Thunder Bay, Nipigon to Cochrane, Iroquois Falls to Thessalon and the Soo, and on to Detroit (posted from the library at Southfield, MI)
(this post covers 22-26 August, 2007)
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Sunday, 26 August-
Today we worked on several little projects for Mom and Dad, getting some keys made, replacing a sticky lock, replacing a dishwasher door spring, replacing a screen door sweep, etc,… all little things that need doing. Each seems like a small thing to do but somehow they manage to speed up the clock and evening comes in no time. Mom and Dad took us out to a nice dinner and then we watched ‘Coma’ with Michael Douglas and Genevieve Bujold. I am very happy to report that I can watch an older movie like that and have no recollection of it whatsoever.
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Saturday, 25 August-
We had a pretty good night at the Sault Saint Marie Wal-mart last night but woke early and were on the road by 0800. Today was another make-some-miles day. We headed down I-75 in a light rain, listening to the rest of our Bill Moyers’ Journal podcasts, We drove into Gaylord for our break then gassed up and put the pedal to the metal and listened to ‘CBC:Manitoba This Week’ and ‘CBC:The North This Week’ podcasts. Our trip back to the Detroit area was an easy one and we made it to Mom and Dad’s by 1500. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening catching up on family news and talking about our trip then watched ‘The Gift’ with Cate Blanchett. Cate is amazing. This time she plays a small-town southern woman, a fortune-teller, and she’s so very, very believable. Every detail is just right, from inflection to mannerisms to reactions, she’s pitch-perfect.
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Friday, 24 August-
Today was a day to make miles. After breakfast and showers we drove west on 101 through Timmons and on to Chapleau before turning south for Thessalon and then on to Sault Saint Marie, a 425-mile day. The area from Timmons to Thessalon is quite isolated and beautiful, particularly toward the end. Timmons and Chapleau are mining towns (gold and copper, I believe) but we’d go a hundred kilometers at a time without seeing anything but trees and lakes with perhaps an occasion sign to a hunting or fishing camp dozens of miles off the main road. I was surprised how good the road was, particularly in the most remote portions of it. About 80 miles north of Thessalon we entered the Algoma district and the terrain changed from rolling forest to dramatic granite ridges rising abruptly among the pines. No wonder a tourist train runs up this way from the Soo—these granite-ringed valleys and the river are fantastic. The other thing we noticed here was a change in color of the leaves on deciduous trees. We’re starting to see yellows and a few reds-- on the 24th of August!
At the Soo we crossed back into the US after an hour’s wait in line—not as bad as we expected for a Friday evening. We jumped off the interstate at the Wal-mart exit and set up for the night then watched “Swordfish” on DVD. I can’t recommend it. Lots of action and a few interesting special-effects moments but I didn’t like how the director exploited Halle Berry and the female extras. I realize it’s a fantasy but the macho elements were so sophomoric I’d think Travolta and Hugh Jackman will, when they grow up, someday wonder “what was I thinking?”.
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Thursday, 23 August-
This morning we left Wild Goose Lake and drove into Geraldton to look around. We were surprised to find a fairly-modern and pleasant town this far out in the bush. We then drove on (and on, and on!) through Longlac, Hearst, Kapuscaning, and, by late afternoon, Cochrane. Again, the towns up here are modern and pleasant. They are sited at gold or molybdenum mines or paper mills. There’s nothing but bush for long, long stretches between them but by ‘bush’ we’re talking boreal forest, lakes and rivers --- not bad if you can get it! Heck, Kapuscaning even has a Wal-mart.
At Cochrane we stopped in to see what the Polar Bear Express is all about. For $100 per person you get a 4-1/2 hour train ride on the Northern Ontario railway to Moosonee (which is on the river some 15 miles below James Bay proper) and a return trip that evening. I’d love to see the Moose Factory fur trading post and the little town of Moosonee itself but perhaps we’ve got ‘headed for the barn’ syndrome—it just didn’t seem all that special for the costs we’d have to pay to get there. Maybe another time.
After Cochrane we turned south and drove to a private campground near Iroquois Falls for the night.
Overall our drive across the most northerly road in Ontario was pleasant but perhaps a little too familiar. Because the road is a Trans-Canada alternate route there were more trucks than we like to see and, in fact, one coming from the opposite direction threw up a stone and cracked our windshield yet again. That’s the third crack this trip! Of course once the window is cracked it’s not a big deal to get another (and another) but it’s rather rude of them, wouldn’t you say?
Our campground for the night is a pleasant one which is mostly dedicated to seasonal campers, i.e., local people who rent a site for the entire camping season. The owner said he has been thinking of converting to an all-seasonal format since there’s a five-year waiting list for a site but some of his regulars might complain. They like to have friends with camping units come visit and stay a few days. Thank goodness. There was nothing else within a half-hour drive and we were ready to stop for the night.
After a leisurely supper we watched the movie ‘Rat Race’… mostly good fun in the “Mad, Mad, Mad World” tradition.
