Today, we spent a lot of the day outdoors. Started out with breakfast at the Hoito. Apparently, Thunder Bay has the large population of Finnish people outside of Finland - and what the Fins like to do is make breakfast. When I order pancakes, I expect... well, pancakes. You know - normal size pancakes. We got these three-layer plate-covering monsters. And it wasn't just pancakes. Along with the millstone-sized thin layer pancakes, I had two eggs and four pieces of bacon. How am I supposed to eat that?! Just how am I supposed to eat all that?!?!?!
Needless to say, I didn't. Not being Finnish, I couldn't finish it. (Ha ha! Get it? Finish? Finnish? Never mind.) But I ate lots.
We went to mass at St. Andrew's Church, which Monica pronounced as being in dire need of a makeover. I think it needed a coat of fresh paint, lose the banners, and take down the silly Easter butterflies. But lovely, lovely stained glass windows, marble stations of the cross, and a pipe organ. Hello, choirlings - why are you pounding away on the piano when you have a pipe organ? There was no rule that we had to go to pianos, was there? *is grumpy*
Anyway, after that, we hit the road. Monica suggested that we go to Ouimet Canyon and Kakabeka Falls, which are actually in opposite directions of the city. We decided to head to Ouimet Canyon, because it's right next to Eagle Canyon (home of Canada's longest suspension footbridge) first. On the way, we stopped off at the Terry Fox Memorial, which has a lovely view of the harbour and the Sleeping Giant, and we also passed by the Amethyst Mine, which is CLOSED until May 15. Travesty. Travesty!!!
Anyway, it is a sunny day, and it is a blustery windy day. We get to Eagle Canyon and stop at the entrance. The park is quite empty. With a hopeful look on her face, Monica says to the clerk, "Is it too windy to go on the bridge today?" Alas, she got no reprieve - we pay our $14 and collect our map and start walking. There's two suspension bridges - one is 300 ft, and the other was 600 ft long. If you follow the trail, it takes you to the 300ft bridge first - it's a wooden walkway, with handrails at the side, and no overhead structure. Just like Indiana Jones - the bridge is fastened at both ends of the cliff, and that's it.
Spectacular views. And a somewhat unnerving swaying on the bridge, but not too bad. I found it easier if I didn't hold onto the handrails, oddly enough. When you're holding the rails and they're bobbing back and forth, it just really reinforces the feeling of movement. But the canyon walls are amazing - different colours of rock, and tenacious trees growing out of the sides of sheer cliff walls. There was a creek at the bottom, some of it still iced over. So, having safely crossed to the other side, we walk along the trail, then get to the 600ft bridge which will bring us back.
Not only was this one twice the length, it is higher, and you really really get a much stronger sense of movement on it. And the wind really came blustering along. Sometimes, it almost sounded like Monica was screaming. Oh yeah - maybe she was. Stephen was bouncing along with heavy-footed glee, and I was kind of shrieky, but enjoying myself, and stopping to take pics.
Once we got safely to the other side, we followed the more sedate hiking trails down to the bottom of the canyon. We built ourselves a little Inukshuk, went down by the creek (and stared all the way back up at the bridge).
After that, it was on to Ouimet Canyon, which is practically next door. There are several observation points at Ouimet, a plinth of rock that looks a bit like a person, and - the big excitement at Ouimet - a gust of wind and a cracking sound as a tree fell down. We all stopped in place and looked around to make sure it wasn't falling on our heads. Fortunately, it was just ahead of us. When we were driving out, though, Stephen and I stopped to pull some trees out of the roadway.
Okay, enough with the canyons. Back we go to Thunder Bay, then zip on through to go to Kakabeka Falls. Not quite as spectacular a view as when you're wobbling over Eagle Canyon, but a very pretty waterfall with a lot of great observation points. The stone by the falls is just like these table-sized slabs of slate, all stacked on top of each other, and the water is flowing down into a "Precambrian Shield" gorge. Very cool - figuratively and literally (the wind off the water was quite chilly). Definitely the land of trees and rocks and waterrrr....
After Kakabeka, we headed back to join Monica's friends - Ben & Jen - for a barbecue supper at their place. Ben had some difficulty with the charcoal grill - didn't have the lighter fluid to get the briquettes to start. I put in my pitch for Matchlite - presoaked in something flammable, they go up like a house of straw. Best. Briquettes. Evah. (Matchlite: send me my commission cheque.)
