Poutine, Boondocking, Lobster, and a Lighthouse
Our drive from Long Sault Parkway was a bit arduous. The French have a bit of a reputation when it comes to their driving skills and driving to Quebec City made us think the reputation has been earned, (respectfully). We found a campground outside of Quebec City that seemed to suit our needs. A cool place called Camping De La Joie. It touted full hook ups, showers, a pool and close proximity to downtown. I suggest making a reservation at this place if you intend on going there, even for this time of year, it seemed busy and I know why. The service there is impeccable. First off, wifi is $2 per day in your campsite or free if you are at the front gate. When we arrived they asked if we would like to take the shuttle downtown instead of driving our truck. They would pick us up in the morning and bring us right to our campsite at either 1:30, 6:30 or 10:30 pm giving us lots of options for the day. We took the 9:00 a.m. shuttle into the city and were instantly blown away by its beauty.
It just jumps out at you as soon as you reach the epicentre...the Chateau Frontenac. This magnificent hotel is the centerpiece of what I can only describe as a beautiful throw back in time.
As an alumni of the Banff Springs Hotel staff, walking into this Fairmont brought back memories of my time in Banff and how spectacular that hotel was before they renovated it. (Sorry to any of you who like the new design, I am sentimental to the “old”). This place looks as though it is a tribute to days gone by.
We had a choice to see the old part of the city first or the new, so we chose old, we are both architecture buffs so we couldn’t wait to see some of the oldest buildings in Canada. To say we were not disappointed, is an understatement. Each building was more intricate than the last and offered up so much history! Le Petit Champlain was lined with curio shops, fashions stores, little bistros and cafes, everything the heart desired. I had done a bit of research on where to eat in the old town, and Lapin Sauté came up again and again. They are famous for their rabbit poutine. It just so happened to be the cutest restaurant on the block too so we endulged our tastebuds for a meal neither of us will forget soon.
We met a woman from Idaho who was touring around while her husband was at a conference. We had a mutually spirited conversation about politics south of the border and without going into the conversation, lets just say Sarah thinks Canada has a great attitude on just about every subject we touched on, from health care to education costs. It was lovely enjoying a glass of wine (or 2) with her and I hope our paths cross again soon.
After a long leisurely lunch we decided to walk up the stairs and hill to the new part of the city. I should say that we did not take the stairs down to the old part of the city, as my knee has been wreaking havoc with downwards actions. (Going up hill is just fine but murderous going down.) We took the funicular which was expensive but fun (pun intended), $6 for the two of us for 2 minutes.
The new part of the city is still very old and lined with more shops, bistros, beautiful green parks and a board walk that rambles along the upper causeway in front of the Chateau. We wandered around for a couple more hours before going in to the grand hotel for a cocktail. It was a bit of a tipsy afternoon but this was the first time Joe has not had to drive anywhere so we endulged just a little.
Our ride came to pick us up at 6:30 to take us back to our tiny home. We were joined in the shuttle by a guy named Murray from Vancouver. We sat by the fire for a couple of hours trading travel stories. These encounters always fill me with more curiosity of the world and want me to add a few more places to the list, but for now we must move on to the rest of our own country.
Sooooo....
On to New Brunswick...
We had pre-arranged to boondock in a little town outside of Fredericton called Keswick Ridge. Our hosts, Susan and David had just built their house over looking St John river about 6 years ago.
We are finding out rather quickly that Maritimer’s are extremely well travelled and these folks were an excellent example and resource. They welcomed us to join them for a glass of wine so we sat on their patio for a couple of hours before we went and made dinner. They did invite us to join them for dinner, but I had food planned that needed to be eaten otherwise we would have. After dinner we sat well beyond sunset, me attracting ever bug in the region and them enjoying not being bitten. It was getting quite dark when all of a sudden Joe grabbed my arm and said “Shirley, LOOK!”
