Our View From The Road

Day 01 – Heading Out

I didn’t sleep well last night, could be that I’m excited to get away for a bit or more likely that I’m getting over a man-cold and I gave in to the mad coughing fit at 4:30am. So, 5:00am I’m up and getting my day started with my usual morning routine of a light breakfast, a couple of online word puzzles and then some YouTube.

Of course, during this morning routine I somehow manage to fall asleep for an hour thus making up for lost sleep. Go figure.

By 9:00am we’re both showered and are putting together the last few items that need to be packed into the van. After 4 years of doing this we’re still amazed at just how much we can squirrel away in such a small space. I’m not sure we’ll find some of what we’ve packed, but it’s there if we need it.

We leave the laneway shortly before 10:00am and head towards Montreal, where we take Autoroute 30 around the south-side of the city and join Autoroute 20 heading East. No issues with traffic and after just 2 hours we’re clear of the city and on the country.

Spring is finally well and truly here with all of the trees now in leaf across the Eastern Townships of Québec. We stop at a rest stop briefly for some lunch and then continue on towards Levis.

When we left the house this morning the skies were grey and rain was imminent. However, by the time we get to Levis, the skies are clear and the sunshine is wonderful. 17-19°C is very comfortable.

After stopping briefly for gas ($1.839 CAD / liter) we complete our days driving by stopping at Rivière-du-Loup where we have a campsite reservation for the night.

The campsite overlooks the St Lawrence River and on clear days such as today has some of the most beautiful sunsets we’ve ever seen. I’ll drop a couple of photos below for you to check out.

Day 00 – Getting Ready

The 2026 travel season is upon us. We are on the final day of preparing for our journey to Newfoundland. Spring in Ontario has been cool and wet & today appears to be no different, we are hoping the weather becomes more Summer-like as we approach the East Coast.

We have already taken the van on a trip to visit family in Southern Ontario in early May and so know that it is all good to go. We made a few minor livability changes in the van for this year and so will see how those work out. The biggest change is a new foam mattress topper and custom fitted bottom sheet that should allow for better sleep, stay tuned for updates as the journey progresses.

Yesterday saw us pack most of the groceries and today will see us finish that task and then tackle clothing leaving only personal items and electronics to be packed tomorrow just ahead of our departure.

We have been planning this trip for a couple of years and now that we are on the eve of leaving our anticipation and excitement for what’s ahead is high. We’re looking forward to sharing with you what we discover along the way so come back in the upcoming days and weeks as we discover Newfoundland.

Days 10 & 11: Homeward Bound

Thursday saw us drive into Southern Ontario and over towards the Lake Huron coast. We stopped in Mildmay at Pickled and Baked Foods to pick-up a couple of baked pies and tarts for dinner. We then drove on to Bayfield where we stopped for lunch at the Woodland Drive-In before ending our day in South Huron with family where we stayed for dinner and camped overnight.

Friday was our last day. The day started early with a coffee and some toast before saying our goodbyes and heading back out onto the road one last time. Our visit had been brief but very enjoyable, we hope to be back again soon.

We headed East towards Oxford County where we had a package to be dropped off at my brother’s home. We topped off with fuel at a gas station near Hwy 401 before tackling Friday traffic into ‘the big smoke’ (Toronto, ON). Due to volume we decided to take the Hwy 7 ETR across the city and then rejoin Hwy 401 East of the worst traffic. Always a relaxing drive when compared to Hwy 401 albeit an expense that I despise.

Traffic heading East out of Toronto on this Friday was heavy but it moved steadily resulting in us arriving in Prescott, ON at 3:00pm where we dumped our waste tanks one last time. The Canadian Tire at Prescott offers this as a service; however, it is now $25 which will make me think twice about using it again.

We drive North on Hwy 416 to our destination where we stop to fill up with fuel one last time before heading home. We’d made it!

Our trip odometer showing the total of 10,527.2km over 124hrs 34min

The remainder of the day was spent unloading the van and returning to living in our home. I shall attempt to wash the van of all accumulated road detritus sometime in the next few days. For now, we’ve earned a rest I believe.

Thanks for following along with us on our journey. Check back again as we’re starting to plan the next one.

Day 09: Pancake Bay to Killbear Provincial Park

A slightly shorter but no more complex driving day today as we again simply followed the TCH most of the day.

It started shortly after 8:00am with us leaving the Pancake Bay Provincial Park after not finding garbage cans for our waste. We simply drove 3km down the TCH and then used an MTO (Ministry of Transport) provided trash receptacle. 45 min later we arrived in Sault Ste-Marie where we topped off with fuel and headed on our way. Eastward today, towards Sudbury. It was a nice drive and not too busy with traffic. We stopped at the Elliott Lake turnoff where there is a nice information center that suited as a place for our picnic lunch.

After lunch we continued East to Sudbury where we turned South on Hwy69 towards Parry Sound. We stopped again for fuel so that we’d have a full tank to start tomorrow and then stopped at the Norse Brewery for a burger and a beer before heading to Killbear Provincial Park where we will be staying tonight.

An uneventful and easy drive. Just as we like them. Tomorrow we head into Southern Ontario to visit family.

Day 08: Thunder Bay to Pancake Bay, ON

Well, what can I say about today? We got up early, showered and left. On the road before 8:00am heading to Tim Horton’s in Nipigon. We did take a couple of early morning photos of the sky which I share below.

Today’s route was a simple one, follow the TCH from Thunder Bay to Pancake Bay (80km North of Sault Ste-Marie). No turns, no decisions except where to buy fuel (White River) and where to stop for our picnic lunch (Just South of White River). We saw a few things and I’ve added pictures as proof.

We arrived at the Pancake Bay Provincial Park at 3:15pm. Camp setup, Starlink connected, Barb doing laundry. Dinner will be hot dogs. Sleep will come easily.

Tomorrow, Killbear Provincial Park near Parry Sound, ON. Our journey approaches it end, just 3 more days.