Howdy Reader

The colours of the leaves are changing in a flash 🍂 and before you know it, it'll be winter (for those of us in the northern hemisphere) but I'm actually happy about the cooler temps and potentially a season where I'll be able to go snowboarding again.

Have you been able to see the fall colours and what winter trips are you excited about (even if it means going somewhere warm)?

✈️ In this issue:

• 🇨🇦 The underrated Thunder Bay
• New posts and updates you might've missed on the blog!

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Underrated Thunder Bay

With just a short gap from Newfoundland, I did a solo trip at the end of September to northern Ontario and the city of Thunder Bay.

I'll be honest, Thunder Bay doesn't exactly have the reputation where people (even us living in the province) are stoked to visit. That said, now that I've gone for the first time, I think there should be a big draw for those that want a great combination of serious and casual hiking, views of unique flat-topped mesas, fur trade history, Indigenous culture, and amethyst mining!

When Does It Make Sense To Go?

Time of year is one thing but for most of us, Thunder Bay isn't the kind of place where you can just pop by. It's a 15 hour drive from Toronto and 7.5 hours from Winnipeg.

So a trip to Thunder Bay makes the most sense when you're:

• Big RV or road trip cross-country
• Completing the Lake Superior circle tour (yes that's a thing!)
• Exploring Northern Ontario including Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie (read our article)
• Flying up to Thunder Bay from Toronto for under $500 (what I did)

Thunder Bay Highlights

The best way is to watch our Instagram Reel that covers all of the big highlights of my trip to Thunder Bay but give you my ultimate ranking and provide a bit more context as well.

1. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park - One of the crown jewels in Ontario and dare I say all of Canada. The must-do hike here is Top of The Giant. Compared to Western Brook Pond day hike, I'd say this one was significantly easier. For those that are vertigo-challenged like I am, the viewpoints may make you anxious but that just speaks to how dramatic it is up there.
2. Amethyst Mining - Sounds super random right? Well turns out that there's a high concentration of amethysts here and so there are a bunch of tour operators that offer experience where you can go through rocks to pick-your-own amethysts by the hand or bucket-full. You don't have to be a rock 🤓 to get really into this.
3. Fort William Historical Park - It's a highly accurate re-creation of what was the largest fur trading posts. Your group gets an guide/actor that will show you the grounds and stay in character as someone that lived in the fort at the time the whole time. I was really impressed.
4. Fort William First Nation Pow Wow - These Pow Wows happen a few times a year and are incredibly special. Under Mount McKay, see different types of regalia and dances, participate yourself, and enjoy the various vendors, activities, and food stalls.
5. Pigeon River Provincial Park - Most people skip this but at the border with the US is a park with not only an impressive waterfall but also a nice hike up to twin viewpoints. Best part is that it isn't as busy as the other parks.
6. Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park - This deep canyon is something you don't expect to find in the province.
7. Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park - This is one of the most famous viewpoints in Thunder Bay and I can see why. It doesn't require any hiking and the waterfall is pretty impressive as Ontario's second highest.
8. The Persian Man - Don't let the name fool you. These are a scrumptious combination of a cinnamon roll with a generous spread of a berry frosting that
9. Eagle Canyon Adventures - If you haven't figured it out yet, there's something about Thunder Bay and heights. My legs were trembling with each of the two suspension bridges, one being the longest in Canada.

Is this what you expected out of Thunder Bay? It certainly surprised me in more ways than one!

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💸 Travel Deals This Month

Here are the top deals that are currently live right now.

• Kolet eSIM: We just negotiated a new 20% off discount code - AWESOME20. They're featured in our updated article, Best eSIMs for Europe Travel.
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• WANDRD Warehouse Sale: Save up to 25% off + extra savings.
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• Patagonia Web Specials: Get up to 50% off of past season styles (Canada/US)
• Hilton Resorts Early Bird: Spoil yourself at Hilton resorts and save up to 30% off with the early bird offer. Deal ends Dec 31, 2026. Minimum 3-night length of stay for bookings made 3 months in advance.
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• KnowRoaming: Get a free 1GB eSIM courtesy of us :)

To get notified of all travel deals we discover, go to our deals group on Facebook.
​It's free to join!

✏️What's New on the Site

This month we've barely had any time at the desk - too many amazing trips I can't wait to tell you more about! But here's what we managed to churn out for you this month.

In case you're not subscribed to our 'let us know whenever you publish something new' list, here are our new posts. We aim to publish posts twice a week so if you subscribe you are always kept in the loop!

☝️ What's Next at Going Awesome Places

It's been a busy year and we'll be taking the next month or so, working on all of the things on the list that we've put off for months. That means more content on our site and YouTube soon :)

One thing we may be doing is World Travel Mart (WTM) in London. If you're going to be in London the first week of November, be sure to give us a shout!

🍪 Travel Tidbits

Here's the latest from the industry that caught our eye this month. They're worth the read!
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• ​Canadian Trips to U.S. Rise for Sixth Straight Month: But Remain Far Below 2024 Levels
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• ​'A fortune of failures': The Colorado ghost town that almost became Aspen
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• ​Canada's bizarre mummified toe cocktail: The Sourtoe Cocktail has become a rite of passage for locals and visitors
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• ​Japan’s first Disney cruise ship has been named: The ship is scheduled to begin service in the spring of 2029
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• ​More travellers are flying to a destination for one night: Is 'trip snacking' worth it?

Happy Halloween!

Make sure to catch our Halloween video we created for Destination Toronto!

Have anything you want to get off your chest? All you have to do is reply to this e-mail!

As always, keep going to awesome places!

Will

Your Chief of Awesome

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