We drove out of Algonquin early on Sunday morning very sad to be leaving but feeling we needed to start getting through some miles to get us towards leaving Ontario. It is an enormous Province, the second largest in Canada, 415,598 square miles to be precise and we were still only half way across it.

We’d been advised by a lovely couple we met in Canadian Tyre to stick to Route 17 as it hugged the coast of Lake Superior all the way up to Sault Ste. Marie. This is the couple that spent well over 20 minutes advising the boys on which size, type of baseball mitt they should spend their pocket money on!! They were lovely.

We’d hoped that as we were driving out of the park at dawn (well almost) that we might just spot a bit more wildlife. Sadly not. Aside from a wild Turkey in the verge which wasn’t all that exciting – even for the budding ornithologists Will and Charlie have now become under Pappy’s tutorage.

Back on the highway however when suddenly just the other side of some road works John spotted what looked like a large black dog up on the rocky outcrops alongside the road. A bear!!!   Very exciting!!

We stopped for Breakfast in a lovely little town called Rosseau where we discovered Jon Bon Jovi and Goldie Hawn have summerhouses. Sadly neither of them were in the coffee shop but we did have some rather delicious cinnamon buns with a lovely lakeside view!

The drive was beautiful all on near empty roads.