Day 35 – Moose Jaw, SK to Medicine Hat, AB

Some days are just better than others and we don’t know why. Today was one of those.

It’s the holiday weekend and lots of families are trying to squeeze the last days of camping into their summer. We started the day with no idea where we were going to stay and ended in a delightful campground.

The Route

This detail is almost useless until we leave Canada. Our base route will be TCH-1 all the way, with a few diversions to see special attractions. We drove 253 miles today with no diversions.

Observations

We enjoyed gradually changing terrain. It started with fields and crops as far as we could see and then changed into rolling hills and grazing land. The sky seemed to stretch forever.

Saskatchewan looks like big sky country, too.

Sodium sulfate mine at Chaplin Lake

Canadian Pacific at work

Ah, rolling hills at last!

And a Little House on the Prairie

We saw these derailed cars between the track and the highway.  The accident occurred at around 7:30pm on August 28th, involved 33 cars and appears to have been caused by extreme weather.

Towns were few and far between.

Entering Alberta

About Medicine Hat

The city is known for its large natural gas fields and is called “The Gas City”. We found it vibrant and attractive.

TCH-1 runs through the center of town.

Medicine Hat has the world's
largest  tee-pee.

We found the cheapest gasoline of the trip here - $3.78 per gallon.

The Campground

Gas City Campground is a public campground. It's attractive, has many amenities and is very well run. We were able to choose from the two remaining sites. 

This is what greeted us.

Tomorrow

We’re going to divert from TCH-1 east of Calgary. Route 569 will take us north to Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum (a center of paleontological research … think dinosaurs).

Day 34 – Winnipeg, MB to Moose Jaw, SK

This was a long driving day. We were on the road for 9½ hours and traveled 422 miles. Fortunately, the weather was kind … mostly sunny, light breeze and temperature in the low 60s. We did have a few light showers in the late afternoon.

The Route

We went west on TCH-1 passed Branson, Moosomin and Regina to Moose Jaw.

We entered the Mountain Time Zone when we crossed the border into Saskatchewan.

Observations

The roads in and around Winnipeg are very rough.

TCH road conditions in Saskatchewan are better than in Manitoba.

Terrain from Winnipeg to Regina is very flat. We considered renaming Manitoba “Kansas North”.

The prairie is beautiful, but we don’t want to live here.

On the Way

Leaving Winnipeg - site #86

Fields west of Winnipeg

There were some gently rolling hills.

A sunflower field helped brighten the day.

We stopped for lunch at The Red Barn Restaurant in Moosomin. We felt like we were in the middle of nowhere and didn't expect much. Surprise!  It was very nice, very busy and very good.

About Moose Jaw

It’s best known as a retirement and tourist city. We couldn't see why.

It’s the home of the Snowbirds, Canada’s military aerobatic flight demonstration team.

Snowbirds fly the Canadair CT-114 Tutor

It’s an industrial center and an important railway junction for the area’s agricultural produce.

Its tunnels were used for rum-running during Prohibition.

Mac the Moose, at 32 feet high, is claimed to be the world’s largest moose.

Mac stands right outside of our campground.

The Campground

We’re staying at Prairie Oasis Motel & Trailer Park. It’s dated and heavily used.

Tomorrow

We continue west and may make it to Alberta.

Day 33 – Dryden, ON to Winnipeg, MB

We made it into Manitoba after spending a week in Ontario. The terrain and weather changes were dramatic.

The Route

We traveled 213 miles and arrived at Winnipeg. We took TCH-17W from Dryden to the Manitoba border. The highway continued as TCH-1W from the border to Winnipeg … and all the way to the west coast.

On the Way

The terrain started as heavily wooded, changed to rolling farm land and eventually to a plain.

Terrain changes

We made a fun stop at The Comfort Table Bakery in Vermilion Bay. We had delicious French press coffee and sticky buns.

The highway snaked around and by lake after lake.

There were very few towns, but lots of lodges, camps, cottages and campgrounds between Dryden and the Manitoba border.

The weather was full of surprises. It started raining lightly while we were hitching up. It rained off and on until we drove into a storm front as we approached Manitoba. The downpour was so intense that cars were pulling off the highway. We went into a highway rest area for a short while. One area nearby had 3 ¾ inches of rain in 30 minutes. The wind picked up, the temperature dropped and the weather cleared late in the day.

Approaching Manitoba

Approaching Winnipeg

The Campground

We’re staying at Traveller’s RV Resort & Campground. It’s a nice park.

View of the campground from the highway.

