The first time Isy invited me to her family cabin on Cockburn Island, I gently offered that I didn't want to make the trek every other year. 2.5 hours of driving in Newfoundland, then the Newfoundland ferry, then another 24 hours of driving only brings you to the western end of Manitoulin Island, where you then also need to catch a boat. Meanwhile, I need to get back to Texas and explore El Paso and Laredo. I need to get back to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I need to see more of Saskatchewan. I still don't have a Georgia lighthouse. I'd like to see a Tucson Roadrunners game. I need to beat Clarkson to seeing all the baseball stadiums. I need more Wyoming in my life, etc., etc., ET CETERA. Nevertheless, I agreed to head back to Cockburn Island only two years after my first visit in 2019. It's not like we could go to America right now anyway, and at least with sleeping on the lounge floor of the ferry we saved $146 on a cabin each way :) |
Stopping in Moncton for some Arby's, I liked the look of the Sun Sun Chinese Restaurant's sign. Constantly dreading people coming over and asking why I'm taking pictures, it worked out well as I was across the street when the owner instead pestered Isy with what I was up to, lol. |
Trying to cover 10 hours of driving today, my one planned stop was in New Maryland (near Fredericton) at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church. |
I had seen this church listed on a few Reddit posts looking for abandoned things in New Brunswick. It's a good thing I didn't force the issue too much, as it's under the ownership of a heritage group who are working to turn it into a community space. From the outside, it really is a lovely building and Isy, Kingsley and I enjoyed our walk amongst the old headstones taking it all in. |
The reason we needed to keep it moving was because the one big stop en route was our overnight in Rivière-du-Loup, a city which I'd never previously visited. We still managed to get in after nightfall, but I enjoyed the seedy depanneur where I bought beer, was surprised by how the local restaurant had to go get the one cook who spoke enough English to sort out that I wanted my order "to go", plus this sneaky skunk that almost got me as I did the hand movement you have to do as a BMXer when sizing up a rail. It was a fun and eventful Rivière-du-Loup evening, even as I just wanted to get back to the motel and watch the Chiefs/Eagles with Kingsley and Isy. |
The next morning I got up early to ride Rivière-du-Loup's damn good skatepark. Quebec used to be confusingly behind on building skateparks, but even in the recent years of greater cement costs, cities throughout Quebec are now managing to catch up. Rivière-du-Loup only has 500 more people than Corner Brook, yet the idea of Corner Brook having a skatepark like this is unfathomable. Also of note: I filmed a line here where afterwards, I slow-mo'ed things and discovered the moment my Covid papers fell out of my jacket as I tabled over the hip. So some random kid in Quebec found signed Covid papers from NL this October morning. |
Overall, I liked Rivière-du-Loup's location along the St. Lawrence Seaway, its skatepark, and some of its downtown architecture. I wished we had more time to explore, but getting up early this morning helped out a bit. The city remains on my radar whenever we're travelling back and forth these days. |
Millions of Snow Geese pass through Rivière-du-Loup every fall, so we went on a little side quest to try and see them. Instead we found this giant woodpecker! Used to the small woodpeckers of Newfoundland which are around the size of your average robin, it was startling when this crow-sized Pileated Woodpecker dove through the trees just as we were about to reach an overlook to check the St. Lawrence for Snow Geese. |
Stopping at some of Isy's relatives in Montreal, I remembered how much I wanted to ride the unique Saint-Hubert skatepark that has an earthquake theme. Luckily for me, this was the closest legitimate skatepark to Isy's auntie's place! |
This day was my 13th-year anniversary of living in Newfoundland. Usually I find myself in Newfoundland on said October day, making sure that I consume things unavailable to me in Newfoundland - Taco Bell mild sauce, St. Ides' 40s, Dunks coffee, etc. - while trying to get out and ride some milquetoast street spot in Corner Brook. I didn't mind the change of finding myself in Saint-Hubert instead of Corner Brook though. It was a nice reminder of why I live in Newfoundland: that it allows me to travel quite frequently. |
Back at Isy's aunt's, they were going shopping and her aunt asked if I minded staying behind with Kingsley. She then went so far as to fire up the TV and asked if I liked Seinfeld, before then asking if I'd like a beer and whether a Belgian Moon would be okay. This would definitely be okay! And in place of shopping too?? Oh buddy! |
Visiting another of Isy's relatives, I decided to check if nearby Saint-Jerome1 had a decent skatepark and boy howdy did they ever. A $1.6-million stunner, there were so many fun objects and because it was early on a school day, I had a fantastic session only having to watch out for a couple skateboarders. The session was also funny in that Isy's cousin's kid wanted to see me ride, but obviously he was in school - so instead I got Isy to film a couple things as I tried to pull out some rare, flashier tricks. I have to admit I can't remember the last time I jumped down more than 10 stairs, lol. |
The skateparks near Isy's father's house in the Gatineau area are decidedly not as good as the ones around Montreal. Still though, Limbour Skatepark was enough like a street spot - spaced out with ledges and banks - that I had a good time and I'd actually return. |
Enough random Quebec skateparks and driving already, you say? Where's the Cockburn Island coverage? Well, after eight more hours of driving down and over to the west end of Manitoulin Island, we boarded our fine vessel made in Wheatley Ontario and headed across the Mississagi Strait to Cockburn Island. |
