Day 2 Heading North

Today was a gorgeous drive from St. Paul, MN up Highway 61 along the shores of Lake Superior, waves lapping up the shore, tall Aspens and evergreens and the sun shone brilliantly on the water.  

We had the good fortune of finding a tourist information guide right as we started up the North Shore who excitedly told us all the "hot spots" for the best view of the lake.  

Enjoyed the best all fresh fish tacos at Emily's Lighthouse

FYI, there's a lot of great places to stay all along HWY 6` -- 'wish we'd known that b/4 -- but that's what this trip is all about -- DISCOVERY.  

Gooseberry Falls -- it was roaring today because of the 4 inches of rain they'd gotten in the past 2 days.

That gal is lying right on a narrow sea wall above a steep cliff

ve a steepcliff

 We leisurely made our way North all afternoon and what was to be a six-hour trip to Thunder Bay turned into almost nine.  It was worth it -- T even let me check out a yarn shop in one little village.
There were cabins dotting the shore line for miles --it made us wonder what it looks like in winter.

We've had strange responses from people when they would hear we were coming to Thunder Bay for vacation.  My nephew's wife, also from Canada -- asked her mother-in-law -- "Why Thunder Bay? -- I've never heard of anyone vacationing there" -- The Canadian Border Agent asked "What made you choose Thunder Bay as your destination?"  

Don't know if it was an official question to determine if we were doing some illegal business or what everybody seemed to be asking -- i.e. "what would make a sane person choose Thunder Bay Ontario?"  Sort of like the guy at McDonald's tonight who asked why we had come all this way from OK and if we we come on motorcycles. 

Makes you a little leery about this town -- 


It's definitely a port city -- very industrial  -- 110,000 people-- kind of reminds me of Prince George, BC on the other coast.--Not a touristy sort of spot with cute little artsy shops--at first glance more like a coal-mining town.  
BUT -- we've scoured the tourist books and there's a major Fort here, Fort William -- Sunday is an Annual Kite Festival -- there's several gardens -- and we want to locate some community gardens.



Getting to town later in the day, it was hard to get our bearings  -- so glad for their 16 hours of daylight -- otherwise it would have been impossible to find our way back to the motel -- thank you GOD, TB and GPS~
 
The Canadians are living up to their name of being friendly and hospitable.