Eastern Canada

We left Maine and toured two more state capitols (New Hampshire and Vermont) on our way to Montreal.  They put our capitol count up to 46.  Woohoo!!

We spent time in Toronto a few years ago but haven't really spent any other time in eastern Canada.  We decided since we were coming into Canada from farther east that we would visit Montreal and Ottawa, then cross over the eastern portion of Canada before we re-enter the US through Michigan. 

We hit clouds and rain again.  Seems to be our lot this trip.  I was hoping to hit a little more sunshine and warmer temps and we have had some of that, just more rain and clouds than I had hoped. 

We found our hotel in downtown Montreal and it wasn't exactly as expected.  Downtown is a mix of old and new, with lots of skyscrapers.  Our hotel was down a small one-way street and was narrow and tall (four rooms wide, two deep, and 11 floors up), wedged between two other tall buildings with construction all around.  The building next to ours was under total renovation so the street was filled with dumpsters and blocked off in front of the construction.  Just made maneuvering a little difficult.  They also had no parking lot.  Parking consisted of two small lots next to the building and across the street that serviced the local area and cost $25 per day.  The second day we went down to breakfast and found out that the elevator broke down while we were eating.  We were on the 10th floor.  Getting back to our room was a little more exercise than I needed.  But it wasn't out for very long and going down was easier than going up.  We, fortunately, only needed to climb those stairs once!!  There was a nice Irish pub and an Italian restaurant across the street, though.


We spent the first day walking around downtown and old Montreal,  It is an interesting city and has a lot of construction going on, mostly reconstruction.  We didn't notice a lot of new construction.  There was a lot of road and bridge construction going on, too, just about every place we went.  Guess Canada is more inclined to invest in their infrastructure than the US is.  It is a clean city with park areas mixed in with old buildings and tall, glass skyscrapers.  It is also an island city so lots of water and park space along that water.  Really a nice city.

This guy is above the door of a beer market.  The US is so prudish, you would never see anything like this at home.  I thought he was kind of cute.  Reminded me of some little boy who just can't hold it and is caught peeing in the yard, much to his mom's chagrin.


This is part of what is called Habitat 67 and is down by the water.  There are three buildings side by side and was built for Expo 67, the world's largest universal exposition.  It is home to 146 singles, couples, and families and is a community unto itself.  It was to change (and has changed) the style & quality of life and is the envy throughout Canada.  It is the only modern utopia and is a popular success and "prestigious address" (per the website).  No offense to Canada, but it reminded me of what the world will look like after the apocalypse.  I guess I just have no class.

The second day we drove out to the Olympic grounds.  They have been repurposed very well.  There is a large, beautiful botanical garden and the velodrome is a zoo of sorts with the surrounding grounds a kind of sports park. 

We are now in Ottawa which is the provincial capitol of Ontario.  We spent yesterday afternoon walking around the Parliament area.  Love those old buildings.  There is just so much character to them.  And they are so big.  All that walking makes for a good night's sleep.  At least it was warm and rather sunny. 

Today we went to the local dam and around some embassies and the Prime Minister's house, although you couldn't see it through the landscaping.  The guards and fence are a dead giveaway that we were at the right spot, though.  It lightly rained all day and is overcast plus we needed a laundry day so not much else planned.  Tomorrow we cross to Sault St. Marie, the Canadian side, where the border is.  Will get there late so are staying on this side.  Pass through back into Michigan the next day.

Rain in Maine

We spent a week in Maine and the majority of the time it was either raining or overcast.  It is a beautiful state, even in the rain, but it would have been nicer if the weather included a little more sunshine.

We reached Maine in the sunshine and toured the capitol in Augusta.  It's a nice capitol but I, personally, found the capitol a little plain.  I guess it reflects the state since you typically think of Mainers as being "no-frills".  Doug's brother and wife met us there for a week in Rockland which is on the coast.

Our second day was also sunny and we hit the big LL Bean store in Freeport on our way from Augusta to Rockland.  Had to do that!  There are also a lot of other stores on that street and it has become a shoppers' mecca and a real tourist attraction.  We gave the area due respect, mostly as window shoppers but we did leave our share of greenbacks, too.  By the time we reached Rockland, though, the clouds had rolled in.  The next 3 days were rainy and overcast.  We didn't let that stop us, though.


By Thursday, we drove south and ended up in Portland to see several of the local light houses.  As we went south, we hit sunshine.  Yeah!!  From there, Doug's brother and wife continued home while Doug and I went back to Rockland and clouds again.  Rockland never did see any sunshine the whole week we were there.

Friday, Doug and I headed north to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.  We did see some sunshine there and the interior of the island was sunny but the coastlines of the island were a mix.  And, of course, by the time we reached Rockland we were back in the clouds.  We went up to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia Park, the park's highest point, and caught it in semi-sunshine.  From that high, you can really tell that the Maine coastline is well populated with small islands.  It truly is a beautiful state.