A slow morning today started with a shower and then coffee and quiche. A second coffee was had while wandering about the campground ahead of packing up. One last look at the view and we were away… to the dump station. No issues, all clean. Yay! Gate card returned and we were back on route 138 heading East.
Our first stop was at the Grandes-Bergeronnes lookout to scout for whales. By checking marinetraffic.com we could see that many of the whale watching tour boats came to this bay. We got lucky and spotted a Minke whale not far from shore. It politely travelled past us a few times probably feeding on a school of fish.
After watching a small 2-engine airplane land at the Grandes-Bergeronnes airport which is adjacent to the lookout we headed to the Boulangerie Artisanale La “P’tite Cochonne” to get some bread and a couple of sticky treats. It’s a small bakery in a relatively hidden location but the bread is amazing and the treats delicious.
We head a little further East to the Cap de Bon-Désir Interpretation and Observation Centre. A Parks Canada location that required payment to enter but had an amazing spot on a granite outcropping at the edge of the river. Evidently the water immediately adjacent to the shore is very deep and thus a favorite for whales to visit allowing for good photo opportunities. Today, not so much. We did see one other Minke whale closer than the last location, but after a couple of hours in the chilly wind we decided to call it and head towards Les Escoumins where we could have a late lunch. Dave & Liz decided that whale watching required a little more patience and remained on the rocks.
Arriving in Les Escoumins we stopped at the Pêcheries Manicouagan for lunch and to buy some seafood. Barb enjoyed a Lobster club sandwich with fries and I the Seafood Poutine… Delish! Both plates were a little large, not short of seafood and a little pricey but it was a lovely treat. Having eaten at 3:00pm dinner was likely light snacks if we have anything all.
This was as far East as we will travel on this trip and thus we turned West on route 138 towards our campsite at Camping Paradis Marin. It is only a short distance East of the Parks Canada location and has rocks that equal or better our opportunities for whale watching.
Our campsite is grassy and we’ve been able to position the van such that we can sit inside and look out to the river between adjacent RVs. We plan on being here for a couple of nights and hopefully will see a few more whales. Time to relax and simply enjoy being outdoors.
