Mini Road Trip - Feb. 18th - Day 3
Ashland, WI - Thunder Bay, ON
Having
decided that we have an extra day or two, we set off through Duluth, Minnesota,
to turn north towards Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Just around the area of Duluth, there was a fog
which not only created a beautiful hoar frost effect on the trees, but also
brushed the cold road surface resulting in very icy conditions.
Several accidents
held up traffic for about 30 minutes, but once we turned north, we left all
that behind, and were accompanied by a mixture of sun and cloud all the way
along the shoreline of Lake Superior.
There were
several homes along the scenic route which revealed, once again, the human
ability to pick a beautiful spot and turn it into a little piece of heaven.
The
Sawtooth Range is remarkable – especially when the mountains have been kissed
by snow and ice. Talk about a Winter Wonderland! Railroad trestle bridges and tunnels through
cliffs made for an interesting journey, and we’re glad that we chose the more
scenic route rather than sticking to the main highway.
We stopped at Grand Marais, which is full of artisans and unique shops, and has an impressive collection of
restaurants and coffee shops.
A special
place for us was the Temperance River Gorge, which Mark spotted among the
trees. This could easily have been overlooked, but Mark has an aptitude for
finding beautiful scenery. We stopped here, took a short walk along a trail to
discover a terrific example of long-term water erosion.
We had seen these 'snow-bells' earlier on our trip, but at the gorge, we were able to see them up close. They were berries which had remained on the branches since the fall, and had captured the falling snow, giving them an unusual, but charming effect.
Spectacular views, and
running water under the ice and snow made this a memorable stop, and well-worth
a visit when we return to the area at a later date.
Crossing the
Canadian border at Pigeon River, the scenery continued to extract gasps of
wonder from both of us. Lake Superior has to be one of the most picturesque
bodies of water, and the shoreline is breathtaking, whichever way you look at
it.
Arriving in
Thunder Bay, we checked in and then made our way to the monument of one of our
heroes – Terry Fox. Marking the spot near which he was forced to end his ‘Marathon
of Hope’ in 1981, this stands as a permanent record of courage and honour.
Having been involved with the Terry Fox Run every Fall while teaching, I was
quite emotional while standing in this spot. His courage speaks volumes to all
who remember his story.
Now relaxing
in our room, and looking forward to our journey tomorrow along the north shore
of Superior towards Wawa.
Can you drink too much water in a day? See what Science Says (from CBC Olympics). Click here.
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