793 August 3, 2022 Gaspe

A walk along the river in Grande-Vallee.

The Canadian people have found eyecatching ways to remind you to slow down and watch for children.

Grande-Vallee is the beginning of the region known as La Pointe or Land’s End; the translation of the name given to this land by First Nation People; Gespeg. We were traveling around the end of the peninsula. There are crashing waves here as we approach open water. We stopped at a scenic viewpoint for breakfast.

We arrived at Fort Ramsay Campground in Gaspe around noon. We will stay here for 4 nights. Today, we went with the Jeep to explore the town. We took the bikes and rode on the bike path on the Bay of Gaspe.

We stopped to see a naval exhibit. During WWII, German submarines patrolled the Saint Lawrence and attacked and sunk many ships. The Canadian goverment decided that if the Germans tried to overtake Gaspe, the land and village would be sacrificed. They had decided to burn the town, detroy the wharfs, and blow up anything that might be useful so that if the Germans came. there would be nothing here for them.

This is a giant game of Battleship on the boardwalk.

Always interesting sculpture…lots of testosterone here.

At the end of the path there is a set of steps that leads to the Musee de la Gespesie. We decided to go into the museum. Here we learned a lot about the history and culture of Gaspe.

The Chic Choc mountains are the beginning of the Appalachian Mountains; one of the oldest mountain chains in the world. These mountains were formed 450 million years ago. In 9,000 BC this area was first inhabited by the native people. Eventually the Eastern Algonquin Indians merged with the Plano People and the Mi’gmaq culture was formed. These people of the sea subsisted on walrus, whales, porpoises, and seals.

Early history of this region involves Vikings, pirates, shipwrecks, whaling, fishing, and industry.

In 1534, Jacques Cartier, sailing for the King of France, erected a 30 foot cross in the mouth of the bay and named this Canada.

There was another exhibit dedicated to the artwork of Yves Gonthier, a local artist. These are two of my favorite pieces. The first is his interpretation of raspberry bushes.

The second is a sort of seascape…where the waves meet the shore, the colorful rocks visible through the clear water.

Other interesting art.

We were glad we took the time to visit the museum and we learned a lot.

This evening, we drove back into town and had dinner at Bistro-Bar La Brise-Bise. Tim got a salmon poke bowl and I had a lobster club sandwich…delicious!

We heard the couple next to us speaking English and we asked where they were from. Bonnie and Wendell live in New Brunswick and are in Gaspe for the first time on vacation. We really enjoyed talking with them about travel and life!

When we got back to the RV, a neighbor here in the campground approached Tim and spoke with him about traveling. People are amazed and in awe of the way we live and the things we get to do…we really do know how fortunate we are and we are grateful every day!

792 August 2, 2022 Grande-Vallee

I took a walk from the campground all the way through town to the fish market.

Each of these villages has a huge church in the center.

Wild beach roses

When I returned from my walk, Tim was ready to move. 

We stopped on our way to admire the view and to have breakfast.

Black guillemot. This bird has bright a red mouth, feet, and legs in the summertime.

We needed to have a clean windshield before we could preceed!

Grande-Valle from the scenic overlook above town.

Red elderberry.

We had light rain showers on and off today.  We did wander through the grocery stores.  It seems to be our entertainment, looking for new things to try.

We walked on the rocks near the fishing pier.

Tim took a bike ride this afternoon and I met him with the Jeep down by the river.  He took this picture from the church.

The covered bridge.

We had seen signs in town for a live show in the next town.  We got excited and went to see the venue.  We got the brochure.  Before buying our tickets online, I googled the band, Ayrad from Montreal.  Their sound is a contemporary version of Moroccan music.  We listened to bits of songs and we decided that we didn’t care for the music. 

Instead, we packed spiced smoked salmon and smoked crab dip and fresh bread and caprese salad and strawberries and had our dinner by the river.

791 August 1, 2022 Mont- Louis

This morning, I drove to town in the Jeep.  I took the trail,  Sentier pedestre de la mer au mont Pointu.   I began my walk in this driftwood sculpture garden.

The path then led me to a bridge across the mouth of the Sainte Anne River.  This is where the salmon return to the place of their birth and begin the final phase of life, spawning and then death.

The trailed turned to follow the river.

As I walked, I startled great flocks of Canadian geese; an eruption of squawking and wings as they lifted, forming perfect v’s across the water.

Along the river and through the woods to a marshy area rich with cattails.

I walked back the way I had come to the boardwalk along the gulf.

When I got back to the “VR”, as they call it here, I had my breakfast while watching a seal bobbing in the shallow water; diving and resurfacing; perhaps having his breakfast as well.

We had a short 40-mile drive today to Mont-Louis.  We are hopping from one quaint coastal village to another, taking our time to explore.

We stopped to see Chute Le Viole de la Mariee.

We arrived in Mont-Louis by noon.  We took our bikes into town and went into the shops.

We cycled back to the campground and stopped to check out the local music venue.  It was closed for today but Nick, who works there, came out to talk with us.   He gave us lots of recommendations of things to see in town.

We spent some time planning ahead…something that we rarely do. We are getting close to Gaspe Pointe and the National Park. Campgrounds are less frequent. Tomorrow, we found a place about 30 miles away in Grande-Vallee. After that, we wanted to stay in the Parc National du Canada de Forillon. The only site we were able to get was for the Jeep and RTT on Friday evening. We called several campgrounds and found a spot for 4 nights near the town of Gaspe. We will use this as our base camp to explore.

This evening, we traveled up the hill to the site of the cross.

From this vantage point, we could see the cove and the whole village below.

We went into the smoked fish market and bought some salmon and some crab and lobster spreads.

We went to the café and bought poke bowls and local stout and cider.  We took our meal to Lac de l’Anse Pleureuse.

We saw a bald eagle resting on a rock in the gulf.

One last trip to town to watch the sunset.

We have noticed that almost all of the other campers are from Quebec. There are hardly any Americans here. The Canadian people are very gracious and welcoming. Everyone says Bonjour as they pass. Everyone makes an effort to communicate. We have enjoyed our time in Mont-Louis…thanks Nick for your guidance!

790 July 31, 2022 Parc National De La Gaspesie

Welcome to the world sweet Stella Elizabeth!!

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.

789 July 30, 2022 Sainte Anne des Monts

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!

Our view from our window to the world.

This is where we are!

788 July 29, 2022 Matane

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!

787 July 28, 2022 Rimouski

One last morning walk to Parc de la Pointe. 

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.

786 July 27, 2022 Riviere Du Loup

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. 

We took a picnic dinner back to the river.

785 July 26, 2022 Bienvenue au Canada!

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.

A rainbow just as we got back to our site.

784 July 24-25, 2022 Presque Isle, Maine

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.