Trip Report: Ottawa -> Cape Breton

[Ride_On]

A bit late, but here’s a recap of our summer family trip. We decided to head back east to Nova Scotia this year to do the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton, visit friends who recently moved back to Lunenburg and check out the Annapolis Valley. We had 2 weeks to fit it all in, so off we go!

This was our first big trip in Fourbie, our 1977 Westy, post-Subaru swap, so we were keen to put it to the test. In short, it met all of our expectations. Thanks Skills! There’s a build thread in my signature if you’re interested.
From Ottawa, we headed through the Eastern Townships of Quebec, down into Maine through to the easternmost point in the US, up through New Brunswick, across to Cape Breton, down to the Halifax and home via ferry, NB and QC. Total distance was 4500km or 2800 miles.

If you’re looking for specific info on locations or campgrounds, here is our itinerary and a map of our route. I’ll post each day or two as a separate post. If I get truly inspired, I’ll come back and add pointers to the posts too.

Day 1 – Mont Orford Provincial Park (Parc national Mont Orford), Quebec
Day 2 – Skowhegan KOA, Maine
Day 3 – Cobscook Bay State Park, Maine
Day 4 – Fundy National Park, New Brunswick
Day 5 – Caribou Munroes Island Provincial Park, Nova Scotia
Day 6 – Mira River Provincial Park, Nova Scotia
Day 7 – Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Ingonish Campground), NS
Day 8 – Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Cheticamp Campground), NS
Day 9 – Laurie Provincial Park, NS
Day 10 – Lunenburg, NS
Day 11 – Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Day 12 – Dunromin Campground, NS
Day 13 – New River Beach Provincial Park, NB
Day 14 – Parc provincial Les Jardins de la Republique, NB
Day 15 – Quebec City KOA, QC
Day 16 – Home!

Also, Parks Canada offers a Discovery Pass for $136CAD. We bought one and made very good use of it this trip – free admission to most National Historic Sites and free day-use at National Parks.
_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 1 – Ottawa – Mont Orford (335km)
When trip planning, my wife brilliantly constrains us to a shorter day 1, taking pressure off packing and lowering stress levels a bit. Excellent! To offset this, I have been doing some restoration work on Fourbie and hadn’t got to the pre-trip oil change yet. No problem, right? Well, I couldn’t for the life of me get the oil filter off. Apparently, I’m wimpy compared to Skills. After trying several techniques, swearing a bit, and working up quite a sweat, I managed to get the filter off, change the oil and top up the gear oil in the transmission too. With that, we loaded up and by mid-afternoon we’re hitting the road. It was the Saturday of the August long weekend – we chose the Saturday so we’d be less rushed after work Friday night and to avoid long weekend traffic.

We cruised 417 towards Montreal, stopping to fill up before crossing into Quebec (higher gas taxes but crappier roads… go figure). We now always circumnavigate Montreal by taking highway 30 – a toll of $2.80 makes this a no-brainer, especially as there are some major bridge construction projects going on downtown. It’s an easy drive. The boys were getting a bit restless, and my tardiness, made it too late to count on dinner at our site. So, we hit up McDonald’s #1 in La Prairie, QC (not to be confused with our day 2 stop of La Patrie). We got takeout and headed to a nearby park that had an awesome play structure and splash pad. Fed and tuckered out = perfect. Carry on.

Sepaq (the Quebec Provincial Parks org) has a new-to-us process available – we could check in and print our permits at home. Perfect. So we drove straight to our site in the newly made La Meleze sector of the Lac Stukeley campground. Nice sites, well spaced, well designed (a subtle upslope berm to control run-off), and nice facilities. We setup quickly and the boys were right to sleep. I stayed up for a bit and admired the stars, spotting 4 shooting stars for good measure.

In the morning, we were up, had a little play in the van, had breakfast and my wife took the boys to the beach while I packed up. The beach was great and had a fantastic playground too. After a good morning, we were off.

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 2 – Mont Orford – Skowhegan, Maine (275km)
We’ve done this drive a few times now and quite enjoy it. You traverse some lovely rolling hills in QC, cross at a tiny border crossing, then wind down a wooded 2-lane road, often following a river. It’s quite scenic and remote.

