Lake Kipawa, Quebec - 9/10-11/25

 Road Travel Day 1 - Wednesday (9/10)

0725-Departed White Bear Lake headed for Newberry, Upper Michigan (467 Miles).

Click To Enlarge Map

1130-Stopped for a second breakfast in Shawano, WI, at intersection of 29 and 22.. Good breakfast but slow, though they had a big crowd.

Shawano, WI - Click To Enlarge

1230-Departed Shawano. Ran into periodic light rain enroute.

1830- (EDT, lost an hour). Arrived Newberry. Drive was 10 hours counting the stops. Google said it should take 7 hours, 36 minutes. Just a bit off!  Arrived relatively rested. 

Drive was mostly uneventful except for Google Maps taking me down rabbit holes and changing my planned route without permission. Very frustrating!

1930-Settled in and made chili with rolls for dinner. Quick and easy. Red wine and chocolates for dessert. Set the alarm for 4 AM. Will hit the sack soon.

Newberry, MI Destination - Day 1

 

Road Travel Day 2 - Thursday (9/11) 

0350-What a nightmare! No sleep with gravel trucks passing the boat and accelerating or braking at the nearby intersection all night long! I don't feel rested at all. Maybe after some coffee and cookies I will feel better.

0510-After my study time and coffee with cookies, my energy level picked up. Verse for the day: "But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.'" (Act 23:11)

0600-Departed Newberry almost an hour early due to the inability to get rest with all the truck traffic. Another down side was a hour of travel in the dark with higher risk of deer crossing the road.

0720-Crossed the border. No issues but the agent walked back to look at my hitch. He did not explain why.

Sault Ste Marie - Border Crossing

1330-Stopped in North Bay for wine and gas (2 stops).

North Bay, Ontario

At the gas stop I went in to use the rest room and when I came out tripped over some old curb remnants that had not been removed properly. They were a trip hazard, as I found out, when I took a nose dive to the pavement! 

I managed to break part of my fall with my hands but my head had too much momentum and I could not avoid hitting it on the pavement, though not hard. 

The hit took a bunch of skin above my right eye and of course bled like a stuck pig. Normal for a head wound. My head hurt but not bad. 

I stopped the bleeding by holding a handkerchief to my head as I drove. Didn't take the time at the station to clean and bandage it but should have.

The damage!

(NOTE: My daughter later that evening thought I should have a medical person check to ensure my brain was not bleeding since I use blood thinners. However, at that point I was no where near a medical facility. I'm in the boonies! I did check online symptoms for concussion, but had none)

Laniel, Quebec

Day 2 Of Road Trip - 406 Miles

1450-Arrived in Laniel, after a small delay, when I failed to recognize the launch area and ending up driving past, then I had difficulty finding a spot to get turned around. Once I got back to the parking area I contacted Suzy from the town who pointed out the place for long term parking. Most people speak French here and spoken English is less than fluent.

Lake Kipawa - Near Launch Ramp

1800-I prepped the boat about 90%. Will finish the rest in the morning before launch.

Made dinner of spaghetti, salad, rolls, and red wine. Baileys was my dessert.

Elaborate Murals Illustrating Laniel's History - See Video For More

1950-Conversed with family using Zoleo satellite communication while I enjoyed my Baileys. Time to get ready for bed after reading for a bit. Hopefully, I will get a good nights rest and be ready for the launch tomorrow. 

YouTube

(Click To Enlarge)