Chilcoot Pass Reunion

After one more Winona look at the Mississipi we left for the shortest drive on the trip so far and for the opportunity to meet with a friend the Apiarist had made while travelling in Alaska and the Yukon in 1980. It's been an interesting journey since then but this blog is about a journey through Canada and the USA this year!




While it wasn't going to be a long journey in distance the Educator and the Apiarist have a history of making short trip trips into oddysees so we headed off down Highway 61. This day would see us cross the Mississippi numerous times, travel through 3 states, get lost, eat great smoked carp and pickled catfish, get caught up in roadworks and get to enjoy a late dinner at the River Pilot in Le Claire, Iowa. 

So into Wisconsin and into beautiful dairy country. Just a pity the Swank/ Jelinek diet won't allow dairy.......

Ever since we crossed into the USA we've been amazed by how clean and tidy the roadsides are. This cleanliness seems to come about because of families, service groups and businesses who sponsor and carry out the tidying. Very nice!!!!

 


We stopped and bought smoked carp and pickled catfish from E & P Fisheries in New Albin Iowa when we saw an advertising sign on the roadside and ate an interesting and tasty lunch at a park by the river and the railway.

I was hoping for both a train and a riverboat to come by but maybe that was just a dream...

As we were somewhat time constrained we pushed on and were doing quite well until we were held up by some roadworks. Mmmmmm what to do? We should have bought that cell (mobile) phone earlier....We did have an interesting talk with the "stop and go girl" who owns a pet skunk????

But we did make it to Le Claire (almost) on time and we had a great meal the Faithful Pilot with Galen and Frances. And Bruce and Galen had an enjoyable time of reminiscing about a wonderful walk many years ago..... 

 




 

The river expands

Having been to the source the next move was all downhill, or at least it was all downriver....... And before long the stream we could have walked across was resembling the wide brown river we had been expecting.

 

All the way the CuRVy (and the pilots) had been following the instructions of Mrs Garvin (our GPS). 

And we'd been doing what we wanted and following Highway 61!!!!!!!!

Although the drive through Minnesota started through forest with the occasional farmhouse as we moved further along our journey the cleared space around farmhouses expanded with only occassional trees at the edge of beautiful farmland. Driving past Minneapolis and Saint Paul we headed further into productive farmland and along working river.

And as we found our motel in Winona I guess you could say life was pretty good.............

 

To the source (of the Mississippi)

Heading south of Thunder Bay we took the highway that has been part of the legend that is American Music.

U.S. Route 61 is the official designation for a United States highway that runs 1,400 miles (2,300 km) from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River, and is designated the Great River Road for much of its route. As of 2004, the highway's northern terminus in Wyoming, Minnesota is at an intersection with Interstate 35. Prior to 1991, the highway extended north on what is now MN 61 through Duluth to the United States-Canada border near Grand Portage. Its southern terminus in New Orleans is at an intersection with Tulane Avenue at South Broad Street. The highway is often called "The Blues Highway", because of the course it takes from Minnesota, through Memphis, Tennessee, and into Louisiana (through Baton Rouge and into New Orleans).
The route was an important north–south connection in the days before the interstate highway system. Many southerners traveled north along Highway 61 while going to St. Louis, Missouri and Saint Paul, Minnesota. The highway was also used in the title of Minnesota native Bob Dylan's album Highway 61 Revisited, and in the song of the same name, which imagines all sorts of fantastical events (including World War III) occurring alongside Highway 61.

Highway 61 is more or less the route we are following from Thunder Bay to New Orleans. To start with it follows the western shore of Lake Superior and the weather was very much in our favour with the grey skies that had followed us from Gravenhurst giving way to clear blue as we looked over the Sleeping Giant and headed south.

We left Highway 61 for a very important part for our Mississippi excursion. We wanted to go to the source and after a night at Walker we went to the start of the Mississippi. Lake Itasca.

