Travel Log #9

As adults, we begin to shy away from winter, use it as an excuse to stay inside or as something else to complain about.  I’ll admit that I have uttered the occasional moan and groan when it’s time to head out into the snow after a cozy sleep in my warm bed but, deep in my heart, I know that this feeling is fleeting. 

Rob and I embraced winter this year by hopping in our car and (eventually) onto the Trans-Canada highway… in December.  After some careful weather tracking and spying on road conditions online, we decided that the elements weren’t strong enough to keep us in the city for New Year’s Eve…we were heading for Thunder Bay !  Normally, we do plenty of research and source out some areas to check out as “tourists” but this time was a little different… we were on a mission to visit some old friends of mine who have claimed Thunder Bay as their new hometown.  Four months new to the town, they had already sourced out a few places of interest for us. 

At about 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 29^th, we filled up our car and made our way onto Hwy 401.  The route to Thunder is fairly straightforward—Hwy  401 to Hwy 400 North to Hwy 69 to  Hwy 17.  The only roundabout part is when you hit Sault Ste. Marie and have to drive through the city for a bit.  Even then, there are overhead signs above the roads that will guide you where you need to go.  Despite its “directness”, the drive is quite long so stock up on the snacks, the tunes and perhaps a good audio book or two for the road.  As we continue to take road trips, we’re finding new and wonderful ways to make the time pass by that much quicker.  Our latest “pass-time” for road trips has to be audio books—novels that have been professionally recorded on DVD.  Though, music is still a great late-night motivator! 

Another tip for those looking to trim some drive time off the top, bring a fully stocked cooler with you.  We brought the following items for our trip: some cut veggies, plenty of drinks, cheese, fruit, baguette, rice cakes and sushi (from the grocery store, bought the same day as departure for easy lunch consumption).  Lunch stops, unless you’re really craving a break from the car, are a bit of a time-muncher.  Instead, we prefer to make short pit-stops for coffee or restroom use or to hop out of the car when we see something interesting along the way.  If you’re traveling on a budget, packing up some food is also a great way to save your money for other things once you’ve arrived at your destination. 

We drove non-stop, aside from a couple of pit-stops, from Toronto to Sault Ste. Marie, which is about an 8 hour drive.  Though we had only been to the “Soo” once before, we felt a strong connection to the city, a familiarity of sorts.  It felt good to be somewhere that we recognized before heading back out on the now quite dark stretches of highway.  To make the drive more interesting, the snow had started to come down in big, fat flakes, making for reduced visibility.  The danger with the blowing snow and near white-out conditions is the even greater risk of not seeing a moose who would either like to cross or is standing in the middle of the road.  Along the Trans-Canada Highway , there are signs

posted in regular intervals stressing that drivers should drive even more carefully at night.  Since I had driven the first leg of the trip, it’s was Rob’s “pleasure” to drive the second stretch.  Having professional driving experience made him a far better candidate to navigate the dichotomous pitch-black-night-saturated-with-white-snow road conditions.

Luckily, we noticed a transport truck off in the distance ahead of us and decided to catch up to it and use it as our very own “moose shield.”  Of course, when we pulled through the outskirts of Marathon , our “shield” pulled over for a good night’s rest.  We decided to grab a hot chocolate at the nearby Robin’s Donuts (VERY popular in Ontario Northland) and some rice crackers from our stash for the road. 

Being the lone car on a dark highway in the early morning hours is both surreal and scary.  It’s very interesting to note that most motels along Hwy 17 are either closed for the winter season or have no one staffing the front desk (and thus have locked doors) during the night.  Also, gas up when you can if you are traveling at night, because very few stations are open late.  Thankfully, you will find the occasional SPG (Swipe, Pump and Go) station, like the one we found in Marathon (about a ten minute drive off the T-C highway). These stations are debit and credit card based and are open 24-hours a day for those round-the-clock travelers.  At about 1:30 a.m. , we found ourselves about three and a half hours outside of Thunder Bay and were on a mission to find a little motel to crash in for the night.  So, back on the highway we went, pulling into a little town called Schreiber that had one lone motel that was still open for the night.  We rang the doorbell of the dark office at the small Nor-West Motel and instantly a light flickered on and a very friendly lady welcomed us in.  For $52 CAN, we had a home for the night!

