Vermont Fall Colors

Yesterday we found the colors! We took a trip through the byways of Vermont where the leaves were in full peak. We drove up through Smuggler's Notch ( a bit of a squeeze) and through Stowe.  

Then we headed to the northeast corner of the state. It was absolutely gorgeous! Photos do not  do justice to the views. 

We found a great new brewery and restaurant for lunch and it was so nice we ate on the patio. 

We drove past farms with cows and horses and saw the mountaintops with their windmills. Vermont is all I thought it would be. 

Vermont

Vermont is number forty-nine in my quest to visit all fifty states. The fall colors are just beginning, but there are some nice pockets of full color in spots. 

We are staying in a city campground on the shores of Lake Champlain. 

This morning we walked downtown for breakfast at Skinny Pancake. We plan to walk the streets and explore. Since it is cloudy we will save the leaf peeping for tomorrow. 

Winnipeg and Bits and Pieces.

We stopped again in Winnipeg after our Churchill trip. We wanted to visit Folklorama. We managed two stops - Serbia and Ethiopia. They were both very interesting, although the VIP crowd at Serbia was particularly annoying. They talked through the performances! 

The Ethiopian pavilion dancers were exceptional and the food intriguing. 

They performed dances from different areas of Ethiopia. Each tribe has a unique perspective! 

After Winnipeg we headed to my high school reunion. I had a nice time, stayed with my good friend Bonnie, and especially enjoyed seeing some of my old teachers! It was funny to realize that they were not all that much older than I am. 

This is me with my senior English teacher, Mr. Anderson. And here is one of the group photos of the class. 

I even got to visit with Bonnie's mom, who was one of my teachers, too. And with my friend Paula's mom, who at 101, is still going strong and is as sharp as a tack! 

Churchill - More Bears and Whales

Yesterday we took a boat tour along the Hudson Bay coastline. We saw lots more beluga whales and bears in the rocks. The one above was resting. She moved only to change positions. 

There also were a few juvenile males who were playing and sparring together. 

All in all, we saw quite a few bears. The beluga whales were out in force, but it was difficult to get a good photo, as they moved so quickly through the water. 

We stopped to watch a fox on our way to the boat. The fox thought we were interesting too, and watched us just as intently. 

Tomorrow we take the train back to Thompson. It has been a good week here in Churchill. 

Churchill - Polar Bears and Belugas

Yes, we finally saw polar bears. They were pretty far away, but definitely there! We also saw lots and lots of beluga whales and supposedly will see many more tomorrow. I will let you know. 

It has been pretty warm by Churchill standards, as it reached 70 degrees yesterday. I guess I should have brought lighter clothing. 

The birds here are pretty incredible! Artic terns, white swans, Sandhill cranes, snowy owls, and much more. We saw a snowy owl being dive bombed by the terns this morning. We were a little far away to get a good photo, but we caught the Sandhill cranes flying, so here is one crane cropped from the group. 

Mike and I started our tours here in Churchill by visiting a sled dog camp and even got a cart ride with the dogs. 

Right after this photo the dogs saw a red fox crossing the road and tried to chase it. But our musher, Gerald, the owner of the camp, got them back on track. Gerald is a Métis, a people originally "composed of the mixed-race descendants of First Nation people and colonial-era French or British settlers." The Métis people are now recognized by the Canadian government as one of the official Aboriginal peoples. Usually you will find Gerald dressed casually for work, but we managed to catch him one day in his formal wear - as he had just come from a photo shoot for a brochure advertising Churchill. 

Tomorrow we head out into the Hudson Bay proper where we will hopefully see many more whales - and possibly more bears. 

Thompson - The End of the Road

We are currently in Thompson, Manitoba, which is the end of the paved road north. Thompson has two claims to fame, a wolf habitat area that is encouraging the reintroduction and maintenance of an expanding wolf population and a nickel production mine that is one of the largest in Canada. The nickel mining is the reason for Thompson's existence. 

The first thing you see as you drive into town is their statue saluting the miner. 

Then you start seeing wolf statues everywhere. The local museum is the place to start your exploration of the wolf phenomenon. There is a GPS geocaching hunt that you are encouraged to follow. 

But the most interesting wolf is the one painted in the style of Robert Bateman on the side of an apartment house. It is visible from the road and very impressive from both far away and near. 

Thompson has an accommodating public library that has great wifi and a nice staff. So I am posting before we head to the train that will take us to Churchill. I have been told that I will definitely see belugas. Hopefully I will also see polar bears. 

Along the North Side of the Great Lakes

We are making our way across Ontario, traveling along the northern shorelines of the Great Lakes. The Canadian highways appear to be carved out of granite and limestone rock formations. Almost everywhere along the road people have built little "Inukchuk" monuments out of whatever rocks they find.

These rock sculptures were originally used by the Inuit for communication and survival. The traditional meaning of the Inukchuk is "Someone was here" or "You are on the right path."

We were driving so fast I had difficulty taking a photo of one, but eventually managed. 

We stopped at a tourist trap named Agawa Crafts in Pancake Bay, Ontario. It was an interesting place. 

Then we drove to Lake Superior Provincial Park. This is an absolutely beautiful place along the shoreline, with a great interpretive center. 

Mike had to get his hands in the water. 

We keep seeing warnings about moose, but the only ones we have seen so far are on the signs. 

Tonight we are staying in a campground near Nipigon, a small town with a surprisingly good restaurant ( I was reluctant to try it, but Mike talked me into it), where we ate dinner and enjoyed a peakaboo lake view. 

Tomorrow we drive through Thunder Bay and on to Manitoba. 

 

North to Canada Again

We will eventually end up in Churchill, Manitoba in a little over a week. But we are taking our time and stopping at quilt shops and other places along the way.

Our first major stop was the Corning Glass Museum. The glass sculpture in the foyer is a Chihuly, but this museum has much more than just modern glass. It contains a history of glass making that is incredible, with pieces from the beginning of the art to the present time. I could easily have spent the full day there. 

Their hot shop and other demonstrations were also terrific. I always thought the Tacoma Glass Museum in Washington state was the best until I visited here. And I loved the tower of Corning glass dishes to ceramic dishes. Impressive! 

 

We stopped in a town that we had never visited previously, East Aurora, NY- just "west" of Aurora, NY😜. It is a quaint town with lovely shops - including a quilt shop, naturally. We ate a late lunch there in a restaurant called Rick's on Main. If you find yourself in that area, do yourself a favor and stop! 

We camped along the shore of Lake Ontario last night, in 50 Point Conservation Area. It is both a marina and a campground, with a nice restaurant, too. Worth its high price - for a campground! 

Oh Canada. To Winnipeg

We promised Melody we would take her to Canada. After the reunion we drove to Winnipeg. We started our visit by going to The Forks Market, which is a neat shopping and eating area in Winnipeg. It is where the Red River and the Assiniboine River meet. 

It is also where the Canadian Human Rights Museum is located. This museum is absolutely a must see if you are in Winnipeg. It would take too long to describe it - so go see it! 

We went to the Exchange District for dinner. In fact, we were in the Exchange District at least four times in the two days we were in Winnipeg. We ate peasant cooking, poutine, sushi burritos, and gourmet donuts there! 

The second day we visited the Winnipeg Zoo, with its polar bears, bats, red pandas, and more. 

We loved Winnipeg! 

We stopped at the lake to see Jean and Ken, had a great meal and a lovely boat ride at sunset with Lexie!