8/13 Neys Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

 Neys Provincial Park is a lovely place on the north shore of Lake Superior.  I was lucky enough to grab one of the prime spots in Area 1, where the camping sites are directly on the lake.  I have a full view of the beach and water, which is just a few steps away.  In addition, the sites are large, pull-throughs, and have electrical hookups, though you need a very long cord here.  (In fact, you need a 30 amp or 50 amp 25' extension cord in most Ontario provincial campgrounds.)

In addition, my Verizon plan includes free cell phone access through various Canadian cell companies.  Right now, I am roaming with Rogers and getting a good signal o n my phone and my two Verizon mobile hotspots.  My plan does cause a slower speed after 2 gig, but since I have three lines, this has not been a problem.  

And, I am getting a Dish satellite signal from Traverse City, MI, which is about 350 miles away, as the crow, or maybe the seagull, flies across Lake Superior.  I could probably get a signal from Marquette, MI, which is closer, but I am not supposed to get a signal in Canada, so I am afraid to try anything new!!  Don't tell Dish--Ssshhhh!!

First, I thought the "Park Advisories" circled item was pretty funny.  I have never seen a warning such as this one that basically is telling you to be careful what you do in the woods as you might be on camera!!

Driving on the TransCanada Highway from the nearby town of Marathon, you can see that there are a LOT of trees and not much else.  A big improvement would be wider shoulders and more places that a larger vehicle like mine could pull off, especially since stores and gas stations are a long ways apart.  A positive is that even though this is the height of summer, there was very little traffic. 

As I pulled in and registered at the gate office, I met a young man on a bicycle who had ridden from Vancouver, BC, and was on his way to Quebec!!  He had already ridden 2,000 miles and had only 1,000 miles to go!  He said he was doing OK, but his knees had started to hurt once he hit the hilly part of Ontario.  He was on his way 20 miles to Marathon, but I should have offered him a sandwich and a soft drink. 

Not a bad shower and restroom facility just a few minutes walk from my part of the campground.  It also had a bear-proof garbage dump and some recycling bins. 

The visitor center was basic, and not too far from my campsite. 

 

 

This explains how this provincial park was used as a prisoner of war camp in WWII.

 

It's hard to read, but this is a life ring from the Edmund Fitzgerald that sunk in a storm in lake Superior on November 10, 1975.

 

An explanation where the rocks on the beach came from. 

And a pile of furs. It would take a lot of the little white ermine fur to make anything, so I am guessing it was used for trim.  Nice to be able to feel all of these, however. 

This is a basic campground, with dirt and gravel parking pads, but it had electric hookups and terrific views of the lake. Lake is to the left in this photo.

 

 

 

You can see the nose of my motorhome sticking out.  It was a very deep site, but I pulled most of the way forward so I could get a sight line to the southwest satellites that my system uses. 

 

Note how long the electric cord is. 

A few photos of the beach, while lake was rough and then calm. 

 

 

There are a lot of logs, sticks, and bark on the beach.  Most of it floats down nearby streams after pulpwood is cut in the nearby forests. 

 

A few people on the beach on this calmer day today.  Some even went swimming or paddle boarding!! 

My RV from the beach. 

 

Onward tomorrow to Thunder Bay!!  I really have enjoyed my four days here because it was so quiet and beautiful.  Met a lot of very nice and interesting neighbors, as well!