Back to the geese

Each time I have come to Thunder Bay I have made it a point to stop at the Terry Fox memorial.  This courageous young man whose memory lives on in the annual Marathon
of Hope that raises millions for the fight against cancer continues to inspire Canadians from all parts of the country.  His dream to run across Canada ended sadly 18 miles east of Thunder Bay. Many stop at his monument and remember his heroic efforts. This morning I met and chatted with the two brothers on the right of the picture. The are from Michigan and are on a motorcycle ride together, one on a Harley, the other on a BMW 800.

The Aquasabon River Gorge off Highway 17 just west of Terrace Bay is well worth a short stop.

OK now, quick, where does the famous bear come from? If you said the train station in White River, near where this wonderful sculpture of Winnie is now located, you would be right. And if you added that he had been purchased there on August 24, 1914 by Lieutenant Harry Colebourn of the 34th Fort Garry Horse and Canadian Army Veterinary Corps while en route oversees, you'd get bonus points.
He was left in the care of the London Zoo while Colebourn seved in France and stayed there for 20 years after he was given to the zoo for permanent keeping.

And here's the station, or a replica thereof, that serves as a tourist information bureau.

And so I rode the rest of the day under blue skies and arrived at the Wawa Motor Inn. I bet it is the only motel in the world that has a giant goose on its roof.

I'm staying in one of the rooms in the original part of this 70 unit establishment, one with all the conveniences, and its own church key on the log wall between the bed and the bathroom. Now ain't that the high of luxury?

Tomorrow I'm planning to take a different route from Wawa to Sudbury. Rather than continuing on Highway 17 through Sault Ste Marie, I am going to take Highway 101 East through Chapleau and Foleyet, and then Highway 148 South to Greater Sudbury.  While this will add about half an hour more to the journey it's a route I've never taken and therefore appealing. So, just me and the logging trucks.