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Day 86 – Forillon National Park

Another day of blue skies and sunshine greeted me as I rolled out of bed. I decided I’d stay another night in the campground and hike Forillon National Park until dusk. It wasn’t long until my hiking boots were laced up and I took to the first trail of the day.


A walk through the forest had me climbing uphill along a rocky cliff, glimpses of the ocean revealing themselves through the autumn leaves that waved in the cool breeze. I had opted for one of the longer trails but one with plenty of lookouts. I wasn’t disappointed as the trail led to a massive wooden tower that I climbed to the top. Oh, what a view! With clear skies and sunshine all around, the landscape revealed itself in stunning splendor.


Despite my poor french, many people along the trail sparked up conversations with me. It was wonderful chatting with the various hikers, taking turns posing for pictures as we shared stories with one another.


With the first hike of the day being a decent workout at 9 km, I was debating if I wanted to do another longer hike before the sunset. A pretty epic view was waiting for me though and I simply couldn’t resist as I gave into the second lengthy trail of the day.


I managed to make it down the path beside sparkling ocean waters to a lighthouse at the end where I was able to take a seat in one of the famous red chairs and take in the views. The second lengthy hike had been worth it. I took a different trail back to the parking lot, one that weaved itself through the trees and down along the cliffs.


There wasn’t much time left in the day before the sun went down and I wanted to squeeze in one final hike. As I was driving to the destination I noticed a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road as a group of people with cameras out were trying to take a picture of something. I knew it had to be some kind of animal so I parked and pulled out my camera as well. Out of nowhere a massive moose walked out of the brush and onto the road. It towered over everyone there, a creature you have to see in person to truly appreciate its enormity. I snapped what pictures I could before it disappeared into the bush once more.


With the moose sighting taking the rest of the daylight I would’ve needed for the hike, I decided to call it a day. With over 18 km accomplished it had been quite an adventurous journey. I made it to a local store and picked up some food and marshmallows that I brought back to camp with me to roast over the fire. I’d tied Winnie up, away from the fire to avoid potential injury. She was sounding lonely though so I picked her up and and brought her by the campfire where she dozed off in my lap. It’s moments like these I know I’ll cherish when I think back on them, so I simply just enjoyed the moment as the glowing embers slowly faded.

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Day 87 – Autumn colors, imposing cliffs and sparkling seawater

I knew I had a long drive ahead of me from the moment I crawled out of bed. It was time to embrace the grind and cover some serious ground.


Being on the road during autumn has been a real treat as I’ve watched the leaves slowly change their appearance, bringing forth warm colors in greater abundance everyday.


The drive took me along the coast beside the Gulf of Saint Laurence. With tall imposing cliffs on my left and salty waters to my right, the day was a continuous supply of majestic views.

Through the coastal towns I drove as I made my way west, pausing occasionally to take a picture or two but maintaining a good pace.


The sun was beginning to set and I pressed on into the night. There was a church I’d passed on my way east through Quebec the first time that was closed and I’d promised myself that I would return to it one day to explore inside. With this in mind I drove deep into the night, eventually arriving in Quebec City. Being that it was so late, I found a place to park and dozed off in my car. Having covered over 700 km, it had been a long and tiresome yet productive day.

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Day 88 – Seeking out the grand Cathedrals

Being that it was a Sunday, I felt it was a good day to go church exploring. Quebec has some of the grandest churches in all of Canada and I was eager to seek them out. The first church on my list was the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, a massive architectural masterpiece just outside of Quebec City.


I arrived on scene bright and early, walking up the steps to the heavy doors where I entered the towering cathedral. Upon entering I was immediately in awe at the intricate artwork that adorned the walls and ceiling. To think of the amount of time and skill that went into creating such a marvel was astounding.


I took my time walking around, admiring the incredible artwork for hours. I even sat in on a catholic service they had despite being able to hardly understand the french. Having spent quite some time in the cathedral, it came time to say goodbye and see what else I could find.


The church exploring took me through Quebec and into Montreal. I was amazed at how many catholic churches found their home in the cities. I’d found out from a local that 40+ years ago the church buildings were packed as much of the population was catholic.


With the declining congregations, now the numerous cathedrals had become relics of a time passed, a look into the days when Catholicism dominated the land.


There was one more church I simply had to see that sat high on a hill in the heart of Montreal, Saint Joseph’s Oratory. As I drove through the city I could see the massive building in the distance, a towering landmark that was hard to miss.


