The Maine-Quebec
Winter Carnival Caravan:
A Magical Trip, A Rich Tradition
by Karen Gonya
The North Maine Woods can be an adventure any a highway through to Canada, consisted of ten to
time of year, but never is that more true than in fifteen cars which departed from the Stewart Hotel
the winter months. That has
in Ashland heading west on the
not stopped the hearty voyagers
Reality Road. One-third of the
who take part in the annual
trip was on the Reality Road, with
trek through the logging roads
the rest taking place on narrow
of northern Maine to travel to
and winding roads with many
Quebec City for their world
steep hills.
famous Quebec Winter Carnival.
During the early trips support
“The Maine-Quebec Caravan has
vehicles along with trucks
a rich tradition,” explained Sarah
equipped with power winches,
Brooks, who has led the effort to
tents, sleeping bags, snowshoes
coordinate the annual trip since
and cooking utensils accompanied
2002. “The trip really is magical.
the travelers.
All vehicles
We start in a small northern Maine
were equipped with chains and
town and travel through the great
emergency supplies. Some of
North Maine Woods, arriving in
these early passages needed to be
enchanting Quebec City, which
bulldozed as the trip wound their
is like being transported into the
way through the North Maine
streets of old-time Europe. Add
Woods. Loring Air Force Base
in the marvels of winter carnival,
sent support vehicles. The trips
and it is something that everyone
through the North Maine woods in
should experience at least once.”
the 50’s and early 60’s proved to
be quite the adventure due to the
Brooks should know. She’s an expert on the fact that there were very few roads in the western
experience, having made the trip about 20 times part of the state.
now.
Since the first caravan in 1957, there have been many
The Maine-Quebec Caravan originated in 1957 tale-worthy trips, including the 1965 one which
when an industrious group of Aroostook County boasted more than 225 adventurers. While the trip
businessmen wanted to attempt to have a road happened annually through the 1960s, it stopped
through the woods to the Province of Quebec. The for a number of years before being resurrected by
first trip, which was to explore the possibility of the Ashland Rotary Club in 2002. The annual trip
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