Fireflies! Hundreds of them! I must have looked like an idiot as I jumped out of my chair and squealed with delight. I haven’t seen a lightening bug (as we called them growing up) since I was a little girl. David and Susan seemed quite amused by my childish reaction but I am making no excuses, as it still puts a big grin on my face when I think about it. I messaged my sisters and they were equally excited! It was the best way to drift off to sleep watching the lightening bugs flying all about our camper and the frogs singing sweetly in the backgrown. Although it was a short and sweet visit, we both will have this (our first of many, I’m sure) boondocking experience in our memories for years to come.
Our next stop was Prince Edward Island.
Although cheaper to take the ferry over to PEI and the Confederation Bridge back, we decided for time sake we would do just the opposite. We had to stop for fuel as we were told PEI was expensive, so as we left Moncton we stopped at roadside gas bar which also boasted a Tim Hortons. As Joe fuelled up, I went and got us a couple of coffees and the young lad at the counter asked me where I was from, as I had a funny accent (his words exactly). I told him we had driven from B.C. He said “You must be going to PEI then”. I told him we were. He told me that I couldn’t leave NB without seeing the giant lobster is Shediac. Now at this point I almost spat out my coffee because with HIS accent, I could have sworn he said Shitty-ack. I repeated the name with a little laugh and he told me it was just down and around a wee bit, and its right there on the Main Street. I thanked him for the tip and headed back to the truck to tell Joe we were going to see a giant lobster in Shitty-ack. He agreed without a question. Here is Joe doing his best Vanna White impersonation...
After our encounter with the giant lobster we got back in the truck and headed for Confederation Bridge.
We were staying at another boondockers home in the small community of Morell
population: 313.
Our host was John A. McDonald and his lovely wife Jean.
They had a lovely old farm house pretty much on the opposite side of PEI from where we were coming from but it didn’t matter, it was just perfect.
We were fairly tired from our drive but we had been told about the New Glasgow lobster supper that was about an hour from John’s place and after his great approval and directions, we headed out once again. PEI is a beautiful island with a rugged coast line so although in kilometres it wasn’t far away, the gps took us along the coast which seemed to take forever.
But all good things come to those who wait (or in this case, drive for hours on end). The New Glasgow Lobster supper is quite famous even though as you drive up it looks as though you are going into a church hall.
Our waitress asked if we had been at the supper before so we told her that this was our first time so she explained how it all works.
Supper includes fresh rolls, seafood chowder, salad plate, mussels and pie as well as any size lobster you wanted up to a 5 lbs crustacean. There were endless refills of everything except your entree. (You didn’t have to order lobster by the way, they also had roast ham, chicken, salmon, or pasta.) We were surprised to see so many folks order something other than the lobster, at the lobster supper, but it seemed like a mostly locals joint so they probably were tired of the lobster.
This is the half order of the mussels. The big bucket would have been a full order.
I understood her to say I had my pick of all those appetizers so I said I would love the mussels and Joe ordered the chowder and the salad plate. She looked rather confused when she asked why I wasn’t having any of the other portions of the dinner. So that is how it came that we ate all the supper, every freakin’ bit of it and I make no apologies other than to say we did not order seconds of anything and I make a better pie than they do. So there.
We made it back to our tiny home just as it started to rain. And I mean RAIN! The wind was howling and our tiny house was moving around enough that I thought it might fall off the jacks, but thankfully it didn’t. The great thing about the rain was it made the soil the brightest of red colour and the grass the greenest of green.
John and Jean had gone out for dinner as it also happened to be Father’s Day, so we didn’t have a chance to visit with them. We were very tired from the drive and the big dinner so we hit the hay around 9:00. After all, we had to go all the way to Green Gables tomorrow so I wanted to be well rested.
Green gables is one of those places you’ve read so much about and envisioned since childhood and it just so happened that my mother was an Anne of Avonlea fanatic so in her honour, we went to see what all the fuss was about. John thought it was a waste of time but I couldn’t come all this way and not go. On our way to Green Gables we had to drive through Prince Edward National park and like any good park, it has some great wild life.
