Top of Superior

8/22/2019 - Tuesday

We woke at Nipigon Natural Edge Ecopark to mist on the water and sounds of a loon, seagulls, and canada geese greeting the dawn. No mountains were in sight under a layer of low clouds with 40 degree temperatures. 

Finding we liked the area and our water view site, we renewed through Friday at the bargain price of 10 CAD per night.

The site next door was pre-rigged with a suspended tent. A sign noted that Nipigon is "North America's First Tentsile Experience." With temps in the low 40's (F) I'm partial to the heated van. Would you camp in one of these?

It wasn't long before the sun broke through revealing mountains and cliffs above the treed shoreline.

A nice amenity we hadn't seen before are floating docks with kayak rollers and hand rails. These make getting on the water accessible for more people. 

The Lake Superior Water Trail is charted out for those adventurous enough to tackle a very serious paddle trip. Nipigon is one of the most protected spots on the lake.

Finding a schedule of area events, we headed to the Red Rocks Interpretive Center for a Parks Canada Raptor Talk.

Arriving early, we had time to ride this immersive submarine simulator on an underwater adventure deep under the waves of Lake Superior.

After the raptor talk, we walked nearby wetland trails and found the "Critter Dipping Dock." 

The town of Red Rocks housed a POW Camp in WWII,  then the economy was supported by a large paper mill. The mill has since closed and the community is hoping tourism will provide a livelihood. Views like this one are certainly worthy of a visit.

After a series of cool nights it was time to refill our propane tank. The propane shop in Nipigon said their filling station hadn't worked for over a year, so we set off in search of propane. Note that there are not many places to refill on the North shore of Lake Superior. We backtracked to Thunder Bay where Big Pine Trailer Sales had plenty of propane, tanks, and supplies. The screen shot is from Allstays, usually a reliable app and website for finding campgrounds, LP fills, and dump sites.

As it was almost dinner time, we drove to the Marina Center and let someone else do the cooking at The Bight. Fresh lake Pickerel was delicious.

Walking along the waterfront after dinner we watched a ketch drift past the wooden lighthouse on the slight evening breeze.

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Breakwaters protect the small craft harbor and marina center in Thunder Bay. Big freighters have to anchor outside, but still receive protection from the many islands around the bay.

The last rays of golden sunlight lit up the modern highway bridge pillars as we returned to Nipigon with 20 pounds of propane and the prospects of a warm van.

8/23/2019 - Wednesday

The octagon table outside our window turned out to be a morning meeting place. Saying hello brought an invitation to sit with Howie and friends for conversation at the self-proclaimed "BS" table.

The boat launch next door is known as Dampier's Landing. An attractive plaque dedicates it to "All the Dampier's that have lived, worked, and raised their families on the surrounding islands and here at the 49th parallel since 1888."

Vowing not to drive anywhere today, we enjoyed the area available within walking distance. No vehicle is needed to get into town.

This children's park had me flashing back to elementary school days. The park is Paddle-to-the-Sea themed; a book published in 1941 and short film released in 1966. It was a favorite movie shown in many schools when substitute teachers couldn't be found. The story is of a carved canoe that travels downstream in the Great Lakes from here to the Atlantic Ocean. 

Respect for local large mammals was humorously presented at the local historical museum. 

A wood carving proudly represented the "World's Largest Brook Trout" caught in the Nipigon River back in 1915. Weighing 14.5 pounds, the trout was an impressive 31.5 inches long.

Leaving the museum, I walked uphill to find twin bridges spanning the river. The Canadian Pacific Railroad first linked the two sides in 1885. A parallel road bridge joined in 1937, but it wasn't until 1961 that highway 17 enabled travel by car to Sault Ste. Marie. 

From the bridge, this causeway allowed a different return to our campsite. 

Earlier I stopped for Blueberry cheesecake ice cream at La Luna Cafe and learned that a folk musician will be playing tonight. Beth was easy to convince of walking up to La Luna instead of cooking. After supper we relaxed with a small crowd listening to singer/songwriter Richard Garvey. Linking Richard to camper van adventures is his hometown of Kitchener, Ontario where Roadtrek camping vans were produced.