9/1: Abbreviated Trip into Canada

And then there were the best laid plans. We crossed into Canada at Sault Ste. Marie with the intention of traveling across to Quebec. But the stars weren't aligned.

We got into the KOA at Sault St. Marie.  This is a delightful KOA. The owners appear to also be dog people. The campground included a DIY doggie grooming salon and an agility course.

It was yet another rainy day, so we opted to explore the area in the van. We started at a lovely farmer's market, and then on to the Canadian Bush Pilot Museum. At the market we purchased steaks for our grill and ground cherries. The cherries were small and had a leaf-like husk around the fruit that was the size of a cherry tomato. It tasted sweet and tart at the same time. It would have been delightful in a salad, but they didn't last that long. :-)

The Bush Pilot Museum had lots of planes on display, knowledgeable passionate docents, and plenty of interactive exhibits. They did a great job with two films showing a bush pilot's responsibilities, and how bush pilots have fought forest fires. Seeing how the planes would skim the lake surface to fill up with water to dump on the fires was breathtaking.

We finished our day at the OutSpoken Brewery. Nice brews, nice patio, and several Qwirkle games.

We broke camp the next day intending to continue our Canadian sojourn. Unfortunately, the van's toilet had other ideas and presented us with a leaking valve. Hoping to find the nearest RV service center to get it fixed, we reversed course and trekked back down Michigan's Upper Peninsula and across the Mackinaw Bridge once more. We stopped in at the nearest Camping World in Houghton Lake, Michigan. Of course, they smiled sweetly and offered a service appointment 3 weeks in the future. Argh!!!!

After scratching our heads, we decided that the next best option would be to head to Massachusetts where we could enjoy Leslie's mom's hospitality, the beautiful scenery and riding in western Mass,  while working out a solution to our plumbing issue.

The most direct route took us east across Michigan, but our day was getting long in the tooth so we opted for a stopover. With the ongoing oppressively hot and sticky weather, we treated ourselves to room at the Day's Inn in Imlay City, MI. Since we still had our lovely grass-fed steaks from the Sault Ste. Marie farmer's market, we went in search of a town park for a barbecue. At Lion's Park, we found shade, grills, and an entire park to ourselves. Afterwards, we explored a bit of the town. Unlike many of the rural towns we had been through across the midwest, Imlay City is thriving. It turns out that it's the headquarters for Vlasic Pickles, which no doubt provides good jobs and a solid economic base.

Next morning, we left before sunup in the hopes of making western Mass before nightfall. Of course even before sunrise temps were still in the mid 80's with heavy humidity. The most direct route east took us across the Canadian border at Sarnia, and through the Ontario communities of London, Hamilton, and St. Catharines reentering the US at Buffalo, NY.

Of course, Leslie was certain we could power on through to Deerfield in one day. I was a bit dubious and more than a little whiny, but also ready for a break from the weather and the road. New York state is definitely worthy of its Empire State nickname based on its sheer size relative to its diminutive New England neighbors. It's a very long way from Buffalo to Syracuse and on into western Mass.