On The Road Again ...

Long drive today, but I basically saved  half a day :)   Still not too much traffic on the road, still construction delays, still few transport trucks, but I did notice that many of them are tandem so they are hauling a twin trailer and a large part of the road separates so you don't see much of the eastbound traffic.  Lots and lots of glampers, RVs, people hauling boats. My route for today Beautiful sunny day, not many clouds in the sky as I left Brandon this morning.  Temperature was around 23 degrees at 8:30 am when I hit the road.   Reached 34 degrees by the time I was mid-Saskatchewan. Observations Manitoba: Acres and acres and acres of canola fields.  Many are in flower right now.  Bright greeney yellow on both sides of the road as far as you can see.  Feels like you are enveloped in sunshine :) Another treat was to see blooming lavender fields.  This picture thanks to google but you get the drift.    S...

Beautiful day for a drive!  I was taking in all the beautiful mountains, lakes, very tall trees knowing that once I got into Manitoba and then across the Prairies, it would be flat and some say, pretty boring. Here was my route for today A couple of pictures I meant to send with yesterday's update: Note the trees are super tall and really skinny.  I think it gets really cold and snowy up here ... here being about 1/2 way between Timmins and Thunder Bay. Adding to my comment yesterday that 50% of the people who live up here Timmins/Thunder Bayish... are Francophones, the store signs and road signs are bilingual. Today's Observations: It appears that Moose only like Ontario.  West of Dryden (Ontario) and into Manitoba, I've only seen watch for deer signs.  And between Winnipeg and Brandon, it appears that the roads people know that there are only deer within a defined space (ie. watch for deer for next 2 km). Lots of cyclists on the road today. ...

Woke up to rain and impending Thunderstorms in Timmins this morning and got away just before it poured.  Here's the route I took today. Still not much traffic, in fact for many kms there were just a few cars.   This is my buddy "Lode King"  I followed him for about 2 hours (for real!).  Every time there was an opportunity (as in a straight stretch) to pass him, oncoming cars and/or road construction down to 1 lane impeded my attempts.   So I just settled back and we kept each other company during the isolated parts of the trip. Speaking of Gas.  Note to Self.  Even if you have 3/4 tank of gas stop to fill up when you see a station.   There are NO OnRoute stations on Hwy 11 from Toronto!   The only gas you can get are in the towns you drive (literally) through ... You go from 90km to 70km to 50km as you meander through the "main street", and the "towns" are often hundreds of miles apart.  No worries, I wasn't close to run...

They say that Shania Twain comes from Timmins.  It's hard to believe that someone so famous came from this little town of 41 thousand people! Timmins is a very pretty town on the Mattagami River.  It's the 4th largest city in Northeastern Ontario.  The economy here is based on natural resource extraction and is supported by industries related to lumbering and the mining of gold, zinc, copper, nickel and silver.    Now it makes sense;  some of the signs I saw on my drive up here "DANGER" "DO NOT ENTER"  "BLASTING ZONE!" are everwhere. The drive up Highway 11 was pretty uneventful even with all of the road construction.   This must be the year to dig up and repave the roads!   Looks like they are doing a major widening of Hwy 400 North of King Road.   Lots of construction on Highway 11. I'm surprised that more truckers aren't using it, rather it appears (because of the lack of traffic) they are either going up Hwy 144 or Hwy 1 North o...

RoadTrip Summer 2017 -- From Toronto  On the road again Just can't wait to get on the road again The life I love is making music with my friends And I can't wait to get on the road again On the road again Goin' places that I've never been Seein' things that I may never see again And I can't wait to get on the road again On the road again Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway We're the best of friends Insisting that the world keep turning our way And our way... Is on the road again Just can't wait to get on the road again The life I love is making music with my friends And I can't wait to get on the road again Willie Nelson