Do You Know The Way To Thunder Bay?

“Do You Know The Way To Thunder Bay?” (Apologies to Bert Bacharach and Hal David).

Anyone who has driven across North Western Ontario from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay will appreciate the humour of this question. After all, there is only one main road between the two cities - the TransCanada Highway – and, it’s a drive most motorists would rather forget. From the Ontario border to Lake Superior, this asphalt artery is just two lanes wide yet carries a LOT of traffic, especially during the summer months. Add in scenery that’s not very scenic plus drivers who are usually in a hurry and the result is a “way” that’s less than ideal for Rv’ers. Luckily, there is an alternative route which bypasses much of the TransCanada Highway and its issues. It’s a route that’s much less travelled but much more interesting and much more accomodating for slower moving recreational vehicles as my wife Maureen and I discovered during a recent trip across Canada.

Thunder Bay - A Tourist Gem

Thunder Bay is a unique city. Located within Canada’s most populous province, it’s one of the country’s most isolated cities. An urban oasis amidst a hinterland of rocks, trees and muskeg, Thunder Bay is a long way from anywhere. Winnipeg is a day’s drive to the west while Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa are even further to the east. Small wonder this community is on no one’s top ten tourist destinations list. Nevertheless, this community offers a surprising number of attractions and activities for those willing to spend a little time and do a little exploring as my wife and I discovered during a recent cross-Canada trip.

Around The Top Of Lake Superior

North America is blessed with many scenic drives. Some, such as the Cabot Trail, Oregon Highway 101 or Pacific Coast Highway, run along the sea coast and are famous for their spectacular scenery and dramatic ocean vistas. Less well known but no less scenic is Ontario Highway 17 (TransCanada Highway)which follows the north shore of Lake Superior from Thunder Bay to Sault St Marie. This route shares many of the scenic attributes of more well known drives such as rugged headlands, rocky shorelines, sandy beaches and shimmering waters. In fact, the landscape along the north shore of Lake Superior is so picturesque and compelling, it has inspired countless generations of artists including members of the famed Group of Seven, as my wife and I discovered during a trip across Canada.

Exploring South West Saskatchewan

The southwestern corner of Saskatchewan is an amazing location that will both confirm and challenge everything you thought you knew about this part of the country.

Yes, there are the expected endless fields of golden grain rippling gently in the breeze but there’s so much more as well - like sand dunes, forests, hills, grasslands, a huge man-made lake and the “piece de resistance”, Saskatchewan’s only winery. All this and more were discovered by my wife, Maureen and I during a recent trip.

Roaming Around The Gaspé Peninsula

When most RV’ers think about heading to Canada's east coast, visions of the Maritimes dance in their head. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. or even Newfoundland are the typical places that come to mind. Seldom considered is the other East Coast – the Gaspé Peninsula. Although part of Quebec, the Gaspé offers scenery, attractions and ocean vistas rivaling the best of the Maritimes as my wife Maureen and I discovered during a recent trip through eastern Canada.

Manitoulin Magic

Swing Bridge to Manitoulin Island

Manitoulin Island was one of those undiscovered gems my wife Maureen and I happened upon by accident while travelling across the country.  Located along the north shore of Lake Huron about 175 km southwest of Sudbury, it has the distinction of being the largest fresh water island in the world. While big in size, it is small in population with less than 15,000 permanent residents. The result is a peaceful, serene, unhurried way of life that the tourist bureau loved to promote along with the island’s unique geology, beautiful scenery, pastoral countryside, picturesque shoreline, and significant population of artists and craftspeople. In other words, a perfect, “Routes Less Travelled” destination.

Exploring The “Route Des Navigateurs”

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It was the title of the colourful brochure that caught my eye, “Route Des Navigateurs”.  I had been wandering around a visitor information office in downtown Montreal, perusing racks of tourist pamphlets, looking for inspiration. My wife, Maureen and I had just spent several glorious days exploring the wonders and attractions of Quebec’s largest city. Now, it was time to move on. Our next stop was Quebec City, then on to the Gaspe. The quickest and most expedient route was the multi-laned Trans-Canada highway but, that wasn’t our style. This blog is about routes less travelled and that’s what I hoped to find when I picked up the pamphlet.

The title, roughly translated meant, “Route of the Navigators” or “Route of the Explorers”. In my mind’s eye, this evoked images of great French navigators like Samuel de Champlain or Jacque Cartier. I felt an immediate connection. After all, weren’t they and modern day RV’ers kindred spirits, motivated by the same desire to see what lay over the horizon or around the next bend? Naturally, I picked it up.