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**saralou** · #1 12 Sep 2018

We stayed pretty dry and even stopped to check out the view in Agawa Bay on Lake Superior. Just off the coast here is where the Edmund Fitzgerald sank.

https://youtu.be/9vST6hVRj2A

FILE2762 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #2 12 Sep 2018

We only had our rain jackets of the over suits on. It was warmer today at 22 and the skies really cleared until we got about 80 km from Wawa. The sky was getting very black, but it was not raining until suddenly it was torrentially pouring.

Cars were pulling over to the side of the road and blocking the entry to the rest stop. We finally found a safe spot as it was impossible to see where we were going and there were cars all over place.

We were soaked by the time we had our rain pants on and THEN it really started to pour. A car leaving the rest area pulled up beside us to say that just down this small road there was a shelter we could hide under and so we headed there. This was a small info board with a bus shelter like frame. There was another biker there hiding too.

FILE2763 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

IMG_3434 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

IMG_3432 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://youtu.be/R7ntA9i9lvQ

The rain was amazing and then it got even worse. It was howling sideways at times and accompanied by thunder and lightening. We waited until it settled to a light shower after about an hour. We had just pulled out on the highway and then came upon a large accident with the police just setting out the cones. Luckily the rain had almost stopped as we had to sit there for while.

FILE2784 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE2788 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #3 12 Sep 2018

We then rode the 75 km to near to Wawa where there was the first gas in 150 km and a lineup as the next station is another 100 km west in White River.

FILE2796 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE2797 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We had planned to get more than half way to Thunder Bay today and we knew there were a few motels in Marathon. Ont. We rode as far as White River and our rain suits had dried out and so we stripped them off to air dry our suits for the last 100 km.

We finally made it to Marathon at 330 cold and starved. We found a hotel in town that was clean and quiet. So glad they had endless hot water for us to warm up in. There was a bar/cafe 2 doors down and we had a great homestyle meal.

**saralou** · #4 12 Sep 2018

It rained thru the night, but was just misty and very foggy when we packed up just after 9. We are headed west towards Calgary and are not sure where we will end up today.

Screen Shot 2018-09-02 at 20.49.18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We gassed up in town and then rode west on the 17, which apparently curves along the north shore of lake superior, but we can see just what is in front of us and so can not tell.

FILE2808 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #5 12 Sep 2018

We still could not see much when we got to Thunder bay for gas and coffee after 306 km and turned inland. It was now intermittently drizzling and this continued to Upsala at 425 km and we gassed up here as well, since you never know when the next station will appear. There have been a few sketchy motels so far, but not much else.

IMG_3437 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE2843 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We decided to push on another 209 km to the next real town Dryden (634 km day) where there are a few more hotel options. 50 km from Upsala the rain stopped and the sky looked brighter. By the time we made it to Ignace we actually had blue sky above. This made the last 100 km so much easier to manage mentally.

FILE2867 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #6 12 Sep 2018

We are still on a mission to get to visit Dan’s aunts in Saskatoon and Calgary after the death of his uncle. Again we used the McD wifi to check out the options and settled on the Comfort Inn right next door. Conveniently there was a diner across the road as we again had not eaten all day.

The 650 is making a wailing noise at idle and is running loudly. There is also a loud clacking of the chain in low gears. Dan tightened the chain, but what the whaling noise is we are not sure. It is otherwise running perfectly.

IMG_3438 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We have decided to go to Winnipeg tomorrow in 351 km as there is a BMW certified service centre (for whatever that is worth) there. It is the holiday weekend and so we booked 2 nights near BMW.

Screen Shot 2018-09-03 at 19.41.12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We finally woke to sunshine and even better when we started the 650 it sounded completely normal! The oil level good and the chain clack is better. We will still go to Winnipeg and see how the day goes. The ride today was warm at 24 degrees and this is the first day without the hand warmers on for the 5 days across Ontario.

FILE2888 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE2893 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE2898 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

**saralou** · #7 12 Sep 2018

Just after the “border” to Manitoba we came across the marker for the longitudinal centre of Canada. This drive is so straight it can be mind numbingly boring on the transCanada. We arrived to the city and to the hotel near to BMW in late afternoon and finally had lunch there after 3. We tucked in for a relaxing evening.

FILE2932 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Canada-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Canada-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr