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WEDNESDAY 1 AUGUST 2007 – Leaving Sudbury we pass the heavily mined outskirts of town and the commemorative “big nickel”.  The journey itself is uneventful but we pass lots of cyclists, a man who looks to be on a long hike with his camping gear in a pushchair and a lady trotting along the road in a horse and carriage.  It’s another glorious day and after a couple of hours driving we are tempted by the rest area at Serpent River.  It’s a beauty with easy access to the river and no one else around.  Within minutes we have settled ourselves in and taken to the water.  There are some gentle rapids where we enjoy a natural Jacuzzi and then a “lazy river” type ride to get down and out from them.  A few people come and go throughout the day and we would love to stay overnight but the signs forbid camping between 9pm and 5am, as if you would want to camp at any other time!  Steve goes for a stroll around and susses out a free parking area by a quarry in a nearby road.  It’s well after 6pm when we leave to drive up River Road to the quarry and park up for the night.

SERPENT RIVER

THURSDAY 2 AUGUST – First stop of the day is at Blind River, a small town sandwiched between two lakes.  At the Information centre we make use of the free water, dump station and wi-fi Internet.  It’s a very pleasant town with nice sandy beaches, a marina and quite a few free camping opportunities but too early in the day for us to stop.  Hit a major traffic jam just before Sault Saint Marie, spend over 1 hour crawling past a bad accident where a lorry has hit a car head on.  Don’t fancy any ones chances judging by the wreck.  No sooner have we cleared that hold up than we hit another one for road works taking up another half hour or so.  At least we manage to have our dinner whilst in the queue as we now have no chance of making it to the casino in time for lunch.  Head straight down to the famous locks enabling pleasure boats to navigate the 20metre drop from Lake Superior into Lake Huron.  It’s a National Historic Site and with lots of interesting information boards in the visitor centre.  We’ve missed the 2pm tour but the girl puts one on especially for us and it includes a visit to the original hydroelectric power station used to provide electrical power for opening the lock gates.  Cross the International Bridge into USA Upper MICHIGAN giving us fine views of the American locks used by the freight ships.  We inadvertently get into the bus lane but the extremely pleasant customs officer passes off our error and even nods his head telling us we have no beef or citrus fruit rather than asking us.  Typical as this time we had made a point of eating it all so were legal anyway!   Emerge into the American town of Sault Saint Marie and head for Wal Mart for our overnight stop.  Approaching the shopping centre we see 2 fire engines with lights flashing, another accident this time involving a Police car and another vehicle.  We have lots to buy as the things we need all seem to be cheaper in American than Canada.  Within the shopping centre is a store called “Glen’s Market” and with lots of 2 for the price of 1 grocery offers it’s my kind of place.  Also take up the opportunity to buy some clothing and for me some shoes for the cruise.  There’s an end of summer season sale and Steve can’t resist a padded sun lounger down from $39.99 to $19.99 (£10). 

SAULT SAINT MARIE – WAL MART

FRIDAY 3 AUGUST – Begin our long trek across America heading west on the 28.  I guess we are in Indian, or should I say Native American, territory as this area of dense spruce pines is classed as Hiawatha State Forest.  We see black smoke looming on the horizon.  We are listening to the local radio station and learn that there is a big fire in the area to our right and 2000 acres of forest have already been burnt out.  To try to control the fire they are considering closing one of the side highways to do a back burn.  This is the side road to Paradise so takes out our decision as to whether or not to go there.  Reach the edge of Lake Superior at Munising where we stop on the outskirts to make a short walk to the pleasant Wagoner Falls.  The coast north of here is classed as “Picture Rocks National Park” because of the amazing colours and shapes in the rocky coastline.  You can view them from a boat but today the wind is strong and the trips have been cancelled.   Driving up the coast you can get to a viewing area.  A longer walk takes us to Miners Falls, an unusual angled waterfall over sandstone.   Miners Castle overlook is extremely busy but we nudge our way to the front of the viewing platform to see a very attractive bay with the Miners Castle rock at one end.  The water is crystal clear and it’s not uncommon to see large fish swimming around.   Nearby Miners Beach is packed out and not for us so we retract our journey back to Munising then continue west along the coast.  Lake Superior is so huge that you can’t see the far side of it and with the sandy beaches looks much like the ocean.  Christmas is closer than we realise, in fact just a few miles west of Munising and they cash in on the town name with huge Santa statues and other kitsch things.  We’re looking for a place to park up for the night and pass superb rest areas behind beautiful beaches but all have “no overnight parking” signs.  We’re about halfway to Marquette when we see a road to our right, with a sign to a boat ramp along Whitefish Point Road.  It soon turns into a gravel road but we press on ever hopeful.  After about 2 miles we spot a parking area with “Historical Pathway” signs and read on the sign that it is also a campground.  Steve walks to check out the boat ramp as the road goes over a single-track bridge.  The boat ramp is by a muddy river and even though we could get there it is not appealing.  Settle onto the seemingly abandoned campsite with plenty of shade.  There are few cars using the main track so it’s also very quiet and suits us nicely.

