Great Adventure
Chapter 1: Chaplin, CT to Joliette, Quebec, CA
May 28 – June 12, 2002
The Tuesday after Memorial Day marked the first official day of our
“Great Adventure”, for which we had been dreaming and planning for
months.
Departure Day
We took a last drive through Willimantic and by the house in which we
used to live. As we said good-bye to our hometown, Ed remarked that
nothing in his entire life had fallen into place as this trip had. We
agreed that it would not be just about sightseeing and touring the
country, but that God had something special planned for us. We
realized that we needed to ask Him what it was, and to be sure that our
eyes remained open to whatever opportunities presented themselves
to us for our future work and life. We desired to give something back
to the world because we realized that we have been so bountifully
blessed throughout our lives.
Pondering this, we arrived around 3:30 in the afternoon at Fort Getty
Municipal Park on the western shore of Conanicut Island, situated
between the RI mainland and summer resort town of Newport.
Fort Getty Municipal Park; RI
A weekend spent at Fort Getty during the previous summer inspired
us to re-experience the blue sky and sunshine and, especially, the
enjoyment of camping with views of the Atlantic Ocean. According to
our master plan, the next time we would see the ocean, it would be the
Pacific in September - many months away. A hedge of wild beach roses
and honeysuckle perfumed the evening air as we strolled with Duncan
along the edge of the bluff overlooking the water. Several brown
bunny rabbits with white cottontails, including a baby, munched grass
as the sun sank lower in the sky. Near the beach, masses of 18”-24”
tall plants with yellow flowers scented the evening air with fresh
cucumber. The leaves looked like curly kale while the petals were
delicately shaped like those of orchids. In our old life, would we have
even taken the time to notice such details?
During our first week on the road, we visited with friends one last time
before we left New England. Hugh, my former co-worker, and his wife,
Joyce, drove out from Pembroke, MA to visit us at Fort Getty. Crossing
the Newport Bridge for a late lunch of lobster rolls and gin & tonics on
Bowen’s Wharf, a drive around Ocean View Dr. with fog rolling in, and
a trip past the mansions on Bellevue Ave., brought back years of
memories of past vacations in Newport. Three days later, we headed
up to Nashua, NH to spend two nights with our friends, Colleen & Joe,
and their twins, Katelin & James, who were just weeks away from their
fourth birthday. We continued on to Laconia, NH, about an hour away,
to spend time with friends, Linda & Peter, who had recently purchased
an RV of their own.
Linda, her brother, Dan, me and Ed
Linda and I went to high school together and had recently re-
connected via e-mail after nearly thirty years! Our own reunion and the
beginning of a friendship between our husbands resulted in a three-
day stay parked in their driveway, rather than the quick overnight we
had originally planned. It was also an opportunity to get acquainted
with Laconia, located on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Lake Winnipesaukee
The four of us took a 2-½ hr. boat tour aboard the M/S Mount
Washington, a diesel powered ferry www.cruiseNH.com. Departing
from Weirs Beach, Linda pointed out the steeple of the small white
church where she and Peter had been married in 1998. Although the
day was brisk, the cloudless blue sky and warmth of the sunshine
made for a relaxing ride on the water. Far across the lake we could
see the fir tree covered White Mountains, including the snow-capped
peak of the highest mountain in the eastern United States, Mt.
Washington, for which our tour boat was named.
Linda and Peter
We enjoyed two special days of sightseeing in the mountains of New
Hampshire and Vermont. We traveled from Laconia to Conway, then
turned north on to Rt.112, the famous Kangamagus Highway, to
Lincoln. At a rest area next to the Lower Falls, just north of Conway, we
enjoyed a picnic lunch under the trees and walked along the river to
the falls with Duncan. The Kangamagus Highway winds though the
mountain passes presenting spectacular views of the White
Mountains. Although we encountered grades up to 9% for 2-3 miles,
the RV had no trouble in 2nd gear. We stopped for the night in Lincoln
and after a couple hours to set up camp and to rest, we drove the
Honda up the Franconia Notch Parkway, a 12-mile trip through the
mountain pass. We stopped at the lookout for the “Old Man of the
Mountain”, a rock cliff formation that, seen in silhouette, looked to me
like Abraham Lincoln because of the beard. However, the early
explorers thought it looked like Thomas Jefferson, who happened to
be President at the time it was discovered. Sadly, the harsh winter of
2002-2003 proved to be too much for the Old Man. The granite rock
face cracked off the side of the mountain, making national news that
the formation is gone forever.
