Back home at Windsor, Ontario

July 25, 2012

We had a lazy morning in our motel in Stratford. After a hectic 2 weeks of travel, we enjoyed a morning off. We had the play "The Matchmaker|" to see at 2 PM so had a little time between our check out time at the motel that was 11 PM and the play at 2 PM. We went shopping and I got some clothes. After that we had lunch and went to the Stratford Theatre. We were early at the theatre so Dorothy took the time to shop at the Theatre Store that is next to the Stratford Theatre. We got some well known music on 3 DVDs and a black T-shirt for Dorothy the Stratford Theatre on the front of it.

The Matchmaker was a great play that we enjoyed thoroughly. We had seen the musical "Dolly" in New York and now have a better understanding of the story that the musical was based on.

The show ended at about 4.30 PM. We drove home and were back in Windsor by 8 PM. It is nice travelling and seeing new things but there is nothing like a good nights sleep in your own bed. However we miss the cooler temperature that we enjoyed during our travels north of Windsor.

This is the final update on this blog. Dorothy and I hope that you have enjoyed sharing our travels by reading this blog.

Con Bach

Dorothy in the beautiful flower garden at the entrance to the  Stratford  Theatre.

Con in front of the statue of Shakspere near the entrance to the  Stratford Theatre 

The Theatre Store near the Stratford Theatre.

The beautiful flower garden at the entrance to the Stratford Theatre.

People enjoying the terrace at the Stratford Theatre at intermission.

Dorothy in front of a beautiful hanging flower  arrangement  on the terrace  at the Stratford Theatre.

Stratford

July 24, 2012
Today we only had a short distance to drive from Listowel where we stayed in a B&B to Stratford. We got to Stratford about 10 AM just in time to be one of the first at the booking office for the live stage shows at the Stratford Theatre. I left Dorothy out at the booking office while I parked the car. She booked "42nd Street" for today's 2 PM show and " The Matchmaker" for tomorrows 2 PM show. After tomorrow's show we plan to drive back home to Windsor.

We got ourselves a nice comfortable Motel and then had lunch before the show. 42nd Street is a lively musical that we enjoyed thoroughly. After all the beautiful scenery that we have seen over the past week, it was so great to see a beautiful live musical. I guess we have been blessed over the past week. Here are some pictures of Stratford Theatre that we took today.

Dorothy with the Stratford Theatre in the background

Con at the main entrance to the Stratford Theatre.

The beautiful gardens at the entrance to the Stratford Theatre.

Dorothy and Con on the terrace at the Stratford  theatre  during intermission.

The Avon River and park near the Stratford Theatre.

  

Listowel, Ontario

July 23, 2012

We are staying in Listowel, Ontario in a Bed and Beakfast as it was the only thing we could find tonight in Listowel. We are heading to Stratford and are not too far away from it. However we were so tired that we just did not feel we could go any further and also it was getting dark. We plan to see some plays in Stratford if we can get tickets at the plays we want to see.

Today we had a very busy day. We got up early so that we could catch the 9.10 AM ferry, Chi-Cheemaun from South Baymouth to Tobermory. I had to get our car in the line up at 7 AM to get a spot on the ferry. It was bright and sunny for the crossing but it was windy and a little rough. When we got to Tobermory at 11 AM we had a quick lunch as we were booked for a 2 hour glass  bottom boat cruise at 1 PM around the ship wrecks and islands of Tobermory.  We saw quite a number of islands including Blue Heron, Echo and Flowerpots. The most interesting was Flowerpots Island with rocks carved looking like gigantic flower pots.

Our trip finished a little after 3.30 PM and then we headed to Stratford but made it as far as Listowel.

Our motel at South Baymouth as seen from the back of the ferry, Chi-Cheemaun 

Little Tub Harbour in Tobermory

The 36.3 meter two master ship, Sweepstakes lies at the bottom of   Tub Harbour  

after it sank.                                                     

The Sweepstakes seen in the glass bottom boat.

                                                

The Flower Pot rock formations on Flower Pot  Island

The retired Cove Is. Lighthouse on the north corner of Blue Heron Island

                                                                    

South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island

July 22, 2012

Today we are in South Baymouth that is on the south-east corner of Manitoulin Island. We started our drive at about 8 AM in Sault St. Marie and were in our motel in South Baymouth by 2.30 PM. It was Sunday so the traffic was light most of the way. After we had a rest we drove to Providence Bay to see the beach and then past Mindemoya Lake and the town of Mindemoya.We passed another large lake called Big Lake. This was so original as it was a very large lake. We then returned back to South Baymouth just in time to see the departure of the ferry MS Chi-Cheermaun that in the first native language means "Big Canoe". We will be taking this ferry at 9 AM tomorrow to Tobermory.

