Terrace Bay, White River, Chez Mommy, Lake Superior

 Thursday, June 12, 2014

49 degrees at 7:30 this morning, but sun is shining through a cloudy sky.  We take a walk on the beach, which is pretty coarse sand, but it's sand! There is often morning mist over the lake, which obliterates the horizon line.

On the way into town we see this fox trotting, (no not foxtrotting) along the road.

We head to the Terrace Bay lighthouse, where there is supposed to be free wi-fi.  Have difficulty with the connection, so we make some oatmeal for breakfast and then move on. Most of the signs now are in French with English secondary.

 Lots of forested and rocky mountains, some steep, and pretty lakes and streams.  We spot these two moose shortly before the town of Marathon.

 

I go into the library in Marathon to see if they have wi-fi, and even though they aren’t officially open yet, we are welcomed warmly.  They have to run an extension cord but are pleasant and eager to be helpful.  One of the librarians was in Dallas recently, so there is much discussion of weather patterns, travel, etc.  and they make some helpful suggestions. 

Back on 17 for a long drive.  There are very few other roads and those that do exist are dirt.  We try one or two but they are very rough and at one point Greg ends up backing our way out over a single lane wooden bridge!  We pass occasional quarries and a huge lumber yard but little else till White River, population 1000.

White River is “where Harry met Winnie.” 

The original orphaned bear was adopted by Harry Colebourn, a vet with the army, and taken back to England.  He named the bear Winnie, after Winnipeg, where he had lived.  Winnie was extremely tame and friendly and when Harry went off to war, he left Winnie at the London zoo.  It was there that Christopher Robin Milne enjoyed interacting with the bear, which inspired the Winnie the Pooh stories.  (Pooh came from the name of a pet swan that died.)

After White River, we take a little detour north to a town named Dubreuville, as recommended by Garrett way back in Thunder River.  The town is tiny and the big mill there is closed.  We stop at a small visitor’s center and learn that most everyone in town speaks French. The elementary and high school are both French.  We were told to try a dish called Poutine (pronounced like Vladimir PUTIN) and are directed to a small shack called Chez Mommy!

Pountine is a combination of French fries, cheese curds (mozzerela-like) and a brown gravy. (From Quebec, we are told.) They also have it with different sauces. The one on the right has a hamburger and onion sauce.  We order and have a seat with a gentleman having lunch at the one picnic table.  He is affable and tells us about the Gold Mines in the area, where many are employed. He is excited to participate in a Walleye Fishing Derby which is a yearly event taking place this weekend.  114 boats are signed up so far! He tells us that Walleye are great eating and he laughs because so many people come to the area to fish for Northern Pike, which the locals consider a trash fish and throw back. First prize in the derby is 5K and he said he was eighth last year which netted him $350.

A young man came in for ice cream and Greg asked him if school was out for the year yet.  He said they start September 1 and go till the end of June…..lots of snow days, no doubt!

 Lots of forests, rivers, rocky hills and lakes.

The folks seemed proud of their little town and said the one hotel had re-opened and that should be good for tourism.  I can’t imagine what tourists would come here for unless maybe fishing.  Sure isn’t Chez Mommy :)! Apparently any relationship to France ends with the language.

The poutine was ok – not something we’ll rush back for. When we asked the visitor’s center ladies what you eat with poutine, they rattled off fast food like chicken fingers, burgers, etc.  I semi-jokingly asked if they don’t have French food, to which they laughed and said that was in France.

Next stop is Wawa.  We see they requisite giant goose and visit Young’s General Store which has a little bit of everything, from Pickles in a barrel to moccasins, post cards to caps and mittens.

Down the road are several colorful totems with Gitchee Goomee written on them, the Ojibwe name for the lake.  What is that poem that starts with “On the shore of Gitchee Goomee…?” Longfellow's Hiawatha.

From Wawa we take a windy dirt road with some 14 and 16 degree  grades to a place called Sandy Beach and boondock there.  A friendly lady in town suggested it as a good spot.  Sandy beach  with driftwood, but it is cold and windy now.  The fog is rolling in and we can hear a fog horn somewhere not too far away as we have dinner and close our eyes for the night.