Via Quebec to La Mauricie NP
We have decided not to go to New Foundland at this time. We do think it would be great to go another time. We think the temperature is still too low right now and the boats are also full in the coming time. We would then have to wait three weeks for a spot on the ferry and want to stay there for at least three weeks. This would then cut six weeks off our itinerary towards Vancouver. We don't feel like rushing, so we park the possibility in our minds.
We have our eye on traveling towards the Yukon. The idea is that after visiting Banff/Jasper NP we will drive approx. 2,700 km in the direction of Dawson City. From Yukon back to Vancouver is also approx 2,700 km. We have reviewed our route towards Vancouver. Conclusion: There is just too much to see! We skipped Fredericton as a stop and decided to travel to Rivière-du-Loup. We had, however, miscalculated the distance. We always like to travel about 3 hours, Google gave 7 hours. Fortunately, we discovered that an hour time difference was also included, so the distance was 6 hours, including a stop at the Grand falls.
When we drive in Ontario soon, we probably won't escape long distances. We have already heard from several people that it is a very boring part to drive through. We'll see!
It was time to say goodbye again. We spent such a pleasant time on Prince Edward Island with Dina & Frank that saying goodbye felt a little strange.
With an invitation for another visit and buns and currant buns freshly baked by Dina in our pockets, we headed for Riviere du Loup on Thursday. This place has an impressive 18% elevation change in the road, fortunately for us in the descent.
We had booked a boondock spot with Lucie & Claude. We parked in the driveway next to their house and were allowed to use wifi, water and electricity. They are RVers themselves, both retired teachers, but very active with mountaineering expeditions and volunteer work.
We especially love nature and Claude had given us all kinds of tips that were accessible within foliage distance. One of them was Parc des Chutes. A beautiful park with a waterfall, beautiful hiking trails, lots of birds and squirrels and recreational opportunities.
Upon returning home, we were introduced to Lucie. Lucie is the Founding President of Chain of Life, a volunteer organization that wants to make young people aware of the regulations in Canada regarding organ donation. These rules are the same as in the Netherlands: if you do not specify that you do not want to be a donor, you automatically become a donor. Lucie is not an opponent of organ donation, she is concerned with raising awareness among young people about the legislation. Together with a famous climber from Canada, himself twice the recipient of a donor heart, and many others, she dedicates herself selflessly to this cause.
Before we knew it, we too were on video and were able to share what the legislation is in the Netherlands.
That's the fun thing about boondocking. You never know what place you'll end up in and have no idea up front what special stories the hosts have. Lucy wanted to keep us with her longer, but because of Claude's tips, we opted for nature anyway.
If we continue to meet nice people like this, we will have to drive the route back in reverse...
Quebec city
The first stop was the beautiful old town of Quebec City. We had parked the RV on the outskirts of town in a lot of a large shopping mall, and ten minutes later we stepped out of an Uber in the middle of the old town. The city has a European feel to it. That's because of the architectural style, the colors and the many outdoor terraces. You don't come across the latter very often in Canada. The weather was wonderfully sunny and people were thoroughly enjoying good food and drink on the terraces. All the sights that we found worthwhile are within easy walking distance.
We had reserved another boondock spot, but the host had not responded. After we sent another message, he indicated that he only speaks French. That didn't matter to us, but from his response it was clear that he prefers French-speaking visitors. Also fine!
La Mauricie National Parc
We drove to National Parc La Mauricie and booked an RV spot there. It is very quiet, there are very nice roads and plenty of opportunities to park at viewpoints. We saw many birds, squirrels and a beautiful moose. We find driving through a park at sunrise very special, it is quiet on the road and you are most likely to spot wildlife then.
Mosquitoes
What we have also seen and heard....those are mosquitoes and biting, blood-sucking flies! It's a real plague. We bought a mesh tent, otherwise sitting outside is not possible. It is 31 degrees and sitting in the camper with the air conditioning on while we are staying in such a beautiful forest is obviously not an option.
National and provincial parks
To visit a national or provincial park you pay entrance fees. A National parks pass is valid for one year and you can use it throughout Canada. This pass is not valid for Provincial parks. A separate annual pass can be bought for each province, but it is probably cheaper to buy a day pass for each provincial park.
Next destination
The next few days we will drive towards Algonquin National Park and Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. We are still waiting to drive to America, as our visa will take effect and continue to run even if we return to Canada.
We still find it special that we are traveling across Canada in our own motorhome. Many people we meet apparently think so too! They stick their thumbs up or say they think it is such a beautiful RV. And it certainly is!