Lake Huron at the marina at Providence Bay.

The beach at Providence Bay.

Lake Mindemoya in the eastern section of Manitoulin Island.

Big Lake just east of Mindemya Lake

M. S. Chi-Cheemaun leaving South Baymouth for Tobermory

100th Year Celebration at Sault St. Marie

July 21, 2012

We were lucky to be here in Sault St. Marie on the weekend that they were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Sault St. Marie as well as the celebration for the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 with the United States. There was various enactments of the fighting around Sault St. Marie that we unfortunately missed. However we did see the actors dressed in the period dress of the Canadian and US soldiers and other men and women dressed in the way they dressed in 1812. For these celebrations we bought special tickets that gave us entrance to the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, Ermatinger/Clergue Heritage Site, Sault St. Marie Museum and Art Gallery of Algoma. In the time we had today we managed to see the first 3 but not the Art Gallery. For the celebration there was a parade starting at 11 AM for the 2 celebrations and fortunately the marshalling for the start of the parade was at the Bushplane Centre. Dorothy went out to see the parade while of course I stayed in the Bushplane Centre to take a good look at all the very interesting planes there. Ermatinger house built in 1814 has been restored with period furnishings and household articles and had people in it that were dressed in period that the original owner lived. It was very interesting to see. The Sault St. Marie Museum that is now housed in the historic post office has 3 floors depicting the history of Sault St. Marie and was also very interesting and informative. We also saw some of the street concerts on the mains street called Queen St. that had been bocked of for these celebrations.

Tomorrow we are heading for Manitoulin Island and plan to stay there overnight. The next day we well take the ferry to Tobermory.

Dorothy in front of the the famous Canadian Water Bomber  at the Bushplane  Centre

Con in front of a float plane at the Bushplane Centre.

Dorothy at the entrance of  Ermitinger Heritage stone house.  In front of the house  are the tents of the  British and US  troops participating in the enactment of the War of 1812.

A British soldier with a lady dressed in the 1812  period  dress and in front of  the  Ermatinger  House.

A lady spinning goat hair in the living room of the Ermatiger  House.

The former post office now housing  the Sault St. Marie Museum.

People enjoying a concert on the blocked off Queen Street.

Agawa Canyon Train Trip

July 20, 2012

Dorothy and I had to get up at 5.30 AM to get ready to catch the Algoma Central Railway train to Agawa Canyon. We boarded the train at 7.30 AM and it left promptly at 8 AM as scheduled. This started a fantastic day that was a photographer's dream. On the way to the canyon, there was one beautiful picture after another. But at the canyon, it was just a artist and photographer's heaven. We now understand why the group of 7 came up to this area of the country to paint. Now with digital photography we can make one fantastic picture after another.They say it is more beautiful in the fall when the trees turn. Even in wintertime they say the scenery has it different beauty as well. I took a lot of pictures and plan to put together a slide show using Microsoft Movie Maker so that I can do the pictures that I took some justice.

After we got back to Sault St. Marie at about 5.30 PM, Dorothy and I drove over to the Canadian Lock that was just a short distance away from the train terminal. We were lucky that a converted tug and an RCMP ship were going through the locks. As the lock has been shortened from the original 900 feet to much  smaller one, it did not take these 2 vessels long to be cleared through the locks.

We will be staying another day in Sault St. Marie and will be seeing the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, The Art Gallery of Algoma and  a historical house.

One of the many beautiful lakes on the way to Agawa Canyon.

A hydro generating station.

A beautiful scene of the Agawa River flowing in the Agawa Canyon.

Our train is crossing the curved Montreal River trestle that is 130 ft high and 1550 feet long.

The RCMP patrol boat is securing lines in the lock as the lock  gates are being closed.

