Update

8/30/2011

While on our travels, we have had several discussions on what would happen if>>> earthquake, tornado, hurricane.  Did not expect to have to think of already.  While we were at Algonquin, we were sitting at table on the computers and I felt the trailer shaking a bit, not like when someone is walking around, just lightly.  So first thing I check is whether Ken is playing a rousing game of poker and his foot is a tapping and he wasn’t.  then went out to check to see if bear was outside – they have me freaking about bears up around here – nothing.  Later that day, we turned on news and found out there was an earthquake in Virginia and we felt it all the way up here.  – So if you know there is one, get away, if not hear in on the news!

Two days later, we had tornado warnings all day – very windy, where to go??? Well nothing happened but just another thing for me to just lay awake thinking about.  Rest of stay was lovely and uneventful.

Left on the Thursday to go to Parry Sound for the Tug Fest for 3 days and stayed at Oastler Provincial Park. Nice little park and lake.  Did not do much there as there was so much to do at Tug Fest – met up with Paul and Carol of the Prescotont (for more info on tug, key in Prescotont – very interesting) and then our Pefferlaw group.  Had the races, evening parade of lights and fireworks.  Next day was picture day and activities by some of the tugs at the dock as well as viewing of the tugs.   Numbers were around 1000 on the dock for the event.  Captain Paul and Prescotont did win a trophy.

Next day went to a friend’s (Ruth Anne) for lunch at their cottage just outside of Parry Sound, nice cottage and great setting.  Nice to see her again.

We left there on Monday the 29, 2011 for Sault Ste Marie. Bears again!

Arrived at Sault  on Monday 29^th Booked in to KOA Sault Ste Marie.  The Titanium group had a rally there the week before and we were not able to attend but did send email off the organizers of the event – Mike and Diane.  They came over on the Tuesday30th and we had a nice visit and they brought along the welcome package they had done for the TI reunion – really great job.  We would have liked to do the Soo Lock boat trip but it was US and we did not want to waste a day for a couple of hour tour. We ended up going downtown SSM that day to the Boardwalk, walked along – saw a large freighter going through the locks and walked to the Roberta Bondar park and monument – that was cool.

The next day, Wednesday the 31^st,  I did one of my “bucket list” things – at my age I have never been on a real train ride – did subway once, did subway in Paris (great but not train ride) and did one on the island of Tortola in the Caribbean (still not the same)-  We did the Agawa Canyon tour train from SSM to the Agawa canyon * yes lots of trees but we also saw Lake Superior and a really nice canyon – water falls we nice as well, but not spectacular, this is one that people that took the train up to Hearst were saying would be great if they could stop at it and finally Algoma set it up. – did the whole thing, breakfast and lunch in dining car -  my next one will need to be the Orient Express if still around (me and it).  Ken enjoyed the ride as well but he had been on trains before so the trip was not for the same reason.

 We spent an extra day in the Soo, mundane stuff, groceries, bank, etc.

September 2 2012

Left in the AM for Wawa-  not far away, only a couple of hours (more in the rig) thought we could do some sightseeing and then do the next leg up to Thunder Bay – another weather warning – high winds, rain, hail – well we got there and none of that but a lot of fog so could not see anything on the waterfront by the lake or on their tour things – we did get a look and picture of the 28’ Wawa Goose and got pictures at their welcome center – was not foggy enough there.  We stayed overnight and left the next morning for Thunder Bay.

September 3, 2012

Road to Thunder Bay around Lake Superior was AMAZING!!  Neither of us has been up this way so was really great; the lake is really beautiful, around the lake the views were breath taking; did not realize how big this lake was.  Anyone in a hurry, would not take this route.  The reason we did, is we do have the time and want to travel as much of our own country first.

We arrived in Thunder Bay around 4:30 today, set up in campground, had dinner and will set up tomorrow for touring.

 Temperature overnight went down to 2 C – frost in some areas

Was cool today and some rain on and off. Went to Kakabeka Falls – supposedly next best to Niagara – they were great but nowhere near what Niagara is.  Also went to Fort William which was a reenactment of the old North West Trading company. All were in character and kept with it whole time.  It was cool enough that they had all the fires burning in the different buildings as they are open year round.

September 5, 2012

Thunder Bay to Kenora

Again, more amazing country side, stayed in Municipal Park, nice sites, by water, did not do much that day, went for walk around park and beach area, boardwalk

September 6, 2012

Kenora to Brandon MB

Finally left Ontario and now feel like we are travelling!  From border to here, pretty flat compared to ride around Lake Superior.  Fields, flatlands, some cattle – not many towns in between, we have been taking the Trans Canada highways all this time.  We drove through Winnipeg, were going to stop but were kind of misled as to parking situations downtown.  I was looking for large parking lot as the welcome center said there should be parking we did get to see the Royal Canadian Mint and University of Winnipeg and downtown and right back out again… With the rig, don’t want to get off on any side roads or downtowns.  Have decided city’s/towns/civilization, we will park the rig and take the truck.

We stopped and stayed in Brandon (had to stay in our Grandson’s namesake city) overnight and did some driving around here today.  Went to Discovery center, which is a welcome center as well as showing info on their birds and animals.  This is also one of the locations that were totally surrounded in the March flooding when the Assiniboine rose.  The crawl space in this building was under water, there is still quite a bit of devastation around the area and still some insurance issues to be decided. 


More to come, working on uploading pictures