LOCATION: Sherbrooke, Quebec. In southern part of province
CAMPGROUND: Ille de Marie RV Park. We are on an island! Huge park. 90% seasonal with a small section for short-termers like us. Nice, level sites. Swimming pool. Good grill and picnic table. Haven’t found the showers yet, but the bathroom is good. $35/night. 4 stars out of 5
WEATHER: Still pretty chilly. High 62. Supposed to freeze again tonight.
DISTANCE DRIVEN: 4 hours
Tony, Jenny, and I did a 30-minute power walk through the RV park in Plattsburgh while we did laundry. It is interesting to look at the different kinds of RVs and to see how owners have improved their summer homes – gardens, porches, etc.
Then, on to Canada! We arrived at the border about a half hour from Plattsburgh. Not too long a line. The immigration guy was fairly nice. He asked us the usual things – guns? lots of cash? mace? how long in Canada? etc But, he didn’t ask about alcohol or food. He was very curious about our “for sale” signs on the pick-up and trailer. He wanted to see the registration for each, and asked about the prices. He asked whether we planned to sell them in Canada and fly home. We have never been asked for the registration paperwork before so we were not prepared. We couldn’t find Joy’s registration. He had to consult with someone else about that, but then finally let us by. I don’t know if it was the For Sale signs or what that triggered those questions.
After the crossing, our GPS sent us on a different road than Tony and Jenny, so we lost them for a bit. We drove through some beautiful countryside, with lots of vineyards, wineries, and apple orchards. The town of Venise en Quebec (Venice of Quebec) was particularly picturesque…
We had forgotten to remove “Avoid highways” on the GPS, so Gigi, our ever-obeying GPS, did indeed avoid the main way to get to Sherbrooke. We started down one road which quickly turned to gravel. It was a bit scary in parts with many sharp turns. When we got out of that stretch, we turned off the “Avoid Highways” mode, and quickly made it to Sherbrooke.
This campground is actually on an island! We crossed this bridge to get to the park.
We will spend 3 nights here. Tony and Jenny have some friends they will meet. We will explore the area…George has already found a brewery.
DINNER: My turn. Appetizers were chips, guacamole, and salsa. Main course was shrimp tacos with grilled red and green peppers and onions. Topped with shredded cabbage, crema, and pickled onions. Quite good!
Reids on the Road with Joy 