It is a tough uphill jaunt, so much so, that a woman asked Gretchen how old she was because she could not believe she made it to the top!
The views from the tower are stunning. One middle school boy told us, "It was really hard getting here but it's awesome!"
Not having enough hiking for the day, we did the Les Graves Trail out to Land’s End and the Cap-Gaspé Light House. 22,200 steps today!
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| Cap-Gaspé Lighthouse |
Friday
Today, we took in the other sites in the park. First we stopped at the recreation center, a nice pool complex. Then we toured the Hyman & Sons General Store, an interpretive center that gives one a real idea of the cod fishery here in the late 1800’s. Interesting fact is it was controlled by companies on the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel and most of the dried cod was shipped to Europe. The warehouse even smelled like dried cod!
We walked the path to the Blanchette Homestead which was owned and occupied by the same family from the late 1800s to the point when the NP was created. It gave a good view of how the fishermen lived on this remote peninsula and how generations added to the house to bring it to its current size. Gretchen and I really liked these two exhibits, but for some reason neither of us took a photo!
Next stop was the town of Gaspé, which is mostly residential with a very small main street area. We found a wonderful spot for lunch, the Restaurant des Artistes. On the way back to our campground, we stopped and walked the boardwalk at the Penouille Sand Spit, a sandy beach on this very rocky peninsula!
Saturday
We continued our trek around the Gaspe Peninsula. The road around the point was horrible, in bad condition, hilly and winding. The driver was really glad to get down to sea level where you ride along the shore with the mountain on one side and the Saint Lawrence River on the other side. We stopped at Reford Gardens (Les Jardins de Métis), one of the premier gardens in the world! Elsie Reford inherited a fishing camp from her uncle who founded the Canadian Pacific Railroad and began creating the gardens in 1926.
In the main house there was an exhibit that tells the story of Canadians who fought in WWI. Each story had a photo of the person, a glass sculpture depicting the story and a fragrance to help remember the person. It was a unique, outstanding art exhibit.
The gardens are beautiful which you can see from the photos.
The area for the International Gardens Festival (18th year) includes winners added each year from around the world. The goal is to invite visitors to interact with the garden installations.
Reford Gardens was a real highlight of our trip so far and we are so glad we stopped. The driver felt totally relaxed after a two hour visit. A short drive later we arrived at Parc BIC campground only to find out there were no operating toilets due to the water shortage!
Sunday
We got on the road to Québec this morning and arrived at our campground south of the river in Lévis in the early afternoon. After setting up camp, we decided to take a drive around the Île d’Orleans. The traffic was intense and we took a wrong turn landing us in downtown Québec but we finally made it. It was worth the effort to see this rural setting just a few miles from downtown. One end of the island is pretty yuppy with small upscale villages but the rest of the island is farm land with many produce stands…strawberries were in season!
Monday
We took the Lévis Ferry and explored downtown Québec today. We started by walking through the Quartier Petit Champlain, the oldest commercial district in North America.
We searched for a traditional meat pie for lunch. One local recommended LA LA Cafe and gave us directions. But, when we found the cafe, there was not one person in it! So we ended up eating at a cafe near by where we enjoyed a delightful lunch slowly…just like we were in France!
After lunch, we walked up to the Promenade of Governors, a long boardwalk in front of the Le Château Frontenac Hotel that overlooks Old Québec and the Saint Lawrence River. We hiked up the stairs at the end of the Promenade and around the Citadelle of Québec, which is still an active military base and residence of the Governor General of Canada, the Queen's representative.
Next stop was the hotel, you can walk into the lobby and check it out.
Finally, we found the Basilica so we could look inside, then walked down the steps into Old Québec once again and took the Ferry back across the river. Very enjoyable day. The City has done a great job preserving the old quarter! We logged 22,000 steps on Gretchen's Fitbit. I’ve already reached my 2018 step goal!
Tuesday
We took our bikes on the ferry and rode to Montmorency Falls with a slight 5 mile detour due to a missed sign! It was a great bike path and the falls are neat, taller than Niagara Falls!
