Author Topic: Accounts of a journey in the past '08 (Read 23265 times)

Sheriff Roland · « **on:** April 28, 2008, 10:32:43 am »

I've been asked to share elements of my 'vacation' to Manitoba this past couple of weeks.

I have posted elsewhere day by day accounts of happenings and have taken some pics along the way. Some of these will be mundane, others might be of some interest.

I've decided to give it a shot.

Here's my pre-departure post to get this thread going. Hope you enjoy the experience.

Quote from: le sheriff on April 13, 2008, 06:28:01 am

And so the adventure begins. I'll be leaving in about 15 minutes.

I didn't get nearly as much sleep as I should have, getting up at 3 (maybe 3:30) this morning. Read up on all three sites, then started packing (wonder what I forgot THIS time).

Clothing for a 2 week trip (the everyday and some more dressy stuff) - that's a new one for me. I'm use to going away for less than a week at a time. Pills, personal grooming products, accessories (camera, i-pod, charger, book, coffee mug), snacks, safety materials (flashlight, lighter, extra whatever for the car).

Then, before 5, I returned to bed for an hour lay-down (during which I got up 3 times to get things I had forgotten).

Now I'm having breakfast and typing this all calmly and occasionally getting up to collect more stuff (windshield wiper fluid, cussions).

Again I wonder what I'll have forgotten this time ...

Kelda · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2008, 02:04:31 pm »

so why 'vacation'? What were you doing?

And where is Manitoba?

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2008, 03:58:34 pm »

Quote from: Kelda on April 28, 2008, 02:04:31 pm

so why 'vacation'? What were you doing?

And where is Manitoba?

Hummm, I'm not sure what was being asked by the first questions. Bryan and I had done an eastern car trip long ago when we were a couple. And at the time we talked about someday doing a similar trip out west. Last year, when I travelled to Alberta, Bryan was busy with another trip, to Australia. So when the occasion of my retirement and his school reunion in Winnipeg coincided nearly perfectly, we started making plans to travel together - to Manitoba.

Manitoba is the province in Canada ajascent to and to the west of Ontario (where I live in Toronto.). A few maps:

Totonto is along lake Ontario, the most easterly of the 5 great lakes. A trip from Toronto to Winnipeg (Manitoba's capital) is a 3 day trip. It's a trip that will take you halfway to the west coast of the country. It's a trip that, if going in the other direction would take you to the east coast of Canada. Let me put it this way ... I rented a car and put down very close to 5 000 km during this trip.

These two maps indicating towns and lakes names might be useful in following along with the trip.

Kelda · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2008, 06:03:06 pm »

vacation in quote marks - it seemed like it was a working holiday or something!

Looking forward to the next installment!

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #4 on:** April 29, 2008, 08:04:49 am »

Heading north, I knew I was gonna want to stop from time to time to take pics a the scenery. Didn't really. Most a the pics were taken through the window by Bryan while I was driving. Did however stop once before reaching North Bay and took a couple a pics including this one. Note that there was still some snow on the ground. There would be more'n more of it on the way north, but hardly any in Manitoba That would all be gone on the way back.

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #5 on:** April 29, 2008, 09:57:40 pm »

Bryan's just sent me his 180+ photos to supplement my 180+ photos. Might even start a new thread about the bears!

In the meantime, I learned that Bryan is a miserable companion until he's had his 2-3 cups of coffee. It was apparently MY fault that he forgot a blanket at his place. Oh - and do you remember my wondering what I would have forgotten on this trip? Well just before leaving my house I went back in to get something (prob'ly the cushions), and left the keys in the door. Mimma (who's been staying at my house for a couple a months now) found em there as she left for work and telemessaged Bryan 'bout that bit of information. Bryan proceeded to treat me as an incompetent for the blanket & the keys (and a couple a other pointless subjects - like my choise or roads to leave Toronto and which highway I should use to get to Timmins) until lunch. Not the best way to start a trip.

Still, the scenery was nice. And he napped - until I stopped the car to take these two pictures.

injest · « **Reply #6 on:** April 29, 2008, 11:22:02 pm »

Quote from: Sheriff Roland on April 29, 2008, 09:57:40 pm

Bryan's just sent me his 180+ photos to supplement my 180+ photos. Might even start a new thread about the bears!

