Day 3: Red Rock Ontario and Nipigon Bay

We arrive in the small town of Red Rock, located on Nipigon Bay, the northernmost point on Lake Superior. The beautifull cuestas, the rock formations that make up the local landscape and the islands that dot the bay render a stark contrast to the scenery in Thunder Bay. Like Thunder Bay, Nipigon Bay is a Great Lakes Area of Concern. {These are environmentally degraded areas across the Great Lakes. Originally, there were 43, but three have been cleaned up (2 Canadian, and 1 U.S.) and one is in "recovery." } The former papermill was the lifeblood of the town, but since the mill was closed down in the 1990s, the town's population has been cut in half to about 800.
We board zodiac dinghies to go ashore and are greeted by about 20 townspeople including the local mascot, moose, who are lined up on either side of the gangway who greet us with handshakes and warm smiles. I join the group going on a hike to Red Rock, the highest point in the the town and its namesake. A relatively short hike gets us to the high point where we have spectacular views of the bay and the islands nearby. The weather is superb and our Canadian guides don't fail to maintain the reputation of Canadians being kind and helpful every step of the way.
This stop was actually a change from the original itinerary which called for a stop in Houghton, Michigan. The change was made to go to Red Rock instead after the ship could not get permission to from U.S. Customs to stop in Houghton.