Thats right, a fox, actually there were about 6 foxes playing on the road. This one was kind enough to sit still for his picture.
Up next, Green Gables...
I am glad we went but only because I know my mom would have been so happy that we did but after a 5 minute walk through the house and a 20 min walk through the Haunted woods,
I felt no more educated or enlightened. But maybe I am being too cynical for my own good.
It all seemed a bit cheesy but harmless, right down to the hat and braids hanging from the carriage for the ultimate tourist shot...and you bet I got the picture if for no other reason than to laugh at myself. I guess John was right after all.
That evening we were invited into John and Jean’s home for a visit after dinner. These people have been everywhere you can imagine in Canada and incredible memories of each place they had been to. But the most interesting thing about this couple is they have had 105 foster kids in their care over the years and one girl has been with them for 29 years. They said the need was great and they had space so they decided to help out and haven’t stopped. As a matter of fact they had a little guy come that night, just for a few days. You have to be some kind of special to take in 105 foster kids and still manage to run a farm and travel as much as they had...did I mention John (78) had broken his back last year and had a hip replacement earlier this spring so he was walking with 2 canes. He complained that he wasn’t allowed to cut the grass. You just can’t keep some people down.
Next morning we left early to take the ferry to Nova Scotia. John thought we were being silly as we would save $25 by taking the bridge back but it would have added an extra hour to our drive and frankly, compared to our ferry on the west coast, this was a huge discount! 50% off the price we had to pay to get off Vancouver Island, and that much closer to our destination of Porter Lake provincial park. Because we were boondocking for the last few days we needed a park with hook-ups and sani-station so this is why I picked Porters lake. It was kind of out in the middle of nowhere unfortunately, but it was tranquil and that was good enough for us. The gps coordinates for this park were about 4 kms off the mark so it was a bit of a mystery to find but once we did we were happy to settle in for the night. We are travelling at breakneck speed at this point and it was at Porter Lake where I had a mini meltdown. A combination of exhaustion, road weariness and body aches set me off in tears for most of the evening. I felt a little like Cindy Lou Hoo, when after my shower, Joe made me a cup of tea, (and a sleeping pill) pat me on the head and sent me to bed. I woke the next day like a new woman ready for the next adventure. Sometimes a little meltdown is all you need to straighten yourself out. I have a most excellent and understanding travelling companion. I don’t have any pictures of Porters Lak as I was too busy having my own personal pity party to take one. Sorry!
Our To Do List for the next day had me giddy thinking about it. Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg!
I know this post is seemingly long winded, and you’re going to have to endulge me for just a bit longer, but for me this was what coming to the maritimes was about. That lighthouse is THE picture in my head when I think of Nova Scotia. What I didn’t realize was how much more I would love Lunenburg, as I think it is one of the pretties towns I have been in besides Manarolo in the Cinque Terre in Italy. Just simply beautiful and historic. And wow, just wow.
At first we thought we would take the scenic route along the water but just getting through Halifax was stressful and long enough we decided the highway was the way to go. I have to say, I really feel like we have come at the perfect time of year to visit this unbelievably popular tourist destinations, there were hardly any people at Peggy’s Cove and I would imagine in the summer, there would be no way in hell that you would be able to get this shot...
I just want to go home and paint my house bright purple, green or blue.
When we went back into town and I took endless pictures of the colourful houses and shops that line the historic downtown core, we happened upon the Ironworks distillery where they make great gin and a rum you would swear was scotch.
We met a woman there who had moved to Lunenburg from Victoria BC. Small world... but it gets smaller. After our tour of the distillery we headed out to our truck. I stopped to take a picture of the building and a man and his wife stopped as asked Joe where we were from when he saw our BC license plate.
They too, were from Victoria and the woman had been a teacher at our kids high school for years. She even remembers our son! Even more incredibly she told me she had just co-written a book about a murder that took place in a the small town of Aylmer Ont (which is where my brother lives). I asked where I could find the book and she went to her trunk, brought one out and I bought it on the spot. She even signed it for me. The book is called Murder in the Fourth and I highly recommend it. I can’t put it down. A very fortuitous meeting for sure. And the world just got that much smaller.
