Our last day in Westport, NY was spent in the RV due to non-stop heavy rain and winds. It rained all day and all night. There were numerous severe thunderstorms all around us. We had about an hour break in the downpour and took advantage of it by getting out for dinner. We ate at the Westport Marina. As soon as we got back to the RV the downpour started again. When we awoke the next morning the rain had ended. We packed up and headed off to Montreal, Canada.

The drive through upper NY was peaceful and pretty. We had no issues getting through the Champlain US/Canada Border. The road from the border to Montreal was easy going as well. We stayed at Camping La Cle des Champs in Saint-Philippe. It is a highly rated RV campground about 30 minutes away from downtown Montreal, and across the river from city center. About 75% of the sites are owned by campers and therefore, are very nice. The rental sites, clubhouse and pool were all very nice as well. Each site had a paved porch with a dining table and 4 chairs, a stone fireplace, and a 3-person swing. While the site was narrow, we really didn’t need much more space. They offered firewood for sale, as do most campgrounds. However, this place was unique in that they gave you a huge amount of very dry wood, kindling and paper all for about $7 US.

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After settling in at the campground we took off for Montreal. It was mid afternoon so we decided to head straight for Old Town for a little sightseeing and dinner. I had been there one evening, on a business trip, many years ago. Charlie had also been there on business trips, but usually in the wintertime. Therefore, this was our first time to really explore the area. It wasn’t as nice or quaint as I had envisioned it being. There was construction everywhere and a lot of heavy industry along the water. We did enjoy our stroll though the city and found a nice restaurant for dinner. We also climbed up the 192 steps to the top of the Clock Tower. After a full day of driving and sightseeing we headed back to the campground, exhausted.

Since we had come across the border with no fruits, veggies, meat or poultry, and a limited quantity of wine, we spent the next morning shopping. We then decided to take a bike ride along the St. Lawrence River. It was very industrialized and not very scenic so we cut it short and headed back to the campground where we cooked up some fabulous mussels.

For our last full day in the Montreal area we decided to stay on our side of the river and head over to a town called Chambly. We enjoyed a nice scenic bike ride along the canal and lake. The canal has 9 manual locks that are still operated today. We were able to see them in operation.

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We then took a tour of Fort Chambly. It is probably the nicest fort I’ve visited. Quebec did a great job turning this 18^th century fort into a museum. They have costumes that you can try on to get into the spirit and lots of interactive activities.

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We had a great late lunch at a restaurant on the lake and then headed back to the Campground for dinner. We were blessed to get new neighbors from New York, as the majority of campers are French Canadian and speak little English. We had a great time getting to know Ray and Melanie and look forward to meeting up with them again on a future trip. Having dinner with them was a great end to our Montreal visit.