Planning Part 3 - Day Four Thunder Bay, Ontario

As per the current planned itinerary, Day 3 ends in Thunder Bay, ON. I'll confess a general ignorance of this part of the country. Unfortunately, I don't think I am alone in this - despite its stunning beauty, Northern Ontario just doesn't get the same kind of exposure as the charm of the Maritimes, the old-world feel of Quebec or the rugged beauty of the Rockies. As a result, I didn't give too much thought to this area when doing my initial planning, and hadn't planned on spending more than a night there.

Terry Fox Memorial, Image from Wikipedia

My first itinerary adjustment is to right this wrong. With so much to see and do in the Thunder Bay area, it warrants an extra day to do it justice. To be fair, it warrants more than an extra day, but that's all we can spare, so a full day it will have to be.

We will likely be rolling into Thunder Bay sometime in the evening of the third day. We'll be coming from Winnipeg, and even without any stops will be looking at a seven to eight hour drive. Once we find dinner and get settled, this will probably leave just enough time to see the Terry Fox Memorial or walk the waterfront. Everything else will need to fit into the next day.

 The area around Thunder Bay is literally packed with parks and conservation areas, including the Lakehead Region Conservation Areas, Lake Superior Marine Conservation Area, Pigeon River Provincial Park, Wabakimi Provincial Park, Quetico Provincial Park, and Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park... but there are two in particular that have captured my curiosity.

Sleeping Giant, Image from Wikipedia

Kakabeka Falls, 25 minutes outside of Thunder Bay, is home to Ontario's second highest falls. As well as viewing the falls, there are several short walking trails.

Sleeping Giant first caught my attention when I read it was a finalist in the Seven Wonders of Canada. When viewed from a certain angle, the rock formation indeed looks like a prone sleeper. But its the beauty of the park when you are actually in it, the hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities that are most captivating.

 One top of visiting those two natural parks, there is Fort William Historic Park. This reconstruction of the North West Company Fur Trading Post depicts the lives of the Metis, Scottish, First Nation and French-Canadian trappers and traders that lived at the post, and played a pivotal role in settling the West.

The last must do of Thunder Bay - a visit to the Persian Man for the local pastry specialty.