I'm sure this won't be the last photo of us on the Mississippi but I am sure this is the smallest the river will be. It's amazing to actually be at the source of a river.... It would be interesting to investigate the  actual starting point of any of Australia's rivers

A Big Lake, the Sleeping Giant and a Marathon of Hope

Otto and Pam were right when the said they were early risers and we were greeted with fresh coffee and tea and although the offer of fresh breakfast was tempting we headed on our way by 6.30. This was always going to be the longest day's driving and as it was all new to both of us we wanted to enjoy it.


Gordon Lightfoot is justifiably one of Canada's finest singers and the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" mentions the big lake they call Gitche Gumee. Wickipedia writes The Ojibwe call the lake Gichigami, meaning "big water." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the name as "Gitche Gumee" in The Song of Hiawatha, as did Gordon Lightfoot in his song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". The first French explorers approaching the great inland sea by way of the Ottawa River and Lake Huron during the 17th century referred to their discovery as le lac superieur. Properly translated, the expression means "Upper Lake," that is, the lake above Lake Huron. The lake was also called Lac Tracy by 17th century Jesuit missionaries.^[6] The English, upon taking control of the region from the French in the 1760's, following the French and Indian War, anglicized the lake's name to Superior, "on account of its being superior in magnitude to any of the lakes on that vast continent."^[7] 

^{Nothing that is read, heard or sung truly says how big this lake is. Travelling along it and looking at it I may as well have been looking out at the ocean from the balcony at Narooma Surf Club. It's huge!!} 

^{We drove along Lake Superior's northern shore for 9 hours to get to Thunder Bay and the scenery was stunning!} 

^{To have a lake you need water and we crossed numerous rivers and streams and it would have been easy to make this a 4 day trip..... And yes the water temperature was felt and YES it was very cold!!!}

^{We'd heard that the Wawa Goose had been taken down for repairs but we were pleased to find it was still standing and looking as big as it has always been!!}

^{On we went and we came to one of Canada's iconic sculptures of one of Canada's most revered figures. Terry Fox is a person who's journey truly inspired a nation.}

^{Our accommodation in Thunder Bay was the Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel and it was aptly named. But more importantly it gave us a great view of the Sleeping Giant.} 

 

[edit]

Two at the Soo

After the fun and games of the Wednesday Work Gang was over it was UP, UP AND AWAYYYY for the Apiarist and the Educator!!!


In 2009 the Apiarist was fortunate enough to win a Multiple Sclerosis ACT/NSW/Victoria Go For Gold Scholarship. The purpose of this Scholarship was to follow the dream of travelling the "Blues Highway- (61)' to  New Orleans and then north along the Blue Ridge Parkway in order to listen to Bruce's two favourite types of music Blues and Bluegrass. 


A discussion at a Muskoka Coffee House with Beverly Robertson reminded us that Highway 61 actually started at Thunder Bay, Ontario. So that meant to truly "follow that dream" we needed to head west to Thunder Bay. Luckily for us we had friends on the way we could visit, and stay with so it was off to the "Soo" i.e Sault Ste Marie.


Our friends in the "Soo" are Collingwood Marianna's dad Otto and his partner Pam. They had stayed with us in Narooma in 2010 and had said to us that if we were in Canada we should come and visit. In order to get to Thunder Bay and Highway 61 it was necessary to travel through Sault Ste Marie.


Otto, apart from being a good bloke, has a number of great attributes and one of those attributes is that he's a chef and he (and his brother) own a restaurant. That's where we met them at 8pm that's where we were able to satisfy the hunger we'd  built up during the 7 hour trip. Very nice!!!


Next morning Otto was off at his day job as a Lecturer in Food Technology at the local College. Pam was to be our "Tour de Soo Guide" and she did a great job!!! First stop was to see where the Saint Mary's River met Lake Superior, the more time we spend in Canada the more water we see.........

We were there long enough time to remind ourselves that spring in Canada can be cool. After enough time to see the body of water we'll be following for the next 2 days we headed to the marvellous Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre. We could have spent hours there. 