In the meantime, I learned that Bryan is a miserable companion until he's had his 2-3 cups of coffee. It was apparently MY fault that he forgot a blanket at his place. Oh - and do you remember my wondering what I would have forgotten on this trip? Well just before leaving my house I went back in to get something (prob'ly the cushions), and left the keys in the door. Mimma (who's been staying at my house for a couple a months now) found em there as she left for work and telemessaged Bryan 'bout that bit of information. Bryan proceeded to treat me as an incompetent for the blanket & the keys (and a couple a other pointless subjects - like my choise or roads to leave Toronto and which highway I should use to get to Timmins) until lunch. Not the best way to start a trip.

Still, the scenery was nice. And he napped - until I stopped the car to take these two pictures.

yep you can tell you two used to be a couple....

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #7 on:** April 30, 2008, 04:55:20 pm »

I really like the rock faces along the road. I had Bryan take quite a few of these pictures. This is one of the best in which the rock face is so well portrayed both through the window & in the mirror (& this is as good as I can look while driving.)

I believe we've gone beyond North Bay for this photo

injest · « **Reply #8 on:** May 01, 2008, 12:54:14 am »

I like that one!

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #9 on:** May 01, 2008, 07:01:43 am »

Rollin down the Highway - approaching Latchford (pop 300) or Temagami (pop 500?)

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2008, 07:03:12 am »

Purty, ain't it?

injest · « **Reply #11 on:** May 01, 2008, 07:31:49 am »

very! and it looks like you had perfect weather for a trip, bright sunshine!

and look at that RED hood....perfect!

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #12 on:** May 01, 2008, 10:04:05 pm »

Oh yea - the weather was fine for most of the trip. It rained less than 3 hours throughout the trip (light rain only) and only one day was persistently cloudy.

Still heading north ...

Shakesthecoffecan · « **Reply #13 on:** May 02, 2008, 08:20:58 am »

And then what happened?

Man, don't travelling with someone just bring out the best in people, esp. coffee drinkers?

injest · « **Reply #14 on:** May 02, 2008, 08:27:15 am »

Quote from: shakestheground on May 02, 2008, 08:20:58 am

And then what happened?

Man, don't travelling with someone just bring out the best in people, esp. coffee drinkers?

or smokers. My sister turns into a raving lunatic about three hours in....

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #15 on:** May 02, 2008, 03:45:27 pm »

Big sky - one of Bryan's fixations

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #16 on:** May 03, 2008, 11:32:56 am »

Shakesthecoffecan · « **Reply #17 on:** May 03, 2008, 11:43:42 am »

I used to hear about Montana refered to as "Big Sky Country" but didn't really appreciate until I saw it. It is big, it's everywhere-I can understand how some people are freaked out by it.

Shakesthecoffecan · « **Reply #18 on:** May 03, 2008, 11:44:21 am »

When do we see the pics of the two travellers?

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #19 on:** May 03, 2008, 11:54:18 am »

Quote from: shakestheground on May 03, 2008, 11:44:21 am

When do we see the pics of the two travellers?

Well I am in the picture in reply # 7 but we didn't pose for any pictures together on the trip. I believe I've got a picture (or 2) of Bryan on our first hotel room in Winnipeg (bad lighting), and in Long Plains reserve (Bryan's put a halt to my sharing those already), and I think Bryan's in way back, just outside of Thunder Bay. I will show upon other photos along the way, I'm sure.

In the meantime, you can get an overdose of ME in the 'Winnipeg's got bears' thread

Shakesthecoffecan · « **Reply #20 on:** May 03, 2008, 12:26:04 pm »

Quote from: Sheriff Roland on May 03, 2008, 11:54:18 am

In the meantime, you can get an overdose of ME in the 'Winnipeg's got bears' thread

Mental Image: Lucy Ricardo with the Vitameetavegimin Bottle and a spoon "Have you had your dose of Roland today?"

