Leaving Sandwich, we rode north to Gorham where we caught US 2 across to Bangor, Maine. We spent a day there looking at books and records in the Bangor Room of the library (where they keep local histories and genealogical records) and at city hall. We also looked at the street where Jym's great grandfather's family lived for a couple of years in the 1890s.

From there, we headed down to the coast and followed US 1 to Machias, the Washington County seat, to look up recorded deeds and land records for another group of Jym's ancestors. The records office is the most disorganized, least helpful of any we've been in. They won't allow photographs of the records even though we don't use a flash. They do, however, allow the disassembling of the record books by any clubfingered citizen so they can slap the page on a copier (and pay 50 cents for the privilege) - we don't get it.

Leaving Machias in disgust (but, with more information than we arrived with), we continued on US 1 until we arrived at Eastport. Although it was once one of the busier seaports in Maine, it now seems to be more of a vacation and retirement community (with a little fishing on the side).

The attraction for us was the Barracks Museum, home of the Border Historical Society. Although it was closed (after Salmon Festival, don't ya know), THE genealogist in the area met us there and fed us records, information and anecdotes for several hours - Frances is indeed a delightful lady!.

Then it was off to the cemetery to photograph gravestones of Jym's long gone ancestors and associated families. After 120+ years of neglect, lichen has filled some of the engraving, making it difficult to read the inscriptions.

We decided to take the indirect route into Canada, which meant backtracking around to Lubec (the eastern most town in the US) and crossing the border by way of the bridge to Campobello Island.

At the northern tip of the island is the East Quoddy Lighthouse. For about three hours, twice a day, you can walk out to the point of land that it is built on. The rest of the time you have to swim as the tides are around 28 feet at this point.

From Campobello, we boarded the ferry (an exciting proposition at low tide - steep gravel ramp onto wet, steel deck plates) to Deer Island. Bet you didn't know bikers can hold their breath long enough to herd a 700 pound beastie from dry level ground to a wet pitching steel plate and park without expiring.

From the ferry we got an incredible view of the Eastport shoreline. It was a view that must have been very similar to that which Jym's ancestors probably saw over a hundred years ago.

The next ferry (a free one this time) took us from Deer Island across Passamaquoddy Bay back to the mainland at Letete. Although it wasn't quite as exciting boarding (being the seasoned ferry goers that we were), it was still a relief when we got to breath again.

That evening, we ended up at Saint John, New Brunswick and the Reversing Falls. At this point, the Saint John River spends half it's time flowing into the Bay of Fundy, and the other half having the bay back up into it (it's all about the size of the tides).

Early the next morning, we boarded yet another ferry. This one was a three hour trip that took us to Nova Scotia at Digby. We're getting pretty good at not breathing. Once aboard, we had to tie the bikes to the deck (presumably so they wouldn't wander off and annoy other vehicles).

After two and a half hours of fog and open water, we came into view of the western coast of Nova Scotia. One more steel deck plate, then we would be on terra firma again for a while.

Following the Evangeline Trail east, we arrived at Hantsport near low tide. The tides around here are world records and all of the docks are set up to accommodate boats sitting on the mud, then six hours later floating free. The tug tied up at the gypsum factory's wharf was a vivid example.

In Hantsport, we visited the Churchill House Museum (former home of one of the two local wooden ship builders), soon to be the permanent home of the Hantsport Historical Society's records, and met Papa Jack (a very genial character) and Joey - THE area historian, and holder of an incredible amount of genealogical and local historical knowledge.

Along Hantsport's Main Street are three houses that were owned by the descendants of Jym's sixth great grandfather, Abel Michener, who came to the area as an English Planter (which has nothing to do with farming) in 1760. Other properties (including a general store) were also owned by Micheners in town.

In Mount Denson (the next town along the Avon River), the river bends around Mitchener Point, where a second generation lighthouse stands. Although it's no longer lit, having been decommissioned in 2001, it still watches over the Minas Basin.

In Windsor is the West Hants Historical Society. It is located in an old church and houses a fair collection of artifacts from the area. We ended up staying at a delightful bed and breakfast next door, which was very convenient.

The main attraction for us, however, was the marvelous collection of records that had been amassed. We spent an embarrassing number of hours photographing every page that held some relevance to our quest. We ended by becoming members of the society.

With our focus on genealogical research, we almost (but not quite) failed to notice the cooling weather. This tree served as a vivid reminder! Now we are on the lookout for even more displays of brilliance. Just call us your run-of-the-mill 'Leaf Peepers'.

On a hill in Windsor is Fort Edward, built by the British in 1750 and is the oldest surviving Blockhouse in Canada. It was built to watch over the Minas Basin and the northern approach to Halifax. From here, Mitchener point can easily be seen.

In the Mount Denson Cemetery we found many more descendants of Abel. Who says graveyards and cemeteries aren't fun and full of discoveries?

In the next county (Kings), we found another research facility in the basement of the Kings County Museum that held additional information on branches of the Mitchener family. For a very modest fee, they allow you to rummage around in the records vault and also give you access to their computerized databases.

Having reached total information overload (it will take us all winter to figure out what we learned), we went on a little sight seeing ride. Above (all of 600') the Minas basin on the North Mountain is the 'Lookoff'. From this vantage point, you can look down the Annapolis Valley and a large portion of the basin and the mouth of the Avon River.

At the end of the Grand Pré area, we took off our shoes and squished through the low tide mud. It's amazing how far you can walk out on the mud flats if you don't mind a little red, sticky goo between your toes.

On our last day in the area, the weather was glorious and it provided us with a spectacular sunset as the tide reversed and began it's rise up the mud flats to the narrow beach.