North Bay uses the term "the near North." Parry Sound, once considered in the North for tourism purposes, is now lumped in with the South.
The situation would be laughable if not for the fact many in Southern Ontario think "up North" means Muskoka. Venture beyond that and you risk encountering bears or, worse, losing cell phone service.
You have to turn the provincial road map over to find the places I visited last month. There is the odd place where laptops stay silent, so the gadget-addicted may want to bail out at this point.
Some stops -- Cochrane, and especially Moosonee -- are indeed a long haul. But the first two, Sudbury and North Bay, are only four hours from Toronto).
So buckle up and join me for a quick two-city tour.
SUDBURY
Driving tips: Once you're on Hwy. 400, then Hwy. 69, it's four-lane 'til around Parry Sound. Just off Exit 214, south of Parry Sound, is a service centre housing a Tim's, Dairy Queen, Lick's Hamburgers, and gas station.
What to visit:
-- Science North: I liked it when I first visited nearly 20 years ago and it's even better now. Built of stainless steel (what else, given Sudbury's strong Inco link?) in the shape of a six-point snowflake, it's entered via a walkway that tunnels under five metres of rock more than 2 billion years old. Animals are brought out for visitors to handle, and the film currently being shown in The Cavern is in what they call 4-D because the seats move and water is sprayed.
But Franco Mariotti, a staff scientist who showed us around, says what makes Science North special is its team of Bluecoats, who will answer questions as long as you want to ask them. While you're there, try the Lake House, overlooking Ramsey Lake, for lunch.
-- Dynamic Earth: Outside is the much-photographed Big Nickel. Inside, visitors don hard hats and take an elevator 65 metres below ground. A video explains the meteor strike responsible for the minerals around Sudbury and sections are set up to show mining practices from a century ago to present day. Dynamic Earth is part of Science North; a combo ticket is available. Visit sciencenorth.ca.
NORTH BAY
Driving tips: Hwy. 11, which begins just north of Barrie, is four-lane to North Bay except for a 43-km stretch. From Sudbury, it's 90 minutes via Hwy. 17
What to visit:
-- Fur Harvesters Auction Inc.: Fur-bearing skins from 23 different animals arrive there from all over North America. They're graded, put into lots and offered at the three or four auctions held annually. Beaver, raccoon and muskrat make up 85% of the sales. Some of the most expensive individual pelts belong to lynx, which have the softest fur, and polar bears. China is the biggest buyer, Russia the biggest market. Only buyers can attend auctions but there are warehouse tours for the public. Visit furharvesters.com.
-- Lake Nippissing cruise: Chief Commanda II and its predecessor, Chief Commanda, have been a tourism mainstay since 1946. On the 90-minute cruise to the Manitou Islands, snag a cold drink and put your feet up while the crew barbecues burgers and wieners on the back deck. There's a 2.5-hour sunset cruise, with dinner option, to Callandar Bay, and Sundays the Chief spend four hours going to the Upper French River and back. Early booking is recommended for the fall colour cruises. Visit chiefcommanda.com or phone 1-866-660-6686.
-- Heritage Carousel and Winter Wonderland Carousel: Volunteers carved the animals on these nostalgic Waterfront attractions.
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