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #21 on:** May 04, 2008, 07:46:02 am »

The long and winding road - ain't always winding but that's what makes it so beautiful

The Great White North is actually better known in geographic circles as the 'Canadian Shield' - a series of ancient mountain range(s) that have been weathered and eroded over time by rivers and ice ages. Makes for a good many rock outcrops and rolling hills. Northen Ontario is strewn with thousands of lakes of various sizes and ponds of varying degrees of duration. Anyways, this picture is one of the kind that Bryan attempted to capture, with a mixture of the old (rolling hills), the very old (rocks), the temporary (roads and signs), the live (evergreens and deciduous), the constantly changing (sky and snow) and the unknown future (there's always something else to discover around that next bend).

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #22 on:** May 04, 2008, 05:52:01 pm »

A majestic view of a ice age 'lake' - good for farming grains and raising cattle. There's a unique cheese factory just north of this location - the town of New Liskeard is in there, somewhere.

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #23 on:** May 05, 2008, 11:35:04 am »

Well you might not think it possible but just north of New Liskeard we came across this:

and just west of Winnipeg we saw the rest: Fortier Road, but sorry, no picture

injest · « **Reply #24 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:13:12 pm »

I had no idea you were so well known in Canada!!

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #25 on:** May 06, 2008, 08:48:24 am »

Got to Timmins around 3:30. Layed down on the bed for a bit and then headed out to my brother Daniel's place where we were expected for supper. Mom got out of the hospital to go to Sunday mass and spent the afternoon with Daniel & Denyse, waiting for our arrival.

Bryan made a good impression on mom. After supper, Claudette's brood showed up and I got to take this one picture of Claudette's youngest (Dominique) with mom:

Visited mom in the hospital twice the next day. She didn't remember my being there the day before (at Daniel's - maybe it's cause she's not use to me sporting a goatee) but she remembered Bryan and asked why he hadn't come to visit her with me on that Monday.

injest · « **Reply #26 on:** May 06, 2008, 08:08:33 pm »

ouch

it is so hard to watch our parents getting old isnt' it?

$:-\$ $:-\$

{{Roland}}

HerrKaiser · « **Reply #27 on:** May 06, 2008, 08:22:38 pm »

The city of Winnipeg has the largest urban American Elm tree population left in north america. It is a natural treasure that is hopefully going to remain healthy and in tact. The elm is to the U.S. what the maple is to Canada. Having lost most of its elm trees (over 200 million since the mid 1940s), americans must turn to canada to view these stately giants.

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #28 on:** May 08, 2008, 07:25:27 am »

While in Timmins, Denyse (that's Daniel's wife) acted the tourist guide.

One place I'd never visited is the new Timmins library, which Daniel had a hand in 'drafting'

Here's a really limiting photo I found online of the place ...

injest · « **Reply #29 on:** May 08, 2008, 07:38:13 am »

kinda reminds me of the inside of a big tent....

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #30 on:** May 08, 2008, 07:40:35 am »

and the Shania Twain Centre:

we only entered the lobby

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #31 on:** May 08, 2008, 07:41:49 am »

The Timmins library is made of wood ... an ode to one of Timmins' two founding industries.

injest · « **Reply #32 on:** May 08, 2008, 08:06:16 am »

Shania Twain!

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #33 on:** May 08, 2008, 08:28:59 am »

Quote from: injest on May 08, 2008, 08:06:16 am

Shania Twain!

Yea, Shania Twain:

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #34 on:** May 08, 2008, 08:38:59 am »

And in my search for those pics, I came across 'The house where Shania Twain lived in Timmins'

This is actually THE house that my grandfather built. The house in which all of his kids, including my mom were born. This house is just two doors away from where I was raised in Timmins, and a block away from where Daniel's house is.

Btw, that house on the left is where my great grand mother lived (on my mother's mother's side), with another one of her daughters and my mother's cousins - who were all around my age.

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #35 on:** May 09, 2008, 01:18:55 pm »

Starting from Timmins for what would end up being the most exhausting driving day of the trip we left after 7 am after having slept poorly ... The alarm went off at 2:30 am and as I've already mentioned at the start of the trip, I don't sleep well the night before any long trip. Passed through Kapuskasing and Hearst, worth the mention cause I spent an year of my life in each of those towns way back in 1966-67 and 1979-1980. Bryan's been pretty pleasant most of the trip, but he's been bitchy when we started long stretches of driving (leaving Toronto on Sunday, leaving Timmins Tuesday).