HISTORICAL PATHWAY - OLD TYOGA TOWNSHIP

SATURDAY 4 AUGUST – We both have an excellent nights sleep as it was totally peaceful.  Whilst I potter around the van Steve does the trail.  The logging town was abandoned 100 years ago.  Both it and the walking track have been taken over by the forest for Steve says he almost needed a machete to get through head high bushes.  Set about sealing up any gaps in the van as our journeys down dirt roads have left us with far too much dust inside.  Using cardboard, masking tape and silicone we think we have filled the worst spots.  Steve takes a dip in the river and assures me it is pleasant once he is in but he overlooks the muddy access point.  Its so nice here that we will have another night.

HISTORICAL PATHWAY 2 – OLD TYOGA TOWNSHIP

SUNDAY 5 AUGUST – We could easily talk ourselves into staying another day but the clouds decide us to press on.  Marquette is our next stop and the first point of interest is the display of “Grandma doors”.   Dozens of old doors have been painted or covered in photos and decoupage depicting Grandmas.  Most make interesting reading and we spend ages walking amongst them.  Another curious sight in town is the “Superior Dome” at the University campus.  It’s the largest wooden dome in the world and we go inside the building to take a closer look.  The inside support structure is completely made of timber and very impressive as are the displays of Canadian Olympic athletes who have trained in the stadium.  Further along the shore we reach Presque Isle Park where we drive the loop to get views of the cliffs and out across the lake.  There are walks and waterfalls to be done but we are a bit overdosed on that kind of thing so head off west.  Passing into WISCONSIN state we put our watches back 1-hour to be on Central Time.  (Now 6-hours behind BST).  We are now on Highway 2, which we intend to follow all the way across to Glacier National Park.  You can tell it’s the most northern highway in the country by the number. Generally odd numbered roads run north south and are numbered from west to east.  Even ones from east west and are numbered north to south.  Most logical once you know the system.  Bad River Casino at Odanah is on Bad River Reservation and run by Native Americans.  As an inducement to gamble they offer free camping including electric, water and dump station.  The camping area is at the back of the parking lot by a forest and quite pleasant.  Vehicles range from the big 40’ RV’s with 4 slide outs down to a solitary motorbike camper with his one-man trailer tent.  Within the casino there are free hot and cold drinks and if you join their club you get $5 of non-redeemable chips free.  These can only be used in specific slot machines, Steve loses all his and I come away with $6.50.    

BAD RIVER CASINO, ODANAH

MONDAY 6 AUGUST – It’s a slow process leaving the casino, as we are keen to use all the facilities.  We both shower then I use my hair dryer and straighteners. Next I do some hand washing.   Dump our waste then fill up water and gas before Steve heads back into the casino.  For every $20 you spend on gas they give you $5 in chips so we’ve another $30 worth which Steve manages to convert it into $28.75 cash.  Meanwhile I sit in the car park using the wi-fi.  A most satisfactory stop on all fronts.  In Ashland we make a lunch stop at Maslowski Beach where there is an Artesian Spring.  Locals are all filling up containers so we get in on the act and fill our empty bottles.  Cross another huge bridge to Duluth in MINNESOTA.  There are 3 things we want to do and we easily make it to the Canal Park but from then on things go pear shaped.  It’s incredibly busy and we can’t fine the marine museum or anywhere to park so head out to pick up the Skyline Scenic drive.  Duluth is a bit like San Francisco built on a steep hill so we have to climb up through the town to then find we have missed the turn off.  Try to drop down to pick up the scenic drive but miss it once again and end up back Canal Park.  However this time it’s quieter and we manage to find the Marine Museum now renamed Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Centre & Aerial Lift Bridge!  Cross the bridge to park on the opposite side and walk back across to visit the free museum.  There are many interesting exhibits extolling the size of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world.  We did not know there were over 350 ship in it nor that it was large enough to contain all the other Great Lakes plus 3 additional lakes the size of Lake Erie.  This is down to the depth rather than surface area of the lake with a deepest point of 1,333 feet.  Canal Park is a rejuvenated dockside area with lots of shops and trendy restaurants so it’s very pleasant to walk around.  Hang around near the bridge to watch a large 1000’ ship pass underneath once the centre section of the span has been raised.  Armed with an improved map we retrace our drive up Lake Ave and turn off on 7^th to link up with Skyline Drive.  The view from Enger Park is outstanding, the city, harbour, across to Wisconsin and up into Lake Superior.  It’s getting quite late so we make a very convenient overnight stop at the Wal Mart on the highway out of town.

