Liters & Meters & Loonies & Toonies (We Finally Made It To Canada)

July 23 to 25, 2012 – Saint-Philippe-de-Laprairie, Quebec Our Current Location

Last post we failed to include two places we visited while we waited in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Frank had read about a restaurant called The Antlers and wanted to check it out. Jim & Shelley would love all of the critters and stuff.

 

We also stumbled upon Studebaker’s and enjoyed their décor.

 

We have about 1000 miles to go before we reach New Brunswick.  This means we need to concentrate on driving as opposed to sight seeing if we’re going to get there while there is any summer left.

We left the Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie, MI and headed towards the US/Canadian border.  Our Hot Spot and our cell phones are shut off and put away for the duration of the Canadian portion of this trip. We paid our toll ($11) to cross the bridge over the St. Lawrence Seaway.

We pulled up to the entrance of the Canada Border Crossing where we paused for a few minutes trying to understand the confusing array of signs directing us to different lanes.  Finally admitting defeat as we didn’t see signs that seemed to apply to RVs we simply pulled up to the gate behind another RV. 

Immediately a Border Guard came out and asked if it was the blind leading the blind. He informed us we were in the wrong lane as was the RV in front of us. He took our passports then instructed us to pull through the gate and stop where we would be out of sight so no other RVs could see us and make the mistake we did.

After our initial encounter, the Guards were very pleasant to deal with.  They asked if we had a safe, firearms, or liquor. Nothing about food, pets, or plants.  So except for the plants, we had nothing to worry about because we were good citizens and had everything below the limit and documented. But in the back of our minds, we just know that the one time we ignore the rules they’re going to bust us.

Then the next incident was that the route through Sault Ste. Marie, Canada (that we had carefully planned) was closed for construction.  We didn’t have a plan B since we didn’t expect any road closures.  So we winged it and managed to make it through town and out into the country pointed in the right direction.

Our very first stop was at the Royal Canadian Bank in Bruce Mines, ON where we exchanged US money for colorful paper, loonies and toonies.  Did you know that in Canada there is no paper money of lesser value than a five dollar bill? Everything under a $5 is considered pocket change. The exchange rate was much better than last year (.98517 Canadian per $1 US), but we plan on using credit cards when possible so the exchange is in our favor.

Our first overnight stop was at the Walmart in Sudbury, ON where we spent the evening with about 8 other RVs. We made 201 miles today, the most in a day since June 12th!  EJ got a haircut the next morning from a hairdresser that was kinda scary (tattoos and spike orange hair). But the haircut turned out OK.

From Sudbury we traveled on to Pembroke, ON (217 miles) where we spent the night at an Irving Truck Stop. Since we were interested in moving along and didn't want anything fancy this suited us just fine.

We squeezed into a spot next to a trailer that had been dropped off and spent a quiet night.  Or at least we thought we did.  Frank wore earplugs and EJ was dead to the world.

The next day we wanted to see Ottawa, ON since it is the capital of Canada. But first we thought it would be a good idea to find the visitor center and get some information about the highlights. All we have to go on are big blue signs with a giant question mark and a pointing arrow.  We're guessing this means this is the way to get information so we follow it hoping there will be a parking area large enough to hold Big Guy and the Element.  So we take the exit and go the direction the arrow is pointing. After a while we find another question mark and we head off in that direction.  Well this repeats several times with the streets getting narrower and more crowded until there is not enough room for us and a bicycle on the road at the same time. Can you say white knuckles??? Then all of a sudden we find ourselves next to the Parliament Building, the seat of Canadian Government, and swarms of people.  It looked like every school in Canada had scheduled a field trip that day.

EJ managed to snap a few pictures while I concentrated on getting us away from the hoards. We ended up on a boulevard next to the Ottawa River for several miles until we finally reached a point where EJ said we could get back on the highway and continue our journey east. This nerve wracking experience coupled with not being able to find any place to park Big Guy helped us decide to bypass the remainder of Ottawa.  We never did find that information center.

