Two Days in the Harbor

Monday and Tuesday included watery adventures - and no, we did not jump in!  On Monday we took a tour of the Flowerpot Island area.  We boarded a boat that looked like a floating green house and had a "glass bottom" that I think was really plastic, but very cool.

The boat took us into the Big Tub Harbor first to see a shipwreck and the beautiful Big Tub Harbor Lighthouse.  I liked the tour because of the protection from too much sun, wind and water, but plenty of lovely views.  There were several children on our tour and they all gravitated to the glass bottom section of the boat. 

Then we took a large loop around several islands to see the various rock formations (flowerpots) and the unique flora and fauna.  We learned that there is a type of lichen that is a rusty color and provides a food source for plants - and that gives rise to the forest of cedar trees all over these islands.  The young scantily clad woman in the flowerpot picture was not chosen to distract from the rock formation, but we couldn't wait for her to move because the boat was traveling pretty fast!   

After fun on the water, we visited the visitor's center for the Fathom Five National Marine Park.  It was very educational and fun, with hands on displays that we shared with others.  We ate in a fun little pub called the Crowsnest and thoroughly enjoyed our day and the lovely town of Tobermory.

On Tuesday, it was back to the harbor (at 6:00 a.m.) to catch the Chi-Cheemaun ferry to Manitoulin Island.  We wanted to take the first ferry ride so we had plenty of time for our drive onto the mainland and up to Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.  It's a good thing we gave ourselves extra time.  There was a ton of road work being done on highway 17 that really slowed us down.  But, the road is beautiful!  Driving across Manitoulin was interesting because of the geology.  It was very barren and rocky - not many farms - but lots of water views.

We slowed down as we drove north on highway 17 so we could get a couple of pictures for Spanish, Ontario for Kathy R, our musical violinist.  Her family came from the area and she wanted to know what was there.  It was a tiny town, but there were a few places to eat and one motel, the Spanish Inn.  Here you go, Kathy, it seems to be a small but thriving community!

We arrived in Sault Ste Marie in the afternoon and were able to check into a hotel that is near the riverwalk.  We took a walk and then just sat on a bench watching the water and the small boats, but we kept watching and were rewarded with a view of a huge ore carrier coming down the river and entering the locks.  It was a lovely afternoon.