PEI is short for Potato

Prince Edward Island or PEI was a bit of a disappointment after Gaspe'. I suspect it is better to do PEI first as it does have its own charm but it really can't compete with Gaspe'. This island is nicked named the "Gentle Island" and hence I found it a bit on the boring side. I kept expecting there to be something more. It is known more for its red sand beaches and has been made famous by the "Anne of Green Gables" book. Lot's of twisting country roads but no really dramatic views.

The first place we stayed at was geared toward families. Lots of activities, nice beaches, tennis courts, baseball field, movie theater and about a billion of kids to go with it! So be aware that this island is really geared towards families and there are lot tourist activities geared toward entertaining the young ones. Many of the campgrounds are big and keep that in mind if a more quiet campground is more your style. We did find a quite older campground " Seal Cove" which ended up being a little gem of a place. It was right on cove noted for it's seal colony and it did not disappoint. You can take a short walk up the beach and get view of the seals. Plus the seals were singing in the distance most of the time we were there. They also have a very nice pool.

So why the word potato in the title? PEI is known for it's potatoes and there were miles and miles of potato fields. The rest of Canada often refers to the road and bridge into PEI as the spud road. We took the ferry from PEI to Nova Scotia and I kid you not that there must have been at least 10 trucks filled with potatoes next to us. And I have to admit that they are tastier spuds then what you find in the states. I don't know if it is because they are fresh off the farm, or the dirt or what but they are quite tasty. Speaking of potatoes, the whole eastern half of Canada seems to have a love affair with french fries and they really are some of the best deep fried potatoes you will ever find.

From PEI

Gaspé Gasp

Around every curve is an ocean view, quaint village, scenic church and lighthouse! The cliffs are red and dramatic and I am told that in the Fall the colors on the trees make the drive even more beautiful. I would love to see that some day. We did not even scratch the surface of this very beautiful place. This drive is reported to be one of the top three scenic drives in the world and nicknamed the Gaspé Gasp. It does live up to its name and this part of the trip has been one of my favorite areas.

You can find campgrounds right on the ocean. One place we stayed even threw in a glass of wine and lobster dinner including desert for $20! We also stayed in Percé on a cliff with a spectacular view of their famous rock formation. The town is very charming - très magnifique. We hiked up to the top of cliff over looking the town. If you have four wheel drive , I suggest driving all the way to top as the walk is quite steep and brutal if it is hot outside.

From Gaspe'

At last not all was paradise. The roads were bad and it was quite a treacherous drive with the Biff. The hills are steep and curving so be prepared. We also had emergency room visit while we were staying at Cap Chat. Jack banged his head on the corner of one of the slides on the Biff. It was quit the gash and looked like it might need stiches. Everyone speaks French here so trying to find a walk in clinic was near impossible and we ended up in the hospital emergency room. Most everyone was French speaking and filling out the paper work was a challenge ( their admissions were the same as ours - you ain't getting anywhere unless you have insurance or prove you can pay!) We did find one nurse who was very helpful and acted as our translator. In the end they super glued Jack's head , yup that's right - a surgical super glue. Wish we would have known could have done it ourselves and saved $560 bucks.

Le Québec très Français!

Traveled along Lake Superior shores after leaving Thunder Bay. Stayed near Wawa for the night in a small RV park on the edge of some of the native Boreal forests. Very dense and dark. In the morning decided to get off the main drag around the lake and cut across to Quebec province on highway 101. The map made this area look very desolate but it was not too bad. We spent the night ( Happy Canada Day)at a small municipal park near the Quebec border. Trailer Life RV guide does not list many campgrounds in the area but I think that is because it increasing becomes more French as you cross into Quebec and they just are not listed. Continued on highway 117 through the Réserve faunique La Vérendrye This area is bit rural and make sure you fill up at a Gaz-Bar (that's French for gas station) before crossing the park.

We decided to skip Montreal and head straight to Quebec. The whole time we were in Canada I was on moose watch. They certainly have enough signs telling you watch out for them. Each province has it's own version of moose on the loose road sign too. Some are charging and others are sauntering, regardless in all the rural areas we were traveling, I only caught a fast glimpse of one along the road. That is until we were on the crowded expressway between Montreal and Quebec where we saw two of them contemplating crossing the road. They took one look at the Biff and thought better. Good thing because they were huge and could cause some serious damage!

Stayed on the south side of the St.Lawrence river in the small town Levis. This part of Canada does RV'ing differently then the rest of the world. Many of the locals go to the same RV park every weekend and have quite elaborate setups. It is more like their summer lake cottage as opposed actually traveling in the RV. So get a reservation if you plan on staying over a weekend because they do fill them up. The RV park was packed and off the expressway so quite noisy. It did clear out nicely by Monday morning. .
We spent our 7th wedding anniversary (July 5) in Quebec. Levis has a ferry that crosses the river into Old Quebec It as about $6.00 round trip and runs every half hour through most of the day (5:00 Am till 2:00 AM the next day). It takes you directly into a very quaint and beautiful area of Quebec city. Lot's of pretty cafes, the river front, and touristy type shops. Très romantique!

From Quebec

Jack and I took guided tour in horse drawn wagon. Good thing cause it was very hot and humid and quite miserable walking around. I ended up with a mild case of heat exhaustion. JLS

From Quebec

Oh Thunder Bay!

The title of this post has to be sung to the tune of the Bruce Springsteen song "Thunder Road" cause the whole time I was there that song kept playing in my head. We had been doing a lot of one nighter's with the thought of spending few days along Lake Superior shores. The KOA was very nice and folks very helpful when Jack came down with a bit of sinus of infection. Read his post for the full details on the experience with the Canadian Health Care. We were in need of some quality down time.

