Jim and Lyndi's 2018 ZR-1 Road Trip to Glacier NP, Western Canada and the Rocky Mtns

[QB93Z]

Originally Posted by Andy

Jim & Lyndi,

I was in Glacier a week ago and the Going to the Sun road was still closed to through traffic. If your plans include traveling that, you may want to check its status.

Thank you for the road conditions report. We will get to GNP in 4 days. As of this evening's Status report, there is still a section of the highway closed. Our first day in the Park we are on the East side at Many Glaciers Hotel, so I guess we can live with the closure. Then we move around to Lake McDonald Lodge.


I hope they get it cleared by the 25th, I didn't bring snow tires.



Jim

[Vette73]

Originally Posted by GOLDCYLON

For a second I thought Jim had bought at 2018 ZR1

Funny, I thought the same thing...Have a great time and be safe....

[QB93Z]

Day 3 - Today we drove from Sudbury, ON across the north shore of Lake Huron to Sault Ste Marie where we crossed the border back into the US and then across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Marquette, MI.


West of Sudbury we discovered a large Amish Barn Raising event:




The parking lot lot behind the house was full of buggies and horses:




We visited Thessalon, ON, on the north shore of Lake Huron. We found an old bridge that complimented the Purple Z:




We were looking for light houses to photograph and we got a suggestion to go to Bruce Bay and get permission from the proprietor of Bruce Cabins to visit their private light house. After a careful drive on a dirt road, we found an interesting light house:







West of Bruce Bay, we found another Amish farm and this Amish woman painting fence posts:




to be continued...

[QB93Z]

Just before we left Ontario, we stopped to see the largest Canadian $1 coin, the Loony:







The international bridge at Sault Ste Marie crosses the Soo locks that connect the Lake Superior with Lake Huron:





After crossing the border, we stopped for gas and were joined by two Model T Fords and a Model A Ford that were touring Michigan and Minnesota:






We drove up the shore of Whitefish Bay of Lake Superior and spent some time at Iroquois Point Lighthouse:




Further up the coast we visited Whitefish Point Lighthouse:




Here I am on the shore of Lake Superior:




Jim

[efnfast]

Jim, I would really like to thank you for taking the time out of your trip to do this for us. I truly enjoy it.

[A26B]

About GNP Road to the Sun closure. Road was closed during my first trip there, but they would allow traffic up to the last turn around before the closure. We took that opportunity, then drove around to the West side & did the same thing. Nice trip(s) but nothing like traversing the summit though, which we did on a subsequent trip. Will be hoping the road is open all the way through for you (and no fog if it is :-).

Best wishes for a safe, enjoyable & uneventful trip.

Jerry & Karen

[tccrab]

Nice to finally put a picture to place, thanks Jim and Lyndi.
Have always been a big Gordon Lightfoot fan, the Wreck of The Edmond Fitzgerald is by far his best/biggest hit. Just never found my way to that part of the lake.



Does any one know where the love of God goes
when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
they may have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

[QB93Z]

Day 4 - We drove west from Marquette to Grand Rapids, MN. The weather was perfect for driving and the traffic was light. The morning sun and still water created an interesting view:





Continuing our search for photogenic lighthouses, we drove to L'Anse Bay on the southern shore of Lake Superior to find Sand Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse was easy to find and had good access. Restoration was in progress:





While we were there we enjoyed watching some Canadian Geese with their chicks:





We drove further west to look for the Otonagon Lighthouse. After several tries to reach the site we found out that the lighthouse was on private property, and could only be viewed from in the town, across the river. We returned there and after walking out to the quay wall we were rewarded by a nice view of the lighthouse:





We continued west and crossed the northern tip of Wisconsin and reached Duluth, MN. We drove down town to the River Front area. We were very impressed by the vibrant, urban downtown area. We visited the Vertical Lift Bridge that is a Duluth icon:








On our way out of Duluth, I spotted a steam locomotive on display. In is one of the last big, articulated steam engines built in the 1940's. It is called a 2-8-8-2 Mallet Type loco and this one, #225, hauled coal trains on the Duluth, Massabe and Iron Range Railroad.





Jim

[JFFerner]

That locomotive sure be a biggin! Never before have I seen a 2-8-8-2. I don't think Johnny Cash had either. Thanks for the pics.

[QB93Z]

Day 5 - On Saturday, we drove from Grand Rapids to Minot, North Dakota. The whole trip was on US-2, the longest US Highway. We stopped in Grand Forks, ND to visit the Saturday Town Square Farmers Market. We found a small but nice town market with farm products, some crafts and food.





And one interesting sculpture:





In Grand Rapids we found a series of very small houses that were interesting:







Central North Dakota has a lot of farms. We saw some fields of canola and many grain elevators. One of the largest was this one loading train cars:










We continued west and decided that the Purple Z needed a wash after 4 days of smashing bugs. We found a Dukes carwash, the same name as a carwash back in Westminster.







Immediately after the carwash, we encountered some extreme weather. We were racing the storms and lightning. We drove several miles with about 50 yard visibility.





We did make it safely to Minot.


Jim