Minnesota to South Dakota

Hi ZiggyZags! Yesterday's trip started at Pipestone National Memorial as you saw in yesterday's photos. The pictures, I think, told most of the story of the visit but we were able to speak to two of the artisans who are quarrying there and are making pipes to sell to the public. One of the men in particular is highly thought of and well known. His name is Travis Erickson--his mother is Native and taught him to make pipes when he was 10 or so. I recognized him from the video we were shown but did not realize just how much of a recognized artist he is. As we were checking out of the gift shop the lady told us that he had pipes in the Smithsonian and that he'd been on How It's Made on Discovery Channel. I had already spent a great deal of time talking to him about the stone and the disc pipe he was working on. He showed me how the pipestone at the center had a slight white tone to its top and that the surrounding stone as he used a file on it would be a darker red. He'd carved a dragonfly from the center and when finished and polished it would be a white dragon fly on a dark red disc. Fascinating. When I went back to ask him to sign the book I bought in which his grandfather and uncle were pictured working a quarry I mentioned how wonderful it was that he'd been on Discovery and in the Smithsonian. I congratulated him. He blushed with pleasure, which is always interesting in a big muscular man. He told me he'd been on PBS as well and showed me a magazine in which he was the subject of the main article. Then, shyly, he told me he'd soon be going to accept this year's award as the Best Artist of the Year for South Dakota this month, Well, I looked him up on the net--even sharing what he did--there is much more to his reknown. https://www.bing.com/search?q=travis+Erickson+pipemaker&src=IE-TopResult&FORM=IETR02&conversationid=&pc=EUPP_ This is a better link....http://www.historynet.com/travis-erickson.htm The lady on the register is his cousin and the young man also working on pipes and with whom we also spoke at length is her son. Barb bought earrings made by Travis' mother and I bought a pair made by another cousin. We left Minnesota soon afterwards and traveled I 93 until on the horizon we saw a very large bull head surmounting a hillside on the opposite side of the road. Curious, we got off and discovered another artist--Wayne Porter sculpture garden, It was incredibly hot but we chose to walk the 3/4 mile loop rather than use a golf cart. When we got back to Wayne's little shed he allowed Bambino free and we sat and chatted in the shade as I cooled down. ( We later found that the temps had gotten into the 90's again). Wayne was curious about the political situation in Vermont, the fact that most of the gov't officers from NH are women, the scenery of the Northeast. He told us he was a Poli/Sci/History major in College. Once more we found that this talented man, like Travis Erickson was modest and dispossessing. Not a bit of ego in either of them and a total delight and in retrospect an honor to have sat and chatted with them as though with old friends. I think this link can tell you more than I about this delightful young man, with a sense of humor and whimsy, http://portersculpturepark.com/about/ By this time, it was almost 4:30 and we still had about 60 miles to go to our motel. So, a quick drive into Mitchell, around the Corn Palace, where if you look closely you can see the various types of corn and grasses used to create the murals that will remain on the outside of the building until this time next year. It serves as a food source for the birds, who start pecking out the grains almost as soon as the ears are adhered to the walls. Then a U-turn and out of town again.https://cornpalace.com/149/Corn-Palace-History By the time we reached Chamberlain it was getting dark and we were tired. So we decided to do Dignity tomorrow, which is today. But I'll take a breather and let you have one, too. Later, BarbZig and KatZag

