I took just a short 2 mile walk along the side street this morning. I knew that we had planned a hike later in the day and I needed to save my legs!
Breakfast by the sea.
We had reserved two nights here in Sainte Anne De Monts so that we could spend today doing a day trip to the national park. We took the Jeep and drove inland. We began to see mountains.
Our first stop was at La Grande Fosse. This is where the salmon swim up the Sainte Anne River to spawn. It is unclear if they have already been here this year or if they are still on their way. They were not here today!
We drove to the trailhead for the hike to Mont Ernest Laforce. This hike was rated as moderate. We were told that it was about 5km and would take about two hours. The trail was gravel and well groomed as we ascended the mountain. We rose 600 feet in 1 ½ miles. It was a gradual climb. We made it to the top in less than 50 minutes. Pictures don’t capture the majesty and grandeur of the view.
The video does a better job! This is why we hike!
We began the hike down. This way, the trail was a little rougher. What a gorgeous place!
As we drove down the park road, we saw a mama moose and her calf crossing the road in front of us. I was too slow with the camera to get a picture…but what a thrill!
We stopped at Chute Sainte Anne. The signage told us that the salmon swimming upstream were stopped by this obstacle!
We enjoyed a pique nique of crusty whole grain bread with marinated mussels and cheese and veggies and grapes.
We spent a quiet Sunday evening. We had a fresh green salad with salmon sausage for our meal.
Another walk in another place that I haven’t been before. The trail started in the lot where we were parked overnight. There was a passage under the highway and then along the Matane River. These coastal towns and villages have all been so picturesque.
Lots of art in town.
The mouth of the Matane River opens up to the Saint Lawrence here.
We moved again today. We drove only for an hour, transitioning from the coastal region to La Haute Gaspesie or the Upper Gaspesie. The Saint Lawrence River had become wider as we traveled and is now the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The terrain had changed. The coast is now more rugged. There are small coves and bays interspersed with areas of steep cliffs.
We stopped in Les Mechins at this memorial park.
We stopped again in Cap Chat. There was a very nice Farmers Market right at the rest area. I got fresh greens and spring onions and a cucumber and a vine ripened tomato. We also found saskatoon berries. I thought I was buying blueberries. The young girl at the stand explained, in beautiful English, that these berries taste like a combination of pears and blueberries…and they do!
We arrived at Sainte Anne des Monts around noon. The woman at the campground spoke no English. I knew this from my phone reservation the night before. I had practiced asking for 2 nights or “deux nuits.” I had also practiced “Do you have a laundry?” and “Change for the laundry please.” The woman had no clue what I was trying to say…we used hand signs and when that didn’t work…I asked SIRI! I left with 1 dollar coins for the washer and dryer.
Later in the afternoon, we went for a drive in the Jeep.
Chateau Lamontagne.
We did find an information center and the gentleman spoke English well and had a great knowledge of the area. We left him with maps of the National Park and lots of suggestions for shopping in the area. With his recommendation, we went to Cevic. This was a really nice store. We purchased salmon turonedoes stuffed with shrimp and cheese and lobster and peppers and onions and spinach and we had a great dinner with all the fresh vegetables we had purchased earlier.
Tim took a bike ride this evening. It is rather hilly and it was windy so he worked hard.
Our campsite is right along the gulf. We have been entertained by diving gulls and Tim found a radio station that plays country music. Most of the songs are in English and are songs we recognize. Some songs are French remakes of classic US country and other songs are just French!
The promised overnight thunderstorms never materialized. We had some gentle rain this morning. By the time I was ready for my walk, the rain had stopped. One of the greatest pleasures of this gypsy life is waking up in a new town and going for a walk in a new place!
No rain, though the clouds looked kind of threatening.
Many of the houses here have cheerful red roofs or doors or planters or green roofs or blue roofs. I love the brightly painted houses. There are also lots of beautiful flower gardens and hanging baskets with a profusion of brilliant annuals. I think if I lived here in the winter when everything is grey and snow covered and frozen, I would want lots of color too!
We traveled only a short distance today in La Cote or the coastal region. This beach in Saint Ulric was a terrific breakfast spot.
We were lucky to find another free RV site on the Saint Lawrence River. The mall in Matane allows RVs to stay in the back parking lot.
This afternoon, we took the Jeep and traveled 20 plus miles inland. It is amazing how quickly the scenery changed from seashore to fir trees and mountains.
We saw this covered bridge and stopped for pictures.
Our destination was the Reserve faunique de Matane. This is a wildlife preserve. This region has the highest density of moose in all of Quebec. I was hoping. When we arrived though, I saw that there were other cars and knew that it would be unlikely to see anything. I also know that moose like to be in the water in the early mornings and around dusk.
We drove on the gravel road through the park. The scenery was magnificent.
Lac Matane.
Cedar waxwing.