DULUTH, HERMANSTOWN – WAL MART

TUESDAY 7 AUGUST – Heading out across Minnesota we notice the dense forest thins out, changes to Pine and Aspens with bogs full of dead trees.  In Grand Forks we get our cheapest fuel yet $2.78 (£1.35) gallon and top up ourselves with double cheeseburgers at Burger King $1 (50p) each.  At the tourist office we explain to the girl that we are looking for a place to camp for free near water and she gives us a map with “primitive” campgrounds marked and tells us they might suit our needs.  There are a number of lakes about 100km further on with some distinct possibilities.  Traversing "Leech Indian Lake Reservation” we can’t resist a stop at Palace Casino Hotel at Deer Lake.  Too early in the day to take up the free camping with electric but not too early for us to join their casino and get $5 each back in cash.  After spending a reasonable amount of time browsing around we leave with cash in pocket.  Now if we could just find half a dozen of these to do each day we could fund our trip completely!  Drive along the southern end of Lake Winnibigoshish, what a delightful name, with $24 night campground fees.  However we do see a side road and decide to chance our luck.  We see an abandoned wheelchair in a ditch and a kid’s pushchair thrown down at the side of the road.  Does this lake offer miracle cures?  On the contrary, we have just turned into a housing area where the Indians live and before long are doing an about turn as the gardens and street are littered with rubbish and it doesn’t feel like a good area for us to be in.  Just before Cass Lake town we turn north on highway 10 then take the 1^st left after the “Beltrami County” sign onto “Camp Cassaway CT SE”.  It’s a narrow dirt track but seems passable.  There are few places for us to turn around if need be so I hop out and walk the last mile or so the check it out.  Race back to call Steve on to the primitive campground on the lakeshore.  It’s superb, a nice grassy area to park, enough trees for filtered shade and our own private sandy beach right in front.  In no time at all we have set up full camp with the awning out to keep the sun off the fridge, table, chairs and sun loungers in place with us flat out relaxing.  Just a couple of cars come down during the afternoon but for most of the time we have our own little piece of paradise.  Steve sets up the hammock that Cory gave us and spends most of the afternoon swinging from the trees, a bit of a worry!  Take lots of cooling dips in the fresh water lake fed by the Mississippi River.  In fact originally it was thought to be the source of the river but this was later found a short way upstream from here at Lake Itasca.  In the evening we sit and watch a beautiful sunset then light a small campfire until it gets too cold to stay out.

CASS LAKE

WEDNESDAY 8 AUGUST – It’s been a quiet night with just the distant noise of a train horn and the occasional creature sounds.  Wake to a cloud morning, as it was yesterday, but with temperatures in the 80F forecast, wrong again.  The weather remains poor all day but we find lots of things to do in the van, watch a DVD in the afternoon and TV in the evening.  The only visitor is someone in a car with a parks type camping badge on the side.

CASS LAKE 2

THURSDAY 9 AUGUST – We get a bit of rain during the night but wake to a nice morning although it’s almost 10am before it gets really hot.  Funnily enough the lady at the tourist office told us the summer season was over and it does actually feel that way.  Again the “ranger” drives round mid morning but we then have the place to ourselves to sit out an relax until another vehicle arrives in the evening.  The only sounds are the lapping of the waves as the fishing boats buzz across the lake.    Steve cooks jacket potatoes in the bonfire and we sit out by candlelight to eat them.  Someone gave us a disposable pan with popcorn for cooking on the fire and we give it a go.  A huge dome of foil rises and the corn pops but it works very well.

CASS LAKE 3

FRIDAY 10 AUGUST – Another pleasant day but with a few more visitors – human and flies.

CASS LAKE 4

SATURDAY 11 AUGUST – We get a few showers in the night and find it’s very windy and much cooler when we get up.  Time to move on but only to the nearby town of Cass where we pick up our E-mails.  The girl at the library tells us we were at the best of all the primitive campgrounds in the area – more by good luck than judgement.  Make Bemidji our lunch stop and chance to photo the huge Paul Bunyon statue.  The sun has come out and it’s now in the 80C.  Could do with putting a few miles in before we stop for the day.  Highway 2 is now a dual carriageway with little of interest en route but McIntosh offer camping in the “City Park”.  Bit of a laugh really as it’s more of a small town with a population of less than 700!  Anyway for $6 we get electricity and use of the toilet and shower.  We can hear a lot of noise over a tanoy and find an auction at a nearby house so we get some free entertainment.  There’s a very wide main street to the town but not a soul around.  A sign shows “horse and buggy” parking area.  Late afternoon we see some children playing in the park with the girls wearing long dresses so maybe we are in Amish country. 

McINTOSH CITY PARK

$6 (£3)

SUNDAY 12 AUGUST – We’ve had a noisy night, too near the railway line with trains going throughout the night and hooting at every road crossing.   Continuing west on highway 2 we are now in prairie land.  Enter NORTH DAKOTA at the town of Grand Forks.  At the visitor centre we watch a 10-minute video about the 1997 floods.  The town was completely flooded when the river rose by over 50’ following the thawing after a 98” snowfall.  One of the biggest flood evacuations ever took place and a number of people never returned.  We can tell we are in prairie country as the prairie dogs play in the car park and look really cute.  There’s a massive and impressive university campus but the aerospace museum we want to visit is closed.  We wander around the downtown area to visit some of the “pocket parks” created in gaps where rebuilding has not taken place.  Many contain attractive sculptures but nothing outstanding.  Sadly the shop Widmans “ home of the chocolate covered potato chip” is closed.  There’s some sort of pop concert going on in the main square where only a handful of people have paid the admission, no surprising as you can see and hear it from the sidelines and it’s not good.  Our next stop is Devils Lake where the damning of rivers inadvertently caused the lake level to rise, 25 feet so far and quadrupled in area since 1997.  Dikes have now been built around the town to prevent it also becoming part of the lake.  Wal Mart has a nice location by the lake and from their car park we get a lovely sunset over the lake itself.