Going Cross Lots in Minnesota

Hello Again ZigZaggers, I hope you enjoyed yesterday's novella. As we watched TV last night a storm warning kept appearing across the screen. A terrible thunderstorm with heavy rain and hail was to hit NE Minnesota and various towns were named but who knows where they were. We didn't get concerned. Well, apparently it was violent--deluge of water, non-stop lightening and thunder and kept Barb awake for over an hour. Me? slept right through it. Never woke up for a drink or for a bathroom run, even. The day dawned gray and foggy--wondered whether we would have fair or foul to deal with but since there was no precipitation we decided to move on. Leaving the motel at 923 the first order of business was to get to I 35 southbound--yes, south--without having to deal with the triple cloverleaf roads twisting and turning under and over that we'd encountered when we entered Duluth last night. Discovered that we could move through some residential streets and outlying country to it, but the initial route took us toward the heart of the city. From Skyline Drive we looked down upon the bridges that connect Superior to Duluth. I gave a sigh of relief that we had to cross none of them. As soon as there was some distance between us and the Lake the fog lifted and the clouds broke apart revealing a bright blue sky. Today was pretty uneventful--other than scenery,which looks very much like home, the biggest event was passing through yet another small town.We started in the Northeast corner of the State and are almost to the Southwest corner where it joins South Dakota. We stayed on the Interstate til just south of Hinkley, which was in that weather bulletin last night. Then we picked up Rt 23 which we have followed the entire way--no zigs or zags but the fact that this day is one huge ZigZag! As the day progressed it kept getting warmer and warmer and more and more humid. Our A/C vents were sweating with condensation and dripping on our feet. We came across an outdoor art exhibit--at least I called it that--the property was for sale. I liked a couple of those sculptures--whimsical. St Cloud was smaller and easier to navigate than I anticipated. We crossed the Mississippi there and I was so happy and how narrow it is in Minnesota, which I knew, I forgot to take a picture of this bridge which is shorter than the bridge going over the Connecticut at Hanover. It is short--like a bridge in the middle of town anywhere. We came across roadwork which has been a constant all the way from home. There are thousands of acres of corn as far as one can see. Very dessicated in many cases. Was there a drought? Maybe. Or Maybe the corn isn't being used for silage but rather for grain. In that case, a harvester picks the ears and leaves the rest to dry out and will be plowed under. At least, these are the options my Ag expert, (Bill ) has given me. Finally, a train, with grain cars. One of the things I love travelling this country is seeing the trains. How I wish we'd use passenger trains more and I miss the freights. I just love trains. By the time we reached Wilmar, the temperature had reached 92 degrees! I don't have clothes for such hot weather. Thank God for A/C. But, such heat kind of limits the amount of walking etc I want to do. In Maynard it was 97. As we pulled into Marshall the temperature had settled at 95.Our motel is right next door to Southern Minnesota College--the very next building next to this sign. We got the last room in the motel. A big wedding in this hotel, in the Raddison and in the other motel. We have a one room apartment in the Quality Inn. I'll take pix in the morning. A living room, dining room, full kitchen, large bath and huge bedroom with a king bed. All for $121. Cheaper than any other motel in the US since we returned from Canada.Same price as we paid for a tiny room in Canada. Amazing. Well, have to plot tomorrow's path and choose our head rest. So, til then, I'll say Good Night, BarbZig and KatZag

