Itinirary

Well, this is a first so far on my jounrney... I have planned out the next 9 days. This is mainly due to the fact that I had to make reservations for the Ferry that will carry me and Dante from Prince Rupert, Brithish Columbia to Skagway, Alaska. Regroup, restock and load up tommorow (wed), hit the road for Calgary on Thurs. If my contact in Calgary is there, I will probably spend an extra day there. Then NW for half day in Banff, and onward to Jasper. Sunday finds me hopefully in the Prince George area (maybe a bit further to drop some stuff off in storage. I need to facilitate my border crossing, so I will leave a few things behind, and pick them back up at a later time. Then the final stretch to be in Prince Rupert by the 4th of July. The ferry leaves on the 5th. It will drop me off in Juneau for a night, then solid, highway accessible ground in Skagway on the 7th. From there I will tour Alaska at my usual uncertain pace, and drive back to the US through the Yukon and B.C. Well, that's the plan anyways; as we all know, anything can happen. The Alaska, Yukon and B.C. section of the trip will pobably be the most wifi scarce, but I will eventually catch up, hopefully with loads more cool pics and stories.

Pics update Pt 2

Back yard at my aunt Mary's; home base for a few days

Chill spot in Arts district of Edmonton

1/2 hour of quartet playing the fish in the aquarium, very interesting

La Creperie... Excellent food

Except for a few rainy days, I've been having a blast. I thought about it, and I am leaning towards going through with the ascent to Alaska after all, although I have to iron out a few details before committing to it. Next up, Calgary, Banff, and Jasper National park (or reverse order). Will have to see if and where I want to be on the road on the 1st (Canada Day), since it's a party on a National scale and lots of businesses, banks, parks, etc are closed.

Pics update Pt 1

nice pad, complete with sledding hill in the winter. Just watch out for the trees and the river at the bottom

Beautiful drive through eastern part of Alberta

Good number of Tribal reserves up here (see treaty land entitlement post from previous post)

Sunset in big sky country, Canada... What can I say? Beautiful

Dancing in the streets of Edmonton

Saskatoon

Saskatoon had few vacancies because of conventions and other events in town, but after a dozen failed attempts to find a room, I found a hotel that actually gave me the choice: Smoking or Non... Wow! I took full advantage of the rest and relaxation that all the amenities of my room afforded me. a Good night sleep behind me, I need to push on. The breakfast special was eggs Benedict with hash browns and coffee. Not bad considering they clearly used a Hollandaise mix. I would like to hit at least one attraction in Saskatoon before moving on. Pull out the touristy map that hotel #2 gave me... attractions section... hmmm #13 looks interesting: Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Center. I'm not sure exactly what I expected, but I found more than I imagined. The sign on the door was adorned with the First Tribes logo (which I've seen scattered all over Canada), but also Office of the Treaty Commissioner. Hmmm, not what I expected, looks more like an office building, but I came this far. Upon entering I am kind of relieved that no one is at the front desk; I'm not sure I knew what to ask anyways, maybe I'll just make a quick exit. "keep walking towards the back" says the voice coming from the first office. It happened to be the voice and the office of the Honorable Bill McKnight. I awkwardly proceeded into the office pretty much drawing a blank. "How can I help you?". I introduced myself, and gave a brief description of my general itinerary so far, and told him that I was hoping to learn something about the Native American Indians in Canada... "Well, let's see..." he first took me to an older map of Canada, and started giving me the crash course. I could tell right off that he was a treasure trove of information; I mean we barely scratched the surface, but at the same time, I learned so much in a few minutes. I felt a bit uncomfortable just barging into his office and monopolizing his time, so I asked if there were a few directions he could point me in for follow up research. "I have a few things I can give you" he said. Essentially this office is one of a kind in Canada, they orchestrate many things, but education is a priority. They have kits that they put together to send to schools that are willing to put Tribal Indian History into their curriculum. The majority of the information he so graciously gave me had to do with the history of the treaties and battle to negotiate the land entitlement that Canada had promised years before. I admit that I was overwhelmed. I got a lot more than I bargained for, and felt very fortunate to have picked #13, and walked into the office building.
As I pushed on Westward yet again, I felt how little I have been able to dig into the nooks and crannies of any of the towns and cities I have driven by and through so far in my journey. In a way, I wish I could spend more time in most of them, but I have a lot of ground to cover, and could spend a lifetime at it.
I have found that in general, when you go searching for something specific, you are often disappointed... whereas a lot of time just having an open mind and a general sense of direction yield unimaginable treasures. Instead of trying to pry up a bunch of large stones to see what was hidden under them, I picked up a pebble, and found an entire world. I'd like to thank the OTC and Mr. McKnight for shedding some light on some of the history of the Canadian tribal culture. If you are interested in doing some research of your own, www.otc.ca is a good place to start. FASCINATING stuff. I barely made it 5 miles down the road, when I popped in the DVD "From Dream to Reality" that I was given. I listened to a multi-faceted account of the struggle and all the work it took for the few brave enough to spearhead the challenge of negotiating the land entitlement treaty.
To the former, current and future OTC pioneers, Bill, Rhonda, all the tribal chiefs that are willing to protect their culture, and pass it on... I can only say thank you... This is a good story, and it should continue to be passed on. Maybe it's more fitting to let one of my favorite poets of all time express how I feel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sldgunY3Fw
Keep up the good fight, and good luck in all your ventures

Athabasca, four walls and a roof for a while...