We had been told that in Quebec French rules. Yup, all of the signs are French only and we quickly learned the French words for North(Norde), South(Sud), East(Est) and West(Ouest). The challenge begins.

Campgrounds up here are generally very crowded.  We think it's a combination of houseless Canadians who winter in the southern US and spend their summers in Canada, plus apparently most Canadians feel the need to dash off to the nearest campground as often as possible and have big parties. And because they are in high demand, campgrounds are pretty pricy.  Most commercial campgrounds charge in the neighborhood of $35 to $40 a night with 15% tax on top of that. One KOA we checked out wanted $55 a night.

EJ found a nice little campground south of Montreal, fairly close to our eastward route. It was a Passport America park for $15 + 2.25 tax(cash only) with full hookups. Camping Amerique-Montreal in Saint-Philippe-de Laprairie, Quebec was our first encounter with English not being the language of choice. The lady at the counter quickly called in a man that spoke English and we figured everything out. Nice park, but tight spaces and different site layouts. We’re happy to have landed for the night after a 249 mile day. Oui are now in easy reach of Quebec City tomorrow.

The girls have done great with the longer road days, but a soon as we stop they come out and expect food.

We’ve Lingered Longer Than Intended

Sault Ste. Marie, MI – July 17 to 22, 2012  Our Current Location

Tuesday.  We traveled from Munising to Sault Ste. Marie, the city where Michigan began. About half way between the two cities, is Newberry, a small community that is the gateway to Tahquamenon Falls State Park. The falls are the second largest falls East of the Mississippi River, second only to Niagara Falls. We found a place to park Big Guy and freed the Element to take the 30 minute trip to the park.

The parking lot to the falls was crowded and we were surprised as the State Park is literally in the middle of nowhere.  It’s one of those places that you have to intentionally go to as it is not on the way to anywhere.  Well, it is summer and the weather is great, so we join in. There are two viewing areas, one at the top of the falls and the other near the bottom.

The upper area is the most popular, and while we were there it was where almost everyone headed.  It might have had something to do with the disclaimer that only 96 stair steps were involved to access the upper platform and 117 steps to get to the lower platform.  That’s only part of the story.  They took some liberty  about the number of steps involved in getting to the lower viewing area.  After we went down, we both thought there were way more steps to get all of the way down.We decided to count them on the way back up. There were indeed 117 steps, but that only got you to the first lookout. There were 65 more to get all the way down. We’re not sure how many there are to the upper area. We did both paths and it was worth every step.

It was a beautiful walk back through the nature trail and we found this fellow taking a nap.

These were the best falls yet. Certainly the biggest. Again, the falls were root beer colored from the tannin in the water. It’s amazing that Lake Superior is fed by all these brown colored rivers and is still so clear and blue.

We felt quite justified in replenishing our depleted energy stores at the local brewery. They had a choice of three brews. Frank tried the Fall’s Tannin and EJ went for the Peach Wheat Ale. Both were icy cold and very good. Of course we had to have an order of onion rings too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We returned to the intersection of 28 and 123 where we reconnected the car to the RV and continued our journey east.

We’re camped at another Kewadin Casino, quite a bit more upscale than the last one. It has a concert hall and a huge hotel. As an indicator that they are not hurting for business, as opposed to the one in Christmas, they don’t give you any free money.  But, instead of the $10/night camping fee, they give you three free nights stay in their RV Park.  Once again it’s electric only, but this time fresh water and a dump station are available nearby and it is a nice park, not just the parking lot.

On Wednesday we did the touristy stuff and walked through downtown and visited the Soo Locks.  We had done the museums and boat tour the last time we were here in 2003, so we opted not to repeat those.

Depending on which direction the ships are traveling, they either rise or fall 21 feet traversing between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. We watched one ore ship  that was 105 feet wide and 1100 feet long negotiate the Poe lock.  The lock itself is only 110 feet wide by 1200 feet long. The ships navigate the lock system under their own power, as there is not a tug in sight.  As that ship, American Integrity, entered and left the locks, we never once heard metal scraping against concrete. Pretty impressive considering they only had 2 1/2 feet clear on either side.

