Canada

Sept 9th

Today, we all took COVID tests for our entry into Canada. We drove into Schenectady, to a CVS and took the tests in the drive-up lane. We should have our test results within 2 days. The rest of the day was spent with Mia’s school work.

Sept 10th

Our plan today is to cross into Canada. The only obstacle is the results of our COVID tests. We packed up early and plotted a course toward the border, taking a lot of backroads. We stopped for lunch along an unknown river and watched ospreys and geese while we ate. Kathy found a rest stop on the highway just south of the Canadian Border, and we stopped there until we received our test results. We weren’t sure if we were allowed to bring any of our fruits or vegetables across the border, so we cooked all the vegetables, and made applesauce. While we were eating an early dinner, we received our test results. All negative. We packed up and headed for the border. We called ahead to an RV park in Kingston, ON to make reservation for that night. The person at the RV park said we had to get there before 10pm or we couldn’t get in. It was only 5pm at this time, and we were only 17 miles away. No Problem. At the border, we were stopped by US customs officials, and asked why we were going to Canada. Once they were done with us, we drove forward 30 yards and talked to the Canadian officials. We thought we had everything ready, but soon found out we were wrong. In order to enter Canada, you have to download the ArriveCan APP, and fill in the form with all of your COVID vaccine records and negative tests. No where on the Canadian website did it say anything about this. The Canadians made us turn around and go back into the US. We had to wait in line to go back through US customs, and even though the officer knew we just left and had to return because of the APP, he still had to ask all the questions about entering the US. After we got through US customs, we drove down the road and found a spot to pull over and download the APP. It took about 15 minutes to complete and once it was done, you received a confirmation from the Canadians, that you could now go to the border. When we got back to the crossing, there was a massive line of cars trying to get through. We had to wait for over an hour. Then we had to wait for over an hour for someone to come and inspect our trailer. Finally, we were allowed to enter Canada. By the time we arrived at the RV park it was almost 9pm. We had to set everything up in the dark. Straight to bed. We will start over tomorrow.

Sept 11th

The humidity is gone and it is a very pleasant temperature. We set out to explore the RV park this morning. It is massive, yet we don’t feel like there are that many people here. The park has a swimming pool, mini golf, disc golf, marina, swimming beach, hundreds of campsites, and hiking trails. The first trail we were on, took us along the lake. The second one took us onto a massive granite cliff overlooking the lake, with fantastic views. I have never been to an RV park that had real hiking trails. Kathy contacted a friend of her late uncle this morning, and set up a lunch date at the yacht club he was a member at. We drove into Kingston early and went and saw her uncle’s old house. Eleanor, Uncle Tim’s friend, met us at the yacht club. She came by boat because she is living on an island in Lake Ontario. The restaurant overlooked the harbor and Lake Ontario, and the lunch was very good. The manager of the restaurant and several other customers, all knew Tim very well. CORK, the sailing organization that Tim belonged to, has named one of their boats after him. After lunch we drove to the marina near his house and saw the Tim Irwin. We went back to the RV park and had dinner at home.

Sept 12th

We had school for Mia this morning, then we drove into Kingston to explore. We parked downtown and walked down to the water. There is a walking path that follows the shoreline through the city. We walked on it for a couple of miles and learned some interesting Canadian history. Downtown Kingston is very cool. There are lots of restaurants, pubs, breweries and wines bars. We found a local coffee shop and had an afternoon snack and coffee. All of the businesses require that you fill out the Canadian COVID tracking APP before you can be seated. Masks are mandatory in all buildings. They are taking this way more serious than the US, and everyone is complying without whining about it. We came back to the RV park and all played a round of mini golf. After dinner we hiked back up to the granite cliff, to watch the sun set. It was spectacular. The lake was dead calm. We stayed there until it was dark. It was so peaceful. We had to use our flashlights to find our way back.

Sept 13th

Mia had school again this morning. The lake is calm again this morning, so I went to the office to see if we could rent one of their kayaks. We have ours, but we wanted to all go together. The person in the office told me that they close the boat rentals after Labor Day, but she would call the owners and see if they would allow it. She called me back 10 minutes later and said that they would rent one to us. Colonel By Lake, the lake we are on, has a serious algae bloom problem. The water is completely green. We hadn’t noticed it until we got down to the beach. The summer was extremely hot and the lake is shallow. We still enjoyed our kayaking though. We even stopped on a granite island and ate our lunch. After kayaking, I drove into town for groceries and filled the truck up with gas. 138.9 cents a liter? Is this a lot? I had to do some calculations to figure out that Canadians pay about the same as Californians for gas. After dinner we climbed back up to our new favorite spot to watch the sunset again. The colors were amazing tonight.

