We're about 60 km from Wawa so Fran will take us in to town. The drive over Lake Superior has been spectacular - as usual - but travelling through on a clear autumn day beats them all so far. The ocean-style waves breaking on the crags, islands, and sandy beaches on the left side of the van are complemented by the mirror-smooth pocket lakes, sheer cliffs, accents of yellow and orange in green and mauve, and waterfalls and rapids of iced-tea brown on the left hand side.

Once we were away from the Sault population,  it was no longer the flashing lights of school buses that slowed us down but the many climbs that the road took up and over each of the granite outcroppings into the lake. Even the dynamite of the road crews couldn't level the remnants of the ancient mountain. Travelling in our '84 van meant that we were forced to take time to enjoy each one of them.