Leaving the Maritimes, On to the Gaspe'

Wednesday, August 21, 2013



We decided to stay a third night at Kouchibouguac National Park, so yesterday we moved to the section with electric hook-ups. Our solar panels were not keeping up with our electric needs, so shore power allowed us to charge up all our electronics and my bike battery. Also, Greg was able to watch old WWII movies in the evening without running down the batteries. No local TV that far out from the cities.



After moving to a new site, suddenly we had neighbors. We spent two quiet evenings the previous nights, back in the woods without neighbors. We now had three trailers of Acadian neighbors who were letting “les bontemps rollez” in their screened tent room. We were treated to some singing in Acadian while we tried to sleep!



Once we were moved, Greg decided to take a long bike ride and hoped the rain would hold off. He returned a few hours later to tell me he had a bear encounter on the single track mountain bike trail. Coming around a turn he found a bear happily eating blueberries in the path. After talking to the bear and encouraging it to move on, it only glared at him. He retreated out of sight for ten minutes and rode back. This time baby bear stood in the path on it's hind legs and checked him out. Greg had his pepper spray out just in case, but decided to bike back the one way trail to the beginning. Once there, he tried to warn a couple on bikes about the bears, but they spoke only French. He got them to understand about the bears, but they rode in anyway. He stopped at the campground office to tell them about the bears, and they had him file a report about it.



We spent the rest of the afternoon in the rig reading, and waiting for the rain. We did have a small shower later. The mosquitoes were so bad that I never even left the RV. Taking a walk meant spraying heavily with repellent, then having to shower it off and dodge the mosquitoes in the washroom. Not worth it. The park was nice, but not spectacular enough to deal with the bugs! Before we left we saw a huge horse fly on the window. Greg pronounced it a moose fly, it was so large.



This morning the sun was shining and we were ready to head for new horizons. The few restful days prepared us to move on and finish this final leg of our tour of Atlantic Canada. We took the major highway north towards Quebec and avoided the slower coastal route. Almost the entire interior route was posted with moose warning signs, as well as moose fencing and gates like we saw in Newfoundland. We drove the last stretch to Campbellton along the coast, and looked for a spot to park and eat lunch. Along the water ahead of us in Charlo appeared a city park. As we got closer we saw a big sign that said fried clams! Lunch suddenly became more interesting for Greg, who walked over to the snack bar and returned with fried clams and chips for lunch.

New Brunswick is Big and Woody. They kept promising moose but we saw none.

Looking across the Baie des Chaleurs at Gaspe

In New Brunswick, we get signs with English first. Otherwise it looked like the US with Burger King and McDonalds!

We crossed the bridge from Campbellton to Pointe-`a-la-Croix, Quebec and were now officially on the Gaspe' Peninsula! At the visitor center we killed a few trees as we lugged out lots of brochures and maps, most of them in French. Everywhere we have gone in Canada so far, we have had signage in English and French. Suddenly by crossing the Baie des Chaleurs, everything is in French only. Also, the speed limits are higher, so we are driving more quickly through the villages and trying to interpret signs at the same time. High school French for both of us was a long time ago!

The bridge at Campbellton

Crossing the Miramichi River before we got to Campbellton

No more English on the signs, but we have no chariot to park!

This part of the Gaspe' is more populated and touristy than we expected. Hopefully as we get to the end, it will be wilder. We found a small municipal park to camp in for the night. The teenaged girl in the office got to practice her English, and we our French as we tried to figure out the hook-ups and the cost.

Welcome sign for Quebec!

The Tourist Coast of Gaspe. Not much of a beach.

Sculpture in a rotary.

No Pussy Paws?

Another big Catholic church in a tiny town

Sculptures in a small town park

Tomorrow we will head to the end of the peninsula to Perce', one of the most photographed spots in Canada. Then on to another national park, Forillon. We hope the weather holds. It was sunny, dry and in the 70's today. Perfect!