 

After a lot of education and a bit of fun we said goodbye to the history of flight in the north of Canada and went home to pick up Otto and to head to where he had his "Camp" St Joseph's Island was interesting and his "Camp" would be great in the summer. It wasn't too bad in the spring and it was made better by the Pancake and French Toast Dinner we had.

Two days at the Soo was made great by our hosts 

Pam and Otto. We'll be back!!!

5 Days at HOME!!!! (Gravenhurst)

Well I have to say that our return to Gravenhurst made us feel that we were very much at HOME. We feel very comfortable here. Much of the comfortable feeling comes from being in a nice place and being surounded by nice people. 


A reprise of the past week may explain why we feel this way!


Day 1 Picked up car and after a few minor scrapes and groans (and a flat battery) we were underway and on our way to our great accommodation (thanks Greg, Jackie and Jacob). We are sooooo lucky!!!!


Friday up early (at least I was) and this is what confronted me 

 Not too shabby eh!!!

A few hours passed and a few pages read (Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom) and the Educator awoke from her slumber. Busy day ahead, hmmmmm what's new!!! Off to school where the Educator spent Black Friday morning with her class of 2011. In the meantime I had the morning at Sander's Motors where the CuRVy was getting checked, lubed and Re Tyred (Tired) i.e.Summer for Winter in preparation for the Grand Tour. A few hours and a few bucks later I made my way to be greeted warmly by Johnnie, Curtis, Caleb and the others who remembered reading to me in the hallway. Potluck Dinner at the Cottage with Marsha, Bryan, Dianne, Leslie and Peter. A good day (and evening for all).

Another late start for Julie who was off to Hardy Lake for a walk with Elaine and a cast of thousands.  For the Apiarist it was back to the cottage and back to the washing. Some people have all the fun? 

 You pick the lucky one!!!!!

 
 




After the return of the educator it was off to a welcome party at Elaine and Dave's. Lots of fun but some emotion during the formalities. One highlight of the night was the dress of the Christensen's who were heading to a "Titanic" event!!! 









We had planned to be travelling to Collingwood and visiting our friends Greg and Marianna but our days were not in sync so it was back to the Cottage for a lazy lunch on the dock.

Then a bout of lamington making with Jacob's timely arrival and a visit from Dave and Elaine. Hmmmmm relaxation how did we let that creep in???? Sunday finished with a delightful salmon dinner to celebrate Barb & John's wedding anniversary at Rick and Lisa's.

Monday saw the Apiarist back at the Seniors Centre with the exercise class. Lots of fun but no Kirsten, baaahhh. The Educator was exercising at the NOW COMPLETED  Centennial Exercise Centre where she was joined by the apiarist who made his way through Jaimey's exercises. Julie then had a date at Boston Pizza before an author's visit at school. That night saw us at a Japanese Fusion Restaurant, Wabora in Bracebridge with Jacqui, Greg and Jacob. Fun night with the people who have made this trip so good!!!

Bad news with the car the next morning. A tyre (tire) that was making some noise needed to be replaced and because the CuRVy is an All Wheel Drive it meant FOUR NEW TYRES!!! Oh well guess it is better to be safe than sorry and we do have a few kilometres (miles) to travel. While I was at Sander Motors Julie went walking to the Library with the school team so her morning was not too expensive. Home for a few hours in the afternoon before a great dinner at Blaincroft. Thanks Marsha and Bryan you are great hosts!! Home for a quick bit of packing in readiness for the start of the Great Southern Adventure the next day. 

Dropped the CuRVy off to get the new tyres (tires) and got a lift to Grace & Speed to meet up with the Wednesday Workgang. Enjoyed some good company and nice cakes (thanks Anne) before heading off in the now, well shod CuRVy towards Sault Ste Marie..... 