It was already midafternoon and so we decided to take Route 4 through the park and back to Matane, in lieu of the much longer route. As soon as we made the turn, the road got much rougher. We rode up a series of switchbacks to the top of a mountain. The views were incredible.
We noticed very dark sky, then thunder, then lightning. We could see the rain cell over the distant peak.
We got back into the car and it began to rain and then to hail!
As we descended the mountain, the weather improved. As we rounded a bend, we saw a bull moose trotting along beside the road. He veered into the brush and disappeared. Tim stopped the car, climbed onto the footboard and saw movement. I got out just in time to see the moose look directly at me and then he turned and sauntered away. I was giddy with excitement. What a joy to see this guy today!
We finally made it back to pavement.
As we drove back to the RV, I saw a seal perched atop a rock in the Saint Lawrence River. What a day…what an adventure to live this way! Thank you, Tim for bringing me here!
Right across from the RV park, there was this Christmas shop…we didn’t go!
We left to travel further north and east to Rimouski. It was a very pretty ride.
We looked on All Stays to find a place to camp. We found the Pointe-au-Pere wharf where you can camp for free. We were not sure what to expect but this was really a great place to stay right on the Saint Lawrence River.
We walked down to look at the submarine.
We took pictures of the lighthouse.
The Museum of the Empress of Ireland, a ship that wrecked nearby in 1914.
We walked down on the rocks to the water’s edge.
We took the Jeep and our bikes into town. We parked at the grocery store and cycled on the bike path along the seawall.
We went into the store and found duck liver pate, lobster mousse, and marinated mussels. We also got some raisin nut bread and some “real” strawberries and for our dinner, we had a “taste of Canada”…bon appetit!
The weather forecast for later calls for thunderstorms. The wind has picked up and there are some whitecaps on the water. We shall see what the night brings.
There are 27 other RVs here with us on the wharf. For a while, there was a lot of car traffic. We heard that the locals ride down to look at the rigs parked here overnight.
It was chilly and I needed a sweatshirt for my morning walk. I took the multiuse path along the Saint Lawrence River to the Parc de la Pointe.
In the harbor it was low tide and the boats were sitting in mud.
Tim took a bike ride down to the water as well.
Later, we drove to Rue Lafontaine and walked through town.
We spent some time walking around this old stone church.
I know two small boys who would love this splash pad!
Lots of sculptures and art in town.
We wandered into shops and tried reading and interpreting signs and storefronts.
Charlie Chaplin sits outside the old movie theater. Both Minions and Thor are currently playing…in French of course!
We were able to find postcards and then got stamps at the post office. We went into the bookstore where we found maps and a French/English dictionary.
I love shopping in a new grocery store. We went in nearly every aisle. It’s fun to find some new things to try!
We both biked back to the point this afternoon.
We met Raymond, an 86-year-old cyclist who spoke no English. He did let us know that we should watch for beluga whales in the water. He also told us that he had recently biked 135 kilometers in a bike race. He was a nice man with a great attitude. He was in great shape and should be an inspiration to us all! Our conversation with him just proves that if people really want to communicate…it is absolutely possible.
Happy Birthday Allison! We hope that you have the very best day 😊
There was a thunderstorm yesterday evening while we were at dinner. After the storm passed, the air was cool and fresh and clean. The heat and humidity were washed away. The sunset was really nice.
Tuesday morning, I walked the maze of snowmobile paths.
Then along the roadside.
Today we drove north on 1 all the way to the US border town of Van Buren, Here we passed through Saint John’s Valley…gorgeous!
We got to the border crossing at St. Leonard in New Brunswick. We got out of the RV and we were interviewed at the guard shack. All our paperwork was in order and we were allowed to enter Canada. After a few miles, we entered the province of Quebec. All of the signs were now in French. In May of this year, Quebec passed an ordinance stating that all signage was to be in French only in an effort to preserve the culture and heritage. We are going to get a crash course in French…neither of us speaks it at all. Fortunately for us, all of our initial encounters have been with people who also speak English very well. We downloaded Google Translate while we are in an area with service thinking that if we really needed to convey important information then at least we have a tool to do so!
Temiscouata.
New wildlife fencing along the highway.
Tim wove through crowded city streets, RV and tow vehicle, all the way to the campground. We are staying for the next two nights in a town called Riviere du Loup.
This evening we went to the ferry terminal where there was a restaurant on the water.
Unfortunately, they were full. I quickly did a google search and we drove to Restaurant Le Saint-Patrice.
Our menus were in English, our servers were gracious, and our food was outstanding.
After dinner, we meandered through town. We saw a park and stopped to walk. We were in Parc de Chutes. This is a dam and hydroelectric plant with falls.
Upper Falls.
Grand Falls.
