Saturday July 11, 2009

Gordon has done a synopsis of mini-vacation this week, to read it click here.

We went out last night for sunset but it was too foggy. We did get some nice fog photos though.


Although it was cloudy this morning when I went for my walk the clouds soon dissipated and the sun came out but it did remain cool. We just piddled around this morning on the computer.

After lunch we set out to tour some of the back roads around here. Most of the back roads are gravel, some in better shape than others. In fact, I've been on more gravel roads in the last two weeks than I have been since we started our odyssey nearly five years ago.

Gordon then suggested we drive to Potholes Provincial Park which is down Hwy 101 where we were a couple of weeks ago only it was raining off and on so away we went and managed to find it again even though the signage was inaccurate.

One of the potholes

Lots of rocks

Trail

A little falls

It is a very special spot. No traffic noise, just the sound of rushing water and wind in the trees along with our footsteps. There was no one else there. I could spend some time there, it would be lovely for a picnic sitting on the rocks, very peaceful and as Doug and JoAnn would say 'spiritual'.

"This nature reserve east of Wawa gets its name from glacial potholes and troughs scooped out of bedrock forming the riverbed of the Kiniwabi River."

We had a great afternoon!

Friday July 10, 2009

We had heavy rains this morning and a couple of thunderstorms. It was raining lightly when I went out for my walk but almost as soon as I came in the heavens opened! The site next to us looks like a wading pool!

This is the site next to us - photo taken from our bedroom window in the midst of pouring rain!


Our internet was in and out this morning. I chatted with Jenny for a while on Facebook and read some when the storm was at its worst and the internet was out.

I've been looking for places for us to go next. Gordon doesn't want to go through Michigan so we've decided to go back to Sudbury and go south from there and visit the coast of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. That's another spot that we've wanted to go back too ever since going to Bruce Peninsula the summer of 2005.

This afternoon I made cereal bars again. This little piece of equipment, my mini Cuisinart is a very handy tool to have in an RV if you don't have room for the larger model.


We received this joke today from a friend of ours in Florida. Someone has a lot of time on their hands!

The American Medical Association has weighed in on the new health care plan being developed by the Obama Team.

The Allergists voted to scratch it, but the Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.

The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but the
Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve.

The Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a misconception.

Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted.

Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body!" while the Pediatricians said, 'Oh, Grow up!'

The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while the Radiologists could see right through it.

Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing The Internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the Plastic Surgeons said, "This puts a whole new face on the matter."

The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists were pissed off at the whole idea.

The Anesthesiologists thought the idea was a gas, and the Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.

In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the assholes in Washington.

Thursday July 9, 2009 - Back at Wawa

We had a great little 'mini-vacation'. We haven't stayed in a motel for ages and I have to say I missed my own bed and our on-board amenities although the speedy wifi was great and the shower was wonderful. Gordon got to have a bath. He misses his bathtub.

Gordon was up again at the crack of dawn and I couldn't get back to sleep after he left so I read blogs and watched some TV and yes, they do have more than one channel in Terrace Bay. They have come into the 21st century and actually have cable! Consequently we were ready for breakfast at about 7:15 a.m. but the restaurant in the motel wasn't open yet. What's with that?

We decided to get on the road and head for Marathon. I figured that restaurants would be open by the time we got there. With stops to take photos including one of this very co-operative fellow


as well as two others who weren't so cooperative, we arrived in Marathon at about 9:10 a.m. and the restaurant in the mall was open so we had our bacon and egg feast then filled up with diesel at the best price I've seen in ages - 89.9/litre, we headed for Wawa arriving around 12:30 p.m. and so ends our vacation from our life on the road.

I was so tired when I got home that after the truck was unpacked and things put away I lay down for a couple of hours.

The weather for our trip was mostly nice, no rain but did have some cloudy skies yesterday. Today was sunny and warm at 23C (74F) - just perfect!

I'm so happy that I finally saw not one moose but three today! The last time I saw one was when I was fourteen and I drove with my grandmother and two family friends to Thunder Bay. A moose crossed the road in front of us in somewhere near the same area that we saw the ones today.

I'm pretty burned out with taking photos so I'll probably take a rest, at least for a few hours!

Wednesday July 8, 2009 - From Terrace Bay, ON

I took this photo of the Wawa Goose last night when we were out.


This morning we headed north with just the truck leaving the RV to fend for itself in Wawa. The plan was to go to Marathon about 2 1/2 hrs away and stay overnight in a motel.

We stopped at Pukaskwa National Park just south of Marathon on the way. I walked part of a trail but not being part mountain goat I don't like trails that go over big rocks so I went back to the Visitor Centre and waited for Gordon. It was a pretty spot.

