June 5, 2019
Leaving Whiteshell, we headed east and quickly came to the Ontario border. What was interesting is that the terrain immediately changes so perhaps the change in landscape was what compelled the division of the provinces here. Hard to say but the change was immediate and noticeable.
Right away, the flat prairie gave way to rolling, boney hills and exposed bedrock. Suddenly, it felt like we were back in BC. We left the endless grain fields behind and in their place came equally vast expanses of mixed, dense forest. We had also entered the Lake of the Woods area and this reminded us a lot of the Interlakes area near 100 Mile House in BC. So many little lakes with twisty, curvy shorelines and dotted in amongst the dense trees are cottages of all shapes and sizes with little docks poking out into the water.
Frequently, there were signs saying to watch our fuel as services were sparse so we drove into Kenora to find some gas. Lynn’s mileage is fairly poor given he’s hauling our trailer so we have to be mindful of our range. Kenora is a hub of the cottage country in this area and is on the north end of Lake of the Woods. It’s a very picturesque place.
Southeast of Kenora, the road winds it’s way through more and more rolling hills covered in black spruce and swampy meadows. This whole area, heading towards Thunder Bay, is a fisherperson’s dream. Thousands of lakes flank either side of the highway and thousands of boats and RVs are evidence of the fishing mania out here.
We pulled into the gas station at Upsala and I had a flashback to our trip across Canada six years ago. On that trip, we came along this route in reverse and had stayed at a campsite in Lac Des Mille Lac (Lake of a Thousand Lakes!) which is a beautiful little spot. Until nightfall, that is. And then came the witching hour - about 10 Billion black flies and mosquitos showed up as soon as the sun came down and we spent several hours fighting them off. Finally, we packed up camp in a mad rush and left in a desperate bid to free ourselves from the vicious harassment. When we spotted the Upsala gas station and cafe, we stopped for breakfast and when Lynn pulled his helmet off, about a dozen mosquitos flew out of his helmet!!
Today, we revisited the Upsala gas station and cafe and had lunch there, reminiscing about the horror of our past visit. If you’re through this way, they do make a mighty fine grilled corned beef sandwich.
Leaving the bugs of Lac Des Mille Lac behind, we made our way to Thunder Bay. We’ve been through this way a few times and every time, I’m touched by the memorial on the spot where Terry Fox had to finish his run because his cancer came back. We passed it again today and once again, I’m reminded and grateful of his contribution to cancer research and treatment. Not far past this spot, we found a campsite at the Thunder Bay KOA.
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