Another day, another time zone, another province and another long drive. But here we are in Moncton with just 3.5 hours to go in order to get home. We could conceivably have pushed on and arrived this evening but then we have to warm up and dry out the house, make sure the water is working correctly, etc. Better to get in tomorrow at noon to sort any possible problems out.
Bit of a whoopsy in Quebec City this morning. Jumped in the car and the GPS took us downtown and wanted us to catch the ferry across the St. Lawrence. Taking a ferry was never going to be the best option but I was convinced that Quebec City was on the south side of the St. Lawrence, not the north so I thought crossing the water was the last thing we wanted to do. Anyway, ignoring the GPS we kept the river on our left and couldn't work out why all the signs on the road said Montreal. We realized what was going on after a while and then took the bridge across the water that we had come in on. Short term memory problems.
Apart from that, the day passed without incident.
Monday, 5 May 2014
Montreal and Quebec City
At last, a break from driving all day.
Got up early and drove to Montreal old town where we found a nice auberge for brunch. It was throwing down the rain again so there weren't many people around but we did get a sense of the old town and visited a museum. From virtually any view, Montreal looks like we could have been anywhere in France. Only real difference was that my attempts at speaking French were met with amusement rather than disdain. However, like in France, you get a better response from waiters if you try the lingua franca first instead of just launching into English.
From Montreal, we drove to Quebec City in time for a walk around the old town and citadel. I recently read Francis Parkman's book "Montcalm and Wolfe" about the end of France's influence in Canada. Basically a story about two small armies stumbling about in thousands of square miles of wilderness and occasionally skirmishing. The English won mainly because France was bankrupt and could not afford to support the campaign, There was also a lot of luck involved for the English. Anyway, it was good to see the cliffs of the Heights of Abraham that were scaled by Wolfe's men dragging cannon behind them. As at Louisburg, the French fort designers had discounted the possibility of a landward attack, concentrating instead on defending the water side. DOH!
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| Brunch in Montreal Old Town |
From Montreal, we drove to Quebec City in time for a walk around the old town and citadel. I recently read Francis Parkman's book "Montcalm and Wolfe" about the end of France's influence in Canada. Basically a story about two small armies stumbling about in thousands of square miles of wilderness and occasionally skirmishing. The English won mainly because France was bankrupt and could not afford to support the campaign, There was also a lot of luck involved for the English. Anyway, it was good to see the cliffs of the Heights of Abraham that were scaled by Wolfe's men dragging cannon behind them. As at Louisburg, the French fort designers had discounted the possibility of a landward attack, concentrating instead on defending the water side. DOH!
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| View from the fort at Quebec City |
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| Fountain, Quebec City |
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| Now that's an address |
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| Quebec City Gate |
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| Banff Springs? No, Fairmont Quebec City |
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| View from city gate |
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| Notre Dame, Quebec City |
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Ottawa
Another long day's driving finds us in Ottawa and at last within striking distance of home. We bought a paper map before we left and have now travelled over five folds in the map with just two to go. Feels like we're almost there.
We managed to do some touristy things in Ottawa, walking round the parliament buildings.
Another good day's driving without major incident. We set off in fog which finally cleared once we got away from Lake Huron and lake Nipissing (yes really!). But then it rained quite a lot. Finally cleared up by the time we got here and +13C so not bad. We heard Calgary had a dump of snow today. Haha.
Tomorrow we plan to head to Montreal and look around the old town and then on to Quebec City where we'll stay the night. Neither of us have been up this way before so it makes sense to have a bit of a break during our travels.
We managed to do some touristy things in Ottawa, walking round the parliament buildings.
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| Gatineau Canal |
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| Parliament Building |
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| Us in Ottawa |
Tomorrow we plan to head to Montreal and look around the old town and then on to Quebec City where we'll stay the night. Neither of us have been up this way before so it makes sense to have a bit of a break during our travels.
Sault Ste. Marie
Just a quick update before we set out again. Annette thinks the hotel in Thunder Bay was haunted so didn't get much of a sleep. I was OK though!
We didn't go back to look at the falls outside Thunder Bay. We decided 25km in the wrong direction just wasn't on. Maybe next trip.
We set out in good time for Sault Ste. Marie and had a very pleasant drive along the shores of Lake Superior. This was apart from a few foggy patches and a rather alarming incident when a car coming the other way wandered across the centre of the road just in front of us. Got to see the whites of his eyes so he wasn't asleep! Probably texting. Most of the journey was out of cell phone coverage which made for a quiet day. Good thing the speed limit was low and we were sticking to it or we might not have made the distance. There are no refuelling stops on this road that are open at this time of year.
Due to last night's hotel fisaco we checked into the Delta in Sault Ste. Marie, only a little more expensive than the Super 8 and very comfortable. Had a very pleasant dinner looking out over the water at the USA and a good night's sleep.
Fresh and relaxed, we are now going to head away from the great lakes towards Montreal. Don't think we'll get that far today but we'll certainly get past Sudbury and maybe as far as Ottawa. Who knows.
