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Thunder Bay boardwalk | The Great Lakes and Southern Ontario |
August started with our annual family gathering at Clear Lake, just outside Big Rapids, Michigan.
Click here to see snapshots of all the gang in Michigan --
My, how they've grown! We had two sunny weeks of swimming, sailing, great meals, kick the can, singing,
bonfires on the beach and general family fun with all the cousins. From here, we took a drive over to
Stratford, Ontario to the
Stratford Festival of Canada. This is theatre at its very best.
We saw The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Hentry V and Inherit the Wind.
When in Stratford, there are dozens of nice bed and breakfasts to stay at. We like the Cedar Springs Inn
run by Lloy and Allan Grose. Though it's 10 minutes outside of town, it's
simple, clean and quiet. To really see Stratford and its theatre, plan on staying three nights.
After a few more relaxing days at Clear Lake, Daniel, Mikka and I headed north to Lake Superior.
Our first stop was the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie.
This is an impressive historical and engineering landmark. Check the shipping schedule posted at the visitor center
so that you can be at the viewing platform to watch some of the world's largest ships squeeze through the narrowest of
locks. From here we continued into Canada along the north shore of Lake Superior.
Lake Superior Provincial Park
was a beautiful place for a picnic with a short hike to the petrographs of Agawa Rock.
A few hundred miles farther west across the north shore of Lake Superior, we came to the sparkling port town of
Thunder Bay. This is the site of
Fort William which in 1810 was the world's largest fur
trading post and the primary departure point for all trappers and adventurers into the great Northwest. This is a
great family attraction. Give yourself several hours to tour this fully restored Scottish outpost where the docents
dress in period costumes and stay in character as they go about
their daily business of trading with the Indians, making birchbark canoes, tanning hides and playing bagpipes.
From Thunder Bay, we drove south to Grand Portage, Minnesota.
Check out the 18th century stockade here. From Grand Portage, we took
the Voyageur II out to
Isle Royale National Park. (Note, you can also
get to Isle Royale from Copper Harbor or Houghton, Michigan on the
Ranger III.) If you take your own backpack and tent
to Isle Royale, there are easy trails and scenic campsites all around the whole island.
We opted to stay at the Rock Harbor Lodge. The weather
turned stormy and we were glad to have a solid roof over our heads at night and nice meals served to us at the lodge.
Rent a canoe at Rock Harbor and explore the rocky shores by water. Take a hike to the lookout in the center
of the island. Look for wolf tracks on your trail. Don't be surprised if you run into a moose or two
as we did. Whether you camp out or stay at the lodge, make your reservations a few months in advance because
the park service carefully limits the number of visitors.
From Grand Portage, if you head south, your next stop should be at the
Naniboujou Lodge. This hotel was built in the 1920s as Babe Ruth's private
club. It's an amazing hotel built right on the shore of Lake Superior. We spent a night here and then took a short
drive to Ely, Minnesota, where we hooked up with
Canoe Country Outfitters. These guys were great.
They provided us with all the equipment we needed for a week in the wilderness: Canoe, maps, food, tents, sleeping bags,
pots, pans, cooking utensils, matches, toilet paper, etc.
They obtained our Canadian wilderness and border crossing permits.
(This is not a minor task.)
Finally, they ferried us to the Canadian border where we entered the
Quetico Provincial Park. This area is one of the cleanest natural
environments in North America. The lakes are so clean you can drink the water unfiltered and untreated.
Naturally, this place is a paradise for fisherman, bird watchers and turtle hunters. I can still remember the
hauting sounds of the sounds of the loons and the wolves. Absolutely beautiful!
A final note about our adventure in the Quetico: At the end of our week in the wilderness, it was very
convenient to be able to return to Canoe Country Outfitters
in Ely, use their hot showers and clean towels, and then drive away leaving our muddy packs, dirty sleeping bags,
and wet garbage behind. I've never used an outfitter before, but there's a lot to be said for renting
someone else's equipment. As a first
time visitor to the Boundary Waters, I also appreciated their good advice on which route to take and which
portages to avoid. If you have time in Ely, be sure to spend a couple hours at the
International Wolf Center. It's something special.
With the summer almost over now and school starting soon, it was time to return to civilization. Our last stop
en route to the Minneapolis airport was Duluth. There are two
must sees in Duluth:
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