#2: Rocks and Trees

Yeah!  I am finally sitting in Jenny's little house in Saskatoon after a lot of driving and a lovely one day layover in Dauphin, Manitoba.

But first--before Manitoba and Saskatchewan--we had to get out of Ontario.

The challenge is to get from Guelph (in the south, near Lakes Erie and Ontario) up and around a couple of other Great Lakes, Huron and Superior.  Even though it doesn't look that far, this stretch of road is 2,000 kms--two loooooong days of driving-- and when you reach Kenora, the last sizable town before you get to the Manitoba border, you still aren't out of the woods.  Really. 

This very long stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway is known for it distinctive landscape of rocks, trees, more rocks and trees, and glimpses of sparkling water.   With pink/grey granite rising on either side, along with a mix of evergreens and deciduous trees,  the road seems to pass through mountains that mysteriously lack elevation. (These rocks belong to the Canadian Shield, a very old geological formation that covers half the country from Quebec to Manitoba.)

The scenery is so iconic that it even rates its own song -- Wendall Ferguson's homage to this northern highway,  Rocks and Trees

Rocks and trees......

The ideal trip around the northern Great Lakes should involve some sort of outdoor activity--boating, hiking, and fishing are all popular in the summer.  There are very few stores of any variety,  but even if you can't find a restaurant or a cup of coffee for miles and miles, you can always buy bait or tackle.

The best campgrounds in Ontario are along this route and we have stayed in every one over the years.  As we passed Kakabeka Falls, and Rushing River Provincial parks we recalled these as favorite locations when we went camping with the kids.  But this time we were not pulling a tent trailer.  We were staying in motels where piles of rags in the bathrooms are identified with special notes that advise:  If you are cleaning hockey equipment or snowmobile gear please use the cloths provided, and keep our towels clean!  I half expected another more seasonal message: Clean your fish outside!