Random Rainbow

 

This is taken only a little after the last picture - this was the last time I'd stop for photos for a long ways. Roadwise, the second day was a million times easier, having left the rolling parts behind - the last bit of Ontario was longer than I expected, but easier terrain that Lake Superior Park or Marathon through to Thunder Bay.

I enjoyed the drive, having gotten into the grove of it and enjoyed some relatively new scenary going by - if less exciting that I remember from my bus trip in 1997. I have to say Lake Superior Park is still the most beautiful part of the road (save for maybe a few of the bits overlooking Lake Superior) Still, the traffic was better and the road not too bad.

As I reached the Manitoba border, I stopped for road report, map and to use the facilities. The people were friendly, but certain that 100 km of westbound road in Saskatchewan had been washed out by flooding a week earlier. Frankly, the worst section through the prairies was the 20 odd km stretch just east of Winnipeg where they had quite intentionally torn up the westbound lanes (which the folks there forgot to highlight), but still it was 80 km though that section and we were driving on new pavement.

Once I hit the prairies the technical part of driving became infinitely less challanging, but the view was hardly boring, especially since I haven't really been awake in the prairies - as the bus rolls through both ways in the dead of night (at least the one that I was on). The prairies are also wider than I expected. The trip continued without much to say except that the skies were lovely and I met a sweet couple of folks in Moosejaw at the A & W - mmmmm fast food - and the only fast food I ate all trip. I'd had to pitch my cream cheese at the Saskatchewan border - as it had become questionable.

The Border Station at Saskatchen wins the award for friendliest folk. They were excited about my lisencse plate and gave me some good ideas about driving conditions and possible places to camp and how long it would take to get to various places. It was also actually hot at that stop - bright sunny and 30 C. I helped them (sort of) with a cross word puzzle and felt as thought I was celebrating Canada Day.

So, onwards I went.