My last week in the Lower 48 was a whirlwind of good-byes and taking care of Maggie things for college. Then I spent all day Friday and Saturday packing. I figured I would work (do my job) Saturday morning, but packed then to avoid the heat. And once I was packed… I didn’t want to unpack to keep doing stuff at my home. So Bella and I left Saturday evening. Here you see (part of) how the car is packed. I actually have a 3-drawer plastic chest from Walmart holding stuff for Alaska, my kitchen stuff, and socks / underwear. I also have two suitcases in the front seat and two footwells stuffed with stuff. And I can even sleep on the right hand side, with plenty of comforters for Yukon weather! Here you can see my fridge on the left, which is… just incredible. I have a battery underneath the driver seat powering the fridge when the car is turned off.
Bella of course was not thrilled with the packing. “Are we going yet?” She kept wondering, but I didn’t let her get in her crate, even as she watched me packing the car. Never before has she done a 2-day packing. Luckily her best friend from VT stopped by on Saturday and they had a great time. Here she is when she FINALLY got to get in her crate and we were just minutes from heading out. It’s about time!
I got lost in Albany getting some last-minute items, and then… on to Binghamton, for one last good-bye to some friends there. I arrived exhausted, past my bedtime, and did 3 nights of sleep over the next two days. Then bring and early Sunday morning we headed off to Niagara Falls. Here’s the Seneca Nation gas station (and casino) where one can buy (even cheaper) gas before heading into Canada. Or gamble. Or both. You can even buy Seneca branded cigarettes. I just stuck with the gas and moved on, my last stop before crossing the border.
We crossed at the Rainbow Bridge. The border agent had this attitude of “I really do NOT want to search your car.” I told him Alaska was my ultimate destination, of course. He seemed a little incredulous I worked there, but then I fingered my “University of Alaska Fairbanks” lanyard and offered to show him my job letter. He declined. He just wanted to make sure I really did NOT have any firearms in my car. He even asked if I owned any firearms. “No, I do not own any firearms.” Then he was satisfied and let me through.
Niagra Falls is really the Vegas of the Northeast. An amazing natural feature but tragically overdeveloped. There’s more parking on the American side, but Bella and I had a nice walk to the whirlpool. Pretty cool.
Then on to Guelph, Ontario, where I visited an old friend. He took me me to The Smallest Bar in Canada, and we chatted with his friends. Here it is. One friend was fascinated to learn about the Laurentide Ice Sheet, and how it created the current reality of the Great Lakes Region.
I had a great time in Guelph; in fact, too good of a time. I did another drive past my bedtime to my cousin, who just moved to Windsor, Ontario. Just resting up here and visiting on Tuesday, then I’ll continue my journey Wednesday morning. We got to walk to the Detroit River and see Detroit from a different perspective than how I’d always seen it before. I also drove past the Chrysler plant where work was recently suspended due to Trump tariffs. Sigh…