Jon Radder said:See note above about summer road reconstruction ;) The d*mn thing is always falling apart, or so it seems when I venture through Montreal. But seriously, Gaetan would be far more aware of the current state of affairs than I am. In recent years I have taken the TC only as far as the Decarie Ditch on forays to the Children's Hospital (increasingly infrequent, thanks be).
Chis & Gaetan I understand by looking at the map that the Trans-Canada Highway runs smack through the middle of the island. Is this highway not limited access through the city? JR
Jon…I hope you have established good communication with Gaetan on this matter.
The last thing we need on those two days is to complicate the whole thing to the point where we can’t meet without wasting hours wondering where some-one is, while they struggle through traffic from another part of Montreal.
The idea is to keep it simple, and have fun.
In spite of what some people from out of the country think; Montreal is a BIG CITY, with all the BIG CITY problems. The one great thing is that Montreal and most Canadian cities do not have is a major worry about being shot. You are rather safe in Montreal if common sense is used, although, like any large city, there are areas that you wouldn’t walk alone at night.
Fred -
Do not fear! Gaétan and I have spoken on the phone and will do so again to coordinate. The last thing I want to do is inconvenience anyone who is going on the second half of the tour. I’d rather not go than have that happen. That was the whole reason for opening this discussion.
Gaétan’s thinking is that if I come alone on Sunday I can get through the city on a non workday (less traffic) and have plenty of time to get situated. The campground we are investigating is not far from Gaétan and we could arrive with him at the designated meeting point on Monday. Leaving on Tuesday we would go straight South, not through the city again.
Like you said, the object is to have fun and enjoy each other’s company. Not to be worried about who wants to do what and when. This whole group thing works well because there is an advance plan. No one has to discuss what’s next. If it ends up that my plans are too complicated then we will either stay in the group hotel, or head home on Monday.
Thanks!
JR
Thanks, Jon…
I'm glad to hear that things are working out well.
FredJon, For when you’re not towing…make sure you get one of these:
This cast aluminum hitch cover is a great addition to any rail enthusiast’s vehicle. The coupler is a rusty dark brown and with the included adapter fits either an 1¼" or 2" receiver. http://raildriver.com/products/hitch.php
Funny you should mention that Bruce 
My wife almost bought me one for Christmas. I told her not to because it was $50 in the catalog she had and if you read the description ‘fits in 1.25" receiver’ - That makes the coupler head dang small. I was thinking more along the lines of convincing Stanley Hall to sell me an EBT coupler (there are many laying around) and having a welder cut the shank short and weld a 2" box on it to fit my hitch receiver. Now THAT would be cool. Probably cost me 2 MPG to haul it around too.
JR
Or drill a vertical pair of holes, and go for a link-and-pin!
Jon Radder said:
Chis & Geatan -I understand by looking at the map that the Trans-Canada Highway runs smack through the middle of the island. Is this highway not limited access through the city? Heavy traffic I can deal with. City streets would be no fun.
Gaetan came up with the idea of my traveling ahead of the group on Sunday afternoon. The campground we would set up at is East side of the city, but we would need to drive through downtown to get there from Ottawa. I think this will work since home is straight South from Montreal. That and I get to see Lake Champlain which has been on my wish list for years.
JR
Ironic you should mention Vermont. I just returned from the Burlington area on one of my truck-drivin trips. First stop was in Elmira NY, then over to Burlington. Quite the scenic drive up through that area. Got to Albany and picked up Rt 4 in Glens Falls then over to Rt 7 north. From what I remember there were quite a few campgrounds up there. Didn’t get to see much of the lake but what I did see it was beautiful.
Just be careful on any back roads in Vermont. People do exactly the speed limit and not one MPH over it…
Jon;
The highway you see is sort of “Limited access”, but when you drive it, you will see that after you pass the Decarie exit, it gets rather narrow and not a place you would want to drive with a giant MH on the hitch. They have made some improvements on parts of it since I last drove on it; but it isn’t my favourite piece of road. The vast majority of it is a raised highway, above the neigbourhoods it crosses over.
It gets better as you drive East, and make the turn South, towards the tunnels to the South Shore.
The Decarie "Ditch" is no fun to drive either, especially at rush hour. (That's the Decarie Blvd, heading South, on the centre West end of the Island, heading South to the US border. Once you cross the St.Lawrence River, it is not too bad...)