At last I’d reached the entrance and walked inside to explore. I meandered throughout the halls, passing intricate stained glass murals and detailed carvings that decorated the surroundings.


Eventually I found the basilica, the main auditorium of the cathedral. The ceiling must have been well over 100 feet tall! The grand and enormous area made me think of what it might be like to approach God, feeling tiny and insignificant in his presence.


The sun was setting so I did the last of my exploring and returned to my car. I couldn’t figure out what to do next. I had a lot of ground to cover on my return west and I wanted to spent a few days with family in Brantford as I was passing through. Because of this I decided to leave Montreal and begin the drive to Brantford. I managed to get a good ways outside of the city before fatigue was becoming to great to ignore. I pulled off the highway and found a quiet place to doze off in the car, my mind still in awe as I fell asleep at last.

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Day 89 – Returning to Brantford to see family

I managed to get some pretty decent sleep in my car, I must’ve been more tired than I thought. With plenty of ground to cover I immediately took to the highway heading west. Soon I returned to an english speaking province as I entered Ontario.


I didn’t wanna deal with Toronto rush hour traffic so I decided I’d stop in Kingston for a few hours before continuing to Brantford. I drove down to the docks beside Canada’s oldest penitentiary that had closed it’s door several years ago and turned itself into a museum. Sadly the museum was closed at the time but I was still able to walk the shores that so many prisoners had longed to do. Hearing the waves and knowing freedom was so close must’ve been torturous for those incarcerated.


Having spent a few hours dawdling about I finally took to the roads once more. Avoiding the worst of Toronto traffic, I arrived in Brantford around midnight where my parents greeted me with a hug. I knew I’d made the right choice visiting them again and I soon dozed off in a comfy bed, quite the upgrade from a car seat!

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Days 90 to 93 – One more chance to see loved ones before the lengthy return west

I couldn’t pass up the chance to see my family on the return west and I was glad I made the detour. With the days having been so busy I took some time to simply just relax and recuperate before a return to the adventuring.


I had originally planned to stay only two days but ended up staying three. On the last day my parents along with my younger brother Norman and his girlfriend Rossie went for a short hike together to admire some waterfalls. With Hamilton being the waterfall capitol of the world there was plenty to choose from and we soon found ourselves admiring the natural wonders.


Having worked up an appetite we all took a trip to a vegan restaurant for a bite to eat. The food was delicious and we all chowed down as Winnie waited outside and made strangers smile. With full bellies we returned to our vehicles and drove to a nearby dog park. I gave my parents a hug goodbye and both Josh and Rossie accompanied me into the park. Winnie had a blast as she ran all over the place, darting in and out of the bushes with wild leaps as the springs in her legs sent her flying over the various ravines. Having spent a good 45 minutes wandering around we arrived back at the entrance. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.


Being back on the road was tough. As I drove along I couldn’t help but feel a heavy loneliness settling over me. I didn’t know when I’d see my family again but I was glad I took the time to visit. The sun was setting and I drove on into the night, arriving at North Bay where I stopped in to see my buddy Jason. Being a bit of night owl, he was awake and waiting for me when I arrived and we chatted until we finally dozed off well into the night.


I had originally planned to leave the following day but not knowing when I’d see Jason again I decided to spend some extra time and stay an extra day. I was glad I did so as we had a great time hanging out and catching up.

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Day 94 – Aliens and autumn leaves

I wished I could have spent more time with Jason and his mother Sonya but the road was calling and I had a lot of ground to cover. With this in mind we all said our farewells to one another and I took to the highway.


When I’d left North Bay the sky was a thick overcast of clouds yet as I continued on I could see blue patches revealing themselves and soon I was driving in the sunshine.


Through many small towns I travelled as I took the northern route across Ontaio. The land had a calm feeling to it, with small little towns scattered amongst the vast forests.


I drove on into the night, passing through towns such as Moonbeam where a glowing saucer and a little alien welcomed me. Fatigue was taking its toll, I fought through it for a while but I knew I’d have to rest soon. I managed to find a campground where I pitched my tent and crawled inside to doze off at last. I was glad I had some extra layers on as the temperature had dropped to -2 degrees, the coldest I’ve slept in yet on my trip across Canada. One thing is certain, summer is long gone.

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Day 95 – Colorful and cloudy

I awoke to the coldest morning I’d encountered thus far on my trip. I’d been worried about Winnie freezing but all that hair of hers seems to be keeping her toasty. I knew I had a huge drive ahead of me so I wasted no time packing my tent and getting on the road as soon as I could.


