GORE BAY TO SAULT STE MARIE ONTARIO…A COLD WINDY START, SOME RAIN, & ALL CLOUD:((

IT WAS A COLD & WINDY MORNING WALK IN GORE BAY THIS MORNING

  

OUR BOONDOCKING OVERNIGHT SPOT WAS JUST SOUTH OF THE MARINA & ROLLING SOUTH OUT OF GORE BAY ONTARIO ABOUT 9:30 THIS MORNING

Rains finally ended sometime in the night but wind gusts were still buffeting our awning flaps when I took Pheebs out about 6 a.m.  Temperature was 45F.  Figure in the wind chill factor & we’re in the upper 30’s.   A check of our weather had shown a change again & now called for a sun & cloud day.  By 9 there was no indication of any breaks in the heavy cloud cover & the biting East wind had not let up.  Made the decision to pack up & head off on our continuing journey. 

  

Justified our not toughing out the cold windy day by agreeing that at some point in the future when we are unable to head South in the winter anymore we would one day return to Manitoulin Island.  Leave Bayfield right after a Labor Day week-end in early September & do a warmer weather circle tour up through Collingwood, Parry Sound, Sudbury, Manitoulin Island, Sault Ste Marie, cross into the States at Mackinaw & slip down the Michigan Peninsula crossing back into Canada at Port Huron/Sarnia & back on to Bayfield.  Yep, we’re already looking forward to that trip one day:))

We rolled out of Gore Bay about 9:30.   Gore Bay looks like a nice scenic little town & seemed to have a nice feel to it despite the bad weather.  Saw a Valu-Mart, Home Hardware & a GM dealership all on the main street.  Again had the sun been out the scenery would have been prettier than it already was.  I had to pour a little contrast into today’s photos just to dance a little vibrant color out of the leaves.  Just out of Gore Bay a slight rainy mist followed us across the Island to Little Current where we crossed over to the mainland on a swing bridge at 10:30.  The road from Gore Bay to Little Current was much better than the road from South Baymouth to Gore Bay.  Much better.

 

SWING BRIDGE TO THE MAINLAND AT LITTLE CURRENT

SPOTTED THIS WHAT LOOKS TO BE A LARGE CRUISE BOAT JUST EAST OF LITTLE CURRENT (NOT THE CHI-CHEEMAUN)

Again beautiful northern Ontario scenery all the way from Little Current to Espanola.  It was 11:15 when we rolled into a mall parking lot on Espanola’s southern edge for a leg stretch, egg salad sandwiches & a computer check.  Not raining but cloudy & cold & still very windy.  Decided to press on for Sault Ste Marie.  Just a couple miles north of Espanola we turned left & headed West.

 

ABOVE PHOTOS TAKEN BETWEEN LITTLE CURRENT & ESPANOLA

STOPPED IN AN ESPANOLA MALL PARKING LOT FOR EGG SALAD SANDWICH’S, PICKLES, & CHIPS

Been 40 years since I traveled this stretch of the Trans Canada highway & was expecting a lot of two lane traffic.  I needn’t have worried.  Traffic was surprising lite & I was really surprised at the lack of big trucks.  The highway is much improved since I last drove it & now has lots of passing lanes.  There were long stretches of highway today where no vehicles were visible either ahead or behind us.  My kinda traffic.  Nice Fall foliage all the way but without the sun……well, you know.

Rolled into the ‘Soo’ about 3 o’clock & proceeded to get ourselves a little turned around a couple times but we did manage to finally find Walmart which had a Home Depot beside it.  We knew from experience Home Depot would be quieter so that’s where we dropped anchor for the night.

WE WERE SO HOPING THAT PATCH OF BLUE ON THE HORIZON WAS HEADED OUR WAY BUT ALAS IT VEERED OFF SOMEWHERE & WE ARE STILL UNDER CLOUDY SKIES AT THE END OF THE DAY….BUT MUCH MILDER THAN GORE BAY…WE ARE AT 62F AT 6 P.M.

 

Been having a bit time with one of our rig’s two furnaces.  Bedroom & bathroom area furnace works perfect but the furnace heating the kitchen & living room area is giving us grief.  Monday it blew hot air but would keep shutting itself off after a minutes running.  Kelly tried all the settings but to no avail.  Today it is blowing only cold air.  We (whenever I say we I’m really meaning Kelly) have all the furnace manuals out & are trying to trouble shoot the problem.  If we can’t solve it maybe the manufacture’s of our coach can help us out when we arrive in Winkler Manitoba maybe next week sometime.  In the meantime it’s fur lined boots & toques in the living room & Bermuda shorts & Hawaiian music in the bedroom & bathroom areas.

 

OUR SAULT STE MARIE ROOST FOR THE NIGHT

And we were able to determine the Corner Gas set I want to see has not burned down.  It was another separate building in the town of Rouleau sometimes used in the series that burned.  Whewwwww, close call there…….