UP, Wisconsin and into Minnesota

Good Evening Ziggy-Zags. Before I resume the travelogue there are a few facts and figures to alter and/or add. To start, my cousin Dolores called Thursday night around 9 PM. Bill is in bed by 6:30-7. Why he answered the phone I don't know. But, half asleep--God knows what he said to Dolores--I haven't been able to reach her--he thought she said our other cousin Audrey had died. What she said was that Audrey's husband, Fred has died. While that is just as sad and heart-breaking for us, Fred was a wonderful man and had a sense of humor like no other, his death was not unexpected. He's been ill for over a year, actually more like two and the last time we saw him he said he'd just like to die. Audrey's death would have been a shock--she is the healthiest of the four living female cousins I would say. Nevertheless, thank you for your notes of condolence, Barb and I appreciate them and while not for the right death, still appropriate for his. Returning now to the trip. Several of you mentioned that you remembered a song about the Edmund Fitzgerald, and my music loving friend, Jane, even wrote down a verse from the song. Indeed, it was quite a hit in the late 70's. written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian songwriter/singer. In the tumult of the storm the Fitz was thrown into Canadian waters and went down on the Canadian side. When the wreck was located it was, therefore, the Canadian Navy that dove down to get the bell and then returned with the new bell to the broken ship. There was a formal presentation by Canada to the US and the Fitz families of the bell. At the ceremony a member of each crewman's family came up and rang the bell once and then, at the end, the bell was tolled a 30th time for all the sailors lost on the Great Lakes. That bell is now the one encased at the Shipwreck Museum. https://www.bing.com/search?q=Ballad+of+the+edmund+Fitzgerald&src=IE-TopResult&FORM=IETR02&conversationid=&pc=EUPP_ Yesterday morning, Friday, we left Marquette Michigan around 1030. We plotted our route and made a reservation in Duluth, Minnesota so we knew where we were going and that we had an assured place of rest once we called it a day. I rose around 630 and took a picture of the sunrise on the Lake and then when all was ready we continued west on 28 across the UP. The trees are beginning to turn and the foliage is quite lovely. We also noticed a number of evergreens--there are several types and not being from these parts I hesitate to name them--dead and covered with a fuzzy white growth. I believed the infestation to be wooly aphids or possibly wooly agelids ( spelling?) which are aphid-like creatures. They are very small sucking insects that literally drain the sap from the tree and kill it. Foolish parasites--but once one host is done in, they just move to another. Bill verified my diagnosis. We continued on toward Wakefield and Bingo's about which I have a story but first there is a new story. Although many of our zigs and zags are planned there are a few which are thrust upon us. And our search for Bingo's came to naught because of such an event. 28 to Wakefield was closed just about 14 miles out of town and Bingo's was beyond the closed barrier. So we made a left and headed out on a 22 mile detour. About 2 miles down the road I said to Barb, you know, that road isn't closed to local traffic--let's go back. So we did--we went 8 miles down the road and came to another road closed sign and this one did not mention local traffic. Barb decided we shouldn't go any farther and I agreed. The road was closed because a bridge, of which I have no memory, but then I try to forget any many as possible, was out. Not knowing just what we'd find we just said, we'll go in from the other side and see how far we can get. So, back we went the the detour ( another 8 miles ) and then onward 22 miles to Wakefield. So let's see--to get to Wakefield, which was about 14 miles or so away on 28 --we went 42 miles. HMMMM--that's us! Then to add insult to injury--in Wakefield the bridge was only a mile out of town, so we probably could have waved across the bridge and then backtracked and traveled even more miles. Now, why, you may ask ,did I want to find Bingo's. You may recall that Bill and I took our first X-C trip in January, 2008 and followed this same route. On snow covered roads and going the whole UP in one day, we approached Wakefield as it grew dark. We were cold, tired and there had been absolutely no places to stay and we were really hopeful there would be something in Wakefield. Ahead of us in the grayness of nightfall with a slight haze of snow falling we saw before us a neon sign--a caricature cut-out of a Christmas like deer with a red bulb for a nose--leaping out toward the road. In big letters--BINGOS--TV--YES! In we pulled. An old stone building served as the office for several small cabins. Snowmobiles were all gathered around the door and others were moving around. In we went, an older Polish couple were behind a small bar behind which was a smallish color TV. We rented a cabin and got our bags and went in. First off I tripped on the top step going into a room I can't even tell you how small. We could barely move. There