the silver harbour conservation area is about 20 kilometres east of thunder bay along the majestic lake superior. it's used as a boat launching site onto lake superior and there are some picnic spots and rock climbing areas around this municipal resource. the armour stone found here was excavated to build the thunder bay harbour breakwater over 50 years ago.

when i was back in thunder bay in december, i spent most of my time at home. however, anytime i'm back, i make a point to go see the natural landscape around, since i find the natural environment there soothing to see. especially now since i'm in nyc. usually, i aim for the terry fox monument, boulevard lake, kakabeka falls or another one of thunder bay's green spaces. there was very little snow to ski on, though, and i rarely had access to a vehicle this time around, so after i dropped off my brother for his dentist appointement and it was an hour before mine, i pointed to the van to the east and whimsically ended up at silver harbour.

whimsy being a loose word since i've always loved driving along lakeshore drive, which is perhaps the only road in northwestern ontario that actually attempts to pass anywhere close to lake superior. partly because of terrain, partly because of indian reservations, but otherwise, you need to take highway 61 just past the minnesota border in order to drive by superior. lakeshore drive has a great beacharea with little camphouses where people can live yearround, with enough of an outcropping of land to dampen superior's waves. i've always wanted to have a house along there, but time would be my only companion for that wish.

silver harbour is near the end of lakeshore drive, by mckenzie point and, oddly, thunder bay's international hostel. it was seasonably warm, but the water was naturally ice cold. of course, it was about 30 minutes from the dental office, so i didn't spend much time there, but it was worth the brief visit nonetheless.

i really have to arrange my life so that i can spend more time up north, and maybe during the summer, since my last visit not during christmas was in 2000 (which also matches my last dentist visit as i was reminded rather coldly by the hygienist).