9/15/12 Thunder Bay to Nipigon, ON

Now we're off onto the Canadiana part of the tour.  Gone are the bakeries but we still had some treats tucked inside our Bob bags, including the rum and brandy cakes from the Jam Pot up in the  Keweenaw Peninsula.  Being a Saturday morning there wasn't much traffic in town so we took the most direct route to the Trans-Canadian Hwy., east on Arthur St and follow it around through the old downtown as it changes directions and names then head over to Lakeshore and take that to the highway about 20 miles total.  The Great Bakery Tour is now the White Knuckle/White Line Tour because this part of the Trans-Can Hwy is the only east/west route, there's no shoulder, it only 2 lanes wide and full of trucks.  By the time we got to the highway the trucks were in full force coming so close to us I could reach out and touch them, instead I was holding on tight trying to keep upright on the white line.

This highway doesn't have rest stops or roadside picnic tables like the US.  It does have cross roads and snowplow turn-arounds.  Much to Tom's surprise I pulled onto a cross road, still standing over my bike a declared this is our lunch stop.  He wanted a place to sit down and take a little break, but that's not an option.  After this rude awakening he became used to our new lunch stops.

We made it to Nipigon about 3:30pm and stayed at the Northland Motel.  These motels are mom and pop places and the owners take great pride in their property.  They were all clean, most also had a restaurant or one very close by.  We had to ride into Nipigon for dinner at the Nipigon Cafe, the only place open.  There we met a couple in the road construction business.  They said that section of the road is being made into a 4 lane highway, unfortunately it should have been done years ago when the government had the money and there were more trucks on the road.  More info was the trucks take highway 11, just a little further east of here because it's flatter, so even though they drive further, they save a lot of fuel.  Highway 17, which we're on gets very hilly, more so than in the US.

9/14/12 Grand Marais, MN to Thunder Bay, ON, CN

We left Terry and Janet's and headed up the road to Naniboujou for breakfast.  It's now a resort but was originally planned to be a private lodge back in the 1920's but the stock market crash killed that idea.  Continuing north we stopped at the Pigeon River park and hiked to the high falls.  These are the highest falls in MN that carved out a deep narrow gorge.  The Pigeon River is also the US-CN border.  Next stop was Canadian Customs, no problem, we were the only ones there, and then the visitor center.  We spent quite a bit of time there trying to get lodging in Thunder Bay.  Several of the hotels were booked so we ended up at the Comfort Inn on Arthur St.  The easiest way to get there would be ride up route 61 and turn right on Arthur, however bikes aren't allowed on 61 in town.  We had to take the business loop-Chippewa- to James St., over a train/car bridge to Arthur and turn left on Arthur.   We were there during rush hour, busy traffic but made it safe.  Dinner was at Naxo's, a mediterranean restaurant within walking distance.  The temperatures are cooling down and I wore my thin down jacket which felt good.

Temperance River State Park to Grand Marais, MN

This was a nice short day, only 38 miles to Tom's friend's,Terry and Janet, house just north of Grand Marais, MN.   We broke camp and then hiked up to the Temperance River Falls.  Down at the mouth of the river a guy was fishing, catching salmon where they waited in a pool before continuing their upstream travels.  We rode part of the Gitchi-Gami trail where it parelleled the highway.  Once back on the highway the shoulder does get narrow but the traffic wasn't bad so it wasn't a big issue.  Wait until Canada when there's no shoulder.  Once in Grand Marais we stopped for lunch at the Angry Trout.  Terry and Janet joined us.  Tom felt something unusual with his chain and so we stopped by the Superior North Bike shop to have it checked out.  Sure enough one link was coming apart.  Good thing he had his spare chain.  The guy put it on for free.  Tom left him a nice tip.  Next stop was the grocery store to get more raisins, nuts and M&Ms for the GORP mix.  A few miles up the road we made it to Terry's house, right on the lake.  It was wonderful to sit back and relax, get the laundry done, a nice hot tub, a wonderful home cooked dinner complete with homemade wild blueberry pie and wonderful hosts.  Thanks so much Terry and Janet.  This was our last stay in the USA.  Look out Canada, here we come!

Made it to Grand Marais, MN

Tonight's our last night in the states. For the next week we're in Ontario along the Trans-Can Highway. Unless the place we're staying at has Internet I won't be posting anything until I get back home.

Sent from my iPhone

Superior North Bike Shop Grand Marais, MN. They replaced Tom's broken chain

Grand Marais, MN harbor

Gitchi-Gami Trail. It follows 61 for a while