Rocks, Water, and Food

On the way from Nipigon to Thunder Bay we had to stop to see two things:  Ouimet Canyon and an amethyst mine.  In most of the parks we have visited, we have stopped to see waterfalls.  Canada has many beautiful falls and we wanted to see as many as we could.  Ouimet Canyon has no waterfalls - just lots of powerful, mammoth rock walls left behind by the glaciers.  Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park turned out to be this tiny provincial park that is unmanned in the early morning and very quiet.  We parked the car and looked for trail information.  We discovered that the trail was also part boardwalk.  It was a circular one kilometer walk with two "viewing pods" along the way.  It was a cool, sunny morning just perfect for a walk.  As I walked, I imagined the forest creatures walking along with me and admiring the harsh, rocky beauty of the canyon walls and the watery blue vista of lakes beyond the canyon where the earth was gentler.

Trailhead

Geological Info

A Sample of the Beauty of Ouimet Canyon

The visit to the amethyst mine was totally different.  It is still an active mine - and therefore pretty loud.  The current owners took possession in 1980.  We learned about how the amethyst is formed and which kinds are rare.  We saw huge rocks with amethyst veins running through and some with jagged amethyst "teeth" forming one whole side.  Those would be pretty cool to have in your yard!  Of course, we picked up a few souvenirs there.  And then we headed toward Thunder Bay - it's a city, not a village like most of our other stops.

Dennis thought this was wasteful on the part of Bacchus

These souvenirs were too big for the Honda

 Thunder Bay is an old town that has gone through many changes - mining wealth, shipping wealth, and manufacturing wealth.  Some parts of the city look very old and run down; other parts are undergoing a dramatic renewal.  But, through all of this change, the people we met were uniformly friendly and helpful.

The two adventures we wanted in Thunder Bay were a visit to the local museum and a trip out to Kakabeka Falls 20 miles west of town.  The museum trip was informative and interesting with both regular exhibits and new, rotating exhibits.  The new art exhibit this time is a series of photos of people with tattoos.  Each one is accompanied by a story from the tattooed person telling his or her story about the tattoo(s).  The photos were great and many of the stories were very touching.  The tattoo exhibit provided a real contrast to the historical exhibits.

Of all the waterfalls we have seen so far, Kakabeka was the largest.  It is so dramatic, loud, and beautiful that I hated to have to share it with others.  I just wanted to take pictures and meditate with the falls.  I am only sharing a few of the MANY pictures we took.  We had a lovely morning there. 

At the top of the falls - peaceful?

 Right Side

 Left Side

The Full Majesty of the Falls

 Throughout our trip I haven't said much about food.  It is one thing I struggle with when we travel.  I have to have vegetables and fruit in good quantity in my diet, but eating on the road does not always provide them.  In fact it is an adventure - and NOT an adventure in new ways to fix vegetables!  The most common vegetable dish is a tossed salad - usually iceberg lettuce - or something deep fried - usually french fries.  In Canada french fries are ubiquitous and are often called "chips".  There are chip stands located in many small towns.

We had good meals in many of the places we stayed, but I was craving vegetables.  When we were in Nipigon, the farthest north, most remote and smallest town we stayed in, we were delighted to find the Edgeview restaurant.  It looks like an ordinary house with a large deck from the outside.  Inside, there are a dozen tables with chairs.  The walls are painted a pale yellow and large, colorful paintings by a local artist adorn the walls.  The menu is small and seasonal, but the best part is that each entree is accompanied by fresh, elegantly prepared vegetables!  That meal has allowed me to go a few more days without feeling deprived.  I really do miss cooking for myself, but finding good homestyle cooking has helped.  We noticed there are not many restaurant chains in Canada.  I think this is good, but I'm sure our very own U.P. also does not have many chain restaurants.  Maybe we can stay in a cabin and I can cook my own meals at least once.  I need to do more hiking or I'll come home seriously chubby.