 After a long day of driving, we decided to have a little sleep in the next morning and were back on the road on the 30^th by noon .  By this time, we were craving a little warm food and grabbed a bite to eat at the Husky in Rossport.  You’ll find lots of these gas station/restaurants along Canadian roads—they are very popular with truckers and usually offer shower and rest facilities. You can always count on a big pile of food and all-day breakfast too! With the car and our bellies filled up, we embarked on the final stretch of our road trip to Thunder Bay .

Thunder Bay really is a city that appears to sprout of the wilds of the Canadian landscape.  One minute you are in a world full of evergreens and an eyeful of lake Superior, and the next you are driving past a Safeway (a local brand name in grocery stores).  Thunder Bay is very unique in this way—it is far removed from other major Canadian cities.  The closest major cities are Sault Ste. Marie and Winnipeg , which are both about 8 hours away! 

Since most of the drive between the “Soo” and Thunder Bay is along the coast of Lake Superior , you can count on some pretty amazing scenery.  Don’t be surprised to find a few “Scenic View” signs posted along the highway, warning you that a really wonderful photo opportunity is a mere 500 metres ahead.  In the winter, be prepared for a BIG

change in road conditions once you ventured off Hwy 17. For instance, when Rob decided that we should explore a side-road at night in order to find the perfect spot for some night-sky photography, we practically turned onto an ice patch!   Yes, the road was essentially covered in ice, which made for some interesting driving technique.  If sky-watching is a hobby of yours, then you’re in for the best stargazing ever!  The lack of city lights provides for an amazing starry night.  The sky is so dark that it seems as though there are a least five times the star in the sky as what we’re used to back in the GTA!

Closer to Thunder Bay , you’ll be invited to visit the Terry Fox Memorial Lookout—take them up on this invitation!  If you’re traveling to Thunder Bay in search of the “Sleeping Giant” or perhaps even to spend a few days at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park , you’ll get one of the best perspectives of this natural landform from this lookout.  On a cloudy day, you’ll have to vow to come back another time but on a clear day, you’re guaranteed an unobstructed view.  The Sleeping Giant is essentially a massive landform that resembles a giant sleeping on its back off in the distance.  There is also a famous legend that tells the tale of the Sleeping Giant.

Upon our arrival in Thunder Bay , we were impressed by the expressways that the city had established.  Many other cities, boasting 300 000 people or more, have yet to plan out their cities to include a faster way of getting from one end to the other!  In this case, the planning may have been made a bit easier through the amalgamation of two smaller cities to create what is now known as Thunder Bay . At one time, the region was divided into the city of Port Arthur and Fort William and three smaller municipalities.  As a matter of fact, Thunder Bay has two downtown areas to prove its once divided past.  On the second day of our trip, we decided to pay a visit the downtown by the lakeshore to try our luck on the slots and at the Blackjack tables.  After a not-so-lucky spin around the casino (well, moderately un/lucky with Tony's $40 win), we decided to head home for a tasty home-cooked meal.

Even though Thunder Bay is so far away from other major centres, you can still pretty much get whatever you can get at your nearest supermarket.  As a matter of fact, you can pick up the ingredients to prepare your very own Indian Korma (like we did!!)  Though there may not be as many shops and shopping centres, all of the major stores are at your disposal. 