And by the way it was nice to see that "Jeff's" Canoe was on display

 

 

 

TO 2 Gravenhurst

It's taken a while but here is what happened after the Educator and the Apiarist were released from Lester B Pearson. First of all they were collected by Cheryl who transported them to the Avenue Road for their first night in Canada. A bit of travel talk was followed by some "chalk talk". Luckily the Apiarist was able to survive the chalk and the rest of the talk was based around travel!!!!!! Good night was had by all and a bed was much better for sleeping in than the Air Canada TUBE!!!!!


Following an excellent night's sleep and a great coffee the team headed towards 2nd Street School http://www.tdsb.on.ca/schools/index.asp?schno=2076 where Cheryl is Principal. A great School but I'm sure it's a long way from her time at Sutton Primary. http://suttonps.com.au/  The school was fun but I'm sure the children had a far greater variety of backgrounds than Narooma Primary. Oh well they say that variety is the spice of life. 


Following our visit to the school it was back up Yonge Street (Highway 11) and onto Gravenhurst. Thanks heaps to Eileen for the transport to Gravenhurst and to Diane's. Upon our arrival we reacquainted  ourselves with OUR CuRVey (and Diane and Marsha and Bryan). 


It was great to not only meet Diane but to have Marsha and Bryan there for our unofficial welcome. Gravenhurst is full of nice people and it is a nice place.  PRIL


 Unfortunately our CuRVy was a little "flat" but jumper leads got us going!!!!!!! We couldn't help ourselves and decided to make a detour before Kahshe Lake and the welcome from Pete and Lesley (and the bottle of their wine) made us feel totally at home! 

Gravenhurst, Ontario

First things first. We're BAAAAAACCCCCKKKKKK!  


Our return has been easy and seamless. That is if you take away the random Airport Taxi ride from Allambie Heights, the 24 hours stuck in an Air Canada 777B, the malfunction in the Lester B Pearson (Toronto) Airport docking bridge and the interesting transport through airports for people with mobility issues!!!




Truthfully it was a very good trip and it's kind of neat being transported through an airport quickly and easily albeit backwards. Mind you it wasn't as exciting as the trip through Inchon Airport with the Korean version of Basil Fawlty on our trip last year!!!!


Since arriving in Gravenhurst we've been overwhelmed with the welcome and generosity of our friends. We were so lucky to do an exchange here! Not only are Gravenhurstians super friendly but the place is beautiful!!!!!


That beauty has been continued and magnified in our accommodation while in Gravenhurst this time. Due to the generosity of the parents of one of Julie's schoolchildren  we are staying on a cottage on Kahshe Lake The Cottage is stunning, the lake is stunning and Jackie, Greg and Jacob are stunning. 

Our Gravenhurstian friends have been, to put it mildly, welcoming! We have been entertained and greeted warmly wherever we have gone. Only one more sleep until we head west to Sault Ste Marie and beyond.......


Next Post will detail the Gravenhurst adventures of the Schoolteacher and the Apiarist 

Planning...........

It's less than a week until the Educator and the Apiarist say goodbye to the (alleged) warm sun of Narooma and head north once again. The idea is to have the summer vacation that they expected in 2011.

Before Air Canada launches them on the first part of the odyssey from Kingsford Smith and they settle into their "comfortable" space that they will call home for the next 24 hours there are just a few things that have needed to be done!!!!


Not content with the nice things like catching up with family, with friends, getting back to the fun of Bay Street, and enjoying the Narooma summer. Nor the necessary things like bookwork, tax returns, gardening, mowing, oh and returning to school. We've been to a wedding, 2 house concerts (April Verch http://aprilverch.com/ & Dry Bones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G95WHTk4-r0 ), to Roger Waters http://www.roger-waters.com/ at ACER Arena and volunteered at the Four Winds Festival http://www.fourwinds.com.au/ 


Yes we've (or at least the Educator has) been busy. So what's new??? 


Not much but we've planned an itinerary that has included 19 States, & three canadian Provinces including Newfoundland which will be followed by a trip by car from Gravenhurst Ontario to Vancouver.

Sounds like FUN!!!!

So if you're interested stay tuned to this channel!!!