Leaf Peeping thru Canada

DC commuters creep along multi-lane expressways to workspaces with no windows. It’s morning rush hour. And this seeming poor for a holiday departure actually energizes us for the trip ahead.

We are heading north for an annual Autumn adventure. The one week itinerary has confirmed stops at Lake Erie, Stratford Ontario and Montreal Quebec. But there are open dates as well. This is how we like to travel.

Dunkirk, NY on Lake Erie

Nothing frees a traveler like an open-ended itinerary, reliable vehicle, snack-stuffed cooler and willing companion.  Check. Check. Check. Check and Check. On our way.

Peggy has heard lots about one of my earliest mentors, Steve.  It’s been decades since he introduced me to the ways of means of technical theatre, skills which sent me on a fascinating career path.  Our first stop on this colorful caravan is Dunkirk, New York perched on the lip of Lake Erie. 

It’s windy here and so is our reunion.  Steve and Mary scoop us up to make the rounds of sights and sounds of Dunkirk. 

The couple is active in reintroduction of native plant species.  We walk the grounds of their historic Victorian house, with its abundant botanic garden, then visit sites of other gardens where they nurture indigenous growth.  We walk the rocky shore of Lake Erie, which is a first for me.  Between loads and loads of catching up we relish a fine dinner of shrimp, crisp salad, homemade dressing and a fine, local Riesling wine.  The girls are patient participants as Steve and I match memories up to bedtime. 

Stratford Theatre Festival, Ontario

Next morning I repack the car and see my breath for the first time this season.  Back on the road again, we head north for Stratford Ontario in Canada.  After passing austere, high rise Toronto, we are again swallowed up by the colors of Autumn, soothing and stimulating at the same time. 

World famous Stratford Festival (stratfordfestival.ca) founded in 1952 is a cultural icon offering plays by Shakespeare and others April through October.  Peggy’s brother Mark, who has driven over from Detroit, meets us at our hotel on Ontario Street with tickets in hand for a performance tonight.  Another happy reunion deserves another hearty meal.

Striking out through Stratford Park, we find the main Festival Theatre stage.  Then, chattering away, we ease down a grassy slope.  Here we encounter others, young and old, some with babies in strollers sauntering through the natural beauty of Avon River and Lake Victoria. How appropriate.  Quaint bridges, graceful swans provide a serene setting for this brother and sister reunion.  We celebrate with a pre-theatre charcuterie dinner on a hotel terrace near our own. 

Just before 8 we find our seats in the steeply sloped Festival Theatre.  The stage pushes out into the audience in “thrust” fashion, making viewers feel part of the action.  It is cluttered with furniture evoking a pre-WWII newspaper work room. 

The play Front Page, set in the 1920’s is probably best known for the ’70’s film adaptation featuring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.  A complicated back story gets the show off to a slow start, but gains speed through three acts becoming captivating, insightful even contemporary despite its throwback setting. A comedy about misbehaving people always rings true.

The next day’s drive from Stratford to Montreal plows through acres and acres of vineyards.  Then beyond austere, high rise Toronto, the terrain begins to roll.  Vast stands of evergreens are accented with brilliant, glittering shades of Autumn: Indian Summer red, glowing Persimmon orange, Slow Dow yellow, Sunburnt tan, Gotcha’ gold.  A patchwork of shades so striking each tree seems lit by its own spotlight. 

Vieux Montreal, Quebec

We arrive in Montreal around dark, and check in to a hotel firmly anchored in old town, hard by historic docks in “Vieux Port de Montreal.” We are also walking distance to the “Quartier Latin” and “Quartier Chinois.”

Luckily we have chosen to stay in the oldest area of Montreal so it’s easy to take in historic sights, walk cobbled streets and indulge in delicious meals nearby.  We are also lucky to have brought our bicycles, because Montreal is a biker’s delight. 

Peg feels blessed to have been raised in the US Foreign Service, and even more by the people she has met along the way.  One of these is Nanda who lives nearby in Ottawa.  She and Peg were best friends as little girls in Laos.  They still remain “Besties” though visits are now rare.  We meet up with Nanda next morning for a day of constant motion.

Another beautiful, sunny day.  Nanda takes her role as local guide very seriously.  She directs us through old city architecture with interesting stairways amid palatial government buildings. She spies a cafe offering “moules et frites” and there we eat.  Students and travelers flow through historic corridors preparing for Canadian Thanksgiving.  We too are thankful.  So agreeable is the day, so favorable the temperature.  So warm is this reunion. 