Tomorrow

We have a long drive to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Planning Ahead

The Labor Day weekend is always a risky time when we’re on the road. There’s a chance we’ll find “no room at the inn” when we try to find a campground. Fortunately, we have confirmed for sites through Saturday. Overflow (no services) is the best we could do for Sunday.

Day 32 –Thunder Bay, ON to Dryden, ON

Today was beautiful … mostly sunny, light breeze and low 70s. Traveling was pleasant.

The Route

TCH-17W took us 231 miles from Thunder Bay to Dryden. The road was generally in very good condition, but there were 4 or 5 large highway projects that slowed traffic a little.

The scenery didn't change much. The terrain was flat and the highway was bordered with forests and lakes. Traffic was light. There were few towns and limited services along the way.

We crossed into the Central Time Zone about 75 miles into the trip.

Along the Way

Much of the trip looked like this.

Mountains were in the distance.

Just beyond Kakabeka Falls

Approaching English River

Lunch stop at Raleigh Lake

Raleigh Lake

About Dryden

Dryden is touted as "Canada's biggest small town". There is a big paper production facility here.

The city has a mascot named "Maximillian". It's represented by an 18 foot high steel and concrete moose sculpture at their information center.

Maximillian

Like so many up and coming Canadian towns, they also have a very busy Tim Hortons. We know because we're logged on from there. Thanks, Tim!

The Campground

We stopped at Northwest Tent & RV Park in Dryden. It’s dated, but very clean.

Tomorrow

We’re headed for Winnipeg.

Day 31 –Thunder Bay, ON (Day 2)

Today was bright and cheerful. We did errands and visited a Canadian historical site.

About the Day

In the morning we refilled a propane tank at the campground, got the car serviced at Badanai Chevrolet and found some replacement halogen light bulbs at Woody’s Trailer World … all were boring, but necessary tasks.

The afternoon was a lot more fun. 

We toured the reconstructed fur trade post at the Fort William Historical Park. In 1815, Fort William was a central transport depot within North West Company’s network of fur trade outposts. The park has 42 reconstructed buildings, a reconstructed Ojibwa village and a small farm. Historical interpreters portrayed numerous roles and cultures involved in the fur trade.

Carol at admission building

Carol with our interpretive guides

Birch bark canoe on the Kaministiquia River

Wigwams outside the fort

Main gate

Great Hall

Dining table in Great Hall

Room for one of the company directors

Kitchen and bakery

Voyagers skirmish with the guards

Wood lathe in the Trades Square

Canoe Shed
They actually make canoes here.

A Dinner Treat

We learned of Hoito Restaurant in the AAA Tour Book. It’s THE place to go for Finnish food. It was established in 1918 and housed in the bottom floor of the Finnish Labour Temple.

Carol had pancakes (very thin) and Dick had a seafood casserole called Lohiperunalaalikko (Lohi). The service was very good and the dishes were OK. The dinner was fun to try.

Did You Know?

We were wondering the other day if our trailer was the size of a Conestoga wagon. Nope, it’s bigger.

Conestoga     – 18’ long, 11’ high, 4’ wide               (792 cubic feet)

23’ Airstream – 23’ long, 6.375’ high, 7.583’ wide (1,112 cubic feet)

Tomorrow

We’re on the move again.

Day 30 – Wawa, ON to Thunder Bay, ON

This was a day we wished we could capture and bottle experiences. The sights were exceptional.

The Route

We drove 291 miles west on TCH-17 to Thunder Bay. We passed White River, Marathon, Terrace Bay and Nipigon.

The Weather

We awoke to gray skies. The sun came and went all day. It was windy and the temperature stayed in the mid-60s.

Observations

It’s obvious that this part of the country was made for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, canoeing and kayaking. There are lots of lakes, rivers and woods. Towns are far apart, but campgrounds and cottages abound. We spoke with an owner at Halfway Lodge who reported that business had been great all year and that they were sold-out through moose hunting season.

Views from TCH-17

Lake Superior

There are lots of small lakes along the way.

There was lots of construction along TCH-17. At least six bridges were being replaced between Wawa and Thunder Bay. Dramatic cuts through mountains reminded us of how difficult it was to construct this highway.

Our trip direction put us on the wrong side of the road for good pictures of Lake Superior. There seem to be very few scenic pull-offs. So, we took a short side-trip at Terrace Bay just to get a close-up view of the lake.

Terrace Bay waterfront

OK Carol, it's time to move along.

The Campground

We’re camped at Thunder Bay KOA. It’s conveniently located near the highway, offers lots of amenities and is quite popular. It lacks the wilderness charm we’ve enjoyed at the last two stops, however.

Tomorrow

We’re going to stay here another day so we can get the car serviced and see Fort William.