While the technology involved in the locks is very interesting, waiting for the ships to go through the locks is a lot like watching paint dry.  Everything moves in ultra-slow motion.  It takes 45 minutes from the time a ship enters the locks until it exits.  But, bear in mind, the ships are over 1000 feet long, so it takes a while for them to slow down or get underway.

While waiting for the larger ship to come through, we watched several smaller boats go through the McArthur  lock, which is 80 feet wide by 800 foot long. It took them a lot less time and it was amazing how quickly they raised and lowered the water levels.

We also watched as another ore ship approached the smaller lock. As it was waiting for its turn, it looked like the wind got the better of the captain and it almost ended up sideways. They finally got straightened out and as we were walking off we saw the American Integrity leaving and the other one going in.

Wednesday is the Farmers Market downtown, so we stopped by. Not much there, but we did see this neat water feature at the park. It’s all metal and lots of detail.

We also passed a group of Morgan’s that Frank had to check out.

The Soo (Sault Ste Marie) is a pretty busy place, although we’re not sure why. Once you’ve seen the locks, done the tours and checked out the gambling casinos, you’re done. But there’s tourists everywhere. Are they all going to Canada across the International Bridge? When you peruse the Soo travel brochure, it directs you to places an hour or two away. Places we’ve just come from. We guess folks are just using it as a base camp from which to launch their expeditions to other parts of the U.P. or Canada.

Thursday was another chore day with EJ doing laundry and Frank continuing to buff out scratches on the side of Big Guy that we got back in Missouri.  Frank has gotten rid of the scratches on 3/4 of Big Guy and will tackle the remaining quarter at some future date.  The RV Park here has a single washer and dryer, but the good news is that they are very similar to the ones we have back home. What this means is that our clothes came out in great shape.

Friday was a restocking day and of course we had to venture over to the casino and test our luck.  Lest you get the wrong idea, even though we partake of the various casino’s offerings fairly frequently, we are not big players.  Our budget for an evening might be $5 or maybe $10.  More often than not we come out a few dollars ahead, but then there are those days….. All in all we are probably about even having used their money for the bulk of our gambling entertainment.

Had plans of leaving on Saturday, but we received  some paperwork that needs to be notarized and mailed, so we decided to hang out a few more days. Got another 3 days free RV park stay, so we are good. 

Tomorrow we are committed to crossing over into Canada.  There is a toll to cross the International Bridge and we’re hoping the Canadian Border Guards will be as casual as they were last year.  Although it’s a moot point as once again we’re complying with all the rules as best we can.  Although, EJ did bring a small dish garden on this trip.  Whether or not it survives the crossing remains to be seen. We have no fresh fruits and veggies that they can confiscate this time. What do they do with the oranges and apples they take? Hmmm..Fruit salad?

We also want to remember a long time friend who recently passed away.  Jim Wallace was a man of integrity, who had strong beliefs, who loved his family with a passion and was one of those people that knew no strangers.  It seems like we have always shared New Years Eve with him and his wife Ange. We have so many fond memories of him and will miss Jim greatly. It’s hard to believe he’s gone.

Yes Virginia There is a Santa Claus

Christmas, MI - July 13 to 16, 2012 Our Current Location

We have another monster trip behind us today.  We racked up a whole 31 miles before we settled in the town of Christmas, MI at the Chippewa Indian Kewadin Casino.  This is another Casino that gives you funny money for staying in their RV parking area and they give you electricity for free.

The reason for not going any further is that this area has a number waterfalls we want to see and there's more exploring to do along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

When we pulled into the parking lot at the casino, we chose spot number one because it looked like it would be the least likely place to have another big RV pull in next to us.  As we were testing the connection and hooking up the power cord we saw a security guard making a beeline for us.  I thought he was just being real friendly, but he had other things on his mind. As he was sitting in his nice air conditioned office watching us, his security camera suddenly went on the blink.  So he figured he'd just mosey on out and see just what us criminal types were up to.  When using a power pedestal, we always turn off all the breakers we're not using.  Apparently we turned off one that his camera was using. Oops!