Hatties Cove


Trail over rocks

Wood lily


We drove around Marathon and found a couple of scenic spots overlooking Lake Superior but decided to continue northwest. We stopped at Neys Campground where we had planned to stay if we had brought the RV. It's a Passport America park but only 15 amp service. The park isn't much. Right across the road is Neys Provincial Park. They also have campsites that have electric but no water. Wonder who thought that one up? Anyway, there were some pretty sites down by the water where we could see the satellites if we ever decide to come back.

Note the driftwood on the beach at Marathon

Prisoner's Cove at Ney's Provincial Park

Pretty scene along the way


On we went and stopped at Terrace Bay. We drove to a couple of the beaches on Lake Superior, then stopped at the Tourist Bureau, found a motel with wifi, had dinner at the motel's restaurant (wouldn't recommend it) and then drove to the Aguasabon Falls & river gorge which is just outside Terrace Bay. Unfortunately the falls are at an odd angle and hard to photograph and the trail that would have been a better viewing area was closed.

Terrace Bay Beach

Falls

On to Screiber beach. Screiber is a little town about 10 min. from Terrace Bay and we were told that they had just redone their beach area so away we went. It was only 8 p.m. at that point but we were both wiped out so we took some photos and came back to the motel. I just couldn't wait 1 1/2 hrs for sunset tonight!

Pre-sunset at Screiber beach

Sorry, too tired to go into a lot of detail. It was a very full day and we saw lots of beautiful scenery.....but no moose!

Wednesday July 8, 2009

We're heading out this morning about 2 1/2 hours north of Wawa to Marathon, Ontario. The plan is to stay overnight in a motel - kind of a mini vacation and see what there is to see around Marathon without hauling the RV up all those hills. So if there's no posting tonight, it's because we couldn't find any wifi.

Tuesday July 7, 2009

Another cloudy morning! At least it was a little warmer at 11C (52F) and it wasn't raining.

This is another photo taken just across the Trans Canada from the campground.

The wild carrot here is really tall!

Sunset from the overlook

And from Government Dock Beach

Last night we went out for sunset. It was a bit rainy and foggy but it was pretty.

We did get a bit of sun later in the day so we set off to find Driftwood Beach which is part of the Michipicoten Post Provincial Park. We had met a lady last night who told us it was a pretty beach and it was but the road to get there is a single lane and not in the best shape. So we took our photos and came home just in time to put the stew on for dinner.

Pathway from the truck parking to the beach

Part of the beach - Gordon is that little figure walking on the beach

Island in the lake

The other part of the beach

Path back to truck (alternate to walking back on the loose sand of the beach)

The road home

For Gordon's journal update, click here.

Monday July 6, 2009

Today was cloudy, cool and rainy. I started out for my walk and realized it was raining lightly so back to the RV for my rain/wind pants. Good thing too because the rain picked up while I was out.

We were in a quandry this morning about what to do. Our week was up today here at the Wawa RV Resort & Campground so we had to make the do we go or do we stay decision. The weather has been less than great since we've been here but it's been that way all over Ontario so, we decided to stay and signed up for another week.

This afternoon we drove in to Wawa and took some photos of Lake Wawa.

It was only 11C (52F) today but these kids were out in the Lake

Beautiful Lake Wawa

Downtown Wawa - not much to it!

As well, we went to the grocery store. Although food is more expensive here, the store doesn't have the selection that a large city supermarket would have so I actually think I spend less. People give you really strange looks though when you ask for gluten-free things. They don't have lunch meat in packages so today I went to the deli counter and told the girl I needed gluten-free lunch meat. She said "I don't know what that is". So I asked about her ham and told her if I could read the label, I would be able to tell so I found some Schneider's ham that looks like it will do the job. Hopefully I have enough to get us through the week. Lucky for me though they do have 1% Lactose free milk! That's often hard to find up here even in a supermarket. They always have skim and 2%.

That's about it for our day....we might go out for sunset if it looks like the skies are clearing.

Sunday July 5, 2009

Gordon was up and out at the crack of dawn today and it netted results! He also saw a bear and both were just outside the RV park. To see the bear, click here. He had just cross that bridge on foot, turned around and there he was.

Here moosey moosey

The last couple of nights have been chilly. The furnace has even been running.

It was a lovely sunny morning 10C (50F). A beautiful temperature for a walk and too chilly for bugs!

The beautiful Magpie River from the campground. I never tire of this scene.

A stand of daisies along the river

Some iris growing in the swamp

White birch at park entrance


Late this morning and the early part of the afternoon I took advantage of the laundry facilities next to us and got three loads of laundry done. We're scheduled to leave here tomorrow but something tells me we might be here a while longer......but just in case, the laundry is done and ready!

By early afternoon the skies had clouded over again and the wind came up. Sounded like a good time for a nap.....The rain started around 4 p.m. Looks like it will be here for a couple of days. Our high was only about 12C (54F) today.

Here are a couple of interesting links for those of you that are selling your house and downsizing.

Prepare your house for market, click here.

Pitch, Pile or File, click here.

The links are for Canadians but I think the info provided will carry through no matter where you live.