I spent thurs night in Elk Point (tiny town on rt 41 in the eastern part of Alberta) and weathered a crazy storm in the tent. All I can say is that I'm very glad that the hail missed my campground. Friday was a short drive to Athabasca and my aunt Mary's house; Consequently, I passed the 5,000 mile marker. Good to be indoors again for a while. We're going to Edmonton in a few minutes, so my more descriptive post will have to wait till later.

Manitoba and Sakatchewan pt 2

I'm hoping that the drizzle will subside, after all, this place is already flooded... surely mother nature will listen to reason. This campground seems like any other. a bunch of semi-residents have left their RV's here. Plugged in, but no cars in the driveways. I hit the patch of woods to gather some deadfall wood for a fire later. If nothing else, I can get an Axe/Machete workout. The majority of the trees are a scraggly looking oak. It's bark is very moist and thick, and looks an awful lot like skin when you've been in the pool too long. It's hard yet supple, hard to 'break'. Not sure if it'll burn, but hunter/gatherer instincts are too strong. We will see. By the time I have my 3 piles (kindling, medium and logs) I hear a car pull up a few lots down, one of the RV-ers. There is still plenty of 'light' and the drizzling has stopped, the fire can wait; let's go meet the neighbors. Very nice couple in their early fifties, obviously locals. They immediately start up a fire, and pull up an extra chair for me. I tell them I'll be right back. If I'm going to hang out with them, I want to bring a few things over. Camembert from Montreal, whole wheat Ritz crackers and the 1/5 th of Wild Turkey 101 which you can't find in Canada. Food and drink are the universal ice breaker. They really enjoyed the rare (for these parts) treats, and opened right up. He tends to his cattle (about 3 dozen) mostly, but also is part time electrician and does a few stints when local farmers need an extra set of hands. She is a teacher/PTA type. She's currently in charge of organizing the food for the school's upcoming summer field trips. Supposedly EVERY class gets one, EVERY year.
On the RV residents, I found out that they pay $1,200 a year for a lot with sewage hook up, electric and water. NOW it makes sense. If you own an RV, and are not traveling, why not find a spot other than your driveway to park it? They can come out anytime they want, and get away without having to drive very far, or spend a lot of time gathering gear. It's already there.
On the flooding, it turns out that the government has been trying to divert water to streams that eventually dump into Lake Manitoba. Only problem is it's too much, and they have no plan B... The way it was explained to me is that you have a 6" pipe dumping water into the lake, and a 2" pipe draining out on the other side. DOOOOOH! On such a flat region, I can see where the system just doesn't work.
Another car, their friends Bob and ??? They set up, have dinner, and then join the pow wow. Bob is a school bus driver, and she doesn't seem to work (very quiet, home maker type). Bob asks where I'm coming from/going. I mention Regina... "Whoaaaa! You're going to have trouble getting there" he says. Supposedly part of HWY 1 is under a foot of water, and even 4x4's are being diverted. They suspect that parts of the highway's asphalt has been washed away, and they don't want us american red neck types with big trucks aggravating the situation (they probably want to avoid fishing us out as well). Damn, going to have to check my options tomorrow. Bob dug the Wild turkey as well... "50.5% alcohol?" he asks, as he pours himself a stiff dram. "Wow, good burn" he says. Obviously he approves. We talk about little things till another couple joins the party. another couple in the same age bracket, and these guys obviously know each other very well. Both of them are farm hands (not much else to do around here in terms of work). He just got back from the doctor, who told him to ask his boss for two weeks of clerical/office work... The roar of laughter kind of surprised me. He is having lower back and knee pain. I can relate since I had a herniated disk a while back. They have him on T-3 (super tylenol), what a joke. Forgive my French, but, It's like pissing on a forest fire. I suggest he ask for  some Carisoprodol. "what's that?", Bob is quick to clarify that the Canadian medical system is waaaaaaay behind. Turns out one prescription for aches and pains is to put a bar of Irish Spring soap under the covers with you at night when going to sleep. You gotta be joking... Haven't you heard of Ben Gay? I hear an echo... "what's that?" WOW! Change the subject...
We talked for a bit more, then I hit the inflatable rack. It rained through the night... I guess the next camper will have some wet firewood if he wants it. Didn't sleep well, maybe I should have gotten some Irish Spring, cause my left shoulder was extremely sore when I woke up at 6 AM. Still raining, DAMN! going to have to break camp in the pouring rain. This is going to suck. I powered through it with out coffee, and hit the road soaked. Few miles to Brandon, and then a few more to the Saskatchewan border. I stopped for coffee, breakfast, and gas. The topic of conversation was the flooding (go figure). I heard a trucker say that the detour around the flooding on Hwy 1 at Wolsely took 7 hours, Double DAAAMN! I also hear rampant rumors about friends and family that are being forced (strongly advised) to evacuate the city of Weyburn and surrounding populated areas; Triple DAAAMN! I need a new plan, and even though I have nothing against Regina, I think I will not include it in plan B. Map in hand, I have 2 options: South then West (takes me through Weyburn territory) PASS. North then West it is. I hop on 10 North, then hit 16 West, looks like I'm shooting for Saskatoon. It's a long haul, and I'm not out of the 'cold rain and snow'-melt yet... but Dante is fearless and ready for anything.