Sault St. Marie

July 19, 2012

This morning we said good by to our dear friends Jackie and Doug who had hosted us so well the last 3 days. We headed to Sault St. Marie by the scenic route Hwy 31 that follows the shore of the East Arm of Traverse Bay. Unfortunately for us today, it rained most of the way until we started to cross the Mackinaw Bridge. So we could not get any pictures of this very pretty area and on the famous Machinaw Bridge we could not stop to take any pictures. So we had to wait till be got to Sault St. Marie, Michigan to take some pictures. When we got to the Locks at Sault St Marie, Michigan we went up on the 21 story Tower of History so that we could get a view of the locks and Lake Superior. It as a fantastic view of Sault St. Marie Michigan, Sault St. Marie, Ontario, both American and Canadian locks, the Museum Ship Valley Camp. The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, the Saint Marie's River and Lake Superior. After taking in all these sights we crossed over to the Canadian side and went straight to the train station to get our tickets for tomorrows train to Agawa Caynon. While we were at the station the train for Agawa Canyon pulled in with a lot of people that seems tired but happy from the day long trip.

We booked into the Days Inn for the next 2 nights and are happy to have a nice place to sleep after our long drive today.

Sault St. Marie, Michigan with Lake Superior in the distance.

The American Locks with a ship entering the locks.

                                         

The Museum Ship Valley Camp and the Hydro Electric Station  just south of it.

Large Ore freighter entering the locks.

The lock gates to the second set of locks.

The train Algoma Central train that we will be catching early tomorrow morning.

Grand Traverse Lighthouse

July 18, 2012

Today Jackie and Doug took us to the famous Grand Traverse Lighthouse. This lighthouse is located at the most northern tip of the Leelandau Peninsula. Leelandau is a Native American word that means "A Land of Delight" that we have found in the last 3 days is very good description of this area. The lighthouse was built in 1858 and was closed and replaced by a automatic lighthouse beacon that only needs servicing every 6 months. However original lighthouse has been restored to the 1920 and 1930 era when there was no electricity or running water. It is now a museum and has many of the items that the McCormick had when the McCormick family lived in it. It is in very good condition after a lot of work by volunteers including Doug had worked in restoring the lighthouse.

We went to a restaurant in Suttons Bay and for desert we went for a second night to Fischer's Happy Hour Tavern for a delicious desert called "Home made Cream Puff with Sanders Hot Fudge". After this we went to Peterson Park to see the sunset over Lake Michigan. It was a fitting conclusion to another great day.

Jackie and Dorothy walking to the Grand Traverse  Lighthouse.

Grand

Con, Dorothy and Doug in front of the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.

Entrance to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.

View from the tower housing the lighthouse light of the Fog Signal  Building and  North Manitou  Island.

Automatic lighthouse tower that replaced the former lighthouse. as seen from  the lighthouse  tower.

Dorothy trying the wood stove in the lighthouse kitchen.

Dorothy and Con next to a training and research tall ship in  the Sutton  Bay  Marina.

Lake Michigan Visit

July 17, 2012

Today Jackie and Doug took us on a wonderful trip to see Lake Michigan and the area east of where they live in Southport. It is such a beautiful area that some of the pictures that I am including will show. We saw the long Lake Leelanau and the town Leland with his historical fishing village. From some of the high hills we were able to see North Manitou and South Manitou Islands. We saw another historical village in Glen Arbour and had lunch there. Then we went to the Maritime Museum in Glen Haven and former Sleeping Bear Life Guard Station. After that we went to see the very high sand dunes near Little Glen Lake. We saw a lot of young people climbing the sand dunes and enjoying the run down soft sand but decided that was for the young and did not attempt the climb to the top of the dunes where a person got a great view of Lake Michigan. Oh! to be young again. The areas we drove through had many farms growing apples, cherries, corn and wheat. Also there are many lakes that are surrounded by a lot of cottages. This is a great vacation area. We had a very beautiful view of Omena Bay while we enjoyed dinner. After dinner we went to see the sunset at Paterson Park as the sun was setting over Lake Michigan. What a great day we had.

Lake Leelanau near village of LeeLand

Historic Fishing Village at Leland.

Con, Doug , Jackie and Dorothy at the Historic Fishing Village.

Dorothy in front a coast guard rescue boat at the Glen Haven  Historic Village.

One of the many beaches along Lake Michigan that people were enjoying.

Dorothy and Jackie in front of a former building housing a coast guard  rescue  boat.

Doug and Con pumping an old hand bildge pump in front of   former building  housing a coast guard  crew.

People climbing the high Sand Dunes near Little Glen Lake.

Corn fields with Lake Michigan in the backgrounds.

Corn