Nomad Life - Day 184

Today I took a rare day-off from my job so I could spend time with Eileen.  We'd made a plan the night before that we'd return to the site of a really nice hike I'd done in November 2024: Gatineau Park.  Anticipating this excursion, I woke up just before 0600 (with no alarm).  Outside, it had snowed and the wind was very strong - brrr!  Eileen headed upstairs to stoke the fire and I joined her a bit later.  Sitting by the woodstove, we read and did puzzles together for about an hour.  Suddenly, she got an emergency call from the EMS (car accident) and had to head out to assist (she took Mika).  Meanwhile, I worked on my blog and relaxed.  I also checked on their website to make sure that the park was dog friendly - I learned that there were some good trails for canines but the rest of the park (especially the groomed areas) were mostly off limits.  Eileen returned shortly after I got this intel and, even with the restrictions, thought the park sounded nice.  She mentioned that she thought it might be fun to stop for dinner at the Harpoon Restaurant in downtown Ottawa (we've made several unsuccessful attempts to eat there over the years).  An alternate plan for the evening meal would be to return home directly to prepare the corned beef I'd bought in order to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (Note: only later did we figure out that was a three hour cooking project...).  With our plan for the day mostly intact, I emptied the back seat of my car, clearing the clutter of my Nomad Life.  In place of these items, both Eileen and I packed up our day-trip items, including skis, snowshoes and micro-spikes.  Before departing St. Lawrence County, we stopped at Lehman Park so we could take Mika for a walk (0900).  It was bitterly cold (low teens) and very windy but we still made a full circuit of the trails.  Next (0920), we went to breakfast at the Airport Diner.  By this point, I was VERY hungry.  I got some breakfast tacos (very good) and wolfed down my meal.  Meanwhile, Eileen had ordered her "regular" breakfast and kept some leftovers.  Just before 1000, we departed Potsdam and drove towards Ogdensburg.  On the way, we stopped for (free) air for my tires in Canton (next to Price Chopper).  It was nice to get the TPMS light to extinguish...  By this point, it was clear and sunny but the freezing temps continued (low teens F).  As we made our way to the Canadian border, Eileen took a call from one of her kids and I took advantage of some low gas prices I'd found online (1100) - the Valero gas station on the outskirts of Ogdensburg was selling fuel for $0.30 cheaper than anything in Potsdam or Canton.  With these errands complete, we were ready to cross the St. Lawrence River.  Just before we headed over the bridge to Canada, the wind noticeably picked up and started spreading snow all over the roads.  This didn't bode well for a drive to the north but we continued anyway.  We paid a toll at the south side of the bridge and crossed over to Ontario.  It was VERY windy and there were serious whitecaps on the water below...  The border crossing went OK and, once we got one of our phones to show the correct routing, we headed north on ON-16 until we could get on ON-416 (four lane road).  During this time, it started getting overcast and light snow started falling.  Fortunately, the traffic was not bad.  Without saying anything, I made a note of several birds I saw (for later recording on eBird).  We soon reached the outskirts of Ottawa and switched to ON-73 (Prince of Wales Drive).  On the way through the city, we passed by the Rideau Canal (closed for the season) and through Chinatown neighborhood.  We ended up on side streets and, just when was telling Eileen that I thought the area looked familiar, we abruptly crossed the Ottawa River at the Portage Bridge.  Suddenly, we were in Gatineau (Quebec).  This was the exact area where I'd walked along the northern side of the river when I was here in November 2024.  I guess I hadn't been paying attention up until then but we were within a mile of the sandwich shop that Eileen had chosen after our earlier conversation about getting some food for a "picnic" in the Park.  I'd been happy with a local New York place called "JRecks" (apparently, a North Country "Subway") but Eileen begged me not to doom us to something so sub-standard (my pun intended).  The end result was that her suggestion won out and we soon rolled up to a non-descript building (I thought it was someone's home) that was actually a "deli" called La Petite Épicerie du Quartier.  We arrived there at about 1215 and, since it wasn't busy, ordered sandwiches (I got the #8, ham and turkey and Eileen got the #12, roast beef).  Both were made on special bread and ended up being quite big.  We also got chips, some baclava and a gift for Heidi (a box of dates).  Altogether, the bill was only $24 US - a very cheap lunch - and I complimented Eileen for her research.  By 1230, we'd wrapped up our order and I suggested we visit the nearby Jacques Cartier Park, not only so we could give Mika a walk but also so we could get views of Parliament Hill and some of the rest of the Ottawa Skyline.  This outing was not to be, though - just then, my personal "concierge" at Viking Cruises called and told me I'd been bumped from the waiting list for the "Wonders of India" Cruise to having a reserved spot!  The trip to India wouldn't take place until late 2027 but I had to act quickly or would likely miss the chance to go.  I've been on this waiting list for more than six months and the whole situation was very welcome news.  I ended up on the call for about 20 minutes - meanwhile, Eileen walked Mika in the cold and wind (along the Ottawa River).  She was back before I'd finished my call but I made sure to start driving north towards the location of the Gatineau Park Visitor Center.  We mostly used city streets because we were so close.  When we arrived (1330), the weather conditions (Jekyll & Hyde all day) had transitioned to bluebird skies.  We felt so lucky!  After putting on our micro-spikes, we went inside the Visitor Center and got maps and guidance for our walk through the woods.  Fortunately, one of the dog-friendly trail systems was located right next to the VC.  So, we started off on our walk through the forest.  By the time we got going, temps were in the mid teens but the wind had died down.  We used a little bridge to access the Sugarbush and started walking in a counterclockwise circle.  There was clearly some fresh snow on all the surfaces (including the sides of the trees) and Eileen called the images "Narnia-like" - I agreed!  There were plenty of birds in the wintry woods (more info for eBird) and we really had a nice time walking.  At one point, we tried to locate a nearby Lean-to/Shelter but couldn't find it without clear blazes or signs.  Instead, we completed a full loop around the trail system and even tried out a spur on the west side.  We were hungry by the end of the loop so returned to the car so we could eat our lunch (1430).  As expected, the food was delicious and very filling.  With the time ticking away, it was clear that we probably shouldn't try to eat in Ottawa - instead, we decided to head back to Potsdam to make dinner.  When Eileen pointed out the time required for the corned beef, she suggested a menu change (I agreed and said we could wait to decide when we got back to the USA).  Right about this point, I figured out that my micro-spikes had broken - they had a good run!  After finishing our lunch, we headed out for another few miles on the trail system; Part 2 of the visit included a completely different side of the trail system, which included road crossings, a waterfall and ice covered stairs.  We ended up on the southwest corner of the trail system when we finished and it required a road walk to reach our car.  Just then, I noticed a place called Cafe Biscotti, located right on Scott Street and just across from the Visitor Center - I suggested we stop for some coffee / hot chocolate and Eileen eagerly agreed.  Dogs weren't allowed inside but we sat on the porch and enjoyed our warming beverages.  After that, we returned to our car.  When we were finished (1520), I realized that we'd done five miles of walking since the early AM (included walk at Lehman Park) - that felt good!  After we were settled in my Subaru again, I plugged Eileen's address into my iPhone so we could return to the US and soon realized that it was going to take us via a completely different route.  Instead of heading through the middle of Ottawa, we headed south and west to the Champlain Bridge - when we crossed the Ottawa River there, we got do see some really pretty islands.  We also passed the Brittanie Conservation Area on our way to getting on ON-416.  Along the way, Eileen was very intently focused on Iditarod News and became very upset when she learned that a dog had died during the competition.  During this time, the traffic slowed us down significantly (rush hour?) but we finally got going.  The rest of the drive in Canada was mostly uneventful and our drive across the St. Lawrence River features much calmer wind and water surface,  We again crossed the border uneventfully.  By that time, Eileen was in full planning mode - she suggested we stop at a nearby Price Chopper (Ogdensburg) and we wandered around the store together until we were able to find all the food for our (revised) dinner plans.  At one point, I ended up in a funny conversation about steak at the meat counter: the Butcher suggested that I wasn't buying enough for myself ("she's going to eat all of it!").  I sheepishly replied that I usually cleaned up the table scraps so there was no need to have more to start the meal...  Eileen also picked up fun stuff (plantain chips, hummus for pretzel chips, etc.) for the rest of my visit.  We departed the grocery store at 1730 and drove back to Eileen's via the reverse route from the morning.  I thought Eileen would want to stop for another dog walk but she suggested we just get to cooking - this was a good idea because it was already 1815 by the time we started the oven.  Eileen got started with a salad and sliced up some Brussel sprouts for grilling.  Meanwhile, she told me to "cook the steak".  Yikes!  Actually, this is the third time this exact situation has happened but the mode of cooking has been different each time: once I grilled, once I used a toaster over and today I was supposed to use a cast iron skillet.  Fortunately, there were good instructions ("Rule of 3s") on the Internet and I managed to avoid destroying the good cut of meat (Ribeye).  Meanwhile, Eileen played ball with Mika in the yard...  When I was willing to take the risk of us eating the food I'd made, we sat down for dinner together.  Surprise - the steak was excellent!  Actually everything was wonderful and we washed it down with some wine/.  Along the way, we had another great conversation, reveling in the good aftereffects of our trip to Canada.  Afterwards, we cleaned up the kitchen and then Eileen suggested that I join her for some exercises in her "workout room."  She's getting ready for another long distance paddling trip and the mix of stretching, yoga and weights was really interesting and different for me.  Through most of the routine, I kept up with Eileen - but she is definitely more toned and limber...  Once we finished with the workout, we watched a horror movie (with a dog) called "Good Boy".  Fortunately, it was really more of a thriller and there wasn't any gratuitous violence or gore.  The film, which Eileen really enjoyed, ended just after 2200 and we relaxed for a bit longer, following the Iditarod updates.  Reluctantly, because the day had been so good, we called it a night at around 2230.  Before going to sleep, though, I caught up on reading - I turned out the lights at 2300.  What a great day in Canada!