Finally I crest the edge of a plateau, maybe 50 feet total elevation. It's not much, but I remember thinking 'I'm heading in the right direction'. A half hour later, I see a patch of blue break through the grey skies... Eureka! Still lingering signs of past flooding, but also seas of little yellow flowers are a sight for sore, wet eyes...

Going to find a hotel (any hotel) with clean dry sheets, a HOT shower, and wifi... Another chapter in the books, so to speak

Manitoba and Saskatchewan

6/21- I was planning on a short driving day... 25 miles to the Saskatchewan province, another 100 miles to Winnipeg; see the city, and set up camp early to relax a bit. Well, it wasn't quite that easy. I got to Winnipeg without issue, and had a great visit. Nice city. There were "Welcome back NHL" signs everywhere. Geographically, Winnipeg is in the middle of nowhere, and it seemed like it's inhabitants were happy to be there as a whole. The Tuesday mid day city center setting afforded me a good look at the average weekday pace. It was a bit windy, but otherwise a beautiful day. People shuffling about running errands, grabbing lunch, and popping in and out of stores both above and below ground. I've never seen a network of under ground banks, businesses and walkways. It was a maze down there, and I suspect that in the winter, a lot of the comings and goings go unseen to the 'outside' world. I had a good lunch at a vegan place called the Mondragon (I know, right! ME, VEGAN? lol). It was a cool little bookstore/cafe/wifi hotspot. The outside was covered in different spray paint mural pieces, local music scene posters, and large windows so that passers by can peek at the wide variety of piercings, tats, alternative haircuts and styles, and the 'normal' people that don't mind hanging out with em. The place kind of reminded me of Commander Salamander in Georgetown from back in the day. The 'suits' must have been having lunch at Subway, cause they weren't anywhere near this place.

I had a cup of curry lentil soup (no offense, but it was bland, should have used chicken stock and added more spice), a black bean pupusa (excellent, although I wonder what the cheese was made of), and a cup of coffee with non-organic sugar and a soy creamer (also very good, eat your heart out Starbucks). I poked around town a little more and checked out a few shops, and then was back on the road heading West again. Supposedly 10-15 miles west of Winnipeg lies the only KOA in Manitoba... They've done me right, sooooo far. As usual, very easy to find. Can I get a campsite with electric, water and spot for a tent? "I'm sorry but I can't accommodate you" was the response, as he pointed out the back window. I focused in at the scene, and all I saw was water. "the whole campsite is under 2 foot of water". DAAAAAMN! No wonder the guy had a depressed look on his face. He must be a franchisee that is wondering how he will make it through the year, although he was smart enough to invest in a gas station as well. Well, what are my options? East of Winnipeg... I came from there, anything West? Check out Miller's campground about 25 minutes down the road. He hands me a little book with the list and contact info and I'm back on the road.

I set the GPS for Miller's, and about a half mile out, I cross a little bridge. The stream is inches from overtaking the riverbank AND the bridge... I think not! Dante doesn't care either way, so onward we go. The next blip on the map is a place called Portage La Prairie. There seems to be at least a 1,000 people there, so I stop at the Tourist Info/museum. So THIS is where Canada is hiding it's beautiful women! Two of the most stunning young women I've ever seen perked right up as I opened the front door with the old fashioned dangling bell (and no, the fact that I've been on the road for close to 5 weeks did not affect my judgement). A quick recap of my situation, what are my options? "Miller's" is the first response... Anything else? I got a distinct feeling that they were disappointed I wasn't sticking around 'here', even though they both masked it pretty well. I guess the local selection of men is a pretty grim proposition. One of them started jotting down the contact info and street address for Miller's, while the other shuffled off to get the brochure for an option another 45 miles west. They seemed to be racing to the finish line. I was handed both options, thanked them for their time, through in a quick joke to get them both to smile and then headed out. Sorry ladies, I'm on vacation...

