On the road to Montreal

September 2-3, 2008

There really is no direct way of getting from Acadia National Park to Montreal, so we settled in on the state roads and wound our way through small New England towns and hilly terrain for a few days. The drive through rural Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont was spectacular. The New England we have seen so far boasts a subtle beauty: rail roads skirting gentle rivers, iron bridges straddling the banks of towns, old church steeples breaking the sky, and sleepy bed and breakfasts open for business. The leaves were just starting to change, I imagine a few weeks later the hillsides will be bursting will vibrant colors.

Although the backroads are far more interesting, we were averaging about 30 mph, so it took us a few days and one Wal-Mart stop (one of the best views from the White Mountains) to get to the Canadian border. Our GPS system malfunctioned in Canada, and put us on some terrible single track roads for about 30 miles. Arriving at our new campground, the very large Camping Alouette 15 minutes outside of Montreal, was completely different than either of us had imagined. Situated in an farming valley dotted with cornfields, warehouses, and factories, the area didn't seem to offer very many redeeming qualities, as far as we could tell. Actually, since our campground was just off the Interstate 20, it was probably the least appealing spot so far.

To make matters worse, many of the campers here were retirees living in their motorhomes permanently. The highlight of the day seemed to be sweeping off the front mat and adjusting the awning. Not exactly our thing, but it was the closest spot to the city.