Ottawa Trip - Day 3

Despite my late bedtime last night, I still woke up at 0630.  Before getting ready, I read, did Duolingo exercises and did some travel planning for later in the day.  I left my hotel by 1000 and drove into downtown Ottawa.  After a bit of searching, I found a parking spot on the far western side of Wellington (1030).  Hearing loud church bells coming from a church that was located immediately across the street, my curiosity encourarged me to try to attend Mass (I'd thought "perfect timing").  Once inside the warm building, though, I discovered it was actually an Anglican Church.  Oh well...  Returning to the biting cold (brrrrr), I started walking east on the street where most of the buildings related to the Canadian government were located, the so-called Parliament Hill (see JUL 1990).  At one point, I considered taking a tour of the Parliament but (after talking over the process with the Docents there), decided against it.  Continuing my walk, I got lots of wonderful views of the Ottawa River, historic buildings and Rideau Canal.  I eventually looped all the way around to Confederation Park.  During this part of my day, I was enmeshed in history, crossed locks on foot bridge and found the Whalesbone restaurant on Elgin Street - Eileen has told me many stories about that place...  I thought about going in for lunch but decided instead to have some poutine at Harvey's, located across the street (1130).  The food was very good!  Once I was done eating (1200), I walked back towards my car, exploring Sparks Street (shopping district) on the way. After rejoining "Nessie" (1215), I drove across the Ottawa River on the Portage Bridge and returned to the Province of Quebec.  Hoping I'd be able to walk along the northern edge of the river, I stopped at the Kruger "factory", where the guard let me park in the lot for a short time, and took a path town to the water.  I got some great photos of Parliament Hill from the north side!  Back in my car, I received a call from Eileen and Emma about their ETA in Ottawa - we'd initially talked about meeting for lunch and a walk but time had gotten away from them.  After hearing she wouldn't arrive until "after 1400", I agreed to meet them at National Gallery of Canada when I was done with a hike in Gatineau Park.  With that decision made, I drove (via surface streets) to A5 and headed north to the exit at Boulevard des Hautes-Plaines.  Next, I followed the road on the eastern perimeter of Gatineau Park (Boulevard de la Cite-des-Jeunes and, later, Chemin de la Mine).  During this phase, I located some bike trails and, eventually, a road (Chemin Notch) that crossed the ridge.  After exploring parking options, .  Several of the access roads were closed but I still managed to get a nice hike in Gatineau Park, a sprawling green area on the north (Quebec) side of the Ottawa River.  There were only a few parking spots available (near Trail #15) when I arrived at the Chemin Notch trailhead (1315) so felt lucky to have a shot at a walk to Lac Pink. This little mountain pond had a great circuit trail with lots of stairs and graded surfaces - much easier than many of the places I usually hike.  Spent 75 minutes in nature and later explored some other trailheads nearby.  This place would be great for cross country skiing - it won’t be long...  After getting done (1425), I changed clothes and drove north (still Chemin Notch) towards Chelsea.  I made a brief stop (got maps) at the Gatineau Park visitors center before driving east to A5.  Continuing south to Ottawa, I arrived at the National Gallery of Canada just after I crossed the Ottawa River again.  I paid for a ticket (1505) and then wandered around inside until I located Eileen and Emma.  Once together, we walked around, through the Native and Indigenous displays, before adjourning to the courtyard for further talks (1600isg).  At some point, I became aware that Eileen had promised Emma that I'd be gone before dinner started.  This realization was very uncomfortable and I did my best to extricate myself from the situation - I don't think I was very successful...  Feeling VERY finished with the museum, I left the parking garage (1655).  During my drive back to the hotel (backtrack from the morning, using surface streets and ON-417), I felt quite dazed and blew off any ideas I'd had about dinner or other night life adventures.  Once inside my room (1730), I even started thinking about leaving for home but decided against it.  Instead, I tried to kill time reading and trying to get sleepy.  In the end, I skipped dinner and just turned out the light.  I managed to doze, starting at 2030, and fell asleep for good by 2130.  Definitely a roller coaster day of emotions...

Ottawa Trip - Day 2

I slept OK but was wide awake at 0515 - figuring that would help me in the long run, I got ready to depart.  Since the hotel restaurant didn't open until 0700, I did some reading.  Once seated, I got some good food and felt quite satisfied when I departed the Quality Inn at 0730.  Ottawa, here I come!  Actually, though, I had all day to reach the concert venue...  I drove north on I-89.  It was raining lightly and I entertained myself with audiobooks.  With almost no traffic and no cars waiting at the checkpoint, I crossed the US/Canada border just after 0800.  From there, I continued north on QC-133 until I reached Pike River.  Wanting some Canadian currency, I went inside a little store there (Magasin General Pike River).  Next, I steered northeast via Chemin des Rivieres, Chemin de la Grande Ligne, QC-227, Rang Kempt and QC-104.  During the drive, I spent a lot of time listening to my Glass Tiger CDs - getting revved up for the concert!  Perhaps you are wondering why I would be taking this rather rural route on my way to a concert in Ottawa.  During my recent visits to Montreal, I noticed several “pimple” shaped hills to the east of the highway and thought they might be fun to climb.  The terrain in southern Quebec is so flat (think Indiana) that anything above the grade is intriguing… This morning, I had a chance to hike to the summit of one of them, Mont Saint Gregoire!  Since I’d stayed overnight in Burlington, I didn’t have a long drive and was on the trail by 0900.  It has been raining during my drive but the “mountain” (it’s only 250 meters tall) weather was only misty with 40 F temps.  I completed a full circuit in about an hour and enjoyed the good viewpoints - on a clear day, the Green Mountains, Adirondacks and other “pimple peaks” nearby would be visible.  About the only terrain I was able to see clearly, though, was the Montreal skyline with Mont Royal behind it.  That was still pretty nice, as were the images of scattered farmhouses and church steeples in the area.  I saw only a few other hikers during my visit and everyone (all all the signs) were Québécois - fortunately, my Duolingo practicing helped me understand some of it.  I was finished at 1000 (roughly two miles of hiking).  Overall, this activity turned out to be a nice break from my drive - I’m glad the weather was good!  After getting cleaned up and changed (1010), I left the parking area and used some back roads to drive towards the eastern side of the mountain.  The views were actually better on that side because there were fewer trees.  Next, I got on QC-227 and used it to drive north to Autoroute 10.  From there, I drove west to the east side of the Saint Lawrence River.  With Google Maps, I had picked a parking area that appeared to have access to a trail - the app put me on A15 but I had trouble figuring out how to get off the highway at the correct location.  Also, I was stymied at times by local drivers getting in my way at exactly the "wrong" moment.  Eventually, though, I was able to get parked in a spot near Cap sur Mer (1115).  I haven’t had a chance to do a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago yet but I’ve been working on the Canadian “extension” for a few years.  While visiting the Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal last year, I found one of the Camino shells (and the official start) for the Chemin des Sanctuaries.  Adding some optional distance from the gravesite of Owen Coogan (in Cote des Neiges), my previous walking efforts had gotten me almost all the way across the St. Lawrence River.  However, the route I’d chosen for my last walk (across Ils Ste. Helene) seemed to dead end in the middle of the channel. From the map, it appeared that there was only one way to cross the river from Ils Notre Dame and it required me to walk either the Pont Jacques Cartier or Victoria Bridge.  This afternoon, I first attacked the problem by walking on the bike trail in Longueil that paralleled the canal used by shipping traffic - there were actually some large tanker ships coming through during my visit (wow!).  From that location, I discovered that the Pont Jacques Cartier was too high to access from the pathway and that the Victoria Bridge was too far away.  I figured out, though, that I might be able to kayak the route if I could get to the water’s edge from both sides.  Working north and south from the boat launch site, I also located a sign for the Chemin next to the Ferry Landing at Port de Plaisance, which means I’ve got a return spot for continuing north on the Chemin in the future.  Once I was done with this Recce (1245), I got back in my car, crossed on Pont Jacques Cartier and successfully exited onto surface streets on Ils Ste. Helene.  Reaching the Biodome (a place I'd visited before), I crossed a smaller bridge to the site of the 1976 Olympic Games and took a gamble (1300) that I'd be able to park there without getting towed or a ticket (it ended up working out). I spent the next 45 minutes trying to connect my earlier walk to the western edge of the shipping canal.  Eventually, I found myself almost opposite the boat launch in Longueil.  There was a bit of “will someone try to stop me?” in a few places but I accomplished my goal.  Also saw lots of interesting landmarks for the Olympics and Grand Prix.  Altogether, I walked about six miles and can now continue the Chemin towards Ste. Anne de Beaupre.  Best part of today: the weather was nice and I didn’t see many other people - I’d call that a good afternoon outdoors!  Finished with my Montreal activities (1400), I drove back up to the Pont Jacques Cartier and headed west.  Once off the bridge on the west side, I used surface streets (Avenue De Lorimer, Notre Dame Street East) to get on QC-136.  Later, I got on A20, where I encountered lots of traffic, speed cameras, etc. - After using A13 to reach the Trans Canada Highway, the speed gradually picked up and the weather improved.  I had beautiful clear skies overhead!  For part of the journey, I thought back to my last time in this part of Canada (see JUL 1991) and imagined all the things that have changed for the terrain and in my life...  During the drive, I encountered some construction, especially when I was crossing the Lake of the Two Mountains.  At some point, the highway became ON-417 to continue west to Ottawa.  Out the window, I saw lots of Canada Geese (multiple flocks) who were busily flying south.  It was nice to find that many fewer people were using the same highway and I just had to be careful with speed.  I arrived at the Travelodge Ottawa East at 1600.  After quickly changing clothes, I left the hotel (1700) and drove west on ON-417 - time for my concert!  Unfortunately, I got in a big traffic jam and it took a while to get near the National Arts Centre.  It also took a bit of time for me to find the entrance to the parking garage for the NAC (Elgin Street in Ottawa) - during this time, I got very close to a public demonstration (against the Gaza Conflict).  Once parked, I scouted out the venue before walking to the nearby Nando's Peri-Peri for dinner and a beer (sat down at 1745).  The place had some good food and atmosphere.  Once I was finished (1815), I walked around near the Rideau Canal (next to the NAC).  There were lots of nice views of Canada's Capital City by night.  Once back inside the NAC, I explored some more before finding a seat to wait for the concert to begin (I was ready at 1900).  We were cleared for entry into the Babs Asper Theatre at 1915 and I soon found my seat at Balcony Centre.  The opening act (started at 1945) was a lady named Erica Ehm.  I didn't recognize her but I think she was the Canadian equivalent of an MTV VJ (for a TV channel called “MuchMusic”).  In any case, she was some kind of teen idol for the ladies in attendance.  I’ll admit that a lot of that Canadian ‘80s fandom nostalgia stuff was lost on me and I kept thinking of Robin Sherbatsky and “Let’s Go to the Mall”.  After a 15 minute "intermission" (2030 to 2045), Glass Tiger came out on stage!  It took 38 years for me to make it to one of their live performances but they did not disappoint tonight!  The band played many, many of the songs I’ve known and loved since the ‘80s and almost everyone was singing loudly with Alan Frew.  There were actually only a few acoustic differences between the live and the albums I’ve got - I thought that was great because sometimes the signature sounds are lost with age… I didn’t know some of their newer music but those tunes were just as catchy as the rest.  Watching the band in the sold venue an even bigger treat than I’d expected - those Canadians love their hometown bands!  Overall, the local flavor of seeing a "hometown"(ish) musical group was definitely entertaining.  I didn't really want the show to end but, eventually, it did (2230).  It took a lot of effort and patience to depart the parking garage (after a delay due to so many cars having the same idea) - I eventually got on the road (surface streets along the Rideau Canal) and made it back to my hotel by 2330.  Still feeling jazzed up from my busy day, I spent time reading and blogging until going to sleep at 0015.  Glad to have made the (long) trip for this concert!  

