Back in the USA: Touring Niagara Falls

We departed Camp Walmart SuperCentre in Parry Sound on Saturday and headed south towards Toronto and the border at Niagara Falls.  At Barrie ON we pumped 255 liters (67 gallons) of diesel.  This was our only fuel purchase in Canada.  We actually had enough fuel on board to cross the border into Niagara Falls NY, but we would be very low when we arrived.  The generator pick-up tube in the fuel tank will not draw if the tank level is below about 1/8 full.  We knew we would be dry camping at Niagara Falls, and we would need to run the generator.  We didn't want to go searching for fuel after crossing the border.

We were concerned about the traffic and getting through Toronto.   The quickest and easiest way was to take a toll road ETR 407 around town, but we estimated that would cost us over $30 in fees.  There was a series of limited access highways that went closer to town.  Google Maps showed some delays, but they seemed to be short.  Since it was a Saturday we took the gamble and avoided the toll road.  Heck, we're retired, and we're in no hurry. There were a few delays and slow downs, but we had no problems.

Entering Niagara Falls ON

Just before crossing the Rainbow Bridge into the US

The Niagara Falls border crossing.  What's that car doing in my RV lane?

Our border crossing was very quick and easy.  Our wait was only about one minute.  The officer asked us a few simple questions and waved us through.  A piece of cake.

The American Falls from Goat Island

On Saturday afternoon we poked around on the American side.  A thunderstorm struck about 5:00 PM, as forecast, and the tourists scattered.

Camp Seneca Niagara Casino

We camped for two nights at the Seneca Niagara Casino in downtown Niagara Falls NY.  Two more nights of free camping!  Life is good.  Our park was within walking distance to the falls.   Since the casino was the tallest building in town, we had no problem finding our way back home, no matter where we were along the river.

American Falls on left, Horseshoe Falls on right

The brink of the American Falls

 The Niagara River splits around Goat Island above the falls.  Since the brink at the American Falls is at a slightly higher elevation, 90% of the river flow goes over Horseshoe Falls.  Perhaps due to the higher flow, Horseshoe Falls has retreated a considerable distance further upstream than the American Falls.

We looked hard, but couldn't find the pot of gold

The Rainbow Bridge looking towards Canada

Is it called the Rainbow Bridge because it is shaped like a rainbow?  Or is it because you can often see rainbows above the water?  Ummmm ....

On Sunday we walked back across the Rainbow Bridge to explore the Canadian side of the Falls.  The border crossing was super easy.

The American Falls looking from Canada

Horseshoe Falls viewed from Canada

Horseshoe Falls

Horseshoe Falls

All of the water from 4 of the 5 Great Lakes flows down the Niagara River and over Niagara Falls.

Into the mist on the Maid of the Mist

You can't really call it a "selfie".  It's more like a "groupie".

You couldn't walk down the sidewalk without getting whacked in the head with a selfie stick.   At least these folks were efficient: 7 for the price of 1.

My "Sweetie"

It was a beautiful afternoon, and it was a Sunday.  The hoards were out.  At some places if you wanted to see the falls you had to be a little rude and push the guy with the selfie stick out of the way.

Just plain tuckered out!

Can you see the bumblebee butt sticking out from the fuchsia?

Many of the cabs in Niagara Falls ON were Toyota Prius hybrids.  Go Canada!

Dorcas on the Rainbow Bridge

It took us much longer to re-enter the US on foot than it did to enter in the motor home the day before.  The line in to US Customs was backed out the door, and it was not moving.  After about 15 minutes and no motion, things suddenly started moving.  There must have been some issue with a party ahead of us.  Once we got to an agent, we were out in 15 seconds.

Tomorrow we will pull out and head to Watkins Glen NY for a Country Coach rally. 

Funny Money

The "Loony"

When it comes to currency the Canadians have their stuff together.  First, they have eliminated the $1 bill and the penny.  To make up for that they have a $1 coin (the" Loony") and a $2 coin (the "Two-ny").  Paper currency is printed in different colors and looks pretty cool.  Since we passed through Canada in 2011, they have upgraded the currency such that it contains a clear cellophane strip with a hologram-like image, which I expect makes the bills difficult, if not impossible to counterfeit.  The US Treasury could learn something from the Canadians.  The Loony and the Two-ny and the quarter are fairly close in size, but are different colors.

