Sunday, June 20
1000 - car unloaded, we begin the drive home along Hwy 138
1015 - before turning west, we head a few km east to see the true end of the highway, which is being extended to Kegaska, the 6th outport
1230 - lunch in Havre St. Pierre at a sit-down Casse-Croute specializing in poutine
1530 - arrive in Sept-Iles, have a snack and book the Bnb at a Tim Horton's
1900 - arrive in Baie-Comeau, have dinner at L Coq Roti
2230 - arrive at our BnB in Les Bergeronnes
Monday, June 21
0930 - leave BnB
1000 - visit whale-watching point
1100 - leave whale-watching point
1130 - cross Saquenay by ferry, start scenic tour of Charlevoix
1230 - lunch overlooking Malbaie
1330 - visit Canyon Sainte Anne
1530 - leave the Canyon
1830 - dinner at a Mike's Restaurant near Repentigny
2000 - travel on Hudson Ferry
2120 - hit deer east of Casselman
2245 - arrive home in Carp
Unlike a movie or book, the climax of this trip was not near the end. It took two days to drive home, and they were fairly uneventful. The first day took us from Natasquan to Les Bergeronnes, near the crossing of the Saquenay. The first half of they day's drive, to Sept-Iles, was mostly in the rain, and the rest was fairly overcast. Although we took several photos, we nevered stayed anywhere terribly long except when having a meal. The only memorable stop was a pretty impressive waterfall at Port Cartier.
| Item | Count | So Far |
|---|---|---|
| Moose | 0 |
40 |
| Icebergs | 0 |
41 |
| Ferry Rides | 2 |
7 |
| Whales | 0 |
0 |
| Deer | 1 |
1 |
After leaving the Bienvenue Chez Les Petit BnB in Bergeronnes, we spent an hour at a whale-watching point near Les Escoumins run by Parks Canada. There were no whales, but there were a couple marine biologists there that day for interpretation. An hour later, after crossing the Saquenay by ferry, we continued through the beautiful Charlevoix region, taking the scenic route recommended by our previous night's host. About a half-hour's drive east of Quebec City we reached Canyon-Sainte-Anne, a private park built around a rather large waterfall through a steep canyon. We spent about 2 hours at the park, and especially enjoyed the suspension bridges and the opportunities for photos that they afforded. Then, it was westward again, until dinner in Berthierville (between Trois Riviere and Montreal). For variety, we took the A-640 ring road all the way around, and crossed the Ottawa River by ferry at Hudson, which turns out to be one of the better ways to avoid going through Montreal. The ferry was actually just a platform, towed by a small inboard boat, but it offered a good opportunity to stretch our legs and take some pictures before the sun set. Before getting home, there was one more memorable event - Ann hit a deer about half an hour east of Ottawa. Fortunately, we were not hurt and the side-view mirror it hit was also undamaged, but the deer, which stumbled away, was likely not so lucky. A little shaken, Ross drove the rest of the way home.
| Reviews | |
|---|---|
| Bienvenue Chez Les Petit BnB | Although a little expensive for our budget, the room was good, breakfast better, and the host was great to talk with. When we return to the area, we'll stay at this BnB. ($75) |
| Coq Roti | They advertise their chicken and ribs as bigger, better and faster than the competition (St. Hubert's). They're right. Portions are so large, two people can easily share one meal. |
| Canyon Sainte Anne | We don't always visit touristy places, and we were skeptical at first, but this is a great stop during a long drive. |