Woodstock, New Brunswick 11 April, 1996
Thursday morning it is 0730 hrs and turned out to be a nice sunny day. Roxy, Barney and I are about to resume the journey to Calgary. We gas up in Woodstock and after I get my coffee we are Westbound on the Trans Canada. Most of the traffic is heading east. We will be in Montreal by this afternoon. New Brunswick is a pretty province, now that I can see a bit further past the hood of the flea. There are not too mamy passing lanes in New Brunswick, but I don't have to worry about this as there isn't that much traffic. I can only imagine what this road is like at the height of the tourist season.
This part of the trip is very scenic, and the Trans Canada seems to meander over hill and dale. You can tell the Trans Canada was not that well thought out when it was designed in the 1950's/60's. Though back then, the highways wern't that busy and there was nowhere near the traffic there is today. We are in the farming area of New Brunswick. By Grand Falls it is cloudy again and when we get to Edmunston it is snowing again. The snow plows are out cleaning the highway. By the time I cross into Quebec it is another blizzard.
New Brunswick – Quebec Border 11 April, 1996
When you cross into Quebec all the signs are in French. The only English sign I saw when I crossed over into Quebec was the one saying Radar Detectors are Illegal in Quebec. There isn’t any sign of snow plows at all and the Trans Canada is ice covered. This will turn out to be the worst part of the Trans Canada in all the country. This little stretch of Trans Canada, # 185 connects New Brunswick with highway #20, the Trans Canada at Riviere du Loup.
At Riviere du Loup I gas up again. An hour west of Riviere du Loup the weather is sunny and warm. I put the hammer down and try to make up for lost time. Somewhere past Riviere du Loup I swing off the # 20 to get some water for Roxy and Barney. The Flea has heated up a bit with the warm sun. This is in the heart of Separatist County. The Little Old Lady who is running the convenience store doesn't seem to be too happy about helping me with directions back to the # 20. She only seems to want to speak French and doesn't seem to understand what I want to say.
This is until I tell her about Roxy and Barney being in the truck and needing water. She then speaks in English, though broken and gives me the directions back to the # 20 and tells me there is a rest stop down the way where I can get water for the cats. Then wishes me Bon Chance on my journey.
The nice thing about traveling along the # 20 is there are rest stops every 30 to 40 miles. Here you can take a break from the driving and have a rest and freshen up. It was here at these stops I fed and watered Roxy and Barney. It also rested the flea.
The next time I gas up is in Drummondville. It paid to have Roxy and Barney along for the trip. People would come along and see them and say hello. I think there a few cat lovers in Quebec. A lady who was gassing up in Drummondville the same time I was called us voyageurs when she found out we were on our way to Calgary.
It was here in Drummondville I got directions on how to avoid the Lafontaine tunnel which passes under the Saint Lawrence River. I wanted to stay on the south side of the river and get on the #15 which travels through Chateauguay and eventually finishes at the US Border. The Lady at the Tourist Information Center said to watch for the signs that said #20 and the bridges. Jacques Cartier, Victoria, and Champlain.
Everyone that gave advice about avoiding the tunnel with the exception of one said to stay in the far left lane of highway # 20. So here we are traveling down the # 20 at 110 kph keeping up with traffic. I am on the entrance to the tunnel before I know it. I see the off ramp to the # 20 and the bridges over at the right lane. I take a look over my shoulder and cross over two lanes of traffic to get to this ramp. I hit the ramp at 100 kph. I figure this has to be one of the worst designed off ramps in all of Canada. You make a very hard right as soon as you exit, then while climbing you make a hard left all the while you are climbing to cross over the #15 which is multi lane divided. Then you make another sharp left while you are descending to merge with the # 15. The lanes of the # 15 seem to come from all directions. This off ramp has two lanes that exit off of the # 20 and both merge into the # 15. The # 15 and # 20 are combined until the # 20 uses the Champlain Bridge to cross over to Montreal Island and the # 15 continuing to the United States.
I get to Chateauguay in one piece, though about 24 hrs behind schedule. I manage to turn off at the wrong Esso and get lost. Anyhow I eventually find Aunt Betsy and Uncle David’s. I freshen up and Aunt Betsy has made a great Ham supper. It is nice to see Aunt Betsy and Uncle David, and Edgar comes for a visit after he gets off work. Later in the evening before I head off to bed, I go and sit with Roxy and Barney in the Flea and listen to the radio for a spell. Roxy and Barney are to live in the Flea while we are staying in Chateauguay, they learn to cope.
