BACK INTO THE STATES AND A REFLECTION ON CANADA

Remember our blog about entering Canada?  There were no traffic lines at the border crossing at Houlton, Canada, and the Canadian government has built proper risers so that the Border Agents are face-to-face with the drivers of motorhomes and over-the-road vehicles.  Our Border Agent was very professional in working her way through the questions required of customs: “why are you visiting” her Country; do you have any firearms or tobacco on-board; she granted us a smile when we admitted to carrying a couple of beers and 2 bottles of tequila.  She also answered my question about how long we could stay in Canada with a deadpan “six months minus a day”; then she sent us on our way with a pleasant “enjoy your visit.”  And as we hope you’ve already read, we did indeed make the most of every day while in Canada.

Coming back into our own Country was a little more challenging.  Since we were heading north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we may have made a mistake by using Ambassador Bridge, entering through Detroit.  It might have been better to cross the Blue Water Bridge, entering Port Huron, Michigan from Point Edward and Sarnia, Ontario.  But learn from experience, eh?  Traffic and customs inspections of other vehicles in front of us created an almost 45-minute delay before we got our chance for interrogation.   Yeah, interrogation.  We were subject to questions from a harried looking and gruff Customs Agent about our journey into and through Canada, whether or not we were bringing any Canadian fruit, alcohol, meat or tobacco back into the States with us.  We had to shout our answers down into the booth the Customs Agent occupied (he was seated and only reached up for our passports); there was no eye contact.  One funny moment occurred when he asked if we were American citizens (even though the Customs Agent had our passports).  Barbara responded with “You have a beautiful country!  We so loved our visit!”  We were hastily reminded that we were entering the US, and the Customs Agent asked us to pull up a little bit as he was coming on-board!  Nah, it wasn’t Barbara’s fault.

Now for anyone that has travelled out of the Country by air I suspect you have had experiences similar to ours with customs when returning to the States.  We’ve never been questioned or asked anything by any agent of the US Government.  Brian’s been greeted more than once with a “welcome home big boy, ” and sent on his way.

But not this time.  The Customs Agent came on-board, opened our refrigerator and pantry, looked in the back and below the kitchen sink, spoke little and announced he was confiscating a lemon and 2 oranges.  Apparently you may not bring fruit into the States…or perhaps there is an outbreak of rickets amongst US Border Customs Agents?

Oh yeah – there is no charge for entering Canada from the States, but there is a fee associated with crossing the Ambassador Bridge that can be paid in either US or Canadian dollars.  Empty of our Canadian money (and our citrus) and somewhat annoyed, we were back in the States officially.

Next stop Midland, Michigan and then on to Saint Ignace in the UP.  But first here are a few random observations about our time in Canada.

1.  There may be paper Canadian $1 and $2 bills, but $5 was the smallest denomination paper bill we ever saw or carried.  Instead $1 and $2 coins, commonly referred to as the loonie and toonie, are used.
2. At a stop light and if in the left turn lane, when the turn arrow starts blinking it is your turn to make your turn.  No mistakes or confusion; blinking means go.  A solid green permits forward progress.
3. Each Province renames its portion of the Trans Canadian Highway, and I’m guessing each Province is responsible for repairs.  Yup – the same road has 10 different numbers; 1 for each Province.
4. If there is road repair ahead, the signs indicate it well in advance and give the driver a chance to slow down or make other adjustments, such as change lanes, etc.
5. The roadways are in very good to excellent condition; however, the wear sustained over years of use does guide your tracking.
6. Road workers do not subscribe to a 9-5 or M-F workday.  Frequently repair crews were working sunup to sundown and on weekends as well.
7. Pictures augment road signs, and you do need to know what those pictures mean.  Moose In The Roadway caution signs are everywhere but moose are not.  We were told they are more active at night than during the day.
8. We don’t know what we expected, but cities are cities and regardless of size, all have the trappings of strip malls, fast food chains, big box stores, bad drivers, disruptive road construction and the requisite hustle bustle.  The ubiquitous disruptive road construction is referred to by locals as “orange cone fest.”
9. As our new friends Faye and Patti told us accurately, “you’ll drive for miles and miles past the same scenery, but when you get there it’ll be wonderful.”
10. Moose are not indigenous to Newfoundland; Caribou are.   Moose were introduced in 1904, and from the original 4 moose there are now estimated to be 150,000 decendents.
11. We were there just after the US tariffs on Canadian goods had been imposed and Trump had called out Trudeau as an ineffective leader.  Once we were known to be Americans, we heard very negative feelings about our government, ranging from disappointment to rage.
12. The easiest places for us to treat Aimee with a fill-up outside the Province of Ontario were the Big Irving Travel Plazas – part of the Circle K brand.  And in the Province of Ontario there were classic highway travel plazas all along the TransCanada Highway.  American travel plazas could take a lesson on how to make filling-up easy from their Canadian neighbors, regardless of your vehicle’s size or if you’re a diesel pusher or running on unleaded.
13. We saw a pheasant strut along with its take-off, brief flight and landing, 5 bald eagles, 2 moose, a “giant” hare, a bunch of deer, 3 breaching whales, a pod of whales “playing”, a herd of seal feeding in open waters (heads surfacing), an osprey and its nest, sea urchin, lobster and crab, thousands of puffins and common murres, and one frozen cod.  We wish we would have seen more moose and at least one caribou, but no luck.
14. Canadians are a mellow, generous and amazingly welcoming people.  A couple we met at the campground in Maine suggested there must be something in the water Canadians drink.  Nope.
15. Crazy to think that our northern neighbors are so close for many Americans, but how many of us have taken the time to visit?

Barbara and Brian