Day 22 - Owen Sound - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Day 22 – 30th June 2005 -5:00 GMT Total Miles 7994

Left Owen Sound at 11am and drove towards Toronto, stopped at Orangeville and visited the local mall for some lunch, arrived in Toronto at around 2pm and after a bit of searching we found our hotel. The room was not ready yet so we found a bar across the road and had a cold beer, the temperature is stillin the mid 30’s. I got into my room just before 4pm and had a rest for an hour before heading into Toronto. Had a look around the Eaton Centre, which is a large mall and then settled at the Hard Rock Café for dinner. I decided I would spend the night in the hotel and relax watching TV.

Day 21 - Sault Ste. Marie - Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

Day 21 – 29th June 2005 -5:00 GMT Total Miles 7874

Drove from Sault Sainte Marie to South Baymouth stopping at Blind River for lunch,
Also got stopped for 15 minutes due to an open Swing Bridge to cross onto Manitoulin Island. At South Baymouth we had a look around before catching the ferry across Lake Huron on a two hour crossing to Tobermory and then I drove for a further hour totalling a distance of 450km before finding a local Motel in Owen Sound and crashing out for the night.

Open Swing Bridge at Manitoulin Island 

Ferry from South Baymouth to Tobermory 

Myself on the Ferry 

Day 20 - Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Canada

Day 20 – 28th June 2005 -5:00 GMT

Sault Sainte Marie is a town split across a canal, half being in the USA and half in Canada, the only way from one side to the other is across the international bridge. In the morning I visited the locks where the ships pass between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, watched a couple of boats come through the locks, although the Canadian side only has one lock and the US side has three. It was so hot we went back to our air conditioned room, and then Jill and I went for a swim and a whirlpool to cool off. I went out again late afternoon and it was still over 30 C, I walked along the waterfront and then back through the town, then decided to visit the local casino, where like usual I came away in profit, spent the evening at Charlie’s Steakhouse where we had a good meal and cheap beer.

Me with International Bridge to the USA in the distance 

Me by the Casino 

Me helping some bears catch a big fish 

Jill and I on the waterfront 

Me on the rocks at the waterfront 

Me with a Moose 

Day 19 - Thunder Bay - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

Day 19 – 27th June 2005 -5:00 GMT Total Miles 7599

Got woken up at 4am by another severe thunderstorm, eventually got back to sleep before having to get up at 7am and be on the road by 8am, had a monster of a drive today 789km from Thunder Bay on the West coast of Lake Superior to Sault Ste. Marie on the East Coast of Lake Superior. Stopped after 3 hours in a town called Marathon, where we had lunch in a small café in their local mall. A few hours further down the road we stopped at White River the Birth Place of Winnie the Pooh (this one is for my sister Lucy) On August 24th 1914 (Lucy’s Birthday, although not 1914) Lieutenant Harry Coleburn bought a new born bear cub from this spot and named it Winnie after his home town Winnipeg, When he went to fight in France he donated the bear to London Zoo on 19th Dec 1914, and it was visited by many including A.A.Milne and her son Christopher who both fell in love with it and so she illustrated the bear a present to her son Christopher and that is where Winnie the Pooh originated from. Anyway after a brief stop and a photo (for Lucy, although Jill was also very excited) we carried on and stopped at Batchawana Bay so Jill could go to the beach. Then carried on into Sault Ste Marie which is half in Michigan, USA and half in Ontario, Canada, We checked into a hotel by the waterfront, although our room overlooks the hotel roof! I choose the hotel as it was the closest to the local casino. Visited the local mall and found a sports bar for dinner and beer.

Birth Place of Winnie the Pooh, White River, Ontario, Canada 

Jill on Beach at Batchawana Bay  

Day 18 - Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Day 18 – 26th June 2005 -5:00 GMT

Had a lazy morning checking e-mail and surfing the web, then had to catch up on our washing, so drove into downtown Thunder Bay and found a central laundrette after 40 quarters we had clean and dry clothes. In the afternoon we visited Boulevard Lake Park, we walked around the lake and looked at the dam. Then we headed back to the hotel for Sunday dinner. After dinner stayed at the hotel, played pool and table tennis, then had a swim, whirlpool and sauna.

Myself outside Thunder Bay Charity Casino 

At the Lookout 

The Dam at Boulevard Lake Park 

Looking down from the dam at Boulevard Lake Park 

Day 17 - Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Day 17 – 25th June 2005 -5:00 GMT Total Distance Travelled 7109 Miles

Drove to downtown Thunder Bay, and went to Marina Park which is on Lake Superior, had lunch at a café overlooking the marina and then walked around the park, explored the main shopping roads of Thunder Bay and then drove 90 Km North to Ouimet Canyon National Park, where we followed the trail around the rim of the canyon. Early Evening I headed to Thunder Bay charity casino, unfortunately I did not get to play poker as they were in the middle of a tournament, but did manage to win at Blackjack and on the slots, back at the hotel we went for Chinese which you select the ingredients and the chef cooks you an individual stir fry. Had a few games of pool and a couple of beers.

Myself by Lake Superior 

Canadian National Railway Train 

Ouimet Canyon  

Ouimet Canyon