In the afternoon, we rode west along the St. Lawrence River with the idea of crossing the bridge over to a bike path on the Lévis side to get back to our car. But we could not find the path onto the bridge and several people discouraged us from doing that option. So we rode back to the ferry for the trip home, but....upon reaching the Lévis side, Gretchen wanted to ride a few more miles to top 40 miles for the day. And we did ending up with 41.5 miles!
Wednesday
On the road to Montreal, we randomly landed at a wonderful restaurant for lunch, the Rose Café in Drummondville.
We got set up in the best campground we have ever stayed at; Camping la Cle des Champs RV Resort. The rest of the afternoon was filled with chores and grocery shopping!
Thursday
The goal was to ride the Lachine Canal. The canal is a Canadian Historical Park commemorating its role enabling Montreal to become a trading and industrial center.
We found our way to the Lasalle Trail along the Saint Lawrence and began riding. Tom’s first mistake took us along the Water Aqueduct Path not the Canal, a 10 mile diversion that was not beautiful. Tom’s second mistake took us along a beautiful bike path beside Lake St. Clair, another 10 mile diversion before we finally found the Canal trail which we rode to the Old Port in downtown Montreal.
Needing lunch we stopped at the first place we could which was the St-Amrbriose Brewery. They brew a very unique cream ale which we can attest to from experience. A question posed to the host at a tourist kiosk when we reached the beginning of the Canal on our return trip, prevented mistake number three and a two block diversion got us safely on the trail back to our car.
Friday
We found our way into the city riding the 321 bus and got our metro tickets with less than normal hassle! We made our way to the metro stop suggested by the Miles End Food Tour we were signed up to take. But we could not find any of the streets on their directions. So, we booted up an iPhone just to add data charges to our bill and found our way to La Panthere Verte restaurant with plenty of time to spare. The tour was wonderful and our guide Darren was great, really telling us a lot about the Miles End neighborhood and Montreal in general.
We went to six stops enjoying; a vegan falafel, chocolate, the best bagel in Montreal, the best tomato sauce in Montreal with gnocchi, cheese and smoked meats, and ice cream!
Then we hopped on the metro again to visit the biggest market in Montreal, Jean-Talon. It was a huge place with lots of produce and other food. We would love to live near a market like JT.
Next stop was Old Montreal where we joined a walking tour at the last minute. A good choice for learning about the part of the city that was once enclosed within a stone wall. Since it is not preserved as well as Old Québec, it would be hard to feel the history of the place without the dialog of Sarah, our guide.
The chapel in the Notre Dame Basilica was awesome, nothing like we have ever seen before...a golden landscape! (no photos allowed)
We made our way back to our car on a different number bus trusting the knowledge of French speaking strangers and collapsed in our camper. I surpassed my 2018 walking goal today!
Saturday
We leisurely departed our campground and headed to Ottawa. It was a short trip but we could not find a unique lunch spot. However, our KOA campground literature referenced Sherry’s Kitchen just up the road so we headed that way and bought freshly baked raisin bread, a just-out-of-the-oven blueberry pie and bean and barley soup for dinner! A real treat!
Before heading back to the campground, we went to Prescott for some groceries. The town has seen better days I’m sure but they have recently completed a beautiful walk along the Saint Lawrence River which we really liked.
Sunday
The plan was to ride the Rideau Canal Bike Trail and connecting trails to get a feel for Ottawa. The gentleman camping next to us works for Parcs Canada and told us to start at Hog’s Back since it’s free to park.
We rode the canal into the downtown by the Ottawa Locks and Parliament. Bike riding doesn’t get any better than this!
Then we crossed the Ottawa River and rode south to the Portage Bridge on the Gatineau, Québec side of the river.
We crossed back to the Ottawa shore and rode south to Island Park Drive. The Drive has a bike lane that goes through a very nice neighborhood and the Canadian Experimental Farm before ending at Dow's Lake on the Canal. From there it was a short hop back to our car. Total miles…18.5. Gretchen and I both think biking is a great way to see different parts of cities that you would not normally see as a tourist!
Monday
We returned to Ottawa and parked at the National Gallery of Canada, a very imposing building across the Canal from Parliament. It’s tower is a modern architectural tribute to the Library of Parliament Tower across the Canal. It is 143 meters from floor to ceiling!