Once past Sherbrooke, the hills start rolling and Mont Megantic appears in the distance. There is a major cycling race that takes place in this region each summer called the Tour de Beauce. The Queen stage of the race finishes atop Mont Megantic, so the mountain stands out for me. We stopped for a lunch picnic as a small town called La Patrie, where there is a big shelter and playground nestled up the hill, looking out towards Mt Megantic. As we pulled in, there was red tintop there with a similar idea.
The hills get steeper from here until the border – no issues at all. The new powerplant was great!

No problems crossing the border at Coburn. Easy as pie in fact. Then it was down the 27 until we got to a rest stop at Sarampus Falls. 2 years prior, we had stopped at La Patrie and then again at Sarampus Falls – it was super-hot then and almost as hot this time. It is a fantastic cooling off spot, where we waded in the river. There’s a larger pool directly below the falls too, but the boys weren’t up for a swim. Finally, I’m a sucker for the juxtaposition of modern windmills with our bus.

A ways down the road, we caught a gaggle of Harleys behind a slow car. They leap frogged the 40-45mph car safely, then we did something we’ve never done before – easily jumped by in a passing zone. Sweet!

The KOA was AOK. Not too much to report – nice pool, small playground, but they had a big inflatable jumping bag that was a hit. We booked a site across from the playground, so off went the boys.

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 3 – Skowhegan – Cobscook Bay State Park (~250km)
It was a hot day so we started with a swim and were happy to be heading towards coast. No problem jumping on I95 for a 75mph stint. Fans didn’t come on even when pulling uphill. Again, we stopped at a park we know – Cascades Park in Bangor. It’s a nice park on a hill with lots of spots for a picnic. The park has an artificial waterfall with small concrete chutes that the boys and I had stick boat races down. Good fun. Found an ice cream shop on the way out of town, then it was across the 9 until cutting over to Machias and the coast – I love the cut over as you drive past wild blueberry farms!
We drove the coast until just outside of Lubec, where even though it was getting a bit late in the afternoon, I managed to convince the family to detour to the West Quoddy Lighthouse – the easternmost point in the US. Great little stop.

Then we carried on to Lubec, where we parked at the municipal wharf, explored a bit, watched the seals and birds, and grabbed dinner. Lovely little town. Then it was backtracking a little to get to the campground.
The great treat of the park was registration. The Ranger noticed the boys in the back and offered up 2 bags of Smokey the Bear treats. She asked if we knew Smokey the Bear and got an excited response from our 5yr old – we’ve been reading my wife’s Smokey the Bear Goes Camping book from her childhood to the boys. Very fun! The ranger thought it was great that the boys recognized Smokey.

Cobscook Bay State Park is not a busy state park, so, from what I’ve read, no need to book in advance. We did and were quite happy with our site. We were near a little hiking trail, so I took our oldest on a sunset hike. Another lovely night. I ended up walking out to the showers (>1km) after dark, again admiring the stars, only to find that the showers were pay. 25 cents I think. Oops. No money. Instead, I got sweatier, having read that there was a fire tower not far down the road from the campground. Got up to it around midnight, excited to see the world from above… only to find the ladder deconstructed. Strike 2. Oh well. Great night out anyways.

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 4 – Cobscook Bay SP – Campobello Island – Fundy National Park (350-400km)
North of Lubec, Maine is a small Canadian island with ~750 inhabitants, only accessible via bridge to Lubec or by boat. It’s claim to fame is that it was a favourite summer retreat for Franklin Delano Roosevelt – his cottage is maintained attraction now and the foundation in his name protects a significant portion of the island. It does seem quite odd/comical to cross the bridge and have to go through customs though.

We stopped at the visitors info centre for some advice and a hit of AC. Then we stopped at the nearby Mulholland Light House overlooking Lubec and adjacent to a large old lobster pen.

Next stop was a lookout and hike at Friar’s Head. Nice lookout and a decent little hike down to the rocky beach. Not sure we ever saw the namesake rock formation, but that’s okay. Next was a jaunt to the northern end of the island to the Head Harbour Light Station. Our youngest REALLY wanted to climb up a lighthouse. Fortunately, now was the time. First, we parked behind a nice Vanagon family from Connecticut and had a visit, then a little picnic. But, it was low tide, so we had to get going to be able to scurry to the lighthouse. We saw a whale off in the distance and got a little tour of the station and lighthouse proper. Thomas was quite satisfied.

Back in the car, did a drive-by of FDR’s cottage, crossed back into ‘Murica to transit around to Calais and cross back into ‘Canada eh. Easy drive through New Brunswick though we knew we were chasing a storm cell. We missed the main storm but did get a pretty intense shower on the highway… and found that the driver’s wiper arm is stripping. Oops. Good thing the aerodynamics of the bus cleans the windshield pretty well at speed. Groceries in Sussex and in to Chignecto Campground at Fundy National Park. Great site adjacent to the facilities and playground, but it was dark and raining. Got the van setup and threw up the 2 tarps for the night.

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 5 – Fundy National Park – Caribou Munroes Island Provincial Park (320km)
We awoke to a nice, dry morning.

The kids were able to have a decent play in the playground, then we headed just down the road to the newly added mountain bike centre. We had a great time there – we hit the fantastic pump track (wish I had my bike!), which our oldest loved. Our youngest slid out and became a bit gunshy. Then we followed some of the forest trails. I LOVE seeing my boys taking interest in a sport I love too. Lucky!

Next, we headed down to a trail called Dickson Falls for a hike and picnic. A very nice hike that reminded us a bit of the gorge at Watkins Glen. Good stop!

Leaving Fundy NP, Google suggests heading back out to the highway the way you came in. Don’t do this. Head along the coast past Hopewell Rocks (stop if you haven’t been before!) around to Moncton, where you hop back on the highway. This route also takes you through some quaint NB towns too (Alma, Hillsborough).

Then it was through to Caribou Munroes Island PP where we had a great site. Very close walk to the beach, where we had a sunset stroll. It was dead calm, which is pretty unique. Showed the boys how to skip stones and, surprisingly enough, we saw a lone seal. After sunset, it was back to the site for a campfire.

In the morning, it was wake up, play a bit inside, eat, and off to the beach with Mummy while I packed up before joining them.

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 6 – Caribou Munroes Island PP – Cape Breton (Mira River Provincial Park) (300km)
After beach time, we got on the road to Cape Breton. It’s a bit unfortunate that there is a large rock face being mined on the mainland side of the Canso causeway. Perfect logistically, but a bit of an eyesore. No matter – our first stop on Cape Breton was St. Peter’s Canal National Historic Site (and the adjacent Battery Park PP). First – online, Battery Park PP looked like a flat, barren meadow. That’s not the case. It’s a wooded hill adjacent to the canal. Second, the canal itself is one of 2 waterways connecting the fresh water Bras D’Or Lake to the ocean. It was a good leg stretch with some good interpretative panels on the provincial park side.

A short drive later and we were at Mira River PP, staying on a nice site in their wooded loop. It seemed empty – one other site was taken, quite a ways from us. Looked like a few others on the loop, but predominantly empty. A nice campground with a playground and such. Heavy rainfall warning overnight, so up went the little tarp and the mega-tarp. We did have heavy rain overnight and had some intrusion through the canvas, but not too bad. It was dry in the morning, so all was well.

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 7 – Fortress of Louisbourg – Ingonish Campground (Cape Breton Highlands NP) (175km)
A great benefit of Mira River is being less than 20k from the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. This is a site to behold! We spent ½ a day there easily. Louisbourg is a stunning recreation of the old French fort dating back to the 18th century. The buildings are really well done and soldiers and civilians wander the site in period costumes offering much interpretation. We even got to see the firing of cannons. Good times.

Leaving Louisbourg, we had a tip from some motorcyclists (again from Connecticut) to do the road loop through Glace Bay for more scenic vistas. We left Louisbourg as some menacing clouds approached and made it to just beyond Mira River PP before having to pull off and stop to let the torrential rain pass. On a good note, I had tried a temporary fix on the driver’s side wiper arm – I added Loctite blue to the toothed interface and it worked. Yippee! 20 minutes later, were back at it. Very briefly used the heater in the van to defrost the windows – that was handy!

