I am currently preparing for the biggest road trip of my life. My sisters, mother, and I are going on a ski trip in Lake Placid in January for a late Christmas celebration and vacation. Instead of flying out I have decided to drive alone and explore Canada on the way. This is really exciting for me as going through Canada is something I've wanted to do for a while now.
My route!
(pic courtesy of mapquest)
The basic itinerary so far is as follows:
Dec 25-26 stay in Atikokan, ON. Atikokan is the Ely of Ontario as it is the major gateway to the Quetico Wilderness. Atikokan lures me with promises of pristine Boreal forest and ski trails that actually go into Quetico.
Ski trails near Atikokan
(pic courtesy of Beaten Path Nordic Ski Club)After Atikokan I will spending the 27-28 in Thunder Bay, ON. Thunder Bay is on the NW side of Lake Superior and is largest town in northwest Ontario. There are a number of excellent cross country ski trails there and I plan on checking out Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and the Lappe Nordic Center. In Thunder Bay I am experiencing my first Hostel which could be real nice as I am travelling alone and could probably use some company.
Sleeping Giant Provincial Parkas as seen from Thunder Bay.
From Atikokan I am heading down to the other end of Lake Superior to stay in Sault Saint Marie (on the Ontario side). This is one of the longer legs of my journey so I hope to find some nice places to break up the drive along the way. Again skiing is my big plan for Sault Ste Marie as I hope to check out either the Hiawatha Highlands or the Stokely Creek Trails.
Sault Ste Marie
(pic courtesy of Wikipedia)After Sault Ste. Marie my trip is sort of up in the air. As I will be leaving on New Years Eve I'd like to find a place to celebrate. A big city like Toronto or Ottawa are my likely targets. Once the Canadian New Years Eve celebrations are finished I will be shifting gears for leg two of my trip which will begin my family fun in Lake Placid. I can't wait!
