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A family reunion in southern Ohio provided the occasion for us to return home via Lake Superior’s Canadian North Shore. It was a pleasure with some surprises.
We were vainly proud here of being what passes for scenic in Minnesota. We expected great open spaces and flatness above the Lake. It turns out that Grand Marais is at the bottom of the Canadian Shield that extends from Nunavet down to us and back up to Newfoundland and Labrador, including Lake Superiors’ North Shore.
Driving the Trans-Canada highway on top of the Lake is like driving our Highway 61—on steroids. Eleven of Ontario’s 25 highest peaks are near Sault Ste. Marie; Tip Top Mountain is near Marathon; and five more of the top 25 Ontario hills are just west of Thunder Bay. Tip Top is 2123 feet high; our Eagle Mountain is 2301 but has little Minnesota company at that height. There are several small cities, the bigger ones having the 3,000 or so people needed to populate a county seat.
More importantly, the canyons you drive through have consistently higher sides, flattened by dynamite and revealing widely varied rock formations and patterns. Without rain, I would’ve stopped multiple time for pictures of rock.
The most common speed limit on the Highway is 90 km/hour, about 56+ mph. It feels slow in most places, but the Canadians are far more generous with passing lanes than the two we have between Beaver Bay and Two Harbors. The traffic moves at about 100 km/ hour.
We went to Mackinac Island by ferry and had a lovely, not cheap, private carriage ride with narration. Our driver, Bob Decker has been there over 45 years. Another highlight was dinner at Henderson’s Castle in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, just over the border. Fine food, good wine, and a welcoming staff made a good evening. It is a B& B with three floors, and a rooftop bar and hot tub. There will be an elevator in about a year. We are waiting for the elevator notice.
The Breakfast Pig-A Badass Eatery the next day was a different experience. You will get the flavor from the attached picture of the wall art showing what is and is not bacon. My favorite dish was PB & Damn.
With 73,000 people, Sault Ste. Marie has what most people will want for culture. Its Michigan sister city has about 13,000, but it has a huge tower you can ride up to view the whole territory including St. Mary’s River connecting Lakes Huron and Superior. The Canadian lock tenders were informative, noting that the big, commercial boats go through the American locks while recreational craft use the Canadian side. More ups and downs to see in Canada.
If you travel with kids or grandkids, there is a delightful park in Nipigon called “Paddle to the Sea.” It uses story to inform as it entertains. Nearby, there is a lovely little Rotary Park with covered picnic tables and some well-labeled marble benches. There are also several Provincial Parks along the way and increasing evidence of the resurgence of First Nations.
If you drink decaf coffee, plan on finding it only at places like Tim Horton’s, Circle K’s, Robins Donuts, and major hotel chains.
I played Chapples in Thunder Bay and visited Strathcona, both city-owned courses. Both are bumpy but easily walkable; I prefer Strathcona because it is longer with more elevation changes and tighter fairways. Play a front nine in Nipigon at the North Shore Golf Club and a back nine at Terrace Bay. Another day could be filled with courses at Marathon and Wawa. Both days involve about 2 hours of driving between nines.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario has four courses including 27 holes at Silver Creek Golf & RV Resort, a First Nation casino course. There are six courses in and around the Michigan Soo. Thunder Bay has nine courses in and around it.
Another trip will give me cause to discuss South Shore courses in Michigan and Wisconsin. Meantime, happy pandemic-free travelling.
Steve Aldrich is a retired Hennepin County lawyer, mediator, and Judge, serving from 1997-2010. He and his wife moved here in 2016. He likes to remember that he was a Minnesota Super Lawyer before being elected to the bench. Steve really enjoys doing weddings, He writes this column to learn about his new home area—and to indulge our curiosities and stir our thinking. Copyright Stephen C. Aldrich and News Herald, 2021
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