was a double bed against one wall--Bill had to climb in and move over to the wall--there was no walking around it. A shelf above his head held an alarm clock. At the foot of the bed was a tiny TV. To the left was a bath with a small shower--it was a chore to even turn around in there. The whole thing reeked of scouring powder. It was the semi-finals for the Super Bowl so Bill decided to return to the bar to watch the game. He asked me to go but I really didn't want to and be with a bunch of guys watching football so I said, no, I'll just get in bed and watch PBS here. (Oh, after checking in we'd gone into Wakefield to get something to eat. One bar--the girl was much more interested in talking to the local guy at the end of the bar than serving us. I had a burger --awful. She didn't know what Miller Hi-Life was but gave me another Miller product--MGP or some stupid thing . THEN we returned to our lodging.) I got into bed and he went to the bar. I tried to hold my hand with hand lotion over my nose to eliminate the smell of Comet--not Rudolph's buddy--and turned on the TV. ONE CHANNEL! SNOWY! BLACK & WHITE ! and everytime a snowmobile went by the reception got WORSE!! And there were ONLY snowmobiles. When Bill came back I was in tears and I want you to know I do NOT cry very easily--not my thing at all. He wanted me to move over to the wall--bag that, I wasn't giving up my warm spot and besides, I'm claustrophobic. The room was small enough without being pinned against a wall. His head hit the pillow and two seconds later he was asleep. I lay there awake for hours listening to snowmobiles and smelling Babbo. Eventually, I fell asleep only to have the damned alarm clock go off at 4 am--those damned snowmobiler idiots--and Bill trying to shut it off. OMG--you know, maybe it was a good thing not to see it again--I may have been tempted to burn the place down. It still exists though--it's listed in the Michigan travel guide as a place to stay in Wakefield. There are several others now, including a Best Western.Well, anyway--we moved on--didn't even look for the Toth Indian. This is iron ore country and Bessemer is the name of the furnace used to separate iron from its ore. I wonder if Bessemer came from here or if the town was named in his honor. Nope, named after Sir Henry Bessemer, the English inventor of steel manufacturing. Bessemer is also the home of the world's highest ski-flying structure--is that a thing, ski-flying??? Also in Bessemer, one of the original MacDonalds. Notice the Golden Arches incorporated into the building, Next we crossed into Wisconsin but can't remember the name of the first town we entered. But pretty soon we came, at Ashland to a possible ZIG. Continue on 2 to Superior or take 13 the scenic route out around a large peninsula jutting into the Lake we were coming to love. Well, please, there was no choice. 13 it was out to Red Cliff and an Indian reservation, the tribe involved escapes me now. What a lovely lakeside village is Red Cliff. Were it earlier we would have liked to explore it a bit. Off the coast is a large island that is accessible and twelve small islands, called the Apostle Islands. There is the Apostle Island Lakeshore but does not show on the map at all so we opted not to go to the Visitor Center though it is a National Park. If you look at the map, you see Rt 2 as a red line from Ashland to Superior and you see Rt 13 as a black line making a big loop around a big point into the lake. Not shown on the map is the ZAG that we took off the Zig for 7 miles out to one of the camping, swimming spots on the Lakeshore. We stopped and had lunch overlooking the Lake and then watched the men working on the Twilite restoration, before driving back out the 7 miles to Rt 13 and onward to several other small towns. We stopped in Port Wing for gas and to peruse the history of Education in Wisconsin. Look at that--Vt is finally catching up--a consolidated school district with free transportation on 1903! I've always said education is a series of old wine in new bottles. Could you imagine today's kids in that winter contraption--lol http://portwingwi.com/port-wing/pw_arts/local-authors/ I wonder if her books would be interesting to read. I may try one, having been in the area about which she wrote. On we drove and then it was over, the end of the Lake so we rested a few minutes gazing at its beauty and the wonderful striations of grays and blues of water, air and sky. For two States, Superior was always there, just off to the side and now we soon would leave her in our rearview mirror. A bit of sadness as though leaving a dear friend that you know you may not see again but that you will always remember and cherish. We returned to the main road to Superior, the sky changed once more, filling with buttermilk clouds, allowing crepuscular rays of the sun to peak through. Dairy farms dotted the fields and then Superior, Wisconsin was behind us, a long, high bridge was before us and on the other side, Duluth, Minnesota. Within 7 miles of landing on solid ground we were in our room for the night. Now, I'm going to take a break, have something to eat and resume today's travels. A shorter report I believe. Until next time, tata, ZigBarb and ZagKat

