Montreal to Newfoundland

Itinerary: Stage 4: Montreal to Newfoundland

Newfoundland? Actually, since 2001, it is technically the province of "Newfoundland and Labrador." Labrador, like the dog.....and I guess, Newfoundland...like the dog also. Must be not much to do up there so they invented dog breeds. But more on that cold faraway place in a minute.

We will leave Montreal and drive a couple of hours down (yep it's 'up' on the map, but it is downstream) the St. Lawrence River to Quebec, scene of the great 18th century battle where the French lost to the British and it became the keystone of the Brits efforts to drive the French from North America. The generals of both forces were killed in the battle, Brits won.....and as history would have it, Quebec is the only French speaking province. Wait a minute...but the Brits won. Yep, once again it seems that the more things change the more they stay the same. The Brits won, both generals died, and Quebec only speaks French 250 years later. Go figure.

There we have reservations at The Chateau Frontenac ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_Frontenac), the famed turreted castle like hotel on the cliffs overlooking the River. This was a MUST on Linda's list of accommodations for this trip.

Some have questioned why we are planning so far in advance, and have asked "do you have every day planned?" The answer is "No." But we did need to estimate driving times, stops and number of travel days between key spots or we would not be able to stay in places like this...they would be full. Plus..planning is 1/2 of the fun! And it is Free!

We then leave Quebec and drive several hours down the west (and less traveled) bank of the river, crossing by ferry at the most downstream place possible, where the ferry takes 75 minutes to cross the river..it is that wide.

Then we are off to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia (for any of you Scots out there, this is "New Scotland"), and then by ferry to Newfoundland.

Most people never think of Newfoundland. But if you ever do, you think of dogs, fish, or for the aviators out there, Gander. Bet you can't guess how Newfoundland got its name? :) John Cabot, in 1497, just 5 years after Columbus, 'discovered' Newfoundland and named it eloquently since it was new found land. Europeans, on the verge of the Renaissance, were a pretty linear folk.

I say 'discovered' because the natives, the Beothucks, who were driven to extinction by European settlers (mostly killed by disease), did not know they had lost it. Fuerthermore, it is now widely accepted that Cabot was not the original European to sail to Newfoundland. Archeologists agree that a settlement site discovered in the 1960's in Newfoundland is definitely that of the 11th century Vikings. They called in Vinland, "because the grapes grow wild and they make the most delicious wine." Hmmm, see if we can get some estate-bottled cab when we are there! Well...you can! Not estate-bottled, and not grape wine, but Newfoundland is known for its wild berry wines. Check out Auk Island Wines at http://www.aukislandwinery.com/

Now about Gander. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gander,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador

Located on the northeastern shore of Gander Lake, it is the site of Gander International Airport. Formerly an important fueling point for transatlantic aircraft, especially during WWII, it today remains the preferred stopping point for aircraft that need to land because of on-board medical or security emergencies. The Gander airport played an important role in world aviation in the immediate hours following the 9/11 attacks when all of North America's airspace was closed and 39 transatlantic flights bound for the United States were ordered to land at the airport. Over 6,600 passengers and crew unexpectedly found themselves forced to stay in the Gander area for up to three days until airspace was reopened and flights resumed. Residents of Gander and surrounding communities volunteered to house, feed, and entertain the travellers in what became known as Operation Yellow Ribbon.

Next up: Back to Nova Scotia by ferry, then to Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and back to the USA entering Maine via US 1.

Lake Superior to Montreal

Itinerary: Stage 3: Lake Superior to Montreal

The drive north of Duluth along the northwest shore of Lake Superior is considered one of the great drives of America by many independent sources..so we are gonna find out for ourselves. Gooseberry Falls State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse, the shores and cliffs of the lake. Then we enter Canada at Thunder Bay, Ontario. Rather than taking the typical route across to Sault St Marie, Sudbury and Ottawa which we did back in 1981, we will go farther north. Canada is pretty flat up here as a result of glaciation scouring it clean in the last ice age 15,000 years ago, but the maps have green dots along the roads...so off we go to see something new. We then drop into Montreal ("Royal Mountain" in french). We already have two nights reserved in a little hotel in the old quarter for a Friday & Saturday night......we're not as old as some of you might think.....so yes, party nights! The summer in Vieux ("Old") Montreal is one continual festival.

