Out of Canada

The plan was to drive from Pembroke to Sudbury, Canada, for the night then continue on to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.  Plans changed so we (i.e., Charlie) drove straight to the border instead. Traveling along transcontinental Route 17 West, I was surprised by the number of courageous/fool-hardy bicyclists who were sharing this two-lane highway with the cars, trucks, and campers whizzing by.  Then I started to notice that there were cairns -- a pile of stones left by travelers -- along the top edges of roadside rocky cliffs.  Some were just little piles of rocks, with one laid on top of the next, while others were pretty elaborate piles in the shape of a figure with the body (of rocks) balanced on two legs (of rocks).  It is my guess that these cairns were left by the bikers that stop to rest as they travel Rt 17.  After I noticed the first one, I found myself constantly scanning the top edges of the granite boulders on the side of the road.  Very very neat.  I tried to take a picture but, since we were traveling at 90 km/hr :-) and there was no safe shoulder to pull onto, all I was able to capture was a blur.  Now if I had the camera and skill of my high-school friend Linda O'Brien Huffman, I would have a great picture to share! 

Some fun highway signs -- Please don't feed the bears!  Not likely to be a problem - yikes!  A second pair of signs was warning of deer and moose.  They were positioned side-by-side such that it looked like the moose was charging after the deer.  Made me chuckle.  I'm disappointed not to have seen a moose in our travels, but Charlie has lifted my hopes with the chance to see elk in Montana and Idaho.  My dad used to mentioned grizzly bears and mountain lions, so I hope not to see any of them!

We are staying in a nice campground, Brimley State Park, on the banks of the St. Marys river.  Very pretty, with a sandy beach and apparently great fishing.  It was really nice to hear the fog horns of passing ships last  night.  At one point, it seemed to me that they were talking to each other with different tones.  It was beautiful -- a wonderful alternative to the highway noises of the Garden State Parkway! 

Unfortunately, there is no wifi in the area except at the local McDonalds.  Today Charlie and I are going to explore Saulte Ste. Marie, both the US and Canada side.