The drive took me through a land of thick forests. Mini black flies began to appear again, I feel they’re something unavoidable as you go further north in the forested regions of Canada.


A thick layer of clouds accompanied me throughout the day. Occasional patches of rain fell upon the land, quenching the thirst of the countless trees as it seeped into the soil.


While much of the journey was through flat areas, I eventually found myself driving alongside massive cliffs and sizable lakes. The change in scenery was welcomed as it brought a greater variety of views to appreciate.


I drove on into the night, arriving at Thunder Bay where I stopped to rest my eyes. That rest turned into a full on nap as I woke up hours later at 1 am. I guess I’d been more tired than I thought. Opting to continue the drive in the morning I dozed off once again as the wind and rain continued outside my car.

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Day 96 – New discoveries on a familiar road

A consistent and misty rainfall followed me almost the entire day. I had plenty of ground to cover so I didn’t mind as I took to the lengthy highway before me.


Despite me retracing roads I’d driven on my venture east, I managed to find some new things I hadn’t seen yet such as a few waterfalls hidden in the brush of the wetlands.


I feel like I’m in a race for time. As it gets colder all that rain becomes a problem once the temperature drops below zero. I haven’t had to deal with snow yet on this trip but I have a feeling it’s coming.


I managed to make it out of Ontario, returning to Manitoba as I ventured west. With the traffic turning to a trickle during the night, I made my way through Winnipeg to a campground on the outskirts of the city where I pitched my tent and called it a day.

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Day 97 – Meeting another Melnick

I woke up to a pretty empty campground. With the changing season and the cooler weather having arrived I don’t really see anyone in tents anymore. With plenty of ground to cover I wasted no time packing my things and getting on the road.


My main destination for the day was a small town called Minnedosa where a cousin of mine lived that I had yet to meet. Growing up in Brantford I didn’t know many relatives on my dad’s side due to them living so far away, because of this I get quite excited when I get the chance to meet another Melnick.


I made it into Minnedosa and pulled up to the house where my cousin Ben was waiting. We greeted one another and began chatting up a storm. Being a pretty deep individual, we found ourselves getting in some fascinating conversations with one another. Ben was an artist and taught music, he had a few students that were coming by for lessons so we had to cut our conversation short. He was free again in 4 hours so I drove into a nearby town and grabbed a bite to eat, passing time as I worked on the blog.


The time flew by and soon I was venturing back to his house where we continued a fascinating conversation with one another. His wife had arrived home as well, a kind woman who Winnie had a blast with as they played about. Time was flying and before I knew it midnight had arrived. It was tough saying goodbye. Ben gave me one of his CD’s for the road and just like that I was off once again.


I was still feeling awake enough to cover some ground so I drove another 120 km into the night to a campground on the edge of Manitoba where I pitched my tent and called it a day.

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Day 98 – Through the vast plains once more

While it was nice being able to stretch out in my tent I kept getting woken up by what sounded like a train throughout the night. When morning arrived I could see why, as maybe 200 feet away a train track ran parallel with the road, a sight that had hidden itself when I’d set up my tent in the dark. Ah well, that’s what coffee is for. I took advantage of the open area and played catch with Winnie as I packed my things.


It felt good returning to the road. I grabbed some much needed caffeine on my way west and soon I arrived in Saskatchewan.


A thick layer of clouds accompanied me as I made me way across the plains, I thought I might have another day of pure rain but it held off which was nice.


There is something special about the prairies, a calm feeling that I love. In a strange way it kinda feels like home, it’s just so peaceful. The vast sprawling fields with the occasional valley that dips into the earth makes for a wonderful drive.


I made a detour into Aylesbury to visit my friend Dusty who I’d met on my way east. Soon I was pulling into the farm where a friendly and familiar face greeted me. It was fun sharing my stories of adventure on the eastern side of Canada, as the previous time we’d met I’d been talking about what I might do on my way east. Being an incredible host, Dusty made me sandwiches for the road and cooked me up some dinner. He was heading to work in the evening so we didn’t have as much time to chill as I’d hoped for. I was still glad I swung on by though, even our short time together was worth the detour.


Having said my goodbyes to Dusty I took to the roads once again, continuing my venture northwest as the sun set in the distance and darkness covered the land. Being quite caffeinated I managed to cover quite a bit of ground before fatigue took over, beckoning me to find a place to rest. I heeded the call and located a quiet area where I finally called it a day as I dozed off.