Canada
 

Been here since Thursday. In New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This is gorgeous country. And the people seem for the most part more laid back, friendly and happy than in the US. Probably part of the reason is they don't have to worry about being bankrupted by medical bills if they get sick or hurt. There is almost no litter here. I mean yeah, there's some, but it's rare. I doubt there is 1/10 the litter that you see back in the US. And they actually let you pump your gas and then go in and pay for it! Can you believe that! I've had to pay cash for everything because even though I called the credit card people and told them when and where I was going and got there assurance that they wouldn't stop my card, as soon as I tried to use it in Canada it was declined. I'm gonna have a few choice words for them when I get back. :mad:

Fortunately I carried quite a bit of emergency cash. That's another thing. I've had no problem using American cash for stuff. I've used $100 bills too, so I could get change back in Canadian. I've had no problem with that either. They've always given me a fair rate of exchange, about a buck and a quarter Canadian for a buck American, and they don't even hold the $100 bills up to the light to check them! And the Motels have been fine with taking cash. Try to rent a room in the states without a credit card.

It's real nice up there. If you don't go to the Red Shoe Pub in Mamou for tunes, you missed the boat. Baddeck is a real pretty place too. Halifax didn't do much for me though. The small towns and Cabot Trail coastline is where it's at.

We're not Pub or city people. We went there to enjoy the scenery and outdoors. We drove the whole Cabot trail and did a couple of hikes. I'll get some pictures up when I get home. Motel internet connections have been kind of slow for that.

Mamou is a tiny little town and the Red Shoe Pub is pretty much the only business in town, but it has become the epicenter of Celtic music in Nova Scotia. Food is excellent too. I had the biggest plate of broiled scallops I've ever seen. We stayed in a farmhouse there where the owner is a trip - a most awesome and friendly guy.

Which is the best outside of Ireland and some would say it's the best period.

'Twas indeed excellent. We were up there in September four years ago and a lot of the music venues in the small towns along the Cabot Trail no longer had live music nightly once the tourist season was mostly over. The Red Shoe Pub was alive and kickin', despite being in a one horse town (population 1,200). The pub is owned by the Rankin Family, a family that has been credited with keeping Celtic music traditions alive in Nova Scotia.

If the Bar Fly/Lounge Lizard scene is what rocks your world then by all means go for it. However, I myself am more the clean living outdoors type, so I was more interested in the Hiking and scenery.

Florence and I were up there some years back, she loved it.

Fine. But the Red Shoe Pub is more of a restaurant and music venue as well as an institution in Nova Scotia than it is a drinking establishment . I'm totally fine with you screwing up badly by not going there.;)

They must have a strong faith in the goodness of mankind. :D