Canada 150 Road Trip - Day 2

MICHIGAN - WISCONSIN - MINNESOTA - NORTH DAKOTA

After a quick breakfast in Ironwood, we set off into Wisconsin, following Highway 2 along the southern shore of Lake Superior and through the stunning Ashland area.

At the head of the lake, the twin industrial port cities of Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota marked the state border, and we turned inland to travel west across the width of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Detouring off the highway through downtown Duluth, the first ten storefronts from the water's edge included nine taverns and one strip joint - I guess the reputation of sailors is true!

After several hours of lakes and pastoral farmland, we crossed the Red River into Grand Forks, North Dakota, where we stopped for lunch, gas and some supplies. Replenished, we picked up I-29 and followed it northwards, the landscape heavily agricultural and looking very much like home.....minus the windmills.

Turning west onto Highway 5 just before the Manitoba border, we set up the tent at Icelandic State Park, and enjoyed a quiet evening of reading and relaxation as the warm day turned to cool night.

Superior, WI

Duluth, MN

Crossing the Red River

Icelandic State Park

Canada 150 Road Trip - Day 1

ONTARIO - MICHIGAN

A beautiful sunrise ushered us into the Canada 150 Epic Road Trip, as we set off bound for the West and the North. Eschewing the chaotic roads of Detroit, we opted for the more leisurely Bluewater Bridge border crossing at Sarnia-Port Huron, armed with a second Tim Horton's dark roast and a full tank of gas.

After an unplanned detour back towards Detroit, we hooked up with I-75 and sped northward amidst steady Labour/Labor Day traffic. The trip began in earnest when we crossed the eight-kilometer long Mackinac Bridge and passed into Michigan's Upper Peninsula, enjoying Lake Huron to the right and Lake Michigan to the left.

We turned due west off the bridge and followed the shoreline, before cutting a diagonal across the peninsula to the scenic Lake Superior shore on the far side near Munising, glimpsing our fourth Great Lake of the day. The Labor Day crowds meant that all of the campgrounds were full, so we decided to make up some ground and carry on into the early evening.....with perhaps a little too much zeal.

After a brief stop to talk to a very friendly Michigan State Trooper, we carried on with pockets none the lighter. Thankfully we had a great story - twelve hours into Day 1 of an Epic Road Trip - and she cheerfully insisted that we wait until at least Day Five before we get a speeding ticket.

A little further down the road, we found a reasonable motel in Ironwood, located in one of Michigan's four western counties that reside on Central Time. Gaining an hour made the long day feel just a wee bit shorter, and happily put our feet up for the night.

Sunrise departure

Bluewater Bridge into Michigan

Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula

Time for a short break!

A Superior vantage point

Indianhead Motel - Ironwood, MI

Art by the River

The last big art show of the summer brought fabulous weather to Amherstburg for Art by the River - warm but not hot, and more importantly sunny - a far cry from last year's storm-shortened event.

As usual, the show was held at Fort Malden on the shores of the Detroit River - which for the purposes of our Canada 150 goals also counts as a National Historic Site! The Fort played a very significant role in the defense of Upper Canada during the War of 1812.

Both days were busy, long and tiring, on top of Friday night setup.....resulting in dinner on the patio at Renny's two nights in a row! Who feels like cooking after all that?

Thankfully, the addition of The Van this year also made things a lot easier!

More importantly....only one week remains before we set out on an epic road trip to the West and North!

The Open Door

Sweet spot for an art show!

Cannons!...to the left of me....

The British are coming! The British are....going?

Upbound for Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron

Busy August

Following the long weekend of shed renovations, we met August headlong with more art shows and a trip to eastern Ontario to help my mother move into her new house. In the meantime, we found a few spare minutes for some local diversions to mark our ten-year anniversary as newbies to the area.

Our usual summer storm season did not disappoint either, with a tornado touching down not far away in Thiessen's Apple Orchard. We got some nasty clouds and pretty rainbows out our way, but otherwise escaped unscathed.

We did manage to get out to the drive-in to see Dunkirk, along with an epic wipeout by Jane just outside the concession stand....people (and insurance companies) were concerned, food went airborne, and ketchup ended up on her glasses. Otherwise no lasting harm done!

We also made it to our first WAMBO - the Wallaceburg Antique Motor and Boat Outing - to see some classic cars and festival type shenanigans. The day included a stop in Chatham on the way home to check out the new Sons of Kent Brewery, which did not disappoint!

Tilbury Art in the Park

Rainbows over cornfields!

About the same time a tornado was hitting Thiessen's Orchard.....

Ominous beginning to a night at Boonies Drive-In

Harbinger of the evening to come!

The beaches of Dunkirk

WAMBO in Wallaceburg

Convertible Cougar

Beautiful Beaumont

GTO and Mustang share the spotlight

Boats on the Sydenham River

Crowds await the cardboard boat races!

One entry sank right at the start.....

...and the "winners" made it halfway to the finish!

William Wallace, the town's namesake

Classic Tractors

Soapbox derby and ramp races!

A flight of samplers at Sons of Kent Brewing

All taps lead to....my mouth!

There and Back Again

The tentative plan for the Canada 150 Road Trip:

THERE.....




....and BACK AGAIN!






5 Provinces, 2 Territories, 5 States - for a total of 14,769 kilometers (give or take)....and including
11 of Canada's National Parks!

The maps are interactive so feel free to zoom in!

August Long Weekend

I rang in my birthday in the usual style....chillaxing at home in fine company. We had visitors for the long weekend - Vanessa and Carly made the long trek to hang out and assist Jane with Art on the Boulevard in Erieau; and John and Julie came as well to help with ongoing shed renovations and general merriment.

The weather was great, so we made time around work for bonfires and boardgames, beverages and BBQ, and of course tunes. There was also an appearance on the patio at Renny's for some delicious smoked meats and Bayside honey cream ales.

Some interesting rounds of Codenames also developed....L, 5! Corner, 4! Jane and I also pulled off the rare Water, 5. Nicely done.

A few weekends before, we also visited the trailer for a Cox gathering and pseudo-birthday celebration - complete with cake, steak, and birthday DVD's. Relaxing drives along Highway 3 and quiet evenings at the trailer were supplemented with fresh fruits from Pardo's (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries and peaches!) and possibly the world's best butter tarts in Palmyra.

We also picked up some great pallet chairs along the way, made by a local craftsman in Merlin for $25 each, which looked even better after a quick coat of wood stain.

Loving the corn fence

Full moon bonfire!

Pita takes flight!

Never did see any enforcement.....

Serene setting

She-Shed takes Shape

Great chairs made from old pallets

Momma is an outdoor cat for the summer

Ants continue to disassemble the old ash stump

A more grounded Pita