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Wednesday, 22 August-
From Sandbar Lake Provincial Park we drove on to Thunder Bay via 17, a very scenic drive through rolling hills of pine with a few white birch and maple trees, all interspersed with massive granite outcrops of the Canadian Shield. For the last two days we enjoyed seeing the ultra-flat plains around Lake Winnepeg slowly turn into gentle rises and drops as we drove through the Whiteshell and on to Sandbar Lake at Ignace. And today we continued the trend to rougher terrain until we saw the distinctive mountain just south of Thunder Bay and Lake Superior in the distance. In Thunder Bay we stopped at the local Seattle Coffee shop for an afternoon coffee-and-wi-fi break to could check our email and update the blog. We lost an hour crossing back into the Eastern Time zone this afternoon so it was late afternoon by the time we got back on the road and headed out of Thunder Bay for parts unknown.
Several days ago we had decided we didn’t want to take the same north-shore-of-superior route back to The Soo, even though it’s very scenic. That would have left the northern-most route across Ontario undone. It’s quite a few miles more to drive across Highway 11 to Cochrane and then circle back to the Soo but on the other hand it’s all new territory to us and so worth the extra miles. I can’t imagine sitting at home and looking at the Ontario map and thinking, “Gee, we were so close, why didn’t we go see what the country looks like up there?”
We drove on toward Nipigon and as we approached we saw spectacular palisades at Red Rock. These are sheer walls of granite rivaling views in the Rockies, and in fact reminding us of our first sighting of the Canadian Rockies last summer as we neared Jasper National Park on the Yellowhead Highway.
At Nipigon we turned northward again (toward Lake Nipigon) and found ourselves following the shore of a spectacular lake on our left and granite palisades on our right at the perfect time of day—the last hour before sunset. The far side of the lake was slowly falling into shadow while the massive palisades and the white birches below them and atop them were lit up by the reddish rays of the sun. This went on for mile after mile after mile, until our road finally turned away from the lake and climbed atop the mountain. There we were rewarded with long views across the rolling ridges, all in a thick carpet of greenery accented by the white birches.
We had seen that Geraldton was about a hundred miles from Nipigon and as we neared it we found what we were looking for—Wild Goose Lake and a private campground there. We’re normally not fond of private campgrounds but Ontario’s Provincial Park camping prices are so high ($24 per night for a tent site) that we’ve found we can do as well or better in a private campground. The Wild Goose Lake Campground was great. We met co-owner Brigette who led us to a nice, open, and private campsite by ATV and chatted with us. The site was near modern bathrooms where showers were available (albeit for $.75 for four minutes) and the site cost $18. After the long day driving we didn’t last long after our late supper. We were in bed reading by 21:30 and asleep shortly thereafter.
(this post covers 22-26 August, 2007)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, 26 August-
Today we worked on several little projects for Mom and Dad, getting some keys made, replacing a sticky lock, replacing a dishwasher door spring, replacing a screen door sweep, etc,… all little things that need doing. Each seems like a small thing to do but somehow they manage to speed up the clock and evening comes in no time. Mom and Dad took us out to a nice dinner and then we watched ‘Coma’ with Michael Douglas and Genevieve Bujold. I am very happy to report that I can watch an older movie like that and have no recollection of it whatsoever.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, 25 August-
We had a pretty good night at the Sault Saint Marie Wal-mart last night but woke early and were on the road by 0800. Today was another make-some-miles day. We headed down I-75 in a light rain, listening to the rest of our Bill Moyers’ Journal podcasts, We drove into Gaylord for our break then gassed up and put the pedal to the metal and listened to ‘CBC:Manitoba This Week’ and ‘CBC:The North This Week’ podcasts. Our trip back to the Detroit area was an easy one and we made it to Mom and Dad’s by 1500. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening catching up on family news and talking about our trip then watched ‘The Gift’ with Cate Blanchett. Cate is amazing. This time she plays a small-town southern woman, a fortune-teller, and she’s so very, very believable. Every detail is just right, from inflection to mannerisms to reactions, she’s pitch-perfect.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, 24 August-
Today was a day to make miles. After breakfast and showers we drove west on 101 through Timmons and on to Chapleau before turning south for Thessalon and then on to Sault Saint Marie, a 425-mile day. The area from Timmons to Thessalon is quite isolated and beautiful, particularly toward the end. Timmons and Chapleau are mining towns (gold and copper, I believe) but we’d go a hundred kilometers at a time without seeing anything but trees and lakes with perhaps an occasion sign to a hunting or fishing camp dozens of miles off the main road. I was surprised how good the road was, particularly in the most remote portions of it. About 80 miles north of Thessalon we entered the Algoma district and the terrain changed from rolling forest to dramatic granite ridges rising abruptly among the pines. No wonder a tourist train runs up this way from the Soo—these granite-ringed valleys and the river are fantastic. The other thing we noticed here was a change in color of the leaves on deciduous trees. We’re starting to see yellows and a few reds-- on the 24th of August!