Feeling Tired and Down

Hi guys--Spoke to Bill when we were outside Wakefield Michigan and he told me that our cousin, Audrey, died last night. I don't have any details but it has been a bit of a downer for us on an otherwise beautiful day. We've had a great time and the weather and scenery was beautiful. Still, I just don't feel like writing tonight and will catch you all up tomorrow. We are headed south to Marshall, Mn then. Night to all, Kand B d

Back in the USA

Hi Ziggie-Zags! Well, today we lived up to the group name, but wait, getting ahead of myself. The day began with a chat with a man from Texas, who like me, was ready before his travel companion. He'd been quite hot under the collar when checking in last night, according to Barb. I said good morning, more or less to see if he was a curmudgeon or merely road tired. Actually, turns out it was a combination of fatigue and lack of familiarity with Canada==kilometers, gas by the litre, difference between American dollar and Canadian dollar. He and his wife had taken the loop up to Thunder Bay and back and it was desolate, they almost ran out of gas because there were no stations and he'd had a long day. They had been on the road from Texas for three weeks and he was ready to go home to his recliner and TV, to quote him. Turns out to have been really a nice man. Going to Macinack to golf--back in the USA--lol In the meantime, we had to figure out how far we were going in Michigan today and where there are our motels on the UP. I got talking to the woman manager in the business office. Chatted about the UP and Bill and my experience 10 years ago in January--the snow a foot deep or more and snow storms all the way. Told her about Bingo's in Wakefield but will save that story for tomorrow when I hope I'll have a current picture of Bingos. Anyway, she suggested that we stay in Marquette and zig and zag out to Whitefish Point, down to Newberry, back up to Grand Marais and over to Musining thence to Marquette. She said you are on vacation this time, in nice weather, why not see some of the sites--especially Lake Superior. Barb and I decided that since Marquette was only 3 hours away if we went straight to it, why not enjoy the weather. So I made reservations at the Econolodge on the shores of Lake Superior and off we went. The first order of business was to get over the junction of Huron and Superior and the Soo Locks--a double golden bridge that I'd totally erased from my memory banks--I know we crossed a bridge but really didn't remember how long or high it was. So, silently praying and trying not to stiffen completely into immobility, I stared straight ahead, only briefly slanting my eyes sideways, but not my head and took pictures. Made it across safely, spoke to the young lady Customs' Inspector who asked if we were sisters and said we looked alike. I can't see it. Only asked if we bought anything in Canada--a scarf, a bracelet, postcards. And then we were home. Took I75 south 8 miles and then picked up M28 that goes all the way across the UP to Wisconsin and beyond. Got gas at Brimley where the gas pump recorded .01 gallons and .03 cents and died. Barb asked the fellow using the other pump how to get it working. He came over and said it's dead. Barb asked if his pump was more modern to which he replied, straight-faced, this is the UP, this is as modern as it gets. Barb was ready to go back to Canada where you have to tell the pump how much you are buying before pumping with the only options being $20,$40 or $60. Kind of hard to decide when the gas is sold by the liter not the gallon and you can't figure out how much you get for $20! Bet that was another aggravation for my friend from Texas. But gas up we did and continued on the Strongs which is the Bear Capital of Michigan and the home of what was the only gas station 10 years ago on this pretty desolate stretch of road. Back then, we were the only car on the road and there were snowmobiles everywhere--you should see the trails throughout the area. We pulled in and I stayed in the car. Bill came out and said you've got to come in here and see this place. OMG--a sporting good and winter wear section, a grocery section, stuffed animal heads all along the ceiling, dimly lit and several guys sitting at a table having breakfast and a bar--liquor bar--off in a darkened corner. More than a general store. I made Barb stop so I could show it to her. First of all--no gas--all out. The animal heads and traps and guns ect are gone as are the woolen clothes. The groceries are in a small corner and the bar is all spiffed up and bigger with lovely long varnished tables around and nice tile floor, replacing the worn, squeaky wood of yesteryear. New fluorescent lighting. Across the street another bar and several motels. Kind of sad--the character is gone. Well, shortly after that we made our first zag north to the shores of Lake Superior and the Shipwreck Museum on Whitefish Point. A 15 minute movie about the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald the largest ore carrying freighter on the Lake in 1975. It sank after getting hit by a sudden snow storm in November. The ship following behind was in radio contact with her and she was in trouble--when the storm cleared she was no where to be seen. 29 men went down with her and it was heart-rending to hear some of the relatives speak. One man in particular almost brought me to tears. His brother, a crewman, called him the night before he was to report for duty in Nam. His brother told him that if anything happened to him while there, he the Fitz crewman would go to Nam and find him and bring him home. Well, the younger man survived Nam but the older one went down with the Fitz. The younger man, now in his late 60's said I tried for years to get him from the ship and bring him home, but it cannot be done and I'm as close as I can get. They went down and got the ship's bell; it is in the museum. In its place on the sunken ship was put a new bell with the ship's name and the name of every member of the lost crew. The grave of the men rests over 500 feet down and on it rests this new ship's bell--here it serves as the memorial for the disaster. As we left the theatre I noticed a box of tissues had been placed on the bench near the exit--several people took a couple and I heard one woman behind me tell her husband that she knew she hadn't brought enough tissues. While truly sad, the horror of the waves and chaos of the churning ship and the terror of the men had me too tense to even be able to cry. The museum is small but thorough in its story of the various sunken ships--many of which were lost off Whitefish Point. Most of them the result of human error--poor navigation in fog, excessive speed in foggy conditions. One Canadian passenger ship had four collisions with cargo vessels. It survived every one and the ships it hit all sank, some with loss of life. The Canadian captain was cited for excessive speed for conditions but he said, Her Majesty's mail comes first. Really? There are several roads that connect Whitefish Point to Grand Marais but at the advice of Fred, the museum cashier we avoided them. He said they are not paved, are wet and we could get stuck.Also no cell service. So we back tracked to Paradise, zig and zagged back to M28, travelling sort of south and west. Then we headed back north to the Lake and took the H58 through the National Park to Musining. By now we'd covered 200 miles,lol, and were about 55 miles farther west. Also it was now about 330. So we continued the next 50 or so miles to Marquette and our hotel. We'd had a balcony room reserved but since there is no elevator here we opted for a ground floor room. We could still see the Lake though no balcony on which to sit and enjoy the view. It was okay, we'd seen the Lake several times today and even stopped to enjoy the view of a lovely curved beach. All in all we covered 265.6 miles and entered the Central Time Zone so we are now 1 hour earlier than you all--well, not Cindy. It was a lovely relaxing day, no rush and interesting. Ate in once more--I finished the quiche and Barb had smoked gouda and a Granny Smith. I also had some mandarin oranges. Now, it is time for me to do the books--have to see what I spent--not much but I like to keep track of my cash. We were going to plot tomorrow's path but will wait til morning. We know where we are going and the route but still in the bush, as Bill calls it, so must determine how far and where we want to stop and where we are likely to find a place to rest our heads. Not as involved as it sounds but after two days of no communication it is pretty vital. Called Bill today and as I was talking to him headed to the Point, the cell service just disappeared and dropped the call. Ah, wilderness. Until tomorrow, good night from BarbZig and KatZag. s sa