We have a very big day ahead of us in the morning so we headed back to our campsite to get ready for our big adventure to the “rock”. Newfoundland gets a post of its own as we will be there a week and frankly this post is too long as it is. Sorry...not sorry.
Phewf, I’m tired.
It just jumps out at you as soon as you reach the epicentre...the Chateau Frontenac. This magnificent hotel is the centerpiece of what I can only describe as a beautiful throw back in time.
We had a choice to see the old part of the city first or the new, so we chose old, we are both architecture buffs so we couldn’t wait to see some of the oldest buildings in Canada. To say we were not disappointed, is an understatement. Each building was more intricate than the last and offered up so much history! Le Petit Champlain was lined with curio shops, fashions stores, little bistros and cafes, everything the heart desired. I had done a bit of research on where to eat in the old town, and Lapin Sauté came up again and again. They are famous for their rabbit poutine. It just so happened to be the cutest restaurant on the block too so we endulged our tastebuds for a meal neither of us will forget soon.
We met a woman from Idaho who was touring around while her husband was at a conference. We had a mutually spirited conversation about politics south of the border and without going into the conversation, lets just say Sarah thinks Canada has a great attitude on just about every subject we touched on, from health care to education costs. It was lovely enjoying a glass of wine (or 2) with her and I hope our paths cross again soon.
After a long leisurely lunch we decided to walk up the stairs and hill to the new part of the city. I should say that we did not take the stairs down to the old part of the city, as my knee has been wreaking havoc with downwards actions. (Going up hill is just fine but murderous going down.) We took the funicular which was expensive but fun (pun intended), $6 for the two of us for 2 minutes.
The new part of the city is still very old and lined with more shops, bistros, beautiful green parks and a board walk that rambles along the upper causeway in front of the Chateau. We wandered around for a couple more hours before going in to the grand hotel for a cocktail. It was a bit of a tipsy afternoon but this was the first time Joe has not had to drive anywhere so we endulged just a little.
Our ride came to pick us up at 6:30 to take us back to our tiny home. We were joined in the shuttle by a guy named Murray from Vancouver. We sat by the fire for a couple of hours trading travel stories. These encounters always fill me with more curiosity of the world and want me to add a few more places to the list, but for now we must move on to the rest of our own country.
Sooooo....
On to New Brunswick...
We had pre-arranged to boondock in a little town outside of Fredericton called Keswick Ridge. Our hosts, Susan and David had just built their house over looking St John river about 6 years ago.
We are finding out rather quickly that Maritimer’s are extremely well travelled and these folks were an excellent example and resource. They welcomed us to join them for a glass of wine so we sat on their patio for a couple of hours before we went and made dinner. They did invite us to join them for dinner, but I had food planned that needed to be eaten otherwise we would have. After dinner we sat well beyond sunset, me attracting ever bug in the region and them enjoying not being bitten. It was getting quite dark when all of a sudden Joe grabbed my arm and said “Shirley, LOOK!”
Fireflies! Hundreds of them! I must have looked like an idiot as I jumped out of my chair and squealed with delight. I haven’t seen a lightening bug (as we called them growing up) since I was a little girl. David and Susan seemed quite amused by my childish reaction but I am making no excuses, as it still puts a big grin on my face when I think about it. I messaged my sisters and they were equally excited! It was the best way to drift off to sleep watching the lightening bugs flying all about our camper and the frogs singing sweetly in the backgrown. Although it was a short and sweet visit, we both will have this (our first of many, I’m sure) boondocking experience in our memories for years to come.
Our next stop was Prince Edward Island.