On Day 2 of our stay here we bike through Montreal Olympic Park, site of the 1976 Summer Olympic Games.  The stunning architecture still stands, but on this day the broad grounds seem vacant.  Still we enjoy standing on the Olympic victor’s stand.  This is where Bruce Jenner received a gold medal in Decathlon before there was a Caitlyn and Nadia Comaneci scored the first ever perfect 10 in Olympic Gymnastics.

That evening we return to the old port and spend a pleasant evening in a “Brassierie Sportive.” We watch Canadian and US sporting events, sipping cider and gorging on enormous salads. 

On our day of departure, we slowly repack bags and try to make sense of morning news in French. Snow storm in Manitoba, a tightly contested race for President and coast to coast celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving Day on our US Columbus Day. Despite the language disconnect, we leave feeling tightly bonded to the saucy province of Quebec. 

Lake Placid NY, 3 Decades Later 

After a long day of driving, we turn into Art Devlin’s Motel, in Lake Placid NY, squeezed in to the tightest part of town.  The modest, well situated stay over is filled with WWII artifacts, and other testaments to Art’s extra ordinary career.  The reception area is dominated with a trophy case filled with photos, accolades and silver cups. A Devlin family member talks us through Art’s career as a decorated US Air Force bombardier, international ski champion and network sports commentator.  

A quick drive through town delivers us to Lisa G’s family style restaurant. Here we nudge our way onto a comfy couch by a glowing fire pit, with captivating view of a dammed pond and babbling brook.  In minutes we sip warm (and chilled) beverages, devour snacks and chat with nearby diners who take us in immediately as friends.  This cozy conclusion to a day of travel is filled with tips about nearby attractions.

Next day begins with a slow scenic drive around Mirror Lake, aquatic sibling to Lake Placid.  We poke along, peeking a well-groomed, rustic vacation homes strategically situated along the lake and behind bright peekaboo veils of Fall color.

Lake Placid is famous for hosting two Olympic Winter Games, 1932 and 1980.  At this time of year, early Autumn, and particularly on a quiet Sunday morning, we are challenged to imagine the noise, festivity, boisterous competition that accompanies an international sporting event.  The loudest noise we hear is the rhythmic padding of joggers on sidewalks, with the occasional jangle of a pet in tow.  

Chip was fortunate to attend the 1980 Olympic Winter Games as a touring, theatre stage hand.  It was the Olympiad dominated by Speed Skater, Eric Heiden, winner of 5 Olympic gold medals and the US Hockey Team’s historic “Miracle on Ice.”  The time was also memorable for Chip’s active trading of souvenir Olympic lapel pins with visitors from all over the world including Soviet Army officers in military caps and full length fur coats and discovering that they are human too. 

Our exploration of Lake Placid also includes a short hike to the base of the iconic Olympic Ski Jump which also takes us to the restored farm and grave site of Abolitionist John Brown. Our schedule allows only short observation of these two historic sites and reminds us once again there is always more to see than one is aware when one travels. 

Heading Home, Promise to Return

An extraordinary week.  Reunions.  Remembrances.  New friends.  Now time to head home.  We leave Lake Placid reluctantly with many mental notes of things to do “next time.” 

The drive south takes us through Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa, worthy destinations of their own, but time is short.  When we drive within 20 miles of Cooperstown, NY home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  Chip makes a mental note to return someday soon. 

Instead, on a glorious, cool but brilliant Autumn day we stop for lunch at the Boat House on Lake George and are so pleased we do. Diving into burgers, salad, soup and brew we also soak up an uninterrupted view of this beautiful lake.  Sailboats and speedboats entertain our eyes as we indulge in a sumptuous spread.  Across the lake a color drenched hillside rises toward a powder blue sky.  Fresh breeze from the West make us wish to crew on one of the local boats. 

Peggy & Chip return to the Mid-Atlantic wondering why they don’t do this every year.  Oh yeah… they do.  Just to different locales.  To learn about another similar jaunt check out “VA’s Historic Triangle.”

Do you have suggestions for a perfect Autumn, Winter, Spring or Summer fling? Let us know with a COMMENT here on chiptracks.net or Chip Tracks on Facebook.  We are already planning for next year.