Homeward Bound

The next morning, we did our usual oatmeal for breakfast routine and headed for Ontario. Again we weren't exactly sure where our next stop was, but at this point, we felt like we had some time to do a bit of exploring (on account of powering our way through a couple days out west). Looking through the Ontario Provincial Parks booklet I picked up on the way out, I zeroed in on Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. 

On our way, we stopped in Dryden to stretch our legs. I of course wanted to stop and see the Giant Moose- I still regret missing the World's Largest Coffee Pot in Saskatchewan. 

Right next to the Giant Moose is a tourist information stop. We poked around and chatted with a nice lady working there. After a few pics, we were back on the road.

We passed Kakabeka Falls and happily by-passed Thunder Bay (those alternator issues seem a world away). We turned off of Highway 17 and headed for the park- it's quite a ways off the main road, but the detour is totally worth it. We did not have a reservation and took our chances upon arriving. 

Our campsite was a nice little spot close to the beach, with only 1 neighbour at the time. We even had a deer come right up and check us out! 

After settling, we headed to the beach for a swim. It was around dinner time, but we were basically the only people there. Hello, private beach! 

After cooking yet another delicious dinner, it was time for a shower. As with most other Ontario Parks, Sleeping Giant also had nice showers, although they were quite the walk from our site, and I admittedly couldn't find them at first. It was a beautiful evening, so before having a fire, we set out to walk around the campground just before sunset. 

We didn't actually climb the sleeping giant the next day, but this view was also quite spectacular. After finishing our walk, we had a nice little campfire and headed for bed. 

The next day, after about 5 hours of driving, we stopped at Old Woman Bay inside Lake Superior Provincial Park... we hung out here for about 30-45 minutes- we used the bathroom, stretched our legs, and soaked in the view. THAT VIEW! The mountains of BC are amazing, but I highly recommend this area of Ontario if you have a car and want to see somewhere beautiful! 

We carried on, making a few more stops, including at the spot where Justin proposed (near Chippewa Falls). Not sure again where we were going to sleep and with darkness looming, we pulled into a tourist centre in Blind River. At first it seemed a little sketch, but then we noticed a few transport trucks pull off into the lot across the street, and then another mini-van camper parked next to us. So, we spent the night here. 

The next morning, being so "close" to home we knew we could get there that day. We splurged on Tim Horton's for breakfast and powered our way back to Petawawa. 

We did it! Three weeks to the Yukon and back! We absolutely loved travelling in our van and aren't done with van camping! Stay tuned for more... 

J & S