The drive was nice, though I’m not sure as scenic as further up Cape Breton but worthwhile nonetheless. In Glace Bay, we stopped at the Marconi NHS – not too much here, but it’s where Marconi erected 4 large towers to support a radio transmitter for the first trans-Atlantic transmission.

Next, we stopped in Sydney to check out the boardwalk. Turns out it was Jazzfest and there seemed to be a classic car cruise as well. Good time wandering the boardwalk to the big fiddle and catching a couple of street buskers as part of Jazzfest. Loved the Scottish mural too.

We stayed far longer at Louisbourg and in Sydney than we anticipated, so we then got the boys into pj’s and did a night drive from Sydney to Ingonish Campground at Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Our headlight and engine upgrades really earned their keep that night. The road is super twisty and up and down. Tackling it at 10pm meant there was almost no traffic to speak of. Our boys slept soundly, even with the constant direction and pitch changes. Woohoo!

Ingonish Campground is not too much to speak of. It’s fine, it’s just not my preferred mode of camping. It’s essentially a terraced meadow. Fortunately, we had 2 trees for our tarp and the facilities themselves are great, including a dishwashing station.
_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 8 – Cape Beton Highlands National Park (Ingonish – Cheticamp) (120km)
Today was a day for Cape Breton. It started with an unexpected destination – the beach. I’m not much of a beach guy but this was very nice. The boys loved it again – we went to Ingonish Beach and they swam in the ocean there. There is also an adjacent freshwater lake too. Had a picnic lunch and ice cream here then it was off around the Cabot Trail.

First stop was Green Cove – a short jaunt onto a rocky shoreline outcrop. Pretty calm day, so no drama, just wonderfully relaxing. Next tip was from the motorcyclists again – where the Cabot Trail turns inland to cross to the west coast at Neil’s harbour, take the northern loop instead. Very nice. You rejoin just before the road that would take you to Meat Cove. Unfortunately, I hadn’t read up on Meat Cove, so we didn’t venture up there. Sounds beautiful. Instead, we were due at Cheticamp Campground, so carried on, stopping 2x en route.

The next stop was after one of Cape Breton’s famous windy climbs and descents – the descent was 3km at 13%. We stopped at the bottom of that to hike to the Lone Shieling shelter. Our brakes did not like stopping there, but were up to the task. P-U! That was with very careful use of the brakes, with the exception of the final push to stop… Next time, just got by and come back. Interesting pocket of deciduous forest. Camouflaged:

Then another stop at McIntosh Brook to hike up to a waterfall. Nice hike and decent waterfall, even in low water. Good thing we avoided others as some were practically dry!

Another big up and down at French Mountain – this time only 12% though. Our site at Cheticamp Campground was nice, backing on the big playground and meadow. The boys loved it. We had a fire in the very cool custom steel firepit, then my oldest and I took a blanket and headed out into the meadow to catch some of the Perseid Meteor shower. His attention span hasn’t been great enough to catch any shooting stars in prior years. This time, we spotted lots of satellites and he saw at least 8 shooting stars.

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 9 – Cape Breton – Laurie PP (400km)
An ambitious day – a quicker morning where we visited the Cape Breton Highlands NP Visitors Centre on our way out to Skyline Trail, then a longer drive to Laurie Provincial Park near Halifax.

Skyline Trail is a 6-7.5km trail that follows a ridgeline from the plateau in the park. As we were sunscreening up, a nice guy from Penticton, BC stopped to chat, having noticed the different exhaust on the bus. Really nice guy who has swapped engines a few times on various Toyotas for mountain adventures. No surprise, they were escaping the smoke from the BC wildfires. Found some blueberries on the trail and had a picnic on the boardwalk. The boardwalk has steps going quite a ways down the ridge to a lookout. On the face of the treads of the steps, Parks Canada has attached individual lines or plaques with excerpts from the 1752 Peace and Friendship Treaty between the Mik’kmaq and the British Crown. An addition my historian wife was very pleased to discover. Beautiful view of course.