DEVILS LAKE, WAL MART

MONDAY 13 AUGUST – It’s a cool and cloudy morning and we soon get some rain.  Drive out across the lake, on one of the specially raised roads, to visit Spirit Lake Casino.  We are not impressed, $12 to stay overnight on the car park, $28 for camping with facilities and no freebies.  Take a drive around Sully Nature Preserve, $2 (£1) per vehicle but the scenic overlook is too overgrown to see.  At an area called “prairie dog town” we see many of them making their kind of squeaking bark whilst moving their tails, we half expect them to do a somersault like a similar sounding toy dog does.  There’s definitely a storm brewing as it’s getting dark and we can see lightening in the distance.  Tune in to a local radio station and learn that there is a severe weather warning for this area with Esmond, the town we are heading to, in the thick of it and getting baseball sized hail stones.  No point in driving towards it so we take refuge in a car park near Fort Totten.  Do we park under trees to prevent our roof and solar panel from hail stone damage and chance the lightening or what?  Opt for some trees but not the tallest ones in the area.  In the next bulletin that storm has moved off but there’s a second one around heading for Fort Totten with recommendations that everyone stays indoors and away from windows.  See this as an ideal opportunity for a coffee stop so settle down to see what happens.  Later news tells us this storm has changed course and the hail is now golf ball sized.  Luckily it completely misses us and we just get heavy rain and thunder.  We’d thought of visiting Fort Totten, used as a boarding school for the Indians, but much of it is outside and the central area is flooded so we pass.  Passing round the edge of Devils Lake we see many marooned abandoned houses.  We are now about 20 miles south of the Geographical Centre of North America traversing country roads bound by wheat and sunflower fields.  Reaching Esmond the rain has stop and it’s brightening up.  4 miles west of town we turn off to Buffalo Lake.  Drop down to a beautiful lakeside camping and fishing area with only one other motorhome in situ.  Pick a spot at the end of the track with our own covered picnic area, tables, electric, barbecue, grassy lawn and superb views.  It’s virtually free camping as they just ask for a donation.  The toilets are appalling, pit style and very smelly and the pump that pumps up the water isn’t doing so but we are well catered for inside Harry.  Take a walk around the site and up the hill topped by an old concrete buffalo.  The views are superb and with the storm miles away it’s turned into a very nice day but not quite hot enough for us to swim from the beach.

ESMOND, BUFFALO LAKE

TUESDAY 14 AUGUST – Unfortunately it’s a cooler day with only the occasional sunny spell but not enough to tempt us outside for long.  We’re ready for another day of rest so happy to stay for the day and fester. 

ESMOND 2, BUFFALO LAKE

WEDNESDAY 15 AUGUST – After an extremely cold night we are not surprised to wake and find clear blue skies.  Decide to put a few miles in anyway knowing that even the nice hot days don’t warm up before late morning.  The fields of sunflowers are spectacular with their heads all turned to the sun.  Spot a Police roadblock ahead where we have to stop.  Apparently a murder escaped from prison in Louisiana and was on the run with his girlfriend.  She was arrested last night in a nearby town after they had a fight.  We are questioned whether we have seen anyone walking and then warned that if we do we must not stop as he is very dangerous and carrying a bag with guns in.  Rejoin a main highway and hit another roadblock with officers in jeans but FBI flack jackets. I have become a bit concerned as the last Policeman checked inside our van but not the outside lockers so it would be possible for someone to be hidden there.  I mention this to the FBI man and we check them together although once he tells me the man is 6’4” tall and 240lbs it kind of eliminates that possibility anyway!   Back on a country road we see a flashing light coming towards us.  This time someone is moving house, literally, and it’s creating a very wide load on the back of the following lorry.  At the next road intersection we are blocked by another car with flashing lights.  This time it turns out to be a convoy complete with large civilian lorry, army trucks and escorts.  They are going the same way as us so we fall in behind them and then realise that they also have helicopter surveillance following them so it must be something important.  So who says driving across the prairies is boring?  In New Town I spot a port-a-loo up a pole, door open and man sat on the toilet with his pants down.  A novel way of advertising chemical toilet rental.  Pick up the historical Lewis & Clark trail near the attractive Lake Sakakawea.  Cross the Four Bears Bridge then stop to read the interpretive signs about the 3 bridges that have been here including this one only opened in 2005.  There’s also lots of info about the Indians as it was one of their tribe, a girl called Sakakawea, who escorted Lewis & Clark in their explorations.  Many have wonderful names such as “Chief Drags Wolf”.  We soon enter the badlands area with dramatic and attractive rock formations.  Theodore Roosevelt National Park enclosed the best parts.  Invest $80 (£40) in an annual pass then go to the visitor centre.  They often have guided walks and campfire talks in the parks however there are none on tonight but 3 events scheduled for tomorrow.  Decide to camp outside the park and return tomorrow.  4 miles further south, through more scenic badlands, we turn off to Summit Campground.  It’s free to camp and we pick a shady spot with our own picnic table.  A 10-minute walk takes us to a scenic overlook giving us a taster of what we should see tomorrow.  It’s similar to the badlands we visited in South Dakota but here there is much more greenery around. SUMMIT CAMPGROUND - NR THEODORE ROOSEVELT NP