A quick call to the owner of the new camp ground just East of Brandon on HWY 1 (damn, I crossed most of Manitoba already), he assures me he is high and dry. A short drive on a gravel service road gets me right to the main office. I had passed a side road that sloped down to reveal more flooding, but it looked like there was about 8-10 feet to spare, and I'm beat. I believe I was the only traveler checking in today, since he offered me ANY spot I want on his campground map. I set up camp in record time, and of course, as soon as I finished, it starts to sprinkle. I've got a bad feeling about this... To be continued...

Kakabeka Falls and Kenora

Another beautiful stretch of scenery along hwy 17 in northern Ontario. This is Kakabeka Falls, right off the hwy. I also saw a bald eagle up close, a moose cross the hwy at a trot about 200 yds away (thankfully the timing was impecable except that I couldn't get the camera quick enough).

 I stopped at an indian outpost where they were building a log cabin. Everyone has seen a cabin; but I never saw one being built. 2 guys, logs, axe, insulating fiberglass and some kind of glue is all that is needed. Well that and a lot of elbow grease.

Twighlight on the river's edge at a campgroung in Kenora. A young buck and a doe walked within a few feet, knowing full well that they are within the Kenora hunting safe zone. A few people have said that this river has some of the best fishing in the world... not sure if they were biased or if there is something to it, but I don't have a pole, so i can't really test out the claim. I did see a few langoustines?. They are larger than crayfish and look more like a lobster in the tail and claws

Kenora population under 15,000

this guy seems to have the right idea... Nice pad!

pics through Thunder Bay

 Stairway to heaven by Zeppelin playing in the background

 where does the water end and the sky begin? it's hard to tell sometimes

The great Terry Fox in a Bronze/granite/amethyst memorial

Pour les francophones

J'ai rencontre des Quebequois hier. Des freres qui sont en train de faire 8,000 km? en velo a travers le canada. Il's m'ont donne leur pages Blog http:www.davidmaltais.blogspot.com et page Facebook (attachee) si vous voulez suivre un peu l'inverse de mon voyage... a la tour de canada... mais c'est en francais. Ils sont sur la route depuis 50 jours jusqu'a presenthttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Maxime-et-David-dun-oc%C3%A9an-%C3%A0-lautre/108295195919212?sk=wall

Thunder Bay

Well, it was a long haul, but I made it here. And let me tell you... it was easily one of the most beautiful stretches of road I have ever seen. Hundreds of little lakes and streams, and ancient, weathered and carved foot hills lay dormant like fallen obelisks. The range of blue and green is indescribable. The road quickly changed from flat and straight to graded curves, and back again. This was a good thing since it allowed for passing of the 18 wheelers on a semi-regular basis. Interesting system of roads... 90% of the time Rt 17 is 2 lanes; but occasionally they add a third (often times a 2 way shared passing lane). Then it's back to catching the next group of cars, or admiring the scenery, or trying to drive with your knees while snapping pics from a moving vehicle. The number of times I rounded a bend and thought "wow! Look at THAT..." really highlighted the whole experience. Lake Superior looked absolutely beautiful from up here.
I guess I expected to be able to see it the whole way, and get bored of it, but it was broken up, and kept popping back into view. Each time, it looked a different, more beautiful shade of blue. I was kind of surprised to see people sunning on sandy beaches on a multitude of little and bigger lakes. Rarely was there a campground, rest area or parking lot associated with it. It seems like up here, if you can find a spot to park your vehicle... you are welcome to hang out a bit; and chances are, you'll be undisturbed, since the theme is to find your own little nook in Ontario heaven.
Even though Christian is well on his way back into his comfort zone, I did have some company for the long haul yesterday. I was a bit hesitant, but picked up a hitch hiker. There are a LOT of them up here. Len (Leonard 'skynyrd' Franklin) quickly set my mind at ease. He introduced himself, and quickly thanked me for picking him up. He was thinking that it was only a matter of minutes before he was harassed by the O.P.P. (Ontario Province Police?). I asked if that happened a lot. "Every time" he quickly replied. He went on to describe the 30 minute routine... a few questions, ID check, province/canadian background and/or outstanding warrant check, and search of his person and possessions. Safe to say he's probably not carrying anything.
He's a native of P.E.I., and is on his way to some little town in Manitoba where a friend has a job for him. I'd say he's in his late forties/early fifties, has been a gypsy of sorts for most of his life, and is still capable of hiking 20 miles a day with 50 lbs of gear. His 3 kids are all off on their own in different parts of North America, and he just keeps on 'truckin' so to speak.
He fills me in on a bunch of local info along the way... He's hitched or hiked this stretch before. He points out the spots he camped out at, knows distances to the next gas station, and even shares his deep routed fears of the one place he wants to avoid being stuck in at all costs. Wawa is the name of the 'town?'. Notorious and well known to regulars of the thumb up crew. The story goes: A couple of hitch hikers from the East (Quebec or Montreal) got stuck there, finally hitched a ride with a nun, and then proceeded to expedite her passage to the next life. I guess few people pcik up hitch hikers around there, and leather tramps try to stay out, or blow through at all costs. "you could be stuck there for a week or more" he quickly adds. 'Stuck' takes on a new meaning out here. There are no shortcuts, population is sparse, and the distances between habitable areas are pretty hard core. He's been stuck before. A couple of days here, a few days there. We pass another little town, and he tells me about this guy he met last time he came through. The guy had gotten stuck there, found a job, and ended up staying. That was 23 years ago. I kind of wonder where it was he was original going...
We hit the KOA just before Thunder Bay in time to check in, pop the tent and make dinner. Someone had given him a couple of ribeyes that morning, and he offered to share his meat with me, since he had no way to cook it properly. The steaks were probably choice grade (restaurant quality) and still a bit frozen in the center, but I am MASTER of the flame. While I was cooking, he chatted up the neighbors, and quickly picked up on of their guitars and played a few tunes. The air was soon filled with JHonny Cash, CCR and Allman Bros tunes, as well as the aroma of grilled meat. Most of the campers here are locals. Not quite sure why they would rather pay $35 for a campsite rather than throw a weekend party at their houses, but they seemed to be having a good time, and do this regularly.
One of the Elder regulars was telling me about his son who is one of the few brain cancer survivors around. He lost different parts of his memory, skills and abilities, and will probably never fully recover; but is "working for free" at a local hotel. He does get a disability income, but wants and needs to feel like he is working. He doesn't want a free ride, and is fortunate enough to know a vast majority of the local population. He is more of of them now than ever before... he's a fighter, a winner, one of the few. Kind of fitting that a few miles from here was the finish line for the great Terry Fox. A national hero and icon from 30 years ago. His legacy obviously has left a deep impact on this area.