So today: lots of trees and rocks and water and food!
Oh, and I just want to say, I adore the house next door to Monica! It looks like the most haunted house ever. That house wants someone to buy it, and throw everyone out, and restore it. I love it.
Needless to say, I didn't. Not being Finnish, I couldn't finish it. (Ha ha! Get it? Finish? Finnish? Never mind.) But I ate lots.
We went to mass at St. Andrew's Church, which Monica pronounced as being in dire need of a makeover. I think it needed a coat of fresh paint, lose the banners, and take down the silly Easter butterflies. But lovely, lovely stained glass windows, marble stations of the cross, and a pipe organ. Hello, choirlings - why are you pounding away on the piano when you have a pipe organ? There was no rule that we had to go to pianos, was there? *is grumpy*
Anyway, after that, we hit the road. Monica suggested that we go to Ouimet Canyon and Kakabeka Falls, which are actually in opposite directions of the city. We decided to head to Ouimet Canyon, because it's right next to Eagle Canyon (home of Canada's longest suspension footbridge) first. On the way, we stopped off at the Terry Fox Memorial, which has a lovely view of the harbour and the Sleeping Giant, and we also passed by the Amethyst Mine, which is CLOSED until May 15. Travesty. Travesty!!!
Anyway, it is a sunny day, and it is a blustery windy day. We get to Eagle Canyon and stop at the entrance. The park is quite empty. With a hopeful look on her face, Monica says to the clerk, "Is it too windy to go on the bridge today?" Alas, she got no reprieve - we pay our $14 and collect our map and start walking. There's two suspension bridges - one is 300 ft, and the other was 600 ft long. If you follow the trail, it takes you to the 300ft bridge first - it's a wooden walkway, with handrails at the side, and no overhead structure. Just like Indiana Jones - the bridge is fastened at both ends of the cliff, and that's it.
Spectacular views. And a somewhat unnerving swaying on the bridge, but not too bad. I found it easier if I didn't hold onto the handrails, oddly enough. When you're holding the rails and they're bobbing back and forth, it just really reinforces the feeling of movement. But the canyon walls are amazing - different colours of rock, and tenacious trees growing out of the sides of sheer cliff walls. There was a creek at the bottom, some of it still iced over. So, having safely crossed to the other side, we walk along the trail, then get to the 600ft bridge which will bring us back.
Not only was this one twice the length, it is higher, and you really really get a much stronger sense of movement on it. And the wind really came blustering along. Sometimes, it almost sounded like Monica was screaming. Oh yeah - maybe she was. Stephen was bouncing along with heavy-footed glee, and I was kind of shrieky, but enjoying myself, and stopping to take pics.
Once we got safely to the other side, we followed the more sedate hiking trails down to the bottom of the canyon. We built ourselves a little Inukshuk, went down by the creek (and stared all the way back up at the bridge).
After that, it was on to Ouimet Canyon, which is practically next door. There are several observation points at Ouimet, a plinth of rock that looks a bit like a person, and - the big excitement at Ouimet - a gust of wind and a cracking sound as a tree fell down. We all stopped in place and looked around to make sure it wasn't falling on our heads. Fortunately, it was just ahead of us. When we were driving out, though, Stephen and I stopped to pull some trees out of the roadway.
Okay, enough with the canyons. Back we go to Thunder Bay, then zip on through to go to Kakabeka Falls. Not quite as spectacular a view as when you're wobbling over Eagle Canyon, but a very pretty waterfall with a lot of great observation points. The stone by the falls is just like these table-sized slabs of slate, all stacked on top of each other, and the water is flowing down into a "Precambrian Shield" gorge. Very cool - figuratively and literally (the wind off the water was quite chilly). Definitely the land of trees and rocks and waterrrr....
After Kakabeka, we headed back to join Monica's friends - Ben & Jen - for a barbecue supper at their place. Ben had some difficulty with the charcoal grill - didn't have the lighter fluid to get the briquettes to start. I put in my pitch for Matchlite - presoaked in something flammable, they go up like a house of straw. Best. Briquettes. Evah. (Matchlite: send me my commission cheque.)
So today: lots of trees and rocks and water and food!
Oh, and I just want to say, I adore the house next door to Monica! It looks like the most haunted house ever. That house wants someone to buy it, and throw everyone out, and restore it. I love it.
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