June 27, 2019 Thursday Day 39
We got up relatively early, ate a hardy breakfast of eggs and fruit, packed up, collected the 50 yards of extension cords that helped to charge up the car to 48 miles. Initially we drove around the Canadian Sault Ste Marie. It is much larger and more prosperous looking than the US side. Lots of large and well maintained homes and modern and multi-story buildings. Then we set out to explore the northern shore of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada.
I had not planned to take this route as my original plan was to drive south through Michigan passing through Detroit and to enter Canada Windsor.But Detriot was not exciting, most of Michigan looked like flat farmland or depressed factory towns, so I decided that we would explore the great open area north of Lake Huron. However I had no maps, guide books for or reservations in that part of Canada. Thus our first stop was the Ontario visitor center to get maps and tourist books for the area. That was located next to casino to which we walked to change US for Canadian money. A very favorable exchange rate.
It turned out that while this area of Canada is great for boating swimming, fishing and camping, there is not much else there.
Outside of town we got on the Trans-Canada Highway, a 4,860 mile mostly four lane divided highway that is the only road which connects eastern and western Canada. It stretches in the east from St. John's, Newfoundland, then to the mainland by way of a ferry and ultimately to Victoria BC in the west. It has different numbers throughout most of the 10 provinces (it does not go to any of the Canadian territories), but throughout it has a distinctive white-on-green maple leaf markers.
The drive was relatively flat and accompanied by endless green forests. There was little traffic. While we rarely saw it, we were following the northern shore of Lake Huron and there were periodic signs for vacation spots on the many islands. We passed a few small towns, Bruce Mines, Blind River and Spanish, but did not enter any until we arrived at Massey, a non-descript town of about 1000 residents that is the gateway to Chutes Provincial Park.
The Park is named after the logging chutes that diverted logs around the waterfalls and other obstacles on the Aux-Sables River. From the late 1800s until the 1930s this was a major logging area. Trees, mainly pine, were toppled and dragged on to the ice covered river. Each logging company branded its logs. In the spring, when the river was at its highest level the logs were floated down the river to the mouth of the Spanish River, then to Lake Huron where they were towed by tug boats to sawmills. The logs were shepherded down the rivers by the Whitewater Men. Their duties included minimizing the damage to the logs while then traveled and to minimize jams which cold occur when logs got caught on obstacles. There were pictures of the Men working on the logs on the river with long pikes maneuvering the logs.
The main attractions in the park were its waterfalls and rapids. There was a nice trail network and we took a long stroll through the park enjoying the water and the verdant vegetation. The water level was down considerably from its height in early spring. We also had a little picnic. There was also an exhibit at the Graveyard Rapids which described the log-driving era and the hazards that the Whitewater Men experienced.
After exiting the park we returned to Massey and sought a place for an early dinner. There were not many choices. We selected the Dragonfly Restaurant. It had outdoor dining and an extensive menu. Lots of dragonflies hanging from the ceiling. A nice dining experience. The pasta was very good and the portions generous. Our waitress was a young girl who said there was nothing to do in town. She was planning on leaving as soon as she could.
After dinner we got back on the highway and continued east passing Sudbury where the highway forked. We turned south and desiring to get to Toronto the following day, bypassed Sudbury, the largest city in the area and a nickel mining center.
Throughout this and prior trips I frequently did not make lodging reservations until a few days in advance, or in some cases on the actual day. It had never been a problem and we always had secured acceptable lodging. Due to the late decision to take this route, my unfamiliarity with the area and no idea of where we would be, I had not made a lodging reservation for this night. As we drove through
a very rural and wooded area with infrequent and very small towns whose accommodations seemed to be exclusively summer camps and fishing and hunting lodges we were having difficulty securing lodging. I began t ear that we would be camping in the car that night. We arrived in Parry Sound about 8:00 pm. Not many choices. We finally landed at a Canadian Best Value Inn and Suites. Neither a good value nor a desirable place to lay ones head.
After checking in we drove and walked around a portion of Parry Sound until we ran out of daylight. A very cute town with an expansive waterfront.
