NO SERVICE the message received while traveling. The phones did not work the entire time we were in Canada, but that is fine with us! We thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and solitude from the rest of the world. It may have been nice for roadside assistance in case a moose jumped out in front of the car or something, but we lucked out! Getting home to the states was very important due to a family member’s birthday. We had to call them, especially to let them know we didn’t “die out there” like our deck of cards tried to prevent us from doing. The main thing I wanted in Canada was a stamp on our passports. We were unable to get this upon entry so I was determined to have it happen on the way out.
Near the border we stopped at Tim Hortons one last time for our pastry and coffee. We also got some poutine even though it was super early. Had to get the poutine. Gravy, cheese curds, and french fries, yum!! When we went through the border we did not get a stamp. What? That is right, I wrote, DID NOT. We made a U-turn and talked to the guy and he let us go to the main office by the border and wait for our stamp. Apparently the United States and Canada do not stamp one another due to the fact that neither country wants to limit the number of times one can travel in and out. Makes sense. Anyways, by the end of this whole experience, I am sure the Canadians thought “silly Americans.” We did not mind, we love being silly, just look at our photos in previous blogs. So, long story super shortened, we got our stamps. Mission Accomplished. Now, where to next?
The Mackinac Bridge and Lake Huron! We wished to swim in as many great lakes as possible and luckily Lake Michigan is right up next to Huron. We stopped at Castle Rock in St. Ignace, Michigan and hiked the long staircase to the top for the views. I carried the dog up the stairs and Chris carried him down. The dog was super happy to be a part of this journey. I think he enjoyed the view too. We were unable to access Lake Huron so we drove over the bridge and decided to camp overnight at Lake Michigan Campground which was only $18 a night. Holy Moly Mosquitos were out in force and thirsting for blood with a vengeance. The lake in the morning was well worth it and super beautiful. We did not go in at night due to riptide warnings, just dipped our feet in. I hope you have an amazing weekend and I look forward to writing more about this and eventually Lake Huron in the blogs next week. Also, my Newsletter went out this morning. You can sign up on my website to see new paintings and read the news every month. The sign up is at the bottom of my home page.
Thank you for reading!
-Karen Hilliard