Since it is raining and I would like to see the area in a bright light, I think I will stay another day

On the road again

I spent another night at the Sault Ste Marie KOA. By the time I got Christian situated, the day had already crept along into the afternoon. I'm heading for Thunder Bay which is probably an 8 to 10 hour drive. Here's a couple pics from my 10K hike two days ago. I strapped on a 25 pound pack for a bit of a challenge on this moderate trail. It felt good to stretch my long legs on uneven and at times treacherous path. I even had to use both hands on a couple occasions, but that afforded me access to a spot near the bottom of a set of falls where a large boulder seemed the perfect place for lunch(2nd pic). By the time I got back to the car, my legs had a good burn, and my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my throat. Nope, no strolling along for me. I have always had to consciously slow down when hiking with others, so I am not quite sure how fast my natural pace is, but I move right along. It was a good 5 K hike... but I realized that my Red Wings cap had fallen somewhere along the trail... So I dropped the pack, grabbed a bottle of Gatorade, and flew through the same loop again. No luck. I like to think it fell into the stream, and will make it's way over the border into Michigan...

new development...

The expeditionary force has been halved. The tension between Christian and myself kind of boiled over last night. We were increasingly getting on each others nerves, and this morning he suggested that we salvage our friendship by parting ways. He has headed back to the States and I wish him a good and safe journey back. As for me, I am continuing with a minor adjustment... I think I will scrap Alaska from the itinerary. Mainly because I want to minimize solo border crossings and the loooong crossing to Fairbanks. There will be plenty of ground to cover in Canada, and I still plan on doing West Coast, and obviously the Easterly crossing. I picked up a laptop so that I can continue to have contact via web, but do not have the 4G hotspot to lean on, so updates may be more sporadic...  we shall see

back on track...

Wonderful overnight trip to Kilarney Ontario. Saw 3 bear (only had camera for one of them). All 3 within 25-50 yds away. the one pictured was hitchhiking along 637... the other two (mom and cub) were walking along the other side of the creek near our campsite. VERY cool! Incredible wilderness around here. Local orchids are blooming in the wild... pollen hasn't really dumped yet, water is temperate, plentiful and super clear. Great area to visit and/or get away from it all. we met this guy Nick that was there to "get away from the city". He lives in Toronto, and works for DE BEERS as a geologist. He essentially helps them find high end diamonds. They have him traveling a lot, working at different mining sites that they own, and he came out to wind down a bit. We invited him over for a few beers and some conversation around our fire, and chatted him up well into the night. good times all around, except for monster mosquitoes and wet wood.
We decamped and headed to Sudbury for lunch. Cool little town, good eats, and I had to post one of the most interesting bathroom signs of all time... Then back on the road. destination Sault St Marie. Just a stones throw away from the US border. I just realized that Michigan had that chunk of land, east of Wisconsin. I guess since it isn't connected to Michigan as I knew it, it fell off my radar until recently. You learn something new every day.
Christian is beat, so he's going to chill and catch up a bit. I'm going to do a couple local day hikes in the next couple of days. I sometimes forget that he is older and doesn't have as much energy as I. Unfortunately I don't know too many gung-ho hiking, climbing, exploring, extreme nature freaks my age... none that volunteered for a 3 month super excursion anyways. Anyways, he'll hold down the fort, and I will go on a couple side missions.
Stay tuned...

fixed lap top

We got lucky, and guess that there was probably a power surge that zwacked the laptop. Unplugged it, pulled battery out, and fired it right up again. Long day on the road, will post pictures of Killarney (including our 1st Black Bear sighting) tommorow. Nite all!

