When we get to the end of our trips, our only thought is to get home as fast as we can. So, this time, instead of retracing our steps back though Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, we decided to take a ferry from western Nova Scotia to Maine.

The ferry is “The Cat” – which goes from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to Bar Harbor, Maine. It’s about a 3 hour trip – much shorter than a trip in a traditional ferry. “The Cat” is a catamaran, so it sits on top of the water, and can go up to 55 mph.

It was a beautiful day, and a nice speedy trip. Here’s the harbor at Yarmouth.

Heading out from Yarmouth

The inside of the front part of the ferry – lots of windows with great views.

We saw dozens of whales – not well enough to see what kinds they were – and not close enough to take photos. But we saw spouts and sometimes little bits of their backs and tails.

The wake behind the boat

Sunset

The first view of Maine

Maine hills

We drove pretty fast through New England. The fall colors were beautiful but we were headed home.

Finally – back home.