A bit of Canadian and Texan History.

In visiting Canada, I started realizing that I either had a complete lack of knowledge about Canadian history or I had pretty much forgotten what I had learned in school. What was the war of 1812 about? How did Canada play a role? What played a role in the French experience in Canada and why are the Quebecois so adamantly French. Well, while at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, I picked up a copy of The Illustrated History of Canada, a terrific book that takes you from the "first peoples" to the present. I've made it through about 100 pages. If you care about history, the book can help put your visit to Canada in context. Not a guide but a wortwhile companion to Canada.

On a different topic, while driving back to Cardinal from Montreal, we spent some time talking about lakes in Texas, namely Caddo Lake, the only natural lake in the state of Texas. Earlier this afternoon, I noticed that the Houston Chronicle was running an article on both Caddo Lake and Jefferson, a historic town on the banks of the lake. Apparently Jefferson has a very colorful history and is filled with restored buildings and houses. The town used to be the base of a very important inland port that eventually fell out of favor due to a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, with over 60 bed and breakfasts in town (including the first in Texas), Jefferson is supposed to be a great long weekend destination, be it from Dallas or Houston. The drive from Houston is 234 miles and from Dallas the drive is about 168 miles. The Marion County web page offers a great deal of information and searching online can lead to a treasure trove of information, as well.