Rte.
138 on the North Shore of the St.
Lawrence River is known as the Whale Watching Trail.
Thirteen species of whale visit the North coast of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence during the summer months in search of plentiful plankton.
The road traverses many different ecosystems, from the hardwood forests of birches and maples to spruce and fir forested mountains, mud flat coastal plains, and rugged rocky shores.
At Baie Ste Catherine the road ends and a ferry ride of fifteen minutes takes you across the Saguenay River Fjord, where the forested mountains kiss the waters.
For a distance of forty miles on either side of the fjord is Parc Saguenay, a Provincial Park of Quebec.
This is an excellent place to catch a whale watching excursion, which also takes you up into the fjord.
On our way across the fjord we had to wait while one of these boats made its way up the fjord.
Nearby, just South of Baie Ste.
Catherine is a casino, where you can try your luck at the slots or gaming tables.
There is a scenic outlook stop just outside of Ragueneau, about ten miles South of Baie Comeau.
What greets you is very surprising: two coral-pink concrete dinosaurs and a white 100 foot obelisk.
The area was the brain child of M.
Rinald Girard, who wanted to erect a monument to the spirit of the area.
The dinosaurs represent the forces of nature and the beauty of the region before recorded history.
The obelisk represents the bounty of benevolence which the area has given to the settlers.
At the site is a boat ramp, numerous potted plants, and a gazebo with benches and tables to watch the birds on the offshore islands, the harbor seals, and the occasional whale.
Even though this place is not in the tourist books or on the map, there was a constant stream of visitors to take in the view.
Baie Comeau was established by Robert McCormick, owner of the Chicago Tribune, because of his need for pulp wood to make newsprint.
Besides the logging industry, Alcoa Aluminum has a large processing plant there.
Take the eleven mile trip to the hydro-electric dam, Manix 2.
We had planned to visit the dam on our way.
The journey of ten miles takes almost one half an hour, due to the terrain of the roads, a roller coaster ride.
The dam is pretty impressive.
It is one of a series of nine hydro-electric dams in the area, which produces about thirty percent of the electrical needs for all of Provence Quebec.
The ninety minute tour was in French, but there are English translations.
The guide takes you through the interior of the dam itself (very impressive), and the powerhouse, where you actually saw the electricity being made by the massive turbines.
The process is like a water mill.
The water flows over the wheel, which spins a larger wheel surrounded by electromagnets.
The spinning causes negative and positive charges with the magnets: ergo AC current.
The ferry from Baie Comeau to Matane offers many different services: dining room, cafeteria, bar, play room for children, and lounge chairs.
It is late whjen you reach the other sid of the St.
Lawrence River.
You can stay on the dock until morning.
138 on the North Shore of the St.
Lawrence River is known as the Whale Watching Trail.
Thirteen species of whale visit the North coast of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence during the summer months in search of plentiful plankton.
The road traverses many different ecosystems, from the hardwood forests of birches and maples to spruce and fir forested mountains, mud flat coastal plains, and rugged rocky shores.
At Baie Ste Catherine the road ends and a ferry ride of fifteen minutes takes you across the Saguenay River Fjord, where the forested mountains kiss the waters.
For a distance of forty miles on either side of the fjord is Parc Saguenay, a Provincial Park of Quebec.
This is an excellent place to catch a whale watching excursion, which also takes you up into the fjord.
On our way across the fjord we had to wait while one of these boats made its way up the fjord.
Nearby, just South of Baie Ste.
Catherine is a casino, where you can try your luck at the slots or gaming tables.
There is a scenic outlook stop just outside of Ragueneau, about ten miles South of Baie Comeau.
What greets you is very surprising: two coral-pink concrete dinosaurs and a white 100 foot obelisk.
The area was the brain child of M.
Rinald Girard, who wanted to erect a monument to the spirit of the area.
The dinosaurs represent the forces of nature and the beauty of the region before recorded history.
The obelisk represents the bounty of benevolence which the area has given to the settlers.
At the site is a boat ramp, numerous potted plants, and a gazebo with benches and tables to watch the birds on the offshore islands, the harbor seals, and the occasional whale.
Even though this place is not in the tourist books or on the map, there was a constant stream of visitors to take in the view.
Baie Comeau was established by Robert McCormick, owner of the Chicago Tribune, because of his need for pulp wood to make newsprint.
Besides the logging industry, Alcoa Aluminum has a large processing plant there.
Take the eleven mile trip to the hydro-electric dam, Manix 2.
We had planned to visit the dam on our way.
The journey of ten miles takes almost one half an hour, due to the terrain of the roads, a roller coaster ride.
The dam is pretty impressive.
It is one of a series of nine hydro-electric dams in the area, which produces about thirty percent of the electrical needs for all of Provence Quebec.
The ninety minute tour was in French, but there are English translations.
The guide takes you through the interior of the dam itself (very impressive), and the powerhouse, where you actually saw the electricity being made by the massive turbines.
The process is like a water mill.
The water flows over the wheel, which spins a larger wheel surrounded by electromagnets.
The spinning causes negative and positive charges with the magnets: ergo AC current.
The ferry from Baie Comeau to Matane offers many different services: dining room, cafeteria, bar, play room for children, and lounge chairs.
It is late whjen you reach the other sid of the St.
Lawrence River.
You can stay on the dock until morning.
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