Red screen of death!

Sorry, won't be able to post for a while. Our comp picked up a bug and is frozen on Red screen. Will try to have it looked at when we get to big enough city. Phone # is 703-895-8008 if you guys want to check up on us. Have no fear, we kinda know what we're doing.

Still East of the great lakes

Decamped Renfrew KOA, and both of us got an over dose of pollen that had collected on the tent and tarps. New heading North Bay, Ontario. Christian's allergies were a lot worse than mine, so he took a prescription antihistamine. Probably the last time he'll take that one without cutting it in half or quarters. It through him for a loop that he described as a NyQuil or Robitussin grogginess. So we took our time traversing the 180 miles on the Trans-Canada (Rt 17). We stopped a few times along the way, including a bite to eat at Moon Cafe in Mattawa. Really good pierogi dish (pic). The scenery has definitely changed from flat farmland to rolling hills(pic), dense forests and plenty of water.
Cool little town, but I imagine that the sidewalks roll back REAL early around there; and the main talk of the town probably is the construction going on at the corner of their 2 main streets, and on 17 just west of their "downtown".
After five days in a camp ground, and given Christian's condition and the rainy conditions, we decided to get a room for the weekend. Clean sheets, hot shower... Television. Way expen$$ive, but no need to rough it too much to quick. We certainly have a lot of tent living ahead of us.
Next up? Still deciding between Temagami, Killarney, or Manitoulin. Either way, the rain front will clear sometime tonight, and we will head out in the morning

Renfrew Canada

Puffin on a Montecristo, sippin on a beer, and Paul Simon is laying down some phat beats. we're digging this KOA. The owner bought this particular location as a franchise in 1999, and has been running it ever since. She caters to everyone. Rubber tramps like Christian and myself, as well as the semi-long term, semi locals. We've seen a trend, and met a few of the hard core rubber tramps. Roxanne has spent a few years in KOA's in differents states and Canada. A year here, a few months there. We were surprised to see that she and her husband were sporting a tent. Maybe a 10'X10', split down the middle into bedroom and netted 'patio' sections. Pretty hard core if you ask me. She just found out she has type 2 diabetes, and her sister just died of cancer, so she and her 3 remaining sisters are a bit on edge.
Phil is another Regular, so to speak. He works for the City (Ottowa), and has an apartment about a 10 minute commute away. He also has a semi permanent trailer here at the KOA. This allows him to get away from the city, as well as keep an eye on his mother, who as far as I can tell, is a full blown resident. Some of the RV's here are in different stages of residency, including parked AND vacant. We were graciously invited to hang out with Phil yesterday. We drank a few beers, made a fire, listened to some tasty tunes, and partook of some tasty local herbs. Hanging out for a few hours afforded us a backstage pass if you will. The other neighbors/semi residents paraded by, one at a time with and with out pets to say hello. I imagine that they thought "if they're with Phil, they must be ok". Except for the old, testy mini doberman, all the people and pets we met were pretty cool (at least on the surface). I'm not sure I would ever do the full time KOA thing, but it is interesting to see a simpler way of life.
Sunrise is about 4:30 AM... sets about 9. Plenty of time to relax and enjoy the simple things in life. A dip in the nearby lake?, a chat with some cool peeps, hunter/gather instincts for firewood and adventure. A marinated ribeye on the grill, next to the most flavorful corn I've ever grilled in it's own husk with butter and salt. A pot of Cajun dirty rice on the Coleman stove... a few pan seared baby potatoes... a few more beer bottles.
And the neighbors aren't just dogs and people. Bumble bees, chipmunks, mini squirrels, Monarch butterflies and the coolest blackbirds with bright orange splotches on their wings, all stop by from time to time. As curious about us as they are intent on the hunting/gathering of their own.

Yes we dig Renfrew, but I don't think I could do this long term... not in a tent anyways. A special thanks to Phil, that will probably never even conceive how or why to log onto a blog site. No E-mail, No Junk Mail, No Worries... Thank you Phil for showing us a different way; the Renfrew way

Ottowa... finally arrived in Canada as I expected it to be

We're here! Franco-phones are now a minority... The KOA we're staying at has over 150 acres, Canoeing is available a dozen yards from our tent, and except for the neon green monster tiger mosquitoes, we're happy with this area. We'll probably chill for a couple nights before moving on. Original plan was to see the cities all the way down to Toronto (avoiding re-crossing the border if at all possible), but between Christian and myself, we change plans faster than even we collectively can keep up with. At this point I am thinking we will recharge here in the Ottawa area before making the Northern Great lakes traverse. No offense to Toronto, but I've seen it before, and it would be about a 500 mile round trip 'detour'. Christian and I have hit the ground running on our camp set up/break down rhythm. We're fine tuned for some waaaaaaay out there camping (in fact even KOA's will be a luxury as far as I can tell). more posts at a later date

Baaaaaah (Montreal) Humbug!