Common folding cash

Best of all $1.00 CAD currently equals approximately $0.75 USD.  That means if you buy something at the store in Canada, and it has a price of $10.00 on it, it actually costs only $7.50 in real money.  Sweet!  When we were in Canada in 2011, the Canadian dollar was worth about a penny or 2 more than a US dollar.  We didn't use much Canadian cash on this trip.  We have a VISA card that doesn't charge a Foreign Transaction Fee, normally 3%, and offers the current daily rate of international exchange. 

A little jingle

The Canadians like to put animals on their coins.  Of course, the Loony has a loon.  The Two-ny has a bear, the quarter a caribou and the nickle has a beaver.  For some reason the dime has a sailing ship.  Go figure.

The US should take hint and make their currency more sensible.   After that maybe they could adopt the metric system .....

Sault Sainte Marie ON

Algoma is the name of the large region in northern Ontario

Camp OLG Casino Sault Ste Marie

 We spent 2 nights at the OLG Casino in Sault Ste Marie.  It is in a great location: right on the Saint Marys River waterfront and the boardwalk.

Looking upstream from the boardwalk to the Sault Ste Marie Historic Canal and lock and International Bridge

On the Sault Ste Marie boardwalk

 The Saint Marys River at Sault Ste Marie has a rich history.  It was a gathering place for the native peoples due to its rich fishing. Traders were drawn due to its strategic location.  All the waters flowing from Lake Superior flow down the river and over the rapids which drop 21 feet.   Locks were built to facilitate traffic on the river.  There have been a number of locks throughout history.  Currently the US operates 4 large locks on the Michigan side and all the commercial traffic use these locks.   The Canadians operate a smaller lock on their side and it passes only pleasure craft.

Lunch at the Waterfront Legend Restaurant

 While walking the boardwalk we got hungry and walked into the Waterfront Legend Restaurant for lunch.  The waitress described the specials, which included a pulled pork on a beef hot dog on a large bun with mixed cheeses.  That was a new one for me and I had to try it.  It wasn't bad, but next time I think I'll get the Reuben.

What????

We saw this product at several food stores and were very intrigued.  At our last food run we bought a can.  I'll let you know how it is if we ever eat it.

Tour boat entering the historic lock

 We have visited Sault Ste Marie several times on the Michigan side.  During a visit last year we took the tour of the Saint Marys River, which took us through both the American and Canadian locks.  You can read about that visit here. 

For more information on the locks click here and here. 

Looking up-bound from the historic lock and the International Bridge

Tour boat up-bound in the lock

 We spent half a day at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre.  There were dozens of vintage aircraft on display, as well as other exhibits relating to early aviation in northern Ontario.  Most of the exhibits related to firefighting.  It was a very enjoyable stop and highly recommended.  For a list of the aircraft on display and their descriptions click here.

Sectional canoes for packing inside a float plane

 Early float planes could not tolerate the drag when one or more canoes were strapped on the outside.  The government commissioned a fleet of wood and canvas canoes that broke down into 4 sections and could be carried inside the fuselage.

Larger and more powerful planes could carry a canoe outside on a pontoon.

Remote control models were being assembled for an event over the weekend.

Yet another bridge under construction

Since leaving Sault Ste Marie the terrain has been less spectacular.  It is still a pretty drive, but more built up, more traffic and not as scenic.  I expect we have left the best of our Canadian adventure behind.

My navigator doing her thing.  Including our mobile devices we have at least 6 GPS receivers on board.  We still get lost on a regular basis.

We are parked tonight at the Walmart SuperCentre at Parry Sound ON.  Tomorrow (Saturday) we will pass through Toronto and cross the border at Niagara Falls. 

Closing the Lake Supeior Circle Tour

We departed our camp at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and continued our quest eastward on PH 17.  One thing we have observed is that every other bridge along PH 17 is under construction.  There is usually an automated stoplight directing traffic along a one-way section through the construction area.  Thankfully the wait was never very long.

