Up North, Ya Know (part 7)
When my nephew Jonathan was younger he tried to convince us that Canada didn't exist. It as a running gag for him forever--the kind where occasionally, I'd be, like, "Are you joking?" and he'd continue his serious rant about how it's all a government plot.
I, however, now have photo documentation that Canada exists.
Because, seriously, who would doctor a photo to make it seem like the highway signs all wear crowns.
Honestly, Shawn and I were actually unaccountably charmed by the royal highway signs and spent a significant part of our trip to Thunder Bay cooing over them. I also pointed out to her that if I robbed her, I was pretty sure that would make me a highwayman (well, highwaywoman, but the Roaches never sang about that.)
I also apparently am the worst at answering border patrol questions. I've been long schooled by the thought (something I saw on some cop show or other a zillion years ago) that if someone asks you if you have a watch, you look at your wrist and answer the question actually asked, i.e., "Yes/No, I [don't] own a watch," full stop, despite the inclination of most people to offer the time.
Shawn says that makes me sound suspicious. And it probably does. But, the border patrol let us through, anyhow, since I'm both suspicious and silly. Where did you come from?" "St. Paul." "Where are you headed?" "Thunder Bay." "How long will you be there?" "Overnight." "You came all the way from St. Paul to visit Thunder Bay for one day?" (he asked incredulously.) Shawn said at this point she was attempted to lie and point out that we felt there was a SIGN telling us to go (because OMG the Thunder Bay attraction billboards on 35 before Duluth were LEGION, though we do have them to thank for remembering to go back for our passports,) but I ended up mentioning that we just kind of wanted to go to Canada, a foreign country, as part of our honeymoon. This, of course, made the border guard shake his head like we were insane. I kind of wished I'd added, "Because, you know, we can't afford Paris. So Thunder Bay seemed like a good alternative."
Because he would have laughed.
I have to admit that we enjoyed the trip up to Thunder Bay more than the town itself. We ended up going to a Tim Robbins for breakfast on the day we left. I'd been hoping to go back to the Starbucks we spotted on the way in, but Shawn saw the Tim Robbins and told me she'd always wanted to go to one after reading about them in a Canadian murder mystery series. I can't deny a request like that, can I? The coffee was awful, but the donuts were fantastic.
We spent much of our time in Canada being ugly Americans. I was also inordinately charmed by the money. I'd gotten a 20 Canadian dollar bill at the bank before we left for Bearskin, and we broke that at the hotel's front desk so we could buy a bunch of Canadian candies in the vending machine. Having loonies in my pocket always amuses me far more than it should.
I also chatted up our hotel waiter about the World Cup. He, of course, was far more of a hockey fan, and didn't actually know if Canada was playing in the Cup (they're not.) But I kept telling Shawn that the way we knew we were in a foreign country was that people actually had the World Cup on the big screen TV in the main lounge. This would never happen in the US. It'd be Fox News or something awful.
We also saw Canadian Canada Geese, which also tickled me unaccountably.
Yes, I really am this easy.
On the way up, we stopped at Pigeon Falls/Grand Portage to look at the waterfall:
It was drizzling this day so the path to the waterfall was a little treacherous because they'd built a wheelchair accessible one that had nice wooden bridges and such... but they got really slippery in the light rain. At any rate, it was amazing.
The trip back home was also drizzly and Lake Superior put on quite the show for us with crashing waves and white caps. I tied to get a picture of its majesty, but this doesn't do the lake justice:
I, however, now have photo documentation that Canada exists.
Because, seriously, who would doctor a photo to make it seem like the highway signs all wear crowns.
Honestly, Shawn and I were actually unaccountably charmed by the royal highway signs and spent a significant part of our trip to Thunder Bay cooing over them. I also pointed out to her that if I robbed her, I was pretty sure that would make me a highwayman (well, highwaywoman, but the Roaches never sang about that.)
I also apparently am the worst at answering border patrol questions. I've been long schooled by the thought (something I saw on some cop show or other a zillion years ago) that if someone asks you if you have a watch, you look at your wrist and answer the question actually asked, i.e., "Yes/No, I [don't] own a watch," full stop, despite the inclination of most people to offer the time.
Shawn says that makes me sound suspicious. And it probably does. But, the border patrol let us through, anyhow, since I'm both suspicious and silly. Where did you come from?" "St. Paul." "Where are you headed?" "Thunder Bay." "How long will you be there?" "Overnight." "You came all the way from St. Paul to visit Thunder Bay for one day?" (he asked incredulously.) Shawn said at this point she was attempted to lie and point out that we felt there was a SIGN telling us to go (because OMG the Thunder Bay attraction billboards on 35 before Duluth were LEGION, though we do have them to thank for remembering to go back for our passports,) but I ended up mentioning that we just kind of wanted to go to Canada, a foreign country, as part of our honeymoon. This, of course, made the border guard shake his head like we were insane. I kind of wished I'd added, "Because, you know, we can't afford Paris. So Thunder Bay seemed like a good alternative."
Because he would have laughed.
I have to admit that we enjoyed the trip up to Thunder Bay more than the town itself. We ended up going to a Tim Robbins for breakfast on the day we left. I'd been hoping to go back to the Starbucks we spotted on the way in, but Shawn saw the Tim Robbins and told me she'd always wanted to go to one after reading about them in a Canadian murder mystery series. I can't deny a request like that, can I? The coffee was awful, but the donuts were fantastic.
We spent much of our time in Canada being ugly Americans. I was also inordinately charmed by the money. I'd gotten a 20 Canadian dollar bill at the bank before we left for Bearskin, and we broke that at the hotel's front desk so we could buy a bunch of Canadian candies in the vending machine. Having loonies in my pocket always amuses me far more than it should.
I also chatted up our hotel waiter about the World Cup. He, of course, was far more of a hockey fan, and didn't actually know if Canada was playing in the Cup (they're not.) But I kept telling Shawn that the way we knew we were in a foreign country was that people actually had the World Cup on the big screen TV in the main lounge. This would never happen in the US. It'd be Fox News or something awful.
We also saw Canadian Canada Geese, which also tickled me unaccountably.
Yes, I really am this easy.
On the way up, we stopped at Pigeon Falls/Grand Portage to look at the waterfall:
It was drizzling this day so the path to the waterfall was a little treacherous because they'd built a wheelchair accessible one that had nice wooden bridges and such... but they got really slippery in the light rain. At any rate, it was amazing.
The trip back home was also drizzly and Lake Superior put on quite the show for us with crashing waves and white caps. I tied to get a picture of its majesty, but this doesn't do the lake justice: