The Bay named Thunder - Part 2.

We slept. We slept and then we slept a bit more. After the days hiking, the drinking and the 25 minute walk home with our belly's full of good food and tasty beverages, we deserved a sleep and so like Goldilocks, when she found the bears beds 'Juuuuuuuust Riiiiiight', we pulled the comfy quilt over our heads and slept for nearly 10 hours. It was the best nights sleep I think I have had this year.

We woke up late on Saturday morning and decided to take a short drive (we had walked enough yesterday) into the town centre to find a place for a bit of brekky (although it was nearer to lunch time).

The place we found is called Hoito - A lovely traditional style Finnish cafe which has been serving food to the Finnish population of Thunder Bay for 99 years apparently - and a place where you get some lovely tasty Finnish pancakes, with bacon, eggs, sausage and a little pancake syrup to give you a spring in your step at the start of another long day. The pancakes were delicious and filling and everything we wanted on this fine sunny October lunchtime

You can read a little more about Hoito here - http://thehoito.ca/about/

So, still worn out after yesterdays hike we decided to take it a little easier today and took a leisurely drive out of Thunder Bay to go and visit one of the local attractions - Kakabeka Falls.

These are a very pretty set of waterfalls just about 30 minutes out of Thunder Bay on the Kaministiquia River. (Try saying that after a few beers) The falls are 40 metres high, which is only 11 metres less that the more famous falls at Niagara. Kakabeka are just as pretty though and being surrounded by a lovely little wooded area rather than the casinos and waxworks you find at Niagara Falls, make these a much more pleasant experience. They are in fact an almost perfect miniature version of their better known but more downtrodden siblings. 

We enjoyed a good hours worth of wandering around and taking photos holding the rainbow which is visible from every angle as the water spray rises up into the sunlight. The only downside was trying to get the parking machine working so we could pay to leave the car for an hour. But it was a really nice and really pleasant way to spend a late fall afternoon. '

So, relaxed and rested we decided it was time to get back into a bit of hiking and to earn our next experience. So we drove back towards Thunder Bay and stopped off at an almost alien looking rock which sits just across the river from the city - Mount Mckay, where the 3000metre high rocky outcrop gives some spectacular views down onto the city and across Lake Superior towards The Sleeping Giant and as far as you can see. 

First though we had to get up to the top and after a couple of navigational errors caused by following Google Maps, we eventually arrived at the car park from where the path leads to the top. Did I say path? I meant Rock scramble- as the way up is found by clambering up over rocks and boulders for a good 20 minutes or so until you finally reach the huge flat topped peak. 

We spent a good hour or so up there, sitting with our feet dangling over the edge and taking in the awesome view. I must admit at one point I refused to let Buffy sit at the edge of a sheer drop precipice to pose for a photo - A small slip would mean certain death and I felt a bit nauseous just thinking about it. In the past, particularly on our time in Australia, we both did similar things but for some reason today I had a bad feeling about it and refused to let he risk it for a photo. 

Anyway we did get some great photos while we were up there and then made a stop motion video of the journey back home  - right from the mountain top back to our room in our airbnb.   

    
Our third an final night in Thunder Bay was spent in much the same way as the previous one - We wandered into town, found a pub (The Red Lion), ate some very nice food, went from that pub to a different pub, drank beer till it was gone then drank some more. Then we wandered back home in the wee late hours trying to not get too scared by the My Halloween lawn show will be bigger than your Halloween lawn show competition that seems to be taking place in the neighbourhood. It really was a bot ridiculous and Halloween is still a few weeks away. 

Sunday morning. Oh how I enjoyed Sunday morning. 

We stayed in bed till sooo late. Then into town for a final wander around the little park by the waters edge and a huge massive big super breakfast in a busy pub whilst watching 'Young Frankenstein; on video. This was one of these pubs that has a TV showing old 70's and 80's movies permanently and has a big video library behind the bar that they randomly pick from as soon as one movie ends. Haahaa.

We jumped back into the Kia Rio (Not a Kia Rio, we could fit one of those in the boot) and spent an hour wandering through the woods collecting a few geocaches to while away the time before we needed to head towards the airport. 

We also noticed this sign and I would love to know if anyone has an idea wha the hell it means.... Is that a ghost??

Car dropped off, checked in for flight and we were on our way back home to Winnipeg. But not before I nearly spat out my drink on the flight whilst I read the cartoons in the paper. I know, I have lived over here long enough to know better, but I still cant get over how they use the word fanny......

That was it. Thunder Bay in a weekend. It was a short but great weekend in what is a nice little City. With plenty to see and do over e few days. We have promised ourselves we will try and do this type of think at least a coupe of times a year, so the planning starts now for the next one. We don't know where or when yet, but I cant wait!!