July 31st, 2014

My Summer Road Trip

July 31, 2014

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	Kinda weird the way this day went... I pulled off the road just outside Thunder Bay to go up to a scenic viewpoint because the fog on the shoreline was so neat. I just wanted to see it better. Here's what I found at the viewpoint.
	A tribute to Terry Fox, a Canadian hero for attempting a cross country run to raise money for cancer research. Although Terry was forced to end his run here just outside Thunder Bay, I've always thought that in a way he DID defeat cancer. His body might have succumbed to the disease but it did not defeat his spirit.
	Interesting, I found out from my sister, just after being here, that the August long weekend in Manitoba was being named in his honour... Terry Fox Day.
	BTW... here's the view I originally went up the viewpoint road to see.
	Fabulous!
	The viewpoint is also where I met David and Ivan from New Jersey and Niagara Falls, ON. Friends for a long time, they were circumnavigating Lake Superior.
	Walking from the viewpoint...
	I chatted with cyclists from BC who were doing a cross country ride. They were getting transported past the 100 km of roadwork ahead?!?!?
	At a Nipigon gas station, I met Jack, who was meeting his wife up the road at a campground that day. Because of the gas stop, the cyclists whom I'd met at the Terry Fox memorial had JUST gotten ahead of me. They were let out just past the worst part of the construction (an uphill ride over gravel, rough asphalt, and oil.) I was able to give them a wave as Jack and I rode past.
	The original plan was to ride with Jack a while. But here's where I lost Jack. I had told him I liked to stop to take pictures once in a while (and this overlook was very cool) but the stop wasn't that far from Nipigon and he probably thought, "Oh no! This lady is going to stop every two seconds." He continued along while I stopped to take these pictures. Oh well!
	I do like high places...
	... you can see for miles and miles.
	More views beckoned "just around the corner".
	Jack had mentioned a "campground" with a view" that he was going to take me to. So when this campground came along, I wondered "Is this it?"
	I'll never know but it gave me a chance to see this cutie playing fetch along the shoreline.
	There was a nice beach there and although I can't remember the campground's name, it was near Rainbow Falls Provincial Park.
	These houses were on Walker Lake.
	Impressive residences along Walker Lake
	As I was pulling into this scenic lookout, guess who was there? Ivan and Dave were just getting ready to leave and since they weren't going as far as Sault Ste. Marie that day (as I was), I began worrying,"At this rate, am I even going to get there?"
	The scenic lookout (just west of Terrace) was worth visiting.
	Once you reached this platform, you could look out to the misty lake.

	But the true attraction were the falls and the creek/river that led to Lake Superior.

	By now you've noticed that my pictures are lacking vibrant colour. That's because it was misty/foggy/drizzly. I stopped here in Terrace to put on my rain pants and cover my tank bag. Even with the stop at the falls AND the extra stop to get a bit better weather ready (I already had on my rain jacket), I STILL caught up to (guess who??) David and Ivan at a construction stop.
	So... I rode with them to Marathon where I thought I might grab lunch. But Marathon is NOT right on the highway so I turned around (Bye Guys!) and ended up at the Marathon gas station where I met three young ladies on bikes.
	Do they look a bit alike? They should. Three sisters who ride together each year on a moto holiday. And most often (they said) they are joined by their parents. KOOL! An entire family of moto tourers!!
	Route: TransCanada 11/17 to Nipigon TC 17 to Sault Ste. Marie, ON SSM International Bridge to Sault Ste. Marie, MI This day continues here... Skip to Next Day Back to Main Page