Amethyst Mine to Marathon

The road to the amethyst mine is a long and twisty one. We are soon beyond the paved road and climbing to greater heights on gravel. The signs along the way assure us that there is RV parking at the mine site so we persevere.  The panorama opens as we near the mine site, and sure enough promised parking and turn around is available. The tour at the mine consists of: this is amethyst in quartz, this is the ditch we take it out of, and there is the tailings pile you may scour for your own gems. We did pick up a few treasures, but the best part for me was the two fox hanging around the place. I wanted to get at the darn things but Dave wouldn’t let me. I put up quite a fuss which is unusual for me, but after all I am a hound and they are fox. They stay near the mine because the ladies feed them. That’s a big reason why I stay with Dave and Val so I understand.

The next stop was supposed to be Ouimet Canyon, but after driving 8 kilometers we come to a sign that says we must unhook and leave our trailer for the next 3 kilometers. It’s cold and spitting rain so we take a pass, turn around and head on to our next stop. When we get to Terrace Bay the lighthouse we were looking forward to seeing  is a fake. It’s in the parking lot of a strip mall. There are not any places to camp nearby so we move on down the road, and find a really great place in Marathon. The sites are level and big. There is a pull-through available so we don’t even have to unhook the trailer from the truck.

Some people drive by with a big – probably a 40 ft. – trailer. The guy comes back around and tucks that baby in a spot that you wouldn’t believe to be big enough for that rig. Val says to Dave, “I bet he’s a truck driver.” Sure enough Dave starts up a conversation with the guy and he used to be an 18 wheel driver. Years of watching people back into spaces has given Val an eye for the skill it takes to do it with ease.

Although we are not running anywhere, we are enjoying our stay in Marathon, Ontario. The Canadians are so welcoming (bienvenue), and willing to take our crummy old American dollars at a zero exchange rate.

Malingering in Marathon,

Remington Beagle