First, we walked over to Parliament Hill to see the lawn and the buildings. The central building where Parliament is seated is impressive with the Peace Tower anchoring its center.
Next we walked over to Sparks Street which is supposed to be a unique shopping and restaurant district. It seems like its time has passed. There was nothing unique on the pedestrian mall.
Next we walked back to the Canal and on to ByWard Market. It is a really great market place. There is great produce, meat and other food stuffs to be purchased. We’d make weekly trips if we lived here!
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| Purple Carrots! |
There are a lot of pubs and bars in the area and we’re sure it is a hopping place in the afternoon and evening. But for lunch, we chose to return to the Gallery and a few hours of viewing the exhibits. Well worth the admission price in our opinion!
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| A modern maple leaf? |
Before arriving back at our campground, we stopped once again at Sherry’s Kitchen for dinner…meat loaf, baked beans and macaroni salad. Oh, and a Pelee Island Merlot we picked up yesterday. Did you know Pelee Island is a fairly large island in western Lake Erie? The winery is actually on the northern shore of the Lake in Kingsville, ON. They make great inexpensive wines!
Tuesday
Today we are traveling to Canandaigua where Sharon Ripley grew up! First we took the Thousand Island Parkway (think Blue Ridge Parkway) that skirts the river and really gives you a flavor of the area. We came back into the USA and took back roads to Canandaigua. We set up in the KOA and headed downtown to check out the area. We discovered the New York Wine and Culinary Center and tasted 3 flights of regional wines; red, white and rose.
The wines were wonderful but interestingly, we thought the reds and roses were better than the whites even though the Finger Lakes are known for their whites. We had a wonderful dinner at the Center’s bistro; a farm to table restaurant.
It was a great day! Yes, we know we are yuppies!
Wednesday
We're on the road to Lake Chautauqua to visit the Chautauqua Institute and take in a few lectures. We reserved a campsite in a Good Sam campground a few miles from the Institute and frankly, it’s a dump! But, the weather is beautiful, so we drove (45 miles) to Erie to ride the highly touted bike trail in Presque Isle State Park. The ride was nice and the Park provides an urban escape for the locals. However, we probably would not drive more than 15 miles out of our way to ride the trail again!
Thursday
Today we bought a day pass to the Chautauqua Institute. The theme for this week’s lectures is ”Media and the News: Ethics in the Digital Age.”
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| Morning Lecture at the Amphitheater that seats 4000! |
We took in three lectures:
Trump, Truth and Transformation: The Media
Nancy Giggs, Managing Editor, Time
David von Drehle, Columnist, The Washington Post
From Reagan to Trump, Ethics and the News Media
Diane Winston, USC Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism
James Fallows, National Correspondent, The Atlantic
The Boys in the Bunkhouse: Servitude and Salvation in the Heartland
Dan Barry, Author
After the lectures, we wandered the grounds, and then we had dinner in the Athenaeum Hotel. The hotel is the last of seven wooden hotels on Lake Chautauqua that were connected by steamboats. The others have since burned to the ground!
Our last event of the day was a concert by the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. The guest conductor for the evening was Giancarlo Guerrero, the Music Director of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. I remember when he was selected for the job several years ago, the stories about his enthusiastic directing style!. The stories were spot on, he is a joy to watch! The concert “A Hymn, a Poem, a Symphony” was outstanding. It was a fitting end to a wonderful day. Chautauqua is great experience we would highly recommend to anyone!
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Chautauqua Bell Tower
Site of the old ferry landing. |
Friday
The weather forecast did not look good for an intended stop in Pittsburgh to ride a part of the Allegheny Trail. So, we decided to head home. We drove back roads through the Allegheny National Forest and central Pennsylvania all the way to our campsite in Hagerstown, Maryland. A day full of gorgeous mountains, bucolic farms and small towns. A real visual treat!
Saturday
We arrived safely home today following a detour to Route 29 since traffic on Interstate 81 was stopped at the intersection with Interstate 66.
Gretchen and I think this trip has been simply wonderful! We are now at home reflecting upon our adventures; the great places we saw, the great people we encountered and the great cultural experiences we had!
How poor are they that have not patience! lago
We saw a lot of "poor" people on the highways this month!