Montreal Trip - Day 4

On our last day in Montreal, I woke up at 0600 and got ready.  Last night, I'd asked Brenna to pack and I was pleased to find her bags ready.  Meanwhile, she slept while I finished up my own packing, went to breakfast and double checked the room for items we might have forgotten.  At 0745, I managed to convince Brenna to wake up.  I then got most of the bags and walked to the parking garage (under the nearby Hyatt Hotel).  Once I located my car, I managed to get it out of the tight-fitting spot and (after some trouble with my credit card) carefully exited the low-ceiling garage without damaging my car (0815).  During the time I was gone, Brenna ate breakfast.  When I got back to the hotel, she brought the bags down to the lobby and we checked out.  Overall, it was a nice stay!  Next, we loaded up the car and headed towards Mont Royal.  The weather was beautiful again.  We took surface streets to the parking area and paid our fee at a kiosk (0855).  We then walked towards the nice overlook spot - Brenna liked the view.  Next, we walked around on the road that circled the top of Mont Royal and visited the big cross.  Making our way back to the car, we looked inside the visitor center building before departing (0955).  We drove a short distance to the entrance of the Notre Dame Cemetery (Cote des Neiges) and located Owen Coogan's stone.  Since my last visit, the grass had been cut - things looked much better.  Next, we explored the area a little and made our way towards Griffintown.  We located the Parc Du Fauberg-Sainte-Anne (ruins of the St. Ann's Church, where our family had attended).  During this time, Brenna asked me lots of questions about family history.  In Griffintown, there was a LOT of new construction, mostly apartment buildings, but very little parking.  We got lucky, though, and found a place on the street near Lock #3 for the Lachine Canal.  I had to laugh because this was the exact location for the "Lock and Paddle" that we'd missed the day before...  There were LOTS of bikers and people doing yoga in the area and we spent time exploring the history, bike trails and wonderful views.  By 1055, we were back at our car and made our way (again via the ruins of St. Ann's Church), towards the entrance to the Victoria Bridge (Rue Wellington, Rue Bridge and QC-112).  The route was a tight fitting squeeze for my car and the surface of the old bridge was metal.  The views were good, though.  I'd hoped to take Brenna to the Ile-Notre-Dame (for the Olympic venues) but couldn't make it work due to the way the roads were organized.  Instead, we got on A20 and headed south; this route took us to A15.  I'd briefly considered getting on the "normal" road, A10, but took the scenic route along the Saint Lawrence River.  Brenna was getting hungry by this point so I suggested we get some crepes at Eggsquis.  She liked that idea and we found one along our route, although we had to backtrack through farm fields (after getting off A15) to reach the restaurant  (located in St-Constant / Delson, QC).  Once seated, we both ordered some good stuff (crepes) enjoyed a nice meal.  After that (1215), we used A30 to get back to A15 and drove south.  Brenna decided she wanted a break from talking - she put on her ear buds and listened to music while I drove.  She eventually fell asleep and got a nice nap.  As we approached the border at Blackpool, QC Google Maps suggested we drive east (on Montee Guay) to the border crossing at Rouses Point, NY (used QC-223 and US-11).  This turned out to be a good suggestion and we arrived there at 1305.  The line of cars wasn't too bad and, by 1315, we were through the checkpoint.  Next, we got on US-2 and headed towards the southeast.  This route took us across the Lake Champlain islands and Brenna liked the scenery.  At about this time, I remembered that Mollie had once shared a Facebook Message with me about a bike trail called the Colchester Causeway - I recalled that it was nearby.  I managed to locate the spot and we headed over there (via US-2 to US-7  and back roads).  Once parked (1430), we took a walk and enjoyed the wonderful trail conditions - we saw LOTS of bikers.  Brenna enjoyed the scenery and we spent about 45 minutes there.  I was quite relieved that our car didn't get towed off of the "Private Road"...  Backtracking towards I-89, we started driving towards home.  Since President Biden had just announced that he would no longer be in the running for 2024, Brenna and I talked about this for a while.  During this time, we made good time to the Connecticut River and stopped in West Lebanon so I could do some shopping at Home Depot (1645).  We also stopped at the Beverage King (to look for a drink that Mollie wanted; no luck) and then headed home (arrived at 1715).  Brenna unloaded her stuff and then took a three hour nap.  Meanwhile, I did some chores in my condo.  Brenna was awake again by 2030 and we ate some dinner (leftovers) together.  We then watched another movie on my streaming services.  It was over before 2200 and I headed to bed (Brenna stayed up for a little while).  It will be hard to say goodbye to Brenna after such a nice visit!

Montreal Trip - Day 3

This morning, I was awake by 0630 but Brenna slept late again (until 0930).  Meanwhile, I went to breakfast (0730), read, did Duolingo, worked on the ND Alumni Notes.  I also took care of planning for my upcoming kayak trip.  Eventually (1015), Brenna was fed and dressed.  After listing off a few activities that she wanted to do that would require a car (most on Mont Royal), I requested that she find a location that was closer to the hotel.  She then told me she was interested in visiting the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (she'd noticed it on the map yesterday) so we walked there.  It was about 45 minutes away from the hotel but the weather was nice.  We just had to make our way to Rue Sherbrooke and head southwest.  On the way, we talked about other activities we might do later in the day.  When we arrived at the entrance, Brenna bought tickets for us and we went into the first of three buildings that the museum had.  For the next several hours, we walked around all of the exhibits (including one special event with Flemish painters).  Along the way, we saw some good (famous) artists and some crazy modern things that we didn't consider "art".  At one point, we found a restaurant in the main museum building and ate lunch (1245).  Following lunch, we continued exploring the exhibit floors in the second and third building.  Overall, we did a LOT of walking.  After almost four hours in the museum, we finally departed and made our way back towards the hotel.  Brenna had a hankering for some "good" coffee ("not Tim Hortons again") so we looked for a local place.  This led us through part of McGill University, which was under a sort of lockdown after the Pro-Palestinian rally camp had been removed.  Eventually (near the gated main entrance), we found a café called "Second Cup" - fortunately, it had the iced coffee that Brenna wanted.  Afterwards, we walked further east to Boulevard Rene-Levesque.  On the way towards our hotel, we passed the Courtyard Hotel that I'm almost sure was the place we stayed during our visit in 2006... Brenna was getting tired and wanted to "chill in the room" so, after we reached the hotel (1630), we both took a break.  This was a bit disappointing to me because I'd hoped we could go to Notre Dame (for Mass) or to the Lock and Paddle event in the Lachine Canal.  Brenna, however, just didn't seem interested in walking around too much more.  While waiting for her, I ended up falling asleep again and so did she.  I was awake at 1800 but Brenna kept resting for a while.  Meanwhile (1900), it started raining and this curtailed plans we had to return to the Festival International Nuits d'Afrique.  Instead, we went to a nearby corner store (D & B Depanneur) to pick up some drinks and snacks.  Back in the room, we ate, drank and played one of the games (Racko) that Brenna had brought.  We had a good time and enjoyed all of the food and fun.  It kept raining all evening.  We watched some of the local TV and were getting ready for bed (2200) when we suddenly started hearing strange noises outside.  It took a bit but we soon realized that fireworks had begun at the nearby amusement park, La Ronde (I guess they decided that the weather had improved enough).  We were able to watch them from our hotel room and they lasted for about 30 minutes.  Brenna was really glad for this unusual treat.  Afterwards, we wound down to bed-time with a bit more television and talking.  Both of us were lights out by 2345.  Another fun day with my daughter!