The most amazing thing about this place was that we were able to walk on a pedestrain bridge across the Grand Falls. The walkway was a metal grate. You could see the water thundering under your feet and you could feel the power of the rushing current. Enjoy Tim’s video!
This sculpture in the park opens and closes like a lotus flower every hour.
Canada professes to be both tolerant and liberal.
There was some rain this evening and then the sky was lovely.
We were up early and finished our morning exercise. We packed the RV and left Millinocket before 9 am. It was Sunday and the traffic was light. We are also on a road less traveled. We took 95 N to its end in Houlton. From there we took Route 1, a scenic highway on the border of New Brunswick and Maine. We saw hayfields and rolling miles of potatoes. There were new potato stands all along the way. We passed through small towns and rode past farms and houses. All of the houses had tractors and snow plows and wood piles. This is a remote area. There were signs reminding drivers to share the road with cross country skiers and other signs to share the road with snowmobiles and moose and ATV’s and Amish buggies.
We arrived in Presque Isle before noon. Our first order of business was to work on getting a prescription filled. We also shopped for supplies. We intend to drive into Canada on Tuesday and we aren’t sure what resources will be available when we get there.
We were able to get camping for just one night at Arndts Aroostook River Lodge and Campground. We rested and then drove into town to try and get a Canadian map. We struck out and returned to the RV. It was hot and we were tired so we really didn’t do much of anything for the remainder of the day. I don’t even have pictures to share!
We slept well and woke up to rain on Monday morning but as soon as the rain stopped, I was out walking. I walked through beautiful fields of wildflowers. Further south, all the lupine has gone to seed, similar to this.
Here though, I was able to find some purple lupine.
As I got closer to the Aroostook River, I could smell the sweet fragrance of wild cucumber.
Simply pretty.
Fuschia fireweed.
Joe pye weed.
We still had some things to do before we left town. We went to the bank and got Canadian currency. When we got back to the campground, we checked with the office and learned that the people coming into our site have been delayed by a day, so now we have a place to stay tonight!
We made a reservation at a campground on the Saint Lawrence River in Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec. I spent a long time this afternoon on the ArriveCan site. We need proof of vaccination to be able to enter Canada. We might also be randomly chosen to do COVID screening. I think everything is in place for a smooth border crossing. We shall see tomorrow!
Dinner tonight was at the Irish Setter Pub because Mainely Mexican was closed for carpet cleaning. Our food was good and we had great service.
We did our usual morning exercise and then packed the Jeep for another sleepover adventure. We drove north toward Katahdin and then took an access route to Golden Road. This is an old logging road; partially paved and partially gravel washboard.
We drove several miles until we reached the Class 5 rapids on the Penobscot River. We were just in time to see these two groups of whitewater rafters shoot through the rapids. It was exciting to watch!
Tim took a video.
We found the perfect camping spot at Horserace Brook. We sat by the water.
We waded in.
The minnows nibbled on our feet and ankles.
We heard the loons calling across the lake.
We watched kayakkers cross the lake after they had navigated the rapids.
This is an alder tree. It is not an evergreen. It had the tiniest pinecone like fruits.
We went back to our campsite for dinner but I was prowling around on the water’s edge most of the evening, hoping to see a moose.
We sat by the crackling fire until bedtime. I made blueberry crumble with muesli and walnuts and sunflower seeds. It was delicious. We finished the evening with blueberry tea laced with maple syrup.
At midnight, the sky was very dark with breathtaking stars.
Saturday morning, Tim did his yoga by the lake and I walked 2 miles on Golden Road. We were in the North Maine Woods. We packed the Jeep and drove to the Hoserace Pond Trailhead. The first half mile was realtively easy. After that, the trail became more challenging with lots of slick, moss-covered rocks and lots of roots and about a dozen stream crossings. A moderately arduous 2 mile (each way) trail…but finally we arrived at the pond.
We rested there and ate protein bars for our breakfast. Too soon, we turned around and went back the way we came.
I really was looking forward to cold watermelon and we feasted when we got back to the Jeep. We had planned to do more exploring but we were tired; the trail kicked our butts. We elected to go back to the RV.
We spent the afternoon, cleaning and organizing and doing laundry. We will move further north tomorrow to Presque Isle.
782 July 19-21, 2022 Katahdin Woods and Waters Scenic Byway
We made a good decision when we delayed our trip for overnight tent camping. It rained all night and into Tuesday morning. I took laundry to town, walked, got some groceries, and filled the Jeep with gas. By the time I got back to the RV, the sun was shining. We packed all our gear and off we went.
We traveled back to Baxter State Park. We were able to get a leanto reservation for South Branch Pond Campground. It was 38 miles on a gravel road. We had let some air out of the tires, the grader had come through and smoothed the road, and it had rained overnight so there was no dust to contend with. It was a beautiful ride.
We stopped at Ledge Falls.
There were sections of extremely thick forest.
We stopped for lunch at Nesowadnehunk Field.
