Day 27: From the Soo to the Bay

Day 27 was a long day of driving from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay. The journey was over 700 kilometres. We left at 9:00 a.m., stopping at the Panorama Amethyst Mine, the largest in North America, and arrived in Thunder Bay at about 6:30 p.m. As long as it was, the drive was enjoyable since the weather was so nice and there were many vistas of Lake Superior. During our trip east, the weather was so bad that the views weren't anything to speak of. The kids all enjoyed their visit to the mine and bought some Amethyst for themselves. We got in to the Travelodge Thunder Bay, had a swim and dinner, and now we are settling in for the night. Tomorrow is another long day of driving from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg.

Day 26: Back to the Soo

Day 26 was spent travelling the 650 kilometres along Highway 17 from Deep River to Sault Ste. Marie. It was a long drive, but everyone managed. We stopped off at Sudbury to see "The Big Nickel". It is 9 metres high and about 60 centimetres thick. Nickel is plentiful in the Sudbury Basin. We found our hotel (the same Days Inn we stayed at while heading east) and had a quiet evening in Sault Ste. Marie.

Days 21 to 25: Relaxing in "The Deep"

How nice it was to finally arrive back in Deep River after our Maritime excursion. We arrived back on Friday evening and were expecting Bob and Wynn back late Sunday afternoon. The weather wasn't great in Noranda and so Bob and Wynn arrived back home Saturday afternoon, surprised when the kids ran out to greet them. The next few days were restful and relaxing. The kids enjoyed playing down by the river and going on canoe rides to the beach. In particular, all three of them loved to jump out of the canoe and swim back to shore once they got close to home (don't worry, they had life jackets on and the river is very shallow near the shores). See the pictures below.

Sam and Jake swim to shore after a canoe ride (see that white speck in the background??? It's Kate :-)

Kate follows Dad to shore

Kate makes it to shore

An exhausted Kate cuddles with Grandy

A beautiful sunrise over the Ottawa River

On Tuesday, Bob and Wynn were gracious enough to offer to watch the kids while we went in to Ottawa for the day. It was a great day. We had a nice lunch outside on Sparks Street, we visited Byward Market, went on a sunset cruise on the Ottawa River, and took in the light and sound show at the Parliament Buildings.

Tasty lunch at the Byward Cafe

Carrie enjoys lunch on Sparks St.

Rideau locks before

After

Rideau Locks

Carrie and Antonio on river cruise

Rideau Falls

Sir John A. MacDonald's Residence

Parliament Buildings from the Ottawa River

Glorious sunset over the Ottawa River

The Parliament Buildings are lit up!

Days 19 and 20: Westward Ho!!!

PEI was great. On Thursday morning, we began our journey west. After a short drive in PEI, we arrived at and crossed Confederation Bridge. What an amazing structure. We got off on the New Brunswick side to take some photos.

New Brunswick, unfortunately, we found pretty disappointing. So, we literally got through it as fast as possible. At its most northern point is Campbellton, a main crossing point over to Quebec. Driving across the Gaspe Peninsula, we finally made it to Rimouski and Route 132. This part of the drive was very enjoyable as this highway runs along the St-Lawrence Seaway and offers magnificent views. We continued on and stopped in Riviere du-Loup. We found a Days Inn and they had very few "rooms" left. We were given 301, but shortly, we discovered there was no third floor. Right beside the hotel, we about 10 small cabins, and we had one of them. For slightly more than a room, we had our own little cabin for the night. Below is a photo of Carrie on the balcony. The kids enjoyed the pool. Sam's swimming has really improved on this trip. He now jumps into the deep end and swims over the the shallow end. Jake is a fish as always. And Kate, with the aid of water wings, has also taken to the water. She is quite happy to jump into the deep end and swim on her own (with us nearby of course). She even had a go at the slide!


Friday was driving, driving, and more driving. We left Riviere du-Loup at about 9:45 EST. Roughly, it's 2 hours to Quebec City, another 2 hours to Montreal, 2 hours further to Ottawa, then a final 2 hours to Deep River. With breaks, we drove this leg in 9.5 hours. Needless to say, we were glad to pull into Deep River. Bob and Wynn are away for a visit in Bob's old neck of the woods, Noranda, Quebec, but they have graciously offered the Robertson homestead to us. We look forward to their return on Sunday!

Confederation Bridge

Back in New Brunswick
Lunch in Miramichi - I thought I was in Ireland!!!New Brunswick lighthouse
Back in Quebec

Beautiful Route 132 in Quebec

Our "room" at the Days Inn, Riviere du-Loup, Quebec
Kate on the slide
Kate the fish
Sam the fish

Days 17 and 18: Exploring the Emerald Isle

Days 17 and 18 were spent exploring Prince Edward Island. After such a great deal of driving to get to places, we have finally arrived at a place that, within 50-100 kilometres, you can be at your destination. Such was the case with Cavendish, northwest of Charlottetown, and setting for Lucy Maud Montgomery's Canadian Classic, Anne of Green Gables. It was a warm day and there were many tourists, especially Japanese. Apparently, Anne of Green Gables is actually part of the curriculum in Japanese schools, and 5% of visitors to the site are Japanese. The site we visited was turned into an 18-hole golf course after the farm was sold in the early 1900s, but was reconstructed and turned into a National Historic Site. Details were taken from photographs, journals, and the books themselves. The kids really enjoyed the visit. Jake has really surprised us. The spirit of the island has crept into his heart and he has purchased the book, Anne of Green Gables. Together with an audiobook on his iPod, he has already read most of the book, and is loving it. Way to go Jake! After visiting Green Gables, we went to Cavendish beach. It was nice, however, thousands of jelly fish had made their way near the beach, so we were all careful in the water. In the evening, we went into Charlottetown to buy tickets to Anne of Green Gables, the play. We also walked the streets and made our way down to the wharf where a free concert was taking place. We enjoyed the "Cows" ice cream and the maritime music.The next day, we visited Province House, PEI's legislative building, and site of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, where Sir John A. MacDonald and the rest of the "Fathers of Confederation" met to start the process of Confederation. It was interesting to walk the same hallways and climb the same stairs these men did, and be in the same room where the early discussions of Canadian Confederation took place. At 2 p.m., we took in the play. The kids loved it. Kate actually met Anne! In the evening, we went for a drive along the southern shore and found a Provincial Park called Argyle Shores. The kids enjoyed the warm water and red sand, particularly Sam (see below). On our way back, we were treated to a beautiful sunset of Augustine Cove. What a wonderful way to conclude our stay in PEI. In the morning, we look forward to crossing Confederation Bridge, then making our way through New Brunswick, stopping in Quebec, then making it back to Deep River, Ontario, in a couple of days. We have a great deal of driving ahead of us :-)

Green Gables - Cavendish, PEI
Anne's Room
Kids have their picture taken in Anne's garden
Kids in the carriage
Mom, Dad, and Kate go for a carriage ride too!
Kate took this photo!!!
A PEI staple - potatoes
PEI's distinctive red soil
PEI ice cream - COWS
Cows ice cream bar
Kids sitting on the cow
Outdoor concert in Charlottetown
Province House - PEI Legislative Building and 1864 meeting place for the "Fathers of Confederation"
The Fathers of Confederation met around this table
Kate meets Anne Shirley - Kate was shy
Kate tries to look like Anne
Sam doesn't eat lobster, but he finds them very interesting
PEI Provincial Park - Argyle Shores



Sunset over Augustine Cove, PEI. Confederation Bridge is to the left.