Montreal Trip - Day 2

After a good sleep, I got up very early (0530) and started teleworking in the hotel room.  I took a break for breakfast in the hotel restaurant (0745) and then resumed my work (meetings).  Meanwhile, Brenna slept until 0930 and only got out of bed to go to breakfast when I warned her that the restaurant was going to close in 30 minutes.  She came back with stories of all the differences she'd been noticing about Canada versus the US.  While I continued working, Brenna got ready to leave the hotel.  At about 1100, she went looking for a Tim Hortons and, for the rest of the afternoon, she kept contacting me to send photos and tell me about her adventures in Old Montreal (including the Notre Dame Basilica).  She seemed to be having a great time and I was happy for her.  During this part of the day, Mollie texted with me for a while (mostly to talk about a trail she'd heard about in Canada near Lake Huron - it sounded like a nice place to visit).  I finished my telework day at 1600 and texted Brenna to see where she was.  She replied that she was walking to a museum she wanted to visit and wouldn't be back for several hours.  When I told her I was OK with this, she suddenly changed her mind completely and returned to the hotel (1615).  I thought this meant we would go out to explore but she ended up spending the next two hours reading and relaxing in the room.  Feeling a bit bored, I took a nap and didn't wake up until 1830.  By then, I actually had to wake Brenna up to get her to go out exploring.  Once she was ready, we walked over to Rue St. Denis and then took Rue St. Catherine towards the south. I wasn't expecting to find an event going on in the area where I'd attended the Jazz Festival but we encountered something called "Festival International Nuits d'Afrique".  There were many more food trucks and music, even stand-up comedy.  Fortunately, the weather was very nice.  As we explored, I realized we were close to Lola Rosa, the vegan restaurant I'd discovered in June.  Brenna said she was interested in having dinner there so we got a table on the mezzanine level inside.  We then ordered a Caesar salad, some tomato bread, lasagna (for me) and a quesadilla (for her).  I also got a local beer and Brenna got some Sangria.  All of the food was excellent - Brenna commented on how good much good stuff was in the quesadilla.  We topped off the meal with some carrot cake (also good).  During our dinner, we had a great conversation.  After finishing (2100), we decided to continue touring the festival venue, which turned out to be smaller than it was for the Jazz Festival.  We eventually reached the Scene TD Stage in Partierre du Quartier des Spectacles (a park where I'd spent a lot of time in June) and watched several musical acts, including Sofaz (from Reunion, Maroc and Burkina Faso), a DJ Set and Bim (from Benin).  All the music was good and there was a lot of French being spoken.  There was also a lot of Africa and other French Colony food/drink but we didn't try any (because we were still full).  I found a program and learned there were several more evenings of the festival.  Brenna asked if we could return the next day and I told her that sounded like a good idea.  Eventually, we both decided that we were tired and made our way out of the venue (2230).  On the way back to the hotel, we encountered several of the "pink baby" mascots that seem to represent the area of town (Brenna liked them).  At one point, we found ourselves in a rather secluded area - Brenna was not happy about this and asked that we backtrack to Rue St. Catherine.  Heeding her request, we made our way in that direction and found a LOT more people there.  Since it was still nice weather, I took her farther towards the north (into the LGBTQ section).  After watching some live music and buskers, we headed to the hotel.  My key didn't work so I had to get it fixed in the lobby.  Once in the room again (2300), we both relaxed and unwound and talked about current events.  I was in bed by 2345 and Brenna followed soon afterwards.  What a nice day!

Montreal Trip - Day 1

Brenna slept in at my condo until almost 1100.  Meanwhile, I started my telework day and then departed (at 0915) for the Trail Magic event I was conducting (with my friends) in Hanover (at the Black Recreation Center).  We hosted a big cookout for the Appalachian Trail Thru Hikers who were passing through on their way to Maine or Georgia.  In addition to many of the same friends and neighbors who helped make this event a success last year, we were joined by members of the local Trail Angels group and the staff of the RWB Rec Center.  The hiker feed was definitely a hit and many of our visitors took advantage of the nice weather, cooling shade and all the space we had for airing out gear or swapping out equipment they’d received at our Post Office. Along the way, we were inspired by the drive and determination of our guests.  In turn, I believe we were successful in sharing some Upper Valley cheer for their amazing journeys.  Overall, our collaboration with the town produced a great event that benefited 24 NOBO and 3 SOBO hikers.  It was a perfect day of food, fun and trail stories - I’m proud to be connected to our wonderful trail town and such awesome friends!  Brenna texted and called me several times as she woke up, got coffee and did some reading.  Eventually, she texted that she was going to walk down to the event; when she arrived (1230), she happily joined in the fun.  She met lots of hikers and talked to my friends.  Near the end of the event (1500), she helped me to clean up items and load things in the car.  We'd heard that one of the hikers wanted to go to the Urgent Care facility in Lebanon so Brenna and I drove him there.  We dropped him off for his appointment and then drove to West Lebanon to pick up some items I'd left with Chan Chan's Alternations/Sewing.  Next, we drove north towards Hanover and stopped for gas at Irving in West Lebanon.  Arriving at my condo after driving through Hanover again, Brenna and I discussed how we needed to hurry and get out of town.  She quickly packed while I unloaded/reloaded the car and then we cleaned up the condo a bit (note: I also loaded my inflatable kayak, in case we could participate in Lock & Paddle).  By 1620, we were on our way towards Montreal.  To leave town, we drove through Hanover (that took a little while) but then made good time on I-91 to the I-89 entrance.  From there, we drove north towards the Canadian Border and had some nice talks on the way.  We tried to stop at a rest area before the border checkpoint but it had already closed (1820).  Instead, we drove right to the border and arrived to find only a few cars waiting to cross.  It actually took less than five minutes to clear Canadian Customs! Brenna had a lot of questions for me before and after we drove into Canada.  After that, we talked about what we were going to do in Montreal and about some family history.  The weather was very nice and Brenna told me she liked the flat terrain ("but not as much as the mountains").  We hit traffic a few times but were able to reach our destination in the city (Hotel le Roberval) by 1950.  We quickly got checked in, moved our gear to the room and checked out the Murphy Bed (Brenna liked that).  I then tried to find some parking for our car (that took about 45 minutes).  When I returned to the room, Brenna was ready to go out for a walk near the hotel.  I took her over to Rue St. Denis and we explored the pedestrian-only area.  It was a bit cooler than we are used to in the US so we each wore longer sleeves.  At about 2115, we sat down at Frite Alors, a cute little restaurant with Poutine as a specialty, and ordered some food/drinks.  Brenna got the classic poutine and I got the signature (named for the restaurant) version.  Our drinks were a red beer for me and a chardonnay for Brenna.  She didn't really like the drink so I asked the server if she could improve on it.  The nice lady (younger than Brenna) converted the drink to a Sangria which Brenna liked a LOT.  Our conversation flowed freely and we ended up closing down the restaurant (last ones there).  Before departing, though, Brenna got some good ideas from the server about things to do on her first trip to Canada in many years.  Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel (arrived at 2230) and settled in for the night.  Brenna stayed awake a bit longer than me but we both had our lights out by 2330.  Let the Montreal fun begin!

Montreal Jazz Festival Trip - Day 4

Happy Canada Day to my friends up north!  It was finally time for me to return to the US and, I guess, my body clock knew that.  I was only able to sleep until 0515.  This did allow me to some some teleworking very early from the hotel.  At 0800, I went to breakfast in the lobby (VERY crowded again).  Back in the room, I continued teleworking.  I'd asked for a late checkout (due to some meetings) but the hotel front desk called at 1215 to ask "why haven't you checked out?"  I assured them that I had coordinated a late checkout and they relented.  Fortunately, I had packed the night before so, at 1245 (done with my meetings), I departed the hotel.  Another bonus: I was able to carry everything back to the parking garage on Sanguinet (UQAM) in one trip.  After using my paper ticket, I got to my car and then left the garage (1255).  I found this parking location to be very inexpensive.  Next, I drove west towards the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery.  At around that time, one of my work colleagues (Rakesh) called but I asked to call him back later.  Carefully avoiding tickets (I do feel like I know the traffic rules better now after I researched them online), I drove through town until I reached the NDdN entrance near the St. Joseph's Oratory.  After trying to get my bearings inside the cemetery, located the family plot (1330). Owen Coogan was a direct ancestor who didn’t complete the journey from Ireland to the US like the rest of his siblings, cousins and children. He was living in Montreal when the Constitution Act, which officially created the Confederation, was signed in 1867. Since his death in 1885, the rest of the family departed the country and the upkeep of the family plots was left to the cemetery staff.  I’ve actually been in touch with them during the last few years and believe they have done a good job.  However, the elements have not been kind to the stones and I was starting to get concerned they’d be illegible in a few years.  Fortunately, I recently learned some new techniques for tombstone upkeep from one of my New Hampshire friends (Denis I.) and thought I’d try to make improvements myself.  This idea was inspired by my experience during El Dia de Los Muertos in South America, when family members spent a holiday improving the final resting places of their departed cherished ones.  The love and respect they showed was very moving and I hoped to emulate their dedication,  Ultimately, I think I made some good strides towards getting the letters to “pop”.  The cleaning even revealed a different spelling for Owen’s wife’s maiden name: O’Here vs. O’Hare, as we’d always read it.  The weather was great while I worked in the tall grass of our family’s plot and I even had time to clean a second stone.  During this project, I was startled by fearless families of groundhogs and raccoons - they got so close!  Hopefully, today’s efforts will ensure that the lettering on the stone that memorializes Owen’s journey across the sea can be appreciated for years to come!  I left the cemetery at about 1430 and got on A-20.  Making my way to A-10, I drove out of Montreal and crossed the Saint Lawrence River.  I made one work call (Rakesh) after I'd hit some traffic (camper broke down).  Got on A-35 and later stopped in St-Jean-Richelieu for lunch at a restaurant called "Scores".  My order ended up being a nice platter of meats, veggies, rice, etc.  Also got pie ala mode - mmm... At 1535, I got back on the road (A-35 again) and made good time to QC-133.  Passed the time with audiobooks and calls with my daughters.  Made it to the border by 1615 and there was only one car in front of me - maybe Monday traveling is smarter than other days.  From there, it only took two hours on I-89 for me to reach home.  Unpacked at 1815 and resumed teleworking for part of the early evening.  Overall, I had a great trip!

