Mat and I took off from Hamilton by 9:30am, with a car so packed that it felt like we were driving a very large version of my backpack, and headed for Toronto. The biggest shock? Almost no traffic... all day... anywhere! We hit highway 400, started North, and then proceeded to take a wrong turn towards Bracebridge, instead of Parry Sound...
Me: "Hey Mat, should I just grab the next exit and turn around?"
Mat: "No worries, just keep going, I got us a good lunch spot."
So we continued on with our 'slight' detour to Bracebridge. Upon our arrival, we stopped at The Old Station for a nice quick lunch, where we were luckily served by one of Mat's old friends, Angie. Travelling is always such a great excuse to stop by and see people.
After lunch it was time to make our way back to the main highway, and head to Sudbury, instead of North Bay. We bypassed Sudbury and stopped for gas and a quick break just outside Espanola. Next stop was going to be my parents place, just outside of Iron Bridge, even though I knew they weren't going to be there. After all, they had just left for a 2 week trip to Ireland on Monday, but I just wanted to stop by and see the place. I took a few pictures, Mat topped off the oil, and we got to appreciate the place for a few minutes before we hit the road again. The North really does feel like my home.
The next stop was my birthplace, Sault Ste Marie. We ate some subs, grabbed a 6-pack for when we finally stopped at a motel, and headed out of town on the wrong road. Again, no big deal, and this time we were back on track in minutes. These kind of things happen when you don't have a schedule, maps, and are just enjoying the trip.
The long day ended with us driving off into the sunset, literally, along the shores of Lake Superior, towards our end goal for the day, Wawa. We rolled into town and drove around looking for the best place to sleep for the night. After asking a few gentleman standing outside of the Wawa Rotary building, we decided on The Wawa Motor Inn, since we were told it was one of the nicest motels and had wireless internet.
Success! We had arrived! After Mat checked us in we found ourselves with a very nice room, and great internet connection in the room, at no charge. I would definitely be back, and would recommend it to anyone making their way through Wawa.
Day 1 done, with no issues. Awesome. Enjoying a beer, a great hot shower, and watching some playoff hockey. Even better.
Time for bed, so that we can get up and going early tomorrow.
Tomorrow's goal? Winnipeg, Manitoba here we come!
C.Stemp.Run... Run Stemp! Run.... across Canada.
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