Day 10: Tuesday, June 24, 2003

This was just a long day of riding. My objective was Bangor, Maine. I made it. It was a 600-mile day accomplished in nearly 14 hours with departure at 9:30 AM and arrival after midnight.

Leaving North Bay and heading east again on Ontario highway 17, the hardwood forest becomes mixed with farmland. Canada's capital city, Ottawa, magically pops out of the farmland, then just as magically disappears into farmland on the other side. I was at a loss to imagine why a city grew at that location, but I noticed later looking at the map that it is on the south bank of the Ottowa River. That must be the reason.

After that, I rode into Quebec, past Montreal and eastward to Sherbrooke, then through the small towns of La Patrie, Notre Dame des Bois, and Woburn to an isolated border crossing in the northwest corner of Maine. Sherbrooke, Quebec, looks like an interesting resort town -- gateway to the mountains and lakes of eastern Quebec, I think. As I rode through the center of Sherbrooke, there were lots of open-air restaurants and all seemed packed with diners. This looks like it might be a good place to go and hang out in the summertime to practice my French, if I ever get serious about learning more of that language.

The little towns of La Patrie and Notre Dame des Bois are pretty, surrounded by farmland, both with disproportionately large churches and many crosses all around.

I crossed the border at dusk, then rode little roads through many small towns after dark to Bangor, stopping for a quick Burger-King hamburger just before 11 PM, and checking into a $33 room at Motel 6 at half-past midnight.