From Baie Comeau, Hwy 138 continues southwest along the St. Lawrence Seaway coastline and the Route des Balienes (Route of the Whales).  It is about 250 miles to the next major city, Quebec City.  So, as I normally try to do, I picked some place in between to break up the drive.  In the middle was the town of Tadoussac.

This looked like a good stop for 3 reasons.  It was halfway, and there was a river to cross.  The town is located on the Saguenay River Fjord, and, at Tadoussac, the river is a mile wide as it enters the St. Lawrence Seaway.   And I had read that whales are typically seen close to the shore.  A good place to stop!  So, I found a nice RV park and we headed there.

The drive down was scenic with lots of steep ascents and descents!   We made a quick stop at a waterfall but basically kept going.  We arrived early in the day and got set up at the park. 

We packed a lunch and headed into the town to see the whales.  Turns out, we weren’t the only ones!  Tadoussac is a very popular tourist spot to see the whales.  They bring busloads of tourists (not whales) from Quebec City.  There are lookout points to sit and see the whales.  Get the gist?  And to top it off it was the beginning of the Quebec Holiday weekend and very busy.

We were lucky and found a great spot to park near the marina and walked out to the point to have our lunch.  The views were great but no whales.  We could see the Gaspe peninsula across the Seaway near the town where we had been on our 40^th Anniversary last year!  Pretty cool.  We did the walk around the point and saw the ferry carrying cars across the river and got an idea of what to expect tomorrow.

Then we went back to the Jeep and were approached by a nice Harley owner for some help.  A friend of his needed a battery jump.  I just happened to keep a portable Craftsman Battery Pack in the Jeep, and he was very surprised!  We took it over to the front of the line of parked cars and there were 6-8 Harleys lined up and more on the other side of the street.  The trouble was with a brand-new bike that would not start.  Weird that the battery was located under the seat and under the electronics!  So, you could not hook directly to the battery.  They tried several different hookups and decided they needed more power.  So, I moved the Jeep closer, and we hooked directly to the starter there.  Still no luck.  They did get it crank but it still did not fire!  Fuel issue maybe?  Not my expertise and the whole group was kinda’ stuck as well. 

They were a very nice group.  They were friends from Quebec and Montreal that were out on a day trip to see the whales or not.  It was sad to have something like this to mess up their trip, but they had come up with some ideas about what to try next and we said fond goodbyes.   It was frustrating but fun in many ways and they made Gail and I feel welcome in their group.  And it was interesting to see the bikes up close.  And they said that they would send me an official group T-shirt! 

Next, we drove over to check the ferry operation to see if there were any issues for us.  It is a free service and runs two ferries simultaneously across the river.  In broken French and English, we learned that we could board with the Jeep hooked up and drive straight on.  Easy peasy!

Overnight it rained very hard but ended as we were hooking up to leave.  We got in line for the ferry and were amazed by the fog layer over the mountains and the river.  Very pretty. 

We crossed with no issues and headed on to Quebec City.   It would be the first large city for us since St. John’s.  The drive again was along the Seaway and relatively smooth through some quaint villages but also again with lots of long and steep climbs and descents!  It reminded us in many ways of driving through southern France!

Our campground was on the outskirts of town right on Hwy 138 in Chateau Richer.  Called Camping Turmel, it is primarily a full-time park with about 5 visitor spots near the entrance.  We got one but by the end of our stay we were the only “visitors” left. 

The next day we headed out to Quebec City, but our first stop was to the Montmorency Falls close to the RV park.  The falls are famous for beginning of electricity generation systems using water falls in Quebec.  In 1885, a hydroelectric generating station was established at the base of the falls, becoming the first commercial hydroelectric development in the province, if not all of Canada.  It is an amazing sight being 100 ft higher than Niagara even though not as wide.  

On into the city, it was a bit smaller than we expected.  It is famous and a UNESCO site for being the only walled city in all of North American history going back into the 1600’s.  To reach the upper level of the wall, we took the funicular lift up with plans to walk back down when finished the tour.

The original Governor’s house and grounds in the wall burned centuries ago but the remains were discovered and are in a museum under the wall and terrace as a Canada Park where you can walk through.  Lots of artifacts and historical items were discovered during the excavation and are on display. 