Bryan took some wonderful scenery pics along the way - nothing in Kap and very little in Hearst.

Trees are noticeably shorter this far north. Supprisingly, the forest industry is nonetheless the most important industry along this road (other than the farming). De plus, c'est très francophone. Plus de la moitié de la population (en dehors des 'grandes' villes de Timmins, North Bay et Sudbury) est francophone.

near Timmins, going north

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #36 on:** May 10, 2008, 08:50:33 am »

Stopped by the side of the road (a couple a times a day) to allow Bryan to 'mellow out'

Took this picture shortly after leaving Kapuskasing - the trees are sooo short!

and check out how much snow was still on the ground

this, on April 15

injest · « **Reply #37 on:** May 10, 2008, 10:47:08 am »

poor Bryan....seems like traveling is hard on him.

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #38 on:** May 11, 2008, 03:17:52 pm »

Along the way we came across very little - flat lands, snow farms, utility workmen on snowmobiles ...

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #39 on:** May 11, 2008, 03:19:05 pm »

... spaceships (sorry, no pics), dinosaurs ...

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #40 on:** May 11, 2008, 03:20:36 pm »

(not for the faint of heart) ... well ONE dinosaur ...

not very good, I know, but that's what they got!

injest · « **Reply #41 on:** May 11, 2008, 03:35:06 pm »

AAAAYYYIIIIIAAA!!!!!

THUD!!
*Passes out from sheer terror.....*

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #42 on:** May 11, 2008, 03:38:57 pm »

A shucks, utility workmen on snowmobile shouldn't skeer you that much

Now, some people were frightened by the 'Texas chain saw murderer'. Ain't nothin like what they got in Hearst!!

a one industry (wood) town

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #43 on:** May 13, 2008, 08:15:51 am »

Then there's the road ...

just a silly picture!

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #44 on:** May 13, 2008, 08:17:24 am »

This was new territory for me. I had never travelled west of Hearst (in Highway 11) so scenes like these were new to me.

injest · « **Reply #45 on:** May 13, 2008, 08:18:14 am »

Quote from: Sheriff Roland on May 13, 2008, 08:15:51 am

Then there's the road ...

just a silly picture!

you such a ham....

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #46 on:** May 14, 2008, 10:28:38 pm »

Daniel told us to keep our eyes peeled for this building he 'drafted' for his firm on a project for a native band (I forget the name of it now). He told us that it was the most difficult single room building he'd ever worked on, cause of the dif'rent angles of the walls and roof.

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #47 on:** May 14, 2008, 10:31:25 pm »

It's located about 20 minutes west of Hearst. Building is meant to look like an eagle in flight. Head's an extention of the roof as well as the wings.

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #48 on:** May 14, 2008, 10:32:20 pm »

I think it looks grand.

injest · « **Reply #49 on:** May 14, 2008, 10:52:36 pm »

oh it is TOO cool!!

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #50 on:** May 18, 2008, 05:40:20 am »

Still travelling in Northern Ontari-ari-o

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #51 on:** May 18, 2008, 05:41:19 am »

Getting a little more hilly

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #52 on:** May 18, 2008, 05:42:32 am »

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #53 on:** May 18, 2008, 05:44:41 am »

As the road turns more & more southernly, towards Lake Superior and then, west to Thunder Bay, the land definitively became more int'restin

injest · « **Reply #54 on:** May 18, 2008, 10:45:52 am »

wow! I would say so!

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #55 on:** May 18, 2008, 10:10:13 pm »

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #56 on:** May 18, 2008, 10:11:32 pm »

Sheriff Roland · « **Reply #57 on:** May 26, 2008, 06:53:42 am »

Between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg we saw some unusual sites too (but I'll keep those for the return trip

)

We passes a home (kinda pre-fab home) a number of times (it seemed) - and Bryan took picture a that - he called it a Manitoba 'mobile home'

Anyways, one thing for sure - land sure got flat - along the way

approaching Winnipeg

injest · « **Reply #58 on:** May 26, 2008, 08:30:42 am »

good grief, Roland....there is such a variety of landscapes up there..I guess I always just picture the mountains and rocks.

News:

Author Topic: Accounts of a journey in the past '08 (Read 23265 times)

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