A couple of weeks ago I went on a road trip with my son and daughter to view the fall colors.

What an amazing experience! A real rejuvenation!

We drove up the Bruce peninsula to Tobermory!

Tobermory! Doesn’t the name just conjure up images of Jack Pine, golden birches, brilliant blue fall sky and rugged outcroppings of granite???

At Tobermory there’s a ferry that crosses the gap between the Bruce peninsula and Manitoulin island. It’s a welcome respite from driving all the way up to Sudbury to get to Sault Ste. Marie which was our destination for the day.

It takes two hours to cross, and during that time the sun broke out and warmed wherever it touched.

I always feel sorry for immigrants who don’t venture outside of Toronto.

They’ll never enjoy the quiet pleasure of the Canadian wilderness!

My son and daughter hadn’t seen many of the places we were going. I hadn’t seen them either for well on twenty-five years!

From Manitoulin island we drove north to Highway 17 and took a left, going west to Sault Ste. Marie. The scenery was spectacular but as we went further and further north, the reds of maples gave way to mostly golden birch.

It was only October 14th but the peak of the fall colors had already passed.

As we drove along Highway 17, we ran parallel to the French river, which used to be a voyageur route for canoes.

My daughter was the first to see the bald eagles! Bald eagles in western Ontario!!! Who’d have thought!

In Sault Ste. Marie we went on the Agawa Canyon train tour, a one day trip through some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain in Ontario! My son agreed that it was the highlight of the road trip.

From there we drove to Sudbury where we spent a few hours at Science North. I had wanted them to see the mining expedition but so late in the season, it wasn’t open. We’ll just have to go back one day. Sudbury is known for its mining history.

And from Sudbury we drove north, past Timmins, the childhood home of Shania Twain all the way to Cochrane.

Cochrane is a small town at the bottom of a railroad line to Moosonee which is a small native settlement about ten km south of James Bay.

In planning the trip I wanted my kids to see all the terrain that Ontario had to offer. From the wilds of Algoma we were seeing the subArctic fauna of northern Ontario.

As I stood on the banks of the Moose river, looking across to Moose factory, I remembered when my husband and I, newly married, had stood on this very spot about thirty-five years ago.

I had changed but the Moose river seemed to have stayed the same.

It was prayer time when we got there and so my son and I found a field beside a building and we prayed.

Apparently native people filmed us with their phones as we did so. I didn’t mind.

It was a brisk windy day and we tried to hire a boat to take us out to James bay but the man said it was too dangerous, too windy, the waves would be too big on the open water.

We walked around Moosonee, went into the KFC/Pizza Hut combo in the little supermarket that hadn’t been there last time I’d come, and then eventually headed back to the train for the return trip.

Subhan Allah, what a wonderful time!

Came back down along Highway 11 which is Yonge St. (the longest street in the world!) through North Bay and prayed Zuhr on the lakeshore of Lake Nippising.

What with wifi I was still responding to business emails, but really, for most of the day, I didn’t think of writing, or business at all! I just enjoyed the view!

When I got back I’d clocked over 2000 km on the car odometer and the car was a mess with the snacks we ate en route but boy was it worth it.

Ontario is HUGE!!! We didn’t even cover half of it!

Had such a good time with my son and daughter!

As I get older I know that these are the experiences we will always remember!