After a few days of heavy travelling we took Tuesday to relax, sleep in, visit the beach and make some required purchases (shoes...) at MEC in Winnipeg. Unfortunately the only perspective we got of Winnipeg was a nice downtown surround by sprawling strip malls. Next time through I'll have to recruit some locals to show off some of the hot spots.
We camped at another amazing Manitoba provincial park where the firewood was free!
A McDonald's breakfast seemed well deserved after our low budget camping and exciting evening. Advice would be to avoid the bagel BLT's and stick to the egg mcmuffins. The BLT had a bagel that was harder than my 100 psi bike tires. Ontario is a huge province. It took the better part of the second day to finally reach Manitoba.
Driving west has the advantage of gaining hours in the day as you drive, thus 25 hour days! A lively discussion about gender roles, dating, and chivalry developed during the drive and was a great way to kill an hour or two of the somewhat redundant rocks, trees, and water scenery that was so prevalent throughout northern Ontario.
Nearing Kenora meant we needed to stop for our 3rd gas stop. We met a surfer who was travelling from Boston to Whistler to Panama. He drove a 4x4 Ford Panel Van with big mudding tires, and a giant winch on the front. He had adapted the inside for sleeping and living, including a hand blender, a sink, and two dogs, one friendly, the other terrifying. Mark did what he is famous for and struck up a conversation with the surfer dude, and with the owner's permission I cautiously stuck my head inside the big white van. No sooner did I do this than the terrifying dog decided I was a threat to his humble abode and lunged for my jugular. Thanks to a quick acting owner and some friends who were ready to once again finish my fights, I received a mere head but and all my important veins and arteries remained in tact. However, the trauma remained, and in the shuffle and love of bare feet I managed to forget my shoes at the gas station, which I realized 60km later in Manitoba when I couldn't find them to walk around. After some quick economics calculations we decided it was worth a shot to go back and look for them, but not before striking up a delightful conversation with Erika at the tourist information centre in Manitoba.
Mark once again demonstrated his innate ability to strike up a conversation and keep the person engaged by asking deeply inquisitive questions. Most of the controversial, “No Go” conversation starter topics were discussed with this lovely tourist info girl, who found herself working on a holiday Monday.
When we returned to the gas station, the shoes were gone. The only thing left to do was eat dinner at Casey's in Kenora. Good food and fellowship ensued and everyone left on a good note. With bellies full of food the next 150km to the campsite were sure to be drowsy. As we drove down a winding Manitoba road, the lightning rolled constantly through the skies above, adding to the excitement of dark road. As everyone had almost dozed off, we awoke to Severs yelling “Deer”, from the drivers seat only in time to hear a smack. Fortunately the only damage was to the back wheel of Severs' bike which the deer seemed to think would be a good way to wake himself up.
Fueled by adrenaline we pressed on towards Grand Beach Provincial Park. Moments before arriving, the skies had cleared and we were blessed with the sights of the Northern Lights, capping off a wild day of adventure. We arrived at the park, appreciating the great late arrival policy that Manitoba parks had.
God was gracious in all of our encounters. Keeping us safe and providing visible reminders of his beauty and sovereignty over creation.
May you also get the chance to see the creator through the beauty of creation.
5:00 am comes early when you go to bed at 12:30 am. Van Dorp's (Carrie, Jack, and Jody) graciously accommodated for our short sleep and provided coffee for the early departure. I awoke once again feeling like it was Christmas morning, I was 8 years old, and still believed in Santa Claus. It's really quite amazing how long you can run on adrenaline alone. The Chi-Cheemaun afforded the opportunity to eat an over priced boat breakfast while Terri promptly assumed a somewhat comfortable position beneath a row of seats, awaking to find her friends had abandoned, replaced by strangers who now sat all around her.
We were back on Highway 6 by 9:00 am and cruising across the island. We stopped at an opportune location, took this picture and took some time in corporate prayer reflect on the journey ahead, ask our Heavenly Father for safety, patience with each other, and an overall great experience.
Day one was driving, driving and more driving. Dinner was Pizza in Marathon where Leigh learned to drive standard in the parking lot while we waited.
There's a lot of hills and kilometers between Marathon and Thunder Bay. We arrived in Thunder Bay around 12:30, took a few minutes to appreciate the Terry Fox Memorial and ponder where we would sleep. With no immediate solutions we pressed on into the city in hopes of finding an out of the way park or something where we could inconspicuously place our tents for a few hours of shut eye. A ball diamond on the outskirts of town beside the railway tracks seemed the best bet. I apprehensively fell asleep pondering the potential implications of our perhaps mildly illegal camping conduct. No sooner did I fall asleep then I awoke to sounds of the apocalypse... or at least what my sleep clouded brain thought was the apocalypse. Camping 50 feet from the railway tracks makes you wonder if you've actually pitched your tent on the tracks when a freight train lumbers through in the night.
After three train terrors we made it through the night and were on the road again with another 5 hours of sleep and on to day 2.