Afterwards we went to the service desk of the casino to announce our arrival and see what we needed to do.  The guy at the desk asked if we were hooked up to the electric power and we said "Yes".  He responded with "Well then you're done".  Dry humor these Yoopers have, eh! We asked about signing up for a casino card, so he got us registered and low and behold he added $10 credit on Frank’s card and $15 credit on EJ’s card. Turns out it is ladies night and they get and extra $5.

Since there was still plenty of daylight left, we drove over towards Pictured Rocks in Munising, MI and checked out Miners Castle overlook.  This spot gives the viewer a teaser view of the colors and formations where the rocks meet the lake. It was neat to see the view from the top of the area we had seen from water level yesterday.

On the way back we stopped and hiked to Miners Waterfall. Along the way we discovered these pesky little flies called Stable Flies. They look like an ordinary house flies except they have vampire teeth.  It so happens they are also sexist as they were only attacking me, not EJ. This was a nice hike that had a nice level part and then lots & lots of stairs. Going down wasn’t nearly as challenging and coming back up.

On the way back to Big Guy we made one more pass through Munising to see if there was anything we missed. Didn't look like it and besides, we had funny money burning holes in our pocket that the casino was just waiting to take back. Kewadin, here we come.

The big adventure on Saturday was to drive to the far side of the park, a distance of about 45 miles. But first we needed to fuel up for the day by eating breakfast at the DogPatch. That's right Daisy Mae and Lil' Abner were watching over us and served some of biggest, fluffiest pancakes we’ve ever had.

We opted not to take Big Guy this way, even though it's in the direction we're generally heading, as the campgrounds have no power and the road looks like it was designed by a drunken engineer. We stopped at a few more spots to let the Stable Flies have their way with me and to see a 12 mile long sand beach(that EJ couldn’t resist), the Au Sable lighthouse, the old Coast Guard station whose water access became beach(you can still see the rails covered with sand) and a log slide dune.

The log slide was used by loggers to slide cut logs into Lake Superior where they were towed away to sawmills. It's a surprising sight to see sand dunes rising out of the water to a height of 100 feet. I'm guessing those logs picked up a lot of speed going down the chute in the dunes to the lake surface.

There were a couple more hikes  EJ wanted to tackle, but I was tired of being fly bait and declined. Then at Sable Falls, close to the end of our eastward journey for the day, she remembered she had some bug spray in the Element. I tried some of that and darned if it didn't work.  The little buggers finally left me alone. I could once again enjoy being outdoors.

At the Grand Sable Visitor Center I remarked to the Ranger about the saneness of the person who designed the road through the park. She informed me that it was designed that way on purpose in order to mimic a "wandering river". The main compliment I can give the road was that they didn't waste any pavement on straight lines.

Our eastward journey came to an end in Grand Marais, a former logging community, now a tourist destination.  It's a very small town with a nice Township Campground, several bars and two restaurants that we could find.  We're finding out that homes and restaurants up here don't have air conditioning.  So whenever it gets to 80 degrees or above outside , it starts to get a bit uncomfortable inside.  Either they're tougher than we are or it didn't used to get this hot.

On the way back we had two more falls to check out and a few more roads to explore along the lakeshore.

Sunday & Monday were an "off" days as we had chores to catch up on(like catching up on our blog updates) in preparation for our final drive across the remainder of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Our next stop will be Sault Ste. Marie where we'll cross into Canada. This last stretch of the U.P. of Michigan is pretty isolated, no towns, and according to the locals, has the longest straight road in the U.P.

Once we cross the border we'll lose our phone service and our hot spot internet access. One good thing though, no more annoying political calls or texts for the next two months.