We weren’t really sure what would happen today as our original destination was Hearst, Ontario. However, by the time we broke camp, loaded our “RV” and had breakfast, that 8 ½ hour drive looked pretty formidable. Undaunted, we headed west on ON 60 that would connect us to ON 11 heading northwest into the north country.
As we traveled northwest under partly cloudy, partly sunny skies we passed the 1000 mile mark for this trip. Until we got to North Bay, traffic moved smoothly even though we are noticing more cars than the we saw the past 2 days. It is Friday and the beginning of a 3 day weekend in Ontario. Monday is Civic Day here in Ontario. It is an optional holiday (employers are not required to give employees the day off) which originally was intended to honor John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (then known as Upper Canada), but has since become just another day away from the office.
In North Bay, we encountered traffic that would rival anything in the DC area. For a small city of 55,000, the traffic was truly a traffic engineer’s wet dream come true. Every traffic light (all 5) were engineered to allow the fewest cars possible to pass, and we were lined up waiting for traffic to clear the intersection 3 traffic lights ahead. While waiting at each light, we (or at least Peggy) anxiously watched the threatening clouds hoping they wouldn’t open up and pour down on us. As long as we are moving at least 30 mph the rain moves over us and not on us, but there’s no protection from the rain when waiting at traffic lights. (Yes, of course, we are driving with the top down. Why have a convertible if you are going to keep the top up?) Happily, the travel and rain gods cooperated and it didn’t rain until we we well out of town. But then the heavens opened up and at one point, I could hardly see the road in front of me. (As we could keep up a steady 60 mph, the rain went over our heads and not into the interior of the car.) Fortunately, the “gully washer” only lasted a short period and afterwards it only rained sporadically.
As we continued to travel, the mountains receded into the distance with lush, green farms in the foreground. Since there doesn’t seem to be an end to the rain showers, we decided to treat ourselves to a motel tonight. Ah, the luxuries of modern living – indoor plumbing, a warm dry bed and internet access. Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate tomorrow and we will be camping again as we continue west. Our next destination is Thunder Bay, but that is another 8 to 9 hour drive, so we may not make it that far. But we’ve been there before, so we might find some other place equally interesting. We’ll see.