Next: Quebec, the St. Lawrence River, and the maritime provinces.

Au revoir. Thanks for reading! And remember, if you know of cool places - sight, hotels, food - along the way from your travel, either in person or arm chair, please let us know!

Glacier National Park to Lake Superior

Itinerary: Stage 2: Glacier N.P. to Lake Superior, MN

We will leave the Rockies and head out onto the broad plains of mid- America, crossing Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota using US Highway 2 as our main route. We will deviate at times to take in sights or particularly interesting or scenic routes. These include places like Fort Union Trading Post NHP (http://www.nps.gov/fous/index.htm) at the Montana-North Dakota border; and the north bank of the Missouri River in North Dakota where we travel partially in the footsteps of Lewis & Clark & Sakakawea. We expect to see endless fields of corn and grain and we travel from one farm town to the next. Finally we break out of this terrain, skirt Duluth to the north, and end up on what is reported to be one of the world's great scenic drive....the north shore route from Duluth to Thunder Bay, Ontario.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shore_(Lake_Superior)

Next: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, then Prince Edward Island before returning to the states in Maine.

Itinerary: SF Bay Area to Glacier National Park

Itinerary: Stage 1: SF Bay Area to Glacier National Park, Montana

As promised, here is the map of the proposed first leg. We leave the Fairfield, CA area and drive through the farmland of the Central Valley, then through the Gold Country, and up over two 8000 foot passes and then drop down to the south end of Lake Tahoe.

From here we travel up the west side of the lake, then past Squaw Valley, home of the VIII Winter Olympiad. This is where USA vs Russia Hockey upset #1...the original miracle occurred. (The Lake Placid Miracle on Ice of 1980 was actually 'v.2'.) We then through through forests and meadows and high mountain grazing land and over the lowest pass in the Sierras. From here, up US 395 along the western edge of the Great Basin, a land that stretches from the Sonoran Desert of northern Mexico up into southern Canada.

Then we dip down into Hell's Canyon http://www.fs.fed.us/hellscanyon/overview/index.shtml, then up to beautiful Enterprise and Joseph, and on to Lewiston. This is part of the Lewis and Clark trail. http://www.lewisandclarktrail.com . Then we travel their path up US 12 and over the Bitterroots into Montana. Through the college town of Missoula and then up along Flathead Lake and into Glacier. Whether we get to ride over the Going to the Sun Highway (http://www.nps.gov/archive/glac/montana.htm) or must go around the park through East Glacier depends on the snowfall. Last year the Highway did not open until the 4th of July!

We plan to stay at the classic old national park lodgings at Lake McDonald and Many Glacier. Check it out at http://www.glacierparkinc.com/Lodging/PropertyDetails.asp?id=3&prop=M

As we travel we are always on the lookout for fun and funky places to eat, great roadside hotels, and hot springs.. so speak up and help us!

Welcome To the First Posting of Two lanes, Top Down, Green Dots

A year ago we bought a used '04 Boxster and it quickly became my wife's dream to spend several weeks traveling across the USA and Canada. We have been in all 50 states and have been in all of the Canadian provinces execpt Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Labrador/Newfoundland. Many mileposts have been passed on a lot of interstates and a lot of two lane roads. And we have towed travel trailers in vans filled with kids round trip from California to Alaska and from California to Toronto.

The best drives were on the two lane roads. Inspired by John Steinbeck http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travels_with_Charley:_In_Search_of_America and William Least Heat Moon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Highways , we decided that we would circumnavigate the USA and hit those maritime provinces, on only two lane roads. The only times we would allow ourselves to hop on an interstate would be if 1) the interstate was the scenic way (we will only use this excuse sparingly), 2) we would be out of our minds to drive city streets through major cities (like New York), or 3) the interstate was the only road across a waterway (e.g. the Whitestone Bridge).

So come join us. Send us your thoughts. Travel with us next summer without leaving your armchair and hotspot!

Next Blog: Our planned route.

So get in, sit down, speak out , and hang on !!