Our friends Irene and Tony are comfortably settled into their early 1900s home, complete with stunning hardwood floors, beautiful wood trim and pillars, and gorgeous fireplace.  They purchased their house for about a quarter of what we would be forced to pay in Toronto —and oh, how we’re jealous!!  Having lived in Thunder Bay for a few months now, they have checked out a few area

As we were out-and-about in Thunder Bay and surrounding areas, we were truly amazed to find that it wasn’t as cold as we imagined.  I suppose we were expecting arctic-like sub-zero temperatures (in the vicinity of -20 or 30 degrees) but the cold was very manageable at -14 or better!  Though, Irene and Tony will attest to the fact that the cold is quite dry and seems to travel directly to your core.  They were also quick to point out that the weather was fairly mild when we were visiting in comparison to other weeks. As luck would have it (bad luck, that is), the day we arrived back in Toronto it was actually colder in Toronto than in Thunder Bay . 

Another big surprise on this road trip, was the lack of animal wildlife.  Irene warned us that she had seen less wildlife while living in Thunder Bay than she had when she was a resident of Ithaca , New York .  We figured that it must be because the animals haven’t been forced out of their rightful homes so they are still happily frolicking in the forests and such.  Though we did see a pair of moose running through a field alongside the highway, one deer and a few chickadees, there really was a lack of animal presence in the area. 

The last surprise of this road trip were the closures… of provincial and national parks and activity centres.  In an effort to embrace Canadian winters, we were very excited to do some winter hiking on this trip, and although Kakabeka provided some excellent trails, we were shocked to find all of the major parks off the Trans-Canada highway had their entry gates closed.  You can still hike on some trails in these parks but don’t expect easy access to them!  We’re guessing that these closures have something to do with the amount of time and resources that it would take to plow the access roads and to maintain the trails.  We also wanted to check out 'Eagle Canyon Adventures’ Ice Wall but were sadly informed that they had closed for the winter season this year due to lack of

In the end, the 17+ hour drive to Thunder Bay was well worth it— I got to see two of my oldest and dearest friends and was able to see another part of my home country.  Rob and I would recommend this drive to anyone with a desire to see Ontario and to experience life “North of Superior.”  Traveling along the Trans-Canada highway is very direct, with plenty of little towns to explore along the way if you need a break from driving.  In the winter, make sure that you check out highway conditions and closures in advance and have an extra bottle of windshield washing fluid on-hand (we went through almost two during the stretch of our trip).  Make sure that your camera is easily accessible too—you’ll have plenty of photo opportunities en route! 

For Your Information—A couple of notables for good quality grub in Thunder Bay :

Hoito Restaurant is hailed as a “Thunder Bay Classic” and is famous for its breakfasts.  The restaurant is in a Heritage building that also houses a dance hall, the offices of a Finnish newspaper and a museum.  Another local favourite food stop is Caribou Restaurant and Wine Bar. They offer a relaxed atmosphere and an impressive array of food; from wood oven pizza to wild boar pappardelle.  Since it’s a wine bar, you can try a flight of your favourite kind of wine (2-oz samples of three different wines).  Though we can’t personally attest to the greatness of Caribou restaurant (since it was regretfully closed on New Year’s Day), Tony couldn’t stop talking about it—and we share similar tastes in food and wine!

Loch Lomond and Mount Baldy Ski Areas (Downhill Skiing, Tubing and Snowboarding)

http://www.lochlomond.ca/

http://www.mtbaldyskiarea.com/

Thunder Bay ’s Nordic Trails (Cross-Country Ski Trails and Conditions)

http://www.nordictrails-tb.on.ca/

Eagle Canyon Adventures:

Camping, Rock Climbing, a Canyon and a 400 ft. suspension bridge (no ice climbing for 2007/2008 season)

http://www.eaglecanyonadventures.ca/

Ice Racing—Car racing… on ice!

http://www.iceracingthunderbay.com/

Thunder Bay ’s Top Attractions (including info about Mount McKay Scenic Lookout):

http://www.foundlocally.com/ThunderBay/Travel/Attr-TopAttractions.htm

Thunder Bay Green Spaces (including Nordic Centres and Provincial Parks ):

http://www.borealforest.org/greenspaces/tbay.htm

The same goes for hotels. If you are not sure you can drive all night, make sure you get a place fairly early (I think people were quoting they left the front desk at 8:00 PM!).