Day 17 - July 31st, 2014 - Wawa to Elliot Lake

Rockies Trip - Final Day (17) July 31st, 2014

Wawa - Elliot Lake

                                                                                                                                                              

The last day of our trip was fairly uneventful. We had hoped to swim in Lake Superior at one of our favourite spots. Mark did take a brief dip at Katherine Cove, but it was too cold for him to allow the water to venture above his waistline. Most of the drive was shrouded in fog or low cloud which rolled mystically off the hills and over the lake. It had its own beauty in a way, and there were some remarkable shots we could have had taken, but missed because the moment had passed. At times, the driving conditions were very poor, so we took our time and drove accordingly. 

We may have already mentioned that the locals say that if you don't like the weather around Lake Superior, just wait for 5 minutes. We have seen that to be true, but we also know that weather patterns can be very localized and we were moving along. That being said, what a difference a bit of sunshine makes. 

Whatever the conditions, we always choose to make the best of it, and Mark was happy to take a break from driving. 

He was especially happy when we stopped off at one of our favourite restaurants - The Voyageurs' Lodge Cookhouse, just 30-40 minutes north of the Soo. We've been here when camping in the area. The food is basic, but good, and the staff are very friendly. I particularly like some of the signs they have dotted around the walls - including this one from the bathroom: 

Mark was even more happy when we encountered more wildlife - perhaps not as spectacular as the grizzlies and elk out west, but interesting just the same. This was probably the closest we had gotten to a couple of sandhill cranes that were hanging out on the side of the road. I had not seen the coloured markings on their heads before. 

Stopping at a farm that we have seen so often on our journeys back and forth to the Soo, we took some pics of some domesticated Bison. I have often wondered what the difference was between buffalo and bison, so I looked it up and, to my surprise, buffalo are officially not to be found in North America (in spite of visiting Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump a few years back.... and bit in the song about where the buffalo roam!) Apparently, buffalo are only to be found in Africa and Asia, and bison in North America!  Who knew! I think that, as language is so fluid, buffalo has become the generic name for these creatures. There are several physical differences, too. If you are interested, here's a link to check out: Differences Between Buffalo and Bison. 

About 40 minutes from home, there had been an accident on Highway 17 which snarled the traffic up for over an hour. We edged along slowly and, while hoping that there were no fatalities or serious injuries involved, couldn't help appreciating the irony of the fact that we had traveled 1000's of km only to be held back just minutes from home!! No complaints, though. We used the time to plan out the weeks ahead, and check e-mails etc. on our mobile phone. 


It was truly a welcoming feeling to finally arrive to see our city sign as we approached home. We've found that, no matter where we travel and how much fun we have, we still get excited at the thought of living in Elliot Lake. 


We'd like to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for following our trip out West. Your comments have been much appreciated and it's been great to have you 'journey' along with us. 

With the warmest of regards, 

Alan and Mark