In 2023, my youngest child’s well being was on my mind big time, and I also needed an adventure. Plus, I missed Aletta and Hubert so much! So, I asked Corey; said youngest, if a legendary rock festival in Quebec City sounded good. Duh! We had been to the Festival before and saw Metallica, Elton John, Marie Mai, John Foggerty, and so many other bands, but Corey was only about 5 at the time. This road trip was legendary on so many levels. Don’t ask Corey about the pickled onions please.

Highlights, some of which you can see in these photos:

• We started out in Sexsmith, and it was the last time I saw my sweet cousin Natalie and hugged her beautiful daughters.
• We picked up two hitch hikers and they paid for our first gas up. Chetwynd’s version of a Canada Day “parade” made me laugh. It was a few trucks honking horns and throwing candy at kids.
• We visited Astrid’s bother Norbert in Saskatchewan, which took us on “back roads” which were beautiful.
• We saw Mary Shem, my roommate during college at her apartment in Montreal.
• We saw Green Day, Weezer, Foo Fighters, Bad Religion and I gazed lovingly at Billy Talent’s perfect teeth IN PERSON!! Feist broke my heart by canceling due to the craziest storm ever (RIP laptop computer)
• I watched a little kid snort cocaine at the festival and it ruined my day, week, month…. I’m still stressed about it.
• We saw and visited with dear PG friends Carla, Stephan and Alice, but Not Afra because she was in France!
• We re-united Tiberious with Huebert in Owen Sound and Tybo didn’t want to leave. We adored our Aletta because Aletta truly is the best, except the spelling of her name, which is wrong.
• We experienced bed bugs in Thunder Bay, eeeeew.
• We saw Paula Walla, my sweet cherry farming friend since the first Quebec trip in 1997, Rivière-du-Loup
• We saw our Ventress cousins Marly and Glenda in Carlton Place, and we were awed by their amazing, beautiful, quietly feminist lifestyle
• We saw our dear friend Nathalie Landry and her mom at a Chez Cora restaurant (our favorite)
• Of course, I spent the entire trip budget on cheese at the fromagerie in Lévis. Iced Cheese is the best.
• We laughed, cried, and spent a whole summer together on the “road” towing our house behind us. I will be forever grateful to Corey and Tiberious for joining me on this amazing adventure.
  

  When I was exactly the age of my kid during this Festival, I saw Green Day and Bad Religion at Lollapalooza 1994. Needless to say, going again with Corey to see the same bands in 2023 was a mind blowing experience.

  

  

  This guy did NOT enjoy the LAMB OF GOD concert in the “rue” below. lol

  

  

  Elkhorn MB is Gramma Ventress’ home town and there are many Hartley’s there still.