 

AN OCTOBER 2012 FILE PHOTO FROM SPENCERPORT NEW YORK:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Shortly after reporting to the 101st Airborne Division, we were ordered to fall out in our dress uniforms. Only problem was, I didn't know how to tie a necktie. So I asked the guy in the next bunk for help.
"Sure," he said. "Lie down."  Confused, I lay down on the bunk and he tied my tie. "Sorry, but this is the only way I know how," he said. "Comes from practicing on my father's clients."  "What does your father do?"  "He's a mortician."

---

Most of us consider ourselves broadminded enough to admit that there are two sides to every argument. First and foremost, there is our side, and then there is the side that no reasonably intelligent, informed, sane, and self-respecting person could possible hold.

TOBERMORY TO SOUTH BAYMOUTH & GORE BAY ON MANITOULIN ISLAND…A COLD, WET, & WINDY NIGHT:((

SOUTH BAYMOUTH HARBOR ABOUT NOON TODAY ON MANITOULIN ISLAND

Quiet night but we were both awake from about 3 a.m. on for some reason.  Nice early morning with 50F outside.  Said to Kelly this will probably be our mildest night time temperature until we get down into Utah later.  Vehicles started rolling into the pre-boarding parking lot about 6:30 a.m.  One semi-truck cab & a pick-up had come in around 3:30.  Right at 7 a fellow showed up to measure us & get everyone organized for boarding.  Half hour later we were all moved to a lower parking lot & lined up in rows.  It was here we paid the $216.00 upcoming ferry ride fee for the Motorhome & Jeep.  I was in the company of logging trucks while Kelly was at the head of the line in another lane.

RE-ASSURING PHEEBS THE BOAT RIDE WILL BE JUST FINE

ALL LINED UP FOR THE FERRY & READY TO GO…KELLY’S AT THE HEAD OF HER LINE

CLOSE QUARTERS BUT IT GETS EVEN CLOSER ON THE FERRY

We had nearly an hour before boarding so took us for a wee walk around Little Tub harbor.  Too bad about the heavy cloud cover but that’s the way it was. 

 

THIS FELLOW WAS FEELING AS SOUR ABOUT THE WEATHER AS WE WERE

We were all back in our vehicles by 8:20 & a few minutes later the boarding process commenced.  I saw Kelly & the Jeep heading for the boat.   A minute later our line began to move & Pheebs & I were soon swallowed up inside the big whale as well. 

 

KELLY HEADS FOR THE BOAT RAMP WITH PHEEBS & I ABOUT A MINUTE BEHIND

Not a lot of room between vehicles & the key to getting it right is paying attention to the fellow’s hand signals who is directing you into your spot.  I did that & we had no problems.  I didn’t know where Kelly was but hoped she didn’t have to drive up one of those narrow steep ramps.  She didn’t.  Said good-bye to a very sad faced Pheebs & headed for a nearby stairwell to an upper deck.  Took me about 10 minutes of looking to find Kelly who had just taken about 10 minutes looking for me.

 

IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO DIRECTIVE HAND SIGNALS

THIS CHI-CHEEMAUN MODEL SHOWS HOW VEHICLES ARE PARKED ON THE BOAT DECK

Standing outside just under the bridge we watched as the big canoe slowly backed away from it’s mooring while lowering the large 50 ton bow.  We swung around & were soon on our way.  Had a stiff breeze blowing & the water was a bit choppy.  Could feel a slight rolling action but not enough to toss up our cookies.  There was also a slight mist in the air so the view was not the best.  Even the Islands we passed heading out were mere dark objects.  Had the sun been out we could have seen those Islands ablaze in their Fall colors.

 

THE CHI-CHEEMAUN BACKS AWAY FROM HER BERTH, SWINGS AROUND & HEADS FOR THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE HURON & GEORGIAN BAY

 

LOOKING BACK TO WHERE WE’VE BEEN & LOOKING AHEAD TO WHERE WE’RE GOING

 

CAFETERIA & LOUNGE…WE SAT IN THEM BOTH

 

Spent some time on different outside deck levels both fore & aft before finally retreating inside where it was warmer.   I wasn’t hungry until we walked into the cafeteria & minutes later I had a plate of scrambled eggs with sausages, home fries toast & coffee.  And the price was even cheaper than most of the restaurants around Bayfield & Goderich.

A MIGHTY BIG BLUE SMOKE STACK

 

A CREW MEMBER HOSES DOWN THE DECK…WE WERE TOLD THIS WHOLE CHI CHEEMAUN CREW ARE NEWFOUNDLANDERS

  

ME & MY TOQUE…WE WERE DRESSED FOR A COLD DAMP WINDY CROSSING BUT IT WASN’T TOO BAD

The crossing is less that 2 hours & before long sitting in the lounge behind the bow I could make out a long dark object ahead on the distant horizon.  The mist had lifted & it was Manitoulin Island. 

