Our Day Biking in Thunder Bay

Hi Blog! On Friday, August 7, 2015, we decided to ride our bikes into Thunder Bay to see what we could see. Our campground is within biking distance from the Waterfront District. There are a couple of parks and bikes trails along the way. Our first stop was Centennial Park where we picked up the bike trail around Boulevard Lake. You'll notice Dave has his rain jacket on. The weather was a little iffy this morning, but we decided to chance the ride.

Here we get a our first look at the Current River. The river's name is the English version of the name given it by early French explorers: "Rivière aux courants" referring to the river's currents. However, with the addition of several hydro electric dams, the river is not as turbulent as it once was.

For our journey into town, we decided to follow the bike path on the west side of Boulevard Lake.

Boulevard Lake is surrounded by 650 acres of parkland, from the scenic bluffs north of the lake to the dam on the lower Current River. Here is our first good view of the lake.

We came into town on Cumberland Boulevard. It was once a major route back in the day. The road is lined with 1950's still motels and fast food joints. In order to distinguish their motel from the others, this owner decided to add a little decoration in stone.

We arrived at our destination -- The Sovereign Room -- just in time to join the lunchtime crowd.  To quench our thirst, we ordered Sleeping Giant Brewing Company's Skull Rock Stout.  The Sovereign Room comes highly recommended by Lonely Planet and Yelp, and we found that both the food and the beer merited these high ratings; if you're in Thunder Bay, stop in for a meal and tell them we sent you.

Now, we have seen a number of new things here in Ontario. I am sure you have all seen the famous red nosed reindeer, but have you ever seen a red lipped reindeer?

After dining on a Banh Mi sandwich and calamari tacos, we decided to walk a little bit to digest our lunch before hopping back on our bikes. We had done a little research before coming into town and learned there was a specialty coffee shop only a few blocks from the restaurant. We loved the name and wanted to patronize their establishment.  (For those of you who missed or forgot our earlier blog entry on hiking in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, now that we've recalled "sleeping" giant to you, you can't miss the play on words, eh?)

After buying three different types of coffee beans, it was back to our bikes to tour the lake front.

The city of Thunder Bay takes its name from the immense Thunder Bay at the head of Lake Superior, known on 18th-century French maps as Baie du Tonnerre (Bay of Thunder). The city is often referred to as the "Lakehead" or "Canadian Lakehead" because of its location at the end of Great Lakes on the Canadian side of the border. Here we are at the Thunder Bay of Thunder Bay. If you look closely, you can see a sailboat approaching the harbor light.

In the early 1900s, Thunder Bay began a period of extraordinary growth, based on improved access to markets via the transcontinental railway and development of the western wheat boom. The Canadian Pacific Railroad double-tracked its Winnipeg–Thunder Bay line and built a new railway station where Fort William once stood. Today, the railway station is used for shops and offices.

All along the lake front, old warehouses and industrial site are being turned into condos. Several new marinas have been developed along the old piers. This one is just for sailboats.

Here is the new Arts and Cultural Center. Thunder Bay is proud of its ethnic diversity and rich multicultural history. A city with deeply rooted European and Aboriginal cultures, Thunder Bay is the sixth most culturally diverse community of its size in North America.

After leaving the Marina Park, we headed back to Boulevard Lake. This time, we rode over the dam at the bottom of the lake and turned up the east side. We noticed the fish ladder and stopped to read about the Steelhead Trout that come up the Current River to spawn.

Boulevard Lake Park is proud to have won the titles of "Best Place to Walk a Dog" and "Best Place for a Bike Ride" in the Walleye magazine's January 2015 Readers' Survey awards. It is obviously a great place to bring the little ones for an outing.

One last look at the Current River.

The last mile or so back to camp was a bit of an uphill slog. On a bright note, the storm clouds passed and the jackets came off. We arrived back in camp just in time for a complimentary BBQ dinner.

The end.

...Wait.  Forgot to mention our total bike ride was 19 miles.  Uphill and into the wind both ways.