For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for August 08, 2024

Teenage girls have their own priorities.

John seems to have forgotten that Elizabeth didn’t want to come at all.

A drive around Lake Superior. I remember that comic strip. That was a great story. I never appreciated the lake as much as when I saw the way Lynn Johnston magnificently drew it.

The amethyst mine in Thunder Bay. That was another fantastic story. There are several amethyst mines in Thunder Bay that are open to visitors, and Lynn Johnston’s drawings of the Blue Points Amethyst Mine were spectacular. I especially enjoyed John’s lecture about how the mineralization was from early Pre-Cambrian granite. Plus it was a little scary when we saw the workings are an open pit and April nearly fell in.

But the best part was the story about the cute guy in the gas bar in Marathon. Elizabeth’s first alcohol and it’s at a gas bar. Who would have thought there were places in Marathon that combined drinking and driving?

At least some of Liz’s memories won’t be just about babysitting April…

I remember the trips with my parents. Only child, older parents. Definitely NOT fun.

Liz is just like me when I was her age.

Had I been to Thunder Bay, I would have stopped to see the Terry Fox statue. Ironically, the last time I was in Canada, I was with a college club group to Montréal in April 1978 before Terry Fox had even attempted his marathon. At the time, Québec was itching for a referendum to separate from Canada. Had René Levèsque succeeded, the Maritime provinces would have been cut off from Ottawa, probably joining New England. The highway signs had just switched to kilometers as Canada metricized from 1974 to 1984.

By the time I was Liz’s age, my folks would invite a friend of my choosing to go along on car trips so I’d have a buddy with me. That made the trips far better for me so I wouldn’t be sulking as Liz is.

From Lynn’s Comments: Showing the Patterson’s drive across the country allowed me to draw and write about Canada, which was both fun and entertaining. If I was entertained, I figured my readers would be, too. Many wrote to tell me about their travels here and how much they enjoyed themselves.

He probably wouldn’t like her much…. She’s way too moody. That face in block 2 has got to make her grandparents fill with joy.

Elizabeth reminds me of a Wisconsin Dells commercial some years ago. There was a young girl sitting on a jet ski talking with a young boy who could have been either a local or another tourist. She had a big smile and was very animated until she noticed her mom filming her. Instant change of mood, frowning scowl and off she went.

Come on, Elizabeth. Why don’t you like visiting your grandparents?

Some things you can’t say aloud

What’s a gas bar? I’m imagining a place Liz wouldn’t be allowed into, so I’m probably wrong.

Coming from Toronto, you don’t go “around” Lake Superior. You only drive along the northeast and north shore of it.

Anthony better not find out Liz was eyeing some other guy.

I once drove from Winnipeg to Toronto. All I remember is it was very long, and when I wanted to stop for the night, no motels in a 500 mile stretch had any vacancies.

Liz is at that “hard to impress” age.

Oh wow, there is a grandfather on that side! I don’t remember ever seeing him before, and Carrie came alone to take care of the kids when John and Elly went on their cruise and April’s accident occurred

I took a long, long bus trip from Winnipeg to Ottawa years ago that went around the north shore of Lake Superior. The one and only highlight of the journey but absolutely breathtaking and spectacular – all these years later I can still picture it.

Now I see why it took four days.

The drive along Lake Superior should be on more bucket lists. Give yourself plenty of time to hike though.

Speak up, Liz. Your grandfather’s thick glasses probably means he can’t read your thought bubble.

Come on, Liz, it’s not that bad.

Better learn to appreciate the time with her family and what they are doing for her. Unless Elizabeth finds herself a rich husband, she is never going to get another chance to travel like this again.

That’s about as exciting as putting your trash into orbit in Manitoba

Typical teenager, Elizabeth hasn’t learned that the destination isn’t nearly as important as the journey getting there. And the journey is what YOU make of it.

Sadly some people never learn this. You can always spot them as they are always complaining about life, pointing out the bad in things, real or imagined, in their life, others lives and even as innocuous things as comic strips.

One’s most memorable trips, were when it was mandatory fun..

Variations on a theme also incorporated over at The Dinette Set, in which the principals involed took pictures at Mount Rushmore with them standing next to trash cans, rather than getting Mount Rushmore itself in the picture.

Wow a teenage girl doesn’t feel seen by Mom and Dad. Film at 11 ! ;-)

I’ve been to that amethyst mine! I still have an amethyst I got there, probably close to forty years ago. :-)

That “cute guy” at the gas bar probably won’t cleanup well.

Put Mr. Wonderful out of your mind, Liz and enjoy the family togetherness.

Marathon was in The Florida Keys last time I looked