Wawa was great. We discovered part way through the day we arrived, that it was Fathers Day!! Probably about the time we were biking and walking up a really steep hill to explore town. Well we will make it up some time - probably when Fathers Day is celebrated here.
Kim thought a Starbucks voucher might be the go???

Wawa is known for its 28 foot tall Canada Goose built in 1960. The name Wawa comes from the Ojibwe word 'wewe' meaning wild goose.
The Wawa RV Resort had vacancies - we stayed 2 nights. It was very comfortable with OK showers. On the second day we rode to the High Falls, a picturesque falls 75 feet high fed by the Magpie River. The round trip was 10 miles with a couple of serious hills and gravel road!

As Trevor said  '... the scenery reminds me of Dad's Field and Stream magazines every corner we turn ...'


Our next night was at Batchewana Bay - Sunset Shore Resort - a bit of a misnomer! A lot of the RV park is closed for winter and it looks as if everyone has left town. But not one inquisitive and hungry chipmunk.

 

And then we were headed for Sault Ste Marie down Highway 17 (that's Trans Canada Highway).
For the most part we were driving beside the lake and from time to time a bit inland. Overcast with the chance of rain - muggy and humid.
The lake still looks magnificent.

We received emails from Kim with photos of Mace's 25 years service presentation morning tea at Activ.  Quite something! Well done Mace! We are sorry that we missed it.

Highway 17 takes us through Sault Ste Marie, Ontario and onto the International Bridge which connects Canada with the US. Once over the bridge you come into Sault Ste Marie, Michigan - the oldest community in Michigan. But first there is a border crossing!

At the border we handed over our passports and visas. We had been warned by people in the parks on the way down that we would be checked to see if we were bringing fruit and vegetables; possibly other foodstuffs, into the US.  I was a little worried about my pot plant! Nah! We were a real problem for them. They wanted to know why we were coming to the US; how long were we out of the US; whose RV were we driving; why was Trevor given permission to make application for a Drivers Licence in South Dakota (which they indicated was impossible for a person on a Visitors Visa).
So we were taken into the office while they checked through the RV. They must have done a fairly good search for when the officer came back  he asked 'Well - was it the $92,000 RV?'  He had gone through my journal of our preparation for the trip and our internet searches for RV's.
The situation then became much more friendly - they knew we were not anyone they were looking for.

And best of all they entirely ignored the food and pot plant! It was an experience. We were treated courteously. And we are back!!

Then into Michigan.

Our first stop was the Soo Locks, one of the busiest lock systems in the world. The Soo Locks consist of 2 canals and 4 locks that allow vessels of all types and sizes to safely traverse the 21 foot drop in elevation of the St Marys River between Lake Superior and Lakes Huron and Michigan.
More than 11,000 vessels, carrying up to 90 million tons of cargo pass through the locks each year. The vessels vary in size from small passenger vessels and workboats to large 1,000 foot ships carrying more than 72,000 tons of freight in a single load. Most cargo is iron ore, coal, grain or stone.

We were fortunate enough to arrive at the locks just as a large freight liner was going through the locks - it was fascinating to watch the ship lifted up by the water and then sail on through when the water reached the required level.

Then on to a Good Sam RV Park in St Ignace where we are staying for 2 nights. We are back on dual carriage highways and wide open spaces.

We are starting to see a change in the foliage as trees, especially smaller trees, are starting to change colour.

And I caught the sunrise this morning as I set out for a walk!