In my previous blog, I wrote about this big black turtle that I ran into - but didn't run over - on this dirt road near Weyerhaeuser, WI.  Here's a picture of it --

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 –

I crossed into Ontario, Canada this morning.  Two things happened – I lost an hour and the Canadian Customs officials confiscated my little container of Pepper Mace spray.  I asked the officer but, no, I can’t buy another one in Canada.  They’re not legal here.  Filling out the appropriate paperwork and paying the requisite fee, you CAN bring a firearm across the border into Canada.  But you cannot bring in a four-inch container of pepper spray.  Bear spray is OK.  Are the odds higher here that I could be attacked by a bear and not by a person wielding a firearm?  I don’t understand the rationale…or the logic. 

This trip thus far has certainly not been without one challenge after another!  My Samsung Epic mobile, purchased a little over two years ago, is pretty much worthless.  As I was leaving Duluth [MN] last Thursday [20^th], not only were there rain clouds in the sky, there was a little one hovering right above my head.  I had found a Sprint store, waited for about 30 minutes for somebody to finally become available to assist me, she checked out my mobile, also couldn’t get it to come on and stay on, and advised that I would have to let their technician work on it.  I would, however, have to wait for about two hours because the tech had other work orders ahead of me, and, no, she could not guarantee that the tech would be able to fix it at all.  I decided, since I’d already experienced other problems with this device, it was time to toss it and cancel my service with Sprint.

And then, just as I got on the scenic North Shore Rt. 61, the clouds burst and it started raining.  Lake Superior, my favorite of all the Great Lakes, was right there on my right, but I could barely see it.  Not wanting to drive much further in this inclement weather, I pulled into the Gooseberry Falls State Park, near Two Harbors, MN, and got a site with no hookups.  This time I opened the valves for the propane tanks and used the propane to operate the fridge and, since it got downright chilly that evening, the heater as well.  Still feeling wary about the “juice” in my batteries, I did not open the dinette slide-out.  There I spent a contemplative afternoon, watching the rain come down…until it stopped!

 

My first day on Route 61, the scenic North Shore, near Duluth, MN.

 

 

Taking advantage of the pause, I went out for a walk.  And what an invigorating walk it was!  I had picked a site close to Lake Superior and took the trail to the lake.  Walking on this rocky ledge, the ledge sloped downward to an area where I could sit on my haunches (yes, apparently I can still do that!), reach out and touch a bit of the cold water lapping ashore.  I couldn’t see much of the lake beyond the shore because of the fog and mist.  It was misty inland, too, and when I looked back towards the campground shades of “Stephen King” momentarily flashed through my mind!   

Looking down another ledge, I found the beach!  So I headed down there, watching my step because of the expanse of rocks and pebbles and driftwood.  I spotted a structure up ahead – it was a picnic shelter, constructed with logs and stone in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  The “CCC Boys” built other structures around the campground and many of their log and stone picnic tables have been restored.  Those CCC guys did beautiful work!  Back inside my camper I thought a cup of hot chocolate would be fantastic about now, but I was only too happy to settle for my “usual!”

Ah, something new to vent about!  My hiking shoes, both of them, apparently have some sort of tear at the toes.  It had been pouring when I set up the camper at my site and when I took the shoes off, my socks and feet were damp.  Taking my walk, I wore my sneakers instead.  When I thought about this “unfortunate misfortune” later, I reminded myself that I really have it easy.  What did the Indians who used to live around here do for shoes?  They probably took pieces of hide from the deer that they killed with the weapons that they made themselves - and used with deadly accuracy - and used a sharp piece of bone as a needle and threaded the hides together with some animal’s tendons and lined the insides of the shoes with rabbit fur, or something similar, and they did this many, many times!  Yes, Mapita, you do have it easy!

We had lightning and more rain my night there at the state park.  But the camper was warm and the fridge was cold!  Good stuff, propane!  I’ll just have to keep both propane tanks filled…and hope the propane operator won’t mind removing the tanks for me and putting them back.  Those tanks are way too heavy for me to lift, even when they’re empty!

My windows were all fogged up when I started up the truck on Friday morning [21^st].  The defogger took care of that but I soon noticed that I wasn’t getting warm air from the heater.  Oh, no!  Now this really pisses me off because I specifically asked Ford to check both the AC and heater when I brought the truck in for servicing last spring.  It’s not that cold, fortunately, but hey, when I ask (and pay) for specific service I expect to get it! 

There were two attractions I wanted to see – the Gooseberry Falls and the Split Rock Lighthouse – but, due to the wet weather, I passed them by.  I don’t feel too badly about that because I’m already planning to come this way again in August.  My Great Lakes Tour will end where it began – in Duluth – so why not come this way again as I begin to veer west towards home?  Ahhh, the beauty of RV travel!

