Smarter than the average bear

On the way to Wawa there is a forest fire with smoke billowing into the sky. A black bear emerges from the forest on my right and I manoeuvre to miss him, while flashing an oncoming car, which does likewise. The fear of the fire overcomes the bear's fear of the traffic. Fortunately for all he reaches the other side safely.
We overnight at the Sportman's Motel in Wawa, ON. Annette rustles up microwave noodles followed by ice-cream. I'm watching Speed Channel catching up with NASCAR from Indianapolis and a great victory for Tony Stewart. I'm whacked after another day of hard pounding.
An early start next morning and we are running short of gas in the forest. We reach the Northgate Service Centre at Montreal River. The gas station has a big closed sign but the lad there insists "we have been open since seven o'clock" and rushes to turn round the sign. We order the breakfast special at $3.99 [2 eggs, 3 strips of bacon, 1 hashbrown, toast and jam] at the friendly roadhouse.
We roll into Sault Ste Marie - known as "The Soo" - and stop at the Agawa Canyon train station. This scenic railroad heads back in the direction from which we have come, but the train is already gone for the day. I'll get on it one day.
Hurrying east we feel the call of home. We pass a sign for Leeburn, ON and wonder about a connection to Martin Leeburn back in the UK. We stop at the Broken Canoe Trading Post where the Mississauga Indians sell us some diesel. We turn off the main highway for Manitoulin Island, where the road follows a derelict railway line. We arrive at South Baymouth at 15:45 in plenty of time for the 17:50 ferry to Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsular.
After a welcome cup of tea reading the Globe and Mail and the National Post we board the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun, the 1¾ hour crossing costs $54.35 for two adults and the car (£25). Onboard we are first in the queue for fish and chips - $18.62 for two.
On arrival in Tobermory we have Toronto in our sights and after four more hours, mostly in darkness, we are back in Hogtown. A stop at Sobey's for groceries is a bridge too far and I am monumentally happy to shut the front door at 12:30 after an eighteen-hour day.
Coming events: Def Leppard are at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto, Monday 15th August.