Wednesday, May 31, 2006

km zero to Thunder Bay


km zero/Fergus, ON

In line with our plan to "give 'er" through much of the Ontario we know and that which continues to be available via day trip -- sorry Billy Bishop and Wiarton Willie -- we've arrived in Thunder Bay about 52 hours from our departure.

We took the ferry from Tobermory to Manitoulin Island -- pleasant but foggy -- and drove straight through to Sault Ste. Marie, hitting Pancake Bay (so named because voyageurs, knowing they were close to the Soo would use their remaining flower to make pancakes) just in time for a deluge of mosquitoes.

Chris on the ferry to Manitoulin Island

We left early Tuesday and the bugs had not diminished in intensity. The only thing seemingly more prevalent in this part of the country seem to be highway road signs advertising Chinese/Canadian cuisine buffets.


Lunch break at White Lake

Other than that, the drive has been breathtaking and culminated in reaching Sleeping Giant provincial park. I was able to read by the water by natural light past 10:30 pm in the shadow of the giant himself (with a far more predominant view of his Adam's apple than is traditional). A quick hike along the Sea Lion trail and we were off to T'under Bay.

The Sleeping Giant

I'm looking forward to the beginning of our more relaxed pace which has already begun in Thunder Bay. Time to really let the Terry Fox Memorial soak in, visit Lakehead, walk through the town, and even break even at their casino -- seemingly the centre of the town.

Sorry for the boring travelogue format, but my Internet source will be unavailable about 12 minutes from now. Check out the pictures link on the right for more amateur photos of a Marathon drive through the Soo, Wawa, and of course, Marathon.

Wawa means goose in Ojibway

Thursday, May 18, 2006