Part 3 Gaspe Road Trip: Let’s Go to Gaspésie

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Is there a road trips where everything ever goes according to plan?

Ummmm, nope. Some go even better. 

The car that wouldn't lock

My cousin and I had decided to head to Gaspésie together, which sounded like a perfectly simple idea. Two women. We playfully called ourselves Thelma and Louise. A rental car. A few days on the road. Beautiful scenery. Good food. Lots of photography. And, as it turned out, a surprising amount of therapy.

We were barely into Quebec when the universe gave us our first little sign that this was not going to be your average road trip. I was driving the rental car. One of those keyless-start situations. We had just crossed into Quebec when we decided to pull over, stretch our legs and grab a few snacks.

And, as fate would have it, we had just received a phone call from the car rental company.

“Is everything okay with the car? Are you finding everything to your liking? ”

“Yes!” we confidently assured them. “Everything was absolutely fine.”

Until we stopped for snacks and tried to lock it. Nothing.

We pressed buttons. We tried the door handle. We pressed more buttons. We looked at each other. We tried again.

Nothing.

Now, because neither of us is particularly interested in being defeated by a vehicle, we took the key fob apart. Yup! We sure did. And we discovered the little emergency key hidden inside and, for a brief moment, felt like we had cracked the case. Except... We couldn't figure out where the emergency key was supposed to go.

At this point, I’m pretty sure we were both beginning to question whether we were actually qualified to leave the province. And then, suddenly, it hit me.

I looked at the gear shift. Looked at my cousin and said: “Oh.!!! Maybe I should put it in PARK? ”

Of course the car wouldn't lock. OOPS!!

We laughed until we cried.  And that, dear reader, pretty much set the tone for the entire trip.

Because somewhere between Moncton and Percé, this stopped being just a road trip. It became one of those trips where two women talk about everything. We laughed. We cried. We unpacked things. We called each other out. We gave each other unsolicited advice. We were each others therapist.

And we did it against one of the most spectacular backdrops in Eastern Canada.

The Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec.

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Les Jardins de Métis

Our first real stop was Les Jardins de Métis, where the road trip immediately shifted gears from highway snacks and rental-car incompetence to something considerably more beautiful & meaningful.

Read more about out time in the gardens here

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Then Came Panora Loge Fluvial

From Les Jardins de Métis, we continued toward Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. We had no idea what the rest of this road trip would bring. But we knew we were going to need somewhere to rest our souls for the evening. Cue les Panora Loges Fluvial.

Learn more about our time at the Lodges here

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On the Road Again

The next morning, we stopped at Marie 4 Poches for some pastries and coffee. It's a busy little spot, welcoming and full of delicious things that make you want to buy one of everything. We ended up getting a pan of date squares... yes, you read that right... a pan, not a piece.

They were very reminiscent of our grandmother. She made the best date squares. So, in a funny little way, buying that pan was also a nod to our dear grandmother. A little taste of home on the road. (feel free to contact me for the recipe)

And then there was the kombucha. Pear and Orange Blossom from les Chants du Fleuve

I had the best kombucha I have ever had. We were actually planning a little photoshoot with the date squares, the kombucha and a few other things we had purchased. We thought about doing a picnic-style shoot at one of the lighthouses. It was going to be so cute.

Except... Next thing I knew, I had guzzled the kombucha down. So much for the photoshoot. Cue belly laugh number 2.

I did manage to take a quick phone photo before it was too late.

And honestly, it was that good.

Les chants du Fleuve Kombucha

With coffee, kombucha and an entire pan of date squares in the car, we got back on the road and headed toward the lighthouses, including Cap-à-la-Renommée, with a few stops along the way. The road itself was becoming part of the adventure, with the coastline, the water and those big Gaspésie views unfolding in front of us as we drove.

At one point, I swear the road disappeared in front of us. It was that steep of a hill.

Natasha was driving at this point. I actually gasped and grabbed her arm. We both looked at each other eyes wide open…..Cue belly laugh number three.

Thelma and Louise going over the cliff... and it’s only the middle of the storyline. LOL

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