The other main feature today is the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac Hotel sitting high above the city and waterfront!  We did go in to use the restrooms and got a view of the interior and the grandeur of the hotel. 

We finished our walk by checking out some of the Parliament buildings, some other historical sites and the cathedral.  And visiting some of the souvenir shops.   We finally found a small restaurant called Aux Anciens Canadiens which is in the oldest home in the city built around 1675 originally called Maison Jacquet. (It had been recommended by a friend).  The meal was great and a treat after the long walk around town.

The next day we visited a bird sanctuary out along the river and did a pleasant walk through the park.   The wildlife must have been taking a nap, but the walk was educational and quiet.

Then we decided to drive the loop around Ile d’Orleans in the middle of the Seaway.  The road goes through several towns but mostly through the farming lands, orchards, and vineyards.  We stopped at a couple of places for lunch but there was a power outage at one end of the island, and they were closed.  We finally found a nice family place and got a table out on the terrace overlooking the Seaway and back to the mainland.  Everything was great but we did get excited when the wind picked up the umbrella from the table and sailed it over other tables and over the rail to the grounds below.  I ended up holding the replacement umbrella during the rest of the meal.  Definitely a first.

Back to the RV and got ready to head out the next day to the mountains.  What was supposed to be a pleasant drive up to the ski area turned out to be the worst.  First, the road started out very bumpy and rough.  I tried to miss it but hit two deep ruts in a row.  It was the hardest hit we have had.  And we have been on some bad roads.  It actually opened the medicine cabinet and threw everything everywhere.  I stopped as soon as possible to just walk around and see if there was any obvious damage.  Luckily none was seen.

Within a few miles later, traffic stopped.  It was the first time for us to be in a jam like this on the trip.  We crept along at about 5 mph for an hour on the two-lane road with no options.  Didn’t ever find the cause.  We had one police car pass in our direction and later an ambulance coming toward us but as the traffic sped up there were no signs of a cause.

Needless to say, the 4 hour drive took us 7 hours!  But the arrival at Mt. Tremblant was worth it.  This area is a major ski resort in the winter and still a great tourist attraction in the summer.   It is made up of 3 parts: the ski resort, the ski village, and the town center.  We had a nice RV park in the middle of all three. 

Since it was late afternoon by the time we arrived, we headed up to the resort just to check things out for the next day.  Most things were either closed or just getting ready to close.  But we got the gist of the layout and with the help of a nice lady in a ticket booth who wasn’t busy.  The area in the summer offers rides and other “doings” like a luge run on a wheeled sled, a water slide with no water but a low friction bed, bouncy trampoline/bungy for kids, and the gondola to go to the top.  And there are hiking trails if you want to walk to the top! 

We made a plan for the next day and went to find a restaurant.  Found a pizza place and shared a great lasagna and a gelato for dessert as we watched a whole line of high school kids walk by all dressed up for their prom.  Most of the girls didn’t have the right shoes to walk up the steep sidewalk but were helped along by their dates!  Found out they were going to the top to the ski lodge for their dance.  I don’t think our proms had anything like their view! 

Anyway, the next day we were up early and made the gondola with no waiting.  The ride up takes about 10 minutes and the view is amazing.  I had never really seen a ski resort this “complicated” with ski trails going everywhere!  And in the summer with no snow, they all looked absolutely dangerous!  At the top, we took a quick walk up to the overlook tower and got a better picture of the whole mountain and the surrounding area!  Again, absolutely beautiful! 

I am still sticking to my long term plan if I ever go to a ski resort in the winter.  I plan to have a doctor make me a temporary cast for my leg, then go sit by the fireplace in the lodge and get all the sympathy from the cute girls as they go by.  And have them sign my cast!  Maybe buy me a hot toddy!  Sounds much safer!

We finished up the day in the Village and the Town Center doing some more site seeing and a quick lunch.  And completed 6 miles walking and hiking for the day. 

Now on to Montreal and Ottawa!  But this blog is getting long so let’s end this part here in the mountains and catch up again back on the road south to Montreal!  A bientot!