Daily Trip Log Reports

July 12 - day one:
Our estimated time of departure is 10 a.m. In spite of getting up early in the morning, it becomes painfully obvious that we're not going to make it out the door anywhere near the time we'd hoped to.

Our two nested canoes are strapped on the Beaver's pontoons and we're ready for take off. This is one of the oldest Beavers still flying, number 12 off the assembly line. See More Photos!

The list of last minute preparations seems to grow instead of diminish. Most of the delay is the result of difficulties in trying to send my text and photos to CANOE.CA. This is the first time I've tried to use a satellite phone with a computer and my inexperience is showing.

Everyone I've turned to for help has been extremely good about trying to get me online. All of their suggestions have been excellent, but when I solve my immediate problem, another seems to crop up. I also have to tinker with the settings on the digital camera and image capture software to ensure that I'm getting the quality I need without wasting time, which in turn wastes battery power. 

Keeping my batteries charged is my biggest concern in this adventure and I won't really know how I'll fare until I'm well into the trip.

The kids have been great at helping get things ready. They've both been working hard at the various jobs they've been assigned to. I think they're as anxious to get on the river as we are. Kyle's learned a few new skills because he's been helping me with some of the technical preparations.

Now that I've sorted out the technical stuff, I've sent a few messages to the editor at CANOE to make sure all is well. The tests indicate a few more little changes that need to be made, but no major problems.

Finally, at 9 p.m. the van is fully loaded and we're on our way. I'm exhausted, but Deb's still got some energy, so she offers to take the first shift at the wheel. I lay down on the plywood shelf I constructed in the back of the van, above the gear for our trip. I don't recall much after my head hit the pillow.

July 13 - day two

A little before 1 a.m. Deb, rouses everyone as we enter Sarnia to prepare us for crossing the border into the US. We cruise the streets a bit looking for an open gas station, but none could be found so we head across the bridge. 

After fueling up the van, we shuffle the seating arrangements around and I take over the driving while the rest of the crew grabs some much-needed shut eye.

Driving at night is a great way to make up some lost time and we're arrive at the outskirts of Chicago as the sun rises in the east, well ahead of the anticipated time we thought it would take. By now I'm sleepy again so Debra takes over the wheel again. 

It would be nice if Kyle were old enough to drive, but I'm not sure many parents trust their teenaged son's driving abilities enough to sleep in the vehicle. Guess we'll find that out in a few years!

We've chosen to drive through the US on our way to Saskatchewan because construction on the northern route through Ontario is causing delays. We haven't done the route this way before, but it seems to be a bit faster overall because its flatter with longer stretches of four lane highways that are also straighter.

An added bonus of going this way is that we can drop in to visit our friends Darren and Gordie at Rutabaga in Madison Wisconsin. We met the folks at Rutabaga when we were in the area for Canoecopia earlier this year and Gordie and Darren treated us to great hospitality. The kids are really anxious to see them again because they had such a great time. Gordie's out when we arrive, but Darren is pleased and surprised to see us.

We're surprised to see some really nice scenery in the north of Wisconsin, towering cliff faces rising straight from the land. We'll have to come back this way some other time to explore the area more. It's a very interesting landscape.

We hit the twin cities of Mineapolis St. Paul at rush hour, but manage to get through the city without too much delay. They have stoplights on the off ramps which restricts the number of cars entering the highway. That seems to keep things flowing nicely. We pull into a rest area just outside Fargo North Dakota for a few hours sleep. 
 

July 14 - day three

The flat landscape of the prairies makes for great traveling. The miles roll by effortlessly. The changes in the scenery are subtle and the kids get bored looking out the window. We play lots of word games in the van to pass the time. 

The number of bugs accumulating on the window inspires me to do a skit on bug splat that has the kids howling with laughter. That was the highlight for them on this section of the trip and I'm asked for an encore performance several times.

Somewhere before the Saskatchewan border, the kids ask the typical question, "how much farther?'' I reply with a straight face, "just around the corner". Brendan has inherited enough of my dry sense of humour to pause only briefly before commenting that since this is the prairies, we're likely to travel many hours before coming to the next corner. "Exactly" I reply.

We drive as far as Prince Albert before calling it a night. There's a spectacular lightning show on the horizon as we're driving, but it's far enough away that it has no impact on us.