The Northern Chipmunk Adventure Continues!

Wow what a week it has been! My continuing journey to Pickle Lake! I have seen some beautiful places and met a couple of pretty cool people. It was nice to have a nice conversation just like the world was back to normal!

Where was I? Oh yes! Pebble Beach! That was a really nice stay! Leaving there and heading on up to Thunder Bay where I had got a room (with points so free) for a nice hot shower mostly! If things were normal I would have went to a campground or stopped at a gym which I would have much preferred! But no showers there!

Back on Highway 17 enjoying the views I saw a sign for Aguasabon Falls & Gorge. Left Turn! Down a nice road into a large parking lot. There was a sign that the falls and the gorge indicating the path to the falls. Flashes of Indian Falls flashed through my head. Oh no!! No sliding down hills or climbing mountains!! Haha! The pathway was a beautiful walk down through the trees to a picturesque view that just took your breath away. The picture above just does not do it justice.

When I pulled into the parking lot there was this cute little Westafalia. There is a cool story coming later down the road. We will meet again.

Back on the Highway it was a cool dull day. There was fog in the low laying areas and sure enough rounding the next corner a bank of fog! This highway and many others are bad for that. In spring and fall when the weather changes fog is a real possibility. The only thing you can do is slow down and if it is bad enough pull over. Day fog is way better than night fog!!

Luckily the fog was just in patches and I had some beautiful views along the way.

I made a stop in Nipigon at the little information center. They had a large lookout and I had crossed a real cool bridge to get here but I was not going up there to see it. Haha! Heights are not my thing! There was a path I could take and I am glad I did! A perfect view of the bridge.

I just have to show you this little bench I came across. It is so finely crafted I had to stop and just look at it. Have you ever done that? Come across something and it is so intricate that it takes a moment to take it all in! It was very cool!

The path led under the bridge to a gorge and an old railway bridge. What a pretty sight! Sometimes it works out when you take the path!

The sun was coming out and it was turning into a beautiful day! The drive was a turn up the music and drive kind of day! I was not far from Thunder Bay and I knew I had to make at least one more stop.

The Terry Fox Memorial on Highway 17 is a must stop for me. It reminds me of a time in my childhood that we watched a courageous young man inspire a nation with his determination! I remember watching him run across this country in all kinds of weather against all odds until he could not do it anymore!

Things like that inspire me to reach for my own dreams and have that same determination and courage to get there!!

Not only is it an inspirational place but also a beautiful view of the Sleeping Giant! I did a tour for my youtube channel. Check it out! https://youtu.be/_S3getYeFBY

Remember the little Westafalia I seen at the falls? Well what do you know, I pull into the parking lot for the Terry Fox Memorial and there it is. As I am getting out of the van the gentleman who owns it comes back. I ask him what year his van was and we get to talking. He told me he was from Kelowna BC and had dipped his toe in Tofino and driven to Gaspe (he could not go to St John’s because of Covid) and was on his way back!! All in this little ’91 Westafilia! That is Awesome!!! He told me some of the sights he seen and we talked a bit! We shook hands and he was trying to make Winnipeg that day! Very cool guy! Very cool story!

Stopped at the Marriot and had a nice hot shower and was pleased to find out the laundry was open. Sounds like an uneventful night! Well let me tell you what happened. I went down to do my laundry and the washing machine and dryers are stacked. Washers on the bottom, dryers on top. When I was getting my laundry out of the dryer I had to use the chair to get the stuff at the back (I am vertically challenged), Wouldn’t you know it the chair slipped out from underneath me and I crashed to the ground. Oh that left a few bruises but I did not smack my head on the folding table so there is that!

Oh my stars!!! I am ok and thankful I really did not hurt myself!

I decided I would stop in Dryden at the Walmart, pick up a few things and spend the night before heading up to Pickle Lake. It rained hard all day with only a few clear spots.

Interestingly enough I passed through a time zone. I do that when I am going to Indiana but did not even thing about it up here! Clocks went back an hour which was sad because another hour of 2020 is not what we need!! Lol! The monument was infused with Amethysist which is Ontario’s official gem stones. There are a few Amethysist mines up here and one you can even go in and mine your own which is cool. One of my favorite gems and not just because it’s purple but it helps.

I have to mention they also had a sign marking the first highway going through here as well as the original canoe routes! It was a very interesting read until it started to rain on me! Lol!

The next day started out dull as I drove and brightened as it went along. Up through Soux Lookout which by the way does not have a look out, up road 516 through Caribou Forest! I did not see any Caribou but I did have to stop for a ferret!! Lol! Probably a Pine Martin but sooo cute like a ferret.

A little live tour from my Youtube channel! It was a pretty drive! https://youtu.be/0-WFHRqbUqY

Up 516 to 599 and the end was in sight! There it was! Finally! An item that has been on my bucket list for quite some time! Pickle Lake!! The most northern paved road you can drive to in Ontario.

I stopped at the town office and spoke with Joy. What a delightful young lady. She told me where the campground was and that it was $15/night for an RV spot with power! There was no map and she was almost sure how to get there. Straight back out, turn left and go through the intersection where the hotel is, past the airport and you will see it down there somewhere. Pick any spot you want! Hahahaha! Ok! Sounds like my kind of adventure. In all fairness she was new in town and did not know it very well.

As I was driving in this little village I thought, wait a minute, an airport?? Yes in fact it is an airport! A sea service airport. It services people and cargo going to remote areas whether it be for hunting and fishing or commuting! It was actually pretty cool watching the planes take off and land on the lake! Since there are no roads that lead north from here it made sense. Busy little place too!

I found my spot, plugged in and you guessed it, made coffee. It was cloudy still and 5 days later I still would not see stars. It was rainy and cold. Even snowed one morning! Ugggg! But even with that what a beautiful little place. The quiet is what I love the most I think. I worked on my book and my blogs, cleaned the van and just listened to the silence! I was so very impressed I had internet up here! I thought for sure it would just be me and my book.

Pickle Lake is just what I expected it to be. A walk back in time community that has a peace that you can feel with each breath you take! If it was not going to get cold really soon I would not leave and maybe just stay awhile. But I have been in the north before in the winter and ohhhh thats not a good idea!!

Tomorrow I start back down south. When I will get there and what I will see on the way we will have to see in the next Chipmunk Adventure!!

Thanks for coming along and we will see you next time!

🐿