age. We recently visited the local history museum in St Marys, ON where we asked to be taken out to the "barn" to see their 1902 Baker electric car. The Baker Motor Vehicle Co, of Cleveland, Ohio (later Baker, Rauch & Lang Co) manufactured various models between 1899 and 1916.
These relatively clean, quiet and easy to drive vehicles were marketed as city cars for women drivers. They could reputedly cruise a distance of 50 miles (80 km) when fully charged and reach a top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h). In 1915 Baker merged his company with Rauch & Lang, a distinguished Cleveland carriage manufacturer that had entered the electric vehicle business. By that time, the gasoline powered automobile had achieved dominance in the industry, and a few years later the new company stopped producing automobiles and focused on making electric vehicles for industrial purposes. In 1977, Baker was acquired by Linde AG of Germany and a new American company, called Baker Material Handling Corporation was formed. In 1999 it became the Linde Lift Truck Corporation, of Summerville, South Carolina, and today it is part of an international firm that designs and manufactures industrial trucks and hydraulics.