Go West, Young Men! Thunder Bay to Kenora

GO WEST, YOUNG MEN!

Monday, September 9th, 2019

At 6:00 a.m., our alarm reminded us that we had wanted an early start on the next segment of our journey out west. Destination today - Kenora, just 5 1/2 hours drive. Showered and breakfasted, we checked out ahead of time and made our way for a quick revisit to Kakabeka Falls, just 30 km west of Thunder Bay. 

The falls have a drop of 40 m (130 ft) cascading into a gorge. Because of its size and ease of access, it has been consequently nicknamed "the Niagara of the North".

As an aside: we have a friend in Elliot Lake, whose name is Becca. It crossed my mind that if she had been with us - and that if she had been wearing khaki, she would have been khaki-Becca in Kakabeka!!! (I can almost hear the groans!!)

Not much further on, we came across this sign which announced that, from this point on, all waters travel to the Arctic Ocean, instead of the Atlantic. (There is a similar sign on the way up to Chapleau, just 3 hours north of Elliot Lake). 

I find it so interesting to learn about watershed changes like this ...  it just blows my mind.

For those of you who know me well, you'll also know that I have long been fascinated with the concept of time travel. Here, in this huge country,  there are 6 different time zones, so it gives me the chance travel through time, after a fashion. This morning,  we crossed from Eastern to Central, even though we are still in Ontario. Another clue as to the size of this province.

After a picnic lunch beside small, but picturesque Jackfish Lake, we motored through Dryden, keeping our eyes peeled for wildlife on our way to Kenora. 

Just beyond Dryden, is the famous 'Egli's Sheep Farm.' Our friends, C.J. and Art, told us about this place when we traveled through to Winnipeg, back in 2014. It has now become a 'must stop' whenever we motor out this way. 

Mural showing a scene from the early 1950's

We thought this flowery growth around the bower was rather nice - also revealing the onset of the Fall

A delightful store is full of sheepskin and woollen merchandise,  which is a feast to the eye, but a threat to the pocket! It's so interesting to see the huge variety of goods that claim fleece as their source.

One of my nicknames for Mark is 'Lovely Little Lamb'
(though he can also secure the nickname, 'Silly Sheep' upon occasion!)

A few years back, we paid a fleeting visit to Kenora and loved what we saw. We promised ourselves that we'd return and stay overnight, so we're glad be checking that off our bucket list. It was mentioned, earlier, that we had been watching out for wild life during our journey and, wouldn't you know it, we finally came across three deer - right in the middle of the town of Kenora, itself! 

They were grazing on a grassy knoll, right beside a busy road, completely ignoring all around them. Apparently, they are plentiful in the area, and can be see all year round, throughout the town. Mark was able to use our new camera to zoom in a little closer. 

Kenora is the last town of note before crossing the border into Manitoba, which marks our approach to the prairies. It is actually designated a city, like our own town - but larger) 

The town is situated by a system of bodies of water that are joined to the Lake of the Woods. It's a lovely community that is known for its forestry and mining, but mostly for its attraction for tourists. The Lake of the Woods and numerous smaller lakes situated all around Kenora are the major draw for cottagers who summer here. Many are from the neighbouring province of Manitoba, and the State of Minnesota, to the south. We saw several vehicles with licence plates to attest to that fact. 

Photograph: courtesy of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNcZLaRzbvk

After settling into our hotel room, we ventured out to the Vernon Nature Area, about 15 minutes out of town. Having sat in a car for several hours, it felt good to be moving our bodies, once again. 

Map of the several short trails open to the public

Mark on the trail, with camera in hand

We didn't see any wildlife on the trails, but did find the site of an osprey nest which, unfortunately, had been abandoned.

The site of an abandoned Osprey Nest

A panorama taken from the Wetlands, including a view of the osprey nest

While on the viewing platform, we saw a group of people coming towards us along the boardwalk. We decided to wait for them to reach the platform, rather than trying to pass them on the narrow walkway. When they arrived, we got into a conversation with them and learned that many of them were visiting from Cornwall, Ontario - over 2,000 km away. Wouldn't you know it - one of them knew a friend of ours who lives in Elliot Lake! Talk about a small world!

Although we didn't see any wild animals, we did see some rather interesting fungi on the trails.

An interesting growth upon a broken silver birch trunk

Lastly, we heeded the advice of Dave, our brother-in-law in the U.K., who had researched the area online, and wanted to make sure that we took a picture of 'Husky, the Muskie' - an agree-upon nickname for a 40-ft tall outdoor sculpture that is well known in the area!

Thanks for the advice, Dave!

No sooner promised, than fulfilled, we just escaped an oncoming rain shower before heading back to the hotel room. 

Next section, tomorrow, will be an 8 hour journey to Regina, Saskatchewan, via Manitoba - so another early night is on the cards!