On to day 2

Good Evening ZigsandZags Some things I forgot to mention last night--well maybe just one, my notes are in the car--we were amazed that all the signs were in English and then right after the same sign was posted in French. I thought that we were awfully far from Quebec to do that but then I looked at the map and my geography lessons of grade school returned--The Ottawa River is the boundray between the two provinces and though I think of Quebec as due North and East of Vermont it actually extends West north of Ontario. So until Sudbury we traveled with the Ottawa on our right side and looking across we gazed upon Quebec. I should have remembered, too, being in Ottawa and going to Hull which is in Quebec.Oh, well, it all makes sense now. Today's pictures begin with a shot of our cozy room in Pembroke last night and its landscaping this morning as we departed. A bit of a gray day but primarily because the proximity of the water kept the fog from lifting very early. When at last it did, the day was simply beautiful---sunny skies with beautiful puffy clouds. As you can see, the TransCanada is mostly two lanes with little traffic and long, long ribbons of roadway. The trees are deciduous but somewhat scrubby but the evergreens are lovely. They hug the road on both sides providing a natural hedge between the road and the villages and the River. Lots of rock, too, BIG ROCKS. There is no doubt of the glacial activity that took place here--these boulders having been dropped as the ice melted and receded. Off to the South of us the large gouges in the earth made by these rocks as they were carried beneath the receding ice. Of course, the big holes are filled with water and are the Great Lakes. But we could not see Erie or Michigan--so far south of us. At Sudbury we made a detour to see the World's Largest Nickel. When Bill was a young boy he traveled this road with his parents and 17 went right by the nickel so he had seen it. When he and I traveled this way ten years ago, I wanted to see this fabulous coin but, alas, 17 had been rerouted and we didn't take the time to try to figure out where the thing was. I put it on my part of the things to see list and so, there it is. It is lovely and I'm glad we made the effort to find it. We had to go through the town to get to it. The lady in the info center said yes, Sudbury is hard to get around, it isn't laid out in a grid, it is twisted around all the rocks and we love it. Well, we did, too. Especially since OLD 17 still runs by it and leads to NEW 17 without having to go back through town. After taking too many pix we decided to eat our picnic lunch right in their park so out came the pita bread and ham and cheese and we had refreshing sandwiches with water and iced tea before tackling the next 200 miles. Once we left Sudbury we were surrounded by Ontario and before long we were literally running along the northern edge of Lake Huron. Again, we only got an occasional glimpse of it through the trees but when we did, it was incredible--soooooo large and endless. Almost ocean like without the waves! About 20 miles outside of Sault Saint Marie I caught sight of huge flocks of birds in several fields. I realized they are cranes landed for the night but on their way South. No way to pull over so I had to try to take them through my side window moving along. Only caught three and they are sort of blurry. I will try to crop that picture tomorrow night and see if I can get a better view of them. By the time we reached the Soo it was around 730. The sun was very low in the Western sky blinding us. I suggested that we find a place on this side of the bridge for two reasons--it is a smaller place here and finding a motel would be easier. Considering our fatigue after driving 420 miles or so and having gotten up at 6, it seemed less stressful. Furthermore, we got to the bridge and realized we would be driving right into the sun--forget that. Especially the way I love bridges. Ugh. I must say, we weren't sure how we'd be treated by the locals being from the US but everyone has been incredibly friendly and nice. The drivers in Ontario are unbelieveably polite. We have not heard one horn --not one-over two days and almost 800 miles. No tailgating, no mad racing by when passing, no cutting in sharply when past, stopping and letting us in when we make a mistake and waving and smiling as they do it. The only time we had someone pushing us etc, about two or three times? Quebecois! They are as bad in Canada as they are at home and of course on their own turf in Quebec. Just awful and rude. But, not surprised and not worth counting at all. So, here we are comfortably ensconced in another Comfort Inn and full of quiche once more. Who wanted to look for a restaurant. So, Quiche again. Good thing we both like Dr Atkins recipe for crustless quiche. And am I glad I took the time to bake it. Last night Barb fell asleep at 8 and I followed soon behind at 930. But I did start The House at the Edge of Night--too early to tell how I like it. LOL Not sure when lights out will be tonight but I'm ready to at least get comfy with my book. Sooo, until tomorrow and the return to USA, good night all BarbZig and KatZag

