Adventures Awaits on the East Coast

Having been born and raised, and done all my schooling in California, I have spent almost my entire life living and traveling around on the west coast. So when I happened upon an opportunity to take a six month work assignment in upstate New York, I jumped on the chance to travel to the east coast, a part of the country that is still relatively unknown and mysterious to me. 

For the next half year, I will be living and working in Malta, NY, a small town in an area whose sleepy exterior belies the rich history within. Less than ten miles from my apartment is the site of the Battle of Saratoga from the Revolutionary War. A few minutes drive northwest of there, and you can reach Saratoga Springs, a town with it’s own longtime traditions of hot springs and horse races. Even today, you can go there to watch (and bet on, if you’re feeling lucky,) live thoroughbred horse racing, a pastime that seems to be distinctly east coast.

There are also countless activities available for the outdoor enthusiast. Warm summer days offer swimming and kayaking on the many lakes in the area, hiking in the vast Adirondack mountain range, and running through the nearby forest trails. Winters are said to be harsh, but also provide opportunities to ski, ice skate, and snow shoe without having to drive four hours up a mountain. 

As an added bonus, upstate New York happens to be in a great location for weekend trips to popular east coast destinations. Three hours of driving can get you to New York City to the south, Boston to the east, and Montreal to the north. With an additional hour of driving, you could reach Philadelphia farther south or Niagara Falls to the west. I definitely plan to visit some of these locations, as well as others in the vicinity. 

So far I’ve been enjoying the east coast experience, seeing interesting places unique to the area. It’s been a bit hot and humid, nothing like the year round temperate weather back home, but that hasn’t deterred me from going exploring. There’s so much to see and do - more than enough to keep me busy for the next six months.

- MC 7/27

P.S. I'd love to hear any suggestions for things to see/do from all you east coasters!

Ships and History in Halifax

We ended our train journey across the eastern stretches of Canada in Halifax, a port city known for its history and lobsters. In many ways, Halifax almost reminds me of San Francisco, with its ample selection of seafood restaurants and waterfront establishments swarming with tourists. But as an older city that had taken an active role in numerous international events in the past, I found the historical buildings and attractions in Halifax to be much more interesting and impressive.

Famous Halifax seafood

Similar to Quebec City, Halifax also has a star-shaped Citadel built on the highest hill overlooking the city. These fortifications were also built by the British, but were intended to be used in defense against the French. The Citadel in Halifax seemed a little smaller than the one in Quebec, but boasted equally impressive features. A tall wall and deep ditch surround the entire fort, meaning any attackers would, after charging up a steep hill, have to drop 20 feet into the ditch and climb 40 feet up a sheer wall before making it into the fort’s interior, all the while being shot at by snipers on both sides. The inside of the fort contains storehouses and sleeping quarters, giving it the ability to be self sufficient in the case of a siege. It appears just as impenetrable as the Quebec citadel, but we’ll never know how it would have actually held up in battle, because like the other fort, this one has never been attacked. In fact, the only time the Citadel ever functioned as a defensive structure for the city was during the Halifax Explosion of 1917. 

Standing in the ditch of the Citadel

It was the height of World War I, and the French cargo ship, the Mont-Blanc, was on its way across the ocean loaded with explosives. Before heading east back to France, they were to make a stop in Halifax. The big ship barely fit in Halifax harbor, and due to miscommunication, the Mont-Blanc collided with the Imo, a Norwegian ship headed in the opposite direction out the harbor. Fire quickly spread across the carnage, resulting in a massive explosion that wiped out the entire east side of the city. The Citadel however, stood firm, protecting the rest of the city behind it from the blast.

The Halifax Explosion is the subject of one of the many exhibits at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Other exhibits featured model ships with exquisite detail crafted by local hobbyists, and a real full-sized ship outside that was free to explore with museum admission. Also featured was a whole exhibit about the Titanic and the aftermath its disastrous journey, of which I was surprised Halifax played such a large role.

Intricate model ships at the museum

After the Titanic sank, rescue ships quickly set out to bring the survivors to New York, the original intended destination. The bodies of the victims however, were sent to Halifax. Halifax was the closest port city to the wreckage that had relatively easy access to the rest of the continent via railroad. After the bodies were identified, they could be sent to their families for burial. Of course, only the families of the first class passengers could afford the shipping costs, so many of the bodies ended up being buried right in Halifax. During our city tour, our guide took us to Fairview Cemetery, where most of the victims were buried. It was interesting hearing the stories he had to tell us about certain individuals buried there, but also sad to think about the tragedy that had befallen all those people. Many of the tombstones were simply labeled with the date of the disaster and a number, the body unable to be identified, destined to rest there forever in anonymity. 

