Things were looking up. Instead of raw sewage, the kids were able to start the day by diving into their "Bag 'o' Daily Gifts" from Grammy for another treasure.
Crossing paths with the daunting list of Lake Superior "Circle Tour Attractions" while visiting the Wawa Goose,
provided ample fodder for a textbook "Five Before Five" endeavour.
For those who are unfamiliar, "Five Before Five" is a tradition conjured (after numerous fireside beverages) by various members of the activity-loving Nolan clan (on my mom's side). Whereby, if one successfully completes five activities before five o'clock, they are rewarded...with a bonus activity. Yes, you read that right - your reward for cramming in five activities before happy hour, is that you get to do another activity. For some reason, this makes perfect sense to everyone in my family. Including Team Bearss.
So it was, that we set out on the winding and picturesque roads of Northern Ontario,
with a predictably ambitious plan.
Activity 1: Winnie-the-Pooh Monument - White River
Though the actual monument was looking a little tired,
It was interesting to read about the WWI Canadian Army Lieutenant, who, on a whim, paid 20 bucks for an orphaned black bear while standing on the train platform in White River waiting to head out of town and eventually overseas.
Named after the soldier's hometown of Winnipeg, "Winnie" eventually made it to the London Zoo, where random patrons A.A. Milne and his son Christopher got to spoon-feed him honey,
'cause, why not?
The rest is history...
Check.
Activity 2: Terrace Bay Lighthouse
While this isn't, nor ever was a functioning lighthouse,
it does a great job of guiding tourists safely into the parking lot of the Simcoe Shopping Plaza (read: strip mall) to avail themselves of a few selfies.
Check!
And while we're here...
Activity 3: Slate Island Brewing Company
This nondescript little gem, wedged between the post office and the pet groomer,
was definitely a highlight, and not just because this trip was three days overdue for a beer tasting.
"Umm, we'll take one of everything."
The beer was varied and delicious, and the place had a quirky decor,
complete with folding tables and a hodgepodge of chairs that looked like they came from a local yard sale.
AND, entertainment for the whole family!
Sangria Iced Teas, anyone?
The darts took a bit of a turn when Taz (who else?) dropped one, impaling his flipflop and narrowly missing his big toe...
Cheque!
Aside: I think the dart incident had Taz feeling a little overconfident, as a short while later when the poorly-latched cabin door swung open while travelling at full speed down the highway, he readily jumped up with a nonchalant "I've got it!" (followed immediately by the rest of us screaming "SIT DOWN!").
Activity 4: Aguasabon Falls
I think the sign suggested a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk, we wouldn't know, as we careened into the parking lot, blew past the sign, bowled over a couple elderly tourists, snapped a quick photo,
and a family selfie,
before peeling out of there.
"Let's go people! The clock is ticking..."
Check.
Activity 5: Nipigon River Bridge
"No need to stop, guys, we can read about it on Wikipedia."
That counts.
Check.
16:11, 49 minutes to spare. Boom.
Bonus Activity: Eagle Canyon Adventures Suspension Bridge
The online reviews weren't exactly glowing,
"The road to get there is shitty.", "It's overpriced and you have to pay cash", "The public washrooms are bad", "The staff are rude"
As it turns out, the staff were quite friendly. Other than that, the reviews were pretty accurate.
But, hey, it's a "Bonus", right? Besides, we didn't want to let Nonno down.
So, we set out on the trail looking for adventure.
Things were going well, as we arrived at the first (91m) bridge.
Which we conquered handily, despite Britt's (at times crippling) acrophobia.
The second, and aforementioned longest (182m) suspension bridge in Canada tested her mettle,
as the winds (and blood-curdling screams) escalated with every step.
Fortunately we survived, unscathed.
Clearly worth the effort!
Still riding high on the adrenaline from our bonus activity, we rolled in to our campsite to the provocative greeting: "If you hear loud banging or an airhorn in the middle of the night, don't worry, it's just your neighbours trying to scare away the bear that has been around here the last couple nights..."
I believe we've already discussed Britt's other extreme fear, arkoudaphobia (Ref. Blog # 076).
I'm pretty sure she won't be leaving the camper for the next 12 hours...