We arrived at the campground and we were alittle disappointed to see that we couldn’t drive the Jeep right up to the leanto. We decided to sleep in the leanto instead of the tent.
After getting set up, we walked down to Lower South Branch Pond. It looked just like a mountain pond in Maine should look…lovely!
Tim was going to sit on the wooden wall when he noticed this pair of mating snakes.
We saw this immature frog in the clear and shallow water. Can you see that he still has his tail?
We enjoyed some blueberry wine and then we heard the thunder! We gathered our things using the leanto as a protection from the rain. The leanto turned out to be another really wise decision!
The rain passed and we cooked our omelets with spinach and mushrooms and cheese and ham. The best part of the meal though were the blueberry biscuits…smothered in bluebarry jam.
We had a pleasant evening by the fire.
On Wednesday morning, we saw that some little critter had dug a hole under the platform where we slept.
We took the Pogy Notch Trail. According to the trail map, it looked like the hike followed the edge of South Branch Pond.
The board walk!
For the first mile or so, we walked about 50 yards from the water, with just glimpses of the lake through the trees.
At last, we came to a boat launch where we could see the view.
We came to a stream crossing and “nimbly” skipped across the rocks.
We hiked further and found another path with lake access.
We could see the trail climbing up to the top of the cliffs overlooking the water…yes we climbed!
It was good effort and absolutely worth it! Such peace and serenity.
We took a spur to a small set of falls. Another family was there as well.
We turned and walked back the way we had come.
We hiked almost 5 miles.
We packed up and left the campground enjoyed some lunch at Trout Brook Crossing.
We were not yet sure where we were going to spend the night. Tim asked for my opinion and I said we should just drive and see if we found a place that we liked. Ideally, I added, this place would be on the water, with a beautiful view, would have blueberry wine for sale, hot showers, and maybe even have a restaurant…we laughed! We exited Baxter State Park at the northern end through the Matagamon Gate. A couple of miles later, there was the Matagamon Campground with HOT showers; 3 1/2 minutes for 4 quarters.
The shop did sell blueberry wine and they did have a little restaurant, but we opted for our smoked salmon and veggies and leftover blueberry biscuits.
We had our site on the edge of the East Penobscot River, with a beautiful view. I am so spoiled.
There were tons of dragonflies.
This family of ducks kept coming to visit, clearly they were used to being fed.
This is Mama duck. She and I are having a conversation about teaching her ducklings not to beg for food.
We slept well to the sound of the river rushing by. I got up around midnight. The moon had not yet risen and it was very dark. The Milky Way and the stars were stunning.
Thursday morning I took a walk on the small roads near the campground while Tim did his yoga and stretching by the river.
We continued on Katahdin Woods and Waters Byway through small villages. We passed brooks and streams and ponds and lakes. Apparently, Maine has more lakes and ponds and rivers than any other state.
Tim wanted eggs for breakfast and we found Grindstone Falls Rest Area a pretty place.
We got back to the RV at about lunchtime. We organized and cleaned and repacked gear for another adventure tomorrow night. We went into town in the afternoon to gather a few supplies, mail some postcards, and fill the Jeep with gas.
Then in the evening, we went back to River Drivers Restaurant for dinner. We enjoyed savory lobster bisque and salads. For dessert, they had blueberry pie and I just knew that it would be luscious. I was right and although Tim had refused dessert, when he saw the vanilla ice cream with the warm blueberry pie, loaded with blueberries…he couldn’t resist. The server was smart enough to bring two forks!
781 July 18, 2022 Hiking The Falls At Baxter State Park
We got a slow start this morning. We had planned to take a two-day tent camping trip but the weather for tonight calls for 100% chance of rain. We decided to drive to Baxter State Park and do some hiking.
We were dismayed when the ranger at the gate confiscated our firewood. Apparently, no outside wood may be brought into the park. Oh well…lesson learned!
The guy at Wilderness Edge Campground told us to do to Daicey Pond and hike to the falls. We walked on the Appalachian Trail. The portion that we did was only 1.2 miles each way, but it was studded with roots and rocks and the walking was tedious. I am so careful about where I place my feet. I really am not trying to get hurt out in the wilderness. That being said, I still really enjoyed this hike. The woods were cool and for most of the time, there was a nice breeze. We passed few other hikers and we were all by ourselves when we got to Little Niagara. We scrambled over some rocks and then I sat on the granite outcropping and enjoyed the view.
We hiked further to Big Niagara Falls.
Kind of a curious place for a seagull!
Enjoy Tim’s video!
We stopped at Kidney Pond and walked to the edge of the water.
We ate a late picnic lunch.
We stopped at Stump Pond.
We had a beautiful day in this beautiful place! We had a great day hiking!
This evening for dinner, I made Tim his omelet…I owed him one after forgetting the eggs the other night!
