Canada!

As you approach Canada, northbound on highway 61, there's a point where you crest a hill, and the elevation gives you an incredible view to the north. It's picture-perfect and says, "Ahead lies Canada — It's wonderful!"

At the Canadian border, we were met by rather stern border guards. We were grilled about our nationality, residence, purpose of trip, and contents of the RV. Menominee was required to show her certificate of vaccination (thanks, Dr. Julie!) and I had to go indoors to meet with an Immigration Officer. I pleaded "eight-week vacation" but he seemed suspicious that I might have other designs. Eventually, almost grudgingly, he allowed us in. Whoo-hoo! We're in Canada now! As we approached Thunder Bay, we heard thunder overhead.

Western Ontario

After a night camped in Thunder Bay, we headed west on the Trans-Canadian Highway. Suburbs give way to wilderness, and I mean real wilderness. The highway goes along the border of Quetico Provincial Park, the wilderness that is neighbor to Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The road is two lanes of blacktop heading west past dense forest. There are no cars in front of you, none behind you, as far as you can see. It's just you and the wilderness, which is deep and dark and gorgeous and enticing, but you can't go in — there are no roads into the wilderness. You can't even stop, because there's no place to stop. No scenic overlook, no rest stop, not even a turnout for a side road, and the shoulders are so narrow, by the time you'd pulled off the road, you'd have tumbled into the ditch. You just gotta keep going, on and on, watching the beauty go by.

Nearly out of gas and daylight, we arrived at Atikokan, a village of cheerful people, one campground, and one Internet cafe. (In short, perfect!) It was here that I first heard the "eh?" expression used by a Canadian, and it didn't make me laugh! It seemed perfectly normal and natural, a grammatical construction as understandable to me as to him.

Another day of driving past rugged forests brought us to Fort Frances, across the border from International Falls, MN, and Rainy Lake — yes, the weather was a bit rainy. Had dinner at a KFC and discovered that the Colonel uses a different recipe up here in Canada — very mild — and there's no choice of original, crispy, or grilled. Well, here I am, living like a Canadian!

Mosquitoes? Yes, Canada has them too, and they aren't much different from Minnesota's, although I did see one that was big enough it looked like it could be growing feathers. We like to think of Canada as a purer, better place, but, as a tourist brochure suggests, Your vacation will be more enjoyable if you use insect repellent. Menominee loves to hunt and catch and eat moths and dragonflies, and I had hopes that she might hunt mosquitoes too (and earn her keep). But no, she ignores them. I held a dead one under her nose; she sniffed it and turned away — unappetizing, I guess.

Our radio reception to this point had consisted of Minnesota Public Radio throughout Minnesota, and even after we crossed into Canada we could pick up one MPR station or another (Houghton, Bemidji). But as we headed north and left the border behind us, we found slim pickings. Usually there were one or two local stations playing popular music, but CBC wasn't always there — it makes no attempt to cover all of Canada. Makes you appreciate the way MPR and NPR cover their territories.

Still in beautifully wooded hills, we stopped for the night at Caliper Lake Provincial Park, a real gem out in the middle of nowhere.(Recommended) I guess its secret is being far enough away from civilization to keep out the riffraff, because on this July weekend the campground was only a third filled. Quiet, peaceful, on the shore of a pristine lake, and at sundown the call of the loon. The following night we stayed at Rushing River Provincial Park, whose hundreds of campsites were nearly filled by families with kids. Evidently it's close enough to Winnipeg that the city folk like to come here for vacation.

Next day we explored Kenora, population 16,000, picturesquely located on the northern shore of Lake of the Woods (yes, the same Lake of the Woods of Minnesota repute — it extends way up here). Little Kenora has obvious potential for excellence but unfortunately the town government is going about it in the wrong ways — for example covering downtown with parking meters and building an ugly concrete parking ramp. Sigh. I found an electronics store here and inquired about an accessory for my PC, but they didn't have any. Asked also at the WalMart, but they didn't have any either. (Makes you want to order it on the Internet, doesn't it?)