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

Yesterday was pretty special. We went to visit the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation at M’Chigeeng near Lake Mindemoya on Manitoulin. Artists work there, reviving traditional work like moccasin-making, beadwork and fine jewellery and painting on skins, wood and stone. Beautiful craftwork. They run free sessions for school children there too. These classes are so important following on from years of suppressed cultural identity. Manitoulin children were sent away to Catholic residential schools from the 19thCentury right up until 1958. At these schools, where they spent ten months of the year without seeing family, brothers and sisters were segregated from the age of five, beaten if they were caught speaking the Ojibwe language and also frequently abused. The idea was to obliterate Ojibwe culture and the Catholic Church failed to apologise formally until 1996! Many First Nation peop ... read more

For those that don't know, about five years ago we hatched the wicked idea of taking some serious time off to do some bucket list travelling. Well, the time has arrived. Life is short...Seize the day...You only live once...Live as if you will die tomorrow. Pick your cliche, they all work! This blog is meant to serve a couple purposes: to create a travel journal for ourselves, as no doubt otherwise we'll forget our adventures further down the road; and also to share our travels with everybody as we go. After months of planning, which included preparations A through G, the final preparation, H, was completed and we were ready for six+ months of travel. Our itinerary looks something like this: September - Family/friends Road Trip: Cambridge, Tennessee, Colorado/Utah October - Peru November - Tanzania December/Mid-January ... read more

Biking Sault Ste. Marie’s Hub Trail Text and Photos last updated: 2017 Number of times on this trail: 2 Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Distance: 26 km Distance markers: kilometres Surface: asphalt and concrete Width: 3 metres and more Grade: Flat with a few steep hills Condition of trail: Very good I have biked this trail twice but each time it has been with a "local" who knew his way around. It is called a HUB trail and makes a giant circle around the city. The trail is not complete and there are some sections that are on lightly travelled streets. Unfortunately when the trail is on the streets there are NO maps or signs to show you where to go, so if you are not from the SOO it could prove difficult to do the ... read more

Slept until 06:00 hr...retirement habits are hard to break. Up and unplugging all the batteries that were charging overnight...quick breakfast with another couple from Emo, ON, in town for some surgery.....also a military type, but not so talkative. Checked out and in the car by 08:00 (757.3 km). Rm cost....$120.23, booked through Trivago. Wanted to get pictures of Sleeping Giant, so checked out maps to find highest point....Hillcrest Park, which happens to be on the way out of town....bonus. Out the back of the parking lot is High Street, and about 2 km up the road is Hillcrest Park.....arrived at 08:12 hr (758.9 km)....dedicated to honour the Lake Superior Regiment. Beautiful view of the harbour and the Sleeping Giant (see pics). Took many pictures of the surrounding area and the Giant, as well as some of ... read more

Hello All! So we've made it to Sault Ste Marie! We are right in between Lake Huron and Lake Superior in Ontario. We've spent most of the past two days in the car and have seen a lot of Ontario, which is gorgeous. Lots of lakes and farmland. We've passed through tons of cute little towns. Yesterday morning we left Montreal and had no problems finding our way out of the city. Hit a little traffic, but nothing big. We made our way to the main highway that goes west (Route 17). We'll be on this road through Thunder Bay. So, on the road outside of Montreal, probably the most exciting thing that happened along our route came about. We were driving along, and I was looking at the map when Ang started yelling and freaking ... read more