Month: July 2013

It’s awesome to be able to discover a new place and see new things and when my friend told me he had rented an apartment for the summer in Chicoutimi, Quebec to spend his summer vacation I was happy to suggest I come for a visit. I have heard about the Saguenay region of Quebec many times; recently because our desire to visit all the National Parks of Canada and earlier I remember the flood of Saguenay and the famous little white house.

I left with my bike and camping gear in the car and drove from Moncton to Riviere du Loup in the morning. The highway is good but things don’t really get interesting until I get to the ferry and smell the air of the St. Lawrence!The ferry leaves Riveire Du Loup 4 times per day during July and I was able to easily got to the 2:45 ferry by leaving Moncton at around 8:30.

The ferry from Riviere du Loup to St. Simeon is pretty luxurious especially after seeing the Grand Manan ferry. This boat had nice outdoor seaing areas, a nice diner style restaurant with curved counters like in old school restaurants as well as a bar and viewing lounge and play area for kids. I was able to get a great view from all sides. It felt a bit like a cruise ship…as I get to the outdoor deck I see people sipping beer and wine in a festive mood! I love Quebec!

I checked the ferry website and they advised to arrive 90 minutes before departure and it was a good thing I got there 75 minutes before as there was already a long line of cars and the ship only holds 100 vehicles. The boarding and unloading of the ferry was a bit strange as here was only a single narrow lane to allow a single vehicle at a time to embark on board and to get off at the other end…some of the motor homes looked like they had a tight fit on the exit ramp!

The drive to Saguenay is really nice, I am on highway 170 from St Simeon which passes near Park National du Fijord du Saguenay. The road is winding with nice views of the hills and mountains. Bare exposed rocks and moss covered outcrops make it an interesting drive.

Suddenly a wonderful vista opened up for me and I was at a large bay…guess what…it was The Baie des Ha! Ha!  I had seen the road sign for a place calledSt Louis De Ha! Ha! and when I saw the Baie des Ha! Ha! I figured this province has a good sense of humor!

I get to Chicoutimi and see my friend who is waving from the balcony of his apartment overlooking the bike trail running along the Saguenay River. What a nice place! It has been a long drive but I am happy to be in this part of Quebec that has been unknown to me.

I can’t wait to see what the next few days will bring!! I am looking forward to visiting the parks and gardens and museums of the area!

I can barley sleep! Not only because it is hot and humid but it is so exciting to be waking up in a new place with so much to see and do and so many places to explore!

I start the day with a bike ride, the bike path runs along the Saguenay River and the view across the river is awesome in the morning with birds resting on the rocks and the rocking cliffs across the river glistening in the morning sun.

The morning is nice and cool, I find a coffee shop for a take out coffee and walk my bike to the boardwalk along the river. There are really nice flower arrangements and a cool fountain with a whale and some belugas! After a visit to the information center I pack up and head to the Jardins Scullion as we always like visiting gardens and this one sounds really nice. I was not disappointed!

Scullion Garden

It started to rain when I got there but I was almost alone in the garden so it was really intimate. The Jardin Scullion is an amazing creation!

They gave me an umbrella and I wandered on the trails and around the ponds and garden arrangements. It’s a really nice garden and I was happy to see a pony!!