It appears that fees at RV campgrounds run between $30 to $45 per nite. When you arrive somewhere after supper hours and expect to carry on first thing the next morning I find it really difficult to justify the cost. Walmart becomes a very enticing option. No hassles – just park at the unused end of their parking lot, listen to the radio or a podcast and then sleep peacefully. Some of the campgrounds we have driven by pack you in cheek to jowl making Walmart look all the better.

No posts over the last week – too busy making miles, but here is a quick summary:
Kindersley to Yorkton: moving eastward across the flat prairie we moved from grassland biome(mostly cultivated) to aspen parkland. We poached a visitor information centre parking space in the pouring rain.

Yorkton to Winnipeg: Turning southward from Dauphin we travelled through Riding Mountain National Park. A transition from relatively flat aspen parkland to large hills and boreal forest – tamarack, conifers, deciduous mixed forest and patches of muskeg. We exited this terrain to come upon land flat as far as the eye could see, all the way to Winnipeg. Stayed at Walmart.

Winnipeg to Kakabeka Falls (near Thunder Bay): Wow!! What a change in scenery. South of Winnipeg seemed like boreal forest and then about the border with Ontario we encountered the Canadian shield with its granite road cuts of varying hues. Lake of the Woods was an amazing intricacy of islands and channels extending for many 10’s of miles, Kenora was a tourist town, something between Banff and Waterton.

Thunder Bay to Wawa: Along drive to Wawa, slept in visitor centre parking lot.

Wawa to Sault Saint Marie: Arrived in S.S. Marie early mid afternoon and toured the S.S. Marie Canal National Historic Site, a well maintained park along the canal between L. Superior and L. Huron. There is a working lock with a 30 foot rise used by tourist boats and recreational water craft. Very interesting history. Freighters and commercial ships now use the St. Lawrence Seaway whose locks between Superior and Huron are on the US side of the border. We tried to overnite in the park (no signs of prohibition)but were asked to leave, moved outside the park and were asked to move once more. Houses are older and many with brick exteriors.

S.S Marie to Pembroke: Toured Sudbury along the way. Pleasant forest along the way and glimpses of the Ottawa R. along the second half. The installation of a wifi antenna on the van roof was very worthwhile as I can generally get a good connection at Walmart and McDonald’s parking lots. Rarely get a wifi signal from same location by cell phone. We have a glitch getting alternate current to plugs in our van via shore power or generator. This needs to get resolved so that we can re-charge our ebike batteries. Stayed at Walmart.

Pembroke to St. Hyacinthe: Toured Gatineau Park along the way. Very nice park and obviously very popular. Lots of bicyclists. The geology of Gatineau Park, which encompasses these foothills, is related to the Eardley Escarpment, which is a fault line that lies along the southern edge of the hills. This escarpment makes the park an attractive location for rock climbers and hikers, offering a beautiful view of the relatively flat fields below, which extend to the Ottawa River. The Eardley Escarpment is part of the northern side of the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben, which is an ancient rift valley.
Carried on through Ottawa, across the Ottawa R. Busy highway and area less pastoral than I had imagined – lots of light industrial and warehouses. Walmart again.
Gatineau Park

St. Hyacinthe to Riviere-du-Loup: Stayed at a campground to replenish our fresh water and empty our grey and black water tanks. Somewhat better than Walmart for $33.00.