Ugh! Fog Again!

There must be some endearing qualities of fog but we’ve yet to find them. We have a reservation with Bay Ferries at 8:30 to make the three hour crossing from Digby NS to St. John NB but for some nefarious reason we have to be at the terminal an hour ahead. We’ve heard this ferry could use some improvements so you can imagine our mood as we stand on the asphalt beside the bike in the cold fog and count down 60 minutes, recalling that we prepaid $120 for this experience! You’re not allowed access to the vehicle deck during the voyage and we can well see why, as it has no windows, a dreadful smell, a wet uneven deck with huge puddles, and rusty condensation drips everywhere (we pity anyone with a pet aboard).
We’re grateful the upper decks are quite pleasant with all the amenities of our older BC Ferries, including one we don‘t have, and that is a young employee from the New Brunswick Museum who does small interpretation sessions in the lounge for interested travelers. Once again we remind ourselves that we’ll have more tolerance for the BC Ferries after our experiences with even less value-for-money ferries this summer.
Interestingly the Atlantic newspapers carried an editorial (covering-his-ass letter) by the CEO of Marine Atlantic (NFLD ferries) explaining all the difficulties the company’s encountered this summer and asking for the public’s understanding. The East Coast sincerely promises outstanding natural and historical attractions year round but weather, even in summer, is unpredictable so like many places that rely on tourism to shore up faltering local economies, access and affordability to and from play a huge part.
There are a number of homeward bound Americans on the ferry who are disappointed they didn’t see any moose but still hopeful they’ll see a whale in the Bay of Fundy. They remain disappointed as the damnable fog intensifies. We are content in this regard as we have seen many whales from a distance and no moose at any distance! St. John is obliterated by fog and our first hour of riding on HWY 1 is miserable and cold.
By the time we reach St. Stephen which shares the border crossing with Calais, Maine the fog has lifted to a high overcast and it is much warmer. Carmen’s Diner beckons as we’re trying to forget our breakfast on the ferry. Carmen’s is busy with locals, always a good sign, and Marlene is particularly pleased with her Hot Pork sandwich. A good road meal always improves the trip and we wait patiently at the border until we can happily set off on Hwy 9 to Beddington. The coast is still fogged in so Hwy 1 which offers sporadic views of the ocean at best is not a good choice yet.
By the time we reach Cherryfield, the blueberry capital of North America, the coast highway is sufficiently clear enough to ride. We’ve never seen fields of low bush blueberries (only high bush) and we watch the harvesters with their long scoops speedily picking. We are disappointed to see that the migrant workers’ accommodation here is about as dismal as that in California.
This northeast corner of Maine is mostly wooded, rolling country, good for hunting, and very much like our Maritimes. Hwy 1 follows a serpentine bumpy alignment that we hope will be offset by the view of the coast. It looks like it may rain by the time we pull in to the Comfort Inn in Ellsworth. We are all smiles, however, as Barry is back in the country of cheap Miller beer and Ellsworth has a L.L. Bean outlet right beside the motel - wonder who planned that?