We didn't go back to look at the falls outside Thunder Bay. We decided 25km in the wrong direction just wasn't on. Maybe next trip.
We set out in good time for Sault Ste. Marie and had a very pleasant drive along the shores of Lake Superior. This was apart from a few foggy patches and a rather alarming incident when a car coming the other way wandered across the centre of the road just in front of us. Got to see the whites of his eyes so he wasn't asleep! Probably texting. Most of the journey was out of cell phone coverage which made for a quiet day. Good thing the speed limit was low and we were sticking to it or we might not have made the distance. There are no refuelling stops on this road that are open at this time of year.
Due to last night's hotel fisaco we checked into the Delta in Sault Ste. Marie, only a little more expensive than the Super 8 and very comfortable. Had a very pleasant dinner looking out over the water at the USA and a good night's sleep.
Fresh and relaxed, we are now going to head away from the great lakes towards Montreal. Don't think we'll get that far today but we'll certainly get past Sudbury and maybe as far as Ottawa. Who knows.
Friday, 2 May 2014
Lake Superior
Well, after another long day we made it to Thunder Bay. Good job we did decide to push on through as there is really nowhere to stop between Kenora and Thunder Bay. Settlements are few and far between and facilities virtually non existent.
The speed limits on the trans Canada change as you head east. 110 in Alberta and Saskatchewan, 100 in Manitoba and only 90 in Ontario. As you enter Ontario, they very helpfully post the penalties for speeding. These range from $90 and three demerits if caught doing 110 up to $10,000, car seizure and jail if caught doing 150 or more. We took it easy. Although it meant it took longer to get anywhere, the impact on fuel consumption was dramatic. Instead of filling up four times on day one (we stopped and filled once the tank got down to half full or so) one tankful brought us all the way with a range of 400km left when we rolled into Thunder Bay. That top box isn't only noisy, it's draggy too. The other benefit of the lower speed was less noise too.
On the route, we were surprised to see a lot of snow still by the side of the road and all the lakes still frozen over. In Alberta, virtually all the snow (that isn't on the mountains) has melted and the lakes and rivers are flowing freely. When we arrived here, we were even more surprised to see Lake Superior still frozen over. The locals say that it is unusual for the lake to freeze at all over the winter. For it still to be frozen is seriously disrupting trade and there were several ships stuck in the ice waiting for a thaw. It really has been a cold winter here.
We're going to have a fairly quiet morning before setting off for Sault Ste. Marie. A walk down by the lake and hopefully a visit to Kakabeka Falls, an impressive waterfall. We tried to find the waterfall on the way in yesterday but there weren't any signs to it. It's 25km in the wrong direction but everyone says it's worth seeing. Then it looks like it will be another eight hours driving probably much like yesterday's. These days are feeling long...
The speed limits on the trans Canada change as you head east. 110 in Alberta and Saskatchewan, 100 in Manitoba and only 90 in Ontario. As you enter Ontario, they very helpfully post the penalties for speeding. These range from $90 and three demerits if caught doing 110 up to $10,000, car seizure and jail if caught doing 150 or more. We took it easy. Although it meant it took longer to get anywhere, the impact on fuel consumption was dramatic. Instead of filling up four times on day one (we stopped and filled once the tank got down to half full or so) one tankful brought us all the way with a range of 400km left when we rolled into Thunder Bay. That top box isn't only noisy, it's draggy too. The other benefit of the lower speed was less noise too.
We're going to have a fairly quiet morning before setting off for Sault Ste. Marie. A walk down by the lake and hopefully a visit to Kakabeka Falls, an impressive waterfall. We tried to find the waterfall on the way in yesterday but there weren't any signs to it. It's 25km in the wrong direction but everyone says it's worth seeing. Then it looks like it will be another eight hours driving probably much like yesterday's. These days are feeling long...
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Prairies Conquered
We managed to get everything in the car (just) and set off early yesterday morning. More than 12 hours later we have driven more than 1200km, crossed one time zone and stopped in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Not much to say about this place. Just a small town on the trans Canada not far from Winnipeg.
We soon discovered why the people we bought the top box from we're selling it. In a crosswind it whistles horribly and yesterday we were battling a strong wind out of the north all day. At times it sounded like a jet taking off. As soon as we get home, that's going back on Kijiji.
Today we hope to get to Thunder Bay in time to have a look around. Sounds an interesting town. Last night we briefly considered pushing on to Thunder Bay and would have been there by now but it was a better idea to stop and rest. We don't have to rush after all.
The good news so far is our new Outback is more comfortable than the old one so a long day driving doesn't take so heavy a toll.
It's Annette's birthday today. Driving all day again is probably not top of her birthday wishes.
We soon discovered why the people we bought the top box from we're selling it. In a crosswind it whistles horribly and yesterday we were battling a strong wind out of the north all day. At times it sounded like a jet taking off. As soon as we get home, that's going back on Kijiji.
