All systems go!

Antigonish, NS – Our RV problem has been solved and we are on our way again. To say we are relieved is an under-statement, as fewer than 24 hours ago we were envisioning our Newfoundland trek going up in smoke along with our bank account.

Shortly after breakfast at the hotel, we got the call from O’Regan’s  Mercedes-Benz dealership in Halifax to say the RV was ready. We packed up and headed over the bridge into town to be reunited with our home on wheels. Brittany told us the problem was just a dirty fuel filter.

While we had the opportunity, we asked for a new headlight bulb and a little clip for the windshield washer hose that had broken. Shawn, back in the shop, kindly collected those items from the parts department and installed them while we chatted with Brittany and service manager Bruce. A friendlier crew you would not find anywhere, and we pulled away with light hearts once again.

In no time we were back on the highway to Truro, where we would rejoin the TransCanada Highway toward Cape Breton and our rendez-vous with the ferry to Newfoundland. It was great to see the big sky with its puffy clouds, rolling hills all greened up from the spring rains, and glimpses of seaside as we approached Antigonish.

One interesting highway sign we passed (which we’d noticed on the way to Halifax as well) was for the town of Stewiacke, which claims to be at the exact half-way point between the North Pole and the equator. I wonder who figured that one out!

The other sight that took my breath away every time was the splash of pink and purple lupines by the highway, sometimes just a small cluster, and sometimes a whole field of them. They are so magnificent, it’s hard to believe they just grow wild.

I had managed to find an RV park just a couple of hours from Halifax, and about the same distance to North Sydney, so that we could have a couple of gentle days in terms of hours driving. We need to keep our driver’s stamina up for all those miles ahead of us! And we’ve been pretty focused just on getting to the ferry on time. That, and the challenges we’ve encountered over this first week out, have consumed quite a bit of energy, so we’re ready to just chill till our ship sails on Monday.

So, when we got settled here at the Oasis Motel and Campground just outside of Antigonish, it was so pleasant just to vegetate for a spell! After a bite of supper, we drove the car in to have a look at the town. The evening sun was filtering through the trees and on the quaint shop fronts along the main street, and in the local park there was an art show where lots of people were browsing. A bit further along we came to the campus of St Francis Xavier University. The red brick buildings are widely spread out with green lawns and mature trees – no wonder so many students enjoy spending their university years here.