The following morning we toured the famous Flume Gorge
www.flumegorge.com, whose name is derived from a word meaning
“Swift River”. It was a two-mile walk to the granite-walled gorge, up
and down stairwells and ridges through the river canyon, and back to
the Visitor's Center.
Camille & Ed at The Flume Gorge
Along the way we passed giant glacial boulders, waterfalls, and
crossed two old-fashioned covered bridges. One bridge, called
Sentinel Pine Bridge, is built on top of a giant pine tree that fell across
the gorge during the Hurricane of 1938!
After lunch, we crossed the New Hampshire State line into Vermont,
continuing to the town of Cabot, home of the renowned cheese factory
www.cabotcheese.com, which we hoped to tour. However, on this
particular day, Habanero cheese was being produced, resulting in
pungent vapors too strong to allow visitors! Habanero peppers are
about the hottest pepper there is, according to Ed. We settled for
watching the video about the history of Cabot Creamery and visiting
the tasting room and gift shop. Sampling any flavor of cheese that
Cabot produces somewhat alleviated our disappointment at missing
the tour. Ed purchased 2 lbs. of smooth “Vintage Choice” cheddar that
had been aged at least 24 months, which gave us enough to enjoy
ourselves as well as to share with the extended family we were soon
to visit in Canada.
We left Mountain View Campground in Morrisville, VT about 1:00 PM,
arriving at the KOA just south of Montreal around 4:00 PM. The route
took us on pretty back roads though the mountains as far as St.
Albans, VT, then we took the highway via Lake Champlain into New
York State and crossed the Canadian border without incident. We set
off for Joliette around noon the next day. It was quite a challenge for
Ed to maneuver the motorhome into the city of Montreal over the
Champlain Bridge and then on the highway which runs right through
downtown. The roads are narrow, rough, under construction, and
often all three! We resolved to find a different route back other than
through Montreal.
Arriving in Joliette, about sixty miles north of Montreal, we received a
very warm welcome from Ed’s aunt, Tante Therese. Five days were
filled with sightseeing and visiting Ed’s extended family. Diane, a
friend of Therese’s, took us to see Old Quebec City, with its
cobblestone streets lined with houses dating back to the early 1700’s,
many of which are now inns, restaurants or shops. The city was built as
a fort and is the oldest in Canada. Much of the old wall and two
massive gates to the city are still standing.
St. John's Gate
The Citadel, with its double walls, overlooks the harbor of the St.
Lawrence River and is now a museum. Next to the Citadel lies a park
known as the Plains of Abraham, site of many battles for control of the
city between the British and the French. Chateau Frontenac, a brick
castle with stone turrets and a many-gabled copper roof lies on the
other side of the Citadel. The landmark Chateau is now a grand hotel
owned and operated by the Fairmont chain. At lunch, we sampled a
local delicacy known as “poutine”. It consists of French Fries covered
with gravy and fresh cheese curds. Delicieux, mais oui? Actually, it IS
pretty tasty! The fries do get soggy, but the gravy gives a good flavor
and the cheese is similar to mozzarella, mild and a bit chewy.
Therese, Diane & Ed enjoy poutine
From Quebec City, Ed, Therese & I drove further north the next day to
the region of Charlevoix. It is a place where the mountains literally
meet the sea! The road follows the coastline, winding through the
mountains, treating us to spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River
lined with the harbors of each small village. Our first stop along the
way was at the Canyon of St. Anne (www.canyonste-anne.qc.ca), a
deep stone gorge formed by glaciers 900 million years ago. Three
wooden footbridges crisscross this canyon. Definitely not for the
acrophobic, the highest is 180 feet and affords great views looking
straight down and across to the canyon’s waterfall, which is twenty
feet higher than Niagara Falls! Our next stop was the shrine of St.