At Grand Marais, one of the towns along the North Shore [Rt. 61], I found a WIFI hotspot at the Senior Center.  The lady there graciously gave me the password and as I checked my emails the senior citizen residents were having their lunch.  I’m sure I was an interesting diversion for them, with my blue jeans and flannel shirt and cropped hair and bending over this thing called an iPad!  I then got some groceries, got gas, got lunch, and made my next stop at a Marine and RV Park in Grand Portage.

After setting up the camper, I turned my attention to a new problem.  The screws for the fold-out step that I use to get up to the bed fell out – a total of three screws.  When I looked to see where to screw them back on, I discovered I really couldn’t.  The screw holes, connecting the hinge to the wooden part of the step, have chipped away much of that wood.  I removed the whole thing and am now using my yellow folding step stool instead.  Because the step stool isn’t attached to anything and could “skid” on the floor once I put my weight on it, I’ve positioned it right on the rug that was made by Ernie’s deaf sister.  That works!

Grand Portage is an Indian Reservation and the last USA town, along this route, before the Canada border.  I’m tickled pink that I crossed the border today, the 22^nd.  It’s Evelyn’s birthday (my sister) and I got to celebrate it in two countries - the USA and Canada!  How often does something like this happen?  Rt. 61 soon became Hwy. 11/17 and I had to remind myself that the posted “90” speed limit was kmh and not mph.  I headed for Thunder Bay and got a site at the Thunder Bay KOA. 

MONDAY, JUNE 24 –

The weather did not improve on Sunday [23^rd] so I decided to stay at the KOA to rest, review the materials I picked up at the Canadian border Information Center, and wait out the weather.  The break did me good.

This morning I woke up to sunshine…and then it got all misty…and then it cleared up.  By 10:00 a.m. I was on my way to a nearby bank to exchange my USA currency for Canadian.  That done I then got back on Hwy. 11-17 E and headed for the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, about an hour east of Thunder Bay.  Along the way, when the angle was right and trees weren’t obstructing my view, I could see the “Sleeping Giant” – a large rock formation at the southern tip of Sibley Peninsula that looks like a reclining human figure.   

Turning right onto Rt. 587 S, I followed the two-lane road through open fields and woods to the park’s campground and headquarters.  Not planning to stay at the campground there, I paid the day-use fee of $14.00 and then drove to Silver Islet, located at the very end of the peninsula.  I took a short stroll on a one-way drive – cottages and renovated homes on one side and Superior on the other.  Summer homes, I guess. 

Back on 587, as soon as I spotted the sign, I turned left towards the Thunder Bay Lookout.  I wasn’t expecting a dirt road, but there I was – on a dirt road.  I had only a second to change my mind and turn around, but I let that pass.  Considering how wet it had been the last few days, I was immensely relieved to find that the dirt road was dry and reasonably hard-packed.  It was a bit hilly at places but my truck managed, as did my beating heart.  The road was narrow – a one-vehicle lane really – and all the cars that came towards me graciously squeezed over to the side to let me pass first.  As I neared the lookout, the dirt road practically ended and I was driving on rough slabs of quartz rock.  I was on the very top of a cliff!  Maneuvering my way slowly and carefully, I found a spot to park, reminded myself there’s a reason I call this my “Camper Adventures” and headed for the lookout.  The lookout was a metal platform that extended out beyond the cliff face and hundreds of feet above Lake Superior.  The view up there was not disappointing! 

 

The road to the Thunder Bay Lookout.

 

 

 

View from Thunder Bay Lookout.


I timed myself and it took 20 minutes for me to get back on paved Rt. 587.  OK, Mappy, you’ve used up your supply of adrenalin for today!  Back on Hwy. 11-17, and about 45 minutes later, I had myself a site at the Stillwater Park Campground in Nipigon, Ontario.  It was a comfortable drive getting here.  Ontario has wonderful highway signage – they’re big and they’re clear.  There were a lot of warning signs to “watch for moose,” and deer as well, especially at night.

For the past few days now, I’ve been mulling over a new problem that needs fixing – the exterior step beneath my camper’s door.  The step itself is OK…the problem is with the grooved rubber mats that are glued to both the step’s top and bottom.  The bottom part has slowly but steadily come unglued.  Should I let it progressively unglue some more and fall off on its own?  Should I yank it off and be done with it?  Or should I somehow salvage it?  As I pondered my options, I was reminded, just this afternoon (while driving, as a matter of fact), of a “golden rule” – every household, whether owned or rented, should never be without duct tape.  This applies to campers, too – and, praise be, I do have a roll of duct tape!  Boy, this kind of problem solving sure is forcing me to use a different part of my brain! 

TUESDAY, JUNE 25 –

As I write this (it’s a bit after 5:30 p.m.) I have a great view of a blue and calm Lake Superior.  Sitting outside my camper, a pine tree of some sort keeping me in shade from the sun, it’s practically perfect.  Today was perfect – lovely weather, lovely drive on Hwy. 17, and a great side trip to a beach.