Montreal Jazz Festival Trip - Day 3

Montreal Jazz Festival - Day 3!  Slept until 0630 this morning and then spent some time reading and relaxing before going down to breakfast in the hotel lobby.  The venue was very crowded so I got in and got out quickly.  Back in my room, I did some blogging and more reading.  At about 0930, I departed Hotel Le Roberval and walked west.  This led to another great experience in Montreal! For the next two hours, I walked almost the full length (down and back) of vibrant Rue Ste-Catherine (north to Av Papineau, south to Rue St-Marc).  The weather was wonderful and it wasn't too busy when I started.  Along the way, I tried to locate restaurant (Le Chambre Brasserie Sportive) I'd previously visited but figured out that it had gone out of business.  I did find the building where it used to be located, first with deja vue and then with some Google history.  At 1130, I walked back to my hotel because it started getting hotter.  In my room, I rested and read some more until it was time to meet up with one of my Hanover, NH neighbors.  Monte, who used to live in Montreal, arrived at my hotel by 1215 and took me to eat lunch at "the best Smoked Meat place in the city".  At first, I thought we were going somewhere farther away but it eventually became clear that we were headed for a place just off Rue Ste-Catherine that was only 1.2km from my hotel.  Monte's map app took us all over the place, though, and then directed us to a building under renovation.  Next, we had to park in a garage with no clear exit.  When we finally located the restaurant he had in mind, we were in a major construction zone.  Sitting down at the tables inside of Dunn's, though, we enjoyed a delicious Smoked Meat meal (with rye bread, cold slaw, a pickle & fries) and I had a local beer.  We were done eating at 1340 and, after navigating through a big mall to Monte's car, headed back towards my hotel.  On the way, we ended up on the campus of McGill University.  Due to construction and confusing signs, Monte couldn't find a way to reach my hotel again - to help out, I offered to walk from our location (at that point, I was about three blocks from Le Roberval).  During the lunch hour, it had gotten hot so I spent the next few hours resting and reading my room.  Towards the end of this window, Eileen called (during her drive home) and I spoke with her for a while.  At 1815, I headed towards the Jazz Festival venue (1815).  With much nicer weather and a “famous artist” scheduled for the main stage at 2130, my experience tonight was much different from the previous two.  For one thing, there were a LOT of people!  Even at 1830, when I arrived, I had trouble getting around to the different stages (actually felt claustrophobic at times).  Still, I managed to catch sets by Audrey Ochoa Quartet, Uplift514, Cedric Burnside, Butcher Brown, John Roseboro and Melissa Aldana.  At one point, I also managed to get some dessert and another good local beer at Lola Rosa’s (the vegan place where I ate dinner last night).  While I was sitting at the bar, one of the other patrons struck up a conversation about the music - we both agreed that Butcher Brown (still playing on the main stage) was excellent.  It soon became clear that I had a lot in common (age, kids, work, hobbies) with my new friend, Patric (from a town close to Quebec City).  Talking with him reminded me of all the great interpersonal experiences I’ve had when I travel - the world really is a friendly place when you venture away from the American tour group… After finishing my dinner (2010), I experienced a bit of a letdown, though.  Not only did the concert venue get even more crowded, but the “talent” that appeared on stage for the main event turned out to be someone called Freddie Gibbs, a foul mouthed rapper whose first song included a long chant of “F* the Police”.  Needless to say, I retreated from the presence of the angry mob he was inciting and spent the rest of the night on the complete opposite side of the event area.  The musicians there played tunes that were much more my speed.  Like last night, the Rogers Stage featured a blues performer and the music was nice and smooth. There was a lot of good sax playing at the Molson Bar and Rio Tinto stages. Something else, different from the other evenings, improved the ambiance: street musicians set up on the fringes of the Festival Zone.  Very nice!  The weather was breezy and pleasant and I might have stayed longer if I wasn’t such an old man who was past his bed time.  Departing to return to my hotel (2230), I headed east toward Rene Levesque, where I found an inside food court I hadn't noticed before.  I also came to one of the entrances of Chinatown - that brought back some more good memories from our 2006 visit.  Back in my hotel room before 2300, I spent the rest of the night reading and social media posting. Finally went to bed at 2355.  As I dozed off to sleep, I felt great about this three night experience.  I’d definitely do it all again - hopefully, it won’t take another 18 years to return!

Montreal Jazz Festival Trip - Day 2

Montreal Jazz Festival - Day 2!  I was awake by 0500 but managed to get myself back to sleep until almost 0800.  I played around on my computer for a bit, did some reading and Duolingo and went to breakfast (French fare) in the hotel restaurant.  There were lots of people there and they were almost all hacking and coughing.  I wasn't ready to depart the hotel until just before noon.  Rain was forecasted but the streets of the old city were calling so loudly that I decided to brave any potential elements. I departed Berri-UQAM, with no particular destination in mind, and walked down to the Vieux Port.  I then made my north to the Old Clocktower on the St. Lawrence River.  While standing on the pier there, I became interested in an island that I could see across the swift-running waters.  Since it wasn’t pouring at that moment, I began a search for a foot bridge that might take me over there.  In hindsight, I probably should have just paid for a ferry ride but the river was so strong that even the largest boats were having trouble fighting the current - walking seemed wiser.  Next, I made my way south, paralleling the river and Lachine Canal.  At times, I found myself on long islands/peninsulas that formed the shipping terminal but I couldn’t find a way to cross the main channel until I encountered the Lachine Canal Bike Path.  The weather started to worsen at that point.  Despite the wind and rain, there were plenty of serious cyclists and I followed a well marked path until I was on the Rue Quai-Bickerdike.  From there, it was a straight shot north to a bridge that took me on to the Ile Sainte-Helene.  By this point, the rain and wind were really nasty but I kept going because I could see the ferry landing ahead.  Reaching dry land again after my harrowing bridge crossing, I walked into the Parc Jean-Drapeau, where the Bio-Sphere is located.  Most of this area of Montreal, especially the nearby Ile Notre Dame, seems to have connections to the 1976 Olympics and I wanted to see/explore/learn history.  By that point, though I didn’t feel like walking too much farther through the wet/wind so directed my steps towards a small bistro I’d spotted. Inside the warm, dry restaurant (1355), I dined on some good food (egg salad sandwich, chips, cookie) and tried a Griffintown Ale.  This beer, which was really good, was also kind of special because the Coogans settled in Griffintown when they first arrived in North America in the early 1840s.  Afterwards, I explored the park for a little while.  But then the rain got worse - I was tired from walking anyway so I started toward the ferry landing. Just then (1435), though, I noticed that there was a Metro station on the island!  Quickly purchasing an "Opus" card (for the subway) that had two trips on it, I was whisked across the Saint Lawrence and made it back to my hotel less than 20 minutes later.  I’m certain that a ferry ride would have been nicer on a day with good weather but the subway was definitely a nice alternative.  Three hours, six miles, calories burned and lots of memories made in Vieux Montreal!  After getting back to my hotel room (1500), I spent some time drying off and resting before my next adventure.  At 1620, I departed the hotel again and walked to the nearby Metro Station.  From there, I took a train to Place des Armes and then walked to Notre Dame Basilica.  Arriving at about 1640, I waited for about 10 minutes before they opened the door for people to attend Mass.  When Owen Coogan stepped off the ship in Montréal in the early 1840s, the Basilique Notre Dame de Montreal was a little more than 10 years old (the towers weren’t even finished). He was later married there and his family received all their Sacraments in the parish.  For this reason, then, it was a special moment for me to attend the parish of my ancestors as a participant in Holy Mass (everything was in French).  It’s been years since this was “our family’s” spiritual home but I like to think my visit renewed the membership.  Afterwards (1745), I explored the church afterwards before walking due west towards the event zone for the Jazz Festival. The rain during this time was relentless and I was pretty soaked by the time I rolled into the Quartier des Spectacles (1800).  I caught a performance by Uplift514 soon after I got in and also located the Pub Molson venue, an area I’d missed the night before.  Arriving early (the festival had started less than one hour before) had a major perk - short lines.  This included restaurants in the event zone and I managed to snag an inside table at Lola Rosa’s, a popular vegan spot at the Place des Artes (1815).  I’m not normally interested in meat substitutes but the “Lola Cheesesteak” on pretzel bun, frites with herb mayo and side salad (washed down with a Rousse Ale Ambre) was delicious!  The line was huge by the time I left (1900), mostly because of the continuing rain.  I listened to the Dusty Brass Band at Le Cabaret again before starting a circuit of the other stages.  Tonight I caught sets by Alicia Creti, Madison Ryann Ward, Noe Lira, Ekep Nkwelle and Little Magic Sam.  The latter performer was actually a blues group from Toronto and I enjoyed their music so much that I attended both sets they did.  By the second one (2100), the rain had stopped and all the remaining hardy souls were dancing, clapping and cheering.  Like yesterday, I was able to forget my normal life and fade into some smooth sounds.  After Little Magic Sam finished their last song, I walked northeast (passed through St. Denis pedestrian area).  As I reached 10 miles of walking for the day, I felt very glad I’d spent so much time outside today..  Arrived at my hotel by 2215 and spent the rest of the evening reading.  Bed at 2345.  The return to the Jazz Festival has turned out just like I'd hoped!