Lake Superior and all the Great Lakes are certainly something to see if you have never been in this part of the country. Having grown up along Lake Michigan and spending time in UP Michigan and Wisconsin, the landscape was quite familiar and as result my picture taking duties were derelict a bit. But the Mother Lake Superior is mind boggling all the same even if the pictures do not do it justice.

The town of Thunder Bay itself was not what I was expecting being much larger and more industrial after all the rural areas we drove through. Jack got kick out of all the large scale shipping harbors. Think the song "Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot to get a feel for the town. Just realized all these songs playing in my head really tip off how old I am!

From Thunder Bay

The Kakabeka Falls are close by and should not be missed ( I know, I know another waterfall). Just make sure you bring enough loonies for the self pay station. They don't take credit cards and rumor has it they will ticket you if the sticker is not displayed. It was a minimum of $5 for two hours. Some very nice folks saw us digging around and coming up short and gave us two dollar loonie. Canadians really are some of the nicest people I have meet in my travels! If you have the time take the hike to the little falls as well. The trail can be bit buggy and soggy but worth seeing. JLS

From Thunder Bay

Canadian Health Care...up close.

Today we're in Thunder Bay Ontario on the north side of Lake Superior. Kind of a pretty town and a great view of the lake. This morning I finally reconciled the fact that I had a sinus infection and got to see first hand Canadian health care. Apparently there are very few family doctors in Thunder Bay so most people go to walk-in clinics and the one I went to was in a back room of a local pharmacy. The small waiting room was overfilled with about half the people standing. I stood in line to see the receptionist (who was very friendly actually) and she held out her hand to collect my government health card. I told her I was from the US and she said it would cost me anywhere from $20 to $100 depending on the doctor's opinion. Then she said by the looks of me it wouldn't be over $40...so I guess that was a good thing. There was one doctor and one receptionist and things went amazingly fast for such a large number of people waiting. When I got in it was obvious they weren't changing the paper sheets on the exam table so I opted to stand. The doctor came in in a few minutes and immediately asked me what was wrong with no eye contact or introductions. I told him chronic coughing more so at night and I thought it was a sinus infection. He listened to my lungs and agreed. He saw I was from the states and felt sorry for me and gave me a bottle of Canada's equivalent to flonaze (out of his backpack) and a prescription for Moxiscilan. It all took less than 60 seconds and I was charged $30. The Mox was $27.69. So for essentially $60 with no insurance and 60 seconds of the doctor's time I was done. Now for sure you would not go to a place like this for a true emergency or illness but I suspect with the new health care in the US we'll be seeing places like this spring up. It was definitly impersonal and like a cattle call but it was also very simple and down to earth. Not sure if I liked but I did admire the efficiency...sort of like the feeling you get flying Southwest. JWS

Saskatoon to Kenora

The RV parks around Saskatoon were packed and we were glad we had a reservation. We never could quite figure out why. Not that Saskatoon is a bad place but certainly not that much of tourist destination. We never did catch up with our mail even thou we stayed a few extra days hoping it would show up. It was pretty darn swampy at the RV park and we were beginning to feel like we were held hostage by all the mosquitoes. Plus, the weekend was coming and the park was booked up for Jehovah Witness convention. We were being kicked out. Better pack up fast before the JW's come a knocking with their white shirts and ties! We were glad to leave and decided to do a drive by of the rest of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Along the way saw fields upon fields of yellow flowers. Looked it up on Wikipedia. Turns out it was rapeseed which is used to make canola oil. It made for a pretty picture the yellow flowers against the blue sky with big puffy clouds. Took a few pictures while we were driving, here's the best one. If you surf the web turns out a lot of folks thought the same thing so there are better pictures than mine on the web. Stopped for an over nighter in Neepawa - nice little city RV park and continued on to Kenora, Ontario the next day.

Kenora turned out to be a tourist destination. Nice Rv park right on the "Lake of the Woods". Spent a pleasant night and morning there enjoying the warm weather and sun. The town looked interesting but we did not unhitch so we did not get the chance to explore the area. JLS

The Soggy Prairies of Saskatchewan

One might ask why are we heading to Saskatoon? Answer - to catch up with our mail. We had it forwarded to a campground in the area. This area is an extension of the great plains and prairies down below in the lower forty. We had planned to get there on Saturday but left Edmonton area a day early. Called the RV park and they were booked so we could not get in a day early. And all the other RV parks listed in the guide were also full. Is Saskatoon really a tourist destination? Hmmm, looks like we may have to find a Walmart to park in for the night when Jack spotted an old and faded sign off Yellowhead Highway 16 for a little Provincial Park on the Saskatchewan river. Eagle eyed Jack saves the day!

This turned out to be a pleasant surprise! Not so much for the park itself, it was not much more than a grass field ( and quite soggy) but for the warmth and friendship we found. Turns out they were having their annual baseball tournament a long standing tradition held on Father's Day weekend. Our neighbor Ernie knocked on our door asking if it was okay if he fogged the area. Oh yes please! These prairie mosquitoes are fierce. This area has been getting much rain and the ground is saturated and prime breeding grounds for those pesky bloodsuckers. Later we shared a few drinks and campfire with Ernie, Michelle, Ted and Agi. Very friendly folk and they shared some great stories! And why didn't I take some pictures??

In the morning we shared email addresses and hot cinnamon rolls. Time for us to head to Saskatoon and hopefully our mail will be waiting. JLS