We headed south on Highway 17 through the Lake Superior Provincial Park, a 100kms of superb scenery and empty roads. We stopped at a bay called the Old Woman Bay because the rock face at the entrance to the bay is meant to resemble an old woman.
The bay was another example of the stunningly beautiful Lake Superior coastline. A wide sandy beach, with not a soul on it, and crystal clear blue water.
Virtually every bend on the highway brought another view of the lake, this one with beautiful blossoming trees.
A bit further on we pulled over into a lay-by where Bob and Thelma had parked. They were talking to a young couple and we discovered that the man came from Brentwood in Essex!
Again, I'll post a few photos of the views we had on the journey, including one of the sign for 'Kenny Lake'. Maybe he could have more success fishing here!!
Up to now we had not seen a single moose, then Wendy shouted to me that she thought she had seen one standing at the side of the road near the woods. I stopped and turned round and sure enough there was a large male moose looking at us from the edge of the woods. Unfortunately, as we approached it ran off and we didn't have time to take any photos! To make up for our lack or wildlife photographic skills, here is a photo Wendy took of a moose statue outside a store!
Shortly before we reached the border, we reached 5,000 kms since we left Salt Spring Island on May 2nd.
After two and half hours we reached the twin border towns of Sault Ste.Marie where the locks on the St. Mary River allow ships to pass from Lake Huron into Lake Superior. On the north side is Canada and the south is the US.
We drove across the bridge above the river and the locks to the US border.
Contrary to our experiences at US airports the customs officials could not have been more helpful and we were asked on several occasions which countries were our favourites of all the places we had visited. We said India and Thelma and Bob said Tibet and Vietnam.
Entering the US.
The drive to our hotel was no more than five minutes from the border and it overlooks the locks.
We discovered in the visitor centre that the next ship coming through would be at 4.45pm. This gave me time to go to a local shopping mall and buy some trousers as I had left several pairs behind in London by mistake. With the temperature now a very warm 70 degrees, I needed something lighter than the cold weather trousers I have been wearing up to now.
We returned to the hotel just in time to see the Robert S Pierson freighter moving through the lock. At over 600 feet long it filled the lock. It was very impressive to see how the ship was handled in such a tight space.
We are only in the United States for two days, one night here in Sault Ste. Marie and then one night on Mackinac Island, staying at the Grand Hotel. This was the location for the Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour movie, Somewhere in Time. Thelma loves the film and has always wanted to visit the island and so it became an integral part of our route planning.
No comments:
Post a Comment