MONDAY 16 JULY – We leave the main road and take the side road along the banks of the St Lawrence River.  It’s much like rural France except that most of the roofs of the houses look like ski jumps, an indication of just how much snow they have here in the winter and I don’t mean that they ski off their roofs.  Kamouraska has some very attractive buildings but the place we like best is St Jean Port Joli.  The local park is full of huge wooden sculptures and also the road is lined with shops where the artists sell their own carvings.  In Montagny we pause to admire the weir then make a lunch stop just outside town at a roadside rest area.  It’s a lovely afternoon so we sit out and enjoy that sun for an hour or so.  Reach Levis late afternoon and check on to the Wal Mart car park.  Levis is conveniently located directly across the river from Quebec City so we are hoping to take the ferry to when we visit tomorrow.  Unfortunately no on in the Wal Mart store speaks English or can understand our questions about the bus service and the same applies at a nearby Hotel.   Chat to our neighbour Pat from California who has been into the city today but they tow a car so it was easier for them.  In the evening she calls round with her husband Norman and they give us lots of advice for our travels and an invite to visit them in Los Angeles.

LEVIS – WAL MART

TUESDAY 17 JULY – We must not be alone in our idea of visiting Quebec from here as we wake to find 18 RV’s parked up.  Norman calls round and offers to run us down to the ferry port in their car in the hope that we can get information from the tourist office to find our own way back.  Leave just after 8am and catch the 8.40am ferry across the river $2.65 (£1.30) giving us stunning views of Chateau Frontenac.  Dock in the old port and begin to follow that walking tour from the tourist brochure.  We are immediately impressed by the quaint Petit-Champlain street and mural on a wall at the far end.  The problem with our early start is that none of the museums have opened so keep walking and just enjoy the scenery especially a huge mural created on a 3-storey end of house wall depicting all the characters associated with Quebec City.  Our stroll takes us along the riverbank and eventually out to an area beyond the railway station.  We’re making great progress but can’t pass up the opportunity of a tour when we see a free bus. Reckon we will do the loop and then continue our walk but we stuff up as it is not a circuit bus but simply takes us back to where we started!  However the Maison Chevalier house (free) is now open so we take a look around.  Shelve the lower area walk and begin the climb up to the old town.  We emerge in Place d’Armes and immediately see why Chateau Frontenac is the most photographed building in Canada as it is superb.  There are interesting buildings down every street including one of the narrowest houses in America – not that much narrower than our Parkwood Street house in England.  We get fine views walking along the Dufferin Terrace and this leads us to the citadel where we take the free 1-hour tour of the governor-generals house.  It’s an amazing mixture of neo classical architecture and old furniture and very nicely done.  It’s almost 2pm and we are starving so take the Rough Guide recommendation restaurant “L’Apsara” 71 rue d’Autuil.  The 3-course Cambodian style lunch with coffee is good value at $10.95 and gives us chance to rest up and plan our onward walk.  Artillery Park ($3.95 without pass) is surprisingly good with costumed guides in each building taking on the part of their character in order to give out information.  Finish up in a square surrounded by the City Hall, Price Building (first sky scraper in the city done in art deco style) and the Notre-Dame.  Feeling rather weary but more than happy with what we have seen we return to the ferry.  Arriving at Levis the tourist office tell us we need a #28 bus to Galaries Chagnon to connect with the #22 up to Wal Mart.  The fare is $3.10 (£1.50) and includes a free transfer.   Arriving at Galaries Chagnon we ask our driver where to catch the other bus and he immediately gets on the phone.  His bus has arrived late and the last bus to Wal Mart has just left, but turns round to pick us up.  So we arrive back just after 6pm after a good 10-hour day out. 

LEVIS 2 – WAL-MART

WEDNESDAY 18 JULY – Take the 132 west following the south bank of the river.  The road is very bumpy but the pretty villages more than make up for it.  Almost all the houses have beautiful flower displays, well kept gardens, often with swimming pools and not a shabby property to be seen.  Each village has a large impressive church that seems almost too big for the population.  At Leclerkville there is a special parking area by the river with toilets and you can stay overnight for a $5 (£2.40) donation.  It’s a really neat spot and in no time at all Steve has had a swim in the river, collected fresh raspberries from the bushes and we are sat down at our riverside table eating freshly cooked spaghetti bolognaise washed down with red wine.  We’re both a bit whacked so have an afternoon snooze before a walk around the non-existent village.  We get back just before a storm begins and what a storm it is.  Thunder and lightening with rain pelting down and this continues throughout the night.

LECLERKVILLE

THURSDAY 19 JULY – It’s still raining when we decide to get up.  The roof is leaking and we have water in the shower and on the kitchen worktop.  When we open the blinds we see that we are now parked in the middle of a lake but luckily Harry has the power to get us out.  We continue along the riverside road but the rain masks our views so we cross at Trois Rivieres to join the main motorway west to Montreal.  We’ve been offered street parking outside a Couch Surfers home and easily find the place.  Sylvain is a bit surprised to see us when he gets home at 8pm.  He didn’t receive our E-mail due to a computer shut down after yesterdays storm and our telephone message came out garbled.  He recovers pretty quickly and invites us into the house for a shower and to taste a few samples from his beer collection. He’s a bit of a connoisseur and plans his holidays to visit countries that excel in beer.  In fact he’s going away on a beer-tasting weekend tomorrow but says we are more than welcome to stay parked up outside.  He gives us lots of info about the public transport and gets around by BMW, bus, metro and walk!  We get tips on specialities of the area and places to eat them and tips on other things to look out for including the fact that Montreal is famed for the number of houses with outside staircases leading to upstairs flats.