Montreal Jazz Festival Trip - Day 1

Montreal Jazz Festival - Day 1!  About 18 years ago, I was in Montreal with my family and discovered their unique annual musical event.  Each night we attended, I loved the vibe and sound.  Since that visit, I have been wanting to return to the festival - today was my chance!  Before departing for Canada, I teleworked all morning and into the early afternoon.  Since I'd already packed last night, I was able to depart my condo by 1345.  On the way out of town, I stopped for gas at Irving in West Lebanon (1400) and then got on US-4, which I used to reach I-89.  From that point, I drove north towards the Canadian border.  Unusual for me, I had to make some stops at rest areas because I'd drunk a lot of water earlier in the day.  I got some calls from Brenna (car trouble) on the way and we had a LOT of time to talk after I reached the queue for Canadian customs (1605).  I ended up waiting in line (to cross the border) for more than 45 minutes.  As a result, I was delayed for close to an hour on the normally easy drive to Montreal (if you include traffic on the Champlain Bridge increasing during that window).  Once in Canada, I drove north on QC-133.  When I had to get off on to the "old" road (due to continued construction on the four lane highway), I encountered a rolled-over tanker truck at the roundabout!  Fortunately, some nice locals had set up a way (for cars to take turns using the same 1/3 of the roundabout) to get around the damaged vehicle.  There was a lot of traffic on the route towards Montreal but I eventually reached the A-35.  After that, I made great time going north.  Meanwhile, I took more calls from Brenna (car fixed).  I started encountering traffic at A-10 and it was relatively slow going all the way to the Saint Lawrence River.  However, I crossed OK and then followed A-10 towards the north.  Started seeing lots of construction, signs for speed cameras, signs for red light cameras - all the while, I started to truly believe I would get a ticket.  At one point, I got off the highway and tried to use surface streets but Google Maps got me right back on the jammed highway.  I ultimately arrived at the Hotel Le Roberval at about 1815.  However, it then it took me almost 15 minutes to find a place to park nearby.  I eventually (after making several right turns, including some on red) made it to the "15 minute parking" spot - went inside, paid for my room and then unloaded the car.  The front desk clerk told me that my car was too big for the on-site parking garage on but recommended some others nearby.  As a result, I spent almost an hour driving around on one way, construction filled streets.  I got misdirected a bunch of times and ended up in places where I couldn't go anywhere but backwards.  At one point, I spotted a parking garage within 1 km of the hotel (SPAQ / UQAM on Rue Sanguinet) but it was about 10 yards down a one way street.  Frustrated, I ended up driving the "wrong way" just to get to the entrance (everything worked out OK).  Driving inside (1850), I realized I'd done a very good thing because the daily rate was only $15CAD and there were plenty of spots!  After parking, I had trouble getting outside because (I learned later) the garage was connected to a school that was no longer in session.  During an exchange with some nice locals, I got some important tips (like bring the parking receipt to get back inside) and followed them out of the garage.  After that, it was a quick walk back to the hotel.  With great anticipating, I quickly changed and finally departed for the Jazz Festival.  Initially, I walked south from the hotel, taking Rue Saint Denis and walked into a nice area of restaurants and pleasant outdoor enjoyment.  This place was called the Quartier des Spectacles - the neighborhood of the festival - so I kept on exploring towards the south.  I encountered pick-up soccer games, heard lots of local/cultural music and enjoyed the marvelous weather.  After a bit of walking, I eventually located the area for the performance stages (starting at Parterre and stretching towards the Place-des-Arts).  Satisfied I'd made a good decision to return to the festival, I quickly settled right back into the swing of things!  Starting at1945, I explored the entire concert venue (multiple city blocks), deciphered the complicated schedule, sampled several stages and enjoyed local food & drink.  There were crowded areas, packed with rowdy fans, but I also found quieter places, lightly sprinkled with people who were sitting on the grass as they grooved to the music.  The weather was awesome and I lost myself in the smooth sounds of so many instruments.  Added to that, the many French conversations all around (and even directed at) me made me forget some stresses of home.  Initially, I enjoyed the performance of several artists in the area of Scene Rogers and Scene Rio Tinto.  Later, I found a place for a beer and walked around inside the venue until I finished it.  Next, I walked further to the southwest (although I couldn't tell that from the paper map I had because it didn't indicate the direction of North).  I found even more food and many more people.  At one point, I found myself packed in like a sardine with many others who were watching the main stage.  I managed to extricate myself and explored more of the area.  Feeling hungry, I got a hot dog and then found a place (Poutine Factory) with more delicious food.  While eating, I continued enjoying artists who could be heard from nearly every angle.  I got one more beer near the end of the evening and, surprisingly, located a bathroom nearby (in the VIP area) that didn't have a huge line like the rest.  After that, I continued walking and listening to the performances until I'd made my way back to the Parterre.  It was then that I noticed that the first artist I'd watched when I arrived was starting her second set. Not wanting to exhaust myself on the first night, I departed the Jazz Festival at 2145. I walked north and east towards the hotel - many of the landmarks were familiar and I only needed to check my map a little bit.  The trip wasn't too long and I was in my room by 2215.  Once there, I spent a bit of time trying to decipher the program - I figured out who I'd watched (Sunny War, Cory Henry, Salin and the Dusty Brass Band) and got a better orientation of things I'd done/seen.  After that, I did some reading before going to sleep (2355).  Overall, it was a wonderful Summer evening among Les Quebecois!

Montreal Pilgrimage - Day 2

It was quite noisy in the halls of the John XXIII Pavilion during the night but the building was warm and I had my white noise machine.  With the time change ("Fall Back"), I only ended up sleeping until 0430.  I read for about an hour before I got ready and left our lodgings for a walk.  Almost immediately, I encountered a Holy Cross Bishop (from northeast India) and talked with him for a bit.  I then took a circuit around the immediate neighborhood and then walked down Queen Mary Road to Cote des Neiges again.  Once there, I checked out stores and restaurants there before backtracking to the Oratory - I arrived at the Pavilion at about 0655, just before the breakfast buffet began.  In the communal dining area, I ate a nice meal (fruit, croissants, cereal) and was joined about 15 minutes later by Joe and Jason.  We ate together and talked for a little bit before going back to our rooms to pack up for departure.  By 0745, we met in the lobby and then loaded up the car.  Because parking on the hill was at such a premium, we walked up the hill to the Oratory (0800) instead.  The views from the southern peak of Mount Royal were tremendous! We got some photos before heading inside, where we did some Eucharistic Adoration (30 minutes) and went to Confession.  When I finished with that, the earlier Mass was just letting out so I got to prep myself for the French Mass that we planned to attend a bit later.  By 0930, we were all together again as the service began.  It was hard to follow all the prayers but there were some helpful books in the pews.  I definitely noticed some differences in the order of the Mass and enjoyed the interesting prayers.  Best part: the music was wonderful!  Afterwards, Joe tried to get some St. Joseph's Oil blessed while Jason lit some candles for members of our Parish.  Meanwhile, I got to witness a wonderful image of comfort as the Counseling Priest assisted a young lady (passing by the place where I was sitting) who was obviously dealing with a great sorrow.  He was really caring and helpful to her.  Together again with Joe and Jason, we walked through the Oratory one more time.  After that, we walked down the hill to our car.  The weather was so wonderful, I suggested a walk through the Mount Royal Park and the guys agreed with that suggestion.  To get there, we used Queen Mary Road and entered the Cote des Neiges Cemetery. Joe and Jason were very patient while I located the gravesites of my ancestors (1110).  After that, we maneuvered out of the cemetery and drove up to the parking area for Mount Royal (1130).  I had a bit of trouble trying to figure out how to pay for parking on the strange (French) machine but, once that was resolved, we walked a short distance to the Mount Royal Chalet and got the amazing view of Montreal I'd last seen in 2022.  We also toured inside the Chalet and then walked over to the big cross on the north end of the mountain.  Back at Jason's car by 1225, we then started to make our way back to A-15.  Fortunately, we managed to get there with some side streets and then crossed the Saint Lawrence without traffic.  Once on Route 10, we proceeded to A-35 (backtrack to Saint Jean sur Richelieu).  Joe had seen a place there called Poutine and Company so we found it again (1335) and ate a delicious lunch.  We each got a different kind of poutine and it was all really good.  After we'd eaten our fill, we started south on A-35 and QC-133.  This time, we headed straight for the I-89 crossing at Saint Armand.  Along the way, we saw lots of evidence of the impending opening of the A-35 extension of the highway.  We arrived at the Customs Checkpoint at 1510 and had to wait nearly an hour to cross.  When we reached the border guard, our talk with him lasted less than five minutes.  Once back in the US, we drove (via I-89) and made great time to Lebanon (NH), arriving at my condo at 1800.  What a wonderful two days of prayer and penance!  Thinking back on all the activities we did that were meaningful to us as Catholics, the highlights were definitely: attending a French Mass, experiencing many unique holy areas (most honored St. Joseph) within the Oratory, learning about the exemplary life of Saint Andre Bessette (“Frere Andre”), spending the night (on the Oratory grounds) in the John XXIII Pavilion, encountering members of the Congregation of the Holy Cross (caretakers of the Oratory and founders of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend) as they performed their duties, walking through colorful forests (at Bois Summit and Mount Royal Park), marveling at the amazing vistas available from the mountain shrine and paying respects to Owen Coogan at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery.  We also found three wonderful Quebecois restaurants that served some unbelievable food.  Overall, our weekend away was the perfect blend of faith, history, language and culture.  Montreal’s St. Joseph Oratory was definitely a worthwhile site for a pilgrimage and I hope to return again soon!

Montreal Pilgrimage - Day 1

Some of my friends from the Men of St. Joseph group at my church suggested that we take a Pilgrimage to Montreal earlier in the year.  Due to difficulties aligning schedules, several attempts were made but canceled.  This morning, we finally got everyone on the same page (or so I thought) and planned to leave very early in the morning for Canada.  However, Jason slept late so our planned meet-up of 0615 (at my condo) didn't happen.  Instead, he came by to get me at about 0800 and we went to pick up Joe.  We finally departed Lebanon at 0830 and drove north on I-89.  We had a good talk on the way as Jason drove us through light rain.  As we approached Burlington, we started to get Apple Maps messages about road closures - Jason's iPhone eventually switched us to a new route (VT-78, Alburg Springs Road) that took us off the Interstate at Swanton (VT) and across the Canadian Border at Clarenceville (QC).  The border guard there asked us a lot of questions about why we used that crossing and, when we told him about the Apple Maps, he clarified that the other road was actually open.  He then (nicely) warned us not to try to come back the same way unless we arrived before 1600.  From the checkpoint, we drove north to the town of Henryville, where we got on QC-133.  We then drove to the town of Saint Jean Sur Richelieu and crossed the Richelieu River.  Stopping for lunch at an Eggsquis (1215), we ate a delicious meal of breakfast casserole (me), strawberry and chocolate crepes (Jason) and eggs/bacon/potatoes (Joe).  We were finished at around noon and, from there, we drove north on A-35.  We switched to Route 10 and crossed the Saint Lawrence River without incident.  Next, we used A-15 to reach the Mount Royal Area.  Tthere was a bit of traffic over there and, even after we got off at Queen Mary Road, we had trouble with construction near the St. Joseph's Oratory (our destination).  We ended up driving around the area (without success) until we finally found a way into the park (1345).  We did get lucky in finding a parking spot at the top of the mountain and were able to walk right inside the Oratory immediately.  The weather had improved tremendously and we got some amazing views of the western side of Montreal from the front of the building.  Inside, we walked through the Basilica (noting lots of references to Saint Andre Bessette) and checked out the Crypt Chapel, Votive Chapel, Tomb of Brother Andre, Heart of Brother Andre, exhibit on the life of the Saint, Museum and the Original Chapel.  We also visited the gift shop and Joe bought us each a Commemorative Coin from the Pilgrimage site.  I hadn't realized that the Holy Cross Fathers (who I'd first encountered at Notre Dame in South Bend, IN), were the caretakers of the Oratory.  Also, I hadn't realized that Brother Andre had been canonized in 2010.  The Way of the Cross and Garden (along with much of the grounds) were closed for construction so we didn't get to see those.  After a few hours inside the Oratory (1600), we took a walk to the east and entered the Bois Summit (Summit Woods).  The trails over there were really nice and the weather was excellent.  We found a viewpoint on the far east side that provided a wonderful view of the old city of Montreal. Backtracking to the Oratory, we headed down the hill again to check into our lodging (the John XXIII Pavilion).  By 1705, we were in our rooms.  The place was sort of a hostel, with beds and sink in the rooms but a shared bathroom down the hall.  Joe and I had both booked rooms so Jason decided to stay with Joe and I ended up by myself.  After getting cleaned up, we took a walk down Queen Mary Road to Cote des Neiges, where I'd seen a French restaurant called the Duc de Lorraine.  We had a magnificent dinner (Joe and I split a huge burger, salad and fries while Jason ate a huge helping of raviolis) and dessert (some of the tasty pastries they had), along with a Belgian beer, and didn't get done until 1925.  We walked back to our lodging but didn't reach the Oratory property in time us to attend the late Mass at 1930.  That was OK with me and I spent the rest of the night reading in my room.  I found out later that Jason ended up using the chapel in our building for some personal prayer and reflection so that was a nice consolation for missing the service.  Meanwhile, I went to bed at 2200.  Overall, a great day - filled with a lot of amazing experiences.  Looking forward to more tomorrow!

