Here we are , down the the second last night of our amazing road trip. Hard to believe.
Since I last wrote in Thunder Bay we have travelled quite a few more clicks. Let me share with you some of the days.
We got up and headed out of Thunder Bay about 9:30a.m. and pointed the windshield towards Fort Frances. We arrived there about noon and had our lunch by Rainy River at the Fort Frances Marina Park. They have done a really nice job of this area with benches, flower gardens and what a nice view of the river. The land on the other side is of course was Minnesota USA. As we sat and had lunch we watched small float planes take off , a favourite pass time of mine as when I was 18 I had my pilots licence.
A friend of mine from Foothills Academy, Joyce was in the area visiting her brother and sister in law and via email had invited us over if we were passing through. She left me her phone number which I wrote down and phoned to get directions. For some reason I thought she was visiting her mom( not possible as she passed 5 yrs ago) so when the elderly person on the other end answered I thought it was her mom. As we chatted I got to thinking how older people in NW Ontario sound alike . This lady sounded just like my Aunt Vera in Thunder Bay, same expressions even. When she remarked how we had had a great visit the day before I realised that I had misdialed and was talking to my Aunt.
Anyway hooked up with Joyce and went to the cottage to visit with them for a few hours. Cash got to swim in Rainy Lake and had a blast.
From there we headed north to Caliper Lake Provincial Park. A small park but we had a very scenic site up on a hillside with towering pine trees all around. Not a place I would recommend to anyone with a big rig as the roads are very narrow. The day after we got there some one managed to get their big trailer stuck coming out. Apparently happens often and it is usually their awing that gets got on a tree as they are driving.
Oh on the way to the park we had a bear cross the road in front of us on the highway.
On that note Anne and I were walking to the gate house to pick up paddles and life vests for the canoe we rented. We thought we might as well drop off the garbage and recycling on the way. Anne heard a loud crash and then said b-e-a-r. Here about 20 feet to our left was a very scared adult black bear making his way up a tree. Chatted with him as we went by and told him to please kindly stay in the tree.
We took out a canoe and paddled our way up the shoreline and back for about 45 -50minutes. On route we saw and heard a few loons, tailed a beaver until he gave us the warning slap of his tail and also saw I believe an Osprey. Nature at its finest.
So two nights at Caliper then we were on the road again. Just missed our daughter Kelly and family who were visiting her mom 20 minutes up the road the day before at Sioux Narrows. We drove out of Ontario and were happy to see that even though the visitor centre at the border was stilled closed they had cleaned up the disgusting garbage on the site.
I think we drove about 424 km and stayed the night just east of Portage La Prairie at a private campground called Creekside. They don`t do any advertising so it was just one of those gems we found by accident. We headed out about 10a.m. this morning and did another 400 and some odd km and here we are at Indian Head Good Sam campground, formerly at KOA.Very well kept and friendly people. Tomorrow we will head out for the Maple Creek area or Cypress Hills for what will likely be our last  night on the road as we plan to be in Calgary by Wednesday evening.
I will add one last post but thanks to all who have been following this great hippyhome adventure of ours.

Richard & Anne