Today we hope to get to Thunder Bay in time to have a look around. Sounds an interesting town. Last night we briefly considered pushing on to Thunder Bay and would have been there by now but it was a better idea to stop and rest. We don't have to rush after all.
The good news so far is our new Outback is more comfortable than the old one so a long day driving doesn't take so heavy a toll.
It's Annette's birthday today. Driving all day again is probably not top of her birthday wishes.
Monday, 28 April 2014
We're Driving From Calgary to Lunenburg - AGAIN!
We first drove across the country three years ago when we moved from Calgary to Nova Scotia. At the time, we said we probably didn't need to do that again. Yet here we are...
We came back to Calgary last October for a few months work, which ended up being more than six months. We flew in to Calgary with one suitcase each and we are leaving with a car stuffed full of belongings and a full top box too. We bought a car because it's cheaper than a long term rental and anyway our old Subaru Outback needed replacing. We were so pleased with the old Outback, we went and bought a new one. There's loyalty for you.
Whilst in Calgary, we stayed with relatives to start with then moved to a house sit for three months to look after two small dogs and then lastly moved to a furnished rental. We are now packing up our belongings and plan to head out early on Wednesday morning.
Last time, our route took us from Calgary to Winnipeg, south to Chicago, round to Niagara Falls, across to Boston then up the coast through Maine to New Brunswick and finally to Nova Scotia. This time we have decided to do the entire trip in Canada with a route taking us from Calgary through Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City to Nova Scotia. Neither of us have spent much time in Ontario and neither of us have been to Quebec at all. So, a good opportunity to see some of the historic French parts of Canada. maybe we'll stop over for a couple of days pour un petit vacance en route. On the other hand, we might just rush back so we can get started planting up the vegetable garden, meeting old friends, eating lots of lobster, etc.
Investigating the route using a route planner turned up some interesting things. The southern route (Winnipeg, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal) turns out to be quicker than the northern route (Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, Montreal) by 4 minutes! It may be ever so slightly quicker, but it's 388km further than staying in Canada. Add to that, the complication of two border crossings and the extra expense of highway tolls in the US. Even though gas is cheaper south of the border, the higher speeds are likely to counteract that so it is likely to be significantly more economical to stay in Canada. We will find out.
Why do we have a full car? I hear you wondering. Two main reasons. This winter in Calgary is being called by some the worst on record for the depth of the cold and the depth of the snow. We therefore wanted a good set of snow tyres so negotiated when purchasing the car that they would throw in a set of winter tyres and smart alloy rims as part of the sale. This means we have four big wheels to transport back. The other reason for the full car is that Annette has been furiously painting all winter and has quite a number of pieces to take home. Anyway, it looks like we will be able to get it all in although we'll only find out for sure when we pack it all up tomorrow.
We came back to Calgary last October for a few months work, which ended up being more than six months. We flew in to Calgary with one suitcase each and we are leaving with a car stuffed full of belongings and a full top box too. We bought a car because it's cheaper than a long term rental and anyway our old Subaru Outback needed replacing. We were so pleased with the old Outback, we went and bought a new one. There's loyalty for you.
Whilst in Calgary, we stayed with relatives to start with then moved to a house sit for three months to look after two small dogs and then lastly moved to a furnished rental. We are now packing up our belongings and plan to head out early on Wednesday morning.
Last time, our route took us from Calgary to Winnipeg, south to Chicago, round to Niagara Falls, across to Boston then up the coast through Maine to New Brunswick and finally to Nova Scotia. This time we have decided to do the entire trip in Canada with a route taking us from Calgary through Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City to Nova Scotia. Neither of us have spent much time in Ontario and neither of us have been to Quebec at all. So, a good opportunity to see some of the historic French parts of Canada. maybe we'll stop over for a couple of days pour un petit vacance en route. On the other hand, we might just rush back so we can get started planting up the vegetable garden, meeting old friends, eating lots of lobster, etc.
Investigating the route using a route planner turned up some interesting things. The southern route (Winnipeg, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal) turns out to be quicker than the northern route (Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, Montreal) by 4 minutes! It may be ever so slightly quicker, but it's 388km further than staying in Canada. Add to that, the complication of two border crossings and the extra expense of highway tolls in the US. Even though gas is cheaper south of the border, the higher speeds are likely to counteract that so it is likely to be significantly more economical to stay in Canada. We will find out.
Why do we have a full car? I hear you wondering. Two main reasons. This winter in Calgary is being called by some the worst on record for the depth of the cold and the depth of the snow. We therefore wanted a good set of snow tyres so negotiated when purchasing the car that they would throw in a set of winter tyres and smart alloy rims as part of the sale. This means we have four big wheels to transport back. The other reason for the full car is that Annette has been furiously painting all winter and has quite a number of pieces to take home. Anyway, it looks like we will be able to get it all in although we'll only find out for sure when we pack it all up tomorrow.
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