Saturday, August 31, 2013

Wed - Long Travelling Days

I wrote some of this in the truck as we drove from Nipigon, and some of it at Pancake Bay, but we have no internet so it will post when we are connected again! Probably as we pass through Sault Ste Marie in a few days. (update – posting at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park)


I made a mistake planning the last few days of travel – the days are much too long. We are travelling between 300 and 350 miles each day, which has us starting at 8am – yesterday we didn’t arrive until after 5pm, which after we accounted for the time change was 6pm. Carm said he felt tired, but I was exhausted and cranky.

 

DSCN3467are we going to be living like this forever?

 

 

 

Driving a car is one thing, driving a truck pulling 13,000 lbs up and down hills and around curves is another thing. But it is nice having our home with us! (Carm may disagree with this at the end of the day!)

Yesterday’s drive (Tuesday) had some interesting bits, but mostly it was a tad boring with just rocks and trees, and worse yet, just trees and flat.Today we are covering new territory on highway 17 along Lake Superior.

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So far (on the road for 1 hour Wed out of Nipigon) it is pretty with glimpses of the mighty lake. It is NOT flat, nor is it straight, in fact the words just out of Carm’s mouth was “My God Laura, can you believe that hill” (as the engine is reving to its max trying to slow us down and his foot is on the brake to keep us from flying off the curve at the bottom of the hill). A combined weight of 22,000lbs makes for a lot of momentum…

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Next time we do this stretch we will take a few more days and stay at some provincial parks – there are several to chose from.


Just after lunch… I’m glad to say that not long after I wrote about the windy, steep roads, they smoothed out somewhat and the driving is a bit easier. We’ve hit some construction, but I suppose it could be much worse (in fact we are sitting still waiting for vehicles to clear right now.)

We stopped at an A&W in White River for lunch – I had a craving for a Tim Hortons Iced cap, but no such luck – root beer had to do.

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Later in the afternoon – hills and curves again. See those hills in the background of the photo – we’ll be going UP and then DOWN ever single one of them. Youzers!

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are we ever going to get there?

 


Early evening… we have been here for 4 hours. We checked in and switched sites so we could stay an extra day – we will have 2 full days here! Then changed into our bathing suits and walked down to the dog beach. It was there that I first dipped my toes into Lake Superior. And in fact I did better than that – I dunked my whole self in! The water is cold but refreshing. It is so clear it is easy to see my toes, even when I’m up to my chin. Spike had a little swim, Bella got in up to her chest, but Kabira didn’t want to go in past her elbows.

The park is pretty, but not as beautiful as Rushing River. There is however, a beach that goes on forever in each direction. We plan to do some lazing around in the sand over the next few days.

Oh, the drive… the last bit was pretty hair raising as well. I think Carm was pretty beat. I’ve never heard him say it before, but as we were getting close to arriving here he said “I’m going to need a stiff drink!” (he didn’t have one).

We are here, and we’ll be still for a couple of days before the last two, not quite as long, driving days. And then we’ll be home.

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