Sudbury – The Big Nickel!

Rain… Rain… Rain.. but magically we seem to find the right times to stop and do things as the rain lets up. In Ottawa, we managed to avoid the rain under canopies and such just as we were having lunch or dinner, and upon arrival at Carol’s Campground in Sudbury. The skies brightened up and the sun shone just enough for us to set up our camper for the night. We managed to get minimal setup down to 40 minutes flat. Hoped to get it quicker but not bad.

Camping

Carol campground is located 15 minutes from Dynamic Earth and all that Sudbury has to offer. Sites are on the smaller size so it definitely promotes friendliness between campers.  Due to the rain, there were significant pools all over the site but we managed to find a spot for the camper so we could walk around on stone and avoid squidgy mud!

Amenities at the campground include centralized washrooms with free hot showers.  There was a beach as we were lakeside, and play equipment for the kids but owing to the impending rain, the kids only had time to play while we set up camp. It was a definitely an advantage to be close to the play area so we could focus on setup while the kids were busy playing.

Family members were coincidentally in the area as well so we headed on over to Whitelake RV Park in Azilda, a 30 min drive away from Carol Campground.  The campground is small and situated right on the edge of Whitelake and next to the town.  Sites were spacious but offered little privacy between sites.  Amenities included washrooms, hot showers and a beach with playground.  All the June/July rain also resulted in soggy territory around the campsite.  All around Whitelake are beautiful homes/cottages but oddly, there were quite a few float planes.  Nice way to avoid the traffic on the highways!

Dynamic Earth

A trip to Dynamic Earth, we were repeatedly told, was a definite must for any trip to Sudbury. Once we packed up our camping site, we headed to Dynamic Earth early to catch the first tour of the day. Descending down into the ground, we were treated to a tour through the history of mining.  Our guide, Emily was knowledgeable about the history of mining and as it turned out was a geologist working in some mines in Ontario.  The tour takes you through a mine complete with dark damp tunnels, dripping water overhead and for the little ones, it didn’t quite entrall them so much as scared them a bit.

Once above ground an hour later, the kids found yet another playground worth squealing about.  A kid version of mining complete with conveyor belt, ore rocks, hardhats and coveralls .

For the parents patiently waiting for the kids to get their fill of mining fun, there were other exhibits like virtually operating heavy equipment and machinery, more videos and mini tours through different mining themes. Of particular note was the panning for gold exhibit adjacent to the kid play area.  You can actually find gold!… albeit tiny specks. Had my sister in law not gone the previous day and found gold, I would have given up long before I actually did. But perseverance paid off and voila… I found gold!!!! Not exactly enough to fund our trip across Canada but it certainly was satisfying finding the gold!

Gold in hand we ventured outside to the playground themed after various mining and geological activities.  The kids had a blast climbing, balancing, digging and sliding! Lots of fun and great way to expend a bunch of energy before our next 5 plus hour drive.

Thanks Sudbury! Thanks Dynamic Earth!

Observations:

• Driving across hwy 17 heading from Ottawa to Sudbury, it was definitely noticeable how the surrounding terrain and vegetation changed from 40-50 ft high trees to about half that in and around Sudbury
• Sudbury has a lot of French! Merci Sudbury for a great stop on our Great Canadian Adventure.

Kid’s memories : “Awesome .. Dynamic Earth is the best!”, “Look mummy, I’m working!”

Lesson’s Learned: Don’t assume there will be another Timmy’s just down a few kilometers. There are long long stretches where there really isn’t a Tim’s along the Trans Canada. To get something you have to go into the towns. With little ones, plan potty breaks appropriately.