After packing up the car and securing the canoe to the roof, we left the house around 8 am, heading north through Michigan’s lower peninsula. We had lunch before crossing the Mackinaw Bridge at our favorite eatery, the Dairy Queen, and made it to Sault Ste. Marie around 2 pm. The international border was quiet and we quickly crossed into Canada.
The Trans Canadian Hwy 17 runs along the east and north shores of Lake Superior and is a beautiful drive! Traffic on the highway is surprisingly light and this rugged landscape is sparsely populated. There are stunning views out over Lake Superior and its islands.
After a 10 hour day, we finally stopped in Marathon, Ontario. Dinner was sandwiches at the Tim Hortons and then quickly down to Pebble Beach to sip hot chocolate and watch the sunset. We stayed at a small but new Travelodge that had opened just two weeks prior and was lacking some furniture.
After a quick breakfast grab from Tim Hortons we were back on the road at 8 am. A few hours later we made one last gas stop before turning north toward Armstrong. This 180 mile road is well maintained but there are no services along the way.
We arrived at Wabakimi Outfitters Lodge on Mattice Lake around 2:30 pm and met Bruce Hyer, the owner of this operation. Bruce is known as “the father of Wabakimi” due to his efforts to create and later expand this park, saving it from logging and mining interests. Bruce reviewed our maps and intended route, marking the best campsites and fishing holes.
We had some time before dinner, so we visited with the other guests. Down at the lake, Jeff tried out a stand-up-paddleboard for the first time (and stayed dry). Ellen grabbed a rod and reel and went fishing. On her first cast she hooked into a nice walleye. A few casts later she got another one. We thought this was going to be a great fishing trip!
The probability of seeing the northern lights were very high so we decided to set an alarm to get up and see them. Jeff got up around 1 am, but saw nothing. We were pretty tired from all the travel.
Journeys with Jeff and Ellen 