When we're on the road we take our time. We're in no hurry to get where we're going, or come back from where we've been. Some of our most memorable travel experiences - people we met or places we stumbled upon - were the result of eschewing the fast road. In other words - we're not proponents of the "get there yesterday" school of vacation driving.

But in the case of our latest road trip - a week on Prince Edward Island - schedules and time constraints have conspired to cut our available time to get there to less than a day. Sunday night we go to sleep in Montreal, hit the road in the wee hours of Monday morning and by 5 PM we'll be setting up tent at Twin Shores, P.E.I. That's 1,000 km in 12 hours - without factoring in the hour we "lose" between Eastern and Atlantic time!

We've done the Montreal to New Brunswick / P.E.I. drive enough times to know that we can lob off at least 100 km - for us about 3 hours of driving time - by cutting across Maine rather than following Highway 20 and dropping down into New Brunswick from Rivière-du-Loup. Ironically we discovered this shortcut, which involves few expressways and multiple twists and turns (don't try this without a map kids!) because we weren't in a hurry to get home from New Brunswick. We went wandering and actually saved time -for us unheard of!

So in a nutshell here's the " Secret Roadflix Maine Shortcut"

From Montreal take the Eastern Townships Autoroute - Highway 10 to Sherbrooke.

Just past Sherbrooke the four lane highway ends. It's paved back roads (you did get a map, right?) until Newport ME. Ignore all the distance markers from here to the US border. I swear we drive 5 km for every kilometer the roadsigns claim we've traveled! Do the locals have their own form of entertainment? In any case just past Woburn - the border pops out of nowhere.

All Canada / US border crossing should aspire to the standards set by Coburn Gore (names after James and Tipper?) - no lineups and friendly customs agents. Once you're in Maine take Highway 27 down past Sugarloaf and Stratton. In the town of Kingfield its worth stopping to visit the Herbert Grand Hotel, a restored 1917 hotel. The architectural details and decorations are impressive. Too bad the people of Kingfield seem so sour.

Pick up Highway 16, then 201A and other assorted back roads to Skowhegan.

Go west on Highway 2 to Newport and then pick up Interstate 95 for a short hop to Bangor. At this point if you're not in Bangor don't blame me. I told you to get a map. But if, after all that twisting and turning, you are, indeed, in Bangor you probably need a coffee. Here's a recommendation - MacDonald's. It's a stones throw off the highway (quell surprise!) and, unlike almost all other MacDonald's we've visited, in Bangor, MacDonalds serves excellent Newman's Own coffee from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters of Vermont.

At Bangor you'll pick up highway 9, known as the "Airline" (again the locals enjoying a laugh at our expense?) which twists and turns toward Calais. Please read the following VERY CAREFULLY!
There are over 25,000 moose in the backwoods of Maine. You are now in the backwoods of Maine. If you're on the Airline at night and/or it's foggy and/or its raining and/or you're tired - which pretty much covers any and all possible conditions - you will see a moose! If, in addition to all of the above you're also speeding, that moose may be the last thing you ever see! Please be careful! .

At Calais (pronounced, in the same tradition of excellence that gave us the infamous Ben-oyt, "Cal-IS") you'll cross back into Canada. Try Carman's Diner if you're hungry. From St Stephen you should be able to find your way to P.E.I on your own. (Final hint - pass Moncton and look for a big honking bridge!)

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