One of many bridges under construction

A windshield shot along PH 17

PH 17 is a wonderful highway.  The scenery is awesome, the traffic is light and there are frequent and long passing lanes.  The speed limit is 90 km/hr which is about 56 mph.  I didn't speed, just sat back and enjoyed the scenery.

A rather short pull-through, Site #10 Ney's Lunch and Campground

We spent this night at Ney's Lunch and Campground, mainly because it was getting late, and it was a Passport America member park, meaning it was cheap.  The guy put us in a pull-through at the end of the row, which turned out to be a little short.  Instead of unhooking and tightening up, I put out some cones so no one would whack the ends of our boats.  It was a nice park, with clean restrooms and good hot water.  It had good wifi, the first we had had at a camp since leaving Minnesota.  The only down side was that it offered only 15A electrical service.  That was not a serious problem since the weather was mild, and we didn't need to run the A/C or the heat.   When we arrived at the site the breaker was apparently tripped, but there was no breaker box anywhere in site.  I hiked to the office and the owner promised to reset the breaker when he finished his dinner.  Since the breaker was at some remote location, we were careful not to trip it again.  We were able to keep our batteries charged while watching the news and Jeopardy.

A trophy black bear, Neys ON

Ney's is a full service facility.  While eating breakfast at their grill, a young fellow brought in this 300 pound black bear he had shot.  Ney's had a wild game freezer, and he was going to store the bear, then make sausage and tan the hide.  I hope he came back for the bear soon.  Freezer storage rates were posted at $20 per day

Our next day was a short drive.  We spent the next night at Pukaskwa National Park only about 40 miles down the road.  Pukaska NP is a huge park, but only a very small portion, on the NW end near Hattie Cove Campground, is accessible by road.  Since we arrived early we spent some time reading and relaxing and explored the area right around the campground.

A more reasonably sized pull-through: Site #10 in Pukaskwa NP

Do I paddle a "canot"?

 All signs in the national park are bilingual.  Guests are greeted with "Hello.  Bonjour"  Once you answer the greeting they pick your language and stick with it.

Matilda loved playing with the waves

The next morning we took a short hike to the beach and Horseshoe Bay.  The wind was blowing really hard, probably over 30 mph and the waves in the cove were spectacular.

Between a log and a wet place

Heavy wind and waves on Horseshoe Bay Pukaskwa NP

Matilda says "I'm not going down there!"

Matilda says "Did you see those waves?"

The story of "Pooh Bear"

We departed Pukaskwa NP and continued east towards Sault Sainte Marie.  We stopped for lunch at White River ON, which as it turns out was the origin of Winnie the Pooh.  A Canadian soldier was waiting for a train at the White River station and bought a black bear cub from a trapper.  He named the cub Winnipeg or Winnie, after his home town.  The soldier carried the bear to Quebec and then to London.  Eventually he gave the bear to the London Zoo, where it became a favorite attraction.  It was at the zoo where A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin Milne met the bear, and it became the inspiration for the Winnie the Pooh stories.  You can read the whole story here.

Winnie the Pooh in White River ON

A rather large Canada goose in Wawa ON

We stopped for a while in Wawa.  Wawa means “Wild Goose” in Ojibway, and the goose was built to lure tourists up the hill and into town, about a mile off the highway.  You can read the history of the big goose here.  Somehow I can't think of "Wawa" without thinking of Gilda Radner.  I loved Gilda Radner.

Dorcas at the Wawa visitor center

Another bridge under construction

A view from the cockpit

Dorcas tends to fuss when I take pictures while driving.

A view from the co-pilot's seat

We arrived at Saulte Saint Marie late in the afternoon.  We are parked for the next 2 nights at the OLG Casino on Bay street, near downtown and the Saint Mary's River.  Free parking.  Sweet!  We are picking up a strong cellular data signal from our home carrier across the border.  Sweet!  Tomorrow we plan to see the sights in Saulte Saint Marie.  We have been to Saulte Saint Marie in Michigan several times, but have never crossed the bridge to visit the larger sister city in Ontario.  We can now say that we have completely circumnavigated Lake Superior, just not all at the same time.