Ok, Maybe we didn't give it a fair shake, but we were totally unimpressed with Montreal. Everything between the outskirts of Quebec to, and far and beyond Montreal is flat, boring, farmland. Agriculture is WAY beyond anything I've seen in the US (granted, I've stayed away from a lot of the boring "in the middle" States). Rolling west on I-40 through the city was agonizing. We hit the back end of rush hour traffic, and I thought Americans were horrible drivers... Construction didn't help the situation any, but I've NEVER seen such horrible traffic patterns. They went from 4/5 lanes to 2, which then split into 2 very narrow lanes, with a long island in between. Not only do you get maybe a foot and a half clearance on either side (Jersey barriers), but they aren't even doing any construction on the 'Island' in between the split lanes.
I guess people flock here and put up with it since everything in a 100 mile radius is boring farm land. We drove through... Sorry, but the old/historic downtown didn't roll out any kind of GPS red carpet, so we pushed on. Our second KOA night, the tent was broken out for the first time, and was put up before sunset... barely. Interesting neighbors. seems they,ve been KOA hoping for a few years, and were planning on staying at that particular branch for another 3 months. ??? We talked to to her for a while, and discovered that they are tenting it... and spend up to a year at a single KOA location (if I am not mistaken, it was in West Virginia). She was excited to get a plug in mini refrigerator later on this week. NOT my cup of tea... We are enjoying KOA so far, but I can't see myself staying more than a few days\ in any one location. It's hard to tell where the KOA ends, and the trailer park starts. Many people have 'settled' in, and there are even a few trailers/camp site for sale... Christian asked me why we seem to run into so many interesting people... I replied only that we have navigated our way into the Real World (F U MTV!); I believe the metaphorical light bulb went on instantly.
Pictures were as boring as the scenery. 'Pic' of the litter was snapshot of pick up game of Polo, and a 6 wheel tractor and his rig (we did see 8 wheel super tractors, and Hobby Farms for sale as well.

We are pushing on... need to get out of the Quebec Province!

Quebec pt 2

We've had to do a lot of adjusting since crossing the border. At first, we thought that our 4G hotspot wasn't getting enough of a signal, but we found out that we needed the 'Canada' software download.
Now we have access (just about) everywhere. Good thing too; we've made the transition from Hotel room to camp site. WAAAAAAY expensive on Marriott, and they don't seem to care Julie works for them... NO special rates. One place we called was $269 Canadian for one bed, single occupancy. 
We're really happy with the $30 KOA spot to pitch a tent. Crazy road signs take some getting used to, but I'm getting there, but they seem to be regional; we've gotten more than a few laughs trying to figure them out.
Quebec was pretty cool, but if you're coming up, plan on everything being ridiculously expensive. In fact a lot of people have said Quebec is like the North American Paris... B.S.  The only thing that reminded me of Paris was the prices. Quebec was an interesting mix of french cuisine (one or two steps removed from traditional recipes), an American grid city layout, a good amount of local history, and a lot of Quebecan quirkiness. The french baguettes here are exceptional, and I recommend eating in a "Boulangerie/Pattisserie". Great north american version of the old school (France) eats. The old town condos and apartments are kind of Georgetown (DC) meet San Francisco. Businesses on many of the ground floor units. Narrow, compact living spaces. Lots of joggers and locals. hustling around running errands and catching some lunch. I also noticed that the pants worn around here (mainly women) are at least one or two sizes tighter than anywhere else in N America. Looking good ladies!
Some Ottowans were telling us that local city of Quebecans have unofficially banned English. I'm ok with that. I mean they can do whatever they want as far as I'm concerned, BUT they don't even speak proper french, AND they have brought in Subways and other American brands... Bit hypocritical if you ask me. In retrospect, the fact that I chose not to confuse the locals with proper French probably had a lot to do with the fact that I imagined every cash register counter having the customary hand sanitizer pump dispenser (filled with KY). I mean I grabbed a seat on a quaint little restaurant/pub patio, and asked for a draft beer. The server proceeded to inform me that unless I was getting food as well, I couldn't just sit and have a beer. WTF? So I tried a few other places, and finally found a place that would just serve me an Ice cold beer. Metric system cut my Pint to some shorter version, and the damage was $8... for a decent 'local' beer. You got to be kidding me. Btw, the 'deal' at Subway across the street was a happy hour "special": After 4 PM, you get your choice  of four  6" subs for $9.95. Chips, drink, tax not included of course. I don't even like Subway, but that is downright wrong.

