A Web Site For Toronto Mommies

Published August 19, 2009 @ 08:27 by Tania in Amazing Kids

We left Sudbury after a visit with the Big Nickel, and headed toward Sault Ste. Marie.

I don't want to say that "the Sue", as it is more affectionately known, is a hole and offend those of you with an affinity for the place, but I won't be going there again.

When I called to book the hotel, I asked the what there was to do in Sault Ste. Marie with the kids. "Uh," was the only reply. But I had done my research, "What about the Bush Plane Museum?" I asked. "Yeah, I hear its good. Check out the internet."

Don't all hotels have those racks of brochures near the front telling you what there is to see? Apparently the front desk help at the Great Northern Lodge (not so great) hasn't seen them.

I looked online. Besides the Bush Plane Museum, the other big "Sue" attraction is the Agawa Canyon Tour. It is an out and back train ride that is amazing and scenic. However, I was warned that for kids, it is a little long. And as my kids were doing well enough to sit in the van for a few hours, I didn't want to push my luck.

On the way from Sudbury to the SSM, we stopped at a mine tour in Bruce Mines (this was the first of three of our mine tours. Just wait until you hear what we spent on rocks on this trip)

This was a copper mine, and they have made a lovely little tourist stop out of almost nothing. The mine itself isn't anything to see, but you do get a nice little tour and explanation of the history of mining in the area. Plus you can buy rocks in the little store. I almost lost my Perkins Brunch when she said that the stones my children had selected were $11 (no different than the stones in the parking lot, as far as I could tell).

Turns out she was new with the calculator, and they were only $5.50.

We had booked three nights at the Great Northern Lodge. It was recommended by a few friends because of its amazing water slide. New owners - slide closed indefinitely. Plus the rooms are tragically in need of an update. We only stayed two nights.

The water front looked pretty in Sault Ste. Marie, but it was a little cool and the kids were tired. We went bowling one night. The kids loved it! They only had 10 pin, but they put the inflatable bumpers in the kids' lane. The kids whipped us - 143 was their best. I think Husband got 100. Damn - bowling is harder than it looks!

The highlight for us of Sault Ste. Marie was the Bush Plane Museum. It had a great movie (that also plays at Science North), the kids could climb in and out of planes, and we learned a lot about fighting fires with planes, and the history of flying in the north.

They had video games and flight simulators (Daughter crashed). Eye tests for pilots (Son One may be slightly colour blind). And they have exhibits explaining how planes worked. Really amazing.

Did you know that Roberta Bondar was from Sault Ste. Marie? Neither did I! They had her underwear from her trip into space on display - let's just say that Victoria's Secret won't be making a version of space underwear anytime soon.

I hit the Walmart, as it would be the last one for a while. And off we went...