Coos County Weekend - Day 2

I slept well in my car camp at Lake Francis State Park and was awake (well rested) at 0530.  Before getting up completely, I spent some time reading.  Later, I got ready in the campground bathroom and was ready to get on the road by 0600.  It was very foggy as I drove north on US-3.  Despite signs warning me about the wildlife, I only saw deer but no moose.  I drove all the way to the border and arrived to find that it was closed until 0800.  No matter, I didn't think I'd be crossing anyway.  At 0655, I parked at a little lot located just before the border gate and geared up for a hike to Fourth Connecticut Lake, the source of the Connecticut River.  By 0700, I started following the signs that showed the way to go.  Surprisingly, I actually walked along the border fence until I found an opening beyond the US Customs checkpoint.  Imagine my surprise when the trail markers pointed into the "no man's land" along the US-Canada border!  I gingerly crossed the road and headed into the trees, where the border was even more clearly marked by metal posts on the ground and signs on each side (left side signs in English and right side signs in French).  It was still very foggy and the vegetation on the apparently lightly used track was even wetter.  As a result, I was quite soaked before I'd walked very far.  The trail snaked back and forth across the New Hampshire / Quebec border but it was very evident that someone would have to be crazy to try to sneak into either country through such dense forest...  After about a mile, I found a sign that told me I'd reached the "Fourth" circuit trail.  At first, I thought about just walking down to the water and dipping my fingers in the source of the Connecticut but then decided to walk the full circuit so I could step across the outflow.  Unfortunately, I still didn't see any moose while walking around the entire lake.  However, I accomplished my goal of dipping my fingers in The Source.  After that, I backtracked to the car, arriving just before 0830.  By then, there was more activity on the border checkpoints (I could see the Canadian Customs building after the fog lifted).  After eating a bit of food, I started south on US-3 so I could start kayaking.  I spent the rest of the day working my way downstream on the Connecticut River, starting at the first navigable water: Third Connecticut Lake.  While paddling there, I was only a short distance from the Canadian border (I could see the Customs Building) and Fourth Connecticut Lake (I found where the little stream I’d crossed earlier in the morning entered the lake below).  It took an hour (between 0835 and 0935) to make a counterclockwise circuit of “Third” and that was a good thing since the wind picked up tremendously - it was no longer fun by the end.  Encountered two fishing boats and a bald eagle. I next drove to Second Connecticut Lake (a few miles south of “Third”) and spent 90 minutes (between 1015 and 1145) paddling the full length of the western edge (from the dam to the northern outflow).  This lake had a completely different character (little islands, windy in some places and calm in others) and I enjoyed every minute of my paddle.  Saw lots of “party boats”, Canadian Geese, pretty vacation homes and several cheeky loons.  After beginning my paddle in sunshine, the weather gradually turned to dark clouds - fortunately, no rain...  Continuing south from “Second”, I stopped for a decadent ice cream sundae at Moose Alley Cones (1230).  Feeling refreshed after this "sugar bomb", I proceeded to First Connecticut Lake (arrived at the Boat Launch at 1250).  As I was getting my kayak of the car for the third time of the day (most I've ever even thought about doing), I noticed that there was a Lake Steward nearby.  I walked over to talk to him and he told me all about the Island Stream Republic and ultra-conservative voting patterns.  After saying goodbye to him, I logged another hour (1300 to 1400) of kayaking in the southwestern corner of "First".  There was a noticeable current (made worse by speedboats and increasing winds) and I had to watch out for the many glacial erratics above and below the waterline.  Saw lots of kingfishers and more loons.  This lake was quite popular with vacationers... “First” is, by far, the largest of the lakes and it seems like it would take me several days to make a circuit.  After getting done and loading my kayak on Nessie for the last time, I drove down the waterfront in an attempt to get some photos of the lakes (using the Nikon).  The sun had come back out but I but never saw any birds - too bad...  Erin and Mollie both called just as I was leaving Pittsburg (1445) and I talked to them for a little bit.  After that, I used US-3 to reach Stewartstown (NH), Then, I took NH-114 to Canaan (VT) and then all the way back to Burke.  Bonus: I got to see the mountain this time!  I got on US-5 in Lyndonville and was on I-91 soon after that.  From there, I had a good drive home, arriving at my condo by 1720.  Altogether, I got a great exposure to Pittsburg and the Source of the Connecticut River today!

Montreal, QC (USA)

Woke up (0530) this morning in Montreal!  Before leaving my room, I did some more reading, got packed and cleaned up the room.  I then took all of my things down to the Parking Garage.  I checked out with the Front Desk (to beat the Cheerleading Group) at 0700 and immediately went to eat breakfast in the hotel dining area.  It was a spectacular feast!  I haven't seen so much food in many years and it was clear that this hotel was on the high end for travelers.  While I ate, I spent some time planning out my morning.  Departed (with assistance from the lady at the front desk) and drove a short distance to Mount Royal Park - basically, I was backtracking from the evening before.  For the first time, however, I noticed some signs in French that seemed to warning drivers about something.  If it isn't one thing, it's another... After a bit of "exploring", I found the main parking lot at about 0800.  The meters weren't working and I was bit concerned about getting towed - finally decided to just stop worrying and left my car.  From that point, I spent the rest of the morning walking the rim of Mount Royal.  Using the complex trail system (Chemin Olmsted, including part of the Grand Staircase), I found several places where I got some amazing views of Montreal and the St. Lawrence!  The park, I learned, was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (who also designed Central Park in NYC).  It was very pedestrian-friendly and lots of Montrealers were enjoying hikes, bike-rides, etc. in the area.  When I finally reached my car again, I realized that I hadn't heard anyone speaking English all day.  Before proceeding, I looked up words from a road sign that I'd seen earlier and discovered that it meant that there was a speed camera (yikes!).  From the parking area, I drove a short distance over the mountain top to where I got a different view (of the northern part) of Montreal.  I then backtracked to the entrance to Cimiterie Notre-Dame-Cote-des-Neiges.  My last visit (2006) was with my whole family, and we were able to pay our respects to my ancestor, Owen Coogan (the first member of our family to live in North America).  I had hoped to come back for the 200th anniversary of his birth in Ireland (Dec 1820 or Jan 1821) but couldn’t have chosen better weather when I returned today.  Without a map, it took me a long time to find the cemetery stones again.  When I did, I was shocked at how difficult they had become to read - I guess the "acid-rain" (or something else) is having very negative effects...  Explored some other locations (higher elevations) in the Cemetery before departing.  I exited back to Avenue Attwater and took this road all the way through the Downtown.  I actually went through a tunnel under the Lachine Canal!  Eventually, I reached the A15 and then headed east until I was able to cross the Pont Samuel-de-Champlain.  There were no traffic delays this time but there was some construction.  Continued on A10 until I was able to get on A35 - encountered more traffic at the interchange.  Didn't stay on the main highway for long because I wanted to explore the area south of St John-sur-Richelieu.  Used QC-233 initially and then detoured on Rue St Jacques so I could get closer to the Richelieu River.  After that, took Rue Jacques-Cartier until I was able to merge with QC-233 again.  Then continued south, along the river) to Isle-aux-Noix.  After finishing “Rabble in Arms” earlier this year, the place had special meaning...  The park was closed so I didn't stay long - instead, I followed QC-233 to the intersection with QC-202 (Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel).  Because I missed the sign for the Blockhouse, I ended up driving west into the town of Lacolle.  Once I realized my mistake, I backtracked to the park to learn more about Canadian Frontier history.  I then used QC-202 to cross the Richelieu into Noyan.  Took Chemin du Bord-de-l'Eau and then QC-225 to the north (still following the river).  Eventually got on Rue St Jean-Baptiste and merged with QC-133 in Henryville.  Continued south to the US border (1400), where I found a larger crowd of cars (probably six in each of the two open lanes).  I believe I was lucky because everyone in front of me moved pretty quickly - the whole process probably didn't take longer than 20 minutes.  This time, I had no issues with CBP and was soon driving south (with almost no traffic) on I-89 in Vermont.  Stopped for a break at the first rest area (named "Georgia") that I found and checked on the Lake Champlain Ferry.  Continued south again and then took a short detour on US-2 so I could visit Grand Isle.  I used VT-314 to find the ferry landing and then backtracked to the Interstate.  From there, I drove (without stopping) all the way to the Connecticut River.  The weather was great and there still wasn't much traffic.  I talked to Mollie for a little bit and then stopped at Shaws in West Lebanon (done at 1610).  From there, I continued on I-89 and arrived home at 1630.  While unpacking, I considered how fortunate I am to live so close to an "International" city like Montreal - hope I can return again soon!