MANITOULIN ISLAND DEAD AHEAD

 

A ladies voice finally came on the intercom telling people to head below decks & proceed to their vehicles for disembarking.  Luckily I remembered my stairwell & found the Big EEE right off.  A lot of people weren’t so fortunate as I saw many wandering about with puzzled looks on their faces trying to find their vehicles.

 

 

TIGHT QUARTERS & WE BEGIN TO ROLL OUT…KEEP IN MIND I AM USING A WIDE ANGLE LENS SO THAT EXIT POINT IS NOT AS FAR AWAY AS IT LOOKS

KELLY WAVES TO PHEEBS & I AS WE RUMBLE BY

Pheebe was absolutely ecstatic when I opened the rig’s door.  Her tail was wagging so fast it almost knocked all our furniture right out of the rig.  She had been just fine in the rig & nothing was asunder.  Wasn’t long & I saw daylight flooding in ahead.  The big stern door was open & we were soon moving.  Kelly gave me a big wave as Pheebs & I off the big canoe before she did.  Now, where were we going to find each other ashore??

 

HERE SHE COMES, SHE FOUND ME

Luckily I spotted a big parking area about 30 seconds after driving ashore so pulled in hoping Kelly would see the rig when she disembarked.  She did.  Hooked up the Jeep & took a walk back to-wards the Chi-Cheemaun for a few photos of the stern entrance plus a few photos around the harbor.  Despite the inclement weather we decided to head for Meldrum Bay anyway.   Forests were ablaze with un-lit subdued color.  Oh if it had only been sunny what a wonderland of candied colors we would have seen. 

I’M GUESSING AT SAND HILL CRANES HERE

Highway 542 is very winding with a lot of curves & old pavement plus gravel sections.  We averaged 40 mph. Took a drive into Providence Bay thinking we might stay there but drove right out again & went on to Gore Bay.

SLIPPING ON DOWN INTO GORE BAY

By the time we reached Gore Bay around two I was tired & my legs were bothering me.  Luckily we found a little spot near the water to pull in & stop.  Didn’t see any signs saying no overnight camping so decided to hunker down here for the night.

GORE BAY MARINA OVER YONDER

 

THIS IS BEFORE THE COLD WET RAINS BEGAN

About 3 o’clock a camper van pulled in beside us & man got out.  Figured oh-oh we’re going to have to move.  But no………this man was a long time Bayfield Bunch reader.  Reading my Sunday night post his wife Joan knew we were in the area & while driving (him & his wife live here) around he spotted us down by the water.  Dave Parker is one of those Senior semi jolly type Englishmen with that great English accent as well.  Said he & his wife have been reading my blog for years.  They go to Coyote Howls in Why Arizona for the winter so we had a lot in common to talk about.  Boy what a small world sometimes.  Just after Dave left to pick up his wife & bring her back the skies opened up & down came the rains.  They never made it back & I don’t blame anyone for not going out in a cold pouring rain.  Checking weather maps & channels it looks like the rains are here to stay for awhile.  Doesn’t look like we are going to head for Meldrum Bay now.  Not wanting to sit for days in the rig we’ll probably head out in the morning for Little Current, drive off the Island up through Espanola & continue our journey westward. 

DAVE POINTS OUT A FEW FEATURES IN OUR RIG SIMILAR TO HIS CLASS C TIOGA WHICH HE KEEPS IN WHY ARIZONA

And ‘OH-NO’ what is this we have just heard about a fire Sunday night on the set of where CORNER GAS was filmed in Rouleau Saskatchewan.  That Corner Gas site is one of the main reasons we are where we are right now.  That was our last Canadian destination before heading south across the border.  Ivan sent us an email informing us of the fire.  Several readers have since sent emails knowing that is where we were headed.  Kelly has been showing me pictures of the Foo Mart building that burned & it does not look like the Store between the Ruby & the Corner Gas building.  I’m thinking now that is not where the fire took place.  We will stay on this story to make sure it is not the location I want to see.  If it was it would mean we could be in for a major shift in the direction of our travel plans.  A major shift indeed!!  As I am set to post this tonight it is pouring rain, cold, & windy.  I have a feeling we will be heading for the main land first thing in the morning…………….

 

THANKS FOR TODAY’S GREAT MEMORIES MS CHI-CHEEMAUN

BYE BYE:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A man showed some friends his apartment. One guest asked "What's that big brass basin for?" "That's the talking clock," answered the man. He gave it an ear shattering pound with a hammer. Suddenly, a voice on the other side of the wall screamed, "Knock it off, it's 2 a.m., you idiot!"