Best Laid Plans…

Our planned 5 month trip to Quebec City, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Maine, came to an abrupt end when Cheryl’s back problem worsened to the point where we had to return home for remedial treatment. We’re hoping to restart again in a few weeks depending on her recovery.

In the meantime, here are some notes and images from the six days we spent traveling up to Quebec and back. Our first night was spent at Woodstock KOA, NY and after a brief walk around Woodstock observing the aging hippie population, we pushed on into Vermont.

Quechee Gorge State Park, Vermont

Dewey’s Mill Pond, click to enlarge

The Park is situated on the Ottauquechee River, just downstream of Dewey’s Mill Pond which spills over a weir into Quechee Gorge, a 165 foot deep, over a mile long, ravine cut into the bedrock ridge. Dewey’s Mill Pond provides a wonderful habitat for birds. The Gorge is spanned by a bridge built in 1911 which provides some great views of the river both up and downstream. The State Park provides access to a steep and windy tail into the Gorge and upstream to the Pond.

Click on any thumbnail below to see larger image gallery.

North Beach Campground, Burlington Vermont

Lake Champlain – Adirondacks, click to enlarge

We made an early morning detour South to Burlington, Vermont to visit an Ophthalmologist in order to assess some post-surgery (cataract) issues Colin was experiencing with his left eye. The problem had resolved by the appointment time and, after a thorough examination, he was pronounced fit to travel. This gave us a chance to spend the rest of the day on the shore of Lake Champlain with a view of the Adirondacks.

Click on any thumbnail below to see larger image gallery.

Saint Adrien d’Irlande, Québec, Canada

We crossed the border into Québec just North of Newport, Vermont the next morning. Our van was searched by a couple of friendly Canadian Customs Officers who seemed more interested in talking about our RV features. One of them was planning to buy a Sprinter Van and equip it himself. Then, after a pleasant lunch by the lake at North Hatley, we drove through the countryside to the remote little town of Saint-Adrien-d’Irlande where Jesse, a musician friend of ours (we met in Florida on our last trip) lived in a converted farmhouse. Bindi was grateful for being untethered and allowed to roam the farmland with Jesse’s dog Kimi. After a wonderful dinner provided by Jesse, two of his local musician friends joined us for a fun musical evening. One of them was learning to make violins and played on a wonderful looking instrument in its final stages of ‘tuning’. The next morning, with the realization that Cheryl’s back issues were worsening, we made the decision to turn South again and head home. Our first stop back in the US was at Jim Mac Falls in NW Maine:

Click on either thumbnail below to see larger image.

See our interactive route map for the locations in this post.