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Supercharger - Sault Ste Marie, ON
- Thread starter ccudmore
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navguy12
Active Member
In one of the posts above, it was mentioned that the team installing the SSM supercharger is tasked with Wawa next.
It's faster if I go south through Chicago and Toronto, but then I have to go through Chicago and Toronto. I love visiting those cities--much of my mother's side of the family live in Chicago, for example--but when just passing through the traffic in them is a pain. Going across the the TCH is a much more delightful drive even if it takes me a bit longer. Last year was the first time I went via SSM, and though the Chademo chargers along that route are sometimes unreliable, it was still a nicer drive overall. There tends to be nobody on the road and I have the place to myself. Now with a bunch of SuperChargers along the way, it will be a cakewalk.
I've also taken the ferry across Lake Michigan, and that's fun, too. But I like driving my MS, and going across Ontario is currently the most pleasant route.
Years ago, I used to fly for this trip. Then I got a Tesla...
Google Maps actually shows that the TCH route is an hour faster than the route via Chicago and almost 200 miles shorter. Plus definitely a nicer drive, at least on the parts I've driven.
Google Maps
That's right, you should always take any option you have to avoid driving across Ohio on the turnpike.
Put him to work providing daily updates
Agree with all of this, but it looks like if you time the ferry just right, that is a hair faster than going through the UP. Of course, in reality, you have to get there early, wait, etc. and it's a wash in terms of time at best, but you would be on the supercharger highway the entire way doing that (but you'd still have to drive through Toronto).
If it were me, I would take the route through the UP and overnight in some place with L2 charging like Naubinway, Mackinaw or the Soo. The original poster is correct that one of these Soo superchargers opening up will make this route the slam dunk choice for a Minneapolis to Montreal trip.
The ferry seems quite expensive, especially if you are driving with a family, since you pay for each person in addition to the vehicle.
It’s a very winding highway with many drops and cliffs alongside. Odds are the road will take out the dozing driver before they get to you.
It’s been a while since I drove it but they were adding plenty of passing lanes so drivers passing blind in frustration is less of an issue.
It’s been a while since I drove it but they were adding plenty of passing lanes so drivers passing blind in frustration is less of an issue.
We finished a 22,500 km trip in our MS through the UP and along the TCH from SSM and just wanted to get home. The TCH from SSM to Sudbury was great, mostly two-lane, not many mountains/cliffs in that part of Ontario, often divided and recently paved. Also, not a lot of traffic so avoiding all those head-on collisions was easy .
navguy12
Active Member
Not as bad as the 40 bucks or so, one way, for about 70 miles of HWY 407 in Toronto.
Yup, those tolls sneak up on you and IMHO interrupt the normal flow of traffic, and if you miss one they'll get you later. It's wonderful that there are NO tolls in Canada on the TCH, and yet the roads are pretty good despite heavy truck traffic from both Canadian and US operators of commercial 18-wheelers.
HWY 407, an alternate limited-access corridor for Greater Toronto commuters conjured up by crooked political motives, is an anomaly and has nothing to do with the TCH system, and not to be spoken in the same breath.
Having taken that ferry a couple of times, my conclusion is that it saves you no time, but is a nice change to get away from traffic.
Yes - I FAR prefer taking Hwy 407 vs the TCH. The only downside is the tolls. I think you are using revisionist history regarding the how the highway was built as well. The advantage of tolls is that it keeps the highway from being congested. I can use Autopilot on my Model S and not have to intervene from Burlington to Ajax.
Between Kenora and the Soo, it's more like a winding country road with 80kph speed limits.
SammichLover
Banned
I've never travelled that portion. My uncle, who's lived in Kenora longer than I've been alive, always highly encouraged me when heading West to come through at Sault, across, and then back up into Canada somewhere at my discretion once I passed through Duluth.
Especially in the winter, where nasty stuff can come off Lake Superior onto that road. They've definitely improved it over the decades with passing lanes on the long uphill slopes (which would clog with people pulling trailers), saving untold lives, but still can be an iffy route.
Still, if you're on a sightseeing trip and like rocks and trees, it seems like a very viable option in the summer.
It's a great drive. As long as you aren't in a hurry
One of the more memorable moments of my Transcanada trip (was June 2009 in an ICE) was when I stopped in at the Ontario Welcome Centre just west of Kenora. I really just needed to use the washroom but the girl working there was kind of cute, so I started chatting with her. I thought she was exaggerating when she said that it takes 3 days to cross Ontario. I had just driven across the Prairies and it was smooth sailing so it seemed hard to believe. But she was right, you can squeeze it into 2 days if you're in a hurry, but 3 days is better if you are on vacation and trying to enjoy yourself.
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