Sept 14th

Today we are driving to Thornbury, Ontario, where cousin Rod and Cathy live. We arrived at the local RV park at about 3pm and then headed over to Rod and Cathy’s house for dinner. Rod prepared hamburgers for us and we discussed our plans for the following day. They have beautiful home with an amazing garden in the back. We brought the Merlot that we had purchased in NY, and we drank some with dinner. The wine was better than I expected. During dinner all of our phones started screeching. It was a severe weather alert for our area. Possible Tornados! We went back to our trailer (worst place to be when there are possible tornados), to find Oreo cowering from the thunder. It was quite a storm tonight.

Sept 15th

We have a full day planned today, so we were up early. Rod had promised oatmeal pancakes for breakfast this morning. When we arrived, not only were there pancakes, but also bacon, sausage and fruit bowls. We had given Rod and Cathy one of our many bottles of Michigan maple syrup, and Rod had heated some with raspberries in it. It was all fantastic. After breakfast we all walked to the local library. Mia was in heaven. Cathy helps run the Beaver Valley Outreach program, and she had to work for a few hours. Mia was enjoying the library so much, that we left her there while Rod, Kathleen, Oreo and I walked to Clarksburg or as Rod calls it Artsburg. Almost all of the shops are art galleries. Rod took us to the local hardware store, which is a tiny little building, but has everything you will ever need. The walls, shelves and ceiling are packed tightly with almost everything you would find at a Home Depot. It was very overwhelming trying to find anything, until you asked the owner where it was, and he could lead you right to it. He was such a nice quirky guy. We walked back to the library and retrieved Mia. Rod brought us back to his house, and laid out lunch for us. After lunch we headed over to the BVO thrift shop where Cathy was working. Kathleen gave Mia all of our Canadian money, about $7, and told here she could buy something. We left Cathy to work, and returned to our campsite. Dinner will be at Rod and Cathy’s this evening again and Rod is making paella. I made a Greek salad to go with the paella. Dinner was delicious. We had talked about Tim and the family, and all shared stories of each of our travels. Mia was in constant search of their cat, Teddy. After dessert and a facetime chat with Margot, we said our goodbyes. We are hoping that Rod and Cathy can come visit us in California next year.

Sept 16th

We are heading back to Kingston today so we can possibly visit more family. We made reservations at the same RV park we were in previously. This time there had been a cancelation, and we were able to have a spot right on the lake. For the drive back, we chose a more remote route. We saw some spectacular landscape. We even passed through some communities with Amish. Our new campsite is right on the lake, and it has an amazing view. After dinner we set up our chairs and watched the sunset over the lake.

Sept 17th

Kathleen is meeting with Eleanor again today. I drove her downtown and dropped her off. On the way back to the trailer, I was determined to find poutine. I had heard about it, but never tasted it. I found a place that had some for take-out, and Mia and I ate it back at the trailer. So, poutine is French fries and cheese curds covered in gravy. It does taste good, as many things covered in gravy do, but I didn’t care for the soggy fries. Mia and I did some more school work, and then we went back to Kingston to pick up Kathy. After we said goodbye to Eleanor, we received word that we could get a tour of the Tim Irwin. Three members of CORK, the sailing organization that Tim belonged to, showed us around their facility and told stories of Tim. Jamie, Maryanne and Kim, then took us out to the Tim Irwin and told us all about the donations and man hours it took to get the ship ready. It was now being used for officials during sailing regattas. We drove back “home”, and had a short rest before driving back to Kingston for dinner. We met with George, who is also a distant cousin for Kathy. George and Tim met at the yacht club and over a conversation learned that they were actually related. Cousin George told us some stories about Tim and we met some more of Tim’s friends.

Sept 18th

We are heading back into the US today. The line at US customs was fairly long, and it took us awhile to get through. We headed east from there, following the St Lawrence River. The colors are starting to change and the scenery along the lake is beautiful. We found an RV park near Chateaugay, NY., to stop at for the night.