Anne-de-Beaupre (www.ssadb.qc.ca), named for the mother of the
Virgin Mary. It is a Gothic-style basilica - two towers topped with spires
on each side and a rose window in the middle. We continued to wind
our way along the coast through the village of Baie de Paul, an artist
colony with numerous galleries. We stopped for dinner in Port-au-
Persil, at an inn called Auberge Petite Madeleine. The inn overlooked
the bay and, had it been warm enough, we could have had dinner on
the verandah. The inn was filled with antique furnishings, glass, toys,
and old advertisements. Two friendly cats greeted us, one wandering
through the dining room and the other lounging on a sofa! We dined
on maple terrine, vegetable soup, and choice of entree and dessert,
all for $19.95 CDN per person. A bargain!
Staying in Joliette allowed us to take a day trip to Montreal. We visited
St. Joseph’s Oratory with its magnificent stone exterior and huge
copper dome, sitting near the top of Mount Royal. From the portico,
we had sweeping panoramic views of the city and the St. Lawrence
River and across to the south shore. We drove as near as possible to
the summit of the Mount and then walked up to the top see the 60-ft.
high steel cross, which is illuminated at night to shine over the entire
city. Lunchtime in Old Montreal seemed a bit surreal; to be in Canada,
eating Greek food, listening to country music being sung in French!
After lunch, we visited two cathedrals. The first, Notre Dame de Bon
Secours, dates back to 1655 and is the oldest church in Montreal. The
second, Notre Dame Basilica, was the exquisite setting for the
wedding of Celine Dion and is my favorite North American cathedral
with hand carvings and gold leaf throughout. Stained glass, statues,
and paintings are innumerable at the Basilica. Our guide shared the
information that although there is a minimum of 100 guests, one does
not have to be a celebrity to be married there.
We had such a wonderful time with Tante Therese, and meeting and
connecting with Ed’s extended family. On our last evening we had a
get together for everyone. Ed cooked a lovely dinner of tomato basil
salad, farfulle pasta with tomato rosemary cream sauce, and
cheesecake with raspberry sauce for dessert. Therese had Margot &
Claude bring a bunch of balloons with sayings including “Bon Voyage”
& “Soyez Heureuse”. After dinner, we each made wishes and released
the balloons and watched them until they were out of sight. Therese
said our wishes would come true.
May 28 – June 12, 2002
The Tuesday after Memorial Day marked the first official day of our
“Great Adventure”, for which we had been dreaming and planning for
months.
Departure Day
We took a last drive through Willimantic and by the house in which we
used to live. As we said good-bye to our hometown, Ed remarked that
nothing in his entire life had fallen into place as this trip had. We
agreed that it would not be just about sightseeing and touring the
country, but that God had something special planned for us. We
realized that we needed to ask Him what it was, and to be sure that our
eyes remained open to whatever opportunities presented themselves
to us for our future work and life. We desired to give something back
to the world because we realized that we have been so bountifully
blessed throughout our lives.
Pondering this, we arrived around 3:30 in the afternoon at Fort Getty
Municipal Park on the western shore of Conanicut Island, situated
between the RI mainland and summer resort town of Newport.
Fort Getty Municipal Park; RI
A weekend spent at Fort Getty during the previous summer inspired
us to re-experience the blue sky and sunshine and, especially, the
enjoyment of camping with views of the Atlantic Ocean. According to
our master plan, the next time we would see the ocean, it would be the
Pacific in September - many months away. A hedge of wild beach roses
and honeysuckle perfumed the evening air as we strolled with Duncan
along the edge of the bluff overlooking the water. Several brown
bunny rabbits with white cottontails, including a baby, munched grass
as the sun sank lower in the sky. Near the beach, masses of 18”-24”
tall plants with yellow flowers scented the evening air with fresh
cucumber. The leaves looked like curly kale while the petals were
delicately shaped like those of orchids. In our old life, would we have
even taken the time to notice such details?
During our first week on the road, we visited with friends one last time
before we left New England. Hugh, my former co-worker, and his wife,
Joyce, drove out from Pembroke, MA to visit us at Fort Getty. Crossing
the Newport Bridge for a late lunch of lobster rolls and gin & tonics on
Bowen’s Wharf, a drive around Ocean View Dr. with fog rolling in, and
a trip past the mansions on Bellevue Ave., brought back years of
memories of past vacations in Newport. Three days later, we headed
up to Nashua, NH to spend two nights with our friends, Colleen & Joe,
and their twins, Katelin & James, who were just weeks away from their
fourth birthday. We continued on to Laconia, NH, about an hour away,
to spend time with friends, Linda & Peter, who had recently purchased
an RV of their own.
