Back from Kirkland Lake (unless you thought I posted the Solzhenitsyn remembrance from afar). It was a great trip, though next time my wife and I have pledged either to do it with more days to spend/travel, or take another mode of transport. Sixteen inclusive hours of door-to-destination driving do not wear well on you when you’ve only got one day off in-between to enjoy. The reason for our trip was to pay respects at a memorial service for my wife’s uncle who passed away earlier in the year, in case you were wondering why we attempted such a feat within such a short period of stay. We aren’t masochists.
It was great to meet more of my extended family, see more of the province, and get a better sense of the geography. No wildlife to note, unfortunately, save for crows, mosquitoes, and the odd call of a loon in the night. Photos were taken and I hope to post them when the slides are developed. I still have photos from July that I need to sort through so, pending quality, you may or may not be in for a bonanza of visuals. I wish that “bonanza” didn’t imply a lack of aesthetics.
Some facts about the trip:
- Minimum total distance travelled: 1160km (721 miles)
- Population of Kirkland Lake: 8248
- Speeding tickets: 1
- Bug bites: 2
- Hours that a not-fully-charged iPod Mini managed to last: 8
- Photos taken: 56
- Name of town outside of Kirkland Lake: Swastika
More writerly concerns to post about in the near future. Hope all is well with everyone.
Another fact about Kirkland Lake: there is no lake. It disappeared when the mine companies dumped their slag there. Now only puddles remain.
I did the same drive from Toronto to KL just last weekend – according to National car rental, the trip is exactly 118kms – and that includes a trip to the Galleria mall in Buffalo.
Uncle Earhair – I should hope you were more sceptical of their weekend rates than their travel estimates.