Ontario and Lake Superior

[JPK1100]

Leaving Ottawa Friday morning to Regina, Saskatchewan.

I plan to go through Sudbury, Sault Ste-Marie and Thunder Bay.

Any recommandations?

JPK1100

[Paul_F]

If you get off Hwy 17 and travel through Fort Frances to Winnipeg, be certain to not waste any fuel. Gas stations and communities are very, very, did I say, very far apart? If you remain on Hwy 17, every other village has a gas station stop and should be no problem. Being a worry wart, I stopped whenever I saw a gas statoin for fear of not finding one later. Both routes are very scenic. Enjoy the ride.

[swall]

Get gas either before or after Sudbury. Not a good place to stop for a quick fill up. Very congested little city.

[Mika]

Pay attention to the time of day for two reasons. On this route hours of business may be limited. The second are critters at dawn and dusk.

[godzilla]

When you are on 17, if you decide to stay in Nipigon, stop at the Vacationland Motel. Ask for Wanda or Jimmie. Tell them Jack and Helen said hello. (Helen is Wanda's cousin.) They just might give you a bit of a discount...

A few years ago, Helen and I had a road trip up there, part of the ride was from Ottawa to the Soo. Nice road! I had no problems finding gas and my K likes it before 140 miles. That is true from the Soo to Thunder Bay as well. Pleny of places to stop for gas and food.

Watch for Moose! They are all over the place, but you should know that!

[Paul_F]

If you need to stay in Thunder Bay, the Kings Motel, 540 Cumberland Street North, Thunder Bay, ON P7A4S3 , (807) 344-7269 or (866) 254-5768 (toll-free) was very clean and very reasonably priced.

[njnear]

I would return through the US. Hit the Black Hills, Badlands of South Dakota.

The UP has some beautiful scenery. Road to Copper Harbor is worth it. Take a 3 hour cruise at Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore in Munising.

[JPK1100]

Many thanks to those who answered.

Very usefull comments.

JPk1100

[Dawgmiester]

A great not well known place to stop and see is an old Hudson Bay Trading Co. fort. It is just south of Wawa past the Michipicoten River. It will be a double rut road just south of the river on the Lake side. N47 54.804 W084 48.471 if you have a GPS.
This place was pointed out by some locals in Wawa as a great place to camp for free. At least once per year I like to take a run around Lake Superior and always camp there or just down the road on the beach. It is will worth checking out even if you do not plan to camp there.

[Andy VH]

At least you're headed in the right direction. I have heard the way to circle Lake Superior is from east to west. The prevailing winds blow storms from west to east. Going east to west means in you meet a storm it is only for the time the storm is there, and not following you.

Also, make sure you stop at Aero Designs in Duluth (the home of Aerostitch). It is a neat place with all sorts fo cycle goodies. Heck, the catalog alone is worth the stop.

Plus, the old canal/industrial section of Duluth makes for a great overnighter. Stay at the Inn on Lake Superior. You can walk to all the good spots from there, including a great Italian and Mexican place.

[Holly]

At least you're headed in the right direction. I have heard the way to circle Lake Superior is from east to west. The prevailing winds blow storms from west to east. Going east to west means in you meet a storm it is only for the time the storm is there, and not following you.

Unless of course you are my son on a carefully planned bicycle ride across Canada. He left here (W. of Toronto) rode to the east coast, did Cape Breton, PEI and Newfoundland, then flew to Vancouver so he would have tail winds from BC to ON. Guess which way the winds blew that month!

Holly

[Burnszilla]

Don't forget to get a photo of your bike with the the Big Nickel, the Echo Bay Loonie and the Wawa goose!

[north50]

Having grown up in that part of the world, I think you'll find this a great ride. It can be remote once you're west of SS Marie, but the scenery is great and the roads is in very good condition. It can be very busy during the summer months. I wouldn't travel much at night - lots of deer and moose!

Gas and lodging can be far apart. Fill up when you can, especially on the northern part of the journey. Not all of the small towns have accommodation either, so stop when you see something suitable.

[woodgrain]

I drive through the area on my weekly run to and from Calgary. Get a Husky Road Commander map and you'll be able to schedule your gas stops easily. The Husky's are open 24/7. After Sault Ste Marie there isn't anything open after 9PM and there's no fuel until morning or White River, 3 hours west. Restaurants and motels come and go every year on 17, so it's difficult to recommend any particular place. Great news! Wawa now has a Tim Horton's. Last week the black bears were out in full force, as were the moose. Be careful and don't ride at night unless you have too. They can make a hell of a mess of a big truck, and you can imagine what happens when something smaller runs into an animal of that size. Just my 2 cents.

Woodgrain