DART - 2023 we DRIVE, DRIVE DRIVE....

Into and out of Canada - we circle Lake Ontario and do the drive along the St Lawrence and the Seaway.

We started in Buffalo - went north to Coburg and then near Trois Rivieres, then onto the Gaspe Peninsula along to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia etc... back into the US in Maine, through New Hampshire and Vermont, into New York through the ADK to Lake Ontario, ending in Buffalo... Here is the summary map of our trip- 

because we had delays at the rental car center- Budget if you are asking.... it took us about 90 minutes to get out of the airport and on the road. so we stopped in the southern environs of Toronto for a fairly late dinner - by happenstance the dinner was excellent. 

We traveled on - checking into our hotel quite late in Coburg, Ontario the next day we got up and headed into the town for breakfast- at the best rated place in town. It was good and we walked a bit in town and around the harbor before we left to get on the road.

The bread was all home made! And fabulously fluffy!

Google made this photo for me from one of the ones I took with my Pixel phone camera

on the way out of town we ran into the ice cream store (not yet open, sadly) and found this ice cream couch! 

As we headed towards Montreal and the next stop for the night at Trois Rivieres, Quebec we ran into the National Airforce Museum.  

When you travel with a military veteran and former air traffic controller, there's a "possibility" you might stop at any museums where they have planes. We were actually driving right by the museum, so I suggested we stop in. The paratrooper socks in the gift shop were my personal favorite. But the story behind the biggggg dark plane (the only one left in original - restored - condition) was fascinating. Recovered from a fresh water lake in Norway after being shot down in WWII with a sole survivor (the tail gunner) - it makes a fascinating story for the "older gentleman" docent who was thrilled to have a vet (TB) to show around.

We had to move along and the weather was iffy os we skipped out on the outdoor display- but they had a lot of planes to view...

We stopped in Cornwall for lunch and picked up a cooler and provisions for the next few days.  Having traveled in the less urban areas of Canada on two earlier trips we knew that restaurants and hotel accommodations could be few and far between... Neither of us had ever been to the Canadian burger chain Harvey's so we read about it first- Wikipedia had this to tell us- 

Harvey's is a fast food restaurant chain operating in Canada, with locations in every province except British Columbia. It serves hamburgers, poutine, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, and other traditional Canadian fast-food fare. Harvey's is the fourth largest burger chain in Canada.  Opened in 1959, the company is one of Canada's longest-standing Canadian owned and operated restaurants. It is known for its grilled burgers and for providing customers with a choice of various toppings.

In 1959, Harvey's introduced three original concepts in the drive-in take-out business. The first concept was for a customer to order, purchase and obtain a receipt, which was placed on the topping counter. The cash was immediately placed in the cash register, thereby controlling and monitoring cash, and keeping theft to a minimum. The second concept was to have the customer move along the counter, following his/her receipt, and then, at his/her request, have an employee customize his/her hamburger with a variety of toppings. The third concept was to purchase potatoes from Prince Edward Island, have the franchisee wash and cut the fresh potatoes into oversized chips with skin on, and then deep-fry and serve the chips on-site. This approach was a distinction between thin pre-frozen and pre-cut French Fries of unknown origin that were being sold at the time. 

So we thought- what the heck- give it a shot- the rings were exemplary but the burger was not, the shakes fell somewhere in between. w

We agreed that this was likely our only Harvey visit.

We found our way to night two stop- and next day - our longest driving day we got on the road early after only a stop at Tim Horton's and headed out and around the Gaspe peninsula. "This scenic drive in Quebec is almost 1,700-kms long. The Gaspé is a sparsely populated region, but it boasts among the most beautiful scenery Quebec has to offer."  (tourist website)

So we started our day in Trois Rivieres (between Montreal and Quebec City) and drove all day along the water until we reached Gaspe - the town at the end of the peninsula.  the town was a really pleasant surprise but I will do the day first- we stopped for lunch just past Rimouski (urban area for the peninsula LOL) We had lobster rolls and onion rings and finished with soft serve. What's not to like?

We arrive in Gaspe as darkness falls and we check in to our lovely hotel and head to dinner- but that is for another post.....