The weather might not be inspiring right now, but winter is a great time to plan a road trip.
The Lake Superior Circle Tour, a 2,092 kilometre (1,300 miles) trip around the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, is accessible to us once again, now that the U.S. border is open.
To make planning easy, Superior Country has launched a new website and a mobile app. They list more than 1,300 locations around the lake, both in Canada and the US, including places to stay, eat and drink, hiking trails, museums, galleries and theatres, places to bike, paddle and much more.
“People can build their itinerary and share it with others now,” says Dan Bevilacqua, the executive director of Superior Country. That function is particularly useful for motorcyclists or families traveling as a group.
The app even has an information section on whether you should travel clockwise or counterclockwise. (Clockwise is good for pulling off the highway to stop at lookouts and attractions, usually on the side of the lake. Some say the views are better travelling counterclockwise, and you would typically travel against bad weather.)
For those who like ticking off boxes, there’s a stamp collection game - 10 locations around the lake (to be increased to 15 next year) where travellers can collect stamps, and at the end, earn a certificate of completion.
There’s also an Ale Trail for people who like to check out small independent breweries along the way, and a Java Journey for if you need a little pick-me-up during the long days of travel.
People have been traveling around Lake Superior for a long time, but the Circle Tour as it is known was completed in the late 60s or early 70s when the section of highway near Wawa finally was paved, says Bevilacqua.
The Lake Superior Circle Tour Adventure Guide, an annual travel publication distributed on both sides of the border, has been in print since the late 70s. The guide can be found, for free, at tourist information centres and various businesses along the route, or can be ordered online for a small fee. In Thunder Bay, the public libraries usually have a few copies.
“Currently we are seeing the largest influx of circle tour interest; our website numbers and guide orders were breaking records,” Bevilacqua says. “Lots of people are interested for next season.”
How much time should travellers set aside for the tour is an oft-asked question. Motorcyclists can do it in as little as three days, and some people travelling with recreational vehicles have taken as long as three years, the executive director says.
“It’s all on what you want to make of it. For a motorcyclist, typically, the ride is the destination. They want to be on the road. Not as many stops. RVers want to stop and camp, and explore the area. It all depends on the individual,” he explains.
Although cars, RVs and motorcycles are the most popular modes of transportation, Bevilacqua says he has seen more cyclists coming through lately. “The twinning [of the highway] between Thunder Bay and Nipigon has made it more suitable for cyclists,” explains Bevilacqua, who is based in Nipigon. “And we’ve seen people on foot as well.”
Doing the tour by boat is also possible, although there are some gaps in fuel availability along the shore.
However you do it, the circle tour is sure to be an unforgettable experience, he says. “Every section of the circle tour is extremely unique. I can’t select a favourite because every area is so different,” he says. “The natural wonders definitely draw my eye - Ouimet Canyon, for example. And the pictographs.”
To enter in the Lake Superior Circle Photo contest click here.
