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Road Trip - Sunshine Coast, British Columbia to Sainte Adele, Quebec



Winnipeg to Thunder Bay (200 km)

Sunday, December 19
Sleeping Giant, Thunde Bay, OntarioWe started the day with the most amazing Brunch and both being ex catering managers, we greatly appreciated the incredible effort they had gone to. Needless to say, we don’t leave until almost lunch time, what’s the rush, Christmas is 6 days away yet and we’re still too stuffed to sit in a car yet. The road to Kenora and on to Thunder Bay is blowing snow the whole way. It’s supposed to be scenic around here, but I’m just glad to be able to see the road at the moment.

Long Drive. We find a Super 8, or as we later rename it Thunder Bay Barracks 8. Sure it’s clean, but all niceties have been removed from the building, it feels more like a quonset hut, half way to how I imagine a station in the arctic (but then I suppose we’re half way there!).

The best part of dinner at East Side Mario’s is the sugar packs with their interesting facts about Thunder Bay, Lake Superior and the area. One sticks in my mind: there is enough water in Lake Superior to flood the US and Mexico! Phew Canada is safe, and anyway to what depth? You get the idea, it’s big, not surprising Thunder Bay is Canada’s 3rd largest port.


Thunder Bay to Terrace Bay

Monday, December 20
Next day we get up early ready for a long drive around Lake Superior, renowned for some amazing scenery. As usual we wake up to the Weather Channel and the road report: “Nippogin 2 road accidents . . . closing both the north road through Hearst and Cochrane, and the road down to Sault Sainte Marie”. We weren’t about to take the northerly route in this weather, but we still have to go through Nippogin, about 1 hour in front of us. So we twiddle our fingers, spend time with the friendly CAA staff (who point out that going back to Duluth would be no better), wander around the “Intercity Shopping Mall” and do more Christmas shopping, and wait for the road to be cleared. Visibility was still so poor we could barely see much of Thunder Bay.

At about 1pm Nippogin is clear, we leave straight away. We drive in white out conditions, grateful for a truck to follow. An hour and a half past Nippogin we pass through the town of Terrace Bay. Well we start to pass through, until a cop at the other end of the town closes the road. We’re trapped, a police car is stopping traffic leaving town in either direction, there being only one road through this town. We are initially relieved to see that there’s a small cinema, but quickly discover that despite its marquee, it has been closed for 10 years. So with bottle of wine and food we hole up in a motel room watching bad TV until they will let us leave – tomorrow!


Terrace Bay to Sudbury

Tuesday, December 21
Next morning we wake to our ritual weather channel, where they blame the conditions on the “Lake Effect”. We hear this phrase used as an excuse often – it’s the air coming off Lake Superior, it’s got lots of snow to dump. However the road is open. They had also closed and reopened in the night an additional stretch of road we are traveling on today!

So we’re off asap, before they can change their minds. The road looks surprisingly clear for one that was closed just a few hours ago. I suppose the police just get fed up with getting drivers pulled out of ditches as they careen off the road. At least we can see more of the great view which we missed the previous day.

At Sault Saint Marie, usually just pronounced "the Soo", we feel we deserve a break, so we decide to drive into the town and take a walk. What a waste of time, never even get out of the car. After 40 minutes going round in circles we press on to Sudbury.

This is the first time I’ve ever chosen where to stay based on the hotel having a hot tub. We think our backs deserve the massage of the water, particularly as we haven't had a chance to get out and walk at Sault.

After driving thru near closed roads, high winds, snow drifts and ice, Sault Saint Marie to Sudbury is the hardest part since the Sunshine Coast - courtesy of the drivers.


Sudbury to Sainte Adele

Wednesday, December 22
Today is going to be the final day, come hell or high water. First to North Bay, then Matawa (closed the day before), Petawama and 6 hours later Ottawa. Here stupidity takes over. With Rush Hour approaching, 3 days before Christmas remember, snow on the ground and in the air, traffic already moving slow, what better idea than to go into downtown Ottawa for a bite to eat. 2 hours later, and roads in substantially worse condition and now dark, we are on our way again. At least we drive by the Parliament Buildings.

Anyway at 8pm we cross over to Quebec at Hawkesbury, foolishly not stopping at the liquor store, having just heard on the radio that the Quebec liquor stores are all on strike - I have faith parents will be sufficiently stocked!

By the time we turn North on to the Laurentian highway, we know we are on the home stretch. At intersection 72, 72 km north of Montreal (the exit numbers on Quebec highways actually mean something - how far you are away from the major city) we exit for Sainte Adele and parents’ condo. As we pull into the drive, the trip odometer is reading 5,030 km, and we've only gone across 5 of the 10 provinces!


BC to Winnipeg                                                                                                Quebec back to Winnipeg