Tuesday Sugust 23, 2014 Matane, Quebec, Canada

We were up at 7 and starting to get ready to travel.  Today I had the jack pads to put away in addition to the regular utilities to unhook and store. We were underway with our coffee by 9.

The drive today was 230 miles.  We were warned of several steep grades along the way, 10% and over.We planned to park the coach in Gaspe and take a side trip to the tallest lighthouse in Canada, 112 feet.  The lighthouse is located off our route at the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula.

Cap des Rosiers

The road to the lighthouse proved not to be as bad as we had been briefed.  There were some delays due to construction.  Two of the delays we had to stop for and wait for opposing traffic and another that was about a mile of dirt detour.  The lighthouse was worth the trip.  As a bonus there was a geocache in the parking lot.  On the return drive we stopped at an overlook along the Gulf of St. Lawrence and had lunch.  Lunch was the sandwiches provided by the wagon masters.  They had been intended for the aborted boat trip around Bonaventure Island.

Back at the information center in Gaspe, I hooked up the Jeep and unsuccessfully looked for a cache in the small park.  By the time we got underway again we were about 3 hours behind the rest of our group.

We saw 3 other lighthouses along the way without taking any side trips.  Of course none were as tall as Cap des Rosiers.

The rest of the drive also included several steep grades and delays for construction.  There were other delays as we passed through many small villages and had to slow down.  There were a lot of small towns especially after the road came back along the coast.  For many miles the road curved along the coast with the sea just yards away beyond a sea wall and with warning of rock falls on the other side.  The speed limit most of the way was 90 km/h, about 55 mph but with the many villages and the condition of the road we didn't usually go that fast.    

Cute chalets

Typical coastal houses

10%?

Colorful beach house

Roadside rest area

With 12 km to go according to the GPS we spotted the RV park just I started accelerating.  W passed the entrance and had to go about two miles around.
The drive, just in the motor home, took nearly 6 1/2 hours for the 230 miles.

We were parked in a pull through site and I only hooked up the electricity, leaving the Jeep attached.  We were late for the wagon master dinner, but there was plenty of food.

We weren't up long after the briefing on tomorrows travel and the activities in Quebec.