Montreal, QC (Canada)

It was definitely warmer this week but it’s also still Mud Season.  Because I didn’t feel like driving into the Whites without knowing I’d definitely get to hike, I decided to drive west into the Greens. I was up early because I hadn't packed yet for my trip...  I finally left the hours at 0815 and got gas at Irving in Hanover (0830).  From there, I drove south on NH-10 until I could get on US-4.  Crossed into Vermont and then used I-89 all the way to Waterbury.  Things at high elevations looked good all the way to the Camel’s Hump but I decided to try to hike the Long Trail further north.  Followed VT-100 until reaching Stowe and then got on VT-108.  I felt even more hopeful when I saw a sign about how the route through Smugglers’ Notch had just opened.  By the time I reached the Stowe Mountain Resort, however, I could see lots of snow on Mount Mansfield.  Hoping I could still make the best of the drive, I looked closely at my Long Trail maps and noticed that there were a few miles at lower elevations that I could probably hike.  With beautiful blue skies, I left my car in the ski resort lot and headed SOBO from where the LT passed the Barnes Camp Historic Site (1000).  Temps were in the mid 40s and there was a steady breeze so I layered up a bit.  The initial section was a nice boardwalk but then the trail headed into the woods.  Signs said “closed for mud season” but I kept going…  A little later, I crossed VT-108 again and started up Mount Mansfield.  Was feeling really good during this climb and got the idea I might be able to make it to the Taft Lodge. Making this goal doubtful, though, was that there appeared to be snow near that destination and I had left my micro-spikes in the car.  I passed a middle aged couple (VT grads) who told me they had the same idea.  However, we were only able to walk another half mile before snow and ice made the going more difficult.  My hiking friends turned around but I kept climbing until the snow got too deep and was melted enough that I sank in up to my knees on every step (about 3K’ elevation).  At that point, I was 1.5 miles from the car with no discernible landmark - not the turnaround spot I usually use... Oh well.  Backtracked to a trail junction I’d passed near VT-108.  This blue-blazed trail was called the Barnes Camp Loop and gave me access to the Long Trail on the side of Spruce Peak (other side of the Notch).  I’m not sorry I used this route but I had to work very hard to make the circuit: had to ford a six inch stream and clamber up a steep ledge with lots of downed trees!  From there, though, the 0.6 on the LT (back to my car) was easy.  On the way, got lots of good views of the ski resorts, The Chin and Adam’s Apple.  Finished hiking at 1315 after around 6 miles, feeling very glad that I hiked on such a nice day.  Departed the area by using the extremely narrow road through the Notch - not a drive for the faint of heart!  After crossing the ridge, I made the decision to cross the US/Canada border for the first time since 2011.  I'd brought my passport, researched online and queried my neighbors (they regularly cross) but still had some questions about the process.  The saying goes that all plans change when the battle begins so I figured I'd need to actually try to visit Canada to know how to actually do it correctly...  Resolutely, I continued north...  Stayed on VT-108 until I reached Cambridge and then switched to VT-104.  Used the latter road to reach I-89 on the south side of St. Albans.  When I passed through the town of Fairfax, I texted the girls to show them yet another place-name that has been used many times...  Continued north on the Interstate and stopped for lunch (inside restaurant) at McDonalds in Swanton, VT (1415).  Later drove north again and arrived at the border crossing station at about 1515.  It wasn't too busy and I was soon talking to a Canadian border guard.  After I was done answering all the questions he'd asked, I thought I was good to go but then he asked me why I hadn't used the ArriveCAN app.  D'oh!  I had to park and go inside the Border Checkpoint Office get a lecture on using the pre-clearance process.  Eventually, however, they they let me re-enter the US (fortunately, no line there).  In order to get internet access, I drove about 10 miles south but was able to complete the required process by 1535.  Turned around again and headed back to the border.  This time, everything worked OK and I was driving on QC-133 by 1555.  I didn't immediately try out my International Calling Plan so I used one of my old paper maps (from c.1990!).  Even though I could tell where I was going, the signs were strange (almost nothing was in English).  I spent some time getting used to the flow and driving in kph.  The scenery was also totally different from where I'd been - everything was perfectly flat (like Indiana)!  In the distance (south), though, I could see the Adirondacks.  I followed QC-133 until I reached A35, followed it until I was on A10.  I hardly saw anyone with US license plates...  Before long, I saw the prominent Mont St. Gregoire in the distance (northeast).  As I approached the eastern end of the Pont Samuel-de-Champlain, I encountered a nasty traffic jam.  At that point, I turned on my phone and enabled data roaming so I could learn more about the delay - it turned out to be more than 30 minutes.  From that point, it was stop and go traffic for a LONG time (at least an hour) and I wasn't completely across the bridge until close to 1800.  On the west side of the St. Lawrence River, I followed A15 until I could get off the highway in the Cote-des-Neiges neighborhood.  I drove around on a lot of surface streets and started wondering if they actually allow right on red in Canada...  Eventually, I found the entrance (closed) for the Cimiterie Notre-Dame-Cote-des-Neiges.  Because I wasn't sure I was actually going to get into Canada today, I didn't make a hotel reservation.  At this point, I was really exhausted from all the traveling and logistics so I looked online for the closest hotel to where I wanted to be in the morning (Mount Royal).  Fortunately, I figured out that I only had to drive a few short miles to the Residence Inn Montreal Westmount (Avenue Lincoln).  When I arrived, I learned that they still had a COVID-19 Mask Mandate in effect (through the following week)...  I asked if they had rooms and, after a bit of a delay while they manually got me checked in, I was able to park in their garage and find my room (1830).  The place they gave me, on the 18th floor, had a bit of obstructed view of Montreal and the St. Lawrence but I was very happy to have it!  After getting a shower, I went downstairs and asked the Front Desk about a place where I could have a drink.  They directed me about two blocks east, where I found the Rue Ste. Catherine.  This was a major discovery that I hadn't expected.  Research later told me that it was the busiest shopping and food district in Montreal and I agree with that assessment. I walked for about five blocks (towards the north) and saw lots of stores and restaurants that looked interesting.  Everyone was speaking French...  Since I wanted to try a local beer, I eventually chose La Chambre Brasserie Sportive (a sports bar).  They weren't very busy yet but had a massive TV on the wall and the bartender (Pierre) mentioned that there was a big MMA fight coming up at 2200.  I didn't plan to stay that long but did watch a WNBA game and an exciting undercard MMA match.  It was nice to relax at a quiet pub, with a Hoegaarden and unbelievably cheesy dinner (mac and cheese plate).  I finished up at the bar at around 2100 and then walked back to my hotel.  It was harder to navigate, going back, but I eventually recognized Avenue Attwater and then Avenue Lincoln.  I told the Front Desk manager that he'd made a great suggestion and then headed to my room.  Mollie had called while I was at the Pub and I tried to call her back (no luck).  Read for about an hour in my room and then went to sleep (2230).  When I renewed my passport last year, it reminded me that I hadn’t actually left the US for 10 years; the dry spell ended today!  LT Today = 2.1 miles / Grand Total LT = 121.3 miles

Montreal Trip - Day 13

We checked out of the Four Points by Sheraton on Rue Sherbrooke at 1010.  After stopping to see the ruins of old Saint Ann's Church (Coogan family parish), we drove out of Montreal around 1100. We continued on the north side of the Saint Lawrence and decided to head down towards the Thousand Islands. Along the way, we stopped for poutine again at PFK. When we reached Morrisburg, we learned about a historic park (Upper Canada Village) that told the history of old British Canada. When we got there, we were surprised to learn that they were doing a reenactment of a War of 1812 battle at Crysler’s Farm Battlefield Park (next door)! We decided to stay there for a short time and were treated to finely dressed military "actors" marching and playing fifes and drums. The weather was great, and the river was right behind the action. At around 1600 we drove down to see some of the Locks that are used in the river - the kids liked watching the huge ships moving up and down. By around 1700 we were in the Thousand Islands region. We explored some of the small vacation villages on both sides of the river - it looked like a great place to spend the summer! We crossed back into the US before dark and Nicky managed to get us the VAT rebate - this is the first time this has worked. We continued south on I-81 and it got dark soon after. We drove as far as we could and ended the night in central New York State.

Montreal Trip - Day 12

We were going to leave today, but we learned about a special program that is held at night at Notre Dame du Montreal - another church the Coogans attended. In the morning, I showed Nicky and the kids where the old city was (Vieux Montreal) and dropped back in for a little more genealogy before I met up with them for lunch. By then, Nicky had bought us tickets for the show - held later that afternoon. When we got there, the church was dark and the walls were shrouded in curtains. We got some head-phones that were designed to present the show in English. When it began, there were lights coming from all directions and different parts of the church were revealed as the history of Catholic Montreal was told. At the finale, the entire alter and artwork were uncovered and we were stunned at the beauty. Nicky said this was the best thing she has seen on the trip - very moving and a great experience. We walked around the church afterwards and took some pictures where Owen and Ann O'Hare might have stood when they were married here in 1843. We had a late dinner and went shopping in Chinatown. We also enjoyed one last evening in the Jazz Festival. Back in our hotel (Four Points by Sheraton on Rue Sherbrooke), the kids talked until quite late about how fun the trip had been.  We are all sad that we'll be leaving in the morning...

Montreal Trip - Day 11

I got up early and walked over to work at the Montreal Archives. Most everyone speaks French, but there were a few nice ladies there who were also working on their genealogy. They helped me find things and, after some searching, I located records of Owen and his family. I found two new children (they died as infants) and nailed down some other loose ends. Things were very organized and I spent nearly the whole day there. Meanwhile, Nicky and the kids took the subway over to the Biodome - a nature adventure park. They came back with lots of great stories about how much fun they had. After a short rest at the hotel (Four Points by Sheraton on Rue Sherbrooke), we walked down to Chinatown. We found a great restaurant - very inexpensive - and spent several hours sampling their food. We walked around the Jazz Festival again - fun!