Take the ferry across the St. Lawrence River from Baie Commeau to Matane. You can park overnight on the dock. Drive East along the shore and be greeted by over one hundred windmills. They are of the modern type, with three sixty foot sails. They are the Aeolian Project, begun in 1988 to harness wind power for producing electricity. They are located at Cap Chat (Cat Cape).
Travel along the Northern coast of the Gaspe. The road hugs the shoreline, while the mountains rise over three thousand feet from the coast. Each village and hamlet was in its own little cove, where the waters for the rivers and the road dipped down to it in deference. The sky was partly cloudy, with the clouds sometimes wreathing the mountains. Sometimes we were below, sometimes within, and other times over the clouds. The vistas were ever changing. With little traffic on the road, we were able to enjoy them without feeling rushed.
Drive through the town of Gaspe, at which Jacques Cartier landed in 1534. The name comes from the Micmac language meaning "end of the land". Stay at the Tete d'Indien Campground twenty miles further down the road. The owner built this campground with the motto of, "We take care of our campers." That is an understatement. Albeit small, eighteen full service sites and fourteen tent sites. You are given a map and pointed to the sites it for us. After you are situated go back to the office and get the red carpet treatment. You are given a welcome package with shampoo, soap, and numerous sightseeing pamphlets. You are told where to go for the best fish buys, the restaurants in the area, where to find groceries, and the major attractions in the area. You are given a booklet with many little known tips, e.g. , on which side of the boat to sit when traveling to Bonaventure Island, for which they sold discount tickets. The campground is right on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They have bocce ball, volleyball, horseshoes, hiking trails, playground and an extensive beach for picking up driftwood, agates, and shells. The campground is so named for the rock formation of the Indian Head, which resembles some of the Easter Island statues. Of course it has a legend. The white men came and took away a beautiful maiden with them. Her beau was saddened and continues to face away from the sea, hoping that she will someday come back to him. This is a very recent legend, because it was Dan who first recognized the effigy. No one else had noticed it previously. It's his legend and he's sticking to it. The owner has since sold the campground and it is under new management.
Go to the sea food store, approximately three miles down the road. Look at the many lobsters and snow crabs kept in holding tanks. They are caught right off shore. You can see the buoys for the traps all along the bays. They will cook the lobster for you and you can then pick it up.
Go to Perce (pronounced per se) and see the most famous rock in Canada. Perce is the furthest East on the Gaspe Peninsula. The rock can be approached at low tide via a causeway. The rock from certain angles gives the appearance of a horse taking a drink from the water. When we arrived, it seemed that all of Provence Quebec had the same idea. The area was crowded.
Bonaventure Island is a Provincial Park and breeding ground for over two hundred fifty thousand birds, of which eighty thousand are Northern Gannets, having six foot wing spans. According to the pamphlet we received, we sat on the starboard, right, side of the boat. Every inch of the cliff and rocks were covered by birds. Of course there were the gannets, but also cormorants, puffins, and sea gulls. Grey seals cavorted in the waters chowing down on the seafood buffet. After the trip around the island, the boat stops at the wharf and allows you to explore the park. At one time a colony of over one hundred people farmed the island. Most were from the Island of Jersey.
A series of four trails crisscross the island. We took the "les colones" one, the shortest in time, but one that ascended the high island. The trip to the other side and the gannet colony took forty-five minutes. When we got to the colony, we were greeted by sense surround. The noise, sights and smells were amazing. It was much more than the Discovery Channel or National Geographic could present. Thousands of gannets were crowded on this small piece of land. They were involved is all sorts of activities: greeting their mates, foreplay, copulation, defending their territory, take offs and landings. The most funny were the landings. They might be graceful in the air and can dive thirty feet into the water, but when they try to land on terra firma they put on a show. One even landed head first. We thought that his head would disappear into the ground. But he shook it all off, as if to say, "I meant to do that."
Visit the town of Gaspe. The Micmac Indian Tribe has a museum just outside of town showing their way of life. They are masters at using birch bark, not only for their canoes, but also for their dwellings, basketry and arts. The Micmacs lived in most of the Maritime Provinces of Canada. They were nomadic, but returned to the same areas different times of the year. In early spring they tapped the maple trees for syrup and sugar. They stored this underground for use throughout the year. Other times they were hunters and gatherers, using all the parts of the animals and plants. They most probably grew corn, because they used it as a leavening agent for their pan fried bread.
Drive the South shore of The Gaspe. It has more rolling hills and is conducive for farming and resorts with sandy beaches. There are not many attractions on this side, except the sun and surf. One important Naval Battle occurred at Pointe de la Croix. During the final days of the Seven Years War, AKA the French and Indian War in the Colonies, after the fall of Quebec, the French sent six ships with supplies for the remaining French soldiers. Only three made it across the Atlantic. There they met the British Navy and were subsequently destroyed.
The French settlers, Acadians, were dispersed, their lands confiscated. All along the Eastern shore of New Brunswick, their heritage continues, French being the primary language spoken. We pulled into an empty parking lot in Bathhurst and dry camped for the night.
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