We are thinking of going to the Gaspe Penisula next summer, but I can't find a lot of information on the area. Please tell me your favorite sites and accommodations. Also, when is the best time to go? I am leaning towards June when the rates are lower, but are the mosquitos and black flies bad then? Did you love the area, or was it just okay?

I will offer you what I know. We started one morning from Quebec City and drove as far as Ste. Anne du Mont. The second night we went as far as New Carlisle on the south shore. The next night we were in New Brunswick.

In all, I would say that we allowed one day too little for our trip. The roads are slower than I expected and we did not have time for some of the lesser attractions.

Enough time has elapsed since our trip that I don't think motel recommendations would be valid.

The fact that we speak no French was a handicap.

Was it a great trip? No. Good trip? Well, yes. It satisfied my curiosity about that area. I have had no real urge to return because there are for us better, more attractive places to visit.

That of course is a personal opinion based our own set of likes and dislikes.

PS we went in early September. I recommend going a bit earlier because many of the attractions on the south shore had closed by the time we got there shortly after our Labor Day. I was surprised, but that was the case.

Bob--Thanks for your impression. I vaguely remember visiting as a child and being bored stiff, but thought that as an adult I might appreciate it more. Were there any sights you particulary enjoyed? Would 4 days would be enough?

I don't recall any WOW sites. Perce Rock was interesting. The Loyalist settlements along the south shore of the Gaspe were interesting. There were some interesting gardens along the north shore. There is a national park out toward the tip of the peninsula, Forillon. It was interesting.

I think back that the trip was more educational than anything else. We DID not penetrate into the center of the area, which perhaps would have given us more to see. Perhaps that was an omission.

Unless the roads have been improved in the interim, some of the hills are quite steep, like 17%, but they are short. The problem was that the roads were two lanes and if a slow vehicle gets in front of you, passing is slow in coming.

One thing we found was NO laundromats.
I asked in New Carlisle and enough English is spoken there to be told that there were none.