Linda, her brother, Dan, me and Ed
Linda and I went to high school together and had recently re-
connected via e-mail after nearly thirty years! Our own reunion and the
beginning of a friendship between our husbands resulted in a three-
day stay parked in their driveway, rather than the quick overnight we
had originally planned. It was also an opportunity to get acquainted
with Laconia, located on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Lake Winnipesaukee
The four of us took a 2-½ hr. boat tour aboard the M/S Mount
Washington, a diesel powered ferry www.cruiseNH.com. Departing
from Weirs Beach, Linda pointed out the steeple of the small white
church where she and Peter had been married in 1998. Although the
day was brisk, the cloudless blue sky and warmth of the sunshine
made for a relaxing ride on the water. Far across the lake we could
see the fir tree covered White Mountains, including the snow-capped
peak of the highest mountain in the eastern United States, Mt.
Washington, for which our tour boat was named.
Linda and Peter
We enjoyed two special days of sightseeing in the mountains of New
Hampshire and Vermont. We traveled from Laconia to Conway, then
turned north on to Rt.112, the famous Kangamagus Highway, to
Lincoln. At a rest area next to the Lower Falls, just north of Conway, we
enjoyed a picnic lunch under the trees and walked along the river to
the falls with Duncan. The Kangamagus Highway winds though the
mountain passes presenting spectacular views of the White
Mountains. Although we encountered grades up to 9% for 2-3 miles,
the RV had no trouble in 2nd gear. We stopped for the night in Lincoln
and after a couple hours to set up camp and to rest, we drove the
Honda up the Franconia Notch Parkway, a 12-mile trip through the
mountain pass. We stopped at the lookout for the “Old Man of the
Mountain”, a rock cliff formation that, seen in silhouette, looked to me
like Abraham Lincoln because of the beard. However, the early
explorers thought it looked like Thomas Jefferson, who happened to
be President at the time it was discovered. Sadly, the harsh winter of
2002-2003 proved to be too much for the Old Man. The granite rock
face cracked off the side of the mountain, making national news that
the formation is gone forever.
The following morning we toured the famous Flume Gorge
www.flumegorge.com, whose name is derived from a word meaning
“Swift River”. It was a two-mile walk to the granite-walled gorge, up
and down stairwells and ridges through the river canyon, and back to
the Visitor's Center.
Camille & Ed at The Flume Gorge
Along the way we passed giant glacial boulders, waterfalls, and
crossed two old-fashioned covered bridges. One bridge, called
Sentinel Pine Bridge, is built on top of a giant pine tree that fell across
the gorge during the Hurricane of 1938!
After lunch, we crossed the New Hampshire State line into Vermont,
continuing to the town of Cabot, home of the renowned cheese factory
www.cabotcheese.com, which we hoped to tour. However, on this
particular day, Habanero cheese was being produced, resulting in
pungent vapors too strong to allow visitors! Habanero peppers are
about the hottest pepper there is, according to Ed. We settled for
watching the video about the history of Cabot Creamery and visiting
the tasting room and gift shop. Sampling any flavor of cheese that
Cabot produces somewhat alleviated our disappointment at missing
the tour. Ed purchased 2 lbs. of smooth “Vintage Choice” cheddar that
had been aged at least 24 months, which gave us enough to enjoy
ourselves as well as to share with the extended family we were soon
to visit in Canada.
We left Mountain View Campground in Morrisville, VT about 1:00 PM,
arriving at the KOA just south of Montreal around 4:00 PM. The route
took us on pretty back roads though the mountains as far as St.
Albans, VT, then we took the highway via Lake Champlain into New
York State and crossed the Canadian border without incident. We set
off for Joliette around noon the next day. It was quite a challenge for
Ed to maneuver the motorhome into the city of Montreal over the
Champlain Bridge and then on the highway which runs right through
downtown. The roads are narrow, rough, under construction, and
often all three! We resolved to find a different route back other than
through Montreal.
