Pointe


This column of canes and crutches was not otherwise labeled, but we assume it was meant to signify those who were healed during a visit to the Basilique.	This is Manoir Richelieu, our hotel in Pointe-au-Pic. There is a casino adjoining the hotel, and an underground passageway connects the two.	We took a nice walk along the bluff above the St. Lawrence starting at the Manoir Richelieu. Elinor and James Pippin are following Mo up the hill, which was more than a little icy.

Chunks of ice are still floating along the shores of the St. Lawrence.	Returning from our walk, we found this delightful outdoor fire burning in front of the hotel. We warmed our hands for quite a while before heading back inside.	And a warm fire was burning inside the hotel, too.	A beautiful sunny day greeted us on the St. Lawrence the next morning, as we set out for our dog sled adventure near the village of Les Eboulements.

We arrived a little early for sledding, so we explored and got to know some of the 80 or so dogs on the premises. As we got comfortable with the dogs, we got a little closer. Bob Whitney starts out a little wary....	Reinaldo Becerra takes it one step further....	Then Mo just grabs this dog and says "Hello!"	Shortly, the sleds start coming back from their morning run.

Dogs, dogs, and more dogs. This was great if you like dogs. These were smart dogs - once the sleds were tied down, the dogs began to flop on the ground for a rest. I wish I had been able to record the delightful sound of all these athletic dogs barking when they were getting ready to head out with the sleds.	I was surprised that the dogs were relatively small. I had expected large Husky/Shepherds. I'd guess most of these dogs were 50 pounds or so.	I was also surprised that they were so gentle and non-agressive towards people. There was no doubt about it - these were working dogs, not pets. The drivers were very clear about who was in charge. Nevertheless, they seemed to enjoy human company.	Getting more of my dog fix.

Before we went out on our sleds, we had a home-cooked meal in the cabin/office. Meat stew and salad. Do you recognize my Demetre ski sweater? Hope I didn't offend any Canadians with this distinctly stars and stripes design.	They were short of drivers for our group, so some of us were recruited to drive the sleds. I volunteered, because I didn't think I'd soon have the chance again.	Here I am "driving" the sled. Bob LaFraugh was my captive passenger. Shortly after this picture was taken, I managed to dump the sled over and put Bob on the ground. He was a good sport about the whole affair, but I'm pretty sure this isn't what he had in mind when he read the tour brochure!	The interior of the Manoir Richelieu.

The Manoir Richelieu lobby.	After leaving Pointe-au-Pic and returning to the Quebec City train station, the news-starved Americans grabbed every newspaper that could be found.	While waiting for our train back to Montreal, Mo and I walked a couple of blocks to see some good examples of "urban art".	Murals had been commissioned for the freeway piers. Remarkably, they had not been defaced by graffitti. It was about as cold as I hope to see during this walk. I felt like my face was going to crack open when the wind was against us.

And this was a little unusual. How many dentist offices have you seen in a train station? The VIA ticket counter is off to the right.	Back in Montreal on our last night in Canada, we ate at an unusual open market. When you enter, you are given a blank ticket. You wander about the market and choose any food you want from any of the establishments in the market.	Your ticket is marked with what you've purchased at each vendor. When you leave, you pay one total. The market then re-distributes your payment back to the vendors listed on your ticket. It was an interesting way to pick a meal. The tabletop markers suggest it takes "13 visits to figure it all out".	The Montreal train station is very modern and very busy. Here, we boarded Amtrak's Adirondak for our return to the US.

The Frye's also rode the Adirondack back to the US.	We were greeted by big snowflakes at the Schenectady "Amshack". Not quite the stations we had become accustomed to in Canada! The Becerra's left us here for the Albany airport and a flight home.	We transferred to Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited at Schenectady. The next morning, we arrived in Chicago where the early spring weather was picture perfect. We quickly hoofed it a couple of miles to the Lake Michigan waterfront.	Taken near the Adler Planetarium. My attempt at an artsy-craftsy photograph.

The sun said it was 11:05, and my Seiko agreed. An accurate "sundial" indeed.	Who can mistake the lions in front of the Chicago Art Museum?	When we returned to the station, we were surprised to see Mike Prinzhorn (a fellow traveler on previous rail trips in British Columbia). I promised Mike I'd call him from Chicago, but he beat me to the punch!	Mike and Terry in Amtrak's Metropolitan Lounge in Union Station.

The scenery from the Empire Builder changes markedly west of Havre, Montana. Rigid geometric wheat fields begin to show up as soon as you leave Havre, replacing the helter-skelter rangeland that has been visible through most of Eastern Montana.	Just West of Shelby, Montana, the Empire Builder struck a cattle trailer at a crossing. The pickup towing the trailer can be seen in the distance. Its occupants were spared by just a few feet. The cattle in the trailer didn't fare as well.	It took about four hours for the Montana Highway Patrol to investigate before releasing the train, so our arrival at points West was considerably delayed.	In Spokane very early the next morning (5:30AM instead of the scheduled 1:30AM), I took this picture of damage to the front of the locomotive. The snowplow has been seriously bent. The engineer's windshield wiper hangs lamely off to the left. There was a large crack in the windshield that can't be seen in this picture.

One of the "benefits" of running late is that you can see the Columbia River and crossing of the Cascades. Here is the Columbia just outside of Wenatchee.	And a daylight visit to the Wenatchee Amshack station, where the Empire Builder makes its final crew change.	A beautiful day as the Empire Builder glides along the Skykomish River, now only about two hours out of Seattle.