MONTREAL

FRIDAY 20 JULY – It’s rained all night and is still pouring first thing so we delay our visit to the city in the hope of it easing off.  In the meantime I make use of the Internet and book us a 7-night Inside Passage cruise to Alaska to coincide with our wedding anniversary in September.  I’ve been searching for deals for a couple of weeks and find that the cheapest inside cabins are now all sold out but they have just reduced the outside staterooms to almost the same price so reckon now is the time to buy at US$1310.37 (£637.00) for both of us.  We go on 12^th September on the Holland & America ship Zaandam so I’m very excited.  Head off around 11am and buy a 3-day metro and bus ticket $17 (£8) each.  Observe that the underground system is efficient, clean and seats are immediately given up for the elderly or disabled, no I don’t mean that we got one!  Begin at Place D’Armes and pay our $4 (£1.90) admission to the Basilique Notre Dame.  It’s superb inside with areas of glass ceiling, an amazing rear lit alter area and other unusual features.  We take a part of the free tour and learn that the organ comprises of an unbelievable 7000 pipes.  You can go inside the nearby Bank of Montreal to admire the architecture and to visit the unusual numismatic museum.   Begin walking along the Rue Notre-Dame but we are getting soaked and decide to head off for lunch.  Catch a bus to the famous Schwartz’s restaurant where a long queue awaits.  We eventually get a table and order their famed smoked meat sandwich, fatty, medium or lean.  It doesn’t taste smoked at all and is delicious, piled high with meat and well worth the wait.  All the sights we want to see are outdoors so we call it a day and head for home.  Begin reading the bumf from the tourist office including one about the “just for laughs” festival taking place this week.  Notice that Billy Connolly is performing this weekend so hop on the Internet and secure us 2 tickets for Sunday ($136.79, £64.20).  Steve then reads that Frank Skinner is on tonight but I can’t buy tickets on the Internet, as it is less than 1-hour before the show starts.  Make a quick decision to head back into the city and try and buy them at the door.  Race to the metro and manage to arrive just in time and get 2 tickets discounted to $15 (£7) each.  It’s at Ste Catherine’s theatre, more like a small village hall with just a handful of seats, certainly less than 100.  There are no seats allocated and we end up in the front row.  Frank is a stand up comedian and soon establishes that the bulk of the audience are English.  He is brilliant and has us laughing for almost the whole hour.  It’s stopped raining once we leave the theatre so we hang back and get to chat to Frank and have our pictures taken together.  Stroll the streets where many areas are closed to traffic and open to street performers.  Human statues and figures walking round on stilts compliment bands and other acts.  We sample another local delicacy of “poutine”, chips covered in gravy and curd cheese.  What an exciting, but extremely expensive, day.

MONTREAL 2

SATURDAY 21 JULY – What a difference a day makes as we wake to sunshine.  We’re getting the knack of the public transport system so use a mixture of bus and metro to get us to Place D’Armes where we begin our sightseeing.  There are lots of very interesting old and new buildings around often side by side.  One outside wall of the Palais des Congress is made up of large sheets of different coloured glass making a super backdrop for a photo of the unusual fountain in Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle.  Inside the World Trade Centre we find a chunk of the Berlin wall and an elaborate fountain of Poseidon’s wife.  It’s hard to believe it is Saturday morning as even the shopping areas are dead quiet.  Within Central Station we pause to admire the departure hall decorated with historic frescoes, and for me to eat my MacDonalds caramel McFlury!  Out into Canada Square surround by beautiful buildings including a miniature version of St Paul’s in Rome.  Just behind the tourist office we slip into a cinema to catch the latest “Harry Potter and the goblet of fire”, $10.75 (£5) each.  Make it our lunch stop as well and sit eating hot dog and nachos in the auditorium.  It’s a good movie but we both still prefer the books.  Back in the sunshine we make a longish walk out to the sculpture garden opposite the Canadian Centre for Architecture.  It’s really wacky with strange sculptures on the tops of poles.  Catch a bus back to Rue St Dennis to watch some of the afternoon festival acts in the streets.  Next stop is the Casino, out on a small island; a huge area spread over 5 floors.  We can’t believe just how many people are in there gambling as more than half the machines have punters throwing money into them.  The free bus back to the city gives us fine views of the skyline and river area after which we connect with the metro home.  Steve is so tired he falls asleep by 9pm. 

