On The Road

A heat wave still oppresses North Western Ontario. We have had no rain for at least weeks.My partner and I just recently returned from a trip through the NW and it was hot. I am happy we could rent an air conditioned car because when the windows were rolled down all that came in was hot air. The hotels we stayed in were also air-conditioned and in several cases we were right beside a very large lake.

Our journey took us through Ignace, Dryden, Red Lake where the road ends, Balmertown, Kenora and the Lake of the Woods region, Fort Frances and Atikokan. We covered just over 1500 kilometres of beautiful country in six days.

The reason I mention this trip is that it is when I am on the road that I realize how important food is to me and how much I do love to eat. Of course, healthy food is essential to good nutrition, but when you spend four to six hours driving through the bush country with very few stops, you can get pretty hungry and may have to settle for what you can find, unless of course you plan ahead. We did find several good locally owned restaurants along the highway but for a vegetarian, never mind a vegan, the choices were limited.

So we pack a cooler and bring our own items which we replenish as we go. This not only reduces the overall cost of the trip but provides the opportunity for a spontaneous picnic at one of the great tourist stops overlooking one of the numerous northern lakes. The cooler also comes in handy in the hotel where both food and drink can be quite expensive. Some hotels have suites with refrigerator, stoves and microwaves which expand the possibilities even further. Of course if you are on vacation you may want to eat out and avoid the work associated with cooking and we do. If you are travelling on a expense account and someone else is picking up the tab then room service or the dining room is attractive. If you are self-employed and paying your own way then saving a few bucks and eating what you enjoy is your goal. This was a combination business ( both self and other) and pleasure trip so we did both.

All in all, the trip was a great adventure that I'd recommend to anyone who wants to really see and understand NW Ontario.

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