Winnipeg to Virginia Beach: Day 1

Thursday September 20th; Winnipeg-Dryden

Today we have started on our trip to Virginia Beach. The first stage is the Trans Canada from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay. Since our start wasn’t as early as planned, we decide to take it easy and do the 700 kilometers in two stages, so that we can enjoy some photo stops. The dire forecast of heavy rainfall hasn’t come true. It is sunny weather, although there is a cold wind. But as long as it is dry, that doesn’t matter. We stop off the Trans Canada at West Hawk village for a look at the lake and a cup of soup. The village is deserted, as the tourist season is really over. Work is in progress on a new sidewalk.

The Trans Canada is very quiet. Vistas are wonderful, especially because in the East the sky is spectacular with dark clouds. The colours, mainly yellow with bright red and orange in the undergrowth and the low bushes, form a wonderful contrast with the dark tall pine trees and the water of the many lakes. Some of the rock formations along the road are yellow and beige, some very pink. Supposedly it is granite. I love this landscape, with the small rocky islands dotted across the lakes. It is amazing the fir trees can grow on those rocky outcrops. We stop often along the way, and I also try to take some pictures through the windshield. They may be a bit blurred, but at least they give an impression of the road with its many turns and dips.

We visit Rushing River National Park on the way, just off the highway. It is closed for the season, but we can have a hike there. The colours are stunning, and getting deeper every day. It is cold though.

We find a motel in Dryden, a place which from the road doesn’t seem interesting, but which actually turns out to be a very pleasant town. When we go out to explore it at sunset, we are surprised by a wonderful spectacle. The red sun which is low in the sky behind the ugly pulp mill, transforms the plumes of steam into clouds of liquid fire. It doesn’t last very long, but is unforgettable. As dusk sets in over the lake, deer seem to appear from everywhere and roam the streets. Thus this town which most people will pass on the Trans Canada without giving it a second thought, all at once has a magical quality.