Moonbeam, Ontario

We are finally back with you again and are updating while staying at a motel in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. We have been camping the past four nights in a row. We truly enjoyed getting some wash done and a nice long shower or two… especially after staying in our least favorite campground on Tuesday night!!

Wednesday, 8/16/23

We are now 1,653 miles into our trip. We packed up at Rene Brunelle Provincial Park and took a gnatty walk along Vigilance Trail, named after a float plane that crashed in the area. It was a hazy day due to smoke from wildfires.

Restart of the day at Moonbeam, Ontario, but missed taking a photo of their famous flying saucer. We continued to enjoy the beautiful scenery and crossed into Quebec, where the leaves suddenly seemed to be scantier – almost like spring. We stopped for the area’s typical food for lunch We shared a dish of double bacon cheese poutine. This must be one of the highest calorie, high fat, cultural experiences around. We have no intention to repeat the experience soon. (Forgive me, our beloved Canadian family members!) We waited in a long, long line for Tim Horton’s coffee before taking off again.

We passed by the site of the 1916 fire around Mathesen, Quebec. This sudden conflagration burned about 2000 km², killing over 200 people. We also drove through the Cochrane area, where the first explorer made it all the way up to James Bay. After hours of driving through beautiful wilderness, it seemed strange to be around towns and houses again. We found it interesting that in Manitoba and Ontario all the signage was in English and French, but in Quebec there are no signs in English. Only French. Many of the people we met along the way spoke no English. Sadly, our French vocabulary includes about five words. Many of the workers in this area are from India.

Nearing Val d’Or, the horizons around us were tall man-made mountains created by open pit gold mining. We stayed in a wonderful motel there and enjoyed a lovely shower.