Itinerary

Our trip is scheduled for twenty-one days. Over the next few blog posts, I will post a run-down of the days and what we have planned for that day. 

Day 1 -- Leave home and drive through Michigan to Sault Sainte Marie. We have friends in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near Sault Ste Marie and we plan to get together for dinner.  We try to see our friends, Fred and Connie, about once every two or three years. Since it's a long drive, sometimes, more years than that go by before we make the drive to the Upper Pen. For the evening, we plan to show the family the locks and visit the museum.  We will spend the night in Sault Ste Marie. 

Day 2 --  Another long driving day. We leave the Soo for a trip around the northern shore of Lake Superior. Although the miles are about 400, the road is not an interstate, so speed is not fast. We have driving this before and we plan on spending eight hours driving. But what a drive! The northern shore of Lake Superior is gorgeous! Rugged wilderness, forests, and glimpses of the lake shore. Our day ends at Thunder Bay. 

Day 3 -- We take a break from two days of driving to spend the day sight-seeing in Thunder Bay. This city was created when the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William combined in 1970.  One sight to see is the Sleeping Giant, a peninsula of rock extending into the lake that resembles a giant laying on his back. Fort William, an historic trading fort, an amethyst mine, and Kakabeka Falls are also on the list of things to see. We spend a second night in Thunder Bay before heading out. 

Day 4 -- Westward Ho..!!  We leave Thunder Bay and head towards Winnipeg. Yes, it's a long drive; about eight hours. We plan to eat dinner in Winnipeg and see some of this prairie town. We leave after dinner and drive through the night and next day (Day 5) until we reach our destination of Banff. There, our chalet awaits..!  The drive from Thunder Bay to Banff is almost 1300 miles.  Pure drive time with no stops is about 24 hours. So, we have built in enough time to stop for food or other reasons.  We can check in after 3 pm on Day 5. 

More later. . .