Friday May 28th - John Hayes' (dad's) birthday

We had our last breakfast at the Bay View campground and packed up so we could head further north. Thankfully, there had been no rain overnight, so the water on the tent was primarily dew, which dried quickly in the sun.

On the way out of the U.P., we stopped in Sault Ste. Marie to look for a store that might carry the fuel canisters required by our noisy stove, since I'd given up on the Whisperlite, after another night of frustration. Ian thought that the Wal Mart might have fuel. I was a little appalled that, after all these years of intentionally never setting foot in a Wal Mart in protest of its monopolistic practices, I might actually have to enter one to get something I really needed. There were no guarantees that there was a good camping store in town or that we'd find it if there were.

Well, it was Wal Mart to the rescue - we picked up more than enough fuel canisters there, and I breathed a sigh of relief that this mission had been completed so quickly. I disliked Wal Mart just a little bit less, but hopefully will not have to go to another one anytime soon!

On the way to the bridge to Canada, we stopped at a rest stop, and Ian found a flier that explained what one could and could not bring into Canada. Fruit was acceptable after all, as were small quantities of alcohol. Now we know to check ahead of time on the internet before we head to Canada.

The line a customs was slow, but we had no trouble crossing the border. We looked a lot like the campers we claimed to be - car full of camping stuff, greasy hair, unshaven, etc. I picked up some wine and rum at the duty free shop, and we both exchanged our money. The American dollar was not doing very well, so we only got an exchange rate of 30%.

Since we'd eaten so much fruit, I was hoping to stop along the way to the park to pick up some more, and possibly even some fresh meat for tonight's meal. However, somehow we managed to get all the way to the park without remembering to stop anywhere. The park has very little in the way of shops - there is one town - Wawa - at the Northern end of the park, which is a real town. But it's hardly a place we could go very frequently, considering that we were planning to stay in the Southern part of the park.

Once we reached the park, we discovered that our intended campground - Crescent Lake - was closed. We went to the Agawa Bay campground instead, and found it to be quite desirable. The last time we had seen it was one summer at the height of the season. Then, it had been a people and RV-infested mini-metropolis, which had been a total turn-off. Now, it was almost empty, and some of the most desirable campsites - those right by the beach - were available (http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ianjones/pictures/North04/North04-Pages/Image4.html).

In anticipation of rain, I rigged the plastic sheeting over the picnic table and even stretched our tarp over a potential sitting area. I used plastic sheeting under the tent since the real tarp was in use elsewhere. This turned out to be a mistake, as I learned later. The tarp was permeable, whereas the plastic was not. This would prove to be a problem when it rained.

We spent some leisurely time sitting on the beach reading and snacking. I felt giddy with joy to be sitting on a beach watching waves roll in, basking in the still-warm sunshine. I was beginning to get that feeling, too, that this might be paradise.

We cooked a very nice dinner of a hot entree, fried polenta with parmesan cheese, and sauteed green beans with olive oil and lime juice. Right after dinner, I called Dad to wish him a Happy Birthday. It was good to talk to him - I'd been thinking of him off and on all day, since it was his birthday. He came to mind especially strongly while we were on the beach because beaches make me think of Dad, who loves walking for miles and miles on the beach.

When I returned, we walked on the beach towards the sunset (http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ianjones/pictures/North04/North04-Pages/Image9.html). We got to navigate several inland streams which flowed across the beach out into the lake. Back at the campsite, Ian noticed that our "neighbors" in the next campsite were speaking what may have been Swedish. Both of them, even the woman, were quite tall.

The night became very cold after the sun set. The tent was awfully cold. Ian was extremely concerned about being too cold again - he threatened to sleep in the car if he got as cold as he was last night. I offered up all of the extra clothing I had - long underwear, long-sleeved jerseys, etc. He was able to keep warm enough to be comfortable with the extra clothing. Once again, I had to draw the string of my sleeping bag almost closed at the top, with just enough of an opening for breathing.
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