The road to Roberval

We begin with a little collage we'll call: "Road signs you WON'T see when you head down to the Bell Centre".

No moose (meese) were collided with as the Gazette/HIO dispatched me to Roberval, to keep you in the loop about everything surrounding this major event.

But let's face it, it's a long, long way to drive for an exhibition game.

Not quite as far as Toronto. But then again, that's not a two-lane highway.

The trip basically divides into three equal parts.

First is Montreal to Trois-Rivières, or where the 40 ends.

The second is the Highway 55/Route 155 connection, where the 450 morphs into the 819, and there's a lot of roadwork going on.

When there's roadwork on a two-lane highway, you just stop for awhile as they let the other people coming from the other side go through. However long it takes.

But it's beautiful, too. Basically Rte 155 is an afterthought, going around lakes and little mountains and slowly weaving its way northeast.

Eventually, you get to the end of part two of your journey, the town with one of the best names in the province:

At this point, the 514 to the 450 to the 819 is starting to morph into the 418.

And occasionally, you run into a problem. Nowhere to go but wait.

It's getting chillier. And you're getting a little tired of turning this way, and that way, and this way again. Past every turn ... is another turn. And for some reason, 75% of them are to the right, which makes you wonder how the heck you're not actually going in a circle, and how you're not ending up right back in Shawinigan.

Once you get past the lakes and the beauty, there's some not so picturesque stuff, right as you're getting into the 418.

But you're getting close.

And then, finally, you see it: Lac St-Jean.

Never having been anywhere near here, I was absolutely flabbergasted by the sheer size of the thing.

It's one thing to see it on the map; in the context of the province, it's a puddle.

But it's absolutely huge.

The town of Roberval is actually a little bigger than you'd think; population is about 11,000.

And every business along Rte 169 (which is called Boul. Marcotte through town) that has a sign out in front welcoming Hockeyville and the Canadiens.

They've been preparing for this since they won the contest last winter. Already on Sunday, 5,000 people took a gander at the Stanley Cup. Thousands stood in line for 90 minutes to get an autograph from Reggie Houle or Guy Lafleur.

In case you wanted to stake out the Habs' hotel tonight, it's kind of a big secret around here, (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

But here's a hint:

Don't even think about it.

Your newly-minted Inside-Out correspondent had a confirmed reservation with Travelocity - or so she thought.

When I arrived at the front desk, the receptionist just laughed.

"We've been sold out since last winter," she said. I was at least the 10th person, if not more, in the same boat.

(The lady in question, without a doubt, got her hair done today in
anticipation of the arrival of a couple busloads of hockey
milliionaires. Can't say I agreed with the look, but I admired the effort).

No rooms. No closets, even. Nothing anywhere close by, either, not even at a couple of places that looked as though I'd have to pay by the hour.

Since the first thing I saw when I walked into the Chateau Roberval was a guy getting out of the elevator, on his way to the pool, wearing a gut, and a Speedo, and nothing else, I figured this wasn't the worst thing in the world - other than the fact that I might have to sleep in the Habs' dressing room.

Didn't that guy know THE HABS ARE COMING???????

But the driver/minder who is going to pick up Habs prez Pierre Boivin at the airport was there – all spiffied up, too. Practically had his moustache waxed.

He planned to give Pierre a "quick tour of the town," which I'm sure Pierre will greatly enjoy.

So I'm ... well, I'm not sure exactly where I am. It was dark. It took awhile. It's a lovely place, and they have high-speed, and there's apparently a big lake outside my balcony.

I think it's the same big lake that's in Roberval. But anything's possible at this point.

So I'm here. I'll be bringing you photos and video and everything else I can from this happening.

I'm presuming Don Cherry will be here (there?)

One of the big Dome Productions trucks almost hit me as I was exiting Roberval for ... wherever I am. So the RDS telecast is in safe hands.

Until tomorrow (after probably the longest first post in I/O history).

SMyles, Robervaloise.