Hwy. 11 forked off from Hwy. 17 at Nipigon.  After getting gas, I decided to take a brief drive through the town of Nipigon, just to check it out.  From that point on, the scenic drive on Hwy. 17, the Trans-Canada Highway, was just spectacular.  The drive featured a mix of everything – lakes, rivers, bays, Superior, hills, rocky cliffs, and forests of assorted trees, mostly pine.  Highway construction slowed me down in spots.  These colder climes, the summer months are the only time they can do road work.

At the town of Schreiber, I found my way to Schreiber Beach.  The rocky beach was deserted – a great place for me to take pictures, shoot some video, and get my feet wet!  Back at the parking area, I exchanged hellos with a couple from Winnipeg [Manitoba].  They were going to get their feet wet too and have a picnic lunch!

 

A stream, at Schreiber Beach, finding its outlet to Lake Superior.  

 

Getting wet, at Schreiber Beach.

 

 

There's no question - I AM in Canada!

 

 

Continuing on, I turned off into the Neys Provincial Park, near Marathon.  I asked for a site with electricity and was pleasantly surprised to find that my site was just yards from the beach.  The beach here is sandy and scattered with driftwood.  I took a walk.  Going on into late afternoon, it was just me on the beach…and the one or two seagulls.  Such tranquility!

My camper, steps from the beach at Neys Provincial Park.

Driftwood on the beach, Neys Provincial Park.

 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26 –

A flash of lightning woke me up during the night and I saw that it was raining.  I woke up later to a cloudy morning.  I took that observation in stride and felt like it didn’t matter.  It must rain sometimes.  What else will sustain the lush green growth around this beautiful part of Ontario?  What else will sustain the wildlife?  After two days of wonderful weather which allowed me to admire Lake Superior in all its blue splendor, some clouds and a bit of rain was fine by me…today…

It was another good drive on Hwy. 17.  The highway took a northward arc, taking me miles away from Superior’s shoreline.  On my way to the Wawa RV Park and Campground, in Wawa [Ont.], I caught a glimpse of the rear ends of a couple of moose off a side road.  Big rumps!  These are big animals!  It’s woodsy here at the RV Park and there’s a river nearby.  They have a swimming pool!  The water was cold but refreshing!

THURSDAY, JUNE 27 –

I’ve concluded that, being this far up north, storm clouds and rain are to be expected.  It adds character to the environment, I will grant you that, and Lake Superior is to be admired, always, no matter the weather.  It was raining when I woke up this morning.  It stopped long enough for me to unhook the camper’s water hose and power cord without getting soaked.  And then the sun eventually came out as I approached my next destination.

This section of the [Hwy. 17] Trans-Canada Highway, between Wawa and Sault Ste. Marie is a scenic drive.  I stopped at a view point and looked out to where a shipwreck happened some years ago.  Yes, Superior is to be admired…AND respected!

I asked for a site with electricity near the beach when I arrived at the Pancake Bay Provincial Park, and got it.  It was rather pricey but well worth it!  The beach was just a minute from my site, via a bridge that crossed over a small creek.  The sun was out and I wasted no time!    

I finally went in the water…and I finally sat down on my camping chair to read my first book of the trip.  The beach here is sandy – a soft, fine sand – and the sand extended all the way out in the water.  I walked five feet out, ten feet out, and the water was still only up to my ankles.  I went out further, and still further until it was up to my waist.  The water was so clear I could see the ridges in the smooth sand.  There were no stones and, even as I stood stock still, apparently no minnows or other little fishes.  I kept going until the water was up to my neck.  Looking back to my chair, I tried to guess the distance.  Visualizing a football field, my guess is 50 yards.      

As sunny as it was, I observed interesting cloud formations all around me.  Towards early evening dark clouds starting rolling in and it looked like rain, directly ahead of me.  A bolt of lightning, and then another.  I went inside the camper, waited it out, and then went back out to the beach.  This time to take pictures.

Lake Superior, Pancake Bay Provincial Park.

 

 

Storm clouds above Lake Superior, Pancake Bay Provincial Park.

 

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 28 –

Pancake Bay is my last provincial park on Ontario’s Lake Superior shoreline.  I will, however, see Superior again later this summer, from the USA side.  Being in no hurry to leave Pancake Bay, I went back to the beach this morning with my book.  The water was a tad too cold at that hour, so I was content to just sit there and look at it.

After an hour of driving on Hwy. 17, I reached Sault Ste. Marie.  I had some business to do and accomplished them all at a mall - exchanged more currency at a bank, bought some items (toothpaste for one!), and bought a Canada stamp at the Post Office, which, incredulously enough, was located inside a hardware store!  I then got myself a site at the Glenview Cottages and Campground.  Lots of trees here…and they have WIFI!