Lovely drive down the coast, avoiding the main route and instead cutting through Judique and Mabou. Then off island and stopping in Antigonish for a big playground leg stretch and dinner. Then another pj’s run to Laurie PP.

Laurie PP is unique in that it is self serve. You punch a code in to access the park and there are signs encouraging cooperation to keep it clean, etc. The model seems to work pretty well actually. Great site, great new facilities and a convenient location. All good.
_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 10 – Haliax – Lunenburg (200km)
Morning at Laurie PP, including a quick inspection of the Subarugears transmission (checking fluid level).

We headed into Halifax from Laurie PP. Only about 30 minutes in. We took the Angus MacDonald toll bridge for a more spectacular entry, then navigated the hills of Halifax up to the Citadel where we found nearby parking. We toured the Citadel, taking in the views from the hill and some of the interpretation. There was a special exhibit commemorating the centenary of World War 1, which included an immersive recreation of the trenches. Quite something…

Then it was down to the waterfront for lunch and such. We had a good walk and there is a good little submarine play area for the boys. We spotted a Vanagon with a sweet purple and green splash paint job – slick! Then a little driving tour, a wrong turn and out we went to Lunenburg to meet our friends. We stopped in Mahone Bay for gas – I had forgotten what a beautiful town it is.

In Lunenburg, we were lucky enough to stay at our friends’ place within walking distance to the historic harbour. We walked down to the harbour that evening.

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 11 – Lunenburg – Kejimkujik NP (100km)
A short day today – we spent much of the day with our friends, hitting the park and the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic – that was a great stop. We and the boys loved it. It’s home to the Bluenose schooner, which is featured on the Canadian dime. Many moons ago, the Bluenose won the America’s Cup. Quite an accomplishment for a fishing schooner.

Clearly the boys were worn out from our visit!

Then it was a short jaunt to a National Park I’ve never been to – Keji. It was great! We had a great site and did a sunset hike after dinner. Beautiful combination of lakes, forest and rock.

Funny story – our son (almost 6) saw that the neighbours had the same ubiquitous 2 burner Coleman stove as us. So, he wandered over to say Hi and tell them that news! Great folks who didn’t mind at all. In fact, we had a great visit as, beyond a love of camping, etc., they had an older Land Rover Defender that they had imported from the UK, complete with TDI swap. Very nice! Topped off with a canoe on top too.

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 12 – Bay of Fundy (150-200km)
From Jeremy Campground in Keji, we headed back out to the Visitors Centre where the boys and I did a little hike to the falls where there was once a mill. Then back in Fourbie and it was off to the Bay of Fundy. I have no idea what it is called, but we were heading down the point of land that extends into Fundy. We took the ferry across at East Ferry and stopped to hike to Balancing Rock. Really nice stop though the hike was a bit longer than expected. All good though. There were blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. The rock itself is quite cool and lives up to its name.

Back across the ferry to a small outpost called Whale Cove for some whale watching. We saw seals, possibly dolphins and then what I believe was a unique sight – Baling Shark. It had a unique dorsal fin and traversed the surface for quite a long time. Nifty! No good pictures, but we also saw a Euro Renault truck based RV there. Impressive beast! No pictures with it, but here's one with a fishing boat:

Back in Fourbie and off to Annapolis Royal, where we headed directly to Dunromin, a private campground. The campground is allright, but there’s no point in requesting a wooded site like we did. The picnic table was absolutely infested with what I called potato bugs – the little grey bugs with tiny legs. They come out mostly at night and could have walked off with our stove I’m sure. Nuisance more than anything. Plus, the ‘woods’ are predominantly hawthorne, with their big long spiky thorns. But, there was a good pool and playground.
_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 13 – Annapolis Royal – New River Beach PP (100km)
Another short driving day, but a long distance day – ferry!

We started the day with a swim, then headed to Port Royal NHS – a great stop. It’s a recreation of the old wooden fort from the 1600’s. Quite well done. Then a quick walk around Fort Anne NHS and an ice cream before heading to Digby to catch the 5:30 ferry.