MONTREAL 3

SUNDAY 22 JULY – The temperature is climbing so we make our first stop of the day the walk up to the top of Mount Royal where we get superb city views from the terrace in front of the Chalet.  Using bus and metro (with long waits at the bus stops) we make our way to Lachine area.  This is a suburb crossed with canals.  Sustenance comes in the form of poutine, cheaper at $3.75 and much nicer than the other one.  Walk out alongside the canal to the outdoor sculpture park.  It’s incredibly busy with locals picnicking, skating or cycling around the park with seemingly no barriers to the age of the skaters.  It’s very hot so we take half an hour respite in the shade of a tree.   Next stop is the National Historic fur museum (normal price $3.9

5), surprisingly interesting and informative displays educate us on the trading conditions and about the Hudson Bay trading corporation.  It’s now late afternoon so we make our way back home to refresh ourselves for the evening.  Back in the city we head to Theatre Maisoneuve for the “Too old to die young” show.  Billy is fantastic and performs non-stop for over 2-hours.  His main theme being the changes in your body once you turn 50 so we can easily relate to his observations.  Leaving the theatre we explore a small section of “The Village” area favoured by gay people.  It’s great entertainment to watch the transvestites strutting their stuff and a great atmosphere in the streets.  Catch the metro back home just before our 3-day ticket expires at midnight.

MONTREAL 4

MONDAY 23 JULY – Join Sylvain for breakfast giving us chance for a better chat with him.  Leaving he city the traffic is heavy even though we have waited until long after rush hour.  Cross in the province of ONTARIO and pick up our tourist info.  Signs on the motorway advise us of the applicable fines for speeding, guess this is the point where the fast drivers do a quick check on their wallet!  Petrol is much cheaper here, for the first time we see it at under $1 litre.  Stop at a Canadian Tire store to use their free dump station.  Arrive in the Orleans suburb of Ottawa to meet our Globalfreeloaders host Ruth.  Their drive is sloping so her husband Kevin suggested we park the van there but stay in the house and transfer our stuff to their fridge and freezer.  They have a cat and also a dog called Whiskey, a cross spaniel.  She enjoys playing hide and seek where they hide a rubber container holding a dog chew in the lounge.  Whiskey knows to stay in the kitchen until called and then does an excellent job of seeking out her prize.  Their son Alex, 19, arrives home from his summer school job as a tennis coach.  He goes to college in New York State where he can pursue his love of baseball.  Needless to say the topic of conversation between him and Steve is sport.  The family also love playing card and board games and Steve is soon playing backgammon with Alex after which the 4 of us play cribbage.  Kevin arrives home and it’s almost like we have know them forever as we have so much in common.  The rest of the evening is spent playing the card game “Oh Hell”.

OTTAWA

TUESDAY 24 JULY – The weather seems to have settled so I get a load of washing done first thing.  Kevin’s job is to check out cars returned on lease and he goes out and has all his work done by 10am.  They drive us into the city and relieve me of the job of being guide.  Begin on the north side of the Ottawa River at the adjoining town of Gatineau, back in Quebec province.  The museum of Civilisation is an unusual building in a stunning location on the river opposite the houses of parliament.  Without paying the admission fee you can go in and admire “The Great Hall” and a few other things and walk around the sculptures in the garden.  Back in Ontario they park near the centre of the city and begin our tour.  Byward Market is very interesting with artistic displays of produce including orange and purple cauliflowers.  We have to try the local delicacy of “beaver tails” and kind of flattened doughnut with different toppings.  Steve takes the cheese and garlic and I have chocolate spread with M&M’s.  Chateau Laurier and the Old Railway station are impressive buildings but surpassed by the Parliament Buildings.  Our free guided tour takes us into the chambers and also the fantastic gothic style round library.  At the end of the tour you can tag on a free ride in the lift to the top of the bell tower for superb views over the city.  The Rideau Canal cuts through downtown and it’s interesting to watch the many boats traversing the locks.  The war memorial and statue with the story of Terry Fox’s run across Canada are other lasting memories of a surprisingly beautiful city.  Finish with a meal at Saigon restaurant on Clarence Street.  Returning back to Orleans we pass a huge farming area in the middle of the city, a research farm that was there long before the city grew.  Pass the remainder of the evening looking at Kevin & Ruth’s photos then playing cards.

OTTAWA 2

WEDNESDAY 25 JULY – We don’t want to do anymore in the city but opt to stay another day to spend time with the family.  In the afternoon Ruth & I walk to the nearby shopping mall to buy a colour for my hair and look at some clothes for our up coming cruise.  I cook us all a pasta meal after which Alex, Kevin & Steve go off to watch a baseball match followed by games of pool and Ruth (a trained hairdresser) puts lowlights in my hair then cuts and straightens it for me.  Ruth is leaving in the early hours to fly out and visit their daughter Lindsey in Halifax but we still on end up having a late night.

OTTAWA 3

THURSDAY 26 JULY – Kevin is not working until late morning so we make a leisurely departure.  Once again these are hosts who we will no doubt keep in contact with and most probably see in the future.  We’ve also given them a bit more food for thought about their future plans as they had always intended doing something like us.  Fill up with fuel at the lowest price seen in Canada so far, 97.6c (£48p) then pick up the 417 highway to get us around Ottawa and onto the 17.  Set our sights on Pembroke for a lunch stop, as the town is famous for its many murals.  It does not disappoint us with many very impressive ones and some that are in 3d.  “Marching toward the millennium” is 264’ long and shows the founder of the town then runs through all the ages, featuring locals in the costume of the day, and ends in the first baby to be born in 2000 with her mother.  It’s a lovely town and we have a nice parking spot by the marina but we need to press on.  Late afternoon we are both sleepy so pull up at a rest area.  Must have needed a snooze because it's after 5.30pm when we wake up.  Our back up plan is to Wal Mart overnight in North Bay but we keep trying side roads in the hope of something better.  Spot a telephone repeater station and drive up to it but on the way see a family sat out in their garden.  Steve asks the guy where we might park overnight and we get in invite into his yard.  Paul is very chatty and tells us where to pick raspberries and blueberries but also gives us a few warnings about the area.  Along with native bear and lynx there are a family of pumas around, descendents of a mating pair that escaped from a wildlife park 16 years ago.  We’re invited to join their fire later on but the mosquitoes eventually force us all inside.

