Halley-Canada Day 1 (Travel)

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Day 1: Travel going

I got to DFW Airport around 5:30am for a 7:45am departure. The flight was full. Dad and TR were flying out of Kansas City. We met in Minneapolis within minutes of each other, and then the three of us caught the next plane to Winnipeg after spending about an hour on the ground.

The hour flight to Winnipeg had no problems. It was also full flight. It was now about 1:00pm.

We breezed through Customs without delay and made our way to Budget Rent-a-Car…where we were delayed getting our reserved car. 30-40 minutes later we were on the road using my newly purchased Garmin GPS as our road map/navigator – and wouldn’t you know it, Garmin decided it best that we take a route that would afford us sightseeing opportunities of downtown Winnipeg…another 30 minutes unexpected addition to travel time. 

I hate to admit this, but our first meal was a Subway sandwich eaten on the road…we were expected at the Lodge around 4:30pm. Subway took US dollars and gave back Canadian change – good thing, we didn’t exchange currency at the airport (s).

119 miles to Kenora once we got through Winnipeg – Lady Garmin annoyingly reminded us.

Stopped at the tourist info center at the Ontario border for a bathroom, road map (Lady Garmin hadn’t got a full charge before she left Dallas), visit with the clerks at the center, and of course…my first of many Canadian flowers and foliage pictures. I failed to pull out my camera at the airport and went 2 hours telling OFB TR “I need a picture of that…and that”. The Info Center folks knew Halley’s Camp well – I thought that was a “small-world” instance, but actually it was only the start of it all. TR called Halley’s to let them know we were delayed in our travels – it was already after 4:00. Everyone said we still had an hour drive.

Got to Kenora, took a big left turn and then 30 winding miles to Minaki where River Air and the much-anticipated “float plane” awaited us.

The guys at River Air unloaded our bags from the car and took them to the dock where they were loaded into the plane.

River Air and hellos said to Jamey the Pilot…how fun. We told Dad to climb in the front seat and he did so without question or argument.

Weather in Canada on Day 1 was sunny, warm, and had a very respectable Kansas-type wind.

Once we were all seated and buckled in, Jamey had to taxi to the north end of the lake (about 25 minutes…maybe) only to turn around and take off into the south wind.

Jamey the Pilot was a hoot teasing Dad the entire taxi time, saying he was all of 7 days old as a pilot, and if the plane conked out how we would just glide down to the water, and how the plane we were about to fly in was the 14th plane of this model made in 1948 as he patted the dash, and wondered aloud whether or not the instruments would work on this flight, etc., etc. We all laughed but maybe Dad’s laugh had a hint of nervousness or “what have you guys gotten me into?”.

Float Planes are cool…and more smooth than a commercial airliner. Dad enjoyed the short flight.

15-minute flight to Halley’s Camp-Kettle Falls; about 25 miles north of River Air.

We were met at the dock by our soon-to-be best friend Mac the Guide. Staff took our bags to Cabin 6 – we were told to go eat. It was about 6:20pm.

Tara was the first to greet us in the Lodge. She is the 19-year-old that I spoke with on more than one occasion early on when scheduling our trip. TR mentioned to her he would remember her name having a daughter with the same (name) – she seemed to then take kind of a father-daughter liking to him that would last the rest of our trip. She was a sweetheart with a refreshing “raving fan” type service attitude.

Sharon Halley also greeted us warmly and introduced her wonderful cooking to our bellies.

Steak and baked potatos sat ready on our table. Good eats! Sure beat that darn Subway sandwich had hours earlier.

All said and done, about 1525 miles was traveled from my doorstep to eating dinner at Kettle Falls Lodge. Dad and TR probably traveled close to the same starting the night before from Hays.

After dinner, we got our fishing licenses and bought tackle based on Mac and Tara’s advice (yeah Tara would pick the brains of the guides each night so she could then promote and sell tackle to fisherman guests each night). Pink Ladies, Spoons, and BooYah spinner baits. And we got beer.

“Hello Halley’s Camps! My what big mosquitos you have.” They were huge and hungry! I am still convinced no amount of clothing or insect repellent would have deterred their vampire tendencies.

Our evening after dinner, back at the cabin, was spent stringing new 14 pound test fishing line on Dad and TR’s reels. We also spent several minutes poking lure paint out of each lure eyelet (so we could tie it onto our fishing line the next morning).

Dad and TR pulled out about 4 fishing poles between them. I thought “what the hell?” It hadn’t even dawned on me to bring more than one fishing pole, after all I can only run a fish pole with one hand…the other was for holding a camera. “Well duh, Timbo”, you need it for different type of fishing…. Well as I would prove to them both, this guy didn’t need 2 poles – instead, I needed 2 cameras to “catch” all the action of the trip…all the while catching fish in one hand with my single, solitary pole and taking pictures with the other…at the same time (we all have our own talents – some are still be discovered).

72 pictures taken this day

In the sack before 10:00 – coffee on the deck at 6am, breakfast at 7am, and on the water by 8am was the instruction given us after dinner.

 We all said our good nights, silently longed for the camaraderie of a missing son/OFB, and I’m sure were thinking as bedroom doors were closed: “This is going to be fun”.