We got up relatively early, ate a hardy breakfast of eggs and fruit, packed up, collected the 50 yards of extension cords that helped to charge up the car to 48 miles. Initially we drove around the Canadian Sault Ste Marie. It is much larger and more prosperous looking than the US side. Lots of large and well maintained homes and modern and multi-story buildings. Then we set out to explore the northern shore of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada.
I had not planned to take this route as my original plan was to drive south through Michigan passing through Detroit and to enter Canada Windsor.But Detriot was not exciting, most of Michigan looked like flat farmland or depressed factory towns, so I decided that we would explore the great open area north of Lake Huron. However I had no maps, guide books for or reservations in that part of Canada. Thus our first stop was the Ontario visitor center to get maps and tourist books for the area. That was located next to casino to which we walked to change US for Canadian money. A very favorable exchange rate.
It turned out that while this area of Canada is great for boating swimming, fishing and camping, there is not much else there.
Outside of town we got on the Trans-Canada Highway, a 4,860 mile mostly four lane divided highway that is the only road which connects eastern and western Canada. It stretches in the east from St. John's, Newfoundland, then to the mainland by way of a ferry and ultimately to Victoria BC in the west. It has different numbers throughout most of the 10 provinces (it does not go to any of the Canadian territories), but throughout it has a distinctive white-on-green maple leaf markers.
The drive was relatively flat and accompanied by endless green forests. There was little traffic. While we rarely saw it, we were following the northern shore of Lake Huron and there were periodic signs for vacation spots on the many islands. We passed a few small towns, Bruce Mines, Blind River and Spanish, but did not enter any until we arrived at Massey, a non-descript town of about 1000 residents that is the gateway to Chutes Provincial Park.
The Park is named after the logging chutes that diverted logs around the waterfalls and other obstacles on the Aux-Sables River. From the late 1800s until the 1930s this was a major logging area. Trees, mainly pine, were toppled and dragged on to the ice covered river. Each logging company branded its logs. In the spring, when the river was at its highest level the logs were floated down the river to the mouth of the Spanish River, then to Lake Huron where they were towed by tug boats to sawmills. The logs were shepherded down the rivers by the Whitewater Men. Their duties included minimizing the damage to the logs while then traveled and to minimize jams which cold occur when logs got caught on obstacles. There were pictures of the Men working on the logs on the river with long pikes maneuvering the logs.
The main attractions in the park were its waterfalls and rapids. There was a nice trail network and we took a long stroll through the park enjoying the water and the verdant vegetation. The water level was down considerably from its height in early spring. We also had a little picnic. There was also an exhibit at the Graveyard Rapids which described the log-driving era and the hazards that the Whitewater Men experienced.
After exiting the park we returned to Massey and sought a place for an early dinner. There were not many choices. We selected the Dragonfly Restaurant. It had outdoor dining and an extensive menu. Lots of dragonflies hanging from the ceiling. A nice dining experience. The pasta was very good and the portions generous. Our waitress was a young girl who said there was nothing to do in town. She was planning on leaving as soon as she could.
After dinner we got back on the highway and continued east passing Sudbury where the highway forked. We turned south and desiring to get to Toronto the following day, bypassed Sudbury, the largest city in the area and a nickel mining center.
Throughout this and prior trips I frequently did not make lodging reservations until a few days in advance, or in some cases on the actual day. It had never been a problem and we always had secured acceptable lodging. Due to the late decision to take this route, my unfamiliarity with the area and no idea of where we would be, I had not made a lodging reservation for this night. As we drove through
a very rural and wooded area with infrequent and very small towns whose accommodations seemed to be exclusively summer camps and fishing and hunting lodges we were having difficulty securing lodging. I began t ear that we would be camping in the car that night. We arrived in Parry Sound about 8:00 pm. Not many choices. We finally landed at a Canadian Best Value Inn and Suites. Neither a good value nor a desirable place to lay ones head.
After checking in we drove and walked around a portion of Parry Sound until we ran out of daylight. A very cute town with an expansive waterfront.
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