Day 110 – July 22

One of the benefits of only having an electrical hook up is that it takes very little time to disconnect and move on. We were heading for Manitoulin Island and the ferry to Tobermory. The ferry had crossings at 9:10 AM and 1:30 PM. We couldn’t reasonably make the first one and had lots of time to make the second crossing so we didn’t have to rush, still we were on the road by 8:30.

Again the drive, except for the place names, could have been anywhere in Nova Scotia. We were now skirting the north shore of Lake Huron but even while driving close to the coast the dense evergreen forests blocked most of the water views. After crossing over the swing bridge that joins the northern end of Manitoulin Island to the mainland we made one stop to look out over one of the inlets of Georgian Bay before arriving at South Baymouth, the northern terminus of the ferry, at 11:00, two and a half hours before the scheduled 1:30 ferry departure.

Could be home

The Chi-Cheemaun

This gave us some time to explore the few shops that faced into the ferry terminal parking lot. However, true to my general experience with captive patrons and end of the world destinations, these shops specialized in overpriced food and tacky offshore-made souvenirs that cause you to wonder not only why someone would sell these insults to consumerism but even more quizzically who would ever buy or display them.

Unlike our last fog bound sea adventure from Whittier to Valdez Alaska (ah yes we’ll always have Whittier) based on the view from on shore, this would prove to be a much more scenic voyage.

True to my clear sky founded weather prognostication the trip was not only fog free but also very calm and warm. We were able to spend the entire trip on the stern deck benches, both of us regretting having switched from shorts to pants for the voyage. The expanse of water in all directions did make it hard to remember that this was a fresh water journey.

Diane busied herself with a word puzzle while I caught up on some draft blog material, my train of thought interrupted only by some five year oldish blond cherub whose frequent monosyllabic vocalizations were delivered with red face, clenched fists and bulging eyes at 110 decibels. Thoughts of what I would look like at 86 years of age, my earliest release date from prison with good behaviour, dissuaded me from investigating how far those nails-on-chalkboard screams would carry from the waters at the stern of the ship – one can but dream.

We arrived at Tobemory 3:00 in the afternoon and headed south and east towards Collingwood, our somewhat arbitrary destination for the night. The trees of Manitoulin Island were replaced with the more agricultural lands of the Bruce Peninsula. Fields spotted with rolled bales of hay or expanses of golden grass awaiting harvest flanked the highway while herds of grazing cattle were a frequent sight.

We drove through Wiarton, yes the home of Wiarton Willie the legendary Ontario groundhog who with varying success every February 2, Groundhog Day, gets to predict the end of winter through the presence or absence of his shadow. Being a bright sunny day, the landscape was strewn with shadows but despite my best observations I could not trace one back to the feet of the famous little rodent. I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit to some disappointment at this missed encounter with a celebrity. My life list of celebrities sightings consists of seeing Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows on CSI) in the London Airport years ago (she looks a lot better on TV). Frankly I’m not sure one name even comprises a list. Willie would have been a nice addition.

Just before Collingwood we stopped at the Craigleith RV Park. As in many of the privately run parks we have stopped in there were numerous ‘seasonal’ residents. These are the people who stay in one campsite all summer. The seasonal residents are best identified by their accoutrements. The entry level requirement for a seasonal camper is solar powered lights, lots of solar powered lights, enough for an international airport runway. The next level is a deck – lattice work underneath is de rigour, then the truly committed seasonals have gardens – flower and vegetable gardens. The topper is out buildings, sheds to hold all the stuff required to maintain the other stuff and a place to mount your satellite dish. Did I mention the satellite dishes? Most of these parks have more satellite dishes than a NASA tracking station. I have considered wearing a tinfoil hat to prevent further hair loss from the irradiation. The occasional visitor like us stands out like a sore thumb in parks like these, we are the transient population of these otherwise established communities.

Being July 22 we were treated to our fourth full moon of the trip, and our last. We watched it fondly before turning in for the night.