Although cheaper to take the ferry over to PEI and the Confederation Bridge back, we decided for time sake we would do just the opposite. We had to stop for fuel as we were told PEI was expensive, so as we left Moncton we stopped at roadside gas bar which also boasted a Tim Hortons. As Joe fuelled up, I went and got us a couple of coffees and the young lad at the counter asked me where I was from, as I had a funny accent (his words exactly). I told him we had driven from B.C. He said “You must be going to PEI then”. I told him we were. He told me that I couldn’t leave NB without seeing the giant lobster is Shediac. Now at this point I almost spat out my coffee because with HIS accent, I could have sworn he said Shitty-ack. I repeated the name with a little laugh and he told me it was just down and around a wee bit, and its right there on the Main Street. I thanked him for the tip and headed back to the truck to tell Joe we were going to see a giant lobster in Shitty-ack. He agreed without a question. Here is Joe doing his best Vanna White impersonation...
After our encounter with the giant lobster we got back in the truck and headed for Confederation Bridge.
We were staying at another boondockers home in the small community of Morell
population: 313.
Our host was John A. McDonald and his lovely wife Jean.
They had a lovely old farm house pretty much on the opposite side of PEI from where we were coming from but it didn’t matter, it was just perfect.
We were fairly tired from our drive but we had been told about the New Glasgow lobster supper that was about an hour from John’s place and after his great approval and directions, we headed out once again. PEI is a beautiful island with a rugged coast line so although in kilometres it wasn’t far away, the gps took us along the coast which seemed to take forever.
But all good things come to those who wait (or in this case, drive for hours on end). The New Glasgow Lobster supper is quite famous even though as you drive up it looks as though you are going into a church hall.
Our waitress asked if we had been at the supper before so we told her that this was our first time so she explained how it all works.
Supper includes fresh rolls, seafood chowder, salad plate, mussels and pie as well as any size lobster you wanted up to a 5 lbs crustacean. There were endless refills of everything except your entree. (You didn’t have to order lobster by the way, they also had roast ham, chicken, salmon, or pasta.) We were surprised to see so many folks order something other than the lobster, at the lobster supper, but it seemed like a mostly locals joint so they probably were tired of the lobster.
I understood her to say I had my pick of all those appetizers so I said I would love the mussels and Joe ordered the chowder and the salad plate. She looked rather confused when she asked why I wasn’t having any of the other portions of the dinner. So that is how it came that we ate all the supper, every freakin’ bit of it and I make no apologies other than to say we did not order seconds of anything and I make a better pie than they do. So there.
We made it back to our tiny home just as it started to rain. And I mean RAIN! The wind was howling and our tiny house was moving around enough that I thought it might fall off the jacks, but thankfully it didn’t. The great thing about the rain was it made the soil the brightest of red colour and the grass the greenest of green.
John and Jean had gone out for dinner as it also happened to be Father’s Day, so we didn’t have a chance to visit with them. We were very tired from the drive and the big dinner so we hit the hay around 9:00. After all, we had to go all the way to Green Gables tomorrow so I wanted to be well rested.
Green gables is one of those places you’ve read so much about and envisioned since childhood and it just so happened that my mother was an Anne of Avonlea fanatic so in her honour, we went to see what all the fuss was about. John thought it was a waste of time but I couldn’t come all this way and not go. On our way to Green Gables we had to drive through Prince Edward National park and like any good park, it has some great wild life.
Up next, Green Gables...
I am glad we went but only because I know my mom would have been so happy that we did but after a 5 minute walk through the house and a 20 min walk through the Haunted woods,
I felt no more educated or enlightened. But maybe I am being too cynical for my own good.
It all seemed a bit cheesy but harmless, right down to the hat and braids hanging from the carriage for the ultimate tourist shot...and you bet I got the picture if for no other reason than to laugh at myself. I guess John was right after all.
That evening we were invited into John and Jean’s home for a visit after dinner. These people have been everywhere you can imagine in Canada and incredible memories of each place they had been to. But the most interesting thing about this couple is they have had 105 foster kids in their care over the years and one girl has been with them for 29 years. They said the need was great and they had space so they decided to help out and haven’t stopped. As a matter of fact they had a little guy come that night, just for a few days. You have to be some kind of special to take in 105 foster kids and still manage to run a farm and travel as much as they had...did I mention John (78) had broken his back last year and had a hip replacement earlier this spring so he was walking with 2 canes. He complained that he wasn’t allowed to cut the grass. You just can’t keep some people down.
