Article 2 - Days 3, 4 & 5
by Frank Colgoni

Day 3 – Sault St. Marie Ontario to Thunder Bay Ontario

This was one of two days on the Tour that necessitated an early start. We had approximately 700 kilometers to cover and a number of stops so we were up bright and early. It was definitely early, not sure about the bright though. The Sault St. Marie Travelodge was good enough to open up the complimentary breakfast area early for us and after making our way down there, we found the room packed with eager participants. It was still dark out and there was a somewhat low, ominous looking sky although the weatherman was only calling for a 30% chance of rain.

After a quick bite and coffee, we grabbed the roadster from the handy covered parking area and made our way across the street to our rendezvous spot at the Station Mall. By 7:00 a.m. everyone was there and ready to rock and roll. We had a very brief driver's meeting, welcomed some newcomers, said goodbye to those leaving us and headed out. If you've never driven the Trans Canada Highway west from Sault St. Marie, you really are missing something spectacular. Maybe I should say that you should have been with us!

While our final destination for the day would be Thunder Bay, we had planned a number of stops along the way: the White River A&W, Terrace Bay for lunch (hosted by the Superior Classics Car Club) and then we were to meet up with the Northern Ontario Classic Cruisers at the Terry Fox Memorial to be escorted to our hotel in Thunder Bay.

As we made our way out of Sault St. Marie, it remained overcast but dry. This was to change however. About 45 minutes east of Wawa, the clouds darkened and then all hell broke loose. This was certainly not what we needed or wanted especially in an open wheeled roadster with no windows but at least we had a top. Our good friends Clarke and Charlene Pringle from Candler NC weren't so fortunate as they were traveling topless.

At this point we were traveling in convoy with Mary and Wayne and Joyce and Jerry. Mary snapped this picture of Judy and I:

Time to push on. To give you an idea of traveling time, it's approximately two hours to Wawa, another hour to White River and then another two hours to Terrace Bay. After that, it's approximately two hours to Thunder Bay. These times depend on road conditions, construction, etc.

Driving west on the gorgeous north shore of Lake Superior heading west we could see the clouds breaking up ahead and by the time we got to Terrace Bay, the sun was shining. As we approached our meeting spot at the arena, we were greeted by Rolly Moquin who waived us in. The lot was already filled with Tour cars and local club vehicles.

This was an especially exciting stop for my wife Judy as Terrace Bay is her home town. She wasn't to be disappointed as she was greeted by the girls from her street and other old friends and families. Club president Dan Riley directed us to the lunch that they had set out in the arena. What a shock when we entered the arena! Table clothed tables and chairs had been laid out as well as a fabulous spread of soups, sandwiches, salads, desserts, fruit, beverages and all the other fixings. Truly outstanding and very much appreciated.

Unfortunately, we hit a another construction zone just east of Thunder Bay which slowed us down considerably – at least it was dry. Upon arriving at the Terry Fox Memorial we were greeted by the Northern Ontario Classic Cruisers and were escorted to our hotel. Once we checked in and got settled, there was a lot of cleaning up going on in the parking lot as our cars were a mess with bugs, mud and sand. Shortly after, we were off to our evening activities. We enjoyed a spaghetti dinner at the Da Vinci Centre and spent some time with the Northern Ontario Classic Cruisers in the adjoining lot. Subsequently, we drove to the nearby Canadian Tire and participated in the local cruise night hosted by the Lakehead Antique Car Club. All in all a very good (but long) day.

Our Thanks To:

• A&W White River
• The Superior Classic Cruisers
• Northern Ontario Classic Cruisers
• Lakehead Antique Car Club
• Travelodge Airlane.

Day 4 – Thunder Bay Ontario to Kenora Ontario

We woke up to beautiful weather and, as it would turn out, it stayed beautiful all day. We started the day with our driver's meeting and daily prizes and the group had two options before proceeding to Kenora: proceed to sightseeing at Kakabeka Falls or Russ Wanzuk's memorabilia collection and museum. Those that went to Russ' were astounded by his collection. The entire group gathered at the Falls and off we went to Kenora. On this leg, Stacey joined me in the roadster and Judy kept Jamie company in the truck. We paid the A&W a visit in Dryden and rolled into Kenora in good time.

Our hotel in Kenora, the Best Western, overlooks Lake of the Woods. The lucky ones got a great view. That evening we motored down to the local A&W where we were treated to a live band and a beautiful summer evening. With construction and a wedding in progress at the hotel, we had some parking issues but Randy at A&W was there to the rescue by providing us secure storage across from the restaurant. Thanks for that Randy. Another highlight in Kenora was the arrival of Roger Barnes from Cruisin' the Dub / A&W. Roger motored out from B.C. in his red Mustang to join us for the trip (back) to B.C. You won't miss him in the slideshows. Look for him and his car and his backseat friends. Oh, we also had some fun with the A&W bear in Kenora but that's another story… (right Jerry?).

Our Thanks To:

• Russ Wanzuk
• A&W Dryden
• A&W Kenora
• Best Western Kenora

Day 5 – Kenora Ontario to Brandon Manitoba

Another beautiful morning (yawn). Early this morning Clarke, Cher, John and Ron went for a spin around the area way above the ground if you get my drift. Look for a few photos in the third slideshow below.

We were fortunate to have also been met in Kenora by Gord Foreman of the Manitoba Association of Auto Clubs (MAAC). Gord was good enough to orchestrate both a tour of the Canadian Mint in Winnipeg and also a drop-in visit and lunch at Landau Ford in Winnipeg. Thanks so much Gord.

We were met at the Mint by some local car enthusiasts and enjoyed a very interesting tour of the Mint. Lots of souvenirs were purchased there. After a short drive downtown, we arrived at Landau Ford and were met by more local car people and staff. It was nice to meet them all. We enjoyed a BBQ lunch and a visit and, once again, we hit the road. On this leg I was joined by Terry Denomme of Canadian Hot Rod and Classics – “Canada Coolest Car Magazine”. His wife Patty took over the driving chores of the CHRC truck/trailer and Judy rode along with Patty.

Did I say it was getting hot? I had the top off the roadster that day and Terry and I, despite 30+C the heat, were wearing jackets to get some sun protection. Over the next few days it would hover around 40C (104F with a “feels like” 122F with the humidity). More on this later. Despite this, we had a good drive into Brandon and received another warm welcome. Once again, the A&W franchisee really stepped up to the plate with a great (British band) and lots of local cars turned out. A great evening.

Our Thanks To:

• Gord Foreman
• Landau Ford
• A&W Brandon
• Super 8 Brandon

Don't leave before checking out the slideshows from days 3,4 & 5