Day o' rest in the Land O' Lakes

We are writing this blog entry together today- Lauren is typing and Colin is offering ideas, in between visits to the hotel's laundry room. We've just come back from a tasty dinner in Keewatin, at a little restaurant called 'My Place' on Ottawa St that made us a delicious coconut-crusted chicken and a pad thai dish that was a good try, but a far cry from the usual from Basil Thai on Danforth. Now we have opened a bottle of Ontario red wine, and once this message is written, we'll update the iPod with some loud, eccentric and stimulating music for the drive straight across the prairies. Any suggestions are welcome!

Breakfast was an indication of how great this day was going to be- the continental breakfast had a make-your-own waffle station! Since we are on vacation, the waffle was eaten in bed while watching the CBC. Lauren drove to downtown Kenora, successfully navigating her first traffic roundabout, and we re-stocked our apple supply and hooked ourselves up with a 1-litre kettle, to ensure we can enjoy our organic fair-trade coffee, regardless of how discount the accommodations we find ourselves in. We took in some local art- snow sculptures along the edge of Lake of the Woods, and Colin fielded his first work-related phone call. And then, chip-truck french fries with seasoned salt (thanks for the recommendation, Kritee!).

We enjoyed a quiet morning in the Kenora Public Library, reading local newspapers and National Geographics with coffees. It provided an opportunity to reflect on our drive through Ontario, and feelings we were having about leaving home and setting out for a new place. Our decision to stay in Kenora for a day gave us some time at the edge of Ontario to appreciate our lives here and the beauty of this province. Between the two of us, we have lived in half a dozen places here, and when we cross the border tomorrow, it will feel like something different.

After lunch, we hiked in the snow along a trail that is marked on maps as being part of the TransCanada, but actually is a loop (!). The trail is on an island, and was one of Lauren's favourite local spots. We communed with the great white pines, filled our lungs with fresh air, and stretched the driving posture out of our systems. The sky started out overcast, but by the end of the day it was clear blue and gave us a sunset to watch from our hotel room window.

Tomorrow's drive will take us to a spot yet to be determined, somewhere between Winnipeg and Saskatoon. We're starting out first thing in the morning (maybe even as early as Barrett family ski trips used to start out. 5am, see you tomorrow!)