We left Sault Ste Marie on a foggy morning and started traveling along the northern shore of Lake Huron. First up: a pitstop to Echo Bay so that we could take a gander at Canada’s largest Loonie monument (because well, of course). Situated right off of the highway, the monument was erected in 1992 and commemorates Canada’s dollar coin.
While we came for the loonie we stayed for the boardwalk through the marshland, which was really pretty:
Follow the yellow brick road:
Then it was onward to the town of Bruce Pines so that we could sample the famous butter tarts at Bobbers restaurant, which proved to be worth every bit of hype.
We’d set our sights on Blind River for our next overnight stay since it made a nice halfway point between where we were and Sudbury.
(And we actually did later on see a horse and buggy alongside the highway.)
After scouting for a bit, we decided to just hit one of the beaches on Lake Huron. You park in the woods and then cross the train tracks to get to it. It seemed like a favorite spot for the locals. The water was incredible, just like bathwater compared to Lake Superior. It was nearing sunset and we decided after walking Xiaozhang on the beach to try our luck and just stay parked for the night, despite the "No Camping Overnight" signs. And it worked, we were unbothered all night. It was actually even kind of spooky because everything was pitch dark around us and it really was just us and the wild animals.
The next day, we stuck around so that Shane could finally take a look at our roof and plug up the home that was letting in all of the rainwater. And then we went for another glorious swim.
We decided to stay put one more night because a big storm was brewing. And man, was it ever a storm. I first saw the crazy colors in the sky and decided to go take a peek at the beach. I was greeted with a purple sky (conjuring the spirit of of Prince).
And then caught a glimpse of the crazy contrasts in the storm from across the lake:
I could see what was rapidly coming our way, so I ran back to the truck just before the real light show started. Shane and I decided to trek back to the beach one more time after dark, when we could see that the storm was blowing back across the lake. It was so eerie because we couldn’t see a thing in front of us. But then we got to the lake, which was also pitch dark. But every couple of minutes a giant lightning bolt in the distance would light up the whole lake and beach. It was really a sight to see.
The next morning we had one more swim (that beach really was one of our favorites) and then trekked onward to Sudbury. We needed a place to land when we arrived that evening, and I had Googled and found Spacecraft Brewery. Seemed like a great place for us to land. But we arrived and saw that it was closed, so we sat in the truck and debated our next move. Suddenly Shane brightens and goes, “Hey, the lights are on and it looks open now.” So he went to do some reconnaissance and came back a few minutes later.
“So listen to this,” he said. “I went in there and the owner’s name is Daniel. He’s making a beer with a real meteorite, and he asked what vehicle I drive and if I can deliver beer. The restaurant’s not open but the bar is.”
So of course we went in for a drink, dinner be damned!
And when we did, it was clear that we’d stumbled across the Willy Wonka of beer brewing. There was even a beer inspired by Bjork - Bachelorette No 2 IPA, made with strawberries, chocolate mint and Galaxy hops (so much yum!). And the decor was total Starship Enterprise meets Ziggy Stardust. You could tell that this truly was a dream made manifest.
The meteorite actually arrived while we were chatting with Dan. Dan’s reaction was, “I need to measure the magnetic field!” A friend/employee of Dan’s appeared on the scene and had the magnetometer for such a measurement. “Oh, she’s a ghostbuster,” he tells me. Dan also mentioned that he’s a “metal monkey Aquarius” - of course he is. And kept asking us to, “tell us who you people really are. It will work out better for you.” So essentially we begin a routine of a cryptocurrency expert and an astrologer walk into a bar...Our kind of people and place, to a tee.
And we realized that blended in beautifully with the scenery, since Kitty Kitty Bang Bang literally looks kind of like a spaceship, plus we have star lights and orbs in the truck. And Xiao Meow even seemed pleased, although he bolted so quickly for the adjacent mini golf course and go-kart course, even though it was now after dark. So kind of Dan to offer us a place to park for the night and access to the wifi. AND this used to be the Greyhound station. The same station that I sat in about 11 years ago as I waited for my bus back to Ottawa after hawking more Mr. Stickies at Sears. And where a lovely friend I had met that night at a downtown bar came to chat with me before my bus took off. So kind of perfect and fitting.
We woke up to the sound of joyriding around the go-kart track. And two coffees on our truck tailgate, courtesy of Dan. We chatted a bit more with our wonderful host later on, and gifted him an amethyst as a thank you. And then it was onward to do a Costco run, a gas run, and a covid test in advance of our arrival in Ottawa. We went through this drive-through testing process and it was so easy and quick. Afterwards, Shane and I wanted to reward ourselves with adult beverages. But first, Shane spotted a kids splash play area and we decided to just run in. There we were, splashing around and getting soaked while shouting a bunch of "woo hoos" and "yaaaaaaayys"! The couple there with their baby and toddler who were sitting a distance away just stared at us, haha. And then we splurged on drinks and a patio dinner to celebrate.
Since we’d seen Canada’s biggest loonie, we felt as if we kind of had to check out its biggest nickel on our way out of Sudbury:
Our next destination was North Bay, where we wanted to spend the night and break up the drive between Sudbury and Algonquin Provincial Park. It was time to take our kid to Disneyland (which is pretty much what Walmart is for Xiaozhang). There were plenty of other RVs there and the owners certainly made themselves at home: there were folding tables and chairs set up all around the perimeter of the lot.
And then the next morning it was onward to Algonquin, which we’d heard great things about. We got there in a couple of hours, checked in with the campground office, went back to the truck to drive to our campsite aaaaaand...the truck wouldn’t start. Shane did some assessments and realized that our starter was pretty much cooked. He tried to do a couple of quick fixes but we just never did make it past the office parking lot. Well, if the starter for your truck is going to crap out somewhere, it may as well be in a little paradise like this:
The good news is that Shane’s a genius and super handy with his toolbox. We were able to do some fast work the next morning to place a part on hold at a shop an hour away (thank you Benson's Auto Parts in Barry's Bay!). We then found someone at the nearby Lake of Two Rivers store with a boyfriend we could hire to go get it, followed by a quickie install by the multi-talented Shane, et voila! We were on the road again. But we're so, so grateful that this didn't happen on the highway. And that we still got to make use of our campsite that night to make campfire nachos and s'mores while cracking open some beers from our new Sudbury brewery friend. All after enjoying some long swims in the lake. This is how we do crisis.
We continued onward to Barry's Bay so that we could spend the night and hopefully return our old starter to Benson’s in exchange for some cash. We parked at the local community center, tucked away by the trees and the high school track. The perfect cover.
Morning view:
And then the next day it was our final push toward Ottawa. We made a pit stop along the way in Wilno, Canada’s first Polish settlement and home of perogies (whihc were simply THE BEST we've ever had, they just melt in your mouth) and vampires. Even made it to the pages of the National Enquirer back in the day, to the horror of the locals.
I'd never really been west of Ottawa when I lived there for some reason but it's just so beautiful.
And then we finally arrived in Ottawa. Here are some snapshots of the pretty city, where we've been sitting still for the last several weeks. We're going to stay for a little while longer to wrap up some remaining work on the interior of Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, and to visit with friends and fam (both of us, turns out that Shane has Ottawa relatives as well). Ottawa has always been one of my homes away from home, and it's been really special to share it with my favorite person.
We'd found this kayak training/obstacle course:
I was able to get a new 'do, my first since covid:
Cat Vanlife:
Xiaozhang with his new bff tiny hooman, Georgia:
Hear no evil:
See no evil:
Speak no evil:
