We arrived in dense fog to Silver Islet, Ontario. Silver Islet refers to both a small rocky island and a small community located at the tip of the Sibley Peninsula in northwestern Ontario. A rich vein of pure silver was discovered on this small island in 1868 by the Montreal Mining Company. At that time, the island was approximately 540 sq ft in size and only 8 ft above the waters of Lake Superior.

By 1883, most of the highest quality silver had been extracted and the price of silver had declined. The final straw came when a shipment of coal did not arrive before the end of the shipping season. The pumps holding back the waters of the lake stopped and in early 1884 the islet's mine shafts were flooded. They would never be de-watered, and the mine's underground operations would never be reopened.

Over the 16 years that the mine was in operation, $3.25 million worth of silver was extracted.

We set out first thing on a kayak adventure. We loaded into a Zodiac (on which we had to prove proficiency yesterday) with kayaks in tow and headed out. At a remote island, we transferred to kayaks in the most cumbersome and non-photogenic manner. Once in our kayaks we paddled around some islands. The water was clear and about 70 degrees. Rounding a bend, we spotted a bald eagle at the top of a tree. We hung out for awhile and when he got tired of our staring at him, he took off.

We then paddled to the abandoned silver mine. The top of the shafts are about 2 feet underwater but we could clearly see where they are, the foundations of structures that once stood there and some of the layout.

After nearly 2 hours, we headed back, transferred to the Zodiac and returned to the ship.

The afternoon was spent in the heated pool when we were not reading or napping.

Dinner was nice and relaxing; so much so that I forgot to take food pictures until dessert.

After dinner, we set out to find what was rumored to be a cool bar. Nobody really spoke clearly about it; it was an “if you know, you know” place. Well now we know what and where The Hide is. It’s all the way forward, accessible by only one unmarked stairwell and denoted just by the sign. Beyond the sign is an ominous, unmarked imposing door which opened into a very cool rustic mechanical room decked out with leather chairs, tree stumps for tables and a great vibe. It’s a spirits bar with a variety of offerings served neat or with an ice cube.

Tomorrow we sail all day as we pass through the Soo Locks (near Sault Ste Marie) and on to Lake Michigan.