TROUT POND ROAD, JUST W OF RUTHERGLEN

FRIDAY 27 JULY -             We have a sleepless night, 3 trains go through hooting their horn when approaching crossings and we reckon there are about dozen within earshot.   Head to North Bay where there are still lots of motorhomes on the Wal Mart parking lot.  The Dionne Quints were born at Corbeil, near here in 1934.  Kept alive with drops of whiskey the miracle children became too much for their parents who had 5 other siblings.  The government, in their wisdom, took the 5 girls away and until 9-years old they were on display in a glassed-in playground attracting up to 6000 sightseers a day.  A museum in North Bay tells more of the story and displays cots and other items used by the girls.  Seem to remember seeing either a film or documentary about them myself.  We press on to make the most of the hot weather and visit Jewel Lake Wilderness.  It’s a rustic naturist club and after about 8km of dirt road we turn into their drive.  It’s passable for us but so narrow that a car heading out has to back up to allow us through.  Owners John & Betty got our E-mail and were expecting us so we are soon settled on a site with a picnic table provided.  It’s a beautiful spot with a lake you can swim in or canoe on.  John walks us round the site and introduces us to some of the members.  After lunch we pick up a canoe (free use) and surprise ourselves with our new found ability to row all around the lake.  Many people come by to introduce themselves and chat.  There’s a wood fired sauna and after it has gone dark at 9pm we join some in there and then move on to a communal bonfire.

JEWEL LAKE WILDERNESS  $20 (£10)

SATURDAY 28 JULY – The day begins cool and overcast but improves with time.  Lots of people stop by to chat.  Spend time in the afternoon giving Harry a second waxing, much nicer cleaning the van whilst naked as you don’t get your clothes wet.  Most people gather for an evening session of cards and it turns out they are playing a version of a game we know as “golf”.  Participants put $1 into the kitty and when the first person scores over 100 the prize is given to the player with the lowest score.  It takes ages as there are 18 players leaving plenty of time for socialising.   Dave wins both the games with Steve a close second.

JEWEL LAKE WILDERNESS 2

SUNDAY 29 JULY – Knowing that the days take a while to warm up we linger in bed but straight after breakfast crack on with cleaning the van before it gets too hot!  Again we get a number of callers and keep braking off to chat.  Mid afternoon a bell is sounded to announce a darts game.  No idea what the game or the rules are but we get up and follow instructions on what to aim for when our turn comes around.  It’s hot sitting out in the sun so most of us head down to the lake for a dip afterwards.  In the evening we are invited round to Janet & Ray’s caravan for a game of canasta.  Once again we find different rules making it impossible to play seriously but enabling us to have lots of laughs. 

JEWEL LAKE WILDERNESS 3

MONDAY 30 JULY – Ray has leant us his naturist directories for Canada and America so we spend the morning plotting the places onto our travel map.  We’ve also made the decision to make the bulk of our Trans Canada trip in North America where there are more things to interest us (and the fuel is cheaper).  Spend the afternoon by the lake chatting.  In the evening Dave & Sue invite us round for a meal eating some moose that Dave himself killed.  It makes very tasty steaks and goes down well with mushrooms and chips and the setting is just perfect with a fine view of the lake.  Continue the evening by playing a card game called “Wizard”, very similar to Oh Hell and great fun.  Once it is too dark to play we retire to the sauna for a relaxing end to the day.  On our camping pitch we have been surround by 2 families, not only that but they have sited their tents in a way that they are closer to our picnic table than we are.  This definitely helps with our decision to move on tomorrow.

JEWEL LAKE WILDERNESS 4

$20 (£9.50) night – 10% INF discount

TUESDAY 31 JULY – We are woken before 7am by the children and then by the parents shouting out to the kids.  Stuck between the two families we have to suffer them walking noisily behind our van directly by our bed.  Give up and get up early.  We feel we can’t even sit by our van to read as it is so noisy so we walk down to chat to Sue & Dave who want to look at some of our travel photos.  She asks if I will take the computer into the recreation room as she thinks one or two others would also like to see them.  End up with about a dozen of us sat around a table like a seminar with me doing a slideshow whilst extolling the virtues of our lifestyle.  Now maybe I could make a living touring round and doing this – no that’s work.  Set off early afternoon but we are both tired from our early start and pull over at a rest area for a nap.  Arrive in Sudbury and park opposite Bell Park where someone suggested we could stay overnight.  We are not impressed as it is at the side of a busy dual carriageway.  In the park there is a superb sculpture to the miners of the area and lots of nice flowerbeds.  Getting close to the sculpture is interesting as all the rotating sprinklers are on and you have to race between them but the cool shower is quite welcome.  Back track to Wal Mart for our overnight stay.

SUDBURY – WAL MART