Thunder Bay

Day: 42
Destination: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Route: Highway 17
Miles Ridden: 270    Total Miles: 9,469

Notable Quote: After Gary asked our waitress to slap Mikie Three Meals..."Do you want me to smack him periodically, or only once?"       ~Jennifer at Mr. Chinese, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Points of Interest:

• Marathan, Ontario
• Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

The coldest day of the ride...by far. As we went across the street from our expensive but class "C" hotel (giving it every benefit of the doubt) to the donut shop, you couldn't help but notice two things. First, it looked like it was going to rain. Second, it ws only 38 degrees. To make matters a little worse, we spoke to a local who advised that it could snow at the higher elevations as we traveled north to Thunder Bay. We began putting everything we could on...shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, rain jacket...and it was still cold. The trip was actually nice even though it was cold, and as we began going up the mountain it began to get a little warmer. The road was very nice, a two lane road which meanders through the mountains. In many spots, the roadway was cut through rock, leaving redrock walls on both sides of the highway. With the lakes, streams, glimpses of Lake Superior, and so forth, the views were very nice. And with virtually no traffic, and the "high speed twisties," it was a very nice ride to Thunder Bay.
 
Thunder Bay, itself, however was a little disappointing. The layout of the city made no sense at all, with most of the shoreline occupied by factories and commercial buildings, and the hotels, etc., inland. We found a nice hotel, had dinner at Mr. Chinese, and called it a night. Tomorrow...Minnesota.