Grave marker at the Fairview Cemetery, inspiration for the character Jack Dawson

Having gone through the US school system, I learned a lot about American history, but not much about the rest of the world. My favorite part about this past trip was learning about the rich histories of each stop, visiting monuments from a different time, and hearing stories about the lives of people past and present. There are many things that we didn’t have time to get to during our stays in Montreal, Quebec, and Halifax, and discover more stories yet untold.

- MC 6/27

Forts and Castles in Quebec City

The capital of Quebec province, Quebec City, is a curious little tourist destination. The city consists of a few distinct regions, the most visited of which are the Upper and Lower Old Towns. Upper Old Town sits on a massive hill with sheer cliffs on the river-facing side, separating it physically from the lower town and making it an optimally defensible location. 

Entrance to the Citadel

It’s no wonder that the British decided to build a military fort there during their rule. On the highest point of the city is The Citadel, a collection of military buildings surrounded by a star-shaped protective wall. Today, the Citadel is part active military base, and part museum, open to the public for tours multiple times a day. Our tour guide gave us an excellent overview on the background of the place, explaining that the British built the Citadel as a precaution after warded off two previous attacks by the Americans (“those nasty Americans!”). The walls were built in a star formation to ensure that there were no blind spots anywhere approaching the fort. Add that to their highly advantageous position, and it would have been almost impossible to take Quebec using 19th century weaponry. In fact, the Citadel has the proud distinction of never having been defeated. Granted, no one has ever tried.

Majestic Chateau Frontenac

The Citadel is widely regarded as one of the must-see tourist spots in Quebec City. Chateau Frontenac is one of the other ones. Resembling a castle in both size and structure, Chateau Frontenac is a luxury hotel built about the same time as the railroads in an effort to attract visitors to the city. Today, the Chateau is the place to stay for people looking for the 5-star experience and willing to pay the 5-star price. It’s also a popular photo spot for those of us who are too cheap to actually stay there.

Poutine from Chez Ashton

Much of the charm of Quebec City comes from the European style cobblestone streets in the Upper Old Town, lined with small boutiques and restaurants. It’s a great place for shopping and food, and we definitely ate our share of local and regional foods. Right next to our hotel was Chez Ashton, a fast food joint native to Quebec and famous for their poutine. For the price and speed of service, the poutine was quite satisfactory, and way better than most fast food places we have in the US. Just down the street from there was Les Delices de l’Erable (Canadian Maple Delights), a store selling every maple product imaginable. There was maple mustard, maple jelly, even maple lotions and soaps all available for sampling, and also a gelato bar where you could taste maple flavored gelato. Most of the restaurants we ate at also had maple pie available for dessert. I thought the maple pie was really good - it was similar to pumpkin pie but had a sightly grainier texture and obviously a more syrupy taste. If only they had maple pie back home too.

Maple pie!

After a day and a half in Quebec City, we got on a sleeper train for the 20+ hour journey to Halifax, Nova Scotia, our next destination. Our time in Quebec was brief, but enjoyable, and I hope to have the opportunity to return someday. For now, we leave the French-Canadian culture to experience the Anglophone parts of the country.

- MC 6/25

Art and Food in Montreal

In many ways, Canada is very similar to the US. We speak the same language, eat lots of the same food, listen to similar music. Canadians may be slightly more enthusiastic about hockey, but aside from that, you could cross the border at many locations and not even notice you had entered a different country. The province of Quebec is the one big exception, with French as their official language, and many buildings and neighborhoods more reminiscent of Europe than anywhere else. For our last family trip before I start working full time, we decided to do a train tour through Quebec, starting with a few days in Montreal, followed by a stay in Quebec City, and ending in Halifax (which is English speaking and not in Quebec). 

Poutine for dinner in Quartier Latin

Montreal is the largest city in Quebec, and unofficially known as the food capital of Canada. It has all the conveniences of a big city, like subways that take you everywhere you want to go and multiple cafes on every block. But it also retains the atmosphere of a smaller city through its unique neighborhoods. One could spend a few hours just walking around, looking at the interesting buildings, and marveling at how different things look from one area to the next. One of the more colorful neighborhoods we visited was the Quartier Latin, just outside the main subway hub, Berri-UQAM. As soon as you exit the subway station, you see the University of Quebec at Montreal on one side with its towering gothic style architecture, and on the other side you see the bright storefronts of Rue St Denis painted every color of the rainbow. This is a great place to take a walk and have a meal at one of the many restaurants.