Au Canada

Good Evening All You Ziggy-Zags! We got on the road at about 815 this morning in a deluge. Decided not to take the dirt Williamstown Rd and so got onto the Interstate at Berlin Corners. By the time we reached the Essex/Williston exit the sky had cleared and for most of the ride through Swanton, waved to Amy as we drove by Lake? Drive across the causeway into Alburgh and on into Rouses Point, NY. Drove southward toward Malone and then made a sharp right toward the Mohawk Indian Reservation, across the St Lawrence and the Seaway and into Canada at Cornwall. Used my passport card for the first time since getting it five years ago. Lovely young male Customs' officer. He asked what we were planning in Canada--just in-transit to the Sault. What do we have? Clothes and picnic food. Any alcohol or tobacco? One bottle of port no tobacco. Any weapons--guns, mace, pepper spray, knives? Two cutlery knives for meals. Any pets? Where I wanted to ask--a pet would suffocate. But, instead we smiled and said nope. And then off we went toward Ottawa. Got on the Trans Canada--skies overcast, occasional drizzle. Worst traffic around Ottawa but doable. Then into the bush more or less on Rt 17--two lanes, no towns. Had a bit of a time finding how to get into Pembroke--then read my MapQuest directions which take you right into the center of the town. Passed a couple of motels and then, before us, on our side of the road--The Comfort Inn. Checked in at 415 under overcast skies. To tired to look for a restaurant so out came the quiche I made and on went the microwave. A good day--covered 360+ miles. Took pix of several interesting Churches ect in the small towns of Northern New York and Canada. By and large though our travels have been rural. No cell phones and no OnStar. Running blind except for hard copies of maps--my favorite way of traveling anyway. Tomorrow, on to Sudbury and, I think, back into the States at the Sault. Oh, yes, the phone in this room has been cut so I couldn't call the office when I couldn't log onto the Internet--she took 10 dollars off the cost of our room for the inconvenience. Could not believe that. Nice lady. Now, I'm going to upload pix and send you the link. Then change and watch TV or read. Until tomorrow--Barbzig and Katzag