Back in Barrie

 

After we got the micro and installed it in Port Huron last week, on Friday we headed back to Canada. We popped across the border at Sarnia and unlike our experience with the trucks coming into the US, Friday morning was uneventful ... "You got guns?" "Nope" "Bye" Actually the customs folks are extremely courteous and inquisitive of our lifestyle and I think they find it a relief to chat with us as a break from the line of impatient folks behind.

 

After the border we decided to go our old route 21 up the Lake Michigan coast and around to Meaford as we had for some 30 years before when Jo-Anne's parents lived there.

 

Below is the little park on an escarpment in Goderich where we had had to stop in the days of having to find a spot for Buster to do his business ... and oh by the way, a really quiet nice park with room to park the bus and car. We had lunch on a perfect 70 degree day.

 

Then up the road only a bit further for the night. We decided to check out an RV park we had not been to and which was rated a 10-10-10 in the Good Sam book ... the highest possible ... go back and look at the place we live in Barrie and it is an 8.5. Curious and adventurous minds, eh.

Below is the maximum 6.5 site in the Fisherman's Cove Tent and Trailer Park in Kincardine, Ontario. Again, we aren't sure who gets paid off to do the ratings but here is an unleveled gravel site with a bitty concrete patio, not pad under the bus, and minimal 30 amp power. A tent would have been better suited here and we were glad it didn't rain. Oh ... yeah ... about that pull-through you thought you might get ... sorry ... unhook and back er up. You learn by exploring, eh. Oh and that'll be $70!!!

The mission was to again go through Meaford where we had gone for years and that we did. We explored the town including the house where Jo-Anne's parents had lived for many years. Below is the view from the harbor up toward the town hall with the Flying Scotsman in the foreground. The bus is parked in front of the location which used to be the Harbour Moose restaurant we talked about several years ago which has now been totally scraped from the earth ... sad.

Sad too, as the whole town of Meaford, beautiful and picturesque, has fallen upon some hard times. Apparently there are no jobs and young people aren't staying around and there are a lot of closed businesses that we used to frequent ... "You can't go back," they say, and I guess it is true.

We did have lunch at the Leeky Canoe as we have in the past and it was as unique, well prepared, and served as it was then. Neat little place on the main strip with a super décor and pub atmosphere.

And I'm not sure when the banquet will start but we will be in line at the table.

... Wonder if the Flying Scotsman will run on Coors ... probably not!