The 4-½ hour drive from Pancake Bay on Trans-Canada Highway 17 was remote and beautiful. There wasn’t even a gas station for the first 90 miles. The road started with vistas on the northern shore of Lake Superior then climbed into rolling hills and roadside lakes in upper Ontario. There are lots of hiking and canoeing trails in this remote wilderness.

We arrived at a city campground at Penn Lake. Just a few steps through the woods from our campsite was a small lake where Charlie got her daily swim. It was also a short walk to a camp laundry where we were happy to get two loads done. Then we caught up on our travel blog and enjoyed watching the second episode of Hard Knocks from Seahawks training camp. More and more we love this football team!

The next day we made the short drive to Pebble Beach Cove. This beach is packed with multi-colored, hand-sized rocks that have been smoothed by rubbing up against each other and the sand while being driven by fierce storms onto a lee shore. It was a bit tricky walking on the rocks, which made a cool rattling sound underfoot. We didn’t take Charlie because of the tenderness in her feet and arthritis in her front shoulders. But she got a good swim at Penn Lake upon our return to camp.