janjanzen

Orleans is charming! My husband and I went there in February 2009 to visit our daughter who is a student at the University. I can’t wait to go back. It was beautiful even in winter. The cobblestone streets, the architecture, the River Loire… there is more I want to see and do. We enjoyed the Art Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Museum of Jeanne D’Arc. The cathedral is breathtaking. There are many great places to eat – lots of ethnic restaurants… and the patisseries! There are no pastries like that in Kansas! It’s easy to get around in Orleans. We used the tram often, though we also walked a lot. I am looking forward to my return in July.

While en route to Ontario, my family made a stop for lunch at Betty’s Pies. I had read about it in a travel guide; it exceeded our expectations. There was a lengthy wait to get in, but it was worth it! This diner is legendary in the area and has been around for ages. The sandwiches were great, but the pie… oh, the pie! You must try it! There are many delightful flavors ranging from tasty traditional such as pecan or lemon meringue to deliciously unique flavors like Bumble Berry Pie and Five-layer chocolate. I highly recommend the five-layer chocolate pie. With cinnamon meringue layered over a melt-in-your-mouth flaky crust, creamy chocolate filling, cinnamon-laced whipped cream topped with chocolate-cinnamon whipped cream, it’s a pie-lovers fantasy! We liked the restaurant so much that we planned our return trip to take us through Two Harbors again so that we could enjoy another scrumptious meal there. Not long after returning home to Kansas, I purchased the cookbook “Betty’s Pies Favorite Recipes” and I love it! If you can’t make it to the restaurant you should buy the book and bake some pie!

This is a beautiful place to visit when the leaves are turning. The rustic cabins are really quite nice, most (if not all) have a fireplace. The restaurant in Mather Lodge had good food that was reasonably priced. It’s a wonderful area to go hiking. Look for the Indian pictographs in Rock House Cave.