July 4 - Thunder Bay

July 4 was a rest day (in that we took a break from the road), but that doesn't mean we weren't busy... or in the car for that matter. The day started with a short drive west of Thunder Bay to Kakabeka Falls.  After spending a short time exploring the beautiful falls, and learning about the extreme portage the Voyageurs and First Nations used to avoid it, it was back to town.

Kakabeka Falls, 2017

Kakabeka Falls, 2017

We had lunch at The Hoito, which is located in the basement of the Finnish Canadian Centre, feels like you are in a community hall, and serves traditional Finnish cuisine including Finnish pancakes (which are like Dutch pannekoek or crepes, but slightly heavier), and pastry filled with savory rice pudding topped with cheese. It was a unique experience and very yummy.



The Hoito, 2017

For the afternoon, we headed to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. From Thunder Bay, the peninsula looks eerily like a person sleeping prone in the water. Once on the peninsula, it is typical of the rugged shoreline that optimizes Lake Superior. Due to its rugged nature, there is little of the park you can see from the road other than trees. There is a small, accessible lake with a public beach that the boys enjoyed a dip in. But to see the real beauty of the park, you need to access the shoreline - either by boat or by one of the many hikes. We chose to do a short hike to the Sea Lion, a rock arch, that involved enough climbing of rocks to entertain the boys, but that was generally easy to navigate and complete. We were rewarded with the "best rock skipping beach-ever" as well as stunning views of the arch and surrounding shoreline.

Sleeping Giant, 2017

Sea Lion at Sleeping Giant, 2017

Sleeping Giant, 2017

After our stint in Sleeping Giant, it was back to Thunder Bay with a stop at the Terry Fox Memorial. The statue and visitor centre commemorates Terry Fox's attempted run across Canada that sadly ended just outside of Thunder Bay. Being high on a hill, it also offers spectacular views of Lake Superior and Sleeping Giant.


Terry Fox Memorial, 2017

To top off our day, we headed to the waterfront for a lovely dinner at Bight restaurant.