Digby scallops are world famous, so we hoped to pick some up. A lovely woman at the gas station told us to stop at Ed’s Take Out – “it isn’t much to look at, but it’s fantastic”. Very true. We picked up to-go meals for the ferry. Excellent!

We arrived at the ferry with just over 1hr to spare – they are very clear that you must check in before 1hr to launch. So we sat in the queue for a little while, but not too bad. Then we were whisked aboard and found seats near the bow. I went outside to watch as we were passing through the narrows leaving Digby and was treated to a whale sighting. Then, in the open water, we hit a bank of dense fog interrupting the view. It cleared midway, but no more whale sightings.

Upon landing, it was a quick drive through St. John to get onto the highway and quicker jaunt to New River Beach PP – following a Eurovan. New River Beach PP is great – it’s perfect for us when in transit and would make a decent base for a few days. The sites and facilities are excellent. The beach is amazing and huge, especially at low tide.
_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 14 – New River Beach PP – Jardins de la Republique PP (360km)
Morning at New River Beach PP:

After some beach and playground time, we had some lunch then off we went up some secondary roads until joining the highway. We stopped midway at Hartland to cross the world’s longest covered bridge. The boys are now old enough to actually remember sights like this, so best stop while we’re close.

Then it was off past Edmunston to Jardins de la Republique PP – a little confusing as there is a campground and a separate botanical garden, plus a small automotive museum.

The forecast called for 50mm / 2 inches of rain overnight, so up went the tarps, this time adjusting our setup to cover a bit of the poptop too – the mega-tarp is a Kelty Noah’s Tarp 16’x16’. It’s very handy and durable. Surprise of the night – the NB Parks summer crew was at the park that weekend and were hosting a bonfire that night. We took the boys and had a great time. The fire was great and they cooked hotdogs (on a rake – brilliant!) and made s’mores for the kids. Great night! Turned in just before the rain hit.

Nice and dry in the morning:

_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 15 – Edmunston – Quebec City (300km)
Once again, we lucked out and the rain was done before morning. We spent an hour or so at the auto museum, then headed to the boat launch for a quick ride in a 26’ canoe and then a good play at the playground and lunch.

Off we went to Riviere de Loups, where we stopped at Park of the Pointe to see if we could spot any belugas. Tide was out, so bad timing in that regard, but our oldest and I had a good time rock jumping and exploring out into the tidal flats while the little man napped.

Then it was a run down to Levis, QC, across the river from Quebec City. We didn’t plan on hitting Quebec City this time and the KOA at Levis (Quebec City KOA) is a very convenient stopping point in transit. The boys love the playground and pool and the upper tent sites are pretty good. We had a good visit with a retired US park ranger in the neighbouring site.
_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[Ride_On]

Day 16 – Homeward Bound! (460km)
After a good play and swim (of course), off we went. We needed a couple of stops in and around Montreal to feed and calm the hordes, but all-in-all a good day. Once again, we hit the 30 and sailed on home.

Overall: 4500km / 2800 miles
Google Estimated: 4000km (straight from campground to campground)
Fuel Economy: 21.9 mpg (much better than our former 12-12.5mpg)
_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)

[71whitewesty]

Awesome trip report! Those kids can really throw the horns!

_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[skills@eurocarsplus]

fantastic! and nice man rug...for a minute I thought you had a stunt double

nothing better than seeing kids crapped out on the back seat! so glad it's all working out and you are packing the miles on the bus.

you say the mileage is >21 mpg, what do you think you are getting? probably hard to determine. the 1 time I gave a crap about it I got 23.6 on a trip in the deluxe, at a God's Honest 75/78 mph.

granted, the deluxe isn't near as heavy as you are, and all things being equal, even 21 mpg freighted out like you guys are is VERY respectable

nice photos, and very nice write up! the family looks like they are having a blast!
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[dwill49965]

Awesome write-up and pics. Great documentation. Thanks for posting and sharing.
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Darryl
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'78 Westy, Boston Bob built 2.0 L, FI, MSD 6A