Canadian Maritimes Trek - Gaspe' to Acadian Coastal Drive

I didn't know that...Somehow I had always assumed that the Appalacians ended in Maine. Not so, it ends in the mountainous area in the Gaspe Peninsula. Along Route 132, signs point to the various hiking trails that crisscross the eastern peninsula of Quebec, one of many hiking opportunities we were about to encounter.

The northern section of the route parallels the river, climbs and descends with increasing steepness. Our planning had alerted us to the 16-17% grade we might encounter later in our trip, but this stretch certainly let us "practice" our braking technique.  One doesn't brake down a 16% grade.  One slips the transmission into 2nd gear and prays!  The photo above illustrates a typical fishing harbor at the bottom of one of these climbs.

After Perce', the southern section of the route is less steep with more numerous harbors since this area is where the fisheries industry is located.

Two things stand out no matter where one travels along this route: the shimmering silver steeples of Catholic churches and dandelions!  We took the above picture of the grounds of a state park in Quebec, site of a fossil find.  I don't think anyone sprays for dandelions anywhere in the Maritimes and that is a good thing.  Brilliantly blue skies and meadows brushed with strokes of yellow!

Touring New Brunswick involves choosing among several drives, depending on your interest.  The Acadian Coastal Drive beckoned, stretching from Quebec in the north to Nova Scotia in the south.  I had taught Longfellow's Evangeline to 7th and 8th graders 40 years ago and the area has long been on my list.  When the Acadians of Nova Scotia were rounded up by the British and transported to points south (including New Orleans) in the 1700's, some sought refuge in New Brunswick.  Descendants of those refugees and other Acadians who eventually returned to the area live along this coast.  Folks are bi-lingual, but French is their first language.

Our first night in New Brunswick was in Sugarloaf Mountain Provincial Park just outside Campbellton, NB, a popular winter sports destination. Instead of skiis or snowmobiles, hiking boots and mountain bikes hit the trails.  One trail started just beyond our campsite so we decided to get moving.  When a "mountain" is referred to as a "gumdrop", plan on going up and down a rather steep trail.  Fortunately, the steepness on either end of the rugged trail was short-lived since neither one of us thought about getting our hiking boots out.  Tennis shoes do not do well over tree roots and broken rock covered with moss. Lesson learned.

Along the trail were Douglas Firs,trillium and this unidentified fungus or mushroom.  Whenever I think I have lost my mind, I know where I left it!