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Just to add a little to what Bob said about the ferries to Nova Scotia.
The Ferry from Portland to Yarmouth is a large car ferry. One out in
international waters (or is it just in Canadian waters?) they open a casino, so
you can totally blow your vacation money before you even arrive in Canada.
Like Bob said, its an overnight crossing, so you would probably get there
refreshed and ready to tour.
The ferry from Bar Harbor is now in its second year of operation. It replaced
the old "Bluenose" that was operated by the Canadian National Railroad. The
new on is a high speed catamaran (2 hulls I think) that is propelled by water
jets. For a speed-crazed Triumph owner, this has to be about as close to
nirvana as it gets! Of course, the "Greens" are more than a little upset about
the possibility of it hitting a whale, but that hasn't happened yet (although
it did smack into a fishing boat last year).
Bar Harbor is one of those places that defines that experience of the Maine
coast. There is a ridge or line of mountains that end at Mt. Dessert Island
(where Bar Harbor is located), and the combination of mountain and ocean is
spectacular. There's a National Park there (Acadia Nat'l Park), and its the
2nd most visited in the park system. If you plan to ride to N.S. on the "Cat",
I strongly urge you to take another day or two to explore the Mt. Dessert /
Schoodic Peninsula area.
Tom Walling
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