Farmers market

For more food options, a good place to go is Marche Jean-Talon in Little Italy. This is basically what you would get if you combine a farmers market with one of those gourmet food markets. In the main central area there are many large stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables, many of which offer free samples. Surrounding them are dozens of stores and vendors, selling all manner of food, drink, and souvenirs. There was one crepe stand right next to the main sitting area that we especially enjoyed.

Traditional Inuit art

As a city that values art and culture, Montreal houses over 30 different museums. We had the opportunity to visit one of them, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal). This is the largest art museum in the city, and well known throughout the country. It also used to be completely free of charge; it’s still free for those under 30, but for those older than 30 there is now a $12 admission fee. Though considering the amount of content you get - there are three different large buildings housing exhibits - it’s still well worth the price. The museum has art pieces from all over the world and every era, but I would recommend the Canadian/Quebecois art wing in particular. You can see some unique local styles that probably aren’t featured much elsewhere.

Biodome animal sighting

The city of Montreal has been on the international stage multiple times, at various points in the past hosting both the Olympic games and the World Expo. You can still go and see the impressive looking Olympic stadium, and many of the other buildings in the Olympic Park have been converted to tourist attractions, including a planetarium and a botanical garden. We didn’t have time to visit all of them, but we did go to the Biodome, a small zoo that was quite enjoyable despite the hordes of screaming schoolchildren. A few of the World Expo pavilions can still be seen in Parc Jean-Drupeau, a couple of islands located just south of the main city and easily accessible through the subway. The park itself contains many nice paths and an abundance of plant life, making it a great place to go jogging, biking, or in our case for a leisurely walk to aid in digestion after a large meal.

The old US pavilion from Montreal's World Expo

Montreal was a nice place to spend a few days, and definitely recommended to all those foodies out there (though you would probably want to visit in the summer as opposed to winter). We are now on a train taking us to Quebec City, another place of historical significance and food.

- MC 6/23

Big Trees in Redwood Country

Today was big tree day, reserved for hiking around and seeing the giant redwoods the parks are named after and famous for. Due to a bad ankle, part of our group split off to do a variation on the less strenuous Big Tree Loop instead of the originally planned West Ridge loop. 

Big trees near the visitor center

From the visitor center, we decided to start off in the direction of the Cathedral Trees Trail. There were a few steep areas and some branches strewn across the trail, but for the most part it was a very moderate hike that still provided very nice scenery. The trail started off with dense fields of tall grass below light tree cover. Beyond the Foothill Trail split off, we saw a slow transition from light yellow to lush green grass, to ferns and smaller trees, and finally to full fledged towering redwoods.

Trailhead starting from a wide meadow

By the time we reached the fork between Cathedral Tree Trail and Rhododendron Trail, we were seeing huge “Cathedral Trees”, redwoods growing in a circular formation. When a large redwood falls, new trees grow around the stump, forming a circle of trees. Standing in the middle of the groves, you can look up into the small speck of sky framed by the tops of the trees and imagine that you are seeing the heavens above you. Maybe that’s where the name comes from.

Cathedral tree grove

Continuing on the Cathedral Tree Trail, we encountered many more picturesque groves of trees, as well as massive fallen trees and their corresponding stumps. A bit past the one and a half mile mark, we finally reached the main feature of the day. Appropriately labeled “Big Tree” on all the park maps, the 1500 year old tree reaches a height of 304 feet and a diameter of 21.6 feet, giving it a larger footprint than some bay area apartments. A nearby sign said that in the late 1800s, some people were considering cutting down the tree to build a dance floor on the stump. It lucky that they eventually decided against it, leaving this great piece of natural history for all to enjoy.

The famed Big Tree

For the last segment of the hike, we decided to return to the visitor center via the Foothill Trail. The way back led us through a few more redwood groves, and was almost completely flat, making it almost a leisurely walk to end our redwood adventures.

Large groves on Foothill Trail

The redwood forests of northern California are vast. During our weekend there, we only had time to explore the southern part of a single park. If we come back in the future, I would definitely make it a priority to find lodgings farther north, making visits to the northernmost Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park possible. There are countless more trails to explore in the area - we’ve only scratched the surface so far!

- MC 5/27

Celebrity Sandwiches and Dinosaur Habitats in Redwood Country

After a long, but scenic drive through the vast forests of Humboldt County, we finally reached Eureka in the late afternoon. This small, seaside town was to be our home base for visiting the Redwoods National and State Parks over the weekend. We arrived with a bit of daylight left, just enough to take a short walk around the downtown area. There were many unique shops selling all sort of odds and ends, from clothes and jewelry to art pieces by local artists.