Arriving in Joliette, about sixty miles north of Montreal, we received a
very warm welcome from Ed’s aunt, Tante Therese. Five days were
filled with sightseeing and visiting Ed’s extended family. Diane, a
friend of Therese’s, took us to see Old Quebec City, with its
cobblestone streets lined with houses dating back to the early 1700’s,
many of which are now inns, restaurants or shops. The city was built as
a fort and is the oldest in Canada. Much of the old wall and two
massive gates to the city are still standing.
St. John's Gate
The Citadel, with its double walls, overlooks the harbor of the St.
Lawrence River and is now a museum. Next to the Citadel lies a park
known as the Plains of Abraham, site of many battles for control of the
city between the British and the French. Chateau Frontenac, a brick
castle with stone turrets and a many-gabled copper roof lies on the
other side of the Citadel. The landmark Chateau is now a grand hotel
owned and operated by the Fairmont chain. At lunch, we sampled a
local delicacy known as “poutine”. It consists of French Fries covered
with gravy and fresh cheese curds. Delicieux, mais oui? Actually, it IS
pretty tasty! The fries do get soggy, but the gravy gives a good flavor
and the cheese is similar to mozzarella, mild and a bit chewy.
Therese, Diane & Ed enjoy poutine
From Quebec City, Ed, Therese & I drove further north the next day to
the region of Charlevoix. It is a place where the mountains literally
meet the sea! The road follows the coastline, winding through the
mountains, treating us to spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River
lined with the harbors of each small village. Our first stop along the
way was at the Canyon of St. Anne (www.canyonste-anne.qc.ca), a
deep stone gorge formed by glaciers 900 million years ago. Three
wooden footbridges crisscross this canyon. Definitely not for the
acrophobic, the highest is 180 feet and affords great views looking
straight down and across to the canyon’s waterfall, which is twenty
feet higher than Niagara Falls! Our next stop was the shrine of St.
Anne-de-Beaupre (www.ssadb.qc.ca), named for the mother of the
Virgin Mary. It is a Gothic-style basilica - two towers topped with spires
on each side and a rose window in the middle. We continued to wind
our way along the coast through the village of Baie de Paul, an artist
colony with numerous galleries. We stopped for dinner in Port-au-
Persil, at an inn called Auberge Petite Madeleine. The inn overlooked
the bay and, had it been warm enough, we could have had dinner on
the verandah. The inn was filled with antique furnishings, glass, toys,
and old advertisements. Two friendly cats greeted us, one wandering
through the dining room and the other lounging on a sofa! We dined
on maple terrine, vegetable soup, and choice of entree and dessert,
all for $19.95 CDN per person. A bargain!
Staying in Joliette allowed us to take a day trip to Montreal. We visited
St. Joseph’s Oratory with its magnificent stone exterior and huge
copper dome, sitting near the top of Mount Royal. From the portico,
we had sweeping panoramic views of the city and the St. Lawrence
River and across to the south shore. We drove as near as possible to
the summit of the Mount and then walked up to the top see the 60-ft.
high steel cross, which is illuminated at night to shine over the entire
city. Lunchtime in Old Montreal seemed a bit surreal; to be in Canada,
eating Greek food, listening to country music being sung in French!
After lunch, we visited two cathedrals. The first, Notre Dame de Bon
Secours, dates back to 1655 and is the oldest church in Montreal. The
second, Notre Dame Basilica, was the exquisite setting for the
wedding of Celine Dion and is my favorite North American cathedral
with hand carvings and gold leaf throughout. Stained glass, statues,
and paintings are innumerable at the Basilica. Our guide shared the
information that although there is a minimum of 100 guests, one does
not have to be a celebrity to be married there.
We had such a wonderful time with Tante Therese, and meeting and
connecting with Ed’s extended family. On our last evening we had a
get together for everyone. Ed cooked a lovely dinner of tomato basil
salad, farfulle pasta with tomato rosemary cream sauce, and
cheesecake with raspberry sauce for dessert. Therese had Margot &
Claude bring a bunch of balloons with sayings including “Bon Voyage”
& “Soyez Heureuse”. After dinner, we each made wishes and released
the balloons and watched them until they were out of sight. Therese
said our wishes would come true.
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