POST No. 4

16 July,2017 Blog Posting No.4

Finally got blog sorted out, so am hurrying to catch up.

11July,  stayed at KOA site at Francois Xavier, just east of Winnipeg.  Rain there prior to our arrival which soaked the fine clay/silt surface covering.  K took the dogs for a walk and came back with about a kg of this goop stuck to her shoes.

12 July, visited the new Museum of Human Rights, very impressive, but were running too late to visit the zoo.  Stayed a second night at the KOA campground.

13 July, visited the Winnipeg Zoo.  Polar bear display was outstanding, the pen was set up Kelly Tarleton style, with the human viewers walking thru a transparent tunnel at the bottom of the pools in which the polar bears were cavorting.  Ring-necked seals were also on display in the same arrangement, (tho suitably separated from the bears).  I think the bears could sense their proximity.  Then onwards eastwards to a beautiful little camp at Falcon Lake in the Whiteshell Park, just west of the Manitoba/Ontario border. 

14 July, Crossed into Ontario near Kenora on Hwy 17, then headed south on Hwy 71 to join Hwy 11 at Fort Frances, thru to Mine Centre and Flanders to a camp site run by the local municipality at Atikokan.  A small black bear scuttled across the road just ahead of us about 20 km before we reached camp. Very nice nature walk with the dogs.

15 July,  Saw a near tame deer in the brush at the side of the camp access road as we left the camp at Atikokan.  Drove approximately 650 km on Hwy 17 to reach Wawa via Thunder Bay.  Visited the Terry Fox Memorial, dipped our toes in Lake Superior.  Enjoyed some delicious hand cut fresh, French fries at a road side stall in Rossport.  Interesting to see so many examples of French language here, bilingual road signs, often greetings in French at gas stations and small shops.  Stayed in mud at the KOA park at Wawa, it had rained heavily just before our arrival.

16 July, another 650km from Wawa to North Bay.  Took the dogs for a nice long run in the sand and a dip in Lake Superior at Old Woman Bay.  The lake water was crystal clear and positively sparkled in the sun,  That little adventure settled them down very nicely for the rest of the day’s travel, not a peep after that.  There had apparently been a massive biker’s rally on Manitoulin Island over the weekend, we passed squad after squad of Harley riders heading home to the cities.  The 2 day drive from Kenora thru to North Bay certainly lived up to its scenic billing.  Very little traffic, a great dearth of coffee stops for long stretches, and there is only so much rocks and trees one can take in.  We have certainly achieved one of the goals of this trip, gaining an understanding of just how large a country Canada really is, (and we are only just half way!!).  We had been impressed by our previous long distance driving expeditions across Mongolia and down and up Argentina, but in hindsight Canada’s open, empty spaces and sparse rural populations dwarfs both of those two vast, empty countries.

Tomorrow we head further along Hwy 17 visit Judy Lindsay’s family farm near Pembroke and old pals Gail and Greg at their house in White Lake, just below the Quebec Border.

A la prochaine, P & K 

Hold the press, by special request from R dV, we have added pix of PES and MKM and dogs in front of the motor home.  We are near Renfrew, in Ontario, just about to depart for Ottawa, about 100k away. 

Curious deer on the edge of the campground access road, Atikokan

Tintin, favored traveling position

K2, favored traveling position

Worlds largest statue of a Canada goose at Wawa, Ont

Tintin after a dip in chilly crystal waters of Lake Superior

Pilots and passengers, photo courtesy of Glen Greig, taken at the Greig/Atkinson country estate at White Lake, Ont

1st Class Passengers relaxing in the departure lounge