Mini Road Trip - Feb. 18th - Day 3

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.

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