Day 7 – Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa

Looks like rain…

Taking a break by Lake Superior

The Big Goose

City park on Lake Wawa

Nearby waterfall

Lakeview Hotel

Woody’s Bar

The rain that we knew was coming arrived overnight and we woke up to a soggy morning. Checking the weather radar, it appeared that we would be through the worst of it a couple of hours into the ride, so we decided to don the rain gear and head out. The good news was that the temperatures had finally moderated and we would be riding in comfortable mid-60s temps.

The Trans-Canada Highway (17) pretty much follows the shore of Lake Superior. The road snakes through rugged northern wilderness, winding through a substantially hilly, almost mountainous part of Ontario. The views are breathtaking, with a new vista appearing around every bend. Never having been to Alaska, I imagined that the landscapes & seascapes must be very similar, with rocky cliffs jutting up from the shore and dozens of massive granite islands rising from the lake. Unfortunately, with the weather not cooperating, it was not possible to stop to take pictures.

We arrived in Wawa in the early afternoon and by this time the weather had cleared. The sign at the edge of town said that the population is 3,900. At the visitors center is a monument featuring a giant metal Canada goose. A plaque on the monument explains that the monument commemorates the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1960.

Heading into town, the main street is lined on both sides with hardy, uninteresting buildings, constructed more for utility and surviving harsh winters than for aesthetics. If you have ever watched the TV show “Northern Exposure”, you get the idea. One exception to the uninteresting building rule was The Lakeside Inn where we booked a couple of rooms.  They also had a private locking garage for our bikes to sleep in at no additional expense.  Pretty cool!

As with most of the towns along the route, and Lake Superior in general, the history revolves around mining. Iron ore was the main interest, but there are gold mines as well. With imported steel becoming so cheap, mining came to a halt and the economies of Wawa and other areas suffered. There is little employment and the town has shifted toward a tourism economy offering outdoor sportsman type activities. Hiking, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing are all in the offing. Still, there doesn’t seem to be enough of that to fill the void left by the exodus of the mining industry.

There was a nice little city park and beach on the shore of Lake Wawa and there were a few hearty souls actually splashing around in the chilly water. We went to visit a local waterfall, which name I have forgotten. Dinner was at a local diner. Food was unimaginative, and I have yet to sample a Canadian beer that I like. There’s still time though.

After dinner, it was back to the hotel and to Woody’s Bar for an evening cigar and one more chance for Canadian beer to leave a positive impression (it did not). Then, off to bed and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.