Blogs from Sault Sainte Marie , Ontario, Canada, North America

Day 2. 839Km. I don’t remember if I calculated the overall fuel mileage the Dodge gave me in 2009 but the Jeep sure drinks the diesel while pulling the trailer. I’ve seen an all time high of 1200Km per tank on a solo trip without the trailer but so far I’m getting about 400Km per tank so I’m guessing about $2000 for fuel this trip. Oh well, vacations aren’t cheap. I broke camp in good time this morning but lost a bit of time doubling back for fuel in Orillia because the station I went to had an issue with the pumps not working. The rock cuts in the Canadian Shield heading up hwy 69 toward Sudbury are something to see. The road is under continuous expansion as they widen it to four lanes so there ... read more

Arrived at KOA just outside the city Sault Ste Marie. Quite a difference city camping. Definitely "clamping" here at the KOA we are not roughing it. Our last Canadian stop for next 3 weeks.We are having a grand meal tonight. We need to clean out all the fruit, vegetables and meat from our fridge before we cross the US boarder. Tomorrow we cross the bridge to Minnesota. and then on to Oshkosh Wisconsin for a couple of days. Hopefully the crossing goes well and we do not wind-up on one of the Boarder Crossing reality TV shows.... read more

Today we left Thunder Bay for Sault Ste. Marie. The views were stupendous - islands bathed in mist, Jack Pines bent and weathered, abundant lakes and creeks. I turned my iPod on to Gordon Lightfoot. It seemed only fitting considering where we were and the fact that he is from Ontario and is a Canadian icon. The song "Carefree Highway" came on and I sang with it - "Carefree highway, let me slip away, slip away on you", and just then, Lake Superior came into view around the bend. I must admit that my heart swelled and I got a little teary. This was a part of Canada that I'd heard about all my life and always dreamed of seeing and now here I was. There is a lot of pink granite in this area, jutting ... read more

July 5, 2007 The Agawa Canyon Train departs from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario just across the International Bridge from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan daily at 8:00 A.M. from mid-June through mid-October, but check their website for current dates and times. We boarded early in the morning on July 5th and found our seats. There are no reserved seats. Although we had eaten a continental breakfast at our hotel, breakfast is served on the train. While the canyon itself is the destination, the journey is worth the trip. When we arrived at the canyon, it was time for lunch. We had packed a picnic lunch. If you choose not to pack a lunch, you can purchase food on the train. Having found a bench on the edge of a stream, we enjoyed our picnic. Afterwards we hiked ... read more

The day started out just fine with the chant de voyelles on the beach before the usual clean-up and hitting the road for Thunder Bay. I drove for a few hours along the shores of Lake Superior and couldn’t help but notice how adapted the kids have become to the RV. No longer strapped in to their seats with the seatbelts attached, they now bounce around the cabin like caffeinated monkeys at the zoo. I’m also getting pretty aware of the cost of gas after a couple of $200 fill ups. Now I’m doing much more coasting down the hills... Bring on Alberta cheap gas. After picking up the usual supplies at the Sault Ste. Marie Wal-Mart, we got back on the road for several hours. It’s actually quite nice to be the driver because you ... read more