It has been a busy time since we left you in NW Ontario! We have definitely left the relatively quiet and simple times behind and find outselves in Toronto, where we have been without Hazelnut Romy for two whole nights and are learning to live a life where all our stuff isn’t within ten feet of us. It reminds me of working on boats– you’d reach a port stop and have this overwhelming feeling of “OMG what if I forget something and need it?!” because it would be the first time in 5 weeks that you were more than 130′ from your bunk. There’s a lot to catch up on, so here we go…

We are really starting to get our storage dialed in and I’m pretty impressed with how well we did packing, considering the state of us as we got ready to leave home. Friends have successfully started moving into our house now, and so far we’ve had almost everything we needed on the road, so I think we can count this as a win.

So, NW Ontario was pretty much on fire when we were there, and life was pretty smoky for a few days. Although, we did stop at a gas station / Indian food restaurant where we had the most delicious Aloo Puff and Samosa snack I have ever put in my face. It was indescribably, honestly, which is why I am so photogenic in this picture. And there was a dismembered power ranger that was looking out for us.

We didn’t do much in Thunder Bay, since the weather and smoke were awful, but it really cleared up by the time we reached Pukaskwa National Park. We got a spot in the beautiful Hattie Cove Campground there. It is a breathtaking spot on the north shore of Lake Superior. Our site was lovely and forested and we went on a short hike with incredible views of the lake. On a deck overlooking the view, we met an OT from Saskatchewan who works in rural public schools there, and spent a good couple hours discussing all the ways the US and Canadian school systems are struggling (and sometimes succeeding) to educate kids successfully. Surprise surprise– it’s a challenge everywhere! We shared many similar experiences. It was yet another passing interaction that was surprisingly meaningful. And oh! The views! Then we jumped into Lake Superior, which was cold and perfect. I’d love to visit this place again to do some longer hikes and paddling trips.

The next day was stormy and windy, and we experienced our second dead van battery of the trip, so we got a slow start and spent some time in a gas station parking lot on the phone with Mercedes and making an appointment for the van to visit the shop in Toronto. It’s not all glamorous is what I’m saying. We spent the night in Pancake Bay, the main attraction of which is a lovely beach, but thunderstorms were a bit much for us, so we mostly did some extra laundry. Nearly every campground here has laundry facilities as well as, often, shared propane grills, indoor or covered common areas, or other useful facilities. It’s great and reminds us of the incredible shared kitches we found at campgrounds in central Australia.

Leaving Pancake Bay the next morning, the weather was much better, so we picked up some famous Apple Fritters and hit the beach at Batchewana Bay. This provided a much-needed rest day and allowed us to set up and dry out our bug tent. The apple fritters really were very good. We also got our first butter tarts, a local specialty that is much like a very soft, mini pecan pie without the pecans and in a super flaky pastry. It’s really very good.

We made the drive that afternoon to Chutes Provincial Park, north of Lake Huron. We chose this park randomly, based on its location between Batchewana Bay and the ferry to Bruce Peninsula, but it turned out to be one of my favorite spots so far! The campground was lovely, and we got up early to go on a short hike in the perfect weather and see some waterfalls. There were unexpected adirondack chairs at the end of our hike so we sat and watched the river as the sun came up on the other side. Oh! And these amazing dragonfly like creaturs called Ebony Jewelwings. Then jumped into the river at the swimming area before heading out on our next leg. We also stopped at a great little coffee shop, The Little Brew Cafe, in the tiny town of Massey where we had a perfect BLT on marble rye and some really good pastries.

Then on the road again! Down from Chutes onto Manitoulin Island, where we caught a ferry to Bruce Peninsula. The ferry ride (Hazel’s first time on a boat!) was fun, because boats are great. And we were finally having some clear, not-smoky, not-90-100-degree weather, which was enjoyable. Bruce Peninsula was a bit of a shock in terms of tourism. This was our first time around so many people in a while. The prairies were not like this. But what an incredible place! Bruce Peninsula sticks out into Lake Huron and separates the main part of the lake from Georgian Bay. It is part of the Niagara Escarpment, so there are incredible rocky shorelines, cliffs, forests… and the clearest, bluest water you can imagine. We had a great time walking the boardwalk at Singing Sands early in the morning (more red chairs!) and hiking to The Grotto in the afternoon. It was incredibly crowded, but we found some quieter parts of the shore just outside the area where everyone hangs out. And it was worth it to brave the crowds and swim in the frigid waters at Indian Head Cove. What an AMAZINGLY beautiful spot. As with many places we have visited, I would love to go back and spend more time here.

We had to leave Bruce Peninsula National Park early on Friday to get to Toronto and drop Hazel off. We’re calling it “free parking” because even though we have to pay a bunch of money to the Mercedes service place, timing lined up perfectly to leave her there for the weekend and have them Uber us to Union Station where we caught a bus to Niagara Falls for the night. Hopefully they’ll have some news for us Monday morning that will help with our ongoing battery issues.

We enjoyed our first splurge night in a hotel at the lovely Grandview Boutique Hotel in Niagara Falls. I found the number of people there quite overwhelming, but the falls are incredible– even more so from the Canadian side where you can stand right next to the edge of Horseshoe falls and watch the watter go over the edge. After a small “vacation from our vacation” we hopped on a train back to Toronto. I’ll fill you in on all the city life details soon, but this has been enough for now!