Grand Marais, MN to Ottawa, Canada - Aug. 10 - 27, 2009
After a four-day delay in Sioux Falls, SD, Bill finally received his new South Dakota driver's license on August 10th and we were able to escape South Dakota and start our 1,500-mile trek to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. After a brief stop at Costco to pick up some supplies, and an overnight stay at a Walmart north of the Twin Cities, we reached Grand Marais, Minnesota on Lake Superior's beautiful north shore.
Grand Marais, MN - Aug 11 & 12
Grand Marais is a lovely tourist town about 35 miles southwest of the Canadian Border. We spent two nights at the Grand Marais RV Park on the west side of the harbor and within easy walking distance of the entire town. One evening we had a wonderful dinner at the Angry Trout Café at the Grand Marais Marina. There was a long waiting list so we put our name in for a table and then strolled the town. We returned to the café and were entertained by four rascally otters as they performed water aerobics and helped themselves to any edible item that wasn't secured on boats moored nearby. These slick fellows made our wait very enjoyable - the boat owners may not have had the same level of appreciation.
Thunder Bay, Ontario - Aug 13 - 16
The following day we headed about 70 miles northeast to Thunder Bay to visit Susan and Lynn, a couple we met the previous winter in Tucson. We stayed at Happy Land Campground about 15 miles west of town and just a couple of miles from the very impressive Kakabeka Falls. The campground was just adequate, but the falls were totally awesome.
Susan and Lynn have a lovely home on the edge of town with the most spectacular vegetable garden we have seen in a long time. On Saturday, we joined them for a leisurely visit, a guided tour of the garden and a wonderful dinner. That evening our gracious hosts sent us home with bags of fresh vegetables from their garden.
Wawa, Ontario - Aug 17 - 21
That's right. Wawa. Apparently, there was a translation issue between a native word and a French word and the town was named Wawa. It has something to do with white geese.
We stayed at the Wawa RV Resort on the Magpie River about 3 miles from town. Frankly, we were a bit disappointed with the 'resort'. We selected this park because it advertised fast Internet service. Truth in Advertising would require a claim of 'negligible' Internet service. This was not good news for a couple of internet junkies. But the facilities were clean, and it was the only park that could accommodate our rig.
Wawa is located near Lake Superior Provincial Park and a very nice stretch of sandy beach. The day we visited the beach kids were boogie boarding on the Lake Superior waves. We took a very rigorous hike along the shores of lake Superior, clambering over the rocky Canadian Shield and using tree roots to scramble up banks. After our hike we sought out the Agawa Pictographs on cliffs overlooking the lake. The pictographs are best viewed from the water. Lacking a boat, Bill braved the sloped, slippery rocks to capture a few pictures of the 400-year-old paintings created by the Ojibwa People.
There were several remarkable waterfalls and cascades in the area. During our 1,000-mile trek across Ontario we couldn't help but be impressed with the abundance of water. It was everywhere - lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, wetlands, canals, falls, cascades - and rain. All of that water was a welcome relief to these parched western eyes.
On August 21, we continued on the Trans Canadian Highway over the top of Lake Superior and through the Canadian forest stopping at Carol's Campsite in Sudbury for the night.
Ottawa, Ontario - August 22 - 27
On August 22nd, after what seemed like a endless drive on the bumpy, two-lane highway with countless unimproved railroad crossings, we finally arrived at Recreationland RV Resort about 18 miles east of Ottawa. We were very pleased with the park. It was quiet and offered large shaded spaces, expansive open areas, good WIFI and well-maintained facilities.
French speaking Quebec lies just across the Ottawa River, so most people in this park of northern Ontario are bilingual. Our park was in Ontario but the folks staying there were primarily French speaking. In French, Ottawa is spelled OUTAOUAIS. We mused that the French edition of Scrabble must require a lot more vowels.
We traveled to Ottawa because Susan wanted to see the city's renowned beauty for herself. It did not disappoint. In fact, Ottawa exceeded our expectations.
The city is very compact, tourist friendly, and the numerous ethnic neighborhoods offer up wonderfully varied choice of cuisines. Twice during our stay we were drawn to the By Ward Market by the promise of fresh sourdough bread (for our resident bread junkie). The By Ward Market, established 1826, is the largest public market in Canada. During the day it is crowded with shoppers seeking fresh flowers, produce, fish, meat, baked goods and craft items. At night the surrounding neighborhood remains lively with diners and club goers.
The city is devoted to outdoors activities, seemingly in defiance of its extremely cold winters and short summers. Ottawa and Gatineau, her sister city across the Ottawa River in Quebec, boast miles of multi-use paths and numerous parks. Ottawa is actually ringed by parks, and across the river the 140-square mile Gatineau Park offers hiking, biking, skiing, fishing and swimming.
Urban parks and paths border the Rideau Canal that links the city with Lake Ontario. The canal, built in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States, attracts houseboats and paddlers during the summer and ice skaters during the winter. We spent a perfect day biking north along the Rideau River then returning to our starting point via the pathways along Rideau Canal.
Ottawa, being the capitol of Canada, also has a more staid and traditional side. We visited Parliament Hill for the baffling (why, exactly do they do this?) Changing of the Guard ceremony, followed by a guided tour of the impressive copper-topped buildings, including the House of Commons and the Senate chambers, the 302-foot tall Peace Tower with its 53-bell carillon, and the beautiful library rotunda. Parliament Hill provides wonderful views across Ottawa River to the Canadian Museum of Civilization and of the Rideau Canal Locks.
We enjoyed our visit to Ottawa very much and highly recommend it to our readers. We were told that visiting in June during the Tulip Festival is a real treat, and the early fall colors are fabulous, although it can be a bit chilly during Octoberfest.
On August 28th it was time to end our Canadian sojourn and return to the homeland. We drove east paralleling the Ottawa River to Montreal, got caught in the construction and traffic of the old French city, and then headed south to Plattsburgh, New York on the shores of Lake Champlain.