Unfortunately, most of the stores and galleries closed early there, but we were able to enjoy a nice dinner downtown. We decided on Cafe Nooner, a Cajun-Mediterranean fusion restaurant. To our surprise, as soon as we walked in we saw a picture of the restaurant when it was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. With high expectations, a few of us ordered the “DDD” Pulled Pork with Appleslaw, the very same dish that Guy Fieri tasted on the show. The sandwich was delicious, with flavorful sauces and meat served in fresh, locally produced bread. My favorite part was the way they finished the pork, making the edges slightly crispy and producing a nice contrast in texture. It was a great meal to reenergize on after a long journey, and I would highly recommend it.

Enthusiastically endorsed by Guy Fieri

The next day we drove about an hour and a half north to hike an abridged version of the James Irvine Loop in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Instead of beginning the hike at the visitor center, we decided to head towards the Fern Canyon parking lot. On the way there, we stopped to snap a few photos on Davison road just off 101, where a large herd of elk were grazing. Continuing towards the trailhead was a rough dirt road, with many potholes filled with puddles. We finally reached the parking lot next to the beach, and set off on the hike. 

Elk by the road

After about a quarter mile we reached the famous Fern Canyon. A wide creek cut through the gorge, making it an interesting challenge to keep our shoes dry as we scrambled over fallen trees and wobbled across branches acting as make-shift bridges. In the heart of the canyon was the main attraction - thousands of lush, green ferns growing on the towering walls surrounding us, giving the place a sense of timelessness. It’s no wonder that Steven Spielberg opted to film part of Jurassic Park 2 there.

Walking through Fern Canyon

The next segment of the hike provided ample opportunities to see majestic redwoods and more luscious ferns. Slightly past the two mile mark, the Clintonia trail branched off from James Irvine. We chose to turn right onto Clintonia instead of continuing on James Irvine, reducing the hike’s total mileage from 11.6 miles to roughly 8 miles. At the next fork, we turned right, taking the Miner’s Ridge Trail back to the beach. 

Redwoods along the trail

Finishing out the loop was a little more than a mile of beach. Hiking through sand proved to be physically quite tiring, but the sea breeze and ocean scenery provided a nice contrast to the dense forest we just left. The sand was just warm and soft enough to walk in barefoot, giving our feet a welcome respite at the end of a long day of hiking.

Beach at the end of the hike

We thoroughly enjoyed this hike, the definite highlight being Fern Canyon with the beach as a close runner-up. There were also many redwoods along the trail, few of which were note-worthy, but that is what the second day of hiking was reserved for. I would highly recommend this hike for anyone spending more than a day in the redwoods parks.


Extra PSA: Keep your distance when viewing wildlife! On our drive back to Eureka, we saw a man taking pictures just a few meters away from an elk. This is very dangerous - elk behavior is unpredictable, and they can charge at you at 35 miles per hour, way faster than you can run.

Don't do this

- MC 5/26

Memorial Day Redwoods

Many people use the Memorial Day long weekend to go on a short vacation somewhere, resulting in soaring plane ticket prices. This year, a few friends and I are going to take a road trip up to the Redwood parks, avoiding the airports but still getting away for the weekend. Redwood is one of those places that I've seen pictures of my infant self at, proving that my parents had taken me there before, but I don't actually remember visiting. I look forward to this trip now that I have the fitness to go on interesting hikes and the functional memory to remember sights and experiences with.

One surprising fact I discovered while researching this trip is that Redwoods National Park is actually comprised of four different parks - Jedediah Smith State Park, Del Norte Coast State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and of course, Redwood National Park. Each park has their own distinct features, but they all provide ample opportunity to see the famous giant redwoods. The redwoods there are hundreds of years old, and the largest trees are even big enough to drive a car through.

We are still in the process of hashing out our itinerary, but the tentative plan is as follows -

Friday

Start driving up around late morning or midday and check into the house we rented in Eureka. It takes an estimated 5-6 hours to reach Eureka from the bay area, so we should get there right in time for dinner. 

Saturday

Day-hike in the parks. Redwood Hikes has many recommended hikes for all four parks. We will most likely do one of the “Big Tree” hikes such as the Boy Scout Tree Trail in Jedediah Park.

Sunday

Another day-hike. This one will likely be a non-“Big Tree” hike to see more variety. A few recommended trails we are deciding between are the James Irvine Trail and Coastal Trail in Prairie Creek Park, and the Dolason Prairie Trail in Redwood National Park.

Monday

Drive back to the bay area.

Crossing our fingers for good hiking weather next weekend!

- MC 5/18