2022 Bear Hunt Day 2 - Our Neighbors to the North

After a reasonably good night's sleep I was up early.  I packed up all my stuff and as quietly as I could loaded up the truck.  Out the door around 4:30, I had the interstate to myself.  Sunrise came near the border with Wisconsin - even through the window of a vehicle it was pretty with fog hugging the ground in several locations.

I finished Franzen's How to Be Alone.  He's quite a talented writer if a bit verbose at times.  What I found a little disappointing is how myopic he comes across - everything he likes is justifiable and good, everything else is less so with a bit of qualification in a few rare instances.  And while he admits watching TV - he does so only by explaining, may times, how much he dislikes TV.  I have another of his books ready for listening, but I switched over to podcasts for the remainder of the day.

Getting around Madison was super easy in the early morning; Indianapolis could take a lesson.  I stayed on the interstate to Eau Claire, taking US53 north for the rest of the day.  When I stopped and got gas north of Eau Claire, I also got some locally-made beef jerky.  It was smoky to the point of almost tasting dirty and had enough salt to give me a coronary.  Even questionable jerky is good so I finished it quickly.  Shortly after getting gas it started to rain, and the rain built to torrential downpours at times.  Much like the previous day, I wasn't in a hurry so I was able to just take my time.  I need tires on the Ridgeline so speeding through the serious ponding would probably have been foolish.

The rain was done by the time I got to Duluth.  It seems like the exact same areas in Duluth have been under construction since 2018?  This wouldn't be so bad, but Duluthites drive ssssslllllooooowwwww.

I continued north and my mood lightened as it started to look more northy.  Traffic was non-existent and I was really enjoying the drive at this point.

All day I had been noticing how great my gas mileage was with moderate speed and a stiff south wind.  Actual mileage may be a bit lower once I calculate it, but this is still outstanding for an AWD Ridgeline.

There were only two cars in front of me at the border so crossing was quick.  The border guard asked me what kind of work I did. "Chemist" 

"Oh?  What do you work on?"

"Diapers."

This was followed by a pregnant pause as he decided whether that would possibly be something that someone would make up (it isn't).

Getting the guns through took a few minutes but was easy enough.  It is quite incredible that I can cross an international border with a couple firearms for a nominal fee, one piece of paper and a friendly conversation with a Canadian Official.  North America is a wonderful place and Canada is a wonderful country.

Once into Canada I found my hotel.  Walking into my room brought back memories of my 2021 bear hunt and all the angst about getting across the very recently opened border.  The world is slightly more normal now than it was then.  Once partially unpacked I walked down to the Fort Frances Tower.  It was closed in 2021 due to COVID and was now closed due to flooding a few weeks prior.  Some day I'll get up top (maybe).  

I had never thought that boats must cross the border, but I suppose they need customs when this happens as well.  I also suspect I'm not supposed to take pictures of the border area.  Oh well - I was in Canada.

Google maps showed me where a convenience store was so I could get some chips.  It ended up being quite a long walk but gave me a chance to see some of Fort Frances.  It reminded me of something, but I couldn't grasp what until I caught a smell that reminded me of my Opa and Oma's house in St. Catharines, ON.  This must have been a coincidence since there is no reason for a Canadian house to smell different than a US one, but it is still amazing how evocative scent can be.  For sure - Fort Frances has a mix of houses, but the neighborhood reminded me a lot of Opa and Oma's.  I also know my memory may be fading...

After I got back to the common area by the water, I decided to walk out to the point near the US.  I was getting tired of walking which is weird since I walk so much at home.  I suspect I was really getting tired of walking without a dog.  The weather had markedly improved through the afternoon, so I made the most of it.

On the way back there was a vehicle sobriety checkpoint which seemed odd for 4:30 in the afternoon - usually I hear of these late at night after people are leaving the closing bars.  But then I remembered ... Canada...

Back at my hotel I munched on my chips and some Rainy River Meats Pepperettes (do recommend).

Another noodle bowl and guilt-inducing Ding Dongs ended my day.  I went to bed hoping all my ducks were in a row for a final few hours of travel.