The northern route along Lake Superior from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie (pronounced ‘Soo’ meaning rapids in French) to Orillia has by far some of the most beautiful scenic views of boreal forest, rolling hills, and grand vistas of Lake Superior and Lake Huron. It is no wonder the early fur traders and voyageurs took to the waterways for their passages in canoes. 
Colorful wildflowers seem to be in full bloom by the roadsides everywhere. Thunder Bay had a memorial statue for Terry Fox, the courageous one-legged runner who attempted hopping Canada 3,339 miles for cancer research, before he died of the disease a year later in 1981.If that doesn’t inspire you than we don’t know what does.One can’t pass WaWa without seeing its famous WaWa goose.
An early start the next morning found us turning out at Kathy’s Cove enjoying our breakfast of blueberry pancakes and eggs at a picnic table blissfully overlooking Lake Superior. It was a given we’d all get our feet wet for some fun.
JR teaching Yukon how to swim in Lake Superior.
The ‘Soo’ canal locks on the Canadian side between Lake Superior and Lake Huron were closed for construction work. At the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site we were able to enjoy a private tour with Jacqueline our guide. Here the Canadian locks are for recreational vessels while the USA side of the locks are for commercial vessels. Lake Superior is the highest of the Great Lakes above sea level by 600+ feet which explains the need for the lock system between the lakes for ships to pass through different water levels. There are a total of eight canal sites along the St. Lawrence Waterway with a total of 47 locks from the Atlantic to Lake Superior.
Each canal has its own set of locks which allow for vessels to pass around water rapids.
After the tour we did a walk in the down pour of warm summer rain along the St. Mary River boardwalk.
JR inspects a photo of the Sault Ste. Marie Lock being built.
Travels along the smooth road on Hwy 17 east passed beds of water lilies blooming at Georgian Bay on Lake Superior. Approaching the township of Sudbury we turned southbound on to Hwy 69 where JR spent most of the day challenged by strong side winds while driving before reaching Parry Sound for the night.
We caught an early sunrise drive in order to attend the Thirty-third Annual Orillia Scottish Festival. This gave us a wonderful chance to see a parade of pipes and drummers marching in full dressed kilts with their various legions and clans. The event was celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Canada’s Navy. The Scottish festivities included individual bag pipes, pipe bands and drum competitions, Scottish country dancers, entertainers, and vendor booths. It made for a delightful Saturday afternoon at Couchiching Beach Park down near the marina in the cool breeze. It was quite fun and something to see with over two hundred massed pipes and drums all uniting on a grassy field to perform
together.
Orillia's Scottish Festival. It was a spectacle to behold.