Next morning we left early to take the ferry to Nova Scotia. John thought we were being silly as we would save $25 by taking the bridge back but it would have added an extra hour to our drive and frankly, compared to our ferry on the west coast, this was a huge discount! 50% off the price we had to pay to get off Vancouver Island, and that much closer to our destination of Porter Lake provincial park. Because we were boondocking for the last few days we needed a park with hook-ups and sani-station so this is why I picked Porters lake. It was kind of out in the middle of nowhere unfortunately, but it was tranquil and that was good enough for us. The gps coordinates for this park were about 4 kms off the mark so it was a bit of a mystery to find but once we did we were happy to settle in for the night. We are travelling at breakneck speed at this point and it was at Porter Lake where I had a mini meltdown. A combination of exhaustion, road weariness and body aches set me off in tears for most of the evening. I felt a little like Cindy Lou Hoo, when after my shower, Joe made me a cup of tea, (and a sleeping pill) pat me on the head and sent me to bed. I woke the next day like a new woman ready for the next adventure. Sometimes a little meltdown is all you need to straighten yourself out. I have a most excellent and understanding travelling companion. I don’t have any pictures of Porters Lak as I was too busy having my own personal pity party to take one. Sorry!
Our To Do List for the next day had me giddy thinking about it. Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg!
I know this post is seemingly long winded, and you’re going to have to endulge me for just a bit longer, but for me this was what coming to the maritimes was about. That lighthouse is THE picture in my head when I think of Nova Scotia. What I didn’t realize was how much more I would love Lunenburg, as I think it is one of the pretties towns I have been in besides Manarolo in the Cinque Terre in Italy. Just simply beautiful and historic. And wow, just wow.
At first we thought we would take the scenic route along the water but just getting through Halifax was stressful and long enough we decided the highway was the way to go. I have to say, I really feel like we have come at the perfect time of year to visit this unbelievably popular tourist destinations, there were hardly any people at Peggy’s Cove and I would imagine in the summer, there would be no way in hell that you would be able to get this shot...
Or this one
Not many people standing around the most famous lighthouse in the world... not unlike travelling to the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland in February only without the sleet, freezing rain and snow.
After about an hour at the lighthouse, we headed south for Lunenburg. All the tourist mags tell you the best view of the harbour town is from across the way, at the Lunenburg golf course so of course we make the trek around the harbour and sucked in our breath at the site. I am finding that our cameras are just not doing some of these places justice, you are just going to have to trust me when I say it was gorgeous. But here’s a picture just for reference.
When we went back into town and I took endless pictures of the colourful houses and shops that line the historic downtown core, we happened upon the Ironworks distillery where they make great gin and a rum you would swear was scotch.
We met a woman there who had moved to Lunenburg from Victoria BC. Small world... but it gets smaller. After our tour of the distillery we headed out to our truck. I stopped to take a picture of the building and a man and his wife stopped as asked Joe where we were from when he saw our BC license plate.
They too, were from Victoria and the woman had been a teacher at our kids high school for years. She even remembers our son! Even more incredibly she told me she had just co-written a book about a murder that took place in a the small town of Aylmer Ont (which is where my brother lives). I asked where I could find the book and she went to her trunk, brought one out and I bought it on the spot. She even signed it for me. The book is called Murder in the Fourth and I highly recommend it. I can’t put it down. A very fortuitous meeting for sure. And the world just got that much smaller.
We have a very big day ahead of us in the morning so we headed back to our campsite to get ready for our big adventure to the “rock”. Newfoundland gets a post of its own as we will be there a week and frankly this post is too long as it is. Sorry...not sorry.
Phewf, I’m tired.
Love the fix and John A. MacDonald!
ReplyDelete