Some scenes from Quebec

When we drove into Riviere du Loup, a beautiful hilly town on the south side of the St. Lawrence River, it was right at sunset, which I could see out my side window was absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately there was nowhere to stop along the road for a picture, and sunsets being fleeting things, it was gone by the time I could have found a spot to shoot it. We found a small restaurant in downtown, where the waitress, ascertaining that we didn't speak French, apologized for not having a menu in English. I assured her we would manage, which we did, and had a very nice dinner, bad wine notwithstanding. It was still early, so we went to the falls that are right in town, but... no pictures of those either as it was too dark by then.

The next morning, having a short driving day, we took time for another look around before setting out for New Brunswick. We found a walking trail that ran along a little peninsula across from the town, where the geese were on the mud flats, taking advantage of low tide to get their breakfast. The sun was shining, promising a pleasant day for travel.

I think these are Snow geese

Riviere du Loup

A shirt from the other end of the continent...

This year round attraction, Noel au Chateau, apparently inspired by Disney's Cinderella castle, is situated near the walking trail. The whale seems a bit out of place, but perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the town is a good place for whale watching.

At a rest stop near Notre-Dame-du-Lac, we had this beautiful view of Lac Temiscouata, a 45 km long lake that empties into the St. John River via the Madawaska River.

Lac Temiscouata

On to St. John...

Ontario

Ontario between the Soo and Pembroke is beautiful, rocky and mountainous. It's also long, so we probably won't do it again as a drive through, but it was definitely worth seeing. The only pics I have were taken with my phone in a lovely riverfront park in Pembroke. They have a monument there of a replica Cockburn pointer boat, and several pavilions along the walk, all with historical photos and text telling about the area and the lumber and boatbuilding industry there.

The rest of the pics are of a wooden pointer boat built by the local high school students sitting atop a raft made of square logs which is how they floated the logs down the river during the lumbering era.

We originally went to the park looking for a totem pole described in the AAA tourbook. The desk clerk at the hotel gave us directions, although her friend lounging at the counter visiting her thought it was not really worthy of a visit. Needing a walk after a day in the car, we went anyway. As it was at the far end of the park from where we parked, we didn't find it until it was too dark for pictures. The historical displays were a lot more interesting in any case. Maybe I should contact AAA and have them update their book.

A little add on to the previous post. The quality is really bad, but I thought it was cool what the the fountain at Sault Ste. Marie looked like at night.

Road trip - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Our road trip to Maine started with a late afternoon drive to the Soo, on the Canada side. First time using my passport and I was told that my picture was not acceptable because it was too light, he couldn't tell if it was me. Then he let us in. I guess I didn't look very dangerous, what with the minivan with the business stickers on the back windows.

Since my camera had quit on me a few weeks before and still wasn't back from the repair shop, my daughter very sweetly let me use her camera which of course I forgot to charge before we left. I was only able to get a few shots of the St. Mary's River, the locks, and a freighter which obligingly came though just at the right time, before the battery died. So no pics of the first day driving through Ontario, but believe me, the scenery was gorgeous. Torture for an amateur photographer, but we probably made better time.

Millennium Fountain and freighter

Entering the locks

International Bridge

St. Mary's River