Needless to say, we didn't stay too long. It felt like an episode of the Twighlight Zone: Short, Weird, and everyone knows that the next episode will have nothing to do with the last one. Maybe we'll find Montreal more to our taste.

Crazy Qu@&#^&*$

Last pic in Maine... Beautiful country. We saw 2 moose by the road, but weren't quick enough to shoot em (with our cameras of course). Border crossing was pretty smooth. they collected C$50, the gun declaration forms, and barely peeked in Dante. I guess they weren't bored enough to actually want to unload the whole Durango. They just looked in the gun case, made sure they weren't loaded, and sent us on our way.

OK... It really is a different world up here. An interesting mix of France and the US. The main roads go right through "villages" that zone homes and businesses right next to each other, speed limit signs are in km/hr, and can anyone explain how much we're paying for gas (from above pic)??? I'm guessing 131.1 cents per liter? Add 5%, move the decimal point over 2 spots, multiply by 4... Street signs are ALL different except for the Hexagonal Red ARRET sign (stop). AND the tomtom is completely useless up here, in fact the locals say that even their GPS is useless up here. We drove around half blind trying to find the KOA. Not sure if it's harder to understand Quebec english or french. They are both a bit off, but a local girl pointed us in the right direction, and we found our little cabin just in time to cook a quick dinner and get a fire started before it got dark.
Going into Quebec today, and then heading south. Probably going to stay in Montreal area tonight
A Bientot...

Start of week 3

Week 1 had us sheltered in friends homes, week 2 in Marriotts (thx Julie for the hook up), week 3... Into Canada we go, and we're going to KOA it. Damn, I haven't seen the inside of a KOA since the early 90's. Internet access will be a bit more limited from here on out, but we will continue to post as often as possible.

Maine event

WOW! It really is a different world up here. Sensory overload. It really smells, looks, and sounds different than anywhere I've ever been. Unfortunately I don't think I could use the english language well enough to give it justice. I'm not sure what it's like in the winter, but spring/summer is absolutely beautiful up here. All the little differences are highlighted magnificently. It feels both ancient and fresh at the same time. The coast even has a fresh aroma (not like the ripe, swampy marsh sea smell of the Carolina coast). Green is the theme... Old growth that somehow seems neat and trimmed. Laid back, serene, tranquil, and we have been blessed with GREAT weather so far. I definitely recommend staying off the major highways. The side streets are so rich with local history and charm.
My friend Megan had us meet her there so she could pick us up and act as local tour guide. The place used to be an Insane Asylum, but recently was completely refurbished as a sort of park/special events destination. They now act as the outdoor wedding destination, farmers market, farm, and open to the public park. Beautiful landscaping...
From there we took some back roads to Portland, and checked out the tip of the inlet from the Atlantic coast to the Portland harbor.  *@^#%$:)!!!! Not sure that would ever get old.
Downtown Portland felt a lot like an old european city. Charming little side streets loaded with shops, restaurants, and local flair. Granted the streets were a bit wider, but the cobblestone alleyways are hoppin with activity. Another great restaurant experience, especially since Christian and I had a wonderful dinner guest to change up the conversation a bit.
Another day in Maine for SURE!

Ready or not CANADA, here we come...

Mass. post

Wow... Long, fun filled couple of days. Drove up to Boston from Connecticut. We saw 1 instance of a tornado that crossed I-95 (just north of the CT/MA border), but damage was minimal. Boston left a good impression, except for the crazy drivers, ridiculous parking garage rates and the crazy subterranean highway system. GPS crapped out for the first time so far on this trip, and we got a bit "redirected".

BEAUTIFUL country up here. Great food at every turn, and so much to do and see. We drove down to Cape Cod today. Very cool! Once again, the sights, sounds, smells... wonderful drive. Locals were sunbathing in swimsuits even though it was about 60-65 degrees out. Guess it's pretty warm by their standards.

I guess I expected to be tired of the road by now, but we are exuberantly  pushing up to Portland tomorrow, where we will hang out for a couple of days. An old RSVP buddy is going to show us around some of the sights and eats of Maine. Crossing into Canada on Monday?

CT day 2

Connecticut was so nice, that we stayed a second day. We doubled back a bit to see Milford, which was a really cool little town that goes back to the 1600's. Definitely got a good "i could live here for a while" vibe from it. We then went NE and checked out Mohegan Sun, which is the Mohegan Indian Casino and Resort. Christian broke even, I lost $120 (go big or go home, lol).

On the docket today... Get up to Boston, which means we will probably driving by or through the path of devastation of the tornadoes that blew through the area yesterday.

connecticut

View from sea side restaurant patio (with maxed out zoom)
We raced nearly undetected through the heart of darkness (New York City) only to find the peace and tranquility of the Connecticut coast line. It's amazing how life can slow down so much over such a short geographical distance. People, accommodations and activities have baited us into staying another day. Boston is next on the list, but for now, we are enjoying the New Haven area.