Aug 3, 2025 – Winding Down in Canada – Changing Views From Our RV

Since 2018, Vivian and I take the RV on the road for 5-7 months at a time. Each trip begins with a fast pace that leads up to anticipated places for which we designed our entire travel itinerary. One year it was 10 national parks out west, another Banff and Jasper National Parks in the Canadian Rockies, and this year Canada by way of Newfoundland and Labrador. What typically follows these pinnacles of travel is a segue when we take a breath and relax a bit before the next anticipated destination.

Our final fish & chips meal in Canada as we head toward the border.

Following a day in Montreal, we began winding down our Canadian tour with a stress-free day in Ottawa thanks to bus transportation. After that, we left the city behind and traveled through Ontario’s countryside, away from the populated areas. And that is what this blog is about, the relaxing portion of our travels where we casually go from point A to B; in this case Ottawa, Ontario to Sault St. Marie, Michigan.

Our stops: A) St André Campground near Montreal, B) Camping Ange-Gardien near Ottawa, C) Sharbot Lake Provincial Park, D) Forest Cove Alpacas, E) Aune Osborne Campground in Sault Ste Marie, MI.

Although a heat wave hit us like a ton of bricks while in Montreal, it did not last. The coolish temps were welcomed as we schedule a couple nights on the road with Harvest Hosts locations without electric hookup. Miellerie King Distillery and Forest Cove Alpacas served us well as we cross Quebec and Ontario.

Parked at Miellerie King Distillery, on our way to Montreal.

We think of Harvest Hosts as small travel jewels that add a bit of swag to our RV experiences. In the case of these two HH, we learned a lot about bees and honey-based spirits, and about alpacas (which are very different from llamas!) while having the pleasure of learning from people who are passionate and eager to share their knowledge with strangers passing through.

Parked for the night at a family-run alpaca farm.

We also got to spend a little time with friends in Ontario while camped on Sharbot Lake.

With friends Joel and Kathy at the cottage near Sharbot Lake.

A couple more stops on the way and we were soon crossing the border into the U.S, exactly two months from the day we entered Canada.

And that is how our next highly anticipated portion of our trip begins, where Lake Superior feeds into the St Mary River between two countries. At last, we were in the Great Lake state of Michigan, our home for the next 6 weeks. And for the first two days, we relaxed at our campsite and watched the commercial traffic of Lake Superior as American and Canadian cargo ships pass by to or from the nearby Soo Locks.

We used the ‘Marine Tracker’ app to identify the ships passing by.

Michigan is where I spent the first 25 years of my life. Vivian and I both love Michigan and may call it our home one day. But for now, the Casita trailer is giving us the opportunity to come back to places we love and explore them in new ways. We will enjoy the Great Lakes within walking distance from our little home on wheels. Stay tuned, we got a lot of Great Lakes to explore and a lot of photos to take!