I did it CCW, also caught in rain. We stayed overnight at Gaspe, and my riding buddies all wanted to cut across the interior, through some old mining activity (McMurdo maybe?). I wanted to see the coast because I had remembered some photographic workshops I'd been in back in 1972, and when I got to Gaspe, I still had not seen any vistas like those I remembered from the workshop.
They took the interior "short cut." I took the coastal route on around, continuing CCW. The vistas on that NE side were the best of the trip, and they missed them.
We hooked up again at a little bakery/cafe on the north side. The waitress was a doll, everything was in French, they served the best restaurant espresso I think I've ever had (I roast and grind my own beans and make my own Quad every morning, so my standards on this are high). Very friendly people. In fact, I have had some unfriendly experiences in the cities of Quebec, but these rural people were delightful and fun to engage.
If I did the trip again, I'd probably go CW, just to see things from a different angle. We took our time on this trip, coming up out of Maine where we'd started Down East not too far from Acadia. We did get rained on on Day 2, but it could have been worse. I was wearing a bright safety vest, and the guys following said it really helped them with visibility because I was really really visible, and they did not have to concentrate as much on where the road was going. I guess its a good thing I didn't run off ... like lemmings, they might have all followed. Day 3 is the day we split up. The last thing I cared about was Gaspe twisties through the interior. I live in twisties. I wanted to see the coast.
So.... if you get a chance, look up Peter Egan's trip to Gaspe, probably in Fall 2005 or Spring 2006, and reported in Cycle World. He had a lot of thoughts to share.
FWIW, I would go again.
