Back roads on the way home

If you're ever making the trip from Quebec to the Maritimes, I recommend a couple of roads less travelled.

On my way home on Saturday, I left Quebec Autoroute 20 at exit 488 and heading down Route 289 - La Route des Frontières - so named because it runs close to the border with Maine, both the land border and the Rivière-St-François, and then enters the province of New Brunswick. (frontière = border)

My first stop off the 20 was to buy some gas in St-Alexandre de Kamouraska, enough to allow me get to Van Buren, Maine, comfortably, where I would fill up. Thanks to differences in gas taxes, one can routinely save 10 to 20 cents per litre by crossing the border, and when a fill-up is 70-odd litres, it's worth it. More on that later.

From St-Alexandre I enjoyed a journey of about 45 km through forest and past lakes, winding through les Appalaches until I reached Lac-Pohénégamook. (Poe-'ay-NAY-ga-mook - last syllable rhymes approximately with brook.) This is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, surrounded by three (some say four) small communities, cottages, hills and forests. It is also the home to a lake monster named Ponik. From the Shadowlands Sea Serpent website:

Lake Pohenegamook near the Maine border is home to a creature the locals have named Ponik. It is described as being 40 ft long, a snake like body, 3 humps, flippers and a horse like head. Many Cryptozoologists believe that Ponik may be a abnormally large sturgeon or a thought to be extinct dinosaur called a plesiosaur.

Sturgeon, my arse. It's called a monster. And it's in the lake. If you don't believe me, take a swim.

I pulled in for a rest in front of the church of Saint-Éleuthère. The Catholic Church in Quebec, the very foundation of the province, is a shadow of its former self. It's not in a coma yet; I would describe it more as in a state of palliative care. It is absolutely heartbreaking (to me, anyway) to see these hundreds of magnificent churches stand empty except for a single and often poorly-attended Mass on Sunday in most villages. I won't go off-topic any further than that, as much more could be written about this. My point is that I was expecting the church to be bolted shut and deserted. While it is true that no one was around, I was very pleasantly surprised to find the church doors unlocked. So, being a little bold, I entered and explored the place. Just like the church in Saint-Odilon-de-Cranbourne, where Marie and the kiddies and I attened Mass last Sunday (July 22nd), the church at St-Éleuthère was in marvellous condition. I had no camera with me, so you'll forgive my inadequate description, but it had an arched ceiling, lots of frescoes and other artwork. There were no interior pillars like in Saint-Odilon, but it had a beautful (and huge) choir loft and pews that appeared to be made from oak or birch, stained moderately dark. The windows were few but very ornate and beautiful. It is a terrific break from a long drive when you can find a beautiful, quiet country church.

After about twenty minutes, I started snacking on sandwiches in my car, and then continued my journey to the point where the highway (which becomes Rue Principale in all three Lac-Pohénégamook villages) curves around the south end of the lake. A whopping five minutes from the church.

If you want to see just how close Route 289 approaches the state Maine without touching it, click here and then zoom in, say to the second or third zoom button from the top. (The star on the map is not properly placed, but you should be able to see Estcourt, Quebec.) At one point, the highway runs parallel to the border. To one's right (when driving toward New Brunswick) runs the heavily travelled Canadian National freight rail line, then on the other side of the tracks (heh) is Rue de la Frontière. The street is in Canada, but the houses on the side of the street opposite the train tracks are partially or fully in the United States. The American side is known as Estcourt Station, Maine. The location of these houses gives fits to the Canadian and US customs officials in the area. The houses were built before the border had been properly surveyed, and the builders believed the border was a couple of hundred feet away. Not so. Prior to September 11, 2001, the locals routinely traversed the border without checking in with the border agents, but customs officials of both countries have cracked down on this practice. Among those left wondering what to do are the snowplow drivers in the winter, who have expressed uncertainty as to how far down the street they ought to clear. Not to mention that the houses on the American side use a Quebec telephone company and area code (418 instead of Maine's 207); they receive their electricity from Hydro Quebec; they are protected by the Pohénégamook Fire Department. So you can see that it is quite a unique place, and I drove down a small portion of Rue de la Frontière to have a look, without leaving Canada - I think - before continuing.

The Route des Frontières passes through two or three other very picturesque villages before entering New Brunswick. One of these is Rivière-Bleue, which the locals call "la petite Floride" (little Florida) because of an alleged micro-climate which keeps the place warmer and drier than the surrounding area. I cannot really speak to this as 1) the whole place seems to enjoy great weather every time I pass through (usually only in summer) and 2) it was very hot just about everywhere I visited yesterday.

The next village on this back route is St-Marc-du-Lac-Long. Lac-Long is smaller than Ponik's waters, but is also very beautiful. The highway crosses the south end of this lake, too, at a narrow inlet.

The highway enters a valley of sorts in New Brunswick, following the length of Lac-Baker as it continues to the southwest. The rail line runs very close to the road here, and crosses it a couple of times. On numerous occasions, including Saturday, I have had to stop to while the Montreal- and Chicago-bound freighters, some easily over a mile long, have crossed the road.

When I reached Edmunston, New Brunswick, I crossed the bridge over the Saint John River and entered Madawaska, Maine. This town of about 4,500 is one of the very few in the United States - in fact, maybe the only one - where the majority is French-speaking. I found my way onto US Route 1, one of the most interesting US highways in the entire country. (I remember a lengthy National Geographic article about US 1 in the late 80s.) The end point of US 1 is just past Madawaska in Fort Kent, and then it descends the east side of Maine to Calais, follows the coast to Machias and Brewer, and then heads back to the coast and makes its way to Kittery before leaving Maine and passing through Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For the most part, it follows the east coast very close to the water and, at its southern end, passes through Miami before crossing the Florida Keys and terminating at Key West. How's that for variety?

My drive down US 1 was brief but very enjoyable. The road runs parallel to the Bangor and Aroostook rail line in northern Maine, and passes close to the Saint John River (at that point, the international boundery). Many home on the east side of US 1 have river frontage, and many of these homeowners have boats. I assume that this probably causes concern to the customs officials too, but I have read or heard nothing to confirm this.

After about 30 minutes on US 1, I arrived in Van Buren to buy some cheap gas. Most Americans would feel that $3.09 per gallon is not cheap, but that worked out to about 89 cents a litre in Canadian funds, versus $1.05 per litre that I would have paid in the same area on the Canadian side of the river. Now you know why just about every trip to Quebec we make includes a small detour into northern Maine. Although, gasoline aside, I absolutely love that part of the state.

So after filling the tank and enjoying an ice-cold root beer at John's across the street from the Dead River Exxon station (its actual name), I crossed the bridge to Saint-Léonard, New Brunswick, and got back on the Trans-Canada highway to continue my way homeward.

So there you have it: two roads recommended for your travelling pleasure, Route 289 - La Route des Frontières in the Bas-St-Laurent region of Quebec, and US Route 1 in northern Maine. You'll add all of about ten miles to your trip, but it's most definitely worth the extra distance and time.