At the Soo we crossed back into the US after an hour’s wait in line—not as bad as we expected for a Friday evening. We jumped off the interstate at the Wal-mart exit and set up for the night then watched “Swordfish” on DVD. I can’t recommend it. Lots of action and a few interesting special-effects moments but I didn’t like how the director exploited Halle Berry and the female extras. I realize it’s a fantasy but the macho elements were so sophomoric I’d think Travolta and Hugh Jackman will, when they grow up, someday wonder “what was I thinking?”.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, 23 August-
This morning we left Wild Goose Lake and drove into Geraldton to look around. We were surprised to find a fairly-modern and pleasant town this far out in the bush. We then drove on (and on, and on!) through Longlac, Hearst, Kapuscaning, and, by late afternoon, Cochrane. Again, the towns up here are modern and pleasant. They are sited at gold or molybdenum mines or paper mills. There’s nothing but bush for long, long stretches between them but by ‘bush’ we’re talking boreal forest, lakes and rivers --- not bad if you can get it! Heck, Kapuscaning even has a Wal-mart.
At Cochrane we stopped in to see what the Polar Bear Express is all about. For $100 per person you get a 4-1/2 hour train ride on the Northern Ontario railway to Moosonee (which is on the river some 15 miles below James Bay proper) and a return trip that evening. I’d love to see the Moose Factory fur trading post and the little town of Moosonee itself but perhaps we’ve got ‘headed for the barn’ syndrome—it just didn’t seem all that special for the costs we’d have to pay to get there. Maybe another time.
After Cochrane we turned south and drove to a private campground near Iroquois Falls for the night.
Overall our drive across the most northerly road in Ontario was pleasant but perhaps a little too familiar. Because the road is a Trans-Canada alternate route there were more trucks than we like to see and, in fact, one coming from the opposite direction threw up a stone and cracked our windshield yet again. That’s the third crack this trip! Of course once the window is cracked it’s not a big deal to get another (and another) but it’s rather rude of them, wouldn’t you say?
Our campground for the night is a pleasant one which is mostly dedicated to seasonal campers, i.e., local people who rent a site for the entire camping season. The owner said he has been thinking of converting to an all-seasonal format since there’s a five-year waiting list for a site but some of his regulars might complain. They like to have friends with camping units come visit and stay a few days. Thank goodness. There was nothing else within a half-hour drive and we were ready to stop for the night.
After a leisurely supper we watched the movie ‘Rat Race’… mostly good fun in the “Mad, Mad, Mad World” tradition.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, 22 August-
From Sandbar Lake Provincial Park we drove on to Thunder Bay via 17, a very scenic drive through rolling hills of pine with a few white birch and maple trees, all interspersed with massive granite outcrops of the Canadian Shield. For the last two days we enjoyed seeing the ultra-flat plains around Lake Winnepeg slowly turn into gentle rises and drops as we drove through the Whiteshell and on to Sandbar Lake at Ignace. And today we continued the trend to rougher terrain until we saw the distinctive mountain just south of Thunder Bay and Lake Superior in the distance. In Thunder Bay we stopped at the local Seattle Coffee shop for an afternoon coffee-and-wi-fi break to could check our email and update the blog. We lost an hour crossing back into the Eastern Time zone this afternoon so it was late afternoon by the time we got back on the road and headed out of Thunder Bay for parts unknown.
Several days ago we had decided we didn’t want to take the same north-shore-of-superior route back to The Soo, even though it’s very scenic. That would have left the northern-most route across Ontario undone. It’s quite a few miles more to drive across Highway 11 to Cochrane and then circle back to the Soo but on the other hand it’s all new territory to us and so worth the extra miles. I can’t imagine sitting at home and looking at the Ontario map and thinking, “Gee, we were so close, why didn’t we go see what the country looks like up there?”
We drove on toward Nipigon and as we approached we saw spectacular palisades at Red Rock. These are sheer walls of granite rivaling views in the Rockies, and in fact reminding us of our first sighting of the Canadian Rockies last summer as we neared Jasper National Park on the Yellowhead Highway.
At Nipigon we turned northward again (toward Lake Nipigon) and found ourselves following the shore of a spectacular lake on our left and granite palisades on our right at the perfect time of day—the last hour before sunset. The far side of the lake was slowly falling into shadow while the massive palisades and the white birches below them and atop them were lit up by the reddish rays of the sun. This went on for mile after mile after mile, until our road finally turned away from the lake and climbed atop the mountain. There we were rewarded with long views across the rolling ridges, all in a thick carpet of greenery accented by the white birches.
We had seen that Geraldton was about a hundred miles from Nipigon and as we neared it we found what we were looking for—Wild Goose Lake and a private campground there. We’re normally not fond of private campgrounds but Ontario’s Provincial Park camping prices are so high ($24 per night for a tent site) that we’ve found we can do as well or better in a private campground. The Wild Goose Lake Campground was great. We met co-owner Brigette who led us to a nice, open, and private campsite by ATV and chatted with us. The site was near modern bathrooms where showers were available (albeit for $.75 for four minutes) and the site cost $18. After the long day driving we didn’t last long after our late supper. We were in bed reading by 21:30 and asleep shortly thereafter.
posted by Bezabor&Labashi | 23:59
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