Quebec City and Maine

Fri. 7/15 : 

To avoid Montreal city streets, and construction (Rue Barree) I took public transit to Repentigny, a northeastern suburb to start my ride.  I was trying out a new biking navigation app that failed the test, but added about 5 miles to my trip before I uninstalled it and went back to Google Maps.

Most of the ride was pretty pleasant and I arrived at Le Auberge de Lac St. Pierre, about 10 miles west of Trois-Rivières, in time for dinner.

Lac St. Pierre  is just a wide section of the Saint Lawrence river.

View of the lake from my balcony

Wild Boar appetizer:  Sautéed wild mushrooms, mustard onions

Duck!

Sat. 7/16:  Portneuf

Strawberry season in Quebec.  Lots of stands selling local produce.  Picked up a couple of ears of corn for dinner, and a basket of lovely sweet strawberries.  Stopped at a casse croute (fry stand) for some french fries before heading over the motel.

Sun. 7/17:  Quebec City

Mostly following Velo Rte 5, which mostly runs on the shoulder of a provincial road, but then heads down towards the river on a peaceful rural road, which seems always to be closed at some point, forcing a detour up a steep hill back to the main road.

Breakfast at Tutti Fruiti in Quebec suburb

Hung out in Library to use computers and stay cool

Sunset from my window

Stayed at a nice hotel in Vieux Quebec (up on the hill where the old fortifications and the Chateau Frontenac are), that I had stayed at 7 years ago.

Maple Pie

Mon. 7/18:  Sainte-Marie

I've slowed the pace of my trip in order to not get caught in the rain, and to synchronize my arrival with my nephew, who is going to be in Portsmouth, NH on a business trip.  We plan to meet up for dinner on 7/26, and if I went at my usual pace, I'd get there a few days early.  Also,  Accuweather has been showing precipitation every few days, so shorter rides allow me to time things to avoid the rain.

About 60% of this ride was on paved, dedicated bike trails.

Tue. 7/19:  Saint Georges

This is the last town before the US border.  Stayed at le Georgesville, a 10-story hotel in the center of town with the best restaurant in town.    Unfortunately, there was no guest laundromat in the hotel, and, worse yet, there was no laundromat in the entire city (population 31,000).  The good news, is that Jackman ME (population 782), the first town south of the border, has Scrub yer Duds, which is a laundromat / ice cream store.  Just what I needed. 

Wed. 7/20:  Jackman

Yes, there's a laundromat, but the french fries are pre-fab.  The ice cream is from Giffords, which is based in Waterville (where I'm writing from today).

Moose xing sign... saw these every few miles from the border for the next 50 miles south.

Thu. 7/21:  Forks - rafting town on the Kennebec River.
After breakfast at Mama Bears, rode the 28 miles to Forks.  It's a town geared towards rafting and fishing in the summer, and snow mobiling and hunting in the winter.  Lots of locals who support these activities, or other services for the recreationers.  Since it was a short ride, I got there pretty early, a good thing 'cause it was getting really hot and humid.  There were some major thunderstorms coming through in the afternoon.   Inn by the River has a restaurant... a little high end compared to the rest of the town... but OK for a light lunch.   Next door is Marshall's, a dive bar/restaurant where the locals hang out, drink and shoot pool.   Went there and had a good pulled pork sandwich for dinner.   After a break in the rain, went back to the Inn for dessert and had interesting conversations with a couple of local guys in their late 30's .  Both like to spend a fair portion of the day kayaking down the Kennebec river.

Friday. 7/22 - Sat 7/23:  Forks to Skowhegan to Waterville - then to the site of Camp Belgrade

65 mile ride to Waterville through Skowhegan.  Waterville is mostly known for Colby College. 

Skowhegan holds the Skowhegan Fair in August.  Waterville is also the closest town to the place where I went to Camp Belgrade for 2 summers in 1961 - 1962 when I was 8 and 9 respectively.  I am currently writing this part of the blog from the Belgrade public library.    Whenever someone in a bunk had a birthday, the whole bunk would go to Rummel's Ice Cream in Waterville.  Our transportation was the back of what appeared to be old Army trucks.  This was in the days before seat belts etc.

Rummel's is still operating there, but was bought by Giffords, an ice cream store in Skowhegan, about 20 miles north of Waterville.  

Moose in front of Gifford's Ice Cream in Skowhegan

Had some OK Chinese for dinner, followed by a monster eclair at Govenor's restaurant and bakery across from my hotel

On Sat. morning, headed out to find my old camp site.  Passing through Oakland, ME there was an Amish stand selling tomatoes, baked goods, quilts etc. so, of course, I bought a doughnut .  The people who were manning the stand were from Reedsville, PA... a town not very far from State College, PA, where Penn State, my alma mater is.  

The camp was sold in the late 1970's to a developer who subdivided the property.  It's now a community of summer homes called "Loon Cove" .  The only recognizable remnant of the camp is what used to be the mess hall, which was shrunken down somewhat and is now the community center.

A nice lady, Louise, a resident of Loon Cove, caught up with me by the lake.  It turns out she grew up in Macungie, near Allentown, where I grew up.  She also is a Penn State graduate, but a little older than me.  She lived in the same dorm that my mother did when she was there.  Small world.

Louise - a homeowner on the former site of Camp Belgrade, on the shore of Great Pond

It's now about 88° (accuweather "real feel" = 99°).  Time to brave the heat and go check into my hotel in Augusta.